I haven’t been reading as much this month because my kids have had me at the beach, splash pad, or playground almost every day. At their ages, I cannot take my eyes off them for a second so reading during these outings is not happening. But I am not complaining! Summer is amazing and I know soon enough I will be longing for beach days again. Check out the books I did manage to squeeze in this month below for my thoughts and recommendations.

   

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Ask Again, Yes

I thought Ask Again, Yes was well written but the majority of the story is just depressing. 

The novel features two families over the course of a number of decades. Two cops who are partners for a short time end up being next-door neighbors. Their children become best friends but besides that relationship, the families don’t socialize together. One evening a tragic event takes place that will have life-long consequences for both sets of neighbors.

Issues including mental illness, alcoholism, and some violence do enter into the story.  The novel is interesting but it never became a page-turner for me. I thought there were not enough uplifting parts.  Enough is happening in real life during this crazy year that I need a book to have at least a few happy sections that aren’t shrouded in drama and stress.

   

The Storyteller’s Secret

The Storyteller’s Secret made me shed a few tears. It could be the pregnancy hormones, but regardless it’s a really good book.

In the present time, a woman who is feeling broken after a number of miscarriages learns her husband wants a divorce. Also, she discovers her grandfather (who lives in India and whom she has never met) is dying and has requested her mother’s presence. Her mother refuses to go.

Instead, the daughter decides to venture to India to take a break from her own current reality. While there she meets the beloved servant of her long-dead grandmother who has stories to tell her.  These stories will help answer many of her questions and reveal a lot of information about the family. 

The novel is about healing, self-discovery, love, and betrayal. A mother’s love for her children is a featured theme. I thought this book was fantastic!

   

Whisper Network

In Whisper Network the author was inspired by her own experiences as a lawyer to write about what many women have experienced in the workforce. From working-mom guilt to sexual harassment, this fictional story focuses on one company’s workplace culture.

Three female friends are lawyers for an athletic brand.  When the CEO of the company suddenly dies their superior is in the running for the vacant position. One of the friends previously had an affair with this man and he didn’t take it well when she broke things off. He also has a reputation for his inappropriate behavior with a few women in the company. When a new hire arrives they want to protect her from their boss but is it already too late?

Around town, a list is circulating naming professional men in the Dallas area who have taken advantage of female co-workers and subordinates in the workplace. Now someone has jumped off a building presumably in response to this list.

The story switches from interviews with police and lawyers back to when the list first began to circulate and the women who might be suspected of murder.

The end of the book really starts to pick up and gets pretty good. I like how everything is nicely wrapped up. Definitely read the author’s notes after finishing the book!

   

The Summer Country

The Summer Country started slow and was initially a little confusing for me but it absolutely improved as the novel went on.  To be honest, I did figure everything out halfway through the novel but I still wanted to finish it. 

The story jumps back and forth between different generations.  A granddaughter has inherited a sugar cane plantation after her grandfather passes away. No one in the family knew this property existed. Now she is arriving to the country to see the land and is accompanied by her cousin and his wife (her best friend).

The reader learns how the grandfather came to own the plantation and all the drama that took place many years prior between neighboring plantations. An uprising by slaves had a major impact on the country and ultimately, her family.

While in Barbados, a cholera epidemic has devastating consequences.

If you have enjoyed my book reviews before you know how much of a history buff I am. This story has it all. Fascinating history about a country I didn’t know much about. Family tensions, slavery, romance, and a parent’s love are the main themes of the book. Yes, the cholera epidemic hits a little too close to home right now but it didn’t make me want to stop reading.

   

Need more book recommendations? Take a look at my August Book Reviews and Recommendations.