A Scottish James Garner?

Book Review for “The House by the Loch” by Kirsty Wark. Summary: “Walter MacMillan is bewitched by the clever, glamorous Jean Thompson and can't believe his luck when she agrees to marry him. Neither can she, for Walter represents a strong and steady and loving man who can perhaps quiet the demons inside her. Yet … Continue reading A Scottish James Garner? →

Shards of Remaining Objects

Book Review of "Smash All the Windows" by Jane Davis Goodreads Synopsis: “For the families of the victims of the St Botolph and Old Billingsgate disaster, the undoing of a miscarriage of justice should be a cause for rejoicing. For more than thirteen years, the search for truth has eaten up everything. Marriages, families, health, … Continue reading Shards of Remaining Objects →

Portraits in Survival

Book Review of "On a Cold Dark Sea" by Elizabeth Blackwell. The Titanic; it was supposed to be the most wondrous ship ever built. But for Esme, Charlotte and Anna, surviving that fateful crossing has stalked their whole lives, each in very different ways. Particularly because each of these three women were on different classes … Continue reading Portraits in Survival →

Counting on Family

Book Review of "Sisters One, Two, Three" by Nancy Star. Ginger's 13th year was as unlucky as the number. Many years after that tragic summer, it seems no one has been able to fix anything broken back then. Furthermore, there's her deteriorating relationship with her daughter Julia, and her mother Glory is no less strange … Continue reading Counting on Family →

Titanic Flight

Book Review of "Flight of Dreams" by Ariel Lawhon The Hindenburg was the famous Nazi zeppelin that blew up just as it was about to land in New Jersey in 1937. Built to be a modern aviation miracle, and the last word in luxury travel, this incident was not only tragic, but like the 1936 … Continue reading Titanic Flight →

Illusions and Elusions

Book Review of "The Magician's Lie" by Greer Macallister. It is 1905 and the woman they call the Amazing Arden is a magician whose fame is on the rise. After her last show, they find a dead man and identify him as her husband; of course, she is the first suspect for this murder. Officer … Continue reading Illusions and Elusions →

Connecting Two Lives Lived 50 Years Apart

Book review of "The Hand that First Held Mine" by Maggie O'Farrell. Alexandra is stuck in rural England, living at home, sharing her bedroom with siblings again, after being sent down from university for going through the wrong door – an act for which she refuses to apologize. But it is the mid-1950s and she’s … Continue reading Connecting Two Lives Lived 50 Years Apart →

An Ex-Lover Ghost Story?

Book Review of "My Lover’s Lover" by Maggie O'Farrell. Sinead is – according to Marcus – “no longer with us.” That means that the room Sinead had in Marcus’ flat is now vacant, and Lily moves in. The question is, what else does all that mean – to both Lily and her budding feelings for … Continue reading An Ex-Lover Ghost Story? →

Very Carefully, Apparently

Book Review of "How to Talk to a Widower" by Jonathan Tropper. Two years after Doug and Hailey were married, Hailey died in a plane crash, leaving Doug her home in the suburbs, her angry son who doesn't want to live with his father because of his new trophy wife, a large settlement from the … Continue reading Very Carefully, Apparently →

John Irving’s Masterpiece

Book Review of "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving. Owen is a dwarf who keeps saying he is on a mission from God. Johnny Wheelwright is dyslexic (like myself) and is in a life-long search for his father. The relationship between these two boys grows and entwines, with as many twists as Irving's … Continue reading John Irving’s Masterpiece →