Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire

April 25, 2025

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire

Nadya was born with only one hand, to a teenage mother who abandoned her right after her birth. Taken in by the nuns at the local orphanage, Nadya flourishes there, developing a knack for choosing the correct child to present to prospective parents. Although she does not consider herself handicapped (she reasons she can't miss what she never had), Nadya accepts that it is unlikely that she will ever be adopted because adults are unable to see beyond the one thing that Nadya is missing. That is, until a pair of American missionaries show up at the Russian orphanage, determined to adopt the most unadoptable child they can find. They take Nadya back to America with them, not because they really want a child but because it is the "Christian" thing to do. Nadya adjusts to her new life, learning English and how her adoptive parents expect her to act and react, and everything seems to be going as well as can be expected. But then Nadya falls through a door at the bottom of the pond behind her house and discovers a whole different world beneath the waters and meets the Drowned People.

Part of the award-winning Wayward Children series. This is a novella that tells the backstory of one of the peripheral characters in the series. Themes include abandonment, physical disability, culture and adoption. I didn't like the ending, but that was because it wasn't really an ending, more like the set-up for a future book, so perhaps we will see more of Nadya. Will appeal to readers who enjoy re-tellings of fairy and folk tales, such as Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik or The Bear and the Nighingale by Katherine Arden.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

There are turtles in this book, a LOT of turtles.

The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

September 12, 2023

Red and her father are itinerant entertainers (don't call them gypsies), barely scraping by doing magic shows and telling fortunes. After her father's death, Red is taken in by a wealthy gentleman who lives in Bath and raised as a lady. She is skilled at fortune telling and entertains acquaintances by reading their cards. Many years later, Red finds a number of mysterious items in a trunk that belonged to her father, including an astrological chart and a legal document. She begins to suspect that her mother was part of an aristocratic family that disowned her when she married Red's father. Red sets out to learn the truth about her past.

DNF. I went into this book thinking that I would really enjoy it. But it was long, well over 500 pages, and SLOOOOW. The plot seemed clever but it took too long to get moving. I gave up about 1/3 of the way in and skipped to the ending and read the last two chapters, which filled in the previous 300 pages. Both plot and characters would have been better served by less minute detail and an editor whacking out about 100 pages. If you like long winding stories with loads of characters and a plot that doesn't move very fast and is loaded with minutiae, you will probably enjoy this historical novel.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Bath, England - the original wellness spa

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

February 16, 2023

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Demon Copperhead (nee Damon Fields) is born to a single teen-aged mother in the mountains of Appalachia, with few assets other than the good looks and coppery hair that he inherited from his absent (possibly dead) father. Demon's mother has a weakness for drugs and alcohol, as well as poor judgment when it comes to men. After her fatal overdose, Demon finds himself first tossed into the foster care system, then as a runaway on his own, exposed to all of the dangers of an adolescent without an adult to look after them.

An adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel David Copperfield: orphan forced out into the world on his own, far too soon, with no one to care for him. There are references throughout the text to Dickens' novel, including the neighbors who look after him sporadically named the Peggots (as opposed to Peggotty in David Copperfield). While her novels have been hit or miss for me, I enjoyed several of Kingsolver's previous books, including The Poisonwood Bible and Animal Dreams, so I was very much looking forward to reading her latest book. At first I was interested in the characters but my interest starting waning after a couple hundred pages, and by the time Demon gets into opiods, it had become pretty depressing and I was over it and skimmed the last 250 pages. I also didn't like the stereotypes of Appalachia and rural people. Disappointing.

David Copperfield

The Oysterville Sewing Circle by Susan Wiggs

August 18, 2019

The Oysterville Sewing Circle by Susan Wiggs

Caroline Shelby always loved to sew and dreamed of being a fashion designer.  But in the cut-throat world of New York fashion, she is betrayed by her mentor who destroys her budding career.  When a close friend dies of an overdose, Caroline returns to her hometown and her family in Oysterville, WA, bringing her friend’s two orphaned children with her.  With her new responsibilities, she needs to start over and make a life for the three of them.  Caroline is certain that the scandal and shame she feels is the worst thing that could happen to anyone, but she quickly learns that many of the women she meets have secrets of their own.  Her evolution is eased by renewing her relationship with Will Jensen, a long-time friend.

I requested an e-ARC for this title since I am an avid sewer, but the “sewing circle” turned out to be a domestic abuse support group.  Some sewing happens but it's sort of a side plot.  The topic of domestic abuse and violence is hugely important and pulled right from the headlines.  Too many influential men have been permitted to bully and abuse women and children, their actions hidden by their positions.  My dad always said that it doesn't take a brave man to hit a woman, a child or a dog - to him, men like that were despicable.

Personally I'm not a huge fan of women’s fiction (a little too predictable), but Susan Wiggs is a popular women's fiction writer, and readers of both women’s fiction and romance should enjoy this title.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for a review.