Susan Meissner

Dear Readers,

The Golden Age of Hollywood.  The filming of Gone with the Wind.  Goodness what else would a book need?  Stars over Sunset Boulevard by Susan Meissner has that and more.

A beautifully written story about Violet Mayfield.  She sets out for Hollywood to reinvent herself.  She has always dreamed of being a wife and mother, but that dream was shattered by a cruel twist of fate.  She believes that dream is dead and why not go to work on a movie set in glamorous Hollywood?  That it turns out to be Gone with the Wind makes it all the better.

Along the way she makes friends with Audrey who is an aspiring actress.  Audrey was on the cusp of stardom until talkies came along.  They share the little cottage that Audrey owns and the adventures and fun begins.  Hitting the clubs, watching movies and dating are just some of the fun and of course there is that incident with the hat...

Susan does include a bit of a contemporary tale alongside the historical setting.  It just enhances the other story and even adds a bit of mystery to it.

I am always excited to learn that Susan has a new book releasing and the past few years she seems to be able to time to with my vacation.  This year was no different and there is something very special about reading about those glamorous days while sitting in the sunshine poolside.  I really think that this book was made for that, but if you can't get poolside, I recommend that put this book on the top of that pile of books to read.  Maybe once you are done with reading it, get a copy of the movie,Gone with the Wind and enjoy a bowl of popcorn and a classic.

Happy Reading,

Susan Meissner

Dear readers,

Just over one year ago this week, I read a Susan Meissner book on a flight to Florida.  So imagine my excitement that a new one was available to do that with again.  Secrets of a Charmed Life released a couple days before we left and it was hard not to open the covers and dive in, but I managed to wait with most of the book.  I will admit I read about 50 pages before we left but still read most of it on the flight.

"Secrets" is the story of a survivor of the blitz of London during WWII.  Isabel has never shared her story with anyone, but has decided to tell it to a grad student that needs a thesis.  Kendra is eager to get started, but little does she know what she is about to get into.

Emmy and Julia's life is not perfect.  In fact their mother seems to have little time for them and it is up to Emmy to take care of her much younger sister.  Emmy has dreams of her own and is willing to do just about anything to make them happen.  On the cusp of adulthood at 15, she wants to get a job at the local bridal shop with or without the war interfering.

So starts the book that will leave you with a better understanding about what it was like to survive during that part of WWII.  Bombs falling every night, people disappearing, and homes destroyed, life would never be the same for anyone.  People were separated from family with no way of knowing where anyone was.  Children were shipped off to the countryside. These are things we think of in horror and with little understanding of how anyone survived it. 

I don't know if I am Susan's biggest fan, but she is one of my favorite authors.  She once again hits it out of the park with a story of a coming of age during WWII.  Not just any coming of age story, but one of a teenager who lost everything including her family.  


I am looking forward to my next flight to Florida so I can once again read the next Susan Meissner book.  


Happy Reading,

Susan Meissner

Dear Readers,

I could hardly wait to start my vacation not only because of the time in the sun and warmth of Florida, but I was going to start a book that I had been waiting to read since I knew Susan Meissner was working on A Fall of Marigolds.  
 

I hate to say it, the book never made it to Florida, I finished it on the plane ride down.  I started it in the airport waiting for the first flight and could hardly lay it down to get on the flight.  I am glad I did make the plane as it was beautiful weather and I got 4 other books read.  
 

There is a scarf that connects two woman across the years.  Clare is a nurse who has retreated to Ellis Island to recover from a tragedy that she witnessed.  A fire ripped through the building she was working at, but she couldn't help the men and women trapped on the upper floors and had to watch as they started leaping to their deaths.  
 

Taryn's life was saved by a beautiful scarf.  She was on the way to the North Tower to meet her husband and tell him the wonderful news that she was finally pregnant.  She couldn't wait to get there, but a client wanted her to stop and pick up the scarf to see if she could match it.  She survived, but he did not.  

 

There was something about this book that made me not want to put it down.  It made me do something that doesn't happen to me often.  It made me cry. I didn't weep, but it sure did make me tear up.  I got done reading and I wanted to turn to my seat mate to tell them they had to read this book, but I am sure that my husband isn't so interested in reading this book.  

So I will tell you instead, if you haven't read any of Susan's books, this would be a great one to start with.   It shows her at her best, a modern storyline and a historical storyline.  She is so good at showing us how much we are all connected to each other whether in the same decade or not. 

 

Happy Reading,

Susan Meissner

Dear Readers,

What if the walls of your house could talk?  Would they remember only the tragedies that happen there?  Would they only remember the happy events?  Or would they tell of a wonderful tapestry of both that make up our histories. 

A Sound among the Trees by Susan Meissner takes on that storyline.  Holly Oak is a home that has lots of tragedy but also lots of happiness.  Adelaide, the matriarch of the family, is sure the house is holding a gruge on her family because it was not allowed to do what houses do best, which is to offer safety and comfort from the storms outside its walls, namely the Civil War. 

 

Marielle is a new bride brought to the house by her husband, who was made a widower by tragic events.  She knows it will be a difficult adjustment for her and the family, but she doesn't expect to meet with resistance from the house.

Now you need to know that this is not a creepy book.  It is not a horror story like Amityville horror, but it is the story of how the past can sometime not let you go so you become stuck in that rut. 

Holly Oak is set in Virginia near Fredricksburg.  Some of the storyline takes place during the Civil War times and tells the tale of a house and its family caught between two armies and trusted by neither.  It is also the story of love and forgivesness.  It is the story of people trying to do what they think is right and true as the time and circumstances dictate. 

Happy Reading

Susan Meissner

Dear Readers,
Those of you have been reading my reviews for years already know this. I love Susan Meissner's books. My favorite has long been Shape of Mercy, but I fell in love with her many years ago while reading Why the Sky is Blue. She writes stories and characters that I become very attached to. They become like good friends that I never want the story to end even though I so can't wait to find out what happens in the story.

Lady in Waiting is Susan's newest and I could hardly wait to get my hands on a copy right after my rep from Waterbrook presented it to me. Because he is one of the best reps I have, Stuart, with Joel's help, sent me a copy a few weeks ago. I could hardly stand to finish the book I was reading to start it. It is so very good and I can't wait for you to read it.

This book is the story of two Janes. One lives in Manhattan and is trying to recover from when her husband walked out of their marriage after 22 years together. She is trying to find herself and meaning in it all when she discovers a old ring in a box sent over from Britain. She is drawn into the story of the second Jane.
Lady Jane Grey lived in the 16th century and most of her life is decided by politics and the grabbing for power. Her story is told through the eyes of her dressmaker Lucy. It is an interesting perspective on the political scene of the time. Lady Jane wants to marry for love, but understands that she can not. When circumstances force her to accept things that she doesn't want to, it may cost more than her heart.
In the style of Shape of Mercy, this book flashes back and forth between present and past. It is not a problem to follow the storyline, but I always found myself so caught up in one side of the story that I wouldn't want it to end. Then just a quickly I would get caught up in the next storyline that I wouldn't want that one to end. Oh well the problems of reading fiction. :-)
I know that if you liked Susan's other books you will love this one. If you haven't read them all yet contact me at the store and I can see if we carry it or if it is one of her out of print books let me know and I can see if our used book department has a copy. To let you know how good her books are, our used books doesn't get many copies of her books, which means people/libraries hang on to them until they are gone.
Happy Reading

Susan Meissner

Dear Readers,

I was so excited to hear Susan Messiner was releasing another book this year. I so loved The Shape of Mercy, in fact it was my pick as favorite book for '08. White Picket Fences is a very thought provoking book. I really liked it and yet struggled with some of the characters. It was hard to warm up to the main character and I am sure Susan wrote them that way. Which does make for a good and interesting read.

Tally needs a place to live. Her Grandmother just passed away and her dad is somewhere in Europe. When social services calls her aunt, Tally isn't sure what she is getting into. On the outside the Javnviers look perfect. Mom, Dad and the 2.5 kids every family needs. A nice home and everyone seems happy and very content, that is until you start living with them. Then you start to see the cracks.

Tally and her cousin Chase are able to bond over a project they are doing for school. They meet two Holocaust survivors and learn their story. While talking to them the teens realize that they themselves need help with their own stories. Not everything is as it seems.

I really liked this book, as soon as I read it. But, it has taken some talking with others to make me really appreciate some of the stories behind it all. It is one of those books that begs to be discussed. Susan had that great gift of writing books that make you think about things. She won me as a loyal reader with the first one of hers I read, Why the Sky is Blue. It is out of print, but if you can find it, read it. It makes you think about things you believe about rape and abortion.

Anyways back to this book, I am sure that book clubs would find this book very interesting, especially if there are several different generations in their book club. I found that everyone I talked to had something very different to say about the story. No one really agreed on why they liked the story and even the couple I found that didn't like it seemed to like the story itself and had more problem with the characters.

If you haven't read any of Susan's books this is a good place to start, if you have read her, this may quickly become one of you favorites.

Happy Reading

Susan Meissner

Dear Readers,
First, the important stuff, The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner. I loved this book. It might be her best one yet. Secondly, this book is releasing on Sept. 16th. But you can order your copy today, just let me know if you want one.

Last but not least, I have had a terrible time writing this review. It is me, not the book. Every time I start a review for it, I feel like I am not doing the book justice. There are several different storylines and each one is very different from the others, and yet, they are all tied together. If you have ever read Susan's books before you know she never has just one story line, some being funny with most being serious.

In The Shape of Mercy, Susan does just that. The story of Mercy's diary alone is amazing, the story of Abigail is fascinating , but the main character, Lauren, is the story that doesn't leave you when you are done.

Lauren wants to prove to everyone that she doesn't need her parents money to survive. She takes a job transcribing an old diary that has been handed down through Abigail's family. The diary is written by an family member during the Salem witch trials. I really didn't know that much about the Salem witch trials other than what the play/book the Crucible tells us. It is a very dark time in our history. Sometimes it is even hard to remember that it isn't a work of fiction, but real families were torn apart and very real people, innocent people, were killed on the will and whim of a few teenage girls. Peer pressure is a very powerful tool.

Back to Lauren. I loved her storyline. She is a very normal person with every day struggles. She is trying to make the right decisions and yet doesn't want to hurt anyone. Especially her family, and yet wants to stand on her own. Which is a fine and difficult line to walk. Sometimes things aren't what you think they are.

I can't stress it enough, read this book. It wasn't at all what I expected, it was better.

Happy Reading