|
A couple unable to have children become foster parents to a cluster of irresistible misfits. Agnes arrives unable to do little more than grunt and understand that she is allowed to eat at a table. She is supposed to be there only a few days but manages to make herself a part of this family forever. As a small undernourished six year old Agnes has only known unkindness but once she lands on the Moscatelli's doorstep their lives will all be changed forever. Parents Dahlia and Lou teach by example so that the kids know that even at the darkest point of the kids lives they will always have someone on their side. This is a timeless story of love and compassion that is beautifully told and leaves you begging for more about the Moscatellis. Beware, this book is a heartbreaker that will have you finishing the last page with a deep sigh and sniffle ,and wondering what the next chapter will be like for all of them. This book will appeal to anyone who wants deep characters who have had a hard life without losing themselves or their humanity. Fans of Willy Vlautin and Andrew Graff's RIVER OF STARS will find much here. 4 1/2 stars 
0 Comments
Willy Vlautin creates a window into a world not many of us know. His characters never fall wholly into the sinner or saint category but you always root for them. They are ordinary people who find themselves in a bind and we always want someone to help them. Lynette is a prime example. She is 30 years old and far from perfect but so close to realizing the dream that has consumed her for the past three years. Working herself to death at three jobs (not all of them doing something that her mom would approve of ) she is ready to buy the house that she, her mom and her developmentally disabled brother Kenny have been renting. Just when she is so close, her mother pulls out and uses the saved money to buy a car leaving Lynette in the lurch scrambling to come up with the rest of the downpayment. What she does in the next few days she may not be proud of but she is desperate. Battling with depression and other demons she has fought so long to control she goes back to collect what is owed her. Flashbacks explain why she makes some of the choices she does. This is a lyrical, bittersweet look at working class people who are doing well enough to not qualify for help but still not well enough to grab the American Dream. If you are new to Willy Vlautin, this will make you a fan for life and if you are already a fan you will be looking for someone to pass the book to the minute you finish it. 5 heartbreaking stars  A family hidden in a Harlem brownstone for generations can afford to keep living there despite gentrification due to the pieces of caul they sell for a tidy profit. It is said that babies born with a caul are special and pieces of the magic caul can heal the sick, help women get pregnant and more. The family matriarch rules with an iron fist keeping what happens behind their door a secret. Hallow is the youngest with the caul and is the first to rebel against her sheltered life. She begins to question whether or not she is really part of the family and her role as others actively try to bring down the Melacons for their unorthodox trade. Themes of family dynamics, the gentrification of New York, the morality of organ selling and adoption are all at play here in this debut told without judgement. Just like the decay that sets into the brownstone and the family itself - secrets always come up to the surface. This will appeal to a wide audience such as fans of Jacqueline Woodson, James McBride as well as THE CITY WE BECAME and WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING. I also listened to the audiobook which is perfectly narrated. 4 stars  Welcome to the high stakes, sleepless nights, chemical enhanced world of these children of immigrant parents of Asia. The number one goal is to give your child every opportunity and infuse them with whatever it takes to be the best in school so they can get into the next level of best schools so they can be the best job and make their family proud. Neil is pushing himself as hard as he can trying to live up to his parents expectations but he is not in the 99% which makes him open to a miracle. The miracle is found in his friend's mom and her interesting sideline of blending stolen gold into a magic elixir that promises to sharpen mental focus. Years go by and Neil is now a history grad student but he gets pulled back into the old business to help Anita's mom. This clever debut is a sarcastic look at the American Dream and the ambition and drive of these new Americans to have their children succeed. Funny in a bittersweet way, this book is solid gold for readers of the immigrant experience with a bit of magic added for good measure. 4 stars  Rose wants to pursue her academic career and has never wanted children. When Rose and Luke fall in love and marry it is with the understanding that neither wants a family bigger than the two of them. Sadly, for Luke he later changes his mind and tries to convince Rose that a child would be the icing on the cake. Chapters offer different versions or" what ifs" of Rose and Luke's future but always begin with the confrontation over prenatal vitamins. This is an in-depth look at relationships , marriage, parenting and the struggle to pick the path that is right for you. 4 stars  His 15 year old daughter shows up pregnant as his mom is diagnosed with terminal cancer and he is out of a job - Amadeo has a lot on his plate. He rises to the challenge as does Angel who gets enrolled in a school program that lets her finish school while caring for her baby. For Angel it is a year of discovering who she is and what she wants from life. This family centric story about the realities of life for many Latino families. Loss and birth go hand in hand as does making good choices and bad and moving from childhood to adulthood overnight. This will appeal to readers of family dramas and characters with real problems. 4 stars  Lila gets a call from her younger sister summoning her and her brother Henry home to Georgia. Their mother has died suddenly. Lila and Henry have both escaped the sweet suffocating arms of their southern hometown now living on the East coast so coming home is bittersweet. What they will discover once home is that you can't keep a secret forever and boy, did their mom have secrets. They also know that some type of social memorial event is inevitable, there will be way too many jello molds and casseroles and sometimes people surprise you. This debut is Southern family fiction at its finest blending classic Southern culture and depth of emotions of Pat Conroy with the quirky humor of Fannie Flagg. 4 stars  A small African village finds itself on the edge of collapse when agents from a large American oil company arrive with a paycheck and a promise of better times. The village is split on if it wants to give in to the oil company and soon something happens that will forever change things. In this beautiful, lyrical novel Imbolo Mbue shows us the gentle way and quiet beauty of the village and their ways they preserve their heritage and sets it against the noise and violence of modern day mega companies and large cities. The younger generation who have witnesses so much violence and death from contamination and the power hungry oil thugs take it upon themselves to strike back and demand justice. As violent and tragic as this story is there is such beauty and grace in the language - a calm voice amidst all the pain and suffering. I would think this would be a remarkable audiobook. 4 1/2 stars  The story moves at a slow but steady pace and what you will learn about raising chickens and their behavior is fascinating. This introspective debut could be found under a fictional guide to dealing with the grief of a miscarriage or a non-fiction guide to raising healthy chickens in the unforgiving environment of the upper midwest. By caring for her chickens and her not always successful attempts at trying to keep her brood from harm the narrator equates this will her inability to keep her miscarried baby safe and thriving. She compares herself with her strong independent ex-Home EC teacher mother and her best friend whose family keeps growing. It is the Motherhood Club that she desperately wants to be a part of. The upshot of this novel that reads like a memoir is that nature is both wondrous and incredibly cruel and that raising chickens is not for the meek. 3 1/2 stars  An Irish family is dealing with life's many problems, particularly those of a take charge grandmother needing help and a moody teen who in trouble. Millie is a light fingered, irreverent free spirit who gets duped by the caretaker her son finds for her. Her granddaughter is having trouble of her own and being sent to a boarding school hasn't stopped her from falling in with the wrong crowd. These two will find themselves on a grand adventure to find the thieving care giver and Millie's stolen funds. It is heartfelt, funny and shows the rest of the family that they have truly underestimated these two. This debut will appeal to fans of books featuring quirky characters, mixed age groups and a positive message. 4 stars  |
I love to read good books and share the new books that are available and those that are coming soon
Adult Genres
General Fiction Historical Fiction Thriller / Mystery Fantasy / Sci-Fi Non-Fiction All Adult Genres Other Genres Young Adult Genre Kids Books Genre Follow Kim
Review Archives
April 2021
|
RSS Feed