Bound by Sally Gunning

Seven year old Alice comes to Pre-Revolutionary America with her family and is unfortunate enough to end up an  indentured servant. Life is good for Alice in her masters home until things get very bad very quickly. Alice realizes that the people she has trusted for most of her life will do nothing to help her. To treat a servant kindly is one thing but to cross another of one's own status for the sake of a servant is quite another. Alice must depend on only herself to escape abuse and bondage. Alice's journey is fascinating and heart rending.

I am not an expert on Colonial America so I can not vouch for the accuracy of the book but I can say I loved the writing style and of course the story. Well written and lovely. I believe I will be reading more from this time period due to this book.

Mary Boleyn The Mistress of Kings by Alison Weir

I am currently reading Mary Boleyn The Mistress of Kings by Alison Weir. While I am only half way through I have learned much. Mainly, that most of what you think you know about Mary Boleyn is wrong. If what you know of Mary Boleyn you learned from the movie The Other Boleyn Girl then almost all you know of Mary Boleyn  is wrong. This is not your fault, gossip and myths, many started by enemies of the Boleyn family have been treated as fact for centuries. And then there are the male "historians" for whom Mary Boleyn seemed to be some kind of Tutor era fantasy sex kitten. As if they too, if around in the1500s could have romped around with Mary Boleyn.

Here is one truth about Mary Boleyn. In 1515 a teenage Mary Boleyn  left her family home for the court of France where the king, Francoise I decided he wanted her for his mistress. He was the king of France people. What chance did she stand against his wishes? Not much I would think. Francoise I was a notorious womanizer and the king of France. Mary was a teenage girl in foreign court.

As for the book, I love how the truth is always so much more interesting then the fictionalized version. I guess thats why I love reading nonfiction as much as I love historical fiction.

The Opposite of Love by Julie Buxbaum

Emily Huxby is a girl who's life is imploding upon its self. After breaking up with her perfect boyfriend just before he can propose her life seems to spiral out of control. Emily is smart, funny,extremely likable, and a mess. How Emily picks up the pieces of her life and puts it all back to together makes for a great story.

Emily is the kind of character you want to be friends with. Actually, she is like a lot of us out here. Looking good on the outside, falling apart inside. Who has not destroyed something they really wanted out of fear of getting it? I know I have. Emily is like me with a much better career and a lot more drinking. Unless you are one of those perfect girls I think you will relate Emily and her spinning out of control life. I gave this book five stars on Good Reads, its that good.

The Maid by Kimberly Cutter

You all know Joan of Arc. You know she was a French peasant who led the Daupin's army against the English. You know she had the French Dauphin crowned king. And you know the king betrayed her in the end, allowing her to be sold to the English, who burned her as a witch. But who was she really and what did she feel inside?

This book attempts to answer those questions, letting Joan tell the story. At 12 years old Joan was just a poor peasant girl who loved God as her mother taught her too. She prays constantly to God. Asking God to tell her how to serve him, to show her a sign of his love. When God answers it is not what she expects. Lead an army against the English? Joan knows this is crazy, impossible really, but Joan loves and trusts God so she does as she is asked. I could not help but to believe in and care for this character. Joan is naive and sweet and when she suffered I felt her pain. Joan knew her fate almost from the beginning but she still did as God told her giving up all chance of a normal life. It is amazing when you think about it. What this girl did during her short life.

While I was reading The Maid I heard a story on NPR about current French president, Nicolas Sarkozy attending Joan of Arc's birthday celebrations in an effort to shore up votes in the upcoming French elections. So a poor peasant girl from the 14th century is still making news today. Confirms the importance of history and my love of history.http://www.npr.org/2012/01/11/145020765/joan-of-arcs-star-power-in-demand-in-france

Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran

Paris during the French Revolution is overtaken by the reign of terror. Anyone can be suspected of betraying the revolution, imprisoned and sent to the guillotine. In the midst of this Marie Grosholtz and her family are trying to keep their wax museum open and profitable. It is the worst possible time to become friends with the royal family but that is exactly what Marie does after she becomes an sculpture tutor to Madame Elisabeth, the king's sister.  Marie is forced to live two lives, royalist at Versailles, and a good patriot at home.  But as the terror continues to escalate, more and more people are sacrificed to the guillotine until Marie can no longer pretend to support the killing.

I love reading about the French revolution and this book was great fun. It's stuffed full of the great personalities from the revolution even Napoleon's Josephine is here. I knew who Madame Tussaud was before reading this book but had never read much about her. She was a great character to witness the the revolution through as she seemed to know everyone from the poorest servant to Royalty. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the French Revolution or 17th century life. I read on another blog recently that the wax figure of Madame Du Barry made before the revolution still exists. I think it would be well worth a trip across the pond to London to see it in person.

MUDBOUND by Hillary Jordan

Laura Chappell is living the happy married life she never believed would happen to her. Single at the age of 31, everyone had given up on her ever getting married. But then she meets Henry, a 41 year old bachelor, marries and has two little girls. Laura is content with her life, living in Memphis close to her large and loving family. All that changes when Henry announces he has bought a cotton farm in the middle of Mississippi. Laura soon finds herself in a shack with no electricity or running water, living with her revoltingly racist father in law. Laura, of course is no stranger to racism but the brutality and poverty she sees in Mississippi shocks and horrifies her. Things soon escalate when her charming brother in law, Jamie, and the son of one of her husband's sharecroppers return from the world war II to work on the farm. Jamie has shed much of his racist beliefs during the war but the old South racists don't take kindly to a black man who knows his own worth. The ending is horrifying and hard to read but worth it. That the author managed to end the book on a note of hope made a little easier to take. Otherwise I might have been overcome with depression.

A good book with lots of great characters. No matter how hateful some of them are. Imagine being black and the only doctor in your town is a KKK member. Imagine knowing anyone can do anything they want to you for any reason and nothing will ever be done about it. That was the reality right here in America for a very long time. I won't go on about how much things have changed because I know there is racism everywhere. But things get better and I have hope.

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Shanghai 1937- Wars looms on the horizon but sisters Pearl and May Dragon take no notice. Posing for artists, going to clubs, and spending their father's money consumes all their time. Until the day their father announces the money is gone and he has sold them as brides to Chinese men in Los Angeles. Thus begins their journey to America. During this journey both sisters make what could be called the ultimate sacrifice. Once in America Pearl and May each try to build a new life for themselves, each in her own way but resentment and pain strains the bond between them. It takes tragedy to bring the sister back together.

The beginning of this book is pure fun with Pearl and May living the high life in Shanghai. As beautiful girl models May and Pearl are minor celebrities in Shanghai. They don't want to go to America or enter an arranged marriage. They are modern girls after all. Pearl is the smarter and more caring sister, May is the little sister, prettier and spoiled.

Pearl began to tire me with her constant sacrificing and by the middle of the book I almost disliked May with her selfish ways. When May reveals her biggest betrayal towards the end of the book I wanted to smack her. Again it is up to Pearl to try and make things right.

I know a book is a good when it elicits so much emotion from me but the end of this book felt me a little empty. Maybe because I can not imagine how Pearl will accomplish what she plans. But I learned a lot about Chinese culture and the horrible racism the Chinese endured in America. All in all a very good book. I'm looking forward to reading two of Lisa See's other books, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Peony in Love.