Mary’s Moment by Susan G. Mathis

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Mary Flynn works as a telegrapher and switchboard operator at Thousand Island Park, and in the modern day of 1912, it’s the telephone that keeps her busiest. She lives with her two aunts on the island as the story begins. Though Mary wishes to marry, at twenty-eight, she is resigned to live as an old maid. She’s independent and loves her job.

Mary captures the interest of George Flannigan, a widowed fireman. Soon friendship begins to grown between the couple. Yet he can’t forgive himself for past failures. George worries if Mary will want to help his raise his six-year-old son, should their relationship progress.

A terrible fire sweeps across the island, bringing destruction and tragedy in its wake—and alters their relationship in a way neither could foresee.

I enjoyed this story! It easily snagged my attention with endearing, believable characters—and some readers won’t like. The fires seem to start in mysterious ways. There were some unpredictable twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, which made this a page-turner for me.

I couldn’t put it down. It’s a sweet and gentle romance. The little boy tugged at my heart.

I loved learning a bit of history about the islands as a natural part of the story. I now want to visit Thousand Island Park!

This is a new-to-me author. I will look for more of her books!

Recommended for readers of inspirational historical romances!

I was given a copy of the book by the author. A positive review was not required. The opinions expressed are my own.

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Room at the Table by Stephanie Pavlantos & Starr Ayers

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Encouraging Stories from Special Needs Families

What an inspiring book!

This book is filled with stories from special needs families.

Some are written by parents. Others are written by grandparents. Several are written by men and women with Down Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy or depression or other health conditions.

Have you ever wondered if their siblings feel neglected? There are several testimonials from siblings of various ages.

And at the end of every story are suggestions of “What You Can Do” to help families. I love these insights.

Each story is short, making it easy to read a chapter or two a day. The book highlights some of the struggles families face on a daily basis.

 Recommended!

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Gallop! by Rufus Butler Seder

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

A Scanimation Picture Book

I found this fun picture book at Mazza Museum in Ohio.

The author created a book that puts animals in motion. Turning the page causes a horse to gallop, for example. A child can make the horse continue to gallop by moving the page back and forth.

My young grandchildren love this book, whose target readership is probably 2 – 6 year-olds.

Recommend!

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The Great Flood of 1884 in the Ohio Valley by John L. Vance

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

The rise and fall of the waters from Pittsburgh to Cairo together with useful and important information and statistics. Also, the work of the Gallipolis relief committee.

A cold, snowy January led to warmer days by the beginning of February. Sunshine and then rain melted the ice. Then more rain came.

And so did the floodwaters.

Widespread, disastrous flooding across West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, brought loss of property and loss of life.

The author wrote this book in 1884 when the tragedies were fresh in the minds of those who survived it.

I read this book as part of my research for A Not So Persistent Suitor, Book 2 in my Second Chances series. The author provided wonderful details for many areas affected by the flood including Cincinnati, Ohio, the setting for my book.

This nonfiction resource book shows details of the rising water, risky water rescues, and how an entire town was washed away.

Excellent book for American history lovers.

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Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone

My sister is the first one who suggested I read this book. In fact, she lent me her copy.

Before I found time to read it, I’d heard of this author from multiple people.

This nonfiction book shows that we all want to be connected. We go to great lengths to belong, sometimes even when it goes against who we are deep inside.

There are many insights in this book that will make you think. Even if you might not agree with a particular point the author is making, you will likely respect her and her journey for true belonging.

Insightful. Honest. In fact, the author shares that after writing of a personal experience, she cried. It was difficult, painful to be so honest.

There is some strong language in the book.

Like my sister, I can recommend this book. You may want to read it with your highlighter handy.

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Puppy Dog Devotions by Michelle Medlock Adams and Wendy Hinote Lanier

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

75 Fun Fido Facts, Bible Truths, and More!

The title of this devotional intrigued me immediately. Many readers like me have been touched by the devotion and love of dogs.

The book contains the key components of a devotional:

        Unleash the Truth—Bible verses

        Digging Deeper—Thought-provoking questions

        Fido 411—An interesting fact about the featured breed

        Weekly Tail-Waggers—Challenges to put lessons into action

I also loved that each section focused on different breeds and their characteristics. The authors weave inspiring lessons from the dogs. What an interesting way to learn!

A few of the topics covered are: Faithful to the End; Beautifully Reliable; We Walk by Faith; and Super Sleuths.

I really enjoyed this fun, insightful book! I believe this devotional will appeal to pet lovers.

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A Winter at the White Queen by Denise Weimer

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Book 1 in Romance at the Gilded Ages Resorts

1910, White Queen, on the shore of Clearwater Bay in Florida

Ellie Hastings has been tasked by her aunt to discern the character of the wealthy bachelor, Lewis Thornton. Aunt Florence has the young man in mind for Ada, her youngest daughter.

Lewis has seen all the tricks that young women determined to meet him have used over the years, but Ellie seems different. Her cousin and her parents fit in perfectly at the White Queen. There’s some mystery about Ellie.

He hatches a plan to aid a friend that will allow him to spend more time with Ellie.

I was drawn into the setting of the Gilded Ages Resorts from the beginning. My interest was quickly snagged by this unlikely couple—a wealthy bachelor accustomed to pursuit by single women and the poor relation woman at the beck and call of her high-society aunt.

The lonely little girl, Cora, tugged at my heart. Our heroine has long been taught not to value herself and many misunderstandings arise from this mindset. Twists in the action moved the story in a direction I didn’t expect. I became invested in the plight of the characters, making this book a page turner for me.

I’m looking forward to the next book in the collection!

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Rescuing Rose by Susan Pope Sloan

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Rescued Hearts of the Civil War

Book One

This first book in the series was a page turner for me!

Rose Carrigan can scarcely believe it when Union soldiers burn the mill in her small town in Roswell, Georgia. That mill had supplied jobs for both her and sister, not to mention many of her neighbors. What are they to do now?

Union Captain Noah Griffin hates this part of his job. It seems to him that the army didn’t have to destroy the livelihood of an entire town. Two sisters capture his attention, especially Rose, the older one. She’s got spirit but her beauty snags the attention of some of his men. He saves her. Before long, she occupies much of his thoughts.

Rose learns that the workers of the Roswell mills are prisoners. She and her sister must travel north, whether they want to go or not. Noah can’t stop the orders from being carried out. What will become of them? Will she see Noah again?

This book tugged at my emotions from the beginning. The historical events are shared as a natural part of the story. I love learning history as a natural part of a fictional novel.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it won’t be the last.

Recommended for readers of inspirational historical romances.

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A History of the Schools of Cincinnati

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Written by John Brough Shotwell

This book, published in 1902, is over 600 pages. The history of educating Cincinnati’s children and youths in college throughout the 1800s is very extensive.

Included in the volume are the histories of Walnut Hills High School, Hughes High School, and Woodward High School. It also included a section about Woodward in the Civil War. So many sections of the book are very interesting.

I read this book as research for my book set in Cincinnati, A Not So Persistent Suitor in 1883-84. At first, I thought that two of my characters would attend the University of Cincinnati and I concentrated on learning all I could about the school. There is much information about it in this history. However, it turned out that the Cincinnati Kindergarten Training School—also discussed by the author—fit the story like a glove.

It’s obvious the author did extensive research on the schools and left this gem to all of us who want to dig into the city’s educational history. I’m so grateful for the work involved to preserve the information for future generations.

Recommended for readers who love the history of Cincinnati and Ohio.

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Historic Downtown Cincinnati

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Written by Steven J. Rolfes and Kent Jones

Images of America

This book begins with sketches in 1788, when Cincinnati (originally named Losantiville) began. The early sketches included one of Fort Washington, the city’s first fort. It illustrates how much the city has grown!

The author includes some history of the Civil War as well as a section of the city’s famous businesses. Photos for early clothing stores paint a picture of what it must have been like to shop in those early days.

Books in this series are always very well done. They have old photographs and sketches that are so helpful in my historical research for my novels.

I read this book during my research for my book set in Cincinnati, A Not So Persistent Suitor in 1883-84. Studying old photographs often brings a sense of what it must have been like in those bygone days.

Recommended for readers who love the history of Cincinnati and Ohio.

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