South of Superior by Ellen Airgood

South of Superior by Ellen Airgood

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover (June 9, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1594487936
ISBN-13: 978-1594487934

Summary

A debut novel full of heart, in which love, friendship, and charity teach a young woman to live a bigger life.

When Madeline Stone walks away from Chicago and moves five hundred miles north to the coast of Lake Superior, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, she isn't prepared for how much her life will change.

Charged with caring for an aging family friend, Madeline finds herself in the middle of beautiful nowhere with Gladys and Arbutus, two octogenarian sisters-one sharp and stubborn, the other sweeter than sunshine. As Madeline begins to experience the ways of the small, tight-knit town, she is drawn into the lives and dramas of its residents. It's a place where times are tough and debts run deep, but friendship, community, and compassion run deeper. As the story hurtles along-featuring a lost child, a dashed love, a car accident, a wedding, a fire, and a romantic reunion-Gladys, Arbutus, and the rest of the town teach Madeline more about life, love, and goodwill than she's learned in a lifetime.

A heartwarming novel, South of Superior explores the deep reward in caring for others, and shows how one who is poor in pocket can be rich in so many other ways, and how little it often takes to make someone happy.

About the Author
Ellen Airgood runs a diner in Grand Marais, Michigan. This is her first novel.

My Thoughts

As Madeline Stone is grieving the loss of Emmy, the woman who has raised her from a young girl, she tries to figure out where her life should go next. She is set to marry her well to do boyfriend and live in a nice suburb of Chicago. Madeline is approached by Gladys, old girlfriend of her grandfather's to move to McAllaster, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula to help care for Arbutus, her ailing sister. Madeline who is unsure about anything in life, breaks her engagement and treks off to McAllaster. I was sure she was crazy!

When Madeline arrives in McAllaster, she finds herself in a place much different from Chicago. Time seems to have stood still. People live much simpler and are often struggling. The characters seem very real and are very well developed. I could appreciate their struggles and strengths. Mary was one of my very favorite characters. She lives in a house made from two old tool cribs. She is a proud woman who sells syrup and fish that she catches to survive. There are many more interesting people in the tight knit town that you meet within the pages of the book. You really get the feeling of the community in the book.

As Madeline settles in to life in McAllaster, she discovers the sisters own a defunct hotel. The hotel is in need on renovations but the property on which it sits is very valuable. Someone wishes to buy it and tear the old victorian hotel. Madeline uses the hotel as her refuge when she wants to be alone. She has learn quite a bit about her mother, who abandoned her as a child and her grandfather, who refused to take her in. It is a lot for Madeline to take in and she appreciates the solitude she finds in the old hotel. It takes some time, but as Madeline's love for the hotel grows so does her love for the people of McAllaster. There is a love interest in the story but it is not an overpowering storyline. It is very complimentary and fits in the story nicely.

I enjoyed my visit to McAllaster. When I turned the last page, I felt a little sad, kind of how you feel when you leave your favorite vacation spot. The story moved at a slow pace at times but my interest in the characters and town kept me motivated to read on. I highly recommend this debut novel. Ellen Airgood has created characters that stay with you long after the last page. I look forward to seeing what characters Ellen Airgood comes up with next!


I received this book from Riverhead Books/Penguin books through Librarything Early Reviewers Group for my honest opinion, which in no way influenced this review.

The American Heiress

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (June 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312658656
ISBN-13: 978-0312658656

Audio CD
Publisher: Macmillan Audio; Unabridged edition (June 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1427212295
ISBN-13: 978-1427212290

Summary
Be careful what you wish for. Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts’, suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals. Money, Cora soon learns, cannot buy everything, as she must decide what is truly worth the price in her life and her marriage.

My Thoughts

Cora Cash has much to offer a groom so she travels abroad with her mother to find a groom who can give her a title in return. An accident puts in her the hands of Ivo, who's family can benefit from Cora's money. They wed and the scandals begin. Will their marriage survive? Will it be a marriage of convenience or one of love?

At first, I was not a fan of Cora Cash. She seemed like a spoiled young girl who really got on my nerves. She felt she could have whatever she wanted. As she readied herself for the wedding, I began to like her. I found she had a soft side that I was missing in the beginning. Cora seems very naive and sometimes I wondered how she could be so naive with so much going on under her nose. It seemed she was the only one who didn't question where her husband's heart lay. I guess that is why they say love is blind.

There is also a side story which involves Cora's maid, Bertha. Bertha stands by Cora through thick and thin, sometimes giving up her own happiness for her employer. It was nice to see the two stories woven together and see the difference between the two social classes.

The ending was not as I expected it would be but I was okay with it. I saw it going another way. I am wondering if possibly there will be more to this story.

This is a wonderfully detailed book. The descriptions are fantastic! It was a nice escape to 1890's England. If you like a good scandalous, historical read, you will enjoy this book.

I read this book and listened to parts of it. The audiobook was read by Katherine Kellgren who captured the essence of the aristocrat's voices beautifully. I enjoyed her voice and her interpretations of the characters.

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer - Audiobook Review

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer

Summary

From the internationally bestselling author of Kane and Abel and A Prisoner of Birth comes Only Time Will Tell, the first in an ambitious new series that tells the story of one family across generations, across oceans, from heartbreak to triumph.

The epic tale of Harry Clifton’s life begins in 1920, with the words “I was told that my father was killed in the war.” A dock worker in Bristol, Harry never knew his father, but he learns about life on the docks from his uncle, who expects Harry to join him at the shipyard once he’s left school. But then an unexpected gift wins him a scholarship to an exclusive boys’ school, and his life will never be the same again.

As he enters into adulthood, Harry finally learns how his father really died, but the awful truth only leads him to question, was he even his father? Is he the son of Arthur Clifton, a stevedore who spent his whole life on the docks, or the firstborn son of a scion of West Country society, whose family owns a shipping line?

This introductory novel in Archer’s ambitious series The Clifton Chronicles includes a cast of colorful characters and takes us from the ravages of the Great War to the outbreak of the Second World War, when Harry must decide whether to take up a place at Oxford or join the navy and go to war with Hitler’s Germany. From the docks of working-class England to the bustling streets of 1940 New York City, Only Time Will Tell takes readers on a journey through to future volumes, which will bring to life one hundred years of recent history to reveal a family story that neither the reader nor Harry Clifton himself could ever have imagined.

My Thoughts

I was reading this book and was given the opportunity to review the audiobook also. I have been trying to get into audiobooks but have been struggling with it. I was enjoying reading this book so I hoped that the audio version would keep my attention as well. It really worked out well since this was a book that I found hard to put down. I could listen to the audiobook as I did housework or drove in my car. It worked out well. The book is read by Roger Allam and Emelia Fox who both did a wonderful job. The audiobook also includes a bonus interview with Jeffrey Archer, which I found very interesting.

I really loved this book and am looking forward to the rest of the series. I would recommend both the print version and audio version. Below is my review of the print version in case you missed it last month.

Book Review

I have never read a book written by Jeffrey Archer before. After reading this book I will be looking out for more of his books. What an amazing storyteller!

Only Time Will Tell tells the story of two families, the Barringtons, a well to do family and the Cliftons, a struggling family. The Barringtons are shipping magnates while the Cliftons are hard working people. Young Harry Clifton's mother, Maisie is a waitress while his uncle is a dock worker as was his father. Young Harry believes his father died in the war. Maisie will do what she needs to do to get her son the type of education he needs to break the cycle. Harry has a phenomenal voice which just may be his ticket to a good school. When Harry goes off to school he meets Giles Barrington and the two become fast friends. The two boys become connected without realizing they may have always been connected. As Harry learns the truth about his father, the world is getting closer to being at war and decisions are made which will affect them all.

Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of another character. I found this extremely interesting even though some of the same storyline was retold. It gave me a different look at the situation as it happened. Seeing the same situation through the eyes of another can be quite eye-opening.

The characters are well developed. I felt I knew each character very well. The author does a fantastic job creating each character's personality. Each character seems to be harboring some sort of secret by the time this book ends. Some of the characters are not very likeable but make for great reading. Every saga needs a good villain or two. Other characters such as Maisie and Harry will capture your heart. You can't help but feel for Harry and Maisie. I kept hoping life would get easier for them.

The book ends with a huge cliffhanger that has me dying to get my hands on the next installment of this series. I find myself wondering what will happen to each of the characters in the book. This book ends with many unanswered questions but I knew going into this book it was a series spanning many years and many generations. I adore a good family saga and this one does not disappoint! I loved all the unexpected twists. I can't wait to see where Mr. Archer plans on taking this storyline next! He has made me a big fan! I just hope we don't have to wait too long for the next book! I know I'll be reading all installments of The Clifton Chronicles. You don't want to miss this series!

I was given both the print and audiobook in return for my honest opinion. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St Martin's Press.