The Calamity Club is a highly engaging historical fiction novel set in Mississippi during the Great Depression. Well-developed characters, two creative story lines, frequent humor, and womanly resilience and friendship make The Calamity Club a winner worth every minute of the almost 29 hours I spent listening to it (it’s long!).

With Chenneville, author Paulette Jiles, who also wrote News of the World, delivers another immersive, Civil War era historical fiction novel. This one is centered on John Chenneville, a Union officer who wakes up in a Virginia hospital after suffering a severe head injury during a battle. The story follows John as he returns to post-Civil War Missouri, discovers his beloved sister and her family have been murdered, and hunts the killer across Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Continue reading →

The Namesake explores the experiences of an Indian family that moves to America and tries to maintain some of their native culture while also adopting some of the traditions of their new country. A multi-generational view of the immigrant experience provides an insightful perspective about the impact on families, but the slow-moving plot and plentiful details about everyday life may not appeal to readers who like stories with more action. Continue reading →