FTWBooks2023

  Things I  Wish I Told My Mother James Patterson, Susan Patterson and Susan DiLallo James Patterson has taken to writing with co-authors and this book has two women co-authors (one his wife) and, except for a surprise ending absolutely nothing like previous James Patterson books. It definitely has the feel of a story told by women. It's the story of a mother and daughter who have a difficult relationship and how a trip they take to Paris and to the mother's family home in Norway affects them. The story is good and, given Patterson's other books, I expected some nefarious characters to pop up, but that doesn't happen. The surprise twist at the end kind of ruined the whole story for me.

  Home Front Girls by Suzanne Hayes This is a fun book, a collection of letters between pen pals set during WWII.  They have never met, but become very close friends as their lives are impacted by the war. Glory is a young wife with small children from New England whose husband is in the service. Rita is from Iowa.  She is a mature woman with her husband and son off to war.   This gives a wonderful look at what life was like for families during the war.  (I particularly loved how Glory is surprised when her husband returns and wants peanut butter on bread with some jelly....she'd never heard of that combination before)