Tried It and Tossed It

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson
published 3/13
352 pages

Synopsis from publisher -


When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

My thoughts -

I think perhaps I just OD'd a little bit on young adult novels, because I just COULD.NOT.CARE about this one. It just seemed too predictable too quickly - I've read a few good reviews of it, though, so I have a feeling it was just the wrong book at the wrong time.

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini
published 1/15/13
320 pages

Synopsis from publisher -


In Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, novelist Jennifer Chiaverini presents a stunning account of the friendship that blossomed between Mary Todd Lincoln and her seamstress, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Keckley, a former slave who gained her professional reputation in Washington, D.C. by outfitting the city’s elite. Keckley made history by sewing for First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln within the White House, a trusted witness to many private moments between the President and his wife, two of the most compelling figures in American history.

 My thoughts -

For some reason it felt like I was thrown into the middle of a story when I picked up this book - it just seemed like something was missing from the beginning to orient me to the story. I couldn't settle in to the rhythm of the novel, and it just didn't hold my interest.