Just breathe {The Selfless Act of Breathing by JJ Bola)

When a story needs some breathing room.

About The Selfless Act of Breathing by JJ Bola: Michael Kabongo is a British Congolese teacher living in London and living the dream: he’s beloved by his students, popular with his coworkers, and adored by his proud mother who emigrated from the Congo to the UK in search of a better life. But when he suffers a devastating loss, his life is thrown into a tailspin. As he struggles to find a way forward, memories of his fathers’ violent death, the weight of refugeehood, and an increasing sense of dread threaten everything he’s worked so hard to achieve. Longing to start over, Michael decides to spontaneously pack up and go to America, the mythical “land of the free,” where he imagines everything will be better and easier. On this transformative journey, Michael travels everywhere from New York City to San Francisco, partying with new friends, sparking fleeting romances, and splurging on big adventures, with the intention of living the life of his dreams until the money in his bank account runs out.

My two cents

I read JJ Bola’s The Selfless Act of Breathing a while back but having received it well after the publishing date, I unfortunately forgot to post my thoughts here. 

This is a quintessential immigrant story where the struggle to assimilate is very real - I found this quite powerful and emotional. However, Bola’s prose is like verbal acrobatics, sometimes wonderful, at times off putting.

The story of a smart British Congolese teacher, Michael struggles with personal loss, the violence of racism, money problems, the need to connect. I personally disliked how this storytelling bordered on waxing philosophical and lecturing. I think I even rolled my eyes at one point but held judgment until the end. Trying to cram too much into the book really did it a disservice!

Since this is an ARC I hope the editors went in and helped out this book to become much more cohesive and even keeled in its storytelling. 

Verdict: I stuck it out but I honestly think the payoff wasn’t that great. Too verbose and overly dramatic for me. This story needed to breathe.

Disclaimer: Thanks to @simonschusterca for a copy of this book!

Small town, big life {F*ckface by Leah Hampton}

About F*ckface and Other Stories by Leah Hampton: F*kface and Other Stories is a brassy, bighearted debut collection of twelve short stories about rurality, corpses, honeybee collapse, and illicit sex in post-coal Appalachia.

 
The twelve stories in this knockout collection—some comedic, some tragic, many both at once—examine the interdependence between rural denizens and their environment.

A young girl, desperate for a way out of her small town, finds support in an unlikely place. A ranger working along the Blue Ridge Parkway realizes that the dark side of the job, the all too frequent discovery of dead bodies, has taken its toll on her. Haunted by his past, and his future, a tech sergeant reluctantly spends a night with his estranged parents before being deployed to Afghanistan. Nearing fifty and facing new medical problems, a woman wonders if her short stint at the local chemical plant is to blame. A woman takes her husband’s research partner on a day trip to her favorite place on earth, Dollywood, and briefly imagines a different life.

In the vein of Bonnie Jo Campbell and Lee Smith, Leah Hampton writes poignantly and honestly about a legendary place that’s rapidly changing. She takes us deep inside the lives of the women and men of Appalachia while navigating the realities of modern life with wit, bite, and heart.

My two cents

I have a penchant for short story collections so I was happy to get my hands on this debut collection by Leah Hampton. With such great timing, it was like a lovely breath of fresh air during the first lockdown in 2020. It was a relief to have a physical copy of short stories that made me laugh-cry-cringe and everything in between.

There are 12 stories in all, and each offers insight into everyday people's lives in a rapidly changing Appalachia, a region known for its beautiful mountainous landscapes, rich natural resources, yet extreme poverty.

I enjoyed each of these stories -- they are simple, simply told, honest, and some, very raw. I feel that they will resonate with many as the human experience in these stories are wide and varied. While the setting or the circumstances may not be within your own set of experiences, I can guarantee that the emotions they can stir up within you are very much relatable. They'll evoke bittersweet emotions - a mix of sad, tragic, and yes .... even hopeful. 

The stories

F*ckface is about Pretty, a young, very shy girl who works at the local grocery store. She's never imagined working outside of her small town but her more worldly friend triggers her discontent. Pretty finds an unlikely ally in her the person she and her colleagues dubbed as f*ckface.   

Boomer is about Larry, a dedicated firefighter who slowly loses his wife while fighting the greatest fire their area has seen in decades. 

Wireless is about Margaret, whose haunted past propelled her to leave her hometown. Ironically, family brings her back to confront her past and eventually come to terms with it. 

Parkway is about Priscilla, a park ranger, whose otherwise humdrum outdoor job brings her face to face with the occasional and shocking dead body. 

Twitchell features Iva who suddenly starts bleeding during a pottery class. This gets her started on a series of doctor's appointments which gets her questioning whether a job long ago at the local chemical plant - and economic bane of the town - is the culprit. 

Mingo is about a woman who accompanies her husband to visit her husband's stubborn father in the hospital. She gets much more than she bargains for, but finds herself willing to go along. 

 

Frogs is about middle-aged siblings, Carolyn and Frank, who try to spice up their mundane lives by joining in a nature walk. Ironically, they find themselves feeling uncomfortable and out of place as the only locals on the walk.

Devil is about tech sergeant Boggs, who visits his deeply religious parents to make amends. Unflinching in their belief, they denounce him as the "devil" they've always known him to be, and he leaves for Afghanistan sadly and tragically no closer to his family.

Queen is about a woman who tries to save her mother's legacy of taking action with her bee colonies.

Meat is about Alison, a young intern at the local dairy, faces small town life (and death) at a funeral after a big fire.

Saint is an homage to a beloved brother, a streams-of-consciousness meandering of precious memories throughout their lives.

Sparkle is about a woman who takes her husband’s friend to Dollywood, and gains insight into what a different life she could have had. 

Verdict: These slice-of-life stories of everyday people in Appalachia will make you laugh and cry, together, and in a good way. Highly recommended! Hampton is definitely one to watch out for!

Disclaimer: I received a copy through the publisher Henry Holt and Co. 

Of the great equalizer {Educated by Tara Westover}

Of the great equalizer, education.

About Educated by Tara Westover: Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling supplies and sleeping with her “head for the hills” bag. In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father’s junkyard.

Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or a nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to intervene when her brother became violent or when her father’s Mormon beliefs drifted toward the extreme.

Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She ultimately taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events such as the Holocaust. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if there was still a way home.

A riveting account of the struggle for self-invention, Educated is also a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties.

My two cents

I don’t know how many times I audibly gasped reading Tara Westover’s autobiography! When people talk of overcoming adversity and challenges, sometimes it’s hard to understand just how it really is. However, in this memoir, Westover doesn’t sugarcoat a thing. She recalls a a traumatic childhood of hard labour, abuse, and neglect in a family dealing with mental illness. Reading all this is tough, but it drives home the point that this is a reality for many of those who live in rural America.

What makes this particularly ingratiating is that Westover doesn’t seem to have an ounce of self pity as she tells her story. Nor does she seem to bear a grudge on her family members who perpetuated the cycle of abuse, neglect, and simply holding her back.

Often we talk about the importance of exposure and education to better ourselves. Bill Gates talks about this memoir in glowing terms. Check out his review and a video of his chat with Westover.

What particularly struck me was when Westover says:

“I worry that education is becoming a stick that some people use to beat other people into submission or becoming something that people feel arrogant about,” she said. “I think education is really just a process of self-discovery—of developing a sense of self and what you think. I think of [it] as this great mechanism of connecting and equalizing.”

Verdict: I recommend reading this honest and matter-of-fact storytelling of her journey from illiterate country hick to a life of learning, believing in herself and her innate capabilities. Truly, you can’t keep a good woman down.

Fictional true crime done right {Dark Places by Gillian Flynn}

Fictional true crime done right: dark and twisted

About Dark Places by Gillian Flynn: Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice" of Kinnakee, Kansas.” She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.

My two cents

I have a meanness inside me, real as an organ. Slit me at my belly and it might slide out, meaty and dark, drop on the floor so you could stomp on it.

Can someone say Truman Capote? Reading Flynn’s Dark Places, I had nostalgic twinges of reading In Cold Blood. I know this is fictional crime, but hey, it felt absolutely horrific getting into the minds of killer, survivor, witness. I felt myself flailing internally to keep reading. But Flynn had a disturbingly tight hold on me and I soldiered on to the end to find out the truth of The Satan Sacrifice Murders.

Libby is messed up. But she has every right to be - she survived the murder of her mother and two sisters by her older brother, Ben, 25 years ago. Cruelly, she was the one who had put her only surviving family member in jail for life. Libby is unable to hold jobs, and was living on funds donated by sympathetic do-gooders. With a failed book deal and funds running dangerously low, Libby milks any possibility of money to survive.

Enter the Kill Club, a group of people morbidly interested in high profile, notorious crimes. Libby is thrust into a precarious dilemma as she realizes that the club believes that Ben is innocent and she is practically accused of providing false testimony. Looking back, she realizes that she was coached in court since age seven, and as alternative theories and evidence are presented to her, Libby starts to question her own memories. The hope that maybe, just maybe, things aren’t what she thinks.

Why I liked this:

It’s got the Flynn trademark all over it. This is dark, twisted and sickening. It’s about a violent and gory massacre. It’s about perverse minds. It feels gritty, trashy, seedy, dirty, crude. And I feel the same way, a dirtiness on me that I don’t want. But, why oh why, does it all come together so well that you can’t put it down despite wanting to turn away and read something sunnier? Again I say it: Flynn is a brilliant and provocative storyteller.

Libby and the cast of characters. Flynn does it again with aplomb by giving us the flawed Libby as the centre of the story. Flynn never fails to deliver on interesting characters: Libby is severely damaged, troubled, selfish, crude, unlikable; she's not someone I’d care to know in real life. But she is relatable and realistic. The trauma she experienced as a child understandably has warped her in serious ways but I love her for her can-do survivor spirit.

The other characters are also flawed, unlikable and realistic. I was torn in believing Ben to be innocent but as the story moved along, his darkness slowly came through. Patty’s fierce sense of family resonated with me and her desperation for keeping her family financially afloat lends a rather odd mundanity to the massacre. The two sisters, while children, were painted as less than innocent. One standout character to me that links Libby to her family to the present is her aunt Diane. As the host characters walk through these pages, more and more you come to realize that people are inherently perverse, and that’s just the fact of the matter.

Multiple viewpoints and impeccable pacing. Propelling the storytelling is that this is told from different points of view as well as being paced for revelations to come to light at just the right time. This deftly voices out Libby (present day), Libby’s older brother Ben (1985) and their mother, Patty (1985). The massacre that transpired on that fateful day in 1985 becomes a pivot point for Ben and Patty to provide their own accounts, their sometimes chilling state of mind in their motivations.

Uh oh’s

If you’ve read Flynn, you already know that this is not a book for everyone because of its dark themes. It has graphic violence and gore, perverted sex, and depicts molestation and abuse.

Verdict

I’ve now read the Flynn trilogy of dark, twisted goodness. Seriously, if this review of Dark Places doesn’t convince you that she is worth your while, check out my reviews of Gone Girl and Sharp Objects.

With true crime a hugely popular genre in film and books, I’ve no doubt this one will grab the attention of fans.

Be careful, it cuts deep {Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn}

Be careful, it cuts deep

About Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn: Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.

My two cents

You all know how much I love Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. I was able to borrow a copy off a fellow-Flynn fan and I dove into this amazing debut novel. I couldn’t help but race through it because I found it a compelling and provocative yet highly disturbing read.

This is a chilling tale about reporter, Camille Preaker, who is assigned to report on a series of child murders in - of all places - her hometown. In the course of investigating for her story, she must dig deep and reconnect with family, friends, neighbours, and people of her past. The truth leads her to a disturbing conclusion.

Here’s why I liked it:

It hits you viscerally. This is another brilliant psychological study by Flynn and Camille as the heroine of the story comes with some very serious baggage. There a full sections that made me seriously queasy at times ... but that just goes to show how seriously damaged Camille is. It is hard to read about some of the things that Camille inflicts on herself, physically and mentally. It made me feel scared to discover her scary skeletons in her closet. And yet, surprisingly, instead of being turned off, I felt for her.

This is about the dark side of family. Everyone admits how messed up families can be, but usually we say this with some fondness. Camille’s dysfunctional family takes this to the extreme. As the story unravels, Camille’s childhood is revealed to be a disturbingly unhealthy relationship with her very cold, proper mother, an oddity of a stepfather, and a teenage half sister. Her hometown also has a strange eeriness which is hard to shake off. Camille hadn’t escaped unscathed, and as she finds herself thrust into her old life, she is thrust into this unhealthiness once again. While she copes in new ways, she also finds herself sliding into her old ways. Moreover, she finds herself commiserating with the plight of her half-sister and she feels an obligation to help her in some way.

It’s an actual mystery. I love me my whodunits and Agatha Christie. Camille follows the tradition of mystery solving. While I think I had figured it out, I was often led astray. The best part: I was horrified by the ending.

Be warned: this is deeply disturbing on many fronts.The story is disturbing; the topics of abuse, self-harm, sex, and murder are disturbing; the characters are messed up in every way; and the general feeling I had throughout the book was of creepiness. There is something uncannily scary about reading this book - Flynn doesn’t shy away from the gory and graphic details, or the unhealthy, messed up thoughts of the characters. The result: a read that left me mentally exhausted and frankly, wanting to shake off this darkness. Honestly, it is a hard read to shake off.

Verdict

I highly recommend this to fans of Gillian Flynn and those who love dark twisted psychological tales, dark mysteries, and provocative reading. Stay away if you cannot handle disturbing details of abuse or self-harm.

Is seeing believing? {The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn @ajfinnbooks}

Unputdownable peeping Tom tale

About The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn: It isn't paranoia if it's really happening . . . Anna Fox lives alone--a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her days drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors. Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn't, her world begins to crumble--and its shocking secrets are laid bare. What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one--and nothing--is what it seems. Twisty and powerful, ingenious and moving, The Woman in the Window is a smart, sophisticated novel of psychological suspense that recalls the best of Hitchcock--an unforgettable thriller that Gillian Flynn calls "amazing."

My two cents

Sidenote: It’s been a long time (unbelievably over a year, almost two!) since I last posted a book review, so getting back into my blog has me wondering how I’ll fare this time around. I’ve pared the reading ao much that I’ve been down to about 20 books a year, with quite a few being rereads.

I got a hold of this particular novel because my colleague and I were discussing just how mindf*ckingly brilliant Gillian Flynn is! As this one is in the same genre as Flynn, and Flynn herself recommended it, I needed to see if her glowing review of “amazing” was true. Here’s why I enjoyed it:

It’s a slow burn. This starts off with the simple introduction of Dr. Anna Fox, a well known child psychologist and now recluse. As the pages turn, Anna’s story and circumstances become more and more apparent. She suffers from agoraphobia because of a yet-unknown-reason to the reader. She hasn’t stepped out of the house in close to a year.

She passes her days watching black and white films, drinking her favourite wine, and popping her plethora of drugs (note: note to be taken with alcohol), and logging online and giving advice to other recluses. Oh, and people watching.

Anna takes a particular interest her new neighbours across the park. One day, she believes she witnesses a murder. But no one believes her.

It’s a pyschological thriller that left me second guessing myself. After the murder, I was wholly on Anna’s side. The many, many pages before had made me “friends” with Anna. I knew her. I knew her family. I knew she wasn’t the type to imagine things. I was certain she was sane; she was just sad and traumatized. Wasn’t she?

As more layers were peeled back and revelations made, I hemmed and hawed. I seesawed from believing her, to writing her off as a drunk, overly drugged, and watching too much film noir. She was becoming paranoid, delusional, and was hallucinating.

Would you be like me, so easily gullible to Anna’s charms? Or will you be objective and see all the red herrings? Did the murder happen or not? You’ll have to find out!

Love the film noir twist.Throughout there are references to Anna’s favourite black and white films. It’s obvious that the author is a film noir aficionado. The references were quite lost on me but they lent interesting backdrops to Anna’s story. When I Googled the book, I was’t surprised to see that there was an old film with the same title. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman_in_the_Window

It’s dark yet relatable. If you’re wondering, this is not as dark, graphic or disturbing as Gillian Flynn’s work. Everything is purely psychological which makes Anna’s story much more relatable to the everyday Joe. There is no violence or sexual perversions that seems to be hallmarks of Flynn’s work.

Verdict

In an homage to film noir, I found this psychological thriller hard to put down! I love it when a book exceeds expectations. Highly recommend!

Let art speak to you. {The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt}

Let art speak to you.

About The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt*: It begins with a boy. Theo Decker, a thirteen-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his unbearable longing for his mother, he clings to one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art.

As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love-and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.

The Goldfinch combines vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and suspense, while plumbing with a philosopher's calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity, and art. It is an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate.

My two cents

Theo and his mother love living in New York. Thank goodness his good for nothing father is out of the picture. The humdrum life all changes in a flash. On this day, Theo and his mother take a side trip to the museum - a distraction from a parent teacher meeting that could only mean more trouble for Theo. This is a coming of age story that shows life's contradictory nature, bringing out the beautiful and darkest sides of people, set against the contrasts of the beauty and corruption of the art world.

Ever since I read The Secret History (my review), I knew that I was bound to pick up another book by Donna Tartt. And so it came to be.

***

Fresh from a trip from New York, I reveled in The Goldfinch because I had walked the halls of the Metropolitan Art Gallery, wandered the streets of the Upper East Side of Manhattan (and beyond) and took the subway many a time. This is Theo's world and it became tangible to me when I was reading it.

The Goldfinch is a book that I sorely needed to remind me why I read and why I love to blog about books: it's a story like this that reminds me that books contain life's truths. I've become absorbed in desire to book blog like a madwoman, I've done so many book tours, done all the bloggy and bookish memes. I've burnt out. I've returned. And now, I reiterate to myself: make peace with my book blogging lull and simply go for the ride.

Why I loved The Goldfinch

This forced me to slow down. This is a classic case of a book finding me when I needed it most. I needed to read it, and more importantly, to feel it. The first hundred pages or so begs for attention. Tartt's prose is incredibly immersive: you're there in the museum. You feel Theo's pain. You feel the angst, the hunger for sympathy and kindness. I dare you to want to be absorbed in this story.

It's highly relatable. I have very little in common with Theo. But I do have a lot in common with his foray of emotions and the mental state he is in through various incidents, often traumatic. I absorbed his tribulations, maybe a bit too much.

The painting "The Goldfinch"
From Wikipedia

The art, the art. I have a soft spot for anything involving art and the fact that this story delves into this world was a special treat.

The story revolves around the painting The Goldfinch (in Dutch: Het puttertje) by Carel Fabritius (1654). This piece seemingly begged to be saved by a dying man, and it called out to Theo as well. To me, the metaphor of art "speaking" to someone in a profound, sometimes even mystical way, is a testament to the power of art in general.

It polarizing. I love the fact that this book gets lovers and haters and thus makes for great discussion. If you love reading blogger's opinions, you'll get both swings of pendulum on this one. I was starting this and posted on Instagram. I got mixed reactions from "oh this is so good, you're going to love it" to "I couldn't get into it."

Don't read this ... If you're looking for action and a fast pace, put this down. If you hate chunksters, put this down. If you listen to other book bloggers negative reviews and are easily swayed, then don't read this.

Verdict

One of the most moving stories I've read in a very long time, this coming of age story set against the art world of New York forced me to slow down and immerse myself. My review is highly based on emotion, and I am not ashamed to say that sometimes some books hit me at a very raw level - similar to how art speaks to our souls. In short, The Goldfinch spoke to me. Will you allow it to speak to you?

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The historic, horrific lives that the Forest built and destroyed {Barkskins by Annie Proulx}

Barkskins by Annie Proulx*: From Annie Proulx—the Pulitzer Prize-­ and National Book Award-­winning author of The Shipping News and “Brokeback Mountain,” comes her masterwork: an epic, dazzling, violent, magnificently dramatic novel about the taking down of the world’s forests.

In the late seventeenth century two penniless young Frenchmen, René Sel and Charles Duquet, arrive in New France. Bound to a feudal lord, a “seigneur,” for three years in exchange for land, they become wood-cutters—barkskins. René suffers extraordinary hardship, oppressed by the forest he is charged with clearing. He is forced to marry a Mi’kmaw woman and their descendants live trapped between two inimical cultures. But Duquet, crafty and ruthless, runs away from the seigneur, becomes a fur trader, then sets up a timber business. Proulx tells the stories of the descendants of Sel and Duquet over three hundred years—their travels across North America, to Europe, China, and New Zealand, under stunningly brutal conditions—the revenge of rivals, accidents, pestilence, Indian attacks, and cultural annihilation. Over and over again, they seize what they can of a presumed infinite resource, leaving the modern-day characters face to face with possible ecological collapse.

Proulx’s inimitable genius is her creation of characters who are so vivid—in their greed, lust, vengefulness, or their simple compassion and hope—that we follow them with fierce attention. Annie Proulx is one of the most formidable and compelling American writers, and Barkskins is her greatest novel, a magnificent marriage of history and imagination.

My two cents
An ambitious novel spanning over 300 years, Barkskins presents the history of logging and the deterioration of the world's forests -- from widespread unapologetic clearcutting to today's alarm over global warming -- through the family histories of two men.

Barkskins were servants brought in to clear vast tracts of land in New France (now Canada) during the late 17th century. The politicized history of the world's forests is told through the family histories of barkskins,  René Sel and Charles Duquet.

Sel took on the backbreaking work. Despite his loyalty, he is forced to marry an older Mi'kmaq, Mari, the mistress of his signeur. Over generations, the Sel's lives tell of great hardship and toil, exacerbated by the fact that Native Americans bore the brunt in a white man's world. There is a continuous battle to hold on to their lifeways but were marginalized and moreso impoverished in the process.

Duquet, ambitious yet unused to hard work, runs away. Duquet makes a fortune, mostly on furs and lumber, but mainly through unscrupulous means. He marries the daughter of his rich Dutch business partner. Anglicizing the family name to Duke, he builds the Duke and Sons timber empire who wreaks havoc on the untouched forests in other countries over the next century.

*** 

I've not read any of Annie Proulx's work but she looms large in the literary world. So can you really blame me for wanting to read this ... and love it? I had built this up in my mind but I ended up getting a mixed bag. I loved the beginning up until about three fourths of it, before I started to feel I was slogging through. The tone changed to preachy and everything suddenly felt rushed.

Let's not overlook the fact that this is a chunkster (700+ pages). Prepare yourself for the experience. And don't dare rush this one if you're keen on getting something from this, because Proulx has a lot to offer.

The heart of this book is humanity's ever-conflicted relationship with nature. There are two contrasting views about resource utilization: the "to hell with it" extract as much as possible, profit to the hilt and move on, or the more measured (and informed) way where extraction is based on need and allowing the resource regenerate naturally. Today's return to sustainable resource utilization is borne out of the realization that resources are not limitless and is, too, a return to the holistic views of many indigenous cultures.

This is about the politics of forests. I can't help but applaud at Proulx's decision to write this highly politicized and polarizing book. It is seemingly inevitable as white man conquered and colonized and took lands for their own leaving native American tribe of the Mi'kmaq severely marginalized, poor, and socially and culturally unmoored.

Delving into the politics of the extraction of natural resources, only confirms an age old modus operandi -- there will be the moneyed and powerful who will get as much as they can from from the earth and take advantage of people to succeed. Capitalism can be greedy, rapacious, ruthless. At stake are indigenous cultures and their harmonious relationship with nature. But Proulx attempts to bring this story full circle, a conscientization of her readers: what have we done, and what shall we do about it?

This was very well researched, rich in the detail not only of the history and cultures, but more importantly of the science behind the story. Foresters, ecologists, historians, sociologists, I know you will delight in the details! However, the devil is in the details: it's easy to get lost and distracted in them (good or bad, that is totally up to you).

The earlier portion of the book made the characters feel real with horrific descriptions of the mental anguish and physical hardships they had to endure. But character upon character came into the cast and with the varying lengths by which they appear in the story, the sense of time was easily lost on me. Despite having the family tree, it did little to ease how I followed along in the characters' lives.

Verdict:
I can't help but applaud at Proulx's decision to write this highly politicized and polarizing book. Well researched and rich in detail, this was a mixed bag for me in terms of the reading experience. I loved the beginning but Proulx lost me towards the end. However, I still recommend this book and suggest reading in short bursts lest 700+ pages intimidates you!

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Unexpected, unrealistic and lots of heart {The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson}

When the unexpected is the best thing that could ever happen.

About The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson*: Andie had it all planned out. When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future. Important internship? Check. Amazing friends? Check. Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks). But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life. Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected. And where’s the fun in that?

My two cents

Sometimes I get an unsolicited book for review in the mail. I barely read Young Adult but I don't ever close my doors on YA because there is undeniably some great stuff out there. This was unsolicited, unexpected in many ways, and most importantly I enjoyed it!

This will be some of my thoughts, very quickly:

What I liked

• The feeling, the tone! This is fun, upbeat, light, quick reading. But it's not too fluffy. There's a lot of feeling in the situations and the dialogues, and it's easy to relate to what is going on. 
• The themes -- friendship, opening oneself up to change, being open to the unexpected -- I think it's a great message for those who are in the prime of their life. I'm happy to hear stories about disappointments early in life, rather than painting life to always be rosy!

What I didn't quite like

• Sure, Andie is the daughter of a politician. She has amazing friends. She conveniently has boyfriend(s) who know all the political protocols behind dating the daughter of a politician. Probably unlikely that readers belong to the demographic but it's kind of like reading The Princess Diaries - highly improbable but the characters and storytelling make it relatable. 
• Speaking of The Princess Diaries, why does there always have to be the requisite party bust? 
• I doubt that teenagers will need to hear the message "loosen up" and "go party," but ok, ok, diversity in messages.
• Plot-wise, cute... but hyperextended much at 500+ pages!

Verdict

An unexpectedly good YA read which allowed me to relax and relive younger days. Popcorn reading. Lots of heart.

Book Depository

You can mess with my mind anytime, Ms. Flynn! {Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn}

Ms. Flynn, you got me. 

About Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn*: On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

My two cents

(What a great book to jolt me out of my reviewing slump!)

I'm obsessed with this book.

I know I am late in joining the Gone Girl bandwagon but I'm hopping on, willingly, and with guns blazing. Because it's been a while since I've read a book so utterly engrossing and so utterly ... brilliant. I finished it ... and promptly reread it. (I'm still in the the throes of the reread, and I'm just enjoying it even more.)

I can't get into the detail of this book without spoiling it for first time readers (or movie watchers) so I will simply leave the storyline alone: a quick review that is spoiler-free but may be somewhat cryptic in places.

So, I'm obsessed. Here's why:

It's unpredictable

This entire book is a brilliant mind game played between a hubby and wife, and unwittingly a mind game that Gillian Flynn plays on her readers. There are two parts to this book and I've realized that readers either will play along with Ms. Flynn or simply hate it. It's a polarizing experience -- love it or hate it -- with a passion. I was dazed when I finished it. I went "Oh sh**" then heaved a sigh reeking of "OMG" and surprisingly, wallowed in the reality that is the twistedness and perversion that I had just read.

It's psychologically insightful

Know the whole he said, she said shebang? This is the ultimate. This is all about a marriage and highlights the very intimate mind meld relationship that can exist between a couple. It can pendulum from the good to the bad, and this particular book shows the extremes that are often difficult to stomach.

Another interesting dichotomy explored is the wide difference between reality (private persona) versus public perception. The role of media -- the good, the bad, and the ugly -- are fully expounded upon in the storyline. How many times have you passed judgment on a case or a person based on what you heard in the news, saw on TV, or even social media? We all do it. In this day of easy access to information, forming opinion based on the constant stream of fact (and plenty of fiction) is an easy trap to fall into.

Lastly, I can't believe that I fell for Flynn's "game" so easily. The way that this story is structured out makes me want to read more of her work, for the simple  (and awesome) reason that she has so much insight into her very readers' psychology. Not all authors can pull off a mind game so brilliantly, so annoyingly, and so effectively. Kudos, Gillian Flynn.

It can actually happen (scarily so)

In the back of my mind, what really struck me about Gone Girl is that it's very possible that this could happen, and to anyone. It's a difficult thing to accept that no one can really know any one person, no matter how close we can be, whatever relationship can bear some uncertainty. But it's doubly difficult to know someone's deepest, truest, and ugliest self ... and if not being able to accept it, to at least be able to acknowledge and understand.

Verdict:

Looking for a mind trip? Try Gone Girl. Then tell me if you're in the love or hate camp!

Highly recommended reading for those who despise predictable, cookie cutter characters and willingly desire to be surprised, shocked and challenged.

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Boo! With a little bit of cute, dark and funny thrown in! {Anya's Ghost by Vera Brogsol}

Be careful when the cutesy turns sinister ...

Back blurb of Anya's Ghost by Vera Brogsol*: Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn't kidding about the "Forever" part. Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who’s been dead for a century. Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend—even a ghost—is just what she needs. Or so she thinks. Spooky, sardonic, and secretly sincere, Anya's Ghost is a wonderfully entertaining debut from author/artist Vera Brosgol.

My two cents

So I was reading the densely packed Snow by Orhan Pamuk and was fresh off the amazing Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. While I can't deny that Read Nobels Challenge 2016 is upping my reading game, it's heavy stuff. Good but heavy. So to break it up, I picked up this graphic novel.

But look closely at the cover ... and lo and behold, Neil Gaiman loves this book! I can't think of higher praise. So off I go into the pages of this quirky ghost story.

This starts out with an introduction to Anya's angsty teenage life, spiced up by the fact that she had made her Russian immigrant self American enough to actually fit in and be cool. She has one close friend, who is every bit as interesting as herself but who gets on her nerves (probably as much as her friend gets on Anya's nerves, you do know that teenage friendships are complicated, right?) One day, Anya accidentally falls into an old well.

In the middle of darkness and scared to death, she is befriended by ... yes, a ghost of a young woman called Emily Reilly! With the ghost's help, Anya is able to get out of the well. A friendship develops between Anya and the ghost getting help in daily things, school, boys, and just hanging out. Over time, Anya learns about the ghost's sad past and Anya vows to help Emily. Then it all takes a pretty bizarre, even sinister turn, when Anya realizes that Emily may not be the Casper, the friendly ghost, she hoped for. True circumstances and motives are revealed ... you'll want to find out!

*** 

I'm not a huge graphic novel reader but admit it is a genre I'd like to get more into. Short text with amazing graphics holds a charm and appeal to me. This one was a nice surprise on so many fronts.

For one, I like listening to author recommendations and I think Neil Gaiman definitely saw something special about Anya's Ghost! I'm a huge Gaiman fan so I knew it had to have a bit of darkness to it. I thought this was sweet, cute, dark (yes!), and oh-my-goodness, so funny!

Another aspect I enjoyed is that this is cutesy but has real world teenage situations - complicated teenage friendships, the need to fit in, peer pressure, sex (yes, it's implied!). One obvious theme points to the pressures of immigrants to making a new country their new home. This is explored in Anya's own day-to-day struggle of "fending off" her mother's insistence on holding on to her Russian customs, food, and community. While Anya has managed to become "American" enough to fit in, it is contrasted with a younger and newer immigrant who is bullied, made fun of, as he slowly tries to assimilate.

Lastly, the illustrations! Brogsol's cartoons are beautiful and quirky. I love them!

Verdict

A quick and enjoyable read for teenagers and young adults. Those who enjoy quirky graphic novels with a dark twist will surely enjoy this. I'm very curious what Brogsol will churn out next.

Do you read graphic novels? Does this appeal to you?

 

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Ooh, the mind games! {Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane} #readmyowndamnbooks

Ah, the mind. Agh, my mind!

About Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane: US Marshal Teddy Daniels has come to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane, to find an escaped murderer named Rachel Solando. As a killer hurricane bears down on the island, the investigation deepens and the questions mount. How has a barefoot woman escaped from a locked room? Who is leaving them clues in the form of cryptic codes? And what really goes on in Ward C? The closer Teddy gets to the truth, the more elusive it becomes. And the more he begins to believe that he may never leave Shutter Island. Because someone is trying to drive him insane...

My two cents

How do I write this review without spoiling it for those of you who have never heard of this book? If you haven't watched the movie (which stars Leonardo DiCaprio if you didn't already know based on that cover), well and good ... you should read this. If you have, then you already know that this is story is not what is makes itself out to be as per that little blurb or the marketing spiels out there.  

This a novel that starts out as one thing and morphs into something totally different. 

At face value this is a little hunting mission for two US Marshals, Teddy and Chuck, for a murderer on the loose on an island that houses the criminally insane (so naturally the escapee is also insane). If that isn't exciting enough for you, there is a huge hurricane, power outages, the prospect of more escaped wards, and oh-but-of-course, a host of clues that are begging to be solved. 

But wait. There is more! There seems to be a conspiracy that's pretty insidious in its prospects. And there are also hints throughout the novel about Teddy Daniel's personal life, a haunted past that only makes the reader wonder who the heck this US Marshal really is. 

All throughout this excitement, something deeply unsettlingly lies in store for the willing victim err, reader. I loved that Lehane took me on a journey that can only be described as being "played." It's all an elaborate mind game, not only for the lead character, but for you and me as readers. I fell for it all, hook, line and sinker, and I loved it! Ah, to recapture that feeling when I first watched The Sixth Sense! 

P.S. Books like this come rarely for me as I usually can see through elaborate plotting. If you have any recommendations for surprisingly good books that eff up your mind, let me know!

Verdict 

A suspenseful conspiracy-mystery with a surprising twist ... for the reader. If you liked The Sixth Sense, love psychological thrillers, pick this up. Or watch the movie. Or both!

Yes, I #readmyowndamnbooks! I got this from some random thrift sale. Or something. 

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The double-edged sword that is family. {Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg}

The double-edged sword that is family.

About Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg: On the eve of her daughter’s wedding, June Reid’s life is completely devastated when a shocking disaster takes the lives of her daughter, her daughter’s fiancé, her ex-husband, and her boyfriend, Luke—her entire family, all gone in a moment. And June is the only survivor.

Alone and directionless, June drives across the country, away from her small Connecticut town. In her wake, a community emerges, weaving a beautiful and surprising web of connections through shared heartbreak.

From the couple running a motel on the Pacific Ocean where June eventually settles into a quiet half-life, to the wedding’s caterer whose bill has been forgotten, to Luke’s mother, the shattered outcast of the town—everyone touched by the tragedy is changed as truths about their near and far histories finally come to light.

My two cents

For most of the night I was awake, wondering at it all, the pattern that seemed to emerge where I laid every fluke and chance encounter, puzzling through all the possible signs and meanings; but any trace of a design disintegrated when I remembered the chaos and brutality of the world, the genocide and natural disasters, all the agony. I never felt so small, so humbled, by the vastness of universe and the fragility of life. - p. 113

With the synopsis pretty much giving away the entire storyline, I wasn't sure what to expect. But I was shocked when I fell hard for this phenomenal book that explores the themes of loss, grief and healing in a powerfully moving way.

This is a "wow" book for me not just this year but ever. All I could say on Goodreads after putting this down—with some regret that it was over—was "How amazing was that?" I was in a book-induced stupor for days! After partially recovering, I reread the entire thing and came away with an even greater appreciation of how amazing this book is.

Unique for this book its approach in storytelling. Told in multiple voices in third person, each chapter is a vignette of a character's backstory sprinkled with small revelations, like little puzzle pieces, that feed into the overall storyline. There were many characters, some that I felt came out of the woodwork, but all were essential as this book slowly peeled away the layers of people's facades. In the end, the bitter reality of what had led to the tragic explosion and its frighteningly horrific yet hopeful resolutions come into focus.

Slow character revelation had me empathizing with each of the characters, sometimes frighteningly so, as their thoughts, fears, insecurities and motivations were laid bare. Getting to know each one was a slow, even tedious process yet the emotional payoff was high for me. Overall, this is an emotional read and I felt there was a "nowness" and a tangibility in the atmosphere of each vignette.

Most of the characters lead sad and misunderstood lives. June is the main character since she is the sole survivor - middle-aged, divorced, and not quite sure where to go in her relationship with her younger boyfriend Luke. However other characters will win your heart too. Lydia, Luke's mother, described as a small-town Elizabeth Taylor who had more than her fair share of misery. Lydia's backstory is the stuff of small-town gossip, but I felt for her. Then there are the minor, yet surprisingly essential, characters like Silas, a teenage pothead who works for Luke; the bridal couple, Lolly and Will; and even the owner of the hotel where June seeks refuge.

Did You Ever Have a Family asks this rather pointed question and reveals that everyone eventually finds their own kin, whether because one is born into family or the family is formed by circumstance. All family relationships can be wrought with much joy and even greater sorrow and pain when relationships die or when there is loss. But this book captures a spark of hope and the promise of healing for those who choose to seek out others who can once again be called "family."

Verdict

I was "wowed" by this complex, emotional, and highly nuanced story of tragedy which made me ponder the double-edge sword of family and family relationships. I highly recommend this for those who enjoy complex storytelling, intense characterizations, and are willing to be affected by a highly realistic story.

Endnotes: I later learned that this book was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for honest review consideration. 

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Of nudists, family secrets, and complicated lives. {Whistling Women by Kelly Romo}

Of nudists, family secrets, and complicated lives.

Synopsis of Whistling Women by Kelly Romo: A buried secret keeps two sisters apart. Life went terribly wrong for Addie Bates in San Diego, and she’s been running from dark memories ever since. For fifteen years, the Sleepy Valley Nudist Colony has provided a safe haven for Addie to hide from the crime she committed. But when the residents pack up to go on exhibit at the 1935 world’s fair in San Diego, Addie returns and must face the thrilling yet terrifying prospect of reuniting with her estranged sister, Wavey.

Addie isn’t the only one interested in a reunion. When her niece, Rumor, discovers she has an aunt, Rumor is determined to bring her family together. But it’s not so easy when the women are forced to confront family secrets, past and present.

Set against the backdrop of the 1935 world’s fair, Whistling Women explores the complex relationships between sisters, the sacrifices required to protect family, and the devastating consequences of a single impulsive act.

My two cents

A whistling woman and a crowing hen always come to a bad end. - Proverb

That opening proverb sounds so dire, but this book proves it true yet is anything but.

This was a first for me on two fronts -- I've never read anything involving a nudist colony nor of the world's fair. And while I thought this would be more heavily a historical fiction piece, I got a rather complicated family story too!

This book was extremely engaging, from plot to setting, it felt like a world fair of sorts! The first part was a fascinating look into life in a nudist colony -- of the philosophy of the people behind it, the general lifestyle and activities, and of Addie's decision to join the group and to rebuild her life. The remainder of the book focused on the revelation of what Addie had done and how events (and people) conspired to a satisfying ending.

This is told in alternating voices of two innocents: Addie, the wayward sister and of Rumor, her niece.

The heart of this book is undoubtedly its characters. Addie was an interesting study since throughout the book since she is painted as the greatest thing since sliced bread ... if but for the secret that had estranged her from her sister Wavey. Wavey, meanwhile, was a much more complicated character; her unpredictable and sorry life a manifestation of many a sad turn of events. Rumor was the clincher; sassy, rash and hardheaded, she is larger than life in contrast to her darling, meeker older sister Mary.

Uh ohs

I enjoyed the entire book despite its length. However, there are a few niggly things that didn't sit right with me:

• The backdrop of the world's fairs got me pretty excited but there was little in the book except for the minimal descriptions in relation to the expo of the nudist colony. 
• The nudist colony spin felt too obvious and convenient an allegory for freedom. This is even voiced out -- I thought it would have been better to leave that well alone.
• There were some times that this started feeling chick-lit-ish and melodramatic to me, not necessarily a bad thing since it makes for extremely easy reading. 
• I was slightly irked by the name Rumor. In getting to know Wavey, I felt that this was quite against her character, and despite her desire to keep all things on the lowdown, naming your child Rumor was bound to raise a few eyebrows. 

Verdict: Get to know the Bateman family, where secrets abound and unravel and where happy endings aren't to be ruled out. An enjoyable historical fiction that will give you a peek into nudist colonies and world fairs.

About Kelly Romo

Kelly A. Romo currently lives in Oregon with her three children where she teaches writing, literature, and social studies. She loves the outdoors; hiking, kayaking, and camping. Kelly grew up in California running around with all her thrill-seeking cousins and siblings; jumping off cliffs into the Colorado River, exploring caves on the beaches of Mexico, riding dirt bikes, water skiing, and snow skiing.

Connect with Kelly: Website | Facebook | Twitter



I received a copy of this book from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in order to participate in this tour with an honest review. Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour here. 

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Paperback: 414 pages 

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (November 17, 2015)

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The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

Poetic justice for picture brides. 

Synopsis of The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka: Julie Otsuka’s long-awaited follow-up to When the Emperor Was Divine is a tour de force of economy and precision, a novel that tells the story of a group of young women brought from Japan to San Francisco as “picture brides” nearly a century ago.

In eight incantatory sections, The Buddha in the Attic traces the picture brides’ extraordinary lives, from their arduous journey by boat, where they exchange photographs of their husbands, imagining uncertain futures in an unknown land; to their arrival in San Francisco and their tremulous first nights as new wives; to their backbreaking work picking fruit in the fields and scrubbing the floors of white women; to their struggles to master a new language and a new culture; to their experiences in childbirth, and then as mothers, raising children who will ultimately reject their heritage and their history; to the deracinating arrival of war.

My two cents

I have now read this book twice. The first time, I was in too much of a daze to write a coherent review. The second time merely confirmed what I knew about this book the first read: this one is special.

Told in the collective voice of Japanese picture brides as they recount the unfolding of their new lives in the US during the early 20th century, the melding of history in an almost poetic treatment is both unusual and enlightening.

I don't know too much about picture brides so I decided to look it up. Picture brides were so named because Japanese and Korean men who had immigrated to the US during the late 1900s decided to take wives and did so by choosing them based on pictures or photos provided by matchmakers. It was a modified practice of the traditional matchmaking wherein family members also had their say. It was basically the then-equivalent of the mail-order bride (source).

The book can be broken down into eight sections, which trace the lives of Japanese picture brides from their arrival up to the war, and hints of the impact on next generations to come:

• Come, Japanese!
• First Night
• Whites
• Babies
• The Children
• Traitors
• Last Day
• A Disappearance

In the author's notes in the back, there is an exhaustive list of references from which Otsuka drew these stories, which when collectively told provide a comprehensive and nuanced account of the struggles and challenges that these women faced and endured.

What I found surprising is that while told in collective, the voice is startlingly personal and intimate.

This entire book is a remembrance of an important piece of Japanese immigration in US history and of acknowledging the horrors of war and racial segregation.

Verdict: This book acknowledges the need to dust off the proverbial Buddha that has been put away in the attic. A remembrance of Japanese immigration to the US in the 1900s, this is the voice of the picture bride. Poetic justice indeed.

Uh oh 

The use of the collective "we" throughout has an almost hypnotic effect on the reader; I personally felt it was an interesting treatment. However, it does have a tedium to it and can potentially bore.

Extra

My love for the cover can't be expressed properly - it's such a beautiful cover for a beautifully written homage.

Interesting reading:

• Wikipedia: Picture Brides
• Desho encyclopedia: Picture Brides
• Wikipedia: Issei

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Baker's Blues by Judith Ryan Hendricks + #Giveaway!

Food is the salve for all hurts

About Baker's Blues by Judith Ryan Hendricks (Bread Alone Series, Book 3): In Wyn Morrison’s world a 5 AM phone call usually means problems at her bakery—equipment trouble or a first shift employee calling in sick—annoying but mundane, fixable. But the news she receives on a warm July morning is anything but mundane. Or fixable.

Mac, her ex-husband, is dead.

Ineligible for widowhood, Wyn is nonetheless shaken to her core as she discovers that the fact of divorce offers no immunity from grief. Friends and family are bewildered by her spiral into sadness, Mac’s daughter Skye blames her for his death.

For the last several years Wyn has been more businesswoman than baker, leaving the actual bread making to others. Now, as she takes up her place in the bread rotation once more, she will sift through her memories, coming to terms with Mac and his demons, with Skye’s anger, and with Alex, who was once more than a friend. Soon she will re-learn the lessons of bread that she first discovered at the Queen Street Bakery in Seattle…bread rises, pain fades, the heart heals, and the future waits.

My two cents

Food permeates our lives. This book is a a testament to the healing power of food -- creating it, eating it, sharing in it. In the third book of the series Bread Alone), readers are drawn into the baking world of Wyn and her little circle, as her husband Mac battles depression.

I liked ...

The fact this is a foodie read. I love to eat. It's the cure-all for everything, in my opinion. I'd choose a good meal over a new dress. Or a chocolate bar over a pill. So I naturally have a penchant for foodie reads though I admit that I don't seem to get enough of them in my reading fare lately.

The baking details and the cooking descriptions throughout this book are quite engrossing. I could almost imagine the smell of freshly baked bread! There is one bread baking scene in the earlier part of the book that I found informative and extremely inspiring: from waking up early, to the technicalities of the starter, the consistency and feel of bread, and lastly the sheer passion required for making delicious bread. I already have a profound appreciation for artisanal bread -- making bread is truly an art and a science.

The healing power of food is also an interesting angle explored throughout the novel. Wyn turns to food many times -- whether burying herself in her baking bread at her bakery, or indulging in a delicious meal -- as she goes through the challenging time of Mac's depression. These scenes are interwoven seamlessly into the narrative in a logical fashion so they become integral to the storyline.

Empathetic, balanced portrayal of characters in real-life issues. I was expecting this to be a fluffy foodie read but instead I got a rather in-depth peek into a husband and wife who are both impacted by depression, as well as their circle of family, friends, and colleagues. This was a surprise (initially unwelcome) until I realized that there was depth to it.

With more recent interest in raising awareness about mental health challenges, I thought Hendricks was able to present a balanced picture of depression from the viewpoints of the depressed persons as well as those close to the depressed.

A large part of the book deals with Wyn's viewpoint as the spouse; I understood her confusion and her frustration since she struggled to understand Mac but never really could. Being a fixer-upper type of person, the frustration level was even greater.

Meanwhile, indicated by font changes in the narrative, Mac's own recounting of his struggles were also illuminated. I rather disliked Mac at the onset of the novel but as a rounder fuller picture of the beginnings of his depression and the different stress points were presented, I agreed with (yet struggled with) Wyn's same conclusion that depression is no one's fault.

Other characters are also drawn into the dangerous pull of depression, which shows how complex and difficult depression is to deal with. A disintegrating marriage, tenuous relationships, a death, are probably the last things anyone wants to read about but these are unfortunate yet natural outcomes of depression.

Uh-ohs

I decided I wanted in on this book tour based on the cover. And therein lies its strength and its weakness: Is it a foodie memoir? a cookbook? foodie fiction? a cozy? I must remember to read blurbs carefully.

This is the third book in a series. If you've read the first two books and loved them, I know you'll want to pick this up. For someone like me who has come in from the cold, the first part of this book was disorienting with a bevy of characters making their appearance. It took me a good 1/3rd of the book to make sense of it all (Wyn - female, right? Skye - male or female? CM - who is this person?) This can be a standalone read but Mac starts out as dead which is rather unnerving because everything told in his voice is all in retrospect! I can't expect anything else -nor should I-- from his character if there is a future book!

One thing that didn't sit quite right with me is that I lost steam close to the end of book. This is alternately a draining-uplifting read but I felt it was overly drawn out and it left me exhausted (or was this just catharsis for me? I've been down but never really depressed). I really didn't want to finish the last few chapters since what happened in them were already implied. Overkill in my opinion.

Verdict: This is an insightful novel about relationships impacted by depression. Alternately depressing and inspiring, and interspersed with plenty descriptions of the power of food to heal, I'd recommend this novel to foodie fiction lovers, women's fiction readers, and those who want a better understanding of the dynamics of depression.

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About Judith Ryan Hendricks

Judith Ryan Hendricks was born in San Jose, California, when Silicon Valley was the Santa Clara Valley, better known for orchards than for computer chips.

Armed with a degree in journalism, she worked as a journalist, copywriter, computer instructor, travel agent, waitress and baker before turning to fiction writing. Her experiences at the McGraw Street Bakery in Seattle led to her first novel, Bread Alone and the sequel, The Baker’s Apprentice.

A life-long infatuation with the Southwest provided inspiration for Isabel’s Daughter and her fourth book, The Laws of Harmony. Hendricks’ fiction has been translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 16 countries worldwide.

Her nonfiction has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle and Tiny Lights, A Journal of Personal Essay, Grand Gourmet in Italy and The London Sunday Express. Her short fiction has appeared in Woman’s Weekly in Britain and AMERICAN GIRLS ON THE TOWN, an anthology, in the U.S. and U.K.

She lives in New Mexico with husband Geoff and dog Blue.

Connect with Judi at her website, judihendricks.com.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in order to participate in this tour with an honest review. Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour here.