Independence - Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

This was a deceptively short and fast read that covers a lot of history. Told through the story of two families, we learn a lot about India's independence as we experience the events in their lives. I loved all of the characters, who felt real - they react in sometimes unexpected ways, just like "real" people, and it's always gratifying to see characters develop their strength and resilience. Recommended.  

Groundskeeping - Lee Cole

This book box book for February was a welcome one. The writing is excellent, even if there were a few paragraphs here and there that definitely felt like "this sounds like someone who is doing an MFA for writing" LOL If I had the time I would love to reread it and take note of the symbolism - this would have been an interesting book to write a college paper on for sure. Recommended. 

Hello Beautiful - Ann Napolitano

February's book club choice was a decent read. I enjoyed the story even if I thought this book was sometimes a little repetitive about making a point about why characters are the way they are. It will be an interesting discussion. 

The Last Secret of the Secret Annex - Joop van Wijk-Voskuijl and Jeroen De Bruyn

Wow, readers, this book was fascinating. You might remember that in June 2015 my reading theme was Anne Frank and the Holocaust. I had not heard of this recent book, which is subtitled "The Untold Story of Anne Frank, Her Silent Protector, and a Family Betrayal." The authors are Bep Voskuijl's son, and an independent Anne Frank researcher who have provided a well written narrative of the events before, during, and after the Franks, van Pelses, and Dr. Pfeffer went into hiding. I knew some of the things that occurred after the people in hiding were betrayed and captured by the Nazis, but this particular account benefits from firsthand knowledge on the part of Bep's son Joop. There was a lot of information that could only come from someone with this firsthand knowledge, so I am so happy that he has told his story. Definitely recommended.