Staff Picks Reviewer: Alene

The Storyteller’s Death by Ann Dávila Cardinal [Book]

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The cuentistas in Isla Larsen Sanchez’s family carry their stories through generations. Isla spends summers on the family compound in Puerto Rico with her great-aunt Alma, and lives the rest of the year in New Jersey with her widowed mother. During the summer of her eighteenth year, she learns that she shares the family gift. She experiences the story of each deceased cuentista in visions that repeat at the same time every day until she understands details customarily left out of their telling. In a story shared between her grandmother and great-aunt, Isla witnesses the death of her great-grandfather and, on repetition, is grazed by the bullet that kills him. In order to understand what really happened, she must ask her family and others who were on the estate at the time to reveal what they know, trying to uncover secrets they’ve kept for decades. In the process, Isla learns about her family history and the legacies of racism, sexism, and classism she is inheriting. A great read for fans of stories set in the Caribbean and tales of magic, love, and family.

YA crossover appeal: Isla’s coming of age as a daughter of two countries and traditions will provide a compelling tale for teens.

Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn [Book]

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Based on historical events in Nazi Germany, this novel follows the lives of three women who intersect at Heim Hochland as part of the Lebensborn breeding program intended to help racially fit women produce Aryan babies for Hitler. Gundi is a university student involved in the resistance who finds herself pregnant by her activist Jewish boyfriend. Hilde is eighteen, underappreciated at home, devoted to Hitler’s regime, and eager to raise her status by having a Nazi official’s baby. Irma is a nurse who lost her fiancé and unborn child during the Great War, discovered her beau concealing a woman in his cellar, and needs the fresh start that working at Heim Hochland offers. Surrounded by looted art and antiques, sustained by the best food available, and subject to the whims of powerful men, these women find connections among the expectant mothers, “apprentice” mothers, and employees of the facility. When Gundi’s child is born with obviously non-Aryan characteristics, she learns of the potential consequences (euthanasia) and must seek help where she can. Parallels may be drawn between Nazi eugenics then and reproductive agency now, and the fundamental sexism of men making decisions about women’s bodies, providing ample topics for discussion groups.

For fans of The Lilac Girls, The Island of Sea Women, Call the Midwife, and World War II women’s stories.

Midnight on the Marne by Sarah Adlakha [Book]

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An unlikely series of events repeats itself, giving one of the participants the opportunity to change the future by sacrificing his past. Wartime in occupied France is made difficult by rationing, persecution, and fear, particularly for French nurse (and spy) Marcelle Marchand and American soldier George Mountcastle. They are immediately drawn to each other, then separated by circumstance and the Great War. Following Germany’s victory, Marcelle and George reconnect, and live in France with their cobbled together family of survivors, including George’s comrade Philip and Marcelle’s sister Rosalie. Hiding their vegetable garden and black market activities from government agents and living as well as they can, they find happiness where possible. After they are caught and punished, George somehow finds himself once again at a critical point in the Battle of the Marne, several years earlier. George and Philip have spent many years contemplating what might have happened if a single decision had been made differently, and now George has the opportunity to find out.

Framed by the narrative of Marcelle’s daughter reading her journal many years later, readers will be drawn in by the details of an alternative post-World War I history, and also pleasantly set adrift by the conflicting information presented in the journal and the known details of Marcelle’s life and history. Offer this to fans of alternative history, war stories, and what-ifs.

Widowland by C. J. Carey [Book]

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In this alternate history, Germany and Great Britain are thirteen years into an alliance that began with the 1940 murder of George VI and his family in favor of the rule of Edward VIII, remorseless pawn of The Leader. Women are classified into six categories based on their usefulness to men and, by extension, the empire. Any sign of rebellion or resistance is punishable by interrogation, torture, and death. Rose Ransom is a Geli, the most elite class of women, and has a job with the culture ministry editing literature of the past to match the current values of the regime. When inflammatory quotes from forbidden texts begin to appear as graffiti, she is asked to infiltrate a Widowland community, where childless women over 50 are relegated and the insurgent messages appear to originate. The subversion must be stopped before The Leader arrives for the coronation of King Edward and Queen Wallis, and Rose is expected to act in the best interests of the Protectorate. Carey builds a chillingly believable setting and society that feels relevant now.

For fans of historical fiction, women’s stories, alternate history (it’s all three!) and readers looking for The Handmaid’s Tale by way of Fatherland.

They Drown Our Daughters by Katrina Monroe [Book]

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In the shadow of an old lighthouse on the Pacific coast, seven generations of women have each been affected by a family curse in their own way. They are drawn to and terrified of the ocean, the source of heartbreak and tragedy for women of their line. Meredith Strand, who fled to the east coast as a young woman, returns home to Cape Disappointment with her daughter Alice in tow, seeking refuge from her impending divorce. Meredith’s mother Judith struggles with memory as her belief in the curse seems to govern her life and choices. When Judith is taken by the sea and Alice disappears, Meredith must face a mysterious adversary to rescue her daughter and break the curse’s pattern of misfortune for both of them and the future of their family. More than a century of loss related by narrators from different generations, combined with a malevolent ghost, give this gothic read plenty of appeal for horror fans, while the family drama will compel readers of women’s fiction.

For Those Who Are Lost by Julia Bryan Thomas [Book]

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In the chaos of evacuating children from Guernsey to England in 1940, Lily Carre switches places with her sister Helen, undertaking the care of a pair of children–Henry and Catherine Simon–who are being reluctantly sent away by their mother Ava. Lily wants to escape an unhappy marriage, and Helen wants to remain on Guernsey with their aging parents. Once in England, Lily puts nine-year-old Henry on a train bound for Manchester, where he starts out in a dormitory of evacuees and is eventually sent to a Yorkshire farm for the rest of the war. Lily takes four-year-old Catherine with her to Cornwall, which she arbitrarily chose based on its proximity to the sea and distance from the continent. They find refuge with the assistance of local vicar Peter Ashby and embed themselves in village life, Lily posing as a widow and Catherine’s mother. Following the stories of Lily, Ava, Henry, and Peter during the war, and checking in with Catherine thirty years later, the reader sees several aspects of life during wartime and long term consequences of impulsive decisions.

A sure bet for readers of personal war stories and those who want to know, “What about the women and children?”

The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale by Stephanie Eding [Book]

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Thirty-year-old Josie Hale discovers she is pregnant after catching her husband with another woman and moving back in with her parents. Craving the comfort of a corn dog, she emerges from hiding and almost immediately runs into high school buddies Kevin and Ben at the local fair. They haven’t seen each other in a dozen years, yet they get along as though no time has passed. Recognizing that they are all disappointed with the direction of their lives, the three of them decide to move in together and make a pact to collectively improve their lives professionally, financially, and emotionally. Josie finds work as a substitute teacher, Kevin changes career directions at his father’s insurance agency, and Ben returns to school to improve his job prospects. Josie’s high school crush on Ben is not as unrequited as she thought, Kevin’s fear of commitment has turned on him, and Ben’s relationship with his 11-year-old daughter can only improve. Adulting is hard, but second chances with a found family can make it easier to handle. A good fit for readers of romantic women’s fiction and those who enjoy coming-of-age-after-college stories.

The Tsarina’s Daughter by Ellen Alpsten [Book]

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Alpsten’s follow up to Tsarina (2020) focuses on the life of Elizabeth (Lizenka), daughter of Peter the Great and his second wife Catherine I, from her royal childhood through a tumultuous adolescence and young adulthood. Lizenka is charming, beautiful, and beloved, inspiring envy and loyalty among her relations and the Russian people. Political intrigue abounds, with friends and family moving through the court and royal residences as power shifts and people fall in and out of favor. Originally expected to marry Louis XV, Lizenka’s fortunes fall not long after she encounters the Leshy (a forest spirit) on a walk in the woods. The Leshy tells Lizenka her future, and Lizenka returns to the Leshy’s words over the years as each prediction comes true. In addition to foretelling Lizenka’s difficulties, the Leshy also tells of greatness, which comes to fruition just as the volume ends. Students of Russian history will enjoy the attention to detail (see the author’s note for details) and fans of historical fiction based on real people will devour this rich repast, and be left eager for the next book’s conclusion of this trilogy about the Romanovs.

I Kissed a Girl by Jennet Alexander [Book]

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After dying early in a few horror movies, actress Lilah Silver is headlining for the first time. Noa Birnbaum just dropped out of college to take a makeup artist/special effects job on Lilah’s movie. Lilah hopes this final girl role will open her up to serious acting opportunities. Noa, who has been crushing on Lilah since her first bit part, hopes this gig will get her the hours and recommendation she needs to join the union. There is chemistry between them when they meet, and a rule against fraternization between cast and crew to complicate things. Add an uncannily accurate anonymous item in a gossip magazine and evidence of a dangerous fan, plus the heightened emotion of an intense film shoot, and you have a fast read filled with warmth, romance, coming out, vivid supporting characters, and a behind-the-scenes peek at Hollywood. Lilah and Noa are believably imperfect young Jewish women navigating early adulthood with the support of their friends and families, stumbling into solvable problems on their way to each other. A charming entry in the new adult queer romantic comedies trend in the vein of Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall.

Catch Us When We Fall by Juliette Fay [Book]

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A compelling read from seasoned author Fay features the story of Cass Macklin: grieving the death of Ben, her boyfriend of nearly ten years, while newly pregnant, homeless, and scared. Cass spent most of the previous decade drunk, and is now faced with the challenge of creating a healthy life for herself and her baby with no friends nor funds to support these goals. After suffering a setback in her sobriety, she tracks down Ben’s brother Scott, a professional baseball player, to ask for help. Skeptical of her commitment to cleaning up, and sharing the same early life suffering that drove Ben to drink, Scott also has a lot to learn about life. Cass goes through rehab and moves into Scott’s spare room on the condition that she stay sober. Scott plays ball through the season, coming home between road trips to Cass as she attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and pursues her education. Their tentative agreement grows into a mutually supportive friendship that carries them through the birth of the baby and into the future.

Readers who enjoy an emotional journey including hope and redemption will be well satisfied with this story. Offer it to fans of Jacqueline Mitchard and Jodi Picoult.

What a Happy Family by Saumya Dave [Book]

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Saumya Dave follows up her debut (Well-Behaved Indian Women, 2020) with this story about another Indian-American family. The narrative is told from varying points of view: Bina and Deepak Joshi, who immigrated to the United States to give their children opportunities they never had; eldest daughter Suhani, following in her father’s footsteps as a psychiatrist; her white husband Zack; middle daughter Natasha, who turns down a proposal from the son of lifelong family friends to pursue a career in comedy; and son Anuj, their youngest child. Natasha’s rejection of her boyfriend’s proposal, shortly after she loses her job, begins a series of events that affect the family, their connections to their community, and their ability to support each other. Dave examines happiness itself from several angles, revealing different aspects for members of the family related to their individual mental health and interpersonal dynamics. Equal parts family drama, women’s fiction, and coming-of-age story, each family member is challenged and finds their way through with the strength of their relationships intact, if changed by experience. A sure bet for vacation reading and fans of hopeful family dramas.

She Wouldn’t Change a Thing by Sarah Adlakha. [Book]

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Maria Forssmann is thirty-nine years old, a successful psychiatrist with a charming husband, two beautiful daughters, and a son on the way, when she inexplicably wakes up in her seventeen-year-old body. Desperate to return to her life in the future, Maria finds herself committed to a mental health facility where she meets a doctor who may be able to help her. He’s also a time traveler and knows how this has worked for others. She’s returned to this time and place for a reason, and only completing her mission will send her back. Miles away in another state, her future husband’s family is about to suffer a terrible tragedy. Maria has knowledge that would allow her to prevent it, and doing so would also alter the future and thus erase her marriage. The choice before her is impossible, and she must make a decision.

Sarah Adlakha’s debut is a truly compelling read, making the reader consider what they would do if offered a second chance, how they might deal with a difficult choice, and what is most important in life. The characters are relatable, the story is gripping, and the blend of domestic fiction with a hint of science fiction is just plain great. Offer it to fans of Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life, Jo Walton’s My Real Children, and book clubs.