Shaking Out the Dead: A Novel by K. M. Cholewa

Shaking Out the Dead: A Novel.  K. M. Cholewa. The Story Plant. June 2014. 340 pp. pbk. ISBN #: 9781661881431.

Paris of Montana is not the cowboy image one would expect from his looks; rather, he’s more like a sage or guru whose presence seems to bring peace to whoever crosses his path. That path lies within a diner where late-night drinker, whores, and other riff-raff settle in for the free soup Paris offers.  He’s made it a place “to belong” for those who are nameless and have no connection to anyone or anywhere.  If one asked Paris what mission he was trying to accomplish, he couldn’t tell – he just did as he saw fit without any fanfare or hope for acclaim! Love is action it appears but is that enough?

Tatum’s definition of love and connection is without definition.  At the beginning of this novel, she’s rushed off to see her dying sister but unfortunately made it too late.  Now all she has is memories and a niece, Rachel, who will be returning to Montana with her as her father says he “needs a break from all this.”  Rachel’s anger is palpable; it feels like fury!  All that emotion makes it hard for Tatum to mourn the loss of her sister, ironic indeed as there was never much outward love between them. Why did they so dislike, even hate, each other?  Tatum reflects that there really isn’t a tangible reason; it’s just the way it was an evolved to an even greater ambivalence!  But now Tatum is to be a temporary mother to a young teen who wants nothing more than to be left alone! Mourning the loss of love turns out to be the gigantic obstacle to receiving or sharing love!

Genevieve is an older, wise woman who has created her own little independent world, a woman seeking balance and peace in a world where chaos and rejection rule the day, or so it seems! At one point, she realizes that history repeats itself not because we don’t remember but because we tortuously repeat the memories and become locked in their destructive, rather than lovely, tendencies. Can she who is such a source of wisdom and peace, albeit starkly expressed, access the same for her own mental and emotional turmoil. But before one stereotypes this woman, beware as she’s one rebel and feisty woman bound to shock readers quite a few times before this memorable story ends.

This is the story of those would need love so desperately, how they move closer and closer toward its fulfillment and how it all evolves and then comes to a dramatic conclusion for everyone involved. Tatum is the most honest as she recognizes the cost of letting go and opening up to what could be hers at any moment.  The others are too locked in the past but will be shocked into the present in a scene full of unintended agony and violence.

Shaking Out the Dead: A Novel is a meditative work of dramatic fiction, often compared to the work of Alice Munro (and rightly so), that will remain in readers’ hearts long after the last tear-stained page is turned!  Cholewa is a writer to watch and relish very carefully now and in the future! This reviewer believes Cholewa stands in a unique place as a contemporary fiction author! Highly recommended!

Gracie (Women and War Book 1) by Ellie Keaton

Gracie (Women and War Book 1).  Ellie Keaton. Amazon Digital. 2014. 183 pp.  ASIN#: B00JOWF2GW.

Grace is a strong woman determined to support her family and friends during the shocking days of WWII.  At first the preparation for the war seems like a block party, but that quickly changes to trying to shore each other up when the bombs begin to fall. 

The men in Grace’s world are all aflutter in their desire to join in the war effort, including Charlie, a man who is determined to marry Grace.  Her parents, however, know what war is and force the young couple to wait a year. In that time span, the war changes everything.  Charlie’s passion for flying turns into serving with the Royal Air Force, and his service makes the realities of war all too harsh as young men begin dying and leaving behind so many grieving families and lovers.

To say more would be a spoiler and we can’t have that.  Suffice to say Grace will get more involved in the war effort.  Gracie is a nice read that repeats the story told so often, especially more so in the last few years in novel form.  One never gets tired of hearing about young love enhanced by separation and the fear of final partings, and Gracie fills that form quite nicely.

The unique qualities of this particular novel include many descriptions of what these young pilots experienced as they got to engage in their great love of flying but also what they faced as they were attacked and watched friends shot down or disappear to who knows what end in death or the unknown world of prisoners of war.  Gracie’s parents know what war is like, and their fears are palatable and wise as they wish Gracie and Charlie to avoid unnecessary sorrow in the future.

Nicely done, Ellie Keaton – a quick and engaging work of romance and historical fiction!

Leaving the Pack: Silver Nights Trilogy - Book One by David J. O'Brien

Leaving the Pack (Silver Nights Trilogy – Book One).  David O’Brien. Tirgearr Publishing.  May 2014. 257 pp., 1391 KB. ASIN No.: B00KCYJA78.

The story opens with Paul waking up by the knowledge that today is the day he will meet the woman with whom he’ll spend the rest of his life. It’s a day he awaits with great joy and mind-numbing fear!

For Paul McHew, lawyer by day and werewolf by night, is the leader of a werewolf pack that runs the local city streets during the three nights of every full moon cycle each month.   During that time the pack seeks to drink their fill and enjoy as many women as they can have; they’re full of an extraordinary energy and lust for life during this lunar time.  However, they will die out unless they marry outside of their pack and what human would marry a werewolf?

Susan is a feisty gal who actually makes the first move when she spots Paul in a local bar. For the first few minutes it even seems as if they clash so much, there isn’t a chance they will wind up on a date let alone fall in love.  However, that spark has been lit for sure and they do begin to have some wildly hot romantic nights, spend many an evening sharing drinks, and even get to the point when Paul tells Sara he has to be with his buddies at the time of the full moon.  Susan is amused for the first few months but then begins to wonder at this obsession Paul must fulfill each month!

Meeting Paul’s family and planning for the holidays delights Susan, yet Paul is unhappier within himself as time passes for he must tell her about the secret his family has held for centuries.  Humans have been told some truths, some lies, some fantastical stories and more about the true identity of werewolves, with the result being that all humans associate with the word werewolf is absolute, unmitigated horror!

Some scenes in the book carry just enough violence to confirm the association, but the reader must decide how much of reason and animal behavior accounts for what happens in each scene.

This is the story of a huge romance that must unfold with the reality of horror diluted by the truth.  David O’Brien paces the conflict perfectly and it all reads like a light-hearted, passionate romance tinged with some darkness.  It seems like a wonderful beginning to this horror-romance trilogy and it has just the right amount of passion and intrigue to keep the reader avidly flipping the pages!  Nicely done, David O’Brien – looking forward to the next novel!

The Art of Arranging Flowers: A Novel by Lynne Branard

The Art of Arranging Flowers: A Novel.  Lynne Branard. Penguin Group (USA). June 2014. 320 pp.  ISBN#: 9780425272718.

Ruby Jewell has a heart of gold!  She’s a talented florist with her own business, a job that keeps her from the terrible grief of losing her sister.  She knows all of the residents of her town and their requests for the perfect arrangement for that special person, standard occasion or unique event make her a well-loved and respected friend to all.

Now Ruby begins to meet certain people whose lives she changes and vice versa. Readers will meet an astronaut, a real estate agent, a veterinarian, a man courting a local librarian, a woman seeking a cure for her cancer and a little boy who carries a question that is heart-rending!  While there are scenes of illness and death as well as love and communication about caring, the scenes remain light and are never maudlin!

This reviewer doesn’t know flowers so much and yet I could see how beautiful Ruby’s arrangements are.  She also knows the emotional qualities of each flower’s essence and so each is sent with a special quality for each receiver.  Clementine, her beloved dog, and Nora, who seems to have a psychic sense of what is happening behind each arrangement and recipient, make for a fascinating read. 

Ruby, however, who is so perceptive about others is gradually led by the other characters to realize she also has an unmet need, and the reader will be more than surprised to see how it is fulfilled.

The Art of Arranging Flowers: A Novel is a beautiful, special read in which characters bloom through sharing their lives much as the artfully arrange flowers bloom and glow through tender love and care! Delightful story!

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair: A Novel by Joel Dicker

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair: A Novel. Joel Dicker. Penguin Group (USA). May 2014.  656 pp. pbk. ISBN #: 9780143126683.

Marcus Goldman one year ago was a famous writer whose name and appearance on stage, in stores, in the press, or anywhere one could imagine was bound to draw huge, immense crowds.  He’s now a wealthy man but is about to lose it all because he has a very serious case of writer’s block, an insidious disease that seems to increase with time and pressurized attention.  He fears failure and especially fears the disappointment that will be his mentor, Harry Quebert’s probable response.  But Harry Quebert is about to have another far steeper problem to worry about than Marcus’s brain freeze!

The nightmare of the discovery of Nola Kellergan’s body after a thirty-year disappearance begins a spiraling journey involving the battle to determine Harry Quebert’s innocence or guilt.  Yes, Nola was last seen running through the woods of Somerset, New Hampshire and now she’s found with Quebert’s manuscript next to her very dead body!  Quebert is arrested and Marcus decides to investigate every single facet of Nola and Quebert’s affair, if one could call it that guilt-laden term.  That search is absolutely riveting and productive in so many unexpected ways involving unexpected characters.

This is the story of what fuels the imaginations of great writers and how success can stymie even the most creative artist.  It’s about infatuated love from and between several characters that quickly moves into the dangerous territory of obsession.  It’s about guilty by association, betrayal by those suffering from unrequited love; and it’s about how delightful it is for the media to damn an alleged criminal because of an ill-timed association and the sensationalism that fuels public attention. 

But much, much more than that this novel is about the depths of friendship, trust and loyalty that surmounts the fickle public and even private moods and opinions of former supporters.  It’s a magnificent novel that should be a best seller, a story that not only will remain in the public’s attention but deserves to be credited with a more truthful approach to guilt and innocence needing remediation in so many places and times!  Terrific thriller, crime fiction, Joel Dicker!

How To Write Anything: A Complete Guide by Laura Brown

How To Write Anything: A Complete Guide.  Laura Brown. W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. April 2014. 608 pp.  ISBN#: 9780393240146.

With the prevalence of texting and email with its abbreviated spelling, the art of writing is for many young people an unknown reality.  Laura Brown has provided a guide to almost every type of writing that will be required by a student, worker or any individual needing to communicate in correct and appropriate form.  Section I and II address the need to have a clear purpose and knowledge of one’s audience when communicating, including the need to revise over and over again so that one conveys a professional stance.  These chapters often address the issue of not writing for and to one’s self but the need to know your audience with their needs and skills and to write toward a very specific person or group.  The issue of knowing when to place a telephone call and when to write is also addressed, as well as the courtesy that is essential even in IMs and email messages.

The text then takes the reader through all those life events that the majority of us experience over the years such as introductions, announcements, condolences, love letter (yes, even that), obituaries, weddings, births, baby showers, personal letters to neighbors, letters to oppose parking tickets, notes to teachers, etc., etc.

The next section is so necessary, even though readers may wrongly assume these skills are taught in school, and include how to take notes, make an outline, and write summaries, research papers and essays in the different forms that different subjects require.  This is followed by just about every type of letter one would need to write in the business environment and when seeking a job or a promotion.

Examples of both the do’s and don’ts of each type of writing are very helpful parts within each section. Essential and important rules are highlighted in shaded grey boxes and circular graphs are included to assist one in progressing through different steps in each process.  Correct grammar and punctuation complete the package.

While this might not seem like endearing reading, it is a fascinating, comprehensive collection of fine writing in every imaginable form.  This should be a staple text for every family – very nicely done, Laura Brown!!!

A Long Time Gone by Karen White

A Long Time Gone.  Karen White. New American Library: Penguin Group (USA). June 2014. 432 pp.  ISBN#: 9780451240460.

“I think that it doesn’t matter how or why, but not having a mama is like being born without a heart.”  Three generations of women whose mothers were “absent” from the lives of their daughters; but don’t judge harshly for there is more than meets the eye in the story of Adelaide Walker Bodine (1920’s), Carol Lynne Walker Moise (1960’s) and Vivien Walker Moise (2013).  Their stories begin with Vivien returning to Indian Mount, Mississippi after being left a drug addict and hopelessly lost young woman whose husband enabled her addiction and then threw her out as an unfit wife and stepmother to his daughter Chloe.  As Vivien was lost before she ever met him because of her own loss of her mother for many years, she’s got zilch self-confidence.  Her life will change however upon her return to her “home.” 

Carol Lynne is now suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and Vivien wrestles between her anger at her and gradual realization she needs to help what cannot be healed, and perhaps even forgive for reasons she has yet to discover!

Adelaide and Sarah are best friends as children, always accompanied by a young African-American girl, Mathilda, whose job was to chaperon them, hardly a suitable job for the wild Sarah who drags Adelaide into “situations” guaranteed to bring more than trouble. 

Tripp (an old friend) and Tommy (Viven’s brother) gradually adjust to Vivien’s ways, again forced into dramatic change with the arrival of Chloe, Vivien’s stepdaughter.  It’s a new life and Vivien has to battle her resentments and addiction now she has a second chance to give to Chloe what she feels she never got, a chance at redemption and perhaps romance.

Add to the mix the mystery and secrets behind a skeleton discovered next to their home after a lightning bolt struck down a tree that unearthed the stark white bones on dark dirt that haunted them all.  The discovery behind those bones is earth-shattering indeed.

Karen White has done it again, crafting a haunting tale with spunky, dysfunctional characters who must endure unimaginable trials to mature and get over their stubborn, attitude-laden thinking and acting.  Intense, riveting, and mysterious contemporary fiction – finely told – a best seller!