Archive for Novel book reviews

Novel Review: The Other Mother

May 30, 2008 at 7:56 am · Filed under Novel book reviews ·Tagged , , , , ,

A Novel

Title: The Other Mother

Author: Gwendolen Cross

Summary (from Publishers Weekly):
Gross’s third novel (following Getting Out) documents the front lines of the Mommy Wars, but its real strength lies in exposing the complex inner battlefields motherhood can open up. Eight months pregnant Amanda, a successful children’s book editor and dedicated New Yorker, picks up with her lawyer husband and moves to suburban Teaneck, N.J. Her new neighbor, Thea Caldwell, is a full-time mother of three who still lives in her childhood home and who arrives bearing brownies. When the newcomers take extended shelter in the Caldwells’ basement following a damaging storm and, later, when Amanda hires Thea as her newborn’s nanny, the growing intimacy between the two breeds resentment, bitterness and misunderstandings. The series of external crises designed to create tension and suspense are, in the end, less compelling than the women’s own inner demons, revealed through alternating, and overlapping, first-person narration. Jersey resident Gross shows the strife between SAHMs (Stay at Home Moms) and WOTHs (moms who Work Outside the Home) to be a lot more nuanced than it’s often portrayed. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Positive Elements: The author takes the reader into the well defined lives of a stay-at-home mom and a work-outside-the-home mom. Many books on the subject tend to favor one position over the other. This story presents both sides of the story with a compassion and understanding. Each mom faces complex and challenging situations unique to her chosen walk of life. However, the author also links together the common bonds all moms have regardless of work and home status — the love of our children. This book is an easy read and a good story. The chapters are told from the point of view of the main characters alternately. This enables the readers to understand the opposing viewpoints of both moms, while never really favoring one over the other.

Sexual Content: None

Violent Content: None

Profanity: There were a few instances of strong language. Unfortunately, it wasn’t essential to the story of the book.

Drug Content: None

Conclusion: This is not just another book about the so-called mommy wars. I enjoyed this book in part because it explores the issues we moms face on a daily basis ( guilt, vulnerablity, time for ourselves, parenting mistakes, family choices). Women are always comparing ourselves to each other. We do it with husbands, houses, dinners, etc.. It gets worse when we have children. Amanda and Thea both take on judgemental attitudes to each other and in turn take moments to question their own respective positions as as working mom and a stay at home mom. One particular moment in the book turned me off. During an emotional and heated moment between the two women, they kiss. Its hard to determine the author’s intent with that scene. It is not described as coming from anything sexual but more from need of being comforted. It was a strange scene and should have been left out. This book would be very good for dicsussion in a book club.

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Novel Review: The Secret Between Us

May 17, 2008 at 8:48 pm · Filed under Novel book reviews ·Tagged , , ,

Title: The Secret Between Us

Author: Barbara Delinsky

Summary: (from Publishers Weekly) Relationships are brought to the limit in Delinsky’s splendid latest exploration of family dynamics. On a rainy night, Deborah Monroe and her teenage daughter, Grace, are driving home when their car hits a man. The victim, who turns out to be Grace’s history teacher, is unconscious but alive. Although Grace was driving, Deborah sends her home and takes responsibility for the accident when the cops show up. Deborah is juggling a lot: as a family doctor, she is in private practice with her über-demanding widower father, who is trying to hide a drinking problem; her son, Dylan, is vision impaired; her mother’s death continues to affect the family; Deborah is still dealing with her ex-husband’s new, separate life; and her unmarried sister, Jill, has just announced she’s pregnant. Grace’s guilt about not taking responsibility for the accident makes her withdraw from friends and family, and the accident victim turns out to have a more complex private life than anyone imagined. The author seamlessly resolves relationship issues without sentiment, throws in a promising romance for Deborah and offers a redemptive scene between Grace and her grandfather. Delinsky combines her understanding of human nature with absorbing, unpredictable storytelling—a winning combination.

Positive Elements: This book does a great job of highlighting the love a parent has for a child. How far are any of us willing to go to protect the ones we love? Both minor children in the book are especially mature and insightful for their ages (10 and 14). Grief, unresolved anger and lonliness are issues explored throughout the book. Instead of being a depressing read, the author uses those issues to develop the characters and provide us a compassionate look in the complex relationships that exist within a family. This book is an easy read. There are no long descriptive narratives. The writing style is similar to that of Jodi Piccoult.
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content: None
Profanity: None
Drug Use: Some discussion and reference to teenage drinking. The topic is addressed in a positive manner.
Conclusion: I really liked this book. It was an easy read and a great story. The major characters are likable and the story keeps you engrossed for a long time. However, be prepared to face some tough questions about family roles and relationships. This book would great for a book club discussion. The book examines the complexity of family dynamics. How much of your parents’ parenting style to you adhere to? How dissimilar or similar are we to our parents? Are we bad parents if we let our children fall or does falling help them to grow? I highly recommend this book.

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Review: Peace Like A River

April 29, 2008 at 10:23 pm · Filed under Novel book reviews ·Tagged , ,

Title: Peace Like a River

Author: Leif Enger

Summary:
To the list of great American child narrators that includes Huck Finn and Scout Finch, let us now add Reuben “Rube” Land, the asthmatic 11-year-old boy at the center of Leif Enger’s remarkable first novel, Peace Like a River. Rube recalls the events of his childhood, in small-town Minnesota circa 1962, in a voice that perfectly captures the poetic, verbal stoicism of the northern Great Plains. “Here’s what I saw,” Rube warns his readers. “Here’s how it went. Make of it what you will.” And Rube sees plenty.

In the winter of his 11th year, two schoolyard bullies break into the Lands’ house, and Rube’s big brother Davy guns them down with a Winchester. Shortly after his arrest, Davy breaks out of jail and goes on the lam. Swede is Rube’s younger sister, a precocious writer who crafts rhymed epics of romantic Western outlawry. Shortly after Davy’s escape, Rube, Swede, and their father, a widowed school custodian, hit the road too, swerving this way and that across Minnesota and North Dakota, determined to find their lost outlaw Davy. In the end it’s not Rube who haunts the reader’s imagination, it’s his father, torn between love for his outlaw son and the duty to do the right, honest thing. Enger finds something quietly heroic in the bred-in-the-bone Minnesota decency of America’s heartland. Peace Like a River opens up a new chapter in Midwestern literature. –Claire Dederer (taken from Amazon.com)

Positive Elements: This book is has an original plot and unique characters. What a change from the standard novels you find in bookstores today. The author uses rich and descriptive language that enable the reader to actually believe a sometimes unbelievable story. Though not classified as Christian fiction, themes of religion, faith and prayer play an integral part of the story. There are many allusions to the miracles of Jesus Christ. The book reads like the author’s memoir and its hard to believe otherwise.

Sexual Content: None

Violent Content: In the beginning of the book there is a brief scene of violence between the older brother and a pair of intruders in the house. It is not particularly graphic.

Profanity: None I recall

Drug Content: None

Conclusion: I loved this book. I applaud the author for being willing to include Biblical themes in a secular book. There are many references to Biblical stories and miracles. For instance at one time the family is feeding some guests in the home and there doesn’t seem to be enough food to feed everyone. Everytime the daughter, Swede returns to the stove the pot of soup seems to be full. Faith is a major underlying theme throughout the book. Jeremiah Land, the father, appears to be a strong Christian man who makes decisions based on his own faith in God. His children, although sometimes with blind faith, follow him on their journey. They are never sure of what lies ahead. The story is similar to the way we follow Christ. Never knowing whats ahead but trusting the He knows the best way for us. The only negative I could give this this book is that the author’s descripive language draws out the story a little longer than needed.

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Review: Eat, Pray, Love

April 5, 2008 at 4:27 pm · Filed under Novel book reviews ·Tagged , ,

Title: Eat, Pray, Love

Author: Elizabeth Gilbert

Summary

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Gilbert (The Last American Man) grafts the structure of romantic fiction upon the inquiries of reporting in this sprawling yet methodical travelogue of soul-searching and self-discovery. Plagued with despair after a nasty divorce, the author, in her early 30s, divides a year equally among three dissimilar countries, exploring her competing urges for earthly delights and divine transcendence. First, pleasure: savoring Italy’s buffet of delights–the world’s best pizza, free-flowing wine and dashing conversation partners–Gilbert consumes la dolce vita as spiritual succor. “I came to Italy pinched and thin,” she writes, but soon fills out in waist and soul. Then, prayer and ascetic rigor: seeking communion with the divine at a sacred ashram in India, Gilbert emulates the ways of yogis in grueling hours of meditation, struggling to still her churning mind. Finally, a balancing act in Bali, where Gilbert tries for equipoise “betwixt and between” realms, studies with a merry medicine man and plunges into a charged love affair. Sustaining a chatty, conspiratorial tone, Gilbert fully engages readers in the year’s cultural and emotional tapestry–conveying rapture with infectious brio, recalling anguish with touching candor–as she details her exotic tableau with history, anecdote and impression.

Positive Elements

Gilbert is particularly gifted in writing her descriptive narratives. Her description of the gourmet, geography and people of Italy peaked my interest as a potential place to visit. This part of the book will have you craving Italian food. In addition to her narratives, Ms. Gilbert also provides with readers with lots of factual and historical information about the places she visits.

Sexual Content

There is a sex scene in the end of the book between Ms. Gilbert and her “friend.” Its not particularly graphic though.

Violent Content

None

Profanity

A few words but not enough that I found it too offensive.

Drug Content

None

Conclusion

I had heard so many good things about this book. It had been on my reading list of a few months based on the positive reccomendations of others. However, I have never been more disappointed with a book than I was with Eat, Pray, Love. I disliked this book for so many reasons. Ms. Gilbert’s attitude toward life is much like the atttitude of the world today. She comes across as self-absorbed, narcisstic and childish in her pursuit of so called “enlightenment.” It is worthwhile to note that she recieved an advance on this book before the trip. So I wonder how much of the experiences and drama in the book were created and contrived by Ms. Gilbert for a better read. There were many statements and stories that Christians will find offensive. In the beginning of the book Ms. Gilbert states “Let me explain why I use the word God, when I could easily use the words Jehovah, Allah, Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu or Zeus. Alternatively I could call God “that”. …………..God is the name that feels the most warm to me, so thats what I use (page 13). As Christians we know God is not any of those others. The God she references to in the rest of the book is not our Heavenly Father, although her so-called meditations and prayers would have you think otherwise.

In the second part of the book, Ms.Gilbert travels to India to study in an ashram under the teachings of a famous Indian guru. An ashram is a compound of like-minded people coming together to study and meditate. It is similar to a retreat. During one meditative session Gilbert describes it (p. 199) as ” being pulled through a wormhole of the Absolute , and in a rush I suddenly understood the working of the universe. I entered the void ……. The void was God , which means I was inside God.” Gilbert also quotes and Indian book that says ” People follow different paths, straight or crooked according to their temperment, depending on which one they consider best or most appropriate and all reach YOU (God).” This cherry picking of religion is advocated through out the book. We as Christians know that Jesus has said ” I am the way, the truth and the life. No one gets to the father but through me.” John 14:6. I have found that most of the world is always on the search for something beyond ourselves. People are willing to look everywhere but to God to fill that empty void. I am willing to bet the Ms. Gilbert’s new found happiness is temporary and that without knowledge of the on true God she will always have an empty void.

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Review: The Time Traveler’s Wife

March 5, 2008 at 7:30 pm · Filed under Novel book reviews ·Tagged

Title: The Time Traveler’s Wife

Author: Audrey Niffeneger

Summary:

From Publishers Weekly:

This clever and inventive tale works on three levels: as an intriguing science fiction concept, a realistic character study and a touching love story. Henry De Tamble is a Chicago librarian with “Chrono Displacement” disorder; at random times, he suddenly disappears without warning and finds himself in the past or future, usually at a time or place of importance in his life. This leads to some wonderful paradoxes. From his point of view, he first met his wife, Clare, when he was 28 and she was 20. She ran up to him exclaiming that she’d known him all her life. He, however, had never seen her before. But when he reaches his 40s, already married to Clare, he suddenly finds himself time traveling to Clare’s childhood and meeting her as a 6-year-old. The book alternates between Henry and Clare’s points of view, and so does the narration. Reed ably expresses the longing of the one always left behind, the frustrations of their unusual lifestyle, and above all, her overriding love for Henry. Likewise, Burns evokes the fear of a man who never knows where or when he’ll turn up, and his gratitude at having Clare, whose love is his anchor. The expressive, evocative performances of both actors convey the protagonists’ intense relationship, their personal quirks and their reminiscences, making this a fascinating audio. (Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.)

Positive Elements

The Time Traveler’s Wife is an intriguing story about a love that two people share — a love that goes through the strange and unimaginable. I loved both of the central characters in the story. The author developed them well and you had a sense of really knowing them by the end of the story. I liked the way the author followed the lives of both characters at the same time, although it was a little challenging to follow at the beginning.

Sexual Content

This story has a few scenes that are sexual in nature. There was a particular scene that occurred with Clare when she was in high school. She was “attacked” by a male classmate. This may be disturbing to some. Also, adultery occurs in this novel. The other sexual scenes that occur are not graphic in nature and have suitable place in this novel.

Violent Content

There was not any major violence in the book. There was the above mentioned attack as well as Henry beating someone up after time traveling, but it was not graphic.

Profanity

There is profanity throughout this story. Some of the profanity was in the character’s general conversation in relation to sex.

Drug Content

There is little drug content in this book. The drugs that are talked about are related to Henry’s condition and they are medicinal in nature.

Conclusion:

I thought that this story was somewhat confusing at the beginning. It was challenging to follow the time lines of both of the characters. Once you get “into” the book, it becomes easier to follow and understand. I enjoyed reading this novel and all its complexities. Be prepared to spend some time reading this book, though. It is about 500 pages.

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