The Musician: can love overcome racial prejudice? Or will societal norms keep them apart?

The Musician is the sixth book in the Emerson Pass Historical series by Tess Thompson. Fiona Barnes has a secret. A secret she fears would ruin everything she cares about. Her heart longs for the one she feels her family would never accept; but she can’t help but love him. Li Wu has fought prejudice his entire life even in the close knit community of Emerson Pass. But he feels safe and protected as an adopted member of the Barnes family. His heart longs for Fiona as they found a connection through the beauty of music; however, he fears that her life would be ruined by marrying him. Fiona has a chance to mentor with a musical master in Paris, they hope the distance will give them clarity. When a new man enters Fiona’s life, Li must decide if he is willing to risk everything to express his feelings for Fiona. Or will societal pressures keep them apart? 

The Musician takes a different feel than the previous books of this series. Most of it takes place in Paris and deals with the heavy prejudice against Chinese Americans in America during the early 1900s. While my heart hurt for Li and I was angry on his behalf, it greatly saddened me as it was reality for the Chinese in America. I understood the reservations that the Barnes family and even Li had about their possible romantic relationship. I loved that Fiona saw him for the beautiful, kindhearted human that he was and just didn’t care about what others thought. I wanted them to say forget everyone else and love each other, the societal concerns were very real and dangerous. I could not put this story down. I needed to see Fiona and Li confess their love and have their happily ever after. Overall, I enjoyed this story and look forward to the rest of this series. I highly recommend The Musician. 

The Musician is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Skylark: the secrets of the past are hidden deep under the streets of Paris

Skylark by Paula McLain is a story of Paris and the secrets it holds above and below its streets. In 1664, Alouette Voland is the daughter of a master dyer at the famed Gobelin Tapestry Works. She dreams of creating her own masterpiece and escaping her circumstances. When her father is imprisoned, her efforts to save him leads to her own confinement in the Salpêtrière asylum, notorious for its cruel treatment of the women. Despite the grimness, Alouette finds a group of allies and a possibility of a life she only dreamed about. In 1939, Kristof Larson is a medical student at the beginning of his psychiatric residency in Paris. He befriends his Jewish neighbors who fled Poland. When Nazi forces take over the city, Kristof realizes he is the only hope for the family’s survival with his work as a doctor being put at risk. 

Paula McLain is a new author to me. I enjoy dual timeline stories and Skylark is descriptive as a “mesmerizing tale” where “a woman’s quest for autistic freedom intertwines with a doctor’s dangerous mission” and reveals “a story of courage and resistance that transcends time.” Sounds great, right? The story is beautifully descriptively written; however the story is slow going. As I read, the individual timelines were great as Alouette and Kristof stood in defiance to the power of the day but the connection between the two was very vague and almost non-existent. Overall, the stories were interesting and they could have been their own books and I would have loved them. Skylark wasn’t the dual timeline story that I expected. I enjoyed Alouette and Kristoff’s stories; however, I do not think a dual timeline story was needed to tell their journeys. If you are a fan of Ms. McLain, you may enjoy Skylark. 

Skylark is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

The Parisian Dancer: a promise made during dark and dangerous times

The Parisian Dancer by Doron Darmon is a World War II historical novel based on a true story. Paris, 1939. Helena Fotticelli is an aspiring stage actress in the bohemian quarter of Paris. Forced to flee her homeland, she dreams of stardom while dancing at the infamous Folies Bergère night club. She befriends Marek and Annette Oppenheimer, a young Jewish couple who live in the apartment above her, along with their two young sons. One day, Marek disappears and everything changes. Helena finds herself vowing to keep and protect the boys as if they were her own. As the Nazis strengthen their grip on Paris, she learns that even the best of intentions may not be enough to protect them. Will her promise cost her her life? 

I thoroughly enjoy World War II stories. I was intrigued by the premise of The Parisian Dancer and looked forward to reading it as it appeared on my TBR list. However, the writing style was hard to get through, the story itself was dull and the characters were completely unlikeable. I particularly did not like Marek and Helena, especially Helena. She is supposedly risking her life to protect these young boys and yet, she really doesn’t. There were gaps in the timeline with little or no explanation. The alternating points of view were distracting and confusing. Overall, I did not enjoy this story. I have read other World War II books that did a much better job with a similar premise. I do not recommend The Parisian Dancer. 

The Parisian Dancer is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Ambassador's Daughter: Peace talks after World War I and trouble is already brewing

The Ambassador's Daughter by Pam Jenoff is set in Paris, 1919, during the peace conference after World War 1. Margot Rosenthal has been brought to Paris by her father, a German diplomat. At first, she hates being trapped in the congested city where she is seen as the enemy. But life waiting for her back in Berlin isn’t a more pleasant alternative. Margot strikes up a friendship with Krysia, an accomplished pianist who has a secret to protect, and an attraction to Georg, a handsome German naval officer who is tired of war. As her relationships grow, Margot begins to question everything she knows and thinks to be true. As the world’s leaders gather to rebuild after the devastation of the Great War, there is a delicate web of lies forming and trust is a luxury one cannot afford. 

A prequel to Ms. Jenoff’s The Kommandant’s Daughter and The Diplomat’s Wife, The Ambassador’s Wife is a slow burn story featuring the tenuous period between the two world wars. A time when everyone thought the worst was over and they were making assurances that it would never happen again. Little did they know that the foundations of the second world war are already brewing, as pride, hatred and political ideologies breed division and animosities. At the beginning of the story, Margot is very much a naive young woman despite having lived through war. She has been sheltered by her widowed father and maternal aunt. It is through Krysia that Margot sees the world in its stark realities. Overall, I enjoyed The Ambassador’s Wife. I look forward to reading Ms. Jenoff’s other stories. I recommend The Ambassador’s Wife. 

The Ambassador’s Daughter is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

After the Romanovs: what happened to the Russian elites after the Bolshevik Revolution

After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque Through Revolution and War by Helen Rappaport is the story of Russians in Paris. Paris has always been the city of culture, fine wine and food, and the latest fashions. It also has also been a refuge for those fleeing persecution. For years, Russian aristocrats had enjoyed all that the City of Lights had to offer. Living lavishly Paris was their home away from home. However, with the rise of the Bolshevik Revolution and the fall of the Romanov dynasty, many Russians came to Paris, some with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Suddenly former princes become taxi drivers, their wives sewing for the fashion houses. It is a story of menial jobs, political plots, espionage and assassination with few success stories while many lived in a cycle of poverty. The one thing that joined them all was love of the land that they were forced to leave behind. 

After the Romanovs bring the human stories to the historical events. A very detailed account of those who left Russia, afraid for their lives, while hoping for the chance to bring Russia back to her glory. The interesting aspect of After the Romanovs is the cycle in which people can easily become “enemies.” Vladimir Lenin declared the bourgeois, enemies of the revolutions. But the bourgeois weren’t just the monarchy and the wealthy class but intellectuals, writers, and artists who influenced the country’s culture. Many of these individuals would have been considered “have-nots” but because of their professions, they were now enemies of the revolution.  I enjoyed reading what happened to those who fled Russia after the revolution and how they fared. Ms. Rappaport does not shy away from the nit and gritty facts of these individuals’ stories, beliefs and attitudes that contributed to their downfall. If you are interested in this area of history, I highly recommend After the Romanovs. 

After the Romanovs: 

Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque Through Revolution and War 

is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

And the Mountains Echoed: a great story about a family torn apart

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini is a heartbreaking journey one Afghan family must take from an impoverished Afghan village to a modern day, war torn country. From Afghanistan to Paris, France to the United States. The book is told in a series of short stories told from different perspectives as the reader is taken on one father’s devastating choice to a country trying to rebuild.

It is the fall of 1952 and 10 year old Abdullah is being told a story by his father. The story of a father sacrificing his favorite child to save an entire village and the anguish he suffers. Abdullah, his beloved little sister, Pari and their father, Sabor are on a journey to Kabul where Pari will be adopted by Mr. and Mars. Wahdati. In the spring of 1955, Mr. Wahdati suffers a stroke and Mrs. Wahdati to return to Paris, France taking Pari with her. The book fast forwards to spring 2003, as two Afghan-Americans, Idris and Timur, come to Kabul, looking to restore their families’ lands which were stolen by the Taliban. The experience changes Idris as he returns to his cushy and safe life in the U.S. We learn that Abdullah has made it to America where he and his family have opened a restaurant. The story flash backs to Paris 1974 and Pari as a young adult. She struggles with her alcoholic mother. We sees Pari’s life as she gets married, has children and becomes a widow. Until one fateful day, when the phone rings and she learns about her past that her mother took with her to the grave. Will brother and sister finally be reunited? Or is it too late?

I enjoyed And the Mountains Echoed. I enjoyed the epic story of one family as their country is thrown into war, the arrival of the Taliban and the aftermath of the U.S. war against the Taliban. While the political agendas are very much in the background, the reader can feel its presence as the characters interact and live in the world around them. Despite the back and forth in the timeline and the narrators, the story flowed and was easier to read than I expected. I highly recommend And the Mountains Echoed. It is a great story about the personal events in a turbulent region of the world. 

Anthony Ant goes to France: a fun adventure to the city of Paris

Anthony Any Goes to France by Julie Bettendorf is a great story of adventure. Anthony Ant goes to Paris, the capital of France also the home of fashion, poetry and ballet dance. Along with his friend, Lulu Ladybug, he sees the various sights of the city: Eiffel Tower, Louvre, beautiful gardens, Norte Dame Cathedral.

I loved this book. It has great illustrations and takes the reader on a fun adventure around the City of Lights. I recommend this book for any family’s and classroom’s library.

Anthony Ant Goes to France is available on Amazon

for the Kindle for $2.99, Hardback for $19.95 and Paperback for $13.95.