The Girl with Three Legs by Soraya Mire

The Girl with Three Legs is a true story where the author, Soraya Miré, weaves a dramatic chronicle of the personal challenges she overcame, of how women in Somalia accept physical abuse through generations as if it were the norm, and a testament to the empowerment of women    At age thirteen years old, Mire discovers the horror of the "gift," female genital mutilation (FGM), whereby a young girls' healthy organs are chopped off.

Miré reveals what it means to grow up in a traditional Somali family, where women's basic human rights are violated on a daily basis.  Her life story is one of inspiration and redemption.  4 stars

"The World Without You" by Joshua Henkin

"The World Without You" by Joshua Henkin is a book that explores family dynamics of a family racked by a tragic loss of one of its members.  On the first aniversary of his death, his mother plans a memorial service for him.  All family member converge for the service.  The family dynamics are spot on with sibling rivalry, marital problems for the parents of the son who passed away, and ultimately one who steps forward for the real meaning of the day.  I loved this book.  4 stars.

"The Winemaker" by Noah Gordon

"The Winemaker" by Noah Gordon is a new book that I really enjoyed.  The setting is in the tiny grape-growing village of Santa Eulalia in northern Spain.  The characters are well developed and extremely believable.  The story takes place in the late 1800's.  I've never read much about the history of Spain so this book was very interesting.  It made me want to read more about its political history and the lives of everyday Spanairds.

The main character of the book is Josep Alvarez.  He is a second son of the owner of a grape vineyard.  The grapes were grown for sale to vinegar makers.  Alvarez makes his way to France where he ends up working years on a wine vineyard and learns the real art of making great wine which becomes his passion.  The book continues as he pursues his passion.  This has a nice ending, which I like.  4 stars. 

Vanished in the Dunes - Allan Retzky

"Vanished in the Dunes" by Allan Retzky was, in my opinion, a good read.  I don't normally read thrillers or murder mysteries but this book was so different that I really liked it.  The characters were believable andthe narration good.  The main character, Amos, was in a pathetic situation:  he was under federal investigation (his company set him up as the scapegoat), He and his wife were having marital problems. She was living in the city while Amos was living in the Hamptons.  Amos' wife suspects his is seeing other women, although he isn't.  Then on the bus riding home Amos runs into a beautiful woman who pushes her way into his home.  The twists and turn in the rest of the book are what make this an interesting read.  I would give it 4 stars. 

YELLOW CROCUS by Laila Ibrahim

Yellow Crocus is a very good look at Southern families and their relationship with slavery.  Lisbeth Wainwright, born to white plantation owners but raised by her enslaved black wet nurse, Mattie.   Mattie is forced to leave her own small child to move up to the "big house" to care for Lisbeth.Growing up with Mattie, the child adopts her deep-seated faith in God and the tradition of hunting for yellow crocuses in the early days of spring. Even though Lisbeth has freedoms that Mattie does not have, the color of the girl's skin cannot protect her from the expectations of her mother and society placed on women born to privilege in the South.  Lisbeth struggles to reconcile her love for her caregiver with her parent's expectations.  Lisbeth becomes increasingly aware of the ugly realities of the American slavery system.  Lisbeth realizes she must make a choice between her parents mores and her own mores.  Her choice brings her to a place where she receives an outstanding gift.  4 Stars

HAVEN - The Dramatic Story of 1,000 World War II Refugees and How They Came to America, by Ruth Gruber and Dava Sobel

I absolutely loved this book.  Haven is the true story of Ruth Gruber who brought a boatload of 1000 refugees to the United States during Hitler's Nazi reign of terror in Europe.  Ruth's love and concern for these refugees grew to include all refugees of the Nazis.  She became their mother, their mentor, their savior.  Her compassion and understanding of all people was incredible to see.  Unfortunately America and other countries not under Nazi oppression were not as compassionate as Ruth and her boss.  It hurt my heart to know that after these countries knew what Hitler was doing to the Jews, they still shut their borders and and turned their backs on thousands and thousands of people running and hiding to escape the slaughter.

This book should teach us a lesson about loving our neighbors.  The entire world is our neighbor and turning our back on neighbors in peril is just plain wrong. 4 Stars

Concrete Garden Projects by Camilla Ardvison & Malin Nilsson

Great book with plenty of concrete garden ideas and easy to follow directions.  I love making things out of concrete and this book is a step by step manual that I keep close by.  3 Stars.