Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite

If Oprah Winfrey reads Struggles of the Womenfolk by T.M. Brown, it will probably be made into a movie one day. I say this because I know Oprah feels strongly about a lot of things, and two of the things she feels most strongly about are the struggles of women and the struggles of black people who grew up in the particular time and era of the South after slavery and before the civil rights movement. I was ten years old in 1968 so I missed the worst of the post-civil war life depicted by T.M. Brown in Struggles of the Womenfolk, but I remember the atmosphere of hate and oppression. Struggles of the Womenfolk opens in 1944 and the author captures the tone of the time and era brilliantly.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and compare Struggles of the Womenfolk to The Color Purple. Struggles of the Womenfolk worked better for me personally because it is less poetic and more realistic in my own humble opinion. T.M. Brown lets the characters tell their story and many of them are not poets, though their lives are the stuff that poetry is carved from. The dialect and dialogue are accurate. The depictions of black life at that time are accurate and direct. Struggles of the Womenfolk may be fated to become an American classic and for me it confirmed something I have always suspected: no matter how bad it is for the men, it is worse for the women. A great American novel.

Reviewed by Deborah Lloyd for Readers' Favorite

Reading S.R. Mallery’s first novel, Unexpected Gifts, is like exploring a large wooden chest, full of valuable treasures. The main character, Sonia, is a college student, majoring in psychology. Sonia is the only child of Sam and Lily; Sam is a Vietnam veteran who lost the use of his legs as a result of a war injury. He has never accepted his fate and spends his days in anger laced with alcohol. Sonia too has difficulties in dealing with relationships and the real world. Lily decides to share the history of her and Sam’s relationship, as well as those of several ancestors, with Sonia. By encouraging Sonia to read the diaries and journals, as well as see meaningful souvenirs from the past, Lily gives Sonia much insight into the family history. Eventually, these new insights lead Sonia into understanding the past. She also gains clarity about her personal relationships and the decisions she is making in her own life.

Unexpected Gifts by S.R. Mallery takes the reader on an intriguing journey; not only does the reader become engaged in one young woman’s adventure, they must also wonder about the life experiences of their own ancestors. Historical events are told from the perspective of the individual, rather than from a societal perspective. Ms. Mallery’s clear and descriptive writing style adds to the substantive quality of this work. This is a book to be savored, as there is much information, as well as a captivating story about one family greatly affected by the events of their times. A thought-provoking read indeed!

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Ludwika: A Polish Woman's Struggle To Survive In Nazi Germany is an historical novel written by Christoph Fischer. The author based this novel on the actual life and experiences of Ludwika Gierz. In the later part of 1939, Ludwika was 22 years old and the unwed mother of a five-year-old daughter, who followed her around constantly. Ludwika's parents had welcomed the child and been supportive of their daughter, but her father had left the town of Przedborow with the armed forces and hadn't been heard of since. While Ludwika still sang for the local children and delighted in their company, as they did in hers, she couldn't help but feel troubled at the increasingly fragile hold her family seemed to have on their farm and life. The wheat was almost past the time for harvesting, and she and her sister worked feverishly to harvest it by hand, but they did need help with moving it. They knew that a neighboring farmer had hidden his agricultural equipment, and Ludwika decided to break into the barn and commandeer a tractor. While she was riding it back to their farm, a German officer on a motorbike overtook her and ordered her off the road. Moments later, a convoy of German vehicles passed by. The two had exchanged names during that brief encounter, and Manfred would later come by the Gierz farm to meet with her, until finally he made a proposal for her to come and stay with him in Germany. It would be safer for her, and he promised to get her documentation attesting to her Germanic background. It was hard leaving her family, but, somehow, Ludwika believed it was her best chance to do something for all of them, and she took it.

Christoph Fischer's historical novel, Ludwika: A Polish Woman's Struggle To Survive In Nazi Germany, offers a little-known look into the impact the occupation of the Germans had on the lives of the Polish people during World War II. While I've read a great deal of historical literature focusing on that time, I still found much I hadn't known about that occupation and the difficulties the survivors faced in the aftermath of the war. I soon found myself wrapped up in Ludwika’s story as she learned to survive in Berlin, where the mandatory letter P on her sleeve meant she’d always be considered an inferior, and her strength and resilience throughout those years of turmoil are inspirational. Fischer's tale is well written, and his characters are unforgettable, especially Ludwika's friend and mentor, Fritz, and Luca, the Italian-Dutch man who captured her heart. Ludwika: A Polish Woman's Struggle To Survive In Nazi Germany is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

I Once Knew Vincent by Michelle Rene is the story of two people whose lives were less than perfect. The novel is about Vincent Van Gogh, the acclaimed painter, and a woman named Marie. The story follows them when they are expecting nothing stellar to happen. Marie is in a tough situation; she is dealing with her prostitute mother who is an alcoholic as well. Poverty is slowly taking over their lives and there is not much they can do to stop it.

Vincent wants a break from the tough world of art and to have a family of his own. When he is brought to Maria's house, he has no idea that he will find a friend in her. The three of them become a family and Maria becomes his critic, a secret critic whose criticism helps him understand his art. But Vincent's friendship teaches her invaluable lessons. These lessons reformed her whole life!

It would not be wrong to say that this novel inspired me. I really love it when writers are able to move me just with the way they write. When I find a novel that is written as beautifully as this one, I know immediately that it will be good and Rene did not disappoint me. This beautifully constructed and carefully crafted novel oozed with her love for writing. You can tell when the writer has enjoyed writing, and that made me enjoy it too. I really loved this novel!

Reviewed by Rebecca McLafferty for Readers' Favorite

Ruth: Woman of Valor, A Virtuous Woman in an Immoral Land by Jim Baumgardner is a captivating Christian historical fiction story. Ruth’s early years are spent living under the strict and predestined authority of her parents. As Ruth’s life changes, she endures one disaster after another. The author skillfully describes both geography and people, whether in the contemptible marketplace or lush vineyard. Ruth unceasingly questions the difference between the Hebrew God, Yahweh, and the numerous Moabite gods, particularly Chemosh and the Baels. As Ruth finds answers to her questions, the reader understands the laws and customs that dictated laws of that day and today.

Jim Baumgardner has brought incredible depth of character to one of the Bible’s most heartwarming stories. Vivid scenes coupled with biblical knowledge will remain in the reader’s heart long after finishing the story. The author’s keen sense of history, coupled with thorough research, literally places the reader amid the Hebrew population at the time and place of the story. The conflicts and dilemmas of Ruth’s life clarify and illuminate the differing cultures and lifestyles, particularly of the Hebrews in contrast to the Moabites.

The characterization within this story lends itself to an intricate plot and real-life characters. As Jim Baumgardner sets forth in his Introduction, the Bible addresses a small portion of most of its characters’ lives. Utilizing considerable research and a highly skilled imagination, Baumgardner brings the characters of this story to full life. Wonderful job!

Reviewed by Heather Osborne for Readers' Favorite

West: Journey Across the Plains by David S. Larson is an amazing chronicle of the journey of the Jennings family. The family plans to travel from Pittsburgh to San Francisco, seeking out their fortunes like so many in the mid to late 1800s. However, tragedy strikes the eldest Jennings’ child, Sarah, in the form of a fever. Unbeknownst to the family, Sarah recovers, but is left without means to contact her family, so she must resort to drastic means in order to support herself. Finally gaining her freedom, Sarah travels west, desperately hoping to get in contact with her lost family. The Jennings family, on the other hand, is faring no better, struck down with many of the common things to befall travelers in covered wagons. Will Sarah be reunited with her family, or are they forever to be parted?

I was captivated by this novel from the very beginning. Mr. Larson states in the introduction that the story comes from letters and diaries of the actual Jennings family. True or not, this remains a mystery to me, but I wouldn’t doubt for a second that this actually happened. I am from the San Francisco area in California, and it was fascinating to read first-hand accounts of what life was like then. Sarah’s journey is fraught with so much pain, touching on many topics that were considered taboo at the time. David S. Larson covers almost every danger faced by pioneers at the time. West: Journey Across the Plains is certainly a must-read for anyone interested in this time period, and the diary entries will draw you right into the characters’ lives, trials, and tribulations.

Reviewed by Raanan Geberer for Readers' Favorite

Bela’s Letters by Jeff Ingber is a Jewish World War II story with a twist. The protagonist, Bela Ingber (Jeff’s father), never went to the concentration camps. Instead, he survived the war by being conscripted into a Hungarian-Jewish “labor battalion” after Hungary, allied with Nazi Germany at the time, took over his town, which had previously been Czech. While Bela and his fellow laborers may have escaped the gas chambers, their life was a living hell. At any time, they were subjected to beatings, whippings, being called “dirty Jews” by their Hungarian commanders, and worse. Other members of Bela’s family are also characters, and we can see they are a microcosm of the fate of pre-war European Jewry — two (including Bela) ended up in the United States, one went to London, one went to Palestine, and the rest were killed in Nazi death camps after Germany took over Hungary outright toward the end of the war.

The scenes in Munkacs, Bela’s town, reveal the complexity of Hungarian Jewry — you had Zionists, Czech patriots, Hasidim, non-Hasidic Orthodox Jews, and just plain “ordinary people” who lived for themselves and their families. For those interested in European Jewry, this book is not only a fiction/biography, but an important source of details. I had no idea that anti-Semitism was so pervasive in Hungary. The inclusion of actual letters from the family members to each other makes the book seem more real, as does the details about Bela’s romances, both successful and unsuccessful. American readers will get a kick out of the way Bela slowly transforms from someone who is totally European into a bona-fide New Yorker, aware of Sandy Koufax and the Beatles, and who even finds a job at the 1964 World’s Fair. All in all, Bela’s Letters is a valuable testimony about a segment of European Jewry that was somewhat different than the more widely recognized Polish and Russian Jewish experience.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

Pianist In A Bordello by Mike Erickson is a satirical take on today’s political world and gives us a look at politics and politicians if they were truly honest with the voters. With the presidential campaigning going on, this was a refreshing read. I really loved this book. It was humorous and very entertaining.

The novel follows Richard Youngblood, an aspiring Congressman who becomes the true advocate of honesty when he decides to be honest with his voters. In his autobiography, we learn about his past, how his advisers and friends tried to stop him, and how he came to be. Given a name that was meant to be a stab at his absentee father and his colorful college days, we learn that Richard Youngblood is not as different from us as we think a politician is. He is human and, like all, he has faults too. Only he is strong and brave enough to share his faults with the rest of the world and not hide them.

Although I don’t really enjoy such books or novels, this was an exception. Pianist In A Bordello is a fine and funny novel that often made me laugh out loud. The way Mike Erickson handled the genre and made it entertaining for an average reader was also quite commendable. It was written in sync with the flow and the demand of the story. There is nothing that I wish could be improved because it is amazingly good just the way it is. If you are a fan of Fitzgerald, you will love this.

Reviewed by Tracy A. Fischer for Readers' Favorite

Ohhh, long sigh. That is what I did when I finished reading Dark Shadows, the first book in the Mercy Carver series by author Jana Petken. A stunning work of historical fiction, the book is heartbreaking and ultimately a story of redemption. Follow the story of Mercy Carver, a young woman whose mother dies in childbirth and whose father kills himself due to grief shortly thereafter. Mercy is raised in poverty by both sets of her grandparents, and is promised in marriage at the young age of fourteen to an unsavory, older and more prosperous man, and will be married off to him when she turns eighteen. But when she's being fitted for her wedding dress, she convinces the women there to allow her to leave so that she enjoys one day of freedom. And that's where the adventure really starts.

I enjoyed Dark Shadows to no end. Author Jana Petken has done a wonderful job at creating a lovely and sympathetic character in Mercy Carver; she's a character that the reader will truly feel connected to, and will hope for the very best for her. Jana Petken has also written with an authenticity and real knowledge for the time period and that adds to the very realistic feeling of the book. Dark Shadows would be enjoyed by anyone who loves historical fiction, action, adventure, or just a great work of fiction. I am happy to highly recommend Dark Shadows and am very excited to continue reading this promising series as soon as possible!

Reviewed by Mary T. Kincaid for Readers' Favorite

Outrageous: The Victoria Woodhull Saga, Volume One by Neal Katz introduces us to Victoria Claflin Woodhull and her sister, Tennessee Celeste Claflin, in their childhood. These women rose from abuse and extreme poverty. The sisters consulted spirit guides. Their father worked them as mediums and whores. They were involved in many struggles as they bettered themselves. The Claflins became madams, and introduced hygiene to their companions and other whore-houses. As their fortunes changed, they became friends with the rich and powerful. They kept ledgers of their clients, and set up an information gathering system. Eventually, they became confidantes of Cornelius Vanderbilt. By the book’s end, they owned a seat on the stock exchange.

I’m a fan of histories. The flowing prose makes this one easy to read. The characters are well defined, the backgrounds are vivid, and the period is well depicted. I was the beneficiary of many hours of research that went into the building of this world. Neal Katz’ prose style caught me in its web and didn't release me from start to finish. It is very easy to drift into a mere retelling of the facts of a person's existence and hard to make the facts interesting for the reader. I look forward to the next volume and the continuing saga.