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Showing posts from May, 2018

Book Review: The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

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The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is a historical fiction novel that spans many years and tells of the friendship between former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. I don't know if I would have picked up this book if it hadn't been the August selection for one of the book clubs I belong to in my area because I don't read a lot of historical fiction. However, I am so glad that I read it and was able to learn many things I hadn't learned about in any of my history classes.  I don't recall learning anything about Mary McLeod Bethune, and she is an important part of American history. The things she helped spearhead to provide African American people equal rights is quite impressive. One of the things I was horrified to learn about is Franklin D. Roosevelt's resistance to stop lynchings because he was afraid of losing the Southern Democrats backing for his New Deal Bill. Another thing that I fo...

Book Review: The Breakdown by B.A. Paris

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After spending the night celebrating the end of the school year with her colleagues, teacher Cass decides to drive home instead of spending the night with her friend. Calling her husband to let him know she will be home after all, Matthew requests that she not take the shortcut home through the woods. After a split second decision, Cass decides to take the shortcut home despite promising her husband that she wouldn't and happens across a car that is pulled onto the shoulder of the road with a woman sitting inside.  Fast forward to the next morning, Matthew tells Cass that he is relieved that she didn't take Blackwater Lane home as a woman was found murdered in her car on that road. Thankful she didn't get out of her car to check on the woman, Cass can't shake the guilty feeling of not helping her and that her husband will find out that she disregarded his simple request, but Cass has bigger problems to worry about . . . she keeps forgetting things. On top of that,...