UNDER SIEGE: ONE WOMAN’S ESCAPE FROM TYRANNY — A REVIEW

Tyranny takes many forms, from the restrictions of freedom imposed by governments to the familial constraints that markedly prevent an individual’s personal growth.

 
Growing up in post-war Germany, the author shows the reader what her world looked like, both at home and on the larger canvas that was her life within Berlin after the building of the Wall.

 
Walled-In reveals much about the young woman’s pursuit of individual freedom, and as I read about her personal struggles and the family dynamics, much of it tolled a familiar bell for me.

 
Our lives did not mirror one another’s, since I grew up in the US and did not face the governmental restrictions that dictated her life; however, the era in which we were each born was very similar and the family dynamics I experienced echoed hers.  I could totally relate to her feelings and rooted for her escape.

 
My escape was made simpler by the governmental freedoms I enjoyed, but freedom from any tyranny can feel just as exhilarating, no matter how different the cage may be.

 
Other aspects of the story were wonderfully drawn, from the historical context in which she grew to the world at large that offered opportunities for change.  This was a beautifully told story that is even more inspirational because of the parallels between Berlin under siege and the uncompromising world of family.  Five stars.

THE NOT SO EMPTY NEST: FAMILY CONNECTIONS GONE AWRY — A REVIEW

Weezy Coffey was labeled the “smart one,” while growing up; her sister Maureen, on the other hand, was the “pretty one,” who would “marry well.” Did these labels define their lives? Weezy (Louise) tended to do the opposite of what her parents decreed, so in a sense, perhaps they did.

Now she is the matriarch of a family comprised of three grown children, partnered with Will, who is a kind man and a good father. It seems she did marry well, after all, while Maureen was divorced early and raised her children alone.

The story begins with Claire, the middle “child,” late twenties, living in New York. Her world has imploded. Despite the fact that she, the “smart one,” has a good education and a good job.  She is drowning in credit card debt and expecting eviction any day. Partially because her boyfriend, who shared the apartment and the rent, broke up with her and moved out, cancelling their wedding. She spends weekends holed up in her apartment like a hermit.

Martha, the oldest, still lives at home with her parents. A year older than Claire, she is obsessed with worrying and stresses about almost everything.

Max, the youngest, seems to be age-appropriate and is soon to graduate college. His gorgeous girlfriend Cleo, however, is a mystery to the family. When she joins them all at the shore, she confidently displays her body on every occasion imaginable by wearing her bikini…all the time! Even at dinner.

This mix of characters kept me turning pages as I read their stories from their perspectives throughout The Smart One. Whenever I was ready to dislike one of them, as I saw them from another’s eyes, I soon felt some sympathy for them when I read their point of view.

When the three adult children, along with Cleo, find themselves living in the family home in a suburb outside of Philadelphia, all at the same time, chaos will ensue. Will Weezy’s well-ordered world turn itself into an uncontrollable mess? Why do the two oldest “girls” suddenly morph into teenagers, whining and screaming? How does Weezy suddenly find herself trying to control every thought and feeling that they have? And why does she feel the need to coddle Martha, spotlighting every minor achievement as if it were something remarkable?

While I could see all kinds of ways Weezy could have handled the situation better, I could also relate to having that almost empty nest turn into madness, having had my share of “returning” adult children over the years.

Eventually, some resolutions were reached, but not through anything particularly insightful done by any of the characters. Living rent-free helped with credit card debt, but none of them actually seemed to have made any real changes. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and couldn’t wait to see what would happen. Four stars.

BRIEFLY SPARKING THE CONNECTIONS IN LIFE’S JOURNEY — A REVIEW

 

 

Set in Fulton, NC, Life After Life: A Novel explores the precarious lines between life and death. The reader follows the interior journey of various characters, with each chapter narrated by someone different.

Joanna is a hospice volunteer, but her own life has been quirky and free-spirited. Described as someone who has been married numerous times, we also see that there is much more to this woman than what is on the surface. At a time when she almost took her own life, she met Luke. Someone she credits with her new lease on life and her new purpose. When she goes home to Fulton, as her father is dying, she begins her hospice work and shares the experiences of the dying, as well as those who are living in the higher level of care at the facility. She practices a concept passed to her from Luke that he called “unpacking the heart.” A process of closing one’s eyes and setting aside everything taking up space in the heart—grievances, relationships, and projects—and putting them out on a make-believe lawn, leaving the heart free and clean.

Another philosophical mantra for Joanna is that “the longest and most expensive journey you will ever take is the one to yourself.”

In some of the narrative entries, we travel with the characters that include Sadie, Rachel, C. J., Stanley, and others…while they traverse the journey that formed their individual lives at a time when there is more of their life behind them than ahead of them. I could connect to these characters, to the losses, the regrets, and the hopes and dreams that remain.

Also among the characters is a child called Abby, whose father is an old friend of Joanna’s. This child is a frequent visitor to Sadie, the woman who believes in reframing one’s life by cutting out the parts of reality that don’t work for us. She seems like a mentor for the child. In many ways, though, the child did not seem to fit among the other characters. Perhaps her purpose was to show the life continuum, from young to old.

Disjointed at times, the story was also hard to follow in the beginning, as only tidbits were revealed about each character. It took awhile to see the connections between them. The narratives of Joanna and Rachel were the most meaningful to me and made the story better. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy posing philosophical questions and pondering life and death issues. For me this book earned 3.5 stars.

MEMORABLE CHARACTERS & BEAUTIFUL PROSE — A REVIEW

“Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did.” So begins the story of Lily Casey Smith, in Jeannette Walls’s magnificent, true-life novel based on her no-nonsense, resourceful, hard working, and spectacularly compelling grandmother. By age six, Lily was helping her father break horses. At fifteen, she left home to teach in a frontier town—riding five hundred miles on her pony, all alone, to get to her job. She learned to drive a car (“I loved cars even more than I loved horses. They didn’t need to be fed if they weren’t working, and they didn’t leave big piles of manure all over the place”) and fly a plane, and, with her husband, ran a vast ranch in Arizona. She raised two children, one of whom is Jeannette’s memorable mother, Rosemary Smith Walls, unforgettably portrayed in Glass Castle.

From the very first page of Half Broke Horses, I was hooked. Lily Casey’s first person narrative brought me right into the midst of her world: a world that started in West Texas, but would lead her to numerous places, from Arizona to Chicago and back to Arizona, with a few jogs along the way. Through her eyes I saw the gorgeous, yet sometimes brutal Southwest, from a new perspective. I could admire her energy as she trained those “half broke horses” that occasionally came along. And her determination to earn her education in spite of the odds against her.

Some might describe her as stubborn, while others can see that she had the stamina necessary for the life she had chosen. A life thrust upon her by birth and family, but one to which she returned after deciding that “city life” was not for her.

Her persistence in showing her children the life lessons she wanted them to learn had the opposite effect on her daughter Rosemary (the author’s mother). Rosemary preferred living life for the moment, since the future was not something one could count on. I liked this excerpt that shows us the companionship between Lily and her husband Jim, and their philosophy, too, as they watch their daughter after her wedding to Rex Walls:

“Jim put his arm around me and we watched them take off up the street, heading out into open country like a couple of half-broke horses.”

The author describes that she gleaned the facts of the story from those she interviewed, but that she recalls her grandmother’s distinctive voice: a wonderful detail she has brought to the reader as she tells the story. A story that I won’t forget…and to which I offer five stars.

FINDING STRENGTH IN OUR CONNECTIONS — A REVIEW

In this captivating sequel to Big Stone Gap, we rejoin Ave Maria Mulligan and her husband Jack MacChesney at a point in their marriage that could be the end for them. Three years ago, their son Joe died. And the loss, followed by the period of mourning, have taken their toll. Daughter Etta, who was a year older than Joe, seems to be the glue that cements them.

But the tests that prey on their bonds include many stressors, like the closing of the mining company where Jack worked for many years; the start-up of a new company, bringing temptation along with it; and the realization that they are each just going through the motions.

After many years of being the self-described town spinster, Ave’s independence could be the very blow that kills their union.

How does Ave’s and Etta’s trip to Italy for the summer cast a new light on everything? Was leaving Jack behind, at his request, be the final nail that kills the two of them? Or will the time apart remind them of their love and what needs to happen next?

Just as with the previous story of this beautiful part of Virginia, BIG CHERRY HOLLER invites the reader right into the setting. The author paints word pictures that show us the world as our characters see it. And the sense of community, both in Big Stone Gap, and later in Italy, makes us feel as if we’re right there with them. I know that I want to revisit these characters and these settings again. And while spending time with them here, we get to see them cast in a lovely and yet real portrait of lives going through struggles; lives that come out the other side with a sense of what it means to reinvent themselves. Five stars.

ONE WOMAN’S JOURNEY TO REDEMPTION — A REVIEW

In a life that, in many ways, mirrored that of a star named Marilyn Monroe, the author of RagDoll Redeemed: Growing up in the Shadow of Marilyn Monroe has been able to move beyond the pain, uncertainty, and abuse of her past to a life of redemption.

Her story shows the reader the nightmare of a childhood tainted by her illegitimacy and her quest to find love and acceptance. Poverty and abuse by the men who married her mother would turn her life into a nightmare. Longing to escape, she grasped the first man who seemed to be her Prince. The fact that he was Joe DiMaggio’s son and had his own obsession with Marilyn was not readily apparent.

As we read about the struggles of a young woman who, despite her efforts to escape pain and disappointment, had found another world of hurt in this marriage, we also see that her persistence will ultimately be her saving grace.

Through her failed marriages, her alcoholism, and her desperate attempts to find independence and redemption, at some point there is a small glimmer of hope that shines through when she encounters some special people along the way. Those who reinforce her determination and show her another way. Another perspective.

Now the author has found her redemption, and the journey toward it is a captivating read. Four stars.

***

I purchased this book in May 2012, so my review will satisfy one of the tasks for the Mt. TBR Challenge 2013.

SMALL TOWN LIFE & THE CONNECTIONS THAT DEFINE US — A REVIEW

In small town life, the residents come to know each other in wonderful and not so wonderful ways. The gossip trail loops around and filters through the nooks and crannies of such a town and spotlights all the flaws and foibles of everyone who lives there.

But Lee Ann London has adjusted to life in Sugar Springs, the fictional Tennessee town depicted in this novel. Even though her dreams were for a larger world, that dream toppled when her teenage love, Cody Dalton, betrayed her with her sister. The sister who got pregnant and gave birth to Cody’s twins, right after he split from town.

Lee Ann ends up raising the girls after her sister dies.  So, in her eyes, the girls are now hers.

And now, his unexpected return can turn their worlds upside down…again. Lee Ann believes that Cody deserted her and the girls, in addition to his betrayal. So what will his return do to her carefully constructed world? How will her daughters Kendra and Candy react to an unknown father? And how will she steel her heart against the power he has always held over her?

I enjoyed the story of romance, betrayal, reconnection and redemption that unfolded gradually, giving us a glimpse of each of the main characters while showing us the settings and the supporting cast of characters that layer the novel in realistic ways. Just as if the reader had stepped into the world they occupy.

Bringing the characters to life is always a wonderful gift an author can create for readers. Kim Law has certainly done that in her book. There was some predictability about how things turned out, and in some ways, the ending tied it all up in a pretty bow. Issues resolved. A bit too much so, but I did enjoy the story. Four stars.

AN EARTHQUAKE, ITS AFTERMATH, & UNEXPECTED CONNECTIONS — A REVIEW

On a warm night in May, in San Francisco, California, a glittering crowd gathers for a charity dinner dance. A celebrity headliner, a gorgeous venue, and the sparkle of the good life promise a wonderful and profitable evening.

Sarah Sloane, the wife of a wealthy hedge fund manager, is the hostess. And she knows just how to excel at bringing successful events to fruition.

But before the night is over, everything about her life and the lives of all those attending will be upended. A shake, the horrific sound of glass shattering as lights go out, and the unmistakable realization of a huge earthquake changes everything.

In the aftermath, which goes on for days, then weeks, and ultimately for the rest of their lives, four attendees will be forever impacted by the events, as well as the connections and experiences of those early days.

What subsequent event, triggered by the earthquake, will implode Sarah and Seth Sloane’s lives, almost as horribly as the natural diaster? What betrayal will blindside Sarah, even as the detritus of the earthquake reveals itself? How will a journalist, a nun, and the event headliner connect in unexpected ways, and find new meaning and direction for their lives?

The stories of each of these characters were fascinating and engaging, albeit fairly shallow. Predictably, love connections are formed, even as career and life changes come about. Amazing Grace is a sweet tale of finding hope and renewal in the face of tragic circumstances. 3.5 stars.

HOW ARE FAMILY CONNECTIONS CREATED? — A REVIEW

A family is created in many ways and takes many forms.

Marnie, age 15, and her younger sister Nelly, 12, have been neglected and abused their whole lives. Their circumstances seem inescapable, and seemingly nothing can save them.

But then something happens to change their lives, beginning with the death of their father, followed soon after by their mother’s death. And even when the girls bury them in the backyard, how they died is only revealed in bits and pieces throughout the story; the secret is one the girls plan to keep forever, even as the obstacles arise and the threat of exposure hovers nearby. Exposure would mean the descent of the social workers who could separate the sisters and defeat their efforts to create their own family.

Will their neighbor Lenny’s support keep the girls on an even keel indefinitely? What does the sudden appearance of a never-before known maternal grandfather mean for their fledgling little family? What will ultimately bring the secrets to light and turn the forming connections inside out?

Every struggle tests the bonds between the sisters, but in the end, their connections trump the efforts of the outsiders who threaten them. A beautiful testament to the idea of family, no matter what form it takes, The Death of Bees: A Novel is unforgettable. Four stars.

A COLD CASE HEATS UP — A REVIEW

In 1978, Angelina Sullivan disappeared after an evening at the skating rink in Hookstown, Pennsylvania.

While there was much speculation about who might have killed her, after her body was found in the mid-eighties, none of the suspects were ever arrested.

But then a gruesome discovery of a dead body in a freezer comes to light in the present day, when volunteers are clearing out the home of Albert Gordon, a deceased attorney, who was also a serious hoarder.

When the body turns out to be that of Cherry Pickens, a porn star, and also known as Cheryl Smith, a mean girl during Angelina’s high school days, there are many new possibilities arising. Are the murders of the two girls connected? Did someone in Angie’s life kill Cheryl to avenge her death? Or was Cheryl the victim of a mobster or even a drug dealer? And how did the freezer end up in Albert Gordon’s basement? Was he somehow connected to the murder?

The various threads start coming together, but in the end, the intricacies kept me turning pages and shaking my head. First I was sure it was this person, then that one, then several individuals sprang to mind.

Lead investigator in the case was Cameron Gates, whose love interest is Joshua Thornton, a prosecuting attorney; the pairing of these two adds just the right romantic interest to Dead on Ice: A Lovers In Crime Mystery, the first in a new series featuring them. I can’t wait for the next book! Five stars, and recommended for all those who enjoy romantic suspense, as well as for fans of Lauren Carr.