'Not A Real Enemy: The True Story of a Hungarian Jewish Man’s Fight for Freedom by Robert Wolf is an amazing family Holocaust memoir that reads more like a novel. I was brought into the story through the main character, Ervin Wolf, the father of the author - and I turned the pages as quickly as I could until I reached the end.

Ervin begins life as a doctor's son and ends life as a doctor in the United States. Everything in between shows the reader the brutalities of the Nazi regime and then the Soviet communists who came after. The story left me wondering if I would have survived? If I would have had the gumption to escape not once, not twice, but three times? It showed me that freedom is something we should value beyond almost everything else.
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History wants to bury the ugliness that was the Holocaust. Thankfully, memoirs like this and the bravery of authors like Robert make that impossible. Well done.

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​Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women is an anthology of historical fiction short stories written by 23 authors. According to the editors, "Even when time periods and geographical locations vary greatly, women’s struggles as they confront adversity are often remarkably universal. The stories in this collection follow ordinary women from the 1470s to the 1960s as they rise to meet life’s challenges."

To me, Feisty Deeds is like a box of chocolates - but without the calories. It gives readers a sampling of stories from a wide range of authors - those new to their career and those far more seasoned. If you love historical fiction - you'll love this anthology. The same is true if you love women's fiction.

For those who aren't sure that historical fiction is their genre, then this is the perfect way to read a wide variety of stories across six centuries and a variety of circumstances such as storms, murder, and war. Plus, you'll get the chance to discover these 23 authors: Debra Borchert, Teri M. Brown, Julie Mayerson Brown, Elisabeth Carson-Williams, Valerie Chalker, Joan Fernandez, Kim Gottlieb-Walker, Beth Anne Hill, Dawn W. Hogan, Carolyn Korsmeyer, Della Leavitt, Raquel Y. Levitt, Christy Matheson, Barbara Buckley Ristine, Suzanne Samuels, Julia María Schiavone Camacho, Elaine Aucoin Schroller, Kay Smith-Blum, Kimberly Sullivan, Ashley E. Sweeney, Nina Wachsman, Patty W. Warren, and Marie W. Watts
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Finally, all proceeds of this book go to a WFWA scholarship to help women fulfill their dreams to become authors. Definitely put this on your TBR shelf!

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Sage Among the Pines by Mark Anderson is in the last phase of publishing, but it now have a cover and will soon be available for preview on Goodreads. I was lucky enough to get to read it early!

Tom and Cynthia, along with their daughter, Lexi, have a great life. Until. Tom makes a mistake. Cynthia can't forgive him. No one tells Lexi what is going on. And then, without warning, Tom dies in a military training exercise. As Cynthia spirals into depression, her daughter spirals into adolescent rage. Only a sage among the pines, in the form of a grandfather-grandmother duo , can save them.
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This is a healing journey - healing from loss and betrayal - as well as a forgiveness journey. It shows how complicated life can become, even when people truly love one another. I enjoyed Mark's book because his characters are real. If you enjoy character-driven fiction, then this one is for you.

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