Currently reading
Alex
The Glass Room
Peter the Great: His Life and World
If I Can't Have You: Susan Powell, Her Mysterious Disappearance, and the Murder of Her Children
Skin Deep
The Good Daughter
A Boy in Winter
The Tie That Binds
The Idiot (Everyman's Library, #254)
The Velvet Hours
Before We Were Yours
NOT JUST A PRETTY COVER, but Lisa Wingate has taken a heartbreaking and criminal time in a nation's history and produced a moving and compelling story of sisters and families torn apart by the Tennessee Children's Home Society Scandal (Memphis late 1930s) I was swept in from page one in this well written historical fiction story and Lisa Wingate's novel is a terrific example of why I enjoy historical fiction stories. These stories reach thousands of readers like me who knew nothing about this sad time in American history and although this is a fiction tale based on true events it gives me the opportunity to decide whether I want to further my reading by picking up a non fiction book or content to have read and a well written and beautiful fiction read where the author thankfully includes a note at the end which explains what is fact and what is fiction and also gives a list of further reading which might interest the reader.
I think every country has its shameful secrets and a small country like Ireland is up there with its fair share of shameful secrets and its disgraceful treatment of mothers and babies in the not so distant past which is still only coming to light in recent years.
Lisa Wingate weaves a well thought out plot with memorable characters and while there were a couple of times in the story where I thought ok perhaps that was a little too convenient or contrived but I just tossed it aside as the enjoyment of the story far out weighted any tiny issues I might have had towards the end.
So happy to have purchased a hard copy of this novel as another beauty to add to my real life book shelf and the dust cover is staying firmly in place on this one. :-)
