In the Company of Angels by David Farland

by Guest Reviewer, Robyn Heirtzler

New York Times best-selling author David Farland has done it again, created compelling fiction with unforgettable characters in his newest novel, In the Company of Angels.

Based on the true story of the Willie Handcart Company, Farland has beautifully captured the trials, fears and hope of these pioneers. He seamlessly pieces the thoughts and actions of the feisty Eliza Gadd, Captain James G. Willie and young Baline Mortensen into a compelling story that’s difficult to release. Led by Captain Willie, the company encounters countless tragedies that delays their trip across the plains, eventually resulting in numerous deaths from exposure and starvation.

Indian wars rage as they march across the plains, carrying their sick and injured in handcarts built from scraps of wood. Companies ahead of them report nearly constant threat of the raids and the discovery of corpses along the trail does little to ease their fears.

This heartbreaking account takes the reader to Eliza Gadd’s side as she watches her family collapse around her and culminates as Baline Mortensen gives the ultimate sacrifice…

In the Company of Angels is a story for all faiths and all people. It’s a historical recollection of fact combined in a novel that makes the reader believe he’s walking beside these brave pioneers.
From the prologue: “…Fifteen people are buried there in a circle, laid out toe to toe. In 1856, they tried to cross a continent, hauling all that they owned in handcarts, and were caught in an early storm. Most were men who died struggling to save their families from the brutal blizzard, but others were children, weakened by starvation. They are but a few of those who died along the trail.

“Their story is not a common tragedy. Theirs is a story of courage, hope, and heroism that may be unparalleled in the American West.

“Few have tried to tell their tale. It is not an easy one to tell. Though survivors, and even many of those who died, left biographical accounts, it is an odd tale—a story of revelations, of angelic visitations, of people struggling to find religious freedom in a harsh world.”

David Farland is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author with nearly fifty novels in print. While most of his novels fit into other genres, Dave felt deeply touched by the story of the Willie Handcart Company, and so began to study it with an eye toward writing the tale. He spent two years in the process, reading from numerous biographies, pulling handcarts, and traveling along the Old Mormon Trail.

The novel can be purchased here.

Eyes Like Mine by Julie Wright

Eyes Like Mine by Julie Wright

Review by Heather Moore

A book that makes you think.
A book that makes you grateful.
A book that strengthens your faith.

Through a time-travel phenomenon, Constance Brown is transported from the pioneer trail into the life of her great grandaughter, Liz King. What unfolds is an incredible story as both women must find their destiny, together.

The last several chapters were just brilliant. This is a great YA novel and the characters were true-to-life. If you've read Julie Wright's other novels (especially My Not-So-Fairy-Tale Life), you know she has the knack for getting inside the angst of the teenage mentality. She combines humor, heartache, romance, and great storytelling into a terrific read.

Visit Julie's Blog Here!

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
By Jamie Ford

Reviewed by Heather Moore

I live about 70 miles from the former site of Japanese internment site, Topaz (Delta, Utah), which locked away thousands of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Across the western United States ten miniature cities rose out of the dust as American citizens with Japanese heritage were rounded up and forced to relocate, leaving behind professions, homes, friends, and belongings. It was the worst of times.

What fear drives an American president to lock away hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women or children? For their protection? For the country’s protection? In my grandparents home in Salt Lake City, Utah, there are hammer marks on the walls in the basement where my grandfather pounded the walls in rage when the Japanese invaded Pearl Harbor. He was “too old” to serve in the military, but served in various capacities on the home front.

Years later, in the late 1980’s, my cousin served a two-year mission to Japan. Impressed with the culture, he returned to study and work, eventually marrying a Japanese woman. So my family knows a little about the dynamics of bringing two cultures together—two cultures that were enemies not long ago.

In Jamie Ford’s debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry is a twelve-year old Chinese boy growing up in Seattle. The city is a melting pot in its own right, and Henry lives in Chinatown near the Japanese district. Forced to wear a large button by his father that reads, “I am Chinese,” Henry attends an all-white school on scholarship. Each day he’s faced with bullying from the other kids, one boy in particular named Chaz. But this is not the typical coming-of-age story of a kid facing persecution in one form or another. As Henry serves on cafeteria-duty to pay for his scholarship, another student it assigned to the kitchen. But it’s a girl. And she’s Japanese.

Henry’s father is Chinese through and through—and continues to be a bitter enemy to all who are Japanese because of the on-going conflicts back on Asian soil between the two peoples. Henry’s immediate reaction to the Japanese girl, Keiko, is contempt. But he soon learns to take back all previous assumptions, and they form a friendship of a lifetime. Of course, you can see it coming—and Keiko and her family are sent to an internment camp. But the majority of the novel is filled with surprises, and breadth of questions that stir emotions.

Poignant and beautifully written. A book that is complex, yet masterfully simple.

Ford will certainly be a contender for the 2009 Whitney Awards. Readers who are interested in a fictionalized account of the internment camp, Topaz, will enjoy Nothing to Regret by Tristi Pinkston.

Tower of Strength by Annette Lyon

Tower of Strength
By Annette Lyon

Covenant Communications

March 2009

Reviewed by Heather Moore

I’ve been waiting for this next historical by Annette Lyon for over a year. Even though I read it in draft form, I was excited to read the final version. It didn’t disappoint. In fact, I can confidently say that Annette Lyon is one of the best writers in her genre. Many of you know that the 2008 Whitney Award finalists have been announced. So I’ve decided to read them all—yes—it might sound crazy, but I only have 1 ½ books to go.

So you can say that I’ve immersed myself in the LDS genre this past month, or at least books by LDS writers. And sometimes these books are automatically labeled sub-par because of previous bad attempts by other authors.

But I’ve taken a critical eye, and read the genre for what it is (yes, most of the characters are LDS, yes, most of them go through faith-affirming trials, and yes, editorial comes into play with the smaller publishers).

So when I started reading Annette’s book, my antenna was on high. One thing I know is that Annette has learned the craft of writing, she understands the rules of fiction and she willing accepts feedback from alpha readers, editors, etc. Yet, she is able to produce such a natural story-telling style, that Tower of Strength runs seamless from scene to scene.

In Tower of Strength, I really enjoyed the characters. Tabitha is widowed at a young age and moves to Logan (from Manti) in order to start over with her infant son. Six years later, she’s asked to return and take over the town newspaper in Manti. I loved the historical tie-ins that Lyon includes—from the prejudice of some of the town members of having a “woman” head up the newspaper, to the building of the Manti temple.

Also impressive is the research that Lyon has done on this time period—to the common dialog phrases used at that time, to the clothing, the food, the thoughts and attitudes of some of the early settlers.

I was most impressed with the complex characterization of Tabitha and how she comes to terms with falling in love again. Samuel, an emigrant from England, is a fun, jaunty character who has his own past and lost love to overcome. He provides a lot of comic relief during the story with his complete lack of ability to care for horses—which happens to be his job. Also, Tabitha’s mother-in-law, “Mother Hall”, is another favorite character in which the reader has a complete change of heart toward this woman by the end of the book.

Overall, I’d highly recommend Lyon’s Tower of Strength, a nice anchor to her four-volume historical temple series.

To see my reviews of Lyon's other historical temple books, visit:

House on the Hill

At the Journey's End

Spires of Stone

The Last Waltz by GG Vandagriff

The Last Waltz
By GG Vandagriff

Shadow Mountain, March 2009

Review by Heather Moore



Modern teenagers of today might think people of early twentieth century Europe were a simple lot. After all, they rode in carriages, wrote letters by hand, and attended formal balls. The nobility did little else but gossip and discuss Parisian fashions. Yet, in GG Vandagriff’s newest novel, pre-World War I Austria explodes with intrigue, volatile politics that would eventually bring the Austrian people under Hitler’s rule, and a love story that proves that a woman’s heart is as vast as the ocean.

In 1913, Amalia Faulhaber is just nineteen years old, engaged to a Baron who will secure her family’s social status. Her life is predictable as she follows the pattern set by the aristocracy. Then her fiancé breaks their engagement, telling her he must follow his childhood dream and join the Prussian army. He leaves for Germany that same day. Amalia is devastated, but even worse, humiliated. She hides the break-up until she can deliver a valid explanation to her family.

As she is struggling with feelings of being rejected, she meets two men. One is another Baron—an Austrian who promises to choose her over his country. The other, a Pole, who holds the same ideals as Amalia and haunts her dreams and every waking moment.

But a terrible misunderstanding drives Amalia to make a mistake that she will pay for a lifetime. Soon after, World War I breaks out, and Amalia is forced to face her ghosts and heal from tragedy. She copes by working as a nurse, becoming a witness to unspeakable horrors.

Her family loses their position in society and politics and war take over any hope of Amalia ever marrying for true love. Austria is thrown into chaos as various government ideals struggle for power. Family members are forced to choose sides. Fortunes are lost. Jews are persecuted. Amalia’s only salvation is developing a relationship with the Lord. And she must learn to trust again.

Before reading this book, I’d never given too much thought to those who lived in pre-Hitler controlled Austria. Of course, I’ve seen the Sound of Music enough times to understand that those who did not swear allegiance to Hitler were in mortal danger. Yet, the events leading up to this historical time were fascinating. The Last Waltz was truly an epic love tale, spanning four decades of Amalia’s life—following her through triumph and tragedy. She’d lost so much, yet came out so strong. And through all of her temptations she remained a virtuous woman.

If I was to nitpick one thing, I would have liked more time and attention spent on the literal last waltz that took place near the end of the book.

Overall GG Vandagriff has a talent for immersing the reader in a different time and place. I was interested to read her biography and discover that she’d lived and studied in Austria. The Last Waltz is also a novel that was thirty years in the making. I’m grateful it finally made it to me.

The Forgotten Warrior

The Forgotten Warrior
By Kathi Oram Peterson
Covenant Communications, 2009


Review by Heather Moore

Sixteen-year-old Sydney Morgan—a black belt in Karate—is unexpectedly transported to the land of Zarahemla. Dressed in her “strange” karate clothing, she is mistaken for a boy and thought to be a spy. Sydney has landed in the middle of Captain Helaman’s camp—where they are preparing for battle with the Lamanites. When Sydney finally earns Helaman’s trust, she is asked to help train the warriors to fight. As she tries to remember exactly what the result of the upcoming battle will be, Sydney finds herself liking chief warrior Tarik. But it seems doomed from the start as Sydney is caught between two worlds—with no answers in sight.

A fast-paced YA novel, this book relives the account of the stripling warriors in a unique way. Sydney and Tarik are strong and lively characters, set in one of the most volatile eras of the Book of Mormon. Adults and young adults alike will enjoy The Forgotten Warrior. A fun and engaging read, this book will especially appeal to fans of Chris Heimerdinger and Sariah Wilson.

The story seemed to end abruptly with several loose ends to be tied up, setting up the book for an obvious sequel. According to the author’s website, the next installment will be released Fall 2009.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (reviewed by Laura Craner)

If you are like me (which you must be since you read this blog! *wink*), then you have probably heard of A Thousand Splendid Suns and wondered if it was a book you would like. After all, it's critically acclaimed and most readers are so passionate about it they have a hard time keeping their enthusiasm in check. But, it's about Afghanistan and, well, has some pretty intense thematic issues. How's a reader to know? I finally read it and decided to review it here so you all can make a more informed decision.

Let's get my bias out of the way first: I LOVED this book. Even though I had spent the day with all three my kids fighting the crowds at the zoo free day I stayed up all night reading it. I cried at the end because I had no words to describe how much it moved me. It's that good. The style is spare and elegant and straightforward--Hosseini puts on no airs; every word is artfully chosen and necessary--making it easy to read. The characters are complicated and human, which means they are full of hopes and dreams as well as frustrations and foibles.

The story follows two women, Mariam and Laila, and their husband, Rasheed (yes, Islam allows polygamy, although I don't think that is the technical name for them), as they struggle through the last thirty years of Afghanistan's history. It follows them through the Soviet period, the Taliban, 9/11 and the subsequent invasion, and ends with the current rebuilding period. Mariam and Laila run into a lot of trouble--multiple miscarriages, bombings, deaths of loved ones, and terrible abuse--but the two women have such strength of character that the book never descends into the depressing muck that is so common in modern literary fiction. Oh, and there is sex. But none of it is nasty or gratuitous or pornographic. What is included is necessary to the story. As a reader you will undoubtedly disagree with some of the choices the women make, most likely the one that lands Mariam in jail. There are parts where you will feel sad and parts where you will feel angry, but the overall feel of the book is not sad and angry. It is hopeful and compassionate and beautiful.

This book may not be for everyone because of its challenging nature, but I think most people will be glad they read it. I certainly was.

The Light of Ancient America, Vol 1 & 2--by Gary T. Wright

Reviewed By Heather Moore

As a historical fiction author myself, I might have a unique interest in reading the two-volume set, The Light of Ancient America. Whenever I read historical fiction, I’m looking for an experience, unlike my modern-day life and usual concerns. I want to be immersed in a tale that is rich and filled with the sights and sounds of another era. I want to meet characters who were challenged in ways and experienced things that I can only imagine.

So with all of these usual expectations, I cracked open Signs and Wonders, the first volume of The Light of Ancient America.

The first thing that impressed me was the author’s Historical Notes. It gave an overview of the purpose and background of not only the book, but the events that occurred during this time period. I found this helpful—not necessarily for myself—but if I were to share it with someone who had little knowledge of the Book of Mormon, I would be assured that they would “get it” before diving into the story.

The first volume begins about five years before the birth of Christ. A time when there are many prophets on the earth prophesying of His coming, and many others who are denouncing His name. In the Book of Mormon lands, the Gadianton robbers are a force to reckon with, for both the Lamanites and the Nephites.

The main character is none other than Gidgiddoni and his brother Jacob—two sons from the same family with opposing beliefs. The story is primarily of two brothers and their rise to power and position within the city of Zarahemla. With it comes greed and jealously on Jacob’s part, and he is party in sending his brother into exile. But even in exile, and working as a mere slave, Gidgiddoni’s leadership skills rise above all others. He is rightly given the nickname of Jaguar, which he becomes known as all around the country. Jaguar quickly redeems his good name and much to the dismay of Jacob, earns his full commandership back and is even promoted.

As Jacob dives into deeper waters of treachery, he joins the Gadianton robbers and plots to murder the leaders who have the control he seeks—including his own father and his own brother. He succeeds in poisoning his father, but Jaguar makes a narrow escape, thanks to his wife.

By the second volume, Honor & Arrogance, the situation escalates as the people start to falter in their belief. Even after the great signs of Christ’s birth, many years pass before the sign of his death comes. During these years, Jacob gains immense power and influence, using the Gadianton robbers as his pawns. On the other side, Jaguar must use all of his resources and strategy to stay one step ahead. Trials and temptations continue to abound and at one point, Jaguar faith is put to the ultimate test. When the great and terrible signs of Christ’s death come to the New World, everyone’s lives are changed forever.

These historical volumes are full of rich detail and immaculate research. It will open the minds and hearts of the readers and bring them to a greater knowledge and appreciation of the greatest era of mankind to date. The era when Christ lived and reigned upon the earth.

More information about buying the book, and reader group discussion questions, can be found on the author’s website:

Lucy, by Ellen Feldman

Reviewed by Brittany Mangus

I don't really remember how I stumbled upon this book, but I'm glad I read it. This is a biographical fiction novel about FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt and Lucy Mercer Rutherford (Eleanor's personal social secretary and FDR's mistress).

It's written in the first person, from Lucy's (rose-colored) point of view. It takes place from 1914-1945, focusing mostly on the time period (1914-1918) when FDR met Lucy, which was before FDR was stricken with polio.

As a fan of similar period novels (The Age of Innocence, The Buccaneers, Ethan Frome, etc.) I was fascinated by this book; the characters exude the New England Victorian culture and Lucy mentions the strict social rules of the era. (For example, a patrician woman must never occupy a man's newly-vacated chair, for fear that his body heat may still be felt.) This book even weaves in some newly-discovered and very interesting information about FDR and another mistress, Missy LeHand.

I have read other biographies about former presidents so it was especially fun to read this "sort-of" biography in the form of a fictional novel. What was very interesting to me was how each chapter began with one or two actual quotes from people who knew FDR, Eleanor and Lucy. Often, they contradicted each other, which added a human element to the story.

FDR first met Lucy Mercer around 1914 when she was working in their home as Eleanor's social secretary. A not-so-secret romance blossomed. The affair was well-known to everyone in their social circle... everyone except shy, reserved, and repressed Eleanor.

However, in the fall of 1918, Eleanor discovered love letters from Lucy to her husband in his suitcase. Historians and this author agree that "the Lucy Mercer affair" was the catalyst that defined the great leaders who FDR and Eleanor herself would one day become. At the time, Eleanor forbade FDR from seeing Lucy ever again. Lucy, however secretly came back into the President's life near the end of it (the Secret Service gave her a code name "Mrs. Paul Johnson"), and was with him on the very day he died in Warm Springs, Georgia in 1945. What was not known until very recently was exactly when she re-entered his life. They now believe that it was much sooner than earlier thought.

It was interesting to compare the choices made by the women who loved FDR. Lucy married Winthrop Rutherford (a man 29 years her senior), whereas Missy never married and devoted her life to FDR. Daisy Suckley likewise never married and shared a similar expectation (with Lucy and Missy) that she would someday "retire" with FDR once his 4th term in office was over. Eleanor chose to remain married to FDR, despite accounts that she "did not act like a wife." (In fact, she frequently lived separately from him.)

There are many more secrets and interesting personality quirks and flaws that I will leave for you to discover. It is a fascinating novel about fascinating people- I recommend it!

"Lucy: A President, A Marriage, A Love Affair" By Ellen Feldman
Even though this book is about an affair, true to Lucy's patrician nature, there are no "details."
Biographical Fiction/Historical Fiction
304 pages
Published by WW Norton & Co. (2004)

Season of Sacrifice

Recently I finished reading Season of Sacrifice by Tristi Pinkston (critically acclaimed author of Nothing to Regret and Strength to Endure). I first based on the lives of the author’s great-great grandparents. At first I was a little nervous. Everyone has a great story somewhere in their family, but an entire novel’s worth? Diving in, I immediately liked how Pinkston put the location and date at the beginning of the chapters. I felt grounded from the beginning as the story opens in 1867 Wales.

Ben Perkins is a young coal miner who is saving his money to immigrate to America. But weeks before he’s set to leave, he courts Mary Ann, who he promptly falls in love with. He has to leave her behind but writes her frequently—through another person since he can’t read or write.

Almost three years later, Ben has saved enough to bring the rest of his family to America, including Mary Ann. What unfolds is a tender love story set against the background of the rugged terrain of Utah.

Next we meet Sarah, the younger sister of Mary Ann. Through several unfortunate hardships, her family makes the choice to leave Wales and travel to Utah—hoping for a fresh start and reunion with Mary Ann. In Utah, Sarah struggles to accept the unfamiliar surroundings and live in the Mormon culture (of which she has yet to convert). But her trials multiply when she agrees to travel to San Juan with Mary Ann and Ben and help establish a new Mormon settlement. When Sarah is faced with the prospect of becoming a second wife in a plural marriage, her faith is shaken to the core.

The story was exciting and kept me reading without hardly putting it down. When finished, I read the chapter notes and was very surprised at how little the author embellished the general events. Here was a true family saga that could be made into a novel, keeping a picky reader hooked until the very end.

This book is for sale several places on-line, but you can get an autographed copy through the author’s website: www.tristipinkston.com

Nothing to Regret by Tristi Pinkston

I love a well written historical fiction novel and this did not disappoint. From the eyes of a Japanese American we see what it was like to live in America during a time of hatred and people being scared. I hate racial prejudice (I have an Asian son and a Black son) so his book hit home with me.

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Ken Sugihara was a student at Berkeley at the time of Pearl Harbor. He is shocked to hear about the attack, but even more shocked when he discovers that all people of Japanese ancestry in the United States, especially those living on the West Coast, are now considered suspects in the attack. He and his parents are taken from their home and sent to a relocation center in the Utah Desert.

While living in Topaz, Ken's old friend Colonel Beaumont comes to see him, and asks him if he will go on a mission of espionage to Japan to hunt down information on Japanese aircraft. Ken is reluctant at first to serve the country that wrongfully imprisoned him, but realizes that he has a chance to make a difference, and agrees to go. The experiences he has change his life forever.

This is a story of prejudice and acceptance, dignity under the worst conditions, and the power of the Atonement to heal us all.

BLUE by Joyce Moyer Hostetter

BLUE by Joyce Moyer Hostetter

Review by me, Emily
Deliciously Clean Reads

Whimsy Books

Joyce Moyer Hostetter sent me a copy of her book, BLUE. Now, I get a lot of books for review. Sometimes I love them. Sometimes they don't really resonate with me for one reason or another. BLUE is one of those books that took me by surprise (because it was so wonderful) and shook me to the core. I laughed. I cried. And you know what? It doesn't even have any fantasy elements in it. My favorite books are almost always fantasy. This is a book about Ann Fay Honeycutt, and what it was like to be a young teen in the forties. Wow.

Here's the description from the jacket flap:

"When her daddy is sent off to fight Hitler, Ann Fay Honeycutt puts on the blue overalls he has given her. Now, at thirteen, she's the "man of the house," in charge of tending the large vegetable garden and watching out for her younger sisters and brother. It's hard work, but Ann Fay is managing until a polio epidemic strikes. At first she relies on the newspaper for information about the disease, but all too soon she knows its devastating effects firsthand. As the challenges grow, Ann Fay's resourcefulness and toughness grow as well."

When I finished reading BLUE, I wasn't ready for the experience to end, so I asked Joyce Moyer Hostetter some questions about it. To read the review, please visit my blog, Deliciously Clean Reads.

Spires of Stone

Spires of Stone is the third book in Annette Lyon's "temple series". Ironically, this book takes place chronologically before her other temple books. Fans of House on the Hill and At the Journey's End will love the cameo appearance of Abe Franklin--as a young boy.

In the author notes, Lyon mentions that the plot is loosely based on the Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing. So I went to her website to see if she expounded on it. And of course she did. It doesn't follow the play precisely, but there are fun elements that you will recognize.

Spires of Stone is centered on the building of the Salt Lake Temple. It's filled with rich historical details of both a slice of time in the temple-building process (remember it took 40 odd years to complete) and an epilogue scene that ties everything together so the most avid historian will be satisfied.

But what I liked best were the characters. Essentially there is a romance thread between two brothers and two wome--who happen to be sisters. Most fascinating is the Ben and Bethany match. They absolutely despise each other in the beginning because of a terrible misunderstanding that took place before Ben's mission. The second pairing is really a love triangle (one of my favorite plot elements in any romance) between Hannah, Claude, and Phillip. Will the good guy get the girl in the end? I'll let you read it to find out.

At the Journey's End by Annette Lyon

This is Annette Lyon's second historical temple book. The story begins in Snowflake, Arizona where we meet Maddi Stratton and are reintroduced to Abe Franklin. This book centers on the St. George Temple, and while it's already completed when the story opens, we learn some of the legendary events that surrounded its construction. At the Journey's End carries over a character from her previous book, House on the Hill. I'm so glad she wrote this book because I really wanted to follow that particular character.

Maddie Stratton has undergone tremendous heartache. She lost her beloved finance and doesn't know if she'll ever find love again. Considering a marriage of convenience and security, she meets Abe Franklin. They become friends, but Maddie can't let herself feel anything more for him because of a great divide between the two of them. She is a devout Mormon, and he doesn't know if he believes.

A romance, an adventure, and a tale of love and loss . . . all rolled into one. I'd recommend this to YA readers and Adult readers alike.

House on the Hill by Annette Lyon

Annette Lyon is one of my favorite LDS authors, so of course I've read all of her books. She has written a historical temple series of a sort (although you can read each book seperately). Her first temple book is House on the Hill. The story takes place in the 1870's, Logan, Utah. Part of the story centers on the building of the Logan temple, so the reader learns all kinds of interesting facts.

The main character is Lizzy Sullivan. As the story opens, Lizzy is doused in the refiner's fire, literally. Her house burns down, and it seems no matter how much faith she tries to muster, her little brother keeps getting sicker and sicker. Her family has to move in with another family until they can get back on their feet. During this time, Lizzy meets a young man--not of her faith. But, her best friend from her childhood tries to court her, and suddenly Lizzy is confronted with the most difficult choice of her life--choosing between the two men she loves.

I love historical fiction, but even more, I love it when I'm so pulled into the story that I don't realize I'm reading "historical" fiction. This book has some romance, some history, but most of all, solid characters that draw us back into a time where we might think life was more simple.

Trouble in Palmyra by Rob Ficiur

This is a children's novel but I really enjoyed reading it. Traveling back in time and experiencing the First Vision from the perspective of a teen from the 21st century was very enlightening. I look forward to getting my kids to read this book.

DESCRIPTION:

When teenagers Tom and Becky Long learn they must spend a few days with their brilliant but eccentric Uncle Daniel, they are less than pleased. They wonder how they will ever survive his long, boring tales and stale facts about Church history and early pioneers. Little do they know that Uncle Daniel has recently perfected a machine capable of transporting people into the past. Now Tom and Becky are off for the adventure of a lifetime as they accompany their uncle back through time—and come face-to-face with young Joseph Smith, Jr., and his family. Trouble in Palmyra is the first volume in the exciting Time Travelers in Church History series that takes young readers on a rollicking ride through some of the most fascinating events of the last two hundred years.

A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich

If you feel like your days and long and hard read this book and life will seem a breeze. I read this book for my reading group and really enjoyed it. I takes place in Nebraska at the turn of the century and tells what it was like for those first homesteaders. It was particularly significant to me since I am currently living in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Description:

Abbie Mackenzie dreamed of becoming a fine lady like her aristocratic grandmother, devoting herself to music and art. But at eighteen Abbie found a different dream, turning away from the promise of a comfortable life as a doctor's wife to marry handsome, quiet Will Deal. Together, they eagerly accepted the challenge of homesteading in Nebraska territory, where the prairies stretched as far as they could see, and only the strongest survived for long.

The Persian Pickle Club

I read this book by Sandra Dallas in just a few hours over 2 days. It helped that I was on a deadline for my book group that met last night. I didn't quite finish it before we met but even after discussing it and getting a good idea for how it ended, I still wanted to finish it.

This book is set in 1930's Kansas. The Persian Pickle Club is a group of ladies that meet to quilt. They use whatever scraps of material they can find--even old flour sacks--and share materials for all of their quilts. They have formed a real sisterhood among themselves despite the age difference between many of them. They have a bond that can't be broken.

I had no expectations from this book when I started except that I had read another book by this author and really enjoyed it (The Diary of Mattie Spenser). This book follows the same tone with a woman character narrating the story. Queenie is a young woman whose best friend has just left town to go to California so she is looking for a new friend. The new wife of a friend, Rita, seems like she'll be perfect. I thought the story would be about this but about halfway through the book, a body is found buried in the field of one of the Pickles (Ella). Now there is a murder and Rita is trying to make it big as a correspondent for a paper in Topeka so she starts digging around to find out who killed this man.

There are themes of friendship, rural living, domestic abuse, and justice. I found it a very enjoyable read and something I could recommend to just about anyone. On a personal note, I really enjoyed how the Pickles stuck together in times of crisis with casseroles, cakes, and sewing. It really makes me think of the Relief Society and while some of us may think that taking casseroles is old fashioned, sometimes in the face of tragedies or illness you just have to do what you know. If you can't do anything else but bake, you bake. If you can't do anything else but make a quilt, make a quilt.

Marjorie Morningstar

Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk was published in 1955. It is the coming of age tale of a young Jewish girl named Marjorie Morgernstern that dreams of becoming an actress. For me, the book started out slowly and it took me a while to become involved in the characters. But, once I hit the midway point there was no stopping me and I couldn't put it down until I found out what happens to this girl.

Marjorie falls in love with Noel Airman, an older man that has been hardened by the world. She is very naive about how even her close friends view relationships and sex (I rate this book PG-very tame). Remember, this is the 1930's. She grew up with very traditional values and it interesting to see how she responds to her new environments (college, Broadway, etc...). This makes for excellent book group discussion.

You're left guessing all through the book if she'll end up with Noel. Noel is the bad guy, the cad. Wally is the nice guy with a puppy love crush. George was the first love. Sandy is the parents' dream. There are actors, doctors, lawyers, and others. The ultimate question is if she will live out her girlhood dreams as an actress or succumb to the "inevitable" wife in the suburbs. The author leaves you guessing until the very end of the 500+ page book and then it leaves you guessing as to what might have been if she had chosen a different path.

The Last Town on Earth

From Publishers Weekly
It is the autumn of 1918 and a world war and an influenza epidemic rage outside the isolated utopian logging community of Commonwealth, Wash. In an eerily familiar climate of fear, rumor and patriotic hysteria, the town enacts a strict quarantine, posting guards at the only road into town. A weary soldier approaches the gate on foot and refuses to stop. Shots ring out, setting into motion a sequence of events that will bring the town face-to-face with some of the 20th-century's worst horrors. Mullen's ambitious debut is set against a plausibly sketched background, including events such the Everett Massacre (between vigilantes and the IWW), the political repression that accompanied the U.S. entry into WWI and the rise of the Wobblies. But what Mullen supplies in terms of historical context, he lacks in storytelling; though the novel is set in 1918, it was written in a post 9/11 world where fear of bird flu regularly makes headlines, and the allegory is heavy-handed (the protagonist townie, after all, is named Philip Worthy). The grim fascination of the narrative, however, will keep readers turning the pages. (Sept.)

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This was an interesting book to read and I can really imagine a good book club debate on the topics Mullen writes about.

• Can murder be justified for the "greater good"?
• Who determines what is best for the most people?
• Does anyone have that right?
• Does keeping yourself blocked off from the world save you from it?

I was a little disappointed at the way the book ended...it was a little too open-ended for my taste. However, thinking about it more has made me realize that there probably was no better way to tie up the loose ends.

There are some descriptions of violence that were a little tough for me to take (but I'm a wimp for blood and beatings) but they weren't gratuitous at all. They served its purpose in the plot and were necessary for the story to be believable and compelling.