Brilliant. This is for sure one of my favorite books by Ms Sundin. It’s also the first WW2 book I’ve read in Denmark or the Scandinavian area and it was amazing both in the history that I’ve never heard of, in the way Ms Sundin unfolded the story of Henrik and Else. It was so hard to put down and enormously captivating. It doesn’t hurt that a good chunk of my ancestry is Swedish and Danish as well so I was doubly invested. ;)

The focal points of the resistance in Denmark, the community and care of its people, the way they pulled together to save its own Jewish population, and the inspiration from a real story of one of its members rowing both intelligence and people to safety was nothing short of incredible.

Henrick’s and Else’s story had me fully invested in them both and what they were trying to do for their country as well as each other. The progression of self-awareness, self-sacrifice and forgiveness were beautiful. It was also refreshing how honest and forthright they were, not playing games or holding grudges at any point but saying what they meant and inspiring the best in each other. And the result of Henrik’s relationship with his father. Loved this one so much.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are expressly mine.

Gentle, heartwarming, and heartbreaking altogether. I absolutely love Lauralee. Her character was lovely - not the typical Southern Belle young stepmother in most stories, but one of depth, wisdom and unselfishness.

The threads of domestic violence and working out the shame associated with it was told well and sensitively, with the women on the receiving end, realistic and relatable. I loved the friendship and courage both Lauralee and Gibbs lent Merritt and all of their characters’ development. While it wasn’t unpredictable, it unfolded in a really great way.

The mystery part of it was really great too - much of that was actually unpredictable, at least initially. Also, the narrators in the audio were fantastic. Really enjoyed it.

This was for sure one of the worst books I’ve ever read. The only reason I read it was to screen it for my daughter’s high school honors class. Otherwise I would have shelved it before page 4. If Faulkner wasn’t on drugs when he wrote this I’d be shocked.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up. I liked the story and it unfolded well, giving you pieces at a time. I didn’t think it was super suspenseful or “thriller”ish like some of Ms Hepworth’s other books but I still liked it. The ending was both really sad and endearing at the same time.

I’m a huge fan of everything Amy Harmon writes and the Songbook of Benny Lament was no exception. She navigated beautifully the difficulty faced with an interracial relationship in the 1960s, black performers being treated completely differently and despicably compared to their white counterparts, and the violent family of the Italian mob that was thriving during that period of time. Loved both Esther and Benny and their story.

Beautifully weaved story about a sister who fought for her family and for the man she loved, and the man who taught her how to find her own strength as he dealt with his own vulnerabilities. A great love story, it was full of sacrifice and humility, and I enjoyed the wit and humor. The characters were well rounded and the whole book was hard to put down.