The Women of The Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell

 

The determination and power of women who literally had none in the 1900's is one of the themes in THE WOMEN OF THE COPPER COUNTRY.

Annie Clements had always been someone who helped others. Being a miner's wife she knew how they and their families could always use help in one way or another.

Because of the need, Annie banded together with the wives of the copper miners to stop the unsafe conditions in the copper mines and the deaths of loved ones by trying to get the miners to join the union. 

The other and main theme was the strike called by the miners so the company would recognize the union and get better working conditions.

Annie and the other wives want the men to join the union so they can ask for shorter days and more pay for their dangerous, unhealthful work that only makes the owners of the mines rich.

We follow Annie and the families as they prepare to strike to get what they need for their families.

We get to see the personal side of this community, share in their sorrows and worries, see how they suffer at the hands of company owners who won't give into union demands, and see how they come together to help one another in times of need.

Most of the characters were easy to like and to relate to.  Some were despicable.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, women's fiction, and learning about the lifestyle and hardships in the early 1900's both personal and work-wise, THE WOMEN OF THE COPPER COUNTRY will be a book you will want to read.

This book brought to light for me another not very well-known historical event about the plight of the copper miners and their families in Calumet, Michigan.  All isn't pleasant especially when the strikebreakers come on the scene.

A good book always has me looking up more information about events taking place in the story line, and THE WOMEN OF THE COPPER COUNTRY is no exception. 

Dr. Russell's thorough, in-depth research brought the reader into the town and homes of the Calumet families. 4/5

This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Because You're Mine by Rea Frey

 

Very interesting title for a very different, but good read. When you see the title, you are going to think it’s going to be a romance, but it is far from that.

We meet Grace and Lee. Both are single and both have sons the same age. Lee appears to have more baggage than Grace, but they both are overwhelmed.

Both of them seem to be hiding something.

Then we add in Lee’s son’s teacher Noah who also has a secret.

All three characters are connected through Mason, and the connection goes deep.  Everything appears to be good for once for the most part until Lee goes on a weekend trip with her girlfriends, and one of the girls turns up dead.

Many subtle hints are given in every chapter about what's going on but nothing is revealed, but there is an undertone of menace throughout.

BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE is filled with characters with secrets and characters with private burdens.  It also deals with friendship issues, decisions, grief, and drug and alcohol use.

BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE will appeal to those readers who enjoy subtle suggestions of what is going on with the characters and readers who would like to get to know the characters better because you really aren’t sure what’s making them tick or who is telling the truth.

The book actually was depressing at times, but you will want to continue reading to see what happens to the characters and what the real truths are. 

The ending will have you saying “what?” 4/5

This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This Week - 8/4 - 8/10

I hope you can stop by this week for the reviews and the feature posts.

 

Sunday's Prompt - SHIP

Thanks to these Litsy folks for today’s prompt:

#LetsTravelAugust

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

@OriginalCyn620

Today’s Prompt:  SHIP

DANGEROUS CROSSING had me hooked from the opening sentence.  

Knowing something was going to happen on the “ship” that had someone arrested when they docked, kept the mystery and intrigue high.

DANGEROUS CROSSING was a study of people, their secrets, their lives, and their observations.

FULL REVIEW 

 

Featuring The Exile of Sara Stevenson by Darci Hannah

Love, mystery, secrets, betrayal, ghosts, letters, smugglers, Scottish history and life in the 1800's.....Sara Stevenson was a privileged Scottish lass who wasn't one to conform to the norms of Scottish rules for young ladies.

This review was written on the second day I had begun my blog.   

I really enjoyed this book.

REVIEW HERE.

Books I've Read by Laura Dave

Have you read either of these books?  

I hope you enjoyed them.  If you haven’t read them, I hope you give them a try.

Reviews here:

EIGHT HUNDRED GRAPES

HELLO SUNSHINE

Seabreeze Inn by Jan Moran

Who wouldn’t be taken in by a gorgeous vintage home with views of the beach from every angle?

Ivy immediately fell in love with Las Brisas that she had no idea her husband had bought. She had planned to immediately sell when the realtor told her it would take over a year to even get someone interested so she changed her mind and decided to keep the home.

I fell in love with the house too...it sounded like a lovely place to live or to spend time.  What made the house more intriguing was the fact that the house and the original owner had some history dating back to WWII.

Ivy and her sister Shelly made plans to turn the home into a bed and breakfast, but the city wouldn't allow that zoning so they decided on renting rooms and having a wedding planning business.

Both Ivy and Shelley were lovable in their own way.  I enjoyed their interactions and creativity.

Even though their business decision was moving forward there still was one problem in town for Ivy. Her problem was the mayor who was also her real estate agent that Ivy knew from high school.
 
A lot of things were going on in Ivy's life including the death of her husband with secrets Ivy never knew about.

Meanwhile their mother and father had something to tell them and everyone was thinking the worst. 

SEABREEZE INN is as delightful as the title sounds. 

We get a glimpse of life in the charming town of Summer Beach and of beach living.

If you enjoy a light, breezy read, old houses with secrets, and characters with secrets, you will want to add this book to your TBR. Art lovers will also enjoy this book that slips in a little romance.

SEABREEZE INN is truly an enjoyable, lovely read that will lift your spirits and have you looking up famous artists and seeing if the town is real or fictional. 5/5

This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.