My
first career was in a very male-dominated profession (I now write children’s
books!) So I cheered for chemist Elizabeth Zott from the first page, as she
encountered sexism in the scientific and business worlds of the early 1960s.
Garmus
is a great storyteller, and some scenes had me laughing and crying at the same
time! With intelligence, wit, and perseverance, Elizabeth faces and conquers
many obstacles. Her brilliant, eccentric colleague Calvin Evans treats her as
an equal, and their romantic relationship is central to the complex but
well-crafted plot.
As I
closed the book on this wonderful story, I put my hand to my heart and was
sad, but only because there were no more pages to turn.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • Meet Elizabeth Zott: a “formidable, unapologetic and inspiring” (PARADE) scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show in this novel that is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel. It reminds you that change takes time and always requires heat” (The New York Times Book Review).
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Newsweek, GoodReads
"A unique heroine ... you'll find yourself wishing she wasn’t fictional." —Seattle Times…
Great
WWII historical fiction, full of compelling detail and perfect prose. Using
flashbacks, Doerr masterfully weaves a plot that moves two young people from
childhood to early adulthood in wartime, when their paths intersect.
Physically
sightless young Marie-Laure LeBlanc flees occupied Paris with her father to the
small seaside town of Saint-Malo. Werner Pfenning serves in Hitler’s army
and tracks down enemy radio transmissions.
I
was surprised to feel sorry for a Nazi soldier! But Werner Pfennig’s journey
from a deprived childhood in an orphanage through inhumane military schooling
and service to Hitler made him a tragic figure as his moral compass awakened.
I’ll
end by saying both Marie-Laure and Werner grow and affirm their humanity in
this deeply moving, beautifully written novel.
WINNER OF THE 2015 PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR FICTION
A beautiful, stunningly ambitious novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II
Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.'
For Marie-Laure, blind since the age of six, the world is full of mazes. The miniature of a Paris neighbourhood, made by her father to teach her the way home. The microscopic…
This book was recommended by
a friend. I am not a horse lover, but I loved this story!
With three
main character storylines interwoven (that of a young Kentucky slave bonded
with a gifted horse, a Nigerian-American art historian, and an Australian
fossil expert), Geraldine Brooks made me feel like I was "really
there" with each of them.
These characters’ lives play
out in relationship to a mystery involving an oil painting of a racehorse. I
was fascinated by the historical details of thoroughbred horse racing in the US.
And depictions of a slave’s
life grabbed me from the get-go, in the main character’s name denoting
possession, Warfield’s Jarrett. Jarett’s story made me pause andponder many times, as did contemporary scenes dealing with
racial discrimination.
"Brooks' chronological and cross-disciplinary leaps are thrilling." -The New York Times Book Review
"Horse isn't just an animal story-it's a moving narrative about race and art." -TIME
A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history
Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an…
My inspirational picture book offers a joyful message for meeting challenges and ushering in new beginnings.
Diverse characters, shown caring and sharing in childhood/community scenes, beautifully complement the lyrical text in a kid-friendly exploration of how hope makes us loving, courageous, and connected to one another.
This book belongs in homes, classrooms, school libraries, and counselor's book collections focusing on community and kindness.
