This story details a single day of Ivan Denisovich Shukhov’s life in a Soviet Labor camp. This middle-aged man desires to survive and continue living in order to return to his life. His perspective on his situation is: as long as he remains a hard worker and a valuable asset to the Soviet Union, he will serve out his ten-year sentence in the labor camp and then be declared free. The camp life, though, is not without its difficulties as they work every day in weather below freezing and with little to no food. They have to fight to stay warm, fight to get food, and fight to live.
Lines Of Courage is a book by Jennifer Nielsen that is set during the time of World War I. The book is about how five people who are each on different sides of the war experienced it and how they survived and eventually met up at the end as friends. The book was better than I expected. I have no clue how it is possible to not only show five perspectives in a book, but also have each of them have a connection with each other, but this did it.
Evelyn Hugo, an aging Hollywood star living out her days alone, has decided to share her story. The public hasn’t heard anything from the elusive actress in years, so any bit of information is pounced on. Used to being in the limelight, Evelyn isn’t sure who to give the story to, as she wants the truth depicted, not a dramatization meant to draw in views. She decides on Monique Grant, an unknown magazine reporter with big goals. Monique rises to the task after some back and forth, but eventually they reach an agreement.
Anne’s House of Dreams, the fifth book in the Anne series, packs quite a punch. My favorite novel of the series, Anne’s House of Dreams begins with Anne’s lovely wedding to Gilbert in the orchard of Green Gables. The story continues as they move to their first home on the other side of Prince Edward Island, as Gilbert begins his medical practice, and as Gilbert and Anne start their family and their married life together.
While this novel is enjoyable, Anne of Windy Poplars is the weakest of the Anne series. Written partly in an epistolary style, the book allows the reader to see the world of Windy Poplars and Summerside High School from Anne’s perspective, as she writes love letters to her fiancée Gilbert, a medical school student in Nova Scotia. Parts of the book retain a traditional narrative style, but many of the characters and anecdotes echo too closely those previously described in earlier books of the series.
Anne of the Island, the third book in the Anne series, stands alone as a fully-fledged novel, but also advances the story of Anne’s life within the series of books. The novel begins with Anne’s move to Redmond College in Nova Scotia, and concludes shortly after she graduates four years later. In this novel, the charm of Prince Edward Island and the funny anecdotes of the first two novels continue.
The War I Finally Wonis the sequel to the Newbery Honor winning book The War That Saved My Life. This is a WWII novel following 11 year old Ada as she receives surgery for her clubfoot and learns who she wants to be in a world immersed in war. Ada was always told she was damaged, but since moving in with Susan she’s discovered she can be as capable as anyone.
It’s 1989 and Christian Florescu lives in Romania under the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu. After the secret police blackmails Christian to be an informer and spy on Americans. In a society built by fear and mistrust, Christian wants to save his grandfather and wants to stay out of trouble so he agrees. Christian uses his connections with the Americans to spread the truth about Ceaușescu and shed light on Romanians living under his harsh rule. When the time to fight comes, Christian is one of the firsts to stand up.
It’s the summer of 1942 and Liza Kaganova more than anything, wants her best friend Aka to come home. Liza's searched all over Leningrad, Russia, even the headquarters of the militia. However, after a messy run in with the militia, Liza can’t go back to there. She runs into two former classmates, one of which is now working for the militia and another who lives in the tunnels. Liza attempts to get them help her. In all the desperation, Liza doesn’t think to look at what is right in front of her.
If you enjoy historical fiction and happy endings, check out this bestseller from one hundred years ago, by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. The first book in the Anne series, Anne of Green Gables provides a peek into a charming world of long-ago, with its setting on quiet, rural Prince Edward Island. Anne is a dreamy, creative 11-year-old orphan who arrives on the island to live with Matthew and Marilla, an elderly brother and sister.
