Author Archives: Paige

What Rose Forgot, by Nevada Barr

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The plot synopsis provided for this novel is extremely accurate, so I will just be reviewing my likes, dislikes, and other thoughts.

I enjoyed the character of Rose: a yoga doing, meditating, mantra chanting, spunky step-grandmother. Her character was interesting, unique, and easy to relate to. Rose was simply awesome, and I love her! I also fell in love with her sister, Marion, and loved Marion’s character. On the other hand, most of the events that unfold are far-fetched, so you must read with an open mind. Too add to that statement, sometimes the action occurring in the scenes was hard to follow. I had to go back and re-read the page or paragraph and still didn’t comprehend the directional imagery occurring, meaning that some scenes I had a difficult time picturing in my mind because of enigmatic descriptions.

This book is filled with humor, but also serious topics. The humor lies within Rose herself; her take on things not as a senile old lady, but as person with a flamboyant and tickled personality. Though Rose’s humor will cause you to giggle, the sensitive situation that can occur in care units and nursing homes creates an atmosphere of unease and mystery for the reader.

The central theme focuses on ageism and the labyrinth of navigating the waters extended family. While at times I was concerned with Rose and her circumstances, other times I felt detached. It was entertaining, but not a spellbinding page turner. For me, the unique characters are what made this so enjoyable. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Neverra Barr for a copy. Opinions are my own.

Quotes to help you get to know Rose:

“The city of Charlotte must have and ordinance requiting homeowners to plant twenty percent of their land in Azaleas, Rose thinks.“

“…I cannot tell you home much I have been craving a pair of good old cotton underpants.”

““We’ve all got it coming,” clint Eastwood says from some neglected corner of her cerebral cortex.“

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Conversations with Dickens, by Paul Schlicke

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A hearty little introductory book presenting imaginary conversations with the great Charles Dickens! It covers 15 different themes which center more around his writing rather than personal matters.

The beginning of the book provides background for Charles Dickens, so the conversations do not start until 20% (on a Kindle). The first half of the book focuses on his favorite authors, their influence on his writing, and his financial agreements with publishers. It isn’t until after 57% (on a Kindle) when the conversation turns a bit more personal and Dickens then recounts memories of his mother and further goes on to address romantic rumors. The conversation then proceeds to tackle his religious beliefs, moral principles, travels, thoughts on crime and punishment, education, politics, hobbies/activities, and lastly Christmas.

This is a great introduction to Dickens and would be beneficial to students. It is short and would be valuable in comparative literature circles. The premise is fun, and my favorite parts were hearing his voice containing his acclaimed slang and neologisms.

“So, you see, Mrs. Seymour’s claim that her late husband deserved most of the credit for the success of Pickwick is sheer poppycock!”

“…many readers thought that it was intended as a likeness of Nicholas, and not me. As if – ha, ha! – any fictional character could be as a dashing as I was in those days!”

Thanks to Netgalley, Paul Schlicke, and Watkins Publishing for this copy. Opinions are my own.

Dickens

More on Charles Dickens:
How Charles Dickens changed the English language
Dickens Museum

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A View Across the Rooftops, by Suzanne Kelman

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Romance and resistance in Amsterdam. What matters to you enough that you would sacrifice your own life? Widowed math professor, Josef, is faced with a decision to help a student, Michael, when the Jewish raids begin. Yet when Josef’s niece, Ingrid, becomes involved with the Nazi’s, Josef not only must decide where him and Ingrid’s relationship stands but he must also choose to follow his moralistic principles or surrender his values to solidify his own safety. Michael’s girlfriend, Elke, is faced with turmoil when Michael goes missing and she struggles to accept that he is gone.

My notes: As a reader, you will not learn much history that has not already been accounted for in a plethora of other novels. The atmosphere of war and the setting of Amsterdam 1940-1945 is well constructed. However, the focus is on the characters and their tales during this time. The inhumane atrocities experienced by Jews and their life in concentration camps is not accounted for. Overall, the novel was a light, easy read. The plot did not create a complexity of profound thoughts or cause for deep reflection. For me it was not gripping or intensely captivating, but rather a normal WW2 read that avoids harrowing specifics.

There is a good true story of sacrifice buried in here, and it is revealed and noted by the author in the end. Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture, and Suzanne Kelman for a copy. Opinions are my own. 

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The Girls with No Names, by Serena Burdick

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1910-1913, New York: A world where men hold the upper hand. Values are changing with the turn of the century. Women are still fighting for their rights. A young female can be sent away or imprisoned for nearly any act of defilement or unbecoming behavior.

Told from three different viewpoints, the story begins through the eyes of Effie, a twelve-year-old growing up in a wealthy household but constrained to a strict set of principles and rules. Longing to hold on to their Victorian values, her family pushes her older sister Luella away. Attached to Luella, Effie finds herself in the House of Mercy after searching for her sister. Luella and Effie’s mother, Jeanne, struggles to maintain her composure while her family begins to crumble. Her social status and reputation in society as a lady cause conflict in her priorities as she seeks to mend her family. Mable befriends Effie in the House of Mercy, but can they trust each other? Mable recalls her past in flashbacks which reveal a pattern of betrayal and deceit.

“There are girls who get put away for more, if they’re not reformed”
“Or repentant”
“It’s like prison. You get put away for however long fits the crime. There are girls who’ve been in there for ten years, twenty. Some never get out, but I heard three years was the minimum.”
“That can’t be true.”
“I’m just telling you what I heard”

3.5 out of 5 stars explained: The setting was great, and I found it suitable and well-researched. The start was slow to build, and the story doesn’t begin to climb until 25% (on a Kindle). I highly enjoyed Mable’s chapters. I found her voice and story to be more fitting to the description of the book. Mable was intriguing and enlightening to the era. The other two POV’s, Effie and Jeanne’s, were not as exciting for the reader and sometimes caused the plot progression to be slower. The actual scenes within the confines of the House of Mercy are limited, and I would say are only detailed in about 12-16% of the entire story itself. You will not learn too much about The House of Mercy from reading this novel.
Most of the story focuses on the family dynamics and some gender conflict. I would have liked to have seen more history apart from the setting and a very small appearance from Inez Milholland. The ending was predictable. The very end, the epilogue, was cheesy and cliché for my taste. It’s not a story that I continued to think about it after reading. Overall, I liked it and found it to be an average read that was engaging during various times and moderate at other times. For the above mentioned reasons, I rounded down to 3 stars. Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for this copy. Opinions are my own.

A great article about this topic:
House of Mercy

1932, House of Mercy:

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The Beekeeper of Aleppo, by Christy Lefteri

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What does it mean if we no longer grieve for what we lost? Do we legitimize the things we have lost or broken by holding on to our grief? What does it mean to carry memories?

The story begins with Nuri, the husband and main character who narrates the story, engulfed in the dark grey abyss of his wife’s blind eyes. His wife, Afra, was left blinded by the war and is left with only her own recollection. But, what does it mean to see? What does it mean to love? Revolutionized by the Syrian Civil War, a war that was not their decision to be involved in or part of, Nuri leaves his apiaries in Aleppo behind and journeys with Afra from Syria to the UK in hopes of obtaining asylum to create a safe and improved future. Their immigration tale tornadoes a state of mental trauma and emotional hardships that endure homelessness while surviving murderers, starvation, and ethical barriers.

Nuri and Afra’s journey from Syria to their ultimate destination is told through Nuri’s flashbacks in bits and pieces. The bees that Nuri often recounts from his life in Aleppo represent the deep metaphorical allegories for their lives, their immigration experience, and the state of Syria.

This story is not about war, but rather the strenuous effects of war on the mind and body. It contains disturbing content, and I would recommend reading this while in a good state of mind. I would consider this a good novel for this interested in the constructs of culture and the influence of sociology. Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for this copy. Opinions are my own.

For more on this topic:
Syrian Refugee Crisis
Fast Facts of Syrian Civil War

Nonfiction books that I recommend on this topic:
Shatter the Nations: ISIS and the War for the Caliphate by Mike Giglio
Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of Isis by Azadeh Moaveni

In the novel, Nuri and Afra stay at Pedion tou Areos with other refugees. Picture of a migrant camp set up at Pedion tou Areos park in Athens:

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Marley, by Jon Clinch

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As a huge fan of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, I was very excited to read this and learn more about Jacob Marley. A Christmas Carol left me with many questions about Jacob Marley; and, while this story does answer most of these questions, they aren’t answered until the end of this novel.

The book spans from 1787, during Marley and Scrooge’s time as teens at a boarding school, through 1836, until Marley’s death. For the better part of the first half, the reader gets to know more about Ebenezer Scrooge, Mother Scrooge, Fan, and Belle. I marked on my Kindle that it primarily centered around Scrooge’s family and their relationships until 40%. After that point, the reader does hear more from Marley but it’s more about Marley’s relationship with Scrooge’s family and his illicit business affairs. I wanted more from Marley and his personal internal depths. Perhaps even his childhood? We know nothing of Marley’s family even after reading this novel about Marley.

Most of my questions concerning Marley were not answered until 80% or after. The plot up until that point moved slowly regarding Marley. Some characters from A Christmas Carol do make an entrance in this tale. For example, we see Bob Cratchit make an appearance after halfway through. 

The setting was spot on, and I really liked the ending. I also enjoyed the language use that the author chose to follow. Although it did contain some, I was hoping for more idioms and neologisms that Dickens was so fond of in his literary accounts. Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

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Colombiano, by Rusty Young

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Based on true events, this story of revenge, betrayal, and corruption follows the fictional character Pedro. Growing up in Llorona, a war-torn land who makes good on the promise to kill those who snitch, Pedro witnesses the murder of his father. At fifteen years old, going on sixteen, he joins the Autodefensas in order to extract revenge on the Guerillas who killed his father. However, his alliance with the Autodefensas creates conflicts in his relationships. It truly is a great story with remarkable characters that endured so much. From the drug trafficking to the kidnappings, I really enjoyed it.

Now, to my technical details! Early on his father is killed and Pedro vows to kill each man who took part in his father’s murder. After this occurs and he joins the paramilitary, Pedro’s training with the Autodefensas is detailed until 24% (on a Kindle). That leaves 25%-97% being the tale of a teenage boy carrying out revenge. It is an 800+ page book, so this was a very drawn-out revenge. It just kept going and going with him trying to find the next person and then the next who was involved in his father’s murder. At a certain point (55% for those interested) I wanted the revenge to be over and the story to progress, but Pedro still had more revenge to pursue. Though entertaining and a powerful story, this left me feeling winded as a reader. 

It was full of thoughtful and meaningful prose which caused me to highlight a lot. It has a lot of violence and vulgar content, too: scenes with dead body parts floating in the water, boys calling each other s.o.b’s every few pages, etc. There are a few sex scenes, but the sexy details are not included. 

There are many Spanish words, but most are cognates. However, if you are unfamiliar with basic Spanish words then I recommend reading on a Kindle in order to translate. There is a glossary of Spanish terms at the end, but that seems superfluous to have to flip back and forth, but do you boo.

I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and those with multicultural interests. Overall, a great compelling read about a boy soldier in Colombia with many well-researched details. Many thanks to Lily Green at Havelock & Baker Publishing for this copy. All opinions are my own.

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The Dressmaker’s Gift, by Fiona Valpy

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This novel follows other modern historical fiction trends: the modern-day character, Harriet, finds an old photograph in box that shows her grandmother as a young lady with two other girls, and Harriet then makes it her goal to uncover the past of her familial history concerning her grandmother, Claire.

The first chapter was very cliché. Harriet moves to Paris obtaining a job in the same building that her grandmother, Claire, worked in. And, she settles in the same apartment that her grandmother lived in. And, Harriet’s roommate in that apartment happens to be the granddaughter of one of the girls in the picture who also lived in that same apartment. Very convenient beginning.
…But the story does get better and becomes entertaining.

The synopsis provided is accurate, for the most part. The three seamstresses in 1940, Claire (Harriet’s grandmother), Mireille, and Vivienne, live together in a small apartment and slowly develop a trusted friendship. Their involvement with the resistance is mostly limited to courier, depending on the character, though they do assistant in helping people out of German-occupied France to safety. With none of them being Jewish, the Jew’s oppression is merely a backdrop in the story and is only mentioned occasionally. It does provide some insight into Flossenburg camp, not as a Jew but as a traitor.

I did not enjoy Harriet’s chapters as much. They seemed like “fillers” and at times the story could be followed easily without having read some of Harriet’s chapters. However, her chapters are not long, so it is bearable. In Harriet’s chapters she mostly recounts the previous chapter of what was revealed to her about her grandmother. She also struggles to cope with the loss of her mother to suicide, and frequently Harriet questions if she has inherited trauma genes.

Overall, I liked the story and found it to be a light, quick, average read that at times intensified. It focused on the girl’s relationship development and their work as a seamstress in Nazi-occupied Paris until approximately 45% (on a Kindle). The plot then heightens again at 61 % (on a Kindle). It does have interesting tidbits of historical information lightly sprinkled here and there.

There are an abundance of fashion references and scenes. I do recommend this if you love Paris fashion. It did not include any vulgar language, sex scenes, or explicit violence.

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Three-Fifths, by John Vercher

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**THIS IS AN IMPORTANT BOOK WITH AN IMPORTANT TITLE.**

John Vercher revolutionizes urban fiction with crime, contemporary issues, mystery, and thriller in his debut novel, Three-Fifths, and the outcome blew me away. During various points, I sat at the edge of my seat with bones shaking, eyes tearing, and my heart racing. Although it directly faces controversial topics such as racism and class differences head on, it surpasses those topics and brought me to tears simply as a parent, sister, friend, and human being. It is wrapped in a realism that occurs nearly every day.

The novel starts off with Bobby, an asthmatic young adult, walking back from work when he runs into his lifelong best friend, Aaron, who has just been released from prison. Riding home together, he quickly learns that Aaron views have changed and, terrified, continues driving him to the food mart where he witnesses Aaron’s criminal acts verifying his new allegiance to the Brotherhood. Bobby struggles with his own identity throughout the novel, hiding under his white features and the secret that he is really mixed. No one knows that his father, who was never around his entire life, is black. He feels like he cannot even rely on his own mother most of the time, and now feels his best friend has betrayed him. Now caught at a cross-roads drowning in accountability, Bobby’s racial divide antagonizes his relationships.

The reader also sees Bobby’s mother, Isabel, who is a single white mom struggling to make ends meet. She wants a better life for her son, but her job as a waitress and her own self-coping mechanism, being alcohol, sometimes create a barrier. “But halfway through the month, she and Bobby were still short on rent, and their need for shelter took priority over pride.” Her son, Bobby, is all she has and is willing to do whatever it takes to pave a way for him. But can she defeat her own monsters? She often wonders if she has made the right decisions and questions her judgment as a parent.

Robert, the doctor who receives the patient that Aaron assaulted the night he was with Bobby, also plays a major role in the story. With his co-workers and family members, we see a successful man who wrestles to accept his own identity. “…there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t look in the mirror that I don’t see a black man before I see a doctor. Because I have to.” Robert’s prose contends to express the racial barrier in society that sometimes goes unnoticed. 

Both a humbling and intense read, I cannot recommend this book enough. Read the whole thing and don’t stop. Be prepared to be all in your emotions. Have tissues and be ready to have a book hangover. This story resonated with me on a personal level in more ways than one and is a story will stay with me for a long time. Please note, however, that there is an abundance of vulgar language and violence in this novel, so it might not be for everyone.

Thank you again and again to John Vercher for creating this important and inspirational story. An amazing debut novel that I highly recommend to others. Thank you to Netgalley and Agora books for allowing me the opportunity to read this piece of fiction. I will be following this author and eagerly waiting for his next book.

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