Category: Fiction

Sunflowers Beneath the Snow tells the story of three Ukrainian women and their very different life experiences, through Soviet occupation to an independent Ukraine.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author for my enjoyment. All opinions are mine alone.

Sunflowers Beneath the Snow by Teri M. Brown

It is 1973 and the Soviet Union occupies Ukraine. The new Communist regime is increasingly oppressive, spurring one man – Lyaksandro – to do his part to counter the Soviets. He’s not overtly confrontational but secretly passes on little bite of information. However, Lyaksandro  is almost caught and is forced to flee Ukraine. His wife, Ivanna, is told that he died along with his lover. 

Sunflowers Beneath the Snow is the story of Ivanna, her daughter Yevtsye (Yevt), and her granddaughter Ionna, from Soviet occupation through the early years of Ukraine’s freedom. Continue reading “{Book Review} Sunflowers Beneath the Snow”

The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer is a story of love, tragedy, hope, and a fight for justice, from Nazi occupation to Soviet communist regime.

The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer

It’s 1942 and Elzbieta Rabinek is a young girl with nowhere to do. The Nazis occupy Warsaw, Poland. Elzbieta is not allowed to go to school or go on many outings. Bored, she befriends her neighbor Sara and starts sneaking away to spend time with her new friend each day. But one night, Elzbieta stumbles upon Sara’s secret and she can’t look back.

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Sunflower Sisters is a story of slavery, the Underground Railroad, and the Civil War through the eyes of three strong but very different women. 

Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly

The sharp divisions between the North and the South have finally resulted in war in the United States. Sunflower Sisters follows three women from  very different backgrounds, showcasing both slavery and the Civil War through each woman’s eyes. 

Ann May, owner of the Peeler Plantation in Maryland, and her slave Jemma are two of the characters. Jemma was born into slavery and has lived most of her life on the tobacco plantation. By contrast, Ann May grew up in Louisiana but came to Maryland after she married, to run the plantation left to her by an aunt. Even within her household, loyalties are divided between North and South.

Finally, there is Georgeanna Woolsey (Georgey) from New York City. Georgey comes from a family of strong women who fight for their beliefs. Not one to sit at home and wait for marriage, Georgey makes a name for herself as a Union nurse. 

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The Paris Seamstress packs in mystery, intrigue and romance in two intertwined timelines, present day and World War II, from New York to Paris. 

The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester

It’s 1940 and the Nazi army is approaching Paris. Seamstress Estella Bissette finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Within just 24-hours, her world is turned upside down, with new truths revealed about her family and herself. Her mother forces her to flee. Estella boards one of the last ships to the U.S. before the Nazis reach Paris. 

Estella arrives in New York City with little money, her mother’s sewing machine, and the gorgeous gold dress that she wears. Her mother dreamed of her safety and her success as a seamstress and a designer – but can she do it alone? And what will her journey look like? 

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The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers is a fiction novel set in a fantastical world with just a little bit of mystery and romance. Sayers created a world that sucked me in, with beautiful writing and a plot that kept me guessing. 

The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers

For over 80 years, there were rumors that a Secret Circus – le Cirque Secret – existed in Paris in the 1920s. A spectacular show of animals and acrobatics, circus tickets were delivered to a chosen few; the circus hidden from the uninvited. While there were rumors and stories from those that were lucky enough to attend, the circus’s existence was never confirmed. As far as anyone knows, there were no photographs or paintings, old tickets or posters… no material proof of that the circus was real. But it was never forgotten. 

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