Book Review: Flashback by Dan Simmons

Friday 29 July, 2011 By 6 Comments


Title: Flashback
Author: Dan Simmons
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Publication Date: July 1, 2011
Hardcover: 560 pages
ISBN: 978-0316006965
Genre: Fiction

From the Publisher:

The United States is near total collapse. But 87% of the population doesn’t care: they’re addicted to flashback, a drug that allows its users to re-experience the best moments of their lives. After ex-detective Nick Bottom’s wife died in a car accident, he went under the flash to be with her; he’s lost his job, his teenage son, and his livelihood as a result.

Nick may be a lost soul but he’s still a good cop, so he is hired to investigate the murder of a top governmental advisor’s son. This flashback-addict becomes the one man who may be able to change the course of an entire nation turning away from the future to live in the past.

A provocative novel set in a future that seems scarily possible, FLASHBACK proves why Dan Simmons is one of our most exciting and versatile writers.

My Review:

Flashback by Dan Simmons is an evocative fictional story of the future United States, whose order among the countries of the world is crumbling.  Flashback is a drug that gives those who take it the ability to re-live memories and experiences that were enjoyable and Simmons crafts characters that are both believable and flawed, likeable and reprehensible, in this futuristic tale.  When Nick Bottom’s wife is killed in an accident, Nick risks his career and much more to re-live his best times with his wife through this powerful drug.  Though the effects of flashback on humans seemed a bit far-fetched, Simmons makes good use of the drug’s action to develop the story through literary flashbacks.  Mixing in a lot of present day politics with his storyline brings the book to life as readers will feel immersed in the plot.  While some readers may object to a few of the religious and political aspects of the plot, it is important to recognize that this is a fictional tale.  I recommend Flashback to readers who enjoy futuristic fiction.

About the Author:

Dan Simmons is the award-winning author of several novels, including the New York Times bestsellers Olympos and The Terror. He lives in Colorado.

I received a complimentary arc of Flashback by Dan Simmons from Little, Brown and Company/Reagan Arthur Books. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore

Monday 23 May, 2011 By 9 Comments


Title: The Arrivals
Author: Meg Mitchell Moore
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Publication Date: May 25, 2011
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN: 978-0316097710
Genre: Fiction

From the Publisher:

It’s early summer when Ginny and William’s peaceful life in Vermont comes to an abrupt halt.

First, their daughter Lillian arrives, with her two children in tow, to escape her crumbling marriage. Next, their son Stephen and his pregnant wife Jane show up for a weekend visit, which extends indefinitely when Jane ends up on bed rest. When their youngest daughter Rachel appears, fleeing her difficult life in New York, Ginny and William find themselves consumed again by the chaos of parenthood – only this time around, their children are facing adult problems.

By summer’s end, the family gains new ideas of loyalty and responsibility, exposing the challenges of surviving the modern family – and the old adage, once a parent, always a parent, has never rung so true.

My Review:

The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore is the author’s debut novel about one family whose empty nest parents, Ginny and William Owens, soon find unexpected visitors in the return of the adult children. Faced with challenges, some known, others yet to be determined, Lillian and her children, Stephen and his wife Jane, and Rachel all end up boarding with their parents again. In cleverly-written prose, readers learn of each child and the circumstances which have brought them home. Moore writes with such strength readers will be surprised by this novel being her debut. The characters are realistic and flawed and although the return of three grown children all within a short time span may seem a little too coincidental, I think it is testament to Moore’s natural writing talent to get readers hooked on a set of circumstances that are indeed not so implausible. Emotional at times, charmingly witty at others, The Arrivals offers readers a heartwarming story of life changes as the backdrop for the at times sad, uplifting, depressing and humorous encounters the Owens have with their grown-up children. I think The Arrivals would be enjoyed by all readers and would provide many interesting discussion topics for book groups.

About the Author:

Meg Mitchell Moore worked for several years as a journalist. Her work has been published in Yankee, Continental, Women’s Health, Advertising Age and many other business and consumer magazines. She received a B.A. from Providence College and a master’s degree in English Literature from New York University. The Arrivals is her first novel. Her second novel will be published by Reagan Arthur Books in 2012. Meg lives in Newburyport, Massachusetts, with her husband, their three children and a beloved border collie.

To learn more about author Meg Mitchell Moore please visit her website.

I received a complimentary ARC of The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore from Little, Brown and Company to 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: Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson

Tuesday 12 April, 2011 By 15 Comments


Title: Started Early, Took My Dog
Author: Kate Atkinson
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Publication Date: March 21, 2011
Hardcover: 384 pages
ISBN: 978-0316066730
Genre: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

From the Publisher:

Tracy Waterhouse leads a quiet, ordered life as a retired police detective-a life that takes a surprising turn when she encounters Kelly Cross, a habitual offender, dragging a young child through town. Both appear miserable and better off without each other-or so decides Tracy, in a snap decision that surprises herself as much as Kelly. Suddenly burdened with a small child, Tracy soon learns her parental inexperience is actually the least of her problems, as much larger ones loom for her and her young charge.

Meanwhile, Jackson Brodie, the beloved detective of novels such as Case Histories, is embarking on a different sort of rescue-that of an abused dog. Dog in tow, Jackson is about to learn, along with Tracy, that no good deed goes unpunished.

My Review:

Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson is the fourth novel to feature Jackson Brodie, while the previous three novels are not required for one to appreciate the intricate complexities of this book, I wager readers will want to read Atkinson’s previous works. Atkinson, in her exceptionally witty writing style brings her characters to life, cleverly works together several seemingly dissimilar stories with each narrator in the present, yet often remembering some key events from their respective pasts. Elegantly crafted, readers are offered a work of delightful literary art. Jackson is working a case in an effort to help track down information on the biological parents of Hope McMaster. Including the “acquisition” of a child by Tracy Waterhouse, a retired detective superintendent who now works as head of security in the Merrion Centre, Jackson, who acquired a dog in his less than enthusiastic effort to help McMaster, and Tilly, an elderly actress whose declining faculties mark the onset of dementia, Atkinson expertly crafts a very convoluted storyline involving the aforementioned characters along with numerous ancillary characters, sure to entertain those looking for something of a challenge in knowing exactly where the author is taking things. This is not a simple, predictable novel, and readers will be kept guessing all the way through to the conclusion. It is with highest praise that I recommend Started Early, Took My Dog to all readers and believe this book would make for a lively book group pick.

About the Author:

Kate Atkinson lives in Edinburgh. Her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, was named Whitbread Book of the Year in the U.K. in 1995, and was followed by Human Croquet, Emotionally Weird, Not the End of the World, Case Histories and One Good Turn.

For more information about Kate Atkinson or her books please visit her website.

I received a complimentary ARC of Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson from Reagan Arthur Books to 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: 13, rue Thérèse by Elena Mauli Shapiro

Monday 21 February, 2011 By 30 Comments


Title: 13, rue Thérèse
Author: Elena Mauli Shapiro
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Publication Date: February 2, 2011
Hardcover: 288 pages
ISBN: 9978-0316083287
Genre: Historical Fiction

From the Publisher:

American academic Trevor Stratton discovers a box full of artifacts from World War I as he settles into his new office in Paris. The pictures, letters, and objects in the box relate to the life of Louise Brunet, a feisty, charming Frenchwoman who lived through both World Wars.

As Trevor examines and documents the relics the box offers up, he begins to imagine the story of Louise Brunet’s life: her love for a cousin who died in the war, her marriage to a man who works for her father, and her attraction to a neighbor in her building at 13 rue Thérèse. The more time he spends with the objects though, the truer his imaginings of Louise’s life become, and the more he notices another alluring Frenchwoman: Josianne, his clerk, who planted the box in his office in the first place, and with whom he finds he is falling in love.

My Review:

13, rue Thérèse by Elena Mauli Shapiro is a beautiful book, but when coupled with the knowledge the author provides at the end of the book about her inspiration for writing her story, the impact is brilliant.  The title is where author Elena Mauli Shapiro lived in Paris and the box is quite real, however the story is a work of pure fiction based on the author’s interpretation of the objects contained within the box.  13, rue Thérèse is a tender, beautifully woven story of love and intrigue and of American professor Trevor Stratton in Paris who comes across a mysterious box hidden by Josianne for him to discover.   The reader soon learns the box at one time belonged to Louise Brunet, an extraordinary woman who survived both World Wars, loved and lost and a woman who kept a few treasures within this rather ordinary box.  Soon Stratton becomes enamored with the life he believes Louise Brunet lived and begins to tell Louise’s story as he sees it.   13, rue Thérèse is filled with photographs of the box and the contents of this mysterious box further adding to the air of mystery and intrigue with a hint of the exotic.  By the end of the book I found myself wishing I had known Louise Brunet for she lived through so very much and I also found myself pondering what impact my life would have if all that remained were some precious mementos in a box.  I fear it would prove rather dull in comparison to Brunet’s life, but would she have said the same, it is impossible to know but raises an intriguing question, what legacy do we leave behind when everything else is gone?   On the surface I thought 13, rue Thérèse would be a sweet book, one I would enjoy reading and then move on, I did not imagine the impact such a compact and seemingly innocuous looking book could have on my life.  13, rue Thérèse is a book that will stay with me for an exceedingly long time and I hope each reader has the same reaction.  I recommend 13, rue Thérèse to all readers and strongly encourage discussion groups to read this book; the depths beg to be discussed.

About the Author:

Elena Mauli Shapiro grew up in Paris, and currently lives in California with her husband. She has accumulated literature and writing degrees in and around the Bay Area (Stanford, Mills, Davis). Her novel 13 rue Thérèse will be published in February 2011. For more information visit Elena Mauli Shapiro’s blog.

I received a complimentary ARC of 13, rue Thérèse by Elena Mauli Shapiro from Reagan Arthur Books, Hachette Book Groups to 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 Wolves Of Andover By Kathleen Kent

Wednesday 1 December, 2010 By 7 Comments


Title: The Wolves of Andover
Author: Kathleen Kent
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Publication Date: November 8, 2010
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN: 978-0316068628
Genre: Historical Fiction

From the Publisher:

In the harsh wilderness of colonial Massachusetts, Martha Allen works as a servant in her cousin’s household, taking charge and locking wills with everyone. Thomas Carrier labors for the family and is known both for his immense strength and size and mysterious past. The two begin a courtship that suits their independent natures, with Thomas slowly revealing the story of his part in the English Civil War. But in the rugged new world they inhabit, danger is ever present, whether it be from the assassins sent from London to kill the executioner of Charles I or the wolves-in many forms-who hunt for blood. A love story and a tale of courage, The Wolves of Andover confirms Kathleen Kent’s ability to craft powerful stories of family from colonial history.

My Review:

Dark, historic and deeply compelling, The Wolves of Andover by Kathleen Kent is more than a work of historical fiction as she is writing about her own ancestors and their lives in 1673 colonial Massachusetts. Following Kent’s extraordinary novel, The Heretic’s Daughter, I was not certain if Kent would be able to match the quality, when in fact she exceeds it in The Wolves of Andover. Historical fiction fans will recognise many names straightaway especially when Kent shifts to England. Kent’s characters are vividly described and both the feelings in the colonies as well as in London during this time in history are made quite clear to the reader as Kent easily transitions the reader into this period where, for Martha in the colonies, life is rather desolate, bleak and extremely dangerous. The crown wants someone to pay for Charles I’s execution and witch trials are in full force. As I read The Wolves of Andover I had little difficulty imagining life as a colonist and I do not think I would have made it. The life was very hard and for the characters even more so as the wolves Kent alludes to in her title pertain to more than the animal that could easily destroy a family. It is not necessary for one to have read The Heretic’s Daughter to follow along in The Wolves of Andover, but once read, I believe readers will want to read Kent’s previous book. I went into The Wolves of Andover with extremely high expectations and I was not disappointed. I strongly recommend The Wolves of Andover to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or is merely looking for an intriguing and captivating book.

About the Author:

Kathleen Kent lives in Dallas with her husband and son. To learn more about Kathleen Kent and her extraordinary novels please visit her website.

I received a complimentary copy of The Wolves of Andover by Kathleen Kent from Hachette to review. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

Friday 25 June, 2010 By 6 Comments

Title: The Island
Author: Elin Hilderbrand
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Publication Date: July 6, 2010
Hardcover: 416 pages
ISBN: 978-0316043878
Genre: Fiction

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From the Publisher:

Birdie Cousins has planned a getaway with her daughter Chess on rustic, charming Tuckernuck Island off the coast of Nantucket, a chance to bond before Chess’s upcoming marriage. Birdie’s been through a difficult divorce herself, so she knows the big commitment that marriage entails. She’s only recently dared to tiptoe back into the waters of romance.

When Chess abruptly breaks off the wedding and her fiancé shockingly dies in a rock climbing accident, it leaves Chess feeling guilty and deeply depressed. Birdie circles the wagons, convincing her younger daughter Tate, and her own sister India to join them on Tuckernuck for the month of July. Secrets and intrigue soon make their way to the surface, as Elin Hilderbrand once again weaves a masterful story of summer suspense.

My Review:

The Island by Elin Hildebrand is a month-long soap opera in written form, about four women, their secrets, desires, insecurities and hidden passions. Birdie is divorced and concentrating on her daughter’s upcoming wedding when she begins to date Hank, who happens to be married yet they both feel it is fine since his wife has Alzheimer’s and is in a special facility. Birdie’s sister India enjoys imbibing as well as a good joint, has a high opinion of herself and her three brilliant sons and believes her success is not a result of her famous husband’s suicide 15 years ago. As of late India has been posing for Lulu, an art student and a relationship is forming. Tate, Birdie’s youngest daughter is successful and while she acts quite arrogant, she is insecure and jealous of her older sister Chess. Chess, Birdies oldest daughter unexpectedly cancels her wedding because she is in love with her fiancé’s brother, she quit her job, moved home then learns Michael fell to his death while rock climbing in the Moab. Chess goes into a depression and the women decide it is time for a month-long vacation at their ancestral summer home, Tuckernuck off the island of Nantucket to give Chess some time to heal. Little do the other women realize just how badly they all need this vacation.
If it sounds as though I gave the entire story away, fret not, I merely skimmed the very tip of the novel and have saved all the best parts for the reader to discover. Hilderbrand alternates the narrative in the four voices of the women, opening a window into each woman’s point of view, in a manner that is easy to read and allows the reader to get to know each woman as individual. The women reveal to each other their secrets, dreams, and desires. The relationship the women have is one I cannot fathom and while the characters are richly and vividly described I truly did not relate to any of them. While I do not personally care for the term “chick-lit”, this is exactly the type of book that comes to mind when I hear the term. The Island is a quick paced novel that is never dull. If one is looking for a novel filled with drama, romance and female bonding, The Island may indeed be the perfect summer read.

About the Author:

Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, PA, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket, which has been the setting for her eight previous novels. Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa.

I received a complimentary copy of The Island by Elin Hilderbrand from Reagan Arthur. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

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Book Review: Mr. Rosenblum Dreams In English by Natasha Solomons

Wednesday 23 June, 2010 By 9 Comments

Title: Mr. Rosenblum Dreams In English
Author: Natasha Solomons
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Publication Date: June 21, 2010
Hardcover: 368 pages
ISBN: 978-0316077583
Genre: Fiction

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From the Publisher:

At the outset of World War II, Jack Rosenblum, his wife Sadie, and their baby daughter escape Berlin, bound for London. They are greeted with a pamphlet instructing immigrants how to act like “the English.” Jack acquires Saville Row suits and a Jaguar. He buys his marmalade from Fortnum & Mason and learns to list the entire British monarchy back to 913 A.D. He never speaks German, apart from the occasional curse. But the one key item that would make him feel fully British -membership in a golf club-remains elusive. In post-war England, no golf club will admit a Rosenblum. Jack hatches a wild idea: he’ll build his own. It’s an obsession Sadie does not share, particularly when Jack relocates them to a thatched roof cottage in Dorset to embark on his project. She doesn’t want to forget who they are or where they come from. She wants to bake the cakes she used to serve to friends in the old country and reminisce. Now she’s stuck in an inhospitable landscape filled with unwelcoming people, watching their bank account shrink as Jack pursues his quixotic dream.In her tender, sweetly comic debut, Natasha Solomons tells the captivating love story of a couple making a new life-and their wildest dreams-come true.

My Review:


Mr. Rosenblum Dreams In English by Natasha Solomons is a charming, at times eccentric, and all around enduring book about Jack and Sadie Rosenblum and their daughter Elizabeth, German Jewish war refugees who emigrated to Dorset, England in 1937. Upon arrival they are given a pamphlet on how to assimilate into British society called “Helpful Information and Guidance for every Refugee”, a series of eight guidelines or rules to follow, a notion Sadie thinks silly while Jack takes rather seriously and over fifty years he continuously adds to his ever-growing list. Jack does everything he can to be seen as not a refugee, but rather an English Gentleman. As the years pass, his business thrives and Jack decides it is time to move up the social ladder and one rung he has not reached is to belong to a golf club and to become a true Dorset Englishman. It is this ultimate goal where Jack Rosenblum runs into difficulties and at times some unsavoury comments. Solomons does a masterful job at writing a beautifully descriptive book on England during the war years and the aftermath, the dress, style, and mannerisms. Her main characters are enduring and realistic, and her writing style is richly descriptive and enduring. The relationship between the Rosenblums is beautiful and dynamic even if their dreams are not entirely the same. I truly enjoyed reading Mr. Rosenblum Dreams In English and would recommend this beautiful, witty, and deeply touching book to anyone looking for a sweet and enduring read. It was an added bonus to learn Natasha Solomons based this, her first book, on her grandparents’ lives.

About the Author:

Natasha Solomons is a 29-year-old screenwriter. She based this story on her own grandparents’ experience.

I received a complimentary copy of Mr. Rosenblum Dreams In English by Natasha Solomons from Reagan Arthur. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

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Book Review: Day For Night by Frederick Reiken

Tuesday 22 June, 2010 By 4 Comments

Title: Day For Night
Author: Frederick Reiken
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Publication Date: April 26, 2010
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN: 9780316036115
Genre: Fiction

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From the Publisher:

“If you look hard enough into the history of anything, you will discover things that seem to be connected but are not.” So claims a character in Frederick Reiken’s wonderful, surprising novel, which seems in fact to be determined to prove just the opposite. How else to explain the threads that link a middle-aged woman on vacation in Florida with a rock and roll singer visiting her comatose brother in Utah, where he’s been transported after a motorcycle injury in Israel, where he works with a man whose long-lost mother, in a retirement community in New Jersey, recognizes him in a televised report about an Israeli-Palestinian skirmish? And that’s not the half of it.

My Review:

There are books to make the reader think and then books that make the reader want to think and Day For Night by Frederick Reiken does not disappoint the intellectual reader. Day For Night is not a light read, and despite the length of the book, Reiken has written a book to make the reader stop, pause, reflect and continue on. Day For Night shows just how interconnected we are with people we deem strangers. How a middle-aged woman, in this case Katherine, sitting in the same row on an airplane as Gwen and Tim and neither know this woman nor realise she knows Gwen’s family and indeed her brother Dillon. This novel of seeming random accounts of different people are all interconnected and Day For Night continues on in this manner with shorter stories that one must pay close attention to, in order to learn just how interconnected the characters are, in this case, characters stemming from event before and during World War II. Day For Night is a book that will, if the reader allows, have a profound impact on the reader. I have a suspicion as I mature and experience more in my life that I will learn something different from this book than I have today as a 41 year-old. I am uncertain how much depth I would have found on my own when I was in college, but it would be interesting to keep track of thoughts of this book over five to ten years. Day For Night by Frederick Reiken is a complex work of literary brilliance and I would not hesitate to recommend his novel to all readers, yet I do believe one will learn more with age. I think this would be a phenomenal book to discuss with a multi-generational book group.

About the Author:

Frederick Reiken is the author of two previous novels, The Odd Sea (1998) and The Lost Legends of New Jersey (2000). His short stories have appeared in The New Yorker and his essays in the anthology Living on the Edge of the World (2008). He has worked as a reporter and columnist and is currently a member of the writing faculty at Emerson College.

I received a complimentary copy of Day For Night by Frederick Reiken from Reagan Arthur. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

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Book Review: Marriage and Other Acts of Charity by Kate Braestrup

Monday 24 May, 2010 By 2 Comments

Title: Marriage and Other Acts of Charity
Author: Kate Braestrup
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Publication Date: January 13, 2010
Hardcover: 224 pages
ISBN: 978-0316031912
Genre: Autobiography/Biography/Memoir

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From the Publisher:

In her award-winning memoir Here If You Need Me, Kate Braestrup won the hearts of readers across the country with her deeply moving and deftly humorous stories of faith, hope and family. Now, with her inimitable voice and generous spirit, she turns her attention to the subjects of love and commitment in MARRIAGE AND OTHER ACTS OF CHARITY. As a minister, Kate Braestrup regularly performs weddings. She has also, at 44, been married twice and widowed once, and accordingly has much to say about life after the ceremony. From helping a newlywed couple make amends after their first fight to preparing herself for her second marriage, Braestrup offers her insights and experiences on what it truly means to share your life with someone, from the first kiss to the last straw, for better or for worse. Part memoir, part observation of modern marriage, and part meditation on the roles of God and love in our everyday lives, MARRIAGE AND OTHER ACTS OF CHARITY is a unique and unforgettable look into why, and how, we love each other, and proves yet again why Kate Braestrup’s writing is “inspirational in the best sense” (New York Daily News).

My Review:

Marriage, mother-adult child relationships, parenting and friendship are a few touchstones in Kate Braestrup’s memoir Marriage and Other Acts of Charity. As a minister, Kate has the pleasure to meet with a lot of couples prior to marriage and has learned a lot about love and marriage over the years. According to Kate her desire to minister and her knowledge of marriage stemmed from her first marriage. Drew and Kate loved each other and yet had difficulty communicating their frustrations and fears with one another, which is not uncommon and they were wise enough to seek out counseling. His job as a police officer placed a heavy strain on both of them, causing misplaced anger. During counseling sessions Kate claimed everything was Drew’s fault while all her actions were accounted for. What she was not admitting was her love for her husband and the fact she was terrified he would die on the job, instead hiding these fears in anger. Fortunately Kate and Drew managed to change their marriage around before he was killed. Marriage and Other Acts of Kindness is a memoir of her marriage, the good and not so good times, interspersed with relevant quotes ranging from philosophers to the Bible. Kate’s memoir does not end with the death of her husband Drew, rather in a way it is a new beginning as Kate becomes an ordained minister and chooses to write openly about the issues that arose after the wedding. Kate gives clear examples of behaviours and when they are good and not so good. Anger for example can come in handy when protecting our young, and unhealthy when misplaced, such as screaming at a loved one because the library closed before they could get there. Kate speaks lovingly of her four children, family, friends and her ministry. While Kate is indeed an ordained minister, her book, Marriage and Other Acts of Charity, is neither preachy nor over the top, but rather an honest, down to earth and witty memoir about the trying times and the joys that came from those times in Kate’s life, which she seamlessly weaves into modern day examples of the gospels. One example would be the Valedictorian speech her friend’s son made denouncing his family and declaring his true family was Pink Floyd. Kate speaks of her personal life, her marriages, being a widower and returning to the dating scene. Marriage and Other Acts of Charity is a well written and beautiful memoir gently reminding the reader not to take life too seriously or for granted. I found the memoir to be beautiful, uplifting and filled with life lessons and guidance. I would highly recommend Marriage and Other Acts of Charity to any reader, especially those considering marriage

About the Author:

Braestrup’s novel Onion was published by Viking in 1990, and she has since published a series of magazine articles in Mademoiselle, Ms., City Paper, Hope and Law and Order. She lives in Maine.

I received a complimentary copy of Marriage and Other Acts of Charity by Kate Braestrup from Hachette. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

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Book Review: The Cradle by Patrick Somerville

Wednesday 19 May, 2010 By 1 Comment

Title: The Cradle
Author: Patrick Somerville
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Publication Date: April 12, 2010
Hardcover: 224 pages
ISBN: 9780316036115
Genre: Fiction

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From the Publisher:

Early one summer morning, Matthew Bishop kisses his still-sleeping wife Marissa, gets dressed and eases his truck through Milwaukee, bound for the highway. His wife, pregnant with their first child, has asked him to find the antique cradle taken years before by her mother Caroline when she abandoned Marissa, never to contact her daughter again. Soon to be a mother herself, Marissa now dreams of nothing else but bringing her baby home to the cradle she herself slept in. His wife does not know-does not want to know-where her mother lives, but Matt has an address for Caroline’s sister near by and with any luck, he will be home in time for dinner.

Only as Matt tries to track down his wife’s mother, he discovers that Caroline, upon leaving Marissa, has led a life increasingly plagued by impulse and irrationality, a mysterious life that grows more inexplicable with each new lead Matt gains, and door he enters. As hours turn into days and Caroline’s trail takes Matt from Wisconsin to Minnesota, Illinois, and beyond in search of the cradle, Matt makes a discovery that will forever change Marissa’s life, and faces a decision that will challenge everything he has ever known.

Elegant and astonishing, Patrick Somerville tells the story of one man’s journey into the heart of marriage, parenthood, and what it means to be a family.

My Review:

Family is the central theme in Patrick Somerville’s debut novel The Cradle, which consists of two differing stories told ten years apart. The reader is first introduced to Matt and Marissa, who are expecting their first child and Marissa, eight months pregnant, is insistent that Matt find the Civil War cradle that mysteriously was stolen from her home when she was 15, the day after her mother walked out on her family. Somerville then propels the reader ahead ten years to present day to meet Renee and Bill Owen whose son is heading to Iraq. As the stories unfold the reader learns a lot about Matt’s childhood through flashbacks as he drives all over Wisconsin, Minnesota and Indiana hunting down the cradle for Marissa. In present day the reader sees the loving Owens and their concern over their son going to Iraq and the flood of memories that come back to Renee as she recalls losing her first love in Vietnam. Somerville’s writing style is unique, for the most part his characters seem close to insane and some of the events that unfold are questionable, but the end justifies the means in this novel. I would have liked to read more about the Owens, as I liked them, especially Renee. I also liked and felt for Joe and eventually I could understand why Matt was so eager to please, but the rest of the lot I was not so enamored with. The Cradle is a quick read filled with extremely eccentric, quirky, and some bordering on crazy, characters, and a beautiful message. If a reader is looking for a quirky novel with a good ending, then give The Cradle by Patrick Somerville a try.

About the Author:

Patrick Somerville grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and later earned his MFA from Cornell University. He is also the author of the story collection Trouble (Vintage, 2006). He lives with his wife in Chicago, where he teaches creative writing at Northwestern University.

I received a complimentary copy of The Cradle by Patrick Somerville from Reagan Arthur. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

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