Rebel Rising by Beth Revis follows Jyn Erso's life and struggle from age 8 to age 26 when she officially joins the Rebel Alliance (i.e. the events shown in Rogue One.) 18 years is a lot of ground to cover, but Revis does so in an engaging way that effectively shows Jyn's character arc and how… Continue reading Review: Rebel Rising by Beth Revis
Our Own Country by Jodi Daynard is the second book in the Midwife series, taking place concurrently with The Midwife's Revolt. As I'd hoped, this installment does indeed fill in the gaps of Eliza's story that Midwife was lacking. Both books could have been spliced together, I think, so that the reader could experience the picture… Continue reading Review: Our Own Country by Jodi Daynard
When I wrote the first two parts of my Am Rev series, one of my main motivators was simply writing a story I wanted to read. I've found that fiction about the American Revolution is surprisingly lacking in volume, so whenever I do find any--especially with women as the central characters--I jump at the chance… Continue reading Review: The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard
The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook depicts a time and place not often depicted in literature: post-WWII Germany--specifically, Hamburg in 1946. The Aftermath tells the story of a British officer, his wife, and their young son sharing a requisitioned home with a German man and his teenaged daughter. This situation proves ripe for drama and clashing relationships… Continue reading Review: The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook
I Am Terezin by Richard D. Bank is a memoir (of sorts) told from the point of view of the Czech fortress city-turned-concentration camp Terezin, or Theresienstadt as the Germans called it. If that sounds confusing to you, essentially the book is creative non-fiction written in the first person "by Terezin" through author Richard D. Bank.… Continue reading Review: I Am Terezin by Richard D. Bank
Crossing the Horizon: A Novel by Laurie Notaro is the true story of trailblazing women: Elsie Mackay, Ruth Elder, and Mabel Boll. After Charles Lindbergh's historic trans-Atlantic flight in 1927, the few and pioneering aviatrixes in the world sought to claim the title of "First woman to fly across the Atlantic." We all know Amelia Earhart's… Continue reading Review: Crossing the Horizon by Laurie Notaro
Flight of the Sparrow by Amy Belding Brown tells the true story of 17th century Mary Rowlandson, who survived a Nipmoc attack on the village of Lancaster, MA and was subsequently taken prisoner along with two of her children. After about three months, Rowlandson was ransomed back to the English. She then went on… Continue reading Review: Flight of the Sparrow by Amy Belding Brown
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson is a YA novel detailing Philadelphia's 1793 Yellow Fever epidemic. Being in Philadelphia, I have heard about this particular epidemic...every time I walk past Washington Square Park I think about it, as well as the Revolutionary soldiers buried there. In the 18th Century, however, this space was called Potter's field.… Continue reading Review: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
I first heard about The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood in a high school English class....at least I think it was, maybe it was undergrad? Anyway, the point is I have been meaning to read this book for a long time and for some reason never quite got around to it (I know, I know!)… Continue reading Review: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
If you follow me on social media, you probably know that other than History, I'm very into everything Star Wars. And if you didn't know that - well now you do. I received Carrie Fisher's The Princess Diarist as a Christmas gift and I was eager to dive into it for any interesting tidbits of Carrie's… Continue reading Review: The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
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