The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After graduating from the Citadel in the late 1960's and before becoming a beloved bestselling Southern author Pat Conroy spent a pretty exasperating but inspiring year teaching a group of impoverished and undereducated black children on Yamacraw Island off the South Carolina coast. Put in charge of 18 supposedly higher level kids who could neither read or write and didn't even know that they lived in America, he takes on the challenge with unconventional methods such as movies, music, and even field trips away from the island from which they'd never strayed. To say he didn't receive much support from school board authorities is putting it mildly, in fact it's pretty much an endless dispute, but surely those children lucky enough to have been in his class that year had lives forever changed.
This memoir was written during times when school desegregation and other issues were at play but it must be pretty embarrassing time in history for education administration.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Danny and Maeve are siblings who can’t overcome their past. Abandoned by their mother at an early age, Maeve, the oldest, assumes the mother role. Everything changes further when their emotionally distant father marries the evil stepmother and the children are cut out of their inheritance. The pain, bitterness, and anger shapes their personalities and their future. How do they move past such a childhood?

My questions: What does forgiveness look like? Does forgiveness mean you allow toxic people back into your life? Is that healthy? What is required of the person(s) who did you wrong? I have my own thoughts about these issues but you’ll have to read the book and decide for yourself.

The first 75% was riveting reading. But the story took a turn that I found unrealistic and ridiculous. I can’t say more without spoilers. I’ve tried to discern the author’s purpose in writing this book and it either escapes me or it’s one I can’t buy into.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I would like to give this book a fair review. The two stars I gave are for character development. I just tried and tried to read and enjoy this book but found it just not possible.

I do love most of the books that I have read by this author and I am sure that this is just not my personal cup of tea. Others might thoroughly enjoy this read.

Very disappointing.

We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent read. Based on a true story of a woman who contacted polio when she was expecting a baby. She lived for years in an iron lung but is determined to still raise her family and be as productive as possible under the circumstances.

As I was reading this story I became very emotional near the end. It is a very powerful story.

The Library Book by Susan Orlean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fantastic book. Opens with the big library fire in Los Angeles in 1986 and continues with a very interesting account of the history of libraries. We learn all about book burning by all different cultures including the Nazis. Too numerous to mention but extremely interesting and heartbreaking.

An excellent read.

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Stroud
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Olive is one of my favourite characters. I loved Olive Kitteridge and this was a continuation of Olive, and wonderful.

As the story opens Olive decides to remary Jack Kennison. They live quite happily for the next eight years.

In some ways the book is a series of small stories, incidents that Olive is somehow involved in or aware of. Even the Burgess Boys make an appearance and it was lovely to see how their lives had turned out as well as their sister.

An excellent series.

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The newest book by Linwood Barclay is a winner. Elevators across the city of New York are being sabotaged. Several people have already died and there is a rush on to find the perpetrator.

Keep in mind that New York is basically a city in the sky. Most people live and work in high rise apartments and not many people can handle climbing several stories several times a day. If a terrorist was to infiltrate New York, this would probably be the biggest fear that residents could have.

I have read and loved every book by Linwood Barclay. The Zack Wallace series was fabulous, his Promise Falls was great and my all time favourite memoir, The Last Resort, is one that I have read a couple of times already.

An excellent read.