Review: The Linen Queen by Patricia Falvey

Here is a summary of The Linen Queen from the Hachette website:

Abandoned by her father and neglected by her self-centered, unstable mother, Sheila McGee cannot wait to escape the drudgery of her mill village life in Northern Ireland. Her classic Irish beauty helps her win the 1941 Linen Queen competition, and the prize money that goes with it finally gives her the opportunity she's been dreaming of. But Sheila does not count on the impact of the Belfast blitz which brings World War II to her doorstep. Now even her good looks are useless in the face of travel restrictions, and her earlier resolve is eroded by her ma's fear of being left alone.

When American troops set up base in her village, some see them as occupiers but Sheila sees them as saviors--one of them may be her ticket out. Despite objections from her childhood friend, Gavin O'Rourke, she sets her sights on an attractive Jewish-American army officer named Joel Solomon, but her plans are interrupted by the arrival of a street-wise young evacuee from Belfast.
Frustrated, Sheila fights to hold on to her dream but slowly her priorities change as the people of Northern Ireland put old divisions aside and bond together in a common purpose to fight the Germans. Sheila's affection for Joel grows as she and Gavin are driven farther apart. As the war moves steadily closer to those she has grown to love, Sheila confronts more abandonment and loss, and finds true strength, compassion, and a meaning for life outside of herself.

My Review:
We are given young Sheila's story as World War II gets closer to her small village in Ireland.  Sheila has big dreams of leaving her little town as soon as she gets enough funds together, but she doesn't expect the complications that will arise when she tries to leave now that the war is at her back door.  I think I will start off by telling you that this book fell just a bit short for me.

Although Sheila finds it next to impossible to leave the village, once she wins the Linen Queen competition, certain things are a little easier for her and her family.  She finds herself being invited to special events that many girls couldn't get past the front door.  This allows her the opportunity to meet new people, including Joel, the young soldier from America who has taken a fancy towards her.  As much as I wanted to like Sheila as the main character, I found she annoyed me half of the time.  She did stand up for what she believed in and protected those that she loved, but her relationships with Gavin and Joel drove me nuts!  I couldn't help but think, pick a man already!

Sheila did have a rough family life since her father left her and her mother behind.  Her aunt and uncle were kind enough to take them in, and with the frustrations of the economy her mother was afraid to make any waves in the household in fear they would be on the streets.   So often I couldn't help but think how mean and selfish her mother was, but when she needed help, Sheila was there to support her. 

As much as I wanted to love this novel, I just found it dragging on and on for me.  Until I reached at least the half-way point of the book, I just was never excited to get back to reading it.  I also found some of the characters names confusing as a couple were quite similar.  With themes of war, family, and love, you may find more enjoyment from this book than I did.  Even though I didn't love it, I didn't hate it either.  So I do recommend this book for those that love stories about Ireland and I also think it would make an interesting book club discussion.

My Rating:  3/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

Here is a summary of the book from the publisher's website:

Leif Enger's debut is an extraordinary novel—an epic of generosity and heart that reminds us of the restorative power of great literature. The story of a father raising his three children in 1960s Minnesota, Peace Like a River is at once a heroic quest, a tragedy, a love story, and a haunting meditation on the possibility of magic in the everyday world.

Raised on tales of cowboys and pirates, eleven-year-old Reuben Land has little doubt that miracles happen all around us, and that it's up to us to "make of it what we will." Reuben was born with no air in his lungs, and it was only when his father, Jeremiah, picked him up and commanded him to breathe that his lungs filled. Reuben struggles with debilitating asthma from then on, making him a boy who knows firsthand that life is a gift, and also one who suspects that his father is touched by God and can overturn the laws of nature.

The quiet Midwestern life of the Lands is upended when Davy, the oldest son, kills two marauders who have come to harm the family; unlike his father, he is not content to leave all matters of justice in God's hands. The morning of his sentencing, Davy—a hero to some, a cold-blooded murderer to others—escapes from his cell, and the Lands set out in search of him. Their journey is touched by serendipity and the kindness of strangers—among them a free spirit named Roxanna, who offers them a place to stay during a blizzard and winds up providing them with something far more permanent. Meanwhile, a federal agent is trailing the Lands, convinced they know of Davy's whereabouts.

With Jeremiah at the helm, the family covers territory far more extraordinary than even the Badlands where they search for Davy from their Airstream trailer. Sprinkled with playful nods to biblical tales, beloved classics such as Huckleberry Finn, the adventure stories of Robert Louis Stevenson, and the westerns of Zane Grey, Peace Like a River unfolds like a revelation.

My Review:
I read this book with my book club and I can tell you that since I didn't like his other book, So Brave, Young, and Handsome, I probably wouldn't have picked this one up on my own.  I'm glad I did though, because Enger brought us along on a miracle filled journey for young Reuben and his family.

Reuben is the narrator of the novel and it was interesting to see things from his young and innocent perspective.  Even when Reuben sees his older brother Davy kill in cold blood, his innocent mind allows him to believe that Davy did no wrong.  In an attempt to escape conviction, Davy flees his home and family on a quest for his freedom.  Davy's escape sets the tone for the novel, when afterwards his father packs up their belongings in a recently acquired Airstream trailer, and toting along Reuben and his sister, leaving their home in the Minnesota plains to head for the Badlands of North Dakota.  This is where they believe they will find Davy.

Miracles keep happening along their journey that really are unexplainable.  They seem to be making headway until they finally stop for gas close to their destination, and meet a woman named Roxanna.  Roxanna is a gracious woman who opens her heart and home to this family in need.  In time she seems to be the link that could make the Land family complete.

This was a very descriptive novel making it easy to create images of the scenes while reading.  I think my biggest problem with the book is that although it takes place in the 60's, it seemed to have an old western feel to it.  I quite often felt like I was watching an old western cowboy movie unfold before my eyes.  I didn't like watching these movies with my grandparents when I was young, so I didn't appreciate that tone in this novel.

Besides the western tone to the book, I have to admit that I found it enjoyable for the most part.  With themes of family, and miracles, and the age old battle between good and evil, I'm sure many of you will love it.  It made for an interesting book club discussion so I don't hesitate in recommending this novel for any book group out there.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This book is from my personal collection and I read it for my own entertainment and as a book club selection.

Review: Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

Here is a summary of the book from the Simon and Schuster website:


"Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did." So begins the story of Lily Casey Smith, in Jeannette Walls's magnificent, true-life novel based on her no-nonsense, resourceful, hard working, and spectacularly compelling grandmother. By age six, Lily was helping her father break horses. At fifteen, she left home to teach in a frontier town -- riding five hundred miles on her pony, all alone, to get to her job. She learned to drive a car ("I loved cars even more than I loved horses. They didn't need to be fed if they weren't working, and they didn't leave big piles of manure all over the place") and fly a plane, and, with her husband, ran a vast ranch in Arizona. She raised two children, one of whom is Jeannette's memorable mother, Rosemary Smith Walls, unforgettably portrayed in The Glass Castle.

Lily survived tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy. She bristled at prejudice of all kinds -- against women, Native Americans, and anyone else who didn't fit the mold. Half Broke Horses is Laura Ingalls Wilder for adults, as riveting and dramatic as Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa or Beryl Markham's West with the Night. It will transfix readers everywhere. 

My Review:
What a beautiful story Jeannette Walls created describing the life of her grandmother, Lily Casey Smith.  Through a first person narrative, we are given a glimpse into the hard life this woman led, and I can tell you, she was one tough cookie.

We follow Lily's life from when she was a young girl living on her parent's ranch in Texas, to her following her dreams.  When she first decides she has had enough life on the ranch, she heads for a new life in Chicago.  Life in the big city turns out to be more than she bargained for when she meets up with a man who turns out to be probably the biggest sleazeball she ever met, and then losing the first true friend of her life.

She finds herself heading back to her family in Texas, to find her mind opened up to the dream of becoming a teacher.  Knowing that she needs to make a life of her own, she heads out on her horse for a one-month journey to her first teaching destination.  This is the first of many teaching jobs for young Lily, as she doesn't conform easily to other's directions and ideas.  She is a woman who stands up for her convictions and will not ever be easily swayed.

We follow Lily throughout her adult life as she finds love and deals with personal tragedies.  She moves across the Western United States, not afraid of what she will find when she gets there, but enjoying the journey along the way.  I developed a respect for Lily throughout this book, just knowing what she endured throughout her life.  She gave every task her all, and was never afraid to try something new.  How her daughter Rosemary turned out to be a woman without ambitions I guess I will never understand.

This was an awesome story that was enjoyed by all of the ladies in my book group.  Overall, our group enjoyed this one more than The Glass Castle.  I enjoyed both of them about the same, but I think there were many more points in this book that just made me laugh out loud.  I mean, if you have read this book, can you tell me that the Mormon's "Wonder Underwear" did not make you laugh?  With themes of love, family, struggles, perseverance, and home, this book made for a wonderful book club selection.  Don't be afraid to read it for your own entertainment though.  I highly recommend this true-life novel.

My Rating:  5/5

Disclosure:  This book is part of my personal collection and I read it as a book club selection and for personal enjoyment.

Review: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Here is a summary of the book from the Random House website:


The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating mistrust and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings. Now eighteen and emancipated from the system with nowhere to go, Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But an unexpected encounter with a mysterious stranger has her questioning what’s been missing in her life. And when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.

My Review:
I loved this novel that brought us into the life of young Victoria Jones.  Victoria is lost and alone without any friends or family as she prepares to live on her own.  Now that she is eighteen she is no longer allowed to live in foster homes, leaving her with the responsibility of finding both a job and a home for herself.

Diffenbaugh did a great job of presenting Victoria's life to us within the pages of this book.  The chapters alternated between Victoria's current day struggles and times from her past when she lived in foster homes.  The majority of her past glimpses were from when she lived with a single woman named Elizabeth, who planned on adopting her.  Victoria only lived with Elizabeth for a year, but their time together was special and it left quite an impact on the person Victoria would become.

Victoria turned into quite a tough cookie, never staying in one house too long, and usually not being treated very nicely either.  This shows through as she tries to start her adult life, living day to day, not making any plans for the future and just falling asleep wherever her head may lay.  How could she know that the knowledge of flowers that Elizabeth taught her all those years ago would help her get a leg up in this hard world.

One day while wandering the streets in search of a job, Victoria is drawn to a small flower shop called Bloom. After showing the owner, Renata, a sample of the floral gifts she can create, she is offered a temporary job.  This allows Victoria the chance to express herself in a way that helps her find the person that she wants to become.

This story flowed very nicely, making me want to get back to reading it right after I set it down.  So much more happens in this book than I have described above, but I don't want to give any more away.  I found myself pitying Victoria as she made foolish mistakes as a young woman, but then cheering her on when she figured out what she needed to do to make things right.  It wasn't all rainbows and butterflies, but it did leave me with a happy feeling as I read the last page.  With themes of love, forgiveness, family, and survival this book would make for a great book club discussion or just to read at your own leisure.  I don't hesitate in recommending this novel.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me from LibraryThing as part of the Early Reviewers Program in exchange for an honest review. 

Audiobook Review: Surviving Hitler by Andrea Warren

Title:  Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps

Author:  Andrea Warren

Narrator:  Aaron Lockman

Unabridged Length:  2 hrs, 30 mn.



Here is a summary of the novel from the AudioGo website:

What was the secret to surviving the death camps? How did you keep from dying of heartbreak in a place of broken hearts and broken bodies? "Think of it as a game, Jack," an older prisoner tells him. "Play the game right and you might outlast the Nazis." Despite intolerable conditions, Jack resolves not to hate his captors, and vows to see his family again. But even with his strong will to live, can Jack survive the life-and-death game he is forced to play with his Nazi captors? 

My Review:
I have made a habit of never discounting a Holocaust book, or making one story more important than another.  Every survivor has their own story to tell, and sure, bits and pieces of them may be repetitive, but that makes it even more important to me.  To think that many people were affected by one man's evil dream is horrifying to me, and I am thankful for each survival story that is shared.

This is my first experience listening to an audiobook in this genre, and I wasn't sure how it would go for me.  When I first started listening to it, I enjoyed hearing Jack's story, but found myself disliking the narration.  I feel that some more development should have been given to the audioversion, because Lockman's voice seemed almost robotic to me.  Although this was annoying to me, I did not let it interfere with my desire to hear a survivor's story.  I mean, it is quite a short audiobook at two and half hours long so it's not hard to stick it out.

I did get confused a couple of times, and maybe the print version would have been different for me.  There were instances in the book where Warren is describing Jack's experiences, but then it can change to Jack telling his own story in first person.  Sometimes I had to back up a track just to make sure I heard something correctly.

Jack shares his life within the concentration camps with us, as he is shuffled to various camps, looking for friends and any help to keep him surviving.  I think the important message I received from Jack's story was when he was talking about the hatred that some of his fellow prisoners had for their captors.  Jack decided early on that he would not harbor hatred towards the Germans because that would require too much energy, and he had to preserve all of his energy to survive so he could be reunited with his family when the war is over.

This novel brings us through Jack's entire Holocaust nightmare, from imprisonment, to liberation, to his search for his family.   With themes of the Holocaust, survival, and family, this novel can be enjoyed by people of all ages, for book club discussions or personal leisure.  We all must never forget this period of history to prevent these crimes from happening again.  I don't hesitate in recommending this novel.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This audiobook was provided to me by the publisher through Audiobook Jukebox in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Here is a summary of the book from the Random House website:

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution.

Moving from Addis Ababa to New York City and back again, Cutting for Stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles—and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined.

My Review:
I was very excited to read this novel that received so much praise from various sources.  This was our book club pick for the summer and I know that many book clubs have already read this one.  A good friend of mine told me this was the best book she read in the last year.  As much as I wanted to love this book like the majority of people out there, it didn't happen for me.

The beginning of the book just went on and on, with Sister Mary Joseph Praise giving birth to the twins in a clinic in Ethiopia.  I think the first twenty-five percent of the book was the birthing process, and personally, I didn't need all those details.   When Sister Mary Joseph dies in childbirth, the father, Thomas Stone, suddenly leaves in his grief, never to return.  This leaves a couple of unmarried surgeons, Ghosh and Hema, to raise the boys as their own.  They name the boys Marion and Shiva and create a home together, making an unlikely instant family.

Ghosh is a good man, and has had an attraction to Hema for quite some time.  He does not hesitate to help her raise these boys after their parents are no longer available.  When he decides to ask Hema to marry him, he rejoices when she agrees to commit to a marriage in one-year increments.  After that year, they can decide if they want to renew their arrangement.  I thought this was a comical situation, but after years have gone by, also romantic.

Most of the story was told by Marion's viewpoint.  This worked well for me as I enjoyed getting to know his character, his fears, likes, and dislikes.  The part that was unbelievable for me, and I think I actually put my Kindle down and said, "Give me a break," was when he described his journey through the birth canal.  Really?  How many of us remember that?

Through Marion's world, we watch these boys grow up into young men.  We get an up-close look at the turmoil in Ethiopia, which I found very interesting.  That was probably my favorite part of the book as I had no idea what caused the discontent in the country.  We follow them as their family bond grows stronger, and as Marion falls in love.  Marion carries this love in his heart, even when he flees the country to study medicine in the United States.  Shiva stays in Ethiopia practicing and perfecting his medical procedures in Ethiopia.

I am not going to give away any more of this book.  Although I didn't really care for it, I am glad that I finally read it.  I will tell you that most of my book club read it and loved it!  One gal even started reading it again after she finished it!  With themes of survival, betrayal, love, and family, I have to admit that it does make for an interesting book club selection.  There was some beautiful writing in this book so although I didn't love it, I'm sure many of you will.

My Rating:  3/5

Disclosure:  This book came from my personal collection and I read it for my own enjoyment and as a book club selection.

Blog Tour and Review: The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar

Thanks to Trish once again from TLC Book Tours for inviting me to be a part of this tour.  Here is a description of The World We Found from the Harper Collins website:



The acclaimed author of The Space Between Us and The Weight of Heaven returns with a breathtaking, skillfully wrought story of four women and the unbreakable ties they share. 

As university students in late 1970s Bombay, Armaiti, Laleh, Kavita, and Nishta were inseparable. Spirited and unconventional, they challenged authority and fought for a better world. But much has changed over the past thirty years. Following different paths, the quartet drifted apart, the day-to-day demands of work and family tempering the revolutionary fervor they once shared. 

Then comes devastating news: Armaiti, who moved to America, is gravely ill and wants to see the old friends she left behind. For Laleh, reunion is a bittersweet reminder of unfulfilled dreams and unspoken guilt. For Kavita, it is an admission of forbidden passion. For Nishta, it is the promise of freedom from a bitter fundamentalist husband. And for Armaiti, it is an act of acceptance, of letting go on her own terms even if her ex-husband and daughter do not understand her choices. 

In the course of their journey to reconnect, Armaiti, Laleh, Kavita, and Nishta must confront the truths of their lives—acknowledge long-held regrets, face painful secrets and hidden desires, and reconcile their idealistic past and their compromised present. And they will have to decide what matters most, a choice that may just help them reclaim the extraordinary world they once found. 

Exploring the enduring bonds of friendship and the power of love to change lives, and offering an unforgettable portrait of modern India—a nation struggling to bridge economic, religious, gender, and generational divides—The World We Found is a dazzling masterwork from the remarkable Thrity Umrigar. 

My Review:
This novel is the first book I have read by Umrigar, but I can tell you it won't be my last.   The Weight of Heaven has been on my Kindle for quite some time, and if I didn't have to start my book club book next, I would definitely be reading that one.  It's not a secret that I enjoy books that give me a taste of another culture, and Umrigar did not disappoint in this respect.  Before reading this book I was unaware of the conflict between the Muslim and Hindu cultures in India that eventually led to devastating riots.

Our four lead characters were best friends in college that end up losing touch with each other as each one follows their personal happiness.  Armaiti marries a man who whisks her away to a life of luxury in America, while the other three are still in India, still find their lives drifting in opposite directions.  Armaiti has lived a privileged life in America, but when she is given life-threatening news from her doctor, a sudden desire is sparked to see her long-lost friends one last time.

When I read the summary I expected the book to be about the four friends being reunited once again.  But it was actually about the obstacles and personal dilemmas they had to endure that would allow them to be together.  They each have to confront their own demons and make peace with the choices they have made in this life that have turned them into the people they are today.

I did enjoy this novel, even though it took a different path than I had expected.  With themes of love, friendship, strength, and sacrifices, this truly was an amazing novel.  I think it would be a great selection for a book club or for personal leisure.  I don't hesitate in recommending this novel.

Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Scavenger Hunt Blog Tour and Review: An American Family by Peter Lefcourt

First of all I want to thank Kate from BookTrib for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour!  Here is a summary of An American Family from Peter Lefcourt's website:

The sprawling narrative of five siblings, born in the 1940’s, beginning on the day John Kennedy was shot and ending on 9/11. Between these two iconic dates, we follow the fortunes, love affairs, marriages, divorces, successes and failures of the Pearls, an immigrant Polish-Jewish family, from the Lower East Side of New York, to Long Island and beyond.

The oldest, Jackie — a charming, womanizing attorney — drifts into politics with help from the Nassau County mob. His younger brother, Michael, a gambler and entrepreneur, makes and loses fortunes riding the ebb and flow of high-risk business decisions. Their sister, Elaine, marries young and raises two children before realizing that she wants more from life than being merely a wife and mother and embarking on a new life in her forties. Their sensitive and brilliant half-brother, Stephen, deals with the growing consciousness that he is gay in an era that was not gay friendly. Stephen goes to Vietnam as a medic, comes home, becomes a writer, and survives the AIDS epidemic of the eighties. The baby of the family, Bobbie, high-strung and rebellious, gets pregnant at Woodstock, moves to San Francisco as a single mother during the “Summer of Love,” then winds up in Los Angeles as a highly-successful record producer.

In a larger sense this book is not merely the story of one family, but the story of most immigrant families – Jewish, Italian, Irish, African-American – as they enter the melting pot and emerge as a new generation, as well as the story of the tumultuous years of the second half of the twentieth century.

Here is the excerpt for the day from this novel:

It was the same thing every year. Nathan would tell everyone how thankful they should be because they didn’t eat meals like this in Poland when he was a boy. After dessert, which was always a pecan pie that Lillian bought at the Safeway—she wasn’t allowed to bake because of Ida’s sacred memory—they would loosen their belts and go into the den to watch football.

To Steven, celebrating Thanksgiving was a sham. It was an American holiday, and they weren’t a real American family. They were Jews, and either they should act like Jews and go to synagogue and celebrate the holidays, or they should stop calling themselves Jews.

When he had turned thirteen, Steven had asked  his father why he wasn’t having a bar mitzvah, and Nathan had said it was a big expense that they didn’t need right now.
Here is a link if you would like to follow along on this tour:   http://booktrib.com/blog-tour-an-american-family-by-peter-lefcourt/

My Review:
I love a novel that brings me into the heart of family drama, and An American Family does this for not just a short period of time, but spans at least a fifty year period.  We follow the triumphs and trials of this Jewish family taking special note of happenings on the Thanksgiving and Passover Holidays.

Lefcourt did a wonderful job of taking us on a journey with this family, that will help you recall specific things during this time yourself.  From a 17" Magnavox television to a cut and a perm costing only six dollars this book is a feast for your memory.  Not only are the symbols of the time appreciated, but also the events.  We get an up close view of this family as they deal with life-changing events like the Kennedy assassination, Vietnam war, Israeli conflict, and the heart-stopping act of terrorism against our country on 9/11.

I really enjoy how this story was delivered.  At the beginning of each chapter we are told what year it is, and then every section within that chapter we are given a personal look at each of the siblings lives.  We see Jackie rising to power with his legal career, Michael about to go bankrupt unless his new idea catches on, Elaine getting lost in the life of her marriage, Stephen struggling between who he thinks he should be and who he wants to be, and finally, the free-spirited Bobbi who is continually striving to make it big in the music business. 

There is so much for everyone to enjoy in this novel that I know I am only touching on a small portion of how wonderful it is.  I also enjoyed the Jewish element of the story as each of the family members struggle with their Jewish ancestry.  Nathan, the father, especially battling the demons that remind him how he should have done more to get his family out of Lodz before it was too late.

I enjoyed this book so much with themes of family, love, power, Jewish traditions, and even a touch of Woodstock.  I was born in the late 60's, but I believe that someone that was born in the 50's or early 60's would have been even more appreciative of the content.  I think this would make a great selection for a book club or even personal leisure.  I don't hesitate in recommending this novel.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:   This book was provided to me by the  media firm that organized this blog tour to provide an honest review.

Note:  This book is currently only available to purchase at a very reasonable price as a Kindle e-book at the following link: An American Family

Review: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Here is a summary of the book from the Goodreads website:

Set in the harsh Puritan community of seventeenth-century Boston, this tale of an adulterous entanglement that results in an illegitimate birth reveals Nathaniel Hawthorne's concerns with the tension between the public and the private selves. Publicly disgraced and ostracized, Hester Prynne draws on her inner strength and certainty of spirit to emerge as the first true heroine of American fiction. Arthur Dimmesdale, trapped by the rules of society, stands as a classic study of a self divided.

My Review:
I know it may seem hard to believe, but I did not read The Scarlet Letter before reading it as a book club selection last month.  I think this may be one of the hardest books I have ever read, as I tried to understand the story with it's old world language.  It seems that Hawthorne used all of his characters to symbolize various characteristics and sins.

Hester is the strong-willed heroine of this story who makes a moral error in judgement.  She is persecuted for he wrong-doing, but accepts the punishment from her peers.  The punishment will stamp a wound on Hester's heart and taint her mind and soul for the rest of her days. 

Hester's conviction turned out to be a lifelong persecution, from the entire township.  It was interesting to watch the attitudes of the townspeople, as sometimes they would treat her with respect and friendship, while other times treating her like a thief.  She often found it easier to live in solitude to avoid accusing stares that she was sure to find.

This book seemed to have a bit of flavor that reminded me of the Salem Witch Trials.   I'm not sure if this book takes place before or after that period, but witchcraft is briefly mentioned in the story.  With themes of symbolism, love, and truth, this book made an interesting book club discussion.  With that being said I think I also need to tell you that out of our group of nine ladies, only three of us actually finished the book.  It was definitely not one of our favorites and not one that I would recommend for leisure reading.  I am, however, glad that I finally read this classic.

My Rating:  3/5

Disclosure:  This book was from my personal collection and I read it for my own entertainment and as a book club selection. 

Blog Tour and Review: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Thanks to Trish once again from TLC Book Tours for inviting me to be a part of this tour.  Here is a description of State of Wonder from the Harper Collins website:

Dr. Marina Singh, a research scientist with a Minnesota pharmaceutical company, is sent to Brazil to track down her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, who seems to have all but disappeared in the Amazon while working on what is destined to be an extremely valuable new drug, the development of which has already cost the company a fortune. Nothing about Marina's assignment is easy: not only does no one know where Dr. Swenson is, but the last person who was sent to find her, Marina's research partner Anders Eckman, died before he could complete his mission. Plagued by trepidation, Marina embarks on an odyssey into the insect-infested jungle in hopes of finding her former mentor as well as answers to several troubling questions about her friend's death, the state of her company's future, and her own past. 

Once found, Dr. Swenson, now in her seventies, is as ruthless and uncompromising as she ever was back in the days of Grand Rounds at Johns Hopkins. With a combination of science and subterfuge, she dominates her research team and the natives she is studying with the force of an imperial ruler. But while she is as threatening as anything the jungle has to offer, the greatest sacrifices to be made are the ones Dr. Swenson asks of herself, and will ultimately ask of Marina, who finds she may still be unable to live up to her teacher's expectations. 

In a narrative replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, and a neighboring tribe of cannibals, State of Wonder is a world unto itself, where unlikely beauty stands beside unimaginable loss. It is a tale that leads the reader into the very heart of darkness, and then shows us what lies on the other side. 

My Review:
You may think that I am corny, but I have to start this review by saying that Patchett left me in a "state of wonder" after reading this amazing novel.  It obviously takes an artistically creative mind to create a novel of this magnitude, so Kudos to you Ann Patchett!

Marina is our main character in this novel who works as a pharmacologist in Minnesota.  She is a single woman in her forties and seems to be unsettled about the path that her life has taken.  When one of her co-workers is sent to the Amazon jungle, but doesn't return because of his presumed death, the company decides to send Marina to Brazil not only to find out how Anders died, but also to get an update on the research the doctors are doing for the company.

Little does Marina know that her trip to the Amazon will be a way for her to confront the demons of her past.  She can't help but wonder if she can revisit her past and try to strive for the goals that she had originally set.  As Marina confronts her fears she realizes this life has much more to offer to her.

Marina adapts quickly to life in the bug-infested Amazon.  Friendships are made quickly with other doctors performing their own research, but she becomes especially attached to a young native boy who happens to be deaf.  She allows Easter to be her guide, but it turns out that he needs her just as much as she needs him.  While staying with the tribe, Marina is amazed at the additional research that is being done at the expense of the company he works for.

Patchett takes us deep into the Amazon, creating a tribe that seems to defy medical science.  I don't want to give any more of this novel away, so when you read it you will be amazed by the "wonder" of it all.  With themes of survival, medical science, and friendship, I honestly think that many of you will enjoy this novel as much as I did.  I don't hesitate in recommending this book for personal leisure or as a book club selection.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook Review: The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay

Title:  The House I Loved

Author:  Tatiana de Rosnay

Narrator:  Kate Reading

Unabridged Length: 5 hrs, 56 mn.



Here is a summary of the book from the Macmillan website:

Paris, France: 1860’s. Hundreds of houses are being razed, whole neighborhoods reduced to ashes. By order of Emperor Napoleon III, Baron Haussman has set into motion a series of large-scale renovations that will permanently alter the face of old Paris, moulding it into a “modern city.” The reforms will erase generations of history—but in the midst of the tumult, one woman will take a stand.

 Rose Bazelet is determined to fight against the destruction of her family home until the very end; as others flee, she stakes her claim in the basement of the old house on rue Childebert, ignoring the sounds of change that come closer and closer each day. Attempting to overcome the loneliness of her daily life, she begins to write letters to Armand, her beloved late husband. And as she delves into the ritual of remembering, Rose is forced to come to terms with a secret that has been buried deep in her heart for thirty years. Tatiana de  Rosnay's The House I Loved is both a poignant story of one woman’s indelible strength, and an ode to Paris, where houses harbor the joys and sorrows of their inhabitants, and secrets endure in the very walls...

My Review:
This was an enjoyable novel to listen to that brought us into historical Paris, not only through the letters of our dear main character Rose, but also the people that were dear to her heart.  Kate Reading did a great job narrating this novel and to me embraced the characters and the time period that helped to create vivid images for me.

As you can see from the summary above, the home that holds memories of Rose's full life is about to be turned into rubble.  She doesn't seem to have any alternative but to accept the fact that her home will soon be destroyed.  As she comes to terms with this fact, she also finds a way to reconcile with herself the many unfortunate events that took place there.  Through her letters to her long-passed husband, she reveals secrets that have been hidden in her heart throughout her lifetime.

We get to know other characters in the novel from the letters that they write to Rose.  From these various letters we get to know Rose as the gentle and loving woman that she has become.  This makes the secret she has been carrying around throughout her life that much more of an abomination.

I did enjoy this audiobook filled with french accents and history.  My only problem is that I would sometimes be confused if I wasn't paying close attention to whose letter was being read at the time.  Quite often when reading a book like this I find myself going back to the beginning of the chapter to see who is speaking.  Sometimes that is hard to do while listening to an audiobook.  With themes of love, loss, friendship, and secrets, this was an enjoyable book to listen to and I also feel that it would make an interesting book club discussion.

My Rating:  3/5

Disclosure:  This audiobook was provided to me by Audiobook Jukebox in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Cross Currents by John Shors

Here is a summary of the book from the author's website:

Thailand’s pristine and remote Ko Phi Phi island attracts tourists from around the world, offering a haven to people from all walks of life. Yet even paradise has its perils. Struggling to make ends meet, resort owners Lek and Sarai are happy to give an American named Patch room and board in exchange for his help. But trouble looms when Patch’s brother, Ryan, arrives, accompanied by his beautiful girlfriend, Brooke. Lek learns that Patch is running from the law, and his mere presence puts Lek’s family at risk. Meanwhile, Brooke begins to doubt her love for Ryan, while her feelings for Patch blossom. The two brothers, once inseparable, clash over a choice that could alter their lives.

In a glorious landscape of sea and sky, where nature’s bounty seems endless, these two families are caught in the cross currents of conflict and change – and swept up in an approaching cataclysm that will require all their strength of heart and soul to survive.

My Review:
Let me start off by saying that I loved the writing in this novel!  Shors portrayed the beauty of Thailand so wonderfully that I would love to take my next vacation there.  We have the opportunity to be given this story through several different viewpoints, which helps the story unfold in a way that makes you want to stay up late into the night reading.

Lek and Sarai are happy Thailand residents that own a small resort right on the beach.  They love the life they have with their children in the small tourist community, but struggle daily to cover the costs of daily needs.  Could the upkeep of the resort and the basic financial needs be more than they expected?  Throughout the novel they consider uprooting their family to move to the city to give them more financial options.

Patch is a carefree man who seems to live one day at a time.  After getting into trouble in Bangkok, he fleas to the remote Island of Ko Phi Phi, hoping to hide from the authorities.   He turns out to be an answered prayer when he arrives at the Rainbow Resort, being able to help Lek and Sarai with maintenance issues they couldn't otherwise afford.  Not only does this family let him into their resort, but they also open their home and hearts to him and treat him like a member of the family.  Patch knows this can only last so long as he is hiding from the law.

Things start to change for Patch when his brother, Ryan, shows up to help him sort out his legal dilemma.  Ryan brought his girlfriend Brooke along with him, hoping they will have a chance to strengthen their relationship while they are in paradise.  He's not sure if they can strengthen a romance that never sparked in the first place.

I loved this novel that not only had me wrapped up in the lives and emotions of the characters, but had me holding my breath several times as I felt that something was about to shatter their lives as they knew it.  I'm not going to give any more of this novel away, but this book will sweep you away with it's themes of love, forgiveness, familial obligations, and survival.  I think it would also make a great book club selection and don't hesitate in recommending it.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook Review: Come a Little Closer by Dorothy Garlock

Title:  Come a Little Closer

Author:  Dorothy Garlock

Narrator:  Susan Boyce

Unabridged Length:  aprox. 10 hrs


Here is a summary of the book from the AudioGO website:

It’s 1946, after the end of WWII, and Christina Tucker decides to take a nursing job in the small town of Longstock, Wisconsin and to pursue the life she had wanted before the war’s outbreak. Dr. Samuel Barlow was born and raised in Longview and has been serving as the town’s physician for almost thirty years. He’s a stubborn sort, but has a good heart. Unbeknownst to his new nurse, Dr. Barlow is hiding demons from his time in World War I, as are his nephews—both of whom are eagerly vying for Christina’s affections. Dr. Barlow is well-regarded by the people of Longview, except for one man: Morris Doyle. Morris believes that his younger brother Jimmy died as a result of Barlow’s shoddy care and he is determined to punish the doctor for what he’s done—even if it means hurting those the doctor loves most, including Christina Tucker.

My Review:
This was my first experience with Garlock and although I did find some enjoyment through this novel, it fell short for me somewhere along the way.  We follow Christina as she starts a new life in a small Wisconsin town.

Since Christina grew up in a rural Minnesota town, life in Longstock, Wisconsin is not too much of a shock to her.  She sees many similarities that range from the area business, the townspeople, and even the people that have been affected by the war.  The last thing that Christina expects is to fall in love while she is helping a war veteran conquer his fears.

Holden Tucker is the man that served in the war who Christina helps to face his demons.  When Christina is not spending time with Holden she usually can be found with his brother Tyler.  While she develops a protective affection towards Holden, a deeper emotion is sparked with Tyler.  This, of course, will create an unsavory love triangle.

Many events are brought to Christina's attention within this novel.  An obsessed woman sets Christina as a target, while a town drunk is finally ready to fulfill his act of revenge.  One of the most endearing storylines involved the doctor that had a morphine addiction.  Christina helped him deal with his addiction as she helped Holden confront his fears.

This book caught my eye because I liked the cover and noticed it was a post WWII novel.  I enjoy books from this time period, but this one didn't hit home for me.  I did enjoy most of the story, but I have to warn you that there is a sex scene towards the end that made me feel that I was listening to an erotic novel.  I did not enjoy that part at all.  While I didn't find much enjoyment from this book, I do think that those of you that enjoy romance novels would want to give this one a try.

My Rating:  2/5

Disclosure:  This audiobook was provided to me by Audiobook Jukebox in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Clair de Lune by Jaretta Carleton

Here is a summary of the book from the Harper Collins website:
An unexpected treasure: A long-lost novel of innocence threatened, by the author of the beloved classic The Moonflower Vine
 
The time: 1941, at the cusp of America's entry into World War II. 

The place: southwest Missouri, on the edge of the Ozark Mountains. A young single woman named Allen Liles has taken a job as a junior college teacher in a small town, although she dreams of living in New York City, of dancing at recitals, of absorbing the bohemian delights of the Village. Then she encounters two young men: George, a lanky, carefree spirit, and Toby, a dark-haired, searching soul with a wary look in his eyes. Soon the three strike up an after-school friendship, bantering and debating over letters, ethics, and philosophy—innocently at first, but soon in giddy flirtation—until Allen and one of the young men push things too far, and the quiet happiness she has struggled so hard to discover is thrown into jeopardy.

My Review:
This book started out a little slow for me, but I am so glad that I stuck it out as I found a new love and appreciation for the characters as the story developed.  Young Allen isn't sure what to do with her life, but knowing that she needs to find a job to satisfy her debts, she lets her mother talk her into becoming a college professor at a small private institution.  Her dreams are put on hold as she enters the world of higher education.

Allen is probably one of the youngest faculty members at the junior college where she has been hired.  She lets her love of literature lead the way for her life in teaching and even thinks of ways that she could excel in this department.  Considering that she isn't much older than some of her students, she finds it easier to build friendships with them rather than her fellow peers.  Later in the novel, these friendships will make Allen the subject of an academic witch hunt, giving her the opportunity to re-evaluate her priorities.

As Allen dodges academic failure, she easily falls into a pattern and lifestyle that would benefit anyone striving for a successful teaching career.  But will these temporary goals deter her from her true dreams of becoming a writer herself?  How can she fulfill her own desires as she struggles through life trying to do something she doesn't truly love?

I enjoyed this novel that also had a nervous edge to it as the U.S. is getting ready to enter World War II.  I found the writing beautiful and almost poetic at times, and with themes of war, love, friendship, and dreams, you may want to pick this book up yourself.  I don't hesitate in recommending this novel.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This e-book was provided to me by the publisher through the Netgalley program in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour: Clair de Lune by Jetta Carleton

I am thankful to Trish once again from TLC Book Tours for inviting me to be a part of this tour.  I feel horrible for not being able to complete my review by today, but I am not quite done with this book yet!  At the end of this post I will give you some of my basic thoughts about this novel and post my complete review next week.

Here is a summary of the book from the Harper Collins website:
An unexpected treasure: A long-lost novel of innocence threatened, by the author of the beloved classic The Moonflower Vine
 
The time: 1941, at the cusp of America's entry into World War II. 

The place: southwest Missouri, on the edge of the Ozark Mountains. A young single woman named Allen Liles has taken a job as a junior college teacher in a small town, although she dreams of living in New York City, of dancing at recitals, of absorbing the bohemian delights of the Village. Then she encounters two young men: George, a lanky, carefree spirit, and Toby, a dark-haired, searching soul with a wary look in his eyes. Soon the three strike up an after-school friendship, bantering and debating over letters, ethics, and philosophy—innocently at first, but soon in giddy flirtation—until Allen and one of the young men push things too far, and the quiet happiness she has struggled so hard to discover is thrown into jeopardy.

My thoughts so far:
So I have only read about three-quarters of this book, but I can tell you that if I didn't have a shopping trip planned with some friends of mine last weekend, I would have already finished it.

Allen reluctantly became a college English Professor after her mother's continual push for her to become a teacher as she had years ago.  Allen doesn't have any better ideas herself, and debts need to be paid so she takes her mother's advice and start her teaching career?

Allen is a young woman, not much older than some of her students, so it really shouldn't be a surprise that she enjoys the company of some of her students more than her fellow faculty members.  This book would definitely make a great discussion as you look at all aspects of the teacher/student relationships.  Discussing the morals and feelings involved could last for hours!

I worked in higher education myself for about fourteen years so I found the human element of this novel very interesting.  I am enjoying the book so far, but please be sure to check back next week to read my complete review!

Disclosure:  This ebook was provided to me by the publisher through the Netgalley program in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith

Here is a summary of the book from the Goodreads website:

In the latest installment of the universally beloved, bestselling series, Mma Ramotswe discovers the biggest miracles in life are often the smallest.Under the endless skies of Botswana, there is always something Mma Ramotswe can do to help someone and here she finds herself assisting a woman looking for her family. The problem is the woman doesn't know her real name or whether any of her family members are still alive. Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi is the recipient of a beautiful new bed that causes more than a few sleepless nights. And, at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni has come under the influence of a doctor promising a miracle cure for his daughter's medical condition, which Mma Ramotswe finds hard to accept. Nonetheless, Precious Ramotswe handles these things in her usual compassionate and good-natured way, while always finding time for a cup of red bush tea. 

My Review: 
When my book club got together in March we met to discuss The Miracle at Speedy Motors.  Most of you probably know that we have been reading one novel in this series every year, but I can tell you from my viewpoint anyway, Smith did not disappoint once again with this installment.

These books are always a short, light read, but also filled with good morals and lessons within the pages.  As Mma Ramatswe tries to solve mysteries. her good manners and common sense always come first and help to create a positive outcome.  She learned early on that by just asking people what she is looking for, she will usually get the answers she is looking for.

There were only a couple of mysteries in this novel, and that was the main complaint from most of the ladies in the book club.  Some thought that Smith spent a lot of time reviewing events that had taken place in previous novels and that may have taken away from the current story.   I did not feel that way, as I felt a close connection with the current story.  Overall, it seemed to be a novel about finding one's place in the world when you don't have any family left.  Now that your family is gone, you have to embrace the new family that is given to you and move on with your life. 

Like I said, I really enjoyed this book and with themes of love, family, and acceptance, you may too!  Although it wasn't one of our favorites this year, we still enjoyed the entertainment it provided.  It's such fun to sit down and read this book with a cup of tea, as you can feel that Mma Ramatswe is right there with you.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This book is from my personal collection (signed by Alexander McCall Smith when I met him in Minneapolis a couple of years ago) and I read it for my own entertainment and as a book club selection. 

Audiobook Review: Burnt Mountain by Anne Rivers Siddons

Title:  Burnt Mountain

Author:  Anne Rivers Siddons

Narrator:  Kate Reading

Unabridged Length:  9hrs, 13mn.

Here is a summary of the book from the Hachette website:
From one of our most acclaimed writers comes this dramatic tale of a well-born Southern woman whose life is forever changed by the betrayal of her mother and by the man she loves

Growing up, the only place tomboy Thayer Wentworth felt at home was at her summer camp - Camp Sherwood Forest in the North Carolina Mountains. It was there that she came alive and where she met Nick Abrams, her first love...and first heartbreak.

Years later, Thayer marries Aengus, an Irish professor, and they move into her deceased grandmother's house in Atlanta, only miles from Camp Edgewood on Burnt Mountain where her father died years ago in a car accident. There, Aengus and Thayer lead quiet and happy lives until Aengus is invited up to the camp to tell old Irish tales to the campers. As Aengus spends less time at home and becomes more distant, Thayer must confront dark secrets-about her mother, her first love, and, most devastating of all, her husband.

My Review:
This novel made an interesting audiobook that takes us through the life journey of Thayer.  We see the inside workings of her relationship with her parents and are able to watch her blossom into a young lady.  Thayer hasn't had much romance in her life, but we get an up close look into her heart as she becomes emotionally captured by young Nick.

The beginning of this novel was very confusing for me as I thought I was listening to Thayer's story.  The story begins by Thayer giving a detailed account of how her parents met and fell in love.  This did not make sense to me since Thayer obviously was not even alive at this point.  This was my main complaint about the novel and once the story got to the point of focusing on Thayer, I found it enjoyable.

Thayer was closer with her father than she was with her mother.  So when her father passed away suddenly in a car accident on Burnt Mountain, life changes too quickly for her.  Solace is found quickly for her when her grandmother moves into their home, helping to fill some of the absence left by her father.  Thayer has an honest and heartfelt relationship with her grandmother and this woman probably provides realistic guidance when her mother wouldn't.

The summer that Thayer is a counselor at Camp Sherwood Forest is a life-changing summer for her.  This is where she meets and falls in love with Nick Abrams.  One would think that this would create fond memories of young and innocent love, but when Thayer thinks on those days she only recalls heartbreak and deceit.

After dealing with the events of that summer Thayer finds her life on a new path.  She goes to a college that she wasn't even considering and starts a relationship with an Irish professor.  Their relationship grows and blossoms, leading up to their marriage.  But will Thayer be happy married to Aengus for the rest of her life, rather than Nick? 

This book was full of a few surprises, once I got past the beginning with the confusing narration.  I found myself being quite angry at one point, so obviously the novel and reader were able to keep my attention.  With themes of true love, deceit, and life changes, you may be interested in this book also.

My Rating:  3/5

Disclosure:  This audiobook was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos

Here is a summary of Falling Together from the HarperCollins website:

What if saying hello to an old friend meant saying good-bye to life as you know it?

It’s been six years since Pen Calloway watched her best friends walk out of her life. And through the birth of her daughter, the death of her father, and the vicissitudes of single motherhood, she has never stopped missing them. 

Pen, Cat, and Will met on their first day of college and formed what seemed like a magical and lifelong bond, only to see their friendship break apart amid the realities of adulthood. When, after years of silence, Cat—the bewitching, charismatic center of their group—e-mails Pen and Will with an urgent request to meet at their college reunion, they can’t refuse. But instead of a happy reconciliation, what awaits is a collision of past and present that sends Pen and Will, with Pen’s five-year-old daughter and Cat’s hostile husband in tow, on a journey across the world.

With her trademark wit, vivid prose, and gift for creating authentic, captivating characters, Marisa de los Santos returns with an emotionally resonant novel about our deepest human connections. As Pen and Will struggle to uncover the truth about Cat, they find more than they bargained for: startling truths about who they were before and who they are now. They must confront the reasons their friendship fell apart and discover how—and if—it can ever fall back together. 

My Review:
Falling Together is my first experience with Marisa de los Santos, and although I found the book enjoyable for the most part, I have to admit that reading this novel was not an overwhelmingly pleasant experience.  I love books that deal with friendships, both lost and found, but for some reason this one did not hit the mark for me.

Pen, Cat, and Will were best friends back in college, but their friendship ended suddenly, allowing them all to go their separate ways and figure out their lives on their own.  They all make their own mistakes along the way, which is probably one of the reasons that Pen and Will are so willing to put their lives on hold to search for Cat.  Maybe their lives would seem more logical if they could pick up their friendship with where it left off.

As Will and Penn make the commitment to search for Cat together, they unknowingly are allowing each other to search their own souls.  As they deal with secrets and hidden truths, Pen and Will finally accept something in each other that has been there throughout their entire lives.  If only they could have given the emotional support they each needed in the six years they were apart.

Although the summary indicates this novel was about searching for their friend Cat,  the actual search seemed to take up very little of the book.  A very small portion of the story was spent in the Philippines looking for her,  and  I think I would have enjoyed it more if the search was more extensive.  And then when they did find her, I thought the reunion could have been a bit more eventful.

So besides my reservations about this novel, I did find enjoyment from it.  This novel seemed to be more of a search for Pen and Will, but searching for the people they used to be.  The Philippines were described in a way that makes me want to hop on a plane tomorrow to walk on the beach enjoying a beautiful sunset.  With themes of friendship, forgiveness, and love, you may enjoy this book too.

My Rating:  3/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook Review: The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings

Title:  The Descendants

Author:  Kaui Hart Hemmings

Narrator:  Jonathan Davis

Unabridged Length: 9hrs, 12 mn.

Here is a summary from the publisher's website:
Fortunes have changed for the King family, descendants of Hawaiian royalty and one of the state’s largest landowners. Matthew King’s daughters—Scottie, a feisty ten-year-old, and Alex, a seventeen-year-old recovering drug addict—are out of control, and their charismatic, thrill-seeking mother, Joanie, lies in a coma after a boat-racing accident. She will soon be taken off life support. As Matt gathers his wife’s friends and family to say their final goodbyes, a difficult situation is made worse by the sudden discovery that there’s one person who hasn’t been told: the man with whom Joanie had been having an affair. Forced to examine what they owe not only to the living but to the dead, Matt, Scottie, and Alex take to the road to find Joanie’s lover, on a memorable journey that leads to unforeseen humor, growth, and profound revelations.

My Review:
This was such a raw and emotional story that brings us along on the journey of Matt King as he prepares to say goodbye to his dying wife, Joanie.  During the process, as Matt searches the details of his life to uncover Joanie's secrets, he is drawn closer to his daughters, Alex and Scottie.

Joanie has lived a life of glamour and luxury.  Since she has been a model she easily attracts beautiful and wealthy people as friends.  When Joanie gets together with these friends they have a tendency to not think about consequences, but just do whatever they think will be fun at the time.  This does not always have a good outcome.

Alexis is the King's older daughter that was sent away to finish her high school education at a boarding school.  While still living at home Alexis developed a drug habit so after completing rehab her parents did not want to put her back into the society that contributed to her addiction.  Matt isn't sure how to deal with Alex when he goes to pick her up after Joanie's accident.

Scottie is the younger daughter, just on the cusp of becoming a teenager.  It is obvious she still wants to be a little girl, while wanting also to get the attention of young boys.  Matt can't help but wonder who will teach Scottie all the things girls need to know after Joanie dies.

As Matt is getting to know his daughters again, and prepare them all for the inevitable passing of Joanie, he discovers the unsavory details of her infidelity.  He is obviously angry and frustrated with this revelation, but somehow deals with those feelings and lets the love he had for Joanie provide the comfort his entire family needs.

I can tell you that I just loved this audiobook was wonderful and kept my attention throughout.  Davis did a great job of picking up on the emotions of our main character as he deals with this difficult situation.  With themes of family, love, and forgiveness I don't hesitate in recommending this book for either a book club selection or leisure reading.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This audiobook was provided to me from the Audiobook Jukebox Reviewer Program in exchange for an honest review.

2012 Where Are You Reading Challenge

I've been hesitant about joining this challenge as I didn't even read a total of 50 books this year, but hey, who really cares?  If I don't finish the challenge then that's it.  Sheila from Book Journey is hosting this challenge once again and you can read the complete rules and even sign up for yourself here if you are interested!  I am not savvy enough to create the map as Sheila has, but I will just list the books behind the state after I read it.

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona--Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls--Completed 9/30/12
Arkansas
California--The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh--Completed 9/23/12
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia--Burnt Mountain by Anne Rivers Siddons--Completed 2/11/12
Hawaii--The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings--Completed 1/26/12
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts--The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne--Completed 5/1/12
Michigan
Minnesota--Peace Like a River by Leif Enger--Completed 11/06/12
Mississippi
Missouri--Clair de Lune by Jaretta Carleton--Completed 3/21/12
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York--An American Family by Peter Lefcourt--Completed 6/29/12
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania--Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos--Completed 2/26/12
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington--Night Road by Kristin Hannah--Completed 1/31/12
West Virginia
Wisconsin--Come a Little Closer by Dorothy Garlock--Completed 4/2/12
Wyoming

Other Places:
Botswana--The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith--Completed 3/4/12
Panem--The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins--Completed 3/8/12
Egypt--The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran--Completed 4/2/12
Thailand--Cross Currents by John Shors--Completed 4/16/12
France--The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay--Completed 4/17/12
Brazil--State of Wonder by Ann Patchett--Completed 5/15/12
India--The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar--Completed 8/4/12
Ethiopia--Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese--Completed 9/5/11
Poland--Surviving Hitler by Andrea Warren--Completed 9/13/12
Ireland--The Linen Queen by Patricia Falvey--Completed 12/16/12