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Queen of Diamonds by Beezy Marsh

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  This book 3 of trilogy, which can be read as a stand-alone, is based on the leader of a notorious gang of shoplifters, Alice Diamond of the Forty Thieves. She was inspired by the first Queen of Thieves, a daring girl from the London slums of the 1880s, called Mary Carr. London, 1900. The story begins with Lady Harcourt venturing into the dangerous alleyways of Seven Dials, despite the warnings to avoid the area. As an artist, her curiosity wins out, leading her to explore the lives of ordinary people, which she captures in her sketches. In Seven Dials, while watching her brother play at the fountain, Mary notices a lady in a fancy dress. The woman offers Mary a coin and asks her to show her around. The encounter sets Mary on a new path. She begins to pose in ragged clothes for Lady Harcourt and later, secretly, for her husband. Mary is a quick learner and observes how people look at her differently when she wears fine clothing. This realization sparks an idea. Alice grew up in Se...
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The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang

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    Set in 1800s China, Little Flower is sold into slavery to a wealthy family of Fong. The father of the Fong family arranges a marriage for his daughter Linjing. The father chooses a progressive family who doesn’t want a bride with bound feet. This creates jealousy as Little Flower has bound feet as her mother hoped that would help her in the future. Not only that, Little Flower is excellent at embroidery, the talent that Linjing lacks. A betrayal leads to dire consequences for Little Flower, scaring her physically for life. And Linjing’s arranged marriage makes her rethink her strategy as she will need a loyal ally in the new household of her future husband. She starts seeing the right ally in Little Flower, but is it too late to tilt the scale and gain her confidence? Little Flower tries to put the grief and loss aside and reach a new harmony in her life, but can she get passed sufferings to trust Linjing? At the same time, Linjing suffers unexpected betrayal from the pers...
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The Orphan's Secret Library by Glynis Peters

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 UK, May 1943: Alice Carmichael becomes homeless at seventeen when the house of her grandmother is bombed, losing her protector and safe space. As a child, she grew up surrounded by books and her natural instinct leads her to taking a few books she could carry with her. As she finds new shelter, she finds new guardians, friendship and discovers a new purpose in life. She becomes a postwoman at Billingford who sets up a mobile library, which later extends to a village library and her secret war work. Alice’s new location is close to an airbase housing American Airforce. She meets an American airman and tries to balance love with her secret mission, which leads to some tensions. Alice is almost eighteen when she falls in love and receives her first advice about men. Throughout the story, she writes in her diary revealing her thoughts which also involve her feelings toward a man. As devastating war is, this story demonstrates how one can still find purpose and love; and the resonating...
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The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R. Chambers

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  The Secret War of Julia Child concentrates on her life-time-period before becoming the famous chef; she had a passion to serve her nation. Julia moved from California to DC where she got her first job at Research Department during WWII. She was quickly elevated to more secret positions, but instead of sitting behind a desk, she craved to be in the field. As a lifelong reader of mysteries and spy novels, she craved hands on action. Her persistence led her to an assignment in Asia. The story depicts well the spirit of Julia, her hunger for adventure, determination, courage, loyalty, and doing good. She dreamed big, taking giant steps. She wasn’t afraid to apply for something she didn’t have experience in. And she was persistent in achieving whatever she set her mind to. The author did an extensive research. However, there are some gaps in Julia’s story and filled with writer’s creative imagination. It was interesting to learn more about this period and Julia’s contribution, especia...
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The Colony Club by Shelley Noble

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 The Colony Club by Shelley Noble imagines the story of three captivating women at the beginning of 20 th -century New York.   Daisy Harriman makes her mark as a trailblazer in creating first women’s club when such spaces were meant only for men. It all began when she was refused a room at the Waldorf in 1902 because she was not accompanied by a man.   Daisy turned this obstacle into action. However, founding a club at a time when women needed man’s permission for nearly any action wasn’t easy. It took two years for the club to be fully formed, as some women were forbidden by their husbands to join. But Daisy persisted, seeing the bigger picture. She envisioned a place where women could be themselves without chaperones, where they could freely discuss the issues that mattered to them. She wanted women to have a voice. After two years of struggle to establish the Colony Club, both in name and physical form, Daisy’s privileged life contrasts sharply with that of Nor...
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Mademoiselle Eiffel by Aimie K. Runyan

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 The story of Mademoiselle Eiffel reveals a fascinating figure of Claire Eiffel who made a great impact in maintaining her family’s legacy and their iconic contribution to the city of Paris. The story begins with the family grieving the loss of the mother and wife of Gustav Eiffel. As the family pulls themselves together, the father expects his eldest daughter Claire to take over running the household and taking care of the younger children. Claire relates the story and is glad to be close to her father and away from the overbearing grandmother. She becomes his personal assistant as she is the one he trusts the most. This is a time when her father is working on an important project, building a bridge in Portugal, which takes longer than expected. Thus, Gustav goes to the site and takes his daughter with him. And as Claire gets more involved in her father’s projects, she learns his architectural trade. When Eiffel takes a young protégé, Adolphe Salles, under his wings, Claire feels ...
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Katharine, the Wright Sister by Tracey Emerson Wood

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  This remarkable story sheds light on the Wright sister, the mastermind of logistics behind the achievement of human flight. She was the powerful force and voice, full of enthusiasm and persuasion. Along with her two brothers, she was one of the architects striving to make the world a better place. The story begins in Ohio in the latter part of the 19th century and reveals the Wright siblings’ passion, which started with a helicopter toy from their childhood. Their passion for flight persists throughout their lives, though it ebbs and flows with demands of busy lives. The secret to reigniting their passion is their sister, often overlooked in many stories. The progression of the story reveals the detailed steps the brothers took and the crucial moments when their sister stepped in to keep the dream alive, starting with their strong traits. Wilbur and Orville Wright were skilled at fixing things, and during the bicycle craze, there was a constant need for repairs. With the idea of ...
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