Audiobook Review: Varina by Charles Frazier

Varina, the story of Jefferson Davis' wife, was fascinating.

Many years ago I read Cold Mountain, and I remember learning quite a bit about the Civil War era. So when I saw Frazier had written Varina, I had to check it out. I also read Nightwoods, which I didn't even remember until I looked it up. I didn't like that one as much...

There is so much I didn't know. Their marriage wasn't that happy, in fact, they spent much of it apart. She was much younger than him. They took in a black child that Varina found on the street and raised him as their own. This black child is the impetus for Varina telling her story. If it wasn't for Jefferson catching up with them, Varina and the children probably would have made it to Cuba -- to which all the leaders of the Confederacy tried to escape.

There is much more. Varina, in her old age, tells the story of her escape, as well as how she came to be married to Davis, to her long lost "son."  It is a wonderful story that easily kept my attention.

I do wish there were an afterword about what was real and made up. Where the author found his information. How reliable is this account, etc. I love historical fiction but always want to know what facts I can rely on!

The narrator of the audio is Molly Parker, a familiar voice to me. I had to look her up on IMDB and found that she is the actress I thought. She does a great job. 

If you want to learn more about the Civil War and its aftermath, I highly recommend Varina.

Published by Ecco, 2018
Audiobook obtained from libro.fm
368 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Audio Book Review: Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende

Daughter of Fortune is an engaging story that follows one woman's life including her journey from Chile to San Francisco during the gold rush.

I don't usually do this but I'm just going to include the description from amazon.com:

An orphan raised in Valparaiso, Chile, by a Victorian spinster and her rigid brother, vivacious young Eliza Sommers follows her lover to California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Entering a rough-and-tumble world of new arrivals driven mad by gold fever, Eliza moves in a society of single men and prostitutes with the help of her good friend and savior, the Chinese doctor Tao Chi'en. California opens the door to a new life of freedom and independence to the young Chilean, and her search for her elusive lover gradually turns into another kind of journey. By the time she finally hears news of him, Eliza must decide who her true love really is.

Daughter of Fortune is beautifully written. The descriptions of people and place are vivid and complete. Eliza is a character that you can't help but care about and root for. Although, I did wish she would realize what she had sooner (but that would have ruined the story, I guess). She become so obsessed with finding the man she thought she loved that she was blind to anything else.

You will learn a lot about Chile and all the foreign people who chose to come there to make their fortune. You will learn a lot about the gold rush and what life was like, especially for women and foreigners during that time. But just because you are learning, doesn't mean Daughter of Fortune is boring. There's adventure, romance, near death experiences, and lots of drama to keep you reading (or in my case, listening.)

Blair Brown, the narrator, does an excellent job. She has a Spanish (or Chilean?) accent that adds authenticity but is still very easy to understand.

Daughter of Fortune is highly recommended to fans of historical fiction. This is my first Allende book, and it kind of reminded me of books by Barbara Kingsolver, who is one of my favorite authors.

Published by Harper Collins, 1999, HarperAudio, 2008
Copy obtained from the library
416 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: The Body at the Tower by Y. S. Lee

The Body at the Tower is the second book in The Agency series, and I enjoyed it as much as the others. (Yes, I've read them out of order.)

I really enjoy the premise of these detective stories. It's the mid 1800s in London. Our main character, Mary, is a detective working undercover from The Agency, which is known as Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls. It's a bit far-fetched. This teen girl was plucked off the street from a life of crime and trained to be a sleuth in a time when women couldn't even appear in public alone. But...

These books are really a lot of fun. In The Body at the Tower, a man has fallen to his death from Big Ben's tower -- still under construction. So Mary poses as a boy and gets a job on the construction crew.

She gets in all kinds of close scrapes and daring situations. She always manages to come out on top. We do get to see James Easton again -- the romantic interest from the first book, A Spy in the House. And, the romance STILL doesn't sizzle.

I'm partial to historical fiction and I really enjoy detective stories, so The Body at the Tower probably couldn't miss. Yes, it has some flaws. Mary is VERY lucky a lot. But I'm totally entertained and get caught up in these quick little books. I would recommend you read A Spy in the House first to get Mary's background. Give them a try!

Published by Candlewick, 2010
eBook, purchased
352 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: In the Shadow of the Lamp, by Susanne Dunlap

In case you didn't know, or don't remember, I love me some historical fiction. In the Shadow of the Lamp just hit all the right spots for me.

It's the 1850s and Molly gets fired from her job as a maid when she is accused of stealing. As she's dejectedly walking home, she hears a discussion about Florence Nightingale. The Crimean War is heating up, and Nightingale is looking for nurses to go to Turkey to help nurse the wounded.

Molly decides she will pose as a nurse, even though she can barely read. I won't tell you how she manages it, but she does end up in Turkey. She is helped by a good friend, Will, and there may be more than friendly feelings between these two. She's one of the youngest nurses and befriends the only other younger nurse, Emma.

We get a pretty good feel for the horrors of war without being too gross. Nightingale is depicted as a take-charge person, quickly organizing the hospital and even has the nurses make straw mattresses for the wounded because many of them are just laying on the floor. Nightingale is definitely depicted as a hero, and should be credited with saving many lives. The author has a good discussion of the actual historical accuracy at the end of In the Shadow of the Lamp.

Molly, it turns out, has a knack for nursing. She becomes attracted to one of the doctors. Emma falls in love with one of the patients and finds herself in quite a predicament. Nightingale strictly forbids any fraternizing with the opposite sex, so Molly and Emma are risking being sent home. Molly also finds out Will has joined the army and is in Turkey.

The romance blends well with the horrors of war. The girls end up on the front, they take a lot of risks, and the ending is exiting and not what I predicted. In the Shadow of the Lamp reads easily and quickly and would be appropriate for middle school as well as older teens.

Published by Bloomsbury, 2011
Copy obtained from the library
293  pages (qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 5/5

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Audio Book Review: The Sandalwood Tree, by Elle Newmark

The Sandalwood Tree is a very interesting historical tale of India in the 1940s (and the 1850s).

Our main character Evie goes to India with her husband who will be interviewing the native population as they are released from British rule. Evie is hoping that this trip will reunite her relationship with her husband, who has suffered from PTSD (although it's not called that) since he fought in WWII in Germany.

They bring their 5-year-old son with them. They live in a bungalow in a small town in a remote part of India. In the bungalow behind a loose brick, Evie finds a packet of letters that have been written between two women beginning in 1857. They are both British women and one of them lived in the bungalow in India.

Evie slowly pieces together the story of these women, and at the same time tries to figure out what she can do to help her husband. She's an unconventional women in India -- wearing pants and not associating much with the British elite in the country. She enjoys learning about the Indian culture, teaching English to the native children, eating the native food and learning their customs -- unlike most of the British.

The stories have some parallels, since there was an Indian uprising in 1857 during the time of the letters, and now that the British are leaving, there is violence among the Hindus and Muslims, who are being forced to separate into two countries -- India and the new Pakistan.

The Sandalwood Tree is a story about family and romance. There are lessons about bigotry and acceptance. People die. Even the 5-year-old has something happen to him, so there's a lot going on. Evie traces a big family secret about the women in the 1850s all the way to the present time, and you feel such a sense of triumph when she finally pieces it all together.

The Sandalwood Tree is pretty slow and meandering, especially at the beginning. But the details are rich and you will be rewarded if you stick with it.

Since I listened to the audiobook, I was easily kept enthralled in the story. Justine Eyre, the narrator, does a brilliant job with all the accents and voices. Nothing over the top, but easily distinguishable -- and this is no easy task, with all the different characters from many different places.

If you are at all interested in India, The Sandalwood Tree is highly recommended. I think it would be a great book for book club discussions. I would love to be able to discuss some things with someone! While it is a bit long and detailed, teens who are interested in the subject will also enjoy The Sandalwood Tree.

Published by Atria, 2011, Tantor Media for the audiobook
Copy obtained from the library
368 pages

Rating: 4/5

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