Loretta Ellsworth

First sentence: Fia refuses to brush her hair before she goes out to play. "It's a tangled mess," complains Mom. "I like it this way." Her hair always blows around like a tornado and becomes a maze of snarls and knots. The blustery air twists the curls until they're a swirl of tangle-knot, which is not a word, but which is her hair. It's perfect.

Tangle-knot is my hair as well. (Though not perhaps by choice.) I really enjoyed this playful story starring a young girl and her VERY tangled hair. How tangled is it? A bird makes a nest and hatches her three eggs in it. So VERY, VERY tangled. Will she ever brush her hair?

This was a playful and silly story which I appreciated. I love the illustrations.… (altro)

“I was a girl and he was a boy sharing a small respite from the war. A simple dance. A simple promise not to forget” (101).

The Stars Over Clear Lake is a star-crossed lovers, WWII story about a young Iowan farm girl and a young German POW, their connection to each other and to music and to a time and place that highlighted the best and worst of humanity. This is a story of memories and love and war, the past and regrets, the future and hope. This is a story that, among other things, seeks to answer: To what extent does your past define you?

… (altro)

I didn't expect to like this book; I'm not normally in for romances, or period pieces. But I adored this. It was a surprise and a real treat. I now face a moral dilemma, because I want to keep this book forever but I also want to send it to my cousin, who grew up in northern Iowa and who would no doubt love this story even more than I did. It will be a great sacrifice, but I will have to share the love and send it on.

This story was wonderful. It takes you to northern Iowa, and if you don't know why you should love that place then you should read this book.… (altro)