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Published on Leave a comment on The Family
The Family Book Cover The Family
Louise Jensen
Thriller
Grand Central
February 2, 2021
Paperback
384
Free from publisher

Laura is grieving after the sudden death of her husband. Struggling to cope emotionally and financially, Laura is grateful when a local community, Oak Leaf Organics, offer her and her 17-year-old daughter Tilly a home.

But as Laura and Tilly settle into life with their new "family," sinister things begin to happen. When one of the community dies in suspicious circumstances Laura wants to leave but Tilly, enthralled by the charismatic leader, Alex, refuses to go.

Desperately searching for a way to save her daughter, Laura uncovers a horrifying secret but Alex and his family aren't the only ones with something to hide. Just as Laura has been digging into their past, they've been digging into hers and she discovers the terrifying reason they invited her and Tilly in, and why they'll never let them leave...

My review:

Have you ever wondered how seemingly normal people get sucked into a cult like community? Or even if you already know, this thriller will suck you in. Recently widowed Laura and her teenage daughter Tilley are completely down on their luck, with absolutely no money and nowhere to go. That is until a kind stranger who works at a community garden offers them a place to live, and to belong. The creepy vibes start early with this one, as a powerful sense of foreboding unfolds. Told in three voices (Laura, Tilley, and community leader Alex), it seems everyone has secrets they are not revealing. The atmosphere was a key element in this book, and there was even one scene (thankfully very short) that bordered on what I would consider horror. The setup was skillfully done, and although I felt that this dragged a bit in the middle, the ending more than made up for it! Things were revealed so fast that my head was spinning, and what I thought I knew was not at all what occurred. It also leaves a major plot point wide open at the end, which only served to increase the creepy vibe!

With a great buildup to a highly climactic ending, this thriller is not only a story of secrets and lies, but also a commentary on the mother/daughter bond, and what exactly a family means.

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Published on 2 Comments on The Four Winds
The Four Winds Book Cover The Four Winds
Kristin Hannah
Fiction
St. Martin's Press
February 9, 2021
Hardcover
464
Purchased

Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.

In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.

My review:

My favorite thing about historical fiction novels is what you learn from little talked about parts of history. In this story, we learn about the great depression, which most of us are familiar with, but we also get the story of the dust bowl era, when farmers in the center of the country (in this case northern Texas) endured years of hardship with no crops due to the significant drought.  We follow one such family as they try to make due until the drought subsides. The descriptions of the living conditions (particularly the dust storms) were impeccable, and you could feel the torment these farmers were experiencing as their livelihoods literally dried up before their eyes. After waiting it out, Elsa must make the journey to California due to her son's deteriorating health. Once there, the family finds a whole new set of problems with the prejudice against these newcomers, and the only available work is for landowners who are adept at keeping their workers downtrodden and beholden to them. Toward the end of the book we are introduced to the emerging concept of unions (rejected by most as an early attempt at Communist rule), while back home on the Great Plains the New Deal working on soil conservation methods aimed at reinstating the wheat crops. My only issue with the book was the teenage daughter. I have two daughters who were once teenagers, so I am well aware of the ups and downs of hormonal girls, but Loreda was insufferable ALL the time! Her attitude made me so crazy that I would have drop kicked her into the dust, and I never felt sorry for her throughout the novel, she was absolutely horrible to her mother! I did love the arc that Elsa took from wallflower to kick ass woman. The other characters, while maybe a bit cliche, were a delight (especially Tony and Rose).

A very good novel, although not one that is very uplifting in nature, this gives great insight into the dust bowl era, especially for those of us who never read The Grapes of Wrath (hanging my head in shame!).

Published on Leave a comment on Good Neighbors
Good Neighbors Book Cover Good Neighbors
Sarah Langan
Fiction
Atria Books
February 2, 2021
Hardcover
304
Purchased

Welcome to Maple Street, a picture-perfect slice of suburban Long Island, its residents bound by their children, their work, and their illusion of safety in a rapidly changing world.

Arlo Wilde, a gruff has-been rock star who’s got nothing to show for his fame but track marks, is always two steps behind the other dads. His wife, beautiful ex-pageant queen Gertie, feels socially ostracized and adrift. Spunky preteen Julie curses like a sailor and her kid brother Larry is called “Robot Boy” by the kids on the block.

Their next-door neighbor and Maple Street’s Queen Bee, Rhea Schroeder—a lonely community college professor repressing her own dark past—welcomes Gertie and family into the fold. Then, during one spritzer-fueled summer evening, the new best friends share too much, too soon.

As tensions mount, a sinkhole opens in a nearby park, and Rhea’s daughter Shelly falls inside. The search for Shelly brings a shocking accusation against the Wildes that spins out of control. Suddenly, it is one mom’s word against the other’s in a court of public opinion that can end only in blood.

A riveting and ruthless portrayal of American suburbia, Good Neighbors excavates the perils and betrayals of motherhood and friendships and the dangerous clash between social hierarchy, childhood trauma, and fear.

My review:

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I am a sucker for every dysfunctional family story I can get my hands on. Holy guacamole, this is not only about dysfunctional families (note the plural), but an entire dysfunctional neighborhood! The setting is a bit into the future (2027) in a suburban neighborhood where global warming is showing its effects in a big way, with temperatures in the 120's daily and sink holes opening that contain toxic chemicals. But that is just the stage for this novel, the real crux of it is the new neighbors who move in that are not the "typical Long Island suburbanites". When the new neighbors are accused of a crime, the prejudices of the neighborhood are in full view for the reader. We get to know the backstories of several of these neighbors, and they are a harbinger of how messed up things get. But, for how damaged a lot of the adults are, it's the children who offer the best hope for the future, as they come together to save the reputation of one of their own. There is such a sense of foreboding throughout the novel as interspersed within we get excerpts from a book (published in 2043) that foretells a tragic ending. I tore through this book to find out what, and who, was left once it reached its glorious climax!

I can't say enough about this dark look at suburbia, and how we alienate those "not like us".  My best description would be that this book is like Big Little Lies on steroids! If you love dysfunctional people stories, you need to get your hands on this one pronto!

Published on Leave a comment on Summer Brother
Summer Brother Book Cover Summer Brother
Jaap Robben, World Editions LLC,
Fiction
World Editions
February 9, 2021
Advanced reader copy
288
Free from publisher

Thirteen-year-old Brian lives in a trailer on a forgotten patch of land with his divorced and uncaring father. His older brother Lucien, physically and mentally disabled, has been institutionalized for years. While Lucien’s home is undergoing renovations, he is sent to live with his father and younger brother for the summer. Their detached father leaves Brian to care for Lucien’s special needs. But how do you look after someone when you don’t know what they need? How do you make the right choices when you still have so much to discover? Summer Brother is an honest, tender account of brotherly love, which will resonate with readers of "Rain Man."

My review:

Here is one that may not make a lot of people's radar since it's a translated work from a rather unknown (at least in the USA) Dutch author. But if you are looking for a poignant, touching story about brotherhood, this one is for you. The characters in this book are very well done. First we have the father, who is a loathsome character with few redeeming features. The mother, who has essentially left said loathsome husband and flown the coop with her new husband (so maybe one step up on the loathsome scale?). Brother Lucien, who is severely disabled, some of which may or may not be due to the cocktail of drugs given him in his institutional home. And the glue holding the entire family together is younger brother Brian, who at times is a typical thirteen year old boy, and other times becomes much more, as he is left to care for his brother over the course of a summer. The story definitely pulls you in, and despite a couple of tiny problems I'll discuss, left me sad and hopeful all at the same time. The two problems I had were due to writing and an icky relationship issue. The writing at times felt a bit simplistic, but keep in mind that this work was translated, so I think that may have been a contributing factor. As far as the icky relationship, I totally get why it was there, it just made me uncomfortable and glad when it was resolved. I can't say a lot about the ending except that is was gut wrenching, while at the same time held out just a glimmer of hope (which I'm clinging to with all my might!).

Think "Rain Man", but with a younger protagonist and more severely disabled brother, and you've got the general idea of this novel. A true testament to the power of brothers and family. One to put on your list.

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Published on 2 Comments on The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives Book Cover The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives
Lola Shoneyin
Fiction
William Morrow Paperbacks
January 19, 2021
Paperback
304
Free from publisher

For Baba Segi, his collection of wives and gaggle of children are a symbol of prosperity, success, and a validation of his manhood. All is well in this patriarchal home, until Baba arrives with wife number four, a quiet, college-educated, young woman named Bolanle. Jealous and resentful of this interloper who is stealing their husband’s attention, Baba’s three wives, begin to plan her downfall. How dare she not know her place, they whisper. How dare she offer to teach them to read. They will teach her instead, they vow, and open their husbands eyes to this wicked wind who has upturned the tranquility of their home.

Bolanle’s mother worked hard to educate her daughter and save her from a life of polygamy and dependence. She cannot understand why her daughter has chosen such a fate. But Bolanle hides a terrible secret—a secret that will unwittingly exposes the deception and lies, secrets and shame upon which Baba Segi’s household rests.

A stirring rale of men and women, mothers and children, servitude and independence, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives illuminates the common threads that connect the experiences of all women: the hardships they bear, their struggle to define themselves, and their fierce desire to protect those they love.

My review:

This was an enjoyable read and I think it will make an excellent Netflix series! Stories about polygamy have always held a fascination for me, and this one tells a lot about each of the wives involved with one husband. We are given a bit of a background into each of the wives and how they came to be Baba Segi's wife, and a lot of insight into the jealousy that occurs, especially when wife number four comes along. I liked reading all of their stories and was particularly drawn to their roles in the household and how they felt about each other. Bolanle was clearly the odd woman out, what with her education and continuing childlessness, but she was also a friend to the children of the house, particularly the eldest daughter. The author did a thorough job of describing the running of this unusual (for most readers) family, and I thought the personalities of the characters was well done. There are a couple of major twists that occur toward the end of the book that were unexpected (although hints were there if you were paying attention). The only real turnoff for me was the extensive description of Baba Segi's digestive tract (yes you read that right). I'm not sure that it was that relevant to the story, and frankly it was over the top. There were plenty of other ways the reader knew this guy was gross!

An enjoyable family tale rife with secrets, jealousy, servitude, revenge, motherhood, and infertility among many other topics. I will definitely look forward to watching this story come to life on the screen.

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Published on 2 Comments on The Nature of Fragile Things
The Nature of Fragile Things Book Cover The Nature of Fragile Things
Susan Meissner
Fiction
Berkley
February 2, 2021
E-book
384
Publisher via NetGalley

April 18, 1906: A massive earthquake rocks San Francisco just before daybreak, igniting a devouring inferno. Lives are lost, lives are shattered, but some rise from the ashes forever changed.

Sophie Whalen is a young Irish immigrant so desperate to get out of a New York tenement that she answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about. San Francisco widower Martin Hocking proves to be as aloof as he is mesmerizingly handsome. Sophie quickly develops deep affection for Kat, Martin's silent five-year-old daughter, but Martin's odd behavior leaves her with the uneasy feeling that something about her newfound situation isn't right.

Then one early-spring evening, a stranger at the door sets in motion a transforming chain of events. Sophie discovers hidden ties to two other women. The first, pretty and pregnant, is standing on her doorstep. The second is hundreds of miles away in the American Southwest, grieving the loss of everything she once loved.

The fates of these three women intertwine on the eve of the devastating earthquake, thrusting them onto a perilous journey that will test their resiliency and resolve and, ultimately, their belief that love can overcome fear.

My review:

This author is a go-to for me. I thoroughly enjoy how her books mark a historical event, while weaving into that an engaging fictional human interest story (or two). While most of her previous novels have had two time periods, this one focuses mainly on one, with brief flashbacks in the lives of the women. I liked this format as well as, if not more than, the others. There is also a detective interview woven throughout this one which I very much enjoyed as it followed along with the plot of the story. I was captivated by the characters and their plight, and learned a bit about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake along the way. Meissner does a great job of weaving the historical facts in without making it read like a documentary. The book is mostly about the residence of strong women, and their willingness to help each other in a moment of need. It also tackles the question of what makes a mother, and what qualities are important for the wellbeing of a child?

I can highly recommend this intriguing tale centered around an earthquake, but giving so much more insight into women, friendship, and motherhood. This author has still not disappointed me, and I look forward to whatever she writes next!

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Published on 2 Comments on The Children’s Blizzard
The Children's Blizzard Book Cover The Children's Blizzard
Melanie Benjamin
Domestic fiction
Delacorte Press
January 12, 2021
Hardcover
368
Purchased

The morning of January 12, 1888, was unusually mild, following a long cold spell, warm enough for the homesteaders of the Dakota territory to venture out again, and for their children to return to school without their heavy coats--leaving them unprepared when disaster struck. At just the hour when most prairie schools were letting out for the day, a terrifying, fast-moving blizzard struck without warning. Schoolteachers as young as sixteen were suddenly faced with life and death decisions: keep the children inside, to risk freezing to death when fuel ran out, or send them home, praying they wouldn't get lost in the storm?

Based on actual oral histories of survivors, the novel follows the stories of Raina and Gerda Olsen, two sisters, both schoolteachers--one who becomes a hero of the storm, and one who finds herself ostracized in the aftermath. It's also the story of Anette Pedersen, a servant girl whose miraculous survival serves as a turning point in her life and touches the heart of Gavin Woodson, a newspaperman seeking redemption. It is Woodson and others like him who wrote the embellished news stories that lured immigrants across the sea to settle a pitiless land. Boosters needed immigrants to settle territories into states, and they didn't care what lies they told them to get them there--or whose land it originally was.

At its heart, this is a story of courage, of children forced to grow up too soon, tied to the land because of their parents' choices. It is a story of love taking root in the hard prairie ground, and of families being torn asunder by a ferocious storm that is little remembered today--because so many of its victims were immigrants to this country.

My review:

Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this blizzard that killed so many in the Dakota territories in 1888? Maybe I just missed it in my schooling (I'll admit history was never my forte), or is it because those who were effected were immigrants, lured to settle land that was mostly uninhabitable at that time? Whatever the case, this novel was a gripping tale of something I hate......blizzards! I may not be a history buff, but living in VT more than half of my life, I certainly can attest to snow, ice, wind, cold, you name it. This book did a fantastic job of making you feel like you were in the story as these children and their teachers navigated their way blindly through the storm. Roughly the first half of the book deals with the storm, and in the last we follow its aftermath, particularly with regard to three characters. The book deals with joy, with grief, and especially with guilt. The only minor issue I had was with one of the supporting characters, who is changed by the storm. I didn't find it believable that her personality would transform so drastically. Other than that, and the fact that I definitely enjoyed the parts dealing with surviving during the blizzard more than the aftermath, this was compulsively readable with characters you came to care and root for.

A little known piece of history rapped up in a well crafted story, make this a wonderful read. May I suggest reading it on a stormy winter day? Too much.......you're probably right 🙂 It will definitely make you feel better about all the comforts we are awarded today, compared to back then.

Published on Leave a comment on The Push
The Push Book Cover The Push
Ashley Audrain
Fiction
Pamela Dorman Books
January 5, 2021
Hardcover
320
Purchased

A tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family–and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for–and everything she feared.

Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had.

But in the thick of motherhood’s exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her daughter–she doesn’t behave like most children do.

Or is it all in Blythe’s head? Her husband, Fox, says she’s imagining things. The more Fox dismisses her fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity, and the more we begin to question what Blythe is telling us about her life as well.

Then their son Sam is born–and with him, Blythe has the blissful connection she’d always imagined with her child. Even Violet seems to love her little brother. But when life as they know it is changed in an instant, the devastating fall-out forces Blythe to face the truth.

The Push is a tour de force you will read in a sitting, an utterly immersive novel that will challenge everything you think you know about motherhood, about what we owe our children, and what it feels like when women are not believed.

My review:

What an excellent psychological thriller! Just a word of warning, this is a very dark novel (think My Dark Vanessa....dark, but without the teacher/student abuse aspect). This is an exploration of the nature vs. nurture act of motherhood. Can you be a good mother if your own mother and grandmother were not? The story is told from the perspective of Blythe, who comes from an abusive mother and grandmother. We go back in time in some chapters to explore these women and their effect on Blythe growing up. Once Blythe becomes a Mom, she tries to shed these memories in order to be the perfect mom to her daughter Violet. What she doesn't expect is that despite her efforts, Violet appears to be a troubled child. What follows is more the study of a marriage and what happens when Blythe's husband dismisses the perceived problem as being psychological, relating to Blythe's upbringing.  When a second "perfect" child arrives, Blythe feels vindicated in her suspicions, and then tragedy strikes, a tragedy from which the family unit will never recover! The writing in this book was succinct and flowed well. I've read other reviews stating that the flashbacks to the mother and grandmother disrupted the flow, but I have to disagree, I thought they added the perfect amount of background and information to the developing story. The ending was amazing! Very powerful and memorable.

This was a perfect DARK psychological thriller. Do not attempt if you have any issues with child abuse (in its many forms) or loss of a child. Great writing and a fantastic ending make this one to put on your list!

Published on Leave a comment on He Started It
He Started It Book Cover He Started It
Samantha Downing
Fiction
Berkley
July 21, 2020
Hardcover
400
Purchased

Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan haven't all been together in years. And for very good reasons—we'll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and—more importantly—secure their inheritance.

But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone.

It's even harder when you're all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory—a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won't stop following your car—and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there's a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons.

But money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone.

My review:

I'll admit I'm super picky when it comes to thrillers. Most are good solid fun reads, but in order to graduate to 4 (or rarely 5) star territory, there better be something different about the plot or twists. I've never read a thriller about a road trip before (check), and one of the twists in this one had me dropping my jaw (check check). This one is narrated by one of three adult siblings who have to take a road trip identical to one they were on with their grandfather as children, in order to get their substantial inheritance. You follow along on the road trip, and also are given flashbacks to what went down on the first one (and boy did a lot go down!). None of the siblings or two of their spouses are particularly likable, nor do they like each other. They all have secrets, some of which have been kept for years. I couldn't stop reading about this train wreck of a trip, and you knew that is what you were heading for with each passing page. The writing was good, the twists were plentiful and pretty clever, and I definitely got caught up in how it was all going to end. Never expected how it did end that's for sure!

A clever twisty thriller of a road trip, with secrets and strategy galore. A fantastic book to pick up if you want something to fly through in a weekend! You might want to read it at home though, not on a road trip!

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Published on 2 Comments on The Heiress
The Heiress Book Cover The Heiress
Molly Greeley
Fiction
William Morrow
January 5, 2021
Hardcover
368
Free from publisher

As a fussy baby, Anne de Bourgh’s doctor prescribed laudanum to quiet her, and now the young woman must take the opium-heavy tincture every day. Growing up sheltered and confined, removed from sunshine and fresh air, the pale and overly slender Anne grew up with few companions except her cousins, including Fitzwilliam Darcy. Throughout their childhoods, it was understood that Darcy and Anne would marry and combine their vast estates of Pemberley and Rosings. But Darcy does not love Anne or want her.

After her father dies unexpectedly, leaving her his vast fortune, Anne has a moment of clarity: what if her life of fragility and illness isn’t truly real? What if she could free herself from the medicine that clouds her sharp mind and leaves her body weak and lethargic? Might there be a better life without the medicine she has been told she cannot live without?

In a frenzy of desperation, Anne discards her laudanum and flees to the London home of her cousin, Colonel John Fitzwilliam, who helps her through her painful recovery. Yet once she returns to health, new challenges await. Shy and utterly inexperienced, the wealthy heiress must forge a new identity for herself, learning to navigate a “season” in society and the complexities of love and passion. The once wan, passive Anne gives way to a braver woman with a keen edge—leading to a powerful reckoning with the domineering mother determined to control Anne’s fortune . . . and her life.

An extraordinary tale of one woman’s liberation, The Heiress reveals both the darkness and light in Austen’s world, with wit, sensuality, and a deeply compassionate understanding of the human heart.

My review:

And here we have yet another in this week's installment of books based on classic books (see Tuesday's review of The Wife Upstairs). This time the book is about Anne de Bourgh from Pride and Prejudice (ahem.....yet another classic I have not read). I really enjoyed this one, I read another of this author's work last year, and love her writing style. What I love about it I can't really pinpoint, but it just seems to flow seamlessly from beginning to end. The setting is vivid, the time period well followed and researched, and the well formed characters, lead to a satisfying reading experience. I was shocked to read about the overuse of laudanum for all kinds of ailments during this time, including the likely case of colic in young Anne. Her dependence on this drug was heartbreaking, and you spent the entire first half of the novel willing her to get out from under her mother's control. Once that has been semi-achieved, it was great rooting for Anne to become her own person and buck the system of where ladies of that time were expected to be (taking care of the house and children, while your husband tends to YOUR land and business). There was an LGBT aspect in this that was a sweet story. I'm not sure it was necessary for the novel to work, but it was tastefully worked in, and I really liked how the two characters helped each other to grow.

A definite nod to feminism of that era, this was a well written story with vivid characters and setting. Also check out the author's book (mentioned above) The Clergyman's Wife.