Last week I dropped off some of my tiny tipis at Bluerock Gallery (you can see them on the far left near the lamp) while the weather was still absolutely gorgeous. And then, on Sunday, we were hit with a heavy, wet snowfall which meant I got to spend a day on the sofa reading which leads me to a few great reads of late:
The Book of Salt by Monique Truong This was an interesting story set in 1930s Paris in the house of Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas and told from the perspective of their Vietnamese cook Binh. I was looking forward to read about Stein and Toklas and their many admirers but found that I became attached to Binh and his story. He had many obstacles to overcome, from his childhood in an unhappy home in Saigon to his struggle to be fully himself as an adult. Many times people took advantage of him and yet he remained positive, overcoming the challenges he faced. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry I had stumbled upon this book and was fascinated by this story from the moment I viewed the cover and read the book description and was not disappointed. The novel centers around a family of women in Salem who have the gift of reading lace. The story is filled with handwork, magic, witches and mystery with a difficult family history. Always a perfect combination. Absolutely riveting! Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall When I first heard of this novel I was reminded of 'The Secret Life of Bees' but as I read I became totally engrossed in the story of the main character, nine-year-old Starla Claudelle. This story takes place in the early 1960's, during a time of great upheaval in the deep south. Starla is a passionate red-haired young girl who cannot help but speak up for those in need, often using her fists, and ends up running away from her grandmother's home in order to find the mother who left her long ago. She is picked up by Eula, a black woman traveling with a white baby, and they face many trials on the road together. Comments are closed.
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