The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki

Most women can look back at the time in their lives when they played "princess".  We all can see the phenomenon of Disney's princess dynasty.  The reality is that most of us still want to "play" happily ever after.  In truth, living as a princess is much less glamorous than we would imagine.  Unfortunately, the societal demands placed on royals compounded with a strictly controlled lifestyle would undoubtedly cancel out much of the glamour an outsider might imagine.  Other factors that would negate most of the 'dream" lives we imagine is that the monarchies of Europe in previous centuries were also responsible for controlling the day to day governing of their countries as well as heading any military operations in order to ensure security for their people.  Allison Pataki used these factors in her historical fiction novel, The Accidental Empress, which is based on the life of a real princess, Empress Elizabeth of Hungary/Austria in the 16th century.  Elizabeth or Sisi as she was nicknamed, had grown up pampered and relatively  free in a small dukedom.  She dreamed of marrying a "prince" and living "happily ever after."  Her dream seemed to be coming true when she met and fell in love with the emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph.  At the tender age of 16, she was groomed and prepared to be the empress of the most powerful country of the time.  What she was not prepared for was the total lack of freedom she was faced with and her complete isolation in this new life  She found her husband to be preoccupied with his duties and unable or unwilling to stand up to his mother (who had in essence run the country all the years of his childhood and youth) in matters concerning himself and his wife and their private life.  Sisi found she was only seen as a means of providing heirs to Franz, and most disturbingly, she was not even allowed to raise her own children who were taken from her at birth and placed in the care of their grandmother and nannies.  All of this eventually led to Sisi's break down in body and spirit.  Certainly, the life of a princess as shown through Sisi is not the one of which little girls dream. Fortunately, Pataki has written a novel that eventually reveals the strength and determination of the main character to find some freedom and happiness within the life she lived.  For historical fiction readers, this is a really interesting time period that is shown through the harsh light of reality. This book leads the reader to investigate the actual people of this dynasty and allows us a peek into the real life of royals.

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

Most of us can look back over our lives and recall an event or an experience that changed us and moved us from the innocence of youth to a new awareness of the realities of life that can be cruel and painful.  William Kent Krueger in his novel, Ordinary Grace, tells his story through Frank who looks back 40 years to the summer when he was 13, the summer of his passage to maturity.  The novel could be described as a mystery, but it is so much more even though Frank and his brother, Jake, find their lives changed by the five mysterious deaths in their small Minnesota town in the summer of 1961.  They find they are tied in one way or another to each of the people lost through accidental deaths, naturally caused deaths, suicidal deaths and murder. It becomes clear that they must understand the reason for each death in order to accept it.  Solving the mystery is not nearly as important as the realizations Frank and Jake make about the people in their lives.  The realization that no one is perfect and that the people who might have been heroes to a child (parents, soldiers, policemen and ministers) are not beyond sinning.  During the summer of discoveries, Frank comes to see that everyone is in need of redemption and "ordinary grace."  Despite the dark subject matter, the story is uplifting.  Krueger does a masterful job of showing the "gray areas" of life.  We are reminded that none of us live in a vacuum; we all face disappointment and despair, but we do have the benevolence of God's "awful grace" to bear us up even under the most dire circumstances.  This is a novel that stays with you long after you finish reading.  It comes to you in quiet moments inviting you to read passages again just for the joy of the experience and the enlightenment the book offers page after page. As with all great literature, this book opens us to new understandings and more compassion for all.

The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah

For historical fiction lovers, Kristen Hannah's The Nightingale is a must read.  World War II is the setting of this novel, but the action takes place in France not Germany or England which are much more widely seen as the epicenter of the war.  Additionally, the main characters are not soldiers fighting in the trenches or on bloody battlefields, but instead two sisters who we find take very different approaches to the occupation of the German army in France.  Our main characters, Vianne and Isabelle, are sisters but they are completely different in nature, and it is this difference on which that the novel focuses.  The consequences of the women's actions that seem to be dictated by their very personalities are revealed to the reader in an ever devolving, war ravaged France.  The narration of the story tells the story from one sister's point of view and then switches to the other's.  Both sister's stories are dramatic and heroic in their own way. The moral dilemma of each woman becomes more and more apparent as the novel continues.  The choices that each has to make become more and more heart-breaking.  The tragedies that they must face become more and more devastating. It must be said however, the novel does not leave readers sad and depressed despite Vianne statement that, "grief, like regret, settles into our DNA and remains forever a part of us."  In the end, we see each of the characters came to believe that life must be lived with hope and love and that "love has to stronger that hate, or there is no future for us."

Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Gabrielle Zevin the author of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, is a lifelong reader no doubt.  She understands that books are connected to the soul of those who cannot do without them.  She realizes that for some people, reading is an extension of life.  If you are a reader then you too will appreciate this connection that can only be found in literature that is read and shared and loved by people.  In Zevin's novel we find a remarkable celebration of literature, of books, and of the impact that they have on all of us. The main character, Fikry, is a cantankerous, small bookstore owner whose life is forever changed when he finds an abandoned baby in his store.  Shocking everyone who knows him, he decides to adopt this little girl who he names Maya.  Their story unfolds wrapped carefully by their bookstore and the books that they read together.  Other characters come into Fikry's life and all of these people are changed by the bookstore owner and his daughter.  The story sounds so simple but it is so much more.  The main character realizes that people need a way to express themselves that is real and yet not too scary.  He says, "We read to know we're not alone.  We read because we are alone, We read and we are not alone.  We are not alone." Reading connects us with others; books make a wonderful bridge on which people can reach one another.  If you love books this is a book you should not miss.  It is a celebration of a bond that is as old as time.  Read and enjoy being a part of this circle. Read and share your life with others who are like you.  Read, for as Fikry says, "We are all collected works."

Girl On the Train by Paula Hawkins

Girl On the Train by Paula Hawkins


Paula Hawkins, the author of the novel Girl On the Train, chose a tried and true story line showing once again there is nothing new under the sun.  As long as man has been on this earth, he has found a way to sin and cause irreparable damage to those around him.  This book has been compared to Gone Girl but was really quite different especially where the characters were concerned.  The main character in Girl on the Train is a shattered, vulnerable woman struggling to recover from a divorce she did not want.  Many problems existed in her marriage but the most destructive it seems was her infertility.  The need to have a baby drove Rachel to desperation and her desperation led to her alcoholism which led to losing her husband, her job but most importantly, her self image.  Rachel tells us at one point, "I am not the girl I used to be.  I am no longer desirable, I'm off-putting in some way...it's as if people can see the damage written all over me." The story line intertwines Rachel's life with many people who add to her depression.  Her ex-husband and his new wife seem to have the life that Rachel always dreamed of.  They have a darling baby and live in the house that had been Rachel's.  All of the drama of the book is cleverly drawn around Rachel's daily ride on the train that passes behind her former home.  She watches her husband and his family but she also watches the couple who live a few doors down the street.  She imagines what their lives are like and when she sees that something is amiss, she is determined to solve the mystery.  The outcome of her sleuthing is amazing indeed.  The twists and turns the Hawkins builds into her story are truly amazing.  For those readers who enjoy trying to figure out "who done it", this is a fun novel.  The ending will not leave you wanting!

Wild: From Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed

Cheryl Strayed in her biography, Wild: From Lost to Found, travels a 1000 mile trail along the Pacific coast looking for the meaning of life.  Most people at one time of another have wondered and worried about what this all means.  Especially at time of trials and tribulations people find they want more than anything to feel that what they know as their life is worth something or that the life of a loved one was not lived in vain.  We find out early on that Cheryl's life has spiraled down to the bottom of a very rough barrel.  Her mother's death at the young age of 43 has sent her spinning out of control.  She has left her loving husband, attached herself to many strange and dangerous men and alienated herself from her family.  It is at her lowest point that she makes the decision to walk the Pacific Crest Trail a 1000 mile trek through multiple states on the west coast.  This decision was made with little forethought and even less preparation.  One day into this quest, Cheryl sees that she is not up to this journey, but she doggedly refuses to quit.  Amazingly, Cheryl manages to complete her journey.  Along the way she finds peace of a sort.  She also finds that she is much more capable than she ever imagined and people are far more worthy than she ever gave them credit for being.  At the end of the trail, Cheryl realized that in the end it was just life--like all lives, "mysterious and irrevocable and sacred."  She realized that life was "wild."  She realized that all that was necessary was to put one foot in front of the other.  Just walk on and let it be.

Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford

The plight of the Chinese Americans in depression era Seattle is the background for Jamie Ford's second novel, Songs of Willow Frost.  Once again Ford has made the central characters of his story two "second class" citizens.  William Eng is a Chinese boy left orphaned at the age of five by his single mother who he knows did not want to abandon him.  Willow Frost, or Liu Song, is the troubled mother who is powerless to keep her son.   She is a victim of both a US governmental system that believes only fathers have rights where children are concerned and the Chinese culture where a man could rape and entrap a woman because the male gender was totally powerful over females. Ford slowly reveals the sad story of Willow and her son.  Through perserverance the two eventually find each other, but there is little doubt their lives will not be easy in the aftermath of all they have been through.  The historic background of this novel shows a dark time in our culture too.  Ford obviously cares deeply for the Chinese Americans of the early 20th century, but his story also enlightens readers to the lives of other less fortunates like Native Americans, physically handicapped and poor people in general.  Readers will sympathize with all the characters and their longing for a home and a family to love.  This novel will affect anyone who reads it.  Hopefully, we will gain more empathy for those less fortunate in the end.