Six books read in November!
The Dictionary of Lost Words describes the life a woman raised during the late 1800s/early 1900s. Her widower father helped compile the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and she eventually worked on the OED in adulthood. A truly great and easy read!
I loved Hello Beautiful—a complicated intertwining of the life of one man and a family of four sisters. It’s an exquisite book that I read in under a week! If I could have read it continuously, it would have been faster, but I do have a life outside of reading…
This tale starts with the tragic upbringing of William White. William fortunately gets drawn into the dynamic Padavano family—dating and marrying one of the four sisters. This has been called a modern take on Little Women. I’m not quite sure how I found it, but I’m glad I did!
The Lost Bookshop toggles between the early 1900s and present time, exploring the earlier then later years of a, you guessed it, lost bookshop located in Dublin. This was also an easy and delightful read.
The Personal Librarian details the career of Belle de la Costa Greene, who managed and developed the personal library of J.P. Morgan. A definite must read for so many reasons!
The River We Remember is the second novel I’ve read by William Kent. It explores the 1950s murder of a farmer in southern Minnesota. It’s hard to unpack in a line or two, but this touches on some very powerful topics.
Finally, Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo wanders through the lives of three generations of Dominican women, most of whom emigrated to the US (NYC), but we do dive back through family history then draw forward to present time, as one woman plans and prepares her own “living wake.” A captivating read.
