Casalvento (House of the Wind)

Casalvento (House of the Wind) by Gudrun Cuillo 312 pages

 

I love novels set in Italy; it is such a beautiful country with rich, varies and wonderful traditions; As soon a I knew Gudrun Cuillo’s book, Casalvento, was set in Italy, it became a must-read. Like any good novel, it sent me down the Google rabbit hole of researching the “House of the Wind.”  I learned that it is set in the real Casalvento (House of the Wind) of Radda and Livernano in Chianti Siena, Italy. I am especially appreciative that the publishers include a small map on the inside cover to help me understand exactly where it is located.

 

The protagonist, Erika Germoglio, is so unhappy that she doesn’t know that she is unhappy. Oh, she has a successful consulting business, a high-profile fiancé, an exquisitely decorated Manhattan Upper Side apartment and she finally has se a wedding date. Erika’s life is black and white, literally. The apartment she shares with Craig is decorated in black and white, and the only two colors in her closet are black and white.

 

She has never been busier when she is notified that her grandfather has passed away and left her “Casalvento, a house and a vineyard, and Livernano, a medieval village turned bed-and-breakfast, both in the Chianti region of Tuscany.”

 

A grandfather? She never knew that she had a living relative! And why did he never try to contact her, especially when her parents died? Those answers await willing readers!

 

She heads to Italy, intent on selling everything so she can get back to her real life. However, there is a clause in her grandfather’s that “to keep or sell Casalvento and Livernano, she must live there and learn the business of the two estates for five months.”

Furious and agitated agrees to wait out the will’s terms, then sell it and move on with her life. Especially her long-awaited marriage to Craig.

Unable to relax enjoy the scenery, Erika helps in the winery and the vineyards as the days go by and Erika comes to know the people who worked for her grandfather, she finds herself increasingly drawn to the slower pace of life that Italy offers. Plus, she is drawn more and more to “Paolo, Casalvento's intelligent, compassionate, and strikingly handsome estate manager and wine maker.”

As her feelings for Paolo intensify, she knows she must make her choice between the two men, and the life each has to offer. While Erika struggles to make plans, her grandfather’s lawyer gives her letters, four in total, that he left behind explaining his reasoning.

Although the novel is predictable, there were a couple of gasp-worthy twists that made me keep reading., Casalvento (House of the Wind) receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Beyond that, the Sea

 

Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash 368 pages

 

The Blitz was in high gear. Nightly the German bombs rained down upon London. Most Londoners felt as if bomb shelters were their new homes. Many families were sending their children to the English countryside or to America to keep them safe. Millie and Reginald Thompson decided to do the same for their eleven-year-old daughter Beatrix.

 

I can’t remember how, or if it was even mentioned in the story, but the Thompson’s chose America and a family in Boston. The voyage was hard on the girl, traveling alone. But the ship made it across the ocean and landed. Beatrix was relieved when her new family claimed her. She was welcomed with open arms.

 

It didn’t take long for Bea, as she was called, to make herself at home and fit into her new lifestyle. Really, the only difference was the Thompsons were upper lower class while the Gregorys were wealthy. One of the things that Bea loved most living with the Gregorys, Nancy and Ethan, and their two sons, Gerald and William, was the summers spent at their cabin in Maine. Oh, what fun they had!

 

When the war ended, Bea was sent back to London. While she had been gone, her father had died, her mother had remarried, and London was still in ruins. As she tried to pick up the pieces, her memories of the Gregorys lingered in the back of her mind. She had grown close to both boys. Nor did the Gregorys forget Bea.

 

What I really like about this story is the way it is told---in short vignettes told from seven viewpoints (those of the seven characters.) What I didn’t like was that the vignette style also allowed the author to gloss over some key moments. Regardless, I would recommend this book to others, and Beyond That, the Sea received 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

In the Face of the Sun

 “In the Face of the Sun” by Denny S. Bryce   320 pages  

Denny S. Bryce hits another one out of the park with her second novel, “In the Face of the Sun.” She returns to the 1920s for one of her two timelines, but juxtaposes it with a 1968 road trip from Chicago to Los Angeles.  

In 1928 Los Angeles, Daisy Washington is a young woman who has dreams of becoming a journalist, writing for Black-owned papers. Mostly she collects gossip for Harry Belmont’s column in the “California Eagle” she gleans from the rich and famous Blacks who are checking into the new Hotel Somerville where she and her sister work as chambermaids... From Bryce’s descriptions the hotel is stylish and glamorous. Daisy is excited that gets to meet Stepin Fetchit, the comedian, one of the first Black actors to make it big in Hollywood. But even more, Daisy is over the moon to see W.E.B. Du Bois as he and a bevy of Hollywood elite arrive. Du Bois has arranged to hold the NAACP’s annual meeting at the Somerville.  

Then the narrative shifts to 1968 Chicago. Daisy’s niece Francine (aka Frankie) has learned that she is about eight weeks pregnant with her abusive husband, Jackson. For the baby’s sake, and hers, Frankie has decided to leave him. As she is headed to the bus station, Daisy pulls up and talks her into going to Los Angeles with her. Since they will be driving, Jackson will never be able to catch up with her and force her to return. The two take off for a Thelma and Louise road-trip along Route 66. Daisy isn’t being nice; she has some business in LA and wouldn’t mind the company.  

The 1928 timeline was well-researched. I felt as if I were there.  In the 1968 timeline, there were more twists that made the road trip dangerous. 

A third plot line that weaves between the two narratives is Daisy and her sister, Henrietta. They were very close, but a tragedy forced them to not speak for over forty years. Bryce is excellent at spooling out bits of information about this subplot as the roared toward a conclusion. 

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed “In the Face of the Sun.”  This sophomore novel receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

The Good Son

“The Good Son” by Jacquelyn Mitchard 352 pages

When Stefan Demetriou was seventeen years old, he got hooked on drugs. For each new drug he tried, he became addicted to it. One night, the drugs fueled a deeply hidden rage in Stefan that caused him to brutally murder his girlfriend, Belinda. However, Stefan has no memory of his actions. 

Sentenced to prison as an adult, the novel opens, three years later, when Stefan is released. To quote the back cover, “he’s released to a world that refuses to let him move on” and a world he does not recognize. Life on the outside is hard for Stefan. He wants to make amends for what he’s done, but the community doesn’t seem to want to help him. 

I have never read a novel that focused on the hardships convicted felons endure after their release. Stefan fails at first in his new venture, but I thought he succeeded too quickly. It was almost too easy. I don’t think it would be easy to do what he wanted to, even if he hadn’t been an ex-con. 

His mother, Thea, is also struggling. For the last three years, Belinda’s mother continues to lead a group who protests in front of Thea’s home who won’t let Belinda’s death be forgotten. It’s a daily reminder of what happened to her son. Thea isn’t so sure that what happened the night Belinda died is the truth. She teams up with the detective who initially investigated the murder in order to learn the facts.

 “The Good Son” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux by Samantha Verant  352 pages

Sophie Valroux is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. She’s got the chops to work in a Michelin-starred restaurant.  When this story opens, the New York restaurant where, Cendrillon, is waiting to hear that they have been awarded a third Michelin star.

Tensions are running high in the kitchen. Eric, the chef de cuisine, and Sophie’s former lover, are not exactly having a lover’s spat, but Eric is hard on her, making her re-season the Executive Chef Dan O’Shea’s recipe for roasted potimarron, a chestnut-flavored squash, soup.

When the call comes, it isn’t the one they are expecting. Not only was Cendrillon not awarded a third start, but one was taken away.  Imagine the disappointment in that kitchen.

Eric accuses Sophie of sabotaging the restaurant; O’Shea has no choice but to let her go. Sophie is crushed. It has been her dream to be part of the one percent of female chefs running a Michelin-starred restaurant. Word spreads through the city’s restaurants. Sophie has no chance of ever working in New York again…unless of course, she takes Eric up on going to work for him in the new restaurant he is planning to open.  Sophie would rather be homeless than that.

Sophie licks her wounds by returning to France where her grandmother lives. The grandmother she was exceptionally close to whom she has hardly talked to, much less visited in thirteen years.  Grand-mere has suffered a stroke.

Sophie learns that Grand-mere has been busy in Sophie’s absence---opening two restaurants in “the simple family home…is now luxurious chateau.”  Two highly regarded and highly successful restaurants.  Although Sophie’s confidence has been shaken to her core, she learns that while life isn’t fair, good can come of every betrayal and disappointment.

I fell in love with the opening paragraph…so beautifully written that I read it three times to savor the imagery. This novel is about family secret, learning to dream again and family is this people that can always be depended upon, even when there is disagreement. There is also a secondary plot line of romance. Between food (complete with recipes) and romance, this is the perfect escape novel and a way to see France without leaving your favorite chair.

I was disappointed that author Verant used so many French words that I could not put into context, but they added authenticity to the story that I would experience if I was in France.

 The Secret French Recipes of Sophie receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

The Winemaker's Wife

 

The Winemaker’s Wife  by Kristen Harmel   400 pages

Part of this story takes place in the Champagne Region of France. It’s set in 1940 and begins just before the Nazis invade France. Then the timeline and the location shifts to 2019 and New York. Dualing timelimes…one of my favorite plot structures!

In the 1940s sections, the Maison Chauveau is one of, if not the, best Champagne houses in all of France. The house is owned and operated by Michel Chauveau and his new wife, Ines. Also heavily featured in these sections are the chef de cave, Theo, and his wife, Celine. No matter the danger they are in from the aiding enemy army, there is a bigger threat to the house’s stability. Celine is half-Jewish. Word of the real purposes of the “work camps” is just beginning to be discussed. Michel puts them all in danger, but especially Celine, when he begins running munitions for the French Resistance. Michel is so worried, and so preoccupied,  that he begins to ignore Ines, hoping her ignorance of his activities will keep her safe. Then there is the attraction Michel feels for Celine that puts a monkey wrench in the whole situation.

In New York, Liv has lost everything. Right before she and her husband, Eric, had started their third round of in vitro fertilization, he convinced Liv to quit her job, to stay home and focus on getting pregnant. Little did Liz know that it got her out of the way while he had an affair. Now divorced, Liv is depressed. There’s a knock at her door

Her 99-year-old grandmother has arrived from France to get her. Liv isn’t interested in returning to Paris. But Grandma Edith is a tough cookie, still, and won’t take no for an answer. Plus she has an agenda that will shock Liv, and give her the purpose she needs to move on with her life.

I enjoyed “The Winemaker’s Wife.” Author Kristen Harmel does an excellent job in keeping the characters’s secrets until the end. There was one question that I had that wasn’t answered and that is, “Did the Nazis find the hidden room in the underground cave system where Michel and Theo his their best champagnes?” Otherwise, the story is a fascinating look at the cave system where Maison Chauveau hid their products, the small things that were done as part of the Resistance, and family secrets. 

The Author’s Notes provided insight into the book’s creation, which was also fascinating.  “The Winemaker’s Wife ” receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Story of Arthur Truluv

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg    270 pages

This is perhaps one of the sweetest stories I’ve read in a long time, and one of Berg’s best.

Eighty-two-year-old Arthur Moses lost his wife, his everything, six months ago. To combat his loneliness, he takes the bus to the cemetery to have lunch with her. Every day. Regardless of the weather.

Lucille, Arthur’s next-door neighbor, is dealing with her own loneliness. A spinster and retired teacher, Lucille has little to keep herself occupied, other than pay attention to what’s going on in the neighborhood. She is also an avid baker, always with a sweet treat for Arthur.

Maddy Harris is an eighteen-year-old girl who is depressed and hangs out in the cemetery. Her classmates bully her; her father is still absorbed in his grief over Maddy’s mom, who died two weeks after she was born. The cemetery is the only place she feels comfortable. She has dreams of becoming a photographer, but doesn’t see how it would be feasible.

Arthur and Maddy strike up a rather unusual friendship. Maddy nicknames him Arthur Truluv because of his devotion to his late wife, the love of his life, Nola. Arthur and Nola never had kids, and before he realizes, Arthur begins to feel parently toward the lonely young woman. One rainy afternoon, Arthur invites Maddy over to his home. That could either be creepy or sweet, depending on the writer. If this story was penned by say, Stephen King, then YIKES! But as it is penned by a bestselling author who is known for her sweet, intimate stories, this story is sure to touch the hearts of every reader who opens its covers.

As the three main characters try to make their way in the world, they begin to lean and depend upon each other.  A truly sweet story. “The Story of Arthur Truluv” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

One Sunday at a Time

One Sunday at a Time by E.N. Joy Book 294 pages 

This is the second book in the Forever Divas Series. This story is about a friend of the first book’s protagonist. Deborah is struggling with depression, anxiety and a host of other things, but she doesn’t want anyone to know, especially not her husband. Only her husband can’t help noticing she has problems because she has so many mood swings and outright crazy behavior. Eventually it all goes wrong and the police and the hospital are needed. Will Deborah face her demons and finally let God do what He wants to do in her life or will she continue down the dangerous downward spiral of mental illness? You’ll have to read to find out.

This book was like the last one, it was fine. There was not as much agenda pushing in this as the last book, which I appreciated. The thing about reading series to me is that it usually just seems like the same book just told from a different perspective. Don’t get me wrong it can still be entertaining, it just something I notice and this series is no exception. That being said, if the author decides to continue the series it is likely that I will read the new addition.

When All Is Said and Prayed

When All Is Said and Prayed by E.N. Joy Book 304 pages


When All Is Said and Prayed is about Paige and her life of many ups and downs. Paige has had 2 husbands, and is now desiring a third. She has had much drama in her life which can be found in previous series written by the author. This book was fine, that's the word for it. The characters, the plot, the development, all of it was just fine. The problem I had with this book was the author's shameful agenda pushing. This book does fall into the religious category, but the religion isn't the problem. I won't go into detail about which agenda was present, just the seeming lack of author integrity. The agenda was a problem because it felt like a break from the story, which I didn't want. All I wanted was to be told what happened. Reading what was an obvious attempt to have me adopt a certain belief made me feel cheated as a reader. It felt like the author stopped the story in order to tell me what to believe about a certain topic. This experience makes me wary to try another of this author's books, but we'll see.

Heartburn

Heartburn by Nora Ephron Audiobook 5 hours Book 179 pages

This is a story about a woman named Rachel who has just found out her husband is in love with another woman. As is typical of domestic fiction, hilarity ensues. This book is not new by any means, but I really couldn't tell from listening to it. It was narrated by the uber talented Meryl Streep, who did an amazing job. I felt like I really knew Rachel as a personal friend. I also felt like I was going through the stuff with her. I admire an author's ability to make me feel things so that I'm absorbed in the story. I liked the characters and the plot and I was a little shocked when it was over. In my opinion it could have gone on. The writing is hilarious and engaging. Rachel is a writer of cookbooks so there are also recipes in the book as well. Fir the sake of clarity I will say there was more profanity in this book than I usually like. That's my only complaint, everything else was good.

The Husband's Secret

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty Audiobook 13 hours Book 396 pages

This book is about a secret that deeply affects the lives of several people. Don't worry no spoilers. The secret affects Cecilia Fitzpatrick, her husband John Paul and their children. It also affects Rachel Crowley and her son Rob. This story is also about Tess O'Leary and her family's troubles. The real connector of all the characters seems to be the past. The book starts with a mysterious letter, but I can't tell you about it because it will ruin the story. Be prepared for a lot of twists and turns that seems to be characteristic of Liane Moriarty.

I enjoyed this book and can definitely call myself a fan of this author. There was never a dull moment in this story. The characters were real and easy to listen to/read. I felt everything the author wanted me to feel with these characters and this plot line. All the emotions were very real, the grief, the betrayal, the love, the guilt and so on. I was truly shocked when I found out what the secret was. There's more I want to say, but it's better if I don't'. This is what I would call a good book plain and simple and I do recommend.

All Fall Down

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner Audiobook: 13 hours Hardback: 388 pages

Allison Weiss is a wife, mother, and daughter trying to do it all. How does she do it all? Prescription pain pills. And it's fine because they're prescription, it's not like she gets drugs off the street. She doesn't have a problem right? This book is about a woman whose life gets out of control because of her habit. While she may not have killed anyone, gone to Family Court, or been arrested, she still loses control. Will she be able to pull her life back together or will her addiction keep her broken?


I enjoyed this book. I liked the realness of the characters. I like that the author made the main character so flawed. She had a problem and still wasn't willing to admit it, the denial was strong with this one. Since I did the audiobook, I should also mention I thought the narrator did a great job voicing, Eloise, the protagonist's daughter. This story took me on an emotional journey, I felt like I was friend being told a story and in which I couldn't intervene, which was maddening in a good way. I would recommend this book, it's worth the read.

Truly Madly Guilty

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty - Hardback: 418 pages       

This book is about a group of people and an incident that changed all their lives forever. 6 adults, 3 kids and a barbecue. Something terrible happens and now life is different. A marriage is strained, interactions are avoided, friendships are tainted and much more. I can't tell you what happened because the author goes to a great deal of trouble to keep you in suspense.

I enjoyed this book in that it kept me turning the pages. I had to find out what happened at the barbecue and when I did find out I was shocked. The characters were not necessarily endearing and I don't think they were supposed to be. A couple of the characters were written to be a bit strange but it didn't interfere with the story and instead added to it, which I liked. There was no lull in the middle, as a reader I continued to care about the plot even if I didn't care for all the characters. The author had me committed to the story and I love that because I'm a picky reader. I definitely recommend it, but be warned it is only for the patient reader.

Turner House

The Turner House by Angela Flournoy
341 Pages


"The Turners have lived on Yarrow Street for over fifty years. Their house has seen thirteen children grown and gone--and some returned; it has seen the arrival of grandchildren, the fall of Detroit's East Side, and the loss of a father. The house still stands despite abandoned lots, an embattled city, and the inevitable shift outward to the suburbs. But now, as ailing matriarch Viola finds herself forced to leave her home and move in with her eldest son, the family discovers that the house is worth just a tenth of its mortgage. The Turner children are called home to decide its fate and to reckon with how each of their pasts haunts--and shapes--their family's future."

An engrossing novel with a strong narrative voice.  I enjoyed it thoroughly.

The Divorce Papers

The Divorce Papers: A Novel by Susan Rieger   496 pages

Sophie Deal is a criminal attorney at an old New England firm in Massachusetts.  At twenty-nine, she is content in her surroundings and her cliental. One day, the daughter of one of their richest and most powerful clients walks in and needs a divorce attorney. She had just been handed papers at one of the most chic restaurants in town and is out for blood.

All the divorce attorneys are out-of-town, but the head to of the firm pulls Sophie to do the in-take interview.  The client, Mia Meiklejohn Durkheim, like Sophie’s forthrightness and pulls strings to get her assigned to the case, which is sometimes funny.

Other than negotiating divorce law, there’s not much plot here. I did like the epistolary style Reiger used: memos and e-mails. It made what could have been a dry story much better and faster to read.  I didn’t like the pages that concentrated on the legal briefs. I think those could have been deleted. However, there are those readers who have wanted to see the info once it’s mentioned.  The format also led to a quick read, which kept me reading, and when the legalese was excluded, it was a fun story.

 I give The Divorce Papers 4 out of 5 stars.

 I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Hundred-Year House

The Hundred-Year House by Rebecca Makkai
338 Pages

The book is set in four time periods, 1999, 1950's, 1920's and 1900.  One reviewer called it a generational saga in reverse.  The central character however is the house Laurelfield which was built in 1900 and served as an art colony in the 20s, 30s and 40s until the Devohr family took control of it again.  In 1999, the daughter Zee is living with her husband in the coach house of Laurelfield while her mother Gracie and step-father Bruce are living in the main house.  Zee is a professor at the local college and her husband Doug is unemployed, but supposedly working on a thesis about a forgotten poet Edwin Parfitt who stayed at Laurelfield in the past.   When Bruce's son Case and wife Miriam come to cohabit the coach house, Zee begins to get jealous of an imagined relationship between Doug and Miriam.  Doug is anxious to get into the attic at the main house, hoping to find long forgotten papers about the artist colony and hopefully about Edwin Parfitt but is blocked repeatedly by Gracie who is hiding something. 

After everything comes to a head at New Years's the book proceeds to move backwards in time to reveal long forgotten and hidden truths in the house's past. Makkai's coverage of the past grows briefer and more fragmented, the further from the present we get, much like history.   We find out the answers to clues that were uncovered in 1999 and by the end all is revealed.

The characters in the book are largely unsympathetic and unlikeable.  However, Makkai's plot drives the reader to continue on to find out what happened in the past.  I originally choose the book because it talked about the house being haunted by a ghost but that isn't the complete truth.  I found that the house was more haunted by its past and the echoes of people who had lived there.

Astonish Me

Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead, 253 pages

This book chronicles the marriage of Joan and Jacob.  Joan leaves the world of ballet, realizing she will never be the star of the ballet and on the heels of her failed relationship with Arslan Rusakov.  Jacob appears the safe choice and soon they welcome a son Harry.  As the years progress it turns out Harry has the talent and desire to become a famed ballet dancer.  This draws Joan back into the world of ballet.

A dance of relationships and thwarted desires, Shipstead creates a tale that fascinated until the end.