The Museum of Lost Quilts - Jennifer Chiaverini

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

For me, reading The Museum of Lost Quilts by Jennifer Chiaverini was like coming home. Sometimes you don’t fully understand the people you’ve missed until you come in contact with them again. And then, sigh, it’s just so comforting. Chiaverini puts a note at the end that she had to change some of the futures for our favorite characters she had previously written in  the novel she intended to be the last of The Elm Creek Quilters series. Let me raise my hand just to say that I don’t mind! Summer makes a surprising trip home to Elm Creek when she finds herself unable to complete her thesis and her masters degree. She is hoping that home and the people she loves will help her to complete the job. She quickly becomes involved in her familiar world (as does this reader 😀). She leads yoga, accepts  the position of curator for a display of historical quilts - and through her research revisits one of her favorite places, the university library. She is even battling the bad guy - Gregory Krolich and his Universal Realty in an effort to preserve the historical Union Hall. 

The characters of Elm Creek are old friends to me, I am delighted to meet up with them again. As with most friends, I was quickly back into the rhythm and remembering the individual characteristics of each and eager to hear what was new in their lives. In so many ways, Summer spoke to me this time, so I was happy to see her featured. (More later.) Chiaverini does such a good job of creating conflict and suspense in a genre that is not a thriller or even a straight up mystery. She relates directly to those of us living in communities we love and trying to do what we can to improve them. She is also excellent with infusing history into this work. Learning about the civil war has always been interesting to me and the plot points that explore the quilts of his era and their historical impact is fascinating. 

So, Summer spoke to me. I guess I am currently drawn to characters who are conflicted about the direction their lives should go. She was very committed to a path and is no longer sure that the path is right for her. Her instincts send her home to the people she has loved and trusted her whole life to try and figure things out. They give her a soft place to land, but challenge her to challenge herself.  I am blessed with friends and family who will do that for me. I am slow to make decisions and very quick to second guess them. I am grateful for the support I receive in those processes. Also, I am a retired librarian who has longed to be a museum curator. How can I not love that part of Summer’s journey? Librarians matter. Artifacts matter. History matters. Community matters. Family matters. Tradition matters.  In The Museum of Lost Quilts, Jennifer Chiaverini illustrates these and much more. Welcome back to Elm Creek. 

The Museum of Lost Quilts by Jennifer Chiaverini Book Cover

Spitting Gold - Carmella Lowkis

Genre - Historical Fiction, Gothic

I have long been drawn to a good Gothic tale. YA wasn’t nearly as well developed a genre when I was a YA - so I read adult works when very young. I cleared the Victoria Holt shelf at my little public library and enjoyed them thoroughly.  Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis evoked that feeling in me. I also love that the book is about sisters. Sylvie and Charlotte grew up in a rather unconventional home in 19th century Paris. In it, they learned to become very effective false mediums. Together with their mother, they defrauded a fair amount of people - pretending to contact the spirits “haunting” them for one reason or another. After their mother passes away, the sisters’ lives become very difficult as their father resorts to drunkenness and abuse. As a young woman, Sylvie marries Baron Alexandre Devereux - in part out of love, in part to save her sister from jail from a job that went bad. To do so, she must cut all ties with her family. Charlotte feels deserted, left alone with their father. Both are extremely frustrated and angry with each other. Years pass, and one day Charlotte shows up and asks for one more performance. 

The setting here is particularly divine. Lowkis recreates so well (at least based on my reading and movie watching experience) the culture of the era: particularly the restrictions faced by young women and the lgbtq+ community. Also, dances and duels abound. I have read a fair amount about the medium/fraud/spirit situation of the times and was pleased with how Lowkis illustrated it here. For a while I was wondering if a real spirit might appear, an excellent plot wrinkle. The struggle based on miscommunication and misunderstanding between the sisters is fascinating. I can relate so well to the older sister, and I imagine my sister could relate equally well to the younger. Their love for each other shows in spite of the very real frustrations. A well developed cast of characters: surround the sisters. Through them the illustration of the culture of Paris is strengthened. The layering is lovely in terms of how the themes are developed in a variety of ways among these characters. Several times I thought things were resolving, and then Lowkis creates a new twist - sustaining suspense throughout. Without spoilers, the uncertainty of the ending seems perfectly on point. The use of a child’s fairy tale to frame the action and provide for the title was a lovely literary touch.

I am struggling a bit about where to focus my third paragraph energy. I suppose at the end of the day as a person who is struggling a bit to create a new kind of life with a different direction than that to which I’m accustomed, Lowkis is clearly a reminder that change is always possible - not always easy - but possible. I love the example that both Sylvie and Charlotte set in their commitments to their goals, but who are ultimately willing to admit mistakes and keep trying in new directions as needed. A problem for me is, perhaps, the lack of a clear goal. I always knew that was a retirement issue for me. But I am finding delight in trying a variety of different kinds of things. Teaching never allowed for much time for other endeavors - even at home (ask my kids). And that thought takes me to the memories evoked for me of my young reading life in this title. I very much enjoyed the kind of timeless feel of this debut title. I am grateful to Carmela Lowkis’ Spitting Gold for reminding me how long I have loved to read gothic work! Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice - Elle Cosimano

Genre - Contemporary Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Humor

If something exists that is more entertaining than Finlay Donovan, I sure can’t think of  it right now. I am quite grateful to the friend who introduced her to me. I just finished Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice (Book 4) by Elle Cosimano. Finlay is dropped in Atlantic City; what a delightful pairing. As she and Vero work to secure the money needed to protect Vero, to find and protect Javi, to clear their debt with Felix, to out the police mole - they have some good old fashioned Atlantic City adventures. I love that Finlay’s mom travels with them, that Steven gets a taste of real parenting, and of course that Nick shows up. Angela Dawe’s narration voices each character precisely and brings Finlay’s world alive. 

Atlantic City provides a delightful setting that Cosimano uses to its best advantage - she really shines here and so do Finlay and Vero. The changes in setting in the series keep the content fresh and new. The hotel where Finlay and company are staying is smarmy Atlantic City at its finest. The luxury hotel where Marco “holds (held?) court” contrasts nicely. We can see in Cam’s behavior there what a treat it can be to live large in a gambling city. I am - as always - stunned at the appearance of a corpse and the lengths at which Finlay and Vero will go to protect themselves while they try to get to the bottom of a mystery. I laughed out loud at the stairwell scene. The time spent in Chubbies (which was NOT a diner) - also quite hilarious. The plot unfolds through these adventures, and Finlay is always paying attention. The character development also continues to delight. Part of the charm of this series is that we learn a bit more about the main characters in each new book. Vero seems to get some extra attention this time. The new characters and those that are more peripheral are characters to be sure. Cosimano balances charm and satire well in the extended cast. Even a dog gets a significant amount of attention in this title. 

I am thankful for Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan series. Finlay’s world is one of which I will never be a part, but what a fun place to visit. I thought when I was young that I could probably be Nancy Drew. I was curious; I paid attention - I knew I could solve mysteries for sure. I was shaped in part by my reading of her. As a librarian, the biggest mystery I solved was finding that book with a girl on the cover, you know, the red one. The biggest criminals I dealt with loved reading so much that they snuck books out of my library. I am not so much a Nancy Drew. Finlay gives me a chance to live in the world of mystery and suspense a bit vicariously again. Her stakes are considerably higher than I remember Nancy’s being, but we are in her adult world now. I appreciate the laughter at the hi jinks that ensue along with the suspension of disbelief for some glorious reading minutes. I am glad that the ending suggests that more of Finlay Donovan is on the way.  I’ll be reading! Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Girls We Sent Away - Meagan Church

Genre - Historical Fiction

When I chose Meagan Church’s The Girls We Sent Away, I knew that while it wouldn’t be an “easy” or “comfortable”read, it would be an important one. I was right. Lorraine was a young lady in 1960s North Carolina who had goals. She wanted to be valedictorian of her graduating class, and she wanted to become an astronaut. An unexpected pregnancy, the result of one intimate encounter, disrupts her plans in ways that Lorraine can’t even imagine. Her boyfriend deserts her after she refuses to “take care of it.” Her parents are determined to protect her reputation and their own and sneak her out - laying in the back seat of their car - to a home especially designed to facilitate birth and adoption for unwed mothers. While her baby’s dad enjoys college life and finds a new girlfriend, Lorraine tries to figure out how to move forward in her life. She makes friends but experiences much sorrow with them as well. 

Lorraine is such a precious character who is brought to life through the narration of Susan Bennett. The optimism with which she first approaches this pregnancy, her grief at losing her boyfriend and the respect of her parents, her naivete, and ultimately her strength and determination are excellently rendered by Church and enhanced by Bennett. The development of setting is crucial to the novel’s success as well. Church tackles the lack of information that was likely common in teenage girls during this era as Lorraine just passively allows the intimacy to progress - mostly because a marriage has been discussed. My 2024 self rails- “Lorraine you have goals!” But Church quickly delineates why Lorraine thinks differently. Mistakes are not a 60s thing to be sure, but her particular naivete that stretches into how she thinks her parents will respond and further into what the experience at the home will be like - broke my heart. I have read and watched other works about the “baby scoop” era, but the pure evil that was illustrated here still took my breath away. The woman who gets the expectant moms to sign adoption papers was … well evil. I’m not even sure I get any sense that she thinks  she is doing the right thing for the babies. She is doing a job that she considers herself very good at. The birth experience was stunning in its cruelty. Church gracefully balances this horror with beautiful - albeit temporary - friendships, a comforting librarian and a teacher there, and even a dance where these girls can experience some temporary teen joy. The girls who are with Lorraine here illustrate more of the horribly painful stories, but they also give us these glimpses of joy. And of course she gives us a Lorraine who slowly learns to take ownership of her life, and while we don’t get the ending we necessarily want, we do get hope for Lorraine’s future.

I have much to think about when reflecting on this work. We have come a long way in the equitable treatment of young women. I am grateful to those who had to stand in the gap to give me a world where I have more autonomy and agency than they did. But, we have a ways to go. Politics is not my gift or my interest. But we need to do better on a number of fronts for women.  As often happens for me with historical female protagonists, I admire the strength with which they face things they aren’t  in a position to change. Their resilience is always an example to me. I have seen it in my grandmothers and my mother. Lorraine refuses to wallow in her situation - in part because her mother teaches her to pick herself up and move ahead, much like she had done as a woman of the 50s. I believe we can learn from history. I spent much of my career choosing literary works to encourage such reflection. I am grateful to Meagan Church for her research and thoughtful approach in The Girls We Sent Away. Please, read and reflect. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Summers at the Saint - Mary Kay Andrews

Genre: contemporary, mystery, suspense, romance

When asked to read and review Mary Kay Andrews’ upcoming publication Summers at the Saint, I couldn’t agree quickly enough. As expected the novel was engaging, suspenseful, entertaining - an all around excellent read. Traci Eddings was widowed young and left to try and manage the St. Cecelia resort on the coast of Georgia. Traci was considered an Ain’t as she grew up - but marrying a St. Cecelia Eddings transforms her into a Saint. But as a young widow she is often at odds with this wealthy family as she tries to save the family business which has never seemed to recover after the Covid epidemic. She builds a new dorm, hires new employees including her beloved niece Parrish, the daughter of her former best friend Olivia, and KJ Parkhurst a local rich boy whose dad is trying to teach him a lesson, and looks toward a brighter future. But things go wrong quickly - Whelan is new in town and dredging up a tragic drowning from when she was a teenage lifeguard and complaints about everything from mattresses to wine abound. Soon the resort endures an unexpected death and a fire. What is going on at the Saint?

The world of the resort comes to life in this novel. Very quickly I could feel the pressures that Traci endures as she works to maintain St. Cecelia. The inner workings are fascinating to me (more on that later). I am torn between wanting to stay there and wanting to work there. The setting is beautiful and beachside and screams luxury. The town nearby - of the Ain’ts - is also well drawn and contributes well to the overall setting and conflicts of the novel. Andrews introduces a wide cast of characters and brings them to life. She explores the complexity of family. She tackles lifelong friendships through Traci and Shannon. She gives us romance - and we want romance - for Traci. We come to care greatly about some of the characters; we question others. We root for some, and against others. Like real life, our feelings about the characters change over the course of our reading. The plot - like that of Andrews’ Homewreckers for me - builds in complexity and suspense. First we are suspicious that someone is working against Traci to prevent her success (well, I was anyway). Then we gradually become more aware of the circumstances surrounding the drowning and its impact on lifelong friendships. I love how Andrews weaves all these threads together creating suspense and mystery (and that  little bit of romance!). 

I promised to talk about my fascination with the resort. As a school librarian, I spent most of my time reading YA. In that reading I became fascinated with boarding school books. I’ve never attended one; I never sent my kids, but, boy, I did read all that I could get my hands on. I guess it had something to do with the rarified air that I imagine existed there. Who really knows? But now that I have this time for adult reading, I’m suspecting I may replace boarding schools with exclusive resorts. I just read and reviewed Alison Espach’s The Wedding People and Nita Prose’s The Mystery Guest and loved the settings. I felt the same here. I’m not sure why. (Any insights out there?)  I am grateful for Andrews’ ability to bring St. Cecelia alive for me. And not to make a strained connection, I am glad that as things change, some small things can remain the same. I think Traci learns this among other things in Mary Kay Andrews’ Summers at the Saint. Listen, I think summer reads are good year round (see here), but if you are planning for summer, don’t miss this May 7 release. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.