Book Review: A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner

A Fall of Marigolds.  Susan Meissner.  Penguin (2014). 370 pages.  Genre: Historical Fiction.

First Lines:  "Manhattan.  September 2011.  The length of floral-patterned challis rested on the cutting table like a bridal bouquet undone."

Summary:  This novel tells the stories of two women who lived through two horrific events ninety years apart.  

Taryn was in Manhattan heading to meet her husband for breakfast on 9/11/01 when the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.  Her husband was in that tower.  Taryn should have been there as well, but she was delayed.  She had discovered that she was pregnant and texted her husband about meeting her for breakfast at the top of the south tower so she could tell him the news.  

Clara was a young nurse working on the third floor of the Asch Building in New York.   In the same building, several floors up, was the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.  Clara had met Edward Brim in the elevators.  He worked for the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.  He was very kind to her and she began looking forward to running into him.  He had asked her if she would like a tour of the factory and she was supposed to meet him the day the fire broke out.  Clara was able to get out of the building, but Edward was on the ninth floor where he was supposed to meet Clara and was not able to escape the fire.  

The one thing that connects their stories is a beautiful copper-colored scarf covered in marigolds.

My thoughts:  I had read recommendations for this book, but kept putting off reading it.  So, for 2020, I put it on a list of books I wanted to be sure and read this year.  

Susan Meissner tells a good story.  I kept reading because I wanted to know what happened.  

The bulk of the book tells Clara's story.  We only get a few chapters telling Taryn's story.  This was okay.  It was enough to help the reader know her story and connect it with Clara's story.  Part of the reason I kept putting this off was that I really didn't want to read an indepth story about someone who went through 9/11.  Taryn definitely did live through that day and we are given a good idea of what she went through, but it is brief.  

Clara's story is tragic, but I kept thinking that she was rather naive.  I don't want to give away too much of the story, but I felt like she was living in a dream land.  I kept reading because some things began to be revealed.  One of the themes in the story was that things are not always as they seem and this led to several twists and turns and unexpected happenings.  

I didn't know much about the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, so it was interesting to learn about it.  After the fire, Clara took a job working on Ellis Island.  It was interesting to learn a little about the hospitals there.  The hospitals treated immigrants who got off ships and were ill.  One of the characters gets off a ship that had several passengers die of Scarlet Fever.  There is one wing of the hospital that is a quarantine ward for passengers who were on ships with contagious illnesses.  It was interesting to see the protocols the doctors and nurses went through to protect themselves from illness.

Both of these characters go through some really hard situations that are vividly shown.  It was definitely quite sad in places.  But, at the same time, the story is filled with hope.  Both characters grow over the course of the book and end up in a good place at the end.  It left me wanting to know what happens next.  

Book Review: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Gilead.  Marilynne Robinson.  Picador (2004). 247 pages.  Genre:  Historical Fiction.

First Line:  "I told you last night that I might be gone sometime, and you said, Where, and I said, To be with the Good Lord, and you said, Why, and I said, Because I'm old, and you said, I don't think you're old."

Summary:  John Ames married later in life for the second time after having lost his first wife and child.  He never thought he would marry again and he certainly never thought he would have a child.  But he did.  And now he is old and has heart problems.  His son is only 7 years old.  There are so many things he wants to tell his son and he fears he may never get a chance.  So he begins writing him a letter.  

The letter is meant to tell him about those who have gone before him.  It is also meant to tell him those things a father should tell his son.  Sometimes the letter describes what is happening while John is writing the letter.  The letter keeps coming back to the son of his good friend Reverend Boughton.  John Ames Boughton was named after John.  He is the Boughton's prodigal son.  But he has come back home for a visit after being away for many years.  John finds that he doesn't trust him and this comes across in what he says to him.  In the letter he wrestles with this.

My thoughts:  The style of Gilead is unique.  There are no chapters, just space between entries.  The book is one long letter written in stream of consciousness style.  As John Ames thinks of things he wants to tell his son he adds them to the letter.  There is something of a structure in that he will tell about what is going on in their lives on the particular day that he is writing.  He describes what he sees, what his son and wife are doing and who visited them or where they went.  There is also progress in the storyline with Reverend Boughton's son.   

John Ames is a pastor.  His father and grandfather were also pastors.  He wants to tell his son about them and also about what it is like be a pastor.  He wants to pass on his beliefs.  But he also lets his son see the struggles he goes through in his mind.  Struggles with thinking and doing the right things.  John Ames is very relatable and many of us can identify with what he is going through.  

The book is beautifully written.  It gives the reader a glimpse of Iowa in the 1950's, as well as earlier through John's telling of things that happened in the past.  I expected the story to be sad, but I really didn't find that to be the case.  It was beautiful and warm and full of humanity. 

Quotes:

"My parents told me stories about how he read everything he could put his hands on, memorized a whole book of Longfellow, copied maps of Europe and Asia and learned all the cities and rivers."

"But I've developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by far, than I learned anything useful from, except, of course, that some very tedious gentlemen have written books."

"People don't talk much now about the Spanish influenza, but that was a terrible thing, and it struck just at the time of the Great War, just when we were getting involved in it.  It killed soldiers by the thousands, healthy men in the prime of life, and then it spread into the rest of the population.  It was like a war, it really was.  One funeral after another, right here in Iowa.  We lost so many of the young people.  And we got off pretty lightly.  People came to church wearing masks, if they came at all.  They'd sit as far from each other as they could."

"But in fact one lapse of judgment can quickly create a situation in which only foolish choices are possible."

"Well, but you two are dancing around in your iridescent little downpour, whooping and stomping as sane people ought to do when they encounter a thing so miraculous as water."

"We know nothing about heaven, or very little, and I think Calvin is right to discourage curious speculations on things the Lord has not seen fit to reveal to us."

Book Review: A Harvest of Hope (Song of Blessing #2) by Lauraine Snelling

 A Harvest of Hope (Song of Blessing #2). Author: Lauraine Snelling (2015). 352 pages. Genre: Historical Fiction

First Lines:  "Blessing, North Dakota.  Mid-September 1905.  Be careful, pay attention were the only thoughts to have when sitting down to milk this particular cow.  Trygve Knutson had learned the hard way, and the bucket had been nearly full."

Summary:  Miriam Hastings is called home to Chicago part way into her nurse's training in Blessing, North Dakota.  Her mother is ill.  She has begun to get to know the families in Blessing and would really like to finish her training there.  Not to mention the young man who refuses to let her forget him.  Her nursing supervisor gives her permission to return to Blessing and finish her training there.  Unfortunately, her mother passes away and Miriam is hesitant to leave her brothers and sisters in Chicago.  However, they encourage her to go.

When she returns to Blessing she is struck by how it feels like home to her.  How is that possible when she has only spent a few months there?  The Bjorklund and Knutson families have welcomed her into their homes and lives.  They invite her to church and to have Sunday dinner with them.  She resumes her role at the hospital and is glad to be back.  The town is still fairly new and is growing and changing.  Along with that comes growing pains.  The banker has made some bad decisions and is now denying loans to the people of the town.  Dr. Elizabeth is having a difficult pregnancy and has been ordered to stay in bed, leaving Dr. Astrid with more work.   Winter is coming and many of the people living in tent town and working in Blessing will need proper shelters.  But life continues on.  Can the town pull together and take care of the needs in their midst?

My thoughts:  The story picks up right where it left off in the first book, To Everything a Season.  I would definitely recommend starting with that book if you are interested in this series.  That book was one of my favorite reads of 2019.  I am not sure why it has taken me so long to get back to this series, but I am so glad I did.

These stories all make up a family saga and are as much about the families that make up Blessing as they are about the town of Blessing.  The matriarch of this series is Ingeborg Bjorklund.  She is a wonderful example of a wife, mother, grandmother and friend.  Her home and family are of utmost importance to her.  But she is also quick to welcome in anyone who is in need of a family.  She isn't perfect and has struggles, but she tries to live a life pleasing to God.  

Miriam has come to Blessing to train in the hospital there.  The hospital is run by Dr. Astrid (Bjorklund) Jeffers, daughter of Ingeborg and Dr. Elizabeth Bjorklund, daughter-in-law of Ingeborg.  It was unusual for woman to become doctors in this time period, so this is interesting.  I enjoyed the medical situations in the book and the descriptions of the procedures and processes by both the doctors and nurses.  As I have mentioned before, I enjoy stories involving midwives.  There are some birthing situations in the story as well as other medical problems.  There is nothing very graphic, rather descriptions of what is happening so that you feel like you are there helping with the procedure.  Miriam is welcomed into the Bjorklund and Knutson families.  Trygve Knutson has declared his love for her, but does she love him back?  She is not sure what love between a man and woman actually feels like.  She enjoys spending time with Trygve, her heart beats faster when he is around, but is this love?  And what about her family in Chicago?  If she decides to make a life in Blessing, what will become of them.  These are the things she is wrestling with.  However, they don't dominate the story and I appreciated that.  

These families know how to pray!  There are some wonderful prayers in the story and good examples of how to handle problems and difficulties that arise between family members and people living in a town.  The men are strong, courageous, kind and protective of women.  The women are brave, strong, competent and feminine.  

As an interesting side note, my paternal grandmother's maiden name was Knutson and she grew up in North Dakota.  Her married name and my maiden name was Moyer.  In the front of the book, the author has included a family tree.  In this family tree there are Knutsons and Moyers.  This was intriguing to me and I wondered what caused Ms. Snelling to choose these names for her characters.  So I emailed her and asked.  She was very gracious and sent me a nice note back.  In regards to the names, here was her response:

"I have to admit it was a random draw from my bank of names.  I have an uncle with the name Knutson which is probably why that name is in my bank.  As to Moyer, it was a random choice."

I love these stories and highly recommend them to anyone enjoys historical fiction or stories featuring strong families.

Book Review: Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Beartown

Author:  Fredrik Backman

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster (2016)

432 pages

Genre:  Contemporary Fiction

First Lines:  "Late one evening toward the end of March, a teenager picked up a double-barreled shotgun, walked into the forest, put the gun to someone else's forehead, and pulled the trigger.

This is the story of how we got there."

Summary:  Beartown is a small town in a land that has nine months of cold weather.  For years hockey has been what unites the people of the town.  But it has been many years since they were the best.  The current A-team has made it to the semi-final game where they will play the best team in the division.  The hopes of people young and old are pressing on the team.  

The star of the team is Kevin.  Kevin's parents haven't been to one of his games in years and they won't be at the semi-final game because they will be out of town.  Kevin plans to host a party for the team afterward.  Unfortunately, a violent act is committed at the party that will change the course of many lives.  Can the town survive?  Is hockey really the most important thing?

My thoughts:  This book was definitely out of my comfort zone.  I chose to read it because I saw the movie A Man Called Ove and loved the quirky characters created by Fredrik Backman.  My son read Ove and liked it.  I heard about Beartown from a few different sources and thought I might like to read it.  So I put it on my list of books to read in 2020.  That is why I chose to finish the book.  The amount of profanity and vulgarity in the book would have caused me to put it down unfinished.  However, because I committed to reading it I persisted.

It is definitely a difficult read in regards to the circumstances.  The characters are memorable and diverse.  One of the main themes I saw in the book is that of parenting.  Several of the characters are young people and their parents are part of their story.  Some have two parents, some one.  Most of the parents find it difficult to communicate with their teenage child.  Most of the parents are permissive and allow their teenage child to lie to them or others without restraint.  The author did a good job of portraying how parents suffer when a child has been harmed.

"They wanted an enemy.  Now they've got one.  And now they don't know if they ought to sit next to their daughter or hunt down the person who harmed her, if they ought to help her live or see to it that he dies.  Unless they're the same thing.  Hate is so much easier than its opposite.

Parents don't heal.  Nor do children."

This is definitely a heavy story dealing with difficult subject matter, but there are glimmers of hope.  I probably would not have finished the book if that had not been the case.  There are kind words spoken amidst the hate.  There are kind actions amidst fighting.  Truth is told even though no one believes it.  Even though amends are not made by the end, situations are accepted and lives move on.  As bleak as the story was, there was hope at the end.

Book Review: Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher

Winter Solstice

Author:  Rosamunde Pilcher

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press (2000)

504 pages

Genre:  Fiction

First Lines:  "Before Elfrida Phipps left London for good and moved to the country, she made a trip to the Battersea Dogs' Home, and returned with a canine companion.  It took a good -- and heart-rending -- half-hour of searching, but as soon as she saw him, sitting very close to the bars of his kennel and gazing up at her with dark and melting eyes, she knew that he was the one."

Summary:  Elfrida Phipps, a retired actress, has left London and moved into a cottage in the village of Dibton, Hampshire.  At first she is rather lonely, but Gloria Blundell welcomes her into her family and invites her for dinner regularly.  Elfrida begins to enjoy the rhythm of her life and her little cottage.  When tragedy strikes, Oscar Blundell asks for Elfrida's companionship as he must decide on a new course for his life.  She accompanies him to a home that he is part owner of in Scotland.  They have decided there will be no Christmas this year as it would be too painful.  Over the course of the next few weeks, the house becomes a home to three other people who have recently suffered personal tragedy.

My thoughts:  Years ago I read The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher and loved it.  I may have read another of her books, but somehow never got to reading anything more by her.  Recently I saw Winter Solstice recommended and thought I really must pick it up.  I am so glad I did.

Ms. Pilcher writes in a way that draws you into the story.  Each of the characters are imperfect people who have made their share of mistakes.  Each has been through personal tragedy.  The story illustrates the power of love and kindness in healing hearts.  Elfrida is a free-spirit, but she also knows the power of having a place to call home.  She is loving and kind, even if her homemaking skills are a little lacking.  She loves people and is quick to welcome someone into her home.

Home and family are major themes in the story.  The idea that a house is special because of the home and family life that was created there is important. Also, the lack of home and family life is deeply felt and longed for in those who don't have it.

"He found himself remembering Radley Hill, because the atmosphere of this ordinary London house, where Neil and Janey were raising their children, brought back secure and comforting memories of the place where Sam had spent his boyhood.  Always the welcome, the lighted fire, the scent from the kitchen of delicious and robust food.  Boots on the porch, tennis rackets littering the hall, the voices of youngsters who were his friends, the sound of their footsteps clattering down the stairs.  He wondered if he would ever achieve such a haven of family life."

While this is not Christian fiction, there is a beautiful faith thread woven through the story.  It ends with each character's story coming to a satisfying place.  I enjoyed reading this so much and look forward to reading more Rosamunde Pilcher.

Other quotes:

"Lucy had kept up the diary since the day she had received it.  It wasn't so much a diary as a notebook, because there were no dates, just lovely clean pages, which meant that you wrote the date yourself, and then the day's doings underneath.  Sometimes, there was little to record, but other days, if she had been to the cinema or to a concert with the rest of her class, there was quite a lot to remember, and she could use up two or three pages."

"In a way, Elfrida found this lack of decoration and clutter quite therapeutic.  Without pictures, knick-knacks, small bits of silver, and sets of decorative porcelain to divert the eye, it was possible to appreciate the lovely proportions of the room, the ornate cornice and the plaster rose in the centre of the ceiling, from which depended a charming Victorian chandelier."

"I'm fourteen now, and sometimes I feel I've done nothing except go to school.  It wouldn't be so bad if I had a brother or a sister.  'Specially a brother.  Because just being with women all the time can be dreadfully lowering.  They talk about such unimportant things.  Like clothes, or restaurants, or other people..."

Book Review: Persuasion by Jane Austen

Persuasion

Author:  Jane Austen

Publisher:  Sweet Water Press (2018) (first  published 1818)

260 pages

Genre:  Classic

First Line:  "Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch Hall, in Somersetshire, was a man who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but the Baronetage:  there he found occupation for an idle hour and consolation in a distressed one; there his faculties were roused into admiration and respect, by contemplating the limited remnant of the earliest patents;  there any unwelcome sensations, arising from domestic affairs, changed naturally into pity and contempt."

Anne Elliot is the daughter of Sir Walter Elliot.  She is the middle of three daughters.  Only the youngest daughter, Mary, has married and made a home away from Kellynch Hall.  

Eight years ago, Anne was betrothed to Captain Frederick Wentworth.  However, she was persuaded by Lady Russell, her friend and mother figure, that such a match was not in her best interest and broke off the engagement.  Soon afterward Captain Wentworth left the country.  Anne regretted the break up immediately.  She has never stopped loving him.  

Anne's father can no longer afford to pay for Kellynch Hall and decides to move the family to Bath.  It is decided that Kellynch Hall will be let to Admiral Croft and his wife, who happens to be the sister of Captain Wentworth.  Will Anne cross paths with Captain Wentworth?  Will he still have feelings for her?

My thoughts:  This is a short novel, but very well done.  I often find it takes several chapters before I can get into a Jane Austen novel.  The first few chapters often leave me feeling lost.  This one did as well, but once I got the hang of who all the characters were I found the chapters to be succinct and well paced.

I really like the character of Anne Elliot.  She stands in stark contrast to the other members of her family.  She is sensible, kind and often serving others. While her father and Elizabeth are quite vain and Mary is silly and excitable.  

Captain Wentworth is portrayed as a good, honest, caring man.  However, his behavior is confusing at times.  There is that tension often found in romance stories of neither party being able to tell the other how they feel.  But when he and Anne finally talk, Captain Wentworth explains his confusing behavior, which was satisfying.

Quotes:

"Captain Harville was no reader; but he had contrived excellent accommodations, and fashioned very pretty shelves, for a tolerable collection of well-bound volumes, the property of Captain Benwick."

"He was evidently a young man of considerable taste in reading, though principally in poetry; and besides the persuasion of having given him at least an evening's indulgence in the discussion of subjects, which his usual companions had probably no concern in, she had the hope of being of real use to him in some suggestions as to the duty and benefit of struggling against affliction, which had naturally grown out of their conversation."

"One man's ways may be as good as another's, but we all like our own best; and so you must judge for yourself, whether it would be better for you to go about the house or not."

"Everybody has their taste in noises as well as in other matters; and sounds are quite innoxious or most distressing, by their sort rather than their quantity."

"A submissive spirit might be patient, a strong understanding would supply resolution, but here was something more; here was that elasticity of mind, that disposition to be comforted, that power of turning readily from evil to good, and of finding employment which carried her out of herself, which was from nature alone."

"Here and there, human nature may be great in times of trial; but, generally speaking, it is its weakness and not its strength that appears in a sick-chamber:  it is selfishness and impatience, rather than generosity and fortitude, that one hears of."

"'They come on the Admiral's account.  He is thought to be gouty.'

'Gout and decrepitude!' said Sir Walter.  'Poor old gentleman!'"

"If I was wrong in yielding to persuasion once, remember that it was to persuasion exerted on the side of safety, not of risk."

Book Review: 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

84, Charing Cross Road

Author:  Helene Hanff

Publisher:  Penguin (1970)

97 pages

Genre:  Non-fiction, Memoir

84, Charing Cross Road is a book written in letters that were sent between Helene Hanff and Marks & Co., an antiquarian bookseller in London.  Miss Hanff has an "antiquarian taste" in books and has difficulty finding the books she wants in New York at a reasonable price. She sees an ad for Marks & Co. in the Saturday Review of Literature and decides to write and ask if they could supply her with any of the books on her list.  

She receives a letter in return letting her know that some of the books on her list are on their way to her.  The letter is signed FPD.  So begins a relationship between Miss Hanff and Marks & Co., Booksellers.  Most of the correspondence is written by FPD, Frank Doel, on behalf of Marks & Co.  However, after Miss Hanff sends gifts to the shop, some of the other employees secretly write to her sending their thanks.  The correspondence begins in 1949 and continues through 1969.  

My thoughts:  This book has been on my TBR list for a long time.  I am so glad I finally got around to reading it!  It was an enjoyable read that left me wanting to know more about the people writing the letters.  We are given a glimpse into the personalities and lifestyles of the writers, as well as little pieces of history that affect their lives.  Miss Hanff likes to send gifts to the shop for them all to share.  She thoughtfully chooses things that might be difficult to find in London at the time such as meat and eggs.  

The book talk is fascinating as well.  Miss Hanff loves old English books and especially secondhand copies.

"I do love secondhand books that open to the page some previous owner read oftenest."

Her reading preferences:

"Wasn't anything else that intrigued me much, it's just stories, I don't like stories.  Now if Geoffrey had kept a diary and told me what it was like to be a little clerk in the palace of richard III - THAT I'd learn Olde English for."

"You'll be fascinated to learn (from me that hates novels) that I finally got round to Jane Austen and went out of my mind over Pride & Prejudice which I can't bring myself to take back to the library till you find me a copy of my own."

And this was my favorite bit about housecleaning her books:

"I houseclean my books every spring and throw out those I'm never going to read again like I throw out clothes I am never going to wear again.  It shocks everybody.  My friends are peculiar about books.  They read all the best sellers, they get through them as fast as possible, I think they skip a lot.  And they NEVER read anything a second time so they don't remember a word of it a year later.  But they are profoundly shocked to see me drop a book in the wastebasket or give it away.  The way they look at it, you buy a book, you read it, you put it on the shelf, you never open it again for the rest of your life but YOU DON'T THROW IT OUT!"

I'm not sure that I could bring myself to throw out a book either, but I will definitely give books away.  I enjoyed this short book and am glad I finally read it.

Book Review: Sherlock Holmes: Master Detective by Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes:  Master Detective

Author:  Arthur Conan Doyle

Publisher:  Silver Burdett Company (1982)

332 pages

Genre:  Classic, Mystery

I found this book in an antique store as part of a set.  The other books are also classics and the covers are identical.  Each book measures 6.5" by 4.25".  They are small and look nice together on the shelf.  The books were published by Silver Burdett Company and are essentially textbooks that contain unabridged stories.  What makes them textbooks is that each book contains a study guide at the end which includes background information on the author and book, vocabulary, questions and activities pertaining to the story or stories.  

This particular volume contains stories or chapters taken from three of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books.  

From The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes:

   A Scandal in Bohemia

   The Adventure of the Speckled Band

   The Adventure of the Copper Beeches

From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes:

   The Musgrave Ritual

   The Final Problem

From The Return of Sherlock Holmes:

   The Adventure of the Empty House

   The Adventure of the Dancing Men

   The Adventure of the Priory School

   The Adventure of the Second Stain

My favorite in this collection was The Adventure of the Dancing Men in which Holmes and Watson set out to solve the mystery of notes being left at the home of Mr. Hilton Cubitt containing drawings of dancing men that look like hieroglyphics.  Mr. Cubitt has found these dancing men scrawled with chalk on the window sill.  He copied them onto paper before erasing them from the sill.  A few days later, another message is left.  When Mr. Cubitt shows the message to his wife, she faints.  However, Mrs. Cubitt has warned her husband that she has had some difficulties in her past that she does not want to talk about.  She assures him that her past involves nothing that she needs to personally be ashamed about, it is just painful and she wants to forget about it.  Mr. Cubitt agrees that he will not bring it up.  So, now he is in a bind because he can see that this situation must have something to do with her past, but he promised never to bring it up.  Of course!  He has heard that Mr. Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street is fond of queer mysteries and this seems to be just that.  Can Sherlock Holmes decipher the code?  Can he do it before it's too late?  

I especially liked the code to decipher and Sherlock Holmes' explanation of how he solved it.  This one is rather suspenseful as well.  

This is a nice collection of stories that gives a good introduction to Sherlock Holmes.  

The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare

The Winter's Tale

Author:  William Shakespeare

A fully dramatized recording by Arkangel (2007)

On my reading list for 2020 is a play by Shakespeare.  I chose The Winter's Tale because The Literary Life Podcast will be discussing this play soon.  I decided to listen to an audio version of the play, but also use a written version along with the audio.  The audio version I chose was the dramatized recording from Arkangel.  This was very easy to listen to.  I have tried other dramatized versions that were difficult to listen to because there was too much going on at once.  The Arkangel version generally had just one person speaking at a time.  Sometimes there was background music, but it didn't distract from the dialogue.  Before beginning the audio version, I read the cast list and opening scene from the written version.  This familiarized me with the setting and the characters and the general direction of the play.  Then I would listen to the audio.  After listening to a portion I would sometimes go back to the written version and read parts or get clarification if I was confused about who was speaking or what was happening.  This worked really well for me.  I was able to follow the characters and the story without much trouble.  

Book Review: Still Life by Louise Penny

Still Life

Author: Louise Penny

Publisher: St. Martins (2005)

293 pages

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is called away from his family on Thanksgiving Day to a suspicious death in a small village outside of Montreal. Life in the village of Three Pines is generally quiet. As is common in small villages, most of the residents know one another. Some have lived in the village for generations, while others are new to the area. Jane Neal, the reason for Inspector Gamache's visit to the village, had lived there for decades. When it is discovered that the cause of her death is a hunter's arrow, many assume it must have been an accident. But, if so, why has no one come forward? As Inspector Gamache and his team begin their investigation, they find that things are more complicated than they first appeared.

This series by Louise Penny has been recommended to me by several people. So I had to try it for myself. The book was well written and the characters well developed. I especially liked Inspector Gamache and I detested agent Yvette Nichol. Louise Penny's insight into why people do what they do was fascinating. The mystery itself was interesting and we got to learn something about bow hunting along with Inspector Gamache and his team. However, when the story was finished I did not feel a sense of satisfaction, but instead I was left feeling unsettled.