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A Matter of Happiness
A cherished heirloom opens up a century of secrets in a bittersweet novel about family, hard truths, and self-discovery by the author of Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish.
Melanie Barnett thinks she has it all together. With an ex-fiancé and a pending promotion at a Kentucky bourbon distillery, Melanie has figured out that love and career don’t mix. Until she makes a discovery while cleaning her Jordan MX car, a scarlet-red symbol of the Jazz Age’s independent women that she inherited from her great-great-great-aunt Violet. Its secret compartment holds Violet’s weathered journal—within it an intriguing message: Take from this story what you will, Melanie, and you can bury the rest. Melanie wonders what more there is to learn from Violet’s past.
In 1921 Violet Bond defers to no one. Hers is a life of adventure in Detroit, the hub of the motorcar boom and the fastest growing city in America. But in an era of speakeasies, financial windfalls, free-spirited friends, and unexpected romance, it’s easy to spin out of control.
Now, as Melanie’s own world takes unexpected turns, her life and Violet’s life intersect. Generations apart, they’re coming into their own and questioning what modern womanhood—and happiness—really means.
Melanie Barnett thinks she has it all together. With an ex-fiancé and a pending promotion at a Kentucky bourbon distillery, Melanie has figured out that love and career don’t mix. Until she makes a discovery while cleaning her Jordan MX car, a scarlet-red symbol of the Jazz Age’s independent women that she inherited from her great-great-great-aunt Violet. Its secret compartment holds Violet’s weathered journal—within it an intriguing message: Take from this story what you will, Melanie, and you can bury the rest. Melanie wonders what more there is to learn from Violet’s past.
In 1921 Violet Bond defers to no one. Hers is a life of adventure in Detroit, the hub of the motorcar boom and the fastest growing city in America. But in an era of speakeasies, financial windfalls, free-spirited friends, and unexpected romance, it’s easy to spin out of control.
Now, as Melanie’s own world takes unexpected turns, her life and Violet’s life intersect. Generations apart, they’re coming into their own and questioning what modern womanhood—and happiness—really means.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2022
340 people are currently reading
4639 people want to read
About the author
Tori Whitaker
2 books246 followersI'm a writer and love reading or listening to books, doing a little cooking, and playing in the sunshine. I am the bestselling author of MILLICENT GLENN'S LAST WISH--my first novel that debuted when I was in my 60s. My second work of historical fiction (that has a contemporary timeline too!) is A MATTER OF HAPPINESS that publishes on November 8, 2022.
I was born in the suburbs of Cincinnati, mostly grew up in Indiana, spent a decade in metro-Detroit with my husband’s career, and now we reside outside of Atlanta. We’ve been married for forty-five years, and we feel blessed to be near our two sons and their families.
I graduated from Indiana University, where I studied marketing and English. I am also retired from an executive role at a national law firm. I'm an alum of the Yale Writers’ Workshop; a member of the Historical Novel Society; and a member of the Bourbon Women Association.
I was born in the suburbs of Cincinnati, mostly grew up in Indiana, spent a decade in metro-Detroit with my husband’s career, and now we reside outside of Atlanta. We’ve been married for forty-five years, and we feel blessed to be near our two sons and their families.
I graduated from Indiana University, where I studied marketing and English. I am also retired from an executive role at a national law firm. I'm an alum of the Yale Writers’ Workshop; a member of the Historical Novel Society; and a member of the Bourbon Women Association.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
August 29, 2022
2018: Melanie Barnett works at a Kentucky bourbon distillery, she’s trying her best to earn a promotion and pay rise. Melanie has given up on love after her engagement ended, she's happy being single and she can concentrate on her career.
Her mother Angie is successful and busy business woman, as a child, Melanie spent one week of every summer with her great-great aunt Violet, and she has fond memories of their time together. Violet Bond left her first car to Melanie in her will, it’s a scarlet-red Jordan MX Playboy, and her mum want's her to remove it from the property. While wading through a hundred years of family junk, Melanie decides to examine the interior of the car, and in a secret compartment she finds her aunts journal. Violet left a message in the journal for her and she said “Take from this story what you will, Melanie, and you can bury the rest.”
The story has a dual timeline it goes between the 1920’s and 2018. It’s told from the two main characters points of view and almost a century apart.
1921: Violet Bond leaves Kentucky and moves to Detroit, to follow her dream of being an independent woman and earn her own money making car spark plugs. Violet meets Lela a rich socialite and she introduces her to many new things, they visit speakeasies, Violet drinks her first cocktail and starts smoking cigarettes, and Lela encourages her to have her hair cut into a shingle bob and invest her money in shares. The 1920’s was a time of change for women, they finally had the chance to vote and be independent.
Violet has always wanted to own and drive her own car, she does and it comes at a price, she discovers that she can’t have everything and endures a series of major loses in her life. Melanie finds her great-great aunt Violet has left her more than a vintage car, hidden between the pages of the journal, are the lessons she learnt and wisdom Violet gathered from her time in Detroit, she want's to make sure Melanie understands what’s really important in life and not make the same mistakes she did.
I received a copy of A Matter of Happiness from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Tori Whitaker has done it again, the narrative is really interesting and it held my attention. Full of details about the Jazz Age, prohibition, how women’s roles changed and being financially independent was a new concept. I had no idea about the history of bourbon, the Women’s Bourbon Alliance and how important the industry is in Kentucky. The story is about family, secrets, truth, and self-discovery, womanhood, love, choosing happiness and embracing adventure. Five stars from me, I highly recommend this book and the author’s previous novel, Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish.
Her mother Angie is successful and busy business woman, as a child, Melanie spent one week of every summer with her great-great aunt Violet, and she has fond memories of their time together. Violet Bond left her first car to Melanie in her will, it’s a scarlet-red Jordan MX Playboy, and her mum want's her to remove it from the property. While wading through a hundred years of family junk, Melanie decides to examine the interior of the car, and in a secret compartment she finds her aunts journal. Violet left a message in the journal for her and she said “Take from this story what you will, Melanie, and you can bury the rest.”
The story has a dual timeline it goes between the 1920’s and 2018. It’s told from the two main characters points of view and almost a century apart.
1921: Violet Bond leaves Kentucky and moves to Detroit, to follow her dream of being an independent woman and earn her own money making car spark plugs. Violet meets Lela a rich socialite and she introduces her to many new things, they visit speakeasies, Violet drinks her first cocktail and starts smoking cigarettes, and Lela encourages her to have her hair cut into a shingle bob and invest her money in shares. The 1920’s was a time of change for women, they finally had the chance to vote and be independent.
Violet has always wanted to own and drive her own car, she does and it comes at a price, she discovers that she can’t have everything and endures a series of major loses in her life. Melanie finds her great-great aunt Violet has left her more than a vintage car, hidden between the pages of the journal, are the lessons she learnt and wisdom Violet gathered from her time in Detroit, she want's to make sure Melanie understands what’s really important in life and not make the same mistakes she did.
I received a copy of A Matter of Happiness from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Tori Whitaker has done it again, the narrative is really interesting and it held my attention. Full of details about the Jazz Age, prohibition, how women’s roles changed and being financially independent was a new concept. I had no idea about the history of bourbon, the Women’s Bourbon Alliance and how important the industry is in Kentucky. The story is about family, secrets, truth, and self-discovery, womanhood, love, choosing happiness and embracing adventure. Five stars from me, I highly recommend this book and the author’s previous novel, Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish.
November 15, 2022
Gorgeous cover, right? I really loved Tori Whitaker’s debut, Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish, and couldn’t wait to read A Matter of Happiness. I think I loved it even more.
About the book: “A cherished heirloom opens up a century of secrets in a bittersweet novel about family, hard truths, and self-discovery by the author of Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish.”
When Melanie’s Aunt Violet passes away, she leaves her an old car with a journal inside. Flashing back and forth between the present day and the Jazz Age, those two items play a huge part in the story. I love a Jazz Age setting, and even more than that, I loved the premise of going back in time to explore the life of a beloved aunt.
I grew up with an extended family and extremely close with my great aunts. They loved on me like they loved my mom and her sisters. As a young child, I loved being their sidekick, traveling around, running errands, going to brunch with them and their friends. It was such a gift, and while I’ve had peeks into their younger lives, I’ve always known they each had a big story to tell of a life well-lived and soaked up anything they shared with me.
Aunt Violet made me think of each of my great aunts, and it was the feel-good nostalgia I needed right now. Historical fiction fans will love this novel, and I think most anyone would with strong female main characters like Violet and Melanie. A beautiful story about independent women, the families they lean on, and most of all, finding happiness.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
About the book: “A cherished heirloom opens up a century of secrets in a bittersweet novel about family, hard truths, and self-discovery by the author of Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish.”
When Melanie’s Aunt Violet passes away, she leaves her an old car with a journal inside. Flashing back and forth between the present day and the Jazz Age, those two items play a huge part in the story. I love a Jazz Age setting, and even more than that, I loved the premise of going back in time to explore the life of a beloved aunt.
I grew up with an extended family and extremely close with my great aunts. They loved on me like they loved my mom and her sisters. As a young child, I loved being their sidekick, traveling around, running errands, going to brunch with them and their friends. It was such a gift, and while I’ve had peeks into their younger lives, I’ve always known they each had a big story to tell of a life well-lived and soaked up anything they shared with me.
Aunt Violet made me think of each of my great aunts, and it was the feel-good nostalgia I needed right now. Historical fiction fans will love this novel, and I think most anyone would with strong female main characters like Violet and Melanie. A beautiful story about independent women, the families they lean on, and most of all, finding happiness.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
January 19, 2023
Two women, two different eras, but basically the same.
Both Violet and Melanie want to be independent women.
Violet is Melanie's great, great, great aunt.
Upon her death, Violet leaves Melanie a car with a hidden journal inside.
Melanie learns a lot about her aunt from the journal and also about herself. Were they actually similar in their thoughts and desires?
A MATTER OF HAPPINESS is a lovely, lovely read that takes us from the 1920's to 2018 as we see the similarities both women faced in their personal and professional lives in each time period.
You will fall in love with both Violet and Melanie, love their strengths, and cheer for the success in their endeavors.
Historical fiction fans, women's fiction fans, and fans of vintage cars will adore this book.
Marvelous research - do not miss!! 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
Both Violet and Melanie want to be independent women.
Violet is Melanie's great, great, great aunt.
Upon her death, Violet leaves Melanie a car with a hidden journal inside.
Melanie learns a lot about her aunt from the journal and also about herself. Were they actually similar in their thoughts and desires?
A MATTER OF HAPPINESS is a lovely, lovely read that takes us from the 1920's to 2018 as we see the similarities both women faced in their personal and professional lives in each time period.
You will fall in love with both Violet and Melanie, love their strengths, and cheer for the success in their endeavors.
Historical fiction fans, women's fiction fans, and fans of vintage cars will adore this book.
Marvelous research - do not miss!! 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
December 23, 2022
I love historical fiction, but I never thought I would be so interested in the history of bourbon! Granted, A Matter of Happiness by Tori Whitaker isn't actually about the history of the spirit, but there were lots of interesting facts about it thanks to Melanie working for a distillery. I couldn't even tell you which viewpoint I preferred since I loved Melanie and Violet basically equally. They had some similar struggles, but at the same time had some that were quite their own thanks to the time period difference of 2018 vs 1921-23 respectively. Violet was very independent, especially for a young woman growing up in the 20s and I loved her take-charge attitude and refusal to back down from what she wanted for herself. Melanie had some of the same characteristics, but I really liked how through reading Violet's journal she understood that while she didn't NEED a man, there was nothing wrong with wanting to find love too.
There were a couple of times I got a little teary during this one, and I was actually a bit caught off guard by how emotional it was. The blend of historical fiction, women's fiction, and a touch of romance was perfect for the story, and I was completely invested in what happened to the characters. The audiobook for A Matter of Happiness is quite lovely as well, and I would highly recommend it! Kimberley Wong and Megan Tusing were both wonderful to listen to and I adored the accent that was perfected for Violet. I would like to say Wong was the narrator for Violet, but I would be lying if I told you I knew who narrated who. I have even listened to Tusing narrate before! If that's not great voice acting, then I don't know what is. This was a very moving story and as a woman, it was very empowering to read despite the sad things that end up happening. I think it also makes you appreciate family that much more as well. I am very excited that I got to read this book, and I am looking forward to many more from Whitaker! PS, A Matter of Happiness is on Kindle Unlimited and it comes with the audiobook - even more reason to check it out!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
There were a couple of times I got a little teary during this one, and I was actually a bit caught off guard by how emotional it was. The blend of historical fiction, women's fiction, and a touch of romance was perfect for the story, and I was completely invested in what happened to the characters. The audiobook for A Matter of Happiness is quite lovely as well, and I would highly recommend it! Kimberley Wong and Megan Tusing were both wonderful to listen to and I adored the accent that was perfected for Violet. I would like to say Wong was the narrator for Violet, but I would be lying if I told you I knew who narrated who. I have even listened to Tusing narrate before! If that's not great voice acting, then I don't know what is. This was a very moving story and as a woman, it was very empowering to read despite the sad things that end up happening. I think it also makes you appreciate family that much more as well. I am very excited that I got to read this book, and I am looking forward to many more from Whitaker! PS, A Matter of Happiness is on Kindle Unlimited and it comes with the audiobook - even more reason to check it out!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
October 11, 2022
After reading Whitaker’s debut novel Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish, I was thrilled to get her sophomore one. This weekend, I set aside an afternoon to read this one and it was EXQUISITE!
A wonderful dual time line.
Melanie Barnett works for a Kentucky bourbon distillery. She recently broke up with her fiancée and is concentrating on a promotion. She inherited a red Jordan MX car, from her great-great-great-aunt Violet, whom she affectionately called Grape Aunt Violet. It has been stored at her Aunts home and her mother has decided to sell the home.
1921-Violet Bond is leaving Kentucky behind and wants a life as a modern women. She does not desire the life her sister and mother have. She sets out for Detroit as there is a motorcar boom and the area is growing. The area hires women, coloreds and others, which goes along with Violets desires and beliefs. She is looking for a fresh start and lands in a boarding house. Violet soon discovers speakeasies, friendships, romance and a new life. Can Violet manage this new life? Does she yearn for her old life?
I found this novel fascinating. Whitaker’s research was meticulous. The time period, bourbon history, prohibition and all the details of the 20’s had me entranced the entire time. This is a novel I will read again and I highly recommend this one.
A wonderful dual time line.
Melanie Barnett works for a Kentucky bourbon distillery. She recently broke up with her fiancée and is concentrating on a promotion. She inherited a red Jordan MX car, from her great-great-great-aunt Violet, whom she affectionately called Grape Aunt Violet. It has been stored at her Aunts home and her mother has decided to sell the home.
1921-Violet Bond is leaving Kentucky behind and wants a life as a modern women. She does not desire the life her sister and mother have. She sets out for Detroit as there is a motorcar boom and the area is growing. The area hires women, coloreds and others, which goes along with Violets desires and beliefs. She is looking for a fresh start and lands in a boarding house. Violet soon discovers speakeasies, friendships, romance and a new life. Can Violet manage this new life? Does she yearn for her old life?
I found this novel fascinating. Whitaker’s research was meticulous. The time period, bourbon history, prohibition and all the details of the 20’s had me entranced the entire time. This is a novel I will read again and I highly recommend this one.
November 10, 2022
This beautifully written novel looks at women and how they are viewed by the world and how they view themselves. It's told in two timelines in the 1920s and modern day. A lot of the time I enjoy one time period more than the other in dual time line stories. In A Matter of Happiness, I enjoyed both time lines and really enjoyed reading about the growth of the woman who was telling her story.
1920s - Violet decides to leave her home in Kentucky and move to Detroit to work and learn more about life. She gets a job, moves into a boarding house and begins to make friends. Her best friend Lela is very rich and soon Violet and Lela are spending their off hours at speakeasies and having lots of fun. Violet starts dating Robert and that relationship leads her to a major decision in her life -- is she willing to marry if it means giving up her new found freedom as woman?
2018- Melanie is part of the public relations department at a bourbon distillery in Louisville Ky. She has just broken her engagement because her boyfriend wanted her to give up her job and move so that he could get a better job. She loves her job and is putting in lots of extra hours on a new brand of bourbon and trying very head to get a much sought after promotion. Violet was her great aunt and as she was investigating the car that Violet left for her ( a scarlet-red Jordan MX Playboy) she finds Violet's journal hidden in the trunk. As she reads more about Violet's quest to be an independent woman, she realizes that Violet is also sharing what she learned in her life and during her adventure in Detroit. In many ways. Violet and Melanie had some of the same challenges in their lives in their quest to learn what it really means to be a woman.
This intriguing dual time line novel is about family and love, adventure and fulfillment but most of all it's about learning to be an independent woman while making sure you remember what's the most important part of life -- happiness.
1920s - Violet decides to leave her home in Kentucky and move to Detroit to work and learn more about life. She gets a job, moves into a boarding house and begins to make friends. Her best friend Lela is very rich and soon Violet and Lela are spending their off hours at speakeasies and having lots of fun. Violet starts dating Robert and that relationship leads her to a major decision in her life -- is she willing to marry if it means giving up her new found freedom as woman?
2018- Melanie is part of the public relations department at a bourbon distillery in Louisville Ky. She has just broken her engagement because her boyfriend wanted her to give up her job and move so that he could get a better job. She loves her job and is putting in lots of extra hours on a new brand of bourbon and trying very head to get a much sought after promotion. Violet was her great aunt and as she was investigating the car that Violet left for her ( a scarlet-red Jordan MX Playboy) she finds Violet's journal hidden in the trunk. As she reads more about Violet's quest to be an independent woman, she realizes that Violet is also sharing what she learned in her life and during her adventure in Detroit. In many ways. Violet and Melanie had some of the same challenges in their lives in their quest to learn what it really means to be a woman.
This intriguing dual time line novel is about family and love, adventure and fulfillment but most of all it's about learning to be an independent woman while making sure you remember what's the most important part of life -- happiness.
August 18, 2022
A beautiful read from cover to cover. In A Matter of Happiness, Whitaker tells the story of Melanie and Violet, two women from different generations inextricably bound by secrets and sacrifice. From Detroit's roaring twenties to the bourbon distilleries of Kentucky, Whitaker captures modern womanhood and what it means to be truly happy. A moving tale of courage and self-discovery.
September 3, 2022
A Matter of Happiness is Tori Whitaker’s second novel and I am in love. A dual timeline of the 1920s and 2018. Two points of view from the same family will pull you in. We get both fiction and historical fiction in one great read!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2023
I am not all that interested in classic cars or bourbon, but Tori Whitaker made both topics enticing in her latest novel, A Matter of Happiness. I liked both narrators and how they embraced feminism throughout the story. Melanie broke her engagement so she could continue to pursue her career in 2018. Violet struck out on her own and didn't want to be tied down in a traditional marriage back in the 1920s.
Tori really brought 1920's Detroit to life and I especially enjoyed visualizing the fashion. Violet's story was compelling, especially because she struggled financially and sometimes couldn't catch a break. She was also torn between someone she loved and being able to do her own thing when that was generally frowned upon. Melanie's story followed a similar path and the two paralleled each other. I was stressed out from her work situation (vying for the role of director and being undermined by her competition).
I wish there hadn't been any harbinger moments. The story would have had more shock value otherwise. I could have done without the prologue, especially. So if you don't want to know what's coming, perhaps skip the prologue so that you will be more surprised than I was. There was another harbinger moment that made things easy for me to figure out afterward and that also could have been avoided. As a result, the last quarter of the book felt anticlimactic to me. It was still interesting, but it was rushed as well.
Overall, this is definitely a worthwhile read. If you want a different kind of historical fiction novel, look no further. And if you love the 1920s, this is a real treat!
Movie casting suggestions (and this is me narrowing the long list of characters down a bit):
Violet: Emily Marie Palmer
Lela: Dove Cameron (I pictured her a lot because of her role on Schmicago)
Robert: Jacob Elordi
Lawrence: Leo Howard
Evelyn: Kara Hayward
Tori really brought 1920's Detroit to life and I especially enjoyed visualizing the fashion. Violet's story was compelling, especially because she struggled financially and sometimes couldn't catch a break. She was also torn between someone she loved and being able to do her own thing when that was generally frowned upon. Melanie's story followed a similar path and the two paralleled each other. I was stressed out from her work situation (vying for the role of director and being undermined by her competition).
I wish there hadn't been any harbinger moments. The story would have had more shock value otherwise. I could have done without the prologue, especially. So if you don't want to know what's coming, perhaps skip the prologue so that you will be more surprised than I was. There was another harbinger moment that made things easy for me to figure out afterward and that also could have been avoided. As a result, the last quarter of the book felt anticlimactic to me. It was still interesting, but it was rushed as well.
Overall, this is definitely a worthwhile read. If you want a different kind of historical fiction novel, look no further. And if you love the 1920s, this is a real treat!
Movie casting suggestions (and this is me narrowing the long list of characters down a bit):
Violet: Emily Marie Palmer
Lela: Dove Cameron (I pictured her a lot because of her role on Schmicago)
Robert: Jacob Elordi
Lawrence: Leo Howard
Evelyn: Kara Hayward
Melanie: Sarah Catherine Hook
Brian: Liam Hemsworth (since she described him looking like Chris...)
Melanie's mom: Michaela Watkins
Brian: Liam Hemsworth (since she described him looking like Chris...)
Melanie's mom: Michaela Watkins
Mitchell: Beau Mirchoff
November 2, 2022
Oh my what a lovely lovely story. I loved the strong women in this book from Melanie in 2018 all the way back to her Grape Aunt Violet in the 1920s. A beautiful story of knowing what you want in life and sticking to it no matter the times or what other people tell you that you “should” be doing.
Tori Whitaker has written another amazing book that will stay with me for a long time!
Tori Whitaker has written another amazing book that will stay with me for a long time!
Read
July 25, 2022I love a good dual timeline family secret, and this book did not disappoint. It gave a great description of life in the 20's and still came back to current times to tie it all in.
October 30, 2022
I am a sucker for dual timelines and this one set in the 1920s in Detroit and then the late 2010s in Kentucky was right up my alley.
Read
October 14, 2022Takes place currently and during the 1920s - a young woman inherits her great aunt’s 1920s car with a journal hidden inside - the car a symbol of freedom for the aunt reveals some family secrets - very good book.
November 7, 2022
I loved A Matter of Happiness by @tori.Whitaker.37! Told between two timelines and two different generations of the same family, the book features strong independent characters that do things on their own terms.
We meet Melanie in 2018, dealing with work demands and her Great Aunt Violet’s estate after she passes away. Violet had left Melanie her 1923 Jordan Playboy car, but it’s so much more than just a car. Melanie finds Violet’s diary and reveals so much about her life. She is an inspiration to Melanie and while researching about the car, she meets Brian. She hasn’t dated since calling off her engagement, but maybe Brian is just who she needs right now.
The other timeline is the early 1920s following Violet. She gets laid off during Prohibition and movies to Detroit to work with cars. She moves into a boarding house and meets Robert, who she met previously when he was on a business trip. Violet doesn’t want to get married, but she can’t help being drawn to Robert. But she loved her independence and her new found freedom after moving away from her family.
I absolutely loved this novel! The Prohibition years have always fascinated me and I really loved Violet. She learned more about herself and her own independence when she moved away from her support system. I’ve always been a big believer in putting yourself outside your comfort zone to help expand your character. Violet is a true inspiration to all! I like Melanie’s story too; having to heal after her broken engagement. I also loved her workplace stories of competing with Mitchell at their bourbon company. 🥃
Thank you so much to @suzyapprovedbooktours, @lakeunionpublishing, and the author for my gifted copy. A Matter of Happiness is on sale tomorrow!
We meet Melanie in 2018, dealing with work demands and her Great Aunt Violet’s estate after she passes away. Violet had left Melanie her 1923 Jordan Playboy car, but it’s so much more than just a car. Melanie finds Violet’s diary and reveals so much about her life. She is an inspiration to Melanie and while researching about the car, she meets Brian. She hasn’t dated since calling off her engagement, but maybe Brian is just who she needs right now.
The other timeline is the early 1920s following Violet. She gets laid off during Prohibition and movies to Detroit to work with cars. She moves into a boarding house and meets Robert, who she met previously when he was on a business trip. Violet doesn’t want to get married, but she can’t help being drawn to Robert. But she loved her independence and her new found freedom after moving away from her family.
I absolutely loved this novel! The Prohibition years have always fascinated me and I really loved Violet. She learned more about herself and her own independence when she moved away from her support system. I’ve always been a big believer in putting yourself outside your comfort zone to help expand your character. Violet is a true inspiration to all! I like Melanie’s story too; having to heal after her broken engagement. I also loved her workplace stories of competing with Mitchell at their bourbon company. 🥃
Thank you so much to @suzyapprovedbooktours, @lakeunionpublishing, and the author for my gifted copy. A Matter of Happiness is on sale tomorrow!
November 6, 2022
After reading Tori Whitaker's debut novel Millicent Glenn's Last Wish and absolutely LOVING it, I was SO excited to read her newest novel, A Matter of Happiness.
This historical fiction has two timelines one set in 1920's in Detroit, and the other is current day Kentucky.
We meet Melanie in today's timeline working at a bourbon distillery.
Her Aunt Violet tells her the history part of the story that took place in Detroit. I loved reading about the descriptions of the automotive industry happening during the 1920's.
Equally as entertaining was the bourbon distillery.
The author's research was very well evident to this reader.
This was such a fantastic historical fiction which was really interesting.
The characters were complex, interesting, and well fleshed out.
I really enjoyed this book. If you're a fan of historical fiction, I highly recommend this fantastic novel!
This historical fiction has two timelines one set in 1920's in Detroit, and the other is current day Kentucky.
We meet Melanie in today's timeline working at a bourbon distillery.
Her Aunt Violet tells her the history part of the story that took place in Detroit. I loved reading about the descriptions of the automotive industry happening during the 1920's.
Equally as entertaining was the bourbon distillery.
The author's research was very well evident to this reader.
This was such a fantastic historical fiction which was really interesting.
The characters were complex, interesting, and well fleshed out.
I really enjoyed this book. If you're a fan of historical fiction, I highly recommend this fantastic novel!
October 11, 2022
I was excited to read Tori Whitaker’s sophomore novel and it did not disappoint. Not only does this story nail a dual timeline, but it is packed with historical and locational descriptions that bring both character’s experiences alive and vibrant in a reader’s imagination. I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this novel.
October 9, 2022
An enchanting story you will always remember. Tori Whitaker is staking her claim as a rising star among historical fiction authors of today.
December 22, 2023
Great story. Really liked the description of Violet's life during the 20's.
Loved the easter eggs about bourbon.
Loved the easter eggs about bourbon.
October 5, 2022
Tori Whitaker's new novel, A Matter of Happiness, takes us on an exhilarating ride in an iconic 1923 Jordan sports car called the "Playboy" in a dual timeline historical novel about its owners, two single minded women who come of age in two different centuries. With her vivid, color-drenched details, Whitaker seamlessly transports us from the roaring 1920s in Detroit where flappers in beaded-fringe dresses guzzle bootleg whiskey, to 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky where the bourbon cocktail culture is just as heady, but more intentional. The main characters for each timeline, Violet Bond and Melanie Barnett, are connected by their blood, their Kentucky roots, and an appreciation for their home state's best-known export: bourbon. Through Melanie's flashbacks, we get to know Violet as an elderly woman, the fun-loving "Grape Aunt" who teaches her great-great-great-niece about the pleasures of living for the moment. After her death at 103, Violet bequeaths to 14-year-old Melanie her old Jordan, which has been stored for years in the carriage house of her family home. Fifteen years later, Melanie, an up-and-coming marketing executive in the bourbon industry, is finally forced to deal with the broken-down jalopy, and finds hidden in the car's secret recesses Violet's juicy diary of her flapper days in Detroit and the winding road that led her back to Kentucky.
What will particularly resonate with female readers is Whitaker's exploration of personal ambition, how the pace of life is as important as the choice of direction. Violet tastes all the new freedoms suddenly available to modern women in the 1920s. She wears clothes without rigid constraints, explores the bounds of sexual freedom, makes and invests her own money, and buys her own car. Yet when she finds she's been pushed too far in one direction, and fears that she will be dragged too far in another, she strikes out on her own in the Jordan, determined to reach her own definition of freedom. Almost a hundred years later, Melanie, who has grown up with all the freedoms that were so new to Violet, also finds herself yanked in two directions. Her hard-charging corporate executive mother Angie expects her to live life at full speed and doesn't think the career path she's chosen will get her anywhere. Her ex-fiance Jason thinks she should tailor her career to match his, even if it means a detour. It's up to Melanie to figure out the direction in which true happiness lies, and whether she might indeed prefer the scenic route where the Jordan leads her.
With A Matter of Happiness, Tori Whitaker shows, as she did with her first novel, Millicent Glenn's Last Wish, that she has her finger on the heartbeat of issues common to women across generations, where there's rarely a right or a wrong, but simply a sense of what's right for oneself.
What will particularly resonate with female readers is Whitaker's exploration of personal ambition, how the pace of life is as important as the choice of direction. Violet tastes all the new freedoms suddenly available to modern women in the 1920s. She wears clothes without rigid constraints, explores the bounds of sexual freedom, makes and invests her own money, and buys her own car. Yet when she finds she's been pushed too far in one direction, and fears that she will be dragged too far in another, she strikes out on her own in the Jordan, determined to reach her own definition of freedom. Almost a hundred years later, Melanie, who has grown up with all the freedoms that were so new to Violet, also finds herself yanked in two directions. Her hard-charging corporate executive mother Angie expects her to live life at full speed and doesn't think the career path she's chosen will get her anywhere. Her ex-fiance Jason thinks she should tailor her career to match his, even if it means a detour. It's up to Melanie to figure out the direction in which true happiness lies, and whether she might indeed prefer the scenic route where the Jordan leads her.
With A Matter of Happiness, Tori Whitaker shows, as she did with her first novel, Millicent Glenn's Last Wish, that she has her finger on the heartbeat of issues common to women across generations, where there's rarely a right or a wrong, but simply a sense of what's right for oneself.
December 18, 2022
“𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀….𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.”
Set in alternating timelines, A Matter of Happiness tells the story of two related women with similar struggles, despite living them decades apart.
We first meet the headstrong Violet Bond via her journals, written when she was a young woman in the midst of the Prohibition era. Frustrated with lack of opportunities for professional women at home, she heads to Detroit. It’s hard for her traditional minded mother and sister to understand her choices- trading the societal norms of getting married and starting a family, for the independence the life of a career woman brings. But Violet’s life in Detroit is not without its difficulties, leaving her often wondering if she’s making the right life decisions, especially when she finds herself falling in love.
Meanwhile Violet’s niece, Melanie is living her own struggles in present day. Recently ending a relationship, Melanie is fighting to make a name for herself at work. In addition, she’s left her aunt’s belongings, where she is gifted the journal that allows her to see her loving aunt in a new light.
As a reader, I found myself invested in both women’s stories. Violet’s journey in particular left me wanting to learn more about the prohibition era, a time period, admittedly, I don’t know much about. Although they lived their coming of age generations apart, it was striking to see how much they still had in common, the life of an independent woman still being one many people question.
Thank you to @getredprbooks and author @tori.whitaker for the goodies and for introducing me to a novel that reminds the reader to follow your own happiness.
Set in alternating timelines, A Matter of Happiness tells the story of two related women with similar struggles, despite living them decades apart.
We first meet the headstrong Violet Bond via her journals, written when she was a young woman in the midst of the Prohibition era. Frustrated with lack of opportunities for professional women at home, she heads to Detroit. It’s hard for her traditional minded mother and sister to understand her choices- trading the societal norms of getting married and starting a family, for the independence the life of a career woman brings. But Violet’s life in Detroit is not without its difficulties, leaving her often wondering if she’s making the right life decisions, especially when she finds herself falling in love.
Meanwhile Violet’s niece, Melanie is living her own struggles in present day. Recently ending a relationship, Melanie is fighting to make a name for herself at work. In addition, she’s left her aunt’s belongings, where she is gifted the journal that allows her to see her loving aunt in a new light.
As a reader, I found myself invested in both women’s stories. Violet’s journey in particular left me wanting to learn more about the prohibition era, a time period, admittedly, I don’t know much about. Although they lived their coming of age generations apart, it was striking to see how much they still had in common, the life of an independent woman still being one many people question.
Thank you to @getredprbooks and author @tori.whitaker for the goodies and for introducing me to a novel that reminds the reader to follow your own happiness.
November 11, 2022
Melanie Barnett, who works in a Kentucky bourbon distillery, has determined that love and pursuing a career just don’t mix. Then she discovers her great, great, great Aunt Violet’s journal in the Jordan MX Playboy roadster she inherited from her. On the journal pages, she reads of Violet’s adventures in Detroit during the 1920s - Violet writes of trying to forge her own path but not one without happiness.
The story toggles back and forth between Melanie in the late 20oos and Aunt Violet in the 1920s. Each woman, though generations apart, has similar hopes, desires and even questions of how a woman can be strong and independent but still be happy and find love. Great historical markers and references to speakeasies, prohibition, and more make this a truly enjoyable read.
Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @tori.whitaker.37 for a spot on tour and a gifted copy.
The story toggles back and forth between Melanie in the late 20oos and Aunt Violet in the 1920s. Each woman, though generations apart, has similar hopes, desires and even questions of how a woman can be strong and independent but still be happy and find love. Great historical markers and references to speakeasies, prohibition, and more make this a truly enjoyable read.
Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @tori.whitaker.37 for a spot on tour and a gifted copy.
February 22, 2023
Tori has written a lovely coming of age story setting in two timelines. I was in a bit of a reading slump when I started the book, so I took a lot of time to get into it, but I think I was just tired—both of reading and because, you know, life. Once I sat down and focused my full attention on the story, I fell in love with Violet and Melanie. (Lela, too.)
It’s very hard to surprise me, so I did figure out some of the major plot points, but there were also a lot of surprises—and the resolutions felt completely, and satisfyingly, inevitable.
Oh, and the details! Tori does such a great job at including all those interesting tidbits that make historical fiction educational as well as entertaining. The effect is a truly immersive story that will make you feel like you’ve landed in the roaring twenties.
If you love historical fiction—especially dual timelines that link generations, and if you love whisky 🥃, get yourself a copy of A Matter of Happiness.
It’s very hard to surprise me, so I did figure out some of the major plot points, but there were also a lot of surprises—and the resolutions felt completely, and satisfyingly, inevitable.
Oh, and the details! Tori does such a great job at including all those interesting tidbits that make historical fiction educational as well as entertaining. The effect is a truly immersive story that will make you feel like you’ve landed in the roaring twenties.
If you love historical fiction—especially dual timelines that link generations, and if you love whisky 🥃, get yourself a copy of A Matter of Happiness.
January 30, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up
This was an entertaining read. The dual timeline worked really well and I was invested in both characters. My only complaint was that the author had to keep repeating about how independent both characters were. It was unnecessary and detracted from the story. Also, I saw the twist coming a mile away. I prefer being surprised.
1920s Detroit was so interesting. I would love to read more books set in this timeline. The author did a great job describing the era.
This was an entertaining read. The dual timeline worked really well and I was invested in both characters. My only complaint was that the author had to keep repeating about how independent both characters were. It was unnecessary and detracted from the story. Also, I saw the twist coming a mile away. I prefer being surprised.
1920s Detroit was so interesting. I would love to read more books set in this timeline. The author did a great job describing the era.
November 7, 2022
A MATTER OF HAPPINESS (LakeUnionPublishing) includes one of of my favorite eras, the 1920s. It's a dual timeline of 1920s Detroit and 2018 Kentucky.
Melanie doesn't believe love and career can mix. She's inherited her great-great-great aunt Violet's Kentucky bourbon distillery. Melanie discovers a journal her aunt left and must find out what the story within means.
It's the 1920s, Aunt Violet loves to party in Detroit. Life is made up fast cars, parties and wild friends, but after a while, everything gets out of control,
Tori Whitaker's novel A MATTER OF HAPPINESS is a story of two women becoming modern women in the midst of secrets and sacrifice. In the center of it all? A 1923 Jordan sports cars called the "Playboy."
A wonderful read full of fabulous characters.
Melanie doesn't believe love and career can mix. She's inherited her great-great-great aunt Violet's Kentucky bourbon distillery. Melanie discovers a journal her aunt left and must find out what the story within means.
It's the 1920s, Aunt Violet loves to party in Detroit. Life is made up fast cars, parties and wild friends, but after a while, everything gets out of control,
Tori Whitaker's novel A MATTER OF HAPPINESS is a story of two women becoming modern women in the midst of secrets and sacrifice. In the center of it all? A 1923 Jordan sports cars called the "Playboy."
A wonderful read full of fabulous characters.
November 2, 2022
Tori Whitaker, the author of “A Matter of Happiness,” has written an intriguing and captivating adventure. The genres for this book are Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and Romance with a touch of Mystery. Tori Whitaker writes a novel about two different “modern women” from different generations and compares and contrasts what a relative conclusion is. The timelines for this story are set in the early 1920s in Detroit and 2018 in Kentucky. The author visually describes the colorful and dramatic characters, the clothing and accessories of the times, the scenery, and the plot. The author describes her characters as complex, complicated, and conflicted.
At present, Melanie Barnett has a successful career at a Kentucky Bourbon Distillery. Melanie is focused on promotion in her career. Melanie had broken up with her fiancé when his career and location conflicted with her goals. Melanie is not quite sure that business and love can be compatible.
Violet Bond, in 1921, liked to be a free spirit. Detroit provides a setting for fast and glamorous cars. There are speakeasies and partying. As prohibition occurs, there is danger in the streets and the water. Violet meets her best friend, introducing her to investing money, driving fast cars, modern hairstyles, and flashy clothing. Violet is determined to be single and free. Although she does fall in love, she questions if she is ready to settle down. Violet writes about her life in a journal.
Violet is Melanie’s aunt, and Melanie inherits her fabulous car. Melanie discovers her aunt’s diary in a hidden compartment. Her aunt has written her a message” Take from this story what you want, Melanie, and you can bury the rest.”
I appreciate the author’s descriptions of luxury cars, the bourbon industry, and the connection to art and advertising. The author also discusses the importance of family, friends, hope, and love. The author also asks the question, “What Makes One Happy”?This is a story about secrets, self-growth, sisterhood, motherhood, independence, and being successful. I highly recommend this thought-provoking story.
At present, Melanie Barnett has a successful career at a Kentucky Bourbon Distillery. Melanie is focused on promotion in her career. Melanie had broken up with her fiancé when his career and location conflicted with her goals. Melanie is not quite sure that business and love can be compatible.
Violet Bond, in 1921, liked to be a free spirit. Detroit provides a setting for fast and glamorous cars. There are speakeasies and partying. As prohibition occurs, there is danger in the streets and the water. Violet meets her best friend, introducing her to investing money, driving fast cars, modern hairstyles, and flashy clothing. Violet is determined to be single and free. Although she does fall in love, she questions if she is ready to settle down. Violet writes about her life in a journal.
Violet is Melanie’s aunt, and Melanie inherits her fabulous car. Melanie discovers her aunt’s diary in a hidden compartment. Her aunt has written her a message” Take from this story what you want, Melanie, and you can bury the rest.”
I appreciate the author’s descriptions of luxury cars, the bourbon industry, and the connection to art and advertising. The author also discusses the importance of family, friends, hope, and love. The author also asks the question, “What Makes One Happy”?This is a story about secrets, self-growth, sisterhood, motherhood, independence, and being successful. I highly recommend this thought-provoking story.
October 23, 2022
This book… I could not stop reading. Violet and Melanie are both characters that want to make their mark on the world without having to follow the traditional boundaries that are put on women during the times they were living.
A Matter of Happiness is a book that tells of two women, a grape aunt and her great niece, who’s lives intersect while living in different times. When Violet passes away, she leaves Melanie her prize possession, her Jordan MX car. This car holds the secrets of Violet’s life via a journal. As Melanie reads the journal, she sees the parallels of her aunt’s life and her own. She sees how the decisions that Violet made are in line with the decisions that Melanie is trying to make in her life and how those decisions can shape her future.
I cannot choose whose storyline I liked better. I was so intrigued by both that I never wanted to stop reading. I love reading about Violet and her life in Detroit during prohibition. The friends she made, the relationships she had, and the choices she made did not always line up with society’s expectations, but she made the choices that would head her towards the goals she had set. Melanie made choices that would push her forward in her career, a promotion she was fighting for. As she read the journal she realized that maybe the life she was working for was not the life she really wanted.
I recommend A Matter of Happiness to any historical fiction reader.
A Matter of Happiness is a book that tells of two women, a grape aunt and her great niece, who’s lives intersect while living in different times. When Violet passes away, she leaves Melanie her prize possession, her Jordan MX car. This car holds the secrets of Violet’s life via a journal. As Melanie reads the journal, she sees the parallels of her aunt’s life and her own. She sees how the decisions that Violet made are in line with the decisions that Melanie is trying to make in her life and how those decisions can shape her future.
I cannot choose whose storyline I liked better. I was so intrigued by both that I never wanted to stop reading. I love reading about Violet and her life in Detroit during prohibition. The friends she made, the relationships she had, and the choices she made did not always line up with society’s expectations, but she made the choices that would head her towards the goals she had set. Melanie made choices that would push her forward in her career, a promotion she was fighting for. As she read the journal she realized that maybe the life she was working for was not the life she really wanted.
I recommend A Matter of Happiness to any historical fiction reader.
November 6, 2022
What an amazing experience to be reading another book by the Author after her debut, MILLICENT’S LAST WISH. She is an Author that writes while painting an exquisite picture of both the present time and time of the past; in the 1920s. Told in alternating chapters by generational viewpoints of two family members that share a family bond.
Violet Bond is Melanie Barnett’s great, great, great Aunt. Melanie has fond memories of the time they shared together. When Violet passed on she left an inheritance that included a very special gift for Melanie alone. In it, Melanie finds items that include a journal with Violet's own words and thoughts about the life she was living. The similarities that Melanie finds in job aspirations, independence and relationships are so close to her own. She realizes how much more there was to her Aunt than she ever knew.
Violet left a message in the things she gifted Melanie; not only of love but to learn from the mistakes of her past.
This a historical piece that is so well researched and written, that you are taken to the very places that are spoken of. You will live to witness prohibition and practically party with the flappers of the 20s and be as mesmerized as I was. This is a book worth reading and rereading. I recommend it to anyone who likes to live and travel through books.
Violet Bond is Melanie Barnett’s great, great, great Aunt. Melanie has fond memories of the time they shared together. When Violet passed on she left an inheritance that included a very special gift for Melanie alone. In it, Melanie finds items that include a journal with Violet's own words and thoughts about the life she was living. The similarities that Melanie finds in job aspirations, independence and relationships are so close to her own. She realizes how much more there was to her Aunt than she ever knew.
Violet left a message in the things she gifted Melanie; not only of love but to learn from the mistakes of her past.
This a historical piece that is so well researched and written, that you are taken to the very places that are spoken of. You will live to witness prohibition and practically party with the flappers of the 20s and be as mesmerized as I was. This is a book worth reading and rereading. I recommend it to anyone who likes to live and travel through books.
November 5, 2022
It’s 2018 and Melanie is at a crossroad, she’s working at a bourbon distillery she would love to earn a promotion, her engagement has ended and she’s called off love. During her childhood she spent many summers with her Aunt Violet. Her Aunt Violet has left Melanie a scarlet-red Jordan MX Playboy it was Violets first car. Melanie’s mother has asked her to please come and get the car. While inspecting the car she uncovers a journal that once belonged to Violet and Inside the journal it says “Take from this story what you will, Melanie, and you can bury the rest.”
It’s 1921 and Violet dreams of becoming her own woman and make money, she leaves Kentucky behind and heads to Detroit. Violet becomes friends with Lela a socialite. Together they visit speakeasies and Violet cuts her hair and invests her money with the Lela’s encouragement. The 1920’s is filled with many changes giving a woman a chance to vote and be themselves.
The dual timeline shows Violet trying to figure herself and making mistakes along the line. Soon Melanie realizes that this is more than a journal it’s a peek into her Aunts past life and Violet wants Melanie to live her life and learn from the mistakes she made. I loved this book the dual timeline added so much to the story!
It’s 1921 and Violet dreams of becoming her own woman and make money, she leaves Kentucky behind and heads to Detroit. Violet becomes friends with Lela a socialite. Together they visit speakeasies and Violet cuts her hair and invests her money with the Lela’s encouragement. The 1920’s is filled with many changes giving a woman a chance to vote and be themselves.
The dual timeline shows Violet trying to figure herself and making mistakes along the line. Soon Melanie realizes that this is more than a journal it’s a peek into her Aunts past life and Violet wants Melanie to live her life and learn from the mistakes she made. I loved this book the dual timeline added so much to the story!
July 27, 2022
This is a dual timeline - set in 1920's Detroit and current day Kentucky. I really enjoyed this one - the descriptions of Detroit and the auto industry, even a boat trip to Boblo Island is mentioned, and the Kentucky bourbon industry. The characters are well developed and the storylines kept me interested.
Melanie's story is the current story - set in Kentucky, she's newly single and determined to put men aside and get that promotion at her bourbon distillery. It's her Grape Aunt Violet that tells the historical story - she lost her job at the distillery and moves to Detroit to work making spark plugs. Her story follows the Prohibition and speakeasys, she's determined to be a free woman and not get married. She's also determined to save and buy herself a car, something her father said she couldn't do.
The storylines intersect when Melanie is cleaning out the carriage house of her aunt's estate - and finds she's gifted Violet's car and decides to restore it - and finds romance.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.
Melanie's story is the current story - set in Kentucky, she's newly single and determined to put men aside and get that promotion at her bourbon distillery. It's her Grape Aunt Violet that tells the historical story - she lost her job at the distillery and moves to Detroit to work making spark plugs. Her story follows the Prohibition and speakeasys, she's determined to be a free woman and not get married. She's also determined to save and buy herself a car, something her father said she couldn't do.
The storylines intersect when Melanie is cleaning out the carriage house of her aunt's estate - and finds she's gifted Violet's car and decides to restore it - and finds romance.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.
December 5, 2022
Imagine inheriting a car from a beloved relative and finding out that she left you much more than a vehicle.
Melanie mourns the loss of her beloved aunt but as she goes through the Jordan MX she has been bequeathed she finds her Aunt’s journal which turns out to be a far greater gift than the car. In it she reads the ups and downs of Violet’s life and the struggles that she had when women were considered useful for two things – housewifery and producing children.
But Violet chose to fight convention much as Melanie does and the parallels between their lives offers some clues to Melanie as to what may lie ahead should she choose to continue her path.
This was a wonderful read about two strong women in male dominated worlds. As many of us can attest the times changed but only so far and they still need to change more. It was a book I had a hard time putting down and I really loved both these characters. I did find Violet’s story slightly more compelling but only slightly.
I received a free copy for my honest review.
Melanie mourns the loss of her beloved aunt but as she goes through the Jordan MX she has been bequeathed she finds her Aunt’s journal which turns out to be a far greater gift than the car. In it she reads the ups and downs of Violet’s life and the struggles that she had when women were considered useful for two things – housewifery and producing children.
But Violet chose to fight convention much as Melanie does and the parallels between their lives offers some clues to Melanie as to what may lie ahead should she choose to continue her path.
This was a wonderful read about two strong women in male dominated worlds. As many of us can attest the times changed but only so far and they still need to change more. It was a book I had a hard time putting down and I really loved both these characters. I did find Violet’s story slightly more compelling but only slightly.
I received a free copy for my honest review.
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