What to Read in Quarantine? : A Special Post Part 2

What to Read in Quarantine? : A Special Post Part 2

Another excellent book you may hopefully be able to obtain from your library's e-book system or favorite bookseller is. . .


The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner--Austenesque/Historical Fiction


Thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed in my review are my own and not affected by NetGalley's service.

A race against time to save Jane Austen's legacy in Chawton, the Hampshire village where she spent her final days writing and revising her famous novels. It all begins in in June 1932 when a chance meeting between Adam Berwick, a sad farmer mourning his lost family and educational opportunities, and an American tourist inspires Adam to spend his winter reading Jane Austen. He falls in love with Elizabeth Bennet and wonders at how Mr. Darcy can mess up the situation any more. Though no one understands Adam's desire to read and learn, her returns to Jane Austen again and again as winters pass.

In 1943 in the same Hampshire village where Adam learns to love literature again, Dr. Gray ponders the weight of his responsibilities as a country doctor and as a member of the school board of trustees. Miss Adeline Lewis hopes to inspire her students by teaching Jane Austen and other 18th-century women writers in opposition of the school board. Adeline's star pupil, Evie Stone, is forced to leave school at 14 to work but not without a book list provided by her beloved Miss Lewis. Miss Lewis too is about to leave the school before she is fired. She is engaged to her childhood pal Samuel Grover and intends to keep house and wait for his return from war, a return that will never come.

Two years later the war is over and the village of Chawton will never be the same. Adeline is trying to carry on without her husband, killed in action before they were settled into married life. She looks forward to impending motherhood. An American actress and Jane Austen devotee, Mimi Harrison, is eager to obtain Jane Austen's jewelry at auction and thus begins preserving the author's legacy, while her fiance, Jack Leonard, believes making Mimi's Austen dreams come true will allow him to score with the lady, Willoughby style.

Back in Chawton, Frances Knight, last of the Knight family, last of Jane Austen's brother's line, is waiting for her father to die. Waiting to see if he finally acknowledged her years of service to him - years sacrificed, love lost and never regained. Meanwhile, her housemaid Evie plans to help Miss Knight by voraciously scouring the library for any trace of Jane Austen. This odd assortment of people, plus a few others, will form the Jane Austen Society in hopes of creating a museum in the old steward's cottage in Chawton. Their lives intersect in ways none of them can understand just yet but they all share a devotion to one of the greatest writers in the English language.

It's impossible to fully describe this novel and how I feel about it. I loved the concept of the novel, the preservation of a beloved author's legacy in her hometown, the creation of the museum many of us have made our own pilgrimages to and the friendship and romances between the characters. I found the story compelling and kept turning the page to read what would happen next. Mostly I cared about whether the society would be able to save the Knight library and preserve the cottage. It took a really long time to get there and the end was maybe a bit rushed.

What I didn't like is how contrived this story is. Astute Austen readers will pick up on similarities between the characters of this novel, the "real" people of Chawton and the characters in Jane Austen's novels, yet only ONE character in the entire plot figures this out at the end. This story is permeated with the somberness of a generation caught up in two catastrophic world wars and is therefore, more tinged with sadness that I normally prefer. As Jane Austen once said, let other pens dwell on guilt and misery! The relationships between the characters are very predictable for the most part. One storyline surprised me at the end. The one plot that I really really didn't like was the Mimi plot. It reflects real life a little too much with a sexual assault scene and an actress who knowingly falls for a "bad boy" because of sexual attraction. The rest of the characters and plots I enjoyed, particularly Evie's catalog of the Knight library.

The characters in this novel are composites of Austen characters and yet they are also fully flesh and blood, much like Austen's own characters. We feel right along with them and grieve and ache as they do and experience joy and romance. Shy Adam Berwick may be a farmer but he once had dreams of attending University and studying literature. The only male left in his family after the Great War and the Spanish flu, he was forced to give up those dreams and stay with his mother who doesn't understand him. My heart broke for Adam more than any of the other characters. I empathize entirely with the rut he is stuck in and how much that lost dream meant to him. He's just so sad and lonely. I was hard pressed to put my finger on WHICH Austen character he could be but perhaps Captain Benwick?

Mary Anne/Mimi is a bit of an idealistic dreamer yet she enters into a relationship with Jack with eyes wide open. A lifelong lover of Austen, Mimi, like Elizabeth Bennet, has high standards for herself and won't allow herself to be with any man who doesn't respect her. She experiences a #MeToo moment with a 1940s Harvey Weinstein that forces her to rethink her career. At 35, she's old for Hollywood and her time on the big screen may be coming to an end. Intelligent and resourceful, Mimi decides to retire part-time to Hampshire where she can indulge her Austen dreams. I like how she sets out to preserve Jane Austen's legacy from the beginning and how she sparked a rebirth in Adam. I REALLY disliked her relationship with Jack though. She knows he's Henry Crawford and likes that she can ostensibly reform him. I disagree but I know plenty of people on team Crawford. Mimi has some very frank conversations with people she's only just met. Aren't the British supposed to be more reserved than Americans? That was very awkward and unrealistic.

The most beautiful and heart-wrenching plotline is the Dr. Gray/Adeline plot. Austen lovers will figure out which characters they are pretty quickly. Dr. Gray is a tragic figure. He hasn't gotten over the death of his wife, feeling guilty because he couldn't save her. He can't let the past go yet he tries to stay in the present and not think too much about what happened. When tragedy hits Adeline, he worries about her in a very sweet way. She seems him as a bit paternalistic at times though and keeps pushing against him. He truly cares but can't see what's in front of his nose. I like Adeline's spark and her spunk. Like Elizabeth Bennet, her courage rises at every attempt to intimidate her. When the school board said no, she did it anyway. Adeline had a terrible shock and is grieving in an unhealthy way but who can blame her? I experienced all the emotions with these two. Jane Austen brings them together and sparks fly but both are broken and perhaps they can't be made whole again to experience life.

Miss Frances is clearly Anne Elliott with the personality of Fanny Price. She accepts what is and that's that. She never fights back or gets upset at the injustices her terrible father inflicted on her. Old Mr. Knight is a horrid tyrant of the Georgette Heyer type without any humor. For years he has bullied his daughter, ignored her and basically treated her like dirt. He blames her for not marrying and producing an heir. Evie, her housemaid, is devoted to Miss Frances. Evie, a lively girl of 16, would rather spend her nights reading in the library than going out or even sleeping. Evie still has a strong passion for learning and literature. Her plot engaged me the most and I was eager to sit there next to her looking at the books. One day I simply must go to Chawton House Library. Evie's plot hook kept me turning pages late into the night.

Andrew Forrester, a solicitor from Alton and Yardley Sinclair, an auctioneer from London, round out the Jane Austen Society. Andrew is scrupulous about rules and regulations even when it comes to his personal feelings. His feelings are obvious and he directly corresponds to one Austen hero. The situation is basically the same. I found him a bit too black and white and not a character I sympathize with. He needs to do something and take action. Yardley is funny. At first I thought he was just a money hungry businessman but soon his passion for Jane Austen becomes clear. Then the reader knows he has the very best of intentions. Yardley seems to be the only character who isn't broken. He's a little bit of light relief in a heavy story.

Minor characters that populate Chawton and make this English village so charming are Harriet Peckham, Dr. Gray's secretary. I can't stand her. She's a nosy gossip and presumes too much about her employer. His nurse, Liberty, is just as bad and for some reason is rivals with Adeline. Adeline's mother, Mrs. Lewis is sharp tongued and not very pleasant. It's no wonder Adeline can't move on with her battle-axe of a mother staying with her. Mrs. Berwick is nearly as bad but I believe Mrs. Lewis isn't selfish, just protective of her daughter. Mrs. Berwick is selfish and out to protect herself and keeps her son under her thumb. She has a secret that comes out of nowhere and seems rather far-fetched. Colin Knatchbull-Hugessen is a lazy, no-good fool. He's new to Chawton and I don't think he deserves to be there. I'm not a lawyer but I'm pretty sure I would be questioning his arrival in town if I were a certain someone.

I liked the author's writing style, for the most part. A few editorial things bothered me that I hope will be fixed in the final edition. The use of "alright" is my biggest pet peeve. Standard English usage is "all right" - two words. "Alright" one word seems more accepted now but it really doesn't make sense. The other problem I had with this uncorrected edition is the passage of time back and forth within a scene and between characters. I hope the publisher includes some kind of mark to indicate the scene is changing. I enjoyed some of the beautiful phrases and the insights into Jane Austen's novels. I never thought about some of the things discussed and now have more to think about next time I reread.

This book is recommended for true Janeites but probably not to those who only know the movies or GASP don't know Jane at all!

Content warning:
sexual assault - semi-graphic
pre-marital sex - not shown on page but discussed a lot in the inner dialogue
prescription drug abuse

What I Read in December 2016 Part I. . .

What I Read in December 2016 Part I. . .


Oh Say Can You Fudge by Nancy CoCo--Cozy Mystery

Summer season is in full swing and Allie has her hands full. In addition to running the hotel and fudge shop, she has volunteered to organize the island fireworks shows. When she discovers her pyro guy dead and the warehouse burned down, Allie knows her status on the island is about to become less than 0 if she can't come up with something ASAP. Then Mal discovers a series of fires believed to be arson and Allie is terrified the villain is coming after her next. With her loved ones around her and her super pup Mal, can she wait for the police to figure it out or should she help them before it's too late?

The mystery here is pretty lame. It's obvious who the arsonist is and the police really should have known that. The mystery is really whether to the arsonist and the murderer are one in the same and what the motive was. The answer may surprise you. It surprised me and I wasn't thrilled with the outcome. It was weird. The dialogue is completely insane. After "listening" to Allie's voicemail (we ALL know what the instructions are... no need to write "you have three new messages" etc. I wanted to scream! I was also incredibly annoyed with the room numbers constantly referred to as 3-oh-2. We can read it like that in our heads, thank you.

Allie's romance is heating up but in a sweet way. Trent is a swoony boyfriend even though he's Emily and Richard Gilmore rich. (Did I mention how the author keeps borrowing from Gilmore Girls?) Frances's romance is also super sweet.

We get to know Sandy better in this story and I think she would make a great main character. I find her more interesting than Allie, who is a bit single-minded in her fudge obsession. I liked seeing Allie with her parents and getting to know them better. I disliked Liz. She's always in the right place at the right time to spot a crime and she is responsible for nearly getting Allie killed. Her grandfather isn't in the book enough. He's so funny.

There are some quirky new characters here: Sophie, the island pilot. I don't know if I trust her entirely. She's an off-islander like Allie but without the family ties. There's also house painter Luke and his son, described as "good" frequently; Allie's neighbor at the photo studio and her son Oliver. They seem like a nice mother-son duo but the son probably has issues stemming from the nasty divorce. Finally, there's a new animal companion! Allie and friends find a pretty calico cat wandering around the hotel. Her story is just beginning but she already knows how to deal with Mal. I'm not a cat person so I could care less but she should add some funny animal antics to the story.

I want to keep reading the series just for Mal! She's so adorable and she knows it. I'm curious to see what crime she sniffs out next!


Miss Dimple Picks a Peck of Trouble by Mignon F. Ballard--Historical Mystery

When Delia Varnadore returns to the store where her friend Prentice works with cold drinks and snacks, Prentice is nowhere to be found. Delia fears the worst but everyone else in town believes there to be a practical reason for Prentice's disappearance. Sadly, Delia's suspicions are correct and Prentice is found murdered with rose petals strewn across her body. Elderberry residents believe the killer was a serial killer from Atlanta, until Prentice's ex-boyfriend is taken in by the police. Miss Dimple suspects Clay is innocent and vows to prove it. The only witness to come forward is Hattie McGee, an eccentric woman who believes she is Scarlett O'Hara. How can Miss Dimple solve the case with so little to go on?

This mystery is really good. It kept me reading far too late. I pretty much figured out who the killer was early on but I wasn't positive and I just had to know why. I was mostly right about the killer but the motive went deeper than it would seem at first. Where the author really excels is in the historical details that make up the setting. I question the availability of soda and chocolate bars that late in the war, especially in such a small, rural town. Sometimes the historical details were a little unnecessary. I skimmed a lot at the end. There's also a lot of background on what was happening in Europe during this time- just after D-Day to fill in some plot for the younger women. That felt out of place even though I wanted to know what happened to the young men at war.

What I really really did not like in this book was a heavy petting scene early on. It's semi-graphic and completely threw me off guard because the other books were squeaky clean in regards to romance. I was also bothered by boys ogling girls' breasts. That wasn't necessary.

There are so many new characters in this story. Prentice, the victim, was a young woman on the brink of adulthood. She had hopes and dreams and was mourning the loss of her mentor. It was a real tragedy for a young woman to have her life taken from her just when she was about to experience life outside their small Georgia town. Prentice was raised by her aunt Bertie, a woman with a tragic past. I felt just awful for Bertie. She seems a little sharp-edged but she has experienced loss and betrayal so it's understandable she wouldn't be as warm and loving as Leola. Though Leola is dead already by the start of the novel, she's an extremely likable character. She was warm, caring, smart and a good friend. Clay Jarrett is Prentice's ex-boyfriend. I didn't care for him so much. He was selfish and whiny. We're told a lot that Clay loved Prentice and how hurt he was but we don't really see it in the flashback scenes. He's interested in her body but doesn't really support her dreams.

There are a couple of crazy "smothers" in this story. Clay's mother is a little too involved in her son's life, especially his love life. She would drive me crazy if she were my mother. Then there's Hardin Haynesworth Kirkland is one of those claw her way to the top people. She's not at all likable. She is also way too obsessed with her son. He's a grown man but she thinks of him as her little boy. Her life is intolerable but she won't make changes even though at this time she does have options. I didn't feel sorry for her at all.

The last two brand new characters are my favorites. I loved the eccentric Hattie. I felt bad that she had brain damage and couldn't live in reality but that's what made her so appealing. I love that she thinks she's Scarlett O'Hara and she knows where the Confederate gold is. The townspeople seem to tolerate her but only just. She is a comic/tragic figure. Delby O'Donnell is another tragic figure. Because he's the town drunk, no one cares much about him or believes the things he says. I kind of liked him and hoped for the best for him.

The war has one more year to go and the library has the next book in the series so I will probably read it this week.

What I Read in November 2016 Part VI. . .

What I Read in November 2016 Part VI. . .

Miss Dimple Suspects by Mignon F. Ballard--Historical Mystery

Christmas is coming and everyone is looking forward to the season. When little Peggy Ashcroft goes missing, it puts a damper on the festivities and sets into motion a mystery that Miss Dimple has to solve. Newly adopted Peggy ran off after her cat and while everyone believes Peggy returned to the site of her original home, Miss Dimple, as Peggy's teacher, knows right where the girl should be- if she can find it. With the sky growing dark and the temperature growing cold, Miss Dimple nearly gives up, but is helped by a protective German Shepherd dog guarding the little girl. The child is too heavy and too sick for Miss Dimple to carry down the hill but the dog leads her to the home of a reclusive artist Mae Martha and her nurse/companion, an Asian woman named Suzy. When Suzy saves Peggy's life and probably Dimple's too, Dimple politely keeps her suspicions about Suzy's background and secretive ways to herself. When Mae Martha is found dead only a few days later and Suzy becomes the chief suspect, Miss Dimple knows the young woman is NOT a murderer. She owes the younger woman her life and will not stop until the mystery is solved. Helped by Charlie, Annie and Virginia, Miss Dimple is on the case.

The mystery is engaging enough. I had a short list of suspects and I wasn't wrong. There was a slight red herring but not enough to make the identity of the villain a surprise. I still stayed up until 2 am reading so I could find out what happened. I skimmed a lot of the descriptive details that make this series stand out. I focused on the mystery. What I really wanted to know was what was happening with Charlie and Annie's boyfriends. They were left out of the story aside from some brief mentions. I felt like the characters accepted Suzy too quickly. I can see why Miss Dimple trusted her and I suppose the others trust Miss Dimple but Emmeline and her witch hunting seemed a little more accurate for small town America at that time... or now .... One little anecdote about Willie was taken straight from A Christmas Story. Those are really my only complaints. I figured out the secondary mystery right away.

The new characters center around the mysteries. There's Mae Martha, a kind-hearted, reclusive painter. She has no idea of her talent. She has a big heart and it was absolutely terrible that she was murdered. I was so sad. Suzy also seems nice. I don't blame her for being secretive. I figured out why she always made herself scarce in front of strangers and I didn't think she would murder Mae Martha but I wasn't sure. She was a long-shot suspect in any case. Mae Martha left behind two nephews. Esau and his wife Corinne are not all that likable, especially Corinne. Something about them bothered me, whether or not they are murderers. Nephew Bill, a blacksmith, hardly makes an appearance. When he does, it seems like he loved his aunt, but he handles all her finances so he could be a murderer. Then there's the handyman Bill Pitts. He gave me the creeps, sneaking up on people when they least expect it and always disappearing. He made my suspect list too. There's also Lottie Nivens, a newcomer to town. She takes over helping out with the church Christmas pageant while her husband is overseas. I had her on my suspect list as well. Her husband is in the navy so she has good reason to blame Suzy.

Fans of more hard boiled sleuths will like this one. I like less matter-of-fact sleuths and a good deal more romance. I still want to know what happens to Charlie and Annie's boyfriends so I have to keep reading!

Love and Larceny by Regina Scott--Traditional Regency Romance

Daphne Courdebras has carefully cultivated the reputation as an amazon. She can't help it. She just can't sit still doing nothing like a proper lady of the ton. Now her sister and friends are happily partnered, she feels left out. She longs for love, marriage and a family of her own, but that will never happen when the gentlemen see her as just one of the guys. When her former teacher, the new Lady Brentfield, asks for help solving the mystery of the missing treasure, Daphne and her friends are on the case. She's not happy to be chaperoned by her mother but decides to bring along her friend Wyn Fairfax to pretend to be her suitor. Wyn doesn't want to pretend to be Daphne's suitor. He fell in love with her the moment he met her. Together, with Daphne's former classmates, they work to solve the mystery. Wyn must also sit by and watch Daphne be courted by another. He can't bear to think of her spirit being dampened by another man but why would she wants a crippled nobody like him? 

This story is rather short for a novel. It concludes the series begun with 
Secrets and Sensibilities or La Petite Four/ Art and Artifice. The writing in this story is not stellar. It reads more like a first novel than the conclusion of the series. The simplistic writing style and spunky young characters will appeal to teens. The mystery was pretty easy to figure out. The villain practically has a giant sign over their head yet Daphne was not smart enough to realize it. Being the last book in the series, this story contains spoilers for the previous books in the series. Not having read the 4th book (UGH library please please buy it!) I was disappointed to see spoilers here. I tried to skim over them. I enjoyed the story nevertheless. It was like catching up with old friends, since I have followed them from the start of their adventures.

In this book, the character I could relate to the most was Lady Emily. She's sharp, cynical and doesn't care much for status. I like her relationship with Jamie but I did not like his insufferable nobility when it came to Emily. Why make her decisions for her? Emily's Aunt, Lady Minerva, the dowager spinster of the family made me laugh. I can see myself being just like her when I'm old(er). Wyn is a swoony sort of hero. He has potential for depth but the story doesn't get too deep. He's wounded- physically and emotionally. He's of the ton but not really one of them because his family lacks a title or fortune. They're well enough off but his father died when he was young and Wyn was left in charge of his silly mother and sisters. His injury limits his physical ability and he feels inadequate. I love his relationship with Daphne and how SHE leads and he follows. They're cute and funny together. The other characters pretty much remain as they were at the end of their respective books.

I really liked seeing Hannah and David after the honeymoon. They seem to be holding their own and doing well. I would have liked to see a little more of them alone. I also want to see a new series with Priscilla as the matchmaker to the stars. That would be very interesting! She went through the most growth throughout the series and it would be nice to see her mature more. 

I will miss this series and the Regency world Regina Scott has created. I hope she returns to it someday.

What I Read in October 2016 Part I . . .

What I Read in October 2016 Part I. . .

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay--Young Adult Fantasy

The illustrations by Jim Kay are a treat. Each page resembles parchment paper with ink blots and stains, indicating use and old age. Kay fully brings the wizarding world to life with full color illustrations. I loved Dumbledore, who looks a lot like Richard Harris, who was perfect as Dumbledore. I also loved the Dursleys and the family photos on the wall. The very best part was the full-page book diagrams of trolls and one of dragon eggs. The troll page was especially fascinating. It's not clear in the novel there are two types of trolls and how one tells the difference so that was neat to see. The dragon egg page illustrates other types of dragon eggs than the ones in the novels in addition to the Norwegian Ridgeback and dragons mentioned in Goblet of Fire.

Some of the style choices were more gothic than I imagined them. Hogwarts doesn't look very inviting and the Hogwarts Express has a dragon figurehead instead of being the normal scarlet steam engine I'm used to. My biggest complaint is that Hermione changes in every illustration of her! Some look very realistic and others more cartoonish.

This is a nice addition to every Harry Potter collector's library. Go for the original British edition and not the translated American edition.


Miss Dimple Rallies to the Cause by Mignon F. Ballard--Historical Mystery

The citizens of Elderberry, Georgia are doing their part to support the war effort with a war bond rally. Miss Dimple's friend Virginia has been roped into helping out by Emmaline Brumlow, who is insisting her nephew Buddy Oglesby be allowed to assist. Buddy has been a bit of a drifter and Virginia does not relish the prospect of working with him and his tyrannical aunt. While the school children and their teachers are helping with the cotton picking, Miss Dimple's fellow teacher Annie discovers the remains of a human washed up by recent rains. The police identify the woman as Cynthia Murphy, a local woman who ran off two years ago, leaving her husband bereft and her child without a mother. Everyone knew Cynthia was "fast" but who would want to kill her? Something is bothering Miss Dimple's friend Phoebe and she is determined to get to the bottom of it. Could Phoebe's problem be connected to the murder? Annie and her best friend Charlie are caught up in wartime romances but Charlie's mother Jo and Aunt Lou are curious enough to check things out and Miss Dimple is on hand to ask all the right questions.

This is a pretty good mystery. I was expecting it to be slow, like the first book, but the body was discovered early on but not identified right away. That kept the mystery going. I thought I had it all figured out. Phoebe's problem was incredibly obvious and why Miss Dimple never figured it out before, I don't know. I also thought I knew who the murderer was. I had two suspects and I thought I knew what had happened. I was totally wrong about the identity of the murderer but right about what had happened. I was largely intrigued by the romantic plots. I want to keep reading the series to find out which young men make it home. The author is a skilled writer. The first book in the series is recapped as part of the story instead of just dumped in for recap purposes. The author also works in numerous historical details as seamless parts of the story. I did question where they would get coffee when it was rationed but that was sort of answered at the end. I also wondered at a Hershey bar wrapper but it's October 1943 and such things may have been left over from before rationing or from a serviceman passing through town. I also liked the autumnal details, being set this time of year. It was a little jarring to read about 80 degree weather and peach harvests but that worked to set the scene firmly in the south.

Miss Dimple is a little too matter-of-fact for me. She likes to read mysteries and I suspect she is a throw back to the golden age mystery novel characters. She's not in this book as much as I expected and she doesn't have a lot to do except ask questions. She's more in the background to support her friends and ask the right questions. This is more of an ensemble piece with several people working to put together the clues and solve the mystery. I especially felt sorry for Phoebe and Virginia, who were unwittingly dragged into the mystery. They're both kind people who didn't deserve to be unhappy, especially Phoebe whose husband was not so nice.

I really liked Charlie and Annie and their youthful romances but found them interchangeable. They're both intelligent young women who remain sensible despite being in love during wartime, though they consider giving in to desire. Charlie's Aunt Lou is totally crazy. Not only is she nosy, she comes up with dangerous schemes and drags her sister into them. Charlie's sister Delia and her baby make more of an appearance in this book. Delia is a young mother, lonely and missing her husband. She is torn between missing her carefree youth and being a responsible adult. I think even non-mothers can relate. I felt horrible for Reynolds since everyone knew his wife was fast but he seemed to not know what she had been up to.

There were numerous secondary characters. There are some newcomers to Elderberry: Buddy Oglesby, who I wasn't crazy about but he turned out to have some depth. I even liked him in parts but he is a bit immature for a middle-aged man. There's also Coach MacGregor and his wife Millie. I don't know what to make of them. I was surprised at the direction their story took. There's also a new deputy, H.G. Dobbins who seems to be a creepy womanizer. He doesn't respect Annie at any rate and doesn't understand women. He may also be a murderer... or not.

I liked this book enough to want to keep reading, but I don't have the time right now. Maybe this winter I will return to this series. 


To Fudge or Not to Fudge by Nancy CoCo--Cozy Mystery

The McMurphy is finally up and running and Jen is booking programs left and right. It's so busy, Allie has to hire part-time help. Allie loves creating fudge and telling stories just as Papa did when he was alive. She loves bringing that magic to people. She also loves her puppy Mal, but when Mal digs up a sock, with a foot bone still inside, Allie is not thrilled. Mal and a St. Bernard named Daisy keep digging up human bones in gardens all over town. The person seems to have been chopped up and put into mulch. This creates numerous complications for local gardeners as well as Trent Jessop's company, who supplied the mulch. Allie is determined to stay out of this investigation. Then Allie's mentor, Peter Thomas, asks her to participate in a reality show fudge-off. Allie refuses, saying she's too busy and isn't interested in TV. Peter points out the show will be good publicity for the McMurphy. When Allie agrees, she never dreamed that the show's publicity turns negative when one of the contestants ends up dead with Allie's fudge next to her. Allie becomes the chief suspect. Will the nightmare never end and the business of business begin? Jen is on Allie's case to have some kind of life outside the hotel and Trent Jessop seems to agree!

This is a MUCH better story than the first book in the series. The mystery is complicated and I never guessed who the murderer was or connected the dots. Mal and Daisy provide some light hearted humor to balance out the mystery. The behind-the-scenes of a reality baking show was eye-opening and I hope not true. The fudge-off complicated the story unnecessarily. There was the mystery of the body, then the mystery of the reality show contestant and another mystery besides. There wasn't much to connect the dots. There's just no way anyone could figure it out. I absolutely loved the fudge making parts. The recipes sound delicious and I want to try most of them. There is a bit of gore in the story and some violence but it wasn't enough to give me nightmares and I am very sensitive.

I liked Allie better in this book. She's a little more friendly and less intense now her business is working out. We also find out why she's somewhat estranged from her parents- in a very Gilmore Girls sort of way. That part was rather corny. Allie has bonded with Mal, finally, and Mal plays a big role in the story. I just love Mal! She's so cute! Daisy is a fun character too. Jen plays a bigger role in this book too. She's just a little too unbelievably good at her job. Why is she holding events for charity so soon after the McMurphy's opening? That part was a bit too much. I liked Trent a little better here, now he's not so Mr. Darcy rude but he isn't in the story much. The romantic plot moves forward a tiny bit. Rex is too busy solving murders for romance. He's a little too hard and tough for my taste.

New characters include Mrs. Finch, a cranky old lady. I didn't like that she wasn't a responsible dog owner but she doesn't seem that awful, for the most part. She loves dogs even if she doesn't look after Daisy as she should. Sandy is a chocolatier who needs a job. She seems a little too desperate and a little too eager to please to be realistic. I'm not sure what to make of her yet. Another new character, Peter Thomas, is Allie's former mentor in culinary school. He's a stereotypical tough teacher who bellowed at his students but forced them to do their best. The fudge show competitors are Bruce, Cathy, Tony, Jabar, Emily, Erin, Mark, and Tim. Not too many of them appear in the plot of the story. The competition moves quickly. None of the competitors seemed likeable. They were pretty much stock characters but no one is who they seem in the reality TV world. Other people associated with the show are completely awful and make me never want to appear on reality TV.

This is a decent cozy mystery but not the best I've ever read. I love the fudge so I'll keep reading when I have the time.

What I Read in January 2016 Part VIII

What I Read in January 2016 Part VIII . . . 

Miss Dimple Disappears by Mignon F. Ballard -- Historical Cozy Mystery

Big changes have come to the small Georgia town where Miss Dimple has taught first grade for 40 years. Since World War II broke out, the men have been leaving, many former students and some never to return. For third-grade teacher Charlie Carr, that means a decided lack of men. For now her beau Hugh is still around but she knows it's only a matter of time before her overcomes his mother's objections and marches off to war. She isn't sure how she feels about that or making a commitment to him. She tries to focus on her job and not think about Hugh, her brother, her best friend's brother and she tries not to resent her younger sister for marrying and moving away preventing Charlie from leaving their widowed mother and joining the WAACS or WAVES. Early one morning Charlie arrives at school to discover the furnace hasn't been lit and the trash cans have not been emptied. The staff is shocked to discover the janitor, "Christmas" Wilson dead in the storage closet. He had strange wounds on his head and part of the school's wooden eagle mascot has broken off but the police are mysteriously tight lipped about the cause of death. Then Miss Dimple fails to show up for work. Faithful in her duties for 40 years no one expected her to miss a day let alone leave town without telling anyone, but where could she be? Charlie and her best friend Annie are determined to keep pestering the police for answers while Charlie's mom and Aunt Lou take it upon themselves to investigate.

This story resembles a classic mystery novel with a bit of romance thrown in. The major focus of the story is Miss Dimple's disappearance. The writing style is a little odd. Each chapter begins with the thoughts of one specific character before switching over to omniscient point-of-view. Even so, we don't know the identity of the villain/s or where Miss Dimple is until the final clues fall into place. I didn't find the plot all that engaging but I had a hard time putting the book down until I found out who the villain was. Some of the period references are really forced into the story, especially the pop culture references. Other period details are seamlessly woven into the story which I really liked. There may have been mistakes in the rationing timeline but no one except for those who studied rationing intensely will probably notice or care. Charlie's romantic dilemma didn't really interest me much. The romance is clean with a kiss or two. Charlie does wonder what it would be like to make love with Hugh but they don't make it past the friendship mark.

There were too many characters to keep track of in this novel. The main characters are Miss Dimple, Charlie and her best friend Annie. Charlie is a bit hard to know. She's rather reserved for the most part. She loves her family, seems to like her job well enough and had big dreams about life beyond small town Georgia. Her best friend Annie is lively, fun and quotes Shakespeare. I loved her instantly. She's the kind of person I'd like to be friends with even if she's a bit nosy. Miss Dimple is the type of woman she likes to read about in mystery novels. She's intelligent, brave, and non-nonsense. She never panics and is always resourceful. I liked her well enough but found her a bit prim. Charlie's mom, Jo and Aunt Lou provide some comic relief. Aunt Lou is so funny. She's spunky, sassy and full of get up and go. She's an older version of Annie. I liked her very much.

I didn't care enough about the characters or the town to want to read more of this series right away but next time I need something to read I may look for the next book in the series in the library.

Death on the Prairie by Kathleen Ernst--Historical Cozy Mystery

Chloe Ellefson is excited to speak at the Laura Ingalls Wilder symposium. As curator of a living history museum, she understands that though fiction, the Little House books described the exact historical processes of daily life on a farm: milking cows, churning butter, sewing, etc. Knowing how much Laura Ingalls Wilder means to Chloe, Miss Lila, a family friend, shows her a quilt said to have belonged to Laura. If Chloe can prove it, she'll be beyond thrilled but she needs documentation. Sadly, Miss Lila meets with misfortune and is unable to help. Chloe will need assistance from Laura Ingalls Wilder museum curators. She has no idea there are so many but embarks on a road trip with her Laura-loving sister Kari in search of Laura. The sisters meet other Laura fans along the way, including Hazel, a sweet little old lady and her awful husband Wilbur, and Alta, the operator of Laura Land Tours. The trip gets off to a bad start when first Chloe overhears someone confronting Alta and Wilbur bullying Hazel. Next a man dies in front of Chloe! Then her boyfriend Roelke drops a major bombshell on her. Roelke is thinking about buying his grandparents' old farm and would love for Chloe to move in with him. That's more than she's prepared to think about at the moment. As the trip progresses, mysterious disturbing events occur with eerie similarities to the books. Chloe will learn more than she ever knew about the real Ingalls family, her own family and her dreams for the future.

I HAD to read this book. Like Chloe, I grew up obsessed with Laura Ingalls. Unlike Chloe, I was only 5 years old in 1983 when this book takes place and being too young to read, a fan of the TV show. Also, unlike Chloe I actually bothered to read a biography of Laura my grandparents brought me from one of the home sites. My biggest problem with the book is how little Chloe knew or wanted to know about the real family. I had to keep reminding myself that this was 1983 so Chloe doesn't have the Internet or any connection to any of the home sites. I didn't find this book as well-written as Kathleen Ernst's middle grades novels. Perhaps because of the setting - a road trip and year 1983. Her middle grades novels are all set before the end of WWII and she takes a lot of care to incorporate every day life details that may be unfamiliar to young readers. I found the constant search for payphones repetitive and a little annoying. The details are still there, lingering traces of the 1970s and of course the lack of cell phones and Internet. The road trip part didn't really appeal to me either. Not enough time was spent actually visiting the Ingalls home sites and not enough time was spent in examining the quilt. The mystery was the primary focus of this story. I did like the brief visits to each of the sites and the tantalizing promise of what was inside those museums. I would love to visit at least Mansfield one day.

Chloe sure would have benefited from a cell phone with 4G and Google as she attempted to figure out the mystery. The mystery kept me guessing and I could not put the book down. I just did not know who the villain or villains could be. One guess seemed to obvious and another guess took me in a direction I didn't want the characters to go in. I liked everyone on the LLT and the hangers-on except for those who were antagonistic. I was very surprised by the plot wrap up. What I didn't like about the mystery was Kari's problems. Her sister is dating a cop for goodness sakes! HELLO earth to Kari! I did feel bad for what Kari was feeling but her plot was too much on top of the other mysteries that needed to be solved. I also wasn't super crazy about Chloe's reaction to Roelke's plans. I would have preferred that the plot focus exclusively on the Laura Ingalls Wilder mysteries but this is a part of a series and other readers may be happy to catch up with their favorite characters.

Chloe is my kind of woman. Her response to stress and unhappiness is to binge on chocolate - the good Swiss stuff. She's a chocolate snob and I'm not really. I do agree that European chocolate is much better than American. Chloe isn't as stupid and clueless as cozy mystery heroines usually are and I appreciated that she's smart, dedicated to her career and of course, a Little House fan. I could relate to those aspects of her personality but she was hard to really like. There was just something about her that didn't quite make her a kindred spirit. She was a bit cold with her sister. Her constant jealousy was petty and annoying. Kari is also selfish and annoying at times too. I would never ever go on a road trip with my sister. We'd kill each other. Roelke sounds like the perfect boyfriend and she was kind of not very nice to him. He's a good guy, kind of quiet but he feels things deeply and cares about Chloe very much. He's a good cop and really wants to help the community.

The LLT tourists were mostly all wonderful. They were a diverse cast of characters who had individual personalities but united by a common bond. I especially loved Hazel and her personal journey. Alta grew on me a lot despite the brightly hued sunbonnets. Though Leonard was unpleasant. he did have a valid point about the novels but his argument doesn't hold up for the real Pa Ingalls. Jayne was very nasty and the character I loved to hate as much as Chloe did, though I have heard that argument before.

I think Chloe and other Laura lovers searching for their lost youth would like The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure. This novel is sort of the murder mystery version of that memoir.

Historical Food Forntnightly 2016 #20

Historical Food Fortnightly 2016  Challenge 20

Foods Mentioned in Songs

The Challenge: Foods Mentioned in Songs (September 23 - October 6) Find a historic song that mentions a food - and then cook a historic recipe around that food and the time of the song. Whether it’s Yankee Doodle’s macaroni, mussels a la Molly Malone, or the Muffin Man’s muffins, make sure it’s documented!

The song: "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With anyone else but me)" made famous by Glenn Miller

This song was popular during World War II with young couples like my grandparents. The song originally debuted on Broadway in 1939 in the musical Yokel Boy. The lyrics were changed when the U.S. entered World War II in 1941. It was a top hit from October 1942-January 1943. Glenn Miller recorded the song in 1942. The song was featured in the film Private Buckaroo as a performance by the Andrews Sisters with the Harry James orchestra and featuring a tap dancing routine by The Jivin' Jacks and Jills. The Andrews Sisters then released the song on Decca Records. It remained a popular song in movies through the 40s and even appears in films today. (Wikipedia)

The Recipe: Baked Apple Dumpling

Kitchen-Clatter Magazine October 1949

Dumplings, dough filled with grain, meat, vegetables or fruit date back to ancient times. They were first described in print in the early 17th century. Dumplings can be steamed, fried or baked. Apple orchards were first planted in Jamestown, Virginia by the early English colonists. It took several years before the trees were mature enough to bear fruit and the apples were too tart to eat. These apples were used for cider. By the end of the 18th century, America boasted a wide variety of apples for various uses.

Cookbooks featured recipes for apple dumplings as early as 1765. Susannah Carter’s The Frugal Housewife includes a recipe for peeled, cored apples wrapped in thick butter pastry, boiled in a cloth until soft, and served with melted butter, white wine, and grated sugar. American cookbook author Eliza Leslie featured a boiled apple dumpling recipe in her 1840  Directions for Cookery, in Its Various Branches. Baked apple dumplings started to appear in cookbooks by the mid-19th century.

Baked apple dumpling recipes appear frequently in cookbooks of the 1930s, 1940s and 50s.

sources: The apple in North America

History of Dumplings

Apple Dumplings

Date and Region: 1949 Iowa, midwestern United States

How did you make it: The directions were a little vague but I gathered from the ingredients the dough appeared to be a biscuit dough. I measured and sifted the dry ingredients and then lightly stirred in the milk. I rolled the dough and cut into circles.

 After paring and halving the apples, I realized they apples I had were way too big for my dough. I solved the problem by chopping the apples into chunks. I added a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon and a tiny pat of butter. Then I wet my finger and ran it around the edge of the circle of dough, added another circle on top and pinched together. 

The sauce recipe was vague as to cooking time. I boiled it on the stove until it boiled over and my mom yelled at me. I just poured it over the apple dumplings which were in a buttered casserole dish. 

I baked for 40 minutes until brown and smelling delicious instead of the hour the recipe called for. 

A few days later I baked the leftovers for 35 minutes until the sauce caramelized. 
How Successful Was It?:  Very successful, aside from the sauce. The sauce in the first batch was kind of weird- like applesauce texture. In the second batch the sauce caramelized. Either way they tasted delicious! My brother-in-law said I could open a restaurant with these dumplings. My sister-in-law said they were sooo good. The rest of the family liked them but were not quite as enthusiastic. I enjoyed them with whipped cream. 

Time to Complete: an hour total

Total Cost: My mom bought the apples at a local orchard. I don't know how much she paid. I had everything else on hand. The Ceylon cinnamon was probably the most expensive item but I only used a little bit.

How Accurate Is It?: I don't think late 40s housewives used Ceylon cinnamon but other than that, it's 100% accurate except for using an electric stove and oven. 

Historical Food Fortnightly 7

Historical Food Fortnightly 2016  Challenge 7:

Pretty as a Picture

The Challenge: Pretty as a Picture
If you’re a fan of cooking competition shows, you know how the saying goes: we eat first with our eyes. Make a dish that looks just as spectacular as it tastes. Extra points for historically accurate plating - and don’t forget to post pictures! 

The Recipe: 

It's my mom's birthday and I offered to make her something from her childhood as a birthday cake. I thought she would pick a pie, which she says is her favorite, or let me choose. She had a craving for gingerbread with cream cheese frosting. It was difficult to find a period recipe from the 50s or 60s for gingerbread, let alone gingerbread with cream cheese frosting. A little digging revealed Betty Crocker produced a gingerbread cake mix and pre-made cream cheese frosting. I went back a little earlier in time, knowing my grandmother could NOT cook when she married in 1944, her mother wasn't well enough to cook, so my grandmother used her mother-in-law's recipes. We did not have one for gingerbread cake in the family files so I turned to the Internet for help. 

The recipe I chose was:  "My Best Gingerbread" as found on A Cake Bakes in Brooklyn.
1940s United States.

For the frosting I chose Philadelphia's recipe. I don't know what year the ad is from but it looks vintage. Cream cheese frosting uses the same ingredients in every recipe, only the proportions change.

How did you make it:

I followed the directions on the card. I used butter instead of shortening for a richer flavor.  

soupy cake batter 

I baked at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

The cake finally done after baking. The middle sunk a bit.

I followed the directions for the frosting but used a little less powdered sugar. The full amount was just too sweet for this type of cake. 

I then frosted the cake with cream cheese frosting. I decorated with chocolate bits and slivered almonds to make the daisy pattern seen in this ad. 

How Successful Was It?: It took a little longer to bake than the blogger's cake. The center was very wet. 
The frosting is very successful but it would not make enough for two 9" cakes as the recipe says. 

Taste-wise it was a success. My mom said it was exactly what she was wishing for and if she didn't have a dress to fit into she would have a second piece. The other adults gave it a thumb's up and I liked it too. It's a classic dense molasses gingerbread. The children only liked the chocolate chips on top. 

Time to Complete: about 1 1/2 hours total.

Total Cost:  We had to buy more molasses and regular cream cheese. We had everything else on hand.
$11.95
Given the popularity of gingerbread during the colonial times and again during the Depression and World War II, this cake needs little sugar and was less expensive than other types of cakes and fit the wartime rationing rules. 

How Accurate Is It?: 100% down to the plate, which was my paternal grandmother's from the 1950s or 60s.

What I Read in September 2015 Part V

What I Read in September 2015 Part V ...

Celia's House by D.E. Stevenson-- Historical Fiction/Historical Romance/Austenesque 


Celia Dunne has lived 90 years at Dunnian. She was born the day after Waterloo and has lived into the new century. Now she's elderly and dying and knows she has to leave her beloved Dunnian. There have always been Dunnes at Dunnian, even before their house was built. Her nephew, Maurice, and his wife Nina are dying to get their hands on Dunnian to make "improvements," but Celia has other plans. She summons her great-nephew Humphrey, on leave from the Navy and determines he loves Dunnian as much as she does. It will be a good place for his children to grow up, she thinks and she will leave the house to his daughter Celia. The catch - Celia isn't born yet and the house has to stay in the Dunne family. Should Celia marry, her husband must take her name. Humphrey's wife Alice and their three children: Mark, Edith and Joyce, settle into life at Dunnian. Once Mark becomes acquainted with the woods, the streams and the old Peale, he becomes enchanted with Dunnian. When his distant cousin Deb comes to live with them, she shares his quiet enthusiasm for their beloved old home. Years come and go, two more children are born at Dunnian and Mark learns the truth about the inheritance. He promises to work hard and make a living for himself if he can be near Dunnian. One by one the siblings begin to leave the nest and old neighbors are now grown. This includes the beautiful, lively Tessa and her charming brother Oliver, who come to visit their grandmother in the summer. Summer casts it's spell and soon the plot turns into Mansfield Park. If you haven't read the original - go do that now before you read this book.

The story has too much exposition at the beginning and very little plot. About halfway through the story turns into Mansfield Park - light. It's close enough to be a pale imitator rather than an homage. The plot pretty much follows Mansfield Park from the scheme of getting up the play to the end - leaving out all the extraneous bits that don't fit the 1920s plotline and leaving out nasty Mrs. Norris. There's a lot at the end - a few chapters of epilogue. The writing is decent but there's a lot of telling. The very best writing is reserved for the last chapter. I was very interested in that final chapter and it ends so abruptly! I can imagine what happens though. This book isn't what I would call a romance. It's more about the house than the people and the romance is only a third of the story. It follows Mansfield Park pretty closely but there are some changes which I really liked. This story lacks the satire and humor of Miss Buncle's Book but it's not that kind of story. The first half and the end reminded me a lot of a Lucy Maud Montgomery story. It's a story of place more than people.

The characters aren't all that memorable. I wasn't crazy about Humphrey and his feelings that Dunnian should be entailed on Mark. He was away a lot and I kept having to remind myself that the story begins in 1905 and he is a man of his time. I'm not sure what was up with Alice but she's better than Lady Bertram. She's kind and loving but a little vague and physically weak at times. She wants Deb to stay with her because she truly loves Deb and requires Deb's help, unlike Lady Bertram and Mrs. Norris who treat Fanny as an unpaid servant. Deb is very much a member of the family. Mark frequently refers to her as "my favorite sister." She's sweet and kind but not as insipid as Fanny. She has good heart, she nurses her secret love for years but she also has a lively, loving grandmother who gives her good advice. I liked the way Deb handled her situation very much. I liked Mark a lot too, for the most part. He's smart, works hard, loves his family and the old home. I can relate. He, like most men, like Edmund Bertram, is dazzled by a pretty face and sparkling personality. I liked Tessa too, at first, until she grew into a spoiled minx who would stop at nothing to achieve her ends. Then I loathed her. Her brother Oliver is too slick for my tastes. He's not as bad as Henry Crawford but he is indulged and used to getting his own way.

The minor characters include the other children. Edith and Joyce are Maria and Julia Bertram without the influence of Mrs. Norris. Edith is a spoiled beauty and I didn't care for her much. I didn't feel bad for her at all. Joyce is hardly in the book but her character transformation is told rather than shown and I was happy to read it. The younger children are charming. I like their adventures very much and thought they should have been in the story more. I also really liked the servants who are as devoted to Dunnian as the family. They're more like family than hired help. I wished they appeared more often.

Listening Valley by D.E. Stevenson-- Historical Fiction/Historical Romance

Lou and Antonia Melville live in an ordinary house in the city. They spend their days in the nursery with Nannie except for a daily walk. During those walks the girls spy a walled garden they long to see inside. One day while Nannie is out, the two sisters take off on an adventure that will change their lives. Lou, always bold and daring, marches right up to the mysterious house and rings the bell. A kind lady answers and brings them in for tea. They have the most marvelous time eating eclairs and listening to the lady's son Jack teasing. All too soon it's time to return home and the adventure ends - or so they think. Years later, the girls are grown and Lou dares to make her boldest move yet. Poor Tonia is left alone without her sister, without Nannie or anyone to love her or help her. Her hands are clumsy; she can never do anything right; her parents bicker and Tonia is miserable. All she has is her listening place where she can go in her head and dream and listen to the music there. Enter Mr. Robert Norman who is willing to take Tonia under his wing to teach her about life and give her a sense of self-worth, if only she'll let him. Set against the backdrop of the years between the wars and World War II, this novel is a companion to Celia's House. Part I only mentions the Dunnes in passing, but part 2 takes place in the Scottish countryside near Dunnian and serves as a prequel and sequel to Celia's House.

This book is a light, easy read. It reminded me a lot of Lucy Maud Montgomery's later stories and novels, especially The Blue Castle. The writing is more sophisticated than today's "chick lit" but very accessible. The plot is a little slow at first. There's a lot of exposition and a lot of telling what happened. Then in Part II the action picks up a bit and becomes more interesting. I especially liked/but didn't like the bits about flying. They were boring but yet interesting because my grandfather was in the U.S. Army Air Corps during the war stationed in England and flying liberators over Europe. I can't see him participating in the easy camaraderie the characters in this novel do. My library copy is missing the final page. The ending seems very abrupt and unsatisfactory. Thanks to some Good Reads friends for sharing the beautiful ending. This author has a way with words and her descriptions are really lovely. I fell in love with the country more than I did in Celia's House. I loved the connection to the Dunnes and learning more about both Celia's, my favorite characters who didn't get enough page time in Celia's House. The romances rely a little too much on coincidence to be realistic but I enjoyed them anyway. I found a certain mystery element to be entirely obvious and can't believe the characters wouldn't have figured it out.

The characters in this book are great. I liked and identified with both Lou and Tonia. Like Lou, I'm the big sister and I tend to take charge. I am also like Tonia - shy and going away to a place in my head where I can dream of more pleasant things. This is Tonia's story - her coming of age and coming into her own. I loved her character development. Her sweetness and sympathetic nature appealed to me and annoyed me at times. I wish she wasn't such a push over sometimes. Lou probably wouldn't have let people walk all over her and would have figured out what was what quickly.

Daisy is lovely. She's so warm-hearted and the type of person anyone except the stuffy Victorian-minded Melvilles would want t be friends with. Her son Jack likes to tease and I don't really care for that. He's not in the story long enough to be developed well. I especially liked the Smilies. As their name implies, they're very happy, caring people who open their hearts to Tonia and serve as the parents she didn't have. The young officers are pretty much all alike. I can't remember which was which except for Bay. Bay's character development is interesting. If I say more, I risk spoiling the plot.

I highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy quiet, kind sorts of novels. It's the perfect bedtime read or should be read with a cup of tea on a rainy day.