Sandra Mitchell

Departures~, Feb 7 2004

Lorna J. Cook has done a wonderful job giving us a peek into the VanderZee family and into the hearts and minds of its family members. Her writing reminds me a bit of Anne Tyler in that while nothing big happens, by the end of the novel you feel you know the main characters so thoroughly, you feel a part of the family. Cook takes a look at the different roles each member plays, what their hopes and dreams are and how differently they can perceive one another, often times completely misreading each other. This is a charming story about family life, a snapshot into one growing phase of the VanderZee family. Cook is an excellent writer. I look forward to reading her future novels~

A Great Sequel to A Miracle for St. Cecilia's, Sep 2 2003

A lot of books claim to provide the warm characters and small town comfort of The Mitford Series, but Katherine Valentine's new series truly does.

In her follow up to A Miracle for St. Cecilia's, Katherine Valentine brings us back to the charming New England town of Dorsetville, with her quirky yet lovable characters and a host of new adventures. As the community faces some unexpected turns they come together to get through the tragedies that are thrown their way. You'll get to know the local townsfolk a bit better and appreciate the sense of community as they help one another in trying situations.

Valentine has a very cozy writing style, so if you're looking for a book you can sit back… Read more

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, May 20 2003

As a huge fan of Brashares first novel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, I was delighted to find that The Second Summer of the Sisterhood was just as good, if not better than the first.

Once again, we rejoin our favorite girls, Carmen, Tibby, Bridget and Lena as a new summer is before them, with more lessons about friendship, family & life. This summer, Carmen and Lena stay at home, while Bridget unexpectedly heads to Alabama to learn about a grandmother she no longer knows and explore some parts of her mother's past. Lena deals with her long distance relationship with Kostas, which takes some surprising turns and Carmen's relationship with her mom is tested when her mother gets a… Read more