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Mockingbird Summer – by Lynda Rutledge – independent book review – Historical Fiction (United States) – Toby A. Smith
A beautiful coming-of-age story about a small-town girl and one particular summer where she must suddenly confront a mix of complex and perplexing feelings around romance, competition, friendship and race.
Never – by Joel F. Johnson – independent book review – Memoir (United States) – Toby A. Smith
Here is a beautifully written and deeply insightful coming-of-age novel in which the author tries to reconcile his warm memories from childhood with the adult recognition that he grew up in a small, strictly-segregated Southern town, at a pivotal moment in United States racial history. I loved every page! Awarded five stars on Goodreads. At…
1666 – by Lora Chilton – independent book review – Historical Fiction (United States) – Toby A. Smith
NOTE: I received early access to this manuscript and am writing this review voluntarily. Thank you netgalley and Sibylline Press. Scheduled Publication: April 2, 2024. I've been reading historical fiction for decades now. But despite the excess of material about our white founding fathers, I've come across very little that explores the indigenous stories with…
Covered in Flour – 1968: A Young Boy’s Perspective on School, Family, and Changing Times – by Charles Presti – independent book review – Memoir – Toby A. Smith
NOTE: The author provided me a copy of this book and requested that I read and review it. I thank him for the opportunity. COVERED IN FLOUR felt to me a bit like reading a collection of autobiographical short stories. Each chapter captures a cherished memory, meaningful experience, or important anecdote based (I think) on…
Award Winners – 2023 International Landscape Photographer of the Year – Toby A. Smith
I look forward to seeing the winners of this competition every year. The images are always spectacular, unique, artistic and help me appreciate the beauty of our planet. The eye-catching photo above was "Photograph of the Year" taken at Abraham Lake in Alberta, Canada by Blake Randall. I may try to paint that one. The…
American Duchess: A Novel of Consuelo Vanderbilt – by Karen Harper – independent book review – Historical Fiction (United States, England, France) – Toby A. Smith
Those who share my interest in this time period will certainly get a taste of the money, power, social life, and influence these people had.
The Surgeon’s Daughter – by Audrey Blake – independent book review – Historical Fiction (England, Italy) – Toby A. Smith
THE SURGEON'S DAUGHTER is the second historical novel in the Nora Beady series by Audrey Blake and it continues the story of the talented but home schooled healthcare provider Eleanor Beady. I awarded it for stars on Goodreads. Despite the fact that it is illegal for women to be practicing surgeons in 1840s London, Nora…