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A Comet in the Sky

May 27, 2026 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

27 May

Title: A Comet in the Sky
Author: Phyllis Johnston
Series: The May series, book 3
Major Themes: Pioneer Life, School, New Zealand
Synopsis: As May helps her family on the farm in the King Country, New Zealand, she learns many skills and experiences the opening of the first dairy factory in the area.

We are enjoying reading the May series, which follows May Tarrant through several years of growing up in New Zealand in the early 1900s. A Comet in the Sky begins a couple of years after book two, and follows May through about a year of her life as she helps her family on the farm in the King Country.

Publisher’s description:

It is 1909 and May is eleven. Putting a fire out at school, rat hunting, and being caned by her teacher for helping friends in class, are part of May’s standard four year. In 1910, May sees Halley’s comet, and also helps nurse her sick mother. May tries to get good marks at school, but because of a present she receives, all the standards get into trouble with their strict teacher. May’s life is affected by progress made on the bush farms of Piopio. Change comes quickly and suddenly. May realises she is nearly grown up and must think about going out to work.

My thoughts:

There was a lot less in A Comet in the Sky that I objected to than in book two, Black Boots and Buttonhooks. It felt like that in this book, May was growing up and becoming more mature—except for two instances, noted in the warnings, where she acted quite badly. Overall, though, this book is quite a good picture of life in the bush that was being turned into farms. One theme that runs through the entire book is the building of the first dairy plant in the King Country area in the North Island. May’s father was involved in the project from the beginning, so there is a lot of detail about how that happened. It was also interesting to see how May’s mother tried to hold to the standards she grew up with in England, and how May’s life had to be different because of their life on the farm, far from the city.

WARNING: Chapter 2: May was mean to a girl. Chapter 4: Gosh, dog disappeared. Chapter 6: Girl whipped by angry teacher. Chapter 8: Man badly burned. Chapter 11: By golly, two girls fight.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Kindle
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

The Sparkle of New Cheltenham

May 25, 2026 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

25 May

Title: The Sparkle of New Cheltenham
Author: Chautona Havig
Series: Christmas in New Cheltenham, book 7
Major Themes: Christmas, Romance
Synopsis: Kindra had a lot to navigate with her new company and the fluff job that got her out of the way—or is that really what her supervisor intended?

It’s always an exciting day when I receive a new book by Chautona Havig! I know from experience that I will enjoy it. I try to savor each book, enjoying the journey, but always find myself reading fast to find out what happens next. It was no different with The Sparkle of New Cheltenham.

Publisher’s description:

Her dream job just became her worst nightmare.

Kindra Hatheway walked off her graduation platform and into the perfect position with the perfect advertising company. That’s where her perfect life ended. Now one of her supervisors has put her in for a fluff job (a Christmas decorating contest? Really?) to get her out of the way. Add to that all the travel, the pressure from one of her colleagues to pick New Cheltenham as the winner, and the fact that she keeps flirting with her supervisor, and this Christmas is looking…complicated.

My thoughts:

There are actually two stories in one in The Sparkle of New Cheltenham. There is the story of Kindra and her job, of course—but Lauren and Walker also take up a lot of the book. It was fun to catch up with Brenna again and find out what was happening in her life since she got married, and to see Lauren a lot older than in the previous books about the two sisters. Throughout the whole book, the point of view switches back and forth between Kindra and her supervisor, Todd, and Lauren, who, with Walker’s help, had to keep Brenna’s antique store going for her. I had no problem keeping the points of view straight.

The Sparkle of New Cheltenham was written in such a way as to tie together the three other books in a collection. As such, it includes scenes rewritten from those other three books, told from Kindra’s point of view. I read two of those three, so I knew what was behind the scenes in this book, but it is not necessary to know those stories to understand this one.

I loved this book, and I’m looking forward to revisiting New Cheltenham next year! It has become one of my favorite imaginary places, and I always love reading about the people there.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

WARNING: There are several kisses.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

A Cold Wind Blowing

May 22, 2026 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

22 May

Title: A Cold Wind Blowing
Author: Barbara Willard
Series: Mantlemass, book 5
Major Themes: England, Tudor Era, Henry VIII, Renaissance
Synopsis: Piers was happy with his life with the family at Ghylls Hatch, but the political turmoil around him changed his life forever.

As part of our very slow journey through world history, we have been reading books for the past few months about the Protestant Reformation. After spending some time with the Anabaptists in Switzerland, we moved, a few weeks ago, to England, where Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church for his own benefit. I must confess, I had never thought much before about what that move meant for the common people in his country. Well, we have a much better idea now, after reading A Cold Wind Blowing.

Publisher’s description:

When Henry VIII broke off from the Catholic Church and Pope in Rome, the monasteries and convents in England were plunged into disarray and chaos. Religious people who had dedicated their lives to God were forced to return to the families they had left behind, and beg for support.

Piers Medley’s peaceful life is abruptly altered when his uncle is murdered before his eyes, leaving in his care a strange and silent young girl with no memory, it seems, of her former life. Drawn to her against his will, Piers is soon bewitched by Isabella. But despite the great happiness their love brings, Piers knows Isabella is still haunted by her past.

My thoughts:

While we enjoyed A Cold Wind Blowing, it was rather a sad story. There was so much turmoil in the country and in society, as well as confusion. This author did a wonderful job of putting us in the place of the family at Mantlemass and Ghylls Hatch, two neighboring farms joined by marriage, and we could feel the uncertainty swirling around them. The description of the changes happening, as monasteries and convents were closed and the monks and nuns forced to change their way of living, is set within the framework of a delightful love story.

This book includes love, intrigue, bandits, mystery, tragedy, and birth. Every element of a good story is here! We finished this and immediately wanted to go on with the next book in the series. One caveat: There are several scenes that are not for young readers. I did a lot of editing on the fly as I read aloud. See warnings.

WARNING: Chapter 1: for Heaven’s sweet sake, “she make my father very comfortable the last years,” to hell with that, Lord. Chapter 3: Man not able to swear “because of his company,” Mother of God help us. Chapter 4: Man is stabbed and dies. Chapter 5: The devil take her, to hell, dear Mother of God. Chapter 6: Devil take it. Chapter 7: Girl describing man’s death. Chapter 11: Man cursed, to hell, allusions to men being burned at the stake. Chapter 13: Man wondering if someone committed suicide, girl dies.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 12 – 15
Reading Independently—Ages 12 – 15, 15 and Above

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Library Binding | Mass Market Paperback
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

The Ark

May 20, 2026 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

20 May

Title: The Ark
Author: Margot Benary-Isbert
Series: The Ark series, book 1
Major Themes: Germany, World War II, Refugees, Farm Life, Dogs, Family, Friends
Synopsis: In the aftermath of World War II in Germany, the Lechow family were delighted to find two bare rooms to live in.

Thirty-odd years ago, one of my sisters discovered a book in our local library by Margot Benary-Isbert. We loved it, and started requesting other books by this author through Interlibrary Loan. One of them was The Ark, and I liked it nearly as well as the first (I think that was The Long Road Home). For many years now, I have been wishing I could read these books to my children, but wasn’t able to source any of them until now—Purple House Press has reprinted two of them! The day after they arrived at our house, one of my children chose The Ark for me to read aloud. I’ll put this in here—just to hold this book is a treat; the copy I bought is a solid Smythe-sewn hardcover with sturdy pages and a beautiful dust jacket. I’m delighted with it!

Publisher’s description:

Two rooms all to themselves⁠—it was almost too good to be true! For this was postwar Germany, filled with starving, homeless people trying to stay alive amidst the rubble, and to the Lechows the two freezing attic rooms in Mrs. Verduz’ house on Parsley Street were an unbelievable stroke of luck. No matter that every stick of furniture and even the cracked dishes were borrowed from a grudging but kind landlady, that food was so scarce they were nearly always hungry, that Matthias, loving the stars and growing things, was assigned to construction work by the Labor Office. Now that there was a roof over their heads, Joey and Andrea could attend school, and perhaps Father, if he was still alive, would find his way to them from the prison camp in Russia.

It was a makeshift arrangement at best, but somehow Mother made the cheerless rooms homelike, and soon there were good friends⁠—lovable, half-wild Hans Ulrich, who treasure hunted with Joey in the ruins of bombed-out houses; musical Dieter; and plump, cheerful Lenchen⁠—to share their meager but merry Christmas celebration. Only shy, lonely Margret, who felt that half herself had died with her twin brother Christian in East Germany, made no special friend, unless one counted Caliph, Mrs. Verduz’ cat. But eventually it was Margret’s love of animals that led her to sprightly Mrs. Almut and Rowan Farm and, before the next Christmas, Matthias had exchanged his hated job for the hard but satisfying work of the farm. Margret, too, happily caring for Mrs. Almut’s Great Danes, was beginning to understand the inexorable cycle of life and death, and the Ark, an old railroad car on the farm converted into a home, was ready to receive a reunited family.

The Ark paints an honest, realistic picture of the terrible aftermath of war in a defeated country. Most of all, it is the story of courage⁠—the courage of real people who, caught up in the adversity that shattered their lives, can still look at the future with hope and at the past without bitterness.

My thoughts:

The Ark is a delightful story. It is a story of a family enduring hardship and sorrow, and sticking together. They helped each other and those around them, and maintained their faith in God even when everything seemed bleak. I loved the way the author portrayed real life and the hard things that happen, while showing how people can survive and even thrive when hard times go on and on. Margret loved the animals she was caring for, but had to watch some of them die, and learned that life still goes on. In fact, working with the animals, caring for them, living and dying, helped her to heal from the death of her brother.

I love this glimpse into life in Germany after World War II. Because it was written by someone who was there and experienced it, this story rings true. It feels real. We were drawn into the lives of the Lechow family, and felt happy or sad for them, depending on what was happening in each chapter. One thing that this book brought to life for us was the amount of time it took for families to be reunited. It took years for prisoners of war to make their way home! One of the things that was hardest for the Lechow family was not knowing what had happened to their father—where was he, and would he ever return to them?

WARNING: Chapter 1: Someone hoped for a ghost in a house, mention of Christian being killed, girl calls a woman a witch. Chapter 4: Gee. Chapter 5: Gosh, the devil of a time. Chapter 7: Gee. Chapter 8: Holy smoke, memory of dead brother, threat of killing crippled lamb. Chapter 9: Woman called a witch. Chapter 10: Mention of people killed in bombing, gee. Chapter 12: Dogs die. Chapter 14: Gosh.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

The Man Who Never Was

May 18, 2026 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

18 May

Title: The Man Who Never Was: The Remarkable Story of Operation Mincemeat
Author: Ewen Montagu
Major Themes: World War II, Memoirs
Synopsis: As the Allies prepared to invade Sicily in World War II, they carried off one of the most successful cover operations in recent history—by convincing the Germans, using a dead body with a briefcase of important letters attached to it, that they were planning to attack Greece instead.

Early this year, I got to read The Enigma Girls, a fascinating biographical work about some of the women who worked at Bletchley Park during World War II. In that book was a passing reference to Operation Mincemeat, which piqued my curiosity. Mom also listened to that book, and she said that when she was a girl, they had The Man Who Never Was on their family bookshelf, and she’d found that story a fascinating read. That made me want to read it even more, so when I happened to be reminded of it recently and then found it in an online library, I decided it was time to read the story.

Publisher’s description:

In the early hours of 30 April 1943, a corpse wearing the uniform of an officer in the Royal Marines was slipped into the waters off the south-west coast of Spain. With it was a briefcase, in which were papers detailing an imminent Allied invasion of Greece. As the British had anticipated, the supposedly neutral government of Fascist Spain turned the papers over to the Nazi High Command, who swallowed the story whole. It was perhaps the most decisive bluff of all time, for the Allies had no such plan: the purpose of ‘Operation Mincemeat’ was to blind the German High Command to their true objective—an attack on Southern Europe through Sicily. Though officially shrouded in secrecy, the operation soon became legendary (in part owing to Churchill’s habit of telling the story at dinner).

Ewen Montagu was the operation’s mastermind, and in his celebrated post-war memoir, The Man Who Never Was, he reveals the incredible true story behind ‘Operation Mincemeat’.

My thoughts:

This isn’t a very long book—but wow, is it ever an interesting story! I can’t say I fully enjoyed it; after all, the whole premise of the book is based on high levels of deception and manipulation. However, I found it fascinating from the perspective that 1) this scheme worked, and 2) the incredible amount of work and different facets (lies) needed to get the operation just right to make it work.

Ewen Montagu does a great job at laying out the dilemma the Allies faced as they prepared for their invasion of mainland Europe from the African side. He then quickly moves into what they did to make this particular deception work—from sourcing a dead body (understandably difficult), to figuring out exactly what paperwork to attach to the body to fool the Germans, to building up a whole identity and personality for this fictitious character. It was a very detailed scheme, and could have easily failed if the wrong people started asking questions (maybe it was an act of God that they didn’t?).

If you’re interested in history of any sort, I think you’d find The Man Who Never Was a fascinating read. It only took me a couple of days to get through, as it’s written in a very interesting, easy-to-read style (even though I’m not a war analyst, by any means!). This is just one more piece of the overall picture of how the Allies eventually won World War II, but in my opinion, it’s one of the more interesting ones. Recommended!

WARNING: As mentioned in the review, there’s a lot of deception, mind games, and manipulation involved in this story. Chapters 1 and 7 each use the word “damn” once.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com