Book Review: The Lost Quilter

Author: Jennifer Chiaverini
Title: The Lost Quilter
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publish Date: March  2009
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Master Quilter Sylvia Bergstrom Compson treasures an antique quilt called by three names -- Birds in the Air, after its pattern; the Runaway Quilt, after the woman who sewed it; and the Elm Creek Quilt, after the place to which its maker longed to return. That quilter was Joanna, a fugitive slave who traveled by the Underground Railroad to reach safe haven in 1859 at Elm Creek Farm.

Though Joanna's freedom proved short-lived -- she was forcibly returned by slave catchers to Josiah Chester's plantation in Virginia -- she left the Bergstrom family a most precious gift, her son. Hans and Anneke Bergstrom, along with maiden aunt Gerda, raised the boy as their own, and the secret of his identity died with their generation. Now it falls to Sylvia -- drawing upon Gerda's diary and Joanna's quilt -- to connect Joanna's past to present-day Elm Creek Manor.

Just as Joanna could not have foreseen that, generations later, her quilt would become the subject of so much speculation and wonder, Sylvia and her friends never could have imagined the events Joanna witnessed in her lifetime. Punished for her escape by being sold off to her master's brother in Edisto Island, South Carolina, Joanna grieves over the loss of her son and resolves to run again, to reunite with him someday in the free North. Farther south than she has ever been, she nevertheless finds allies, friends, and even love in the slave quarter of Oak Grove, a cotton plantation where her skill with needle and thread soon becomes highly prized.

Through hardship and deprivation, Joanna dreams of freedom and returning to Elm Creek Farm. Determined to remember each landmark on the route north, Joanna pieces a quilt of scraps left over from the household sewing, concealing clues within the meticulous stitches. Later, in service as a seamstress to the new bride of a Confederate officer, Joanna moves on to Charleston, where secrets she keeps will affect the fate of a nation, and her abilities and courage enable her to aid the country and the people she loves most.

The knowledge that scraps can be pieced and sewn into simple lines -- beautiful both in and of themselves and also for what they represent and what they can accomplish -- carries Joanna through dark days. Sustaining herself and her family through ingenuity and art during the Civil War and into Reconstruction, Joanna leaves behind a remarkable artistic legacy that, at last, allows Sylvia to discover the fate of the long-lost quilter.

Review: I love the Elm Creek Quilters series. I've now read 6 of the 20 books in this series, and they are all top notch reads for me, The Lost Quilter was no different. An old desk with a locked draw uncovers old letters that detail a woman's search for a man. These letters unearth the story of Joanna North

This is the story of a runaway slave and her quest for freedom.

Joanna's story is heartbreaking and moving as we see her as she tries to escape to the north but ends up being caught and returned to her cruel owner.

Most of the Elm Creek novels that I've read are more lighthearted. This book is far from that, though it doesn't go as far as sugarcoating slavery. The reader will witness the cruelty of each of Joanna's masters, as they separate her from those she loves at every turn.

There was a point when Miss Evangaline and her husband are talking about Joanna's unwillingness to go to Charleston with them and her husband says "Negroes don't feel love or sadness the way we do. They may give the appearance of true feeling, but they understand these sensations only in a brute, rudimentary way, such as a dog or horse might." If that doesn't leave you feeling disturbed, then you you have no feeling.

Joanna faces so many hardships, but she manages to rise above it all. She's the strongest character I've read about in ages. She loses so much in her life, while doing so much. I wanted to hug her and take her and her family away.

I found tears in my eyes many times as the story progressed.

Ms. Chiaverini takes a subject that is uncomfortable to read about, and makes it palatable for the masses.

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: The Serpent In The Garden

Author: Janet Gleeso
Title: The Serpent In The Garden
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publish Date: Feb 25, 2005
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: She opened the shagreen box. Couched in gray silk was an emerald necklace, one he had not seen for twenty years. The stones were just as he recalled them: a dozen or more, baguette cut and set in gold links, with a single ruby at the center. Flashes of verdigris, orpiment, and Prussian blue sparkled in the candlelight. The form of this necklace was as disturbing as ever. It had nearly cost him his life. It is the summer of 1765. The renowned and exquisitely dressed portrait painter Joshua Pope accepts a commission to paint the wedding portrait of Herbert Bentnick and his fiancée, Sabine Mercer, to whom Bentnick has become engaged less than a year after the death of his first wife. Joshua has barely begun the portrait when a man's body is found in the conservatory. A few days later, Sabine's emerald necklace disappears, and Bentnick accuses Joshua of theft. The painter is suddenly fighting not only for his reputation but for his life. With a sure understanding of period detail and character, Janet Gleeson creates a richly nuanced tale of greed and revenge that plays out in the refined landscapes and dark streets of eighteenth-century London.

Review:  This book took me forever to read and I don't know why. I really enjoyed it. I love a good historical mystery and this was fabulous.

Joshua Pope is an artist working on the wedding portrait for Herbert and Sabine. He's a totally unique character. He is a widower, whose wife and child died a year before from drowning. He's scared of water.

The mystery starts when a man ends up in the pinery. This book has a lot of information on the growing of pineapples, which is something Sabine knows a great deal about, and she is bringing that knowledge with her to England.

Shortly after the death of the man Sabine's beloved serpent necklace goes missing, and Herbert knows that it was left in Joshua's care.

This beginning part of the novel takes a a little bit of time to get going, but you get a good introduction to the characters, Sabine in particular. She's not particularly likable and she's one of the people that you suspect early on of being a killer, though there is no reason why she'd have her own necklace stolen.

While Joshua works to find out who stole the necklace, mystery after mystery appear and they all seem to point to one person.  Of course, that's not the killer, or perhaps it is, in a round about way when you make it to the very end of the book.

I love how thorough Joshua was in trying to find answers, especially after the death of Herbert's daughter Caroline.

There's a large cast of characters in this book and so many incidents that need investigating. Probably the most interesting is the existence of a woman who was the daughter of Sabine's late husband. Her existence keeps the story going, though ultimately she's not as important to the outcome as you might originally think.

I love how things began to keep turning up as Joshua keeps looking for answers. It made the story a real page turner. I definitely will read more of Janet Gleeson's books.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

Author: Douglas Adams
Title: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publish Date: May 15, 1987
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb:  What do a dead cat, a computer whiz-kid, an Electric Monk who believes the world is pink, quantum mechanics, a Chronologist over 200 years old, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (poet), and pizza have in common? Apparently not much; until Dirk Gently, self-styled private investigator, sets out to prove the fundamental interconnectedness of all things by solving a mysterious murder, assisting a mysterious professor, unravelling a mysterious mystery, and eating a lot of pizza – not to mention saving the entire human race from extinction along the way (at no extra charge). To find out more, read this book (better still, buy it, then read it) – or contact Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. ‘A thumping good detective-ghost-horror-whodunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy epic.

Review: I have to say I read this book because I was watching the new series on BBC America. I knew that the series was inspired by the Douglas Adams book, so when I started to get really confused with the show, I decided to see if the book could offer any clarity.

Uh no.

The book is absolutely nothing like the show, except that it, too, is pretty darn confusing. There are characters that are in both the book and the show...Dirk, of course, who takes FOREVER to show up in the book,  Oh and a cat...but no corgi and the cat doesn't morph into a shark that kills people either, oh and a time machine.

Dang that was disappointing.

The book was interesting though and to me it read more like a quirky mystery with a touch of weirdness than sci fi.

I mean there are electric monks on horses (horses that sometimes end up in bathrooms)

The story is pretty random. Dirk makes his first appearance 30 pages in, but he doesn't make a huge impact on the story until it was half over.

Its been a long time since I read Hitchhikers Guide but while reading this I was stuck by how similar his writing style was with Pratchett. (I think I like Pratchett better though)

Dirk is character that is just...well a pain in the butt and not your typical detective or holistic detective..everything is interconnected and all that yada yada yada.

BTW Dirk is not his real name, it is Svlad Cjelli, uh ok.

When he is investigating the death of Gordon Way, who is a ghost now btw, we see he's a bit of a trouble maker with local law enforcement.

Richard MacDuff is the guy he's trying clear, even though he doesn't need to be cleared.

Its all crazy and oddly, it is all interconnected.

Oh and like the series it doesn't make sense until the very end.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: The Mistletoe Inn

Author: Richard Paul Evans
Title:  The Mistletoe Inn
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publish Date: November 17, 2015
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

The second holiday love story in New York Times bestselling author Richard Paul Evans' Mistletoe Collection.

At thirty-two Kimberly Rossetti, a finance officer at a Lexus car dealership, has had her heart broken more times than she wants to remember. With two failed engagements, a divorce and again alone with no prospects, she hardly seems the type to dream of being a published romance author. Dreading another holiday alone, she signs up for The Mistletoe Retreat, a nine-day writing retreat in Savannah, Georgia. Deep inside Kimberly knows she's at a junction in her life and it's time to either fulfill her dream or let it go. The other reason she decides to attend the conference is because famed romance writer, H.T. Cowell, once the best selling romance writer in America, and the author whose books instilled in her the desire to be a writer, will be speaking in public for the first time in more than a decade.

In one of her breakout sessions Kimberly meets another aspiring writer, and one of the few men at the conference, Zeke, an intelligent man with a wry wit who seems as interested in Kimberly as he is in the retreat. As Kimberly begins to open up to him about her stories and dreams, she inadvertently reveals her own troubled past. As Zeke helps her to discover why her books fail to live up to their potential she begins to wonder if he's really talking more about her life than her literature. But as she grows closer to him, she realizes that Zeke has his own darkness, a past he's unwilling to talk about.

The theme of The Mistletoe Inn is that like literature, relationships must be lived with passion and vulnerability to succeed.

Review: I have loved Richard Paul Evans for a very long time. His books make my holidays. His first books were tear-jerkers and though I'm not usually a fan of books designed to make you cry, when it comes to RPE I always enjoy them. Some like Nicholas Sparks, I like Richard Paul Evans.

This book was more of a sweet romance, which really isn't quite RPE's thing, at least not in the whole Harlequin romance kind of way, and that's how this book was written. (Only most Harlequin holiday novels are a little more believable)

There are things I could find fault with in this book and I will, but I will tell you that even though there were things that made me crazy, such as how the author seemed to dismiss self published authors and the glamorous lives of published authors. I'm sure there are some very wealthy authors but that's not really the way of things anymore.

Of the characters in this story I liked Kimberly's father the most. He was the most real, where Kimberly was a little to woe is me. I also liked her writing convention buddy, Samantha. Then there's Zeke. Ah, of course you love him instantly, but it doesn't take too long to figure out who he really is. The book is all kinds of predictable, but that doesn't make it bad.

Kimberly is an aspiring writer who is attending a conference in Vermont to see the writer that she loves and is inspired by, H.T. Cowell. Zeke is an aspiring writer that she meets there. They hit it off instantly, but when he critiques her book things go south for awhile. Being the type of book this is, things will get fixed and all will be well in the world.      

This book is the type of story you read when you need a pick me up. RPE always finds something good in something bad.

I always feel better after reading one of his books and look forward to his offerings each year.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Review: A Quilter's Holiday

Author: Jennifer Chiaverini
Title: A Quilter's Holiday
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publish Date: Nov 3, 2009
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

The Elm Creek Quilters are home for the holidays in this heartwarming Christmas story from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini.

For the Elm Creek Quilters, the day after Thanksgiving marks the start of the quilting season, a time to gather at Elm Creek Manor and spend the day stitching holiday gifts for loved ones. This year, in keeping with the season’s spirit of gratitude, Master Quilter Sylvia Bergstrom Compson Cooper is eager to revive a cherished family tradition. A recent remodeling of the manor’s kitchen unearthed a cornucopia that once served as the centerpiece of the Bergstrom family’s holiday table. Into it, each Bergstrom would place an object that symbolized something he or she was especially thankful for that year. On this quilter’s holiday, Sylvia has invited her friends to continue the tradition by sewing quilt blocks that represent their thankfulness and gratitude.

As each quilter explains the significance of her carefully chosen block, stories of love and longing for family and friends emerge—feelings that are also expressed in the gifts they work on throughout the day. An early winter storm blankets Elm Creek Manor in heavy snow as the quilters find new meanings in their best-loved traditions and new reasons to be thankful. A Quilter’s Holiday is a story of holiday spirit, in its truest, most generous sense.

Review:  This is book 15 in the Elm Creek Quilters series, and I really like how Jennifer changed things up from some of the previous books. This one takes the focus away from Sylvia and puts it on the ladies that come to the manor to quilt.

I loved everyone's stories. Gwen, Gretchen, Diane as well as the new cook, Anna, who we met in The Quilter's Kitchen get to shine.  All of these women have something to give and we learn that as we see what brought them to Elm Creek Manor. Oh and we also get more of Sarah and Matt, who are expecting twins now!

Chiaverini lets us see some marital issues, as well as people trying to hold on to traditions and making new ones through past actions. Each woman has a special story and you really will come to love them. I think I loved Gwen and Gretchen the most. Gwen made her mistakes but was able to overcome those and we hear how one woman really influenced her life. Then there's Gretchen who has a wonderful ability to give of herself.

Sylvia also gets some good news in regards to her cousin Elizabeth's family. That really brings a tear to your eye, because Jennifer Chiaverini really drives home how much Sylvia loved this cousin in most of the books.

This book was set on the days following Thanksgiving. Almost all of the Elm Creek books revolve around the year end holidays. I loved the discussions of food for the pot luck lunch that the ladies have for their special get together after the holiday.

This was such a sweet cozy read. I always look forward to reading about the quilting ladies.

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: The Quilter's Kitchen

Author: Jennifer Chiaverini
Title: The Quilter's Kitchen
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publish Date: Oct 7, 2008
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

Anna Del Maso had known that she wanted to be a chef since she was in the seventh grade. "Somehow everything in my life ends up being about food," she realizes, as she begins the latest of her food-themed quilts. Her twin passions have converged in a brand-new position as head chef for Elm Creek Quilts, Waterford, Pennsylvania's popular quilting retreat.

As she joins the circle of quilters at historic Elm Creek Manor, Anna is eager to preserve the manor's culinary heritage, dating to 1858, while also celebrating the new favorites of their many guests. Yet as Master Quilter Sylvia Bergstrom Compson well knows, the manor's kitchen, last updated in the 1940s, can't create food that compares to the state-of-the-art quilting instruction for which Elm Creek Quilts is renowned.

Review: I've read several books in Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilts series. I read them because I love the stories Sylvia tells about the history of Elm Creek Manor.

This book, however is bogged down by recipes, too many recipes and not enough story.

That is something I find it hard to believe, when it comes to the rich details Ms. Chiaverini goes to, in describing some of the meals that Sylvia shared with her family. Food was very much a part of life at Elm Creek Manor, but the recipes don't seem to have much of a place in this book. Sure some of them are reminiscent of the dishes made by Sylvia's ancestors, but most seem to be part of what the new chef, Anna will be serving once the kitchen is remodeled.

That's the problem. The recipes she's going to make aren't really discussed, so the addition of these feels like filler for the end of each chapter. Plus these aren't the fun recipes that the average cook would make.

I loved the stories that accompany some of the findings Anna makes while she's cleaning out the kitchen. It really makes things flow. I particularly loved the tale's accompanying the New Year's meals and why those of German heritage ate pork and sauerkraut and those of Italian heritage ate lentil soup.

If there had been more stories and less recipes, this book would have been as good as the rest of the books in the series.

Rating: 3 flowers

Book Review: The New Year's Quilt

Author: Jennifer Chiaverini
Title: The New Year's Quilt
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publish Date: Nov 13, 2007
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

As each holiday season approaches, some revel in welcoming the New Year ahead; others quietly mourn the passing of time gone by. "We can't hold on to the past," says Master Quilter Sylvia Compson, "but we can keep the best part of 'Auld Lang Syne' in our hearts and in our memories, and we can look forward to the future with hope and resolve." As Sylvia, a late-in-life newlywed, has discovered, love can enter our lives at any age. Yet before she can truly delight in her present happiness, she must face the sorrow hidden in her past -- her own role in the tragic circumstances that left her estranged from her sister, Claudia, until it was too late to make amends. Vowing not to repeat the mistake with her new daughter-in-law, Amy, who opposed Sylvia's marriage to her father, Andrew, Sylvia must convince Amy that family is more precious than pride. As Sylvia takes up a quilt for the season, begun and abandoned over six years, she recalls the New Year's Eve festivities of her youth at Elm Creek Manor as a member of the Bergstrom family. She titles the quilt "New Year's Reflections," after her belief that year-end reflections precede resolutions. The quilt blocks she chooses commemorate the wisdom that no one can ever be truly alone if she keeps the memory of those she loved and those who loved her alive in her heart. The New Year's Quilt is a novel to enjoy today and to treasure anew each holiday season.

Review: I have to admit, I'm addicted to this series. I absolutely love visiting with Sylvia and looking back on her life.

Sylvia has married again, late in life, and her new husband's family doesn't approve of the match. At first, I thought this story was going to revolve around Andrew's family, particularly the daughter that isn't all for the match, but it wasn't. That conflict really only happened in the last 30 pages.

What this story really chronicled were the years after the death of Sylvia's first husband, as well as parts of her life when she was a girl.

In this book, we learned a bit more about Sylvia's mother, who died when she was a young girl. I really love the scenes from Sylvia's past in these books. She is such a remarkable character, wonderful and full of flaws, just like everyone. She's stubborn but sweet, full of love and regrets.

As we get to know Sylvia, we also get to know her sister Claudia. With each book, I long for Jennifer to write a book from Claudia's point of view. I'd love to learn her side of the story.

Like all the other Elm Creek novels, this book is a bit fluffy, but it is good fluff, the kind of fluff that makes you feel good.

I highly recommend this series to anyone that likes family sagas and heartwarming stories.

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: The Christmas Quilt

Author: Jennifer Chiaverini
Title: The Christmas Quilt
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publish Date: Nov 8, 2005
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

When Christmas Eve comes to Elm Creek Manor, the tenor of the holiday is far from certain. Sylvia Bergstrom Compson, the Master Quilter, has her own reasons for preferring a quiet, even subdued, Christmas. Her young friend Sarah McClure, however, takes the opposite view and decides to deck the halls brightly. As she explores the trunks packed with Bergstrom family decorations that haven't been touched in more than fifty years, Sarah discovers a curious Christmas quilt. Begun in seasonal fabrics and patterns, the quilt remains unfinished.

Sylvia reveals that the handiwork spans several generations and a quartet of Bergstrom quilters -- her great aunt, her mother, her sister, and herself. As she examines the array of quilt blocks each family member contributed but never completed, memories of Christmases past emerge.

At Elm Creek Manor, Christmas began as a celebration of simple virtues -- joy and hope buoyed by the spirit of giving. As each successive generation of Bergstroms lived through its unique trials -- the antebellum era, the Great Depression, World War II -- tradition offered sustenance even during the most difficult times. For Sylvia, who is coping with the modern problem of family dispersed, estranged, or even forgotten, reconciliation with her personal history may prove as elusive as piecing the Christmas Quilt.

Elm Creek Manor is full of secrets, from a Christmas tree with unusual properties to the sublime Bergstrom strudel recipe. Sylvia's tales at first seem to inform her family legacy but ultimately illuminate far more, from the importance of women's art to its place in commemorating our shared experience, at Christmastime and in every season.

Review: I've read a few of Jennifer Chiaverini's books, but I don't think I've loved one as much as I have this one.

The story is told in the present and in flashbacks and by the time the last page is turned there will be a tear or two in your eyes. (In my case, I was crying like a baby.)

I love emotional family stories, and this was absolutely perfect. It blends tradition, with trials, love and forgiveness, as well as dealing with regrets.

I absolutely loved Sylvia. My heart ached for her many times through the course of her life. Her sister, Claudia, I wanted to pop in the nose. She was a snot nosed brat, who seemed to grow up into a snot nosed adult.

The sibling rivalry between the two is priceless and heartbreaking. As events in the present bring back memories from Sylvia's past, it is easy to see why she might not be as into Christmas as her friend Sarah. Though as the story unfolds, it is easy to see why she wants Sarah to reconcile with her mother.

Sylvia truly had a life that was full of sadness, though their were good times as well. It is just a shame that she had to reconcile with memories rather than people.

A beautifully written holiday story that anyone can appreciate.

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: Promise Me

Author: Richard Paul Evans
Title: Promise Me
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publish Date: Oct 5, 2010
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: 
Beth Cardall has a secret. For eighteen years, she has had no choice but to keep it to herself, but on Christmas Eve 2008, all that is about to change.

For Beth, 1989 was a year marked by tragedy. Her life was falling apart: her six-year-old daughter, Charlotte, was suffering from an unidentifiable illness; her marriage transformed from a seemingly happy and loving relationship to one full of betrayal and pain; her job at the dry cleaners was increasingly at risk; and she had lost any ability to trust, to hope, or to believe in herself. Then, on Christmas Day, as she rushed through a blizzard to the nearest 7-Eleven, Beth encountered Matthew, a strikingly handsome, mysterious stranger, who would single-handedly change the course of her life.

Who is this man, and how does he seem to know so much about her? He pursues her relentlessly, and only after she’s fallen deeply in love with him does she learn his incredible secret, changing the world as she knows it, as well as her own destiny.

Review: The holidays wouldn't be the same if there wasn't a heartwarming book by Richard Paul Evans to read.

I love his earlier holiday novels. This one is more than that though. Its a bit strange and yet sweet.

Now don't get me wrong, I loved the story and stayed up until wee hours of the morning to finish it, but when we learned who Mr. Matthew was...erm Matthew...I have to admit I started to wonder what kind of crack the author had been smoking to come up with this plot twist.

However, I'll give Mr. Evans props. In this story Beth Cardell goes through a really crappy year. Her husband's cheated on her, then gets sick and dies of cancer and all the while her daughter, Charlotte is getting sick from an unusual illness that is leaving the doctors baffled.

Yeah, that's a crappy year.

Then she meets Matthew, who is just a little bit different. He knows things he shouldn't know. That's when all the weird stuff happens. Then it gets all wibbly wobbly timey whimey in a way that left shaking my head.

There's a strange connection between Matthew and Charlotte that just blew my mind in a not so good way. When the story moved along in a normal manner it was fabulous, but when the Time and Space Continuum got messed with...well it went all Doctor Who, in a less than entertaining way.

Still, I couldn't stop reading, because Richard Paul Evans is my holiday crack. I enjoyed the book, even though it was a bit far fetched and  not as good as some of his previous novels.

Rating: 4 flowers

Crazy Book Tours Book Review: The Lady Of The Rivers

Author: Philippa Gregory
Title: The Lady of the Rivers
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publish Date: September 15, 2011
Source: Crazy Book Tours
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Descended from Melusina, the river goddess, Jacquetta always has had the gift of second sight. As a child visiting her uncle, she met his prisoner, Joan of Arc, and saw her own power reflected in the young woman accused of witchcraft. They share the mystery of the tarot card of the wheel of fortune before Joan is taken to a horrific death at the hands of the English rulers of France. Jacquetta understands the danger for a woman who dares to dream.
Jacquetta is married to the Duke of Bedford, English regent of France, and he introduces her to a mysterious world of learning and alchemy. Her only friend in the great household is the duke’s squire Richard Woodville, who is at her side when the duke’s death leaves her a wealthy young widow. The two become lovers and marry in secret, returning to England to serve at the court of the young King Henry VI, where Jacquetta becomes a close and loyal friend to his new queen.

The Woodvilles soon achieve a place at the very heart of the Lancaster court, though Jacquetta can sense the growing threat from the people of England and the danger of royal rivals. Not even their courage and loyalty can keep the House of Lancaster on the throne. Henry the king slides into a mysterious sleep; Margaret the queen turns to untrustworthy favorites for help; and Richard, Duke of York, threatens to overturn the whole kingdom for his rival dynasty.

Jacquetta fights for her king, her queen, and for her daughter Elizabeth for whom Jacquetta can sense an extraordinary and unexpected future: a change of fortune, the throne of England, and the white rose of York.

A sweeping, powerful story rich in passion and legend and drawing on years of research, The Lady of the Rivers tells the story of the real-life mother of the white queen.


Review: I haven't read a Phillipa Gregory book in ages, even though every book she's written is either on my TBR pile or on my Nook. The Lady of the River might not be the best book to pick up if you haven't read any of her other novels before. The beginning drags a bit and if you aren't used to this kind of historical fiction, you may be tempted to put the book down.

Don't do that. You'll miss out.

Gregory focuses on witchcraft which is something that figures into Jacquetta's life. This book ties in with The White Queen and The Red Queen, which you'll want to read after this one.

The thing that I like the most about any book by Phillipa Gregory, is her ability to take you back in time with her characters. You are there with Jacquetta. Her writing pulls you in to the story, and though this book isn't as good as any in the Boleyn series, it is still worth reading if you have a love for historical fiction. Gregory is a master at her genre, much like Jean Plaidy.

When you put down this book, you'll have not only read a good story, but you'll have learned something too.

Rating: 4 flowers