Fiercombe Manor by Kate Riordan FIC Rio

This was a bit different than what I usually read but I enjoyed it.  It is sort of a gothic novel.  It is the story of two women separated by 30 years and the reader is taken back and forth between the two stories.  One woman, Alice, finds herself in trouble at the age of 22.  The man she loved was married - but of course he was going to get a divorce.  (Really, do these women always have to fall for that old line????)   Alice's love for him led her into one moment of passionate lovemaking which leaves her pregnant.  Her mother is frantic to keep this a secret (it is the 1930's) so she arranges for Alice to go to Fiercombe Manor for the remainder of her pregnancy and then they will take the baby to an orphanage.  Fiercombe Manor was once a beautiful estate but now it is mostly deserted except for a few servants. The full-time housekeeper, Mrs. Jelphs, was a good friend of Alice's mother.  She writes to Mrs. Jelphs that Alice's husband has died and she thinks Alice should go somewhere quiet to recover and to have the baby.  Alice becomes intrigued with some clues to a woman named Elizabeth who had lived there.  The second story is that of Elizabeth and what her life was like in the Manor.  Of course the young good-looking heir to the Manor pops in for one of his infrequent business trips and meets Alice.  I enjoyed the characters and the descriptions of the two time periods.  An entertaining book.

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Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon FIC Rea

I read this book in an afternoon.  It kept me interested from the beginning and it was an easy read - although the subject matter wasn't.  The book goes back and forth between the present and the past.  It begins with Rachel's announcement to her husband Simon that the pregnancy test is positive.  Immediately a plan is made for Simon to stay home with the baby.  It is not a natural thing for Simon.  He feels very inadequate because he is not very social and finds playdates to be agonizing (when he actually goes to one).  Jake seems to take after his dad and prefers to spend time by himself instead of playing with other kids.

When the story jumps to the present it is a text that sends Simon out the door in a panic.  There has been a school shooting and parents are directed to go to a nearby church.  Eventually the church begins to empty out as students are reunited with parents.  Simon waits and waits.

The heart of this story is how a family tries to hold it together under the worst of circumstances.  The question is how well can parents know their child?  How responsible are parents for their children?

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A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler FIC Tyl

Another involved family saga by Ms. Tyler and I loved it! This is the story of three generations of Whitshanks.  Like all families they have had good times and bad.  Like all people they are both good and bad.  What intrigues me is the way the stories are interwoven.  At the beginning Abby and Red are dealing with a son who is very uncommunicative.  They rarely hear from him when he is away at school.  Then they find out from the college that he isn't in school anymore.  In the midst of this problem the story switches to many years later.  Eventually Ms. Tyler fills us in on the backgrounds of all of the characters and we finally understand a bit what makes them tick.

If you like character-driven books in which you can lose yourself for hours, check out this one.  It is also available on CD which is how I read it.  Very enjoyable book.

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In Every Way by Nic Brown FIC Bro

Maria is a talented artist.  She wanted to go to Yale but instead she stayed in town to go to the University of North Carolina because her mother was on the faculty and one of the perks was reduced tuition for Maria.  She stayed there because her mom had been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.  Added to that stress is the fact that Maria is pregnant by her (not too dependable) boyfriend, Jack.  Maria doesn't want an abortion because she thinks the baby might make her mom hang on longer than the predicted six months she has left.  Maria also doesn't want to be a mother.  So the obvious solution is adoption.  While looking through a list of potential parents Maria recognizes a picture.  She doesn't know his name but she knows that he is the one she has seen walking a distinctive dog in a town where Maria's mom's longtime friend Karen lives.  And that is the couple she chooses.  Maria doesn't ask for an open adoption.  As far as she is concerned it will be over when the baby is born.  But of course she falls immediately in love, so turning over the baby wasn't as easy as she thought.  Besides her mom is still alive - could it be sheer willpower so that she could see her granddaughter?  Her mom's health continues to hold and Maria suggests they go to visit Karen.  Can you guess where this is going?!

Although it was rather easy to make a good guess as to what would happen, it was an enjoyable book.  I enjoyed the characters and the ups and downs in their lives.  There are funny moments and sad ones.  And that is what happens in a mother-daughter relationship.

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The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker

(This book is available from WILBOR as an ebook or an audio download only.)
Julia Win's father was a very successful lawyer.  One day Julia's mom receives a phone call because he never arrived at an important meeting in Boston.  Authorities are able to trace his actions.  He boarded a plane and headed to Thailand.  He had come to America at the age of 20 but now he seems he has returned to his roots.  Her father has been gone for four years when Julia comes across a letter written to someone named Mi Mi.  It was obvious that he loved this woman.  That must have been where her father has gone.  So she flies half-way around the world to find Mi Mi and she hopes that she will also find her father.  When she arrives in Kalaw she meets a man named U Ba.  He approaches her and tells her he has been waiting four years for her arrival.  He has a love story to tell her.  It is about a young woman named Mya Mya and a young man named Tin Win.

I don't generally like "romance' books but this one is a true love story.  I loved the way the story flowed.  It grabbed me on the first page and didn't let go.  I enjoyed this book so much that I checked out the author and found out that he had written a sequel to this book.  It is called A Well-Tempered Heart and it now resides on my Kindle!

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The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins FIC Haw

Another Gone Girl!   None of the characters are very likable but I really loved the book.  The backgrounds of the characters are slowly revealed as we try to figure out who is good and who is evil.  It begins with Rachel.  Poor Rachel.  Her husband, Tom, was the love of her life.  But something caused Rachel to begin drinking.  Eventually he divorces her.  He now lives with his new wife and baby in the house where he and Rachel lived.  Every day Rachel rides on a train that goes past that house.  She also notices a house a few doors down.  That is where Jason and Jess live.  They have a wonderful marriage.  At least that is want Rachel imagines.  Actually she has no idea what their names are - she is just lost in a make-believe scenario.  The fact that she is drunk most of the time makes it easy for her imagination to run wild.  One day she sees Jess involved in something that upsets Rachel.  Shortly thereafter Jess's picture is plastered over newspapers and the television because she is missing - and her name is Megan.  Very entertaining book!

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The Year She Left Us by Kathryn Ma FIC Ma

This was an interesting novel.  It's center is the Kong family of strong Chinese-American women.  Charlie is a lawyer who eighteen years ago adopted Ari from China.  Charlie always thinks Ari should know more of her background and culture - so off they go to visit the orphanage where Ari lived after she was abandoned in a department store.  It helps that they are traveling with her close friend who is also from that orphanage.  After traveling to take in the sights for a few weeks it is time for the visit.  Ari really doesn't want to go but ends up making the visit.  It begins a journey of self-discovery.  Her grandma is not happy because she was going to pay for Ari to go to her alma mater Bryn Mawr.  But Ari is off in search of answers to the family secrets.  The secrets are revealed bit by bit through the voices of the different Kong women.  A good book.

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Are The Keys In The Freezer by Patricia Woodell, Brenda Niblock & Jeri Warner 616.831 Woo

   

If you have not been involved in the life of someone with Alzheimer's then consider yourself lucky.  But eventually luck often runs out.  Chances are you or someone you love will be touched by dementia.  I have been involved (and am basically the one making all the decisions) for almost six years.  I saw things that disturbed me but yet I was blind to many other signs.  In the case of my loved one there were no decisions to be made as to where she would go.  She has remained in one retirement community but has been in four different areas.  I felt that I was rather well-read on the subject but after reading this book I realized there was a lot more that I should have known.  This book is filled with a lot of information and advice but it is also the touching story of this family.  The way that it is written makes it an 'easy' read - but of course the reality of dementia is never easy.  I would recommend this for anyone.  We all need to know.

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