What if you found yourself able to go back and explore the path in life you almost took? Frankie's untimely demise offers her an unusual "It's a Wonderful Life" moment where she can go back and see what her life would be like with some of the ex boyfriends or no partner or where some of those career paths could have led her. Would she be happier with no money but living on the beach or way too much money but losing herself and friends in the process. The writing is witty, the humor keeps it light (if you can do that while speaking of the hereafter) and we all love a "what if " scenario. Fans of OONA OUT OF ORDER or THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY will find much to love here. I listened to the audio and enjoyed the accents. 4 stars
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A beautifully crafted love letter to nature by way of Lydia Millet's personal experiences in the natural world. Millet dissects our fascination and deep rooted relationship with animals from childhood picture books using animals with human characteristics to teach to adults shaping the animal world for our own benefit for food, companionship or test case. She has a gentle yet firm way of pointing out our many faults with near perfect precision making the reader feel simultaneously both guilty and fascinated by human behavior. As humans we have systematically eliminated so many species and continue to ruin our own chances for survival while revering nature and animal life. Joyous and a warning to perhaps cherish more of what we have before it is gone this will appeal to fans of her fiction as well as memoir/ nature essayists like H IS FOR HAWK. 4 stars THE HUSBANDS by Holly Gramazio
Lauren comes home from a night out to meet her husband at the door except she doesn't have a husband. This begins an array of potential mates that come and go as soon as they travel up to the attic where a new man descends. This debut starts off at a crazy pace as Lauren changes husbands as often as outfits some only staying a few minutes. Lauren herself stays the same as do her friends and her house. I expected a big revelation at the end and it was a bit hard to keep up with all the different husbands but this is clearly a unique fable and one that follows "be careful what you wish for" and "a bird in the hand is better than a flock in your attic". Clearly a British look at finding the perfect mate because every dilemma is made better with a cup of tea. 3 1/2 stars 1920's London is a microcosm of nations including Chinese supplying various treasures from the Orient as well as opium. Lao She is a university teacher who keeps himself and the crush on his landlady's daughter in check. He begins to come out of his shell after he is asked to help a well known Chinese judge in town to solve a string of murders. The fact that they are all Chinese men makes it a low priority for the police but they are all acquaintances of Judge Dee. A cozy mystery in the vein of Sherlock Holmes with a dose of the exotic. It is interesting to see the juxtaposition of the desire to appear less Chinese when dealing with the British and the desire to honor the Chinese culture and fight for their countrymen's rights. I loved the carefully orchestrated fight scenes! Readers of classic detective stories told from a different viewpoint will appreciate this. 4 stars
The daughters of two famous fathers form a friendship that lasts decades despite their very different backgrounds. Portia is the daughter of Booker T. Washington a respected leader of the Black community and Alice is the eldest daughter of President Teddy Roosevelt. They bond over their common plight as women with their families pushing them towards marriage and neglecting their desires to do something on their own plus both are seeking approval from their ambitious fathers. They do both marry transferring the ability to steer their own path from father to husband. It is an interesting look at the daughters of famous men who seek independence yet are judged publicly for those ambitions. The only frustration I had was that their personalities and worlds seemed so different it was hard to see how they would be more than a go-between their fathers. Historical fiction readers who enjoy stories of underestimated strong women behind powerful men will find much to love here. 3 1/2 stars Northern Abolitionists in Philadelphia meet Southern slavers in this historical tale of three brave women from very different backgrounds. Nell is born free, Charlotte is living free but as the housemaid of her light skinned father both hiding that they are runaway slaves and Evie who is a slave brought to the city with her mistress and desperate to run. Nell and Charlotte are doing whatever they can along with the help of a growing number of the Abolitionist movement in Philadelphia but freedom can be taken away instantly as anyone of color can be kidnapped by slave catchers even in what they consider a safe city. Highlighting the women behind the scene, the real dangers they faced and the horrors of slavery this is a masterful debut that will resonate with readers of Black history. 4 stars
A retired cop befriends a young woman seeking answers about the dead brother she never knew. Dennis was sent through the system and ended up at a boy's institution in remote Oregon where he drowned. Amanda born years later was adopted and now is trying to find connections to her birth family. Larry is a lonely widower who sees something special in Amanda and offers to help her for what turns out to be a hard road. People aren't talking about what happened at the institution and the paper trail is long. The side story is about Amanda's passion that of caring for a solitary polar bear at the zoo. She is trying to help the bear connect with his family through DNA. Their search goes deeper into uncovering what was really going on at the school putting them in danger with justice for Dennis within their reach. Rene Denfeld mirrors two stories beautifully showing the connection of siblings and the cost of trying to "help" those in need with cruel methods. Food and shelter mean nothing without love, caring and compassion. Heartbreaking and pulse pounding at the same time this will appeal to readers who love character driven stories as well as legal thrillers. 4 1/2 stars
Trapped by the puritanical standards of her village and family Maria yearns to have the freedom to swim like a boy and not marry who her father chooses for her. When she meets Sam and falls in love this freedom is put to the test. They each make an unconventional choice which leads to a dangerous path. Sam will become the pirate of legends while Maria will be cast as an adulterer and witch. A wonderful seafaring adventure combined with historical fiction revolving around strong women held in contempt by powerful men. It also touches on the dilemma when loyalty to your country disagrees with your own moral compass. A love story for the ages based on true historical figures in Colonial America. 4 stars Happy book birthday to THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVLINS by Lisa Scottoline
T.J. is the black sheep in the family. He is in recovery after a tragic accident landed him a jail sentence and changed his path from the rest of his family of attorneys. Now working as a private P.I. with his family helping throw him clients but worried about his sobriety. While trying to help his brother out of a tough spot the domino stacks start to fall knocking him over as his brother throws him under the bus. This solid legal thriller also shares the stage with a deep family drama. When you are at your lowest point your family will always have your back right? In true Lisa Scottoline style there is a tricky mystery to solve mixed with humor, emotion and lots of drama. Fans of John Grisham and her book WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BENNETTS will enjoy. 4 stars This is a reimagined and expanded story of the slave Jim and Huckleberry Finn the way it should have been told. Like every slave Jim is very aware of the need to stay out of the spotlight but when he learns that he will be sold he takes the only path available to him and runs. Huck is running too and they both travel one step ahead of danger from slave catchers and con men finding life on the river just as dangerous as Hannibal. Jim has a big heart and he tries to keep others particularly Huck safe but there is no future for a runaway slave just as there is no such thing as a kind slave owner. The biggest difference in this telling of Mark Twain's classic is that Jim secretly can read and write showing far more intelligence and humanity than the idiotic white people he meets. HIs speech changes completely once he is with fellow slaves or free people of color as does theirs which is the biggest irony of all . All the songs and entertainment and speech secretly mock the very white people who consider themselves superior. This story also highlights the extreme abuse, idiotic assumptions and justifications made by slave owners. A brilliant retelling of a classic filled with brutal honesty and the same ironic wit of Mark Twain. A new classic is born. 5 stars
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