relationships – Page 2 – The Dusty Jacket

Quite A Year For Plums by Bailey White

Quite A Year For Plums

Bailey White (Adult Fiction)

Roger is in love with a Yankee (although some of those people are just as nice as can be). Louise arranges letters and numbers so that she can contact space aliens (who are really small by the way). Della is having a devil of a time painting Dominique chickens (capturing their feet correctly is the hardest part) and has a penchant for labeling her garbage. And then there’s Bruce who has nightmares about fonts (he’s a typographer and takes these things very seriously). These and many more wonderfully odd characters live in a small southern town, and they laugh, love, and cry together…because that is what families do.

In the vein of Philip Gulley, Jan Karon, and Ann B. Ross, Bailey White gives us a humorous and heartfelt glimpse into rural America. In White’s world, the boy doesn’t always get the girl and even the best intentions end in defeat, but she shows us that anything can be made just a little bit brighter and sweeter with just a jar of sweet pickles or a slice of homemade plum pie.

I adore Bailey White, but this novel came up a little short as I had a hard time sinking my teeth into it. Rather than getting a rich and satisfying entrée, I was instead served several courses of appetizers. White gives the reader many humorous and delightful vignettes, but when put together, they fail to form a complete and cohesive story. Quite A Year For Plums is a quick read that doesn’t require a tremendous amount of emotional investment, but its quirky and lovable characters do make for an enjoyable book. Almost as enjoyable as a jar of sweet pickles or a slice of homemade plum pie. Almost.

Rating: 3/5

* Book cover image attributed to http://www.amazon.com

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg

The Story of Arthur Truluv

The Story of Arthur Truluv

Elizabeth Berg (Adult Fiction)

Arthur Moses has had lunch with his wife Nola every day for the past six months (missing only just one day, which is not bad for an octogenarian with no car and bad knees). He departs the bus with his folding chair and bagged lunch, sits beside her headstone (she’s passed away you see, but “a promise is a promise”), and tells Nola about the day’s events or complains about their neighbor, Lucille (who considers the world to be her classroom, BUT happens to make THE most wonderful desserts). While Arthur gains comfort through his daily cemetery visits, 18-year old Maddy Harris seeks escape. Maddy is a budding photographer and artist (who is rather pretty despite that awful nose ring), but she is viewed as an outsider by her high school classmates and therefore endures relentless ridicule and abuse. At the graveyard, she finds peace, and it is here where she and Arthur meet and begin a very unlikely friendship.

Berg delivers an endearing, amusing, and pleasant story about three flawed individuals who, like most of us, merely want to be accepted, useful, and loved. Each one of them holds a piece to the others’ happiness and when they are placed together, they fit to form a quirky yet beautiful puzzle. This is a delightful read that is surprisingly uplifting and inspirational, despite the underlying themes of death and loss.

Early in the book, Maddy mentions that her English teacher taught her one of her favorite words: hiraeth, a Welsh word meaning yearning and grief for lost places. The Story of Arthur Truluv provides the reader with some glimmer of promise and hope that grief is never permanent and what is lost will once again be found.

Rating: 4/5

* Book cover image attributed to www.penguinrandomhouse.com

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies

William Golding (Adult Fiction)

Tragedy strikes when a plane carrying English schoolboys crashes onto an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. Lacking adult supervision, they eagerly welcome the adventure that awaits them.

“This is our island. It’s a good island. Until the grownups come to fetch us we’ll have fun.”

Their elation soon turns to discontent as rules are quickly established to maintain a semblance of order. Soon, their tight-knit group breaks into factions and their once carefree lifestyle is threatened while they wait and hope for rescue.

This book will leave you unnerved and emotionally raw as you watch this group’s slow descent into moral depravity and eventual savagery. Absent the presence of an actual authoritative figure, these boys suffer no negative consequences and slip into traits which come naturally to them: frivolity, disobedience, and indifference. Desperate for structure and stability, they will follow any strong and decisive leader—regardless of how corrupt or destructive this person may be.

Golding masterfully lures us deep into a place full of wonder, mystery, and danger, and his attention to detail is as lush as the forest he describes. He slowly builds tension and suspense, which ultimately culminates in a heart-stopping, gut-wrenching, and unforgettable climax. Perhaps the most disturbing and frightening aspect of this book, published in 1954, is not its plausibility, but its lurking inevitability.

Rating: 5/5

* Book cover image attributed to www.bookdepository.com

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The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (YA)

It’s Tween and Teen Tuesday where we review either a juvenile (J) or young adult (YA) book.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

Jacqueline Kelly (Young Adult Fiction)

Calpurnia Tate is 11 years old (almost 12!) and having quite the summer. It’s 1899 in Fentress, Texas and her sole objective at the moment is staying cool…which is proving to be quite impossible. Priorities soon shift when her brother Harry gives her a small, red notebook and tells her she can use it to record her daily observations. You see, Calpurnia loves to watch things, and after she watches things, she has questions—lots and lots of questions. One of those questions brings her to her grandfather who presents her with a copy of Darwin’s The Origin of Species. This singular gesture not only marks the beginning of their relationship, but it also sets Calpurnia’s life in a direction that’s very different from the one her mother has planned for her.

I really enjoyed Calpurnia’s character—a girl ahead of her time who dismisses the notion that women can only be teachers, nurses, or wives. Instead, she is eager to trade her knitting needles for a microscope and her cookbook for a science book. Kelly gives us a strong and feisty heroine who loves, angers, disappoints, and surprises yet through it all, never loses her sense of self or what is most important to her. I also loved seeing her relationship with her grandfather deepen as their shared love of nature and science draws them closer. The author does leave a few unanswered questions at the end of the book which may frustrate some readers, but these loose ends are not enough to detract from a likeable main character and a charming, witty story.

Grandfather Tate once told Calpurnia, “It’s amazing what you can see when you just sit quietly and look.” I hope The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate encourages all of us to disconnect from our devices long enough to reconnect with the beauty and majesty that surrounds us in the natural world. All we have to do is sit quietly and look.

Rating: 4/5

The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg (YA)

The Year We Were Famous

The Year We Were Famous

Carole Estby Dagg (Young Adult Historical Fiction)

It’s 1896 and the Estby family is just one auction away from losing their family farm. They must either raise more than $1,000 or lose everything. Inspired by her daughter Clara’s story of Nellie Bly, the American journalist who traveled around the world in 72 days, family matriarch Helga begins writing letters seeking a financial sponsor who will pay them to walk from Washington to New York. When a publisher in New York City offers them $10,000 to make the cross-country trek, the game is officially…so to speak…afoot.

Based on the true story of 17-year old Clara Estby’s walk across America, Carole Estby Dagg gives us the ultimate mother-daughter road trip story. Using newspaper articles and journal entries, Dagg reconstructs the 4,600-mile journey made by her great-grandmother and great-aunt. Since the story is based on actual events, the author does take several artistic liberties when presenting us with Helga’s and Clara’s adventures. I really loved this book until I read the Author’s Note at the end, where I learned exactly what embellishments were made. I was disappointed when fact and fiction were revealed, but understand how these particular fabrications gave Clara a little more depth of character. However, the incredible journey these two women embarked upon made these particular elaborations unnecessary. Helga and Clara survived highwaymen, lava fields, floods, heat, snowstorms, near starvation, personal injuries, and dehydration. Along the way, they also met Indians, political dignitaries, and managed to make a positive impact toward the advancement of women’s suffrage.

Early in the book, Clara mentions that the only thing she has in common with her mother is the gap between their front teeth. By the end of their multi-million step journey, Clara realizes that despite their differences, the bond between mother and daughter may be pulled, flexed, and twisted, but will never be broken.

Rating: 4/5

A Cup of Tea by Amy Ephron

A Cup of Tea

A Cup of Tea

Amy Ephron (Adult Fiction)

A Cup of Tea is based on the short story (of the same title) by Katherine Mansfield. It is set in New York City during World War I and primarily centers around three characters: wealthy and privileged Rosemary Fell, her fiancée and self-made shipping mogul Philip Alsop, and homeless, penniless, and “astonishingly pretty” Eleanor Smith. When Rosemary happens to see Eleanor huddled beneath a street light one rainy evening, she offers to take the destitute woman home for a cup of tea. This seemingly innocuous and kind gesture sets events in motion that will have unintended and unimaginable effects on all three of their lives.

This book has good bones, but unfortunately there is little to no flesh and blood to go along with it. The story lacks depth and feeling and so little attention is paid to the main characters’ development, that by the end of the book, I neither cared nor sympathized with any of them. By skimping on details and providing no thoughtful backstory for Rosemary, Philip, or Eleanor, Ephron falls far short of delivering her readers the love story that this book professes to be. Although this story had so much potential and possibility, this particular cup of tea did nothing more than leave me unsatisfied and wanting something else.

Rating: 3/5

Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith

Joy in the Morning

Joy in the Morning

Betty Smith (Adult Fiction)

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

—Psalm 30:5

Carl Brown and Annie McGairy are young and deeply in love. Just past her 18^th birthday, Annie travels from her home in New York to the Midwest to join her beloved in marriage. Much to their mutual surprise, Carl and Annie’s first year proves to be unexpectedly difficult. Carl is attending the university studying law and holding down several jobs while Annie tries to adapt to her new surroundings without the security and familiarity of friends and family. Together, through lean times and unforeseen events, they must rely on their faith and love to pull them through.

What I admire most about Smith is that she gives us a strong, witty, and self-assured female character without diminishing her male counterpart. All too often we see one character being lowered for the sake of elevating the other. Despite their differences in education and social standing, Carl and Annie view each other as equals and share a mutual respect and passionate devotion for one another. This alone is refreshing to see in a novel.

Set in 1927, Smith presents us with a small university town populated with principled (albeit flawed) people who all share a strong work ethic, solid moral compass, and innate desire to be decent, kind, and fair to their fellow man. Her stories are charming and heartwarming without being overly sentimental or trite. A truly uplifting book that focuses on the goodness of humanity rather than its faults and follies.

Rating: 4/5

The Solace of Leaving Early by Haven Kimmel

The Solace of Leaving Early

Havel Kimmel (Adult Fiction)

Langston Braverman is a graduate school dropout who’s returned to her hometown of Haddington, Indiana to live with her parents. In her childhood attic bedroom, she imagines a very different life for herself—one filled with academia, garden tea parties, and tenure. Amos Townsend is a third-generation preacher whose inspiration to follow God came from a TV show he once watched while at college. Although Amos wants to give his life to help others, it is his own salvation he seeks. When two little girls are left orphaned by unimaginable circumstances, Langston and Amos must put aside their animosity toward each other to help these children find peace, normality, and love.

Kimmel is at her best when writing dialogue. By incorporating subtle gestures, mid-sentence thought changes, and off-topic asides, she captures each character’s unique essence and true personality. The conversations appear so spontaneous and genuine, the reader almost feels guilty of eavesdropping.

One downside is the author made Langston a very unsympathetic woman who is extremely hard to connect with and, often times, even tolerate. She comes across as elitist, self-absorbed, immature, and whiny. But her character is offset nicely by Amos’ uncertain, demure, and steadfast demeanor. Once you get past Langston’s overbearing personality, as well as her mother’s (AnnaLee Braverman) relentless role as enabler and apologist, you will find yourself totally immersed in a story full of heart, hope, and second chances.

Rating: 4/5

The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars (J)

The Summer of the Swans

Betsy Byars (Juvenile Fiction)

Fourteen-year old Sara Godfrey is having the worst summer of her life. She hates her orange sneakers, she has the biggest feet in school, and don’t even mention her nose. “I just feel like nothing,” she tells her sister. But all that changes when her ten-year old brother, Charlie, goes missing. Suddenly, Sara realizes what is truly important and what really matters.

Sara not only struggles with her own adolescent issues, but is dealing with an absentee father, meddling aunt, and a brother suffering from a mental impairment. Byars accurately captures and conveys the angst, anger, and anxiety that most teens endure and provides readers with a realistic sense of Sara’s desperate desire to fit in, to be liked, and to be accepted. More than just a coming-of-age book, The Summer of the Swans also provides an insight into Charlie’s mind and reveals his own desire for stability and security. Byars shows us how love requires no words and perhaps is more accurately spoken not through the mouth, but by the heart.

Rating: 4/5

Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan (YA)

Tween & Teen Tuesday

Every Tuesday, we review either a juvenile (J) or young adult (YA) book

Homeless Bird

Homeless Bird (YA)

Gloria Whelan

Thirteen-year old Koly is arranged to be married and must leave everything and everyone she loves behind. When fate intervenes, she finds herself alone in a strange city. Her favorite poem tells about a flock of birds that fly day and night, except the homeless bird. It always flies to somewhere else. With no money and no hope for the future, where does this homeless bird fly now?

Written in the first-person narrative, Homeless Bird gives us a story of courage, hope, determination, and love. In Koly’s own words, the reader experiences and feels firsthand her sense of loss, betrayal, heartache, and despair. Whelan’s love for Koly shows through her compassionate writing and wonderful storytelling. In the end, she gives us a heroine that not only flies, she soars.

Rating: 5/5