C.L.R. Peterson, Author

Beyond Robinson Crusoe: Riches to Rags on a Rocky Island

CLR Peterson — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:33:53 +0000

Could a lone French noblewoman survive on a rocky island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence? Find out more in my review of Isola, by Allegra Goodman.

The post Beyond Robinson Crusoe: Riches to Rags on a Rocky Island appeared first on C.L.R. Peterson, Author.

Secrets, Sacrifice, and Survival: A WWII Saga That Spans Decades

CLR Peterson — Sun, 17 May 2026 23:48:50 +0000

My review of The Things We Cannot Say, a tension-filled dual-time-period novel set in the life of a family in small-town Poland at the beginning of World War II, and in the contemporary U.S. in the life of a family stretched to its limits caring for their autistic, non-verbal son.

The post Secrets, Sacrifice, and Survival: A WWII Saga That Spans Decades appeared first on C.L.R. Peterson, Author.

Courage in the Paris Underground

CLR Peterson — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 20:15:50 +0000

If you enjoy novels that stretch characters to their limits, or even beyond, to pursue their highest calling, you’ll love Skylark! I review this new novel by Paula McLain.

The post Courage in the Paris Underground appeared first on C.L.R. Peterson, Author.

Two Days to Disaster: The Genius of Robert Harris’s Pompeii

CLR Peterson — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:53:45 +0000

What if the fate of Pompeii depended not on a soldier or emperor, but on an engineer racing against a mountain ready to explode? I review Robert Harris's novel, Pompeii.

The post Two Days to Disaster: The Genius of Robert Harris’s Pompeii appeared first on C.L.R. Peterson, Author.

From Secret Intelligence to Soufflés: How WWII Shaped a Culinary Icon

CLR Peterson — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 14:52:50 +0000

How did Julia McWilliams progress from her role as a clerk for the Office of Strategic Services (the CIA’s predecessor) to gathering intelligence in World War II to becoming a celebrity chef and cookbook author? We discuss a surprising novel based on a little-known part of the famous chef’s life.

The post From Secret Intelligence to Soufflés: How WWII Shaped a Culinary Icon appeared first on C.L.R. Peterson, Author.

When Beliefs Collide: Courage Under Fire in Tudor England

CLR Peterson — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 20:34:44 +0000

Long before bookseller Kate sets her eyes upon Thomas More, she already fears and hates him. In The Heretic’s Wife, author Brenda Rickman Vantrease skillfully weaves Kate’s life-or-death choices into this novel set in Tudor England.

The post When Beliefs Collide: Courage Under Fire in Tudor England appeared first on C.L.R. Peterson, Author.