20 Wednesday Oct 2021
Posted in 20th century, adventure, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Travel, United States
Tags
1933-1945, animal rescue, Depression, Dust Bowl, giraffes, human-animal relationships, interpersoal relationships, San Diego Zoo, zoo keepers
24 Friday Sep 2021
Posted in 20th century, action, adventure, Fiction, Historical Fiction
“As ever, Rachel Joyce made me laugh out loud, then weep for the battered majesty of ordinary human beings. Two unlikely heroines, their strange love, a pitiful villain, and a life-affirming search for miraculous beauty . . . all combine in a wild, hopeful picaresque journey into the soul.”—Bel Mooney, Daily Mail“
23 Monday Aug 2021
Posted in action, adventure, Fiction, Historical Fiction
Marian and Jamie are twins born in 1914 on a sinking ship, and their lives only get more exciting from there. Great Circle follows Marian, who dreams of being a pilot, and Jamie, a sensitive artist, as they travel the world and are eventually both caught up in World War II. I really felt like I knew Marian and Jamie, along with many of the other vivid characters, by the time I finished reading. This book is a saga, but worth the time!
“A breathtaking epic . . . This is a stunning feat.”—Publishers Weekly [starred review]
“A fat, juicy peach of a novel . . . A tremendously well-written book, epic in spirit and scope, swooping across continents and through time so effortlessly that it belies the seven years it apparently took to complete.”
—The Telegraph [UK]
“The destinies of [Shipstead’s] unforgettable characters intersect in ways that reverberate through a hundred years of story. Whether Shipstead is creating scenes in the Prohibition-era American West, in wartime London, or on a Hollywood movie set, her research is as invisible as it should be, allowing a fully immersive experience. Ingeniously structured and so damn entertaining; this novel is as ambitious as its heroines—but it never falls from the sky.”—Kirkus Reviews [starred review]
24 Monday May 2021
Posted in 20th century, adventure, England, Fiction, Travel
What a delightful road trip – except the ride is on a narrowboat on British canals for four months. Two middle-aged women desperate to ditch their mundane life situations, as luck would have it, cross paths briefly with an older woman who lives on the canals. They trade homes and the slowed time and shared struggle give each the courage to make life-changing choices. . A breath of fresh air during our pandemic, claustrophobic, confined-in-our-homes times. Excellent read.
“Lovely…Another heartening story about the possibility of striking out in a new direction at any age. It is also a soothing read, especially welcome in these anxious times.” ―Christian Science Monitor
A touching, hopeful story about figuring out what matters and mustering the courage to make necessary changes.” ―NPR
“Fans of Jane Smiley and Hannah Mary McKinnon will enjoy Youngson’s immersive, lyrical account of the women’s narrowboat summer, especially the colorful characters they meet along their journey.” ―Booklist
“Youngson, a heartfelt storyteller, takes readers on a charming excursion that provides a comforting, tender escape.” ―Shelf Awareness
13 Saturday Feb 2021
Posted in 20th century, action, adventure, Fiction
Tags
environmental degradation, ocean travel, sea stories, Secrecy, terns migration, women scientists
The premise of Migrations is one that doesn’t seem too far-fetched: in the not too distant future, many of the world’s animals have gone extinct. Franny, a woman determined to follow a rare flock of birds, convinces the captain of a fishing ship out of Greenland to take her along. As the journey progresses, the crew — and the reader — learn more about Franny’s complicated past. This book is beautifully written, and offers plenty of food for thought about our current climate change crisis.
For fans of Flight Behavior and Station Eleven, a novel set on the brink of catastrophe, as a young woman chases the world’s last birds―and her own final chance for redemption – Amazon
“[Migrations] could be taking place in two years or 20 years, but it could just as well be happening today…A consummate blend of issue and portrait, warning and affirmation, this heartbreaking, lushly written work is highly recommended.”―Library Journal (starred review)
“Transfixing, gorgeously precise…[The] evocation of a world bereft of wildlife is piercing; Franny’s otherworldliness is captivating, and her extreme misadventures and anguished secrets are gripping.”
―Booklist (starred review)
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