As Bright as Heaven, written by Susan Meissner and narrated by Tavia Gilbert, Jorjeana Marie, Cassandra Morris, Abigail Revasch
I learned about this book from What Should I Read Next?, episode 350 - Book mail keeps us together. I've enjoyed several other books by Meissner, so I immediately put this one on hold. Held against the backdrop of World War I, it's set in Philadelphia during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, then picks up again seven years later. The chapters alternate between the perspectives of the four main characters - a mom and her three daughters - amidst major life changes in their family, a city ravaged by illness, devastating personal and community losses, and the addition of an orphaned baby to their home. I'd have liked the book anyway, but it was an extra perk that the audio version had separate narrators for each main character.
7:40:25, Besides, home isn't a place where everything stays the same. It's a place where you are safe and loved, despite nothing staying the same.
10:46:28, "It's not always easy to identify the very best thing to do until you do what you think is best," I tell her.
The Dressmakers of Auschwitz: The True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive, written and narrated by Lucy Adlington
As you can imagine, this book is horrible because of the atrocities committed against Jewish people and wonderful because of the fierce determination, even when unsuccessful, to survive under unimaginably horrific circumstances. The women this book focuses on were responsible for sewing custom clothes for the wives of Nazi leaders, fancy pieces created in an Auschwitz workspace from materials stolen from Jews who were murdered there. The appalling task was their best chance at avoiding the gas chambers and they included as many women as they could. Part historical context, part personal stories, the book is interesting ... and really long. I chose it from the "available now" options on Libby.
The Foundling, written by Ann Leary
Set in 1927 Pennsylvania, this novel is about a young woman who grew up in an orphanage and is thrilled to get a job offer from a woman she admires. What she expects to be a nice facility doing the important work of caring for women with intellectual challenges turns out to be a eugenics asylum that operates more like a prison. The vast majority of the inmates aren't feebleminded, as the name of the institution indicates, but have been forced to live there through their childbearing years because people with power and selfish motives have dishonestly deemed them so.
Incorporating issues like sexism, racism, greed, and mistreatment of the poor, the story's about our propensity to believe what we want to believe even when we see evidence to the contrary and the courage it takes to do what's right when it could come at great personal expense. Although it's a work of fiction, the novel's inspired by true events in our country's history and the institution the author's grandma worked at.
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter, written by Margareta Magnusson and narrated by Juliet Stevenson
2:34, The more I have focused on my cleaning, the braver I have become. I often ask myself, "Will anyone I know be happier if I save this?" If after a moment of reflection I can honestly answer no, then off it goes into the hungry shredder again, which is always waiting for paper to chew. But before it goes into the shredder, I have had a moment to reflect on the event or feeling, good or bad, and to know that it has been a part of my story and of my life.
The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances, written by Glenn Dixon
I learned about this book from the 4/10/26 issue of Shelf Awareness and thought it sounded interesting. The main character is an automated vacuum in a home filled with smart appliances that communicate with each other as if they were human and are connected to the Grid, which runs everything, everywhere, for everyone. The homeowners have lived there for forty years when the wife dies, leaving the husband at risk of being forcibly removed from his home because the Grid determines the space too large for a single person. With both past and present complications pertaining to the adult daughter who visits after her mom's death, this is a story about both the benefits and risks of things like smart devices and artificial intelligence in a world that's increasingly automated. It's about emotions, personal freedom, and books, set in a future that doesn't seem too distant. It's quirky and I enjoyed it.
It's Not Supposed To Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered, written and narrated by Lysa TerKeurst, including an interview by Jolene Barto
The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, written by Kristin Harmel and narrated by Madeleine Maby, with dedication and author's note narrated by Kristin Harmel
This novel was a "skip the line" option on Libby and I enjoyed another book by this author a few years ago, so I checked it out. Told in alternating timelines, it's the story of a woman in her eighties who has spent her whole life as a jewel thief, one from a family who are modern day Robin Hoods. The older part of the story is set in Paris during WWII when she and her mom stole jewels to fund the French Resistance. The other part is in modern day Boston when a very expensive bracelet with a deeply personal connection to the woman turns up in a museum. The bracelet had been sewn into the hem of her little sister's dress the night her sister was taken, her body later found in the Seine. The seventy year mystery of who killed her sister and how the bracelet ended up on another continent the focus of the story, but with history, guilt, found family, grief, and love woven throughout.
3:01:47, But Aviva understood that caring for someone wasn't about fitting them into spaces that you'd already cut out. It was about allowing them to exist in their own way.
7:44:30, "Why do you want to help?"
"Because when we find ourselves in darkness we can't wait for the light to find us," Colette said slowly.
"Indeed."
6:16:51, "But please always remember, my dear, that there is a difference between a life that honors the past and a life dictated by it. When you let your history shape your future you relinquish the ability to choose a better way forward."
11:09:54 (in author's note), One doesn't need to have a specific title or a specific education to become an agent of change. Change happens one act of courage at a time, one act of kindness at a time, one act of faith at a time. And those are things that all of us are capable of.
Two things. First, I really like Hawkes, Islington, and Pierce. They're flawed, but good guys. I respect their care for and loyalty to their friends. Second, Genevieve Gaunt is a phenomenal narrator. Beyond those two things, it's business as usual with this series. Funny interactions, serious situations, high society marriage nonsense, and characters you can't help but love.
1:04:42, A year is such an odd packet of time. It seems so ordered: a dozen months, a handful of seasons. Deceptively even. Make no mistake, it will go awry every which way. Balance? Impossible. Control? Not worth mentioning the word. Some days cling and others run, many shifting just enough to incommode but give no great variety. And then out of the pedestrian blue comes an explosion which reduces all plans to smithereens. The reward for making it through? Getting to do it again.
10:18:17, "If I hurt you, if I leave a mark on that indomitable soul of yours ..."
"You just said there's a possibility this could end in disaster, Pierce. I know the risks."
"I'm not speaking of bruises, Emma. I'm speaking of scars. If I hurt you in such a way, I walk." He lifted both his hands in surrender, taking a half step back, increasing the distance between us.
"I will not leave you worse than before you met me."
"Impossible."
"That is the clear line I have to draw," he reiterated.
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 8, written by Beth Brower and narrated by Genevieve Gaunt
Well, I'm officially done with the first batch of these books. I enjoyed them more than I expected to after reading the first one and strongly recommend people listen to the audio version. This volume felt different than the others, more serious. People and relationships are maturing, and we all know that growth doesn't come without growing pains. I'm looking forward to seeing how all the stories continue to unfold in upcoming volumes.
