Mary E. Trimble

Land of Dreams, a frontier historical novel by Lauraine Snelling is Book 1 of “Home to Green Creek” series. The story takes place in Iowa, 1889.

The sea voyage from Norway to America was a nightmare. A cholera epidemic aboard ship took many lives, including Amalia Gunderson’s parents. Also stricken were the parents of five-year-old Ruth. On her death bed, Ruth’s mother asks fellow passenger Amalia to be Ruth’s legal guardian and insists that the ship’s captain draw up papers. Ruth’s parents had planned to run a boarding house they’d inherited, but with their death Amalia would be little Ruth’s guardian, and run the boarding house until Ruth comes of age. It was a lot to ask of twenty-year-old Amalia, but she bravely takes on the task, still reeling from the death of her own parents.

Once she arrives in America, Amalia and Ruth travel by train from New York to Iowa to claim the farm and former boardinghouse that Ruth inherited. They find the house badly in need of repair, and Zelda, a spiteful, difficult distant cousin, in residence. There are no boarders; in fact, Zelda had sold all the guestrooms’ bedroom furniture. Amalia has made a promise that she intends to keep, despite the lack of cooperation from mean-spirited Zelda.

Amalia makes friends with people from a neighboring farm, people who have taken in neglected stock from the boarding house property—horses, a cow with calf, and chickens that they now turn over to Amalia. Others began showing up: an orphan boy and his dog who have taken shelter wherever they could find it, a man who has been alone too long, a little boy whose mother died and whose father has left to find work. Those who can, put their skills to work in an effort to bring the boarding house back into operation.

Absalom Karlsson, the magistrate’s son, and in the final stages of becoming an attorney himself, is helpful to Amalia and gives her legal advice. Absalom is still deeply hurt over a former broken relationship and is leery of becoming involved again. They find a mutual attraction, but they both have obstacles to overcome.

Land of Dreams is an uplifting novel showing bravery and courage in the face of what at first seem hopeless. Resilience and faith are key to overcoming daunting trials. I’ve read and reviewed several novels by Lauraine Snelling, and she never disappoints. This first book of the “Home to Green Creek” series promises to be as successful as her previous work.

Book Review: Have You Seen Luis Velez?

Posted on July 7, 2025 by Mary

“The only thing that hurts more than tears shed is tears unshed.”
——Have You Seen Luis Velez?

Have You Seen Luis Valez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a powerful story about kindness overcoming fear. The contemporary story takes place in New York.

Raymond Jaffe, almost seventeen, feels like he doesn’t belong, not with his parents, nor at school. His only friend from school is moving to California. Raymond lives with his mother and her husband and their three little girls. His dad has remarried, and although he gets along with his father, his father’s wife acts like it’s an imposition when he visits them every-other weekend. To make things even more complicated, Raymond is biracial—his mother is white, his father Black.

One day, as he is goes down the stairs from his apartment, an older woman calls out to him: “Have you seen Luis Velez?” He almost ignores her, but then feels compelled to approach her. She’s old, 92, and apparently blind.

Mildred Gutermann, a German Jew who narrowly escaped the Holocaust, lives alone. Her friend and helpmate, Luis Velez, has not shown up for weeks. He used to faithfully come to her apartment and take her to the bank and grocery store. Now, she is nearly out of food and is unable to navigate New York’s busy streets alone.

When Mildred hears Raymond’s footsteps down the hall, she calls out to him, asking if he’s seen her friend. Raymond hadn’t, nor does he even know Luis Velez, but his kind heart can’t refuse the chance to help her. What develops is a strong, rewarding friendship between the two.

While Raymond isn’t attending to Mildred’s needs, he’s determined to find out what happened to Luis Velez. In checking the phone book he discovers about twenty men with that name. One by one he tracks them down, determined to find Mildred’s friend. What develops is rich testimony to the kindness of strangers, but also the suspicious nature of some.

I loved this story of compassion. The unlikely friendship between this teenage boy and an old blind woman is heartwarming. I also enjoyed the vicarious visit to New York: getting around the huge city and dealing with the wide range of people who live there. Catherine Ryan Hyde is expert in deeply delving into the hearts of her characters, producing a rich sense of knowing them. Teens would enjoy this book, too, and many would relate to Raymond’s feelings of isolation.

Book Review: The Secret War of Julia Child

Posted on June 30, 2025 by Mary

The Secret War of Julia Child, a novel by Diana R. Chambers, is a lively story based, though embellished, on true events. This is a story about Julia Child long before she became known for her French cooking.

Julia McWilliams, a Pasadena, California blue blood, grew up in privilege and wealth. But she yearned for a life of adventure. And she found it.

This part of the story is based on actual facts: During World War II, Julia, then 32, wanted to be a part of the war effort. At 6 feet, 2 inches, she was denied joining the WAVES because she was too tall. She took a job working for America’s first espionage agency. As a Washington, DC file clerk she was promoted to General “Wild Bill” Donovan’s secret File Registry as part of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), where she collected and analyzed top-secret intelligence. At the close of 1942, Child took up the position of junior research assistant with the Secret Intelligence Branch of the Office of Strategic Services, a forerunner to the CIA. She undertook a variety of positions at the OSS, including clerk at the director’s office and administrative assistant in the Registry of OSS. She also eagerly volunteered to work for OSS overseas. From 1944-1945, she kept intelligence files for the OSS in India. The following year, she worked for the organization in China.

In The Secret War of Julia Child, Julia’s wartime job entails overseas work in remote front lines, first in India, then later China where she finds purpose, adventure, and self-knowledge. Along the way, she meets Paul Child, a map maker. Her first impression of Paul was that he was rude, arrogant, thoughtless, and didn’t care about anyone but himself. Later she realized that he was totally engaged in his important work. Lives depended on the accuracy of his maps.

In carrying out her duties, Julia experiences many adventures, some extremely dangerous. She encounters Paul in many of her situations and their involvement gradually blossoms into love.

The Secret War of Julia Child is a fascinating story that smoothly blends facts with fiction. In the beginning of the book the author lists many acronyms our government uses, which I greatly appreciated. Much of the story rings true: war-time attitudes and conditions in India and China, and the important part the United States played in World War II overseas. I hadn’t known of Julia Child’s involvement in the war effort, and was impressed with her generally unknown past. The author has masterfully combined likely happenings with actual facts of WW II and Julia Child’s participation in it.

Book Review: The Ruins in Which We Bleed

Posted on June 23, 2025 by Mary

The Ruins in Which We Bleed by Steve N. Lee, is the third book of the “World War II Historical Fiction” series. This particular account of struggle for survival was inspired by a previously untold true story.

The narrative begins in 1943 when Helena Silwicka turns sixteen. She lives with her parents and two brothers, one older, one younger. Following the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland, Jewish families were forced to abandon their homes and were imprisoned in Warsaw ghettos. The Silwickas live in a crowded apartment with an aunt. The family witnesses horror after horror, must scavenge for food, and live in constant fear of Nazi cruelty. They do whatever is necessary to keep their family together.

Mere survival is a daily challenge. People are randomly killed in the streets, food is not only scarce but outrageously expensive. Many stores are off-limits to Jews. Schools are closed to Jews. Nazis consistently set homes and apartment buildings on fire, then round up the homeless, pack them into cattle cars and stuff them into trains. To where? There are so many unknowns. The family lives in constant fear— fear of separation, fear for their lives.

Helena makes a little money sewing armbands that all Jews are required to wear: a white armband affixed with a blue six-sided star, worn over the right upper sleeve of one’s outer garments.

When the unthinkable happens, Helena is thrown into an unimaginable situation. She fights on despite horror after horror threatening her mere survival. She tries to maintain a positive attitude, to show gratitude for seemingly inconsequential “gifts.”

The story toggles between 1940-1941 to 1943. This family’s struggle was typical for Jews under Nazi rule in Poland and Germany.

The Ruins in Which We Bleed is a well written story of the atrocities of war. There have been numerous accounts of this grim history, and the author does a good job of bringing this story of horror to light. This was a typical family, which he clearly shows. Lee’s descriptions of life during that time period is believable, as is his grasp of life under Nazi rule. It’s an enlightening story based on what we know to be true.

When reading accounts such as this, I wonder how Jews could have let this happen? How could their leaders let the Nazis take over, round up their country’s citizens, put them in prisons, kill men, women and children? Did the people have blind faith in their leaders? Did it start small, then grow into the atrocity it became? Then, I wonder, could such evil happen here?

Book Review: Across the Crying Sands

Posted on June 9, 2025 by Mary

“A life without risk is no life at all.”
——Across the Crying Sands

Across the Crying Sands, a powerful historical novel by Jane Kirkpatrick, is book one of “The Women of Cannon Beach” series. The novel is inspired by a true story and takes place along Oregon’s coast beginning 1888.

Mary Edwards is the only child of loving parents. Her mother harbors fears and finds contentment in staying close to home and tending her family. She’s cautious, even fearful, around strangers.

Mary, 16, is happiest when outdoors, relishing the rugged Oregon coast. She marries John Gerritse, 24, originally from The Netherlands, a sailor who has sailed around the world. The two work hard to prove their homesteading claim as they start their family. It doesn’t take Mary long to realize being a wife and mother isn’t the adventure she had expected. She loves her family, but doesn’t find fulfillment in the endless feeding and caring for a rapidly growing family. She yearns for adventure, for something besides the endless drudgery of homemaking.

John works hard, and for a spell goes back to sea, then later works the land to provide for his family. To bring in extra income, he takes a mail route, riding horseback for miles, delivering mail to seaside communities. Mary, in the meantime, has had a miscarriage and experiences deep depression. She desperately needs to be outdoors, to have adventure, to do something. John finally agrees to allow Mary to take over the mail route. They hire someone to care for the children so that John can continue working the land.

Mary’s mail route takes her along the wild Pacific coast, through rugged mountain trails and remote beaches, always on the lookout for changing tides and sudden squalls. She finds the spark of life she had lost, and relishes in the adventure. But will she be able to cope with the dangers this adventure presents?

I loved this story of courage and unconventional lifestyle. Typical of Jane Kirkpatrick’s novels, she describes the history of the area, how Cannon Beach got its name, and the development of this rugged coast. Across the Crying Sands brings the settlers and landscape to life. Through Mary Edwards Gerritse, we learn that “women are capable of being good wives and mothers and having careers,” and the importance of being true to yourself and following your own values, beliefs, and passions.

Book Review: Bitter Roots

Posted on June 2, 2025 by Mary

Bitter Roots: Police Procedural Mysteries by C. J. Carmichael is Book 1 of 4 of the “Bitter Roots Mysteries” series. The contemporary story takes place in the fictitious small town of Lost Trail, western Montana.

On Halloween night, a young woman’s body is found in an alley behind the town’s medical center. Not much is known about her other than she worked at the Masterson Christmas Tree Farm. She apparently lived out of her car and wasn’t known to socialize with any of the townspeople.

Dispatcher Zak Waller prefers working behind the scenes at the Sheriff’s Office. But when the brutal death of a young woman is reported, he feels compelled to investigate. The sheriff is quick to pin the death on an unknown outsider, but Zak feels there’s more to the story than what the Sheriff is saying.

After losing her CPA job in Seattle, Tiff Masterson has been traveling for the past few months. After her funds run out, she reluctantly returns home to her family’s tree farm. The farm just isn’t the same since both her father and older brother died, and she finds her mother in ill health.

Tiff and Zak are old school friends, and once together they start comparing notes about the young woman’s death. It’s not easy to gather facts in this tight-knit community, but between them and another high school friend, they discover some surprising truths.

Bitter Roots is a compelling mystery that paints a believable picture of small town loyalties. The author’s descriptions of life in Lost Trail with its hushed secrets is realistic. I found the sheriff’s investigation was, unfortunately, believable as he seemed more concerned about antagonizing future voters than solving the mystery of a relatively unknown woman. Bitter Roots is an intriguing read, and the series is off to a good start.

Book Review: Chance’s Return

Posted on May 26, 2025 by Mary

Chance’s Return, a clean and wholesome romance by Lucy Naylor Kubash, is Book 1 of the “North Star Legacy” series. The contemporary western is set in Wyoming’s ranch country.

Casey Girard, a widowed single mom, and her young son Jamie drive from Michigan to Wyoming for the summer. Casey, a librarian, desperately needs a change of pace. Hopefully, different scenery and occupation will help them recover from the tragic loss of her husband. Her plan is to help her aunt, a cook at the North Star, a working cattle and guest ranch.

Chance McCord, an ex-rodeo champion, is returning to his family’s ranch, the North Star. He’s still nursing his wounds–both physical and mental. His family has been torn with tragedy and anger. Will his return make things even worse?

When Casey and Chance meet, their mutual attraction is immediate. But both have pasts that need to heal. Will they be able to overcome these tragedies, let go of the past, and make a life together?

Clean romance, or “clean and wholesome romance,” is a genre of romance novels that focus on family, relationships, and clean content. I found Chance’s Return fit that description perfectly. The love shown between Casey and Chance didn’t need graphic descriptions of sex scenes. The lovely prose said it all.

I enjoyed Chance’s Return. Besides the storyline, I savored the author’s vivid descriptions of Wyoming, of a ranch nestled in the shadow of the looming Grand Teton Mountains with its extreme weather changes, the miles of pastureland, the clicking of insects, and the trill of songbirds. Besides all that, the story is captivating and heart-warming.

A Writer’s Memory of the Eruption of Mount Saint Helens

Posted on May 18, 2025 by Mary

On May 18, 1980 while my husband and I were in The Gambia, West Africa, where we served in the Peace Corps, we were shocked when we heard on the BBC of Washington’s Mount Saint Helens’ eruption. When we returned home 15 months later, one of the first things we did was to go to the mountain to see the devastation for ourselves.

It was surreal. Even after all that time, 234 square miles of beautiful forests were reduced to scorched trees lying flat on the ground. Depending on their position to the mountain, some lay in one direction, some another. Vegetation was non-existent, or burnt to a crisp. There were no signs of animal life. Spirit Lake, once a lovely resort with a reputation of good fishing, was jammed with logs, and dead as a puddle.

Fifty-seven people lost their lives as a result of the catastrophic eruption. The blast and subsequent floods ruined or severely damaged more than three hundred homes, along with farm buildings and equipment.

Later, as I researched cattle ranching for my first novel, Rosemount, I interviewed Jake Harder, an eastern Washington cattle rancher near Ritzville. I learned a lot about cattle ranching from Jake, but also learned how much his ranch was affected by the eruption of Mount Saint Helens. Cattle were already grazing in pasture, but after the eruption the ground was covered in ash and the stock had to be hand fed. The tractor’s engine got clogged with ash, and Jake had to rig a fix for that. People in Ritzville took in traveling strangers because the roads were unpassable and visibility near zero with ash.

On researching for my novel, Tenderfoot, I stayed at a bed and breakfast in Randle, a small town near Mount St. Helens. The owner invited a local woman forest ranger to join us for breakfast, and she regaled us with her fascinating experience with the eruption. That Sunday, May 18, 1980, had been her day off and she went fishing to a small lake with friends. Mount St. Helens erupted while they were there and their harrowing experience coming down the mountain left me chilled. I used some of her experience in my novel, Tenderfoot, assured that I wasn’t exaggerating.

On the 45th anniversary of the eruption of Mount Saint Helens, all these thoughts come to mind. Tenderfoot has been my best-selling novel and holds a special place in my heart.

Book Review: I Made Them for Hope

Posted on May 12, 2025 by Mary

I Made Them for Hope: Revelations of God in Everyday Life, inspirational stories by Carolyn Wing Greenlee, is a small book packed with short stories about everyday people with everyday problems. But the answers to these problems are often unexpected, and often seemingly miraculous. This little gem of a book shares minuscule miracles—small accounts of God’s interventions—that have been granted to the author, her friends and loved ones.

Each chapter in the book shares an account of a problem, perhaps small in the scope of the big picture, but nevertheless a problem that is worrisome, even damaging, to someone. How a solution comes about is often surprising. We sometimes look at these solutions as magical, but, as the author points out, it’s more likely God has furnished the perfect solution, one that will be beneficial in the long run.

Sometimes it seems our prayers aren’t answered. The author points out that God answers in three different ways: “Yes,” “Not yet,” or “I have something better for you.” It’s good to keep this in mind, especially those times when we think we can see the perfect solution, but later acknowledge that another solution was far better.

Carolyn Wing Greenlee has written several books, many of which I have read and reviewed. I was especially impressed with Steady Hedy: A Journey through Blindness & Guide Dog School, a story of the author’s transformative journey through blindness, independence, and self-discovery. She went to the school full of doubt. After twenty-eight days, she came home with Hedy, a Labrador puppy. Hedy was a handful, but through many prayers the guide dog became a great companion, bringing joy and boundless opportunities.

I Made Them for Hope is a lovely little book. Although only seventy-six pages, the book is packed with wisdom and hope. It would be an ideal book for group discussions, or as a gift to someone who is discouraged or desperate. It is a book of joy, compassion, and healing.

Book Review: Anxious People

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Mary

Anxious People, a novel by Fredrik Backman, is an insightful look at a diverse group of people who become hostages during an apartment open house. The contemporary story takes place in a small unnamed town in Sweden, a country that is almost cashless.

Several people gather at the open house. It’s a diverse group of people including a retired couple, a wealthy bank manager, a gay couple expecting their first child, an older woman grieving over the death of her husband, a mysterious man who has locked himself in the bathroom, and the real estate agent. They all have grievances, secrets, hurts, and regrets, conditions that threaten to surface.

Suddenly a desperate armed bank robber bursts into the apartment and takes the group hostage. Actually, the bank robber has failed the crime—the bank was a cashless institution. What the robber encounters is a puzzling group of hostages who are too wrapped up in their own lives to worry about their dire situation.

Called to the scene of the crime are two policemen who happen to be father and son. They, too, have their story. It’s not an uncommon story between father and son, but their situation becomes even more complicated working such a bizarre case together.

As the story unfolds, we realize that all of them–the hostages, the would-be bank robber, even the policemen, have buried personal secrets and truths that, once recognized, surprise even themselves.

This story is not only about anxious people, as the title implies, it’s about compassion and forgiveness of others and of oneself. Fredrik Backman, a Swedish author, also wrote A Man Called Ove, which I previously read and reviewed. His views of people in general are unique. People are often not what they seem on the surface; a good reason not to judge hastily. I enjoyed Anxious People. It gave me a different perspective of diverse people in what could be drastic, desperate situations. Humor surfaces in this story, along with kindness and mercy.