Fred Korematsu ~ January 30, 1919 – March 30, 2005

Tags

Fred Korematsu, Inspirational quotes

Today’s Google Doodle which is illustrated by artist Sophie Diao, honors the birthday of Fred Toyosaboro Korematso who was a civil rights activist who objected to the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. He bravely challenged the orders of Franklin D. Roosevelt and subsequently became a fugitive, before eventually being captured and sent to an internment camp in Utah with his family until the end of the war. Both California and Virginia are the only two states who recognize this courageous man each January 30th.

If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.

~ Fred Korematsu ~

The Ripper’s Shadow (Victorian Mystery #1) ~ By Laura Joh Rowland – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Jack the Ripper, Mystery, Prejudice, Suspense, Victorian Historical Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

368 Pages

Synopsis: The year is 1888 and Jack the Ripper begins his reign of terror.

Miss Sarah Bain, a photographer in Whitechapel, is an independent woman with dark secrets. In the privacy of her studio, she supplements her meager income by taking illicit “boudoir photographs” of the town’s local ladies of the night. But when two of her local models are found gruesomely murdered within weeks of one another, Sarah begins to suspect it’s more than mere coincidence.

Teamed with a motley crew of friends–including a street urchin, a gay aristocrat, a Jewish butcher and his wife, and a beautiful young actress–Sarah delves into the crime of the century. But just as she starts unlocking the Ripper’s secrets, she catches the eye of the local police, who believe she knows more than she’s revealing, as well from the Ripper himself, now bent on silencing her and her friends for good.

Caught in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer, Sarah races through Whitechapel’s darkest alleys to find the truth…until she makes a shocking discovery that challenges everything she thought she knew about the case.

I think I may have mentioned once or twice that I’m a little addicted to the mystery of Jack the Ripper and tend to jump on any new book on the subject whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. The Ripper’s Shadow not only gives a unique and imaginative spin to the unsolved murders, but also provides a cast of well-developed and endearing characters who I instantly became emotionally invested in. Sarah is the type of heroine that you can’t help rooting for. Smart, and stubbornly determined you can feel her frustration not only with dealing the indifferent and bigoted police, but also with her models as they fail to take note of her warnings. Her team of fellow amateur sleuths are truly a motley crew with each having their own interesting backstories. By the end of the book they’re not only a team, they’re a family. The story is action-packed and is filled with shocking plot twists, and surprising suspects. There’s also some humor included which nicely balances the darker aspects of the book. The author’s prose truly brings to life the Victorian London, from the fog and soot which seems to encompass everything, to the corrupt police and prejudiced attitudes towards women, immigrants, and homosexuals. I highly recommend The Ripper’s Shadow to readers looking for a suspense-filled historical mystery filled with colorful characters. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series!

Two Empresses ~ By Brandy Purdy ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction

I’d like to thank the author for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: January 31st, 2017

384 Pages

Synopsis: 1779, France. On the island paradise of Martinique, two beautiful, well-bred cousins have reached marriageable age. Sixteen-year-old Rose must sail to France to marry Alexander, the dashing Vicomte de Beauharnaise. Golden-haired Aimee will finish her education at a French convent in hopes of making a worthy match.

Once in Paris, Rose’s illusions are shattered by her new husband, who casts her off when his mistress bears him a son. Yet revolution is tearing through the land, changing fortunes–and fates–in an instant, leaving Rose free to reinvent herself. Soon she is pursued by a young general, Napoleon Bonaparte, who prefers to call her by another name: Josephine.

Presumed dead after her ship is attacked by pirates, Aimee survives and is taken to the Sultan of Turkey’s harem. Among hundreds at his beck and call, Aimee’s loveliness and intelligence make her a favorite not only of the Sultan, but of his gentle, reserved nephew. Like Josephine, the newly crowned Empress of France, Aimee will ascend to a position of unimagined power. But for both cousins, passion and ambition carry their own burden.

From the war-torn streets of Paris to the bejeweled golden bars of a Turkish palace, Brandy Purdy weaves some of history’s most compelling figures into a vivid, captivating account of two remarkable women and their extraordinary destinies.

I’ve read two previous books by Brandy Purdy —The Secrets of Lizzie Borden and The Ripper’s Wife– both of which I enjoyed immensely, so when she contacted me about Two Empresses I jumped at the opportunity to read and review it. While I knew a little about the woman (Rose) who became Josephine Bonaparte, thanks to a report I did on her back in the 5th grade, I knew absolutely nothing about her younger cousin Aimee. Both women’s stories are told in the first person POV which allows the reader to really get into their heads. More than half of the book follows Josephine who I found difficult to emphasize with at times. She’s selfish and self-centered and is willing to sleep with just about anyone who will help her attain her ambitions. There’s no mistake that she suffered horribly at times, but there were others where I felt she was her own worst enemy, particularly in regards to Napoleon. He is passionate about her at the beginning of their relationship, but because Josephine is pretty much forced into marrying him, she cheats on him immediately. When he discovers her infidelities, well, let’s just say his feelings sour and he treats her abysmally. Yet it’s then that decides she loves him. But even worse, I believe she commits an unforgivable betrayal of her innocent daughter, forcing her into a loveless marriage just to save herself. Because of this, any sympathy I had for her went right out the window. Aimee du Buc Rivery was indeed the cousin of Empress Josephine who disappeared at sea. There’s a legend that she was captured by Barbary pirates and sold to a Sultan in Constantinople and that she was the same person as Naksidil Sultan, who became a Valide Sultan (Queen Mother) of the Ottoman Empire. However there’s no hard evidence of this, and scholars have pretty much proven that the legendary Naksidil was of Georgian descent, not French. But it’s this figure that Brandy Purdy draws upon in her portrayal of Aimee, who I loved. She also suffers greatly, yet she perseveres because of her intelligence, courage, determination, and unwavering love and devotion to those she cares about. While she was almost entirely fictional, I found myself wishing that there were more chapters devoted to her. Overall, I thought Two Empresses to be an intriguing blend of fact and fiction. It’s a captivating read which reconstructs one of the most famous women in history, flaws and all, and brings to life one whose life probably ended much too soon. At the same time, she also captures the social norms and political upheavals of the time period. I definitely recommend this to readers who love historical fiction.