Long Way Home

Long Way Home by Lynn Austin 400 pages

 

This is a story of the Greatest Generation---both on the war front and the home front. Most of the men who fought never talked about their experiences. Through a dual narrative, we get to explore how two men suffered from battle fatigue, or as we know it, PTSD and one woman’s fight to stay alive and find her love.

 

Hudson Valley, New York. Jimmy Barnett is not the same person he was when he came home from the Europe theater. Before, he was outgoing, funny, handsome and had plans to be a veterinary like his father. Now, in 1946, he just sits on his bed and stares out the window. No one seems to be able to help him find his way back home. When he attempts suicide, his parents check him into the nearest VA hospital, an hours away where they can only visit him once a week.

 

Motherless Peggy Serrano lives across the road. Her father is a mechanic and doesn’t pay much attention to her, especially since he has a new live-in girlfriend, Donna. Peggy helps Mr. Bennett in his practice and has a special touch. She is so excited when Jimmy comes home, but so sad when the old Jimmy is gone.

 

All three think the arrival of an old Army buddy, Sam, will help bring Jimmy around. But the physically wounded Sam may as well be invisible. However, Sam finds comfort in the Serrano and Bennett families. He shows up, and when his own battle fatigue gets too much, he takes off on his motorcycle.

 

At the VA hospital, Jimmy goes through some awful treatments, like an insulin coma and electric shock therapy. Then Peggy gets an idea: maybe if she could find more of Jimmy’s Army pals, knowing how much Jimmy helped them (he was a medic), that might bring him around. As Peggy is rooting around in Jimmy’s duffel bag, looking for clues, she discovers a picture of a beautiful woman with only the name Gisela written on the back. Could she be the key to unlocking Jimmy’s mind?

 

Berlin, Germany, 1938. Gisela Wolff and her family know it is time to leave Germany. Her father has worked hard to obtain the visas and passports that will allow her family to flee the Nazis. They board the luxury liner, SS St. Louis, and head for Cuba. Cuba denies the 900 Jewish passengers’ entry. The ship then tries to enter America, but again they are turned away (true story) and sent back to Europe.

 

One bright light in Gisela’s light is the young man she meets about the boat, Sam Shaprio. The two quickly fall deeply in love. They are separated and Gisela must make her way through the war. She ultimately winds up in one of the concentration camps.

 

Don’t want any spoilers, so I better stop now. However, grab your hankies, ‘cause when Jimmy and Gisela’s stories converge, you’re gonna need them.

 

Long Way Home gets 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

The Good, the Bad and the Aunties

 The Good, The Bad, and the Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

200 pp

The Aunties are back for a third madcap adventure.  Meddy and Nathan are on their honeymoon after successfully getting married in Four Aunties and a Wedding. They join the family in Jakarta for Chinese New Year where the aunties are in fine form.  Meddy’s mother won’t stop talking about grandchildren. During the party, Abi Lincoln shows up (having been invited by Fourth Auntie) to proclaim his love for Second Auntie.  Unfortunately, while giving out the red packets (envelopes with money in them) to the children, an important document intended for another person is given to someone and Meddy and the Aunties must figure out who received it. When they visit the important business woman who it’s destined for, she decides to keep Nathan as collateral until they can retrieve it. Meddy and the Aunties go to great lengths to recover it and get Nathan back. Then, Second Auntie is kidnapped and the Aunties, Meddy and Nathan must go all out to get her back.

For those who love the Aunties, The Good, The Bad, and the Aunties will not disappoint.  There were several times when I laughed out loud.  For the craziness, I am glad they are not my relatives.  For the loyalty, anyone would be lucky to have them.  I give it four out of five stars.

The Maid's Version

 The Maid’s Version by Daniel Woodrell 192 pages 

 

The last novel Daniel Woodrell has written is The Maid’s Version, which was published in 2013. I don’t know why he hasn’t published anything since, but that’s none of my business. I had fallen in love with Woodrell’s writing after Winter’s Bone, a helluva horrific book to read.

 

I had read The Maid’s Version back in 2014/2015 and didn’t like it. The structure wasn’t parallel, it didn’t make sense, and I wasn’t sure if there was a real conclusion or not. Recently, Kensington Publishing asked me to write a blurb for their March 2024 release, The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson. It is about the same subject as The Maid’s Version: An unsolved explosion of a dance hall is West Plains, Missouri, which killed a lot of young people. I jumped at the chance. I was hoping to learn more about it than I had when I read Woodrell’s novel.

 

So, after reading it, I decided to go back and give The Maid’s Version another try. “Alma DeGeer Dunahew, the mother of three young boys, works as the maid for a prominent citizen and his family in West Table, Missouri. Her husband is mostly absent, and, in 1929, her scandalous, beloved younger sister is one of the 42 killed in an explosion at the local dance hall. Who is to blame? Mobsters from St. Louis? The embittered local gypsies? The preacher who railed against the loose morals of the waltzing couples? Or could it have been a colossal accident?”

 

I learned one important thing in re-reading this book:  It wasn’t about the explosion. It was about its aftermath and how it haunted a town and its people for the rest of their lives. I was able to follow the non-linear structure better, and I was intrigued to the end. But I still felt something was missing. Therefore, The Maid’s Version receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Mitford Affair

The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict 352 pages

I have not previously read a lot about the six Mitford sisters, but I’ve known who they are. Six girls/women who grew up and in the highest of the early part of the 20^th century English society.  While each sister had her distinct personality, they were a tight-knit clan. They thought and did exactly as they pleased; rules be damn! Sometimes, it was hard to tell them apart. Especially on the first few chapters where readers are introduced t their nicknames for each other; I had a terrible time keeping them straight!

Author Marie Benedict, one of my favorites by the way, takes on three of the sisters as life in England was rapidly changing. This novel focuses on the period from 1932 to 1941.  Benedict gives us the loves and the lives of three of those sisters (Nancy, Diana and Unity). But don’t worry, the other three (Pamela, Jessica and Deborah) so show up from time to time, especially in the first few chapters.

Fans of Benedict’s know that this will be another character-driven novel, so plot seekers don’t bother.

Diana and Unity are estranged from the rest of the family due to their ties and fascination with Fascism and Nazism.  Diana has an affair with the leaders of the British Union of Fascists and ultimately leaves her husband for the man. Unity has gone to Munich to supposedly study the German language, but becomes so enamored of Adolph Hitler that she stalks him until she becomes part of his inner circle. Historians are unsure of whether she was one of his mistresses, but Benedict gives enough evidence to support that she did.

Nancy has gained fame her own way by writing novels, some of which are still in print today. I did see a collection available online that contains all eight. Nancy has the role of peacekeeper and tires to ease the stress between Diana and Unity and the rest of the family.

Besides the crisp prose, there are two things that really stood out in this novel. First, each chapter is dated and readers get to know what each of the women was up to on each date. Second, Diana and Unity’s chapters were told from a third person point of view while Nancy’s was in first person. I found this jarring as I read. Still “The Mitford Affair,” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

"Peach Blossom Spring" by Melissa Fu

 

Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu

400 pp

Peach Blossom Spring covers the years 1938-2005 in the lives of a family.  The story starts in China during the war with Japan (the early days of WWII) and follows his wife and son as they travel through China to meet his brother to find safety from the Japanese bombers.  Meilin (the wife) has a valuable scroll that her husband took in trade so that she and he could have their own business someday.  She uses this scroll to tell her son stories through much of the book.  Meilin and her brother-in-law and his family come together for some time, but when one of the nieces dies, Meilin is blamed and she decides to sever ties.  They make their way to other parts of China eventually coming to settle in Taiwan.  Her son goes to school and is a good student.  He goes through high school and college in Taiwan, but gets the opportunity to go to the US for his master's degree.  Meilin sees her brother-in-law while she is working at a party and gets him to help her son qualify to go to the US.  The story then mainly follows the son who takes the Americanized name Henry when he goes to the US.  Henry eventually marries an American woman and they have a child named Lily.  The story they follows Lily after she goes to college, but has brief interludes with Henry and Meilin.

This was an excellent story.  I particularly liked the stories from the scroll that were native to China. There is also a part set in St. Louis since the woman the son marries family is from here. The author is a woman with a background from China and the US Southwest, but who lives in Great Britain now.  Were I to give it stars, it would definitely make four our of five for me.

 

The Moon Over High Street

The Moon Over High Street by Natalie Babbitt 148 pages

Please don’t hate me when I tell you I have never read “Tuck Everlasting.” When it was originally published in 1975, I was already a grown woman and never felt the need to read it.

I’m not sure how I wound up with a copy of Babbitt’s “The Moon Over the High Street.” This short novel is aimed at what I call middle-schoolers, grades 4-9. Its themes of family, friendship, rich versus poor and the working class still resonate with readers all these years later.

Twelve-year-old Joe Casimir has only known his grandmother as his family. His parents died in an accident when he was a baby, and the only other family is a cousin of Gran’s, Aunt Myra.

When Gran breaks her hip, she sends Joe to live with Aunt Myra in Midville, across the state. I didn’t envy his long bus trip. Anyone who has taken a long bus trip knows how awful it can be. Midville is a tiny town with clearly delineated lines of where its citizens reside based on class. Class is an important theme in this story.

Joe meets and becomes friends with the girl, Beatrice Sope, who lives across the street. Through Beatrice, Joe meets the town’s millionaire, Mr. Boulderwall. Boulderwall takes a shine to Joe and offers to adopt him. He wants Joe to be his protégé. Joe is forced to decide whether to live a life of wealth and abandon Gran and Aunt Myra or stay with his family and chase his dreams.

There aren’t a lot of characters in this book, but the supporting characters provide Joe with the skills necessary to make this crucial decision.

I thought the book was a quick read with surprising depth. However, it does tend to meander a bit. That’s why “The Moon Over High Street” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix

So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow 304 pages

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I requested this book from Bookishfirst.com. Like most everyone else in the world, I adored Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” and was excited to see what author Morrow would do with it.  Well, the cover gives part of it away, but, still, I was curious as so what Morrow would do with the story.

The timeframe was consistent, the American Civil War (1863-1866). But instead of a poor Northern family with their father serving as a chaplain in the Union Army, the March family is living in North Carolina in the Freedpeople’s Colony of Roanoke Island. As a history nerd, I was confused. Every time I read Roanoke, I immediately thought of the attempt by the English to establish a colony on the island in 1587. I had no idea that after the English settlers disappeared, the island became a haven for freedpeople of color. Some background would have been nice, but the story structure really didn't lend itself to a backstory of this nature.

Another thing that confused, and somewhat irritated me, was the title the sisters used to refer to their mother. In the Alcott version, it was Marmee, but in this version, it was Mammy. The first time I read it I was offended, but then quickly realized the timeframe of the story. However, the etymology of “Mammy” is “black woman having the care of white children.” That didn’t fit the story to me at all, but in hindsight, maybe that was what Mammy did before they escaped to the Freedpeople’s Colony, but it’s unclear to me.

The girls seemed both different and alike to Alcott’s version. However, there was something about them that didn’t allow me to care much about them. There was a lack of tension throughout the book, no compelling reason to turn the page---and that is what prompts me to say that “So Many Beginnings: ‘A Little Women Remix’” receives 1 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

 

Still Alice by Lisa Genova  302 pp

Still Alice is the fictionalized account of early onset Alzheimer's disease in Alice Howland, a Harvard professor.  When Alice is out running one day, she stops briefly and realizes that she has no idea which way she needs to turn to go home.  That feeling passes, but other events occur that lead her to contact her doctor to ask if the symptoms she is experiencing might be related to menopause.  Once she goes through a battery of tests and the doctor finds nothing to be concerned about, Alice goes on with her life.  When she forgets she was supposed to be in Chicago for a conference, she asks for a referral to a neurologist who diagnoses her with early onset Alzheimer's disease.  The story is about Alice's experiences with the disease through a full year.  As time progresses, so does the disease.

Lisa Genova obviously did excellent research for this story.  It was both compelling and informative.  I particularly liked the part about Alice forming her own support group with other early onset dementia patients and her speech at the conference that asks that people think about what the person with the disease is experiencing.  I can understand why this book would be difficult to read for anyone who has a friend or family member who has experienced this devastating disease, but it is certainly a worthwhile one.

Always the Last to Know

Always the Last to Know By Kristan Higgins     400 pages

Barb and John have been married for 50 years - you'd think you would know a person after all that time, but, everyone has their secrets,.   Perfect daughter, Juliet,  has the perfect job, the perfect husband and family so why does she hide in her closet?    Daughter Sadie, who's Dad always encouraged her free-spirit has lost her anchor, her Dad is there, but where is he really?   A great story that will keep the reader entertained from page 1 to the end.   I love the characters and the bonds that keep them together.   I also loved the Minnesota inflections throughout, don't cha know?  You betcha!   For readers who like stories about the inner workings of families good & bad, and who find themselves siding with each family member in their term just never all of them at once.  Great story.   Kristan Higgins is a great story teller. 

- Shirley J.

It's Not All Downhill From Here

It's Not All Downhill From Here: A Novel by Terry McMillan      496 pages

This is one of the best books I have ever read.   I love the character Loretha Curry.   She is aging gracefully and with a terrific sense of self and sense of humor.  (She gets it from her mother.)   So many hurdles she has to jump all throughout the book and one hugely devastating burn in your brain event that rocks her to the core.   One of those life changing events that changes the future course of life as you know it.   But, life just keeps happening around her to her friends and family who love her dearly (and how could they not) even if they don't always appear to.   Trust me, you want to read this one.   I even love her dog, B.B.King.   I recommend this book higher than any I have read in the last several years.

  - Shirley J.

Sisterland

 Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld, 400 pages    

The book is set in St. Louis, mostly during 2009. Kate and Violets are twins who have 'senses'. Kate

rejects her senses while Violet embraces hers. Kate just wants to live a normal married suburban life. That goal is challenged when, after a small earthquake, her sister Vi predicts that there will be a much bigger earthquake on the local news.

The story blows up gaining a lot of local and national coverage. Vi doesn't know when but Kate gets a feeling about a certain date in the next couple of months. As the date approaches Kate doubts whether she will be right but prepares anyway. Along the way she grapples with relationship with her sister, her childhood and family history. 

The author lived in St. Louis and the local references rang true to me. Sittenfeld leaves the reader in suspense and throws in some twists for good measure. I didn't find the exploration truth and belief to be that strong. I would recommend this as a good (but not great) fiction read, especially if you want something set locally. 

The Girl With The Broken Heart

The Girl With The Broken Heart by Lurlene McDaniel, 273 pages

“Kenzie Caine is enrolled at Vanderbilt University, with the goal of becoming a veterinarian. When she lands a summer job caring for and helping to rehabilitate abused horses at the Bellmeade Estate stables, she is over-the-moon happy. One place she does not want to be is at home with her parents. Since the tragic death of Kenzie's younger sister, her mother has unraveled and her father has lost Kenzie's trust. At the stables, Kenzie is in her element. But a serious heart condition limits her ability to complete the more physical aspects of the job, so her employers have tasked the charming Austin Boyd with helping her. But Austin has secrets. And as Kenzie and Austin become closer, those secrets threaten to harm their relationship, as well as reveal other startling truths.” I admit, I had guessed at some of the secrets early on in the story, but not all.  This was a good story for teens who like a good romance, mixed with a little action.

Merci Suarez Changes Gears

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina, 355 pages

“Thoughtful, strong-willed sixth-grader Merci Suarez navigates difficult changes with friends, family, and everyone in between.”  I loved Merci, the book and the character.  She is fantastic, very real and immensely likable.  This is a great read for kids who like realistic fiction.

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery, 426 pages

A sweet, lively story. Young Anne definitely was a bit too much for me at times. She's so intense, overly much. But she mellows out as she ages through this book, so that was nice. It's a really bittersweet story, with lots of highs and lows, but overall it's a pretty good one with interesting characters. I'll probably finish out the series.

If you're looking for a slice-of-life historical fiction, this is pretty good once, especially if you're looking for a book for a young but advanced reader and need something they can handle that is age-appropriate.

The Library of Lost and Found

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick         Audio Book:   10 hrs., 28 mins          Hardback Book:  352 pages                       

Much like her mother who was meek and mild and went along 100% with whatever her husband said all of her life, Martha Storm was meek and mild and backed up from confrontation and no matter what burden anyone laid on her, she dealt with it without complaint.     Martha loved to read and organized a book club  at her local library.   The funny thing about it was, most of the people in the bookclub didn’t read the titles they were supposed to but were always there to bring more work to Martha, one lady who complained of a bad back had fanagled a deal with Martha where she would bring her laundry in to to the bookclub with her and Martha would take the woman’s laundry with her to wash, dry and repair the woman’s clothes then return them to the woman’s home without so much as a farthing for her efforts.    She got roped into repairing papier mache’ dragons’ heads for the local Chinese New Year annual celebration,  she ended up moving back home in order to take care of her aging parents until their deaths after which she was left with a house full of all sorts of things to sort through because her sister was always evasive and would never commit to coming over and going through their parents thigns  with Martha.   When it came to work, her sister always had something better to do, using her failing relationship with her husband or her two kids as her main excuses and of course her me time with her friends as if Martha never needed any me time.   Her boss at the Library took major advantage of her, leaving her out of memos, not telling her when an author event got cancelled even though he had put Martha in charge of setting it up and buying the food, decorations and so forth and when Martha dragged all the stuff to the Library the night of the event only to see on the poster CANCELLED scrawled across it in big letters.   It was like she was invisible.   She tried several times to get better positions at the Library when a staff member would leave but was always passed over by her boss for a younger person.    She could never say no to anyone no matter what the project and ended up spending all of her time, darning her nephews and nieces clothes for her sister, running errands for other people,  taking care of one of the book club attendees plants and fish (for months now), being at every one’s beck and call waiting on them hand and foot and getting nothing not even respect in return.   This was Martha’s life until one day, a local used bookseller came across a book of fairytales with a dedication personally handwritten by the author to Martha.    He tracked her down and dropped it off at the Library for her.   Her life totally turned around when she read the mysterious dedication and begun a hunt to track down where the book came from.    Family mysteries and secrets are revealed in this story that takes Martha back to her childhood.   Her life is turned upside down in this tale that shows sometimes things aren’t always as we think they are.   Well told and a good, gripping story. Of a woman adrift just sort of floating through life who comes to grips with some harsh realities and finds nothing is as she thought it was and her whole life up to that moment had been lived in lies.   Good book, I would recommend this tale to Middleschoolers on up.    It has an 1890s feel even though it is set from the 1960s to current.   Well done, Phaedra Patrick.  

 - Shirley J

Turtles All The Way Down

TurtlesAll The Way Down by John Green, 286 pages

Aza is mentally ill.  She can’t stop the racing thoughts that attack her nearly all of the time.  Even though she wants to feel better, she worries that taking her medication and stopping the thoughts will make her someone she is not.  She misses her father, who died in a car accident several years ago.  Daisy hatches a plan to find missing billionaire, Russell Pickett, and collect the reward money.  Daisy thinks that it’s fate, because Aza knew his son from camp a few years prior.  When Aza and Davis meet again they find that they have a connection but it may not be strong enough to overcome Aza’s illness and Davis’s worries about his father and how his money affects his relationships.  This was a fantastic book that I plan to recommend to all teens.

Checked

Checked by Cynthia Kadohata, 408 pages

When Conor finds out that his dog, Sinbad, has cancer, he realizes that he may have to choose between his dog and hockey.  Sinbad is his soulmate, so it really isn’t a choice, but Hockey is his life.  Luckily, although he has to cut back on some lessons for a while, he doesn’t have to quit completely.  Conor has a lot going on his mind, worry about his dog and his dad, hockey, figuring out the rest of his family, and his place in the world.  This book was really about relationships and growing up, but the hockey is a big part of that for Conor and I really enjoyed every part of the book.  Kids who like realistic fiction, sports stories, family stories, or dog stories will probably all love this book, unless they are bothered by the length.  I would highly recommend it.

My Father’s Words

My Father’s Words by Patricia MacLachlan, 135 pages

Fiona’s world is turned upside down when her father is killed in a car accident.  She, her little brother Finn, and her mother have to learn how to cope without their father.  While Fiona struggles, she thinks that Finn has a harder time than she does.  She wants to help Finn but isn’t sure how.  Their neighbor, Luke, finds an opportunity volunteering at a dog shelter.  Fiona hopes that Finn will respond to the dogs’ need and be able to find a way to deal with his feelings.  This was a sweet book for younger chapter book readers.

First Society

The First Society: The Sacrament of Marriage and the Restoration of the Social Order by Scott Hahn, 182 pages

The First Society is many things, all of them excellent.  It is an exploration of Catholic teaching on marriage, society, grace, and the sacraments.  It is also an examination of contemporary society and the much-heralded "death of liberalism".  Most of all, it is an exhortation to the Catholic faithful to live the truth faithfully and proclaim it boldly.  As Hahn explains, the family is the original and fundamental community and thus the basis for every other kind of community.  While philosophy tells us that we are social creatures, the Church deepens this by revealing that we are made for communion, because we are made in the image and likeness of a God who is Himself a communion of Persons.  The desacralization of marriage, then, sabotages the very basis of civil society even as it alienates the individual from the only possible sources of true happiness.  If, as Hahn asserts, the secular world has spent the last several centuries desperately trying - and failing - to find a replacement for the Catholic Church, it follows that it is the social as well as the evangelical duty of Catholics to offer precisely that which makes their faith distinctive.

As always, Hahn somehow manages to combine a popular approach with theological depth, producing a book which is accessible enough for neophytes without boring the more learned.  Most remarkable, in this case, is the integrity of the book, not only its evident sincerity but its convincing demonstration of the coherence of the Church's teaching.

Home

Home by Nnedi Okorafor, 164 pages

It's been a year since Binti and the Meduse Okwu enrolled at Oomza University. A year since Binti was declared a hero for uniting two warring planets. A year since she abandoned her family in the dawn of a new day.And now she must return home to her people, with her friend Okwu by her side, to face her family and her elders. Her experiences off-planet have changed her forever, and Binti will have to discover whether there is still a home for her on Earth. I definitely like Okorafor’s adult books much better than her YA.  This is a very good fantasy novel.  I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.