In our latest Editor's Choice review, we bring you The Book of Hope by renowned conservationist Jane Goodall and writer Douglas Abrams, an inspiring call to action and a guide for navigating our planet's turbulent times.

We hope you enjoy our First Impressions reviewers' thoughts on Suzanne Feldman's Sisters of the Great War, a compelling and immersive work of historical fiction about two sisters who live through the ravages of World War I and find love.

We also have a new Wordplay and information on author John Shors upcoming literary tours to four Asian destinations.

Lastly, if you have not already done so, I invite you to cast your votes for this year's BookBrowse Award Winners. Voting closes at the end of tomorrow (Nov 5): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WMTSJ5P

Very best,

Davina Morgan-Witts

BookBrowse Publisher

Each month we give away books to BookBrowse members who live in the U.S. to read and review. Members who choose to participate receive a free book about every 3-4 months. Here are their opinions on one recently released title.

"Ruth and Elise Duncan, two American sisters living a comfortable but stifling existence in Baltimore, leave everything familiar to volunteer at the front in World War I. Ruth, a nurse who looks for every opportunity to pursue her dream to be a doctor, and Elise, a talented mechanic and an ambulance driver, are surrounded by bombing, loss and the unspeakable and gruesome degradation of war... Despite incredible challenges and heartbreak, Ruth and Elise survive to find love, lasting friendship and purpose in their lives. The scenes of the last hours of World War I in November 1918 are described in compelling detail, making me feel present on the ship to Dover and in the streets of Dover and London." - Carol S. (Mt. Juliet, TN)

"I enjoy reading about unheralded women in history and this book showcases just that. The author also provides a detailed overview of the horrors endured by both the service men and women in WWI and the carnage they saw and endured. There are love interests for both sisters. I would recommend to book clubs and anyone interested in historical fiction." - Carol P. (Leland, NC)

"Many novels using WWI as a backdrop have flooded the book world recently, but this one stands out. The authentic characters and the portrayal of the stark reality of war had me turning page after page. Though it is always difficult to read about the devastation of war, Feldman's powerful descriptions are never gratuitous, and she includes just enough romance to maintain our faith in humankind. This one is a winner!" - Gail K. (Saratoga Springs, NY)

The just-published issue of The BookBrowse Review is packed with new reviews and articles; plus author interviews, recommendations for book clubs and previews of notable books publishing soon.

This twice-monthly magazine is just one benefit of being a BookBrowse member.

An individual membership to BookBrowse costs the equivalent of just $3.25/month. Join Today!

After a summer of bad news for the planet, the very idea of hope may seem quaint, naïve, even out of touch. Despair, sadness, anger and foreboding all seem more suited to the times. Indeed, in a recent landmark study on attitudes about climate change, over three-quarters of young people aged 16 to 25 reported feeling negative emotions about the future, including fear, anxiety and hopelessness.

Yet as Goodall and Abrams stress in The Book of Hope, hope is not mere wishful thinking or blind denial. Nor is it a luxury we can no longer afford. Rather, hope is an essential survival trait and a necessary spur to action—a vital antidote to the paralysis that all too often overcomes us when we face challenges that feel too overwhelming to confront. "We do need to respond with fear and anger about what is happening," as Goodall puts it. "Our house is on fire. But if we don't have hope that we can put the fire out, we will give up." ...

Destructive and unsustainable human habits are wiping out ecosystems around the world at alarming rates, not only threatening millions of wildlife species with extinction but also endangering human health and well-being. "[H]umans depend on the natural world for food, air, water, clothing—everything," as acclaimed primatologist and naturalist Jane Goodall says in The Book of Hope. "But ecosystems must be healthy to provide for our needs."

Dire as the situation is, however, it is not too late to start repairing the damage we've done. And as Goodall argues, one major reason to remain hopeful that we can heal some of the harms we've inflicted is the resilience of nature—its power to adapt, survive and thrive, to rebound and recover from adversity.

From the restoration of the Yellowstone National Park ecosystem to the transformation of a blighted quarry into a lush park and wildlife sanctuary in Kenya, Goodall offers many examples of landscapes degraded by humans that, over time, have recovered into healthy ecosystems when we let nature take over. But perhaps the most poignant symbol she gives of nature's endurance is that of the survivor trees of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. ...

Review and article by Elisabeth Herschbach

As a subscriber to BookBrowse I know you enjoy traveling to new locations through books, and you probably also enjoy traveling in person, which is why I am excited to update you on John Shors upcoming Literary Tours.

You probably recognize John's name from his novels, many of which have been featured on BookBrowse and are bestsellers in the US and overseas (he's been translated into nearly thirty languages). Starting with Beneath a Marble Sky, which transports readers to 17th century Hindustan and the building of the Taj Mahal, to last year's My Midnight Sun (set in modern day Nepal), John brings his settings to vivid life by drawing upon many years of travel and research.

For the past few years, John has been combining his love of writing and travel to personally lead small groups (average size is just 10 people with two guides) on tours to the parts of the world he knows intimately. Among the tours coming up are a trip to Thailand in January, Bhutan in April, Japan also in April and India in October.

You can find out more about John in BookBrowse's blog, or go straight to his website at johnshorstravel.com/literarytours.

Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a 6-month membership to BookBrowse.

The answer to the last Wordplay: Y A B Up T W T

"You are barking up the wrong tree"

Meaning: You are taking the wrong course and/or wasting your effort in the wrong direction

This expression alludes to a dog who believes it has chased its prey up one tree, when in fact the prey is somewhere else entirely.

The earliest known references both date to 1832: Westward Ho! by James Kirke Paulding and Legends of the West by James Hall. Most sources put Westward Ho! as the earlier, with some citing Legends of the West as publishing in 1833...