The daughter of a California winemaker fights for her father’s approval in Williams’ novel.

It is May, 1960. Forty-year-old Sofia Russo is swirling a glass of Pinot Noir poured from the first bottle from her second harvest. On her desk sits a blank sheet of paper, waiting for her to write words of tribute to her father, Giovanni Russo, to be spoken at the opening ceremony of Russo Vineyards’ first tasting room. The festivities will also serve as the official handover of the vineyard from father to son, from Giovanni to Sofia’s twin brother Alonso (Al) Russo—but it is Sofia who has always dreamed of being the next Russo vintner, whose soul is infused with the smells and labor of the vineyard. Al is a graphic artist, with little interest in winemaking, but he is resigned to accepting responsibility for preserving the family heritage. From the time she was a toddler, Sofia would follow her father and grandfather into the fields, spending every possible moment with her Papa. All that changed at the twins’ 10th birthday party, the day that Giovanni made clear that Al would inherit the vineyard (“as fathers, we are blessed to have sons to carry on the family name”); her relationship with her father has been fractured ever since. After renting a patch of land from friend and neighboring winemaker Mateo Parisi, Sofia has just produced her own outstanding vintage. Williams’ narrative is a vibrant tale of complex filial relationships. Of equal weight is the vivid presentation of the struggles of Napa Valley vintners during Prohibition and the Great Depression—some of the novel’s most compelling and poignant sections are found in these historical chapters. Additionally, the story serves as a primer on the extraordinarily intricate day-by-day decisions involved in producing a fine vintage, with Sofia scrupulously following her beloved grandfather’s inspiration and tutelage. The technical information can become a bit mind-numbing for the average wine consumer, but connoisseurs will enjoy having their attention to vintage subtleties validated.

Engrossing and carefully penned, with a formidable female protagonist.

A young Canadian woman in the 1920s learns about herself as she gets her first job in Williams’ historical novel.

In 1927 Vancouver, 17-year-old Clara Wilson, who’s still mourning the death of her mother five years prior, finds out quite suddenly that she, her father, and her slightly older sister, Louisa, are about to be evicted. She decides to go apply for a job at the Hotel Hamilton, a luxury hotel set to open the next month, and Louisa tags along against Clara’s wishes. As Clara fills out an application, she meets a spoiled young woman named Jane Morgan. All three young women make it through the application process to train to be maids. It turns out that snobbish Jane turned down the suitor that her parents picked for her, so she’s working in order to avoid being shipped off to England to live with an elderly relative. Clara sympathizes, but Jane’s privilege and laziness get on her nerves and nearly sabotage a test they must pass together. Clara’s afraid to complain to those in charge, as Jane’s uncle knows the hotel’s owner. However, when Jane shifts blame for her own mistakes onto Clara, the latter panics and acts in ways that may cost her the job she so desperately wants. The sisters also must deal with their father’s heavy drinking and unemployment and have only a month to cover their outstanding rent. Williams’ depiction of the complexity of the often tense relationship between the sisters is the highlight of the novel as a whole. Clara’s interactions with Louisa, an aspiring actress, are frequently fraught, as Clara feels obligated to watch out for her sibling but is jealous of her beauty and her seeming ease with navigating the world around her. They frequently antagonize each other but also help each other out. There are some nice period details throughout the novel, too, including bits of 1920s slang and headlines about Charles Lindbergh’s trans-Atlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis. The story can be slow in spots, bogged down by unnecessary detail, but it has a satisfying ending.

A pleasant coming-of-age tale with well-developed main characters.

In Williams’ paranormal novel, the spirits of a historic church inspire a young lawyer to accept the loss of her parents.

Twenty-six-year-old Seattle native Emily Reed is as guarded as she is intelligent. Her parents died in a car accident 10 years ago, but instead of grieving, she coped by excelling academically. After graduating from law school, Emily was recruited by a firm representing a church in a dispute regarding its landmark designation. Her first assignment is to organize the church’s archives, and she’s surprised to learn that the church is where her parents wed. Ryan, Emily’s boyfriend, joins her guardians in urging her to seek counseling and let herself grieve, but she refuses. At the church, Emily discovers diaries dating back to 1915 and becomes immersed in the life of Elizabet Thomas, a socialite and philanthropist. Unbeknownst to Emily, the spirits of Elizabet and her friend Dorothea, an eccentric madame, are watching her and even meddling in her life. Ever since the passing of Elizabet’s husband in 1922, she’s never stopped grieving—even in the afterlife. The novel is a well-crafted cautionary tale—against self-pity, in Elizabet’s case, and pride, in Emily’s. Williams achieves a striking narrative symmetry, not unlike the architecture of the church that she beautifully describes; each element of the sanctuary seems to have a story to tell: “The pipe organ stands proud and tall on the upper balcony, like a soldier standing at attention, waiting patiently for someone to spur it to life.” Some readers may object to the story’s ending, which is perhaps overly tidy and sentimental. That said, there’s much to celebrate in this book, including its memorable depiction of courage: “You must only be brave for one moment at a time.”

A delightfully rewarding novel illuminated by history.