Spring Into Books
Some new reads, a historical fiction survey and a bowl of soup!
Welcome to Inside Story. It’s officially spring, and I have some book recommendations for you. It’s Women’s History Month and down below is a link to a historical fiction survey by author Janis Robinson Daly. She’s offering a chance for free books to readers who complete the survey. Don't miss it if you’re looking to add books to your TBR stack.
This week I tried a new recipe for Fasolada, a Greek white bean soup and it turned out so well I decided to share it, down below. I don’t know about you but I sometimes get into a rut. I was glad to find a new, quick, and tasty recipe for a spring time supper.
History and Fiction. In observation of Women’s History Month. here are some book recommendations for you. First up: THE EIGHTS by Joanna Miller. In 1920, after World War One, Oxford University opened its doors to degree-seeking women for the first time. In THE EIGHTS, we follow four of these young women—Marianne, Beatrice, Ottoline, and Dora—the residents of Corridor Eight—as they navigate the rules and expectations of society and the school, and as their secrets and ambitions are revealed. The authorial voice in this one captivated me right away and took me a hundred years back in time, to an era where a woman’s place was always fragile and success was never guaranteed.
It has been sixteen years since Kathryn Stockett’s novel THE HELP, about the lives of Black and White women in the 1960’s became a huge hit. In the years since the book and the wildly popular movie, there has been a lot of push back about her use of Black vernacular and Black dialog and her depiction of lives she never could have experienced. So in her forthcoming novel THE CALAMITY CLUB, coming out this spring, she sets her story in 1933 in Oxford, Mississippi and follows three women, Meg, Birdie, and Charlie in exploring women’s friendships against the hardships of the Great Depression. One reviewer on Goodreads has taken Stockett to task again for writing one character’s dialect. Another mentions that this is a long book—650 pages. Some readers love long books; others don’t. I haven’t read this one, but I mention it because it is sure to get a huge amount of publicity. And even if you choose not to read it, for whatever reason, at least you will know what it’s about and can impress your friends with your book knowledge at your next party.
Finally, SMALL TOWN GIRLS, an autobiography by Pulitzer winner Jayne Anne Phillips take us inside her childhood in Buckhannon, West Virginia during the 1950’s. Phillips tackles some hard subjects—her mother’s unrealized dreams, her father’s resentment, her choice to terminate a pregnancy— set in the small Appalachian town that shaped her as a writer and a woman. But she also writes about her close bond with her mom and about the books that inspired her own writing. This one releases on April 21st. I grew up in a small town in Tennessee during the same time period and I’m looking forward to reading this one.
A Bowl Of Soup: I came across this recipe when I was looking for something else entirely. It is said to be a staple among Greek families and there are many ways to make it. I did it the hard way, soaking my one pound of white beans overnight, then cooking them first, before making the rest of the dish but you can substitute a couple of cans of canned white beans if you’re in a hurry. Besides the beans you need:
a mirepoix: 3 chopped carrots, two stalks of celery, chopped, one red onion, chopped. In your soup pot, cook the mirepoix in a general amount of olive oil five to seven minutes. Add your seasonings. Again, use what you like. Rosemary and oregano are good. I used a tablespoon of fresh chopped garlic, a teaspoon of paprika, two tbsp tomato paste. Reserve one cup of your cooked beans, add the rest to the pot along with 4 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you want to keep your soup vegetarian) a 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes. Simmer for about 45 minutes until the carrots are tender. Use an immersion blender ( or a fork) to mash the remaining cup of beans and add them to the pot. This thickens the soup and makes it creamy. When you’re ready to serve, spoon it into your soup bowls, then top the soup with feta cheese and a few pitted olives to give the soup a little salty bite. If you don't like olives you can use cooked, crumbled bacon instead. Because: bacon. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the goodness. Here’s how mine turned out:
Historical Fiction Survey: This is the fourth year Janis Robinson Daly has curated a list of 31 titles focused on the stories of women in history. I’m honored to have A SEASON IN SAIGON included this year. This week, readers added two more five star reviews to this book. Both mentioned they were married to men who served in Vietnam, and that my book confirmed many of the things their husbands had told them about their time in Vietnam. I spent two years on this project, researching and writing and nothing makes me happier than to know I got the details right and readers appreciate the story. Here are links to the book and to Janis’s survey.
Book: www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTM7N2SM
Survey: https://bit.ly/48v1rij
If you’re a new subscriber to INSIDE STORY you should have received a welcome e-mail from me with a link to your welcome gift—a short story set in Paris featuring two of the characters from A SEASON IN SAIGON. If it isn’t in your inbox, please check your spam folder. I hope you enjoy CHRISTMAS IN PARIS.
Finally, if you love a small town mystery with a golden retriever and a beloved sheriff who always finds justice, you might enjoy A QUIET LITTLE TOWN, the first Colinas County mystery that just came out last month. The next mystery will be out in June. More details later. Link to the book is below the image.
As always, I thank you for reading INSIDE STORY. Catch you in two weeks!
