As a fan of historical fiction I really fell in love with this book. This is the story of 2 sets of sisters. We learn through flashbacks to 1918 about the relationship between Wavey and her sister Addie, and the awful circumstances under which they became separated. In the "present day" of the book's setting in the 1930s We have the relationship between the two sisters Rumor and Mary who are Wavey's daughters, growing up under Wavey's roof, without their father. The author paints a vivid and poignant picture of life in the early 1900s and the hardships faced, especially by women and children in those days. The story was beautifully descriptive from the excitement of the World's Fair to the lack of appropriate care for orphaned children. This is a haunting story of the love between sisters, and the love of a mother for her daughters, and what she is willing to sacrifice to keep them all safe.

I received an advance copy for review ( )

I received this book free from Goodreads Giveaway. Wow, what a great novel. It was much more than I expected it to be. It was full of family secrets and mystery (my favorite). The setting and characters were vivid and complex. Kelly Romo's writing was beautiful and engaging. Rarely do I find a writer I enjoy as much as this. I look forward to reading more of her work. I would highly recommend. ( )

Historical, literary women's fiction with a realistic setting and interesting characters -- this was right up my alley.

The primary setting is the 1935 World's Fair in San Diego, which among other displays featured an exhibition of a nudist colony. Although I can't say I've ever wondered what it would be like to be a nudist in 1935, this book satisfied the curiosity I didn't know I had.

The oddity of nudity in that era rightfully takes a back seat to the development of the characters, though. Only one of them is a nudist, and she cares more about re-establishing a relationship with her (non-nudist) sister and nieces than anything else. We slowly uncover the history between the sisters, and the tempo of the reveal is perfect (told primarily through flashback sections). The nieces are also sisters, and their relationship provides a nice foil for the adult sisters'. One particular plot twist was skillfully foreshadowed yet surprising, and didn't feel like a cheap resort to scandal.

All in all, a great read.


I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. ( )

This was a mixed bag for me. There was a lot going on in this story; maybe just a little too much. It took me a long time to feel that I was involved with the story. I read through about the first sixty pages without really knowing where the story was going and how events were related, to the point that I forgot some of the facts that were giving early in the story before they ever came into play. I will say, though, that once the story got going, I enjoyed it, and everything came together nicely.

One thing I really enjoyed was the tie-in with the 1935 San Diego World’s Fair and the Zoro Garden nudist colony. The way the nude women were put on display and coached to put on a show and exhibit themselves for the entertainment of the fair visitors reminded me very much of the exploitation of the Filipino tribe in The Lost Tribe of Coney Island.

One thing I was not happy with, which will come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog, was the lack of an epilogue catching us up with the lives of the characters a few years down the road. There were a lot of loose ends, and without an epilogue I really wonder if some of the events could have been left out, as they seemed to have no real bearing on the story. Another thing I wasn’t so happy with was the lack of consequences for some of the characters for their actions. Although truthfully, had they suffered the consequences, I may also have been unhappy as I really did like the characters.

While I thought the book was a bit too unfocused at the beginning and included things that really weren’t necessary to move the story along, I really did enjoy the book. This will make a good book club selection with topics to discuss ranging from the exploitation of these women, the morality issues of the day, and domestic abuse, among others.

This book review is included in a tour by TLC Book Tours. I was provided a copy for review purposes. ( )

San Diego, 1935, the world fair rolls in, disrupting teenage Rumor’s life. Her unknown Aunt Addie, a nudist, shows up, wanting to connect with Rumor and her family. Rumor is strangely intrigued by Addie, and works hard to uncover the secrets that her mother has been hiding.

This was a fascinating book. It was hard to put down. Addie and Rumor were interesting, and the back and forth point of view really worked. Overall, highly recommended. ( )