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A Woman Made of Snow
A Woman Made of Snow
Elisabeth Gifford | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Woman Made Of Snow is a book steeped in the history of the Gillan family, which automatically ticks a lot of boxes for me. This is a dual timeline story: Scotland in 1949, and the Arctic at some time in the mid 1800s.

Caro and Alasdair marry after the War and move back to his family home - Kelly Castle in Scotland. Caro has high hopes of continuing to work in a university, but motherhood puts pay to that, and instead decides to look into the Gillan family genealogy, and specifically the mysterious disappearance of Alasdair’s great grandmother. When Caro finds the remains of a diary, there are some startling findings.

We flash back and forth between 1949 and the 1800s, where the information missing from the diary is more clearly explained. When a body is unearthed after flooding, this poses more questions about he person’s identity. Is this the missing relative?

I absolutely loved this. The descriptions of the sea, the Arctic tundra and the Inuit who lived there, fascinated me. Less pleasant were the attitudes of the British towards other cultures, but this was interesting, all the same. The changing roles of women was portrayed well. Whilst not the same as our lives today, Caro’s life in the 1940’s/ 50’s was markedly better than that of the women in the 1800s.

This was such an enjoyable read - highly recommended.
Thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this wonderful book.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Jul 2, 2022 (Updated Jul 2, 2022)  
On my blog today, I have an excerpt from the first part of the prologue of the Christian historical fiction novel IN HONOR'S DEFENSE by Karen Witemeyer. There's also the tour wide giveaway for a chance to win all three paperback books in the Hanger's Horsemen series!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/07/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-in-honors.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
He's Faced Countless Perils on the Battlefield, but Nothing so Dangerous as Falling in Love.

Luke Davenport has been fighting all his life--for respect, for country, and for those unable to fight for themselves. But now that his Horsemen brothers are domesticated, he's left alone to battle the wildness within. When an opportunity arises to take a job on his own, tracking down a group of rustlers, he jumps at the chance.

Damaris Baxter has mastered the art of invisibility. Plain and quiet, she hides in books and needlework, content to be overlooked. Until her brother dies suddenly, leaving her custody of her nephew. She moves to Texas to care for Nathaniel, determined to create the family for herself that she never thought she'd have and to give him the family he desperately needs.

When Nate finds himself knee-deep in trouble, Luke's attempt to protect him leaves Damaris feeling indebted to the Horseman. But suspicions grow regarding the mysterious death of Damaris's brother. And the more questions they ask, the more danger appears, threatening the family Luke may be unable to live without.
     
Uncommon Type: Some Stories
Uncommon Type: Some Stories
Tom Hanks | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.6 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
Listen to his audiobook! His narration is superb (0 more)
Listen just for Tom Hanks' mellifluous voice
Tom Hanks turns out to be as authentically genuine a writer as can be. The stories in this book range from the hilarious to the deeply touching.

They move in period, location, and manner, but all demonstrate a joy in writing, a pleasure in communicating an intensely American sense of atmosphere, friendship, life and family that is every bit as smart and engaging as the man himself.

While the stories are witty, it is more so because of the man himself. They may not be Pulitzer material, but it truly is a pleasure to read his book while thinking about this imaginative man.
  
All The Broken Pieces
All The Broken Pieces
Ann E. Burg | 2009 | Children, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Loved it
This is a middle grade read that was wrote in a poetry style. Matt is a young boy living with an adoptive family in the United States after the army pulled him out of Vietnam during the war.
This book was heartbreaking at times. Matt has suffered a lot, and he is still blaming himself for the past. He is a character that you want to cheer for, and see succeed. The book also does a great job of showing how other characters were effected by the war, and how that eventually has an impact on Matt's life.
I would consider this book a must read for its target age group.