The Whalebone Theatre - Joanna Quinn (Alfred A. Knopf, 2022) In parts, this felt like two stories joined together. There is the story of three semi-feral children, related to each other in complicated ways, growing up in a crumbling English estate in the last days when such places existed. Then there is the story of… Continue reading Book Review: The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn
The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre - Natasha Lester (Forever, 2023) I received an Advanced Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own. This was a fun historical fiction that blends secret service and fashion along with romance and some real-life historical characters. Alix St.… Continue reading Book Review: The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester
Astray - Emma Donoghue (Back Bay Books, 2012) I've loved everything I've read by Emma Donoghue so it shouldn't be surprising that I also loved this short story collection. But I really was blown away. The Wonder showed me that Donoghue excels in historical fiction but I was still so impressed by what she manages… Continue reading Book Review: Astray by Emma Donoghue
When We Lost Our Heads - Heather O'Neill (Harper Collins Publishers, 2022) If you've read and enjoyed Heather O'Neill's novels before then chances are good you'll like her latest book, because you'll know what you're getting yourself into. While I don't know if I'd say I love O'Neill's work, I do have a lot of… Continue reading Book Review: When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O’Neill
Once Upon a River - Diane Setterfield (Bond Street Books, 2018) In the late 19th century, the Swan pub sits on the banks of the River Thames. It is known for its storytelling, a place where people gather to share a drink, to tell a story. One winter night, solstice, a man bursts into the… Continue reading Book Review: Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch - Rivka Galchen (Harper Perennial, 2021) Katharina Kepler is an eccentric older widow. She lives in a small German village in the early 1600s. She is knowledgeable about herbs and natural healing and she isn't shy about letting her feelings be known. It is perhaps inevitable in this… Continue reading Book Review: Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen
The Manningtree Witches - A. K. Blakemore (Catapult, 2021) I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book. All opinions are my own. In 1643 in the small English town of Manningtree, Rebecca West is a young woman of limited resources. Fatherless, living with her mother, few prospects for the future. The bright spot in… Continue reading Book Review: The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore
The Samurai - Shusaku Endo (New Directions, 2018) (translated from the Japanese by Van C. Gessel) Like Endo's other famous book, Silence, this is a slow moving and contemplative book, dealing with Christianity in 17th century Japan. Which isn't to say it's a boring book or one without much happening; it's simply a deeply thoughtful… Continue reading Book Review: The Samurai by Shusaku Endo
The Devil and the Dark Water - Stuart Turton (Harper Collins Publishers, 2020) This was a fun read. Historical fiction, mystery novel, adventure story. Most of the action takes place on board a ship called the Saardam, travelling from Batavia (modern day Indonesia) to Amsterdam in the 17th Century. The ship belongs to The Company… Continue reading Book Review: The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
Agnes, Murderess - Sarah Leavitt (Freehand, 2019) This graphic novel explores the story of Agnes McVee, an elusive story of a woman who kept a boarding house in the Cariboo and allegedly killed more than fifty people. Historical evidence for her existence in scant but a legend has grown up around the story of this… Continue reading Book Review: Agnes, Murderess by Sarah Leavitt
Karissa Reads Books 