We Have a Winner - PeaceWeaver by Judith Arnopp

Soft Fuzzy Sweater, you've won a copy of Peaceweaver by Judith Arnopp! Thanks for leaving a comment on her review. Please contact Lisa with your full name and mailing address, so Ms. Arnopp can send your copy.

Book Review - The Last Leaf by Stuart Lutz

  

The Last Leaf
(Voices of History's Last-Known Survivors)
by Stuart Lutz

Stuart Lutz’s The Last Leaf is a poignant collection of thirty-nine actual last interviews with survivors of some of the most harrowing, devastating, and shocking occurrences in history. The author scoured the country and travelled extensively to locate and speak directly with these remarkable people. He has captured their words and stories and immortalized them into this amazing book.

We are all familiar with the disasters and adversity described through old news reels and antique textbooks, but we’ve never heard them with such clarity and emotion before. And likely for the last time, because many of the men and women interviewed, have since passed, which makes The Last Leaf an even more important book to treasure.

Beautifully told with photos of the interviewees, both past and present, his interviews include the last survivor of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, a woman who remembers person who remembers the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, a survivor who escaped the Nazi death camp Sobibor, the final passenger of the sunken Lusitania, the only remaining surviving ground crew member of the Hindenburg explosion, and many, many more fascinating witnesses to history. The survivor stories are especially poignant. When death was imminent, and the odds against them, somehow, these fascinating men and women managed to survive. The book also includes last interviews with witnesses to technological innovations and sports and entertainment personages, which are no less fascinating.

This is a book to read and re-read and then share with our children and grandchildren. Stories that must never be forgotten. Stories that teach us what it means to survive or to witness history. A book of great worth and immense wisdom to learn from. What a beautiful tribute to these amazing people.

Bravo Stuart Lutz for your passion in putting together such a worthwhile book.

Book Giveaway - The Last Leaf by Stuart Lutz

This week, we're proud to feature Stuart Lutz's book, The Last Leaf.

Up for grabs is a copy of this fabulous book that describes some of history's most poignant moments through interviews with the last living survivors and witnesses.

All you have to do to win is leave a comment with your email address telling Stuart why you really want to read his book.  Stuart will chose the most endearing response. 

Thanks again!  This is a book not to be missed and worth keeping on your book shelf for future generation!

We'll announce the winner at the end of the week!

Selene of Alexandria

SELENE OF ALEXANDRIA'Selene of Alexandria' by Faith L. Justice, is a historical novel, a straight one if you are into genres and subgenres, which is set in Alexandria during the fifth century.
Selene is only fourteen, when she makes a serious decision concerning her life. She wishes to defy her class's expectations by becoming a physician. At those times, this is an absolute No-no. She finds support in Hypatia, the famous female mathematician and philosopher. She convinces her father to allow her pursuing her goal in a time, in which the Catholic Church is torn in sects, and Byzantine is all that remained from the Roman Empire. Soon, Selene finds herself amidst the struggle for power.
Embedded in the history of Alexandria, we watch Selene come to age. We experience the violence and fanaticism, tearing through the young church and the few remaining pagans. Selene is the strong and very independent woman type, maybe a tiny bit too modern in her ways; however, Faith manages to let us forget that Selene’s story is her vehicle to introduce us to Hypatia’s life.
The characters are well-drawn, the plot propels us forward, and the writing carries us easily throughout the story. Even the antagonist comes across as a fully fleshed out person. Especially the depiction of all the historical figures we see through Selene’s eyes and the level of authenticity are remarkable. No doubt, Faith has done her homework very well.
Having enjoyed reading it and being left curious about a sequel, I would like to recommend 'Selene of Alexandria' to the lover of straight historical fiction who cherishes authenticity and wants to learn about the dusk of the classical era and the dawn of Christianity.

Peaceweaver by Judith Arnopp

“The old people used to say that three women, known as the Norns, wove human fate. They sat in the roots of a great, spreading tree, spinning the fragile threads of destiny into the complex fabric of life. When they grew peeved they worked misfortune and despair into the pattern. I sighed. My own fate trailed behind me like a worn petticoat, patched and mended with good intentions. What, I wondered, would those three women make of my future.” – Queen Eadgyth, Peaceweaver

History often recalls the hand-fasted wife of Harold Godwinson, last King of the Saxons, but little is known about his queen, Eadgyth, daughter of Earl Aelfgar of Mercia. She was a descendant of the Lady Godiva of Coventry legend, and the child-bride of a Welsh King before becoming Harold’s queen. Author Judith Arnopp has weaved a wonderful tale of Eadgyth’s life, interspersing fact, and fiction. Her meticulous research and unique storytelling made Peaceweaver a delightful read. Judith Arnopp has graciously agreed to give away a copy of the book to one of our blog visitors.

When Eadgyth’s father barters her to the Welsh King, Gruffydd ap Llewellyn, she endures exile in an alien world with only her loyal servant Anwen for comfort. She submits to Gruffydd’s cold and cruel attentions, and bears children for a husband more than twice her age. But sons are not the only joy of Eadgyth’s life, when she finds a forbidden love. As unexpected as it is, another drastic change comes when her husband learns of the affair, just before his downfall.

Swept away to England by the charismatic Harold Godwinson, Eadgyth enters the English court of Edward the Confessor. Harold’s unabashed pursuit of her re-awakens a love she never thought to feel again, but specters of Harold's past always intrude on their happiness. On the eve of Hastings, Eadgyth risks her safety to be by the side of a man she never thought she would love, as he faces the greatest threat his kingdom has ever known.

Author Judith Arnopp

The period before the Norman Conquest of 1066 is a long-time favorite of mine. I found many things remarkable about Peaceweaver, the most important being that Queen Eadgyth was so young during this tumultuous period in England. She must have been a remarkable woman to bear the attentions of her first husband, and survive the difficult reign of her second husband. In the first twenty-one years of her life, she saw dramatic changes and lived through them. I was also surprised at how much this story touched me. In Peaceweaver, the love between the central characters is devout and palpable, and all of the characters, both real and invented, are fully fleshed out. In particular, Ms. Arnopp has made Harold Godwinson come alive on the page, a brave but flawed man. Although I know the story of his death as well as any English school child taught about Hastings, it always makes me very sad to read about it. Reading it from the perspective of his young queen was at times heartbreaking, but always a joy.

Don't forget: Please leave a comment to win a copy of Peaceweaver!

29: A Novel by Adena Halpern

On the day of her 75th birthday, Ellie Jerome blows out the candles on her cake and wishes to be 29 years old for one day. When she awakes the next morning, her body is firm and youthful, there are no wrinkles on her face, she can see clearly, and her hair has no traces of gray. It takes her a while before she truly comes to believe that her wish came through. Unsettled by what has happened, she soon comes the realization that this is a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity and she must seize and make the most of this one special day.

With the help of her granddaughter, Lucy, Ellie is determined to reach out and experience everything she can. First, she gets a new hairstyle and then dons a spectacular new gown.  When she looks in the mirror, she can scarcely believe that she is the youthful beauty reflected therein.

As she maneuvers through her special day, a gift beyond her wildest dreams, she attracts oodles of attention and soon finds herself in the arms of a handsome young man.

While Ellie is enjoying her new freedoms, Ellie’s daughter and her best friend are worried about her and desperate to find her and make sure she's safe.  Meanwhile, Ellie begins to understand the meaning of life and learns powerful lessons about the true value of a husband, family, friendship, and comes to appreciate the wisdom that can only come with age.

At times hilarious, and at other times sad, this chick-lit novel is truly an entertaining read. Duty, family, and tradition conflict with modern social freedoms to make this tale not only hilarious and engaging, but poignant. Adena Halpern does a marvelous job of giving the reader insight into the thoughts and behaviors of three generations of women in the various stages of life. A definite fun summer read for women of all ages.

The Bridge at Valentine by Renee Thompson

The Bridge at Valentine is a poignant tale of love and discord that takes place in the wilderness of Idaho in the 1890's. At the heart of the story are two families who struggle to carve a living off the land: the Caldwells who raise sheep and the Morrows who are heavily involved in cattle ranching.

The Caldwells and Morrows continuously battle over grazing lands for their herds and the feud between them gradually escalates. One day, as July and her brother Richard herd their sheep over the Bridge at Valentine the bridge suddenly breaks and a large metal cable slices through July. Near death, Richard rushes July home and the area's young doctor is summoned to save her life. Despite the seriousness of her injuries, July survives, but her stern father suspects the Morrows of having sabotaged the bridge.

July heals under the watchful care of the handsome doctor and her loving Mormon family. When she is well enough, she attends a social event where she encounters young Rory Morrow. Irresistibly drawn to each other, they struggle to keep their love a secret from both of their feuding families. Their love is doomed and fate is determined to keep them apart when tragedy strikes despite their efforts to be together. July finds herself torn between family loyalties and an ever burgeoning but hopeless love, and she must make her way through life armed with only her courage and determination.

Renee Thompson used Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet as a model for the plot of this story of the American West, but that is where the similarities end. The tale unfolds gradually but with intensity as the plot becomes more complex with each page that is turned. The characters spring to life with credibility and their own individuality because of their human frailties as well as their strengths. It is truly a tale about a woman who must face and overcome adversity in a harsh, unforgiving world where she must make sacrifices in order to survive.

I very much enjoyed the unpredictability of the story, of wanting to know what the characters would do next, of reading through the many poignant scenes, two of which included heart-wrenching tragedies that ultimately forced change upon the lives of the colourful, complex characters in both families. For a first novel, this Western is exceptional and well worth reading.  And with a raving endorsement by author Larry McMurtry, who can argue that Renee Thompson is a newcomer to keep an eye on in the future!