I found this book, The Woman in the Photo by Mary Hogan, on Hoopla. I’ll admit, I grabbed it because of the cover. The old saying is “don’t judge a book by its cover”, but I’ll admit, I often do. Do you?
This cover lead me to believe it was likely historical fiction and also made me believe that it might be the late 1800s and I love that time period. So I grabbed it.
I am so glad that I did. The story ends up telling a little about the beginning of Clara Barton and the Red Cross which I did not expect so it was a wonderful mix of some truth and some fiction…just what I love!!
Here is what Amazon had to say:“In this compulsively-readable historical novel, from the author of the critically-acclaimed Two Sisters, comes the story of two young women—one in America’s Gilded Age, one in scrappy modern-day California—whose lives are linked by a single tragic afternoon in history.
1888: Elizabeth Haberlin, of the Pittsburgh Haberlins, spends every summer with her family on a beautiful lake in an exclusive club. Nestled in the Allegheny Mountains above the working-class community of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the private retreat is patronized by society’s elite. Elizabeth summers with Carnegies, Mellons, and Fricks, following the rigid etiquette of her class. But Elizabeth is blessed (cursed) with a mind of her own. Case in point: her friendship with Eugene Eggar, a Johnstown steel mill worker. And when Elizabeth discovers that the club’s poorly maintained dam is about to burst and send 20 million tons of water careening down the mountain, she risks all to warn Eugene and the townspeople in the lake’s deadly shadow.
Present day: On her eighteenth birthday, genetic information from Lee Parker’s closed adoption is unlocked. She also sees an old photograph of a genetic relative—a 19th Century woman with hair and eyes like hers—standing in a pile of rubble from an ecological disaster next to none other than Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross. Determined to identify the woman in the photo and unearth the mystery of that captured moment, Lee digs into history. Her journey takes her from California to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, from her present financial woes to her past of privilege, from the daily grind to an epic disaster. Once Lee’s heroic DNA is revealed, will she decide to forge a new fate?”
Amazon readers gave the book 4.4 stars. I am totally on board with that rating. I really did like the book and as soon as I’m done writing this, I am heading off to see if the author has more books.
You can find the book HERE on Amazon. If you’d like to see the other books I’ve included the book in my Amazon store and you can check out this link to find this book and others there.
In this case, I am so glad I did judge the book by the cover!!
Started a new mystery series called Maisie Dobbs. Starts in 30’s England but goes back to the turn of the century. I’ve read 3 books so far and they are all tied to things that happened in WWI. Thought you might like to try them.
Jo, can you please tell again, the Walmart code for first time on-line/pickup shoppers! Thanks a bunch!
I love Historical fiction also! I have been reading the Orphan Train Saga by Sherry A Burton. There are 4 books so far, read in sequence and start with Discovery. I loved them! Also, have been reading several books by Susan Meissner. Have enjoyed them all.
I think I remember that you were going to do a book club reading, but I can’t find the post. I am interested in participating. Can you please post the book title and author that you are going to read again? Thanks. Helen
Helen this is the book link. https://www.joscountryjunction.com/what-im-working-on-401/