Karen White

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Thoughts on Books (#13): The Masterpiece / Flight Patterns

The Masterpiece
The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

THE MASTERPIECE is about two women, fifty years apart, whose parallel stories suddenly intersect at New York City’s historic Grand Central. It’s clearly well researched regarding what was happening at the train station in the late 1920s and early 1970s, on the verge of the Great Depression, and later, at risk of being demolished.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While I thought Clara’s story in the earlier time period was more interesting, I never quite warmed to Clara’s character (though I was sympathetic to her struggles). And while Virginia was likable and relatable, her story in 1974 wasn’t as gripping. The plot seemed to struggle to move forward at times, and I had trouble staying engaged. The twist at the end was a good one, though! I think readers with an interest in the 1920s art scene will enjoy this book.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book through Penguin’s First to Read Program in exchange for an honest review.

Flight Patterns
Flight Patterns by Karen White
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Beekeeping, rare china patterns, and a decades-old mystery are the intriguing components woven into Karen White’s family drama, FLIGHT PATTERNS.

Georgia and her sister, Maisy, have been estranged for a decade, and Georgia promised never to return to their coastal home of Apalachicola, Florida, where their grandfather is a beekeeper. That changes when Georgia, an expert in vintage things, is asked by a client to identify an unusual pattern of china, one that she’s sure she saw before, on a lone piece hidden in her mother’s closet years ago.

Reluctantly Georgia heads home with her handsome and guarded client, James, to search for the elusive piece of china with the unusual bee pattern. Not surprisingly, her return to Apalachicola is met with a chilly reception. What was it that drove the two sisters apart, and what family secrets are tied to the missing china? How does it all tie in with James?

FLIGHT PATTERNS is a beautifully written and bittersweet story in Karen White’s classic writing style. She knows how to convey a sense of place. I could taste the honey, smell the ocean, and feel the humidity! Of course, the compelling characters are what truly draw you in. They can be flawed and frustrating at times, but that just makes them more realistic. I really enjoyed the multi-layered mystery and how all of the pieces fit together. Wonderful! A great book for summer reading and fans of Southern fiction.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“If you want things to change, you have to stop waiting for someone else to make the first move.” ― Karen White, Flight Patterns

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DREAMS OF FALLING by Karen White {Review}


Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 5, 2018
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Rating: ★★★★

On the banks of the North Santee River stands a moss-draped oak that was once entrusted with the dreams of three young girls. Into the tree’s trunk, they placed their greatest hopes, written on ribbons, for safekeeping–including the most important one: Friends forever, come what may.

But life can waylay the best of intentions….

Nine years ago, a humiliated Larkin Lanier fled Georgetown, South Carolina, knowing she could never go back. But when she finds out that her mother has disappeared, she realizes she has no choice but to return to the place she both loves and dreads–and to the family and friends who never stopped wishing for her to come home.

Ivy, Larkin’s mother, is discovered badly injured and unconscious in the burned-out wreckage of her ancestral plantation home. No one knows why Ivy was there, but as Larkin digs for answers, she uncovers secrets kept for nearly fifty years–whispers of love, sacrifice, and betrayal–that lead back to three girls on the brink of womanhood who found their friendship tested in the most heartbreaking ways.

“We are made by those who have built and broken us.” Set in gorgeous South Carolina lowcountry, DREAMS OF FALLING is about the strongest friendships and the painful secrets that test their bonds.

This is a multi-generational story told in both the past and present. In the early 1950s, three friends, Ceecee, Margaret, and Bitty, hide their wishes in the trunk of a magical tree, but the outcome was nothing like they’d expected. Be very careful what you wish for! Keeping secrets, even with the best intentions, can be so harmful even many years down the road.

In present day, Larkin returns to Georgetown, South Carolina, after nearly a decade in New York. Her mother Ivy is badly injured, and Larkin believes she wants to tell her something – about the past, their ancestral home, and Larkin’s grandmother. She’s been kept in the dark for so long that learning the truth will finally be a reprieve…

DREAMS OF FALLING is beautifully written Southern fiction with a Gothic touch, and a bit of mystery and romance too. It took me a few chapters to really get into the flow of things, especially trying to keep characters straight (ages, relationships, etc.), but once I was familiar with everyone, the story flowed nicely. The ending is sure to tug at your heartstrings.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT by Karen White


Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: April 11, 2017
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Rating: ★★★★

Recently divorced, Merilee Talbot Dunlap moves with her two children to the Atlanta suburb of Sweet Apple, Georgia. It’s not her first time starting over, but her efforts at a new beginning aren’t helped by an anonymous local blog that dishes about the scandalous events that caused her marriage to fail.

Merilee finds some measure of peace in the cottage she is renting from town matriarch Sugar Prescott. Though stubborn and irascible, Sugar sees something of herself in Merilee—something that allows her to open up about her own colorful past.

Sugar’s stories give Merilee a different perspective on the town and its wealthy school moms in their tennis whites and shiny SUVs, and even on her new friendship with Heather Blackford. Merilee is charmed by the glamorous young mother’s seemingly perfect life and finds herself drawn into Heather’s world.

In a town like Sweet Apple, where sins and secrets are as likely to be found behind the walls of gated mansions as in the dark woods surrounding Merilee’s house, appearance is everything. But just how dangerous that deception can be will shock all three women…

In THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, Karen White intertwines the lives of two strong Southern women while telling a story of secrets, survival, starting over, and friendship. The star of this book is most definitely Miss Sugar Prescott. She’s a lifelong resident of Sweet Apple, Georgia, a place that may seem perfect on the surface, but what lies beneath is a different story.

Now in her mid-90s, Sugar is still tough, headstrong, and sharp as a tack. Sugar rents a cottage on her property to Merilee Dunlap, a recently divorced mom with two children in tow. Merilee’s life in Sweet Apple won’t be what she expected, but luckily she’s got Sugar on her side.

This book alternates between Sugar in the past (early 1930s) and Merilee’s ordeal in present day Sweet Apple. All around I just enjoyed Sugar’s story and character the best. Other parts I found a bit predictable and hard to believe, but overall it was an enjoyable read – nice blend of mystery, historical fiction, Southern drama, and a dash of romance. The ending was very exciting!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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THE SOUND OF GLASS by Karen White

The Sound of Glass
THE SOUND OF GLASS by Karen White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book by Karen White that I’ve read, and you’ll have to excuse me while I gush over it. Wow! The story and characters were outstanding, and they pulled me in right away.

Merritt is a widow, and she inherits her late husband’s grandmother’s home in Beaufort, South Carolina. There are a lot of surprises awaiting her there, including a brother-in-law she didn’t know about, and a reunion with her estranged stepmother, Loralee, and 10-year old half-brother, Owen. And the secrets! Dark secrets from generations past that come to light.

I really grew to love all of the characters, even Merritt with her stubborn, standoffish personality, and sugary sweet Loralee sharing the wisdom of her mama. I cried along with all of their struggles.

“You’ve been dealt a tough deck of cards, that’s for sure, but it’s time to pull up your big-girl panties and move on. Like my mama used to say, you can’t move forward if you always have one foot on the brake.”

THE SOUND OF GLASS is a remarkable, character-driven story of mystery, family secrets, loss, second chances, and letting go. I loved it.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.