Helen Ames was a beloved wife and a prolific author.
Was.
Since her husband Dan died she no longer feels that she is either. Unable to move on from his death, Helen is not sure how to do life without him. Her writing is non existent and a particularity disastrous speaking engagement leaves her wondering what purpose she serves without the titles “wife” and “author”.
Meanwhile, Helen’s 27 year old daughter Tessa is losing patience with her now seemingly helpless and smothering mother. Tessa longs for branching out into her own life but feels anchored down by her mom’s overbearing neediness. Tessa is constantly being called upon by Helen to help with the household tasks that used to belong to Dan.
Then Helen discovers that the finances that she never paid much attention too as Dan told her never to worry as there was plenty for her to live on and then some…. these very finances have had a significant withdrawal, made by Dan before he died. Suddenly Helen has a new set of worries…. what did Dan do with all that money? How will she now provide for herself when her accountant tells her she needs to be careful financially but seems to have no skills or ambition to learn anything new?
My adventures with Berg continue. 😀
Out of everything I have read/listened to by Elizabeth Berg this one may have been the biggest stretch for me. And the reason for that is silly. It’s Helen.
Helen has qualities I just don’t like. She is co dependent. Needy and unsure of herself in every way and for some reason these characteristics…..
bug me.
I know that is ridiculous and I wonder what I find in myself that makes me want women, fiction and not, to be strong, independent, and able to stand on their own two feet.
Ok… that said, I did enjoy listening to this on audio and applaud Elizabeth Berg for not only being an amazing prolific writer, but also reader. I have really come to enjoy her audios and when she reads them herself – even better. I can not say that about every author I have listened to on audio that has read their own work.
While Helen is this character that is not sure which way to turn – I am quite sure she is exactly the character that Elizabeth Berg meant her to be. You can hear it is Elizabeth’s (as the narrator) voice and I wish I had a couple examples in my head right now of that dialogue that Helen would have as she pretty much questioned every step she took. Unfortunately, one of the down falls of audio is that I do not have the pages to flip back through to make that perfect quote so you can go “oh yeah…. I see what you mean.”
As the story line continues you see that Helen does start to find her own way and her relationship with Tessa is very realistic as Tessa tries hard to be patient with her mom while at the same time trying to get her mom to be responsible for her own life and making things happen. One of the things I really enjoyed in this audio was how often Tessa came to this point:
“Mom. Mom. Mom. MOM.”
I think I may have loved this even more because it is said in a dead pan voice.
Final thoughts: I did enjoy this audio. It was not a favorite from this author mainly because some of the plot created many unanswered questions… I did however still appreciate the diversity in writing that I have come to enjoy in Elizabeth Berg’s work.
Marlo is normally a quiet, peaceful town. Yet recently a website has popped up called Listentoyourself and it contains residents of Marlo’s most private conversations… conversations that were held in the privacy of their homes with people they trusted. Soon accusations are flying and the local police force has its hands full trying to sort it all out.
Damien Underwood has been a journalist most of his life. He has been the creator of the Marlo Sentinal’s crossword puzzle until as of recent he has been offered a chance to do a bit of reporting as well. Damien along with his best friend Police Officer Frank Merrit are surprised by the sudden popularity of this website that is ripping the town apart.
And Damien has his own home to be concerned with as well, his wife Kay is struggling to fit in with the Cheer Mom’s, his daughter Jenna, normally sweet and easy-going has become sullen and in trouble at school for hitting another girl, his son Hunter is spending too much time in his room on the computer and Damien is concerned with what he may be looking at.
What is happening in Marlo?
This is the first Rene Gutteridge book I have experienced. A few weeks back, Hannah at Wordlily celebrated a whole week of Rene Gutteridge and I was curious….
As “the power of words” is the theme of this post, Hannah used the power of her words to influence me to give this author that I honestly do not think I have ever heard of, a try. I am so glad that I did. And now I am going to use the power of my words to tell you why. 😀
LISTEN is a book surrounded all around the one question. How responsible are we for our words when we think no one is listening? What author Rene Gutteridge shows through this book is something I have always believed, words are powerful tools. Words can lift someone up and they can tear someone down.
In Marlo, neighbor literally turns against neighbor. While the website Listentoyourself does not mention names – the conversations written out for all to see is word for word of what was said. People are hurt, in some cases they wrongfully believe some of the writing is about them, even more so, they decide who said it and react to it.
I really enjoyed that while the website is much of this book, it is not the only storyline that Rene Gutteridge has weaved within the pages regarding the power of words. While Damien is working the website angle, his wife Kay is involved in the words that people say about each other – gossip. As she tries to fit in with the Cheer Moms and they point the finger at one mom in particular Kay becomes part of the vicious circle of spreading words that hurt. And a third story line comes in with Jenna and the mean girls (oh wow – they are MEAN) at school.
Every Monday evening I am in a small group that meets and discusses a study that we are doing and last night we touched on the subject of the power of words. I smiled as it reminded me of this book.
While the book is not without flaws, there were a couple unresolved items and I was left with a few questions, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a book I did not want to put down and enjoyed the reminder of the power of words, as well as the power of truly listening. I will most definitely read more of Rene Gutterridge.
Robert “Yummy” Sandifer was a real person. He was born in 1983 and lived in the Roseland area of Chicago. He received his nickname “yummy” because he loved his sweets.
Yummy, at just eleven years old, became a poster child for youth gang related violence. A series of tragic events led to his appearance of the cover of TIME magazine in September 1994.
Eventually….
this same series of events…
also led to his death.
I am not a big reader of graphic novels, but occasionally one will catch my eye, much like this one did. Based on the true story of Robert “Yummy’s” life, this story is told with a fictional character Roger, who tells the story through his eyes of how Yummy became initiated into a gang called the Black Disciples, how we killed a girl, and how eventually he was killed as well.
When I think of a story like this – I do not think of it as a graphic novel. But it is. And in this case, it works. Following Yummy’s story through the pictures was much like there and illustrator Randy DeBurke creates emotion and feeling through his illustrations of Yummy as well as the extended family and the gang members. Author G. Neri writes with great feeling as well and together – this book won in the Cybils.
Yummy’s dad was in prison for drug possession. Yummy’s mom was in and out of jail – 42 times on convictions for drug use and prostitution. Yummy was left in the care of his grandmother who at times had up to twenty of her grandchildren staying with her. It was easy for Yummy to sneak out to the troubled streets of Chicago for days at a time and not even be noticed as missing.
What is frightening about what I have just described is that this is a common occurrence in many areas of our world. Kids looking for a play – for a way – to belong. I have seen this when I have traveled to Honduras – the gangs are even greater and more dangerous now then when I went for the first time in 2004. Currently they have 14 murders a day in the main city of Tegucigalpa. But I am not taking only of a third world country problem…. no… this is all too common in the Unites States as well. New York, California, Florida, and of course Chicago – Yummy’s area, just to name a few.
What I did not know is that the laws at the time of this book were that young criminals would go to Juvenile Facilities and then be out once they turned 21… this is why gangs liked to recruit young kids to do the crime, as if they were caught – it was not a life sentence. The fact that the gangs found this “loop-hole” in the system floors me… who thinks this way?
What is apparent in this book is that Yummy is a kid that wants to belong. Unfortunately he finds that acceptance through the gangs. As you read through this book you will see Yummy as this tough mean-spirited kid trying to make an impression…. and at other times you can find him in front of the tv with his teddy bear.
Who was the real Yummy? In and out of trouble for years, he was desensitized from authority. What can be done about these gang crimes and especially saving the young ones like Yummy?
Photo out of Time Magazine
While this book was an emotional read, I am so glad I did read it. I finished this book on Friday and have not been able to stop thinking about it. When you look at all the circumstances that played into Yummy’s life… all the pieces that were missing in his life (love, family stability, a safe home, a positive adult influence, security…) Honestly? It makes me want to hug my kids and tell them how much I love them.
David Wheaton is on his death bed. From his boat in the Pacific Ocean, he shares his life memories – hopes and regrets with his daughter Emma who has come to be with him these last days. Having had 9 wives and eleven children, David has had quite a life. As an actor, there is one role he had always hoped to play and now regrets deeply he never had the chance to do so – and that was the role of King David. Emma’s husband had struggled writing a play for David Wheaton to create the much coveted role for him.
While Emma works to gather the family for David’s final moments on earth,as readers we see the parallels between the two David’s – in some cases even hitting a little close to home for the Wheaton family.
Luke 24:22: Certain women made us astonished
I read this book as our first read of 2011 with the Faith N Fiction group. Madelaine L’ Engle is most known for her work with children’s books, probably mostly known for writing A Wrinkle In Time (a book I have never read).
I thought this would be a book I could read within a couple of days and be done in plenty of time for our discussion that started in early February. This turned out not to be the case. I spent much time getting to know the characters as tends to happen for me when a book is loaded with characters such as this. I back track and try to capture who each person is as they are introduced. That fact, as well as just a busy time of life caused me to pop in late to the discuss points of what was an interesting read.
A theme that was brought up that I personally enjoyed was how as David recalls his marriages (all eight of them!) as they often reflected the life and wives of the Biblical David. You could almost hear the whispers of the Biblical David’s wives coming from between the lines. Written with a witty and lyrical pen, I found L’Engle’s writing to be just what I would have expected from a family such as David’s who was deeply embedded in the arts of acting, producing, and such.
If anything, I found, as well as a few in our group discussion that the parallels between the two David’s became a bit much. Not so much the parallel itself, but the fact that the author had a habit of pointing out that this was a parallel with things like “…. much like the David of the Bible….” I prefer to figure these things out for myself more than feeling like I am led by the hand through a read.
Another part of our group discussion was a heavier topic in the book that I do not wish to give away but unfortunately is a topic that is all to real for many of us. Some felt it was tiring to constantly see this come up, while other found it as I mentioned here – something that is real. (Hope I was not too cryptic here but trying hard not to give anything away.) 😀
A well-rounded read that covered many topics. David has really had the life and Certain Women, being told in a reflective manner is a brilliant way to write this particular story.
I found the book descriptive and while more work to read than I had planned for, I am glad I had the opportunity to read and discuss this book.
For me personally I recall the part where David (Wheaton) reflects on how badly he has screwed it all up and how he wishes he could change the way he handled many things in his life. David in The Bible also lived with much regret, and this reminds me of how God used those of us who are broke, damaged, vessels and fills us up. A reminder, that we all are human – we are going to screw this thing up, and God will still be able to use is if we only let Him.
Please stop by and see what the other Faith N Fiction Participants have to say:
Vera and her older brother Will live in a futuristic world where Water is the new money. As the kids help their father take care of their ill mother the search for water is a daily task and forever on their minds. Vera’s friend Kai and his dad have a rare wealth due to Kai’s dad being a water driller. When Kai fails to show up one day, Vera and Will discover that Kai has been abducted.
The search for their friend will take them beyond their republic of Illinowa and through the republic of Minnesota and Canada. As they travel they are befriended by pirates and at one point even taken hostage by terrorists. Eventually making their way to Bluewater, the area that has the monopoly on the water desalinization process. This is where they find Kai and his father and a whole world of trouble beyond what they could have ever imagined.
Water Wars was a fast read of dystopian fiction that hits on a topic all too close to home. With talks of real life water shortages in the world’s future I found this book to be a look into a possible reality which for me, hit real close to the scary mark. I could picture the people fighting for water and the look of them from the lack of it. I really had to take a long hard look at my own water waste in my life (Ie… running the water to hot before stepping into the shower… letting a faucet run while I grab the phone or take out the garbage…)
I have to talk cover: Awesome awesomeness!!! I love it! Very eye catching.
Cameron Stracher writes a novel that I think will appeal to YA readers who don’t dive too deeply into the read and discover the lack of character development or the conflict details. I felt as though this book left something to be desired in the middle but in the end pulls together a good finale.
Just because this book did not fit me, doesn’t mean it will not fit someone else. I have an additional advanced copy of this book for someone who would like to give it a try. Let me know in the comments if you would be interested in reading this book and I will choose one commenter at the end of the week using random.org to mail this to.
16th-century Prague, Wishnia’s outstanding debut convincingly transforms a Jewish sexton and his rabbinic mentor into a plausible pair of sleuths. Just before the start of Passover, the discovery of the bloody corpse of Gerta Janek, a blond girl, maybe seven years old, inside the store of Jacob Federn, a Jewish businessman, triggers the inevitable revival of the blood libel and threat of mass retribution against the entire Jewish community. Benyamin Ben-Akiva, the newly arrived shammes, has three days to prove that someone other than Federn is guilty of Gerta’s brutal murder. He faces opposition from his own people, but manages to win the respect and support of the legendary Rabbi Loew, who helps him gain access to the body so that a rudimentary examination can be done, though many Gentiles are offended by the very notion.
I love reading about different cultures and that is what initially drew me to this book. That, a little historical fiction and I do love a good mystery.
Highly detailed and full of 16th century imagery – this part of the book I really enjoyed as author Kenneth Wishnia truly has a way with words. And speaking of words… on the flip of that this is a book that would be a delight for those who love learning languages as the Hebrew, German, and Yiddish words are used throughout. For me – it started to feel a bit like work to stop and roll the words through my mind, however I can see me going back and reading this book again when I have more time to really spend time in the language of it. (*There is a glossary for the words in the back of the book). The Fifth Servant opens up to many colorful characters and much of the book is seen through Benyamin Ben Akiva eyes and as such is a witness to the hideous murder. This book reminds me strongly of another that I have read but for the life of me I can not seem to put my finger on that tile.
While maybe not so historically correct – I did like the way women were portrayed in the book as strong and capable. That was refreshing for someone who like me enjoys reading about strong women.
There were parts that I did not enjoy – at times it felt like the religious/political aspect of the book became more important than the mystery itself and the plot felt lost for a time until suddenly the ending pulled me back into the story.
Final thoughts… there was more to this book then I originally anticipated but still I found it to be a good read. Due to my own procrastination I started this book later than I should have and feel I could have spent more time in it, working through some of the details. This is one I will probably pick up again soon and spend a bit more time with it.
Olive is a big woman… she is big boned, big faced… and a big presence in the lives that surrounds hers. A retired math teacher in Crosby Maine… Olive bowls people over like a bowling ball heading for a strike. She is abrupt, judgmental, and not the person you stop in announced for a chat or a cup of coffee.
Yet in this series of short stories by Elizabeth Strout, Olive plays a part in every one… sometimes large, and sometimes she is merely acknowledged by another character or by a hand wave…. and as the stories unfold around Olive’s home town…. we get a glimpse of who Olive may really be.
♦ ♦ ♦
Hmmmm…. I still find myself trying to sort out my thoughts about this book. I am not a fan of short stories. I prefer really digging in and getting to know characters and plot lines and the short snippets have never really done it for me. Yet, as part of a reading project with my book club, I hand-picked this title out of a list of book options.
Why?
I believe I chose it because something about the synopsis, and yes even a series of stories around one character intrigued me. It was like a puzzle I wanted to solve and envisioned that was what author Elizabeth Strout was going to do – create a series of story pieces that in the end were a whole. I have always been a fan of unique tales, original writing styles… I prefer the breaking of the molds….
As I read this book I found myself at first confused. The stories seemed choppy… little glimpses – but of what. A bit of Olive here…. a bit of Olive there…. many characters were introduced and in times it was their story that held the chapter, their tale of – well, tragic life mostly…. and yet, somewhere there was still Olive.
It took me more than a few chapters to get the flow of the book and even then…. I am not sure if I truly did or I just became used to the way this book was put together. What I felt we were seeing was not the whole story – and for that I give Elizabeth Strout much credit. I dislike a book that spells it out for me, preferring to have something to figure out while I read. I believe this was Elizabeth’s goal – to give the reader a glimpse – but left much to the imagination. Who was Olive – really? This complicated woman, this woman who for most of book I did not even really like…. but I did want to figure her out.
There are moments when Olive (with help from our author) speaks so beautifully – so deeply that I am left with words that I want to post somewhere as reminders…. one such phrase came out of the short story ‘Starving”:
When Olive is confronted with an anorexic girl, Nina, this conversation takes place:
Olive finished the donut, wiped the sugar from her fingers, sat back and said, “You’re starving.”
The girl didn’t move, only said, “Uh… duh.”
“I’m starving too,” Olive said. “Why do you think I eat everything in sight?”
“You’re not starving,” Nina says with disgust.
“Sure I am. We all are.”
“Wow,” Nina said, Heavy.”
Moments like that in the book caused me to see a bit behind their thin veil that covered the real Olive.
In the end… I can’t say I felt I really knew Olive Kitterling, but I think I had an idea. Elizabeth Strout does write a compelling story and I give her a ton of credit as while at times I found this book difficult to read and follow, I can imagine that writing such a multi layered book, folding one chapter into another had to be pretty complicated in itself and Elizabeth Strout does a fine job doing so in a writing style that gave me pause – in a good, thought-provoking way.
*If you read this book – do make time to read the interview in the back of the book with Elizabeth Strout and Olive Kitteridge. It is hilarious and I think it will give you some additional insight to Olive.
Amazon Rating
Bookies Review:
As I mentioned before – this was a bonus review for my book club and it was to be centered around the food that makes up this book. Let me just say – if you are going to do a potluck around the food in a book – this one would be an excellent choice… the book is literally filled with food… my group came up with: Beef stew, hot bread, olive cheeseballs, funeral meatballs, seafood stuffed mushrooms (the ones Olive gets sick on in the book), homemade butterscotch sauce (where Olive winds up getting all over her towards the end of the book), carrot soup and a lovely red wine)
Our thoughts on the book were that Olive was a hard woman who seemed to keep a wall of protection around herself as some people tend to do when they don’t want people to see them too closely. This led to a good discussion of people like that in our own lives and how we handle them. We all felt that author Elizabeth Strout did a good job of giving us clues to Olive without spelling it out for us… we were left to come up with our own opinion of who this woman was.
Overall we came up with a slightly below average rating for the book. We found this book to be more work than entertaining to read. While we appreciated the good writing, we really never found a true connection to Olive.
For those that wish… I am posting a few of our recipes from last night that were wonderful compliments to the book:
Olive-Cheese Balls
Olive Cheese balls
– 2 cups (@ 8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese – 1 1/4 cups flour – 1/2 cup margarine, melted – 36-48 small pimento-stuffed green olives
Mix cheese and flour, add in margarine. Work dough with hands, if necessary. Mold @ 1 tsp dough around each olive, shape into ball. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until set – 15-20 minutes. Best served warm.
Carrot Soup
Carrot Soup
– 1 large sweet onion, cleaned and chopped – 1/4 cup margarine – @ 1 1/2 lbs carrots, cleaned and chopped – 1 large white (russet) potato, cleaned and sliced – 1 large sweet potato, cleaned and sliced – 32 oz chicken broth – ginger – rosemary – savory – marjoram – pepper – chili powder – garlic – Emeril’s original Essence – 12 oz V-8 juice – 4 oz cream cheese, cubed – 1 handful shredded sharp cheddar cheese
In Dutch oven on cook top, melt margarine, add onion. Cook til tender (5 minutes or so). Add carrots, potatoes, chicken broth, and spices. (Use whatever spices appeal to you.) Heat to boil, cook til vegetables are all tender (20 minutes or so). Remove from heat. Use immersion blender (or let cool some and use regular blender) to puree vegetables to desired consistency. Return to heat, add V-8 juice and cheeses, stirring til well-blended. Could serve now. I had to juggle errands, so I put the soup in my crock pot and left it on low for a couple of hours. This may have caused the flavors to blend more.
The couch comes into view again. Kerry Monroe is drinking a tumbler of brown stuff- the whiskey she was offering earlier, Olive suspects- and while Kerry’s lipstick remains bright, her cheekbones and jawline still impressively proportioned, it’s as though inside her black clothes her joints have become loosened. Her crossed leg swings, a foot bobs, some inner wobbliness is there. “Nice service, Marlene,” Kerry says, leaning forward to pick up a meatball with a toothpick. “Really nice service; you’ve done him proud.” And Olive nods, because she would like Marlene to be comforted by this.
Marlene’s Funeral Meatballs
Funeral Meatballs
2 pounds ground beef
1 c. evaporated milk
2 c. bread crumbs
onion, minced to taste
1 tsp. seasoned salt
sauce:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 Tbsp. catsup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix hamburger, evaporated milk, bread crumbs, onion & seasoned salt. Shape into meatballs. Bake for 15 minutes or until browned. Reduce heat to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, combine sauce ingredients; bring to a boil. Pour over meatballs. Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes more.
Downstairs she went, into the white basement. Stepping into the little closet of a bathroom, she flicked on the light, and saw in the mirror that across her blue cotton blouse was a long and prominent strip of sticky dark butterscotch sauce. A small feeling of distress took hold. They had seen this and not told her. She had become the old lady her Aunt Ora had been, when years ago she and Henry would take the old lady out for a drive, stopping some nights to get an ice cream, and Olive had watched as Aunt Ora had spilled melted ice cream down her front; she had felt repulsion at the sight of it. In fact, she was glad when Ora died, and Olive didn’t have to continue to witness the pathetic sight.
Butterscotch Sauce
Butterscotch Sauce
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. half & half
1 Tbsp. corn syrup
3 Tbsp. butter
Combine all ingredients together in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until boiling. Simmer 3-4 minutes. Let cool then serve over ice cream.
In high school they were Julie and Mike and they were inseparable. In college they were room mates and then they were married. In the early years they scraped by on what little they had working hard and dreaming big. Julie started a party planning business that took off and she was able to start putting a little away. Then Mike, always the dreamer came up with an idea that changed the look of health drinks forever. As production rolled out on the flavored waters, Mike, now a more sophisticated Michael, became more and more caught up in the business and the sweet generous man Julie once knew, became second to the business… a mistress, she could not compete with. Her compensation becomes the material things they now own, the large multi million dollar home, the cars, the jewelry, and travel. Julia wants for nothing. Anniversaries were missed, replaced instead by delivered flowers with notes of promises to be there for the next one… and nights became cold and lonely as Julie, now going by Julia, slept alone as Mike traveled for work for more nights than not.
Then a brush with death changes everything for Michael. Suddenly he sees more clearly what is important, and money becomes meaningless to him. Yet Julia gave up on love a long time ago and has grown accustomed to doing things alone and living the high life. Now it looks like Michael wants to turn his back on it all, give it all up, and put his full attention on Julia.
Julia feels that it is too little….
too late.
Last May I had the opportunity to read The Opposite Of Me by Sarah Pekkanen and LOVED it. I enjoyed Sarah’s style of writing and how in touch she was with family life and all the quirks that go with it. When I seen Skipping A Beat was coming soon, I was thrilled when I was sent an advanced copy to see what Sarah was up to this time around.
Honestly? I loved this book even more than her first! I connected well with the characters of Julia and Michael and found that these two well-developed characters left me feeling like the best friend in the middle. I completely understood Julia’s reluctance to be hurt by letting Michael in after the years of absence in their lives. Her fear was all too real to me as she struggles to hang on to what has become the norm in their lives. Once she had created herself around the world she lived in, it was not a fit for it to suddenly change.
I could relate to Michael too…. he was doing what he could to change the way things had become – but his complete about-face was way too much – too soon.
Another relationship in the book that I found to be amazing was Julia’s best friend Isabelle. I love this aspect of the book as Sarah Pekkanen shows the importance of having that friend that you can share anything with, and with everything else happening Isabelle is that person for Julia.
What I really loved about this book was how real it all felt. I have heard many times how once someone is forced into a different mold for a while we can adjust to new things and many times find the changes welcome, even if we did not think we would. Sarah Pekkanen writes a story that touched me deeply as this couple struggles to find their way… and in the process…
well, you are going to have to read this one to find out more.
I had a hard time putting this book down and highly recommend this book, as one of the best books I have read this year. An original writing that left me wanting more! Totally two thumbs up and a three tissue read. 😀
Laura Baratone is a master with material. She can create masterpieces with her quilting skills. As she looks forward to her annual family reunion with her parents, her brother Steve, and her sister Caroline, the reunion turns out to be more than anyone bargained for.
When Caroline takes her brother and sister aside and tells them that she was abused by their mother as a child, a whole new door is open to the past – and to the future. As Laura tried to piece together all of this she wonders, if Caroline being over dramatic? She does have a flare for drama… or is there truth behind this accusation.
mending - the act of putting something in working order again
As I continue my way through Elizabeth Berg’s works I am continuously impressed with the diversity of her books. The Art Of Mending is indeed a book about mending. What does a family do when a tear in its very fabric of who they thought were is found to be frayed? How does one move on from something that seems to have happened so long ago yet exploring this history could change everything that you were.
Laura was the perfect main character for this read… she was the eldest sibling and the one that had it most together. Elizabeth Berg put much on this characters shoulders as Laura worked to separate the mother she knew and the memories she had of growing up to what was actual fact. As she sorts through her memories she starts to see things differently through these new eyes and what had appeared to be a saddened. melancholy of a sister she had in Caroline- turned out to be something much bigger.
I found the beginning of this read to drag out and take a while to get to the heart of the matter. One there, it sparked into a flame that held throughout the rest of the read. I felt much like Laura myself, trying to sort out what would eventually turn out to be truth or fiction.
A read that is on a very hard subject. Emotional abuse is every bit as damaging as physical abuse. Tearing away at a persons self-worth can damage them for life, and Elizabeth Berg sets an extraordinary example of that here when we have siblings now in their 50’s dealing with something that happened when they were between the ages of 3 -14.
Not my favorite of the Elizabeth Berg books that I have read but a worthy opponent.
“Ok… so here’s the scoop. My name is Kelley, K -E -L -L -E -Y. Yes, I am a girl. Well… actually as it turns out I am more than that but hang on a second to that story line. I am 17 and have moved to New York to be on Broadway.
Seriously. Broadway. And for those of you giving me the eye roll and thinking yeah, that’s why everyone goes to New York, AND before you label me as an EPIC FAIL… know this….
I AM on Broadway. And thanks to the star of the show getting herself hurt, I am also the lead… well, anyway I hope I still am, ’cause let me just say things got über weird around here lately. Like I met this boy in Central Park, and yeah he seemed a bit different but not entirely unfortunate looking if you know what I mean.
And then – well, not sure how long I have to talk here but things really fast became really STRANGE and yeah that is with a capital ‘S’. For instance, I saved a horse from drowning, and it followed me home. It’s true! And then that boy? Turns out his name is Sonny and he keeps turning up everywhere I am, like totally stalker like, but really, I am not sure I mind…
And the last thing I can say before I go is that guess what? Turns out, I am seeing more mystical creatures than on the stage these days…. yup, and I even just learned…
Oh gotta go. Lay- tah!
So…… I listened to this on audio after picking it on from audible.com for their first in the series sale of audio less than $5. I thought this was a good price and a good time to try out a few series I have been curious about but wasn’t sure.
Wondrous Strange was one of those stories that is coming at you from two different directions. On one side you have this background mythical story of creatures and Fairy Kings (they seem to be quite the rage in YA these days!) and ancient porthole like gates that only open once a year in Central Park (of course – I knew that!) and guards of these gates to keep the baddies from entering the world. Then on the other side you have Kelley. She is carefree and fun, she has a high maintenance roommate and she just got the lead in the Broadway Play A Midsummer Night’s Dream and she is beyond thrilled.
Starting out – I much preferred Kelley’s story line as mythical creatures and gates and the narrator’s voice that took on an eerie bubbly tone that took some getting used to, was honestly for me – hard to follow.
Of course, as many stories tend to do, once you get in a little deeper and things start to mesh a bit…. I started to get it and the narrator didn’t seem to bother me as much, in fact towards the end when they added a few spooky sounds and laughter, I was rather impressed.
My overall thoughts are this book is a good Fantasy YA. The storyline was fun, and as a lot of the action takes place in Central Park in New York, I could picture many of the things mentioned. YA Fantasy lovers will gobble this book up and anxiously head into the rest of the trilogy….
Tempestuous - the final in the trilogyDarkLight - 2nd in the trilogy
Book Journey 