I had heard of this book and was thrilled to find it in the new release section of our library. At just over 120 pages, it is quick read and I read it in a few hours. Julie Otsuka has told the story of Japanese “picture brides”, coming to America (California) to their new husbands, marrying and having families, and then enduring the hardships of WWII and relocation. What makes this book so unique is the voice – or voices – that Otsuka writes in. Described as “incantory”, the voice is each individual voice of the women, along with being all of them. As each voice has a story, collectively they tell a story. While I’m sure some readers may not enjoy this technique, I thought it was quite brilliant. It makes the book read almost like poetry and reinforces the fact that each person’s story is their own. Otsuka is the author of “When the Emperor Was Divine”, which I’ll need to read!
Through Net Galley I got a copy of “The Underside of Joy” to review. This is the debut novel of Sere Prince Halverson and I enjoyed it a lot.
When Ella Beene’s husband Joe dies tragically, Ella plans to continue her life with the family store and as stepmother to Joe’s two young children. But soon their absent biological mother shows up, and she wants to be part of their lives. Ella is torn between holding on to the children she has called her own, while trying to reconcile the presence of their biological mother, who she was told had abandoned them. Ella soon learns that Joe did not share everything with her, and she struggles to find the truth and make the right choices for her and her family.
This was a fascinating book as the main moral dilemma was just that: a dilemma. Paige, the biological mother, was not evil incarnate. Ella, the protagonist, was not perfect. I found myself often asking: what would I do in this situation? While the story concluded quickly, I felt it was well-written and compelling. Additionally, there was interesting information on postpartum extreme depression (actually psychosis I believe it would qualify as) and also internment camps for Italian-Americans during WWII (I’m IA and this was new to me).
This book came out this month – I recommend it!
Thanks to Net Galley and Dutton Publishers for my copy!
I’ve read all of Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club books and was so glad to snatch this one up from the new release shelf at the library. As with the others, I found it a quick, fun read – I finished it the day after I got it.
In this installment, SF police detective Lindsay Boxer is getting married to her beloved Joe, but a serial rapist is loose in SF. “Babies” are also a theme in this book – with a victimized young girl who has apparently sold her baby and a high-profile murder case of a mother with young children who accused of killing her husband taking up Lindsay’s time, along with her own desire to be a mother. Lindsay gets involved in the murder trial and comes up against her dear friend Yuki, who is the prosecutor. At the same time, Lindsay is determined to uncover what happened to the teen’s baby. Cindy, the news reporter, gets a little too involved with chasing after the rapist as well.
There is a lot of tension in this novel, along with the camaraderie of the ladies. The events are non-stop action, and with Patterson’s short chapters, this was an easy read for me.
A Net Galley find, “Everything We Ever Wanted” by Sara Shepard tells the story of a family broken by crisis, and examines the ties that bind people together. Sylvie Bates-McAllister is a widowed mother of two grown sons: Charles, the upright businessman (who is considering having an affair) and Scott, the adopted son who’s a bit of rebel. Sylvie’s family history is tied closely to the prestigious independent school that her grandfather led and where she serves on the board. Her son Scott is a wrestling coach there. Disaster looms when Sylvie is notified of an unexpected student death at the school, possibly related to hazing on the wrestling team. This is the type of thing that can bring a school, a family, and an individual down, and Sylvie struggles to keep her head above water, while Charles fights his own demons and Scott maintains his independence. Added to this is the shadow of a supposed illicit affair that Sylvie’s husband had before his death- an affair that Sylvie seeks to know more about, yet wants to pretend never happened. All things tie together at the end of this well-written and compelling story.
I enjoyed reading this novel. My history in independent schools always puts me in line to read a novel set in one. While I related to the sense of identity that the characters felt in relation to the school, the thing that stood out to me was the stark emptiness of the character’s emotional well-being in this novel. They were all pretty much miserable: Sylvie, Charles, Scott, and Charles’ wife Joanna. Joanna’s intrepid and over-the-top mother was another unique but pathetic character as well. I found this book very grey – when I imagined the action, the setting, the mood, it all seemed overcast to me (until the end).
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy reading about independent schools and women’s lives. I really liked Sara Shepard’s writing as well.
Thanks, Net Galley, for my copy.
This author is the author of the “Pretty Little Liars” series for YA readers, so I may pick that up to check out!
We recently took a vacation to Las Vegas. I always bring several books when we travel, and I had downloaded “The Girl Who Chased the Moon” onto my Kindle before we left, since I loved “The Peach Keeper” (reviewed here a short time ago). I ended up reading the entire novel on our flight from Boston to Nevada!
In “The Girl Who Chased the Moon”, teenager Emily Benedict arrives in her mother’s hometown in North Carolina to live with her aging (and giant) grandfather after her mother is killed in an accident. Emily only knows one side of her mother, Dulcie, and sees her as a driven, conscientious, hard-working woman, who values integrity and helping others above all else. The young Dulcie that Emily starts discovering is very different. Many of the townspeople still hold a grudge against Dulcie, and most remember her as self-centered, self-serving, and downright mean. Neighbor Julia Winterson, herself only back in town for a given time, reaches out to Emily and helps her navigate finding her mother and her own true self (Julia bakes cakes all the time, and has her own issues, too). Emily’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ attraction to a teenage boy, whose uncle once loved Dulcie, and her determination to figure out the mystery of floating lights in her yard at night, threatens to tear her family apart, and secrets are revealed all within the framework of a little bit of magic.
I just loved this book! I loved the characters and Ms. Allen’s portrayal of a small North Carolina town in the summer. Her ability to use magical elements in her books I thought, at first, would pull me out of the story, but instead it enhanced the story for me. There were several subplots to follow in this story, but it all gelled and came together seamlessly. It was a quick read for me, too.
If you enjoyed Ms. Allen’s other novels, I think you’ll like this one, too!
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of reading British author Gabrielle Donnelly’s “The Little Women Letters”. I had received the book as an advanced reader copy while attending the BBC part of BEA in New York in May. (See also my recent post of a video clip of Ms. Donnelly discussing her book). I really enjoyed reading this modern day novel of three sisters who parallel and are the descendents of the fictional March sisters of “Little Women”.
The Atwater sisters live in London and are the great great granddaughters of Jo March. Emma is the always sensible eldest, similar to Meg March. Sophie is the beautiful and somewhat self-centered youngest sister, similar to Amy March. And Lulu is the middle child, seeking to find her way, parallel to Jo March. Their mother is actually somewhat similar to the real “Mrs. March” Abba May Alcott: a feminist and social worker. They even have a crotchety old aunt from Boston – Aunt Amy in this case – similar to Aunt March. Notably, Beth March is missing (a wise choice, in my estimation). The girls seek to solve the various issues in their everyday lives, while Lulu finds a stash of letters written by Jo March to her sisters long ago. The similarities are striking and she takes solace in these letters as she struggles to find a job, a profession, and a relationship with a man.
I think I’ve written before of how I am an incredibly harsh critic of fictionalized stories of Louisa May Alcott since I am quite knowledgeable about the family and spend time at their house museum in Concord. I was a tad sceptical when I began this book as I feared I would once again be disappointed by the actions or discordant voices I might find. However, this book is not about the Alcotts, it is about the March family – and a family in modern times. I was struck by what an excellent job Ms. Donnelly did in capturing not only the voices of the March sisters of “Little Women”, but the essence of the Alcotts as well. There were too many similarities and subtleties between the real family and this novel to think that it was coincidence. Ms. Donnelly not only did her homework, but did an excellent job in capturing that embodiment of character that is Alcott. My hat’s off to her!
This is a book that I would read, put down, and then pick up again. The story moved much like “Little Women” does: a slice of life in a family of sisters. I am guessing LW fans will adore it.
I had seen that Rebecca Rasmussen was speaking at the nearby Concord Bookshop in June, but got busy and totally forgot to go. I hadn’t read her book, but had heard through other bloggers that it was good. A few weeks ago I got it from the library and I have been kicking myself ever since that I missed Rebecca’s talk in Concord. I LOVED this book!!
“The Bird Sisters” tells the story of Milly and Twiss – two teen-age sisters growing up in the 40’s in Wisconsin. Milly is beautiful and kind and very good. She’s one of those people who, no matter how hard they try, can’t be mean or cruel as it’s just not in them. Twiss is spunky and a tomboy. She is intelligent and strong and devoted to her sister. Their parents are struggling with a dysfunctional marriage – their father is a self-centered, narcissistic, has-been golf pro, and their mother is a once wealthy, lonely woman, who clings to the fact that she once visited France in order to make herself feel special (or at least more special than the folks in their town). The story centers on one summer when their teen-age cousin, Bett, comes to visit. Things are irrevocably changed, and nothing will ever be the same again.
I just loved this book. It is a story of relationships and love and centers on the strength of women and the love bonds that bind family. It was the kind of book I would put down because I didn’t want it to end. This is Ms. Rasmussen’s first book and I sincerely look forward to her next one! She has a wonderful style with unique and unforgettable character voices. Her story is based, in part, on her own family.
See the book trailer from You Tube:
Here’s Rebecca herself discusses her creation of the book: (HOW could I have missed her speaking in Concord??)
Having heard about this novel through the blogosphere, I picked it up at the library one day and then it sat on my coffee table. I finally got around to opening it the other day and I was so mesmerized that I couldn’t stop reading. It was one of those moments when your inner voice is saying: “….must….put….book….down” and your body just won’t comply. I read the whole book straight through.
“The Sandalwood Tree” tells two stories a century apart. Evie and Martin, along with their young son, have come to India in 1947 as the British reign is ending. Martin is deeply scarred by his WWII experiences and it has caused a tear in their marriage that Evie fears is irreparable. While staying in their rented house, Evie finds a packet of letters between two British women who lived in India in 1857. The letters tell of their friendship and of their loves. Evie becomes somewhat obsessed with finding out what happened to the women, Felicity and Adela, as she also puts her energies into saving her marriage.
This was a compelling and well-written read with beautiful descriptions of that period in India’s history. As I said before, I couldn’t put it down!
View the somewhat dramatic book trailer from You Tube:
Beth's Book-Nook Blog 