Category: Historical

Children's, Historical, Middle Grade

The Boy, the Witch & the Queen of Scots by Barbara Henderson

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

12-year-old Alexander Buchan was once content, training as a falconer at Strathbogie Castle in Huntly. But when his Earl sends him to Edinburgh to the court of the newly arrived Mary, Queen of Scots, the boy finds himself lured into a world of intrigue, terror and treachery. Alexander knows right from wrong, but how can he hope to outwit his master’s murderous messenger? Surely no one can defy an Earl – especially one whose wife is rumored to be a witch!

Soon, more than the boy’s own life is at stake: his friend Lizzie is arrested and the angry clouds of Reformation Scotland gather around the young Queen.

It seems that Alexander must spy – or die.

About the Author

Barbara Henderson has lived in Scotland since 1991, somehow acquiring an MA in English Language and Literature, a husband, three children and a shaggy dog along the way. Having tried her hand at working as a puppeteer, relief librarian and receptionist, she now teaches drama part-time at secondary school. Writing predominantly for children, Barbara is the author of the Highland Clearances novel Fir for Luck, The Crystal-Kite, the eco-thriller Wilderness Wars, the Robert Burns smuggling novella Black Water, the medieval Siege of Caerlaverock, the Viking adventure The Chessmen Thief and the Jacobite adventure The Reluctant Rebel. Her latest book is Rivet Boy, about a young Victorian breadwinner employed on the construction site of the iconic Forth Bridge. She has twice won the Historical Association’s Young Quills Award. Her only title for adults to date is the immigration memoir Scottish by Inclination. Barbara lives in Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.

My Thoughts

This is a well-written and entertaining story that could appeal to middle grade readers, especially those fascinated by the period of history presented here. I don’t know how much young students will know about Mary, Queen of Scots and her accurate portrayal in history, but that knowledge isn’t necessary here to pique interest. Instead, we have a young male protagonist who is smart, clever, and appealing, displays extraordinary honesty and bravery, and is rewarded for it.

The action starts almost immediately and doesn’t stop until the end, which is a pace that will keep kids reading. The vocabulary is appropriate to the age level. Reading this could easily prompt kids to investigate falconry, tall ships, and even embroidery.

An more enticing cover would surely encourage kids to pick this one up.

Publication Date: April 11, 2024
Published By: Luath Press
Thanks to Book Sirens for the review copy

British, Detective, Historical, Mystery, Suspense

Shot With Crimson by Nicola Upson

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Violence finds its way to old Hollywood in the eleventh Josephine Tey mystery, perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Jacqueline Winspear.

September 1939, and the worries of war follow Josephine Tey to Hollywood, where a different sort of battle is raging on the set of Hitchcock’s Rebecca.

Then a shocking act of violence reawakens the shadows of the past, with consequences on both sides of the Atlantic, and Josephine and DCI Archie Penrose find themselves on a trail leading back to the house that inspired a young Daphne du Maurier – a trail that echoes Rebecca‘s timeless themes of obsession, jealousy, and murder.

My Thoughts

Upson’s Josephine Tey series has been hit or miss for me over the years, but I picked this one up because it focuses on one of my favorites fictional tales, Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier.

I was not disappointed.

The action here follows two separate but connected storylines – one in England with detective Archie Penrose and one in America with Josephine. Both stories feature Upson’s trademark clever plotting and witty dialog, although I was more engaged by the story in America on the set of Alfred Hitchcock’s film.

Upson does a good job of keeping the action moving despite a very large cast of characters, and she neatly ties up loose ends with some eyebrow raising twists in the last couple of chapters.

Having read a few of this series already, I was familiar with some of the characters, and that definitely helped me follow the plot. If you haven’t read this series before, I suggest you not start here but go to the library and start at the beginning.

Publication Date: November 7, 2023
Published By: Penguin Random House
Thanks to the Rochester Public Library for the book

Children's, Family, Historical

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry by Anna Rose Johnson

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Lucy, a spirited French-Ojibwe orphan, is sent to the stormy waters of Lake Superior to live with a mysterious family of lighthouse-keepers—and, she hopes, to find the legendary necklace her father spent his life seeking…

Selena Lucy Landry (named for a ship, as every sailor’s child should be) has been frightened of the water ever since she lost her father at sea. But with no one else to care for her, she’s sent to foster with the Martins—a large Anishinaabe family living on a lighthouse in the middle of stormy Lake Superior.  

The Martin family is big, hard-working, and close, and Lucy—who has always been a dreamer—struggles to fit in. Can she go one day without ruining the laundry or forgetting the sweeping? Will she ever be less afraid of the lake?

Although life at the lighthouse isn’t what Lucy hoped for, it is beautiful—ships come and go, waves pound the rocks—and it has one major advantage: It’s near the site of a famous shipwreck, a shipwreck that went down with a treasure her father wanted more than anything. If Lucy can find that treasure—a priceless ruby necklace—won’t it be like having Papa back again, just a little bit? 

But someone else is hunting for the treasure, too. And as the lighthouse company becomes increasingly skeptical that the Martins can juggle Lucy and their duties, Lucy and the Martin children will need to find the necklace quickly—or they may not have a home at all.

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry is a timelessly sweet tale of found family from rising Ojibwe voice Anna Rose Johnson, author of NPR Best Book of the Year The Star That Always Stays. Perfect for fans of L.M. Montgomery and Karina Yan Glaser!

My Thoughts

Reading this lovely book took me back to my early reading days with Laura Ingalls Wilder and Louisa May Alcott and to my early librarian days with the Dear America series. There was definitely that vibe around this. The story is fanciful and features the familiar trope of young child left alone after terrible tragedies who finds a new and fruitful life.

I found the main character appealing as she tried so hard to mask her fears and insecurities with imagination (“I am a Princess of Acadia!”) The quest she set for herself in finding the lost necklace was a good element to move the story along, and the lighthouse setting was wonderful. The star here, though, is the family dynamic. The Martin family is big and loud but also loving and responsible. Readers will want to be a Martin!

There were many touchstones in this story for me (a 61 year old reader), and I hope this will appeal to middle grade readers looking for adventure. This could also spark some interest in Great Lakes history, especially those who live on the shores of those lakes.

“Lucy Landry is a charming and fanciful heroine reminiscent of Anne Shirley, who reminds us that even in dark times, we can be a light for others.”—Alyssa Colman, author of Bank Street Best Book of the Year The Gilded Girl

Publication Date: March 5, 2024
Published By: Holiday House, Peachtree, Pixel+Ink
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Book Tour, Cozy, Detective, Historical, Mystery, Partners In Crime

Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles by Elizabeth Crowens

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

“Sherlock Holmes has lost his dog? We have bigger crimes to solve. Go find him yourself!” That’s what the Los Angeles Police Department told Basil Rathbone. The City Pound ridiculed him as well.

Asta, the dog from the popular Thin Man series, has also vanished, and production for his next film is pending. MGM Studios offers a huge reward, and that’s exactly what young private detectives Babs Norman and Guy Brandt need for their struggling business to survive. Celebrity dognapping now a growing trend, Basil also hires them to find his missing Cocker Spaniel.

The three concoct a plan for Basil to assume his on-screen persona and round up possible suspects, including Myrna Loy and William Powell; Dashiell Hammett, creator of The Thin Man; Nigel Bruce, Basil’s on-screen Doctor Watson; Hollywood-newcomer, German philanthropist and film financier Countess Velma von Rache, and the top animal trainers in Tinseltown. Yet everyone will be in for a shock when the real reason behind the canine disappearances is even more sinister than imagined.

Jump into Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles, Book One of the Babs Norman Golden Age of Hollywood Mystery series, Finalist in the Killer Nashville Claymore Awards for Comedy and First Prize winner in the Chanticleer Review’s Mark Twain Awards for Comedy and Satire.

Get ready for its sequel, Bye, Bye, Blackbird, featuring Humphrey Bogart and the cast of The Maltese Falcon.

My Thoughts

If the madcap detective films of the 1930s had a bookish sister, it would be this book. Crowens dives deeply into the Hollywood that produced those iconic films starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, Nigel Bruce, and Basil Rathbone and overlays them with a clever, sassy mystery featuring as snarky a detective as I’ve ever encountered.

Crowens writes with abandon, deliciously describing the naughty and often hilarious goings-on behind the scenes in Tinseltown. I was reminded of one of my all-time favorite series of books by George Baxt which feature mysteries surrounding Hollywood royalty. Those are mostly out of print and hard to come by, so I am happy to see a 21st century author plumbing the depths of Old Hollywood for some fun mysteries.

This is a quick read that will appeal to fans of cozy and historical mystery stories.

Book Details:
Genre: Golden Age of Hollywood Humorous Mystery
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: March 2024
Number of Pages: 299
Series: A Babs Norman Hollywood Mystery, Book 1
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Book Shortlinks:
Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/mGh0H
Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/TsSyN

Author Bio

Elizabeth Crowens has worn many hats in the entertainment industry and has a popular Caption Contest on Facebook. She has three award-winning alternate history novels. Awards include 2020 Leo B. Burstein Scholarship from the MWA-NY Chapter, New York Foundation of the Arts grant, an Eric Hoffer Award, Honorable Mention in the Glimmer Train Awards, and two grand prize and five first prize Chanticleer Awards, including Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles, the first in her Babs Norman Hollywood series, which is also a Killer Nashville Claymore Awards finalist and part of her three-book publishing deal with Level Best Books

Catch Up With Elizabeth Crowens:
www.ElizabethCrowens.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @ECrowens
Instagram – @crowens_author
Twitter/X – @ECrowens
Facebook – @thereel.elizabeth.crowens

Cookbooks, Family, Historical

Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts by Crystal Wilkinson

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A lyrical culinary journey that explores the hidden legacy of Black Appalachians, through powerful storytelling alongside nearly forty comforting recipes, from the former poet laureate of Kentucky.

People are always surprised that Black people reside in the hills of Appalachia. Those not surprised that we were there, are surprised that we stayed.

Years ago, when O. Henry Prize-winning writer Crystal Wilkinson was baking a jam cake, she felt her late grandmother’s presence. She soon realized that she was not the only cook in her kitchen; there were her ancestors, too, stirring, measuring, and braising alongside her. These are her kitchen ghosts, five generations of Black women who settled in Appalachia and made a life, a legacy, and a cuisine.

An expert cook, Wilkinson shares nearly forty family recipes rooted deep in the past, full of flavor—delicious favorites including Corn Pudding, Chicken and Dumplings, Granny Christine’s Jam Cake, and Praisesong Biscuits, brought to vivid life through stunning photography. Together, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts honors the mothers who came before, the land that provided for generations of her family, and the untold heritage of Black Appalachia.

As the keeper of her family’s stories and treasured dishes, Wilkinson shares her inheritance in Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts. She found their stories in her apron pockets, floating inside the steam of hot mustard greens and tucked into the sweet scent of clove and cinnamon in her kitchen. Part memoir, part cookbook, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts weaves those stories together with recipes, family photos, and a lyrical imagination to present a culinary portrait of a family that has lived and worked the earth of the mountains for over a century.

My Thoughts

It’s not often I find a cookbook that is as much a story as a collection of recipes. Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts is such a book. Crystal Wilkinson writes a lovely, flowing memoir of her family as seen through the food they grew and consumed. Blending elements of a family scrapbook (snapshots of Wilkinson’s people likely taken with an old Kodak or Polaroid camera) are interspersed with fancier photos of the current finished recipes.

Some recipes are presented as they have been prepared in Wilkinson’s family for generations; others have been updated to include new ingredients and to accommodate new ways of eating for Wilkinson and her family. Each recipe is connected in specific ways to her family, ways which are communicated through gently told tales of her “kitchen ghosts” or all the women who came before her and inhabit her kitchen when she cooks.

Wilkinson’s earliest ancestors settled in Kentucky – those who were enslaved and those who were free. They grew up and worked the land on Indian Creek and reveled in the bounty that the land provided. Wilkinson provides a rare insight to the black folks who inhabited parts of Appalachia, especially the women who influenced her.

While the folkways and stories are unique to Wilkinson’s family, I recognized much of the food she writes about from stories told by my mother-in-law, a white woman who grew up in the hills of West Virginia. I read the section on poke to my husband, who educated me about the beautiful but poisonous plant last summer. Turns out his mother planted it on her farmland in western NY because it reminded her of home in West Virginia. The steps Wilkinson shares on how to safely handle and consume poke are identical to the process my mother-in-law used. Same thing for how to wash and cook greens.

General observation not really related to the book: As I’ve learned more about race in the last few years, I’ve observed that when it comes to food, we are very alike in our traditions and approaches to fixing things to eat. Wilkinson’s Chicken & Dumplings may be the closest I’ll come to replicating my MIL’s food. She, like Granny Christine, rarely cooked from recipes.

This is one of the most enjoyable, readable cookbooks I’ve read in years and I’ll be buying a copy for myself. I’m definitely making Jam Cake and caramel icing, although there are plenty of wonderful recipes to try.

“With Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts, Crystal Wilkinson cements herself as one of the most dynamic book makers in our generation and a literary giant. Utter genius tastes like this.”—Kiese Laymon, author of the Carnegie Medal-winning Heavy.

Publication Date: January 23, 2024
Published By: Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Historical, Horror, Magical Realism, Makes You Think, Psychological, Women

Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, Laura receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital, where she soon hears whispers about haunted trenches and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?

November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.

As shells rain down on Flanders and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging – or better left behind entirely.

My Thoughts

I’ve been a fan of Arden’s work since I first read her Winternight Trilogy, which I wrote about here and here. While her previous work has been some of the best fantasy and horror I’ve read, she stretches way beyond those genres here in a book I can only describe as quietly incandescent.

The utter horror of World War I has been documented in so many ways that Arden doesn’t feel obligated to give a history lesson here. Instead, she examines the humanity (and inhumanity) experienced by average people caught up in situations too big and too awful to comprehend without going mad. She beautifully renders the utter heartbreak and the paralyzing fear experienced by soldiers, nurses, and doctors, juxtaposed with love, affection, friendship and the human capacity to just get on with it and worry about details later.

In Winternight, Arden wrote about a place called Midnight and the struggle between Chaos and Order. I recognized some aspects of both those things in some scenes here. The character of Faland reminded me a bit of The Bear – the bringer of chaos, the eater of souls – but the character here was developed in such a way that made me cringe but also want more. The concept that the war was so horrific, that it was murdering the old world and making way for the new, was so carefully balanced with the idea that it was also changing the nature of evil itself is one that has kept me thinking long after finishing the book.

I’m not often completely surprised at twists in a story, but the twist near the end of this one left me entirely nonplussed and drained. Arden’s treatment of relationships – brother & sister, mother and child, friend & enemy – is so intricate and beautiful that some scenes made me cry. That doesn’t often happen.

Despite the chaos and horror, the threads that pull it all together are love and madness. How can humans endure utter madness yet still find their way back to those who love them? How much can one person endure before they give up and what lengths would you go to in order to bring your loved one back from the brink?

This book comes out in early 2024 and I predict it will be on all the “Best of 2024” lists. It is a triumph for Katherine Arden and a gift to us all.

Publication Date: February 13, 2024
Published By: Random House Publishing Group; Ballantine; Del Rey
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

British, Historical, Magical Realism, Mystery, Romance, Suspense, Women

The White Hare by Jane Johnson

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

In the far west of Cornwall lies the White Valley, which cuts deeply through bluebell woods down to the sea at White Cove. The valley has a long and bloody history, laced with folklore, and in it sits a house above the beach that has lain neglected since the war. It comes with a reputation and a strange atmosphere, which is why mother and daughter Magdalena and Mila manage to acquire it so cheaply in the fateful summer of 1954.

Magda has grand plans to restore the house to its former glory as a venue for glittering parties, where the rich and celebrated gathered for cocktails and for bracing walks along the coast. Her grown daughter, Mila, just wants to escape the scandal in her past and make a safe and happy home for her little girl, Janey, a solitary, precocious child blessed with a vivid imagination, much of which she pours into stories about her magical plush toy, Rabbit.

But Janey’s rabbit isn’t the only magical being around. Legend has it that an enchanted white hare may be seen running through the woods. Is it an ill omen or a blessing? As Mila, her mother, and her young daughter adjust to life in this mysterious place, they will have to reckon with their own pasts and with the secrets that have been haunting the White Valley for decades.

My Thoughts

This story has all the things that captivate me in a book: magical realism, plenty of folklore, colorful characters, secrets from the past, and complicated family relationships.

In addition, Johnson is an accomplished writer, equally skilled at narrative description, character and plot development, dialog, and scene setting. There are so many wonderful scenes in this book that I keep going back to re-read parts long after I finished reading.

There is a nice balance of good and evil presented here, both between Mila and her mother, who harbors a horrifying secret from her own past, and between Jack and the Vicar who are bound by an equally horrifying experience from their past.

Johnson capably moves the story along through Mila and Janey, who act as the fulcrum for resolution of both storylines. I was reminded of Eve Chase’s work as I was reading, but also of Kate Morton, M.J. Rose, and Kate Mosse.

Highly recommended.

For fans of Alice Hoffman and Kate Morton, The White Hare is a spellbinding novel about mothers and daughters finding a new home for themselves, the secrets they try to bury, and the local legends that may change their lives.

Publication Date: October 2022
Published By: Simon & Schuster

Book Tour, Historical, Mystery, Partners In Crime, Uncategorized

RSVP to Murder by Carol Pouliot

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

A new twist on the 1930s English country house mystery.

Embarking on their most daring time-travel experiment to date, Depression-era cop Steven Blackwell and his 21st-century partner-in-crime Olivia Watson travel to the Adirondack Mountains for a Christmas party at one of the legendary Great Camps. Their host, a wealthy New York publisher, has planned a weekend filled with holiday activities, but, as the last guest arrives, temperatures plummet and a blizzard hits. Before long, the area is buried in snow, the roads are impassable, and the publisher is poisoned.

Unwilling to wait until the local police can arrive, the victim’s widow convinces Steven to launch an unofficial investigation. Soon, a family member goes missing and Steven and Olivia discover a second victim. Trapped with a killer, Steven and Olivia race against the clock before the murderer strikes again.

My Thoughts

This is the first in the series I’ve read, so the whole time-travel structure, although well-established, took some time to grasp. I would recommend reading earlier entries in the series to fully understand the concept.

Despite my unfamiliarity with the series, I found a well-written and cleverly plotted mystery reminiscent of Golden Age mysteries featuring a group of people stranded with a murderer. Pouliot creates just the right amount of tension throughout, both related to the mystery and to the relationships of the characters.

The setting in an Adirondack Great Camp appealed to me as a New Yorker and frequent visitor to the mountains. Pouliot captured the beauty of the region and the grandness of the camps themselves.

I was intrigued enough with the time-travel relationships between Steven and Olivia that I will seek out the earlier entries in the series to catch up on the larger story concept. Once done, I will definitely look for new entries in the series. This is one I will recommend and go back to for occasional re-reads.

Praise for RSVP to Murder:

“A classic holiday movie and Agatha Christie novel mashup” 
~ Shawn Reilly Simmons, author of the Red Carpet Catering Mystery Series

“RSVP to Murder is Agatha Christie with a time-travel twist. Pouliot supplies us with just what we crave in a great locked-room mystery: a blizzard, closed roads, dead phone lines, roaring fires, and lots of suspects and motives—all set in a luxurious Adirondack Great Camp in 1934. Snap on your seatbelt and travel with Steven and Olivia, you’ll be happy you did!” 
~ Tina deBellegarde, Author of The Batavia-on-Hudson Mystery Series.

“A Great Camp in the Adirondacks serves up a sumptuous setting of plump armchairs, roaring fireplaces, and the heady scent of Christmas pines—all begging to be settled into with this thumping good vintage whodunit set in the 1930s. Cleverly plotted with plot-twists aplenty and some time-travel to boot, this immersive mystery is a gem.” 
~ Laurie Loewenstein, Author of the Dust Bowl Mystery Series

“Readers are invited to the glamour of the Thirties, where the rich are putting on the Ritz, until there’s a murder to solve. Join time-travelers Blackwell and Watson in a race to the Racines’ Adirondack Great Camp to catch a killer. A clever…and a thoroughly unique must for fans of the paranormal and historical. RSVP today!” 
~ Gabriel Valjan, Author of the Shane Cleary Mysteries series

“The Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries’ latest installment, RSVP to Murder, combines the thrilling and “timeless” aspects of Jack Finney’s classic TIME AND AGAIN mixed with the wit and charm of a modern, puzzling mystery. Highly recommended for all lovers of time travel, history, romance and wily sleuths.” 
~ L.A. Chandlar, Best-selling author of the Art Deco Mystery Series

Book Details:

Genre: Traditional mystery
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: September 2023
Number of Pages: 305
ISBN: 9781685123857
Series: The Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries, #4
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads

Book Shortlinks:

Amazon – https://amzn.to/3qZCPMX
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/3r8pmSP
BookShop.org – https://bit.ly/3R9I0o0
Goodreads – https://bit.ly/45xaa0F

Author Bio:

Carol Pouliot

A former language teacher and business owner, Carol Pouliot writes the acclaimed Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries, traditional police procedurals with a seemingly impossible relationship between Depression-era cop Steven Blackwell and 21st-century journalist Olivia Watson. With their fast pace and unexpected twists and turns, the books have earned praise from readers and mystery authors alike. 

Carol is a founding member of Sleuths and Sidekicks, Co-chair of the Murderous March Mystery Conference, and President of her Sisters in Crime chapter. When not writing, Carol can be found packing her suitcase and reaching for her passport for her next travel adventure.

Learn more and sign up for Carol’s newsletter on her website:
www.carolpouliot.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @cpouliot13
Instagram – @carolpouliotmysterywriter
Facebook – @WriterCarolPouliot
Sleuths and Sidekicks

Food & Drink, Historical

The Lost Supper by Taras Grescoe

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

In the tradition of Michael Pollan, Anthony Bourdain, and Mark Bittman, an exciting and globe-trotting account of ancient cuisines—from Neolithic wines to ancient Roman fish sauce—and why reviving the foods of the past is the key to saving the future.

Many of us are worried (or at least we should be) about the impacts of globalization, pollution, and biotechnology on our diets. Whether it’s monoculture crops, hormone-fed beef, or high-fructose corn syrup, industrially-produced foods have troubling consequences for us and the planet. But as culinary diversity diminishes, many people are looking to a surprising place to safeguard the future: into the past.

The Lost Supper explores an idea that is quickly spreading among restaurateurs, food producers, scientists, and gastronomes around the world: that the key to healthy and sustainable eating lies not in looking forward, but in looking back to the foods that have sustained us through our half-million-year existence as a species. 

Acclaimed author Taras Grescoe introduces readers to the surprising and forgotten flavors whose revival is captivating food-lovers around the world: ancient sourdough bread last baked by Egyptian pharaohs; raw-milk farmhouse cheese from critically endangered British dairy cattle; ham from Spanish pata negra pigs that have been foraging on acorns on a secluded island since before the United States was a nation; and Neolithic wines from long-lost grapes uniquely capable of resisting quickly-evolving pests and modern pathogens.

From Ancient Roman fish sauce to Aztec caviar to the long-thought-extinct silphium, The Lost Supper is a deep dive into the latest frontier of global gastronomy—the archaeology of taste. Through vivid writing, history, and first-hand culinary experience, Grescoe sets out a provocative case: in order to save these foods, he argues, we’ve got to eat them.

Published in partnership with the David Suzuki Institute.

My Thoughts

Aimed at serious foodies and food historians, Grescoe’s work made me cringe, do some research, and share interesting bits with everyone around me as I read. There’s a bit of the “serious foodie” pretentiousness here that Grescoe smooths over with a sincere concern over the future of food and nutrition on our planet. I mean, is he seriously trying to get his young sons to make insects a daily part of their diet? I’m curious to know how that worked out, despite the clear evidence he provides of the nutritional value of insects.

And he doesn’t stop at insects, friends. He delves into other fascinating nutritional powerhouses among different cultures and describes his adventures in colorful and appealing detail.

This is a highly readable foray into the history of food and civilization from Neolithic times to the present day. I had not been exposed to the theory that agriculture is the root of the downfall of humans in history, which I found a fascinating thread through Grescoe’s travels across the globe.

“THE GREATEST MISTAKE in the history of the human race,” according to American geographer Jared Diamond, was farming. “With agriculture came the gross social and sexual inequality, the disease and despotism, that curse our existence.”

This would make a awesome book club selection and would generate some lively discussion, made even better by an accompaniment of chapulines for snacking.

Publication Date: September 19, 2023
Published By: Greystone Books
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Book Tour, Historical, Mystery, Partners In Crime

Death and the Sisters by Heather Redmond

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

September 25 – October 20, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Description

The tangled relationships between Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Mary’s stepsister Jane Clairmont form the backdrop for an intriguing historical mystery, set in London in 1814, that explores the complex dynamic between sisters and the birth of teenaged Mary’s creative genius.

London, 1814: Mary Godwin and her stepsister Jane Clairmont, both sixteen, possess quick minds bolstered by an unconventional upbringing, and have little regard for the rules that other young ladies follow. Mary, whose mother famously advocated for women’s rights, rejects the two paths that seem open to her—that of an assistant in her father’s bookshop, or an ordinary wife. Though quieter and more reserved than the boisterous Jane, Mary’s imagination is keen, and she longs for real-world adventures.

One evening, an opportunity arrives in the form of a dinner guest, Percy Bysshe Shelley. At twenty-one, Shelley is already a renowned poet and radical. Mary finds their visitor handsome and compelling, but it is later that evening, after the party has broken up, that events take a truly intriguing turn. When Mary comes downstairs in search of a book, she finds instead a man face down on the floor—with a knife in his back.

The dead man, it seems, was a former classmate of Shelley’s, and had lately become a personal and professional rival. What was he doing in the Godwins’ home? Mary, Jane, and Shelley are all drawn to learn the truth behind the tragedy, especially as each discovery seems to hint at a tangled web that includes many in Shelley’s closest circle. But as the attraction between Mary and the married poet intensifies, it sparks a rivalry between the sisters, even as it kindles the creative fire within.

My Thoughts

This book will appeal to so many different readers: fans of historical fiction, mystery fiction, classic literature, and “celebtrity” fiction. The author brings a young Mary Shelley to life through vivid description, well-paced dialog, and meticulous character development, all coming together in a captivating tale that I will be recommending everywhere this fall.

It’s refreshing to read an historical mystery where the women are unconventional but also realistic for their time and place. The initial meeting between Mary and Percy Bysshe Shelley is electric, and their involvement in a bonafide murder mystery enhances the tension between them, foreshadowing their eventual union. The added twist of Mary’s sister Jane and her role in the entire mystery is handled with sensitivity and acknowledgement that the girls are, after all, sisters.

I look forward to more in this series from Heather Redmond.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical mystery
Published by: Kensington 
Publication Date: September 2023
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781496737991 (ISBN10: 1496737997)
Series: Mary Shelley Mystery, 1
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Kensington

Book Short Links:

Amazon – https://amzn.to/3NQ1zyp
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/3Da35GV
BookShop.org – https://bit.ly/3DcjwCj
Goodreads – https://bit.ly/3JZHq8a
Kensington – https://bit.ly/3PWKMN1

Author Bio:

Heather Redmond

Heather Redmond is an author of commercial fiction and also writes as Heather Hiestand. First published in mystery, she took a long detour through romance before returning. Though her last British ancestor departed London in the 1920s, she is a committed anglophile, Dickens devotee, and lover of all things nineteenth century.

She has lived in Illinois, California, and Texas, and now resides in a small town in Washington State with her husband and son. The author of many novels, novellas, and short stories, she has achieved best-seller status at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers. Her 2018 Heather Redmond debut, A Tale of Two Murders, has received a coveted starred review from Kirkus Reviews.

Catch Up With Heather Redmond:
www.HeatherRedmond.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @heatherredmond1
Instagram – @hiestandheather
Twitter – @heatheraredmond
Heather Hiestand Redmond’s Reader Group on Facebook