August 26, 2010August Novel Ideas gets historical

Riveting Historical Fiction Set in the Badlands

 

You’re snagged from the onset, your heart aching for Rachel, an African American homesteader begging her husband not to lower their daughter into a well to get water they desperately need to survive a drought.

In “The Personal History of Rachel DuPree,” by Ann Weisgarber, Rachel loses that battle and others in a simple, yet powerful, book about a woman battling a merciless existence on the plains of South Dakota in the early 1900’s.

Rachel has pluck and courage, and her story is powerful. This historical fiction debut brings to light the plight of African American Homesteaders.

 

Memoir of Women’s Friendship is Captivating

More than a decade ago, I read an arresting memoir, “Drinking a Love Story,” by Caroline Knapp, the story of a woman’s battle with the bottle so intimate I felt I knew Knapp personally. As such, it was shocking to hear sometime later that Knapp had died a tragic, untimely death. Advanced lung cancer took her seven weeks after her diagnosis.

In “Let’s Take the Long Way Home, a Memoir of Friendship” Gail Caldwell writes of her friendship with Knapp, a relationship marked by common interests, admiration and experiences few are blessed to share. The women bonded over their love of dogs, long walks, writing and recovery from alcoholism.

Both single, with no children, Knapp and Caldwell were kindred spirits and the tale of their friendship is touching, sad and uplifting. “Long Walk Home” is a book about friendship, but it also has much to say about grief, addiction and living.

 

Tension Builds in Mysterious Who-Dun-It           

Things aren’t always what they seem in life or in literature—such is the case with an engaging new read by Thomas H. Cook, “The Last Talk with Lola Faye.”

 You’ve got to hand it to the author. This novel could have been ho-hum, given that it takes place in one evening, during a lengthy conversation between Luke and Lola Faye, two people discussing their pasts. But there’s never a dull moment, the tension just keeps building.

With plenty of twists and turns that aren’t straightened out until the end, area readers will find “Lola Faye” entertaining, and feel right at home because of its St. Louis setting.

Reprinted with permission, Missourian Publishing Company. Copyright 2010.

July 27, 2010August Book Buzz is thick skinned

Amazing Animal Connections

They come with tails or trunks, have coats that are furry, and hides as cool and smooth as stones. Reptile and mammal, animals populate our world in all shapes and sizes, but their effect on our hearts is the same.

This month, Newsbee highlights books about a peppy duck with a plan, a horse who’s bright as a penny, and a girl with a gift for gentling wild animals. You’ll hoot with pleasure over my August Picks.

      Henry’s wild about dogs, but all he has for pets are frogs. His mom thinks the croakers should satisfy her son, but Henry isn’t about to give up on his wish for a doggie in “Wanted: the Perfect Pet,” by Fiona Roberton.

The end result is hilarious, yet sweet, proving that sometimes man’s best friend is not a dog—and that wishes can come true in far different ways than we could ever imagine. Simple, cartoon illustrations with plenty of charm give personality to the characters in a Pick you won’t want to miss.

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Jim, the star of “Wonder Horse, the True Story of the World’s Smartest Horse,” by Emily Arnold McCully was a four-legged Einstein. But Jim wouldn’t have amounted to much, if it hadn’t been for his owner Bill Key.

Key, a slave born on a plantation in 1833, loved horses and encouraged their kind treatment. He became a veterinarian, and got interested in buying a horse that would be fast at the track.

If you enjoyed Martine Allen’s adventures in “The White Giraffe, “Dolphin Song” and “The Last Leopard,” you’ll be sold on “The Elephant’s Tale,” set in the Sawubona Wildlife Reserve in South Africa.

It’s a race to the finish in this exciting conclusion to the “Legend of the Animal Healer” series.

Reprinted with permission, Missourian Publishing Company. Copyright 2010.

 

April 30, 2010MARCH NOVEL IDEAS FULL OF INSPIRATION

 

Hug “Making Toast” close to your heart. This memoir by Roger Rosenblatt is a touching tribute to his daughter Amy, mother of three, wife and pediatrician.

In 2007, 38-eight-year old Amy died of a rare heart abnormality while exercising on the treadmill in her home. Her unexpected death rocked everyone, and left Amy’s husband, Harris, a hand surgeon, in charge of the couple’s three children.

Rosenblatt, a writing professor and author, and his wife, Ginny, moved in to help Harris with the children, and stayed. One of Rosenblatt’s responsibilities was making toast for the family, therefore the title.

Though “Making Toast” centers on an event that will reduce readers to tears, it’s also peppered with funny moments.

This treasure of a book deserves to be relished from beginning to end — then shared with those you love. It reminds us to relish each day.

Just What We Expect from Coben

            Need to escape — read “Caught” by the master of mysteries, Harlan Coben. With more titles than you can shake a gun at, Coben entertains with a read that moves like a runaway train, with plenty of switches along the tracks.

The stand-alone mystery features Wendy Tynes, NTC News, a reporter who’s set up and pulled into a web of secrets that almost gets her killed.

This novel focuses on contemporary issues like job loss, underage drinking and predators victimizing children via the Internet. This smart new whodunit will keep you guessing until the last page, and carries with it a few subtle lessons in morals for parents, too.

 

Strangers Brought Together by Tragedy

            Alzheimer’s disease destroys minds and breaks hearts. Shells of its victims remain. Lost in a world where we can reach them one day but not the next, lucid moments appear, but disappear just as quickly.

“Lost,” a novel by Alice Lichtenstein, details the downward spiral of Christopher Hunsinger, a once renowned architect with Alzheimer’s. Confused, he wanders out into the frigid cold and snow away from his wife, Dr. Susan Hunsinger, a scientist who’s mired in guilt, an emotion that caretakers all too well understand.

“Lost” is an intimate look at a handful of characters whose lives intersect one wintry weekend, leaving all of them changed. It’s a thoughtful read and all too real.

Copyright 2010, Missourian Publishing Company. Reprinted with permission.
"Novel Ideas," a product of the Washington Missourian, is free to newspapers nationwide through Missouri Press. The column is well-respected nationally and, rather than being a review column, is a book suggestion column. Author Chris Stuckenschneider chooses three books each month to share with readers. The column averages about 600 words per month. The column and cover images, are available for download through the Missouri Press Foundation. To learn more check out the Book Columns page of the MPA website, here.

April 26, 2010MAY BOOK BUZZ sidles up to siblings

They’re queen bees in my book. Sisters look out for you, share your secrets and sometimes even let you wear their favorite pair of jeans, provided you don’t read their diary. There’s simply “Nothing Like a Sister.”

Brothers appreciate their sisters too, even when they outrun them or score more goals in soccer. So Buzzers and Buzzettes, hope you’ll relish my May Picks and share one with that special sister in your life.

A little girl has a big problem in “The Red Lollipop” by Rukhsana Khan. Rubina is thrilled when she gets a birthday invitation. But her bubble pops when Ami, her mother, insists she has to take her little sister Sana along. Rubina is upset, but Ami insists that’s the way it’s going to be.

Once the sisters are at the party, things don’t go well.

Colorful illustrations by Sophie Blackall make this Pick pure “eye candy.”

 

“Born Yesterday, the Diary of a Young Journalist,” features a baby who will tickle your funny bone. This clever book by James Solheim is actually a pretend diary written over the course of a year by a baby who looks up to her big sister like she’s a rock star or something.

The infant thinks her sister is the real deal — she gets to paint her toenails, and even goes to kindergarten, “so she must be really talented.”

This darling diary comes to life with cartoon illustrations by Simon James, who really knows his way around a crib.

The bonds of sisterhood are tested when two Jewish sisters are forced to leave their home and parents behind when Nazis invade Austria, their native country, during World War II.

You’ll be amazed at the courage Stephie and Nellie Steiner display in “A Faraway Island,” by Annika Thor, translated from Swedish by Linda Schenck.

This marvelous historical fiction is based on true stories of children who fled their European homes during World War II and found refuge with foster families in Sweden. It’s the first of four novels that will feature the Steiner sisters.

Book Buzz, a product of the Washington Missourian, is free to newspapers nationwide through Missouri Press. The column is well-respected nationally and, rather than being a review column, is a book suggestion column. Author Chris Stuckenschneider chooses three books each month to share with readers. The column averages about 600 words per month. The column and cover images, are available for download through the Missouri Press Foundation. To learn more check out the Book Columns page of the MPA website, here.

Reprinted with permission, Missourian Publishing Company. Copyright 2010.

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