In a new world with very old world values, a woman's only purpose is to bear children. Ada assumes that she too will marry and someday take over her mother's role as midwife. She does marry but that is where the dream ends as she is barren. Her husband's family turns her out and she is blamed for being a witch. Running seems to be the only option - first to a convent and then later to the famous Hole in the Wall to become an outlaw. These women outlaws are planning something really big and dangerous and as Ada comes to know these women she finds herself being drawn to this life and changing the way the world views women. Being rejected from everything she has ever known may put her in a position to be strong and be herself - if she can live long enough. Violence and misadventures follow this group of society rejects in a wild Yee-haw western with a feminist bent.
Readers of UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED, HOW MUCH THESE HILLS IS GOLD and PLAIN BAD HEROINES will find much to love. 4 stars
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Most pregnant women worry about the dangers that can befall their unborn and then worry even more after they are born. They cover sharp objects, open outlets, and keep watch almost 24/7. The thing they don't think about is if the baby will love them or if they will love their baby. Blythe had a really abusive childhood so she vowed to become the mother of the year once she found out she was pregnant. Violet arrives and all her expectations go out the window. Violet is not an easy baby and grows up to be not an easy child except towards her father - becoming a total daddy's girl. Blythe doesn't want to see what she suspects Violet is capable of or the coldness in the way she looks at her. We feel for Blythe but she could be the world's best unreliable witness. When the unthinkable happens sides are taken and everything starts to unravel. Ashley Audrain presents an intimate look at motherhood and grief. The writing style is tense and sparse which adds to the sense of foreboding. This is one of those books that you keep reading and realize you held your breath for most of it. For readers who couldn't get enough of DEFENDING JACOB, this is your next read. 4 1/2 stars
Charlie and his mom live on the other side of the tracks but with his mom's connections, he is accepted into a posh private school and given a mentor family to boot. Charlie is befriended by a charismatic boy, Archer, who is sort of an adopted son to the mentor family and also includes a boy Charlie's age and a girl he falls hard for who is already dating Arch. It is safe to say that Charlie gets a lot out of being included in this privileged existence but certain events happen to make them less attractive. He runs away from his mom and the old money family to pursue his art out of the country. When he returns home much later he looks at his friend Arch, who has now been given everything Charlie thought he wanted and he comes to a decision about how much of his own life, friendship, and soul he is willing to risk.
A classic southern coming of age and angst among the classes story. Ed Tarkington picks up the baton of what has been Pat Conroy's domain without missing a beat. Readers of deep-rooted family secrets, class struggles and friendship stories will enjoy this new addition. 4 stars A new spin on characters from Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE with an emphasis on feminism and forbidden female relationships. Anne de Bourgh is born to luxury and will inherit a sizable estate when she comes of age. She is considered a good catch except that her ill health as an infant and the family doctor's insistence on a daily dose of laudanum has rendered Anne weak, wimpy and out of her head most of the time. Her life and the book really don't have any steam until Anne travels to London and her cousin's doctor weans her off the drug ending her addiction. She is introduced to society activities and intellectual pursuits she should have been partaking in for years and most importantly , finds a friend and confidant in Eliza who opens her mind and heart. This is the second novel this year where I have read about the scandalous book of women's rights by Mary Wollstonecraft. Anne learns much about what she wants out of life and love. This is a blend of classic writing with a more modern take on women being suppressed in British society. Readers of Jane Austen as well as the newer revisions of her stories will enjoy this addition. 4 stars
There are not many adults I know who would throw themselves into learning a new skill with a four-year-old and fewer still that would continue putting themselves in the beginning class over and over.
BEGINNERS shares the sheer joy of discovering how to do something new. In Tom Vanderbilt's case, it began with his very young daughter and chess and progressed to surfing, singing, drawing, open water swimming, and more. It is not what you learn so much as that you approach learning the right way much the same as an infant learning to walk. As adults, we have to unlearn things we know and approach learning like a child without caring about social stigmas, fear of failure, or not getting it perfect. The author has such an easy-going writing style and his joy of discovery is infectious. This would be a wonderful family read as many of his beginner classes were with his daughter at his side. 4 stars |
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