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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, especially
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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 Nora, a fictional
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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 push
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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 flig
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Fall of the Florios by Stefania Auci

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  Fall of the Florios is the third installment of trilogy which ends the dramatic story of Italy’s most powerful and notorious family. It started with an impoverished shopkeeper and ends with the grandson who doesn’t have the same drive as he was already born into privilege. He changes the family fate as he wants to enjoy his status. The story picks up in January 1894 with turbulent events. A state of siege was declared on the island of Sicily as riots continued, ignited by organization that drew unhappy workers. The chaos on the island needed military intervention and the Florios become prisoners in their own house, hiding for their own safety. Franca is not happy in her marriage with Ignazio Florio as he continues his philandering. Her unhappiness and how to handle her husband’s infidelities fills big part of this story. Ignazio, on the other hand, faces big lay-offs as he continues to lose contracts. He finds faults with the system but doesn’t see his own lack for innovation. This l
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A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopson

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  A Pair of Wings tells the life story of pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman. In 1915, Bessie leaves oppressive Texas for Chicago where two of her brothers already relocated, and where she also reconnects with her college friend Norma. The two are opposites. Norma avoids risks, Bessie rushes toward adventure. All of them are part of the Great Migration that left agricultural South for opportunity in the North. Bessie works at barbershop where she meets a man who supports her dream of flying. But the problem is no one wants to accept a Negro female student. He helps her to apply to different schools, and he finds one that accepts her. It happens to be in France. That doesn’t deter her from following her dream. She learns the language and travels to France. In France, she learns much more. She converts wargame maneuvers into graceful performances which earn her the nickname of Daredevil in the US. It is a fascinating story of a remarkable woman and set against interesting historical backgro
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Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran

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  The master storyteller, Michelle Moran, makes a phenomenal come back with a surprising story of Maria von Trapp who was glamorized in The Sound of Music. However, this story gives stage to Maria who tells her side of the story; a woman who was larger than life, who knew what she wanted and went after it. The story begins with Maria already in NYC in the 1950s confronting Oscar Hammerstein about the lyrics he wrote for a musical based on her life. As Maria expresses her concerns to Oscar’s secretary, she reveals her true story, more complicated and compelling than the glamorized version. The story goes back to 1926 Salzburg, Austria, where the nineteen year old Maria is a teacher at convent. When this place becomes her home and children like her family, after two years, she is asked to take an assignment. It doesn’t make her happy to leave this homelike feeling place. Something she craved to have from her childhood. But she is promised it’s only for ten months. When the war hero
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