Porch #142 ⛱️ Historical Fiction At Its Finest

mesmerizing storylines & fascinating characters from the pen of Susan Meissner + my 30 year monthly literary time capsule + a reading light you won't be able to live without

One of my brilliant sons-in-law and I were chatting a few days ago and he said, ‘I listened to your soothing voice this morning when I was doing my work.  I thought, ‘this was supposed to be mom.’ And then I realized, ‘oh it IS mom with her audiobook voice!’

So, click that little blue arrow to hear my very unprofessional tones. You’ll probably hear the ceiling fan, some evening crickets, and Route 6 traffic in the background.

photo by dear friend, writer, & photographer Debby Hudson

HEY ALL MY READING BUDDIES!

If it’s the middle of the month, it’s time for another edition of BOOKBAG. And if you’re looking to stuff a beachy bookbag with fine historical fiction, I’d recommend author Susan Meissner to you without hesitation. Publisher’s Weekly raves, ‘Meissner’s prose is exquisite, and she is a stunning storyteller.’ I couldn’t agree more. I’m a huge fan of her riveting, compassionate storylines.

These six quick mini-reviews will tell you why.

A FALL OF MARIGOLDS
A beautiful fragile scarf unites the stories of two women in NYC - one in 1911, the other in 2011.  From Ellis Island to the World Trade Center towers, this is a powerful saga of tragedy and fire and bodies falling from buildings leading to lives permanently altered for women who've loved and lost as they slowly make their way to the other side of grief.
PAPERBACK 
KINDLE

AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN
Set in 1918 Philadelphia, the reader is transported right into the horror of the Spanish flu pandemic, the overwhelming loss of loved ones, and the tale of an orphaned baby who becomes a family's source of hope.  'A compelling story of a mother and her daughters who find themselves in a harsh world not of their making that will either crush their resolve to survive or purify it.'
PAPERBACK
KINDLE

LADY IN WAITING
A1600's bejeweled ring once worn by royalty with the name Jane inscribed on the band's smooth inner surface, finds its way into the hands of a modern day Jane even as her marriage hits rock bottom. ‘As the stories of both Janes dovetail through the journey of one ring, it becomes clear that each woman has far more influence over her life than she once imagined. It all comes down to the choices each makes despite the realities they face.’
PAPERBACK
KINDLE

THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS
1906 - 'Sophie Whalen is a young Irish immigrant so desperate to get out of a New York tenement that she answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about ... but his odd behavior leaves her with the uneasy feeling that something about her newfound situation isn't right.'  The eve of the San Francisco earthquake, 'a stranger at the door sets in motion a transforming chain of events as Sophie discovers hidden ties to two other women.'
PAPERBACK
KINDLE

ONLY THE BEAUTIFUL
'California, 1938—Seventeen-year-old Rosanne swore to her dying mother she’d reveal to no one that she sees unexplainable flashes of color when she hears sounds. When she not only breaks that vow but in a moment of abandon ends up pregnant, she is sent to a place where so-called inherited “flaws” are not tolerated.  Vienna, 1947—Helen, who spent the war years as a nanny witnessing the same kind of thinking at its absolute worst, returns home to California and learns what really happened to the girl she long ago befriended at the family vineyard, soon discovering that while the war had been won in Europe, there are still hard battles to be fought at home.'
PAPERBACK
KINDLE

STARS OVER SUNSET BOULEVARD
If you're a Gone with the Wind fan, if you cherish one or two lifelong friendships with women, if seemingly innocent lies have webbed their way into your heart and almost destroyed everything that has meaning, this is your book. Set in Hollywood in 1938 with a mysterious find that emerges in 2012, this is historical fiction at vintage perfection.
PAPERBACK
KINDLE

⛱️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ JUNE LITERARY TIME CAPSULE
1 year ago
Only the Beautiful
Susan Meissner

5 years ago
Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, & Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up to Move Forward
Dr. Henry Cloud

10 years ago
The Invention of Wings
Sue Monk Kidd ($6.99 SALE)

15 years ago
The Forgotten Garden
Kate Morton

20 years ago
Where Is God When It Hurts
Philip Yancey ($4.99 SALE)

25 years ago
St. Simons Memoir
Eugenia Price

30 years ago
Renewed Day by Day
A.W. Tozer

⛱️

GLOCUSENT 3-COLOR & 6-BRIGHTNESS BENDABLE NECK READING LIGHT

Hang this baby around your neck and you’ll never squint again. This bright little pair of spotlights is perfect for reading, craft projects, or repair work. For $18.69 (43% off!) you can buy one for your very own self and maybe a few more for a cool graduation / back-to-school / off-to-college gift.

(Or a late Father’s Day present because he’s so ridiculously hard to buy for.)

Click here to check it out. I give this miracle worker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

So … what titles are on your summer reading list? Paper, Kindle, or Audio? Fiction or non? Do tell!
Linda

Welcome back to PORCH,
your go-to weekend companion.
Embrace community.
Discover a fresh perspective.
Grow your faith in Christ.
Get unstuck. 
Share your story.

🛒 I appreciate all of you who are supporting my work when you click on any Amazon link here & then shop 'til you drop.  That's it!  A few cents go into my pocket at no extra cost to you ever. You’re happy, I’m happy, it’s a win-win.

🔗 Anne . Paula . Joanne . Andrew . Joanne . Lynn