The Book of Love by Kathleen McGowan is book two of The Magdalene Series, following The Expected One. In this historical fiction novel, McGowan writes of the undiscovered gospel written in Jesus’ own hand as preserved and taught by Mary Magdalene. The story is also set in the present day, again following the life of Maureen Paschal as she is led into a new mystery uncovering this lost document, as well as the life of eleventh century Countess Matilda of…
Consider This, Senora by Harriet Doerr is a novel set in a small town in rural Mexico in the 60’s. Three North American women come to build houses here and for one, live out the rest of her days. Deceptively simple, the novel shows how Mexico changes each of these women, as the local people carry on with their lives. Beautifully written.
Still Alice by Lisa Genova is an incredible novel about a 50 year old woman named Alice, at the height of her career as a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard, who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The novel is written in the voice of Alice. Through letting Alice tell her own story, Genova gives us a powerful and in depth view into the mind of someone with Alzheimer’s. It becomes increasingly painful to read, as Alice’s mind is slipping…
The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan is a novel about Mary Magdalene that McGowan researched for two decades. In the same vein as Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code, this novel is filled with hidden scrolls, secret societies, ancient mysteries, symbols, and most importantly, the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. At the heart of the novel is Maureen Paschal, “The Expected One” who is meant to uncover the original gospel of Mary Magdalene. Whether or not you believe the claims…
What Matters Most is a recent novel by Luanne Rice. Rice is a very prolific writer who has the ability to create memorable characters that readers care for deeply. Here we meet James (Seamus) Sullivan and Kathleen Murphy. Two orphans who grew up together in a Dublin orphanage and were raised by nuns. We also meet Tom Kelly and Sister Bernadette Sullivan. Their four lives are intricately woven together long before they even know it. This is a novel about…
The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason is a beautifully written novel that takes the reader deep into the heart of Burma. In the late 1800’s, Edgar Drake, a shy, middle aged piano tuner from London is sent into the jungle in Burma to tune a piano for an eccentric army surgeon. This is a wonderful story that had me hooked from the beginning. I was transported while reading this novel. Mason’s details about music, pianos, and piano tuning are fascinating,…
Maya’s Notebook is the new novel by Isabelle Allende. Allende is a master storyteller and I always look forward to reading her novels. However, if you haven’t read anything by her, start with something older, as Maya’s Notebook was disappointing. In the front of the book, Allende dedicates this novel to the teenagers in her tribe. All I can think is that this is meant to be a cautionary tale, warning them against the evils of drugs, strangers, and other…
The Writing Circle by Corinne Demas is about a group of writers that call themselves the Leopardi Circle. They meet weekly to read and critique each others work, and it was fun to have a peek into this world. Nancy, the newest member of the group is wary of Gillian, a world famous poet. As the story unfolds, told through several different voices, the intrigue mounts and the plot thickens. I was deeply engrossed in this novel until the end….
The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott is historical fiction about the sinking of the Titanic and what happened in it’s aftermath. This is not a story I had heard before. Alcott is a journalist. This is her first novel, and it is highly researched. In it, she tells the disturbing tale of selfish and cowardly behavior on the part of several survivors, who were in nearly empty lifeboats, yet refused to turn back and help rescue the hundreds of others drowning…
Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat is a novel about a young girl who grows up in Haiti, then moves to New York to be with her mother when she is twelve.. Danticat is an wonderful writer. She also moved from Haiti to the U.S. when she was twelve and began writing only two years later. Her writing is sparse, poetic, evocative. The novel is filled with beauty and sadness. A powerful story by an amazing writer. Highly recommended.