The Secret of the Nightingale Palace by Dana Sachs is the poignant story of an estranged grandmother and granddaughter and a secret that ties them together.After her husband dies from leukemia, Anna agrees to help hard-to-please Goldie to bring a collection of valuable Japanese art from New York to California. Harboring a decades-old secret that could change Anna’s life forever, Goldie must learn … forever, Goldie must learn to let go of her past so her granddaughter can move on and discover happiness and love.
With a narrative that alternates between early 1940s San Francisco and the present day, The Secret of the Nightingale Palace is a beautiful story about the enduring power of love and family.
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A little “light,” but I really enjoyed it, and the ending was satisfying
The historical aspect was interesting but it was the ending that gave it a thumbs up!
Started very slowly
Great story of a time period in American history not often discussed. Great exploration of relationship between grandmother and granddaughter.
Great book
I liked that the younger protagonist, Anna, does not end with a ‘happy ever after’ situation. She merely take a tiny step on the road to a possible ‘happy ever after.’ But that tiny step feels like enough. I wish the grandmother had been more fleshed out, but I LOVE her ‘ending.’ In its own way this novel also does a little exploration of “class” …
I loved this unusual story. The getting together of grandmother with granddaughter and the many surprises the granddaughter learned about her grandmothers life. Exciting and I loved the ending. You must read
I liked this book til the end , then I loved this book .
Family disagreements are sometimes difficult to face head on. This book takes you into the lives of a grandmother/granddaughter duo traveling across country. A few twist and turns add interest and the ending holds one last twist – enjoy!
great story line and characters – a unexpected twist
I enjoyed the interplay between the two generations and the way the story unfolded.
I really enjoyed the book and seeing the relationship blossom between granddaughter and grandmother. Heart warming.
The book reveals a somewhat complex relationship between a young woman and her grandmother they’re on a road trip. The crux of the plot is the grandmother’s relationship with a Japanese family in San Francisco just prior to the outbreak of World War II. Overall I love a character development as well as the historical flashbacks. There is a …
One of my favorite books ever. This book is not to be missed by fans of historical, World War II, romantic novels.
Good read.
Didn’t figure this one out until the very end. I think the resolution between grandmother and granddaughter could have been better.
Loved the historical connections to the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco because it was one of my favorite places to go as a child.
I would read more by this author. I recently read another book about the relocation of Japanese during WWII and the part of story pertaining to this was most interesting.
I was so sad when it ended! I loved the characters especially Goldie.
This was a good story, especially with travelling between present day and the past. It was a little drawn out, however, and really wasn’t revealed until the very last page.