2017 Reading Challenge discussion

Post your challenge books about a family here!

by Nina Willner

Fascinating story, told somewhat woodenly by one of its main characters. I've not read anything about domestic life in East Germany before and want to read more. The "forty autumns" in the title refer to the life of the DDR, and to the lives of the family the author's mother left behind when she escaped to the west.

I just read " The Family Romanov" - a highly accurate, historical picture of the last Tsar family in Russia. This is very enlightening, especially if you happen to be a Russian literary buff. I learned so much while reading, especially how and why Lenin became the 1st communist leader in a war-torn country. Very well written, and I highly recommend!

I read The House of the Spirits. Such a brilliant book that incorporates family drama, politics, the supernatural and strong women in the one book.

I read by Jessica Spostwood, the first book in the Cahill Witches Chronicles trilogy for this one. It focuses on three witch sisters in a time where this religious orders, the Brotherhood, is persecuting witches and diminishing women to no more than servants (meaning it's loosely based on the Inquisition) - their relationship, especially since the oldest, Cate, is the lady of the house since the death of their mother, how they deal with their powers and the society, and the possibility they may be the subject of an ancient prophecy about three witch sisters that are the most powerful of their time and can bring the witches back to power and overthrow the Brotherhood. I liked it a lot, had a few issues with Cate and Maura, the middle sister, but overall I really want to continue with the trilogy. I gave it 4 stars.

I read Sail Upon the Land by Josa (Keyes) Young. "Melissa caught a wistful look on her mother’s face as they walked in the grounds, where top-heavy trees were turning to gold, and great oblong brown cattle like chests of drawers grazed in the park beyond the ha ha." Young, Josa. Sail Upon the Land (pp. 84-85). Keyes Ink. Kindle Edition. No typo in the sentence, I had never heard of a ha-ha before. According to Wikipedia, "A ha-ha is a recessed landscape design element that creates a vertical barrier while preserving an uninterrupted view of the landscape beyond." An enjoyable read about Sarah, her daughter Melissa, and her granddaughter Damson. The beginning of the book is difficult for Damson and it impacts her and how she lives her life. It wasn't a novel that I couldn't put down. I'm not sure why I wasn't drawn in more by the book, but I would still recommend it.

Homegoing
Great book that spanned 300 years of a family from Ghana to present day by following the family tree of Effia's descendant's through warfare in Ghana and to America where her family was sold into slavery. A truly breathtaking novel!