Gena's Reads

Loving Eleanor, The Intimate Friendship of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok, by Susan Wittig Albert is historical fiction based on the lives of these two extraordinary women and their decades long relationship, hidden because of the times and because of Eleanor’s position as First Lady. Researching over 3000 letters written back and forth between the two, Albert has written a beautiful book illuminating the lives of these very fascinating women, and full of historic details of the times. A worthwhile…

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Secrets of the Talking Jaguar, Memoirs from the Living Heart of a Mayan Village by Martin Prechtel is a memoir of Prechtel’s time in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala where he was initiated as a Shaman. The book is at times fascinating and at other times tiring and hard to follow because of Prechtel’s writing style. However, the Mayan language is rich and poetic and informs their way of life; if you are interested in Mayan culture it is a worthwhile read.

At the Water’s Edge is the new novel by Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants. This book is set in Scotland during WWII where a privileged young American man who cannot serve in the war drags his new wife and best friend to hunt down the mysterious Loch Ness monster. Gruen weaves an intricate story, where nothing is as it seems to be at the beginning. As we watch all the characters develop and grow before our eyes, the…

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In Search of Lost Time: Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust, A Graphic Novel adapted by Stephane Heuet, is a wonderful book to introduce the reader to Proust’s epic work. The artwork is beautiful and the story comes alive. I have not read Proust before, and at times I found his writing absolutely brilliant, and other times tedious; it is not necessarily to my taste. However, I loved reading it in graphic form, in fact I most likely would not have…

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The Secrets of Midwives is the debut novel by Sally Hepworth, author of The Things We Keep. I read this book in one sitting, just couldn’t put it down. It tells of three generations of midwives, who all have great love and respect for each other even if they have chosen slightly different paths. This is a good, somewhat predictable, easy read, full of details of midwives lives. Secrets, past and present are slowly revealed to keep the reader engaged…

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The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg is historical fiction based on the life of writer George Sand. George Sand, whose real name was Aurore Dupin Dudevant was the first woman writer in France to become an international bestseller. She dressed as a man, smoked cigars, had many lovers and friends, both men and women, and led a fascinating life split between Paris and the French countryside. Berg is a wonderful writer, she brings Sand to life on the page and…

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A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable is historical fiction based on the life of Marthe de Florian, a renowned courtesan painted by Giovanni Boldini, one of the masters of the Belle Epoque. After her death, her grand daughter shut up her apartment and fled Paris during WWII. It was discovered more than 70 years later full of artwork, furniture and much more that would draw millions at auction. The novel is set in modern day Paris where April Vogt of…

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The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler had the potential to be a good book; a love story to old fashioned bookstores, and to New York City itself. Esme, fresh from London, on a scholarship at Columbia, falls in love with rich, blue blooded Mitchell and that’s where everything goes wrong. Mitchell is such a creepy, unlikable character, it was impossible to believe Esme would fall for him and keep coming back to him.  I wish it had been more focused on…

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The Well of Lost Plots is a Thursday Next novel by Jasper Fforde. I haven’t ready the whole series, but so far this is my favorite. Jurisfiction officer Thursday Next is pregnant, her husband has been eradicated and she has been relocated into an unpublished book in the Well of Lost Plots where plot devices are sold on the black market, a misspelling vyrus can mean total destruction for all, and someone is trying to erase her memory. Fforde’s imagination…

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Daughter of Fortune is a book that shows Isabelle Allende’s incredible gift for storytelling,. It tells of an orphan girl raised in Chile by an upper class family, then stealing away on a ship to follow her lover to California at the height of the Gold Rush of 1849, in the process she undergoes many changes. An epic novel, well written and filled with wonderful characters, history, adventure, romance, friendship, family, self-discovery and all you could want from a great…

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