Tag Archive: historical-fiction


Review: Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear

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May 5, 2025

Among the Mad (Maisie Dobbs, #6)Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This might be the best book of the series and the most frightening. I must admit to having a nightmare or two from reading it at bedtime.

What is weird and special is that the author, Jacqueline Winspear, has taken historical events and shows us lessons we should have learned. In this particular book, the troubles of PTSD, homelessness, and depression are on display within the context of sophisticated British literature and history.

Orlagh Cassidy (Narrator) has the acting chops to keep the reader (listener) engaged with each character. She finds a way to make each person individual.

This series is one of the best. I thank my friend, Kay, for recommending it to me. I highly recommend all the Maisie Dobbs books so far!

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Review: Tiopa Ki Lakota by D. Jordan Redhawk

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May 4, 2025

Tiopa Ki LakotaTiopa Ki Lakota by D. Jordan Redhawk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a beautiful love story. It was so unique seeing two women, a white, Irish woman, I think, and a Lakota two-spirit woman. The author takes you into both points of view during a time in American history when the whites were on the westward ho, conquering and killing as they moved.

But here is what was happening to one particular woman and her tribe, and a little about their philosophy.

I think the only thing that might have made this story better would have been to have it narrated by a person who could speak the language. The problem with Text-to-Speech is how badly Kindle’s voice pronounces words that are not English.

Still, I am happy I finally got around to reading this story. I’ve had it in my ‘currently-reading’ shelf since 2016. I highly recommend this read.

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Review: An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear

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May 1, 2025

An Incomplete Revenge (Maisie Dobbs, #5)An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This series is so fulfilling. Each book sees the character, Maisie, and her life progressing within a well-researched historical England. Equally, life continues as do illness, death, or personal conflicts. All of this kept me in another world, exploring life at another time. I hated leaving the book to go to sleep. I felt I could reach out and chat with the characters; that’s how well Jacqueline Winspear writes.

Orlagh Cassidy narrates in such a way that there is no confusion between characters, which helps increase the story’s realism.

If you get the opportunity to read this series, please give it a try. I highly recommend the Libby audiobook version. My friend, Kay, recommended it to me, and she rarely leads me to dull books!

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Review: Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear

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April 14, 2025

Messenger of Truth (Maisie Dobbs, #4)Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This one was particularly bittersweet. The art world of the day was brought to light. But also, there was a deep sadness for our main characters.

These story bits were mixed into the murder mystery. Was it a murder? Another part of the mystery.

I highly recommend these books. Jacqueline Winspear’s research and writing abilities keep the story engaging. So far, I have been able to read/listen to the audio version of the books on Libby. Orlagh Cassidy (Narrator) brought it all to life.

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Review: Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear

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March 20, 2025

Pardonable Lies (Maisie Dobbs, #3)Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my favorite Maisie Dobbs mystery yet. The addition of Orlaugh Cassidy as narrator brought this story to life. Also, the author brought more depth to Maisie Dobbs. Her past resurfaces, and her life is in constant danger.

Ms. Dobbs travels in this book. That’s where a narrator who can speak dialects and other languages comes in. I can’t imagine reading this with Kindle Text-to-Speech. Or even visually, as Orlaugh Cassidy helps you feel like you are watching the movie. The France trips were a great experience.

All the Maisie Dobbs are fun so far. Jacqueline Winspear puts a lot of research into her books to help readers feel they have fallen into that era and place.

Libby had this audiobook to loan. I am so happy to be able to read these books.

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Review: Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

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Cold Comfort FarmCold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Need a laugh? Here’s a fun book. I didn’t get it at first. When I realized it was supposed to be funny, I grinned for most of the book. It is British humor, my favorite.

I had been reading the Maisie Dobbs series, so I expected a serious mystery or something.

This review isn’t working. Here’s the blurb from GoodReads:
When sensible, sophisticated Flora Poste is orphaned at nineteen, she decides her only choice is to descend upon relatives in deepest Sussex.

At the aptly named Cold Comfort Farm, she meets the doomed Starkadders: cousin Judith, heaving with remorse for unspoken wickedness; Amos, preaching fire and damnation; their sons, lustful Seth and despairing Reuben; child of nature Elfine; and crazed old Aunt Ada Doom, who has kept to her bedroom for the last twenty years.

But Flora loves nothing better than to organize other people. Armed with common sense and a strong will, she resolves to take each of the family in hand. A hilarious and merciless parody of rural melodramas, Cold Comfort Farm (1932) is one of the best-loved comic novels of all time.

I hear there’s a movie. I’ll have to look that up. I picked this edition up from Libby. I think it might have been even better as an audiobook.

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Review: Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

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March 16, 2025

Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs, #2)Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fun series so far. Each book is a quick read and not too deep, so great as a bedtime book. Orlagh Cassidy (Narrator) gave a bit of authenticity to the writing that simple text-to-speech could not. The British text-to-speech voice reads these stories well, but a human voice is better when it comes to different dialects. Granted, I don’t know one dialect from another, but Ms. Cassidy’s switching from formal to cockney or other voices helped keep the characters separated.

This mystery had me going. I couldn’t figure out who did it or why. But the author, Jacqueline Winspear, told the tale with intrigue. She builds the world to help readers feel they are in post-war English towns. The feathers were a curious touch. Why? Was it important? Eventually, it will all be solved by our Maisie Dobbs, who is graceful and respectful of her fellow humans and their psychological intricacies.

I was happy to find this audiobook on Libby. I think the series is quite enjoyable. I think you’ll like it, too.

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Review: Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

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March 13, 2025

Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs, #1)Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My friend Kay recommended this series. She’s right. These are fun and engaging.

This first installment came from Libby and was in Kindle form. That meant that I could listen to it with text-to-speech. Since I have my Fire set to a British female voice (think Mary Poppins), it fits quite nicely with this story.

War is a horrid thing. This particular war in England and Europe was one of the worst. Yet, for women, it became a way to escape the housewife, childbearer, whore classification most women were forced into. With the men fighting, the jobs were open for women to learn and show their abilities. Sadly, when the men came home, most of the women lost that step up to being wholly human.

Some women did find careers to move on. Maisie Dobbs is one of the ones it worked for.

This first book lays the groundwork for Maisie’s history and sets up the world she’s in. She’s a woman of spirit that can solve mysteries and make friends with all classes of people.

I have already started book two. I am in for the ride!

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Review: What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

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October 20, 2024

What the River Knows (Secrets of the Nile #1)What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First of all, I never learned what the river knows. Second, I didn’t like any of the characters. It’s supposed to be a Young Adult, and I am three or four times the age of the prescribed reader. Still, I usually like YA books, so…

It is supposed to be about magick and fantasy, but it is not consistent or completely helpful. The history is enough that it might bring a young person to Google Cleopatra, Egypt, or Argentina. There is a smattering of very elementary Spanish, making a language student feel smart. But honestly, I felt I wasted time getting to an unsatisfying cliff. It didn’t make me want to continue.

Okay, it could be me. OR it could be that I listened to Text-to-Speech, and I could have used a live narrator who could read all the languages presented.

I hope others will read it and like it. It seems promising, but I don’t plan to read the next part of the series. Still, I’m grateful to Libby for the borrow of the Kindle version.

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Review: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

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October 11, 2024

Salt to the SeaSalt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading Lily’s Promise about World War Two atrocities, I wasn’t sure I could get through another. But this seemed to be a different take. And it was written as a Young Adult novel. So, I was curious. Then I was surprised.

Jorjeana Marie (Narrator), Will Damron (Narrator), Cassandra Morris (Narrator), and Michael Crouch (Narrator) all brought Ruta Sepetys’ book to life. I’m not a historian, so when others start to spout names and facts of the time leaves me drowsy and mind-numb. But right off, Ms. Sepetys presents characters that seem plausible. I found I cared for all of them, even the not-so-loveable ones. Well, there was one I couldn’t stand, but he wasn’t a very good person. The rest were flawed humans just trying to survive.

I had never heard of the Wilhelm Gustloff ship, which proved to be in existence. When I mentioned it to my husband, he had never heard of it either, and he’s a bit more of a history buff, so that added something that rang true to the story.

Being a Young Adult book doesn’t make this immature but helps readers like me gentle into the story.

Again, this was a Libby Audiobook, which made it even better. I hope you get the chance to read it. It’s worth it.

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