The Temple House Vanishing
by Rachel Donohue
Teenage angst leads to tragedy (4/14/2021)
On page three Victoria commits suicide. The rest of the novel is a slow unraveling of the mystery that led to her action. In the prologue the author wrote, " There are no heroes in the story." How true. This novel is completely devoid of joy; no one is happy. For that reason, it was somewhat unsettling to read. I felt such sympathy for Louisa, whose depressing assessment of herself was, "I wasn't good enough. I hadn't been enough. There was something about me that made people not want me." This book would be a solid book club choice.
The Northern Reach
by W.S. Winslow
Lives of Quiet Desperation (11/5/2020)
This book is full of characters whose lives are as grim as the bleak landscape they inhabit. There are a LOT of characters for only 228 pages. I was grateful for the family tree diagrams to keep track of them all. The book reads less like a novel to me than a group of loosely connected short stories. I wish the author had spent more time fleshing out the stories of fewer characters. I did enjoy the quirky segments when newly-deceased characters watched events unfolding and commented on them.
Ellie and the Harpmaker
by Hazel Prior
Delightfully quirky debut novel (4/4/2019)
Whenever I put this book down, I was anxious to get back to it. To me, this is the hallmark of a wonderful read.
I enjoyed the short chapters alternating between the voices of Dan and Ellie. Dan is a bit of an oddball, a charmingly eccentric harp maker who is also a keen observer of nature. Ellie's low self-esteem has made it difficult for her to "pick a dream and follow it" until she makes a serendipitous discovery of Dan's harp barn.
Although I predicted the final outcome early on, it was a most pleasurable journey to get there. The many unexpected twists made me want to keep reading.
I really loved this unusual book.
Listen to the Marriage
by John Jay Osborn
Short but thought-provoking (5/29/2018)
With fewer than 200 pages, this book has only three characters. That is all that is needed to tell the story of a separated couple in counseling sessions trying to determine if divorce is inevitable. Their inability to discuss their feelings honestly has resulted in the disintegration of their marriage. Any reader who has been part of a dysfunctional relationship will relate to the emotional damage lack of communication can cause.
As Bright as Heaven
by Susan Meissner
Unique historical fiction (10/3/2017)
This novel had a very unusual setting: a Philadelphia funeral home where the Bright family lived and worked. The author did an excellent job portraying the citizens' fear and desperation during the 1918 influenza epidemic.
Some readers may be put off by the funeral home details. The author took great care to emphasize how lovingly each body was prepared for "the final journey."
I enjoyed the structure with alternating chapters devoted to one of the female characters. It was interesting to view the events through each one's eyes. Evie, Maggie, and Willa had her own personal struggles as well. This was a book that kept my attention from beginning to end.
The Story of Arthur Truluv: A Novel
by Elizabeth Berg
A bittersweet heartwarmer! (5/30/2017)
One hallmark of a good book is that the author makes the reader care about the characters. Elizabeth Berg has accomplished this. Arthur was a sad and lonely widower who enjoyed making up life stories for the people whose graves he passed on his daily cemetery visits. I felt for Arthur, who, like many men of his generation, did not know what to do without the love of his life. I also felt for Lucille, Arthur's neighbor, who believed she had nothing to live for until she became involved in the lives of Arthur and Maddy. I felt for Maddy, isolated at home and an outcast at school, whose life was forever changed by the kindness and love of two old people. This was a short yet satisfying read.
The Typewriter's Tale
by Michiel Heyns
Disappointing (12/26/2016)
I typically enjoy 19th century novels, so I thought it was an interesting premise to write a novel in the style of Henry James. However, this book was very slow. My interest was not truly engaged until the last chapter. 19th century vocabulary is often challenging, but I was also bothered by the overuse of pedantic words, often archaic ones. "Perfervid consanguinity"? "Lucubrations"? Kindle readers with a good dictionary may be less bogged down .
If I Forget You
by Thomas Christopher Greene
Devoured this book in a day! (4/3/2016)
A reader does not need to love all the characters in order to love a novel. That is true for me with If I Forget You. It grabbed me in the first few pages. What could Henry have done to make Margot behave as she did on page 11? Even when I later learned what Henry had done, I still sympathized with him and was angry with Margot. I was angrier yet when her ultimate betrayal was revealed.
Greene's beautiful flowing prose really made me care about Henry, a self-proclaimed outsider. He was a good, kind, sensitive man mourning a loss for 20 years. On the other hand, I disliked Margot, a women who took for granted her privileged upbringing and wealthy socialite lifestyle. When I finished the book, I felt it had really been Henry's story, an unbearably sad story. I keep thinking about his comment: "The cruelest thing in the world is the march of time."
Circling the Sun: A Novel
by Paula McLain
A Wonderful Book about an Unconventional Woman (5/1/2015)
Beryl Markham was a remarkable woman, A rebel even as a child, Beryl stood up for her convictions. She had no tolerance for the conduct society expected of her. She had the courage and initiative to become a renowned horse trainer and pilot at a time when these aspirations were unheard of for a female. One cannot help but admire such a self-sufficient, free-spirited, and determined individual. When her father once commented that Beryl had never been afraid of anything, she replied, "I've been terrified…I just haven't let that stop me."
The novel kept my interest from the first page to the last. The writing was excellent with especially vivid descriptions of the people and places. (I must admit I could not read about Denys Finch-Hatton without seeing Robert Redford playing that role in Out of Africa!)
The Spirit Keeper
by K. B. Laugheed
An Indian Romance (9/4/2013)
A good book is one in which I become so engrossed I can't wait to get back to it. Not this one. The author couldn't make me care about the characters. I found the book slow and repetitive; before the halfway point I was ready for it to end.
I was bothered throughout by the implausibility of their ways of communicating. Many early "conversations" between Katie and her companions were far too complex to have been communicated in gestures alone. Then after only 4-5 months, Katie is somehow able to speak the Indian language fluently.
The copyright page shows the Library of Congress categorized this book under the subject heading "Teen Age Girls: fiction". Perhaps this novel would appeal to a much younger audience, but I could not recommend it.
How the Light Gets In: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, #9
by Louise Penny
Absolutely superb! (7/9/2013)
As I began this book, I felt as if I were sinking into an armchair in Olivier's bistro, anticipating the appearance of familiar characters I loved (Armand, in particular) and those I didn't. (Ruth) My sense of comfort disappeared rather quickly. Of all the mysteries she has written, this was by far the most intense. It was riveting, one of those can't-put-it-down books. If 5 stars = very good, this book deserves even more.
The Forgetting Tree: A Novel
by Tatjana Soli
"Living in a fool's paradise" (8/7/2012)
As this novel unfolded, I expected the main conflict would be between Claire and her daughters over Claire's strong bond with her citrus ranch and their lack of interest in it. When breast cancer intervened and Minna the caregiver arrived, small details evoked a sense of foreboding. I was torn between wanting/not wanting to read more, uneasy as I was with what Minna's ulterior motives might be. I felt both sympathy for Claire as well as anger for allowing herself to be manipulated by Minna. The author pointedly described Claire as "living in her own fool's paradise."
The book was well-written with excellent descriptions of the characters and the landscape. However, it was an unsettling, uncomfortable book to read.
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