Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Queen Victoria: Twenty-four Days That Changed Her Life by Lucy Worsley, B Victoria (2019)

 


Queen Victoria might be missing from the PBS schedule, but you can find her on the library shelves.  Drawing from Victoria’s own correspondence and other documentation of her life, Lisa Worley (Curator of the Historic Royal Palaces) recreates the 24 days in Victoria’s life that defined Victoria as a daughter, mother, widow, and sovereign.  I had a whole different impression of Victoria after reading it.

4.19 stars on Goodreads, 4.7 on Amazon

Monday, September 28, 2020

Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters by Jennifer Chiaverini (2020)

 

The book begins in 1875, ten years after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, when Mary Todd’s Robert has begun legal proceedings to have his mother declared insane and committed. Elizabeth, the oldest sisters of Mary’s four sisters, calls the sisters together to try to help Mary even though they have all been estranged from her for some time. Chapters go back and forth between sisters and 1875/1876 and earlier years to learn the back stories of all the sisters. I sometimes found it difficult to keep everything and everyone straight.

 I have read several of Jennifer Chiaverini’s other historical fiction novels and have been immersed in the characters and the story.  This one not so much. However, fans of Abraham Lincoln or those interested in learning more about Mary Todd’s’ life after the death of her beloved husband and three of her four sons will find this a good read.

 3.73 Stars Goodreads, 4.5  on Amazon

Monday, September 21, 2020

A Murder in Time (Kendra Donovan #1) by Julie McElwain (2016)

 

I love a good mystery and time travel romances.  This, the first of a series of five (so far), combines both genres.  Kendra Donovan, a rogue FBI agent, goes to a party at Aldrich Castle in the 21st century bent on murder.  She enters a stairwell and emerges during a party in the same castle in 1815.  Fortunately for Kendra the owner of the castle, the Duke of Aldrich, is very open minded and he accepts her as his American ward.  A murder takes place on the grounds of the castle and the Duke and Kendra, with the able assistance of Bow Street Runner Sam Kelly, set out to solve the crime.  Without the aid of 21st century technology, how is Kendra going to accomplish that? 

There have been five titles in this series and the EPL library has all of them.

3.75 stars on Goodreads, 4.4 on Amazon