Reading Room Treasures
This is the place where Valerie shares a tidbit or two about some of the books that fill her shelves. She is an advocate for people who believe that one can never have too many books. Most times, when she's not writing, she's reading. This is a new page, so check back often while she adds her favorites...some old, some new.
My Dearest Dietrich
Amanda Barratt
A poignant telling of the last years of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life. Barratt's fictional account of two people who held fiercely to love and to duty is both heartwarming and heart wrenching. Although I knew the outcome, part of me wanted the author to rewrite history.
Whose Waves These Are
Amanda Dykes
The paths people choose when tragedy strikes affect the grief-stricken and generations beyond. Dykes’ debut novel is a remarkable tale. Her words paint vivid pictures of a quaint harbor and the town’s characters. I’ve made a note on my calendar to pick up a copy of the author’s Sets the Stars Alight soon after its June 2020 release date.
The Girl from the Savoy
Hazel Gaynor
Not everyone enjoyed the prosperity and celebration of London’s Roaring Twenties. Instead of watching the festivities from the sideline, temptation inspires one young woman to find the means to join the crowd. After all, who can resist the call of the music, the stage, and the dance?
Almost Heaven
The Promise of Jesse Woods
Chris Fabry
I could devote an entire page to Chris Fabry books, but will share my two favorite picks here. Fabry’s West Virginia settings touch this city girl’s inborn country heart. He describes the wonder and cruelty of the landscape with the same affection and reverence as he bestows on his characters. Find a seat that puts to mind a rocking chair on a front porch, open the book cover, and sit for a spell. You’ll be glad you did.
Barbara Mutch
I discovered Barbara Mutch in 2013 when the English translation of The Housemaid’s Daughter was published. Mutch, a native of South Africa, takes us to Simon’s Town in The Girl from Simon’s Bay where social conflict, pursuit of an unlikely occupation, and a forbidden relationship tangle within the backdrop of World War II. I keep checking for new works from this talented writer. I want to read more.
Missing Isaac
Valerie Fraser Luesse
Rural South Carolina in the 1960s has its share of challenges, including an uncommon bond between a fatherless boy and the man who does his best to fill the empty role. Luesse’s novel shows that ordinary people can transcend racial norms that often inflicted harm. I am looking forward to reading her June 2020 release, A Key to Everything.
Child of the River
Irma Joubert
Another of my favorite South Africa writers pens a tale in which her characters have to take sides. No one can straddle the fence when it comes to apartheid or choosing between the Anglo World War II supporters or the renegade Boer nationalists. Choosing comes at a cost. Joubert balances her portrayal of suffering and sacrifice with tenderness and hope.
West with the Night
Beryl Markham
Two comments on the book jacket say it all:
#1: Beryl Markham (1902-86) was a British born Kenyan aviatrix, adventurer, and racehorse trainer.
#2: "Written so well, and marvelously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer . . . [Markham] can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves as writers . . . It is really a bloody wonderful book." —Ernest Hemingway
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series
Alexander McCall-Smith
Any one of the series is soothing to the soul. Reading one of McCall-Smith’s Botswana detective stories is akin to a daily-grind detox. He takes the reader beyond the frivolous, stressful, and frenetic pace of life and puts priorities in their rightful place. If you need a “feel good” book, pick up one, then another. When you reach book #20, To the Land of Long Lost Friends, pick up #1 and repeat the process.
Promised Land
Robert Whitlow
I consider the novels written by this attorney-turned-author a cross between Frank Peretti and John Grisham. His latest book is timely, thought-provoking, and one that might cost the reader some sleep.
What the Wind Knows
Amy Harmon
Wow. The movement of Harmon's story between time periods caught me by surprise, but she had me from the get-go and kept me turning pages until I reached the back cover. She weaves history into her narrative with ease, and for her efforts I have a much deeper understanding and appreciation of the history, politics, and people of Ireland.
Homer Hickam
A partly-true, partly-construed tale of Homer Hickam's parents as they traveled from the coalfield of West Virginia to sunny Florida. Their objective? Returning a pet alligator to its natural habitat. The reader has to wonder where the tale slides from reality to really embellished, but who wouldn't want to hitch a ride on this storyteller's masterpiece?
American Princess
Stephanie Marie Thornton
Society had plenty of rules for young women at the turn of the century. The standards for the daughter of the President of the United States were higher still, and Alice Roosevelt bucked every last one of them. The author shares some of the extraordinary events surrounding the life of Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter, but it is her tender rendering of a women hungry for her father’s love and attention that swept me into the narrative.
Carry Me Home
Dorothy Adamek
Adamek took me back to the 1870s and guided me to the harsh land of Australia where one generation’s sins cast a pall and stubborn reputation over those who followed. It’s hard to begin anew when opinion outweighs truth. I’m looking forward to adding Carry Me Away, Book 2 in the Blue Wren Shallows series.