Friday, July 4, 2014

Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion by Karen White, Kristina McMorris, Jenna Blum, Sarah Jio, Alyson Richman, Pam Jenoff , Erika Robuck, Amanda Hodgkinson, Melaine Benjamin, Sarah McCoy, Kristin Hannah (Introduction)

A war bride awaits the arrival of her GI husband at the platform…

A Holocaust survivor works at the Oyster Bar, where a customer reminds him of his late mother…

A Hollywood hopeful anticipates her first screen test and a chance at stardom in the Kissing Room…


On any particular day, thousands upon thousands of people pass through New York City’s Grand Central Terminal, through the whispering gallery, beneath the ceiling of stars, and past the information booth and its beckoning four-faced clock, to whatever destination is calling them. It is a place where people come to say hello and good-bye. And each person has a story to tell.

Now, ten bestselling authors inspired by this iconic landmark have created their own stories, set just after the end of World War II, in a time of hope, uncertainty, change, and renewal….

My thoughts: I've been highly anticipating Grand Central for some time now. A number of the authors who took part in the anthology are among my favorites. This was either going to be a good thing or a bad.

In a word, Grand Central is fantastic. I devoured each and every story. Every story is it's own unique tale. I could picture myself as a bystander simply standing at the Grand Central Terminal--all the stories are happening on the same day. We as the reader get to peek into the lives of passersby, one day in the history of Grand Central.

Within a number of the short stories there is the most subtle overlay of an earlier character in another story, gently weaving the Grand Central Terminal together. I was a bit curious how these authors were going to fully engage me into such short stories and yet each and everyone of them did just that. Many of them, if not all, I felt could easily be turned into full novels. Each story had me engaged in the protagonists life. Some of these stories brought me to tears, some made me angry, some melted my heart. I was impressed by how different each story was, just as each of our stories are very different as we pass one another in life. We go home to different circumstances, different history, different pain, different hopes.

At the close of Grand Central, I sat back as it had been reaffirmed why some of these authors are indeed on my list of favorites. The authors I hadn't read before are now on my list of authors to read. As someone who is often asked to give author recommendations, I am thrilled to tell people to read Grand Central to have an opportunity to read from ten wonderful authors. Each different and wonderful. I am highly recommending Grand Central!

Featuring stories from:

Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator’s Wife
Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us
Amanda Hodgkinson, New York Times bestselling author of 22 Britannia Road
Pam Jenoff, bestselling author of The Ambassador’s Daughter
Sarah Jio, New York Times bestselling author of Blackberry Winter
Sarah McCoy, New York Times bestselling author of The Baker’s Daughter
Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author of The Pieces We Keep
Alyson Richman, bestselling author of The Lost Wife
Erika Robuck, bestselling author of Call Me Zelda
Karen White, New York Times bestselling author of After the Rain

With an Introduction by

Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Home Front

Check out the Facebook page for Grand Central and make sure to buy your copy today!

3 comments:

  1. Wonderful review. I enjoyed this collection as well.

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  2. Glad to see you enjoyed it. I love the collection of authors, so I can't wait to read it.

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