The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss

What a lovely book this is!  I borrowed it from Meredith some time ago but only now got around to reading it.  I think I could describe it as a "gentle read".  The language is descriptive, the characters are well developed and there is something that just calms you as you read this book. 

The story centers around a young girl named Martha who leaves home at a young age looking for work breaking horses.  She terms it "gentling wild horses".  Many of the young men and hired hands are off fighting the war as the year is 1917 so Martha follows her heart not only to escape and abusive and cruel father, but to find work doing what she loves.  The story weaves through a long and hard winter but Martha discovers friendships and a place in the community.  There is a richness to the story that describes how people and animals touch each others lives in the most unexpected and profound ways.   

I recommend this book for a heartwarming and pleasant read.

289 pages

Escape by Carolyn Jessop

I borrowed this book from a friend and it was a fairly quick read.  It is the true account of Carolyn’s (the author) life and growing up in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.   She was raised in the faith in a polygamist family and openly shared the stories of her life growing up and adulthood in the church.  At 18 she was married to a man that was nearly a stranger and also 32 years older than her.  She continues to recount her life as she went on to have multiple sister-wives and eight children of her own.  The story is chilling at times as you learn about the cruelty and abuse Carolyn and her family experienced.  The story twists as she realizes the extreme danger that she and her family is in and thus starts her plan for escape from her high powered and controlling husband.  Some of the book felt a little bit repetitive to me but I also realize that the cruelty and abuse she experienced happened constantly throughout her entire life, thus it is a strong theme in the book.  I have read a few different books about the fundamentalist church but this self-account of her experience was new and eye opening.  If you have any interest in the workings of the fundamentalist church or the lifestyle they lead then I would definitely recommend this book.

 426 Pages

Outlander by Diana Gabadon

What a great read!  Aunt Mary recommended this book while we were visiting in Colorado and I was skeptical, but enjoyed every page!  This is the first book in a series of a genre I didn't think I would cotton up to, but I did and can't wait for the next book.  There is time travel involved and I thought "oh-boy" but it is well done.  The year is 1945 and Claire, a former combat nurse, and her husband are enjoying a second honeymoon in the British Isles.  She is out walking alone, learning about natural healing herbs when she comes across a Stonehenge like circle of boulders.  She innocently touches and peers through a cleft in one of the rocks and poof!  She is Sassenach - an "outlander" in a Scotland torn by warring clans in the year 1743.  I know it sounds sort of goofy but it is so well done that it just becomes a delightful story full of great characters, history, and of course passion. 

I recommend this book whole heartedly - I couldn't put it down!

850 pages

Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver

Hmmm.  I finished this book about a month ago and am trying to remember enough to review it!  I don't think Amazon reviews are allowed here, but I am going to do it anyway - just like the last couple of books I read!  One of my favorite books is "Poisonwood Bible" by Kingsolver so I anticipated having the same reaction to this book.  She is a talented writer, spins a good tale, and I am glad I read this book, but I don't wish to read it again.  The subject is just a little too wacky for me - all about the discovery of a miracle due to climate change.  I guess the change goes beyond the actual "climate" but also the change in the main character's (Dellarobia) life.  So here is what Amazon has to say:

"Flight Behavior is a brilliant and suspenseful novel set in present day Appalachia; a breathtaking parable of catastrophe and denial that explores how the complexities we inevitably encounter in life lead us to believe in our particular chosen truths. Kingsolver's riveting story concerns a young wife and mother on a failing farm in rural Tennessee who experiences something she cannot explain, and how her discovery energizes various competing factions—religious leaders, climate scientists, environmentalists, politicians—trapping her in the center of the conflict and ultimately opening up her world."

597 pages