"Disaster lived by its own rules. Most of the time it crept up from behind, wiping out everything with a single blow, a bully and a coward." ~ from Susan Crandall's The Flying Circus
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| The Flying Circus: A Novel by Susan CrandallThe Roaring Twenties live up to its name in this engaging coming-of-age story, which follows a trio of barnstorming daredevils across the American Midwest. Teenage runaway Henry Schuler, veteran World War I aviator Charles "Gil" Gilchrist, and orphaned heiress Cora Haviland have seemingly nothing in common, but all three are desperate to outrun, outride, and out-fly their pasts. Utilizing Henry's skills as a mechanic, Gil's combat experience, and Cora's thrill-seeking nature, they put together a traveling show pitting Gil and his biplane against Cora and her motorcycle. But beneath their death-defying act lurk hidden vulnerabilities and emotional scars that could tear their close-knit group apart. |
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| The Courtesan: A Novel by Alexandra CurryBorn during the reign of Dowager Empress Cixi's reign, Qing dynasty courtesan Sai Jinhua witnesses numerous transitions throughout her long and eventful life. Following her father's execution, the seven-year-old is sold to a brothel for a handful of coins. After several years of training for "bed business" (a regimen that includes frequent beatings and foot-binding), Jinhua attracts the attention of a government official, who makes her his concubine and brings her to Vienna when he's tasked with a delicate diplomatic mission. Jinhua's experiences in Austria change her life, and not entirely for the better, as her perceived pro-European sentiments place her in danger during the Boxer Rebellion. |
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| The Wild Girl by Kate ForsythHenrietta Dorothea Wild's life resembles a fairy tale, albeit with no guarantee of a happy ending. One of six sisters and the daughter of an abusive apothecary, "Dortchen" comes of age as Napoleon's Grand Army invades her hometown of Hanau. Around the same time, she meets Wilhelm Grimm, a poor scholar who, with his brother Jakob, studies German folklore. Love is inevitable, but marriage may prove impossible. During their prolonged secret courtship, Dortchen shares her large repertoire of stories, including such tales as Hansel and Gretel, Six Swans, and Rumpelstiltskin. Author Kate Forsyth's previous novel, Bitter Greens, provided a lush and lyrical look at the origins of Rapunzel; similarly, The Wild Girl chronicles the life of another influential yet little-known storyteller. |
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| Flood of Fire by Amitav GhoshIn 1839, China takes steps to abolish the opium trade, prompting the British East India company, whose existence largely depends on supplies of this lucrative commodity, to take military action. This conclusion to author Amitav Ghosh's acclaimed Ibis trilogy chronicles the First Opium War from the perspectives of a large and diverse cast of characters. Due to the complex cultural and political dynamics at play in this sprawling saga, readers new to the series will want to start with Sea of Poppies, followed by River of Smoke. |
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| The Sunrise: A Novel by Victoria HislopIn 1974, Turkey invades Cyprus in response to a coup d'état by a right-wing military junta seeking unification with Greece. Caught in the crossfire are the inhabitants of the coastal city of Famagusta, home of the Sunrise Hotel, owned by the wealthy, glamorous Savvas and Aphroditi Papacostas. As the conflict plays out, the Papacostas along with two neighboring families -- the Turkish Cypriot Özkans and the Greek Cypriot Georgious -- find themselves at odds as they struggle to survive in a paradise under siege. |
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| Villa America: A Novel by Liza KlaussmannHappily ensconced in their villa on Cap d'Antilles, in the French Riviera, wealthy American expatriates Sara and Gerald Murphy raise their three children while lavishly entertaining Lost Generation luminaries such as Ernest Hemingway, Cole Porter, Pablo Picasso, Dorothy Parker, and F. Scott Fitzgerald (who will base his novel, Tender is the Night, on the couple). It's a lively crowd, to be sure. However, the Murphys' most disruptive guest turns out to be World War I pilot Owen Chambers, whose affair with Gerald will have far-reaching consequences for all three individuals. |
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| Girl Waits with Gun by Amy StewartThree sisters take the law into their own hands in this fast-paced, darkly humorous caper set in 1914 New Jersey. When local factory owner Henry Kaufman's motorcar strikes their buggy, the Kopp siblings sue for damages and, when that fails, band together to make Kaufman pay. Pistol-packing Constance, pigeon fancier Norma, and whimsical Fleurette may seem like an oddball trio, but they get results. This witty, well-researched fiction debut of Amy Stewart, author of such nonfiction favorites as Wicked Plants and The Drunken Botanist, draws inspiration from real-life people and events (Constance would go on to become one of the first female sheriffs in the United States). |
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| Maud's Line: A Novel by Margaret VerbleOn November 16, 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state in the union -- a direct result of legislation that seized territory belonging to the Cherokee (among other tribes) and displaced native peoples. A generation after the government resettles her family on an allotment in the eastern part of the state, 18-year-old Maud Nail longs to escape her father's farm. When a handsome stranger arrives in town, Maud sees her chance for a better life, or at least a different one. An enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, author Margaret Venable draws on family history in this spare, compelling novel. |
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| Landfalls: A Novel by Naomi J. WilliamsIntended to rival Captain Cook's famous voyages of exploration, the 1785 Lapérouse expedition aims to circumnavigate the globe. Setting off in two retrofitted naval storeships, fancifully renamed the Boussole and the Astrolabe, the captain and crew follow an itinerary that includes stops in Tenerife, Chile, Alaska, California, Russia, and the South Seas islands. Armchair travelers as well as fans of detailed and descriptive sea stories will enjoy the vividly rendered settings, well-drawn characters, and gripping maritime adventure. |
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