The Dakota in New York is America’s first luxury apartment building, designed by the architect Theodore Camden. In 1884, a woman working at a hotel named Sara Smythe earns Theo’s respect and admiration, and he hires her to be the managerette of his new apartments, set to rival New York’s famous Fifth Avenue. But their…
Category: women’s literature
The Simplicity of Cider by Amy E. Reichert
Sanna loves her family’s apple orchard and brewing new cider flavors, the colors of which come to her in her dreams. Isaac just lost his ex-wife, and is struggling with how to to tell his ten year old son, Bass. On a road trip that leaves them at Sanna’s apple orchard, an accident ends in…
“Wintersong” Book Discussion and Chocolate Torte Cupcakes Recipe with Fresh Strawberry Frosting
Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones Der Erlkonig: The Goblin King and Lord of Mischief. As a child, Liesl played in the woods with him, and promised to marry him when they grew up. But watching over her beautiful sister, practicing music with her brother the prodigy, and the daily chores of running an inn with her…
The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor
A young girl named Frances is relocated to her mother’s hometown in England during the first world war. Little does she realize, this event will change her life and affect her entire country. Frances loves playing by the stream in the woods behind her aunt’s house, sometimes with her older cousin Elsie, but typically alone….
“Uprooted” Book Discussion and Apple Cherry Pie Bites Recipe
Uprooted by Naomi Novik Once every ten years, a village girl of seventeen is selected by the wizard in the tower known as the Dragon. Everyone believes the beautiful Kasia will be chosen, not her best friend, the plain Agnieszka whose only talent is finding things like blackberries near the dangerous, corrupted Wood. But when…
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
Nina was just let go from her job as a librarian in the city, where they want young college grads who know more about marketing than finding the perfect book for readers, as Nina does. So she purchases a decrepit white van from man in a tiny town in Scotland, and discovers that the landscape…
The Sea House by Elisabeth Gifford
On the shores of Scotland is a sea house where two tales unravel. Ruth, who is renovating the house, and hiding from her past and found another: mermaid bones buried beneath the floorboards. Ruth’s mother drowned when her daughter was very young, leaving her orphaned. In an attempt to find a piece of her family…
“Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier Book Discussion and Blackberry Victoria Sponge Cupcakes
“Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again…” Rebecca is perhaps the greatest and most haunting Gothic novel, the one to which all others written since have been compared. (Image of “Manderley” created with ChatGPT) Set in the English countryside in the 1920’s, in a mansion by the sea, Maxim de Winter lives with…
“Redeeming Love” Book Discussion and Chocolate Coffee Cupcakes with Vanilla Coffee Frosting Recipe
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers What frontier man, in need of a sturdy, homemaking wife, would ever consider marrying the most expensive prostitute in town? Certainly not a resolute, guileless farmer who’s been saving himself for his future wife. But Michael Hosea, despite living in the hard frontier time of the California gold rush, is…
“Little Women” Book Discussion and Easy Orange Cupcakes Recipe
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Little Women begins with four young women trying to make the most of their Christmas in New England while their father is away fighting in the Civil War. Too poor for any presents, the girls use creative, convicting generosity to overcome not only this, but other testing circumstances, aided…