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Reviews by RebeccaR

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In the Garden of Monsters: A Novel
by Crystal King

Well Written Gothic Mythology Blend (8/12/2024)

I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever liked a story from Greek or Roman mythology. Although a reader does not need to be an ancient mythology scholar to enjoy this book, I do recommend that any reader who does not know who Persephone/Proserpina (Greek/Roman) is …more

This Is Salvaged: Stories
by Vauhini Vara

Sad and Dark Lives Captured with Good Writing Skills (8/9/2023)

Author Vauhini Vara is a talented writer and her collection of short stories, THIS IS SALVAGED is sure to stir up a response in the reader. Vara seems to gravitate towards the dark side of life: there are houses that smell foul from dried vomit in one story and young girls …more

King of the Armadillos
by Wendy Chin-Tanner

A Good 3.5 Story (5/14/2023)

This book is an interesting combination of a memoir about life as Chinese immigrants to the USA in the 1950s and an historical-based novel about a family member's life inside Carville, the "Louisiana Leper Home." The father and his two sons are operating a laundry business, …more

You'll Forget This Ever Happened: Secrets, Shame, and Adoption in the 1960s
by Laura L. Engel

Compelling Story with Wonderful 1960's Cultural References (2/8/2023)

For anyone who has ever met a person that was immediately interesting to talk to or picked up a book in a bookstore to glance at the first page and instantly knew that the book was one you just had to read, then chances are you will feel the same instant attraction to the …more

Ghost Season: A Novel
by Fatin Abbas

Riveting Historical Fiction (11/23/2022)

The interactions of the characters in this book are so interesting that it is easy to overlook the fact that GHOST SEASON is important historical fiction. The setting of Sudan is extremely ancient, and yet many people around the world are unfamiliar with its history – that …more

The Bell in the Lake: Sister Bells Trilogy #1
by Lars Mytting

An Unexpected Wow! (10/12/2022)

I doubt that this book's cover design or pre-publication descriptions would have caught my eye or enticed me into reading the book. Hmmm, "exquisitely atmospheric" I mumbled to myself. Even as I read the first few pages I wondered if I was going to "get into" this novel. …more

The Last Nomad: Coming of Age in the Somali Desert
by Shugri Said Salh

Even Better than I Hoped! (8/30/2022)

When I first saw a brief synopsis for THE LAST NOMAD, I knew I wanted to read it. I didn't know if it would be a dry, textbook telling of the author's life, but I can honestly say that it was far from dry or textbook; it immediately grabbed my interest. The author included …more

Take My Hand
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Oustanding! A New Favorite Book (9/15/2021)

The beautiful cover on this book hints at the beautiful writing inside. All of the events are not beautiful because this is historical fiction, based on real events which span a wide range of topics, from Civil Rights to gender rights and reproductive rights.

A reader of …more any background will immediately be drawn into the story of young Civil Townsend who is starting a new career as a nurse in the Family Planning Center of Montgomery, Alabama in 1973. There is a hint of some heartache with an opening statement by the adult Civil, " What we didn't know was that there would be skin left on the playground after it was all over and done with." Most likely, the reader is expecting this, given the location and time period, 1973; George Wallace is the governor of Alabama.

Civil is the first-person narrator, and the chapters occasionally alternate between 1973 -when Civil has recently graduated with her nursing degree- and 2016. The transition between time periods is seamless and easy to understand. There are no jarring interruptions to make a reader turn back a few pages and look to see which characters are being discussed.

For the eight young Black women (including Civil) who are staffing Montgomery's family planning center, there are, incredulously, additional janitorial duties of the building. Overseeing their work is a demanding red-haired woman who may remind readers of another cold-hearted nurse from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: Nursed Ratched. Despite Civil's upper-class background (her father is a doctor), she refuses to let any assignment bother her. However, the story is told honestly through Civil's eyes as events unfolded. So when the first home assignment takes Civil to the country, we readers are reminded that "country" back then and there meant outhouses and no running water and unpaved roads. In addition, poverty is neither glamorized (poor but so happy) nor glossed over; Civil is stunned by the ramshackle hut which a widowed father, two young daughters (ages 11 and 13), and an elderly grandmother call home. It smells like urine and "body funk."

I think readers will enjoy discovering this book for themselves, so no plot spoilers will be included. Suffice it to say that Civil has some personal heartbreaks and tough decisions that change the trajectory of her life forever. For anyone who has ever been an idealistic young employee, determined to make things good and right, you will be as outraged as Civil herself. This book is destined to be a modern classic! (less)

In Every Mirror She's Black: A Novel
by Lola Akinmade Akerstrom

I Loved It From Page One ! (9/4/2021)

One thing that I have really enjoyed about BookBrowse over the years has been my exposure to new authors and new books. In a brick and mortar book store (yes, I do enjoy those still, as well) I am not sure that the cover design oF IN EVERY MIRROR SHE'S BLACK would have …more

The Arsonists' City
by Hala Alyan

Loved This Book;Recommend It Often (5/19/2021)

"Grief will make you do crazy things...page211" and this novel proves that to be true.

This turned out to be one of my favorite books so far in 2021. It did not immediately start out that way; there are quite a few characters, and because I kept putting the book down, I …more

Morningside Heights: A Novel
by Joshua Henkin

Very Realistic and Engaging Story of a Marriage (4/14/2021)

One of my favorite aspects of this modern story is that the characters are very realistic. Pru Steiner, for example, comes from a family in which the dad follows kosher rules but her mother does not. As for Pru, she feels too constrained - even as a kid- when attending the …more

Eternal Life
by Dara Horn

Unforgettable; Makes the Book's Premise Seem Believable (12/1/2020)

To start off, let me urge prospective readers to NOT read detailed book reviews which contain spoilers. Part of my enjoyment of this book was the surprise factor. Eternal Life was different than I expected since it began in ancient Biblical times. I am not sure how I …more

At the Edge of the Haight
by Katherine Seligman

Realistic and Empathetic Without Being Judgmental (10/6/2020)

I understand why this book was the winner of The Pen/Bellwether prize for socially engaged fiction. First person narrator Madlynne (only 20 years old) has a life of homelessness, living on the streets of San Francisco. Sadly, she was pointed in that direction starting with …more

Every Bone a Prayer
by Ashley Blooms

Loved the Basic Story (7/29/2020)

The lovely prose of Ashley Blooms’s book as well as the basic story line about the struggles of children living in the Appalachian Mountain hollers were 5 star. I immediately wanted to get to know Charlene, Misty and Penny, ages 8,10, and 12, respectively. I also thoroughly …more

Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters
by Jennifer Chiaverini

A Realistic Portrayal of Mary Lincoln's Mental Instability (6/14/2020)

The book began a little slow for me, but I was interested to learn more about Mary Todd Lincoln and am glad that I kept going. Author Chiaverini did exhaustive research for this 331 page book; there is a lot to learn about the influential Todd family as well as life in …more general for women during the 1800's, including Mary Lincoln's status as the widow of a slain President. Most of all, it is clear that from a very young age Mary Todd Lincoln thought she was better than the vast majority of people, including her own sisters. Mary's excessive hubris, focus on materialistic possessions, and lack of empathy for others makes her a mostly unlikable character. I appreciate the fact that books such as this give realistic portrayals of famous people rather than some fantasy version that all of the political leaders in American history were wonderful, intelligent people with equally wonderful spouses. Previous accounts of Mary Lincoln usually attributed her sadness and depression to the death of her sons, but this book reveals a pattern of surprisingly self-centered and selfish behavior before she became a wife or mother. As the First Lady, she shocked some citizens with the amount of money she spent, particularly in light of the brewing political unrest and subsequent Civil War. Sadly, too, the child mortality rate in the 1800's meant that many women of all races suffered the same tragedy as Mrs. Lincoln, though few had the economic resources to have others care for them and only the elite could live in a spa-like asylum such as Belleview. It is easy to see why Robert, Mary's adult son and only surviving child, has her committed. Certainly, Mary's sisters are not fighting to free her or have Mary live with them.

Some segments of society questioned Mary Lincoln's sincerity in backing her husband's political platform of anti-slavery. After all, Mary Todd had grown up in a household with slaves. This included the Todd home before her Mary's mother died as well as after with her step-mother. The pace of historical fiction tends to be a little slower than other commercial fiction, and for me this was not a five star read. The chapters shifted back and forth between Mary's adult and earlier life, and this format - rather than a linear timeline - was probably necessary to hold the reader's interest. However, I appreciated receiving an ARC from Morrow/Harper Collins. (less)

Miracle Creek
by Angie Kim

Riveting, Shocking, Disturbing - This book has it all. (4/18/2020)

Don't let the lengthy character list inside the front cover discourage you from reading this novel. The plot is truly unique and covers a wide range of emotions. Reviews which label this book as a courtroom drama simply do not do it justice; it would like saying the …more

He Started It
by Samantha Downing

Totally Enjoyable, Twisting and Turning Plot. (2/29/2020)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and perhaps part of the fun was that I had no idea what to suspect. I had not yet read author Samantha Downing's previous bestseller, MY LOVELY WIFE. The premise of the book sounded like a universal event - the death of a family member. The …more

The Paris Diversion: A Novel
by Chris Pavone

Wow- what a page turner! (12/18/2019)

This book has everything going for it - a fun Parisian setting, dangerous but believable situations, and characters who are realistically imperfect. They have a blend of both good and bad qualities that keep the reader guessing about what will happen next. Author Chris …more

Evening in Paradise: More Stories
by Lucia Berlin

I Enjoyed This Immensely ! (11/9/2019)

Although some of the titles of Lucia Berlin's works were familiar to me, I had never actually read anything written by Berlin prior to receiving a copy of EVENING IN PARADISE. In addition, I almost always prefer a novel to a collection of short stories. However, I not only …more

Ordinary Girls: A Memoir
by Jaquira Díaz

An Intense Look at the Effect of Poverty (9/9/2019)

Although ORDINARY GIRLS is a memoir, it is also an intense bird's-eye view of poverty and its particularly devastating effects upon females in America. For readers who liked the YA novel The Hate U Give, there's no doubt you will like Jaquira Diaz's memoir. However, for …more

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