Review-Race-Baiter by Eric Deggans

 

RACE BAITER:
HOW THE MEDIA WIELDS DANGEROUS WORDS TO DIVIDE A NATION

by Eric Deggans

Palgrave Macmillan(2012), Hardcover
288 pages, 0230341829.




Eric Deggans' social commentary is a worthy and important book for all. As an educator in the field of media literacy,  it is a valuable book with current analysis of what the author calls "media ecology". He defines media ecology as "the constellation of websites, social media spaces, radio and TV outlets, print publication, and even music platform that each person regularly consults each day. What I found interesting is how he points out that if as a media entity, your news, your delivery happens outside of any person's media ecology, it doesn't exist to them.

The author's purpose “is an attempt to decode the ways media outlets profit by segmenting Americans.”  He shows how the reporting of journalists can influence, persuade its audience to the left or right. His focus through most of the book is on racial bias and the consistency of managing the news with untruths and misleading reporting. Is there anyone who really believes that television and all media in our purview is not biased?  Deggan outlines his argument with countless examples of the ways media alters dialog, images and general news gathering to suit a specific audience or slant the news left or right. in reporting. He shows the irony of the term "Reality Shows" and how they are chiseled to each a specific audience.  

He offers solutions to breaking down the race-baiting of our modern media and how we must work to break down segregation that still exists. A phrase that tells so much...Deggan says, "we have to learn to sit together." This may sound preachy...but he is not.

In his view,  racial equality is looked at differently by whites and African Americans. Here is an example, in Eric Deggans' words:

“Whenever someone tells me in a well meaning voice, that they don't see color, I always respond, What's wrong with seeing my color?" The key is that when you see my skin color, you don't think it's a bad thing."

As I witnessed this personally in an interracial marriage, his observation is accurate. There is "the look", an experience that is repeated often when you are in public. Anyone who has been given "the look" understands what I mean. It's better to talk about racial difference than to pretend it doesn't exist.

Race Baiter is a candid and necessary book that should provoke a deeper awareness of the powerful messages that try to perpetuate fear or confirmation of your beliefs through any media possible.  

 Disclosure: Library Thing sent me a copy of Race-Baiter to review for the Early Reviewer program.

© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2012].

© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2013].

Review:THIS SCARLET CORD: THE LOVE STORY OF RAHAB, by Joan Wolf

THIS SCARLET CORD: THE LOVE STORY OF RAHAB
JoanWolf
Thomas Nelson
July 2012
$15.99
pb, 320pp 
9781595548771







History is often controversial whether sacred or secular. THIS SCARLET CORD will generate debates as well.  It is biblical Ffiction and Wolf adheres close to the history of what is gleaned from the Old Testament and research of ancient manuscripts found written in Canaanite. She uses five paragraphs from the Book of Joshua in the Old Testament to cleverly create a memorable adventurous historical novel.
Rahab arrives in Jericho with her father. Alluringly beautiful and she captures the eye of the degenerate old king, who lusts to make her his ritual bride during the annual pagan New Year festivities.  Rahab, being female, has no rights and must acquiesce to the offensive king’s will. Sala, a young Israelite accompanied by his father is a spy for Joshua’s army. He is in love with Rahab. Rahab is portrayed as a devoted daughter, self-determined heroine who embraces the One True God theory. With brave confidence yet high risk of death she aids Sala and Joshua in their mission to destroy Jericho.
Readers will discover a beautiful love story and learn about Rahab, a brave woman heroine who will inspire all.

June 20, 2012
Wisteria Leigh

Disclosure: I was sent a free copy of this book from HNR for review and publication. The review is submitted without bias. This review originally appeared in Historical Novels Society Issue 61, August 2012. http://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/this-scarlet-cord/

© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2013].

Review: THE SECRET LIFE OF FRIDA KAHLO, by F.G. Haghenbeck

 

THE SECRET LIFE OF FRIDA KAHLO
F.G. Haghenbeck 
Atria Books (2012)
Paperback, 368 pages
978-1451632835
$16.00







Frida Kahlo’s (1907-1954) life is immortalized in her prismatic self-portraits. F.G. Haghenbeck embraces her often outlandish and spirited personality in The THE SECRET LIFE OF FRIDA KAHLO a novel from Frida’s point of view told in an anecdotal diary format,  Based on the discovery of notebooks at her home in Mexico, The Hierba Santa Book (The Sacred Herbs Book) was never found.
Regardless of whether you have read about Kahlo, Haghenbeck has created a worthy portrayal of Frida, the artist, in this three-dimensionally tangible novel. Kahlo is an iconic figure who refused to give up on life. As a child, she recovered from life-threatening polio that left her with a withered spindly leg. She survived a near-fatal and self-described near-death experience after a horrific accident, when metal impaled her body. Kahlo believed she died that day, and Haghenbeck describes her life as haunted by two things: The Messenger (of death) and her spindly leg. She suffered unimaginable pain. To compensate, she learned to paint on her back with a mirror. She was cruelly taunted for her deformity and suffered the inability to have children.
Haghenbeck depicts the artist’s indomitable zest for life through her numerous friendships with O’Keeffe, Trotsky, Hemingway, Rockefeller, Dali, Dos Passos and Henry Miller. Frida’s legendary recipes appear at the end of each chapter, a tasty culinary bonus. Above all, her tempestuous relationship with Diego Rivera would provide a lifelong challenge of emotional complexity, a man she would always love.
Anyone who is familiar with Frida Kahlo will agree that Haghenbeck has nailed her persona. THE SECRET LIFE OF FRIDA KAHLO is a novel as alluring and mystifying as the artist herself. A highly recommended accompaniment to the existing biographical works available.

DISCLOSURE: I was sent a free copy of this book from HNR to review for their publication. The review submitted above is my unbiased honest evaluation. This review originally appeared in Historical Novels Society periodical Issue 62, November 2012. 
http://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-secret-book-of-frida-kahlo/

 

For additional information here are a few internet sites. 
PBS   http://www.pbs.org/weta/fridakahlo/
NPR  http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2012/03/20/148763199/frida-kahlos-private-stash-of-pictures 

Frida Kahlo Museum Link 


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2013].

The Last Runaway, by Tracy Chevalier

The Last Runaway 
Tracy Chevalier 
Dutton Adult (2013),  
Hardcover ISBN 0525952993 
320 pages 
$26.95/$28.50CAN








Tracy Chevalier is a familiar author to me.  Girl With a Pearl Earring still stands out as one of my favorite historical fiction selections. The Last Runaway takes place prior to the American Civil War in the border state of Ohio. Honor Bright left her homeland of England to travel with her sister Grace to America.  Shortly after their arrival Grace dies leaving Honor in a tenuous position regarding her future. Honor Bright is a Quaker and  holds dear the tenets of her religion. She values honesty and abhors slavery.  She marries Jack Haymaker, a dairy farmer and moves in with him, along with his sister and mother. Honor finds herself in a perfect position to help runaways who travel along the Underground Railroad. The Haymaker family pretend not to notice Honor's small contributions of assistance until one day they forbid her to continue. Honor Bright is forced to make difficult decisions that cause great internal conflict and reflection.

The character of Honor Bright is eerily familiar as if this writer were in her shoes in a previous life. Belle, a milliner is spunky and frank and her friendship with Honor is genuine. More than once she manages to surprise Honor with her prowess with a shotgun.  The importance of quilting and hatting in America, women's roles, Quakers and The Underground Railroad, particularly the ramifications of the Fugitive Slave Act in Ohio provided Chevalier with background to write this beautiful and inspiring novel. An author's note of interest Ms. Chevalier learned to quilt in order to write The Last Runaway.  I’m sure a gratifying perk she had not anticipated. 

Disclosure: A copy of this book was received as an ARC from the publisher. This review is my candid and unbiased opinion. 


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2012].  




 
 

Elizabeth the Queen, by Sally Bedell Smith

Elizabeth the Queen:The Life of a Modern Monarch
Sally Bedell Smith
Original Publication Date: 2011
Edition 2012,
ISBN 1400067898
Random House 688 pages






Sally Bedell Smith presents a comprehensive picture of Queen Elizabeth II. What makes this such a compelling read is the information and candid picture the reader will visualize from this biography. As an American, the image of Queen Elizabeth is often vague and remote. Perhaps that is how our president appears to other countries, but without experiencing Parliament and the British Monarchy first hand, one can’t help but feel unconnected and distanced. Yet, after reading Smith’s book for the Early Reviewer program at Library Thing, a clearer more human and genuinely warm image of the Queen is more likely probable. This biography depicts the Queen as a mother, who believes in the sacrifice of her role as the monarch above all. The love for her family is no less important, but her dedication to the British people will often cause limitations and conflict. The reader will identify with her positive inspirational spirit. This biography is a kind and gentle history of the Queen up to this current Diamond Jubilee Year. It is not just about the Queen, but about it encompasses her life, her extended family and her long and steady reign. I can’t judge how candid this biography really is. For example, does the author paint a pellucid portrait of the Queen? As with any popular public figure, the paparazzi, the press and the world will try and judge her. Draw your own conclusion by reading this enchanting biography, Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch. Did you know she has a Facebook page? How special would it be to actually friend this mighty yet petite techno savvy sovereign. Sally Bedell Smith’s biography is a noteworthy addition to the existing archives about the House of Windsor. Happy Diamond Jubilee : “Long Live the Queen!”

Disclosure: Early Reviewers(Library Thing)sent a free ARC for review.


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2012].

Across Many Mountains, A Memoir by Yangzom Brauen

ACROSS MANY MOUNTAINS
A Tibetan Family's Epic Journey from Oppression to Freedom
Yangzom Brauen
St. Martin's Press
978-0-312-60013-6
October, 2011-304 pp









 ACROSS MANY MOUNTAINS is the journey of three women, grandmother, mother and daughter from March 10, 1959, the day marked as Tibetan Uprising Day (considered the day when the Tibetan turmoil began).  This memoir is written from the point of view of the daughter, Yangzom Brauen.  It is a multigenerational approach that begins with the author’s grandmother and ends with her own story today. It is an astonishing narrative that provides the reader with the gripping history of her family, Tibet, Buddhism and the Dalai Lama. It is an eye opening read that delivers a message of determination, strength and understanding. As the Tibetan people and the government of China continue to clash, the Dalai Lama provides spiritual wisdom and hope from India.  The author skillfully assumes the persona of mother and grandmother to testify on their behalf. ACROSS MANY MOUNTAINS just might tempt the reader to pursue further reading about Tibet and Buddhism as it did for this reviewer. I applaud Yangzom Brauen for telling this remarkable family history.

This book was sent to me for review by Library Thing/  Early Reviewers.  My review is my candid and unbiased opinion of this memoir.


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2011].

The Christmas Giant, by Steve Light

The Christmas Giant
Written and Illustrated by Steve Light
978-0-7636-4692-0
Candlewick Press
2011





  

The Christmas Giant is a warm and fuzzy treasure.  Humphrey the giant and Leetree, his little elf companion are given the task to grow and deliver a tree to Santatown.  Steve Light captures the friendship, love and tenderness of this special Christmas story through his endearing illustrations and accompanying text. Sometimes allowing his pictures to tell the story, children, especially emergent readers will love this memorable story.  With a clever plan, the Giant and Leetree solve a difficult problem that leads to a spectacular ending. I plan to read this one to my kindergarten students this week and will let you know their reactions.  The illustrations are beautifully detailed using pen and ink with soft pastels. The reader will no doubt notice new things each time they read the story. Librarians, media specialists and teachers will want this one in their classroom collections. Themes of friendship and problem solving make this outstanding.

I read this book to the delight of my Kindergarten classes this week during Media Class time.
They fell in love with Leetree and Humphrey. The students really understood the friendship and sharing toward a common purpose that lifts off the pages. They couldn't wait to see what was in the box the two delivered to Santa. Thank you to Steve Light from all the kindergarteners at my elementary school.

I was sent a hardcover signed copy of this book as a gift from the author.  I want to thank Steve Light for this surprise gift won in a raffle. My review is my unbiased and honest opinion of this picture book.


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2011].

Review-Caleb's Crossing, by the Pulitzer Prize winning, Geraldine Brooks

CALEB’S CROSSING
Geraldine Brooks
Viking/Penguin Group, (May 3, 2011)
9780670021048
Hardcover, $26.95/3$31.00CAN
320 pages







CALEB'S CROSSING, is the story of Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, the son of a Wampanoag chieftain who became the first graduate of Harvard in 1665.  Geraldine Brooks has researched his story and has conceived a fictionalized drama through the diary like memoir of Bethia Mayfield, a woman of fiction, daughter of a Puritan preacher.  They live on Great Harbor Island, today’s Martha’s Vineyard. Their friendship begins through clandestine meetings that leads to a lifelong kinship. Caleb and Storm Eyes are names they give each other. They soon became bi-lingual and share not only language, but a sensitivity to each other’s culture.  Bethia learns that Caleb will soon come to live at her house and study under her father’s strict tutelage, along side her brother, Makepeace Mayfield. 

Caleb and Bethia thirst for knowledge, but as a woman, it is out of her purview and she is expected to fulfill other duties in the home.  This does not deter the recalcitrant and often headstrong Bethia, who manages a way to learn and defy conventional norms despite her fear of Satan.

Caleb and his Native American friend Joel cross over the water that separates Great Harbor from Cambridge, to pursue their destiny at Harvard. The metaphor of that journey across the water is bountiful and imaginative in the hands of Ms. Brooks. Caleb’s crossing is Caleb’s struggle to reconcile his own culture with the fate of his adopted religious beliefs.  Just as ships sail across uncertain and treacherous water the fate of Caleb’s crossing is a story with an unpredictable destiny.

Geraldine Brooks is an extraordinary illusionist with adept visual acuity. Reading her novel Caleb’s Crossing will satisfy the most discriminating literary lover with phrasing that begs to be read again.

“From my canoe I could see the muscles working in the arms of Momonequem as he paddled ahead with father. His oar pierced the water without a splash, sending ripples arrowing back to shore, where turtles catching afternoon sunlight slid from the banks as we approached.” (63)

 “This morning, light lapped the water as if God had split a goblet of molten gold upon a ground of darkest velvet.” (255)

Close your eyes as the images she sketches appear in alluring fade-in transitions.

Countless themes play counterpoint in her novel as the author examines tolerance via racial prejudice, religious and cultural belief and female roles.

CALEB'S CROSSING, is a tragically moving story, memorable and beguiling as the reader has come to expect from the sensitive writing of Geraldine Brooks. An afterword is provided to clarify facts from the writer’s imagination.  Most highly recommended and a favored 2011 pick.

Disclosure: ARC was sent to me at no cost.  The above review is my honest opinion of this novel.




© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2011].  July 5, 2011

Review-Radio Shangri-La, by Lisa Napoli

RADIO SHANGRI-LA
Lisa Napoli
Crown Publishers
February 2011
$25.00/$28.95CAN, Hardcover
304 pages
978-0-307-45302-0.

Review by Wisteria ©

It has been said that you can go just about anywhere within the pages of a book. When you read Radio Shangri-La I believe this belief is close to achievable.  Lisa Napoli was looking for happiness. In her forties, working in public radio, she was more than unhappy. So much so that she took a course in happiness where she learned that writing down three things that brought her happiness each day would lead to some sort of enlightenment. She diligently did her homework assigned, with limited success.
When an opportunity to travel to Bhutan to help with a start-up radio station, Kuzoo FM, crossed her life path, she surprised herself by taking the job. Her account of her journey to the small country nestled between India and China, seemingly untouched by the modern world is a breathtaking journey of self-discovery.  After all, when the country measures its wealth by the Gross National Happiness and not the GNP, there must be something to this story?

Napoli has a comfortable writing style that flows easily and is a quick light read. She is humorous with just the right balance of her philosophic discovery without being preachy.
If anything, everyone will want to travel to Bhutan, but the cost may dissuade you. The travel and tourism tax collected by the government is about $200.00 per day. Not to mention, the prohibitive cost for a hotel that for most is astronomical.  Travel in and out of Bhutan is an arduous adventure. As the author discovers, because of the mountains that surround Bhutan’s only airport, it is known as the “scariest airport in the world.” That’s  a comforting travel tip to keep in mind along with the seemingly endless hours of travel from the United States.

The author is more than a tourist during her many visits to Bhutan, so her perspective is less visitor and more a foster citizen, temporary yet welcomed.  To replicate her experience would be impossible as a casual tourist. However, the unimaginable beauty and majesty of the Himalayan landscape and its people who hug Bhutan with happiness must be an experience in a lifetime.

I highly recommend Radio Shangri-La for anyone who wants to discover Bhutan, an extraordinary country.  As you follow Lisa Napoli’s quest for happiness, you just might uncover three things that will bring happiness to your own life.

Disclosure: The copy of this book was an ARC provided at no cost for an honest review by Crown Publishers. 

Author Website: http://www.lisanapoli.com/radio-shangri-la/



© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2011].

Review-A Race to Splendor, Ciji Ware

A RACE TO SPLENDOR
Ciji Ware
Sourcebooks Landmark, April 2011
$16.99 U.S./£11.99 Trade Paperback,
528pp,
978-1-4022-22696.



On April 18th, 1906, San Francisco residents awoke to waves of destruction when a geological shift of earths pacific plates shift offshore. This April marks the 105th anniversary of the catastrophic earthquake that pummeled this city and destroyed nearly 400 city blocks.  The recent ruination of Japan by one of the worst earthquakes on record, and the subsequent wrath of the deadly tsunami, this historical fiction novel is an almost surreal reminder of our own frailty.

Ciji Ware has an admitted drive to tell the stories that weren’t told, those of the women who lived our past and contributed to the history. This story surrounds the life of a formidable woman, Amelia Bradshaw, an emerging architect who arrives stateside to claim her inheritance.  She is shocked to learn that her fool-hardy father, has gambled away her fortune, The Bay View Hotel in a winner take all card game. 
Her court battle to capture her legitimate right is defeated as the corrupt cronies working with the new charismatic owner J.D. Thayer ensure his victory. Forced to seek employment, Amelia is offered temporary work by her friend and mentor Julia Morgan.

After the earthquake insinuates itself into the lives of the residents, the race to rebuild from the rubble begins in earnest.  Amelia’s voice, tells the story and through the survivor’s lives prejudice and avarice embedded for years is unearthed.  Ware uses primary and secondary sources to support her opulent story of desire and greed. She sheds light on the influence of women professionals who, like Amelia and Julia had much at stake and much to prove during the turn of the century.

Ciji Ware continues to radiate the historical fiction genre with a spotlight on women’s accomplishments in history.  Highly recommended this novel glows with a careful blend of history and romance.

Review originally appeared in Historical Novels Review Magazine.  A copy of this book was sent to me by HNR magazine at no cost.




© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2011].

Review: To Defy a King, by Elizabeth Chadwick

TO DEFY A KING
by Elizabeth Chadwick
Sourcebooks Landmark
March 2011
$14.99, 544 pages
978-1-4022-50879-7

Synopsis from Sourcebooks

The adored and spirited daughter of England’s greatest knight, Mahelt Marshal lives a privileged life. But when her beloved father falls foul of the volatile and dangerous King John, her world is shattered. The king takes her brothers hostage and Mahelt’s planned marriage to Hugh Bigod, son of the Earl of Norfolk, takes place sooner than she expected. Mahelt and Hugh come to care for each other deeply, but Hugh’s strict father clashes with the rebellious Mahelt. When more harsh demands from King John threaten to tear the couple’s lives apart, Mahelt finds herself facing her worst fears alone, not knowing if she—or her marriage—will survive.

A brilliant story of a vibrant woman in a tyrant’s world, To Defy a King is another impeccably researched masterpiece from a beloved author. ~Sourcebooks

✎ My Review ✎

Elizabeth Chadwick continues to astound me with her imaginative, insightful writing, with scrupulous detail.  To Defy the King is a continuation of the story and the characters who were introduced in For the King’s Favor,  one of my favorite book choices for 2010. 

To Defy a King was equally affecting.  Favorite characters of mine reappear in this new novel, albeit with less spunk and energy.  Roger Bigod and Ida become background and less foreground, as each exhibits an aging temperament appearing now decidedly different. Roger Bigod is now somewhere in his 60’s and as his character has become set in his ways, he appears as an opinionated curmudgeon. Now a new generation of sons and daughters emerges in a fresh plot and large cast of diverse characters.

Mahelt arrives with tumultuous energy.  Roger Bigod's quickly discovers that his soon to be daughter in law this is a recalcitrant and feisty female who is not afraid to stand up to him. She could care less what others think or what gossip surrounds her deeds.  Bigod believes she needs to be watched, yet his plan to engage her with his wife’s sewing activities are short lived.  Mahelt abhors sewing, a favorite pastime of his wife Ida.  With an urgent need to harness or at least keep Melhelt stay out of trouble,  Bigod outlines alternative household duties that seem to satisfy Mahelt, for the short term.  The marriage of Mahelt Marshall to  Hugh Bigod will serve as an alliance between their two families. With Roger Marshall in the King’s favor, it is the perfect match.  However, Hugh and Mahelt come to adore one another and the small spark that begins as an ember of spousal duty turns to wanton passion. As King John continues to reign with eccentricity and brutality,  Hugh, is honor bound to serve his King.  Conflict develops when his fealty to the King and fealty to Mahelt and his children collide.

This book will bring page turning anxiety and lost sleep as you want to get to the finish, only to discover you didn’t want it to end. You just might miss the people who for a while became your world and the emotional emptiness is disconsolate.   I adored Mahelt, she is enchanting, alluring, intelligent and impressive, a rare personality of extreme power who will endure in print because her image was shaped by an exceptional storyteller.  When you read one of Elizabeth Chadwick’s books, you are cocooned in a wondrous historical fiction assignation.

See the exciting trailer and tune in to my blog tomorrow for Elizabeth Chadwick's guest appearance.  Elizabeth Chadwick Website.



Thanks to Sourcebooks for providing a review copy of this book. As always, reviews on my blog represent my honest unbiased opinion.


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2011].

Blog Tour-I Am the Chosen King, by Helen Hollick

I AM THE CHOSEN KING

The Lost Kingdom 1066
by Helen Hollick
Sourcebooks Landmark
March 2011
$16.99, 592 pages
978-1-4022-4066-9

Synopsis from Sourcebooks

England, 1044. Harold Godwineson, a young, respected Earl, falls in love with an ordinary but beautiful woman. He marries Edyth despite her lack of pedigree, pitting him against his turbulent family and his selfish King, Edward. In France, William, the bastard son of a duke, falls in love with power. Brutal and dangerously smart, William sets his sights on England, finding ambition a difficult lust to conquer.

In 1066, with the old King Edward dying, England falls vulnerable to the winds of fate—and the stubborn will of these two powerful men. In this beautifully crafted tale, Helen Hollick sets aside the propaganda of the Norman Conquest and brings to life the English version of the story of the last Saxon King, revealing his tender love, determination, and proud loyalty, all shattered by the unforgiving needs of a Kingdom. Forced to give up his wife and risk his life for England, the chosen King led his army into the great Battle of Hastings in October 1066 with all the honor and dignity that history remembers of its fallen heroes. ~Sourcebooks

My Review

I am honored to be a part of Helen Hollick’s 2011 Blog Tour. Last year I was introduced to this author’s writing when I read The Forever Queen. I was so impressed with the quality and enchantment of her writing. When I was given the opportunity to preview I Am the Chosen King, and participate in this promotion of her second book in her trilogy about the Battle of Hastings, I couldn’t resist. Helen Hollick has captured my attention with much enthusiasm once again.

Harold Godwinesson, the chosen king, is a romantically compelling character, in fact, a woman’s dream: charming, loving, handsome, supportive and brave. At times his character is almost too good to be real. Where is this man, the loving father who is deeply in love with his first love, Edith, a woman who can never be queen, nor accepted as anything but his concubine, yet they will have many children?  It has the elements of a star-crossed relationship, with a prescient and foreboding future. However, he deeply loves and adores her. They share this unique and rare heart match. He is determined to have a life with her.

When King Edward dies without an heir, Harold is selected by the council to become England’s King. At this time he is compelled to chose a woman to be his Queen, solidifying an alliance for the future of England, his kingdom. However, this also means he must face severing his relationship with Edith.

Ms. Hollick presents her version of this famous day in history and the events that lead up to October 14, 1066. With precise clarity she gives the reader what is necessary to imagine the setting and characters who lived during this time. Her keen eye has puzzled the threads from 11th century tapestries she uncovered in her research to evoke the ambiance that is presented in I Am the Chosen King. The battles are vividly brutal, the gore inescapable. The serious scenes of this nobel fight for power turn quickly from the bright glitter of sharpened metal and anticipation, to the dull red bloodbath of defeat known as The Battle of Hastings.

Helen Hollick has unwoven the dusty threads of the past to assemble a unique visionary interpretation of the history that surrounded two men Harold, King of England and William, “The Bastard” Duke of Normandy and their lust for one crown in this powerful historical fiction novel.





Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. This review is my honest unbiased opinion. 


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2011]. 

Review-Black Swan, by Chris Knopf

BLACK SWAN
A Sam Acquillo Hamptons Mystery
by Chris Knopf
The Permanent Press
May 2011
$28.00, 304pages
978-1-57962-216-9

Synopsis from The Permanent Press

"A savage storm maroons Sam Acquillo, his girlfriend Amanda and charming nut-case pooch Eddie Van Halen on a nearly-deserted island off the tip of Long Island. Not just any island, but an enclave of old money eccentrics, xenophobic natives and a family of high tech refugees threatened by vicious mercenaries and secrets of their past.

Sam just wants to fix his boat and move on, but tempests both manmade and meteorological take over, and suddenly everything is on the line, including his own life." ~The Permanent Press

Mark Twain's Other Woman, by Laura Trombley

MARK TWAIN’S OTHER WOMAN
The Hidden Story of His Final Years
Laura Trombley, Alfred A. Knopf,March 17 2010, $28.95,  352pp, 978-0-307-27344-4.

Mark Twain wanted his biography published without a doubt. He also wanted to have total control over the image of the man people would read about and therefore went to great lengths to protect his reputation.  So, how do we know the real Mark Twain? 

Mark Twain’s Other Woman, by Laura Trombley is about the writer’s later years between 1900 and 1910 and his personal relationship with his secretary, Isabel Van Kleek Lyon.    Trombley, a college professor,  has written two other books about Twain and has sifted through a vast array of primary documents that include personal letters, notes and diary entries.  Through interviews and reading the daily reminders written by Isabel Van Kleek Lyon the author has put together a chronology of Twain’s life, a portrait of the man he and his family hoped would never come to light.

This is an engaging at times shocking look at Mark Twain, his relationship with his secretary Van Kleek Lyon and his daughters.  It will be easy to overlook slow moving passages that are burdened by the author’s research findings.  Trombley’s evaluation and interpretation about this unconventional yet respected iconoclast in American literature will offer an irresistible and controversial read.

Disclosure: This book was provided to me to review by Historical Novels Review.
Regardless of how I obtain my books, all reviews are my honest opinion.
This review originally appeared in Historical Novels Review.

© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2011].

Review-When We Were Strangers, by Pamela Schoenewaldt

WHEN WE WERE STRANGERS
Pamela Schoenewaldt
Harper Collins
1/25/2011
$14.99, 336 pages
978-0062003997


Book Description from Publisher

"If you leave Opi, you'll die with strangers," Irma Vitale's mother always warned. Even after her beloved mother's passing, 20-year-old Irma longs to stay in her Abruzzo mountain village, plying her needle. But too poor and plain to marry and subject to growing danger in her own home, she risks rough passage to America and workhouse servitude to achieve her dream of making dresses for gentlewomen.
In the raw immigrant quarters and with the help of an entrepreneurial Irish serving girl, ribbon-decked Polish ragman and austere Alsatian dressmaker, Irma begins to stitch together a new life . . . until her peace and self are shattered in the charred remains of the Great Chicago Fire. Enduring a painful recovery, Irma reaches deep within to find that she has even more to offer the world than her remarkable ability with a needle and thread  -Harper Collins

My Review

When We Were Strangers will be one of this years cherished memorable novels. Schoenewaldt is a dramatically exciting storyteller who has a velcro like ability to hold on to an audience throughout. Her characters are destined to attain literary immortality, they breathe beyond the final chapter. Two women stand out as formidable in their own way: Irma both victim and survivor and Sofia, savior and mentor. Whether random, kismet or some divine encounter, when Irma and Sofia meet their relationship is powerful and inspiring.

The story reflects the immigrant experience unique to America and the multicultural composite of it’s citizens. Once valued and celebrated, this diversity was the foundation of this country, adopting an appropriate motto, e pluribus unum (out of many one). Today, rather than shrinking, the gap of intolerance of others difference has become extreme, a disturbing trend. Reading this novel one might question how civil we are today, two centuries later?  Further, when will tolerance emerge from this apex of intolerance and the prodigious prejudice still with us today?

Pamela Schoenewaldt, a propitious and pensive writer who will no doubt leave readers anticipating her next book. Until then, don’t miss her debut.

http://pamelaschoenewaldt.com/reviews/

Disclosure: The copy of this book was given to me by Library Thing as an ARC to review for the Early Reviewer program.  This review is submitted free of bias and represents my honest opinion.


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2011].

Review-Then Came the Evening, by Brian Hart

THEN CAME THE EVENING
Brian Hart,Bloomsbury, January 2010, $25.00 Hardcover, 272pp, 9781608190140









Book Description from the Jacket Cover

Bandy Dorner, home from Vietnam, awakes with his car mired in a canal, his cabin reduced to ashes, and his pregnant wife preparing to leave town with her lover. Within moments, a cop lies bleeding in the road. Eighteen years later, Bandy's son -- a stranger bearing his name -- returns to the town, where the memory of his father's crime still hangs thick. When an accident brings the family -- paroled father, widowed mother, injured son -- back together, the three must confront their past, and struggle against their fate. Like a traditional Greek tragedy, suffused with the mud, ice, and rock of the raw Idaho landscape, Then Came the Evening is tautly plotted and emotionally complex -- a stunning debut.
http://www.bloomsburyusa.com/books/catalog/then_came_the_evening_hc_140

My Review

Bandy Dorner emerges from his wrecked car after being roused awake by two policemen. Searching for focus in a dazed stupor, what happens next will send him away to jail for almost twenty years. His wife Iona, having fled with her lover Bill has no interest in Bandy, and his life in prison is hellish. He has not heard from Iona and he has asked his parents not to visit. Then in 1990 as he is near the end of his time served he receives a letter from Iona, with a startling confession that he has an eighteen year old son, Tracy. Naturally, Tracy wants to meet his father, and they meet while he is in prison. It is during this time that Tracy finds out about his father’s old cabin and decides to live there as he waits for his father’s return. When Tracy arrives at the house it is a gutted run down shell. The entire contents, everything including plumbing, ripped and carried away. After he has a serious accident while renovating the cabin, Iona runs to her son with a parental panic of foreboding deep in her gut.

When Bandy is released, the three live together, each having endured much pain and suffering already. They begin to sort out their feelings and whether they will ever live as a family. Their future and potential for forgiveness and hope for unity is what makes this story so good. I don’t think I would want to ever meet Bandy Dorner and I’m not sure I understand Iona at all. Tracy tries to strike a balance as he wants a relationship with both parents.

Then Came the Evening is a sadly pathetic and sobering story of a broken family. Brian Hart is a talented writer, a first time novelist who grabs the reader from the first chapter. His writing describes each scene with careful attention to details using poetic prose providing visual clarity.

Some quotes from Then Came the Evening.....

“The moon was high and bright, the color of milk in a blue glass; three days from being full, it was cleaved on one side. He blinked several times at the thin halos surrounding the moon but they remained. They were an illusion: a snowball dropped in black water, ripples spreading from it. The house was dark and looked abandoned. The snow was blue on the road. The cold and the silence were woven together and stretched so tightly that there were creaking sounds in the air, nautical sounds of binding rope. ....The night air washed over him and he was not sad or conscious of his body and its weight: He was free.” (Hart, 126)

and

“Iona turned and watched the final dance of the fall-time, tree-filtered sun cross the untreated floorboards. The shadow of the ladder to the sleeping loft made bars on the floor, a skewed rail track on the wall. Then the sun went and in an instant the room felt cold.” (Hart, 16)

This is a serious and dismal story yet its characters’ struggles and dreams carry a familiar message of hope. It exposes a fragile family with difficult choices and unstoppable consequences. I embrace Then Came the Evening:an unforgettable read.

Note: Then Came the Evening is now available in paperback too.

Wisteria Leigh
December 2010

Disclosure: The copy of this book was a gift from the publisher, Bloomsbury/USA. This review represents my candid opinion without influence or monetary compensation.


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

Review-Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

REVOLUTION
Written by Jennifer Donnelly
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780385737630
Our Price: $18.99
978-0-385-73763-0

Synopsis from Book Cover and Random House

"BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Parisfor winter break.

PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart."

My Review

All Andi Alpers wants to do is forget. Forget that the tragic death of her brother ever happened. She believes it is her fault, that her parents blame her and that the reality is her brother is dead. She will never see him again, and the events leading up to his death haunt her each day. To cope with her loss, she functions, just barely at times due to her heavy reliance on anti-depressants.The depression zaps her energy, her drive, her will to live. Her father travels much of the time and her mother, an artist, fills her days painting, lost in her own world of pain. When her father shows up, he believes his solutions are the best for both Andi and her mother.

Andi, stuck in Paris with her non-communicative father is faced with an ultimatum. He agrees to her proposition to produce an outline for her final thesis, work she has so far neglected. If he accepts the project, he will agree to allow her to fly back to Brooklyn. She stumbles upon the diary of Alexandrine, a young girl who lived during the French Revolution. The events and lives of those in the ill-fated journal present a compelling mystery. Andi’s compulsion to finish her project is desperate and frenetic. Eventually, with a crash of kismet, her life collides with the past.

The beginning of the story was slow, rather banal and my interaction was passive. However, as soon as you emerge in Paris, the mysterious plight of Alexandrine, uncovered in the pages of her diary makes this book suddenly glow with a brilliant radiance. Andi begins to see life through death and a harmonious blend of the two characters creates a duet of tympanic rhythm that reveals a powerful message.

Donnelly presents an imaginative novel with a deeply penetrating view of the historical events that took place during the French Revolution. It’s important to note that the inconsolable numbness to life and the feeling of self-loathing and deep depression portrayed in the character of Andi Alpers is sadly heartbreaking. The timeless message of self-love and forgiveness makes this a highly recommended novel.


Disclosure: This was an ARC sent to me by Random House.


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

Review-My Name is Mary Sutter

MY NAME IS MARY SUTTER
by Robin Oliveira
Viking/Penguin Group
$26.95/$33.50 Can; 384 pages
ISBN 13 978-0670021673
May 13, 2010

Mary Sutter, shared the womb with her sister Jenny, but in her words her life is more in “competition than cooperation” with her neonatal twin. Mary has followed in her mother’s footsteps as a midwife. Considered by many to have far surpassed her mother’s talents, Mary is competent and popular, regarded with high esteem. However, she wants more. Following her life’s passion to become a surgeon, she seeks admittance to the Albany Medical College. Facing gender prejudice, her application is denied. With an indomitable spirit she seeks alternatives to learn to become a surgeon. She is called upon to help deliver a breach baby where she meets James Blevin, a surgeon. Although impressed with Mary’s technique, he denies her request to become her teacher. When the Civil War breaks out, Dorothea Dix forms an organization to hire a corp of nurses. Mary travels to Washington, DC to answer the ad, but is denied because of her age. With a fiery determination and unshakable resolve to fight prejudice in her way, she finally ends up insinuating herself upon Dr. Sipps another surgeon. He works in a retched, unsanitary, disease filled overcrowded hospital. Sipps is overwhelmed with the wounded and sick but reluctantly allows Mary Sutter to assist, watch and listen. She is witness to bloody battlefields where she must step over the dead and seriously wounded, maimed and diseased. What she learns is more than she ever expected as she is faced with difficult choices. The battle between the North and South, is a metaphor for her own guilt over family, career prejudice, love and reconciliation.

Mary Sutter is an unforgettable character, a role model of distinct strength. With determination and raw nerve she overcomes not only the prejudices that seek to impede her goal to become a surgeon, but she presses her own character beyond the limits of human tolerance. This is a graphic and brutally honest depiction of the massive carnage that resulted during the Civil War when canon artillery combined with limited medical knowledge and inadequate supplies decimated hundreds of thousands of men. Even still, Robin Oliveira’s storytelling is captivating and is a welcomed addition of historical fiction for anyone interested in reading about this period. A dramatically compelling story, tearful and tragically real, sure to produce deep breathing and serious pondering of the past. With my highest recommendation, this will be a top ten of 2010.

Disclosure: This copy was sent to me by Viking Press. This review is offered without bias and is my honest opinion.



© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

The Secrets of Newberry by Victor McGlothin

THE SECRETS OF NEWBERRY

by Victor McGlothin
Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group
$13.99/$16.99 Can; 373 pages
ISBN 13 :9780446178136
2010

Full Description from the Publisher:

"For Ivory Bones Arcineaux and Hampton Bynote, life in 1950s New Orleans couldn't be sweeter. Friends since they met in an illegal gambling house in Newberry, Louisiana, they have their pick of all the fine women, good food, and hot nights they can handle. They seem to have it made-especially Julian who begins to make a new life for himself after meeting the beautiful, classy Magnolia Garbo at a social. But both men are about to find out that letting the good times roll can be deadly when a simple robbery goes wrong and Julian witnesses Bones murdering a man in cold blood."

Review: The Secrets of Newberry

Just when you think you have everything figured out, this story will take an unexpected turn to keep you engaged as you can’t help but turn to the next page. Pearl Lee works as a supervisor in the washhouse, delegating soiled linens and underclothes among the other black women who work on the Delacroix Plantation. The women share a secret, a secret agreement between the white men in this powerful family and the black women who serve and live in the rows of slave shacks next door. They all know and suffer with the agreement. Their husbands are in the dark, the secret is unspeakable and unseemly, but all agree it is necessary to keep their men safe, so they endure.

Characters who comprise this complicated story are unforgettable. Magnolia and Pearl Lee are strong women who demonstrate the depth of their emotions when they back it up with actions. Hampton struggles to provide a good life for his family. He lives on a tightrope intent on staying straight with the law, but his balance is not always steady.

Are there some secrets worth dying for? Is murder ever justified? Suspense, mystery, racial inequality and the backdrop of Jim Crow Louisiana in the 1950’s accompanied by a superb realistic story with intrigue will more than satisfy historical fiction fans. Victor McGlothin’s storytelling will force you to ponder life questions of faith and belief. Masterfully told and highly recommended.


Disclosure: This book was sent to me at no cost from Hachette Book Group. This review is my own unbiased true opinion of The Secrets of Newberry, by Victor McGlothin.


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

Review-A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer

A FIERCE RADIANCE
by Lauren Belfer
Harper/Harper Collins Publishers
$25.99/$33.99 Can; 544 pages
ISBN 13 : 9780061252518
On Sale: 6/15/2010


Taken for granted now, it is hard to fathom that prior to WWII a person could die from a minor scratch just as easily as pneumonia and other staphylococcal bacterium. During the war, soldiers were seriously wounded in mass numbers often recovering from wounds yet later died from infection. The government saw penicillin as a critical weapon of war. By saving lives lost from infection, troops could be returned to the war to fight again.

The government recruited pharmaceutical companies like Merck and Pfizer among others to focus all research on the development, production, clinical trials and ultimately the administration of penicillin. To stem competition the government disallowed a patent on penicillin. However, these same companies worked furiously to develop alternate patentable antibiotics that would prove more lucrative.

A Fierce Radiance is an absorbing fictional account of this momentous, life changing scientific discovery that became the medical breakthrough of the decade. The story takes place just after Pearl Harbor in New York City, 1941. Claire Shipley is a famous photojournalist who works for Life magazine. Her assignment is to cover the story of the miracle drug penicillin as it is administered and tested on a dying patient at the Rockefeller Institute. Claire is a witness to the patient’s recovery. The drug works! Unfortunately, without sufficient supply on hand, the patient relapses and dies. Deemed by her boss, Henry Luce, magazine mogul and husband of Clare Booth Luce as too depressing, too controversial her story never will not run.

What follows is the sudden violent death of the beautiful young assiduous mycologist, Tia Stanton, sister of Claire’s new boyfriend Jamie. Tia’s impressive research was startling one formula showed positive results with hopeful promise.
Claire’s life becomes the lens and conduit for Belfer’s compelling story.

Her daughter Emily died very young, a victim of illness that had penicillin been around would have saved her. Divorced, she now lives with her son Charlie. Her father, Edward Rutherford, is a lonely millionaire, estranged for years and absent from her childhood. Recently he has pursued a father-daughter relationship they never had.

Rutherford learns about the new miracle drug and its healing possibilities. He invests his money in a new pharmaceutical company and joins the penicillin race. When Jamie Stanton accuses Rutherford of killing his sister Tia, Claire’s world appears to collapse.

A Fierce Radiance takes you back to the exciting age of discovery and the highly charged days during World War II when the race to win the war was in everyone’s hearts. Belfer succeeds in recreating the fury of this historical period with astute memoir like details. Claire stands out as a resilient character who will be remembered for her strength, faith and ability to forgive. A memorable impressively written story with timely relevance.


Disclosure: This copy of A Fierce Radiance was sent to me by the publisher, Harper Collins.