The Prince Kidnaps a Bride by Christina Dodd

The last book in The Lost Princesses series doesn’t disappoint. Dodd once again brings sexy and funny to the table with a hero who isn’t afraid to let a woman “do a man’s work.” Prince Rainger trusts no one, with good reason. Those reasons are revealed a little too late in the story for my tastes—my only complaint. Princess Sorcha trusts everyone. Her intelligence and openness charm not only the prince, but the reader. Can they overcome their differences, fall in love, and save their country? Of course, but with all of Dodd’s romances, getting there is all the fun! A nice ending to the trilogy. Four out of four bookworms.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

My daughter and I recently read The Witch of Blackbird Pond, a Newberry Medal winner. Set in 1687 in the Connecticut Colony, this is the story of Kit Tyler who has come from Barbados to live with her aunt and uncle after her grandfather’s death. After a life of education and freedom in Barbados, Kit is woefully unprepared for the restricted lifestyle of early Puritan settlers. Predictably, her freethinking ways result in accusations of witchcraft. Fortunately, this book isn’t just about witchcraft, but of colonists first uprisings against British rule, the very beginning of the American Revolution. Speare wraps a compelling story in interesting lessons of early American history, the harsh lifestyle of early colonists, tolerance for those with different values and backgrounds, and adaptability. Full of adventure and sweet romance. My daughter couldn’t put it down. Four out of four bookworms.

One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus

One of my husband’s coworkers loaned me this book when she learned that I like historical fiction. The premise intrigued me. History notes that the Cheyenne Chief Little Wolf asked the United States government to send 1000 women to marry Cheyenne men and teach them how to live in the white world. The United States government declined. In One Thousand White Women, Jim Fergus poses the question, “What if the government declined publicly, but secretly sent 1000 women to marry Cheyenne men?” Thus begins an exploration of cultures. Through May Dodd, one of the white women who volunteered to marry an unknown Cheyenne man, we live the atrocities committed by Cheyenne and white, men and women, rich and poor. We also live their compassion. Although I had trouble accepting the premise, I eventually released my doubts about white men sending their white women to mate with “animals.” Those doubts were never overcome, but I became so engrossed in the story that I simply didn’t care any longer. Other than that, I only had one problem with the novel. Midway through the story, the white women are kidnapped by an enemy tribe. They are raped before their husbands rescue them. During the rescue the women kill and scalp their kidnappers and glory in their revenge. Fair enough. But later, the white preacher, sent with the women to help “civilize” the Cheyenne, rapes a Cheyenne boy. The boy’s family beats the preacher. The white women feel pity for the preacher, tend his wounds, and try to comfort him. When they were raped they wanted revenge, but when a child was raped they didn’t. This happens after the women have come to see the Cheyenne as people and not animals. Their sympathy for the preacher isn’t logical. If anything, the women would have been more outraged at the child’s rape than their own. Three out of four bookworms.


Disclaimer: My great great grandmother was Cherokee. I wear a t-shirt with a photo of Geronimo and company that says “The Original Department of Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorists since 1492.” No, I didn't design it, but you can get your own. Just click on the t-shirt at the left.

The Chinese in America by Iris Chang

This narrative history of Chinese Americans is fascinating. Why did Chinese citizens leave China? Why did they come to America? How did their experience with Anglo-Americans differ from that of other minorities? Did you know that many Chinese men married Irish women? I didn’t. Ms. Chang covers a lot of territory in this book. The newest Chinese immigrants—boys and girls adopted from China—got short shrift, only six pages for thirty plus years of history, while Wen Ho Lee got six pages for his two years in the news. I would have liked as much depth with the adoption issue as we got with the Wen Ho Lee issue. I liked that Ms. Chang went into quite a bit of depth regarding the attitudes and conflicting cultures of Chinese American children and teen-agers. Ms. Chang also addresses the racial limbo of Chinese Americans—in some instances regarded as white, in other instances regarded as people of color. Americans have a history of discriminating against people of color because of the conduct of the citizens in their country of origin. Japanese Americans were imprisoned in WWII while German Americans remained free. Chinese American citizens and immigrants have at different times in American history been imprisoned or sent to China depending on the whim of our government. I see the same thing happening with Hispanic and Arab Americans. Ms. Chang also discusses racism among different ethnicities in China. Four out of four bookworms.

Pleasure for Pleasure by Eloisa James

I don’t know exactly how or when I stumbled across Eloisa James. I know that I found her a couple of years ago, and that’s it. I also know that I love her romances. The characters are intelligent, (as intelligent as characters in love can be) and her stories are fun, funny, and sensuous. Pleasure for Pleasure is no exception. This is the last novel in the “Four Sisters” series. I must admit to not having read the middle two novels, yet, but the first in the series, Much Ado About You, was my introduction to Eloisa James. I will read the other two, probably sooner than later.

The year is 1818, and Josie, the youngest Essex sister, has made a less than successful debut. A spurned suitor has labeled her “The Scottish Sausage.” Consequently, she spends a lot of balls dancing with her sisters’ husbands’ friends. I’m not going to tell you who the hero is in this novel because half the fun of the plot is waiting (in my case not so patiently) to find out who Josie will end up with. Unlike other authors, Ms. James often doesn't reveal who the heroine will end up with until well into the novel. My only complaint is the cover of the book. I like for the characters on the cover to look like the characters the author describes in the book. Neither the hero nor the heroine on the cover looks even remotely like Ms. James’ descriptions. The hero’s hair is the wrong color, and the heroine is way to thin. To all of you publishers out there, “Read the friggin’ book! Heck, you don’t even have to read the book, just the character descriptions. Give me a break.”

Thank you Ms. James for giving us two romances for the price of one. The Essex sisters’ chaperone, Griselda, finally finds the love of her life, and her story is every bit as compelling as Josie’s. Four out of four bookworms.

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi

Once again Avi gives us a compelling historical novel for young adults which adults will enjoy as well. Crispin has just buried his mother, but his grief is compounded when he is proclaimed a “wolf’s head.” Anyone may kill him and receive a reward. As Crispin runs for his life, he learns that all is not as it seems—with his life or with the world around him. This novel is reminiscent of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle in that a stranger who Crispin initially distrusts opens Crispin’s eyes to the truths of how people treat each other. Avi gives us a lesson in English medieval history wrapped in an exciting story that will leave readers breathless and ready for the sequel. Four out of four bookworms.

Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich

Okay, so it was a really bad week, and I couldn’t stop at just one Stephanie Plum novel. I read right into Eleven on Top. I’m glad I did. Stephanie quits her job as a fugitive apprehension agent--much to her mother’s delight. Joe’s happy about it, too. Stephanie figures once she finds a normal job, people will stop trying to kill her. Yeah, right! Can Stephanie survive Kan Klean Dry Cleaners and Cluck-in-a-Bucket? More accurately, can those stellar businesses survive Stephanie? Can her relationship with Joe survive her job with Ranger? This is another fast-paced winner from Janet Evanovich. Now, I can get some work done because Twelve Sharp isn’t on my bookshelf, yet, and likely won’t be until it comes out in paperback. Four out of four bookworms.