Fall into Reading a Good Book
BOOK REVIEWS BY LINDA STEPHEN
The Legacy of Prairie Winds
by Glenda K. Clare
Lincoln has a new historical fiction author writing about Nebraska. Glenda Clare is retired from teaching at Irving Middle School in Lincoln. She previously taught English and Speech in Norfolk, Pierce, and Raymond. Clare wrote her first novel during the pandemic.
The book is a historical romance inspired by Clare’s greatgrandparents and other relatives from 1880 through 1971. Her greatgrandfather Johann left Germany when he was 16 to work for a farmer in Elgin, Nebraska, located in Antelope County. For five years, he lived in a barn and worked for his sponsor before buying his own land. The Legacy of Prairie Winds covers Johann’s courting Helena of Norfolk, learning to survive in the Sandhills, the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, the Spanish flu, and more.
Nebraska readers will enjoy mentions of Oakdale, Oldenburg, Norfolk, Neligh, and Garland, which was called Germantown before World War I. I found some of the portrayals to be trite such as describing a young lady and “the beauty of her porcelain skin.” Find at Francie & Finch Bookshop or online (Blossom Spring Publishing, 2022, 414 pages, $12.12 paperback). Learn more at GKClareAuthor.com.
Between Sisters
by Kristin Hannah
This tender story about estranged sisters covers how their mother’s abandonment impacts their adult lives. One sister is a highly successful big-city attorney with no friends. Another sister is a single mother working at a resort in a small town and has had the same supportive friends since high school. Then, one sister gets cancer.
Written by the author of Firefly Lane, this book is rich in the nuances of family and friend relationships. I received the book from a friend who has cancer. I recommend for those who enjoy deep character studies, recognition of the value of motherhood, and the lesson that love comes from accepting each other’s flaws. Between Sisters is available at Francie & Finch Bookshop and wherever books are sold (480 pages, $17.00 paperback, $13.99 ebook)
Linda Stephen is an artist, writer and editor. See story time and origami events at Eiseley Library (9/10), Harvest Moon Festival (9/10), Gere Library (9/17), Lauritzen Gardens (10/8-9) and more at Facebook.com/LindaStephenOrigamiArt. Contact at Linda@UnfoldingCommunications.com.