“Secrets of a Charmed Life” by Susan Meissner

I was quickly pulled into this moving story about young sisters from a questionable home, one who is young and headstrong, and the other, older sister who has higher aspirations and longs to prove herself. When both their lives are affected by the London Blitz, the story’s twists and turns challenge the reader to evaluate the profound effect of both the monumental fork-in-the-road decisions, as well as the choices we make to face life and live it to the fullest despite what may have happened in the past. 4 Stars (Wonderful.  Glad I read it.)

“The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend” by Katarina Bivald

I loved the premise of this book, as Sara, a young, inexperienced bookworm from Sweden, travels to visit Amy, an elderly pen pal from small-town Iowa, but when Sara arrives,  Amy has suddenly passed away, various characters from the town try to help, and Amy falls in love (both with a man and with the town.)  Sara is a dedicated reader so the idea that books can change our lives is a prevalent theme in the story, and although  I enjoyed that, as well as other parts of the book, like the quirky characters and wild predicaments, at times the story seemed uneven and poorly paced. 3 ½ stars – Maybe not great literature but still a pretty good read.

“The Japanese Lover” by Isabel Allende

What a lush and lovely journey is taken in this beautifully written love story focusing on Alma, a wealthy, strong-willed, elderly woman who recently moved into an apartment at the Lark House for seniors, and as the story proceeds, the layers of her life are revealed in flashbacks, letters, and the probings of her grandson, Seth and a lovely, but emotionally wounded,  young Lark House aide from Eastern Europe named Irina.  In gentle yet honest prose, the story weaves its way from Poland in 1939 as Alma is forced to leave her parents and immigrate to America, back to 2010 where Irina  begins to wonder about Alma’s mysterious letters, flowers, and weekend trips, and eventually it slowly reveals the details of all the years in between to form a portrait of life-changing decisions, cultural shifts, and above all, enduring love. 4 STARS (Wonderful, Glad I read it.)