Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

Ellis Reed is a struggling reporter in Philadelphia in 1931. He makes his living covering the few society events in the area during the Great Depression.  Anything to keep food in his own belly and a roof over his head.  When he stumbles across the sign, "2 children for sale", at a run down farmhouse, he uses the company camera to snap a picture.

The Chief is anxious to print the gut wrenching story and accompanying photo.  However, for some reason the photo was destroyed before it could go to print.  Ellis goes back to the farmhouse only to find it empty.  Desperate to make a name for himself, he convinces two neighbor children to recreate the picture.

Lily, who has a secret of her own, discovered Ellis' original photo in the dark room and set the wheels of the newspaper story in motion.  When she realizes what Ellis has done in taking the second picture, she joins forces with him in an effort to make it right.

Sold on a Monday is a heartbreaking story of how children of the time were treated in desperate situations.  They were sometimes sold by parents hoping to break out of poverty, not knowing they were sending their children into a life of abuse and neglect.  But I thought this story dragged on through the middle.  The author added many sub plots that maybe didn't all need to be there and didn't add any depth to the story.  This book is an interesting slice of history but the writing itself is over done.

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict

Not much is known about Albert Einstein's first wife, Mitza Maric.  I call her Mitza, her nickname, not her given name, Mileva, because I grew to know her quite well on the pages of this book.  The Other Einstein is historical fiction but the author has done extensive research into Mitza and Albert's relationship in order to craft her story.

In the late 19th century the only career option for women was learning how to cook and clean in preparation for marriage and children.  Mitzi, born with a deformity which caused her to limp, knew from a young age that marriage was not in the cards for her.  A close relationship with her father set her on a path of education in math and science.  She secured a position in the physics program at the University of Zurich which would make a teaching career a real possibility.  It is there however, she met Albert Einstein.

The pair fell in love with each other but also with their ability to collaborate so well on their physics projects.  Mitza got Albert out of many a jam in math calculations but being a woman meant her brain power was not respected.  When Albert began leaving her name off of their published work, Mitza had to learn to stand up for herself.

Albert Einstein was just not a nice guy, smart but with a big ego.  Mitza was equally as intelligent but pushed aside because she was a woman.  There are a lot of lessons in The Other Einstein to be learned especially for young women, such as the power of an education, standing by other women instead of competing with them and standing up for our rights as a human being.

The Other Einstein is a brilliant glimpse into a part of history most of us know little about.  And it also tells us about the power of women.  The Other Einstein is definitely worth your time.  

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Lo Blacklock wakes up from an alcoholic binge to find her flat is being burgled.  That's how they say it in Britain.  He slams the bedroom door, cutting her cheek and locking her in before running off with her purse, phone and money.  If all that wasn't traumatic enough, she's only a few days away from a journalistic assignment for a travel magazine aboard a luxury yacht.  Her boss is ill and she's been asked to take her place, a real coup if Lo is ever going to make her way up the corporate ladder.

Once onboard, Lo's labeled as paranoid when she thinks she's seen a body being tossed overboard in the middle of the night.  Thus unfolds the drama of wealth, risk, illicit affairs and murder, all the components of a good mystery.

Yes, I've read other reviews from readers who were turned off by the constant use of alcohol and drugs and feeling like crap all the time.  I understand that, but if Lo was on top of her game at all times, what kind of page turning, tension filled novel would be left.  I've read other books by Ruth Ware and she's a master at building stress and anxiety that leave the reader tense and wanting more.

I enjoyed The Woman in Cabin 10.  I even stayed up reading past my usual bedtime to find out what happened.  It's a high anxiety story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Ohio by Stephen Markley

Ohio by Stephen Markley

I grew up in Ohio, you know, round on the ends, hi in the middle.  Although I moved away a long time ago, lots of family and friends still live there.  On a recent visit back for my high school reunion, I realized that Ohio will never leave me.  It's who I am and where I will always be from.  It is my heart.

When I heard about this novel, Ohio, I wasn't sure I wanted to read it.  It's about the opiod crisis that is gripping our nation and especially small rural towns.  I didn't want to believe that was true.  I wanted my memories of a safe, serene place with fresh air and a Dairy Queen to remain intact.  During my trip back I learned those precious things were no longer reality.  Doors are locked now to keep out those looking for money to fuel a drug habit.

Ohio tells the story of several teenagers growing up in a small, rural Ohio town and the trajectories of their lives as they moved to adulthood.  Some went off to college at Bowling Green, where I got my degree and Wittenberg, where my brother and sister both got degrees.  The author also threw in Cedar Point amid some civil war Ohio history.  Alcohol and drug use started early in this tiny enclave and impacted how each one of their story lines evolved.

This book is long and dark and highlights the Iraq war and diverse political views on top of the already heavy weight of alcohol and drug use.  Often I thought the story dragged on but I was kept interested in how each of these kids turned out.  For all of them their lives weren't pretty, loaded with past baggage they couldn't seem to shake.  I connected with the characters maybe because they were Ohioans and I'd driven the same roads and been to a lot of the same places in my life.  But they broke my heart because they are navigating a world I know nothing about.

If you have the time, Ohio is worth the investment.

Laugh Out Loud: 40 Women Humorists Celebrate Then and Now

Laugh Out Loud: 40 Women Humorists Celebrate Then and Now Before We Forget

I regularly enter the Erma Bombeck writing contest put on by the University of Dayton. I have yet to win or even place but still hold out hope that one year I'll create the perfect funny essay that will wow the judges. 

When I received an email asking me to read this book, I jumped at it. Why wouldn't I? I'm well over 40 and I still remember rotary phones, rolling my hair on orange juice cans and wearing garter belts to hold up my nylon hosiery. Throw in night sweats and hot flashes and I was all in. None of these things were especially funny when they were happening but time between then and now has turned them into fair game.

The first few stories reminded me of some things from my youth that I had forgotten like Jean Nate and having my ears pierced. I got a chuckled out of that. But the longer I read, even though they were written by different authors, the stories repeated themselves. I was no longer laughing by the fifth story about that lemon perfume. 

I blame the editor for my disappointment not the individual writers. There is some funny stuff in here that any woman can relate to. Maybe don't try to read the whole book at once. Reading one or two stories at a time might keep it fresh and funny.