Tag: One Good Thing

ECONOGAL > One Good Thing

May 2025 Wrap-Up

Posted on by Econogal

New Additions

Both April and May 2025 were full of travel and events. Books were read and some were reviewed. Plenty of hours were logged in both the garden and the quilt room. The only thing lacking was regular writing.

Two new babies were born into the family twenty days apart. One of each gender, identical in length and only an ounce apart in weight. Since the cousins live but five miles apart it will be interesting to see if they are misidentified as twins. I look forward to holding them simultaneously.

Messages to Econogal

I try to keep up and acknowledge the emails that come into the blog. Unfortunately, the majority want me to let them publish what they write thereby skipping the cost of a website. Others want me to write on their topic of choice. The vast majority are literary agents doing the job of promoting a client’s book.

My favorite correspondence is from writers themselves. Some write in the comments, others reference my blog on their websites and still others send private notes. This month I learned Ken Steele was recognized by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries in May 2025 with an award for The Promise of Unbroken Straw. Kudos to Ken, I am still gifting his book to various individuals in my circle. I highly recommend it.

May 2025 In the Garden

Much time is spent in the garden at this time of year. I have a row of potatoes and a row of tomatoes in the Big Garden. Green onions are interplanted with the tomatoes and basil with the potatoes. I also have a row of leafy plants. Multiple types of lettuce and broccoli are in this row with more green onions and some rather anemic artichokes.

The final row includes hot peppers, beets, carrots and peas. My early starts of peanuts did not make it. However, I threw some peanut seeds into this fourth row as well and was quite pleased to see a couple of plants pop through this week. No doubt the inch of rain accompanied by warm, seasonal temperatures helped the garden along.

May 2025 In the Library

Two books, both set in Italy were reviewed this past month. Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a cozy murder mystery laced with romance. One Good Thing is superb historical fiction. In addition to the two outstanding books I reviewed this month, I reread books by Janet Evanovich and Diane Mott Davidson. I love both authors. Since I love re-reading certain series, I am thinking of having some throwback reviews in the future.

Personal News

But first, I need to attend to my health. Something is not quite right with my heart. Fortunately, I have an appointment with a specialist at UC Health in Denver next week. Those of us in small rural towns scattered throughout this country travel out of town when medical issues are complex. Hopefully the diagnoses will be quick and the remedy straightforward. In the meantime, I plan to live as stress-free as possible. And I do plan to keep all of you up to date. Happy June to all.

One Good Thing Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

Another Winner from Georgia Hunter

One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter is every bit as good as her debut novel, We Were The Lucky Ones. There are some similarities. Both time periods encompass WWII. And once again, the atrocities committed against the Jewish community is core to the story. Yet, unlike the first novel, One Good Thing is pure fiction.

Plot of One Good Thing

Lili and Esti meet at university and become close friends. Both are Jewish, one Italian and one Greek. As Mussolini’s Racial Laws intensify, Esti and her husband become more radical, even after the birth of their son Theo. Meanwhile, Lili tends to avoid confrontations even though she feels the tension of the changing political climate too.

Once the Germans invade Italy, matters boil and the women must flee their homes with young Theo in tow. Esti remains outspoken and begins forging papers for the underground. Then disaster strikes and the two women must separate. Esti, unable to travel, begs Lili to keep heading south with four-year-old Theo in tow.

Lili and Theo

The novel follows the war-time travels of Lili and Theo. Peddling bikes, hitching rides both openly and covertly and walking mile after mile, the pair push towards Rome. Danger lurks at every turn. When Theo needs medical care, Lili is tempted to leave him behind. She doesn’t. He has become the one good thing in her life.

Secondary Roles

Hunter brings depth to the personal triumphs and tragedies of war through the introduction of a myriad of secondary characters. Good and evil characters as well as those with actions that are a bit blurry. People act differently during war. Even more so when the fighting is close by.

These personalities provide the heart of the story. Heroes and villains’ actions allow the reader to experience the atrocities of fascism, genocide and war. But also, the altruism and dedication of those fighting against the horrors of inhumanity. Most importantly, Hunter warns against a repeat of the past with her story.

Recommendation for One Good Thing

We Were The Lucky Ones was on my best books list of 2018. I am sure One Good Thing will make this year’s list. Writers with the talent to evoke strong emotions are rare. Georgia Hunter can bring one to tears and yet have the reader close the book with an expectation of hope, love and certainty that today’s woes can be overcome. And tomorrow offers the promise of a better world.

Furthermore, books such as One Good Thing need to be read far and wide. History does not have to repeat. People can learn from the past, even from historical fiction.