The Bronte Plot

When Lucy's secret is unearthed, her world begins to crumble. But it may be the best thing that has ever happened to her.

Lucy Alling makes a living selling rare books, often taking suspicious measures to reach her goals. When her unorthodox methods are discovered, Lucy's secret ruins her relationship with her boss and her boyfriend James—leaving Lucy in a heap of hurt, and trouble. Something has to change; she has to change.

In a sudden turn of events, James's wealthy grandmother Helen hires Lucy as a consultant for a London literary and antiques excursion. Lucy reluctantly agrees and soon discovers Helen holds secrets of her own. In fact, Helen understands Lucy's predicament better than anyone else.

As the two travel across England, Lucy benefits from Helen's wisdom, as Helen confronts the ghosts of her own past. Everything comes to a head at Haworth, home of the Brontë sisters, where Lucy is reminded of the sisters' beloved heroines, who, with tenacity and resolution, endured—even in the midst of change.

Now Lucy must go back into her past in order to move forward. And while it may hold mistakes and regrets, she will prevail—if only she can step into the life that's been waiting for her all along.

My thoughts: It is no secret that I love Katherine Reay's stories, since they make it onto a lot of my Top Ten lists.;) With The Bronte Plot, she outdid herself! While I didn't always like the main character, she is real, interesting, and easy to grow to love as she faces her family's demons and the impact they have had on her life. I like that I can relate to Lucy and her love for reading. I finished this book feeling like I had made a new friend.;) And, I now have a new favorite book to add to my list! I especially enjoy that the reader doesn't always know where the story is going to go, and that the characters are so well developed that you half expect to pass them on the street. I can't recommend this book enough! The only downside is that the story is hard to put down.;)
I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Time Mom Met Hitler, Frost Came to Dinner, and I Heard the Greatest Story Ever Told

He was predestined for literary greatness. If only his father hadn’t used up all the words.
As the son of the Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Richard Eberhart, Dikkon Eberhart grew up surrounded by literary giants. Dinner guests included, among others, Robert Frost, Dylan Thomas, Allen Ginsberg, W. H. Auden, and T. S. Eliot, all of whom flocked to the Eberhart house to discuss, debate, and dissect the poetry of the day. To the world, they were literary icons. To Dikkon, they were friends who read him bedtime stories, gave him advice, and, on one particularly memorable occasion, helped him with his English homework. Anxious to escape his famous father’s shadow, Dikkon struggled for decades to forge an identity of his own, first in writing and then on the stage, before inadvertently stumbling upon the answer he’d been looking for all along—in the most unlikely of places. Brimming with unforgettable stories featuring some of the most colorful characters of the Beat Generation, The Time Mom Met Hitler, Frost Came to Dinner, and I Heard the Greatest Story Ever Told is a winsome coming-of-age story about one man’s search for identity and what happens when he finally finds it.

My thoughts: What a gorgeous book! I enjoyed reading about Dikkon Eberhart growing up in the shadow of a lot of the 20th century's greatest poets, from Frost to Sylvia Plath, T.S. Eliot (one of my personal favorites) to Allen Ginsberg. Growing up in the shadow of his father, who was also a poet, isn't easy. I love how Dikkon shares openly about how lonely he felt, despite the high profile people he grew up around and the loving family wife and children he had as an adult. This book is a rare glimpse into an era gone by. Those who love literature and poetry, this one if for you!
I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.