Reviewed by Bev Scott The Tenth Gift, an intriguing book, consists of two stories masterfully intertwined. One is set in the 17th Century, and the other is set in the present. At the end of an adulterous affair with her best friend’s husband, the husband gives Julia “The Needle Woman’s Glorie.” At first glance, the gift appears […]
Book Reviews
Book Review: “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas
Reviewed by Bev Scott Although The Hate U Give is a young adult book, the story was riveting for me as a senior adult. Author Angie Thomas tells the story of a white policeman who kills a young unarmed black man with subtlety, humor, and multiple perspectives. Yes, it has some typical or stereotypical scenes. […]
Book Review: “The Road to Bittersweet,” by Donna Everhart
Book review by Bev Scott The Road to Bittersweet: In 1940, the Tuckasegee River in the Appalachian Mountains overflows its banks and forces Wallis Ann Stamper and her family to flee in the middle of the night. Wallis Ann becomes separated from her parents, younger brother and older sister, Laci, a mute and musically gifted […]
Book Review: “Sold on a Monday” by Kristina McMorris
Book Reviewed by Bev Scott Sold on a Monday is inspired by a photograph of children with the sign “2 Children for Sale” from 1948 which the author Kristina McMorris stumbled upon. The story challenges journalistic integrity, tugs at your heartstrings and offers a sweet love story. Ellis, an aspiring newspaper reporter in the early […]
Book Review: “Reliance, Illinois” by Mary Volmer
Book reviewed by Bev Scott I purchased this book Reliance Illinois at a reading by the author Mary Volmer. Reliance, Illinois tells a fascinating story, set in 1874 on the Mississippi River. The protagonist, a teenage girl of thirteen, Madelyn Branch (Maddy) pretends to be the younger sister of her beautiful mother, Rebecca. The story […]
Book Review: “Sweden” by Matthew Turner
Reviewed by Bev Scott This book, written as historical fiction, offers a mostly unknown story about deserters from the Vietnam War. Japanese peace activist guides worked with great diligence to help the deserters escape Japan to a safe haven, Sweden. I found the story of their perilous efforts to escape both the Japanese police and […]
Book Review: “Before We Were Yours” by Lisa Wingate
Book reviewed by Bev Scott Child abuse is a difficult topic for a book. Lisa Wingate states that she formed the book “from the dust of imagination and the muddy waters of the Mississippi.” She writes about experiences similar to those of real children taken from their families during the 1920’s through the 1950’s. Sadly, […]
Book Review: “The Search for My Abandoned Grandmother” by Mary Ames Mitchell
Reviewed by Bev Scott Mary Ames Mitchell describes in detail her search for her English grandmother’s grave or burial site. The author’s mother, Betty May, last saw her mother, Eileen Maude, when she was seven. In 1932 Betty May boarded a train in London with her brother to spend the summer holidays with her father in […]
Book Review: “Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers” by Sara Zeff Geber
Reviewed by Bev Scott Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: Gerontologist Harry “Rick” Moody introduces this book. He reminds us all that we are all “solo agers” if we live long enough. Further, he notes that “Successful Solo Agers have learned how to age alone and they have lessons we all need to learn.” Sara Zeff […]
Book Review: “Prairie Fires – The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder” by Caroline Fraser
Reviewed by Bev Scott Reading and preparing this review of Prairie Fires has been a long-term endeavor. Caroline Fraser has done a brilliant work describing the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder in the historical context of the time. She won both a Pulitzer and the National Book Critics Award. She begins the historical detail before Laura Ingalls was born in 1867 […]
