A Good American
by Alex George

To escape her domineering mother, Jette and her husband Frederick board a boat from Germany to New Orleans, eventually making a home in tiny Beatrice, Missouri. Major historical events of the 20th century are intertwined with their making a home and a life together in their new country.

The House Girl
by Tara Conklin

This historical novel interweaves the story of Josephine Bell, an escaped slave in the period just before the Civil War, and present-day female lawyer Lina Sparrow, who has been assigned to find a lead plaintiff for a class action lawsuit which seeks compensation for families of former slaves. While researching Josephine's ancestry, Lina discovers that famous paintings by Josephine's owner, Lu Anne Bell, may actually have been painted by Josephine. Details about the Underground Railroad were very interesting, and I think this book is one that book clubs would enjoy reading and discussing.

Ordinary Grace
by William Kent Krueger

I'm a huge fan of Krueger's Cork O'Connor series, but this departure was a pure pleasure to read from start to finish. Forty years later, Frank Drum tells the story of the summer of his 13th year in New Bremen, a small Minnesota town where nothing much happens. That is, until four deaths occur during that one summer, revealing family and community secrets that had me staying up late into the night to finish the book. Particularly satisfying was Krueger's interpretation of the term "ordinary grace." This book is receiving widespread attention across the United States. As someone who grew up in the '60s, I can't recommend it highly enough for taking me back to so many memories of those times.

Editor’s note: Krueger will be at Beagle Books on May 11, signing copies of the book.

Wild
by Cheryl Strayed

This memoir takes the reader on a journey with Strayed as she hikes solo along an eleven hundred mile stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail. I was intrigued by the author's descriptions of the land and her adventures along the trail. As the hike progressed, Strayed gained physical and emotional strength as well as insights into her family life and relationships. The story is told with honesty and courage.

Long Shining Waters
by Danielle Sosin

Long Shining Waters is about the lives of three women who lived along the shores of Lake Superior in three different time periods. First we meet Grey Rabbit, an Ojibwe woman living near Lake Superior in 1622. Next we meet Berit and her husband Gunnar, a young Norwegian couple with fishing as their livelihood living along the lake in 1902. And last we meet Nora, who runs a bar, the Schooner, in 2000. Each woman meets many challenges courageously, living always in the shadow of the beauty and fierceness of Lake Superior, which becomes a character itself. The book is beautifully written with lovely descriptive prose and well developed characters. She even weaves her poetry about the lake into the story. This was a great read!

Arctic Homestead
by Norma Cobb and Charles Sasser

This is the story of one family's survival and courage homesteading in Alaska in the seventies. The Cobb family started out with five children, no money and a dream. Norma was the last woman to file for free land before the Homestead Act was concluded. Every chapter is jam- packed with thrill and adventures. It's hard to believe that yes, it's a true story.

Round House
Louise Erdrich

In Round House, we are taken to the world of the reservation through the eyes of 13 year old Joe. When his mother is brutally raped, Joe roams his world seeking to find justice. Eventually, Joe andhis best friend Cappy come to understand what passes for justice on the reservation. I truly enjoyed this book. One of Erdrich's best!

The Paris Wife
by Paula McLain

Well done, Paula McLain. I was totally convinced that this is the voice of Hadley Hemingway, and that this is how she and Ernest met and what their life together was like and why it didn't last. I was glad I read the back matter about how well Paris Wife was researched. It made me run out and buy The Movable Feast.

The Moveable Feast,
by Ernest Hemingway

What a great follow-up to The Paris Wife! You read a novel written from the point of view of one character, then you get to find out how a different character actually remembered events and relationships covered in the novel. It was bitter sweet. (Also, reading his impressions of Fitzgerald will make seeing The Great Gatsby movie more fun. And I may need to watch Midnight in Paris again soon.)

Oleander Girl
by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

I just finished Oleander Girl and loved it! (I need to re-read the last 50 pages because I was reading so fast I'm not sure I caught everything.) It's a coming of age story about two young Indian people who are engaged to be married. The bride-to-be ends up journeying to the United States in search of connection to her past. The story is a wonderful mix of Hindu customs among wealthy Indians and the U.S. through the eyes of a foreigner.

Divakaruni’s earlier book, One Amazing Thing, was a book group favorite at Sister Wolf.

Mornings in Jenin
by Susan Abulhawa

Mornings in Jenin is a wrenching novel. It follows four generations of Amal’s family—Palestinians who are forced from their land by Israel. The book is thought provoking, disquieting, beautifully written, and lends itself to great discussion.