Saturday, September 7, 2024

The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin

In a time when married and widowed women in England were forbidden to take a job outside the home, widow Emma Taylor is desperate to provide for her young daughter Olivia. She hides her identity to get a job at Boots Booklover's Library and this place would become her comfort and support with war looming when she's forced to send Olivia to the country for her safety. 
This is a wonderful book about books and the people that love them. While these characters were struggling with the realities of a country at war, they came together as a community to support each other and, of course, use their love of books as an escape. The book was beautifully written, highly emotional and heartbreaking at times, but also filled with hope, community, and friendship. I highly recommend this book, but make sure you have the tissues handy!

The Jackal's Mistress by Chris Bohjalian

It's 1864 and Libby Steadman fears every day that her land will become the battleground between the Union and the Confederates. Her husb...