Whistling Women

Do you enjoy maple syrup on your waffles, french toast, or pancackes (or mush if you live in the South)?  Then today is the day for you!  It is National Maple Syrup Day!  You would think this day would be celebrated later in the winter when the sap starts to run in the maple trees.  It is an interesting process on how the maple trees are tapped and the sap collected.  You would be amazed at how much sap you need to make just a little bit of maple syrup.  If you get an opportunity to observe the process, you should take advantage of it. 

Whistling Women by Kelly Romo is an historical novel.  It is May of 1935.  Addie Bates is thirty-two years old and lives in Sleepy Valley in northern California.  Sleepy Valley is a nudist colony.  The people who live in Sleepy Valley are getting ready to travel to the world’s fair in San Diego.  Addie has not returned to San Diego since she left after an incident.  Addie does not want to go, but if she does not go she will be made to leave Sleepy Valley.  Addie’s sister Wavey Rose Briggs Donnelly lives with her two daughters in San Diego.  This could be a chance to make amends to her sister (for what happened fifteen years ago) and get to know her nieces, Mary and Rumor.  Will her sister give her a chance?  Rumor Donnelly is excited to find out about Addie.  She wants to get to know her aunt and mother back together.  Will a family reunion be in store for the family or will the past get in their way?

The story goes between what is happening in the present and goes back to 1917.  Addie was in orphan asylum when her sister, Wavey and her new husband, Tyrone Fulton Briggs ask Addie to come live with them.  Wavey is expecting her first child and Addie will provide needed help.  Addie believes it is a dream come true.  What happens that causes Addie to run away and have no contact with her sister for fifteen years?  Secrets have a way of coming out eventually.

Whistling Women is a very slow paced novel (it took quite a while before it gets to the secrets and incident).  It sounded like such a good book, but I did not enjoy reading it (I could not wait for this novel to end).  I found the majority of the characters to be lack luster.  The only one with spunk and life was Rumor, the niece (but she did become annoying after a while).  Whistling Women is a predicable novel (you know what is going to happen before you read it).  The writing is just satisfactory.  I give Whistling Women 2 out of 5 stars.  If you need a book to put you to sleep, then read Whistling Women (is that too harsh).

Whistling Women is available on Kindle Unlimited ($9.99 a month and you can get a 30 day free trial).  I received a complimentary copy of Whistling Women from NetGalley (and the publisher) in exchange for an honest review. 

Thank you for stopping by and checking out my latest review.  I am currently reading Murder Most Malicious by Alyssa Maxwell.  I hope everyone has a nice, relaxing Thursday evening.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader