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Review: Map of the Heart

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Map of the Heart
by Susan Wiggs
4 stars

Camille, an expert in photography and development, is processing film for Professor Malcolm Finnemore (Finn), a history detective.  She’s interrupted by a phone call stating her daughter, Julie, a high school freshman, is in the hospital with an injury inflicted by bullies.  In a panic, she bursts from the dark room, destroying Finn’s film which held Finn’s family secrets.  Surprisingly, Finn is quite understanding  and they develop a relationship despite Camille’s guilt over her husband’s death.

Besides her daughter’s bullying, Camille is faced with her father’s cancer, but more difficult than the disease, are the sinister undertones of her father’s French heritage.  His mother was in a loveless marriage with a Nazi collaborator and died in childbirth.  Camille’s father longs to return to France to face his childhood demons and to discover the truth about his father.  In this, Camille recruits Finn’s help to uncover family secrets that bring surprising revelations to all concerned.

There have been a lot of books written about World War II lately.  I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to live during this time period.  How could you protect those you love in the face of destructive forces over which you have no control?  The people who lived during this time period exhibited true courage, and I admire them greatly.  I highly recommend this book.

Read-alikes:

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

Review: A Street Cat Named Bob

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A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life
by James Bowen
4 stars

Is it possible for a cat to save a person’s life? James Bowen thinks so.  For the past ten years, James had been a drug addict, trying to survive on the streets of London.  With the help of some counselors, he was trying to get his act together.  He had a place to live, and he made just enough money for food, rent, and utilities by being a street musician.  Then one day, a ginger cat entered his life.  James had always liked cats as a child, so he didn’t mind that this cat was hanging around, but he sure didn’t expect him to stay.  He named the cat Bob, and he and Bob became constant companions.  It wasn’t long before James realized he had someone to care for other than himself, and this was the impetus he needed to turn his life around.

As a cat lover myself, I really enjoyed this book.  I admired James for having the strength to overcome his drug dependency.  James felt that Bob had come into his life for a reason.  Bob was loving and non-judgmental, and that’s exactly what James needed at that point in his life.

 

Read-alikes

Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa

Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale by Gwen Cooper

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

Review: The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living

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The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living
by Louise Miller
5 stars

So what’s a girl to do when her Pistachio Baked Alaska catches an elegant private club on fire?  Find a new job, of course, and that’s exactly what Olivia Rawlings does.  She packs a bag and her faithful Irish Wolfhound, Salty, and heads for Vermont.  Margaret Hurley, owner of the Sugar Maple Inn, hires Olivia as the pastry chef, but Margaret has an ulterior motive in hiring her.  Olivia’s days are filled with creating delectable breakfast goodies and desserts, enjoying the beautiful New England Fall weather, and making new friends.  An accomplished musician, she plays banjo in a contra-dance band and falls in love with Martin, who has returned home to care for his ailing father.  Martin is different from the other men she’s had in her life.  He respects her, and Olivia is not quite sure how to handle that.  Nor does she cope well when she discovers Martin’s secret.

I loved this book because Olivia is resilient.  She’s been alone in the world since her father died when she was sixteen, yet she’s accomplished quite a bit.  But beyond her independence, Olivia discovers that being self-sufficient doesn’t mean going it alone.  I especially loved the description of the Fall Harvest Dinner.  The menu sounded so good it actually made my mouth water!

Read-alikes

The Way Life Should Be by Christina Baker Kline

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan