sincerely swaim

The Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly

New York, St. Petersburg & Paris, 1914: From the turbulent streets of St. Petersburg and aristocratic countryside estates to the avenues of Paris where a society of fallen Russian émigrés live to the mansions of Long Island, the lives of New York elite, Eliza Ferriday, and Russian royalty, Sofya Streshnayva, intersect in profound ways.

I find myself continually being drawn to this setting of Russia and its surrounding territories during the fall of the imperial dynasty. Lost Roses notably highlights the unbreakable bond of friendship and the sheer willpower of women who are willing to do anything to make a difference.

The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb

Ellis Island, 1902: While a young Italian woman arrives on the shores of America, a young American woman reports to her first day of work at the immigration center. As the two women face the misdeeds of a system known to manipulate and abuse immigrants searching for new hope in America, they form an unlikely friendship―and share a terrible secret―altering their fates and the lives of the immigrants who come after them.

After recently discovering some of my own family’s Ellis Island experiences, I found a deep connection to the stories of bravery from the millions of immigrants who made their way past Lady Liberty in the late 1800 and early 1900s. The inclusion of an American’s perspective in this story offered valuable insight into the transition of New York City at that time.

Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk

Maine, during The Great Depression: Ellie’s family is forced to leave their home in town and start over in the untamed wilderness of nearby Echo Mountain. Ellie, a girl who takes matters into her own hands and is determined to help her father, will make her way to the top of the mountain in search of the healing secrets of a woman known only as “the hag.” But the hag, and the mountain, still have many untold stories left to reveal.

This was a slow-burn, but then before I knew it, I had finished the book. While this one can be found on the shelves of the young adult section, its thought-provoking storytelling has lessons that are fit for teenagers and adults alike. Much of the writing style resembles One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker, where both main characters and their life perspectives encourage us to stop and immerse ourselves in nature and its beauty and purpose within our lives.