Category Archives: Literary Fiction

January 5, 2015 · 1:09 pm

Review: Almost Famous Women by Megan Mayhew Bergman

I received an advanced review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
My Review:
Almost Famous WomenThe stories in this collection revolve around women who were famous for a brief period of time.  As the title suggests, they were “almost,” but not quite famous enough, to become household names.  The first thing that struck me about these stories is that many of the women all do jobs or tasks that are usually reserved for men in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: riding motorcycles, racing speedboats, and painting nudes.

These women are daring and take risks and will not settle for loneliness, boredom or obscurity.  When a woman wakes up in a hospital bed wondering if her grave injuries during a motorcycle crash were worth risking her life, she decides she cannot go back to living a lonely and dull life in eastern Maine.

The women in these stories also lead terribly sad lives and none of them really have happy endings; an illegitimate baby is discarded at a convent by her parents, an actress dies of an overdose and a reclusive painter is taken advantage of by her nurse.  The story that I found the saddest is the first one in the collection in which conjoined twins are abandoned by their birth mother and taken in by a women who exploits them.  The twins’ caregiver parades them around and makes them sing and dance and everyone treats them like outcasts.  At the end of their lives, shunned by society and broke, they are forced to work long hours at a grocery store where they still get strange looks from the customers.

I also liked the fact that the author gives us a visual, as the stories are accompanied by a picture of each woman it describes.  If you want a collection of stories that tugs at your heartstrings and makes you think about unusual women who strive to live outside of societal norms, then ALMOST FAMOUS WOMEN is a great read.

About The Author:
Megan BergmanMegan Mayhew Bergman is the author of Almost Famous Women (January 2015) and Birds of a Lesser Paradise (March 2012) – both from Scribner, and both Indie Next selections. Megan was a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers pick and will receive the Garrett Award for Fiction from the Fellowship of Southern Writers.

Megan’s work has appeared in the New York Times, Best American Short Stories 2011, New Stories from the South 2012, McSweeneys, Ploughshares, One Story, Oxford American, The Kenyon Review, Narrative and elsewhere.

Raised in North Carolina, Megan now lives on a small farm in Vermont with her two daughters, veterinarian husband, and a host of rescue animals.

 

 

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January 2, 2015 · 11:15 am

Review: The Awakening by Allen Johnson

I received a review copy of this novel from the author.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis is a beautiful novel about the power of redemption.  The story reminded me quite a bit of the same message that is conveyed by Dickens in A Christmas Carol: it is never too late in life to make amends and become a better person.

Lupita is a successful doctor who works at a local clinic in her hometown of Espejo, Spain.  She lives with her elderly, yet feisty, grandfather, Diego.  One night Diego finds a severely wounded man on the street and brings him home for Lupita to care for.  After a few days, the stranger whom they call Antonio, is recovering from his wounds but is still in a coma.  His sleep is fitful and tormented and Lupita and Diego wonder with what demons this wounded man is wrestling.

This story is also a bit of an historical fiction as Diego reminisces about his younger years and meeting the greatest love of his life, Lupe.  Diego and his wife move to Granada after they are married and experience the turmoil of the Spanish Civil War in the 1930’s.  The two time periods in which the story takes places, both the 1930’s and the 1990’s are intertwined nicely in the narrative.

The most interesting aspect of the story deals with Antonio and his awakening and subsequent amnesia.  For 4 months he cannot remember who he is or why he was attacked.  As he his healing, he finds peace with Lupita and Diego and truly becomes a part of their family.  But when he does regain his memory, will his previous life threaten the happiest home he has ever known?  I highly recommend reading THE AWAKENING so that you can find out!

 

About The Author:
Allen Johnson has been called a modern Renaissance man. Yes, he is a popular author, but that’s just the beginning. He is also a Ph.D. psychologist, keynote speaker, leadership consultant,cyclist, painter, actor, jazz pianist and vocalist, photographer, and videographer.

Allen has a voracious appetite for life. He has cavorted with giant turtles in the Caribbean, climbed the glacier peaks of the Pacific Northwest, and flown a single-prop plane across the country. He is fluent in French and calls a small village in the south of France his second home. That lust for life is always present in his writing: His characters are multidimensional and brimming with ambition and desire.

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December 26, 2014 · 12:29 pm

Review- Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor by R.D. Blackmore

This book has been on my “to read” list for a long time.  When someone, whose opinion I highly value, recommended that I read the book, I immediately picked it up.  My only regret is that I waited so long to finally read Lorna Doone.  Originally published in 1869, R.D. Blackmore sets his book on the wild frontier of Exmoor, England where the Crown does not have complete control over the land.

My Review:

Lorna DooneThe plethora of interesting aspects to this book makes it difficult to decide about which ones to write.  John Ridd is a young boy living in the wilds of western England in the 17th century, when his father is murdered by a band of outlaws who torment, bully and rob the farmers and good people of Exmoor.  The Doones occupy their own outlaw village and not only survive by robbing those around them but also prey on the their neighbors for sport.  When John Ridd’s father stands up to these bullies, he is murdered and leaves behind his widow, Sarah Ridd, his prosperous farm, and his three children.

Although John grows up without the guidance of his father, he develops into an upstanding, strong and honest man.  Never for a minute does John harbor resentment or a grudge against the Doones.  If he had let hate and vengeance consume him, his heart would never have been open to receive the love of Lorna Doone and he would have missed out on the greatest love of his life.  What impressed me most about these star-crossed lovers is that they refuse to let the sins of their families ruin their happiness.  R.D. Blackmore has created a character in John Ridd that is an enduring moral example for all ages.

Despite unfortunate circumstances and countless obstacles, the zeal of John and Lorna’s love never wanes.  John’s thoughts and actions are always carried out with his love in mind, no matter how long it has been since he has beheld her face.  This romance is an interesting lesson for those of us in the 21st century who are accustomed to social media, Skype, text messaging, and any number of gadgets that keep us constantly in connection with one another.  We do not have to wait days and weeks for a letter from a loved one or travel on an extended and tedious journey to reach our beloved.  In this age of “out of site, out of mind,” would a man and woman be so patient, faithful and enduring in their love as John and Lorna?

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Oare Church in Exmoor

The plot is also one of the factors that made me devour this book.  The reader is kept in constant suspense wondering whether or not the evil villians, in the form of the Doones, and especially their leader Carver Doone, will get their just deserts.  Will anyone come to the aid of the innocent people of Exmoor to stomp out these bullies, or will John Ridd and his neighbors take matters into their own hands?  John’s cousin, Tom Faggus, who is also a highway robber, has many interesting parts in the storyline.  Although, as a counterexample to the Doones, he robs the rich and gives the spoils to the poor.  R.D. Blackmore kept me guessing the various fates and outcomes of his characters until the very end.

R.D. Blackmore’s tale has the perfect formula for a great novel: romance, adventure, a bucolic setting, and indelible characters.  The tale of John Ridd has truly captured my heart and like all my favorite classic books, it will be one of those that I will reread again and again.

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December 15, 2014 · 12:00 am

Review: For They Have Sown The Wind by Alessandro Perissinotto

I received an advanced review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. It is translated into English from the original Italian novel.

My Review:

For they have sown the windGiacomo Musso finds himself in an Italian prison, accused of having a role in the violent death of his wife.  Giacomo’s lawyer, in order to help prove his client’s innocence, asks Giacomo to write his story down on paper.  The story that he writes while he is incarcerated does not begin just before his wife’s death. Giacomo asks his lawyer for a box of old photographs and through these photos he retraces his marriage all the way back to the first time his met his wife when they were living in Paris.

The first half of the story is the best part as it describes Giacomo as a shy man who gradually wins Shirin’s love.  They live in her apartment in Paris for about a year and then they decide to move back to Giacomo’s small hometown which is high in the mountains in Northern Italy.  Giacomo takes job a as an elementary school teacher in his hometown where he teaches 12 children of all different grades in a one room schoolhouse.

Giacomo and Shirin’s life, however, is completely changed by their decision to live in this small town.  Although they are charmed by the scenery, the history of Giacomo’s ancestral home and the childhood friends who welcome Shirin, racism soon rears its ugly head.  Events soon occur that prove this isolated part of Italy is rife with prejudice against Muslims and although she is a French citizen, Shirin’s Iranian descent makes her the target of racial bigotry.

This book made me think, once again, about marriage and relationships.  At the first sign of trouble, Giacomo and Shirin’s marriage begins to crumble.  They are portrayed by Giacomo in his writing as a happy pair who never argue or even bicker.  But when a serious situation arises that tests their love, they turn on each other and take out their resentment on the very person who should be offering succor.

Shirin’s response to the isolation she suffers as a result of racism is one of  extreme, and even violent, retaliation.  This reminds me of the recent events in Ferguson, Missouri which city had a rash of violent protests, burnings and lootings.   When a group of people become victims of racial profiling, bigotry and persecution, the reaction of these victims is oftentimes that of violence and outrage.  But in both the case of Shirin and the looters in Ferguson, is violence really a reaction that will bring about an end to racial tension and bigotry?  I am not saying we can blame these victims for such a reactive response, but in the end what does it really solve?

FOR THEY HAVE SOWN THE WIND is for those readers who like a thought-provoking book about marriage, relationships, racism and small town life.

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December 9, 2014 · 1:33 pm

Review: Tales of Arcadia by Stuart Shotwell

Since I enjoyed reading Edmund Persuader  and Tomazina’s Folly so much, I was thrilled to find that the author also published this collection of short stories. For those who are familiar with my reading habits, short stories are one of my favorite genres to review and I am very excited to write about this particular collection.

My Review:

Tales of ArcadiaThese short stories, as the title Tales of Arcadia suggests, are set against a simple, pleasurable and pastoral backdrop.  The setting especially resonates with me because it is redolent of rural New England where I currently reside.  The characters in these tales are humble people attempting to navigate their lives and experience the very connections that make us human: love, friendship, grief, infidelity and longing.

Stuart Shotwell’s writing genius lies in his ability to create characters who experience a variety of human relationships. Within these stories are examples of husbands and wives who cannot live without each other and whose love and mutual respect makes them better people.  But within these tales there is also a taste of marital life in which spouses are discontent, inattentive, withdrawn and selfish.

Stuart Shotwell reminds us that love is possible at any age and we always have the choice to extend our love to another person.  When a situation seems utterly hopeless, it is at these trying times that we must reach deep within ourselves, learn a lesson and become stronger through our struggles.  When something of ourselves is truly given from the heart, whether it be love, friendship or even a small gift, it is better than anything money can buy.

Even though I enjoyed the 10 short stories, the essays that begin and end the collection are my favorite pieces of writing.  The greatest desire of many authors is to accumulate vast wealth, to be at the top of every best seller list and to gain the status of celebrity with their publications.  Through practical lessons learned in his personal life that he applies to his work, the author recognizes that his writing, and the writings of any author, have the potential to affect a higher moral purpose and greater good both for his readers and for himself.

The author’s lesson about writing can even be applied to my little blog. I originally started this blog just for my own pleasure and to challenge myself to write better reviews and maybe share them with like-minded readers.  Sometimes I am frustrated when I see other bloggers with vast numbers of followers who review massed produced, pop culture books.  I have come to the conclusion that the most pleasurable and rewarding experiences that have resulted from my words are the connections I have made with readers and authors, even if it is only a select few.  Tales of Arcadia has reminded me that it is these human connections which bring the most meaning to my activities and to my life.

I have read a few so-called “best seller” novels and none have affected me nearly as much as Edmund Persuader, Tomazina’s Folly and Tales of Arcadia.  From the quality and depth of his writing it is evident that Stuart Shotwell’s novels and stories are a gift from the heart and are better than anything that money can buy.

A Few of My Favorite Quotes:

I usually do not quote from books that I review.  In fact, I don’t believe there is a single review on this blog that contains a quotation from a book.  But I am making an exception for these stories because so many of the beautifully written lines have lingered in my mind.

“If we know who we are and feel worthy in ourselves, we make the choices that are for the good of all.”  -from “Saul’s Road”

“This choice was in his power: the choice to believe in love, to love someone else, to try again.”  -from “Jack”

“Music, Clement thought, was as boundless as friendship itself–the more of yourself you gave to it, the more you found in yourself to give.” -from “Archon’s Gift”

“Open your basket, girl. What do you want to read?”  “I haven’t read Homer yet.”  “Then you haven’t read Greek.”  -from “Who Holds Thee?”

“And yet all we really have, when the dogmas and delusions are stripped away is one another: in our fellow humans and in our fellow creatures on earth lies our only sure source of meaning.” -from “The Lord’s Well”

 

 

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