Book Review: Secrets to Die For

Detective Jackson is quickly becoming one of my favorites! Secrets to Die For is the second book featuring the Eugene, Oregon homicide detective that I've read (The Sex Club being the first), and L.J. Sellers is one of those writers I'm going to keep following.

When a series of rapes in the city of Eugene suddenly turns to murder, Detective Wade Jackson and his team are on the case. But what they at first thought were crimes against women soon reveal themselves to be much darker hate crimes. Jackson begins to question himself in this book, asking how he feels about things and wondering if he's lost his edge when he doesn't clue into certain aspects of the case as quickly as he'd like.

A young social worker, Raina Hughes, is found murdered, and it looks like it might be by the same person who has been targeting and raping women in the area. The one common factor between the rape victims and Raina is something her friend and lover, Jamie Connor, will keep secret at any cost. When Jamie disappears, Jackson is sure the killer has taken her and he races to find her before she too is murdered.

In the midst of all this he's dealing with his teenaged daughter, an ex-wife who seems to be up to some of her old tricks, and his girlfriend's ex-husband trying to muddy the waters of their relationship. It's a lot to deal with while you're trying to stop a dangerous criminal.

But rest assured, with Jackson on the case the bad guys don't stand a chance. This is a terrific mystery with twists, turns and questions flying every which way and it will keep you guessing the whole time. I had to shush my son from talking to me towards the end because I literally couldn't stop reading! I'm anxious to read the next one in the series, and hope Sellers and Jackson keep going for a long, long time!

One other thing ... I found the title of this book very poignant. If solving this case had Jackson questioning himself, I hope the book might help others question their views of people as well. I hope that no one would ever feel they have a secret they would be willing to die for. Something else to think about as you read this book.

Book Review: City of Whispers

As always, Marcia Muller really delivers the goods. City of Whispers is one of the best she’s written. Her private investigator Sharon McCone just keeps getting better and better. Several stories overlap here, and Muller has returned to intertwining Sharon's first person account with third-person narratives from other characters around her, a style she has used in her last two books as well. It works in her books, and allows the reader to get deeper into the layers that she weaves in her story.

Sharon’s half brother Darcy Blackhawk, who has emotional as well as drug problems, has sent her an email telling her he is in trouble and needs help. When she discovers he sent the message from an internet cafe in San Francisco, she is sure he is in grave danger since he’s never been to the city and is unfamiliar with it. As she searches for him, she finds herself enmeshed in a two-year-old unsolved murder, infidelity, child abuse and kidnapping. All of this keeps Sharon on the move and wears her out as she is still recovering from her locked in state dealt with in her last two novels Locked In and Coming Back.

One of the things I love most about Muller is what an intelligent writer she is. She never, ever, writes down to her readers. I can't remember when I haven't had to reach for a dictionary a time or two when reading her books. City of Whispers has layers of things going on and people to explore that make this a rich, deep novel. I love that! And as much as I think I've figured out the "who dunit" in her books, I never do. She is definitely a master at her craft. If you like detective/mystery stories, you need to put her on your reading shelf.

In the Mood for a Scary Story?

It's that time of year when we all tend to want to read a good, spooky story, right? I know I do. I'm not one who likes horror; it's a little to intense for me. I also don't like blood and guts and all that. I just like a good, old-fashioned scary story. And if you're like me, here are a few suggestions!

You can't go wrong with Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. The story of a young girl who marries an older, sophisticated and wealthy man who's first wife died a tragic death. She is haunted mostly by her own imagination, but also by the memory of the dead wife, Rebecca, by the housekeeper who adored her, Mrs. Danvers. Such a great story, and frightening on many levels.

How about The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins? This novel, writing in 1860, has it all: secrets, mistaken identities, surprise revelations, amnesia, locked rooms and locked asylums. It has sustained the test of time for a reason--it's a wonderfully, chilling book and perfect for the season.

The Uninvited by Dorothy Macardle is one of my favorites. I found it in my parents library when I was about 14, and couldn't put it down. The story of a brother and sister who buy a haunted house thinking they'll fix it up. The beautiful Stella, whose mother died there, is drawn to the house and the brother begins to fall in love. But the hauntings by Stella's mother almost prove to be too much. There's a retired commander, a Spanish gypsy woman, an eerie housekeeper, and plenty of twists and turns to keep you rivited.

While du Maurier and Collins are British and Macardle is Irish, Shirley Jackson is an all-American writer. Two of her stories have captured the imagination and frightened readers for many years. The Lottery and The Haunting of Hill House are two of my favorites. Terrifying stories, each for different reasons. The Lottery because you can imagine such a thing actually taking hold in a small town, and The Haunting of Hill House which is a classic ghost/haunted house story that is as chilling as any you may have read.

All of these books/stories have been made into movies and you might want to pick one of them up to watch on Halloween night. But for my money, the books cannot be beat. They contain layers that the movies do not, and your imagination is the best thing for having a spooky experience.

Happy Halloween reading!

Book Review: Sing You Home

Before I get into my feelings about this book, let me say that Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult is very good. I’m not sure it’s a novel I would recommend since the subject matter is one that elicits strong emotions from people, but I do think it is worth the read.

That being said, Sing You Home is an ambitious novel. I admire and respect Ms. Picoult for taking this on. Putting a human face on homosexuality is a daunting task and one that needs to be done. She also brings this subject to main-stream America and allows people to hear, and feel, what it is like to be gay/lesbian in this country.

Zoe and Max Baxter have been trying for ten years to have a child. It’s all Zoe focuses on, and and after several miscarriages she is finally pregnant. She is close to term and at her own baby shower when things go wrong and the baby winds up still born. Anxious to try again she immediately wants to get back in the game, but finds that in her zeal to give birth she has alienated her husband who leaves her.

While Max falls into an alcoholic haze, Zoe fights depression and meets a woman she knows peripherally through her work as a music therapist. And, as Max discovers God and is born again with his religious brother and wife’s help, Zoe begins to fall in love with Vanessa.

Zoe and Vanessa marry, and on their honeymoon Vanessa offers to have the child Zoe so desperately wants, using some of the frozen embryo Max and Zoe have saved. Soon, however, a giant monkey wrench is thrown into their plans. Needing Max’s permission to take the eggs, he turns to his zealous, anti-gay, fundamentalist pastor who convinces Max that he should fight for the eggs and offer them to his brother and his wife who have been facing infertility issues of their own. In a heartbeat a media circus is swirling around them all, and the fight is on.

In the midst of all this Zoe works with a suicidal teenaged girl at the high school where Vanessa works as a counselor. Fighting to keep this girl connected to life, Zoe shines. And so does Picoult’s writing. It is in her storytelling of Zoe’s work with children, the elderly and others, using music to reach these people who are dying, depressed or lonely that the best part of the book comes out. It makes you wish Zoe was real; she is so good at what she does.

However, I do think the author bit off more than she can chew here. The book feels rushed to me, crammed with way too much to fit well into a single novel. The characters are so extremely black and white that I was left with many questions. The only truly well-rounded character is Zoe, whom Picoult takes the time to flesh out more.

And the bad guys in the story, the anti-gay Christians, are so black that they are almost cartoonish, as are those who support Zoe and Vanessa.

I really think it would have been better if the whole storyline about the trial had been left for another book. I know why Picoult put it in this book, but I found the whole plotline distracting from the core story of Zoe and Vanessa’s relationship, and I wish that she had focused solely on that.

Overall, Sing You Home shows you that a family is a family. That love is love. In one part of the book Picoult has Zoe comparing Max and Vanessa and how they relate to her. Max is extremely wrong, and Vanessa is so right, but my feeling was, it wasn’t so much because Max was a man and Vanessa a woman, rather that Max was simply the wrong person for her.

As I said, Sing You Home was an ambitious project. I’m not sure Picoult lived up to it, but I respect her for trying. If anything comes out of this novel it’s that we all need to stop judging each other for whatever reason: race, religion, body size, sexual preference, taste in music, clothing, whatever. The ways we judge each other are endless. And, as Vanessa asks at one point, why do you care what someone else is or does? Let’s try to love and support each other. Life is difficult enough without adding unnecessary burdens on each other.

Book Review: The Lace Makers of Glenmara

"You can always start again," Kate Robinson's mother once told her, "all you need is a new thread."

This line is the recurring theme in this lovely novel The Lace Makers of Glenmara by author Heather Barbieri. Reeling from heartbreak and loss, Kate embarks on a journey she and her mother had always planned. Her mother's early death, the ending of her long-term relationship, and the failure of her life-long dream of her own clothing design send the 26-year-old to Ireland, the home of her mother's ancestors, to try to discover a way to move on from the pain she carries in her heart.

She stumbles upon the small town of Glenmara, a tiny coastal village that is struggling to survive as their young people abandon it for the bigger cities of Dublin and London. She meets a group of women who carry on the ancient tradition of making lace, having been taught by their mothers and grandmothers. Embracing Kate and taking her into their group, they teach her their craft and soon she finds a home for her talents as well as her heart.

For, not only are these women lacemakers, they are also women who carry their own burdens of loss and heartache. Bernie is looking for a purpose for her life since her husband died two years ago, Oona is trying to regain her sense of self after surviving breast cancer, Moira is dealing with an abusive husband, and Colleen's fisherman husband is missing at sea, and Aileen is watching her teen-aged daughter, and possibly her marriage, slip through her fingers. Then Kate meets Sullivan Deane, a man who has his own haunted and tragic tale and recognizes the same in Kate.

This is such a sweet story. It is not all sweetness and light; Aileen resents Kate's presence and feels threatened by the young American who seems to have captivated the rest of the women. The parish priest sees her as a menace to his flock and is determined to drive her away from Glenmara. But through it all Kate remembers how her mother showed her the way. Nothing is so awful it cannot be recovered from. All you need is a new thread.

My best friend of 43 years recommended this book to me, saying it reminded her of my own novel In the Company of Women. There are many similarities, specifically how women support, love and share each others burdens. The relationship between Bernie and Aileen reminded me a lot of my friend and myself. They've been friends forever, and their conversations are sprinkled with memories of their long history together.

While I completely enjoyed this book, there is a feeling toward the end that Ms. Barbieri is trying to wrap things up, and it felt a bit rushed to me. It does not detract from the story, and I would whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone who has had a friend who has stood by her through the trials of her life. I think if you read the story of The Lace Makers of Glenmara you will find some familiar characters.

Book Review: Chasing Lilacs

When I was young I worked alongside an older woman from whom I learned much. She was well travelled with many life experiences and was open to sharing with me. One of the things she often told me was, “scratch the surface of anyone and you’ll find an unsung hero.” At the time I dismissed those words, but have found over the years how wise and honest she was. Carla Stewart’s remarkable novel Chasing Lilacs is a testament to this truth.

It is 1958 and Sammie Tucker’s 12th summer. Living in the small town of Graham Camp the company town of a petroleum plant in the Texas panhandle, this is a pivotal year for Sammie and her friends. In the fall they will begin junior high, a monumental step in the life of a young girl. Overshadowing her summer is her depressed mother whose situation colors everything in her world. But as it is true that God never gives us more than we can bear, it is also true that He brings into our lives those who can help us, and this holds true for Sammie.

The troubled nephew of one of her neighbors moves to town and Sammie immediately feels a connection to the young boy. Her next door neighbor Goldie, who carries a deep sorrow of her own, welcomes the young girl into her heart and home. And Slim, the older man with rumors swirling about him who gives Sammie the attention she has never known from a grandparent. And then there's her best friend Tuwana, whose mother is everything Sammie wishes she could have and fills her with a longing for the one thing she wants: a mother who will love her.

As she navigates this critical year Sammie also learns to trust the still small voice inside her. Railing against her circumstances, at times running from her own emotions, she also learns to rely on her faith to help her charter the muddied waters of her life.

There are many things about Chasing Lilacs that are reminiscent of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, and yet Stewart’s novel stands competently on its own. With a voice as pure and true as the young girl in her book, Carla Stewart has brought to life people that you will recognize in your own heart. She brings to life those days in the late fifties where children can spend lazy summer afternoons walking to the store for a soda and sitting on the stoop talking, and dreaming of the future and at the same time trying to figure out where you fit in your own life.

The element of faith is so quietly spoken that it whispers to you in the back of your mind letting you know that not only does Sammie need to believe, but you do too. And as she scratches the surfaces of those around her she finds those unsung heroes, and in the process finds one in herself.

This is an author I am looking forward to reading more from. I am so grateful to have found this book. Sammie and the people in her town will live with me for a long time. I hope you take the opportunity to pick this book up and read it. Chasing Lilacs will touch your heart.

Book Review: A Job from Hell

I guess I should state at the outset that my only previous experiences with paranormal romance was Twilight, which I really, really disliked. However when I was in junior high I was a big fan of Dark Shadows, which was a love story about a dreamy vampire too. So picking up A Job from Hell, the first book of Jayde Scott’s YA Ancient Legend series, was a big leap of faith for me and I can happily say it paid off.

A Job from Hell is the story of seventeen-year-old Amber who takes a summer job as the housekeeper in a Scottish estate as a way to earn money for college. Her boss is young, handsome and rich Aidan McAllister who also just happens to be a 500 year old vampire. Unable to deny that she feels an attraction for her employer, Amber soon finds herself in a situation that leaves her surrounded by all sorts of characters that she never knew, or believed, existed outside of the imagination.

When she stumbles into an ancient race and wins the prize, a supernatural power that everyone seems to want, Amber finds herself being stalked by paranormals from succubus, to shadows; and counting as her ally’s vampires and even the daughter of the devil himself.

There’s plenty of intrigue and subterfuge and the young heroine often finds herself wondering who, exactly. she can trust. The romance between Amber and Aidan is hot and heavy without being offensive and the two lovers exchange banter that is lively and entertaining.

One of my pet peeves in books is conversation that feels false. The characters say things that don’t feel true to the age or situation, or it feels stilted and unnatural. Ms. Scott’s narrative, told in first person from either Amber or Aidan’s point of view, is so good it feels as if they are standing in front of you telling you what happened.

I would call A Job from Hell a real page turner, except I read the ebook edition. I was caught up in it from the beginning and found myself charmed by this book in a way I wasn’t expecting.

I highly recommend this book. I know it’s billed as a YA novel, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it’s been a while since I was a young adult. Ms. Scott is an excellent writer, and I think I’ll be reading more of her work. Luckily book two will be released June 30th!

Book Review: Fergyville, Episode 1

Fergyville: Episode 1, The New Plan by Katina Ferguson is a novelette and the first in a new series. Ferguson is able to keep a finger on the pulse of marriage and life in suburbia, showcasing the banality that marriage and parenthood can have and giving it a twist that is left unresolved at the end of this short novel.

Frank and Catherine have been married for a while and have three small children. Catherine struggles with keeping a home as well as her good humor while she deals with the challenge of motherhood. Her day is portioned out into parcels of time that lead her up to her husband’s return home when she will get some relief in dealing with the constant demands of the kids.

Frank, on the other hand, has put some of his professional dreams on hold as he works to maintain a life for his family. As he deals with clients and coworkers his thoughts often drift and he finds himself daydreaming of other situations and possibilities that take him out of the humdrum job he has.

Then a series of strange events impact both Catherine and Frank. Cars don’t start, doors don’t open, children don’t cooperate and you are aware that something is going on that isn’t quite right.

Frank arrives home fearing the worst and questioning his ability to deal with it. Mentally reviewing the possibilities of what he may be facing leaves you wondering how things are to be resolved. And since this is a beginning of the full story, we must wait until the next installment to see where this story is leading us.

Ferguson is an excellent story teller and a good writer. Her writing is taught and bright. She obviously has some experience in dealing with the same situations as her characters which gives the story a feeling of authenticity. I’m hoping we don’t have to wait too long for Episode 2 in this tale. I for one am anxious to see what happens next!

Book Review: Homicide in Hardcover

Cozy mysteries seem to be hot these days. As a writer of cozies myself, I am constantly on the lookout for new books and read them as much as possible. The market is full of them, much to my delight, and there is a book for almost every interest out there. Cheese shop mysteries, embroidery shop, knitters, coffee shops, soap makers, crafters, bakers, caterers, cake decorators, scrap-bookers, -- the list is endless! If you have a hobby, you can bet there’s a cozy out there that will grab your attention.

Homicide in Hardcover, author Kate Carlisle’s debut novel, is one of the best I’ve read in a long time. Tightly written, this cozy has three dimensional characters, a wonderful plot and best of all a unique hook: antique book restoration.

Now, you might think that this is a dull, dry subject to wrap a mystery around, but under Carlisle’s deft hand it’s anything but. Brooklyn Wainwright finds her mentor lying in a pool of his own blood and with his dying breath leaves her a cryptic message and hands her the book he’s currently restoring: an original, and cursed, copy of Goethe’s Faust. Found holding the body and the book in her arms by the enigmatic and darkly attractive British security agent Derek Stone, Brooklyn finds she must clear her name and find the real killer.

Told in first person, you can sink yourself into this book and feel as if Brooklyn and you are sitting comfortably as she relates her story to you; something that is often difficult to pull off well. Carlisle does it masterfully! On top of that what could be a dry topic in her book is fascinating. The art of restoring antique books is just that -- an art unto itself and it makes you look at some of these older volumes in a new light.

The background and supporting characters are just as interesting as Brooklyn and Stone, who dance around their attraction to each other throughout the book. Brooklyn was raised in a “commune” in northern California’s wine country by free-spirited parents and a community that is a fascinating back story.

The other thing I liked about this book was revisiting San Francisco, where the story takes place. Having been raised in and lived for many years in the Bay Area, I often read books set there where I know the author has never been. This book rang true to the feeling and atmosphere of the City, and it was a nice experience for me.

Pick up a copy of Homicide in Hardcover and you'll be glad you did. I’m looking forward to reading more from Kate Carlisle and hope she, and Brooklyn Wainwright, enjoy a long and mysterious career.

Book Review: Minding Frankie

One of the wonderful things about a Maeve Binchy book is how she takes a group of seemingly random and odd people and brings them together, weaving their lives in and around the stories, backgrounds and circumstances they each have. The quirks of the characters that people her books don’t make them seem odd; they only endear them to you as you read their stories and help you to see that, if you don’t know someone quite like them, you’ve come across many with the same idiosyncrasies.

Minding Frankie is the story of a neighborhood in Dublin, Ireland that is one of those peculiar little areas where everyone knows everyone else and their business and accepts each other for who and what they are. When Noel Lynch, an alcoholic who has distanced himself from his parents and works in a mind-numbing job, discovers that a woman he barely remembers is pregnant with his child it is a shock. But to find that that same woman will not live past the delivery and is asking him to take on the raising of their daughter it completely turns his life upside down.

On top of this his cousin Emily comes from America and seems to take a firm hand in the lives of everyone in the neighborhood and suddenly things are different for them all. As Noel prepares for the birth of his daughter a support system is born to help him sober up, take classes to improve his position in his company, and to step in and help in minding Frankie, the little girl who is soon to be the center of so many lives.

Binchy, an Irish writer, is very good and bringing people to life in her books. One of the treasures of reading her other novels is that characters and situations from them wend their way into each other, and Minding Frankie is no exception. Dr. Clara Casey from Heart and Soul is here, as is Father Brian Flynn from Whitehorn Woods and Muttie and Lizzie from Scarlet Feather and many others. It’s fun to get reacquainted with people I came to know and love in her other novels, and hope to meet up with Noel, Frankie and his friends and neighbors in future books.

Being Irish there are times in her books, and this one is no different, that she makes subtle errors in writing about Americans that I personally found charming. For example, an American would never say, "I'm going for a lie down," or use phrases like "going to lectures." We "take naps" and "go to class."  I'm sure that when we write about Europeans we probably use the odd turn-of-phrase as well. It does not detract from the story.

Be forewarned that you will need a few tissues when you read Minding Frankie. It is a novel filled with love and hope and the feeling that anything is possible if you open yourself to it and allow those who love you to help you through.

Above all Minding Frankie is a testament that it does, indeed, take a village to raise a child.

I'm already a fan of this author, but this particular book touched me deeply. I don't know if it's because I am a mother myself, or if as I get older I can relate to a wider variety of people, but this is a book I would not hesitate to read again in the future. If you have the opportunity to pick up one of Maeve Binchy's books, and Minding Frankie in particular, you won't be disappointed.

Book Review: The Quick and the Thread

The Quick and the Thread by Amanda Lee is the first in “The Embroidery Mystery” series. This is an important point for me since from the first page I fell in love with the book.

Marcy Singer is a frustrated and somewhat bored accountant in San Francisco who, at the urging of her former college roommate, packs up her things, her dog Angus, and moves north to the quaint little town of Tallulah Falls on the Oregon coast to open an embroidery shop. It seems like a dream come true, until the morning after the grand opening party when she finds the shops former tenant dead on her storeroom floor, a cryptic message scratched into the wall with a tapestry needle beside him.

If that wasn’t enough, the landlord who rented to both of them is soon murdered and Marcy, fearful of being either the next victim or looked at as a suspect, is determined to discover who and what is going on in her new hometown.

Ms. Lee is a wonderful writer; her style is not heavy handed and her prose is lively and quick. A cozy mystery, by definition, is supposed to be fun with a solid mystery in the middle of it. This is not a hard core detective story; the heroine/hero has a life and has just landed in the middle of something they need to solve. The Quick and the Thread is just about as perfect a cozy as I could order.

Ms. Lee is an old film/television buff, and the story is sprinkled with references to and mentions of a wide variety of shows. I particularly liked her offhand referral to Mrs. Danvers (a nod to both DuMauier’s novel and Judith Anderson’s portrayal).

There is humor, romance, quarrels between friends, a heroine in peril, and of course, the requisite sleuthing that Marcy must do in order to figure out “who done it.” All in all, it’s a great romp and I highly recommend adding this book to your to-read list. The next book in the series, Stitch Me Deadly came out the first of this month and I’m looking forward to the third installment already!

Book Review: The Sex Club

Mysteries are my favorite types of books. It started when I picked up my first Nancy Drew book when I was nine and continues to this day. I like them all, cozies, police procedurals, private investigators, spy novels .... they all pull me in.

The Sex Club, by L.J. Sellers is one of the best I’ve read. Lucky for all of us who love mysteries it’s the first in a series which means there’s more to come. Happy for me!

Ripped from the headlines this story is sharp, current and well written. Seller’s hero is Detective Jackson of the Eugene, Oregon police department. He has a bad marriage behind him and custody of his 14-year-old daughter, and he’s a cop who is dogged in his determination to get to the truth.

When a Planned Parenthood clinic is bombed Jackson is called in to investigate. On the heels of the bombing a young girl, one of Jackson’s daughter’s friends, is found dead, and Jackson is off and running trying to solve the murder and wondering if there is some connection to the clinic bombing when it’s discovered that the young girl was sexually active.

One of the nurses at the clinic, Kera Kollmorgan, is privy to information about the dead girl and her friends who were part of a secret “sex club” that may be putting them all in danger.  She walks a fine line between wanting to help the police solve the case and honor the confidentiality of her patients. But Kera is also at peril when a religious zealot sees her as the prime enemy and preventing “God’s Work.”

As Jackson continues to track down leads and discovers secrets hidden everywhere, Kera is attacked and another body is found. Not knowing how far the killer will go he races to solve the case before any more girls are found murdered, or he can examine his new feelings for the pretty clinic nurse who may also be on the killer’s hit list.

I really enjoyed The Sex Club, and I have to confess when I was done I had to peek at the beginning of the next in the series (Secrets to Die For) to satisfy my curiosity about a couple of things. I’m looking forward to cracking that one open very soon, and encourage all mystery lovers to check out The Sex Club and read it too.  It's a great thing to find a series about a character you enjoy reading.  I hope L.J. Sellers writes for a long time!

Book Review: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Jamie Ford’s debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, brings to life a collection of characters that will stay with you long after you close the book. Switching between 1986 and the war-torn years of the 1940s, this is the story of Henry Lee and the relationships in his life.

As the story opens, Henry has recently lost his wife. Finding himself at loose ends he happens by a hotel from his youth where items stored by Japanese Americans who were interred during World War II have been discovered. This is the trigger that sends Henry back in time to when he was 12-years-old and fell in love with a Japanese girl who was sent away.

Searching through the items looking for a trace of the girl who once figured so prominently in his life has him reflecting on those times and the changes that happened in him and the bonds that were such a huge part of his life.

His father, who wants so much for his son to be American, and yet holds to his memories of and conflicts from his life in China; Henry’s parents who refuse to let him speak in their native tongue, yet cannot understand when he tries to speak English to them; Sheldon, the black jazz musician who understands Henry in ways his family never could and introduces him to the music scene of 1940s Seattle; Mrs. Beatty, the cafeteria worker at the white school where Henry is “scholarshipped” who empathizes with young Henry and offers him help when he needs it most; Henry’s son Marty who learns about his father’s life along with us, and begins to see his father as a person besides being his parent--all these relationships help form Henry into the man we see in 1986.

But most important is his relationship with Keiko Okabe. The only other Asian student at the school Henry is forced to attend, Keiko becomes first his ally, then his friend, then his true love. She is the motivation behind Henry’s taking his first steps into adulthood. Watching the fear and bigotry as it races through the Japanese community, forcing his friend and her family to make unreasonably difficult choices to prove their loyalty, Henry must decide where he stands.

This book touched me deeply. I wept, laughed, and found myself wishing I too could spend time with Henry. This is a heart wrenching period in history, and reading about it on such a personal level was profoundly moving. I highly recommend Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. It is a well titled book, and I hope it is not the last we hear from Mr. Ford.

Book Review: Secret Lives

Secret Lives by Diane Chamberlain is the fourth book of hers I’ve read, and I have to say that it most definitely won’t be the last. She has a sensitive way of writing that helps you to see the plight of her characters, and makes them more than the caricatures they could be in another’s hands.

Actress Eden Riley returns to her roots to research her mother’s life for a movie she plans to make about her. Katherine Swift was a beloved children’s author with a lot of secrets and hardships in her life. Eden’s uncle gives her Katherine’s journals so her mother tells her story in her own voice.

There are problems in Eden’s relationship with her aunt and uncle, which is full of secrets they keep from and share with one or another in their threesome.

In addition, a friend of theirs enters Eden’s life. He too has secrets and troubles that cause problems as the two of them become close.

Dysfunctional families are rife with secrets, and the people in this book are surrounded by them; crippled by them, almost. As they learn to trust, and to heal broken trust, these characters also learn to love each other in fresh ways that help them all find the healing, love and the safety, they so long for.

Beautifully written, Secret Lives is so layered and multidimensional that once I was in it I found it hard to put  down. People are so interesting, and you never know what you find when you scratch below the surface. And, as this novel shows us, everyone is, to some degree, an unsung hero.

Book Review: No Place Safe

I should start out saying I generally like memoirs, but I’m pretty selective. Awhile back, when checking out a literary agent's blog, she mentioned this book and posted an excerpt. I was hooked and had to go out and get it.

Kim Reid's memoir No Place Safe reads like a novel, and an intriguing one at that. It's easy to see why she won the Colorado Book Award in Creative Nonfiction. It's amazing.

Set in Atlanta from 1979 through 1981, it tracks her family's life during the Atlanta Child Murders, which I remember well. Her mother, a single mother and one of the most inspiring and incredible women I've ever read on the printed page, is an investigator for the DA's office and is assigned to the case. This leaves young Kim, who is 14 the summer of the first killing, in charge of her younger sister. As her mother becomes more and more enmeshed in the investigation, Kim soon finds herself running the household as well as trying to emotionally support and care for her mother.

In the midst of this she begins high school, tranferring to an all-white school in an affluent part of the city. She struggles to find her way, trying to fit in with the rich white kids while remaining true to her roots. The pain, confusion and anger the young girl deals with feels like a heat rising off the printed page. You cannot help but be pulled into her world, and see how her life--and the life of her family--is being changed forever.

This book, while nonfiction and a personal memoir, reads like a thriller on one hand, and a poignant coming-of-age story on the other. Her writing is honest, fresh and lively. I absolutely could not put it down.

I am dismayed after having read No Place Safe, to see on the agent's blog (click here to read the excerpt: http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2010/01/publishing-is-not-color-blind.html) that this book is erroneously placed in African-American studies. I fear it won't get the attention it deserves there. It should be with the other memoirs and autobiographies where it belongs. Don't let the opportunity pass you by to read this heartfelt, well written book. I'm so glad I didn't.