The Woman Who Wasn't There by Robin Gaby Fisher and Angelo J. Gugliemo, Jr.

On some level all Americans suffered on September 11, 2001.  You may have witnessed the tragic events via the internet or television.  You may have lost a loved one or knew of someone who died that day.  Someone you know may have lived in New York City at that time.  Regardless, it was a devastating event on so many levels for all of us.
Guilt.   Can you imagine carrying around so much guilt that you SURVIVED such a tragic event?  This is the story of World Trade Center Survivors.  Survivors who suffer from insomnia, depression, divorce, alcoholism, drug addictions, much more and Guilt.  Guilt because they lived through it.
Tania Head was one such survivor.  Her husband died in the north tower and minutes later another plane hit the south tower.  The south tower, where she was at work as a Vice President of Merrill Lynch Company.  Tania was terribly hurt and wakes up in a hospital five days later.  Two years later she still can't sleep at night, she can't work, she is no longer the woman who she was on September 11, 2001.
She goes to the internet and creates an online support system for the people who survived the tragic events of 9/11.  Her group slowly grows and finally connects with yet another group. Survivors come together to talk, share some or all of their stories with others who know exactly what they are going through themselves.  They fight for closure and all try to find a way to move forward. 
But, really who are the REAL survivors of this story?

                                          

Victorine: A Novel by Catherine Texier

In 1899, in a lovely little town in France, Victorine realizes she is tired of being married to a boor, but she loves her children dearly, and it's because of them she has stayed in her marriage so long. On an ordinary day while at the beach with her son, she sees Antoine, a man she loved many years ago when they were teens. He must leave for work in Asia and asks Victorine to come with him to stay.  Despite having to leave her children behind, she feels compelled to follow this passionate man. She tells no one of her decision to leave France, not even her husband and children. This is a story of rebellion, passion, pain, and guilt.

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

I have enjoyed reading all of Jodi Picoult's books and this one did not disappoint me.  The story revolves around Luke Warren, a man who has studied wolves his entire life.  In fact he lived with them in the deep forests of Canada, becoming part of the wolf pack, hunting, eating, and playing with the wolves.  He learned what their gestures to each other meant and the order of the pack.  When he finally returned to his wife,  son, and daughter two years later he really was a changed man.  His family suffered during his absence.   His son Edward now eighteen suddenly left home and shortly thereafter Luke and his wife divorced.  Cara, their eleven year old daughter initially lived with her mom, but after her mother remarried and had a set of twins, she left to live with Luke.    Cara takes after her father in her love of the wolves that he raises and protects.  She understands his love of each wolf and what each member means to the pack.   Late one night, Luke and Cara become involved in a terrible automobile accident.  Cara will recover in time but Luke's fate is not certain.  What happens when the prodigal son returns and decisions need to be made regarding their father's future?   Edward and Cara will have to learn to understand how important each of them is in regards to their family and work together to come to a decision.

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier's book "Remarkable Creatures" reminds me of the many times I've spent on the shores of Lake Michigan searching for crinoids and colored glass.  "Remarkable Creatures" is the story of a young girl Mary Anning who, when just a baby is struck by lightening thus giving her what many people believe to be a special gift.  Mary has a special "gift" for locating fossils buried deep in the cliffs and on the beaches near her home in Lima, England.  She helps supports her family by finding and selling these fossils.  She meets a young woman named Elizabeth Phipot who shares her desire to roam the cliffs and beaches and search for fossils as well.  What Mary discovers however, is more than just fossils and leads these two women to a lifetime of friendship, scurtiny, and discovery. 

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

In 1875, Ann Eliza Young, wife of Brigham Young, leaves her husband and begins a crusade to end poligamy. Brigham Young, leader of the Morman Church, had 55 wives. The reader learns how the plural wives lived and worked and in some cases how they truly felt about their situation.

In present day Utah, Jordan Scott is thrown out of his fundamentalist sect at the age of 14 and is forced to learn how to care for himself. His mother, a devout follower of the sect, dropped him off on a highway and wished him good luck. Years later, Jordan discovers his mother is in prison for murdering his father. He reluctantly returns to his past to find the truth.
The 19th wife is a fascinating read. This is historical fiction at its best.

There's No Place Like Home by Cecilia Ahern

Cecelia Ahern, author of P.S., I Love You, writes a whimsical story about an Irish girl named Sandy Shortt who becomes obsessed with finding lost things after a neighborhood girl goes missing. Sandy's parents send her to a psychologist to no avail. When Sandy grows up she moves to Dublin to track down missing persons for a living. A man asks her to find his missing brother so he can be at peace knowing what has become of him. Sandy gladly takes the case but soon after, she goes out jogging and finds herself in a parallel universe with all types of missing people and things. To her horror, it appears she can never return to her original life.

Hotel Vendome by Danielle Steel

After his beautiful, young wife leaves him and their four year old daughter, Hugues Martin spends the next fifteen years focusing on two things; the five
star hotel he owns and manages and his beautiful daughter Heloise. Hugues strives for hotel excellence in every capacity; from the décor of the suites to customer service. His efforts pay off as his hotel hosts celebrities, politicians, even presidents for clients. His daughter Heloise grows up in the hotel emulating her father’s love for Hotel Vendome and his work ethics. Their lives are encompassed on the hotel and each other.

Upon graduation from high school, Heloise attends the same hotel school in Switzerland that Hugues attended. Her dream is to one day work alongside her father running the hotel.

Lonely without his daughter, Hugues decides to renovate part of the hotel and falls in love with Natalie Peterson, the decorator. Will Heloise accept Natalie or want her father all to herself? This is another great Danielle Steel quick read…go for it and enjoy yourself!