Another Time and Place

Authors Jennifer Chiaverini and Mary McNear will read form their latest novels -- books that transport the reader to worlds with a particularly deep sense of place.  
 
About Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule: 
Chiaverini turns her gaze to “the two Julias” in her newest historical masterpiece Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule. Julia Grant, a Missouri belle who would rise to the pinnacle of Washington society as First Lady, and her slave Jule, a courageous and resourceful woman determined to be free, were together for 37 years, and yet this is the first novel to shed light on their remarkable and interconnected relationship.  In childhood Julia and Jule were companions and confidantes; Julia secretly taught Jule to read, while Jule became her vision-impaired mistress’s eyes to the world. As they grew, the class distinctions between mistress and slave inevitably strained and altered their relationship, especially after Julia married her beloved Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant, a staunch abolitionist who rose through the ranks of the Union army during the Civil War. Even as Julia Grant championed the Union cause, she continued to hold Jule as a slave behind federal lines—until the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation inspired Jule to make a daring escape and claim her own freedom.
 
About Moonlight on Butternut Lake: 
With the third novel in her cherished Butternut Lake series, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mary McNear, returns to the gorgeous shores of the small, Midwestern lake town, McNear introduces two new characters—Reid and Mila—both fighting tremendous odds for a second chance at life and love.  On the run from her abusive husband, Mila Jones flees Minneapolis for the safety and serenity of Butternut Lake. Ready to forge a new life, Mila’s position as home health aide to Reid Ford is more than a job. It’s a chance at a fresh start. Though her sullen patient seems determined to make her quit, she refuses to give up on him.  Haunted by the car accident that nearly killed him, Reid retreats to his brother Walker’s cabin on Butternut Lake and lashes out at anyone who tries to help. Reid wishes Mila would just go away, until he notices the strength, and the secrets, behind her sad brown eyes.  Against all odds, Mila slowly draws Reid out of the darkness and towards the road to recovery. Along the way, they form a deeper bond as Mila lowers her guard and begins to trust again, and Reid learns how to let this woman through his protective shell and into his life. While the seemingly endless days of summer unfold, Reid and Mila take the first steps to healing as they discover love can be more than just an unattainable dream.