Review, Tour & Giveaway: Orphan Train

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Ti

Orphan Train
Orphan Train
By Christina Baker Kline
William Morrow & Company, Paperback, 9780061950728, April 2013, 273pp.)

The Short of It:

Alternating between heartbreak and hope, Orphan Train is a story of resilience and survival.

The Rest of It:

Molly Ayer is a foster kid, trying to make do with the life she’s been dealt. At seventeen, she’s been bounced around from one family to another; none of them a home. Her current situation is no better. Willful and defiant, she often argues with her foster parents and when she steals a book from the library, she finds herself in a boatload of trouble.  Her friend, Jack, finds her a community service opportunity helping an elderly lady clean out her attic. Molly’s not too excited about spending all those hours helping a perfect stranger. But as Molly gets to know Vivian and the history contained within those boxes, Molly begins to realize that they have more in common than she thought.

The story is told in alternating chapters and takes us from Vivian’s story in 1929, to Molly’s story which takes place in 2011. Vivian’s story is absolutely heartbreaking. Losing her family in a fire, Niamh (pronounced Neev) is placed aboard a train of orphans. The train stops in each town with the hopes of finding homes for the children aboard. Niamh, at ten years of age is already considered too old to adopt. If she finds a home at all she is guaranteed  life of hard labor. Whether it be taking care of children or working her fingers to the bone doing mending or cleaning or whatever else comes to mind. She also quickly realizes that she won’t be able to retain the name given to her by her family. Her fierce red hair and Irish descent raises an eyebrow everywhere she goes so when a family steps up and offers her a place in their home as a seamstress, she quickly learns that she’ll be Dorothy. Something that she is forced to accept and a practice that is repeated until she settles on the permanent name of Vivian.

Vivian’s story is riveting, but as sad as it was to read about her poor living conditions as a child. I found myself gravitating towards her chapters more so than Molly’s. Molly is difficult to like. She assumes the role of troublemaker by dying her hair dark, wearing a nose ring and playing the all-around bad girl. Only those very close to her know that she’s not that way. Her friend Jack for one, and perhaps her guidance counselor, but her story did not pull me in as much as Vivian’s, so I didn’t feel as connected to Molly as I wanted to be.

However, when these two unlikely characters meet, Kline does a good job of weaving between the two stories and figures out how to make them come together in a satisfying way. My only quibble, is that the ending was a tad rushed and perhaps, too convenient.

Nevertheless, this is a riveting story and highly readable. I should mention that these trains actually existed. Yes, I know, it’s hard to believe but it’s true which of course makes the story even more interesting.

If you’d like a shot at winning the book, I have a copy to giveaway to one of my readers! Details below.

Christina Baker Kline

To visit her website, click here.

To visit her Facebook page, click here.

Follow @bakerkline to follow her on Twitter!

To visit her other tour stops, click here.

TLC Book Tours

Source: Review and giveaway copy provided by the publisher via TLC Book Tours.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is for one copy of Orphan Train and is open to the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher. Only one entry per person.  Giveaway closes on April 30, 2013 (pacific). I will contact the winner for his/her mailing address.

Click here to enter the giveaway. 

Filed under: Book Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments »

Review, Tour & Giveaway: The End of the Point

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Ti

The End of the Point

The End of the Point
By Elizabeth Graver
(Harper, Hardcover, 9780062184849, March 2013, 352pp.)

The Short of It:

Although places and people can change with time, memories can linger on forever.

The Rest of It:

The year is 1942 and the Porters have arrived at their summer home on Ashaunt Point, a tiny piece of land along the coast of Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. With them, are their three daughters, Dossie, Helen and Janie. Dossie and Helen, the teens of the family arrive with a new sense of independence whereas young Janie still requires the help of Bea, their Scottish nanny. Although they always look forward to the trip each summer, this particular summer is different. Soldiers have taken over several of the homes on the Point, fences have been installed and roads have been laid. The landscape has changed, perhaps permanently. Nevertheless, the Porters do their best to vacation as usual but when something happens to Janie their time there is cut short.

This is a sweeping, multi-generational saga that spans nearly sixty years! The story is told in four parts and takes us from 1942 to 1999. As the Porters struggle with the effects of war, mental and physical illness and the births and deaths throughout the years, what remains true is the peace and solace they find at the Point. What makes this a bittersweet tale is that after the summer of ’42, the Point they know and love is really only present in their memories. The shifting landscape and the development over the years is something that the family notes, but chooses not to dwell on. To them, it will always hold the magic that it did many summers ago.

This was quite a story but a story that centers specifically around people and place. To say that nothing much happens, would be an understatement. There are wars fought, children born, degrees earned, and family members struggling with mental illness. These are large issues with the potential to make or break a family but Graver doesn’t choose to dwell on any one aspect for too long, which gives this novel a slight domestic air yet at the same time drilling into you that our time on this planet is brief. I found the passage of time to be alarming and sad and by the end of the book, I was exhausted  for this family.

Of the four parts, the beginning and the end were the most poignant to me. Graver’s handling of the characters and of time in general was impressive throughout, but the ending really did me in. It was powerful and touching and written with such a keen sense of place, that I could literally smell the sea air. It took me right back to when we’d rent a beach house as a family and spend summers gazing out at the ocean. My kids were so little then and it’s been years since we’ve done that, but I can still recall, quite vividly, the way the breeze felt upon my skin and how the sand felt beneath my feet. Those years are golden and always will be.

If you love multi-generational tales or have ever held a place dear, you will love this book.

Good news! I am giving away a copy! Details below.

Elizabeth Graver

Elizabeth’s website.

Elizabeth’s Facebook page.

Find her on Twitter!

Elizabeth’s TLC tour stops.

TLC Book Tours

Source: Review and giveaway copy provided by the publisher via TLC Book Tours.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is for one copy of The End of the Point and is open to the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher. Only one entry per person. Giveaway closes on March 31, 2013 (pacific). I will contact the winner for his/her mailing address.

Click here to enter the giveaway.

Filed under: Book Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 21 Comments »

Review, Tour & Giveaway: The Round House

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Ti

The Round HouseThe Round House
By Louise Erdrich
(Harper, Hardcover, 9780062065247, October 2012, 321pp.)

The Short of It:

The tension in this tightly written novel is subtle yet continues to build, leaving you exhausted in its wake.

The Rest of It:

Joe, a thirteen-year-old Ojibwe boy living on a reservation in North Dakota is forced to a grow-up quickly when his mother Geraldine is raped and nearly murdered. As the wife of a tribal judge, Geraldine realizes just how important jurisdiction is, but is unable to say exactly where the act took place. Was it on the reservation? Or not? She’s not sure, and as she slowly retreats into a world of her own, retreating not just from herself but from both her husband and son, no one is sure if they’ll ever find the answer. Frustrated by the pace of the investigation, Joe, along with the help of his friends slowly piece together the events of that day and what he finds puts him in a precarious position.

Although the pace of the story is a little slow, I was completely absorbed by the characters and never once doubted the realness of the story itself. It’s fiction, through and through but it felt genuine and plausible and I was touched many times by the love Joe felt for his mother. It’s not common for a teenage boy to show love for his mother so openly but her near death experience wakes something up within him that refuses to let him rest and it’s exhausting to go through it with him. The tension, the secretive nature of the case and the fact that Joe’s parents are trying to spare him the gritty details makes it all the more poignant.

I’ve heard that Erdrich is known for her poetic prose but I didn’t notice it so much here. Instead, I noticed the slow, skillful build of the story, her talent for character development and her ability to nail time and place. It’s set in the late 80′s on the reservation and every time I opened the book I felt as if I was there too.

In the end,  a satisfying read with some very memorable characters.

I have one copy to give away to one of my readers. To enter, check out the giveaway details below.

Louise Erdrich

Louise’s TLC tour stops.

TLC Book Tours

Source: Review and giveaway copy provided by the publisher via TLC Book Tours.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is for one copy of  The Round House and is open to the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher. Only one entry per person.  Giveaway closes on December 21, 2012 (pacific). I will contact the winner for his/her mailing address.

To enter the giveaway, please click here.

Filed under: Book Review | Tagged: , , , , , , | 28 Comments »

Review, Tour & Giveaway: Because You Have To

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Ti

Because You Have To
Because You Have To: A Writing Life
By Joan Frank
(University of Notre Dame Press, Paperback, 9780268028930, September 2012, 200pp.)

The Short of It:

Writers, true writers will appreciate the grit contained within these pages.

The Rest of It:

Sometimes you look for a book, and sometimes a book finds you. This is definitely one of those times where the book found me and the timing could not have been more perfect.

Is this a book about writing? Yes. Without a doubt, this is a book about writing but it’s not a “how to” and it doesn’t include useful tips on how to get your book published either. What it is, is a collection of essays about the act of writing. Specifically, the writing itself and what it means to be a writer.

Many writers struggle financially and although this is something that we immediately realize as fact, it’s not something that comes to mind when you think of becoming an accomplished writer. Yes, being able to pay the rent does affect your writing. The type of job you have affects your ability to write as well. Working a 9-5 job and then coming home to a family that needs you, also affects your ability to create. It’s obvious, but hearing Frank tell it like it is, is somehow refreshing and comforting. Hearing her admit it somehow makes it okay and yes, writers everywhere will feel validated and empowered that there are others out there working through the same challenges.

Frank also goes into the mechanics of writing and the need for stillness. Creating art in an age where technology is buzzing all around us is a distraction in and of itself. Her essay titled The Stillness of Birds speaks to this and while I was reading it, I was distracted no less than ten times by my daughter who happened to be watching The Brady Bunch while writhing around on the floor. Yes, I could relate.

Frank also admits, that writing can be a lonely life. It’s not something that you share with everyone. Some will want to critique you, others will want to commiserate with you but most of all, her fear of being a whiner is what keeps her from discussing the early stages of her work. The act of writing brings with it, a healthy dose of misery. Who knew?

Reading this book was like taking a much-needed time-out. I’ve longed for a career in writing and feel that I have stories to tell, but the act of actually writing them down has been a dark cloud hanging over my head for as long as I can remember. Marriage, family, work. These are the things that continue to throw me off-balance and they are the very same things that Frank talks about in this book. Granted, she does not offer advice really, but what she does is tell you that you write, because you have to, not because it’s something you dreamed of doing. You write because physically, you’d be sick if you didn’t. Writers write, whether they get paid for it or not. That is the distinction and it’s been a bit of an eye opener for me.

I love that the collection is both honest, yet positive and hopeful. Clearly, Frank’s love of writing outweighs the misery that tends to go along with it. This is a book to pull out every time you are experiencing frustration of your own.

If this sounds like a book for you, enter my giveaway for a chance to win your own copy! Details below.

Joan Frank

Joan’s website.

Joan’s TLC tour stops.

TLC Book Tours

Source: Review and giveaway copy provided by the publisher via TLC Book Tours.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is for one copy of Because You Have To and is open to the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher. Only one entry per person. Giveaway closes on November 21, 2012 (pacific). I will contact the winner for his/her mailing address.

To enter the giveaway, please click here. (This giveaway is now closed!)

Filed under: Book Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments »

Review & Tour: The Lost Art of Mixing

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Ti

The Lost Art of MixingThe Lost Art of Mixing
By Erica Bauermeister
(Putnam Adult, Hardcover, 9780399162114, January 24, 2013, 288pp.)

The Short of It:

A literary treat for the senses.

The Rest of It:

If you haven’t read a book by this author yet, you are really missing out.

In The Lost Art of Mixing, Bauermeister returns to Lillian’s restaurant, first featured in The School of Essential Ingredients. Lillian’s restaurant is known for bringing people together. It’s a place to rediscover yourself and the pleasures around you. Through her carefully prepared meals and the cooking classes she offers, her simple acts of kindness provide the much-needed tonic that these folks have been searching for.

Included are some familiar characters from the first book, but we also meet Al, an accountant whose marriage has left him pondering who he is. Finnegan, nineteen years-old and orphaned at a young age, he finds solace when he gets a job as a dishwasher for the restaurant. Isabelle, who is struggling with dementia but finds a friend in Chloe, who you might remember from the first book and then finally Louise, Al’s wife who doesn’t seem to know her husband at all, but at the same time, seems to know everything about him.

The first book was filled with the smells of cooking. I literally drooled my way through it and then did not have any food in the house which was bad planning on my part. It was hard for me to believe that a book could evoke such feelings of comfort, but it really did. This time around, there is a lot less cooking, but more going on with the characters. They are complex and intricately layered with real-life problems that readers can relate to. I found the characters to be endlessly fascinating.

Additionally, there is something wonderful that happens when you return to familiar territory and I loved visiting with these characters again. The Lost Art of Mixing is a fabulous complement to The School of Essential Ingredients. Although you can read this one as a stand-alone, I encourage you to read her other book first. The writing is wonderful in both and trust me, you’ll want to extend your visit once you are done reading them.

Release Note: This wonderful book does not hit the shelves until January 24, 2013!  If you can hold out, I promise to host a giveaway once the book is released.

Erica Bauermeister

Erica’s website.

Erica’s Facebook page.

Erica’s TLC tour stops.

TLC Book Tours

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher via TLC Book Tours.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Filed under: Book Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments »

Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 301 other followers