Splintered Silence by Susan Furlong

Splintered Silence by Susan Furlong

First off I have to say I happened on this book by chance.  My sister's name is Susan Leigh Furlong, writer of historical romance novels.  I was searching for a new book titled Furious Hours when this other Susan Furlong popped up. Turns out my sister added Leigh to separate herself from this mystery writer without a middle name.

Brynn Callahan is part of a clan of Irish Travellers who live in a remote part of Tennessee.  She enlisted in the Marines to escape an arranged marriage which is common among clan members.  After Brynn is severely injured in war, she has nowhere to go but back to Bone Gap.  Her constant companion is her cadaver trained dog, Wilco, who is her only comfort and constant companion.  So when bodies start turning up in the woods, Brynn and Wilco go back to work helping the police who aren't trusted by the clan.

Most of the time Brynn was strung out on drugs and alcohol in an effort to run from the ravages of war overseas and hide from the secrets long kept from her at home.  I didn't find her a very likable kind of character even though it was clear what she was up against both internally and externally. The author went to great lengths to tell the reader that the Irish Travellers were not the gypsies and thieves  most of us believe them to be.  But I don't think she succeeded in changing our minds mainly because  the plot of Splintered Silence revolves drug dealing and murder.

If you're into murder mysteries this is a pretty good one.  Easy reading, engaging page turner and it has a couple of surprises at the end that you won't see coming.  I'm still trying to learn to love mysteries so if you're already in love with them, I think you'll like this one.

The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin

The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin

Renee, Caroline, Joe and the youngest, the narrator, Fiona are siblings left to raise themselves when their father suddenly dies in his 30's and their mother retreats to her bedroom for more than three years.  Renee, the oldest takes over the household duties, cooking, cleaning, laundry.  Caroline finds solace with a neighbor boy who she eventually marries and Joe immerses himself in baseball.  Fiona, being the youngest, follows everyone else around.  That's what youngest girls do.

Joe's baseball coach at some point intervenes and Noni, their mother, comes out of her room and back to life.  But the scars of their childhood present themselves differently in each one of the children as they find their way to adulthood.

I related to the first part of this story.  I'm the youngest of the same pecking order, 2 girls, a boy and then the baby girl.  We were also raised by a single and very depressed mother.  On many levels I felt exactly what Fiona felt.  But then that all changed for me.  They faced their lives in a differently way some of which I felt made the story more interesting and others left me scratching my head.

The Last Romantics looks at how the things that happen to us along the way impact how we view love.  Love can be lasting which is the most rewarding kind, but love can also be fleeting and elusive.  But one thing for sure, it means something different to each of us and we never stop searching for it.  It's a well written book which some of you will love and the rest of you will hate.  A few of you may land somewhere in the middle but isn't that what love is all about?

The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson

The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson

I found The Feather Thief on a list of true crime books labeled as must reads. Since I'm always trying to expand my horizons, I figured I'd give it a shot. I like birds, feathers are lucky, so why not?

The first part of this book focuses on Alfred Russel Wallace, a British naturalist in competition with Charles Darwin.  When all his diaries and plant specimens gathered from the jungles of South America land on the ocean floor after his ship headed for home catches fire, he looks for new discoveries in the Far East.  There he gathers studies previously unknown species of birds with spectacular plumage and routinely sends the skins home to England.

Fast forward to 2009 when a young, obsessed fly tier breaks into the British Museum housing Wallace's discoveries, loads them into his suitcase and walks to the train station to wait for the 3 a.m. train back to London.  Several years later the theft is made known to the writer and fly fisherman, Kirk Wallace Johnson, his goal becomes that of cracking the case.

I have no interest in fishing of any kind but I was hooked by The Feather Thief.  The history of the demand for feathers in fashion drew me in at first.  And then throw in a modern and for the most part unsolved crime, and I couldn't stop turning the pages.  This book is all that it says it is, a story of beauty, obsession and the natural history heist of the century.  You won't be able to put it down.

The Longest Trip Home by John Grogan

The Longest Trip Home by John Grogan

"Heaven was not a paradise reserved for the exclusive use of any one religion.  The Lord could not be that unfair. There could be either one God who loved everybody the same or no God at all."

The Longest Trip Home is John Grogan's of Marley and Me fame, account of growing up in the 1960's in the suburbs of Detroit.  His childhood antics, in a simpler time without cell phones or computers to distract were totally relatable to me.  I grew up in the similar Midwest suburbs of nearby Cleveland.  John's parents were devote Catholics and everything about their lives and how they raised their children was steeped in serving the Lord.  I cracked up when the altar boys finished off what was left of the communion wine after Mass.  John and his siblings often had to be on their best behavior because a priest was a frequent dinner guest.  A crucifix was a wall decoration in every room of the house.

I too, was raised in a home where my mother dragged us to church every Sunday.  We weren't Catholic but Presbyterian.  We served grape juice at communion which is boring by comparison.  But when John graduated from college and started life on his own, he began to examine his own feelings about religion and faith.  Whether it was the times or the faith based foundation, I found myself searching for the same things in that period of my life.

What sealed the deal for me in this book, was how John dealt with his father's illness and his mother's dementia in later years.  There is no guidebook for this and he struggled in the same ways I struggled to care for my parents and step mother.  He floundered at times and I finally felt that I wasn't alone because I did my fair share of doubting and floundering in similar situations too.  Our parents give us what they can and the rest is up to us.

The Longest Trip Home is a great story that I'm certain most baby boomers can find something within its pages to laugh about, cry about and reflect on.  I'm so glad I read this.

The Weight of a Piano by Chris Cander

The Weight of a Piano by Chris Cander

"Just as a photo album grew thick with memories of holidays, vacations, family and friends - the piano gain the weight of each owner and his or her music."

Clara Lundy has been dumped by yet another boyfriend and is forced to move her beloved piano once again.  She struggles to learn to play the piano but it's a Bluthner, given to her by her father shortly before both of her parents were killed in a house fire.  In a fit of frustration she decides to sell the piano and be done with it once and for all.  It's holding her back from the life she's longing for.

An eager buyer offers Clara more than the asking price causing her to have second thoughts.  When Greg holds her to the contract, she gets in her car and follows him.  He's a photographer with big dreams for the shots of the piano in Death Valley.  But why there?  Clara wonders as she continues to keep tabs on her piano.  And what she finds is a connection deeper than either she or Greg could ever have imagined.

The Weight of a Piano is a story of finding love as well as letting go of love.  The story goes from the past to the present and back again which allowed the story to unfold quite naturally.  The backdrop of Death Valley and all its beauty was captured with wonderful prose.  The love displayed on all different levels of life was warm, compassionate and believable.  If you're in the mood for love, you'll find The Weight of the Piano very satisfying.

There There by Tommy Orange

There There by Tommy Orange

I have not read a book this powerful in a very long time.  The characters and their stories will grip you and never let go.  All the more reason to add this title to your reading list.

The novel tells the stories of twelve characters, all Native Americans living or with connections to Oakland, California.  They range from young to old, male and female who are all struggling to understand who they are and where they fit in this world.  Many are alcoholics which is a topic that really hits home with me.  One young man overeats to compensate for what he feels he's missing.  Others turn to drug dealing.  And all feel helpless to change.

All of the characters stories converge at the Big Oakland Powwow.  I'm hesitant to tell you any more than that simply because I believe this is a book that needs to be experienced first hand.  Sometimes I had a little difficulty keeping all of the people and their relationships straight in my head but the deeper I got into the story the easier it became.  There There is an impactful look at our society and what it means to be Native American.

There is so much to be learned within these pages.  You will laugh, you will cry, you will feel happiness and anger.  You will feel sadness and compassion.  But what's for certain is you will feel differently about something when you read the last page than you did when you opened the cover at page one.

There There is a powerful book.  Read it.

The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure

The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure

Lucien Bernard is a struggling architect in Nazi occupied Paris.  That is until he meets a man who employs him for a very unusual reason, create hiding spaces in luxury apartments for prominent Jews being hunted by the Nazis.  Lucien is reluctant at first until he's given an introduction to German engineers wanting to build armament factories on French soil. This was his chance to prove his talents to the world even if the Germans were the enemy. Lucien didn't care.

I don't typically like to read World War II occupation stories.  I've read my share and then some and they are always very sad and heartbreaking.  The Paris Architect was no different. In fact there was a part so gruesome I almost put the book down for good.  My heart raced to an uncomfortable level and since I like to read before bed, that wasn't good.

I stuck with it and I can't say I'm overly glad that I did but I never like to leave a story unfinished.  Lucien was not a likable guy in my mind but he did show some compassion for others as the war around him escalated.  For me, however, he never completely lost his selfish ways.

The Paris Architect is without question, a page turner.  Keep in mind that the subject matter is often difficult.  We need respect and remember this portion of our history.  It's so important that we never forget these dark days. The Paris Architect is a gripping story and although often hard to read, I'm glad I did.  

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

The young and beautiful Hedy Kiesler steals the stage in the 1930's pre war Austria.  Her incredible beauty and talent doesn't go unnoticed.  Wealthy arms manufacturer, Fritz Mandl fills her dressing room with roses each night until Hedy, along with her parents agree that a marriage with this man is in all of their best interests.  The honeymoon has barely started when Hedy realizes this will never be a marriage of love.

Fritz locks Hedy inside their various homes during the day and host dinner parties at night. Hedy, however keeps her mouth closed and ears opens while she plays hostess to Fritz's customers who include those in power and hoping to come to power all over Europe.  When Austria falls into Hitler's hands, Hedy plans her escape.

Hedy becomes Hedy Lamarr as she sails across the Atlantic with Louis B. Mayer.  Her Hollywood career has begun.  But that's where the telling of this story begins to fall apart.  I'd heard about Hedy Lamarr's inventions and patents but her scientific mind is barely highlighted leading up to her invention intended to help the Navy launch torpedos.  To the reader, that she even had the ability to create such a technical machine seemed far fetched.

The Other Woman in the Room is a fictional depiction of the true accomplishments of actress Hedy Lamarr.  But the book fell short in allowing the reader to believe she had the guts, gumption and knowledge to accomplish such a feat.  I wanted more from this story.  We need more women role models in history and we need to know Hedy Lamarr's motivations but this novel only skimmed the surface.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

An American Marriage is the story of Celestial and Roy, a young couple trying to navigate love and marriage.  An unforeseen event lands Roy in prison for a crime he didn't commit.  That is of course where things begin to fall apart.

Celestial is a spoiled self centered young artist who wants what she wants, when she wants it.  When Roy is no longer around to cater to her every wish, she turns to her childhood friend, Andre.  A love triangle is often the downfall of many American marriages regardless of race, religion or economic position in society.  Roy is helpless to defend his love for her because he's stuck in jail.

The writing in this book is wonderful.  It is full of jailhouse letters and I always love a good story revolving around handwritten letters.  The author created great characters, who I could choose to love or hate. I never warmed up to Celestial, who in my mind was a spoiled brat from a wealthy family.  Roy grew up poor, in a loving family, who taught him to reach for more out of life.  So when he moved to the big city and found the charming and beautiful Celestial, he believed he's succeeded.  But life happened all around them and they had no foundation for support.

For the first half of this book I felt this American marriage had nothing to do with the American marriage I was living in.  I didn't relate to their self serving approach to those around them.  As the story progressed I came to see that this really was the story of an American marriage.  We glamorize love, flowers, and over the top weddings every day on television and in the movies.  Young girls grow up thinking that's what marriage is and that love will keep us together.

Marriage is hard work and is the foundation of a good, stable family life.  Until we start instilling those ideas in our children, our divorce rate will continue to climb and our society will fracture.  Celestial and Roy never saw anything past their own desire and I came to realize that this book was spot on in describing An American Marriage. 

The Witch Elm by Tana French

The Witch Elm by Tana French

Toby is young, in love and looking to make a upward career move until one day he participates in a huge faux pas in the art world.  I hesitated to use the word faux pas when in reality it was all out fraud but after the fallout, Toby lands on his feet right back where he began.  His colleague did not.  He's back on easy street until one day intruders break into his apartment in the middle of the night and beat him almost to death.

As part of his recovery, Toby moves in with his dying Uncle Hugo in the old family home.  Toby and his cousins, Susannah and Leon, spent many summers at the Ivy House while their parents left them to travel.  Uncle Hugo turned a blind eye to most of the teenage adventures which suited the cousins just fine.

I have friends who love to read only mysteries and I'm trying to understand what they find so captivating.  Tana French is a popular writer in this genre so I wanted to give her latest a try.  I will say what I enjoyed most was the conversation between the cousins.  They had a tendency to drink alot, smoke pot and share Toby's never ending supply of Xanax.  But their conversations were so real and natural I felt I was sitting in front of the fire with them, chatting and laughing while trying not to wake Uncle Hugo who was sleeping upstairs.

What I didn't like is, the rest of the story was a real slog.  And I still don't know who did it.  The crime made no sense to me whatsoever ever.  If you love solving crimes and piecing together the clues, you might like this story.  After reading other reviews, most fans liked other Tana French novels much better.  The writing is top notch but the story telling left me cold. I'm going to give mystery novels a rest for a while.  After 500 plus pages of confusion, I need to get my thoughts back in order.

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

I selected The Outsiders as this month's book club read.  We like to mix things up, contemporary, classic, sci fi, young adult, just about anything.  As a group we followed the Great American Read and The Outsiders fell near the top of that list so as the book picker, I thought we should give it a try.

How this book came to be written is as interesting as the book itself.  S. E. Hinton was a teenager herself in Oklahoma in the 1960's.  She was disturbed by the division of the kids in her school and I also read that she was looking for a good book to read herself.  So she wrote one.  As I understand it, through the mother of a friend who knew someone the book got published.  But again with a hitch.  Her initials were used instead of her name because no one believed a book written by a woman would sell.  Thank God things have changed.

I vaguely remember reading The Outsiders in high school by have no recollection of it having any impact on my life.  This time around however, the impact was quite different.  Ponyboy, Sodapop and Darry are brothers left without parents due to a tragic accident.  Darry as the oldest, is desperately trying to keep them together.  They live in the neighborhood on the greaser side of town. Their rivals, the Socs live on the richer, preppie side of town.  When Ponyboy and his friend, Johnny meet a Soc girl, Cherry, at the movies, the storyline is set in motion.

I fell in love with Ponyboy, a good, thoughtful teenager trying to figure out how to be in the world.  But what struck me most is that the world of a teenager hasn't changed.  It's a time for learning and growing and figuring out how to make a mark in this world.  And that involves alot of jockeying among friends and foes.

The Outsiders is a must reason matter what age you are.  Everyone will take something, no matter how big or how small away from this story.  America loves this book because it's as current today as the day it was written.

Magical Realism for Non Believers by Anika Fajardo

Magical Realism for Non Believers by Anika Fajardo

I discovered this title during my search for a book to compare to my own memoir, which I'm currently pitching on the open market while trying to find an agent. Magical Realism for Non Believers is a memoir about finding family as is mine. But to me that's where the similarity ends.

Anika was born in Columbia but raised in Minnesota by her single mother. Her mother returned home after a short lived marriage to a Columbian man she met while in college. Anika remembers little about the father left behind. They had no interaction until he invites her to Columbia when Anika is eighteen. When she arrives in her homeland everything she knows about herself changes. A place she's never really known is familiar to her. 

Her father, however, is the mystery and he holds even more surprises for Anika that knock her off her feet. Anika spends alot of time trying to wrap her head around who and what makes up a family unit as is to be expected. She had much thrown at her during the time she crossed the bridge between teenager and adult. 

I understand her confusion about who she really is and where she belongs, but I'm not a big fan of the way this book was written. Anika has a compelling story to tell, I just wasn't captivated by the way it was told. I didn't feel connected with any of the family members, they appeared flat and aloof. And I never understood the meaning of the title Magical Realism for Non Believers. 

Dear George, Dear Mary by Mary Calvi

Dear George, Dear Mary by Mary Calvi

I'm not usually one to read historical romance but after I saw a piece on CBS Sunday Morning about the author of this book, I decided to read it.  I also like to mix up the subject matter and setting of the books I read, so this was the perfect update for me on pre Revolutionary War.

As a young man in a new country, George Washington set out to learn military strategy as well as the ways of a sophisticated and civilized man.  He had great respect for his mother who taught him polite table manners along with how to dance.  He becomes a highly sought after bachelor for the times.  George lived by the 110 Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior which the author gracefully sprinkles through this story.  He is an intelligent and gentle man.

In 1756 George is invited to the New York colony to the home of the wealthy Philipse's.  It is here that he becomes captivated with the beautiful Mary Philipse. And she with him.  The story leads the reader through the sumptuous food served at the dinner to dancing the minuet in the ballroom.  With lovely descriptions I imagined myself wearing the silk gowns, smelled the men's powdered wigs and heard the music that filled the mansion.

A few days later George must leave but vows to Mary to return to her.  But in the time of impending war, both sides use any method they can to manipulate the other side.  Dear George, Dear Mary is an immersion into the birth or our country wrapped around a beautiful love story interrupted by war.  This is a very well researched story and even though it's hard to tell the fact from the fiction, I was left feeling I learned about a side of George Washington that the history books never taught me.  This book is well worth your time.  I loved it. Romance and history mix seamlessly in Dear George, Dear Mary.  

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Okay! It's time for a classic!  A friend from high school is on a quest to read 100 books this year.  He's already up to 25 and this was one of his latest.  I'm not too familiar with William Faulkner so I thought I'd give this one a try.

As I Lay Dying is the story of a family who are on a journey to take their dead wife and mother to another county to be buried and fulfill her dying wish.  Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different family member, friend or acquaintance they encounter along the way.  Believe me, anything than can go wrong does.

Much of the story was difficult to read because the characters speak in a very complex, southern vernacular.  But that didn't mean I couldn't follow the details of building the coffin or getting the wagon across the river when the bridge washed out.  And I do have to say nothing prepared me for the shock at the end.

Supposedly Faulkner wrote this story start to finish without making a single edit.  If true that would be an amazing feat. He is a Noble Prize winner after all.  If you're like me and need a classic literature fix every now and then, As I Lay Dying is not to long and a good place to satisfy your craving.

My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry

My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry

I have a good friend who loves to read mysteries and thrillers.  I read an eclectic mix of things from classic to contemporary but rarely a mystery.  In an effort to expand our reading horizons, I'm trying to read the titles she suggests and she reads some of what I enjoy.  The only problem is that now I'm hooked.  I found Jane Corry and My Husband's Wife on a list and was intrigued.  I must admit the Brits are pretty good at writing the thrillers so I checked it out of the library.

Lily is newly married to Ed and trying to work her way up as a newly minted lawyer.  When her firm decides she would be great at criminal law, she visits her first client in prison with much trepidation.  She wins the case which sets in motion a brilliant law career.  Lily's winning ways however, are because she has a secret helper.

Carla is only nine and lives with her mother across the hall from Lily and Ed.  Lily offers to babysit so that Carla's mother can work on the weekends.  Ed, a painter, becomes enthralled with her Italian good looks.  Carla, even at her young age, learns that secrets can get her anything she wants. She grows up and comes back to get what she's wanted all these years from Lily and Ed.

My Husband's Wife is not a linear story.  It requires the reader to pay attention to the ups and downs of each character.  There are not many likable characters in this story but if they were, there'd be no story to tell. Not until the blood flows, will you feel much sympathy for any of them. Their lives are meticulously intertwined however and clues are left with precision.  The ending is as you might expect but not as you expected.  

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

I like to read in bed before I turn out the lights and go to sleep. The night I read the scene about Nancy Jaax, the Army veterinarian, who after cutting her hand at home, was assigned to enter a Level 4 hot zone to dissect a dead monkey, sleep wouldn't come.  Dressed in a space suit and with gloves and boots taped on, she went in to do her job.  The terrifying sensation when she felt something cold on her hand, will live in my mind for a very long time.  And another seven minutes in decon with bleach and other chemicals being sprayed on her suit before she would be able to undress and assess the situation.

Nancy imagined a deadly virus replicating itself through her body.  What would happen to her husband, children if she ended up in the isolation of what the Army called the Slammer.  Her mind raced and mine raced right along with her.  There was no restful sleep for me that night.  The Hot Zone became daytime reading material only.

The Hot Zone is the true story of how close the United States came to a full fledged ebola outbreak long before the recent history of the virus traveling to the United States in 2014.  This book traces the path of the virus from a bat filled cave in Eastern Africa to the man who visited this cave and is thought to have been its human host.  The Hot Zone reads like a novel with characters all fighting for position, research monkeys daring the humans to mess with them and a deadly virus who will outsmart them all.

The Hot Zone will get your heart racing and all you didn't know about ebola will become clear.  This is cringe worthy but fascinating stuff.  Read it because you will learn something you may know little about.  Read it because it's an exciting page turning story.  Read it because human life is much more fragile than we want to believe.

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore


Anyone who knows me, knows I spent a good part of my formative years hanging out at the Dairy Queen.  I loved it all, Buster Bars, Mr. Mistys, chocolate covered cones all with the curly cue on top.  As a teenager, I hung out every summer evening in the Dairy Queen parking lot with friends talking about our hopes and dreams for the future and a variety of other teenage stuff.

When I saw the title of this book on a list of must reads, I had to have it.  Catherine Grace Cline did all her best thinking with a Dilly Bar at the picnic table at the Dairy Queen in Ringgold, Georgia in the 1960's and 70's, the same time I was solving the problems of the world over a soft serve cone.  Her Daddy was the preacher in town, her Momma died when she was six.  And the only thing Catherine Grace wanted in life was to get out of that small town and move on to bigger and better things.

On her eighteenth birthday she did just that,  packed her bags and got on the Greyhound bus headed to Atlanta.  She worked things out in the big city and met a whole new cast of characters.  But when fate forces her to return the the small town she couldn't wait to escape, Catherine Grace found what she was searching for.

This Dairy Queen was in the south and the one I knew was in the north but the similarities between the life lessons learned there were identical.  I loved this book and all the people in it. Even though they spoke with a southern drawl, they spoke to me in Dairy Queen, a language I could relate to.  When I recently returned to my hometown and found the Dairy Queen I loved had been torn down 15 years ago, I cried.  Catherine Grace and the Ringgold, Georgia Dairy Queen touched me in the very same way.  

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

It's 1962 and Pasquale has returned from his studies in Florence after his father's death to run the family business in the tiny village of PortaVergogna. His mother has put herself to bed mourning the loss of her husband so Pasquale is left to manage the Hotel Adequate View alone.  One day a beautiful American actress arrives to stay at the secluded hotel and everything changes for him.

Dee Moray has been in Rome working on the film Cleopatra with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.  When she gets sick, she's sent away for some rest and relaxation.  Pasquale falls in love.  Fast forward to the present day and an elderly Pasquale turns up at Michael Deane's office in Hollywood.  Deane, as a young man, was sent by the studio to fix the disaster that the film had become.  Pasquale remembers his name and logically comes to him looking for Dee.

Jess Walter writes with a funny, sarcastic tone that will keep you guessing.  His ability to weave the past and present together is fantastic and his prose is full of lush descriptions.  You will see the Italian cliffs of the fishing village in your mind and the picture will never leave you.  And he has a very special way of wrapping it all up in a neat little bow at the end.

Beautiful Ruins is a tale of love lost and found yet not overly romantic.  The reader is taken on a journey to a charming Italian seaside village, a road trip with a drunk Richard Burton at the wheel both intermingled with the glamour of Hollywood past and present.  Certain scenes will have you laughing out loud and others will warm your heart.  I think you'll love Beautiful Ruins.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Nine guests come to relax and detox for 10 days at the remote and lovely Tranquillum House.  All have arrived at some difficult time in their lives and are anxious to return to a blissful existence. Although pricey, Tranquilly House comes highly recommended to solve their problems.  Their luggage is searched and all alcohol, chocolate and contraband is confiscated much to the dismay of the guests.  Cellphones and iPads are also locked up out of reach.

The novel begins with the near death experience of Masha, the owner of the spa.  She's turned her health around and now tries to help others do the same.  She sets the rules, the meals and the contents of their daily smoothie.  Frances, a successful romance writer who is haunted by the rejection of her latest manuscript, is the corner stone of the novel.  She befriends all of the participants at some point in their journey.  But let's just say Masha has more sinister plans for everyone's recovery.

I love Liane Moriarty.  The Husband's Secret is my favorite but Truly, Madly Guilty was a huge disappointment.  I found Nine Perfect Strangers an interesting and enjoyable read.  The characters were diverse in age and background and each had a very different reason for being there.   They all interacted in a very believable way.  And I hope this isn't a spoiler, but the end made me smile.  The Nine Perfect Strangers each found a way back from the depths of despair when  no one thought they ever could.

In The Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende

In The Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende

As the book club leader I picked this book for January.  It's winter.  Winter is in the title.  Why not?  I've read other Isabel Allende novels in the past and always found them to be interesting and enjoyable.

I'm just not sure what to say about In The Midst of Winter.  Richard Bowmaster is a sixty-ish college professor, set in his ways, living in Brooklyn.  Lucia, is his basement tenant also a college professor whose expertise is in the political upheavals of the seventies in her native Chile. They are both looking for a love to mend the tragedies of their pasts.

Evelyn is an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala. In the midst of the worst blizzard in memory, Richard rear ends her in a traffic accident.  He hands her his business card and says to call him to file the insurance claim.  When she shows up at his door, he calls Lucia to translate.

What unfolds is each character's tragic story of persecution in south and central American countries.  Woven in is the current story set in motion by the car accident.  I'm not going to spoil what that story is about but I thought the decisions the trio made together were bizarre.  And they made them in what seemed to me to be a very nonchalant manner.  But as I continued to read their stories, I realized the past guided their present and their future in a very profound way.

I wouldn't say In The Midst of Winter is Allende's best novel but in the current state of immigration in the United States, there is a lot to be learned from the stories within these pages. Book club is next week.  I can't wait to hear what they think.

Educated by Tara Westover

Educated by Tara Westover

Educated came highly recommended since I too am writing a memoir.  Where all memoirs focus on some aspect of the family, mine seem to be a pussycat in relationship to Tara's.

Tara grew up on an isolated mountain in Idaho in a Mormon family.  Her father created an even more narrow view of the world by his anti establishment views of government, schools, doctors and hospitals.  Tara and her siblings were home schooled but that term is used loosely.  She learned to read from the Book of Mormon.  There wasn't any structured schooling going on at home.

As Tara grew to be a teenager, an older brother begins a pattern of tormenting her on a regular basis escalating to violent abuse. When confronting her parents about it, they determined she was lying. The abuse continued unanswered.  Women had no status in this family.

That Tara was able to rise above the dysfunction at home is amazing to me.  When she arrived at BYU, she knew so little about the world but also nothing about how to care for herself or fit in to society.  It was heartbreaking to read.  She succeeded however, even when her parents and siblings harassed and bullied her.  But it wasn't until she became truly educated that she broke the grip that they held on her.

Educated is a gut wrenching and eye opening story. You will stop taking what you have for granted after reading this book.