Cries of the Lost

Cries of the Lost

sequel to Dead Anyway

November 22, 2013 

 

by Chris Knopf

Review: CRIES OF THE LOST and DEAD ANYWAY by Chris Knopf

Advance Praise

An Advertisement in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 

© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2013]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Review: Swimming in the Moon, by Pamela Schoenewaldt

SWIMMING IN THE MOON
by Pamela Schoenewaldt
William Morrow
978-0062202239
Paperback, 368 pages
September 3, 2013

Lucia has moments of doubt about her mother Teresa Esposito’s sometimes peculiar behavior. She never knew her father, who deserted the two before she was born.  Their mother/daughter bond is strong, so tender, they even share the same bed. They are both servants for the Count and Countess Monforte in Naples, Italy in 1905. Teresa sings like an angel and she often is called upon to soothe the Countess during her frequent migraines. The Count is a contentious cad, impressed with his privileged position and own self-importance.  

One day, Teresa becomes the subject of an experimental treatment for hysteria as The Count and his doctor test the efficacy of his Rube Goldberg invention.  Lucia appears unexpectedly and demands her mother’s immediate release.   Unfortunately, Lucia becomes the next victim in their experiments. Teresa explodes with anger and rage as she strikes the Count down. Desperate to avoid capture and prosecution their options are limited as the Count’s influence is far-reaching.

Lucia, 14 years old, suggests they sail to America. Although, the idea of leaving Italy leaves Teresa glum. Their passage is paid for by the Countess.  Forged papers are created by her staff along with a letter of introduction to a boarding house in Cleveland.

They decide to Americanize their names to Lucia and Teresa D’Angelo. Teresa ultimately takes on the persona of the “Naples Nightingale” and is hired by a traveling vaudeville show. Lucia continues her studies at school and works hard as a scribe.  Gradually, the demons and hysteria insinuate deeper into Teresa’s personality.  Lucia must alter her plans to take care of her mother.

SWIMMING IN THE MOON is an exceedingly rich historical novel on so multiple levels. The characters are spot-on realistic, familiar and readers will easily empathize with their lives. Lucia is the quintessential immigrant of this era, determined to succeed, hard-working and practical,  never extravagant.  Schoenewaldt brings out the many social issues of the day. Lucia’s eyes attest to the poor working conditions, long hours and low pay.  Likewise, Teresa’s plight unveiled as if a documentary, uncovers the filthy facilities and limited choices available to care for the  mentally ill and their families.  

SWIMMING IN THE MOON has the same delicious flavor of America’s history that Pamela Schoenewaldt brought out in her novel When We Were Strangers.  Her compassion and love for the immigrant stories that shaped America have a compelling appeal.  A sensitive novel to treasure that will live on in your heart.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I also own the Kindle edition that was purchased by me at Amazon.  

© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2013]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Review: City of Hope: A Novel, by Kate Kerrigan

CITY OF HOPE

by Kate Kerrigan

William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (June 25, 2013)

Paperback, 352 pages

978-0062237286
$14.99

CITY OF HOPE, the sequel to Ellis Island, begins in Ireland in 1934.  It has been over ten years since Ellie returned from America with enough money to pay for her husband John’s leg surgery. Today, John works on the farm his parents own, and Ellie owns a successful business in town. They yearn for a child, although she has failed to carry to term. She arrives home one day to discover John slumped over a chair, having died of a heart attack.

Ellie spirals into inconsolable grief, refusing comfort from everyone.  After the customary Irish wake and funeral passes, denial and hopelessness pervade her thoughts, and she makes the sudden decision to return to America.  She leaves her business and family behind as she seeks solace in her past. After arriving in New York, she questions her purpose in life until one day she meets Maureen, a homeless woman with children. Once again, an entrepreneurial challenge sets in motion a plan that has unexpected results.

CITY OF HOPE is a lovely story that captures the essence of the 1930s.  The author weaves her story around the social issues of that time: labor strikes, homelessness, poverty, joblessness, and the plight of single women. Ellie Hogan is a strong female character, but the author doesn’t make her sympathetic enough.  However, two lesser characters emerge who will delight the reader: Sheila, a somewhat eccentric and shallow woman out to catch a man, and Bridie, a steadfast mother figure who Ellie comes to depend on.

Readers with an affinity for generational epics and historical fiction will enjoy both Ellis Island and CITY OF HOPE, with a promise of book three to come.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from HNR to write a candid review for publication. 

© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2013]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Originally published in HNR periodical, Issue 65 (August 2013).

Review: Crossing Purgatory, by Gary Schanbacher

 

CROSSING PURGATORY

by Gary Schanbacher

Pegasus, 2013

Hardcover, 336 pages

9781605984438

$25.00 (US)

In May of 1858, Thompson Grey abandons his farm in Indiana, unable to live in the present and inconsolable after the death of his wife and two children. He feels responsible, believing his lust for a better life killed his family, and walks away full of thoughts about his empty life.

There can be no words to describe Thompson’s deep sense of guilt and self-loathing, but Gary Schanbacher gives readers a rare glimpse into a man’s emotional battles: “Dream world or real? … He fought to relegate his dark epiphany to the realm of drifting and unreliable imagination… The world took shape … but the truth remained before him, ox-like, stubborn, massive and accusing.”

CROSSING PURGATORY is the hellish self-imposed journey Thompson takes as he grieves daily, directionless, haunted by nightmares and restless nights. Bereft of everything he loves, he prefers the open space of the outdoors. Perhaps his purpose is to find his lost soul. He is confronted by Captain Upperdine, a wagonmaster leading immigrants to a new life out West along the Sante Fe Trail. Upperdine, puzzled by the taciturn farmer, relays the perils of the unforgiving climate and convinces Thompson to help him manage his party across the country.

As his wagon train diminishes in size, Upperdine leads Thompson and one remaining family to his home to rest and make plans. Upperdine has an Indian wife, who provides some security from her people and protection for his vast land holdings. The land isn’t suitable for crops, but Thompson devises a plan to farm the barren land for profit. Unsure about his future and driven by blinding ambition, he is tempted to revisit his past.

Gary Schanbacher strips Thompson Grey down to his intimate, unfiltered thoughts. Readers will savor this beautifully rich historical novel, a work whose literary future is assured. Schanbacher’s clear writing illuminates many precise visual details. Take this one on vacation this summer.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from HNR to write a candid review for publication. 

© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2013]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Originally published in HNR periodical, Issue 65 (August 2013).