Fiction | Book Chatter

The Violets of March
By Sarah Jio
(Plume, Paperback, 9780452297036, April 2011, 304pp.)

The Short of It:

Thoroughly charming.

The Rest of It:

After her husband leaves her for another woman, Emily decides to spend a month on Bainbridge Island, visiting her Aunt Bee whom she hasn’t seen in quite some time. Being on the island is like a restorative tonic. She settles in immediately and thinks back to happier times. When things were less complicated and well…simple.

One night, unable to sleep, she opens her nightstand and finds a red velvet diary. The love story inside reads like a novel so she’s not sure if what she is reading is a true story, and if it is…who are these people? Emily, a successful writer by trade, is completely taken with the writing and finds herself eagerly turning the pages whenever she can sneak a moment away from her Aunt. What she doesn’t know, is that the diary holds a family secret that could change her life forever.

The Violets of March is a good mix of setting, story and characters. The setting, gorgeous Bainbridge Island, is hard to ignore. While reading this book, I could smell the ocean, feel the breeze, etc. The story was a little meatier than I expected which I thoroughly enjoyed. There’s nothing like a good family secret to really keep you guessing. I also found the characters to be quite charming. Emily is very likable and I immediately wanted the best for her. Her Aunt Bee was interesting and complex and the friendships on the island are wrought with tension, but realistically so.

To sum it up, I had a hard time putting it down and I’ve already mentioned the book to a few of my friends. Pull up a beach chair, grab a refreshing drink and read it this summer.

This is Sarah Jio’s first book, but her next book, The Bungalow, comes out next year. Click here is you want to see the cover! It’s gorgeous!

Source: Sent to me by the author.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Lost Boys
By Orson Scott Card
(HarperTorch, Mass Market Paperback, 9780061091315, February 2005, 544pp.)
(Originally published in 1992)

The Short of It:

A touching, moving, all-around great read. A perfect package.

The Rest of It:

Set in the early 80’s, Step Fletcher and his wife DeAnne move to Steuben, North Carolina to begin his new job as a technical writer. With them, are their three kids, Stevie (7), Robbie (4) and their toddler sister Elizabeth. DeAnne and Step are expecting baby number four and life looks promising. Except, that the job isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, and Step’s real passion is designing video games. Having previously been self-employed, Step finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. You see, he’s been hired as a tech writer, yet his real job is to audit code behind his boss’ back which is really, an impossible situation to be in.

On the home front, DeAnne is trying to find her place in this new neighborhood, and since they are of the Mormon faith, they are immediately accepted into their new ward. However, that’s not as perfect as it sounds, as this particular ward has some colorful characters who set out to make things difficult for the Fletcher family. Stevie has an increasingly hard time in school and cannot seem to find his place. The house they live in is plagued by insects (no one knows why) and there is the quite a bit of debt hanging over them all, which forces Step to work in a place that he truly hates.

This novel is classified as a horror story, and I must say, it took quite a bit of time for the horror to sink in but when it did, it took my breath away. It’s not the type of horror that is obvious. It’s the slow realization that something is desperately wrong. While the Fletchers try to settle into their new life, little boys begin to disappear one by one and then it becomes obvious to both DeAnne and Step that Stevie is not quite right.

I loved this novel so much that I turned right around and listened to it on audio. The audio version is read by Stefan Rudnicki who is absolutely fabulous. I’ve never read anything by Orson Scott Card so I had no expectations while reading this book but I don’t think it could have been more perfect.

You must read or listen to this book and then tell me what you think of it. Since it was originally published in ’92, the references to computers and video games is quite dated, but since I work in technology, where everything becomes outdated in just three months’ time, I found this to be quite entertaining. Also, don’t let the religious undertones scare you away. The Mormon faith plays a big role in this novel, but it’s not preachy in any way.

Since I enjoyed Lost Boys so much, I’ve added all of Card’s other books to my “to-read” list. I can’t believe I’ve missed out on his work prior to this. I must have been living under a large rock. Oh, and Stefen Rudnicki on audio…I can’t say enough about him. I’m adding everything he’s done to my list too.

Source: Borrowed from the library.