The Marriage of Opposites, by Alice Hoffman. In the tradition of The Museum of Extraordinary Things and The Dovekeepers, Hoffman brings readers another extraordinary woman's story, this time, that of the woman who would be the mother of Camille Pissarro, Father of Impressionism. Growing up on idyllic St. Thomas in the early 1800s, Rachel dreams of
life in faraway Paris. Rachel’s mother, a pillar of their small refugee
community of Jews who escaped the Inquisition, has never forgiven her
daughter for being a difficult girl who refuses to live by the rules.
Growing up, Rachel’s salvation is their maid Adelle’s belief in her
strengths, and her deep, life-long friendship with Jestine, Adelle’s
daughter. But Rachel’s life is not her own. She is married off to a
widower with three children to save her father’s business. When her
husband dies suddenly and his handsome, much younger nephew, Frédérick,
arrives from France to settle the estate, Rachel seizes her own life
story, beginning a defiant, passionate love affair that sparks a scandal
that affects all of her family, including her favorite son, who will
become one of the greatest artists of France. I adore Hoffman's work, and am eagerly anticipating this one!
The Taming of the Queen, by Philippa Gregory. Gregory, who has written about all of Henry VIII's queens, has at last come to the last of them. Kateryn Parr, a thirty-year-old widow in a secret affair with a new
lover, has no choice when a man old enough to be her father who has
buried four wives—King Henry VIII—commands her to marry him. Kateryn
has no doubt about the danger she faces: the previous queen lasted
sixteen months, the one before barely half a year. But Henry adores his
new bride and Kateryn’s trust in him grows as she unites the royal
family, creates a radical study circle at the heart of the court, and
rules the kingdom as Regent. But is this enough to keep her safe?
Candy Corn Murder, by Leslie Meier. A sure sign that even in the full heat of summer, pumpkin-spice lattes are just around the corner? A fall-themed cozy, brimming with sweets, goblins, pumpkins...and murder. Local reporter Lucy Stone is covering Tinker Cove's annual Giant Pumpkin Fest, only to find herself with some major sleuthing to do when her husband's best friend turns up dead, and her husband Bill is at the top of the suspect list. (This is twenty-second in the fan favorite series. If you're new to it and want to start at the beginning, Book One is Mistletoe Murder.)
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