“How can you weave a life from fairy tales?” Set in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul during the First World War, Mary Sharratt’s debut novel is the story of a young German immigrant, experiencing her spiritual and sexual awakening.
When Kathrin’s mother dies, Kathrin immigrate to America where she is reunited with her cousin Lotte and begins work at a mill sewing flour bags. Soon Kathrin meets the Jeliniks, the owners of a small bookstore. While Jan, a compassionate elderly man, loves his bookstore, his nephew John would rather see it reopened as something more profitable, a testament to the American dream of prosperity for which he so desperately hungers. Jan introduces Kathrin to Violet Waverly, who offers Kathrin a job typing and translating a book of fairy tales that her husband was compiling before he died. Violet invites Kathrin to live with her in her mansion on Summit Avenue, the richest neighborhood in Saint Paul. Both women, left wounded and alone in different circumstances, find increasing solace and warmth in each other.

From the woods of old world Germany to the north woods of Minnesota, Kathrin’s journey is one of discovery.

Well this is not a book I would have ever picked for myself naturally. Even though it’s a Minnesota book Yay. I wouldn’t have. And well honestly I don’t think I learned anything from reading it. I picked it for the historical challenge. To finish the challenge and I was having a hard time finding books set in my area. This one came up in a search and I chose it.

But onto the heart of the review. I did not really care for this book. I couldn’t get into the characters; I couldn’t really get into the plot. It rambled on without any true big purpose. So that’s all I can really say about it. I don’t recommend it. I almost didn’t publish this review, but part of my challenge is reviewing all my books I read. But this one won’t be published on any of my other publishing sites. Save your time find another book.