The Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is a Gothic novel set in Yorkshire, full of ghosts, creepy old houses, and enough twists and turns in the story to keep you up reading all night.

This is a book for book lovers. Great writing, great characters, great story. A bookish biographer gets a letter from a famous author who says she wants to finally tell the truth about her life, now that she is dying; thus begins the story....

A great read.

Language Arts

Language Arts by Stephanie Kallos is a novel about an English teacher, who teaches his students Language Arts, while he himself has a grown autistic son who is completely non-verbal. It is a sad, beautiful and compelling story.

Kallos is a masterful storyteller and throughout the novel, she weaves in stories of the father's early handwriting education by his formidable fourth grade teacher, his letters to his grown daughter, and stories of his early marriage to his wife, from whom he is now separated.

I had to go back several times to see what I had missed. Well written, thought provoking and full of compassion. A recommended read.

Bless Me, Ultima

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya is a coming of age story set in New Mexico. Antonio Marez is six years old when Ultima, a curandera, one who heals with plants and magic, comes to live with his family.

As he grows up in rural New Mexico and struggles to fulfill his mother's and father's dreams, he is guided on an inner journey by Ultima.  A compelling book that sheds light on New Mexican culture and landscape; a wonderful story and a worthwhile read.

Lucky Us

Lucky Us by Amy Bloom is a novel about a young girl named Eva, growing up in the shadow of her older sister Iris after her mother leaves her on her father's doorstep when she was is just a child. The story moves from Ohio to Hollywood, to New York and Europe with a cast of offbeat characters hard to forget.

Bloom weaves their stories together masterfully and in the end redefines what family means. A totally original, entertaining and never predictable read.

Flame Tree Road

Flame Tree Road by Shona Patel is a novel set in Bengal at the end of the 19th century. The main character, Biren Roy, is a nobel man inspired by Gandhi, Tagore, Vivekananda, Ramakrisna and Sri Aurobindo. Those are big shoes to fill, and Roy does a good job, working ceaselessly for women's rights in India.

This is a beautifully written, yet tragically sad novel. All the women Roy cares for are lost to him. The novel becomes almost predictable and loses some of its early beauty.

A worthwhile read, but not quite as good as Patel's debut novel, Teatime for the Firefly.

The Winter Witch

The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston is a novel set in 19th century Wales that follows young, silent Morgana as she begins her new life in an arranged marriage to a man she doesn't know. She soon falls in love with the wild country around her husband's farm, and begins to feel happy, until the townspeople slowly start to suspect something strange about her and begin turning against her.

Full of mystery and magic, beauty and romance, this is an engaging and enchanting story. The reader can't help but hope for the best for Morgana and Cai. A fun read that will transport you to another time and place.