Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah is a heartbreaking tale of one woman’s struggle for acceptance despite being emotionally abused by her family her whole life. Adeline’s mother died in childbirth when Adeline was born in the late 30’s into an affluent family in China. Her father then married an Eurasian beauty who become the children’s truly evil stepmother, yet none of them could seem to escape her grip for the rest of…
The Orchid House, by Lucinda Riley is a novel that sprawls across decades and continents, from England to Thailand. We meet Julia, a famous pianist suffering the terrible loss of her husband and young son. During her grieving, she finds herself back at Wharton Park, a grand English Manor where her grandfather was the gardener and she spent her summers when she was growing up. As her story unfolds, so does the true and secret story of her grandparents past….
Chosen by a Horse: How a Broken Horse Fixed a Broken Heart, is a memoir by Susan Richards. Richards writes of opening her heart up to love again after taking in an abused horse named Lay Me Down. This is an honest, sometimes heartbreaking tale of how one wounded, yet kindhearted horse helped a wounded woman heal. It is a good story, but as Richards is often not very likable, it was hard for me to care as much as…
I love all of Kate Morton’s books, and her latest, The Secret Keeper, is no exception. It travels back and forth from modern day London, to WWII England during the Blitz. On the eve of her mother’s 90th birthday, Laurel, now a famous actress, is trying to discover a secret her mother has kept for 50 years. Morton hooks us early on, and draws us into the story both past and present by creating full, rich characters and a plot…
Forever Lily: An Unexpected Mother’s Journey to Adoption in China by Beth Nonte Russell is the true story of one woman’s unplanned adoption of a baby girl from China. Russell relates the incredible story of her journey to China with her friend Alex, to help her bring her adopted baby girl home. Once they get there and get the baby, Alex has second thoughts and decides she doesn’t want to keep her. Russell struggles with her own strong attachment to…
The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man’s Quest to Be a Better Husband, is a wonderful book by David Finch. At the age of 30, after 5 years of marriage and the birth of two young children, Finch is diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. Rather than being depressed by this diagnosis, the Finches are actually thrilled, as it explains so many things in their struggling marriage. From this starting point, David Finch sets out…
In Unfamiliar Fishes, Sarah Vowell traces the history of Hawaii from the arrival of the missionaries, to the takeover of the monarchy in 1898. Much of this history was already familiar to me, yet Vowell shed new light on parts of the story. It is not an unbiased telling, and even when I agreed with her, I often felt her opinions were expressed a bit too strongly in the book. It’s an entertaining and though-provoking read that gives insight into…
State of Wonder is Ann Patchett’s best book to date. It is an incredible novel taking the reader deep into the heart of the Amazon jungle. We follow Dr Marina Singh as she journeys there in search of answers about her co-worker who has mysteriously died of a fever in the jungle, while with a team of scientific researchers that nobody has been able to locate for years. Patchett creates the world of the Amazon jungle and its inhabitants so…
Comfort & Joy by India Knight is a novel full of holiday cheer and laughs. It is a little like Bridget Jones and her extended group of family and friends during the holidays. We follow Clara Dunphy through three Christmases with the ex-husbands, in-laws, kids, parents, friends, etc. It is a book best appreciated at Christmas time. It’s full of laughs, as Knight’s writing is quite funny and entertaining. Nothing too heavy here, just some holiday cheer.
There But For The by Ali Smith is the best book about absolutely nothing that I have read in a long time. There is a thin story here, about a man at a dinner party who locks himself into the guest bedroom and doesn’t come out for months. We find out little else about his story as four people who barely know him narrate seperate sections of the book. However, the book was still thoroughly enjoyable. Smith seems to be…