Book Review: Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

This was my pick for my library book club last month.  It was one of the greatest discussions we have had about a single book, opening up all sorts of conversation topics and feelings for and against the book.  But yowza, was it an emotional roller coaster of a read! 

This book begins under a pretty typical "women's lives and relationships" formula.  Meredith and Nina are about as opposite as two sisters can be.  Meredith married her childhood sweetheart and took over the family business while Nina travels the world as a freelance photographer.  However, the thing they have in common is a deep love for their father and just as deep of an ambivilance for their mother. 

Growing up, the girls clung to their loving and warm father while constantly living in the shadow of their stern and cold mother.  However, when their father dies, they are left with broken hearts and the promise to "get to know their mother."  Anya Whitson is not an easy person to get to know though, something Meredith and Nina know firsthand from years of disappointment and neglect.  Still, out of love for their father, they return to their childhood home and persuade Anya to finish a fairy tale she began long ago, the tale of a young princess and her dashing prince.

As Anya finally begins unraveling her fairy tale it takes on a much darker and more realistic presence.  Suddenly the young princess is a pesant girl trapped in Soviet-blockaded Leningrad, fighting for her life and the lives of her children. 

Meredith and Nina are shocked and moved as their mother's story unfolds with amazing beauty and horror, discovering a woman they never knew before.

This is a touching and heartbreaking novel about the complicated relationship between mothers and daughters, but it is so much more.  It is an elecritfiying novel of historical fiction about the seige of Leningrad, an overwhelmingly tragic moment in history.  It is a novel about the triumph of the human spirit in the face of terrible trauma. 

I have to say, as a mother of young children this book haunted me deeply.  There's really nothing like reading about young children slowly starving to make you squeeze your own plump little babies until they squirm and say "Ow mommy, down please!"  Or maybe it's just me!  I literally could not talk about it for weeks without crying.  Hmmm...I'm not really selling it very well am I?  I really did love this book and the rich, multi-layered plot.  Kristen Hannah does an exellent job of telling a tragic story without being overly cloying or sentimental, so I'll forgive her for making me a little bit crazy while reading it.

A Bump in the Road

Shortly before Christmas, I sort of reached "obligation overload."  We've all been there, when life is running to fast for comfort and something has gotta give.  I picked this blog as the something.  What started as a short break has turned into about 6 weeks now.  My apologies to my dad, my globe-trotting cousin and you other 5 people who have been visiting this site hoping for an update!  What's funny is about a 100 times in the last month-ish, I have thought "this would make an awesome post" but somewhere between idea and motivation things got sketchy.  You see, I'm not really a "half-ass" kind of girl and the truth is the only thing I can really commit to this thing right now is just that.  The other half of my ass is busy trying to not be so "voluminous" in between binges on hummus and sourdough.  Sigh.....  Anyway, so on with the half-assed blog.  I can't gurantee that I won't "leave the building" again (I have two kids, a part-time job that feels pretty full time, a rapidly aging house and an increasingly desperate hummus habit...see above).  But I'll give it a shot.  Hope y'all had a Merry Christmas, happy New Year, MLK day, Groundhog Day, etc.

We'll start back slow...here's a book review that I wrote for the Moore Monthly.  If you ever are just dying for a printed copy of my "work" chances are you can find it here.  It's a pretty neat little magazine about the goings on in and around Moore, Ok.  A "baby Gazette" for lack of a better description.  You can find them FOR FREE PEOPLE!!! at lots of businesses in Moore and also at the Norman Public Library.  Anyway, the book was The Night Circus and was just about the quirkiest, most frustrating, and most beautiful book that I have read in a long time.  Here you go:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Once upon a time there were two ancient magicians who liked to play games.   Each magician would select a student and carefully train them in the ancient language and skill of magical manipulation.  And then, the students would be set into an “arena” of sorts to prove that their magic was more powerful than the other’s.  And this is the beginning of the Night Circus.  

When an elderly eccentric conceives the notion of a mysterious circus unlike anything the world has ever seen, he cannot imagine the ramifications of what he actually sets in motion.  As he hires talented and strange characters from all over the world, already the “stars” of the show have been carefully trained and molded for the performance of their lives.  

Celia Bowen, the magician’s daughter, was born into the magical world, even before she realized it.  Now a beautiful illusionist, she is a sort of matriarch of the circus and is intent on protecting it from any harm, even if that means destroying herself in the process.

Marco is a foundling, an orphan who was adopted and rigidly trained to win his teacher’s game at all cost.  However, when Marco and Celia finally meet, they forge a bond that is stronger even than the magic they have learned, stronger than their alliance to their mentors.

What started as a game has become a dynamic, breathing circus, a magical and wonderful place that touches the lives of so many.  Reading The Night Circus, you will find a rich, multi-layered story of pride, love, friendship, and the power of free will.  Each chapter will lead you further into an astonishing labyrinth where magic becomes reality and anything could be around the next corner.  With The Night Circus Morgenstern has built an intricate and alluring story that will keep you pondering long after the last page is turned.  

So, to recap, I will try to not be such a slacker in the future. No promises though, try to not be too heartbroken! But we'll give it another shot. Stay tuned for Turkey Tomatillo Chili, the Myriad Botanical Gardens...new and improved, and Adventures in Raising the Most Destructive Child on the Planet. Yep, that should keep me busy for a while...

Thanks for reading!

Book Review: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Victoria Jones has lived her entire life in foster care.  Now, at age 18, she has "aged out" of the system and is left to survive alone with what little skills and social savvy she possesses.  Paralyzed by her own inexperience, she ends up living in a San Francisco park and tending a secret garden.
Flowers are Victoria's only true language and she lovingly tends, selects, and gifts them to people as a way to communicate her anger and confusion.  She is drawn to them like nothing, or nobody else, and soon discovers a local florist willing to give her a chance, and a job. 
While Victoria begins to thrive and gain a following as a brilliant florist, her past refuses to release its grip on her.  When a chance encounter with a local flower vendor provides the link to Victoria's only real home, she is terrified of repeating past tragedies.  Victoria must make a choice between risking more pain in order to form lasting bonds for the first time in her life, or to withdraw completely into a life of solitude.
The author of this book has been a foster mother herself and tells this story with a unique love and understanding of children being raised by "the system."  It is a beautifully told coming-of-age tale that is completely original and enthralling.

Book Review: Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson

I'm a bit behind on my book reviews, so you may see a few of these in a row!

This was my October book club pick at the library.  It was unlike anything that I was expecting.  It is the story of Trond Sander and one desperate, enlightening, fantastic, coming-of-age summer in a cabin on a river with his dad.

As the story begins, an aging Trond has moved to a small cabin in a rural Norwegian village.  His goal is to live his last years in peace and isolation.  However, the cabin, its surroundings, and the inhabitants of the village bring back strong memories of his last summer with his father.  The story flows back and forth between the 67 year-old hermit-like Trond and the 15 year-old boy who was fascinated with his enigmatic father and the secrets that defined him.  Over the course of one summer, life changes dramatically for Trond.  It is this summer that becomes the dividing point between child and man and it is this summer in which Trond seems to be forever trapped.

This is not an action-packed, page turner type book.  It is densely written and contemplative.  I did find it very interesting, at times amusing and at times sorrowful.  The setting and imagery are beautifully told and it relates a little-known aspect of World War II history.  Sometime in the upcoming winter, when the wind is howling and a fire is burning, curl up with a cup of tea and head to Norway to go "out stealing horses."

Book Review: The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

This is our book club selection for the month.  It was a tasty little treat of a book, much needed after reading some heavier things lately.  Some books I refer to as "palate cleansers."  Basically, lighthearted, fun books to clear the head (often these are romance novels...shhhh).  This book would fit into that category and I wouldn't even be ashamed to carry it into the doctor's office!

Lillian has a gift and, as often happens, she discovers this gift under tragic circumstances.  When Lillian is seven, her father abandons them and her mother sinks into a deep depression.  Lillian begins experimenting with food and discovers that she has the ability to create powerful emotions and memories with her delicious recipes.  With the help of a local shop owner and food mentor, Abuelita, Lillian finally succeeds in "waking her mother" from her depressive stupor.

Fast forward a few decades and Lillian is a successful restaurateur and chef.  Her true passion though, is teaching her Monday night cooking classes.  As the class assembles, we meet a variety of characters, each dealing with some individual pain or inner conflict.  In each class, a dish is created that speaks to one individual student, creating clearness where there was confusion or closure where there was sadness.  The multiple points of view allow the reader to get to know each character and their story, all woven around the frame of that Monday night's recipe.

In Lillian's world, food is life.   It is luscious, exciting, and magical.  This book is engaging, with likeably flawed characters and delicious imagery.  It will make you happy (and maybe hungry) to read it.  I can't wait to hear what my book club ladies have to say about it on Thursday!

Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

So, the last "dystopia" I read was probably Brave New World.  In high school.  Because I had to.  I don't know why this particular sub-genre weirds me out, but it does.  Really, it's anything futuristic or science fiction-ish.  I've never even seen an episode of Star Trek!  Okay, so now that you know more than you really wanted to know about my sci-fi hang-ups, I'll try to move on!

I read this for my "friend" book club.  Basically just another excuse to get together and chat but we can pretend that it's "intellectual."  I would never have read it on my own (see above) so I was glad for the push to read it.  That's one of the best parts about book clubs, you end up reading something totally different from what you think you like, and generally discover something great in the process.  Oh yeah, the review!

In a strange sort of post-apocyloptic world, a young girl (Katniss) is struggling to help support her family by hunting, foraging, bartering, and generally getting by on her wits.  She lives in one of 12 seperate "districts" all controlled by a distant and aloof "Capital."  Once a year the Capital randomly selects one boy and one girl from each district to come and compete in what they call a game but is really a bloody, bizarre and voyeuristic sacrifice.  When Katniss's little sister is chosen, she instantly volunteers to go in her sister's place.  From 24 children, only one will leave the arena alive after the games are over, while the entire country is forced to watch on television.  It is the Capital's twisted way of keeping the "natives" subdued.  For Katniss, the dilemma becomes how to survive and return to a family who needs her while still maintaining her humanity in the face of deranged brutality.  

This is a roller coaster of a book that will draw you in from the first page.  I really don't even feel as though it can be described well.  What I want to say is just "Go read the book!"  It is disturbing, but also fascinating and thought-provoking.  Particularly as we become more obsessed with reality-television, or as we see deranged dictators being deposed on the nightly news, it does bring up the question of what is actually considered entertainment.  This is certainly a work of fiction, but it does bring to light some less than flattering aspects about our current culture.  

It is worth mentioning that this book is part of a trilogy and while I have only read the first so far, I do hear that they are all excellent.  Stay tuned!   

Book Review: Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy

I read this book for our book club at the library.  Come join us next month if you love reading!

I have never read anything by Binchy before, which is strange because she is a very popular author and I generally love Irish fiction.  It always seems so quirky and poetic.  Anyway, this book certainly was quirky.  Each chapter is devoted to a different character, with many of them intersecting.  I generally enjoy books with multiple points of view and I enjoyed this one as well, but I have to admit it was sort of confusing starting each chapter with a new character.  It was almost like a chain, with one sort of organically leading into another. 

What each character does have in common is a connection to the well of St. Anne.  Deep in the whitethorn woods, outside the village of Rossmore, is a shrine to St. Anne where locals believe wishes are granted.  However, the town is divided over a proposed highway that would cut through the woods and destroy the well.  Some believe that the road would symbolize progress, others are adamant that the woods and the well be preserved.  As the stories unfold, you find such a cast of amazing and appalling characters, all desperate for St. Anne to grant them their wish.  Does the wishing well work?  It depends on who is asked.  Regardless, everyone has something to learn as they visit the famous well.  This books was a fun and interesting read with so many well-developed and dynamic characters.  I will certainly be reading Maeve Binchy again.

Book Review: The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer

I have read a couple of Meg Wolitzer's books before and have always enjoyed them.  They are usually packed with social commentary, particularly as it relates to the place of women and mothers in society.  I hesitate to use the word "feminist" but there is definitely a focus in Wolitzer's work on modern women's roles in an out of the home.

In this latest novel, we are introduced to an ordinary couple who teach in an ordinary school in an ordinary town.  After many years of marriage, they are still in love, kissing in the halls between classes at the high school where they both teach.  Life at Eleanor Roosevelt High School (Elroy for short) is Americana-classic.  There is the married couple who always win teachers of the year; the socially-dysfunctional math teacher; the exotic Indian guidance counselor; and a host of average teachers and average kids going about their average lives.

When a strange new drama teacher arrives the local ladies are intrigued by her non-traditional marriage and her bold choices.  Suddenly, one by one the woman fall under a strange spell that makes them "turn away from their husbands."  I like the concept but this part did seem a little contrived, the whole "spell" thing.  What made this book so interesting is the way the entire dynamic of the couples, the school, and the town changed just based on a lack of, well, s. e. x.  No one can quite put their finger on the change but it is tangible and confusing to everyone.  Suddenly teachers are giving lower grades, couples are fighting, and people all over town are feeling angry and depressed.  The spell seems to be affecting everyone, young and old, except for the new drama teacher.  As the "sex strike" continues, each couple must figure out how to break the cycle of monotony and regain the romance in their lives.  This book was an interesting read and a good reminder of the importance of keeping life interesting, in all aspects.  

Book Review: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Marina Singh has carefully created a safe, quiet life for herself.  After a tragic mistake during her residency, she gave up the life of a surgeon and became a researcher for a pharmecutical firm.  However, when her partner mysteriously disappears in the Amazon while trying to locate a rogue field researcher, Marina finds herself on a plane to the jungle.  It is a world she has been terrified of her whole life: wild, chaotic, confusing.  It is a world where nothing and nobody are as they seem.  A world where the lines of medicine and ethics are constantly blurred and where Marina feels simultaneously terrified and fascinated.

As she tracks down Dr. Swenson, the researcher who claims Marina's lab partner has died, she discovers a lab where life-changing breakthroughs are just under the surface.  In the middle of it all is a tribe of people who are profoundly strange and tender, and very vulnerable.  They are the keepers of a secret, a secret that could cause an end to malaria worldwide, or could create bloody battles for control of this powerful new discovery.  As the book spirals towards its climax, Marina is forced to make decisions that no doctor, or no human, could easily make.  

If I had to use one phrase to describe this book it would be "thought provoking."  I found myself contemplating it long after I had read the last pages.  It is beautiful and tragic with strong and dynamic characters and an intricate plot.  It is a story that will possibly change the way you think about the world around you.

Book Review: The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

Crazy title right?  I couldn't resist this book when I saw it on the "new books" shelf at my library.  It is a beautiful, quirky little book complete with detailed sketches of, well, a wild snail.  Page by page, this little snail roams across the text, raises its antenna, stretches, explores, and accompanies you through the book.

While on vacation in Europe, the author contracts a strange and debilitating bacterial infection and finds herself bedridden.  On a whim, a friend finds a small woodland snail and brings it to her in a pot of violets.  This small gift, this tiny creature, becomes an endless source of entertainment and companionship for a woman who feels as if he life has been taken away.  She becomes enraptures with the tiny creature's physique, habits, and preferences.  Before long she is requesting any material in print about these woodland creatures and is carefully observing and appreciating the life cycle of her snail.

Over time, her illness abates slightly and she is able to slowly return to normal life.  However, her prolongued exile with only a mollusk as company has made her a quieter, more intuitive individual.

Heavily footnoted, each chapter and section of this book contains a small quote, exerpt, or poem about the life of the mollusk.  I was surprised and entertained about how carefully observed and appreciated these tiny creatures have been.  This is a quick and relaxing read, almost like an extended poem.  It is a good reminder of the importance of taking life more slowly, stopping to observe and appreciate the wonders of the world, large and small. 

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

This book is the exact opposite of what I like to read.  It is dark, twisted, techie, and just downright strange.  I loved it!  That's the mark of a really good book, even if it isn't exactly your thing, there is just something compelling about it.  I'll admit, it was difficult for me to get into it.  It is told from multiple points of view and it is quite a while before these characters begin to connect.  Plus, the book contains a lot of Swedish names and places that an Okie girl can kind of get hung up on trying to process.  Still, I stuck with it and was pretty soon sucked into the deep, dark web that Larsson created.

After being publicly disgraced and sentenced to a brief term in prison for liable, Mikael Blomkvist (see, I told you) is approached by an aging industrial giant (Henrik Vanger) with a strange request: find his great-niece's murderer.  The catch?  The murder happened 40 years ago and there is absolutely no evidence of a crime.  The girl simply vanished one day.  So, Blomkvist moves to a fishbowl of an island, surrounded by Vanger's strange and hostile family, to investigate and solve a seemingly-unsolvable crime.

Then there is Lisbeth Salander (the girl with the dragon tattoo).  A young, angry, genuis of a girl, she is the perfect mix of tough and vulnerable.  In addition to her own complicated personal problems, she stumbles upon Blomkvist and his investigation and is quickly drawn into the increasingly mysterious chain of events that Blomkvist is uncovering.

Part murder mystery, part family drama, this book reminded me of the mid-century "hard boiled" detective fiction, but with a few extra twists.  Like a mixture of Dashiell Hammet, Ernest Hemmingway, and James Patterson.  It really was a strange and enthralling book and I am glad that book club gave me the incentive to read a book that I have passed over many times but never felt motivated to up.  

Interesting factoid:  this title is the most downloaded ebook of all time.  Also, there have been Swedish movies  produced based on all three of the books in the series and there is a Hollywood version scheduled to release in December of this year.  

Book Review: The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith

This is number 12 in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.  I suspect that it is also the last one but we will just have to wait and see.  As these books are really just a continuation of the same theme, so this will pretty much be a review of the entire series.

I really do not like mystery books.  I don't have the patience for them and I'm not a big fan of gore.  These books, however are such a treat.  They are more "detective fiction" than mystery and are very character and place driven.  Throughout the series, we get to know Precious Romatswe, the "traditionally built" and infinitely wise woman who has decided to become the only private detective in Botswana.   Let me just say, this woman is awesome!  You want her to be your best friend, or next door neighbor or something.  All of the characters are a hoot, but Mma (Mrs. or Ma'am in Setswana, the language of Botswana) Romatswe is absolutely the driving force behind these books.  She is just, humble, knowledgeable, and very funny.  Each book has a couple of "cases" with interesting twists and turns, along with lots of back story and development of the characters, each of whom the reader will come to love over time.  None of these books are going to win a Pulitzer, but if you are looking for a "cozy" read with really good life lessons and beautiful imagery, these are the books for you.  You can just feel the love of this tiny African nation coming off of the pages.  I'll bet the tourist industry of Botswana is completely indebted to Mr. McCall-Smith!  Truly, these are all very good, easy and life-affirming reads, perfect for a hot summer afternoon.

Oh, and I tried the wisdom often espoused in the books that hot tea is useful for cooling oneself on hot days....I'm not sure it really worked but then again it was just regular green tea, not Mma Romatswe's special red bush tea!

Book Review: Little Bee by Chris Cleave

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

With Little Bee, author Chris Cleave has created a character that no reader will easily forget.  Wry, funny, scarred, proud, hopeful, Little Bee is a refugee with a new name but an old story.  I almost do not know how to describe this book.  After a chance and nightmarish encounter on a beach, the lives of a vacationing British couple and a hunted Nigerian girl are forever linked.  

While the couple, Andrew and Sarah, return to England and try to reclaim their lives, Little Bee escapes to England to try and build a life.  Yet, things thought buried have a way of returning and Little Bee and Sarah find themselves working together to form a life in the aftermath of horror. 

This book is tragic, it is beautiful, it is funny and it is frustrating.  It is not what I expected but I very much enjoyed it.  Through the tragedy, there are glimmers of hope for the future, particularly in the form of a 4 year-old superhero.  You will have to read the book to figure that one out!

Book Review: Friendship Bread by Darien Gee

I love "foodie fiction."  Love it!  Probably because I love food and I love to read.  Hmmm....deep explanation!  Either way, I checked this book out the minute I saw it.  Then I checked it out again, because I just knew that I would love it and therefore, have to share it with my mother.  Okay, I think that particular tangent is over!

This is a pretty typical "women's lives and relationships" style book.  There are several seemingly unrelated woman, each dealing with personal conflict or tragedy, each feeling isolated and guilty with what their life has become.  One woman is trapped in mourning for the death of a child.  One has recently been abandoned by her husband.  One is mired in guilt for a single, life-changing mistake. 

Then, a baggie of mysterious gooey stuff randomly appears, in a mailbox, passed to a child at school, on a desk at work.  Each is irritated, confused, put off by this new complication in life.  And yet, they start tending the starter, following the simple instruction, baking the bread, and something magical happens.  Suddenly, they are sharing their extra bags of starter with others and forging new friendships or mending relationships over a slice of warm bread.  Through the sharing of starter and recipes, these wounded women become stronger, learning to be more creative, forgiving, and empathic.  As the friendships develop, the women's lives become interwoven in ways both expected and surprising.

I enjoyed this book.  With that being said, it is not going to win any literary awards and I think that there were at times too many characters and subplots, making it a bit hard to follow.  Overall though, it was a cute and fun read about the importance of friendship and forgiveness. 

This book made me interested in Amish Friendship Bread.  I was given a bag of starter a few years ago and remember it being pretty good.  I also remember it being sort of a pain to unload the bags of "offspring" onto people though!  But, after reading about the wonders of this bread and its many variations, I may give it a try again.  I couldn't find a recipe for one that called for pudding mix (which was an ingredient in the book recipe) but I did find one that listed lots of yummy variations:

http://www.momswhothink.com/bread-recipes/amish-friendship-bread.html

Also, if you do love "foodie fiction" or think you might, here are some other especially yummy titles:

Pomegranate Soup, and the sequel Rosewater and Soda Bread by Marsha Mehran

Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs

The Food of Love by Anthony Capella

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquival

This isn't a complete list at all, but it will whet your appetite!

Book Review: Water For Elephants

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Honestly, I didn't want to read this book.  A friend had told me about it years ago, and many more since, but I kept thinking: "A circus, during the depression?  That can't be good!"  Well, let me say, I was wrong!  It is about a circus.  It is set during the depression.  And it is very, very good! 

Jacob Jankowski has his entire life laid out.  Finish veterinary school at Cornell, go back home, and work with his father in their small-town vet clinic.  Then, tragedy strikes and his entire life is taken away from him.  Suddenly faced with no family, no home, and no money, Jacob starts walking.  And walking.  And walking.  When a train comes by, he takes a literal leap into an entire new world. 

The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth is a rag-tag group of misfits, runaways, freaks, and talents.  When the show's ringmaster discovers that an ivy-league veterinarian has just hopped the train, he cannot believe his luck.  Jacob is immediately put to work caring for the menagerie of sad-eyed traveling animals.  As Jacob falls further under the spell of the animals and their beautiful mistress, he also begins to realize the sinister cycle of terror and neglect in which they are all trapped.  Under deepening suspicion and hostility, Jacob must form a plan to save himself, his lover, and his animals from the destruction of an increasingly volatile situation.

This book is so layered with amazingly interesting and quirky characters, many of whom have four legs rather than two.  It has a great balance of social commentary, romance, action, and fantasy.  It is a beautifully told story that will stay with you long after you finish the last page.  

Book Review: The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

Like Allen's previous three novels, this one is set in small-town North Carolina and features strong-willed women puzzling over family secrets.  If this novel could be summed up in one word, it would be sisterhood.  The bonds of friendship between the women in this book serve as the catalyst for the entire plot, and the follow the characters from generation to generation.  

Willa Jackson is tethered to her home town by an impossible sense of duty.  Her family was once the "royalty" of the small logging village but that ended when Willa's grandmother was a teenager.  Miserable in the shadow of her family's failure but unable to leave her aging grandmother, Willa stays incognito on the "tourist" side of town, where locals rarely go.  

Paxton Osgood is the girl everyone loves to hate.  Beautiful, rich, successful.  But behind the veneer, she is trapped: living in her parents' home, living her parents' life, in love with a man whom she suspects can never truly love her back.  

Willa and Paxton's grandmothers were best friends, but Willa and Paxton are virtual strangers.  This all changes the night Paxton's thin facade crumbles, and Willa finds herself rescuing Paxton from a dangerous situation.  As the women start to trust one another more, they uncover long buried secrets, secrets that tie them together and that their grandmothers had hoped would stay buried.

This book has a great and engaging story, with that trademark Allen hint of mysticism.  Although I thought that it started out a little more slow than her other books (usually they hook me from the first page), I still enjoyed it immensely and it became much more of a page-turner as the plot line unfolded.  Highly recommended, and I am already anticipating her next great story!



Book Review #1

I love to read.  I love to write.  It's probably pretty natural then that I love to write book reviews.  If you are ever in Moore, OK you can pick up a copy of the Moore Monthly and likely read one of my reviews.  So, from time to time here I will post some book reviews.  They may not all be "mommy books" (I do have a little bit of a life outside of motherhood) but they will likely be books that mommies will enjoy.  So, here goes:

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond.

I believe my fellow mommy blogger friend is the one who first told me about the Pioneer Woman but I'm not really sure.  You know how some things just seem to have always been a part of your life?  Well, rarely a day goes by anymore that I don't check up on her blog and see what's new out there at the cattle ranch.  Oh my goodness, the photographs alone are worth the trip.  Not to mention the great recipies.  Not to mention the hilarious stories.  And, the cowboys, ah, the cowboys...
Ooops, back to the book.  This is the story of her life-changing, lightning bolt, whirlwind romance with a slow-talking, hard working cowboy.  After living the single gal life on the West Coast, she decides to stop back briefly in her Oklahoma home town before heading to law school in Chicago.  One night, she meets Marlborough Man in a smoky bar and the rest is history.  Sounds cliche, right?  Actually, there is waaaayyy more to it than that but I don't want to ruin the story.  Truly, this to me was an almost universal story of how life throws you unexpected game-changes and how you deal with them.  Making the decision to re-write her entire life plan is painful and delicious, and she writes of her experiences with such honesty and humor that you feel drawn into the story.    Anyone who has experienced the transition from that irrational, obsessive first flush of new love to the deeper, stronger, but more difficult day to day marathan of sharing a life with someone will see a bit of themselves in this story.  It is about believing completely in one other person.  What this woman did was a true leap of faith and she is brutally, hilariously honest about the good times and bad that this leap has brought her.  She is someone you want to have a chat with over a cup of coffee, or at least read about and root for.  This book was a true delight and I was a little sad when it ended.