East of the Sun by Julia Gregson

"Look well to this day,
For it is life.
In its brief course lies all the realities of existence.
For yesterday is but a memory and tomorrow is only a vision."

East of the Sun is the story of three British women traveling to India in 1928, a time when unrest with the British had begun to transform the streets of Bombay and the teachings of Ghandi began to take hold.

India boasts different dreams for each of these ladies. Traditionally, the young women traveling to India during this time were known as the "Fishing Fleet." These British women were sent to India in the hopes of landing a British husband in India as an officer, a soldier, or a businessman.

Tradition would hope that during the fall to winter season, these women would attend parties and other social gatherings, and would marry the first eligible bachelor they find. But these three women will take different paths and break tradition.

The journey on the ship is a story in and of itself, but proves to be only the beginning of their adventure.

Rose is betrothed to a British soldier she has met four times at home. Though Tor is determined to finally find herself a husband, as she tags along as Rose's maid of honor, she is constantly reminded by her mother of all the things she does wrong. And Viva is venturing off to recover a precious trunk of belongings on behalf of her deceased parents, with no interest in meeting a husband along the way.

Viva has agreed to chaperone young, troubled Guy. Kicked out of boarding school, trouble follows Guy wherever he goes. Throughout the story he will prove time and time again to be both a connector and a catalyst towards difficult times.

Upon their arrival in Bombay, the girls separate to carry out each of their individual plans.

Young Rose finds herself struggling with the duties of a soldier's wife. She quickly discovers that she may not be Jack's true love, and finds herself doing everything wrong.

Tor falls into the lavish, colorful crowd of Bombay. She is the only one with a ticket home, and her time is limited. Desperate to finally prove her mother wrong, she throws herself at men only to be hurt over and over again. To her, returning to England is accepting failure; accepting that her mother is right about her. She has refused to let this happen.

Viva's story is the most compelling as she struggles to find a life of her own in a world that only wants her to find a husband. She begins to work at a children's home and to write the stories of the orphaned Indian street children she encounters. But Guy continues to haunt any chance of moving that she encounters.

The stories intersect, and collide, as the women live their lives over the course of the winter, joining their lives apart with trips together. This is a story of three women finding their way in the world, combined with the beauty and sorrow of living in a foreign land. Their bond with one another will keep them going through the challenges they encounter, and no one's path will be as expected.

I found this book among the shelves of the library, several copies side-by-side as it was recommended as "book club" read. Drawn in by an unfamiliar story in a new setting, this historical fiction proved to be a fascinating, engrossing read. Stretching across almost 600 pages, it is not a fast read. But it is worth the perseverance, as it is full of adventure, knowledge, and the bond of friendship and love.

My Father's Dragon Trilogy by Ruth Stiles Gannet

My Father's Dragon, Elmer and the Dragon, The Dragons of Blueland

One night a small orange cat appears on Elmer Elevator's doorstep and tells him a fantastic story. Far away on the island of Tangerina, a young dragon is being held captive. The cat is back for help, wanting to rescue the dragon. Elmer packs his bag with bubblegum, clementines, rope, and other trinkets and sets off in the night from his city home.

Elmer journeys in a  burlap sack aboard a ship to his destination, but that is only where the adventure begins. The dragon is is closely guarded, and Elmer will meet an array of characters along his trip. He will creatively defy them with humorous maneuvers as he makes his to the his new friend.

His adventures will span the length of three stories, easily read and enjoyed with illustrations to accompany them. This is by far my favorite series to read aloud. From first grade to adult-hood, these books are magically fun and creative.

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

During the 1950's a small New Jersey town is rocked by a series of tragic events. This book chronicles that heart-wrenching time and those left behind to pick up the pieces. Each time hope claims to rear its little head in this town, another fiery crash occurs. Beyond the crash, the town itself begins to fall apart. How can they stop this? Should the airport be closed? Will moving away erase the trauma?

Not necessarily uplifting, this story describes the a town ravaged by tragedy and the impact on the lives of its inhabitants. Based on true events, Blume stays true to reality and weaves fictional characters into the events. Judy Blume is a talented writer, but steer clear if you already have a fear of flying, this will not help! If you aren't faint of heart, the book is an captivating journey through one random year of tragedy and the perspectives of many.

The Sparrow Sisters by Ellen Herrick

A modern day witch hunt has ensued in a small New England town. Over the centuries, the Sparrow sisters have cultivated a garden of remedies and offered their guidance to their town's medical needs.

When a new doctor arrives, doubting their "magic", Patience Sparrow will vehemently defend her practices. Anger changes to attraction, and the doctor and mysterious woman soon pair up to assist their town. But soon, it won't be just the doctor calling her into question.

Suddenly a young boy who spent his days at the Sparrow's nursery is found dead in his kitchen, traces of the herbal remedies in his system. Patience insists all she's done is help this town. The town that once came to her to solve all their problems has now placed her in a little cell, awaiting trial.

Did she knowingly put this young boy in danger? In a witch-hunt climate, can she possibly survive? Once mob-mentality takes its hold, is there any decision left to be made? Will they find the key evidence left behind, tucked neatly under Matty's bed?

The Sound of Glass by Karen White

The Sound of Glass by Karen White

At night, the soft wind rustles the sea glass wind chimes strewn across the shingles of the house. Created in the mysterious attic, they begin to unravel a mystery and connect events and lives across the years. A story of new beginnings and rushed endings; of two women: one hoping to start their life over, the other hoping to give her son the life she no longer can.

After inheriting a new house from her grandmother-in-law, widowed Merritt hopes to start her life over, leaving behind a troubled past in Maine. She comes hoping to find solace, but instead is met by her bubbly, obnoxious Southern stepmother and her quiet young son.

Merritt's husband left South Carolina years ago and never looked back. Merritt will unravel the mystery of why he left, why he found and married her, and why she was called to this house in the low-country.

The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand

Dabney has lived a safe life on a beautiful island. With her stiff collars and perfectly placed headbands, she has always exuded organization and order. Dabney keeps her life perfectly placed, masking her fear of leaving Nantucket by being the island's biggest fan. Decades ago, she passed up the love of her life to stay on the island. Twenty years later, she has a seemingly happy marriage and a college-aged daughter.

While Dabney goes about making matches among her friends and colleagues, always choosing the perfect mates, her own marriage begins to quietly fall apart. With the arrival of her long-lost soulmate, back from decades abroad, her resolve to live a perfectly manufactured life begins to crumble away. 

Dabney spends her summer days carrying on and escaping reality by the pool; believing she can live two lives simultaneously.

But looming within the bright days of a Nantucket summer a deep secret festers. Bad health ignored, perfect plans intact, suddenly Dabney may not have forever to make her mind. She may have less time than she thinks. Nantucket is a summer place with summer people. As the season ends and the crowds depart, the colder seasons settle in. And with the colder seasons comes a cold, hard truth. Dabney must face a daunting reality: that life is imperfect, that love is often uncertain, and that sometimes, we don't have all the time in the world. As time ticks away, what will Dabney choose?

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

The summer days are dwindling and the Waverley sisters are eagerly awaiting the arrival of First Frost. It is another enchanting, captivating book sprinkled with mystical fantasy and playful magic.

It's been five years since we last met the Waverley sisters in Garden Spells. Bay is now a teenager, crafting her special talent of knowing where people belong; Claire is capitalizing off her supreme candy-making skills; Sydney is running a successful salon. But things are slowly moving off-kilter. The salon is robbed, Bay is humiliated, Claire is losing her focus.

The Waverley sisters have small, mystical talents that are just a little above normal. Sydney can give the most beautiful haircuts that will land a client a job; Claire's candies can provide insight and support; Bay can tell others where someone, or something, belongs. This quirky crew inhabits their small North Carolina town that is full of as much charm as each of its residents.

But as the hots days of summer melt into the cool nights of autumn, a different sort of breeze blows through town. Hints of smokey aromas, glimpses of a tattered coat: a vagabond named the Great Banditi.

An old, tattered stranger has made his way into this small community. The Great Banditi makes his living off of a different sort of magic: blackmail and black magic. And he is out for his next financial endeavor. But what does he have on Claire? Can the magic of this town settle on the shoulders of the Banditi like the sweet, dew first frost settles on the apple tree?

Once again, Sarah Addison Allen writes a captivating story that releases you from reality and encompasses you in its magical grasp. You leave the story fully satisfied and happy, content with the beautifully strung together words that carry you from page to page.