Do I dare say it? I was bored. I know there were some compelling themes embedded in the story: family dynamics, friendship, grief, compassion & forgivDo I dare say it? I was bored. I know there were some compelling themes embedded in the story: family dynamics, friendship, grief, compassion & forgiveness; but oh so slow and full of the daily activities of a 12-year-old girl. Perhaps that was the issue for me, at 70 I am not too interested in delving into a 12-year old's mind who lived in the early 1960's. I already lived that life but without the tragedy of losing one's Mom and dealing with a father who doesn't know how to interact with two daughters. There seemed to be an implied difficulty in living the nomadic life of a military brat. I lived that life as well and was not scarred by it especially except for one move right in the middle of my junior year in HS. Is it hard to move and meet new people all the time and find your place in a new school, absolutely, but it also provides many opportunities to be exposed to people, places and things that others never get growing up. BTW getting 3 weeks' notice to move in the middle of the academic year is not the norm and I found that an annoying device to push the plot to a particular climax. I also felt the author could have fleshed out the father so much more. ...more
Oh boy....I don't think I cried so much reading a book, as I did this one. I had to quit reading it in public. I've read a couple of other Quindlen boOh boy....I don't think I cried so much reading a book, as I did this one. I had to quit reading it in public. I've read a couple of other Quindlen books which I enjoyed but this one took me to a gut-wrenching place that I related to much too much as I am sure other readers did who have done any long-term caregiving of family members with debilitating injuries or illnesses whether it culminated in death or not.
Ellen is a Daddy's girl, and he twists her arm to leave her life in NYC as a writer on the rise, to come back to their small town to care for her mother who was diagnosed with cancer. Ellen has a complicated relationship with her mother (tell me a mother-daughter relationship that wasn't) and is resentful. This novel deals with family dynamics amid a most difficult time in their lives. As the story progresses, I like the mother more and the dad less, yet we all deal with changing circumstances, imminent death and grieving differently; it doesn't make it wrong. What a gift of a character is Teresa Guerrero too! Quindlen also inserts the emotionally laden idea of assisted suicide into the mix. Certainly, a concept that is ripe for book club discussions.
(Ellen) "Right now I'm not much like myself, if you know what I mean." (Teresa) "Suffering transforms". (Ellen) " Suffering sucks" (Teresa) "I agree. With both conclusions, actually."
3.5 stars. This is one of Bohjalian's earlier works and it was a lovely bittersweet read although it left some unanswered questions about "mysterious 3.5 stars. This is one of Bohjalian's earlier works and it was a lovely bittersweet read although it left some unanswered questions about "mysterious " happenings or coincidences which took off a star for me. The main storylines focused on two people, Bill Parrish, a grieving father and a strange new resident of the rural Vermont setting of the novel, 11 y/o Lucky Diamond.
Bill thinks coaching a Little League baseball team might help him heal from the loss of his young son, Nathaniel, who died from cancer the previous year. Nathaniel was an excellent baseball player and Bill went to all the games, a common bonding experience between fathers & sons. He knows most of the boys & a couple of girls who would be on the team as they had been friends of Nathaniel. There is one name he doesn't know, Lucky Diamond, and once he meets the boy, he is strangely attracted to him. Lucky is a wonderful player but has a disability, lives up the mountain away from the town and is not in the local school. All that plays into his difficulty fitting in with the rest of the team and increases Bill's interest in him.
There are some mysterious incidents that occur that make one think there is something paranormal going on or is a lean to magical realism and as stated before they are not totally explained to satisfaction, although it did not dampen my enjoyment of the novel; just left me wanting at times....more
Written in 1988. I was a little worried when I realized that this was a sequel & I hadn't read the first. I don't think I missed any important backstoWritten in 1988. I was a little worried when I realized that this was a sequel & I hadn't read the first. I don't think I missed any important backstories for the characters and could enjoy this delightful novel. Runnymede is bisected by the Mason-Dixon line and there are plenty of people still fighting the civil war. I don't think this novel could be written today in the current climate that frowns on anything that may make light of the wronged Southerner. Having said that, it is just a small part of the action.
I made a comment in the reading that I thought the octogenarian sisters were a hoot with their constant bickering, but by the time I came towards the end of the story I was ready for them to put down the boxing gloves.
The goings-on of quite an eclectic group of characters that reside in Runnymede is told through the eyes of Nickie Smith, daughter of one of the aforementioned 80 y/o women. She is a journalist on the local paper which was fighting for it's life and she is openly gay during a time of when most stayed in the proverbial closet. Many social and political issues of the day (1980s) are explored albeit superficially and are wrapped in a hilarious package. Besides the human residents, I thoroughly enjoyed the furry characters as well.
This was Mayle's first novel from which he draws much from his own life as an advertising executive, a love for good food & wine and spending time in This was Mayle's first novel from which he draws much from his own life as an advertising executive, a love for good food & wine and spending time in Provence. The description of the countryside bursts through the pages and makes anyone interested in traveling put the place on their bucket list. Of course, having money helps. Much of the story involves transformation as we watch a couple of the characters transform their lives as well as a major remodeling project. I loved the character of Ernest, who took care of Simon's life in England and blossomed with the change of country and working on the building of a hotel from the ruins of an old police station & jail with a fabulous view. There were a couple of subplots that seemed unnecessary but certainly were a window into future writing themes. Overall nice escape reading.
This could be read much quicker than the nearly a month that I had it. I just read it in drips and drabs....more
I haven't read anything by Sally Rooney and if this is an indication of her writing, I probably won't read anything else. Or perhaps it is the limitatI haven't read anything by Sally Rooney and if this is an indication of her writing, I probably won't read anything else. Or perhaps it is the limitations of a short story. The only thing I took away is it's about confusion. Confusion about one's place in the world, and how to navigate relationships. I was left empty at the end and thinking "that's it?!"
I've never read a lot of short stories before and seem to be adding them in periodically the last few years. I think I'll add a new shelf in which to house them....more
I saw reviewers either loved this or hated it. Some of the writing was lovely and evocative, other times it seemed this first time author was trying tI saw reviewers either loved this or hated it. Some of the writing was lovely and evocative, other times it seemed this first time author was trying too hard. As for the story, neither Earhart or Noonan comes off looking peachy to say the least. The first half imagines their last flight with some of Amelia's memories of her life scattered in; the second half their time after they crash onto an atoll they name Heaven. It reads as a cross between The Blue Lagoon and Castaway and not necessarily in a good way. The ending.....certainly leaves room for the reader's interpretation.
This had been on my shelf for a long time as I had picked it up at a library book sale. I was intrigued and admit I am fascinated by Amelia Earhart, although my idealism about her life has long ago been dispelled. Glad I can cross this one off my TBR list and will be happy to place in the donation pile....more
4.5 stars rounded up for the writing and the storyline. I really got invested in the characters even when I thought, no way these parents could be so 4.5 stars rounded up for the writing and the storyline. I really got invested in the characters even when I thought, no way these parents could be so open from almost the beginning toward their youngest boy who at a young age appears to want to be a girl. Is this a phase, is it something more and how do we approach it, how does it impact the other 4 boys in the family? Besides taking this journey with them, I learned a bit about a topic I actually know very little about. The author has some personal experience that inspired her to write this novel and her reflection on how it is, and how it could be, shone through.
This was for my f2f book club and there will be plenty to discuss. A worthwhile read that I wasn't ready for it to end. Could there be a sequel? I definitely would read it!
2.5 stars. I believe this is Hiaasen's first novel (1986) and it reads like a first stab. He tried to cram waaay too much into this novel full of craz2.5 stars. I believe this is Hiaasen's first novel (1986) and it reads like a first stab. He tried to cram waaay too much into this novel full of craziness and over-the-top scenarios. I did like the main character, Brian Keyes, who had quit his job as a reporter to become a private investigator. There is a crazy group of "terrorists", (and I use that term loosely) who are determined to drive people away from South Florida. The people who make up this terrorist cell each have their own motivation for wanting to strike fear into the populous: avenge the destruction of the Seminole nation, stop development & save the habitat of the area (I'm a tree-hugger & can identify with this one), make a name for oneself for an even greater cause & lastly, drive a stake in the White man's heart. They murder and stage events to bring their names and cause to the fore, unfortunately they are not necessarily on the same page and one of them is a fairly inept bomber. Keyes and Al Garcia (police officer) try to find out the what, why & how to stop them. There's a tie-in with the Miami Sun, tourism and the Orange Bowl parade & game. Too many characters and minor storylines. I was so ready for it all to be over with almost 100 pages to go. ...more
A coming of age story mixed with a small amount of magical realism. It is reminiscent of Sarah Addison Allen's lovely books. It took me well over a huA coming of age story mixed with a small amount of magical realism. It is reminiscent of Sarah Addison Allen's lovely books. It took me well over a hundred pages to really start getting into this story of Emmeline. In fact I set it aside for a short time after a particular incident that disturbed my sensitive nature regarding animals. It is a story of how scents are connected to memories, but we often miss those scents around us because we are awash in so much sensory stimuli. Emmeline seems to have a special gift for scents and for half her childhood she was raised on an uninhabited island where there was little to inhibit the development of that gift. It is also a story of secrets and how they can hurt us both when kept & revealed.
I didn't melt into this novel like I did with her first book The School of Essential Ingredients, but once I began to really find interest in the story & characters, I liked the substance and how it unfolded....more
I know I am in the minority here. I found the story fairly boring and didn't connect with any of the characters. The two MCs Maeve and Danny seemed toI know I am in the minority here. I found the story fairly boring and didn't connect with any of the characters. The two MCs Maeve and Danny seemed to be stuck in time, showing little growth as they moved from childhood to middle-age. The last quarter held the most interest and I got there only because this was a f2f book club choice....more
3.5 stars. It looks like reviewers either hated this or really liked this novel. The blurb on Goodreads says its about racial prejudice and religious 3.5 stars. It looks like reviewers either hated this or really liked this novel. The blurb on Goodreads says its about racial prejudice and religious faith. Racial prejudice was definitely a piece of it and surrounds the event that is the crux of Tamar's dilemma, but this community was divorced from any community of people other than their own, not just the African-American community. Within their own community, it has a class structure that can be elevating or demoralizing.
Written in 1994, it follows Tamar, her family and friends from the 1970's-mid 1990's. When I first started reading, I thought "gee, this might be a little dated", but then saw the interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and I thought OMG, this has such parallels to the storyline in this novel.
The good: a wonderful peek into the Orthodox Jewish life and dilemmas one may face growing up or joining such a rigid insular community. It highlights the beauty and traditions of their faith.
The 3 childhood friends: Hadassah, Tamar & Jenny are the faces of divergent paths in life. One rebels against the rigidity of the life & the role of females in this culture, one becomes the most obedient of wives and one moves from a family of non-observant Jews to embracing the joy of life that is found in following the scripture of the Hebrew bible.
The dilemma: Tamar is raped by a black man, she fears judgement, the loss of her husband's love and status within the community. She decides to keep her secret, and then finds that she is pregnant; is it her husband's or the rapist's child. Now her secret and what to do about it eats away at her. This trauma in her life will haunt her for decades.
The bad: Stereotypes, an unrealistic rape scene among some other "forced" scenarios.
But overall, I was fascinated by the life in this community and I wanted to see what unfolded in Tamar's life and would she really come into her own and how....more
An odd short story that was selected by my classics group. A man follows another who has piqued his interest while crowd watching one day in London. HAn odd short story that was selected by my classics group. A man follows another who has piqued his interest while crowd watching one day in London. He follows the old man for two days observing changes in demeanor, gait, & body morphology (for lack of a better description). Who is this man? Is he a criminal? Afflicted with dementia? Lonely? That is for the reader to decide....more
Hmmm, what to say...On the positive side, I felt it was a realistic portrayal of family dynamics. The story is narrated by Antoine. In his 40's, divorHmmm, what to say...On the positive side, I felt it was a realistic portrayal of family dynamics. The story is narrated by Antoine. In his 40's, divorced with two teenagers & a preteen, still pineing over his ex-wife, close to his younger sister and estranged from his father. His mother died when he was 10. A lot of the narrative is about his inability to come to terms with his divorce, his rocky relationship with other family members and the typical problems with raising teenagers. Not the "secret" of the title. So where does that come in?
Antoine takes his sister Melanie to the island of their childhood to celebrate her 40th birthday and recall happier times. As they traipse down memory lane, they both think of the last time they were there with their beloved & beautiful mother (whom Melanie apparently is the spitting image) and wonder why after she died no one spoke of her and all photos & memorabilia disappeared. On the last night of their celebratory weekend, Melanie has a memory that disturbs her. As they drive home, she decides to tell Antoine what she remembered, she is emotional & before she can say it they have a terrible accident. Melanie survives but does not remember what happened. This sends Antoine down the rabbit hole of trying to discover what happened to their mother. Once he discovers the secret, he becomes more obsessed over her death. I'm not sure why. Did he think her death was perhaps foul play? He never says that.
The island of Noirmoutier is accessed on a causeway that becomes submerged by the tides and is a significant feature in the narrative. I know there must be some symbolism in this. Are the characters drowning in their lives, does their journey have them emerge again into life as the Le Gois does at low tide?
I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters & some of the turns the narrative takes the reader. I felt the most unrealistic relationship was the one that Antoine develops with Angele, yet she is the most interesting character in the book....more
Well! I know my memory is iffy at times, but I recalled watching the movie based on this book as a generally lighthearted fare. That was what I was loWell! I know my memory is iffy at times, but I recalled watching the movie based on this book as a generally lighthearted fare. That was what I was looking for to end by summer reading challenge. So this book wasn't quite that and I realize the movie chose just a slice of the story to portray. That had positives and negatives for this reading. On the positives, it meant this was mostly a new story for me to enjoy and enjoy it I did.
This is Hassan's story, his journey from a young child in India to a celebrated chef in France. It follows his family from poverty to the middle class with a profitable restaurant in India to a horrible tragedy that has them pulling up stakes and fleeing to London. After a less than happy couple of years in England, Hassan's father packs the family up and they traipse around Europe sampling life in various countries. One of their vehicles breaks down in the small French village of Lumiere, and the decision is made to stay there and open an Indian restaurant. The problem? It is right across the street (a hundred feet) of a fancy French restaurant and a very intolerant owner & chef. A feud develops between the two proprietors until another terrible event occurs that changes everything.
There are lots of descriptions of fine French cuisine, but it is the less often described Indian cuisine that has me smelling, imagining and making my mouth water!
This is a lovely story full of heart, laughter, sorrow (and food, lots of food) about family, friends, mentors and pupils & the challenges of life that elicited a range of emotions from this reader.
A couple of favorite quotes/paras: And as I passed Papa at the iron gates, as each new generation is meant to do, he wept unabashedly and wiped his grief-stricken face with a white handkerchief. I remember, as if it were yesterday, his words "Remember, sweet boy, you are a Haji." It was such a small journey, in feet, but it felt as if I was striding from one end of the universe to the other, the light of the Alps illuminating my way.
Again, more than the stuffing of partridges and such, this description of a sunset had me running right for some sherbert and yearning for the view. ...the sun was setting like a mango sherbert dripping over the horizon, the platinum rolls of the Mediterranean produced the soothing sound of the waves thudding the cliff rocks below us.
" I am not very good with words, but I would like to tell you that somewhere in life I lost my way, and I believe you were sent to me, perhaps by my beloved father, so that I could be restored to the world. And I thank you for this. You have made me understand that good taste is not the birthright of snobs, but a gift from God sometimes found in the most unlikely of places and in the unlikeliest of people."
I can not do justice to this book in a review. It is a complex, pull the heart string tale of abuse & resilience. The most difficult part for me was kI can not do justice to this book in a review. It is a complex, pull the heart string tale of abuse & resilience. The most difficult part for me was knowing I was feeling sorry for Mr. B, who through no fault of his own behaved in an abusive way to the child he had rescued from certain death. You have to read it, to understand. Both the Child Finder & the Snow Child are lost & looking for themselves as former searches for lost children and the latter uses her imagination to survive in horrible circumstances. Nature is the other big star in this novel, the author juxtaposes the dark world of the cabin & cellar with the beauty of nature in the woods and snow. I love magical realism and I didn't feel that was what was being utilized here, unless one says our ability to imagine is magical realism....more
A satire on the intelligence community, in this case specifically the British service. Started out incredulously as a vacuum cleaner salesman living iA satire on the intelligence community, in this case specifically the British service. Started out incredulously as a vacuum cleaner salesman living in Cuba is recruited by British intelligence. Although totally without any skills to be a spy, he agrees as a way to make money to support his teenage daughter in the life she aspires to. He is pressed to recruit people himself to assist in his mission. He begins to make up people, things & activities until it begins to have consequences. Very tongue in cheek; had a dip in the middle where it went from droll to silly but then boomeranged back to it's original tone to a satisfying conclusion....more
This barely made it to two stars for me. The plot was contrived & unbelievable, and I couldn't get invested in the characters. Too bad because the preThis barely made it to two stars for me. The plot was contrived & unbelievable, and I couldn't get invested in the characters. Too bad because the premise had potential....more
When I started reading this, I didn't realize it was a part of a family saga series, and quite the intertwined family it is! Other than trying to figuWhen I started reading this, I didn't realize it was a part of a family saga series, and quite the intertwined family it is! Other than trying to figure out who was who & how they were related as I began, I was able to enjoy it as a stand alone story. Barbara Valette is in her late 60's, living in San Francisco, wealthy by inheritance but is not into the life of the "rich & famous". She is well-known for her activism, philanthropy, writing and her family's vineyards/wine. The novel follows her & a few of the family as they navigate new chapters in their lives. My favorite character was Phillip, a former Jesuit priest who became a Unitarian pastor....more
Thoroughly enjoyed this gem of a story. 68y/o Major Pettigrew, a proper English gentleman, has to make some life decisions that have come totally unexThoroughly enjoyed this gem of a story. 68y/o Major Pettigrew, a proper English gentleman, has to make some life decisions that have come totally unexpected at this point in his life. Various circumstances cause him to reassess what he values and his actions reverberate through his family & community. Not the least is his blossoming friendship with a shopkeeper of Pakistani descent. The death of his younger brother, a pair of cherished firearms, his somewhat estranged son, his latent desire for prestige & social standing all play a part in the unfolding of the story. Cultural, religious & and generational differences are sensitive issues, but the author has used them with loving care in molding the characters and propelling the story forward to its satisfying conclusion. Beautifully written, I savored many passages. I hope you do too....more
Loading...
