Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. So we asked them, and all Denver Post readers, to share their mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email bellis@denverpost.com.
“Wish You Were Here,” by Jodi Picoult (Ballantine Books, 2021)
“Wish You Were Here,” by Jodi Picoult (Ballantine Books, 2021)
Most of us remember where we were when the world shut down on March 13, 2020. But what if, on March 14, an unprecedented virus arrived and challenged our version of what is reality, and what is real only to you? Diana, who lives in New York City, leads a sensible life, with the perfect fiance and a promising career as an art broker. But a solo trip to the beautiful Galapagos Islands has her questioning the trajectory she has so carefully planned out, as she is trapped there and isolated like many of us were at home, wondering how it could be that we were so vulnerable and unprepared. In her usual style, Picoult throws in a twist about halfway through that has the reader questioning his or her own memories of the early pandemic, what we have learned and how we each have evolved since. Are we the same as we were before it began, and would we want to be? — 3 1/2 stars (out of 4); Karen Hartman, Westminster
“The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War,” by Erik Larson (Crown, 2024)
How exactly did the U.S. Civil War really start? That was the question that Larson set out to answer in this, his latest work of nonfiction. Larson’s exhaustive research drew on countless letters, telegrams and diaries, as well as historical and military documents. He highlights the opinions, actions and thoughts of political, military and everyday figures from both southern and northern states to portray dramatically the many threats and actual events that led up to the attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861, kicking off our Civil War. A riveting story rife with human errors, miscommunication, plenty of bluster and both moral and amoral individuals. It’s also a bit of a cautionary tale about underestimating extremists. — 3 1/2 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
“The Paris Apartment,” by Kelly Bowen (Forever, 2021)
“The Paris Apartment,” by Kelly Bowen (Forever, 2021)
This novel has the misfortune of sharing a title with at least three other books. The Bowen version is the one I prefer because it contains several compelling and related stories, with characters and plotlines embedded in World War II and post-war. Aurelia inherits an opulent Paris apartment from her grandmother with a hidden treasure trove of famous art and couture gowns. She wants to return stolen items and starts working with Gabriel, an art restorer. Was Granny a schemer and opportunist, or a silent heroine? Why did she die sitting on all this wealth? The timelines and relationships across generations, along with mysteries from the Nazi period, keep readers eagerly following clues to solve puzzles and cheer for the good guys. — 2 1/2 stars (out of 4); Bonnie McCune, Denver (bonniemccune.com)
“Flight of the Wild Swan,” by Melissa Pritchard (Bellevue Literary Press, 2024)
A fictionalized account of the life of Florence Nightingale, this novel portrays its subject as a willful child, adolescent breaker of norms and tenacious adult who overcomes many obstacles in her drive to effect improvements in the then-new field of nursing. Her time in Crimea was particularly grim. Nightingale’s passion for her work and unyielding persistence earned her fame during her lifetime and worldwide recognition thereafter as a nursing pioneer. An awe-inspiring story. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver