Review: A Complicated Kindness

A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I don't feel qualified to give a review of this book. It was not my cup of tea at all. I believe that Miriam Toews was raised in a Mennonite community and has an inside view. Unfortunately I was not drawn into the story. There were no conclusions and we never had answers on what happened to Trudi and Tash.



View all my reviews

Review: Burnt Paper Sky

Burnt Paper Sky by Gilly Macmillan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely astounding debut novel. A psychological thriller with all the boxes ticked.

Rachel has been a single mother for almost a year, her husband having remarried. She is giving her son Ben the best childhood that she can. One day during an outing in the park, Ben disappears after Rachel had taken her eyes off him just for a few moments.

The book takes us through the next week and we meet all the people who could possibly have abducted him. With each suspect you are pulled along in the belief that "yes, this is the one".

Ms. Macmillan has devised the means to let us in on the inside thinking and procedures of the police and their investigation. Brilliant!


View all my reviews

Review: Orphan Train

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have never heard of orphan trains. Children were advertised as needing homes and were transported to the states on trains. This practice continued for about 70 years.

This story is about one girl, Niamh, from Ireland who becomes orphaned and also whose whole family dies in a fire. When she is a ninety year old, well to do lady, a girl, Molly, who is a charge of the children's aid, comes to her home to help sort out her attic in order to do her community hours.

In working on the attic project, Molly learns about the sad young life of Niamh, whose name was changed twice in her lifetime.

A very interesting, excellent read.



View all my reviews

Review: Weekend Warriors

Weekend Warriors by Fern Michaels
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Imagine that something so terrible happened to you, as a woman. This terrible thing ruined your life up to that point making it very hard to move on. It changed your life in a way that you have lost your spouse, or your career, or your family or other things that are making it absolutely impossible to move ahead with your life.

You have gone to the law but have been disappointed by the let down from that source. What do you do, if anything.

Myra, a lady who is not hurting money wise, has lost her daughter by a hit and run driver, a Chinese diplomat with immunity. Two years later she is still grieving. With the help of her long time good friend, and former spy, she forms the sisterhood.

This sisterhood is comprised of women who need closure with the terrible things that have occurred in their lives. At their first meeting they decide to draw names to see who will be the first.

Weekend Warriors was a good read and I am looking forward to the next in the series, Payback, to see who will be next and what punishment these victims will come up with for their aggressors. The ladies are already on the mend with just having the close friendship and bond in taking each other into their confidence and putting their faith in each other.

View all my reviews

Review: Small Island

Small Island by Andrea Levy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

At first I was a bit confused with the style of writing but when I realized that each chapter is written in the first person of each different character, I became involved and engaged.

The book opens with the story of Hortense, a Jamaican girl who, it is implied, is illegitimate. She is sent from her mother to be raised by another family of relatives and becomes very close to her cousins.

The story takes us from the warm breezes of Jamaica to the streets of London before, during and after WWII. One surprise was a description of English soldiers being sent to India just after the war was over.

The prejudice displayed by the English people toward the Jamaican immigrants was unbearable and very hard to read. Rarely is a writer able to depict this as well as Ms. Levy.

A thorough and satisfyingly excellent read.

View all my reviews

Review: Tell

Tell by Frances Itani
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a disappointing read for me. I expected much more, especially from an award winning book. I didn't feel that the village of Deseronto was portrayed accurately. I do have knowledge because my father was 8 years old, living in Deseronto in 1919 and told me many stories. Also, I spent years of my life between Deseronto and Belleville.

From the standpoint of the characters in the book, I did feel an accuracy, especially from the returning soldiers. My grandfather was a returning soldier from WWI and my mother always told me that he never spoke of what he endured there or what he witnessed.

Even the ending was unrealistic, but I will let you make that decision for yourselves.

View all my reviews

Review: Passing Through Perfect

Passing Through Perfect by Bette Lee Crosby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Passing Through Perfect was a lovely story and a return to Wyattsville, the place we experienced in the first two books. It was lovely to see how Paul and Jubilee were getting along.

Benjamin, when a young fellow, fell in love at first sight with Delia. Of course her parents objected due to her young age, but that didn't keep the two young lovers apart.

This is a story of love, sadness and inspiration.

View all my reviews