staff picks

The Ahmed family is of Arabic background and leads a seemingly happy North American lifestyle, until one day, when Dina Ahmed, a self employed florist, comes home after work to find her husband, nanny and two of their youngest children gone.  Mosaic is the story about Dina’s struggle to cope with the disintegration of her family and her consequent plan to retrieve her kidnapped children from their father’s homeland, Jordan.

The book gives you insight to the clash of cultures which many families face today.  Soheir Khashoggi writes a good fast paced story and despite the seriousness of the subject matter, Mosaic is an easy to read novel.

Dora Rare lives with her family in an isolated community in Nova Scotia.  She is drawn to the town midwife, Miss Babineau.  As the First World War begins, Dora becomes the midwife’s apprentice.  Soon a medical doctor, Gilbert Thomas, comes to town promising women fast, painless and safer childbirth.  Dora must fight the new opposition to protect the women’s wisdom and birthing traditions that have been passed on to her.

This is Amy McKay’s first novel, and after reading this I very much look forward to her next book.  The story was well-written and I couldn’t put it down.

This novel set in 1875 is the fictional diary of May Dodd. She is one of 1000 women to take part in the covert and controversial “Brides for Indians” program. This trade of 1000 horses for 1000 white women was implemented by president Ulysses S. Grant and Cheyenne chief Little Wolf to help ease the transition of the natives onto reservations.

May is committed to an insane asylum by her blue blood family for loving a man beneath her station. The other unfortunate women are all down and out in one way or another but feel that they would have a better life living among the natives than in the white man’s world.

This book vividly depicts the American west at an exciting point in history and was a great read.

This book is a collection of sweet and true stories of remarkable animals and their acts of love and compassion. These stories will warm the hearts of any animal lover.