book review: women of the vine

last night, i finished reading women of the vine: inside the world of women who make, taste, and enjoy wine. i got through the book very quickly because it was a combination of two of my favorite hobbies: reading and wine.

my mom brought my attention to this book after she attended an event with its author, deborah brenner. brenner is an alumna of university of delaware, the same college that alanna and i graduated from. she is also a "marketing executive-turned-wine label owner", which is a turn i would love my own career to take as well. 

the "women of the vine" in brennan's book are winemakers, vineyard owners, founders of magazines and wine groups, and wine writers. one is even a master sommelier (one of only fourteen female master sommeliers in the entire world)! her interviews with these women cover all angles of making and enjoying wine and are absolutely inspiring. 

wine spectator magazine hailed it "critical reading: the best new books of the year for any wine lover's library" and i definitely recommend it!  you can order the book (personalized to you and autographed by the author) by emailing info@womenofthevine.com. 

the author, deborah brennan. image via women of the vine

in addition to the book, deborah also founded a group by the same name.  women of the vine is "the first collaboration of sustainable family grape growers and women winemakers" (source).  the group has a partnership with farm aid which supports the mission of keeping america’s family farmers on the land.

you can learn more about deborah brenner, her book, and the women of the vine at http://www.womenofthevine.com/. 

book review: the american heiress

in daisy goodwin's debut as a novelist, she tells the story of cora cash at the turn of 20th century in america and ultimately europe.  i'll admit this was different than the genre of reading i typically favor, and much different than the chick-lit stories i've been spending most of my time with lately.  so if you're like me, you may be slower to get into it.  but don't stop reading!  i promise you, if you give it time you will be hooked.  i finished the book on a cross-country flight which i had intended to sleep through, but by that point the story was just too juicy to put down.

at times, cora is a difficult protagonist to side with or like.  but as you witness her growth throughout the story, you ultimately find yourself rooting for her and hoping she finds true happiness.  to me, the most likeable character was bertha, cora's maid.  i wish the novel had been more of the separate stories of two women - cora and bertha - whose lives are intertwined yet whose experiences are drastically different.  it seemed like that might have been goodwin's intention, but in my opinion it didn't pan out and i was left with some questions about each character's fate.

goodwin does a great job of luring you to turn the page out of pure curiosity and not knowing what could happen next.  (see earlier comment about my intention to sleep on that flight but couldn't put the book down.)  however, for a book of its length, i thought it could have included more dramatic scenes in the place of some idle "filler".  it seemed as if the scenes i wanted more of were abruptly ended instead of fully playing out.  without giving too much away, let me just say that if you're looking for a true love story with a happy ending, you may be left disappointed.

overall, the book was well-written and the story was good, so i do recommend it, especially if you enjoy historical english society.  and keeping in mind that this is daisy goodwin's first novel, i am looking forward to what story she will tell next.

about the american heiress, from the publisher:

It is 1893, in Newport, Rhode Island, and no detail of Cora Cash's lavish masquerade ball has been left to chance.  Beautiful, spirited, and the richest heiress of her generation, Cora is the closest thing that American society has to a princess.  Her debut is the carefully orchestrated prelude to a campaign in which her mother will whisk her to Europe, where Mrs. Cash wants to acquire the one thing that money can't buy for her daughter in the States: a title.

Be careful what you wish for.  Cora makes a dazzling impression on English society - followed by a brilliant match - but finds that the chill in the air of magnificent ancestral homes comes from more than the lack of central heating.  As she gradually learns that old-world aristocrats are governed by obscure codes of conduct and loyalty that can betray even the most charming, accomplished outside, Cora must grow from a spoiled young rich girl into a woman of substance.   

for more information on daisy goodwin and her work, visit her website, check out her facebook page, or follow her on twitter.

book review: sarah's key

you might have noticed but jessy and i have put together an editorial calendar of different content we want to share with you each week day (that you can check out right above here in the header).  on wednesdays we are going to share our favorite current reads and tunes.  to kick it off, i thought i would share an awesome book i just finished - sarah's key by tatiana de rosnay. 

here is a brief description of sarah's key from barnes and noble: 
 

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.

Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

what i loved about sarah's key is that it is a historical fiction and i learned a lot about france during wwii but it never felt tedious and it was a very easy read.  all of the characters were easy to connect with but i should warn you - you will definitely need tissues to get through this one!

and for some even better news - i just found out that this is a movie! it is currently playing in smaller theaters across the country. you can check out the movie on imdb here!  i am going to see where it is playing by me now...