Alisa Alering has the ability to paint pictures with words. When I read her description of the turtles sunning themselves on the rocks I had a beautiful vision of them.
Unfortunately the author falls short on character development. We learn the sisters have a brother named Sam who is prison. We do not receive additional information about him. Likewise 2 hikers , Gayle and Russell stop on the sisters'property asking for food. No additional information is given about them.
The sisters, Sheila and Angie approach life very differently.
Angie's thoughts and actions are based on magical realism. Sheila's worldview is based on a practical approach and a strong work ethic. Throughout the book Sheila is struggling to keep the family together by taking care of their homestead as well as the animals they own.
Perhaps the author wants the reader to define "the stone" and "the rope" in their own terms. The rope and the stone are frequently mentioned in the book but not clearly defined.
Both sisters are discovering their sexuality as they approach womanhood. Near the end of the book the sisters have an honest discussion which brings them closer. Prior to that it seems that they were at war with each other.
I would have liked a tighter ending to the story as it left me dangling with many unanswered questions.

I enjoyed the book initially because it was a mystery I was trying to figure out.
Suddenly the story took a turn into science fiction which i did not enjoy. The ending of the story was pure, unbelievable sci-fi. I would not recommend this book to others.

As a lover of the novel "Where the Crawdads Sing", my interest was piqued in the first few pages of Stealing. I am a member of the Baby Boomer Generation and subsequently this powerful tale set in the 1950's seemed familiar to me. During my pre-teen years I read the entire series of Nancy Drew Mysteries and identified with her (with the exception of me not owning a red roadster!)

The theme of stripping Native Americans of their heritage was powerfully narrated by the protagonist, Kim Crockett. The abuse endured by Native American children forced to attend boarding schools is a story that needs to be told.

As a resident of Wisconsin and former resident of New Mexico I have heard firsthand from Native Americans about situations that took place in the 1950's. Today I see art and educational events trying to bridge the gap between then and now. Specifically, the Milwaukee Art Museum is opening an exhibition in February titled "Native America in Translation." The exhibition will explore indigenous histories, cultures and representation through contemporary photography.
Earlier this year the Madison Public Library sponsored their first Native American Storyteller-in-residence to explain tribal customs and traditions to the community at large and to students of all ages. I am optimistic the transfer of knowledge will positively foster the importance of understanding the Native American culture as it was in the past and the influence it has on society today.

Most often we think of dinosaurs as being ancient reptiles, but it can also refer to a person or thing that is obsolete because of failure to adapt to changing circumstances. Is this why Gil walked from New York to Arizona after his breakup with Lane? I will leave this question for you, the reader to ponder.
Metaphorically this novel is like a boat floating on calm water. A ripple or wave may change the course of the boat, but not enough to make it capsize.
Dinosaurs is the story of a family who lives in a glass house next door to Gil.
Gil is able to watch his neighbors in the glass house and fantasizes what their life is about. As he becomes "part
of the family" his relationship with Ardis, Ted, Clem, and Tom evolves.

Gil is a man of means who has never worked, but has devoted his life to volunteering providing service to people and charities in need.

The author resides in Arizona and shares her knowledge of desert plants, animals, and birds found in the Arizona landscape.
Each chapter is named after a bird. The author skillfully weaves the character and actions of the birds into the novel. I found this both interesting and intriguing. I hope you will enjoy this novel as much as I did.

If you enjoy reading short stories this may be a book you would like to read. The book is comprised of 8 short stories I would categorize as a cross between science fiction and unbridled imagination.

The author, Kathryn Harlan graduated from the University of Wisconsin and currently teaches writing at UW. I live in Madison, WI and I like to read books written by local authors.

Admittedly I am not a fan of science fiction so the book did not hold my interest. I also found it difficult to engage with the characters.

I think the book is well written but I gave it only 3 stars because I did not like the stories. But you, the reader, may think it deserves 4 or 5 stars.

I am writing this review under the assumption that you, the reader, has read other reviews of Free and have an idea of what the book is about. Based on this assumption I am approaching this review experientially by comparing events in my life which are similar to those in the childhood of Lea Ypi.
As a child I grew up in a multigenerational family with my grandparents who immigrated to the USA from Czechoslovakia, my "1st Generation " parents and my "2nd Generation " siblings.
When I was a young child my grandmother told me about Stalin and life under Communist rule. She told me about scarcity and why it was important for us to send medicine, clothing, coffee and other necessities to our relatives in
Czechoslovakia.
My grandparents and parents spoke Czech when they were discussing politics. This was the protective double speak or "code" that was used when children were present, just as Lea Ypi heard code about Stalin, Uncle Enver, and the whereabouts of family members.
My first visit to Czechoslovakia was in the 1970's. My second and subsequent visits took place after President Vaclav Havel lead the peaceful "Velvet Revolution ". The cultural changes that took place after my initial visit were amazing.
Lea Ypi did an excellent job of explaining Albania's road to democracy was filled with violent protests. Her words painted a picture of the difficulties the Albanians faced as their political system was in transition and the multil-leveled effects it had on the citizens who grappled with the changes.
It is my hope the reader will learn a great deal about Albania as I did. I also hope the reader will contemplate the question "What is the cost of Freedom?"

To close your eyes and taste something can be a leap of faith! Carolyn Phillips, author of At the Chinese Table proved her ability to take a leap of faith in both her career and personal life. She left the USA and moved to Taiwan as a graduate student, met her future husband and married into a Chinese family. If you read other reviews you are already familiar with this story of love, memoirs and recipes. I would like to share why this book holds great appeal for me. The book is divided into 11 Chapters of story followed by recipes and tips on cooking as well as procuring the ingredients needed to prepare the dishes. The book is peppered with the author's hand drawn illustrations, maps and indices, plus a glossary to guide the reader through a list of Chinese foods and ingredients which may be unfamiliar.

At The Chinese Table is a book I predict will be treasured and reread by cooks, artists and a variety of assorted readers .After you have read the book I think you will understand why I selected the review title of "Close Your Eyes and Taste."

My first encounter with Maria Isabel occurred in Chapter One while she was working in a cigar factory in Cuba. This vision catapulted me into Bizet's opera, Carmen. In my mind I was able to smell the tobacco and hear the voices of the factory workers as they tightly rolled tobacco into cigars. This book is a powerful narrative of women sharing their generational memories, secrets, and survival strategies. I was raised by my maternal grandmother who immigrated from Eastern Europe to the US. Like the characters in the book she told me bits and pieces of her life story. She survived two World Wars and the Great Depression. She told me of the hardships she endured as an immigrant living thousands of miles away from her family and country of origin .What she didn't tell me was what notions she had to give up in order to move ahead in her new role of wife, mother, grandmother and US citizen.. I often ponder what gave her comfort and support, as I ponder the issues and secrets of the generations of women in Of Women and Salt. It is my hope that you, the Reader will be challenged to research and examine the lives of the women in your family who came before you and contributed to the person you are to today.

I found Black Widows intriguing because it reads like a triptych, a set of three themes intended to be appreciated together. The first theme is a mystery, "Who killed Blake Nelson?" The second theme creates an understanding of Latter Day Saints and their beliefs about life, death, polygamy, and sacred undergarments, The third theme focuses on the dynamics of three wives sharing one husband while living all together under one roof. As a daily practice each wife wondered who will be sharing the marriage bed with Brad tonight? As complex as these themes are, I think the author skillfully tied them together to make for a very different but interesting read. I enjoyed the book because it challenged me to think about how I might behave and react in this situation. Would I feel included or rejected? Would I be able to live with the other two wives in harmony, or would jealousy win out?