On a stormy day in May 1969, seven coffins and one war-torn veteran were brought home from Vietnam to the small town of Cementville, Kentucky. So begins this "semi-autobiographical" story by Paulette Livers, who grew up in Bardstown, Kentucky - the real-life town with the highest per capita loss from the Vietnam War in the United States. Drawing on her personal experiences … [Read more...]
The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna (Book Review)
The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna is a haunting tale that you know from the first few pages is a book you want to read slowly so as to savor it. Set in the small town of Gost, Croatia, this relatively quick read is a story about the sorrows and tragedies of the aftermath of war and the power of perseverance in spite of it all.When an English family buys a rundown … [Read more...]
High Praise For ‘Happyland’ (Book Review)
If you haven't heard of Happyland by J. Robert Lennon before, I won't be surprised because the book's road to publication was wrought with complications. Loosely based on the life of the Pleasant Rowland, founder of American Girls, the author struck a chord that scared the daylights out of his publisher, W.W. Norton. They dropped his book, but it was later published as a series … [Read more...]
‘Secret Rooms’ is an Exposé of the Wealthy (Book Review)
In 1940, John the 9th Duke of Rutland, locked himself in the servants quarters of his 356-room castle with his papers and journals and refused to leave, jeopardizing his health and ultimately leading to his death. What he did in these rooms, known as the Muniments Rooms, was a mystery until a few years ago, when the rooms were unsealed for the first times since … [Read more...]
Ripped-From-the-Headlines’ “Mistress” Is Magnificent
From the first few pages of The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon, I knew I would be hooked. You see, the book is centered around the ripped-from-the-headlines disappearance of a NY State Supreme Court judge who just happened to go missing on the date of my anniversary: August 6. This is, of course, a complete coincidence, but it did intrigue me from the … [Read more...]