Synopsis: In the midst of World War II, a Midwestern infantryman falls deeply in love through a yearlong letter exchange, unaware that the girl he’s writing to isn’t the one replying. Woven around this tenuous thread are three female friends whose journeys toward independence take unexpected turns as a result of romance, tragedy, and deception, [...]
For as long as she can remember, Rose has been promised to Patrick Dugan, a liaison forged between their two prominent Philadelphia Irish families. Once married to him she finds herself mistress of a grand home and a staff of servants. But their marriage also began with sadness, as Rose’s parents both died from typhoid [...]
Emily Whitman is a Portland author whose latest book is Wildwing (see review). She’s also the author of Radiant Darkness. Here she shares thoughts about writing and Wildwing with readers at Mother Daughter Book Club.com. You may want to check out the question I ask her about whether it’s easier for someone who lived a [...]
Addy chafes against the strict expectations a girl of her position has in society. She attends school with girls who are much wealthier, but she is expected to acquiesce always to what they want. Her attitude often lands her in trouble. When Addy’s mother decides its in Addy’s best interest to quit school and start [...]
Yesterday I wrote a review of Prisoners in the Palace: How Princess Victoria Became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel, a young adult historical fiction novel that I liked a lot. Today, I’m happy to feature an interview with the author, Michaela MacColl. Prisoners in the Palace is MacColl’s [...]
Before Victoria became Queen of England, she was merely Princess Victoria, controlled by her mother, the king’s sister-in-law, and a powerful advisor, Sir John Conroy. Victoria lived in near isolation in Kensington Palace, unaware of much news of the times. Into this world steps the fictional character of Liza, newly hired as a maid to [...]
Princess Joan is often overshadowed by her larger-than-life family members. Her mother, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, and her father, King Henry II, often seem to be set against each other. And her brothers are all too happy to fight with their father and with each other. Even though Joan tries to remain loyal to both [...]
Florence in the 1400s was a world center for painting and culture. But the guild tightly controlled who could be licensed as a master painter, and girls and women were not allowed on their list. Still, fourteen-year-old Emilia Serafini lives for her art, and she’s desperate to find a way out of the marriage her [...]
