Tutu makes a boo-boo

My deepest apologies to dear Maeve Binchy and all my readers. One of my loyal and true friends was kind enough to point out that I had a huge mistake in my post about the wonderful book A WEEK IN WINTER. I can only blame it on my careless and missing proof reading. I've corrected the post title and continue to praise the book.

Mini Mention: A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

Just about everyone who ever read and loved Maeve Binchy's warm and loving stories about Ireland was devasted to learn of her death in July 2012.  According to her website, A Week in Winter is her last novel, finished only days before her death.

Binchy had the incredible ability to weave a disparate group of characters and motivations, put them in gorgeous surroundings to make a coherent story where the reader cared about each person, and the outcome for everyone.  On the cover, the publisher tells us

...follows the efforts of Chicky who, with the help of Rigger (a bad boy turned good who is handy around the place) and her niece Orla (a whiz at business), turns a coastal Ireland mansion into a holiday resort and receives an assortment of first guests who throughout the course of a week share laughter and the heartache of respective challenges. John, the American movie star thinks he has arrived incognito; Winnie and Lillian, forced into taking a holiday together; Nuala and Henry, husband and wife , both doctors who have been shaken by seeing too much death; Anders, the Swedish boy, hates his father's business, but has a real talent for music; Miss Nell Howe, a retired school teacher, who criticizes everything and leaves a day early, much to everyone's relief; the Walls who have entered in 200 contests (and won everything from a microwave oven to velvet curtains, including the week at Stone House); and Freda , the psychic who is afraid of her own visions.

It's vintage Binchy, and a story I'll be able to return to again when I'm looking for a feel good read that doesn't sugar coat problems, but that provides a hopeful and positive slant. It's one I bought for my permanent personal library.

Title: A Week in Winter
Author: Maeve Binchy
Publisher:Anchor (2014), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 416 pages
Genre: character based storytelling
Subject: life choices
Setting: Ireland
Source: originally from library, ultimately purchased for my e-reader.
Why did I read this book now? I'm a fan of the author.

Mini Mention: The Woman who Wouldn't Die by Colin Cotterill

Tutu is starting a new feature here on the blog.  Because I tend to read in series, it sometimes gets boring for me - and I'm sure for you too - to write reviews for ongoing story lines and the same set of characters.  So starting today, unless the book is just off the presses and I've been given a review copy by the publisher or author, I'm giving myself permission to do a "MINI MENTION" vice a review.

This series has been an enjoyable one up to now, so I was happy to see a new adventure on the shelf.  However, I have to say that this latest one disappointed.  I'm sure there are followers who were thrilled by the historical backfill of the French colonization of Laos and Madame Daeng's early life.  It just seemed like a lot of fill-er-up to me.  It may have been that I wasn't concentrating enough, and I'll probably try this one again later on. 

Same characters, same kinds of silliness and humor, but somehow it didn't work.  Maybe just a few too many spirits and ghosts.  If you're a fan of the series, you'll still enjoy seeing how Dr. Siri continues his adventures even after his "retirement".  If you've never read them before, don't start here....pick an earlier one.  In fact, this series builds so well it's best to start at the beginning.

Title: The Woman Who Wouldn't Die
Author: Colin Cotterill
Publisher: Soho Crime (2014), Paperback, 336 pages
Genre: mystery
Subject: Laotion history, missing persons, ghosts
Setting: Laos
Series: Dr. Siri Paiboun mysteries #9
Source: Public library
Why did I read this book now?  I like the series and wanted to stay current.

Memorial Day 2014

Months ago, I bookmarked this page featuring an incredible musical tribute performed by an extremely talented then 13 year old Melissa Venema in the Netherlands.

This weekend, we will be bombarded with flags, buntings, wreaths, and visual tributes galore to pay homage to all who are serving or who have served our country and its commitment to freedom.  It's important to remember that over the years, through many conflicts, hundreds of thousands of others around the world have also joined in that effort.

Today, please take a quiet moment to remember as you listen to the poignant rendition of "IL SILENZIO".  

I can't think of any better way to say thank you to all who have served and are serving.

Father's Day is Coming - a book Giveaway for a perfect gift!

 A major new biography of the fourth president of the United States by New York Times bestselling author Lynne Cheney

 For several years, I've been slowly reading my way through the biographies of America's presidents.  Too often, however, I find my progress impeded either by the lack of good solid historical research or a boring, academic dissertational style of writing.  I've been looking forward to this one and when Penguin's publicist asked if I'd like to run a giveaway and review the book, it only took about 10 keystrokes to hit the reply button and say "YES!" 

So faithful readers, we want to choose one lucky winner in time to get this and give as a Father's Day gift.  I don't have time to read and review it before then, but promise you a review sometime this summer.  For now let's just look at what everyone else is saying about this author and her latest work..

This majestic new biography of James Madison explores the astonishing story of a man of vaunted modesty who audaciously changed the world. Among the Founding Fathers, Madison was a true genius of the early republic.

Outwardly reserved, Madison was the intellectual driving force behind the Constitution and crucial to its ratification. His visionary political philosophy and rationale for the union of states—so eloquently presented in The Federalist papers—helped shape the country Americans live in today.

Along with Thomas Jefferson, Madison would found the first political party in the country’s history—the Democratic Republicans. As Jefferson’s secretary of state, he managed the Louisiana Purchase, doubling the size of the United States. As president, Madison led the country in its first war under the Constitution, the War of 1812. Without precedent to guide him, he would demonstrate that a republic could defend its honor and independence—and remain a republic still.

WHO: Lynne Cheney, wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney, is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. She is the author or co-author of twelve books, includes six bestsellers about American history for children and their families. Cheney’s most recent book is We the People: The Story of Our Constitution (2008).

WHAT:  Cheney, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, has been studying Madison since 1987, when she was a member of the Commission on the Bicentennial of the Constitution. She has spent the last five years immersed in Madison archival materials, and the result is a lively, intimate, and compelling narrative that takes the reader through the history-altering events in which Madison played key roles. He was not only the Father of the Constitution, but the leader of the first Congress and President Washington’s most influential advisor. He used both positions and a political savvy unmatched since to secure passage of the Bill of Rights. In 1812, he became the first president to lead the nation in war under the Constitution, and he was not only as steady a commander-in-chief as the nation has ever known, he was a friend of liberty, refusing to silence those opposed to war, although many pressed him to do so.

WHY: Father of the Constitution, principle author of the Bill of Rights, founder of the first opposition party, secretary of state, and fourth president, Madison was both a far-seeing theorist and a masterful politician, who despite all he accomplished has been overshadowed by other Founders. Mrs. Cheney covers the sweep of Madison’s significant life, exploring his deeds, his mind, and his character to reveal the brilliance and determination that enabled this seemingly modest man to change the world. Debunking the myths that have burdened his reputation, she shows us the Madison lauded by his famous contemporaries—Washington, Adams, Jefferson—and loved by his glamorous wife, Dolley.

So...here are the rules for entering:

1.  Each entry should be a separate comment.
2.  Open to U.S. Addresses only - no P.O. Boxes.
3.  Leave a comment, including your email address, stating why you want to win.  NO EMAIL, NO ENTRY.
4.  Extra entries if you tell me how you follow this blog (if you follow in more than one way, make each a separate entry.)
5.  Another extra entry if you go to the Penguin book page and then make a comment telling me how many quotes are listed in the "praise" section. 
5.  Deadline for entries is 11:55PM EDT Sunday June 8th.  I will notify the winner by 6:00 PM Monday June 9th.  The winner will have only 48 hours to reply with a mailing address so that we can get this delivered in time for Father's Day giving.

Review: Small Plates: Short Fiction by Katherine Hall Page

Katherine Hall Page has delighted me for several years with her Faith Fairchild mysteries. I love the character, the settings and the usually plausible plots. In this newest volume from Page, she has given us 9 fantastic short stories which amazed me in their ability to pack in character, setting and a good plot line in such a short span. The longest story was only about 25 pages long.

It's always difficult to review individual short stories but the variety of plots and time periods is quite interesting. THere are ghosts, great recipes (what else can you expect from Faith Fairchild?), murder plots that backfire, jilted lovers seeking revenge, a gorgeous Maine beach,and two-timing spouses; there are bloody knives and poisoned puddings; and there's a final story that is biblically inspired and touching. Perfect for a Christmas reading.

In each story, Faith manages to put in an appearance. Sometimes she is central to the story, in others she's sitting on the sidelines. All in all this is a thoroughly enjoyable collection and one which I intend to purchase for my personal collection when it's published.

Publishers Note: The novella "The Two Marys," included within, was nominated for an Agatha Award.  Katherine Hall Page is one of the only authors to have won an Agatha in all three categories: Best Novel (The Body in the Snowdrift), Best Short Story ("The Would-Be Widower"), and Best First Novel (The Body in the Belfry). The cookbook Have Faith in Your Kitchen was nominated for a nonfiction Agatha. The Body in the Bonfire and The Body in the Ivy were both nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Novel, and The Body in the Lighthouse was nominated for a Mary Higgins Clark Award.

. "The Would-Be Widower" was also nominated for a 2002 Macavity Award and appears in the mystery compilation Malice Domestic 10.

Title: Small Plates: Short Fiction
Author: Katherine Hall Page
Publisher:William Morrow (2014), Hardcover, 240 pages
Genre: Mystery, short stories
Subject: murderous relationships
Source: Electronic review copy from publisher via Edelweiss
Why did I read this book now? A review copy was offered by the publisher and I'm a fan of this author

We have a winner - The Promise

It's giveaway time, and the winner of a copy of The Promise is

Anita

I've sent her an email and she has until Tuesday, May 20th to get back to me with her mailing address.

Thanks to everyone who entered, and I hope you all get a chance to read and enjoy this delightful work.

Again, many thanks to  TLC tours for the opportunity to host the giveaway.

Audio Review: The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank

Dorothea Benton Frank is one of my favorite authors of the genre often called "Southern Fiction."  This one did not disappoint as a work of fiction.  I won't say I liked the main characters, and I certainly didn't like the early choices made by Leslie Anne Greene Carter, the protagonist, but once she escaped the bounds of a manipulative, selfish and thoroughly unlikeable husband, I found myself rooting for her to develop her backbone and stop being a doormat.

Let's recap the story from the publisher notes on audio book case:

Leslie Anne Greene Carter is The Last Original Wife among her husband Wesley's wildly successful,Atlanta social set. His cronies have all traded in the mothers of their children they promised to love and cherish—'til death did them part—for tanned and toned young Barbie brides.

If losing the social life and close friends she adored wasn't painful enough, a series of setbacks shake Les's world and push her to the edge. She's had enough of playing the good wife to a husband who thinks he's doing her a favor keeping her around. Now, she's going to take some time for herself—in the familiar comforts and stunning beauty of Charleston, her beloved hometown. In her brother's stately historic home, she's going to reclaim the carefree girl who spent lazy summers sharing steamy kisses with her first love on Sullivan's Island. Daring to listen to her inner voice, she will realize what she wants . . . and find the life of which she's always dreamed.
Told in the alternating voices of Les and Wes, The Last Original Wife is classic Dorothea Benton Frank: an intoxicating tale of family, friendship, self-discovery, and love, that is as salty as a Lowcountry breeze and as invigorating as a dip in Carolina waters on a sizzling summer day.

I'm of the same generation, background and education as Leslie Anne Carter, but I would never ever have put up with the demeaning life she endured married to Wes, skimping on spending, ignored in favor of the golf game, and treated like hired help.  I was alternately cheering for her to tell him to pound sand and plant his golf clubs where the sun doesn't shine and hoping that perhaps the two of them would get counseling, that he would somehow be able to give up his obsession with golf, and they might be able to salvage their relationship.  The resolution the author allows at the end is one I found satisfying emotionally and should be one that most readers can accept.  I won't spoil your enjoyment by telling anymore.

It was an enjoyable read, very well done in the audio format by narrator Robin Miles.

Title: The Last Original Wife
Author: Dorothea Benton Frank
Publisher: Harper Audio (2013), narrated by Robin Mil
Genre: Southern fiction
Subject: marriage, women's roles
Setting: Atlanta GA and Charleston SC
Source: public library audio download
Why did I read this book now?  I am a fan of the author and my sister recommended the book.

BLOG TOUR: Orphans of Race Point

Since I finished reading this about 10 days ago, I've been heard to remark several times that this is the summer read of the year.  The Orphans of Race Point reminds me of Gone Girl, but IMHO, it's way better with much more likeable characters.  It's a fantastic love story, a very disturbing mystery, set in a gorgeous and fabled area,  and an all-around good read.  So I'm thrilled to here on the TLC Blog Tour telling one and all how highly I rate this one.   Let's look at the publisher's blurb:

Set on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a suspenseful page-turning saga of love, murder, and the true meaning of faith from the author of the acclaimed The Liar’s Diary.
Set in the close-knit Portuguese community of Provincetown, Massachusetts, The Orphans of Race Point traces the relationship between Hallie Costa and Gus Silva, who meet as children in the wake of a terrible crime that leaves Gus parentless. Their friendship evolves into an enduring and passionate love that will ask more of them than they ever imagined.

On the night of their high school prom, a terrible tragedy devastates their relationship and profoundly alters the course of their lives. And when, a decade later, Gus—now a priest—becomes entangled with a distraught woman named Ava and her daughter Mila, troubled souls who bring back vivid memories of his own damaged past, the unthinkable happens: he is charged with murder. Can Hallie save the man she’s never stopped loving, by not only freeing him from prison but also—finally—the curse of his past?

Told in alternating voices, The Orphans of Race Point illuminates the transformative power of love and the myriad ways we find meaning in our lives.

Now I do think on the back cover the publisher has misled us a tad bit on how the story progresses, but I won't spoil the outcome by pointing out the descriptive oopsie.  It will make a great book club discussion point.

I was drawn to this one by my fondness for the setting - Cape Cod; the characters - a large inter-related Portuguese family/community (I married into that group); and the promise of a good mystery. Patry has given us all three elements with crisp prose, flawed characters with eminently likeable personalities, and a mystery that at first doesn't seem like a mystery.  The reader goes along believing that this is just a tragic love story, and doesn't realize until well into the dark despair of the star crossed lovers that all may not be as it seems.  The main characters Hallie and Gus grow from young preteens to adulthood while navigating the treacherous shoals of adolescence guided by a variety of community parental figures who each had his/her own problems. I was rooting for an outcome that wasn't to be.  Each of these characters was flawed; each had numerous redeeming qualities; each needed something the other was not capable of giving.

Other characters added a layer of complexity and richness portraying relationships full of love, caring, all the while bedeviled by the misunderstandings that often develop among teen-agers and their friends and parents.  Nevertheless, the plot twists aroused my interest early on, ensuring that I wasn't going to do anything but read for almost 24 straight hours.

Although it's long, Orphans of Race Point moves along through several generations of family secrets and revelations to an ending that may not be what every reader is looking for.  That resolution however, is one that satisfied my need for closure, forgiveness and redemption for most of the cast.   It certainly kept me up reading well past my normal bedtime.  I could not put it down, and can't stop urging everyone I meet to go get this one.

 Patry Francis is a new author for me.  I immediately went out and got her first book The Liar's Diary.  It's going onto the summer reading pile for sure.  You can learn more about Ms. Francis on her webpage.

Title: The Orphans of Race Point
Author: Patry Francis
Publisher: Harper Collins (2014), paperback, 544 pages
Genre: romance, mystery
Subject: secrets, murder, dysfunctional family life
Setting: Provincetown Cape Cod
Source: publisher review copy
Why did I read this book now? I was invited to review the book by the publisher.

Many thanks to Trish Collins of Harper Collins for providing the review copy and inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour.  You can see future stops on the tour here.

Mini shout: Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker

 I recently discovered this series thanks to online friends at LibraryThing.com.  The first of the series, subtitled "A Novel of the French Countryside" was as pleasant a read as a stroll through a small French town and a stop at a local bistro for wine and cheese, or a cafe au lait with a brioche.
  
Benoît (Bruno) Courrèges, is not only chief of police of a small village in the south of France, he's the ONLY policeman. He knows everyone in town, he loves to eat, he has a dog named Gigi to add some color to his personality, he's probably at the top of the area's eligible bachelor list, and he really doesn't have a hard life because there's no real crime in this town.

Suddenly, a retired North African, beloved by all in the village is murdered, and Bruno must contend with the appearance of the "helper" crime solvers from higher up the crime-solving food chain, and must adjust his thinking about what he knows about the victim. To say the least, his quiet life is upended.

I enjoyed this one- it reminded me of M.C. Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series, or Alexander McCall Smith's First Ladies Detective Agency books. I'll be looking for at least one more by this author to see if the entire series is worth pursuing.

Title: Bruno, Chief of Police 
Author: Martin Walker
Publisher: Vintage (2010), Edition: 1, Paperback, 304 pages
Genre: Cozy police procedural
Subject: murder, secrets
Setting: south of France
Series: Bruno Courreges
Source: Public library
Why did I read this book now? recommended by friends

Review : Ruin Falls by Jenny Milchum

I can't read Jenny Milchum at night when I'm about to go to sleep. Her scenarios are far too creepy. Her books are scary but not so creepy and scary that I can't believe every bit of what is happening. Her first book, Cover of Snow, drew me right in, even with its alarming premise, and kept me reading far into the night. This newest one, Ruin Falls is even better.

Milchum gives us the primary victims of domestic abuse (more mental and pyschological than physical but every bit as real) and sprinkles in some secondary ones whose stories weave in and out. For a while, I couldn't quite see how they all fit together, but Milchum does an excellent job of lacing the story lines. Once again, she uses the wooded Adirondacks as her setting. It is obviously an area where she is comfortable exploring and describing.

I really don't want to spoil the plot, so I'm going to give you only the teaser the publisher is giving us:

When Liz wakes up one morning in her hotel room to discover her two children Ally and Reid aren't in their beds, her mind races, imagining a million worst-case scenarios, playing out her every nightmare. When she discovers that the kids were taken, not by some anonymous monster in a ski mask but by her own husband, Paul, her frantic worries turn into desperate questions. Unable to comprehend why the man who had been her trusted partner would willingly take from her all she loves most, Liz throws herself into the search for her kids. Her investigation uncovers a disturbing incident from her husband's past and she begins receiving ominous threats, warning her to stay away. No more able to abandon her search than stop breathing, Liz digs deeper into her husband's secrets-only to discover that Paul's plans are far more extreme than she ever could have imagined.

Drawing on all the publicity today about the back to the earth movement, environmental protection, conservation of resources, sustainable agriculture, and retreat from worldly contamination, this one combines these issues with twisted personalities in a scenario that is so well written it's more than believable--it can scare the living bejeebies out of any one who is a parent.  Just published this week, this one should be headed for your must read list.

Title: Ruin Falls
Author: Jenny Milchum
Publisher: Ballantine Books (2014), e-galley 352 pages 
Genre: pyschological thriller
Subject: eco-terrorism
Setting: The Adirondacks, NY
Source: e-galley from publisher via Edelweiss
Why did I read this book now? The publisher offered it for review and I enjoyed the author's previous work.

Note : I also had the chance to sample this in audio. Cassandra Campbell does a fantastic job of delivering the variety of emotions the author portrays in her writing.  If you're an audio fan, be sure to check this one out.

Mini shout: One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson

 Who had any idea so many memorable events happened in 1927?  I certainly learned a lot, and enjoyed the history lesson.  Bryson as usual dispenses tidbits of history along with philosophy, sociology, politics, geology, anthropology, and just plain fun.  There's baseball (Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs that summer), there's aviation (Charles Lindbergh and a host of others were setting all kinds of airbourne records),there's the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti (along with the entire story of electrocution. Prohibition was foundering, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover were both exhibiting their lack of charisma, and the movies were shifting from silent to talkies.
Fascinating in both print and audio.

Author: Bill Bryson
Publisher:Doubleday (2013), Edition: 0, Hardcover, 528 pages
Genre: History
Subject: Important trends and events happening in 1927
Source: public library download
Why did I read this book now? It was available, I love Bill Bryson, and the subject matter intrigued me.

Review: Orphan Train by Christine Baker Kline

Christine Baker Kline tells a moving story of two women separated in age by decades, but joined by experiences of betrayal and abandonment.

  The publisher tells us:

Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to “aging out” out of the foster care system. A community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse...
As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance.
Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life – answers that will ultimately free them both.
Rich in detail and epic in scope, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are.

Baker Kline does a masterful job of weaving the stories of Mollie and Vivian, although the book is much more about the older woman than the younger, perhaps because Vivian has already lived her life and her experiences can be seen as lessons for Mollie.  While the younger woman has certainly been shuffled from house to house, the more enlightened views of today's social services afford her more opportunities for success.

The stories of the orphan train children, told in stark detail, are appalling.   Our book group discussed this last week, and to a member, no-one could believe that these children were sent and/or left in the squalor, the degradation and the abusive situations some of them faced. None of us, whether we had children or not, could ever envision treating children in such a cruel and cavalier manner as was told about some of these neglected youngsters in the 1920s.  We cheered for the people who helped right the wrongs, we unanimously denounced the villains.  We questioned decisions made, both by Vivian and by Mollie, but we all agreed that the story was well told, kept us turning pages, and ultimately left us feeling that the resolution, while a bit contrived, was a satisfactory one.  I don't want to do spoilers, but I will say it is a story that weaves injustices of the past with success both past and present.  It highlights glaring lapses that still exist in the foster system today while celebrating improvements and accomplishments.

Although the subject matter can be difficult, the author's use of two perspectives to reflect feelings and emotions gives the reader a chance to evaluate the subject matter clearly and close the book with a feeling of satisfaction.
ORPHAN TRAIN was on the long list of nominees for the Maine Readers Choice Award.  Many thanks to the publisher, Willliam Morrow Paperbacks for making a copy available for review.

Title: Orphan Train
Author: Christina Baker Kline
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (2013), Edition: Original, Paperback, 304 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Subject: treatment of orphans and foster children
Setting: Maine, Minnesota
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Why did I read this book now? To evaluate it as a possible contender for the Maine Readers Choice Award.

Blog Tour and a Giveaway: The Promise by Ann Weisgarber

A heartbreaking story set against the backdrop of the devastating Hurricane that hit Galveston Island in 1900.  The publisher's blurb tells us:

1900. Young pianist Catherine Wainwright flees the fashionable town of Dayton, Ohio in the wake of a terrible scandal. Heartbroken and facing destitution, she finds herself striking up correspondence with a childhood admirer, the recently widowed Oscar Williams. In desperation she agrees to marry him, but when Catherine travels to Oscar's farm on Galveston Island, Texas-a thousand miles from home-she finds she is little prepared for the life that awaits her. The island is remote, the weather sweltering, and Oscar's little boy Andre is grieving hard for his lost mother. And though Oscar tries to please his new wife, the secrets of the past sit uncomfortably between them. Meanwhile for Nan Ogden, Oscar's housekeeper, Catherine's sudden arrival has come as a great shock. For not only did she promise Oscar's first wife that she would be the one to take care of little Andre, but she has feelings for Oscar which she is struggling to suppress. And when the worst storm in a generation descends, the women will find themselves tested as never before.

My Impressions:

Two women contribute to the Galveston household of Oscar Williams, a recent widower: his second wife Catherine, an accomplished pianist from his hometown of Dayton Ohio, and Nan Ogden, his housekeeper who promised his first wife that she would look after Oscar and his son Andre.  Catherine arrives burdened with a secret from her past, determined to make a new life and never reveal her shame to Oscar.  Nan, suffering from unrequited love, must balance her own feelings toward Oscar with her loyalty towards her dead friend. The story moves along at a breathtaking pace, while at the same time leaving the characters immersed in slow, clock-stopping chunks of terror.  Weisgarden's descriptions of the barren landscape, the skies, the heavy air, the bugs, the hard work of maintaining a subsistence existence totally lacking in any trivial or unnecessary items or events, drain not only the characters but the reader.  The reader is swept into the story and compelled to join in the anguish of decisions being made, memories relived, and hopes being planted only to be dashed.

The sheer joy of an untuned piano, a community dance, an inside pump for water paints the picture of how bleak life was during this time frame, how desperate people were for any chance for beauty, for love, for hope.  As the storm rages across the island, each woman reviews her life, her hopes and dreams while facing life and death issues. The ending is one that speaks to the premise.  It's a stunner, sad but hopeful and deserves not to be spoiled by pre-telling.  Weisgarden has given us not only a historical portrait of a catastrophic event, but a beautiful narrative of two women, a man, and a child that will resonate with even the most hard-hearted.

It more than lives up to its title.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I first agreed to serve as a review host for the blog tour, I wasn't sure I was
going to have time to do an in-depth interview with Ann, so she graciously furnished me a personal note to include for all my readers. It certainly helped me connect with her and made me even more positive about this terrific story.  Here's what she sent:

I’m so pleased to part of your blog and this comes to you with my thanks for reading The Promise.  While writing this note, my atlas is on my desk and it’s open to Maine.  This makes me feel connected to you.  It also reminds me of the time my husband and I visited Ogunquit for our fifth wedding anniversary.  Rob was a student in Boston, I was a social worker in an East Boston nursing home, and we counted every penny.  The bus trip to Ogunquit was a wild splurge but it was early June and the Bed & Breakfast rate was low.  Many restaurants were closed and there were few tourists.  This didn’t matter to us.  We were in Maine, a place we’d never been before. 
    On Saturday afternoon, Rob and I took a walk along the cliff that overlooked the water.  The wind was brisk with a distinct chill and the beach was deserted.  Yet, strawberry plants grew along the path and the berries were beginning to ripen.  It was a moment I’ll never forget:  the cold wind paired with delicate red-tinged berries determined to thrive.
    Like that long ago trip to Maine, reading a good book takes me to new places.  I open it and find the wind, the plot.  But beneath the plot, I sometimes find small discoveries that enrich my life and linger in my thoughts for years to come. 
    I hope you and other readers find these kinds of unexpected moments in The Promise.     

Ann, I certainly do feel a connection since we spent part of our honeymoon at Ogunquit Maine before continuing up the coast.   Living here full time now I really appreciate those cool see breezes that often put me in the mood to settle down and read.  Coastal cities always fascinate me and the setting for The Promise is especially personal.  We have dear friends whose once upon a time beach house in Galveston where we vacationed many years ago is no longer....a more recent hurricane claimed it.  So this one was very special for me to read.  I hope all my readers will hurry out and get a copy.  It's definitely going to be one of the best of the year.

And now for the final treat: The publicist has given me one copy to offer to my readers.  The giveaway is open only to US and Canadian readers.  Leave a comment to enter, and be sure to leave your email address so I can notify you when you win.  You can earn an extra entry by visiting Ann's webpage and leaving a second comment about something interesting you learned there.  The giveaway ends on May 16th at 11:30 PM EDT.  I'll draw the winner on the 17th.

Title: The Promise
Author: Ann Weisgarden
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing (2014), Hardcover, 320 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Subject: Galveston Hurricane of 1900
Setting: Dayton Ohio and Galveston Island Texas
Source: E-galley review copy from the publisher

Follow The Promise Blog Tour in the following days for more reviews and maybe another chance to win a copy. 

Re - reading - an oft neglected joy!

I've recently become a devotèe of re-reading books.  As many of you know, one of my favorite genres is the mystery series, and there is no one better at writing in this format than Louise Penny.  Her Chief Inspector Gamache series is probably my all-time favorite.  Currently, to promote the tenth book of the series, her publisher, St. Martin's Minotaur is sponsoring an on-line "re-read" discussion of books 1-9.  I needed no further excuse to plunge in to refresh my memory to get ready for this new one coming out in August.

The discussion started yesterday with a welcome by one of my favorite bloggers, Lesa Holstine of Lesa's Book Critiques.
Her kickoff and the ensuing conversation is here at Still Life Part 1. I decided this time to "ear-read" it by listening to Ralph Cosham's splendid narration. I love to listen to audio books while I jog in the pool to soothe my arthritic joints.  I became so engrossed by reminders of details I'd forgotten about this first book, that I spent twice as long in the pool as I normally do.

I came home and spent the rest of that day, and most of the weekend finishing this luscious introduction to the Village of Three Pines, and one of the most engaging, endearing, and unforgettable casts of characters I've ever come across.  The on-line discussion is so much fun, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series again.

I used to say that I didn't have time to read a book I'd already read because that took away from my time to read a new one.  But as I read more, I realize that one read is not enough for a really good book.  There is so much to plumb from these that it will take at least two reads to be sure I haven't missed something.  Because everything Louise Penny writes is worth paying close attention. 

If you've not yet experienced  the fun and the utter beauty of Three Pines and its inhabitants, the utter terror of evil unleashed, and the relief of mysteries solved, you owe yourself a chance.  These are not typical mysteries.  Yes, there are bad guys, yes there are villains and murders, and clues and red herrings, but these are really stories about life and love and passion and longing and despair and hope.  Try them.  And join us in the discussion.

Visitation Street by Ivy Pochoda

This one was a huge surprise for me.  It was on the short list of ten for the Maine Reader's Choice Award, and it's still one of the five I'm considering voting for when we have to choose the three finalists later this month.

The publisher tells us:

It’s summertime in a blue-collar dockside neighborhood. (Red Hook Brooklyn New York).  June and Val, two fifteen-year-olds, take a raft out onto the bay at night to see what they can see.
And then they disappear. Only Val will survive, washed ashore; semi-conscious in the weeds.
This shocking event will echo through the lives of a diverse cast of Red Hook residents. Fadi, the Lebanese bodega owner, hopes that his shop will be the place to share neighborhood news and troll for information about June’s disappearance. Cree, just beginning to pull it together after his father’s murder, unwittingly makes himself the chief suspect, but an enigmatic and elusive guardian is determined to keep him safe.
Val contends with the shadow of her missing friend and a truth she buries deep inside. Her teacher Jonathan, a Julliard School dropout and barfly, wrestles with dashed dreams and a past riddled with tragic sins.

 My impression:  Reminiscent of West Side Story, the class struggle portrayed by The characters in this book is drawn with such precision that the reader is able to understand and empathize with each one of them in spite of their often less than savory backgrounds and behavior.  We might not want to live their lives or move into their hood, but they are portrayed with a realism that sings. The mystery is so well entwined in the lives of these characters that it takes a while to determine exactly what the mystery is.  Is June missing?  Did she drown?  Was she murdered?  What really happened, and who knows?  Who cares? And why?  It's a true underdog story, set in a vibrant, currant setting that will appeal to lovers of mysteries, young adults and adults alike, and readers who want a beautifully crafted work of fiction.  It works especially well in audio.  It's one I'll listen to and read again, and fully expect to see this one on the movie screen someday.

Title: Visitation Street
Author: Ivy Pochoda
Publisher: Dennis Lehane Books/Ecco (2013), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 320 pages
audio narrated by Roy Porter
Genre: Mystery, literary fiction
Subject: Missing teenager, social class prejudice
Setting: Red Hook Brooklyn New York
Source: Print: Review copy from publisher; Audio - purchased from Audible.
Why did I read this book now?  It was on the Maine Reader's Choice Short List for 2013 books.

Pigs Can't Swim by Helen Peppe

Helen Peppe cracked me up! Growing up as the youngest of nine children, she manages to tell us the story of the family's non-exciting, everyday life in a manner that enthralls the reader, without ever naming a player except herself and her later-to-be husband.

Her descriptions of life in this rural section of Maine include delightful stories of sibling rivalries, overburdened parents, the poverty of the area,  and the everyday sexual antics of her sisters.  Interspersed with the human stories she relates her interactions with a variety of animals who lived on the farm.  The fact that many of these animals often found their way to the family dinner table was a constant source of pain to young Helen, who tried valiantly to live a vegetarian life.

The Cast of characters is enough to make me want to pick this up and read it again:
Mom  known only as Honey
Dad called the "Old Goat"
The sisters:
 "The sad tittering sister"
 "The hair twirling pretty sister"
"The sister who holds grudges longer than God"
"The sister of poor choices"

The Brothers:
"The blustery and favored brother"
"The tough yet admirable brother"

There are a couple others, but these just tickled me.  Helen learns her sexual mores from her sisters (all of whom seemed to have become pregnant before age 16), the farm animals, and her mother's rather impressive  lack of information sharing.

The vignettes she shares about growing up in the midst of unorganized chaos could have been a depressing exposè of poverty and poor parenting.  Instead, she gives us a glance of a happy child who makes choices that bring her to adulthood with an intact psyche and a love of nature and animals that carries through life's travails.  A happy, hope-filled book.  



Title: Pigs Can't Swim
Author: Helen Peppe
Publisher: Da Capo Press (2014), Hardcover, 272 pages
Genre: Memoir
Subject: growing up in rural Maine
Setting: farm in Maine
Source: ARC from the publisher via Net Galley
Why did I read this book now? I was offered a copy to review.
 

Review: The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna

Others have dubbed this one atmospheric and disturbing.  I alternate between stunning and unsettling.  Make no mistake, this beautifully written story of the civil war that took place in Croatia in 2007, contains brutal text, ugly scenes, gut-wrenching episodes of inhuman behavior.  But it also provides the reader with a protagonist who is able to look objectively at his life and present us with an attitude of acceptance, sorrow, hope and revenge left unclaimed.


Duro Kolak, local handyman and hunter, agrees to help vacationing Englishwoman Laura and her two children, to repair and restore "the old Blue House".   Duro does not divulge his memories about the house or the friends who once lived there. Many of the scenes are centered on hunting - a necessary means of providing food for the village, but a form of carnage that is not one I'm fond of. Forna goes back and forth from present to the past to show the devastation caused by the war.  Her juxtaposition of the native villagers and their actions during the war with the fairy-tale vision Laura espouses of the beautiful mountain town provides a broad spectrum of emotions and reactions in the characters and the reader.  Duro's attempts to mesh his memories of the past (arising from his work on the Blue House) with the delights of the restoration work keep the reader turning pages to the end.

It's a book that will stay with the reader long after the story is finished.  It's on the short list for the Maine Readers' Choice Award this year, and it will certainly be one to which I give serious consideration when it comes time to choose the Finalists.


Title: The Hired Man
Author: Aminatta Forna
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press (2013), Hardcover, 304 pages
Genre: historical fiction
Subject: Croation civil war
Setting: Fictional town Gost Croatia
Source: Review copy from the publisher.
Why did I read this book now?  It's on the Maine Readers Choice Short List.

 My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Happy Saint Paddy's Day!

With all the glitzy shamrocks, green beer, outlandish outfits, and leprechauns bounding about today, I thought I'd try to share something more historic. This stained glass window is in St. Benin's Episcopal Church in Kilbannon, Galway, Ireland.  Interesting that the great St. Paddy himself is shown with shamrock in hand.  No matter how you do or do not celebrate the legends, achievements and/or stories of the great Irish Saint, best wishes for a happy Monday and the beginning of the what we can only hope will be a glance at spring coming the end of the week.

Slowing Down...Digging Out....and ......... OH FORGETTABOUDIT!!

This past week I finished reading all ten of the short listed books for judging in the Maine Readers'Choice Award competition. The next step is to narrow those ten down to three finalists. We'll do that in early May. I've definitely eliminated two of them and have several others in the 4 out of 5  star range that will probably not make my cut. But then I wouldn't be horribly upset if the group voted any of them in. I have my top two pretty firmly established (and I will be very upset if they DON"T make the finalist list) but I'm really conflicted about choosing that third book.

I went back and re-read and listened to Transatlantic and Benediction.  Since I read both of them months before the long-list ever came out, I wanted to have a current assessment of them against other entries.   This week I finished Visitation Street (review coming soon) and was very very pleasantly surprised.

With the exception of The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope, I ended up reading them all in print and listening to the audio versions too, thereby giving me a pretty good handle on all of them.  I'm actually glad a couple of them turned out to be such duds for me.  It helped to narrow the field..especially since they were for me duds in both formats.

This week I'm going to take a breath, excavate my library/office ( it's so bad I couldn't even take a photo that would make any sense - if it were not enclosed it would like this outdoor market in Spain!), make a few phone calls to friends and family members, and try to gather the paperwork I need to do my taxes. UGH.   So my reading is going to be of the total fun, "not anybody making me do" it variety.

In the dock:
Snow in May - a review copy of Russian short stories on my nook - pub date in May
Bruno, Chief of Police - an audio I got from the Library, recommended by a LibraryThing friend. Just what I need-- another good detective series.

I also have "next ups" standing by - Colin Cotterill's latest Dr. Siri Paiboun adventure, and the newest Ely Griffiths book, as well as the audio of Bill Bryson's One Summer - a long one that will probably take me until the summer to finish.

I've got several Audible credits waiting to be spent, and lots of books on the wishlist to use them up.

The weather was gorgeous yesterday, so I got nothing done except to plan some meals for next week.  In the meantime,  it's time to stop procrastinating and get to the taxes.  Maybe later....but it's supposed to be very cold, so I'll need to curl up in front of the fireplace.  So....maybe  Monday...or Tuesday...or........wish me luck!

Oops....forgot that I have bookclub on Wednesday, so I'll have to grab my copy of Christopher Morley's Haunted Bookshop which I read years ago and refresh my memory before then.  Like I said.....wish me luck!