The Black Russian 
by Vladimir Alexandrov

Frederick Bruce Thomas was born in 1872 to former slaves. His parents were able to acquire land and became quite prosperous farmers in Mississippi. They did well for several years until they were fleeced by a rich white man who tried to steal their property. The family lost everything and were forced to leave for Memphis where they ran a boardinghouse. After the murder of Frederick's father by a mentally unstable lodger, Frederick decided to get out of the South and worked as a waiter and a valet in Chicago and Brooklyn. Eventually he would go to London and France where Blacks were treated much better than in the United States. By the time 1899 rolled around, Frederick was in Russia. He would stay in Moscow for the next twenty years. Frederick gave himself a Russian name (Fyodor Fyodorovich Tomas), married twice, had several children, and become a Russian citizen. He made his living and a fortune by owning variety theaters and restaurants. The Bolshevik Revolution wiped him clean and he escaped with his family (barely) to Constantinople in 1919. Frederick started from scratch and became rich again by having nightclubs that played jazz (a new kind of music) in Turkey.
Sound like an interesting story? I thought so. The first part of the book was really interesting and absorbing. By the middle, it started to sag and I was hard-pressed to continue reading. The last 90 pages were excruciating. There's not a whole lot of information on Frederick Bruce Thomas (no writings, no papers) so much of what is written here is conjecture. Thomas constantly reinvented himself and exaggerated events that may not have even happened. It's certainly admirable that he was able to create this wonderful life for himself. His work ethic came from his parents. Since there is not much about him, the book has plenty of chapters on the history of Russia and Turkey and this filler can become interminable. You don't really get a sense of who Frederick Bruce Thomas really was because the writing is just not that engaging.

My Mother's Wars
by Lillian Faderman

Mary (the name she is given in America) came to the United States, in 1914, at the age of seventeen from Latvia. She was sponsored by her sister and brother-in-law and lived with them for a while. Mary's goal is to be a dancer but that is not practical so she works in the New York Garment District with squalid conditions and measly pay. Bored with her life at home, she goes dancing every night with a friend from work. Her brother-in-law is scandalized by her behavior and kicks her out.
When Mary is thirty-five and still barely making ends meet, she falls in love with a man who is ten years younger than her. Marriage is what she wants but that will never happen (he's got a girl in every port). While her romance is going on, Mary frets about the rest of her family still in Latvia where the storm troopers and Hitler are moving towards. She wants to get them out but doesn't have the amount of money that is needed to do that monumental task. 
Lillian Faderman (the name should actually be spelled as Federman) wrote her mother's story because Mary was illiterate in both reading and writing English. It's a quick read (three days for me) and interesting enough but they style is not very good and she just replicates what her mother told her even though, apparently, Lillian did historical research. 
The most annoying thing about the book is the extensive, over-the-top use of similes. I almost quit reading early on because of them but decided to grin and bear it and finish to the end.
 

Where The Peacocks Sing : A Palace, A Prince, And The Search For Home
by Alison Singh Gee

Alison Gee (a Chinese-American) was an entertainment writer for AsiaWeek living in Hong Kong. She meets Ajay Singh, a journalist from India and they fall in love. Her lifestyle is hectic running all over the place, dealing with deadlines, going to parties, never relaxing. They travel to India so that Alison can meet his family. It turns out that Ajay grew up in a palace but it has deteriorated. Virtually no plumbing, plaster falling off, peacocks screeching (they're actually singing), not the most friendly relatives makes the stay very uncomfortable. They plan to get married but Alison has to come to terms with this new culture and figure out how she can possibly fit in.
This book has had many positive reviews with people saying that the writing is gorgeous, an absolute delight, wonderful, riveting read, etc. I disagree. Alison writes like a reporter and throws in way too many similes. There's really not much substance here; it's mostly fluff. Alison seems quite naive and shallow. Some of the stuff that she writes about India is interesting such as the Taj Mahal and the village Mokimpur and its inhabitants. I sloughed through and was happy when I finished.
This is the kind of book to take on a vacation; it's a light read that can be passed around to others.

ANTONIA And Her Daughters : Secrets, Love, Friendship and Family In Tuscany
by Marlena de Blasi

Marlena de Blasi has written four previous books on living and cooking in Italy. She and her husband, Fernando, have recently moved and their new place is being renovated. It's too noisy to write amongst all of the contractors so Marlena decides that she needs solitude and ends up living in a small one-room house in the woods of western Tuscany. It's in this environment that she meets Antonia who at eighty-two is still beautiful, vibrant, and forceful. The two of them clash, at first, and then become friends. Antonia is the matriarch of four generations of gorgeous, blue-eyed women who each have their own story to tell. But it is Antonia who has hidden secrets that the family doesn't know about and over time, she reveals them to Marlena.
Having read four of de Blasi's previous works on Tuscany, I eagerly jumped on this book. Her writing is always lush with descriptions of the countryside, the people, the culture. When she talks about food and cooking, you just salivate (recipes are always included). Antonia and Her Daughters includes this stuff but the bulk of the book is about Antonia. It was a disappointment and doesn't come close to her others. The story drags on and many times, I almost quit reading but I continued as I wanted to see what happened and how the book would end. Much of what is written is repetitious concerning Tuscany, the food, etc., so there's much padding (filler).
I'm sure that many people would enjoy reading this book especially if they're a fan of de Blasi's and Tuscany.

The End Of Your Life Book Club
by Will Schwalbe

In 2007, Mary Anne Schwalbe was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She had just returned from a humanitarian trip to Afghanistan and didn't feel so great. The doctors first thought it was hepatitis. Not knowing how much longer she had to live, Will Schwalbe (her son) started a "book club" with just the two of them. They both were avid readers and would discuss the books when they were done.
Mary Anne had an amazing life. So many people idolized her for what she did for them. She didn't let her illness and pain stop her from continuing to travel and help others less fortunate.
I almost didn't finish the book. It started out well enough but then I thought it became tedious and boring. The writing isn't that great. I think the author should just stick to editing other published books and not write anything else.
Many reviews have been quite positive with five stars. I wouldn't give it that; more like two. 

 

 Treacherous Beauty : Peggy Shippen, The Woman Behind Benedict Arnold's Plot To Betray America
by Mark Jacobs and Stephen H. Case

Peggy Shippen was born in Philadelphia in 1760. Her family was quite wealthy and they lived in the best neighborhood (Society Hill). Peggy became quite the society girl. Men were infatuated with her calling her the most beautiful woman in North America. But she was not dumb. She was quite savvy with finances and had a clear-eyed view of both political and social situations. When it came to marriage, though, Peggy was not so astute. She fell in love with a scoundrel: her husband was Benedict Arnold. Peggy joined Arnold in a treasonous plot and was able to convince George Washington and other high-ranking men of her innocence.
The authors believe that she was the instigator but there is no concrete evidence. All of her papers were destroyed so it's just conjecture. Most of the book, actually, is about Arnold and the fighting between the British and the Americans. There's some interesting trivia about the Shippens and Philadelphia. Several times, I almost stopped reading it because the writing is extremely dry. But I continued with the book because it is the only nonfiction ever written about Peggy Shippen and I thought I would learn something. If you like stuff on the American Revolution, give this a try.