A legacy of mysticism haunts three generations in this seductively eerie noel, which moves back and forth in time, from the Appalachian Mountains in the 1940's Virginia to present-day New York. -- New York Times
The Dowager Dutchess of Devonshire, now 91, is the last of the celebrated Mitford sisters. She tells of her eccentric but happy childhood roaming the English countryside, tea with Hitler in 1937, and her marriage to the Duke.
Senator Jesse Helms famously recognized Chapel Hill as a special place; these authors agree with that characterization, but for vastly different reasons. Don't trust Daniel Wallace's research, but believe every word of the testimony of these 29 talented writers, both new voices (Tower, Brown) and well-established ones (Elizabeth Spencer, Daphne Athas). I read plenty of Chapel Hill lore back in my old Intimate Bookshop (see the book's cover) days, but I found plenty of new insights in this book about "The City on the Hill".
- Warren -
Anyone who has been disappointed in love will relate to this book. The well-known situation where the artsy girl gets the popular, athletic guy and then it doesn't work out, is given a fresh, smart, and sympathetic treatment by Handler. Maira Kalman's fabulous, expressive illustrations deepen the emotional impact of the story. I loved this book. Min Green is an original character with a memorable voice that resonates beyond the story. (Note: Handler is aka Lemony Snicket; Maira Kalman illustrates for The New Yorker. This book is for young adults--it is not a children's book.)
- Trish -
Nina Borg, heroine of the latest entry in the "Nordic noir" genre of crime fiction, is a Red Cross nurse and compulsive do-gooder with little regard for her own personal safety. A desperate phone call from a long lost friend leads Nina to an abandoned and drugged little boy she finds in a suitcase in a public storage locker. Without martial arts moves or brutal violence, Nina attempts to keep the child from approaching harm, as other individuals, both good and evil, in this Scandinavian thriller, draw closer to them. This is the first of a series recently translated from Danish. Well-written and believable, with flawed but appealing characters, the next novel will be eagerly anticipated.
- Marilyn -
