Week Two

Annotations of three books utilizing “Appeal Factors”

    At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen

Sara Gruen’s newest historical fiction novel, At the Water’s Edge, finds three wealthy Americans searching for proof that a Loch Ness Monster exists to restore their sullied ‘honor.'  As the horrors of World War II rages on the three Americans, spoiled, unlikable and flawed, are oblivious to the hardships endured by the small Scottish village they move to or those of the world at large.  The young American woman must break out of her life’s constraints to remove herself from a love triangle and become her true self.  This engaging novel starts off slow, but builds to a climatic ending.  Readers who enjoyed Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole or The Postmistress by Sara Blake will also like this novel.

     The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History by Boris Johnson

Accessible and witty, Boris Johnson’s biography The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History, grabs readers’ attention and makes them want to know the details of Winston Churchill’s life!  The setting is 1874-1965 Great Britain, spanning the lifetime of the iconic Winston Churchill and his influence of world affairs.  The author clearly intends to inform readers of the immense breadth and scope of Churchill’s personality and politics to include his staunch conviction to defeat the Nazis through coining the phrase “Iron Curtain.”  Book Readalikes include The Mantle of Command by Nigel Hamilton and Lincoln Unbound: How an Ambitious Young Rail Splitter Saved the American Dream by Richard Lowry.

      The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale is a moving WWII historical fiction novel set in France and told through the perspectives of two courageous sisters.  Their compelling stories are revealed through character narratives as each woman capitalizes on personality strengths to endure the horrific events of war.  Although love stories weave throughout the tale, the action is produced by a society at war and the resistance of the French people to Nazi control.  Dramatic ethical and moral dilemmas, as well as reconciliation within dysfunctional families are also themes.  A title readalike would be All the Light We Cannot See by Anothy Doerr.