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Reviews by Eileen E. (Asheville, NC)

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When She Woke: A Novel
by Hillary Jordan
Close to the bone... (10/23/2011)
This novel is written very close to the bone. Jordan transports us into a world that is at once frightening and plausible. It is The Scarlet Letter moved forward to a future society that is as puritanical as it was back then. Could we regress to that today? This book suggests we can and it scared me to death. What a thought provoking tale this is.
In Mudbound Jordan lifted the ugly veil of prejudice. In this book we are drawn into a world of religious fanaticism, but it certainly isn't viewed that way by its inhabitants.
We are introduced to a woman named Hannah who has been branded a murderer for having an abortion. Abortions are illegal. She is punished by using a process called chroming which is a virus that changes the skin color of the person according to the crime. Red is for murder. She is shunned and considered despicable by the upright citizens. I was deeply moved by her plight and struggle to be free and away from this society.
This book is well worth reading, no matter what you're personal beliefs may be.
The Orphan Master's Son: A Novel
by Adam Johnson
The Stepford Wives revisited (10/22/2011)
North Korea--a country shrouded in mystery.
The author opens the gates and I was shocked, sometimes horrified by what was behind them.
Jun Do is the orphan masters son, and it is through his eyes that we see this repressive paranoid country unfold. Kim Jong II, the only person that can truly call himself an individual has created a world of robots who wear the same exact outfits and get to listen to morning propaganda on the apartment loudspeakers every day. The is so much in this book to experience I am only touching the tip of the iceberg.
I am so grateful to be living in a free country. An hour or two with this book and I know you will agree wholeheartedly.
Snowdrops: A Novel
by A.D. Miller
Come to the cabaret.. (12/1/2010)
Moscow at the time capitalism begins to take hold is a intoxicating mixture of corruption and celebration. Ultimately, everything is on a downward slide, where greed and sin rule, and no one escapes the temptation. An engrossing read, thought of Gorky Park , the bleakness and the constant snow.
Solomon's Oak: A Novel
by Jo-Ann Mapson
Solomon's Oak offers hope.... (10/6/2010)
A wedding chapel located under a two hundred year old oak tree, Solomon's Oak, provides a young widow, Glory Solomon, with a strong link to her memories of living on their California farm.

This is a story of three people, from three different walks of life and what they share by helping each other heal.

Glory, burdened by more responsibility than she can easily handle. Juniper, a fourteen year old survivor of her sisters disappearance that destroyed her family. Joseph, a former police officer who just lost his best friend in a meth lab raid.
These three lonely souls are bound by their common need. To love and be loved in return.

We become part of a beautiful journey to that end.

Excellent book for book clubs.
The Nobodies Album
by Carolyn Parkhurst
Learning from the past for the present.... (6/24/2010)
Olivia Frost is a successful novelist who has come up with an imaginative idea for her most recent book. It is a compilation of the endings of her previous books, rewritten the way she thinks they should have concluded. Her general equanimity is rattled when she finds out her estranged son Milo is being held as a murder suspect.
The present tale of Olivia and Milo’s attempt to establish a new relationship and the “short stories,” alternate with each chapter.

Although the flow is somewhat interrupted by these “revised endings” if you allow them their own significance you will find yourself appreciating them immensely.
The book is about looking the truth in the face, accepting it and making it work for you. Accepting that your past, the past, need not be rewritten to have a satisfying outcome.

This was an enjoyable read and I recommend it.
Learning to Lose: A Novel
by David Trueba
A City comes alive and pulses (5/5/2010)
From the minute I started reading this book I knew I was embarking on a trip with an extraordinary writer. We are seriously considering this title for our book club because it has all the elements that get a good conversation started.

Morality, sexuality, reality, and other ...ity's. All are dealt with in an original and invigorating approach.
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