Kaseys Korner

The Lost Apothecary

**spoiler alert** 

Don't you hate when a book has all the potential of an enthralling novel but then falls waaayyy short??? That's how I'm left feeling about 'The Lost Apothecary.' Let down. Let down for all the ways a hidden, back alley, centuries old apothecary, dispensing poisonous tinctures and potions (only to women, for use solely on men) could leave me without a single breathless moment. Just look at all those awesome elements the author had at her fingertips ~ and yet, they did not come together for me in a way that left me on the edge of my seat, gleefully satisfied and sad to find no more pages in the book.

It's a dual timeline novel, which I do typically enjoy and as usual the older timeline was far more interesting than the modern one. It's the one that held all the fascinating pieces yet tripped me up with its incongruities. I have more questions about the apothecary owner Nella than the book coughed up. What the devil was wrong with her?? She kept talking about this debilitating sickness but it was never explained? The same sickness that turned her bones hard, gave her swollen ankles yet she leap over stone walls and outran constables?? Switching the apothecary from above board benign potions to secretive lethal ones because one man played her? That's taking "a woman scorned" to the extreme. Writing down the purchaser & the intended victims names seemed more like a way to potentially incriminate women instead of help them? I seriously doubt one of those women would have wanted to be immortalized for resorting to that particular action. Eliza turned out to be the bright spot of the book and the older timeline. The twist about her at the end was a positive moment.

The modern timeline was completely unmemorable. Caroline was a flat, flat character. For all the upheaval the author imparted about her life, I felt zero investment. The police could have locked her up to atone for Nellas sins and I wouldn't have spared her a shrugged shoulder. That sounds harsh but she just wasn't likable. Not all characters need to be likable but at least make me hate them or feel disgust or something about them!  She discovered 'The Lost Apothecary' but it was glossed over as quickly as her phone battery ran out. Never to be revisited then kept secret to boot?? wth?? r

I regret that the review couldn't be more positive. The book had been much hyped. I immediately put it on my wtr list but unfortunately when I finished, it disappointed and I couldn't be more bummed about that outcome.

The Rose Code

I want to expand the star category for this book! Unfortunately I don't have that authority, so all I can do is emphasize unequivocally that 'The Rose Code' is worthy of all FIVE spectacular stars. Polished and buffed to gleaming stars too because dull brassy ones aren't even good enough ~ this novel warrants only the shiniest, most brilliantly luminous ones! It truly is literary GOLD! It snares you from the start, doesn't bog down (despite its lengthier size) and ends superbly. *sigh*

When I was downloading it, I noticed Amazon billed Kate Quinn as today's premier author in historical fiction. I'm a fan of historical fiction, I've read a lot of it and I have to say, I couldn't agree more. She brings history to life in a way that's riveting, educational and most importantly never boring. Her research is impeccable too. If you're already a fan of the genre, you can't miss this book! If you've never dabbled in historical fiction before, I can't think of a better book to start the journey!!!

Three sensational characters and a wide array of secondary characters (how much did I love Francis Gray??!!) ~ every story strongly developed, powerful and emotionally evocative. Osla Kendall's (Osla Benning in real life) relationship with Prince Philip was particularly poignant because the news of his passing occurred while I was reading about them. I went down in the troughs with all three main characters at various points in the story and also rode the magnificent highs with them. Another tribute to the author for her ability to throw the reader into the period and make it so "real" and relatable.

The frenetic energy and urgency that existed at Bletchley Park was tangible. So many secrets decoded on its grounds that impacted the war and lives of those who worked there. I wonder if it drove the locals crazy wondering what the heck was happening behind those guarded gates?? If only they knew then! It's deservedly right that the house, huts and grounds have been restored and opened to the public ~ to acknowledge, raise awareness and pay tribute to the sacrifices and transformative work that were churned out there.  

A beautiful, beautiful novel. Kate Quinn puts more faces on the power of humanity when faced with adversity. It's bound to leave a lasting impression on the reader.

A "MUST" read!!!!

One Thousand White Women

I've had this book on my wtr list for a long time. I'm determined to make inroads on the books I've shelved there instead of continuing to add new ones!!

May Dodd may just be my new favorite female heroine. I loved her pragmatic, honest & unflinching attitude toward each situation life presented her, no matter how dire and she found herself in some truly dire predicaments. This novel was comprised almost entirely of journal entries (written by May) and I found them absolutely riveting, especially the ones about her life with the Cheyenne Indians.

Of course I googled whether the 'Brides for Indians" program was real or not. It seemed 100% plausible, especially since the "brides" our government were purported to be offering the Indians were women solicited from prisons, insane asylums, or who found themselves in unfortunate circumstances. It's cringeworthy how women were treated in (not so distant) history and always how our country behaved toward the Native Americans. 'One Thousand White Women' is another embarrassment of the latter behavior, even tho it's fiction, it's underlaid with many truths.

The more I read, the more attached I became to all the women and their Indian families. It's beautiful how Indians put the welfare of the whole tribe before individual achievements. I've always thought the way they treated the land was much more progressive than the Caucasian attitude of development & destruction. In this book, the relationship between the Cheyenne men and women was even portrayed to be more egalitarian in many ways. The journal entries were so beautifully written and compelling, they made the ending that much more heartbreaking. I don't know how anyone could read them and not be powerfully affected by the events that unfold??

I see now that there are two more books in this trilogy. I'm not sure if I'll read them or not but now that I'm familiar with the writing of Jim Fergus, I'm convinced they'd be equally as good.

Very happy I went back and pulled this one up to the top of my reading list. 4.5 Stars

The Last Garden in England

** spoiler alert ** Reader beware, I can't NOT spoil the "big secret" in this book because it just didn't make sense to me?? Please don't read any further if you want to keep that mysterious & form your own opinion....

Let's start with the positives tho! I'm a gardener. I love gardens. I love flowers. I love an old estate and if it has an accompanying noteworthy garden, there could be trolls living there and I'd still want in. I'm thinking you get the picture?!! So this book has all those components and the garden is even dreamier because it's divided into themes!!! I felt my heart begin to race just reading about each of them. I would be supremely happy with any one out of the seven: Tea garden, Lover's garden, pastel Children's garden, All White Bridal Garden, Water Garden, Poet's Garden and finally The Winter Garden. Even the names conjure beauty (!!) and the descriptions of each created a mesmerizing mental picture. I loved the idea that each garden represented a stage in a womans life too. Really genius! Plants are detailed (a gardener's delight) and it's clear the author has some experience and interest in this passion (which she explains & admits to in her note at the books end.) Something that would have elevated the story a notch would have been a sketch of the property (even rough draft) to solidify a vision of the house & grounds for the reader. Not every reader is an avid gardener although I suspect those that are would be attracted (as I was) by the title alone.

There are FIVE different narratives in this book (Venetia, Emma, Beth, Stella and Diana) plus an assortment of secondary characters and THREE timelines!!!  Do not even think about reading while drinking!! It's downright head spinning and confusing at each switch. Three points of view and two timelines are personally more than plenty for me to keep straight! Each woman had realistic challenges and triumphs that were individual to them and the author did a decent job of fleshing each out considering the book is only 368 pages! I thought it was brave of Ms Kelly to write one of the storylines about a woman who had a decided disinterest in motherhood. That's not a topic addressed a lot for all that it's real.

I did enjoy the book but I wonder if mostly because a garden was at the heart of it?? It was the piece that connected the storylines and the part that interested me the most. Now back to the part that didn't seem plausible ~ the adoption of Bobby and how that could have been a secret/surprise to his descendants. In a small English village, where the lords and ladies (and children) of the grand manor house were known by everyone and said manor employed a houseful of servants ~ the tragedy of the original Robert (Robin) would seem to be an unforgettable and widely known event. I just couldn't accept that (the other Robert) Bobby's adoption papers could be boxed up, buried and automatically the truth along with them?? Maybe the details tripped me up again, they have a tendency to do that with me. I'm wondering what anyone else's thoughts were about it??

3.5 Stars

An Unexpected Peril

Another delightful book in this fabulous series. Have I said "thank you" to my friend Carmina for recommending it? If not, huge shout out to her! I can't imagine missing these. As long as Deanna Raybourn wants to keep writing about Veronica & Stoker, I'm reading! I just LOVE the two of them together. Maybe I should "all caps" that whole sentence??!! I've become so familiar with their characters after six books, I feel I "know" them.

Their witty repartee never fails to crack me up and although their relationship has escalated to another level in 'An Unexpected Peril' (which made me wonder if it would change the dynamics) I found absolutely nothing missing. Excited to learn there will be yet another book!! This mystery was interesting to me or maybe I just missed these two (after blowing thru the first 5 books last summer) thus the 5 stars.

Highly recommend this series if you like a light, historical (1800's) mystery with a touch of romance.

Migrations

"Lastly I want to acknowledge the wild creatures of this earth and say that this book was written for them out of sadness and regret for those that have been wiped out and for love of those that remain. I truly, deeply hope that the world without animals depicted in 'Migrations' does not come to pass." ~ Charlotte McConaghy

I couldn't keep up with the tears at the end of this book.

It's so hauntingly sad and beautiful and scary ~ all at once. It has "staying power." Which means you won't be able to shake it even if you want to and that's not even a consideration for me.

If you're already concerned about the state of our planet, the parts of the story about being past the tipping point are terrifying. I definitely don't want to live in that world. According to scientists, our actions right now are already determining whether those dystopian parts of the novel remain fiction or become reality.

"It’s not really answers they want, it’s simply remembering what it feels like to love creatures that aren’t human. A nameless sadness, the fading away of the birds. The fading away of the animals. How lonely it will be here, when it’s just us."

Franny's story had me mystified, it's a slow reveal. She's a unique woman. A character unlike anyone I've read about or known. However, despite her originality, it won't be her that sticks with me down the road. It will be the messages about our planet and the natural world that resonate and impassion me the most.

I wholly enjoyed the book & highly recommend it...

Into The Wild

** spoiler alert ** I vaguely remember hearing about Chris McCandless and his fatal adventure in Alaska but I missed the movie and quite honestly I'm not sure what triggered me to read the book at this point?? I mean it's been almost 30 years since his death. Maybe curiosity to understand the circumstances finally caught up with me...

After reading it tho, I still can't commit to which of the two camps of thought I fall into about him? I'm straddling the fence, leaning ever so slightly toward the one where he was ill-prepared and kind of an idiot to think he could just hike into the Alaskan wilderness, with no supplies, and walk out to tell the tale. From everything I've read, Alaska is an environment & land unto its own. Not a place for amateurs & definitely not a place to "practice" survival skills. Apparently (according to the book) lots of McCandless minded people find their way there and many end up with a similar fate. Let's give him some credit tho for making it as long as he did. I couldn't make it 10 days but then again, you wouldn't find me even attempting it.  I do keep finding myself wondering if he would have stayed anywhere near as long if that van weren't conveniently there?? Without it for shelter, could he possibly have ended (and lived to tell about) his Alaska adventure much earlier???

I can appreciate his disenchantment with the grind of life. I've had many discussions with friends about the "trappings" of life ~ getting tied down to mortgage payments, car payments and the monotony of repeating the same steps day after day. The security of knowing there's a place to sleep, eat and be safe from the elements usually trumps any call of the wild for me tho. The author tried to associate his unconventional lifestyle, wanderlust, disregard for rules, and quest for spiritual fulfillment with a bad father/son relationship. I couldn't really buy into that, too many people have difficult relationships with their family and aren't inspired to follow a similar path. He did seem to be influenced by his reading material but even that didn't explain his lifestyle choices. The only explanation that makes sense to me is it was something innate that made him different than his peers.

It was a tragedy that he couldn't take the education he received and work to do good for the world, try to change it even instead of spurn it. Maybe he would have if he'd survived?? Sad that but for a few critical errors, he could still be among the living. Had he walked out of that trail tho, the world would never know his name, associate it with that green & white bus or make a martyr out of him. In the end, the choice of how to live was his as it is all of ours.

Extremely sad story. Also ironic that the guy who gave his savings away to a charity that supports wiping out hunger, starved to death (albeit because of eating a poisonous plant but still...) I believe Jon Krakauer recognized a kindred spirit in McCandless and that's why his story touched him so deeply.  I wish he'd included more photos from the 5 rolls of film left behind.  One criticism, the book could have been condensed to a short story. It's a little misleading when you pick it up and discover it's not just about McCandless ~ it's got "filler" material in it about other people who went off grid & disappeared, including a segment about the author himself.

Regardless of how you feel about Chris, the last two years of his life are fascinating reading. He left a trail of "bread crumbs" about his whereabouts in the form of letters & postcards mailed from all over the American West. When his adventure came to a tragic end, it's a really difficult one to shake.

Tidelands

 

In a way, 'Tidelands' is a departure for Philippa Gregory who's most associated with writing novels about ROYAL women. Here is the tale of an ordinary woman (and her family) in the mid 1600's, living in a tiny backwater English village. Truly nothing spectacular about her life at all. In fact it's depressingly bleak. Backbreaking work, to eek out the barest of livings, and no escaping the lot her unprivileged birth status bequeaths her. Her living environment can be summed up with this one sentence:

"She gestured to the open door and the stretches of mud and slowly receding brackish water outside, as the low rumble of the tide mill started up like thunder, and there was a sudden gout of green water in the rife."

Inspires a person to pack their bags & move, right?

Despite pivoting from palaces to a less hospitable place, the book stays true to form in the way Philippa Gregory always serves up the woman's point of view and maintains her feminist roots. It's historically an overlooked perspective but one readers are lucky she champions.

Alinor (the female protagonist) is described as uncommonly beautiful, so despite her low birth position in the eyes of society, she can't escape notice by either sex. The men are interested in sampling her favors and the women are jealous & wary. Her beauty (and that of her daughters) is brought up repeatedly throughout the story. It begs a moment to ponder if beauty is an asset or a liability? Because let's face it, it can be both.

The historical time period is interesting as well. It takes place during the English Civil War, after King Charles was captured and subsequently put on trial. I didn't realize England was without a Monarch for even a short period, I definitely want to read more on that topic.

The author states that in this series the family will start in poverty but rise in fortunes. It will be interesting to follow and see how that's accomplished. How will they overcome the obstacles of a male dominated world?? Womens roles in society have evolved in a lot of ways but sadly stayed remarkably the same in others. We bear the brunt of decisions born of desire and the repercussions change the course of our lives ~ nothing's changed about that. As much as I like to read about nobility, this detour is really fascinating. 'Dark Tides' soon to be downloaded!!!!

The Mystery of Mrs Christie

You did it Mrs. Christie!!! You wrote a truly unsolvable mystery, with you as the starring character and took the secret to your grave!!!! Ms. Benedict offered up a reasonable and totally plausible scenario about what happened those 11 days you were missing. One that I could 100% believe was exactly what happened. Agatha Christie was a brilliant mastermind when it came to conceiving plots, interjecting twists and surprising her readers with an unexpected ending. I can't imagine she'd manipulate her own life story any less superbly.

So glad I read this. I loved Agatha Christie books growing up. I graduated from Nancy Drew to her and this novel reveals so much background about how she became the writing sensation she was. I never knew any of it. Her love of mysteries as a young adult, working with poisons as a nurse during the War, the bet with her older sister that she could write an unprovable detective story, etc., etc.

It also demonstrated, writing phenom or not, that she was totally human as evidenced by her choice of husbands. I couldn't stand Archie Christie from his introduction. He pursued her relentlessly and after he "got" her, he criticized everything about her??? What a vain, shallow, narcissistic man. I couldn't figure out his motives? Many times I wished she'd stayed engaged to Reggie but then at the end, she recognized herself that she may not have become the writer she was if she'd chosen to stick with him. Very likely true ~ a "Midnight Library" moment! I guess I'm glad she married Archie (I can't believe I'm saying that!) since I reaped the benefits of her literature as a result of that toxic relationship.

Really interesting book and totally worth reading, especially if you're a fan of Agatha Christie.

 

 

The Vanishing Half

What a beautiful book. Sad and hopeful at the same time. It covers a couple generations of one family and even tho I finished it last night, I can't get it out of my head this morning.

There are so many topics within it that I would be uncomfortable and unqualified (as a white woman) to critique. "Colorism" or the discrimination between shades of black within the race and the idea of "passing," as in a black person so light skinned they pass themselves off as white. The last one I understand why ~ it would certainly make life easier in our discriminatory and unequal society ~ but how your own race would feel toward you is another story. The author covers both in a comprehensible and eloquent way.

There's also a loving transgender relationship that is portrayed so beautifully I feel even more empathetic toward those struggling with gender reassignment and identity issues.

These are topics that could be disquieting but they're incorporated in such a way, you can't help but be captivated. Written from multiple points of view, I found Stellas story the saddest and wished hers could have had a different ending. Just because she could, does that mean she should?? Her life certainly wasn't less complicated or happier ~ it seemed a steep price for denying her roots. The fact that she was a twin (and all the connotations we have about their connectedness) took what she did to a whole other level.

Oh Brit Bennett, I see what all the fuss is about!!!! A very poignant novel.