Review: The Pink Bonnet by Liz Tolsma

The Pink Bonnet: True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime by Liz Tolsma
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: June 2019

Cecile Dowd is a single mother, just trying to keep life together in 1933 for her and her three year old daughter Millie. Cecile is a widow and it's the great depression. Without her husband, it's difficult to always control Millie's behavior and make sure there is enough food on the table. Cecile decides she needs to get another job to help make things easier. While she goes out looking, she leaves Millie with a neighbor. When she returns to pick up Millie at the end of the day, Millie is gone. The neighbor says, that Cecile can't handle the child and has given her to someone who can help, Georgia Tann the head of the Tennessee Children's Home. They "help" parents find loving families for their children. But Cecile didn't ask for this and neither did a lot of other parents. Ms. Tann is taking children from parents she deems unfit and sending them to other families in the area. Ms. Tann has most of the Tennessee government in her back pocket and no matter who Cecile goes to for help, it's to no avail. Will she be able to find Millie before she's gone forever? With people trying to stop her at every turn, Cecile is determined, no matter what the cost.

Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is based on a true story. Georgia Tann was a real woman who really ran an adoption agency in Tennessee for over 25 years. During her tenure, it is believed that approximately 5,000 children were taken unwillingly from their parents and sold in adoptions to whoever would pay the highest price.

This book hit my heart hard. I can't imagine what I would do, if I left my child with a friend or neighbor for a little bit and then when I came back they had forged my name on documents to allow my child to be taken for adoption. Or if they were just snatched from the street on their way home from school. This was happening to hundreds of families during the depression. People were doing anything they could to make ends meet, but for Georgia Tann that didn't matter. One parent should be with the child at all times. That is the only way to show that you really love and are able to take care of the child.

I would love to read more about this lady. I hope there was a warm seat in hell waiting for her and all her cohorts when she passed away. Throughout the story, you can feel the love for Millie that Cecile has and she risks her life and the lives of those that are helping her in order to get to her daughter. No matter what she does, though it never seems like enough, Millie is always just beyond her grasp.

If you like historical, true crime fiction, you will enjoy this book.  Click here to get a free Kindle preview of the book.

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Review: In West Mills by De'Shawn Charles Winslow

In West Mills by De'Shawn Charles Winslow
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: June 2019


The town of West Mills is a small close knit community. Everyone knows everyone and keeping your business to yourself isn't necessarily something that happens. Knot is a teacher in West Mills but when she is not teaching, she likes to drink her moonshine and enjoy time with her men friends. When her long time friend leaves town, Knot goes down the rabbit hole. And things for her take a change that no one expects coming. Knot's neighbor Otis Lee and his wife Pep are the only family Knot has in West Mills. She trusts them with her secrets and they trust her with theirs. Will Knot's actions in her life keep the friendship going or will it tear them apart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book grabbed my attention from the beginning and held it. The things that brought the rating down for me were the transitions between years toward the end of the book. It wasn't until you were a few pages into the chapter that you knew it was 5 or 10 years later.

Knot is the kind of woman who does what she wants no matter what other people think about it. This story takes us from 1942 all the way through 1987. Telling the story and secrets of West Mills.  Each character has a different story that all melds together in one incredible telling.  I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to other books by this author.


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Winning Wednesday--Bookish Giveaways!!!

Happy Wednesday and Happy Almost First Day of Summer here in the Northern Hemisphere!  Summer break is in full swing for my kids.  We've signed up for the Summer Reading Program at our library, ready for camp, and planned a few other activities for the kids.  Do you have any summer plans?

Here are today's giveaways!!

Enter for your chance to win A Home Sweet Home Giveaway from Jessica James. Brought to you by LitRing.  You could win a birdhouse, vintage gift boxes, a tree of life journal, Victorian note cards, a scented candle, and an Amazon gift card.  

It doesn't say who's eligible or when it ends!! 

Enter for your chance to win 1 of 25 early copies of Red Metal by Mark Greaney.  Brought to you by Read It Foward.  Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 25th 

Enter for your chance to win a copy of 30 Days, 30 Ways to Overcome Anxiety by Bev Aisbett.  One grand prize winner will receive a copy of the book and a weighted blanket (those things are awesome).  10 other winners will get a copy of the book.  Brought to you by Harper Collins.  Open to US Residents Only--Ends July 2nd 

Enter for your chance to win:

32 GB iPad 

Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones 

Digital copies of the following audiobooks:

Mindhunter by John E. Douglas 

Journey Into Darkness by John E. Douglas 

Dirty John And Other True Stories Of Outlaws And Outsiders by Chris Goffard 

Manson by Jeff Guinn 

The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn

The Man From The Train by Bill James 

Fatal Vision by Joe McGinnis 

Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi 

He Killed Them All by Jeanine Pirro 

The Spy Who Was Left Behind by Michael Pullara 

The Trial of Lizzie Borden by Cara Robertson 

Green River, Running Red by Ann Rule

The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule 

Blind Eye by James B. Stewart 

Brought to you by Simon & Schuster Audio  --  Giveaway is on Facebook

Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 21st

Enter for your chance to win 1 of 10 copies of  a first edition hardcover and an audio book of The Lesson  by Cadwell Turnbell  Brought to you by Blackstone Publishing  Open to US Residents Only--Ends July 14th

Enter for your chance to win 1 of 25 copies of We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehishi Coates.  Brought to you by Penguin Randomhouse  Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 30th

Enter for your chance to win an advanced copy of Layover by David Bell.  Brought to you by Penguin Randomhouse  Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 30th

Enter for your chance to win an Organic DIY Herb Garden Kit. Plus 2 runner's up will receive a copy of Hope on the Inside by Marie Bostwick.   Brought to you by Marie Bostwick  Open Internationally--Ends June 30th

 

In honor of PRIDE, Enter to win these M/M Romance titles from Roan Parrish.  Riven, Rend, and Raze.  Brought to you by Penguin Randomhouse.  Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 30th

  

Enter for your chance to win the Date Your Book Giveaway.  You can win the three titles pictured above; The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams, 28 Dates by Stacey Lynn, Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher.  Brought to you by Penguin Randomhouse.  Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 30th

Enter for your chance to win A Kindle Paperwhite and other goodies!! First place winner gets a Kindle Paperwhite, second place gets 10 Paranormal romance books for their Kindle, third place gets 5 paranormal romance books for their Kindle.  Everyone who enters gets a free copy of Lucien's Inquisition by Holly Weir, book 1 in her Fire Bound Protectors series.  

Open Internationally except for residents of Taiwan, South Korea, Portugal, Italy, Austria, China, Russia, Hong Kong, Greece, France, Japan, Spain, and Czech Republic--Ends June 30th

Enter for your chance to win 1 of 10 Paperback copies of Say You're Sorry  by Karen Rose.  Brought to you by Penguin Randomhouse.   Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 25th

Enter for your chance to win 1 of 40 copies of Devoted to Love by Shayla Black.  Brought to you by Goodreads.  Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 23rd

 

This giveaway is a little different.  Click here to go to the page where you have the option to enter 13 different giveaways.  Each giveaway includes one or more ebooks from a best-selling author along with an Amazon Giftcard.  Open internationally--Ends June 30th

Enter for your chance to win 1 of 10 bundles of 10 Audiobooks from Harper Audio.  Brought to you by BookRiot.  You will win the following titles: THE BOOK OF PRIDE by Mason Funk; THE BRINK by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth; COMEDY SEX GOD written and performed by Pete Holmes; THE CONFESSIONS OF FRANNIE LANGTON by Sara Collins; THE GONE DEAD by Chanelle Benz; THE KOMMANDANT’S GIRL by Pam Jenoff; LIKE A LOVE STORY by Abdi Nazemian; PAN’S LABYRINTH: THE LABYRINTH OF THE FAUN by Guillermo del Toro and Cornelia Funke; SAY NO TO THE DUKE by Eloisa James; UNLEARN written and performed by Humble the Poet.  Open to US Residents--Ends June 22nd

Enter for your chance to win 1 of 5 copies of Alisha Rai's Forbidden Hearts series.  Brought to you by Book Riot.  Open to US Residents Only--Ends June 30th

**What 'Cha Readin'? is not responsible for these giveaways.  See the official rules on each contest for more information**

"May the odds be ever in your favor."