"Master"

Master by Toni Sorenson


My rating: 5 of 5 bookmarks
What a beautiful story. A mute child is discovered in the desert by Joseph, Mary and Jesus. The child's father was murdered and he was left for dead. They rescue him and bring him along as a servant. All though they do not treat him as a servant but as a member of the family. The story is his view of the life of Christ until His crucifixion and resurrection. It helped me picture the life of Christ more vividly. I read this at Christmas time but think I should have read it at Easter time.

The Heretic's Daughter

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent


My rating: 3 of 5 bookmarks
I have always been fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials. Someone recommended this book and while it was interesting, it wasn't my favorite. I did not know all the background of the trials, but this is written by the great granddaughter of one who was hung. I hadn't realized for such a talked about event, it really only lasted a short time and did not involve that many people. However, for those who it did involve, it was horrific! I like to learn about history through historical fiction books so I will try to find more about this subject.

The Summerhouse

The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux


My rating: 4 of 5 bookmarks
I had read this before, but this time I listened to it on CD. 3 women meet at the DMV on their 21st birthday in New York. Of course, they are beautiful and intelligent. They become friends. Now on their 40th birthday they reunite only to find that none of them went on to being successful in their dreams. They meet a mysterious woman who gives them a chance to go back and change their life and then decide which life they would choose. I wish it could have gone into more depth with some of the stories. It seemed to focus mostly on 2 of the characters and brushed quickly over the 3rd. But it caused me to reflect and wonder if I would go back and change my outcome. (No, I wouldn't!)

Digging to America

Digging to America by Anne Tyler


My rating: 5 of 5 bookmarks
I'm not sure I would have liked this book as much if I had read it rather than listened to it. Blair Brown was the reader and her accents made the story come alive! This book starts out at an airport as 2 families are waiting for their babies they adopted from Korea. One family had immigrated from Iran and the other is typical, midwest Americans. These 2 families lives become very intertwined. It brings up the challenges that one who immigrates to another country faces. It also deals with cancer, death, adoption, love and friendship.

Falling Leaves

Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah


My rating: 5 of 5 bookmarks
A friend of mine gave me this book. It is probably not one I would have picked up on my own, but I am so glad I read it. It is an autobiography of a Adeline Yen Mah. She was the 5th child born to a chinese family and 2 weeks after her birth, her mother died. Her father (a wealthy businessman) married again and this woman was an evil step-mother. She was very manipulative and worked hard to turn father against child, father against father, sister against brother, etc. etc. I was shocked at how everyone tried to please her, yet no one would ever be able to. Adeline went on to become very successful but has never felt like she amounted to anything. It is a tragic story, but very intriguing. I was not familiar with all of the politics of China, so this explained a lot of that too.

The Last Time They Met

The Last Time They Met: A Novel by Anita Shreve


My rating: 2 of 5 bookmarks.

I didn't care for this book. It was about a couple who met in high school. Then reunited later while they were both married. Then again much later. However, it started out at the last time they met and went backwards telling their story. The premise was interesting but I didn't care for the characters or feel their love.

The Rainbabies

The Rainbabies by Laura Krauss Melmed


My rating: 3 of 5 bookmarks.

A cute story of a couple who could not have children of their own. One day it rained and they discovered 12 rainbabies. The artwork was adorable. It is a storyline I have read before about this couple being tested to see if they could be good parents and then being rewarded at the end.