Book Review: Safe From the Sea by Peter Geye

Tuesday 6 September, 2011 By 2 Comments


Title: Safe From the Sea
Author: Peter Geye
Publisher: Unbridled Books
Publication Date: September 6, 2011
Paperback: 256 pages
ISBN: 978-1609530570
Genre: Literary Fiction

From the Publisher:

Set against the powerful lakeshore landscape of northern Minnesota, Safe from the Sea is a heartfelt novel in which a son returns home to reconnect with his estranged and dying father thirty-five years after the tragic wreck of a Great Lakes ore boat that the father only partially survived and that has divided them emotionally ever since. When his father for the first time finally tells the story of the horrific disaster he has carried with him so long, it leads the two men to reconsider each other.

Meanwhile, Noah’s own struggle to make a life with an absent father has found its real reward in his relationship with his sagacious wife, Natalie, whose complications with infertility issues have marked her husband’s life in ways he only fully realizes as the reconciliation with his father takes shape.

Peter Geye has delivered an archetypal story of a father and son, of the tug and pull of family bonds, of Norwegian immigrant culture, of dramatic shipwrecks and the business and adventure of Great Lakes shipping in a setting that simply casts a spell over the characters as well as the reader.

My Review:

An astonishingly moving debut novel, Safe from the Sea by Peter Geye explores the relationship between father and son. Geye describes Lake Superior as well as the surrounding areas in astonishingly beautiful and vivid detail. Geye writes of Norwegian immigrant Olaf Torr, one of only a few survivors of the sinking of the Ragnarok, an iron ore boat off the shores of Lake Superior. This event was a catalyst forever altering the lives of Olaf and his children Solveig and Noah. As Noah heads to the cabin where his estranged father is dying, he worries about the past as well as the present and future with his wife Natalie. Safe From the Sea, while a relatively short book, is rich in deep issues, giving the reader pause to contemplate each decision, indecision and the ramifications of action or inaction. Covering some very intense topics, Geye guides the reader through serene Northern Minnesota, taking me back to my childhood summers spent there. Safe from the Sea is filled with intense emotions and these are often described through scenes and descriptions. Sometimes there just are no words to adequately suffice, other times, especially with Noah, his short clipped statements speak volumes. Hailing from Minnesota, I do not know of many older than myself who do not speak in the manner of Olaf, so it was a comfort to me and brought me back home. Time flew by as I read Geye’s debut novel and I believe he is definitely an author to be watching for more great works. I highly recommend Safe from the Sea to all readers.

About the Author:

Peter Geye received his MFA from the University of New Orleans and his PHD from Western Michigan University, where he was editor of Third Coast. He was born and raised in Minneapolis and continues to live there with his wife and three children. This is his first novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Safe From the Sea by Peter Geye from Unbridled Books. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: In the Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda

Thursday 1 September, 2011 By 6 Comments

Title: In the Sea There are Crocodiles: Based on the True Story of Enaiatollah Akbari
Author: Fabio Geda
Publisher: Doubleday
Publication Date: August 9, 2011
Hardcover: 224 pages
ISBN: 978-0385534734
Genre: Literary Fiction

From the Publisher:

When ten-year-old Enaiatollah Akbari’s small village in Afghanistan falls prey to Taliban rule in early 2000, his mother shepherds the boy across the border into Pakistan but has to leave him there all alone to fend for himself. Thus begins Enaiat’s remarkable and often punish­ing five-year ordeal, which takes him through Iran, Turkey, and Greece before he seeks political asylum in Italy at the age of fifteen.

Along the way, Enaiat endures the crippling physical and emotional agony of dangerous border crossings, trekking across bitterly cold mountain pathways for days on end or being stuffed into the false bottom of a truck. But not every­one is as resourceful, resilient, or lucky as Enaiat, and there are many heart-wrenching casualties along the way.

Based on Enaiat’s close collaboration with Italian novelist Fabio Geda and expertly rendered in English by an award- winning translator, this novel reconstructs the young boy’s memories, perfectly preserving the childlike perspective and rhythms of an intimate oral history.

Told with humor and humanity, In the Sea There Are Crocodiles brilliantly captures Enaiat’s moving and engaging voice and lends urgency to an epic story of hope and survival.

My Review:

In the Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda captures the memories of events of young Enaiatollah Akbari, as he experienced them from the time he left his life in Afghanistan with his mother until he reached Italy, alone and in search of political asylum.  Knowing only of life under the Taliban, young Enaiat is taken to Pakistan by his mother, who subsequently leaves him there, a 10-year-old who must learn survival with only his mother’s guiding principles: do not use drugs or weapons, and do not steal.  Considered fiction because Geda has taken Enaiat’s words and crafted them into this story, the events and what was experienced by Enaiat are his true accounts.  Geda has written this novel with utmost respect for what was endured, the hardships, the atrocities, and the triumphs of Enaiat, and this respect is apparent in Geda’s style which is true to the mind of a young boy.  This story is told in as close to the direct voice of Enaiat as was possible, a poignant reminder of what human’s seek in life: a place that is safe and peaceful, a family that is nurturing and loving.  Readers will cry for this boy who seeks no pity from his plights, and then cheer as his perseverance brings him to a triumphant conclusion.  I highly recommend Geda’s In the Sea There Are Crocodiles to all readers for it is a gem.

About the Author and Translator:

Fabio Geda is an Italian novelist who writes for several Italian magazines and newspapers. This is his first book to be translated into English.

Howard Curtis is a London-based translator of Italian and French texts, for which he has won numerous awards.

I received a complimentary arc of In the Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda from Doubleday to review. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: Two Friends by Alberto Moravia

Wednesday 17 August, 2011 By 2 Comments

Title: Two Friends
Author: Alberto Moravia
Publisher: Other Press
Publication Date: August 16, 2011
Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN: 978-1590513361
Genre: Literary Fiction



From the Publisher:

In this set of novellas, a few facts are constant. Sergio is a young intellectual, poor and proud of his new membership in the Communist Party. Maurizio is handsome, rich, successful with women, and morally ambiguous. Sergio’s young, sensual lover becomes collateral damage in the struggle between these two men. All three of these unfinished stories, found packed in a suitcase after Alberto Moravia’s death, share this narrative premise. But from there, each story unfolds in a unique way. The first patiently explores the slow unfurling of Sergio’s resentment toward Maurizio. The second reveals the calculated bargain Maurizio offers in exchange for his conversion to Sergio’s beloved Communism. And the third switches dramatically to the first person, laying bare Sergio’s conflicted soul.
Anyone interested in literature will relish the opportunity to watch Moravia at work, tinkering with his story and working at it from three unique perspectives.

My Review:

Two Friends by Alberto Moravia is a set of three beautifully written stories, or versions, of Sergio and Maurizio, unfinished works written around 1950 and only discovered in 1996, six years after Moravia’s death.  Translated from Italian by Marina Harss, these three tales tell of two men of vastly differing political viewpoints who are both in love with the same woman.  Harss provides detailed notes on the original pages of the manuscripts including clues used to constrain the dates of the writing.  For the more inquisitive literary anthropologist, the pages also reveal insight into Moravia’s writing methods.  Moravia explores three versions of the same story in this trio of drafts, each taking a different approach to illuminating the morals, politics, and friendship of these two divergent souls.  Readers will be taken in by the intrigue that flows naturally from reading tales that were not yet complete and watching as Sergio develops a begrudging attitude toward his friend while his friend becomes involved with his lover and as the two negotiate a deal where Maurizio would revise his political views to be in line with Sergio’s.  This masterfully crafted set of stories has so much to offer the literary fiction fanatic and I highly recommend Two Friends to readers that want to glimpse into the literary mind Moravia.

I received a complimentary ARC of Two Friends by Alberto Moravia from Other Press. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton

Monday 7 February, 2011 By 10 Comments


Title: The Tapestry of Love
Author: Rosy Thornton
Publisher: Headline Book Publishing
Publication Date: October 14, 2010
Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN: 9978-0755345571
Genre: Literary Fiction

From the Publisher:

A warm and uplifting story of how a woman falls in love with a place and its people: a landscape, a community and a fragile way of life.

A rural idyll: that’s what Catherine is seeking when she sells her house in England and moves to a tiny hamlet in the Cévennes mountains. With her divorce in the past and her children grown, she is free to make a new start, and her dream is to set up in business as a seamstress. But this is a harsh and lonely place when you’re no longer just here on holiday. There is French bureaucracy to contend with, not to mention the mountain weather, and the reserve of her neighbours, including the intriguing Patrick Castagnol. And that’s before the arrival of Catherine’s sister, Bryony…

My Review:

Beautiful, heart warming, and utterly charming, The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton tells the story of Catherine Parkstone, a divorced mother of two grown children trying to discover just who she is and where she belongs. Catherine sells her home in England and moves to a small village in the Cévennes Mountains. While in France she sets up a business and begins to look forward to this fresh start, yet as with life in general, it is not all easy going. Thornton expertly takes to reader to the Cévennes region and deep into forty-eight-year-old Catherine’s life. With exquisite attention to detail, Thornton draws the reader into the story and I found myself quite intrigued with both the major and minor characters of the story, especially Catherine, Patrick, and Bryony, each in their own way. I believe The Tapestry of Love is a book to slowly savour and one well worth reading. Thornton slowly and rather deliberately shows how Catherine grows even beyond what she initially had hoped and planned for in her life, it was beautiful to read about and quite inspiring, especially considering the main character is a woman who is not too much unlike myself in respect to age and children. Thornton shows the reader that middle age is not to be dreaded as some people think and those who are considered middle age can still love, have hopes, dreams, and desires that need to be fulfilled. Through use of exquisite detail, Thornton not only describes the mountains, the countryside, the beautiful tapestries, but also the intricate nature of human beings. I adored Catherine and found strength from her character. I would not hesitate to recommend The Tapestry of Love to any reader and think it would make a fabulous book discussion group pick.

About the Author:

Rosy Thornton teaches at Cambridge University. She lives in a village nearby with her partner and their two daughters.

I received a complimentary copy of The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton from the author to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

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Book Review: Under the Mercy Trees by Heather Newton

Thursday 20 January, 2011 By 14 Comments


Title: Under the Mercy Trees
Author: Heather Newton
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; Original edition
Publication Date: January 18, 2011
Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN: 978-0062001344
Genre: Literary Fiction

From the Publisher:

Thirty years ago, Martin Owenby came to New York City with dreams of becoming a writer. Now his existence revolves around cheap Scotch and weekend flings with equally damaged men. When he learns that his older brother, Leon, has gone missing, he must return to the Owenby farm in Solace Fork, North Carolina, to assist in the search. But that means facing a past filled with regrets, the family that never understood him, the girl whose heart he broke, and the best friend who has faithfully kept the home fires burning. As the mystery surrounding Leon’s disappearance deepens, so too does the weight of decades-long unresolved differences and unspoken feelings—forcing Martin to deal with the hardest lessons about home, duty, and love.

My Review:

Under the Mercy Trees by Heather Newton is a beautiful, yet dark story of the Owenby family, reunited in 1986 when their 65-year-old brother Leon, disappears. The story alternates in narration mainly from Martin Owenby, his sister-in-law Bertie, Ivy Owenby, and Martin’s childhood friend Liza Bernard. Martin is the only one of the ensemble who no longer resides in Solace Fork, North Carolina and does not want to be back home; too many memories are being stirred up, not just for him, but his siblings, spouses, and their children. Newton carefully and through beautiful, almost lyrical prose, weaves together the stories of the lives of the Owenbys and through a series of flashbacks, the reader is able to gain a better perspective on each of the siblings and their strained relationships with one another and their spouses. There are quite a few stories to keep track of and I quickly found myself wanting to know so much more about Ivy and her three children; Shane, Steven, and Trina. While the story is centered on locating Leon, it is much more than a missing person case, rather Under the Mercy Trees is about family and how one can hold on to past prejudices, injustices, and insults for too long, until they lose themselves to the bitterness. Newton crafted a brilliant story around the dysfunctional relationships amongst the middle-aged Owenbys and the lessons that can still be learned and forgiveness that can still be found, no matter how old one is, if one is ready. I became completely absorbed in the lives of the Owenby family and the brilliant narration, vivid imagery, and delicately woven tales of sorrow and joy. I highly recommend Under the Mercy Trees to all readers and think this would make an excellent discussion group pick.

About the Author:

Heather Newton’s short stories have appeared in Crucible, Encore, Wellspring, and elsewhere She lives with her family in Asheville, North Carolina, where she is an attorney and mediator.

To learn more about Heather Newton or her books, please check out her Website, and like her on Facebook.

For more reviews of the book, please follow the Book Tour.

I received a complimentary copy of Under the Mercy Trees by Heather Newton from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

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Book Review: The Green Age of Asher Witherow by M. Allen Cunningham

Monday 10 January, 2011 By 5 Comments


Title: The Green Age of Asher Witherow
Author: M. Allen Cunningham
Publisher: Unbridled Books
Publication Date: October 15, 2005
Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN: 978-1932961133
Genre: Fiction

From the Publisher:

Supplying a quarter of San Francisco’s coal, Nortonville of the 1860s-70s is a flourishing empire in small, seeming to promise unending prosperity and a better future. But beneath the vibrant work ethic of its Welch citizens lies an insidious network of superstitions.

A missing boy first brings these dark undercurrents to light. Then young Asher Witherow falls under the spell of an unorthodox apprentice minister, stirring a whirlpool of suspicion and outrage. Soon Asher finds himself trapped in a nightmarish crucible, all the more excruciating because he himself could end it if he could only find the strength of will. This is a lesson the missing boy has taught him, and what he understands instinctively from the alluring Anna Flood, new to Nortonville, who with her raw sensuality and independence seems to offer some hope of redemption or even escape.

In this powerful debut from a young writer of stunning talent, M. Allen Cunningham takes us into a time and place at once gritty and magical, when the future seems filled with promise but where the day’s labor is bone breaking, numbing and always dangerous.

Gorgeously written, historically authentic, The Green Age of Asher Witherow is a novel of tested loyalties, of condemnation and redemption. The characters’ deep emotional lives are complex and vivid, fluctuating from the doomed to the transcendent. As he unpacks his heart, Asher comes to realize that all his early traumas have somehow bonded him to the land surrounding Mount Diablo and infused his life with an inward wealth—a treasure at which we can only wonder.

My Review:

Literary prose is a balm for the soul and M. Allen Cunningham provides the reader with an abundance in his debut novel The Green Age of Asher Witherow. Beautiful, lyrical, and deeply philosophical, Cunningham brings the reader back to the latter half of the 19th century through the memory of Asher, whose young years were spent near Mt. Diablo in California where he and his father worked for the Black Diamond Mines. Asher reflects on Nortonville, his parents David and Abicca, the Welsh legends he was raised with, and the ever-present darkness and death that surrounded him during his working days. The Green Age of Asher Witherow is so beautifully written, a fictionalised historical account of coal mining in such a unique manner, with beautiful, lyrical and metaphorically rich prose as well as vivid descriptions evoking not only images of the people and places, but also of the very sounds. I truly enjoyed Asher’s accounts of his life and often forgot that Asher did not truly exist, even though one will get the feeling one is reading the most wonderful of memoirs. Cunningham has created a work of art, deeply thought provoking, difficult to write about, rich in imagery, easily relatable and covering deeply complex issues under the guise of a simple tale. I would recommend everyone read The Green Age of Asher Witherow and highly recommend book discussion groups to choose this book.

About the Author:

M. Allen Cunningham is also the author of the novel Lost Son. His short fiction has also appeared in a number of literary magazines, including Glimmer Train, Boulevard, and Epoch. He grew up in California, living for nearly two decades in the Diablo Valley north of San Francisco, and now resides with his wife in Portland, Oregon.

I received a complimentary copy of The Green Age of Asher Witherow by M. Allen Cunningham from Unbridled Books to review. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan

Monday 25 October, 2010 By 6 Comments


Title: The Miracle of Mercy Land
Author: River Jordan
Publisher: WaterBrook Press
Publication Date: September 7, 2010
Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN: 978-0307457059
Genre: Literary Fiction

From the Publisher:

What if you had the power to amend choices you made in the past? Would you do it even if it changed everything?

Mercy Land has made some unexpected choices for a young woman in the 1930s. The sheltered daughter of a traveling preacher, she chooses to leave her rural community to move to nearby Bay City on the warm, gulf-waters of southern Alabama. There she finds a job at the local paper and spends seven years making herself indispensible to old Doc Philips, the publisher and editor. Then she gets a frantic call at dawn—it’s the biggest news story of her life, and she can’t print a word of it.

Doc has come into possession of a curious book that maps the lives of everyone in Bay City—decisions they’ve made in the past, and how those choices affect the future. Mercy and Doc are consumed by the mystery locked between the pages—Doc because he hopes to right a very old wrong, and Mercy because she wants to fulfill the book’s strange purpose. But when a mystery from Mercy’s past arrives by train, she begins to understand that she will have to make choices that will deeply affect everyone she loves—forever.

My Review:

Beautiful, lyrical, and full of hope, The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan is an unforgettable book.  While classified as Christian fiction it does not read like a traditional Christian fiction book in the sense that an element of magic is used throughout the story.  Mercy is born in the backwater town of Bittersweet, Alabama and is raised by her preacher father and heavily influenced by her Aunt Ida.  She leaves Bittersweet for Bay City where she ends up working at a local paper and learns her boss has the biggest secret of all.  Doc Philips has a book mapping out the choices of every person to live in Bay City, yet what can Mercy and Doc do with this knowledge?  Jordan asks the reader to look deep within themselves as well as her characters, to look at how every choice made, influences the path currently being taken and begs the question of whether or not it is possible to reverse a poor choice.  The Miracle of Mercy Land is an exquisitely written story filled with well-developed and realistic characters and vivid descriptions of life both in Bittersweet and Bay City, and while this magical quality was not one I was particularly fond of, it managed to get across the author’s intentions and in so doing works well in this novel.   I would recommend The Miracle of Mercy Land to any reader who is looking for a delightful afternoon of some introspective literary prose.  I believe this would make a lively discussion group choice, especially for Christian groups, and the book gives some good discussion topics at the end to help lead off a lively discussion.

About the Author:

River Jordan is a critically acclaimed novelist and playwright. Her books include The Miracle of Mercy Land, Saints In Limbo and The Messenger of Magnolia Street. She speaks around the country on the “Power of Story” and produces and hosts the radio series, Clearstory from Nashville, Tennessee where she makes her home.

I received a complimentary copy of The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan from KBK Public Relations to review. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: The Ghosts of Milagro Creek by Melanie Sumner

Friday 8 October, 2010 By 7 Comments


Title: The Ghosts of Milagro Creek
Author: Melanie Sumner
Publisher: A Shannon Ravenel Book
Publication Date: July 6, 2010
Paperback: 267 pages
ISBN: 978-1565129177
Genre: Fiction, Literary

From the Publisher:

The story of Ignacia Vigil Romero, a full Jacarilla Apache, and the two boys, Mister and Tomás, she raised to adulthood unfolds in a barrio of Taos, New Mexico—a mixed community of Native Americans, Hispanics, and whites. Now deceased, Ignacia, a curandera—a medicine woman, though some say a witch—begins this tale of star-crossed lovers.

Mister and Tomás, best friends until their late teens, both fall for Rocky, a gringa of some mystery, a girl Tomás takes for himself. But in a moment of despair, a pledge between the young men leads to murder. When Ignacia falls silent, police reports, witness statements, and caseworker interviews draw an electrifying portrait of a troubled community and of the vulnerable players in this mounting tragedy. Set in a terrain that becomes a character in its own right, The Ghost of Milagro Creek brilliantly illuminates this hidden corner of American society.

My Review:

Absolutely brilliant are the first thoughts I had as I closed The Ghosts of Milagro Creek by Melanie Sumner. Sumner has crafted a lyrical story of love, death and mysticism, taking the reader into the barrios of Taos, New Mexico at first through the voice of Abuela “Ignacia”, a Jicarilla Apache who was considered by some a witch and by others as a healer, to learn about Tomas and Mister, blood brothers and their tale of love and rivalry. Out of all the narrators, Abuela speaks most eloquently about her culture, beliefs, and customs. The Ghosts of Milagro Creek is far more than a love story; it is a tale of culture, rich in symbolism and metaphors, of family, death, mystery, tradition and a deep rivalry. Sumner has crafted a beautiful, poetic and deeply descriptive novel. The reader easily feels a part of the story. For those who enjoy a linear novel, this book most definitely is not told in a linear fashion, beginning with Abuela having passed away prior to the telling of this story, which has several different narrators. The non-linear fashion Sumner chose to write her story was a brilliant choice as one learns so very much about the culture, the mystery, the investigations in addition to learning about the rituals Mister and Tomas go through together all told from several different narrators. Deeply emotional, heart-wrenching and beautiful, The Ghosts of Milagro Creek is a spectacular work of literary fiction and one I would highly recommend to any reader and book group.

About the Author:

Melanie Sumner is the author of The School of Beauty and Charm, a novel, and Polite Society, stories. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she earned her MFA from Boston University and was the recipient of a Whiting award in fiction in 1995. She currently lives in Rome, Georgia, and teaches creative writing at Kennesaw State University.

I received a complimentary copy of The Ghosts of Milagro Creek by Melanie Sumner from Algonquin Books. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: Safe From the Sea by Peter Geye

Friday 1 October, 2010 By 8 Comments


Title: Safe From the Sea
Author: Peter Geye
Publisher: Unbridled Books
Publication Date: September 28, 2010
Hardcover: 256 pages
ISBN: 978-1609530082
Genre: Literary Fiction

From the Publisher:

Set against the powerful lakeshore landscape of northern Minnesota, Safe from the Sea is a heartfelt novel in which a son returns home to reconnect with his estranged and dying father thirty-five years after the tragic wreck of a Great Lakes ore boat that the father only partially survived and that has divided them emotionally ever since. When his father for the first time finally tells the story of the horrific disaster he has carried with him so long, it leads the two men to reconsider each other.

Meanwhile, Noah’s own struggle to make a life with an absent father has found its real reward in his relationship with his sagacious wife, Natalie, whose complications with infertility issues have marked her husband’s life in ways he only fully realizes as the reconciliation with his father takes shape.

Peter Geye has delivered an archetypal story of a father and son, of the tug and pull of family bonds, of Norwegian immigrant culture, of dramatic shipwrecks and the business and adventure of Great Lakes shipping in a setting that simply casts a spell over the characters as well as the reader.

My Review:

An astonishingly moving debut novel, Safe from the Sea by Peter Geye explores the relationship between father and son.  Geye describes Lake Superior as well as the surrounding areas in astonishingly beautiful and vivid detail.  Geye writes of Norwegian immigrant Olaf Torr, one of only a few survivors of the sinking of the Ragnarok, an iron ore boat off the shores of Lake Superior.  This event was a catalyst forever altering the lives of Olaf and his children Solveig and Noah.  As Noah heads to the cabin where his estranged father is dying, he worries about the past as well as the present and future with his wife Natalie.  Safe From the Sea, while a relatively short book, is rich in deep issues, giving the reader pause to contemplate each decision, indecision and the ramifications of action or inaction.  Covering some very intense topics, Geye guides the reader through serene Northern Minnesota, taking me back to my childhood summers spent there.  Safe from the Sea is filled with intense emotions and these are often described through scenes and descriptions. Sometimes there just are no words to adequately suffice, other times, especially with Noah, his short clipped statements speak volumes.  Hailing from Minnesota, I do not know of many older than myself who do not speak in the manner of Olaf, so it was a comfort to me and brought me back home.  Time flew by as I read Geye’s debut novel and I believe he is definitely an author to be watching for more great works.  I highly recommend Safe from the Sea to all readers.

About the Author:

Peter Geye received his MFA from the University of New Orleans and his PHD from Western Michigan University, where he was editor of Third Coast. He was born and raised in Minneapolis and continues to live there with his wife and three children. This is his first novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Safe From the Sea by Peter Geye from Unbridled Books. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: Up From the Blue by Susan Henderson

Thursday 30 September, 2010 By 9 Comments


Title: Up From the Blue
Author: Susan Henderson
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Publication Date: September 11, 2010
Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN: 978-0061984037
Genre: Fiction

From the Publisher:

Tillie Harris’s life is in disarray—her husband is away on business, the boxes in her new home aren’t unpacked, and the telephone isn’t even connected yet. Though she’s not due for another month, sudden labor pains force Tillie to reach out to her estranged father for help, a choice that means facing the painful memories she’s been running from since she was a little girl.

An extraordinary debut from a talented new voice, Up from the Blue untangles the year in Tillie’s life that changed everything: 1975, the year her mother disappeared.

My Review:

Susan Henderson’s deeply moving and emotional debut novel Up From the Blue will capture the reader’s attention straightaway. Henderson’s use of beautiful prose with a simple and almost lyrical quality weaves together the life of Tillie which is filled with joy, sadness, despair and the loving bond between mothers and daughters. The reader first meets Tillie when she is in labour with her child and then the story flashes back to her childhood where the reader gets a haunting look at Tillie’s childhood through the eyes of her 8-year-old self. Up From the Blue is a fast-paced emotional novel filled with unexpected twists and turns throughout the story and it is quite easy to forget one is reading a work of fiction as Tillie explains her life in raw detail, her emotionally unstable mother and the ordeals the family must go through, the pain and deep sadness, and the feelings of guilt no 8-year-old should ever feel. One cannot help but be moved by Henderson’s narrative and be profoundly changed. The strength and courage of Tillie Harris will make readers sit up and take notice. Her story is one that is deeply emotional and unforgettable. Up From the Blue is a novel I was unable to set down and personally, I look forward to more literary works from Susan Henderson. I would recommend Up From the Blue to all of my readers and anyone in a book discussion group.

About the Author:

Susan Henderson is a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee and the founder of the literary blog LitPark: Where Writers Come to Play (www.litpark.com). Her work has appeared in Zoetrope: All-Story, the Pittsburgh Quarterly, North Atlantic Review, Opium, and many other publications. Henderson lives in New York, and Up from the Blue is her first novel.

For more reviews of the book, please follow the book tour.

I received a complimentary copy of Up From the Blue by Susan Henderson from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

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