New Release! Under the Java Moon by Heather B. Moore ~ My Thoughts #UnderTheJavaMoon @heatherbmoore @ShadowMountn

Congratulations Heather

on the recent release of

Under the Java Moon!

Under the Java Moon by Heather B. Moore 

Historical Fiction, World War II, 384 pages
Published September 5, 2023 by Shadow Mountain

Based on a true story, this gripping WWII novel captures the resilience, hope, and courage of a Dutch family who is separated during the war when the Japanese occupy the Dutch East Indies.

Java Island, 1941

Six-year-old Rita Vischer cowers in her family’s dug-out bomb shelter, listening to the sirens and waiting for a bomb to fall. Her charmed life on Java—living with other Dutch families—had always been peaceful, but when Holland declares war on Japan and the Japanese army invades Indonesia, Rita’s family is forced to relocate to a POW camp, and Rita must help care for her little brother, Georgie.

Mary Vischer is three months pregnant when she enters the Tjident women’s camp with thousands of other women and children. Her husband, George, is somewhere on the Java Sea with the Dutch Navy, so she must care alone for her young children, Rita and Georgie, and her frail mother. The brutal conditions of the overcrowded camp make starvation, malaria, and dysentery a grim reality. Mary must do everything she can to keep her family alive.

George Vischer survives the bombing of his minesweeper but feels little hope floating on a small dinghy in the Java Sea. Reaching the northern tip of the Thousand Island would be a miracle. Focusing on the love of his life, Mary, and his two children, he battles against the sea and merciless sun. He’ll do whatever it takes to close the divide between him and his family, even if it means risking being captured by the Japanese.

Under the Java Moon highlights a little-known part of WWII history and the impact of war on Indonesia, its people, and the more than 100,000 Dutch men, women, and children who were funneled into prison camps and faced with the ultimate fight for survival.

My thoughts about Under the Java Moon ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"September 1945 Rita Vischer never thought she'd see her father again."

I always learn so much about a topic that I know very little about when I read one of Heather B. Moore's books. I come away feeling more enlightened about the world. 

I had no idea of the suffering that the Dutch people went through during the war. Sure, we all know about the Jewish people and the Holocaust but other groups were made to suffer during that time as well. Based on the true story of the Vischer family, Under the Java Moon follows the family as they are torn apart and made to endure the brutality of horrible people. 

I always love Ms. Moore's stories and I can add this one to the list. They are well researched and well written and truly show her readers bits of forgotten, or unknown, history. The tragedies that the Dutch endured were hard to read about but need to be shared. 

Historical fiction lovers are going to love Under the Java Moon. It's a wonderful story and a piece of history that needs to be remembered. 

I received a copy of Under the Java Moon from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

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About the author

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than ninety publications. Heather writes primarily historical and #herstory fiction about the humanity and heroism of the everyday person. Publishing in a breadth of genres, Heather dives into the hearts and souls of her characters, meshing her love of research with her love of storytelling.

Her ancient era historicals and thrillers are written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes historical women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore, and . . . speculative fiction under Jane Redd. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. Despite failing her high school AP English exam, Heather persevered and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in something other than English.

Connect with Heather

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

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Release Day! The Paper Daughters of Chinatown by Heather B. Moore & Allison Hong Merrill ~ My Thoughts & Interview #ThePaperDaughtersOfChinatown @heatherbmoore @Xieshou @ShadowMountn

Congrats Heather & Allison

on the release today of

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown!

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown: Adapted for Young Readers from the Best-Selling Novel by Heather B. Moore & Allison Hong Merrill

Middle Grade/Young Adult Historical Fiction, 240 pages
Published April 11, 2023 by Shadow Mountain

Based on the true story of two friends who unite to help rescue immigrant women and girls in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late 1890s.

When Tai Choi leaves her home in the Zhejiang province of China, she believes it’s to visit her grandmother. But despite her mother’s opposition, her father has sold her to pay his gambling debts. Alone and afraid, Tai Choi is put on a ship headed for “Gold Mountain” (San Francisco). When she arrives, she’s forced to go by the name on her forged papers: Tien Fu Wu.

Her new life as a servant is hard. She is told to stay hidden, stay silent, and perform an endless list of chores, or she will be punished or sold again. If she is to survive, Tien Fu must persevere, and learn who to trust. Her life changes when she’s rescued by the women at the Occidental Mission Home for Girls.

When Dolly Cameron arrives in San Francisco to teach sewing at the mission home, she meets Tien Fu, who is willful, defiant, and unwilling to trust anyone. Dolly quickly learns that all the girls at the home were freed from servitude and maltreatment, and enthusiastically accepts a role in rescuing more.

Despite challenges, Dolly and Tien Fu forge a powerful friendship as they mentor and help those in the mission home and work to win the freedom of enslaved immigrant women and girls.

My thoughts about The Paper Daughters of Chinatown ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Tai Choi pounded  her fists on the door and screamed, 'Let me out! Lao Ye, where did you go?' How could Tai Choi's father think of locking her in here?"

I read The Paper Daughters of Chinatown when it came out in 2020 and was enthralled by the way the author portrayed the hard times of the Chinese women in China, as well as the horrible lives they lived here in America. Heather B. Moore writes amazing and well-researched historical fiction and I have learned so much from reading her books. 

I was excited when I found out that Heather, along with Allison Hong Merrill, wrote a young reader edition of this compelling, heart-breaking time in our history. I just knew I had to read it and was interested to see how she would depict these hard lives to young people. 

They did an amazing job with the hard stuff, focusing on a young girl, Tien Fu, as she is taken from her family and forced to live an unimaginable life in America. There is enough drama and hardship for young readers to understand how hard it was for Chinese children but also enough love and caring to make it uplifting for them. So heart-breaking but also so very heart-warming. 

I would highly recommend this for young readers who are interested in reading about history as this is a well written, informative novel about a significant time in our history. 

I received a copy of The Paper Daughters of Chinatown from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

Read my thoughts about it here

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Watch this interview with the authors

About the authors

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestseller and award-winning author of more than seventy publications. She’s lived in Hawaii and on both the east and west coasts of the United States. She attended school abroad, including the Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about history and, as an author, is passionate about historical research. Visit Heather’s website here: HBMoore.com 

Other Books by Heather B. Moore:

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown

The Slow March of Light

In the Shadow of a Queen 

Connect with Heather

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Allison Hong Merrill was born and raised in Taiwan and came to the US at twenty-two as a university student. She holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and writes fiction and creative nonfiction in both Chinese and English. Her work has won both national and international literary awards. Visit Allison at www.AllisonHongMerrill.com and sign up for her short monthly email.

Other Books by Allison Hong Merrill:

Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops

Connect with Allison

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Release Day! In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore ~ My Thoughts #InTheShadowOfTheQueen @heatherbmoore @ShadowMountn

Happy Release Day!

Congrats Heather

on the release today of

In the Shadow of a Queen!

In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore

Historical Fiction, 384 pages

Published October 4, 2022 by Shadow Mountain

Based on the true story of the free-spirited daughter of Queen Victoria.

Princess Louise’s life is upended after her father’s untimely death. Captive to the queen’s overwhelming mourning, Louise is forbidden to leave her mother’s tight circle of control and is eventually relegated to the position of personal secretary to her mother—the same position each of her sisters held until they were married.

Already an accomplished painter, Louise risks the queen’s wrath by exploring the art of sculpting, an activity viewed as unbefitting a woman. When Louise involves herself in the day’s political matters, including championing the career of a female doctor and communicating with suffragettes, the queen lays down the law to stop her and devotes her full energy to finding an acceptable match for her defiant daughter.

Louise is considered the most beautiful and talented daughter of Queen Victoria, but finding a match for the princess is no easy feat. Protocols are broken, and Louise exerts her own will as she tries to find an open-minded husband who will support her free spirit.

In the Shadow of a Queen is the story of a battle of wills between two women: a daughter determined to forge her own life beyond the shadow of her mother, and a queen resolved to keep the Crown’s reputation unsullied no matter the cost. 

   

My thoughts about In the Shadow of a Queen ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"Until today I have been unable to write in my Journal, which I shall now take up where I left off, though not before I have expressed by heart, felt thanks for God's merciful protection again on this occasion, & for being so particularly well."

Okay, right off the bat, I have to confess that the time period covered in this book has not really interested me in the past. The royal family has really never been a fascination for me either. 

But the book is written by Heather B. Moore so I knew I had to give it a chance. With every single book that I have read by Ms. Moore, I have learned so, so much. So even though it was topic that I didn't think I would be interested in, I knew that by reading her words, the subject would come alive for me. 

That's why I took a chance on In the Shadow of a Queen—not a subject I was particularly interested in—because I knew it would be a wonderful read and a great experience. And with the recent passing of the Queen, my world has been filled with all things royal so this book came at the perfect time. 

Learning about Princess Louise and Queen Victoria was enlightening and coming to understand the lives and expectations of the royals was eye-opening. I guess all mothers and daughters have issues, no matter their station in life, some just on a grander scale.

Like I said, anything that I read from Ms. Moore has been compelling and educational for me and I find myself becoming engrossed by the topic. I love learning about new things and her writing is so eloquent that it's a pleasurable experience to learn, not painful like it was in school. 😉

In the Shadow of a Queen took me out of my comfort zone, as far as reading material goes, but I have now discovered a whole new genre world that has been opened up to me. The royal family and their traditions are so interesting and I want to find out more. 

I highly recommend In the Shadow of a Queen for all historical fiction lovers, especially if you have even just a little bit of interest in the royals. It was a delight to read. 

I received a copy of In the Shadow of a Queen from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion of the book.

About the author

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than ninety publications. Heather writes primarily historical and #herstory fiction about the humanity and heroism of the everyday person. Publishing in a breadth of genres, Heather dives into the hearts and souls of her characters, meshing her love of research with her love of storytelling.

Her historicals and thrillers are written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore, and speculative fiction under Jane Redd. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. 

Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. Despite failing her high school AP English exam, Heather persevered and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in something other than English. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Heather

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Release Day! The Opera Sisters by Marianne Monson ~ My Thoughts and an Excerpt #TheOperaSisters @ShadowMountn

Happy Release Day!

Congrats Marianne

on the release today of

The Opera Sisters!

The Opera Sisters by Marianne Monson

Historical Fiction, 352 pages

Published September 6, 2022 by Shadow Mountain

Cover art: ©Ildiko Neer / Trevillion Images; fStop Images / Getty Images

Book design: © Shadow Mountain

Art Direction: Richard Erickson

Design: Heather G. Ward

Based on the true story of the Cook sisters, who smuggled valuables out of 1930s Nazi Germany to finance a daring, secret operation to help Jews find hope for a new life in England

 

British sisters Ida and Louise Cook enjoy their quiet, unassuming lives in south London. Ida writes romance novels, and Louise works as a secretary. In the evenings, the sisters indulge in their shared love for opera, saving their money to buy records and attend performances throughout England and Europe, becoming well-known by both performers and fellow opera lovers.

But when Hitler seizes power in 1933, he begins targeting and persecuting German Jews, passing laws that restrict their rights and their lives. The sisters continue their trips to the German opera houses, but soon, Jewish members of the opera community covertly approach the sisters, worried that they will be stripped of their wealth and forced to leave their homes and the country. Danger looms on the horizon, threatening to spill across all of Europe’s borders.

Ida and Louise vow to help, but how can two ordinary working-class women with limited means make a difference?

Together with their beloved opera community, the sisters devise a plan to personally escort Jewish refugees from Germany to England. The success of the plan hinges on Ida and Louise’s ability to smuggle contraband jewelry and furs beneath the watchful eyes of the SS soldiers guarding various checkpoints. But how many trips can they make before someone blows a whistle? Or before the final curtain falls on Germany’s borders?

The Opera Sisters is a riveting and inspiring novel of two unlikely heroines whose courage and compassion gave hope to many Jews desperate to escape Nazi persecution.

My thoughts about The Opera Sisters ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"A long horn blared though the factory courtyard sounding the morning break. Expectant workers streamed out into the courtyard, wiping sweat from their faces."

I seem to be reading a lot of books lately that are set in the time of World War II. Almost all of them have been centered on the people who were being persecuted—the horrible things that they had to endure and the suffering they went through to survive—with some of them not living though it all.  

The Opera Sisters tells the same story of the war but from a different perspective. This is the story of two sisters who came to the aid of those very same people who were being persecuted and were suffering. Based on true events, sisters Ida and Louise Cook were able to get a lot of people out of dangerous situations and to safety. Under the guise of the opera, they built up a network of friends and connections who helped them with their mission of saving people. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I learned so much about the world of opera but I was also able to see another side to a terrible time in our world. There really were a lot of good people helping so many in need. Like I said, this is a different spin to the usual WWII story so if you like historical fiction of that time period, you will definitely want to read this one. I highly recommend The Opera Sisters.

I received a copy of The Opera Sisters from the publisher and this is my honest opinion of the book.

Excerpt

As they neared the Dutch border, Ida and Louise tried to push down their nervousness, to wear the jewels casually, as if they’d always been their own. As the train rocked their private compartment, a memory she’d not thought of in ages came into Ida’s mind.

“Louise, do you remember that game I used to play when we were little? When I would hunt round the garden digging in the dirt and peering under things, looking for lost diamonds?”

Louise laughed. “We had a row about it a few times, remember?”

“Because you said if I found one, I must give it back to its rightful owner and it would be wrong to expect a reward simply for doing what’s right.” Ida smiled at the memory and looked down at the exquisite ruby brooch circled with diamonds. “This is just as gorgeous and sparkly as the jewels I hunted for as a child.”

“Am I to suppose you’ve matured since then, and you’re planning to give them back?”

“You had an unusually sensitive conscience for a child, Louie,” Ida said, using her childhood endearment for her sister. “And yes, I shall give this treasure back when our friends come to claim it.” The train slowed as they reached the border, and the smiles slipped from their faces as they left the train and joined others in queue.

Ahead, stood a stern official, SS guards and a chained dog by his side.

Ida squeezed her sister’s hand.

“And what was the purpose of your trip?” a German official inquired.

“Opera,” said Louise, adjusting the white gloves that covered Frau Basch’s emerald ring, as Ida flourished a Rienzi playbill.

His eyes momentarily rested on Ida’s brooch, but as he took in the rest of her outfit, he appeared to dismiss it. Nothing about them looked like gentry.

“Next,” said the official, and he waved them through. They turned away.

“Halt!” called the guard behind them. Shaking, they turned around. He took Louise’s passport and began arguing with another soldier in rapid-fire German.

Another man, just behind them, was pulled from line and dragged away. The soldier returned with Louise’s passport and reluctantly handed it back to them. The guard dog growled as they fled back to the train.

A few hours later, they boarded the ferry that plied the route between Rotterdam and Harwich, and, as the hammered water receded, the sisters relaxed at last, melting into the ship’s railing as each minute increased their distance from Germany.

“What a relief,” Ida said, looking over the ever increasing water. Louise stiffened, looked about, and turned Ida to face the sea. “We don’t know who may still be watching.”

Ida nodded.

By that evening, they were back in the parlor at 24 Morella Road, which looked just like they had left it; they embraced their parents just as they’d done so many times before. But how different everything felt. No longer could they wave off news about Germany. Suddenly the political climate had become arresting in a way no newspaper could manage. Ida thought of how she’d planned to use her new earnings to buy clothes and opera tickets. The memory made her a little sick. Back in their shared bedroom, Ida gingerly placed the emerald ring beside the brooch, wondering what to do with the lot. “I suppose we need a safe deposit box for them,” said Ida.

They settled into their beds and turned off the lights, a silence stretching between them.

“We must get those dear people out,” Louise said at last. “All of them.”

Ida nodded into the darkness, surrounded and lifted by the safety and protection of home. “Tomorrow, we begin.”

About the author

Marianne Monson received her MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and primarily writes on topics related to women’s history. She has taught English and Creative Writing at the community college and university levels and is the author of twelve books for children and adults, including the novel Her Quiet Revolution and her nonfiction works Frontier Grit and Women of the Blue and Gray.

She is the founder of The Writer’s Guild, a literary nonprofit, and writes from a 100-year-old house in Astoria, Oregon.

Connect with Marianne

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

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Release Day! A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connolly ~ My Thoughts #ABrilliantNightOfStarsAndIce

  Happy Release Day!

Congrats Rebecca

on the release today of

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice!

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connolly

Historical Fiction, 320 pages

Published April 5, 2022 by Shadow Mountain

Based on the remarkable true story of the Carpathia—the one ship and her legendary captain who answered the distress call of the sinking Titanic.

Shortly after midnight on April 15, 1912, the captain of the Carpathia, Arthur Rostron, wakes to a distress signal from the Titanic, which has struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage. Though information is scarce, Rostron leaps into action, determined to answer the call for help. But the Carpathia is more than four hours away, and there are more questions than answers: Will his ship hold together if pushed to never-before-tested speeds? What if he also strikes an iceberg? And with the freezing temperatures, will there be any survivors by the time the Carpathia arrives?

Kate Connolly is a third-class passenger on Titanic, and she is among the last to receive instruction and help after it hits an iceberg. Despite the chaos of abandoning ship, Kate is able to board a lifeboat, though after seeing the Titanic sink into the abyss and hearing the cries from hundreds of people still in the water, she wonders if any rescue is even possible.

Told in alternating chapters from both Captain Rostron and Kate Connolly.

My thoughts about A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"RMS Carpathia - April 10, 1912 Arthur Rostron exhaled slowly enjoying the last quiet moments he would have on the bridge of the RMS Carpathia before they were underway."

I have always been fascinated by all things Titanic so I was excited to see this book offered for review. First of all, I have to say that the cover of A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice is absolutely beautiful and represents this story so well. 

Told from the viewpoints of the captain of the Carpathia, the first ship to come to the aid of the Titanic, and a female passenger of the Titanic, the reader gets to experience what both sides of the tragedy went through. I sensed the anguish and terror that were felt by both. The writer researched this very well and I felt like I was there experiencing it all. 

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice was an excellent read, especially for anyone interested in the Titanic and what happened on that fateful night of the iceberg crash that sunk the 'unsinkable' ship. It was very interesting getting a different perspective of that night.

I received a ARC of A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice and this is my honest opinion of the book.

About the author

I was born once upon a time, and I started making up stories right away. Eventually, I started writing them down, and never stopped! I have a day job, which gets in the way of my writing, but it pays the bills so I CAN write, so I guess that's okay! I am a bookworm, which I think is key to being a writer, and I am always looking for inspiration! I live in Indiana, am obsessed with hot chocolate, and I am on track to be the best aunt in the world. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Rebecca

 

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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New Release! The Slow March of Light by Heather B. Moore ~ My Thoughts #TheSlowMarchOfLight

Congrats Heather

on the release of

The Slow March of Light!

The Slow March of Light by Heather B. Moore

Historical Fiction, 368 pages

Published September 7, 2021 by Shadow Mountain Publishing

Sometimes all you have is hope.

In the summer of 1961, a wall of barbed wire goes up quickly in the dead of night, officially dividing Berlin. Aware of the many whose families have been divided, Luisa joins a secret spy network, risking her life to help East Germans escape across the Berlin Wall and into the West.

Bob Inama, a soldier in the US Army, is stationed in West Germany. He’s glad to be fluent in German, especially after meeting Luisa Voigt at a church social. As they spend time together, they form a close connection. But when Bob receives classified orders to leave for undercover work immediately, he doesn’t get the chance to say goodbye.

With a fake identity, Bob’s special assignment is to be a spy embedded in East Germany, identifying possible targets for the US military. But Soviet and East German spies, the secret police, and Stasi informants are everywhere, and the danger of being caught and sent to a brutal East German prison lurks on every corner.

Best-selling author Heather B. Moore masterfully alternates the stories of Bob and Luisa, capturing the human drama unique to Cold War Germany was well as the courage and the resilience of the human spirit. 

My thoughts about The Slow March of Light ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"December 1959. The words from the hymn 'We Are All Enlisted' echoed in Bob's mind as he drove through the gray afternoon that promised snow."

The Slow March of Light is a very informative story about something I didn't know a whole lot about. Focusing on the time that the wall went up in Berlin, we learn about that time from the point of view of a US serviceman called upon to do some espionage work and the women he befriends in Germany. 

Both Bob and Luisa are put in danger as they try to get though life and fulfill their missions. What a scary time that was and I admire what the people did and sacrificed for others. I learned so much about this time period and am in awe of the stamina and determination that they had. 

Heather had done an amazing job of taking such a hard, disturbing time in history and personalizing it so that we can understand and empathize with what people went though. The fact that this story is based on true events and a real person, Bob Inama, makes it even more astonishing.

I highly recommend The Slow March of Light if you are at all interested in German history and the fall-out from the war on the country and it's people. 

I received a copy of The Slow March of Light from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty publications. Her historical novels and thrillers are written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom.

Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt, the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in Utah. Heather is represented by Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Heather

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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The Paper Daughters of Chinatown by Heather B. Moore ~ My Thoughts #ThePaperDaughtersOfChinatown

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown by Heather B. Moore

Print and e-book, 384 pages
Published September 1st 2020 by Shadow Mountain

Based on true events, The Paper Daughters of Chinatown in a powerful story about a largely unknown chapter in history and the women who emerged as heroes.

In the late nineteenth century, San Francisco is a booming city with a dark side, one in which a powerful underground organization—the criminal tong—buys and sells young Chinese women into prostitution and slavery. These “paper daughters,” so called because fake documents gain them entry to America but leave them without legal identity, generally have no recourse. But the Occidental Mission Home for Girls is one bright spot of hope and help.

Told in alternating chapters, this rich narrative follows the stories of young Donaldina Cameron who works in the mission home, and Mei Lien, a “paper daughter” who thinks she is coming to America for an arranged marriage but instead is sold into a life of shame and despair.

Donaldina, a real-life pioneering advocate for social justice, bravely stands up to corrupt officials and violent gangs, helping to win freedom for thousands of Chinese women. Mei Lien endures heartbreak and betrayal in her search for hope, belonging, and love. Their stories merge in this gripping account of the courage and determination that helped shape a new course of women’s history in America.

My thoughts about The Paper Daughters of Chinatown ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Donaldina Cameron leaned her head against the cool glass of the window as the train slowed to a stop, its whistle mimicking the call of a mournful dove—deep and melancholy—a fitting echo of her life over the past few years."

Although this book was tough to read in spots because of the cruelty some people forced on others, it was a very informative, insightful look at a very real part of our history. The author did an amazing job of giving the reader both the heartaches and the joys in the lives of the paperback daughters.

Based on the true life of Donaldina Cameron, The Paper Daughters of Chinatown is a must-read for anyone interested in the injustices done to Chinese women at that time or in the history of Chinatown in San Francisco in the late nineteenth century. Reading about the hard life that Mei Lien had to endure woven around the wonderful things that Donaldina did for so many women made this a very compelling story.

I received a copy of The Paper Daughters of Chinatown from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty publications. Her historical novels and thrillers are written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom.

Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt, the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in Utah. Heather is represented by Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret. ~ Goodreads

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Waiting for Fitz by Spencer Hyde ~ My Thoughts #WaitingForFitz

Waiting for Fitz

Waiting for Fitz by Spencer Hyde
Print and ebook, 256 pages
Published March 5th 2019 by Shadow Mountain

Addie loves nothing more than curling up on the couch with her dog, Duck, and watching The Great British Baking Show with her mom. It’s one of the few things that can help her relax when her OCD kicks into overdrive. She counts everything. All the time. She can’t stop. Rituals and rhythms. It’s exhausting.

When Fitz was diagnosed with schizophrenia, he named the voices in his head after famous country singers. The adolescent psychiatric ward at Seattle Regional Hospital isn’t exactly the ideal place to meet your soul mate, but when Addie meets Fitz, they immediately connect over their shared love of words, appreciate each other’s quick wit, and wish they could both make more sense of their lives.

Fitz is haunted by the voices in his head and often doesn't know what is real. But he feels if he can convince Addie to help him escape the psych ward and everything will be okay. If not, he risks falling into a downward spiral that may keep him in the hospital indefinitely.

Waiting for Fitz is a story about life and love, forgiveness and courage, and what’s necessary to let go and learning what is truly worth waiting for.

     

My thoughts about Waiting for Fitz ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"My life took off the comedy mask and put on the tragedy mask at the end of my seventeenth year."

First of all, I just need to say that this cover is amazing. It’s one that you just need to look at for awhile to absorb all that’s there. So beautiful!

Waiting for Fitz is a heart-breaking, realistic look at mental illness, while at the same time being a heart-warming, beautiful love story—a story of two young people accepting one another just the way they are.

Addie and Fitz have an instant connection when they first meet each other in the mental hospital. She’s there for treatment of her OCD and he for schizophrenia. They form a close friendship and a tight bond—a bond that eventually leads to an escape plan. Will leaving the hospital heal them, or make them spiral downward and out of control?

The fact that the author himself was hospitalized for his own OCD gives Waiting for Fitz an authentic feel for the ups and downs of mental illness and will open readers’ eyes to this somewhat mysterious world. It is a wonderful story that should be read by all. 

I received a copy of Waiting for Fitz from Shadow Mountain Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

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About the author

Spencer Hyde spent three years of his high school experience visiting Johns Hopkins for severe OCD. He feels particularly suited to write Waiting for Fitz because he’s lived through his protagonists’ obsessions.

Spencer worked at a therapeutic boarding school before earning his MFA in Utah and his PhD in Texas, specializing in fiction. He wrote Waiting for Fitz while working as a Teaching Fellow in Denton, Texas. He is currently an assistant professor of English at Brigham Young University.

Stories have a way of changing lives—Spencer learned that the first time he picked up a Tom Stoppard play and realized that words can nudge the world and build bridges to hope.

Spencer and his wife, Brittany, are the parents of four children. They love to hike, read, watch movies, fly-fish, and bake.

Connect with Spencer

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Amazon

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