Glory Road

Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton. New York: Thomas Nelson, 2019. 353 pages. Discussion Questions. ****

Told in the alternating voices of Gus, Jessie and Evan, three strong-willed Southern women, this multi-generational story is an easy read. Gus, the grandmother, almost seventy, hard-worker and master baker wants so much for her daughter and granddaughter. Jessie moved home ten years ago after a failed marriage to rural Perry, Alabama in a home next door to her mother on Glory Road. At peace with her life now, Jessie wants nothing more than to work at her plant business and share her knowledge with her customers. Evan, fourteen years old, starting high school is pushing her boundaries and seeing her mother and grandmother in a new light. When Jessie's high school boyfriend, Ben, moves into his parent’s house on Glory Road with his teenage son, Nick, all three women question what they want and need from life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Denton has a way of writing that quietly, slowly, draws you into the story. Somewhat predictable, however, I wanted to keep reading. Jessie's advice for choosing who to marry spoke to me, "I think you marry the one who, when everything else is stripped away - money, job, arguments, disagreements--he's still the one you'd want to sit with on the porch and...just...do nothing. Or do anything!" (pg. 313) In this cell phone, fast-paced world, wise words indeed.

I received this book to read as part of The Whimsical Wings, Book Hive Book Club. Based on the description on the back cover, I'm not sure I would have chosen it, so I am glad that I had the opportunity to read it as part of the book swap.

Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Lauren now lives with her husband and two young daughters in Homewood, just outside Birmingham. In addition to her fiction, she writes a monthly newspaper column about life, faith, and how funny (and hard) it is to be a parent. On any given day, she’d rather be at the beach with her family and a stack of books. Her debut novel, The Hideaway, is USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Charts bestseller. Her second novel, Hurricane Season, released in April, 2018, and was listed on BookPage's 2018 list of Most Anticipated Fiction.
To learn more about Lauren, visit https://laurenkdenton.com

#beachread #familyrelationships #gloryroad #bookhivebookclub #thewhimisicalwings

What Rose Forgot

What Rose Forgot by Nevada Barr. New York, Minotaur Books, 250 pages. **** Publication Date September 17, 2019.

Sixty-eight year old Rose Dennis wakes up and can't remember where she is and why she is wearing a hospital gown. She's thirsty, confused and is pretty sure she shouldn't be outside in the cool breeze. How did she get here and why do the boys who find her think that she has escaped from a nearby nursing home? Rose soon realizes that her family has admitted her to the Longwood Memory Care Unit. Rose can't remember how and why she got here, she ony know she wants out. Rose enlists the help of her thirteen-year-old granddaughter to help her prove that she is not suffering from dementia and someone is determined to kill her.

This psychological thriller will keep you guessing as to whether there is a sinister reason to keep Rose incapicitated in a secure environment or has Rose had a mental breakdown since the death of her beloved husband.

Barr has crafted a diabolical story that will keep you guessing until the very end. While stretching my credibility at times, I'd like to think that I would be as resourceful as Rose. While being sympathetic to her plight, I was amused by some of her solutions to her problems. A fan of Barr's Anna Pigeon mysteries, I thoroughly enjoyed this standalone novel.


I received an ecopy for a review.

Nevada Barr is an award-winning novelist and New York Times best-selling author.  She has a growing number of Anna Pigeon mysteries to her credit as well as numerous other books, short stories, and articles.  She currently resides in New Orleans with her husband, four magical cats, and two adorable dogs. For more information http://www.nevadabarr.com/homepage.html.

#whatroseforgot  #psychologicalfiction

Westering Women

Westering Women by Sandra Dallas.  New York: St. Martin's Press, 2020. 244pages.
Historical Fiction. ***** Publication Date January 7, 2020.

"If you are an adventurous young woman of high moral character and fine health, are you willing to travel to California in search of a good husband?" The Ministers of the Gospel will escort these eligible women to the gold mines of Goosetown in the California Diggings. It's 1852 and Maggie realizes that this opportunity may be her ticket out of Chicago. How will she convince them to take her with them and that she is a good Christian woman of highest principles when she has a young daughter and no husband?

Maggie soon joins forty-three other women on the perilous 2,000-mile journey west. Limited supplies, possessions, and comforts, the women face challenges that none of them expect. Who among them will survive and what will the future bring when they arrive at their destination?

I read this book on a long airplane ride and laughed and cried. Dallas brings her characters to life and I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. Her book, Prayers for Sale is a favorite of mine, so I couldn't wait to read this one. I was not disappointed and will recommend it to all of my historical fiction lovers. Would I have survived had I chosen to accept the challenge to join this group of women? Probably not, but I would like to think that I have it in me to contribute in some way and to sacrifice everything to start a new life. The friendships forged in this unlikely group of women highlights the ability in all of us to overcome our differences and support each other.

I received an ecopy for a review.

Preorder at Amazon

New York Times best-selling author SANDRA DALLAS, the author of fifteen adult novels, two young reader novels, and two non-fiction books, was dubbed “a quintessential American voice” by Jane Smiley, in Vogue Magazine. Sandra’s novels with their themes of loyalty, friendship, and human dignity have been translated into a dozen foreign languages and have been optioned for films.
Sandra lives in Denver and Georgetown, Colorado, with her husband, Bob. She is the mother of two daughters, Dana, a lawyer in New Orleans, and Povy, a photographer in Golden, Colorado. Visit her at https://www.sandradallas.com


#westeringwomen #historicalfiction