The Women

OMG THIS WAS SO FREAKING GOOD! Why is Kristin Hannah the literal best?! Solid gold. EVERY. TIME. Don't believe people when they tell you there were no women serving in the Vietnam War, because they were and my goodness were they overlooked and undervalued. The Women follows Frankie McGrath, an affluent young woman who decides to enlist as a nurse in the war so she can join her big brother overseas. Frankie has no idea what she signed up for. The war will overhaul her entire life. The first half of the book focuses on her service and the second half focuses on her transition back to civilian life and the awful treatment she received from both her country and her family. Heartbreaking and eye opening. I had no idea. What an impactful and resilient book!

The Great Alone

Worth. The. Hype. Honestly, I liked this even better than Kristin Hannah's, "The Nightingale," and that book was a masterpiece! I zipped through this one, unable to put it down. It was gripping from the beginning and I know that this is a book I will return to. Set in the remote Alaskan wilderness, this coming of age story features a young girl trying to navigate her parent's stormy relationship and make friends of her own (a hard task when there are only about 30 people in town). Leni's father came back from Vietnam a changed man, prone to violent outbursts, restlessness, and crazy ideas. When his buddy from Vietnam wills him a cabin up in Alaska, he packs his family into their VW van and moves them across county into the great alone. They are woefully under-prepared for their first winter and that summer the townsfolk comes together to help out the newcomers. Little does Leni's family realize how long the winters are and how short daylight is; Leni's father mood shifts ever darker. Despite the darkness in her father their is beauty everywhere: in their new neighbors, the rugged wilderness, the value of hard work and borrowed books. Beautifully written; this love letter to Alaska will resonate with readers and have readers rooting for Leni. Tears may fall, dreams may be born, anything is possible.

The Four Winds

Wow - this book was compelling and impossible to put down. It was also VERY SAD. I was hoping there would be a few more uplifting moments in it (hence the four star rating), but it was still supremely well written and emotional. The Four Winds is a great depression novel that starts in the Dust Bowl of Texas. It's sad, emotional, and will only get worse as the story progresses. Imagine Grapes of Wrath but instead of focusing on a male you have female lead and it's twenty times more sad and depressing and that is the best review I can give it. You will cry your eyeballs out, but you will love the story and the characters in it. You've been warned. Now read and enjoy this book (if it can be called enjoyment). 

Magic Hour

Well written, but the plot was a little implausible to me. I went into this blind without reading the summary so I had no idea what I was getting into. Basically a small town sheriff from the outskirts of the Olympic National Forest discovers a small feral child holding a wolf pup. The girl hides, growls, bites, and doesn't know how to speak. Ellie is out of her depth so she calls her famous psychologist sister to come out and help work with this kid. They're trying to get her identified and find her family, because this kid has gone through so much trauma and needs all the help she can get. The sisters find themselves drawing closer to each other and find themselves head over heels over this mysterious wolf girl. Emotional, filled with small town gossip, budding relationships, family drama, and a quest for justice.

The Things We Do for Love

Saddened by their inability to have children, a couple gets divorced. Angie moves back to her family's hometown to help out with the family restaurant and get her mind off things. She discovers that the family business isn't doing too hot since her father died 6 months prior and she decides to put her marketing and advertising skills to use while her two older sisters work in the kitchen with their mother. One of the first changes she makes is hiring another waitress, much younger than the old and slow one they have now. She offers the job to Lauren. A high school senior from the bad part of town that has her eyes set on getting a full ride to college and making something of her life. Angie quickly becomes like a mother to Lauren taking her under her win. Then the unthinkable happens and Angie must decides if her heart can handle what's about to happen. Is she done running and is she ready to take a chance? Heartfelt and moving. Chick lit at it's finest.

Distant Shores

This is one of those books that I would probably appreciate a lot more in ten years. It's the story of a marriage slowly falling apart at the seams and a woman who finds herself "passionless" and tired of waiting around for "her turn." Her husband was a promising NFL quarterback who blew out his knee and became addicted to pain-pills. Over the years he's worked his way up being a sports newscaster  for different tv stations around the country. As a result she and her two kids have had to move houses time and again. Once they move into a beach cottage by Portland, Oregon he promises her they are done moving. And she's glad. She loves the view, the house. Their two daughters are in college on the east coast. Everything is going fine. Until her husband finally gets a big break and a huge new job in New York. Without consulting her. He's just so used to Birdie doing what he wants, that he never questions what SHE wants. Can their marriage weather this storm? Can she keep her dream home and rediscover her passions? Perfectly ok story. Ups and downs of a relationship. I think Kristin Hannah's newer stuff is a little more exciting.

Firefly Lane

Firefly was kind of a let down for me because I was so over the moon obsessed with her last two books, The Great Alone and The Nightingale. Those were both 5 stars and this was an alright read about best friends forever. It got a tear or two out of me, but I didn't love the characters like I knew I was supposed to. Kate is a down to earth mom and Tully has only ever wanted to be the most important female anchor in the world. Their friendship started when they were 14 and they have stuck by each others sides even when their paths started to diverge. Tully has shied away from love ever since her mother abandoned her and she was raped at a young age; the only family she has ever needed was Kate. Kate on the other hand has only ever wanted real love and is content to start a family of her own instead of conquering the world. Firefly Lane is the story of the ups and downs and the ebbs and flows of their friendship through the decades. I like Kate well enough, but the indomitable Tully, I couldn't get behind. The story isn't intricately plotted, it just long. Not bad, not great. Chick lit at its finest.

The Great Alone

Worth. The. Hype. Honestly, I liked this even better than Kristin Hannah's, "The Nightingale," and that book was a masterpiece! I zipped through this one, unable to put it down. It was gripping from the beginning and I know that this is a book I will return to. Set in the remote Alaskan wilderness, this coming of age story features a young girl trying to navigate her parent's stormy relationship and make friends of her own (a hard task when there are only about 30 people in town). Leni's father came back from Vietnam a changed man, prone to violent outbursts, restlessness, and crazy ideas. When his buddy from Vietnam wills him a cabin up in Alaska, he packs his family into their VW van and moves them across county into the great alone. They are woefully under-prepared for their first winter and that summer the townsfolk comes together to help out the newcomers. Little does Leni's family realize how long the winters are and how short daylight is; Leni's father mood shifts ever darker. Despite the darkness in her father their is beauty everywhere: in their new neighbors, the rugged wilderness, the value of hard work and borrowed books. Beautifully written; this love letter to Alaska will resonate with readers and have readers rooting for Leni. Tears may fall, dreams may be born, anything is possible. Favorite book of 2018 so far!

The Nightingale

Hannah, Kristin. The Nightingale. 14 CDs. unabridged. 17.5 hrs. Macmillan Audio. 2015.

Bestselling author, Kristin Hannah (Firefly Lane), outdoes herself in this heart wrenching tour de force. Easily one of the most anticipated novels of 2015, Hannah vividly brings to life the story of two sisters fighting for their lives in Nazi occupied France. Viann, the older and more passive of the two, fights for normality for her and her daughter in the countryside; while Isabelle, the passionate one, finds herself longing to fight with the French resistance in Paris. Filled with human compassion, suffering, romance, and constant danger, this impossibly compelling story will bring tears to the eyes of listeners. Viann and Isabelle learn the hard way that bravery and strength can take on many forms. The bonds of sisterhood may be tested, but can never broken. Polly Stone delivers an impeccable narration of The Nightingale that brings the sisters and wartime France to life with a distinctive and memorable set of voices that will keep listeners coming back for more. Verdict Fans of Kristin Hannah and historical fiction will find themselves immensely pleased with this thought provoking novel.  - Erin Cataldi, Johnson Co. Public Library, Franklin, IN