The Sister’s Tale

Journal

Author: Powning, Beth

I read The Sea Captian’s Wife by this author and really liked it so I was looking forward to this continuation of the story. As I got into it I realized that the association with the previous book was slim and that may have coloured my view of this one.

Josephine is also a sea captain’s wife and she is asked to bid for a young English immigrant girl, Flora, who has become homeless. In the late 1880’s, the New Brunswick town where they live doesn’t have an alms house so the poor of offered, for a price, to the townspeople. Josephine is specifically requested to purchase Flora so she won’t go to a home where she may be abused. The story continues with a search for Flora’s younger sister and delves into the fight for women’s rights in Canada.

Goodreads Rating: * *

Trees – (Block #7)

Needlework

This is the largest block in the collection and I was really looking forward to it. I definitely wanted to add a giraffe to the pattern so had to find a template for something that I could make work. Then the designer added (at the last session before summer break) a third elephant so I was even further behind than I should have been.

The stitches were all very simple but very boring to do so many of them again and again. I won’t be caught up before our sessions start again in the Fall but at least I can show some progress.

Klara and the Sun

Books

Author: Ishiguro, Kazuo

What can I say about this book? I’m pretty sure it made my list because of a recommendation on a Facebook page I follow. I’ve read this author before and enjoyed that book so I decided to give this one a try. Also, it was one of the few books on my list that the library has in stock.

The story is set sometime in the future. Klara is a very advanced robot with superb artificial intelligence. She sits in a store window while many of the next series of robots are purchased. One day a young girl sees Klara in the window and won’t be happy until Klara becomes hers. Klara and Josie are inseparable but Josie has a “condition” and may not live long. Klara sets out to bargain with the sun, thinking that would keep Josie well.

Odd, but I read it quite quickly as I was intrigued by how it was going to end.

Goodreads Rating: * * *

Lilac Girls

Books

Author: Kelly, Martha Hall

When I’m reading a book, in my mind, I’m rating it for Goodreads. This was going to be a three- or four-star, but leaning heavily to a four.

There are three main characters telling the story. Caroline is from a wealthy New York family, working for the French Consulate. Her family has ties to France and both Caroline and her mother are very involved in charities in France.

Kasia is a young g Polish woman, really just a girl, when she, her mother and her sister are transported to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. While there the Nazi’s used her and her sister for medical experiments.

Herta is a German woman, trained as a doctor. Because women in Germany were not allowed many career opportunities Herta accepts a position at Ravensbrück and conducts many of the experimental surgeries.

As I finished reading I was expecting the three women to meet and everyone would have a happy ending. There were connections made between the women but it was so much more than I expected. Finding out that this was a true story bumped the rating to a solid five.

Goodreads Rating: * * * * *