Share Your Shelf-March

It's the first Thursday of the month which means it's time to share what we read the month prior. I'm also participating in a blog challenge this month (The April A-Z) and if you're following along you'll find my post on letter C here. 

Now back to books and March and what I read-

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Waller

This is the story of three women who live near one another in the seaside town of Brighton, but don't know each other until a series of events brings them together. Birdie has been lonely and at loose ends since her husband and her twin sister both passed away. 

She has new neighbors, Jane who's a nurse and also a mom and who's trying to get out from under her own mother's brash and demanding way of dealing with everyone. Jane's young daughter Frankie takes after Jane's mother in that she's unafraid to say what she thinks. The third woman we meet is Ada, an oncologist who relocated from Poland to Brighton in order to practice medicine, and who's finding it difficult to make a life outside of the hospital. 

A sweet story about sisters, mothers, daughters, and neighbors. About secrets kept and secrets told. About needing help and accepting help and realizing there's more to people than what meets the eye. The characters were endearing and it was an enjoyable read. Three stars for me. 

 The Lion Women Of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

The story follows two friends who meet in 1950's Iran when they are seven years old. Ellie has lived a very comfortable life until her father unexpectedly passes away and she and her mother have to move. Ellie dreams of making a friend, and sure enough on the very first day of school she meets Homa, who has lived all of her life in the poorer part of the city. 

Ellie and her mother are soon given the opportunity to move back to the wealthier part of town and the girls eventually lose contact, only to re-engage in high school. Ellie is popular and a good student at one of the best high schools in Tehran, when one day Homa walks into her class. Ellie must decide what their friendship will look like going forward and the girls are in and out of each other's lives over the next few decades.

In this well written novel, one somewhat innocent act of betrayal will have far reaching consequences. Ellie and Homa come of age amid the turmoil and political unrest that occurred in Tehran during the 1970's as the Shah fled the country and the Ayatollah Khomeini came in to power.  The Lion Women of Tehran not only deals with a period in history we don't read a lot about, but also with what it means to be a true friend, to live with courage, and to extend and accept forgiveness. I loved it...four stars for me.  

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 

The ageless tale of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, who must overcome both pride and prejudice to ultimately find love. I've watched several versions of this story in film form in the past couple of decades, but hadn't read the novel since high school. 

Still witty, intelligent, and great fun to re-read. Five stars for me. 

Shepherds For Sale by Megan Basham

I have followed Megan Basham on Twitter for a long while and knew I wanted to read this one. A well-researched book detailing many of the ways in which 'the world' has infiltrated the evangelical church. Basham tackles eight current cultural hot topics, everything from immigration and abortion to Covid and the #metoo movement within the church. 

She gives example after example of how progressive activists and grant agencies have overtly tried to shape the evangelical voting block, and she documents as well how power brokers outside of the church, have actively gone after the church, in order to break down the final barrier between progressive culture and Christianity. 

This is not an easy book to read, but I think for Christians especially, an important one. 

What Happened To The McCrays by Tracey Lange 

A messy family drama that unfolds at a nice pace. Kyle McCray is living on the west coast when he gets word his father has suffered a stroke. He returns home to Potsdam New York to help his father and reluctantly face the people and the past he left behind. Those people include not only his father, but also Casey, his wife of sixteen years. 

In What Happened to the McCrays we see two sides of a failed marriage, and the emotions of a husband and wife who must confront their pain or be swallowed up by it. A little predictable but overall a very good read. Three stars for me. 

Linking this post with the book girls-Tanya, Marilyn, Joanne, and Jenn for their monthly share. Hop over and see what everyone else has been reading too.