While I’ve been reading a lot about India lately, I couldn’t help but pick up The Orphan Keeper by  Camron Wright (author of a favorite of mine from last year, The Rent Collector). The Orphan Keeper is based on the true story of Chellamuthu who is kidnapped in India and adopted by an American couple. Once he begins to speak, however, and tells his new parents what happened, they lead a search for his birth parents. Compelling idea, no?! This was a long book, but it was written so well that it moved along quickly. I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as The Rent Collector, but it was quite good and I highly recommend it. It’s a wonderful book.

Wow – what a book! Karolina’s Twins, by Ronald Balson, was another recommendation by my former colleague who always steers me in the right direction. I read and reviewed Saving Sophie last year on her recommendation and enjoyed it. Karolina’s Twins is Balson’s latest, set in WWII Poland. The premise for this story (like that in Once We Were Brothers – which I have not yet read) is that an investigator/lawyer team in Chicago help people figure out a mystery from their past. In this case, aging Lena Woodward is trying to find her friend Karolina’s twins to honor a promise she made to Karolina during the war. You delve right into this story and I found the book hard to put down – a good way to start 2017!

The Mothers by Brit Bennett was the last book I read in 2016. It was a good last choice. Not amazing, but quite readable – and a good story. The book follows Nadia Turner’s life from young adulthood to thirty-something. It delves into choices, family, religion, community, and the Black experience. Overall, this was not only well-written but also engaging. I wanted to keep reading and wasn’t eager for the book to end. It was quiet, however, and a thought-provoking experience. It’s a good pick.

I was lucky enough to have a second book to read over break by Shilpi Somaya Gowda of Secret Daughter, reviewed here. The Golden Son tells the story of Anil, doing his medical residency in Texas while the rest of his family is in India. Simultaneously, we read about Anil’s childhood friend, Leena, who enters an abusive marriage. Their lives intertwine over the course of the story. Family ties and individual interests ultimately combine for Anil as he learns and grows. I enjoyed this book very much, but not as much as Secret Daughter. If you had to choose one over the other, I would choose that one first.

I do like Alice Hoffman’s books and her newest, Faithful, was no exception. The book tells Shelby’s story: she walks away from a car accident that puts her best friend in a coma. She feels survivor’s guilt for the entire book, and copes in various ways as she grows up. This was a good vacation read – not too taxing or deep, but interesting and different, especially from the last book I read, Secret Daughter.

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda was another good recommendation by a former colleague. She suggested I read it and The Golden Son, Gowda’s newest. Based on how much I enjoyed Secret Daughter, I plan to read The Golden Son soon. I think I’ll take a break from India first, though. Secret Daughter is told in alternating chapters by a mother living in India who gave her daughter up for adoption and by the mother/daughter who are the adopter/adoptee and live in California. The story is fascinating and the characters are developed nicely. It’s a great, fast-paced read.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amir Towles was neither an easy nor quick read. It took me longer than most books I have read of late. This followed a false start with 5 other books that I started and abandoned, which is why I have not posted in some time. The book tells the story of Alexander Rostov who is under house arrest at the Metropol in Moscow. While there, he befriends Nina, and ends up, years later, as Nina’s daughter’s guardian/father. It is a slow and sentimental book, which was enjoyable, but slow. Did I say it’s slow??

Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett chronicles the life of a family whose patriarch suffers from depression and takes his own life fairly early in the book. This depression, unfortunately, is visited upon the oldest son, Michael. The book hones in on the remaining four family member’s attempts to keep Michael from following the same fate as his father. Haslett captures this family nicely, and the story moved along at a good pace. However, I didn’t love it.

I have read a lot about Mischling by Affinity Konar. So much so, that I was almost afraid to read it, given the subject matter -Mengele’s twin experiments at Auschwitz. Adding to the rave reviews, was a personal one from a former colleague who has never steered me wrong, so I thought I would give it a try. I have to say, however, that I didn’t like Mischling, and not because of the disturbing content. I just never really got into the story. The twins’ own story was fascinating, and the book was very well executed, but it didn’t pull me in. The beginning 50-60% of the story that took place at Auschwitz was too long and drawn out. The subsequent 40% was much more interesting, but still didn’t keep me engaged. I slogged through and was eager to get to the end so I could move on to something else.