A Place for Us
by Fatima Farheen Mirza
A Place for Us (4/11/2018)
This is the story of a Muslim family coming of age in California, in the late 20th Century. The parents were raised in another time and place, with strong traditions, expectations and boundaries. The children, each in his/her own way, are challenging all of these aspects of living. Their parents are absolutely mystified by the behavior of the children, and at one point the Mother, Layla, wonders where these children have come from. They do not reflect the values of either parent.
This is a very complex accounting of the family which was to have taken place on a single day: the wedding of the older daughter which had not been "arranged". The time jumps back and forth many times as the back-story is filled in. It was the discontinuity of such frequent breaks in the narrative that made it difficult to follow. For this reason, this reader had to rate it "average".
Sometimes I Lie
by Alice Feeney
Sometimes I Lie (12/5/2017)
As the story begins we experience the world as felt by a woman, currently comatose after an accident which she cannot remember. She does remember three things about herself. My name is Amber Reynolds. I am 35 years old. I'm married to Paul. I was directly transported to her world as she is able to understand it given only what she is able to sense from her physical space in a hospital bed.
The story flashes back and forth from the present (Boxing Day) with Amber at age 35, to the weeks just before the accident, and then reflects back to when she was ten years old. This time sequence keeps repeating as the author subtly builds her characters. Any attempt to reduce this book to a plot synopsis would be a mistake. The risk of losing critical pieces of the puzzle would be great.
This very subtle psychological tale keeps harking back to the "Sometimes I Lie" of the title. When, exactly, do we know when she is "lying" apart from the time when she is literally lying in the hospital bed?
I was hooked by page 3, and I had already flipped to the front of the book to see what else the author had written. There were none listed, but I will keep Alice Feeney's name in mind as I wait for her future books.
The Story of Arthur Truluv: A Novel
by Elizabeth Berg
Second chances, Harry Trulove (7/3/2017)
Given: one widowed cemetery-visiting man, Arthur, one cranky old lady, Lucille, and one angry, vulnerable goth teenager with nose-ring. In lesser hands this cast might lead to a rather predictable tale of the problems inherent in connecting several different generations, a recipe for a contrived melodrama.
Instead, this author never resorts to character cliches, and this reader found bits of herself scattered throughout this family-by-selection. By no means a "and they all lived happily after" tale, it is a story of the possibilities presented to each of us by taking the risk of second chances.
Although you may read it through in one sitting, you may well find yourself living with these people after you turn the last page.
Rise: How a House Built a Family
by Cara Brookins
Rise by Cara Brookins (11/4/2016)
This is the first-hand account of Cara Brookins, who was forced by circumstance to rebuild a family which is being ripped apart by spousal abuse and fear, and to build a safe house for this family "from the ground up", literally.
The narrator is extracting herself and her children from an abusive, mentally ill husband and father. Her approach to seemingly insurmountable problems brings to mind the innate sense and indomitable spirit shown by our early pioneer women as they began to settle in unknown lands. With no prior training in construction, and four small children, she heads to You Tube for instructions on how to dig a hole, pour a reinforced footing, and lay a block foundation. All further framing siding and roofing lessons are learned the same way, as Cara stays one 2 x 6 ahead of construction until completion.
Cara Brookins takes us step by painful step through the process of getting away from the life-threatening abusive husband, and step by step through the process of building a house where she and her children will all be safe. Widely regarded with skepticism by any who heard of this proposed adventure, with a crew initially composed only of her children, (one of whom is a toddler) and with very little assistance from others, Cara did indeed build a very sturdy brick house. At the same time she held down a job as a computer programmer to keep some income flowing in.
This book should be required reading for any novice who is thinking of building a house, whether it is a DIY project or a traditional contractor build. The life lessons she and her children learn during this process might well be studied by anyone interested starting a strong and balanced family: independence and interdependence, curiosity, openness, honesty, and "can do" attitude, accompanied by a large helping of humor.
Please join them on this excellent adventure. You will be cheering for them all during the literal Ups and Downs of the construction and family building process! They all deserve a medal of Valor and Honor.
The Next
by Stephanie Gangi
The Next (7/21/2016)
Ms Gangie has introduced a modern twist to the ordinary "ghost" story. However, to call this a Ghost story does not begin to do it justice. The language is lyrical, and includes a generous dose of humor "Her self floats about in a luminous ether". "Her transmigration leaves her phantom limbed- a full body amputee".
As we meet Joanna, she is at home in a "hospice" situation. Her daughters want to control her actions, for her own good, and are suggesting a round the clock caregiver. Joanna clearly has other ideas, and is on a mission to exact revenge on Ned, a lover who has simply walked out the door, again, a repeat performance of actions he took earlier in their relationship. Although
she managed to recover from the first abandonment, she is unable to bounce back from this gratuitous repeat of history. She is house bound and nearly bed-bound in her final fight with cancer. Her cell phone is her only hope as she plans to carry out her mission of plotting a suitably painful revenge, and it becomes a handy conduit which she uses obsessively to track Ned's new life, new wife, and baby-to-be minute by excruciating minute. She is totally obsessed with her fantasies of delivering the appropriate revenge to this thoughtless inconsiderate heartsmasher Ned.
Her anger is so extreme that it survives her death, and moves with her right into the Next world. As a ghost, she communicates by cellphone and the internet. Sensed, though unseen by her daughters, her dog, and others, a truly "Mad" Joanna proceeds to use her powers to possess Ned's body. She controls his speech and actions in truly frightening ways.
The only problem I had was the way the story simply ran out of steam after Joanna departs. If the ending was a bit disappointing, the sheer beauty of the telling made this a book I would recommend.
The Children
by Ann Leary
The Children (5/24/2016)
Here is the story of an "old" American dynasty. Told from the viewpoint of a step daughter, we are once again reminded of the puzzle of how roles assigned to us as children continue to affect us long after we are grown.
In this case, the children are separated into two distinct categories: biological children of the Patriarch, Whit Whitman, and step children of the same man. There is a clear disconnect between the bios and the steps. The former is way more than "average", and the latter way less than "average". This takes place at the Lake House which has sheltered many generations, a house which has smothered the aspirations of these step daughters, and from which the real Whitman sons and heirs choose to distance themselves.
As the story begins, the senior Whitman has died and left a an unbreakable trust to his sons. we are lulled by the uneventfulness of the beginning, and caught up abruptly by the addition of one new individual who cleverly and subliminally manages to reassign roles to all the children.
While this raises a gut reaction of unfairness, ultimately the dissolution of this family and its unwritten rules will be the saving grace so badly needed by the Whitman stepchildren and their mother. The reader is left with the guilty hope that Fate will prevail and that the perpetrator who seems to escape unscathed will meet justice in the near future.
The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian
by David Dyer
The Midnight Watch (2/13/2016)
The Titanic, a new super liner was meant to be an example of the finest technology of the early twentieth century. Its unsurpassed luxury along with the technology which made it unsinkable, made it a worldwide cause celebre.
More than a Century later, we are still left to wonder how this ship could have sunk on its maiden voyage in April 1912.
There were other ships in the area where the liner hit the iceberg, notably the Californian and the Carpathian. We are on the Californian observing the lack of interest in the distress flares, which their Captain Lord dismisses as "company lights". Throughout this tightly told story, the reader is helplessly hanging on gripped by "what ifs" and "if onlys" as the tragedy unfolds. We are aware that the Carpathian did manage to save many lives, while the Californian remained in place.
Dyer, through the Boston Journalist, Steadman, places this story in an historical context. The reader gets the backstory as he later interviews survivors, and bystanders as well as people who are well acquainted with the shipping industry. We also get a very close take of the tragedy from one of the young passengers in 3rd class steerage. There we learn that the number of boats available to accommodate the number of people on board would never have been adequate.
Any emergency would have required the quick response of whatever ships were within hailing distance, in this case whoever could have spotted the emergency rockets which were being launched.
One might think the Titanic story has been too often told. For many years there have been rumors that it was a conspiracy. This reader found that filling in the missing pieces of the story should be an ongoing study as long as it is based on fact rather than wild speculation. Sometimes the simpler answer is better, and human error or frailty can upset the most carefully constructed plans.
The Forgetting Time
by Sharon Guskin
The Forgetting Time (12/28/2015)
This is a thought provoking book which considers the idea of immortality, and the very basic idea of personhood. Anecdotal stories posit that a person's spirit may move into a new physical body at death.
Dr. Jerry Anderson is a psychologist who has been recording the accounts of "remembered lives" which he has heard from some of his young patients during his years of his practice. This is, at present, a nebulous scientific area. As the book begins, he is diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, which will soon destroy his ability to communicate. He feels driven by the need to document his findings and establish his credentials before the aphasia takes over.
He is encouraged when he is consulted by a rather desperate mother, Jamie Zimmerman, who has called him with regard to her four year old son, Noah, who is plagued by frequent nightmares about memories of his "real" family, which he recalls in exacting detail. Ever hopeful for a cure to Noah's disturbing behavior, she seeks Dr. Anderson's counsel.
The story is told from various points of view. There is a dynamic contrast between clinical and practical applications of scientific research, and the problems presented when hope is confused with expectations. It clearly deals with the seesaw of emotions where hope (Jamie) and expectations (Dr. A) collide. Promising leads so often end nowhere. The other characters met along the way are as well defined as the main characters.
The book has caused me to reconsider the notions of just what defines spirituality and more specifically, what characterizes person-hood. This is an intriguing read!
A Good Family
by Erik Fassnacht
A Good Family (5/27/2015)
A Good Family is a study of the Bronson family. Henry,the father of this family has left home hoping to resurrect the successful businessman he once was, and instead is in crisis as he watches younger people assuming the importance he once held. Julie, the mother, has given up her dreams of being a dancer, in order to be a nurturing mother. She is barely getting through her days thanks to the comfort of her Zoloft pillow. Charlie, the charming handsome athletic older son is clearly holds a strategic position in this carefully crafted ' Calder mobile' story. The younger son, Barkley, has been shaped by being eclipsed by Charlie. He is rather introverted, but has become a keen observer of the dynamics of this family. Charlie's return from a tour in Afghanistan is the catalyst which blows this deeply fractured family apart as surely as if he were a bomb arriving on their doorstep.
As the story is carried forward by each member in turn, the repercussions affect Barkley enough to finally force him find his own voice. We are witness to the disintegration and reintegration of these ultimately very strong characters. His keen observations, and thoughtful actions over time knit the pieces of this family together. Just how the fragments from this explosion are allowed to fall into place by Erik Fassnacht will keep your spirits soaring and sinking on an exhilarating ride. This reader wishes there were a ticket available for the continuation of this amazing journey.
Her Name Is Rose
by Christine Breen
Her Name Is Rose (2/12/2015)
When I settle in with a book, I always hope to gain access to new places and ideas, or the ability to look at the familiar in a new way. Her Name Is Rose is your ticket to just such experiences.
Rose is a gifted teenage violinist studying at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London. Her adoptive mother, Iris Bowen, is compelled by circumstance to track down her daughter's biological mother. This search takes us on a fascinating journey from Ireland to London to the US and back.
Music,from classical to regional folk music to modern jazz, serves to connect the various richly developed and sympathetic characters on both sides of the Atlantic. This is a wonderful adventure, not to be missed.
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