♦ Single Mom Takes a Stand in Wiley Cash’s ‘The Last Ballad’ [REVIEW]

Textile mill workers — In 1929, one woman took a stand for what is right and changed the course of American history. Discover her riveting story in Wiley Cash’s *The Last Ballad*. (Photo courtesy William Morrow, YouTube)

There have always been unsung heroes in America’s history, people seldom recognized for their significant impact on our culture and way of life, even when those changes came with great personal sacrifice. In Wiley Cash’s new novel, The Last Ballad, readers are introduced to one such woman in a book that is one of the most enthralling, authentic, and relevant novels we have read in some time. Continue reading “♦ Single Mom Takes a Stand in Wiley Cash’s ‘The Last Ballad’ [REVIEW]”

Jathan FinkOctober 13, 2017December 27, 20172 Comments

Books, Contest

Sophfronia Scott Pays Homage to Literary Greats in ‘Unforgivable Love’ [REVIEW]

Gardenia — Like the flowers in her hair, everything about Mae Malveaux seems a little too perfect. (Photo by Pauline Rosenberg, Flickr)

What happens when you cross Dangerous Liaisons with The Color Purple? The answer may very well be Sophfronia Scott’s beautiful new novel, Unforgivable Love. Here, Harlem’s elite turn love into a tantalizing, precarious sport where everyone is fair game. Continue reading “Sophfronia Scott Pays Homage to Literary Greats in ‘Unforgivable Love’ [REVIEW]”

Jathan FinkOctober 11, 2017October 11, 20173 Comments

Books, Contest

‘Caroline’ Ingalls Was One Strong Ma [REVIEW]

Little House on the Prairie side view with wagon — When the Ingalls family left the comfort of Wisconsin, this was the place Caroline had to look forward to calling home. (Photo by Sheila Scarborough, Flickr)

Who didn’t grow up reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie books or watching the popular television series starring Melissa Gilbert, Michael Landon and Karen Grassle as Ma? For many of us, the Ingalls became such a part of our lives they almost became an extension of our own family. But in both the books and the show, the focus was almost always on the children. That’s why Sarah Miller’s new book, Caroline, is such a treat. Here, we finally get an insider’s look into the heart and mind of one of literature’s most beloved mothers. Continue reading “‘Caroline’ Ingalls Was One Strong Ma [REVIEW]”

Jathan FinkOctober 5, 2017October 6, 20173 Comments

Books, Contest

Get Caught Up in the Romance of World War II on ‘The Way to London’ [REVIEW]

Steam locomotive — In the midst of World War II, Lucy Stanhope must leave everything she knows behind in Alix Rickloff’s *The Way to London*. (Photo by Tony Armstrong, Flickr)

A beautiful young socialite has everything a girl could want: wealth, privilege, and a one-of-a-kind wardrobe that speaks volumes about her personal style. She even has a special man in her life who seems to know her all too well. But with World War II raging around them, everything she holds dear is threatened and the future is anything but certain in Alix Rickloff’s gorgeous new novel, The Way to London. Continue reading “Get Caught Up in the Romance of World War II on ‘The Way to London’ [REVIEW]”

Jathan FinkOctober 4, 2017October 6, 20173 Comments

Books

If Walls Could Talk, Imagine the Stories ‘The Address’ Could Tell [REVIEW]

Visitors to New York City’s Upper West Side have undoubtedly seen the Dakota, an apartment building which opened back in 1884, back when the landscape was desolate and unpopulated. With its unusual looming rooftop, wrought iron monsters and tall forbidding windows, this historic structure lacks warmth and prods imaginations to run wild. Now, in The Address, Fiona Davis throws open the doors and invites us inside to tell us a haunting tale of love and murder and of two very different women living one hundred years apart. Continue reading “If Walls Could Talk, Imagine the Stories ‘The Address’ Could Tell [REVIEW]”

Jathan FinkSeptember 28, 2017September 28, 2017Leave a comment