Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

MISSION: ANGOLA: Xavier Sear Thriller, Book 1 by Randall Krzak – Global Thriller, Action, Suspense

Rescuing the son of an Angolan official turns convoluted and deadly in Krzak’s latest thriller, Mission: Angola.

Peter Mwanga, the son of Angolan cabinet minister Colonel Mwanga, is a doctor at the Christian Aid Mission DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). While he converses with foreign missionaries at a village hospital, a raid nearly overtakes the area, and Congolese Marxist Jonah Alimasi and his rebels kidnap Peter.

Almost four thousand miles north in Lisbon, Portugal, government official João Regaleira calls Xavier Sear—an American ex-CIA operative and the best man in his wedding—inviting him to celebrate their twentieth anniversary. Soon afterward, he receives word from an old friend that Theo Mwanga, Peter’s father, is asking for assistance in negotiating his son’s release. Hours later, the first sign of danger surfaces when João and his wife are accosted by a pair of thugs.

The attackers are apprehended, but the threat is clear. Further conversation with Theo convinces João that he should go to Angola only with Sear by his side.

João heads out first to meet with Theo, and Sear leaves a day later. Each experiences dangerous situations en route to their rendezvous point. Regrouped, the troupe encounters a heinous scene—a sign of more involvement from perilous political factions, including Russians and a diamond mine.

Sear has no choice but to devise an alternative strategy to locate Peter, one that comes with significant risks. He readies the group, outnumbered by their enemies, their chances of survival from the rescue mission slim at best.

Award-winning author Randall Krzak introduces a new thriller series featuring a spunky yet brusque ex-CIA operative.

Mission: Angola opens with sharp contrast as scenes morph from the horrific massacre of a poor village to the serenity of João and his wife discussing plans for their upcoming 20th anniversary in posh surroundings.

Sear’s entrance comes at the invitation of João, and the remaining cast follows. Krzak envelopes his characters by carefully accentuating nuances of culture, food, and political strife. Using appropriate terminology, Krzak captures the sights, sounds, and smells befitting both Portugal’s beauty and Angola’s rough and hot terrain.

Krzak’s writing style is nothing less than sure.

With a cast covering an array of personas—from well-developed to highly elusive characters, Krzak’s storytelling naturally flows to create short, concise, cliffhanging chapters. Chapters identify locations, such as Fortaleza de São Miguel, Luanda, Angola; Lisbon, Portugal; and the rebel camp in the DRC, to name only a few. Those sites provide readers with behind-the-scene segments between the various factions and Sear’s rescue plan, which build unrelenting tension up to the story’s apex and beyond.

Mission: Angola has enough twists, turns, and suspense to satisfy thriller fans and feed their expectations for the next in the Xavier Sear series.

Mission: Angola by Randall Kzark won First Place in the 2021 CIBA Global Thriller Awards for High Stakes Suspense.

September 14, 2022
INNER TREK: A Reluctant Pilgrim in the Himalayas by Mohan Ranga Rao – Travelogue, Personal Transformation, Spirituality

A disinclined traveler journeys into the heartland of the revered Mount Kalash Parikarma in Tibet. Inner Trek by Mohan Ranga Rao follows a voyage that culminates in self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment.

Mohan Ranga Rao, a retired Indian businessman, finds himself between a rock and a hard place when a ruthless Bangalore mob boss threatens him to sell his land at a throwaway price. The situation escalates when he discovers that his trusted lawyer has joined forces with the enemy. He can only turn to his wife for solace.

With nothing for him to do about his land, Rao vows to trek around Mount Kailash, a holy Tibetan Mountain. This travel memoir traces his and his wife’s journey to the deified Himalayas, the land of Lord Shiva. Rao shares intimate details of his experience, including the spiritual transformation that he went through during his challenging high-altitude trek.

Like a medieval troubadour, the author writes with keen precision and finesse.

Deriving his inspiration to visit the holy mountain from his wife Mamatha, Rao is candid in spelling out the reasons why he was initially reluctant towards prayers and their healing power. In tandem, he deftly careens through the emotions he experienced upon catching sight of the mountain along with the noteworthy aspects of the journey. This swiftly culminates into a very colorful and informative insight.

Further, Rao examines what it is about Mount Kalash that has compelled so many people to take the plunge. He studies why travelers would willingly put themselves through such risk and adversity for the pilgrimage to Tibet. He does not shy away from sharing the sacrifices that they made – financially, emotionally, or otherwise, but does it in a witty and heartening tone. The chapters are a refreshing respite from the monotony of daily routine that at times threatens to envelop us.

Written with emotional lucidity and propped up by his relaxed aura of reporting, Rao’s eyewitness account of the arduous journey is an outstanding win.

Buoyed with remarkable photography, each picture tells a story of its own. This makes Inner Trek: A Reluctant Pilgrim in the Himalayas a captivating read for both ardent and armchair travelers. Rao shares his indelible account and experiences in a riveting manner that pulls the reader into these mountains.

Every line in this travelogue runs truer than any ornate prose could, creating a well-layered and tightly braided portrait. Some illustrations invite the reader to laugh, apprise, and reflect, while others spur the urge to travel. Far more than an adventure tale, Inner Trek by Mohan Ranga Rao deftly balances escapist entertainment with wisdom as it morphs into a spiritual lesson about human life and the importance of staying true to one’s faith.

September 12, 2022
OPERATION MOM: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man by Reenita Malhotra Hora – YA, Romance, Comedy

Master storyteller Reenita Malhotra Hora’s YA romance Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man takes us on a charming journey through the life of one teen, Ila Isham.

Hora introduces Ila and her best friend Deepali, two boy-crazy teens on a summer quest. Readers will fall in love with the smart, sassy, angst-filled, rebellious Ila. A typical teenage girl, Ila lives in Mumbai with her mom and Sakkubai, their house manager. Ila’s mother calls her obsessed, but that seems unfair. Is she obsessed just because her every waking minute is spent thinking of Ali Zafar, famous pop icon, singer, and heartthrob? Or is she obsessed with fellow classmate Dev?

No, Ila couldn’t be taken with Dev because he’s one of three young men that her best friend Deepali is juggling in her summer experiment of exploring her “feminine mystique.” This turn of phrase becomes just one of many opportunities for Hora’s humor to shine as Ila remarks, “That’s a book by Gloria Steinem . . . no Betty Friedan.” Deepali’s response? “Yaar. Don’t be so literal.” The delightful balance between Ila’s book smarts versus Deepali’s street smarts carries us through Hora’s expertly crafted story.

The two girls decide to help each other conduct their “summer experiments,” but for Ila to achieve her goal of meeting Ali Zafar, they must find a diversion to preoccupy Ila’s mom, Veena, a successful journalist, author, and intellectual.

The way to do that, they both decide, is to introduce her to a man who will sweep her off her feet. So sayeth the boy-crazy girls, and thus begins the antics of Ila and Deepali. Ila trusts and admires her best friend’s knowledge on the subject of romance, which is her biggest mistake, and with Deepali in charge, the two find themselves in constant mix-ups and fantastic situations.

To top it off, Dev, Deepali’s boyfriend “number three,” helps them create a dating app profile for Ila’s mom, but they give her the unlikely moniker “Venus” because no one uses their real names on these apps. When Ila begins fielding replies from prospective suitors, she finds she is out of her league—big time.

Enter Dev to aid and assist our hero. Ila’s attraction to the “unachievable” Dev is an impetus for her attraction to Ali Zafar, a more attainable target according to Ila. But Dev’s physical presence nags on Ila. Dev is there, and Ali is not. Yet, Dev was Deepali’s, so Ila, out of loyalty to her friend, pushes him away. The more he helps her, though, the more difficult that becomes.

Hora’s tale showcases what it is to be seventeen with a protective Punjabi mom – or any mom for that matter.

She captures the sometimes-difficult relationship between mother and daughter, friend and friend, husband and wife, and boy and girl. Her exploration of coming of age in a world filled with imperfect people is both humorous and heartfelt, and from beginning to end, we love her for her innocence, stubbornness, and intelligence.

This book will have you laughing out loud. It will keep you reading into the night to see what life has in store for these lovable characters who leap off the page and capture your heart and your imagination. Reenita Malhotra Hora’s novel, Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man, is a highly recommended and delightful five-star read.

September 9, 2022
THE KISSING RABBI by Andy Becker – Small Town Fiction, Jewish Community, Contemporary Social Issues

Based on a true story, Andy Becker’s tale The Kissing Rabbi is a smart, witty, and engaging novel that takes readers into the heart of a Jewish community in the Pacific Northwest.

Here a young, self-serving rabbi sets a town on edge when his salacious desires and personal financial agenda are brought to light by the people he was brought there to serve.

Rabbi Mishegas Dreidel, a young orthodox leader, arrives in the quiet town of Destiny, Oregon. His intentions seem noble as he opens up a synagogue in his basement and establishes a flock of dedicated followers.

Over the next decade, the ever-present counselor builds friendships with his congregants, invites them to dinner, and shows concern for their spiritual well-being. With a wife and nine children to support, he encourages donations from his believers and secures a monster loan to build a beautiful house of worship. He becomes the central cog in a world that he sculpted.

Unfortunately, this rabbi is not the wholesome spiritual leader he claims to be.

Dreidel pushes his unwanted advances on several of the women in the community, seeking to explore his sexual proclivities under the guise that he wants to improve his own marital relationship.

This proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing also involves himself in several secretive monetary dealings. These reach the point where lawyers and the high Jewish court system must get involved to decide whether this narcissistic religious principal must be ousted from his position.

Becker’s absorbing and evolving storyline is well-paced, with a central character whose unstable and remorseless responses to these accusations keep readers invested.

With a colorful cast of characters from rabbis and congregants to attorneys, victims, and investigative reporters, we witness Dreidel’s fall from grace. Comments like “…a half-truth is still a whole lie,” and “You can’t put a black hat on a pig and call him a rabbi!” show the anger of this wronged town.

In a nod to the recent “Me too” movement, Becker delivers a timely cautionary tale, yet infuses the story with touches of wit and humor.

The sprinkling of Yiddish words used throughout brings cultural flavor to the narrative. The appearance of a rabbi group that goes by the moniker TUCAS, (Torah, Understanding, Compassion, Atonement, and Solidarity), an acronym reminiscent of the Hebrew word for butt (tuchas), and other humorous touches bring a balance to the dark clouds invading this suburb.

While the accosted women, both young and old, initially sympathize with the young rabbi’s plight, his phone calls, texts, and unwanted advances force them to recognize the troubled zealot for what he truly is. These shocking revelations divide a community that ultimately hopes for truth and redemption.

In the tradition of Jewish storytellers, Becker’s narrative voice provides a glimpse into orthodox traditions but also examines the nature of human foibles and frailty.

Here that duality is clearly showcased in a patriarchal enclave and the man who holds power over it. Greed, hubris, and narcissism appear as the root of his evil undoing.

Against the backdrop of a warm and welcoming environment, Becker delivers a world turned upside down by their beloved leader, and readers will see that inevitably “the kugel hits the fan!” within this thought-provoking, entertaining story.

The Kissing Rabbi by Andy Becker won First Place in the 2021 CIBA Mark Twain Book Awards for Humor and Satire Fiction.

September 7, 2022
ACCOUNTANT’s APPRENTICE II: The Return of the Fifth Horseman by Dennis M. Clausen – Spiritual Fiction, Contemporary Social Issues, Political Fiction

Justin Moore fights for the survival of his homeless Mission – and potentially the world – in Accountant’s Apprentice II by Dennis M. Clausen

As the reader catches up with Justin in this sequel, he now directs the East Side Rescue Mission in San Diego. The mission sits far from the clean streets and tourist attractions of downtown. As a homeless shelter, East Side Rescue provides temporary beds for as many as possible, homes for a few workers – including the director himself – and as many hot meals as they can afford for their residents and regulars.

But the tide of homelessness and the desperation that follows in its wake is rising all over the country. San Diego especially struggles, with winters and summers that people can still survive even on the streets.

Corrupt forces array against Justin and the Mission.

These rich and powerful people will do anything to reduce if not eliminate the struggling homeless. They see them as only interruptions to their flow of commerce and tourists.

Even Justin doesn’t always see how truly awful the situation has become. Not until he’s called back into service by his old friend and mentor, the late “accountant” A.C. who just might be literally on the side of the angels.

Or, has Justin’s weary, depressed and downtrodden head merely created an illusion of his old teacher?

Justin is an unreliable narrator. Even he can’t decide whether he’s hearing A.C. giving him a mission to save the world, or whether he’s deluding himself in order to feel a bit of hope. What if he just wants an escape from everything wrong with the world?

But Justin doesn’t even know the extent of the trouble. When he dreams that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are literally barreling towards Earth, how literally should he take the vision? Neither Justin nor the reader knows for certain, but Justin, at least, has to try.

Justin strives to save the world or at least stave off the inevitable.

His quest will take readers on a compelling journey with roots in the allegories of Good Omens and American Gods. Along the way, they’ll find a fascinating puzzle hunt like The DaVinci Code – only with much higher stakes.

Accountant’s Apprentice II explores everything from Renaissance art to ecological destruction. Political demagoguery and corruption frame the philosophical questions about how things got to be this way. Justin’s journey to hope and just a bit of enlightenment will keep readers guessing until the very last page – and after.

Read our review of the first book in the series, Accountant’s Apprentice here.

September 5, 2022
EMOTIONAL MAGNETISM: How to Communicate to Ignite Connection in Your Relationships by Sandy Gerber – Self Help, Communication, Life Goals

Emotional Magnetism: How to Communicate to Ignite Connection in Your Relationships is a self-help and marketing book in one—in fact, it’s a self-marketing book.

A seasoned marketing professional, author Sandy Gerber uses common elements in marketing theory to aid those who wish to enhance their communication skills and ability to get along with people around them. It’s easy to be misunderstood or unheard, and it’s even easier to be at cross-purposes, leading to frustration and animosity. But using Gerber’s SAVE technique, understanding what we mean and what we need becomes clear.

In this work, we learn what emotional magnetism is, and how well we can communicate when we learn how to harness it. We also learn about how emotional magnetism can be repelled when it’s not done right. But in order to use emotional magnetism, we must first learn what the emotional magnets are, using the acronym SAVE—short for safety (S), achievement (A), value (V), and experience (E)—and how they are reflected in our personalities.

Which individual magnets reflect who we really are? What’s most important to us?

Gerber points out that the magnets that represent us change as we change, and understanding that goes a long way to understanding ourselves and communicating with others. Say, for example, you love to travel to new and unexplored places, you want it to be worth the time and money spent, and you also want to make sure it’s as safe an experience as you can possibly make it.

So, which one of these magnets resonates with you? Of course, if you’re more of an achievement magnet kind of person, these others may not be as important, because you may have academic or monetary goals. Then again, maybe that trip to new and unexplored places may be an achievement in itself. So with all those in mind, which magnet resounds with you the strongest?

Let’s find out.

Gerber explains how to identify our emotional magnets by taking an assessment quiz, allowing us to focus on our main emotional magnet. Finally, the author gives us four steps with which to activate our individual emotional magnetism.

Gerber makes it clear that the magnets cannot “tell” you who to date; they don’t work that way. However, the magnets will allow you to get an idea of who is most likely to support your emotional needs, and vice versa. Once the reader understands the theory behind emotional magnets and starts viewing their relationships through the lens of these magnets, they may very well find that it becomes easier to “offer understanding, create rapport, and problem-solve like never before.”

Gerber’s writing reflects her marketing background in that it is clear and crisp, and knows how to communicate.

Emotional Magnetism is persuasive, and while the marketing concepts she brings forth are not new, she offers a novel approach to understanding them.

“Emotional Magnetism begins and ends with communication,” author Sandy Gerber states, and by using these techniques, our communication with others and understanding of ourselves can be all the clearer.

September 2, 2022
BOONE and JACQUE: Cytrus Moonlight by A.G. Flitcher – Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Psychological Thriller

A.G. Flitcher’s Cytrus Moonlight continues the Boone and Jacque series (book 4 of 4) with a thrilling journey through fear for the young characters – an exploration of psychological traumas and the uncanny manifestations in the surrealistic setting of Cytrus.

Disasters can stir up a society’s darkest fears, spurring suspicion and ignorance. Cytrus Moonlight grows and evolves from its character’s obsessive worries. Boone, Jacque, and Shammy have moved to Cytrus and are living reasonably normal lives until an inexplicable murder disrupts their peace. Jacque’s uncle Leon is killed by poison. As the evidence of the murder case is revealed, more underlying tunnels of unrest come to light in Cytrus.

The circumstances underlying Leon’s murder are unknown. However, Boone has a strange foreboding: he unexpectedly finds himself driving Leon’s car and feels a burning feeling on his neck. Boone begins to feel as if he is being watched – as if there are “a thousand eyes on him.”

Soon, a psychedelic drug is loosed on the town, driving its recipients to witness their greatest fears and embrace repressed emotions.

Mayor John Winterson invites the friends to a Christmas party, where the drug renders everyone into naked fools. The key suspect looks to be the eccentric, maniacal Dr. Button. However, the doctor’s own inexplicable death flips everything upside down.

Jacque notices a monster while detectives are trying to locate the key to the puzzle of death and fear. He is cautioned not to ask questions that draw the wrong kind of interest. Cytrus’ many secrets, and Jacque and Boone’s tendency to attract trouble, make them susceptible to certain people – people who want to prevent them from “causing history in town to repeat itself” just as they did in their former town Saddleton.

This story’s Magical Realism presents a farcical and satirical tone, with dark humor that never leaves the narrative’s surface.

There is a consistent appearance of a bathos element in the YA urban fiction – a quick transition from a serious topic to dramatic dry humor. This ambiguity in the gravity of certain events implies a reflection of the traumatic brains of characters, which manifest themselves much more in a bizarre and topsy-turvy Cytrus. The combination produces an unreal atmosphere throughout the story – much like Terry Gilliam’s Brazil (1985).

This thriller gently explores the idea of free will vs. fate.

Boone and Shammy want to live a calm existence free of the turbulence and trauma they tend to attract, but numerous circumstances lead them along a path that looks to take them to their fate.

Likewise, trauma remains an underlying theme throughout the story, as the novel sheds light on some of the characters’ psychological anguish. Be it Boone’s attempt to overcome past traumas, Jacque and Xantia’s explicit acknowledgment and embrace of their identities as pansexual and transgender, or Myamirah’s fear of Cytrus’ peace, the pent-up emotions spill out profoundly.

Boone and Jacque: Cytrus Moonlight introduces some new bizarre characters while recalling some old ones from the prequel. Flitcher fills the novel with scenes and an atmosphere that is visually and auditorily stimulating, letting characters voice up their innermost thoughts and feelings. The mystery persists till the end as Cytrus’ Pandora’s Box of puzzles keeps readers guessing about the whys of many events and what awaits Boone and Jacque inside.

The Boon and Jacque series achieved Finalist status in the OZMA Fantasy Fiction, 2021 CIBA Awards.

August 31, 2022
UNTIL DEAD: A Cold Case Suspense by Donnell Ann Bell – Murder Mystery, Suspense, Police Procedural

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does anyone care? If the tree has connections to the rich and powerful, they just might. In Until Dead, Donnell Ann Bell suggests the many ways “elites” – those with seemingly limitless wealth and power – can manipulate the world to their wishes.

Events that might otherwise go unnoticed take on great importance when they affect the powerful elites. With subtlety and skill, Bell reveals this as she takes the reader from an odd encounter in 2017 to an assassination attempt in Colorado two years later.

Until Dead begins when Mark Rafferty, an up-and-comer in a general practice Denver law firm, well on his way to full equity, dies in a one-car accident at the beginning of rush hour in the fall of 2017. He leaves behind several open cases and his widow, Theresa O’Neil, an Assistant United States Attorney. Theresa has a lot of support behind her, including her boss, the Colorado U.S. Attorney, and an aunt who is a U.S. Senator.

After Theresa survives an assassination attempt clearly set up by a knowledgeable killer, law enforcement realizes that she has a target on her back. Someone wants her dead, but who, and why?

The Senator’s powerful connections push the issue until a multi-agency task force forms to investigate—the same multi-agency that brought the Black Pearl Killer to justice. Everett Pope, a Denver police investigator, works with agents from the FBI and ATF to bring the would-be-killer to justice and learn who hired him for the hit.

Pride, greed, envy, and perhaps even a smattering of lust make for a tantalizing set of motives. The story is told from multiple points of view, even getting into the hit man’s head. The reader can develop rapport with these relatable, multi-dimensional characters.

Bell’s familiarity with the city of Denver and the mountainous regions of Colorado shines in her imagery. Her knowledge of the structures and workings of U.S. government agencies is impressive, suggesting a lot of research went into this story. Until Dead is a deep dive into a complex web of government hierarchies, power brokers, cybercriminals, and cyber security combined with drones and C-4. It will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The specificity of government structures works for and against the narrative, as the numerous acronyms attached to those government entities. But such is the nature of bureaucracies. Aside from this, the complex plot maintains its suspense, with an ending that hits like a destructive Colorado derecho.

The second book in the Cold Case Suspense Series has launched Donnell Ann Bell into a spot as one of our favorite authors. Highly Recommended!

August 29, 2022
WHAT REMAINS of LOVE by Suzanne Trauth – Family Saga, Romance, Mystery

Suzanne Trauth’s What Remains of Love begins with the discovery of a family secret.

Siblings Kate and DJ meet with their late father’s lawyer to go over the contents of their father’s will when it is revealed that a woman named Emilie had been added without their knowledge. DJ, an all-business, no-nonsense person, wants to deny the request. Kate wants to fulfill their father’s wishes even though they don’t understand the reason behind it. When they send a letter to Emilie, her daughter replies, stating Emilie has passed away and that she will not accept the money.

Her brother’s curiosity is satisfied, but Kate can’t help but feel there is more to the story, especially given that their father withheld his experiences in the war from them both.

Who was this mysterious woman, and why did their father have such a powerful connection to her? And why did he need to keep their relationship a secret?

While going through her father’s things, she comes across a memoir written by Emilie during the later years of the war. Fans of historical fiction, romance, and books such as Kelly Rimmer’s The Things We Cannot Say will love Suzanne Trauth’s story of love, family, and the passage of time.

Trauth’s novel builds on several subtle layers that beautifully blend to create a profoundly moving story.

The most obvious of these layers is the experience of grief in many forms. After their father passes, Kate and DJ grieve differently from one another. Many times throughout the novel, grief opens opportunities to see the deeper parts of others that are usually hidden, brings family closer, and finds common ground between strangers.

There is also the grief of things had and lost and of life’s what-ifs – that sadness of knowing the past can’t be changed and why things happened the way they did. Through the grief in this story, there is also so much love. The title of this book perfectly fits its message that no matter what happens in life, whether good or bad, love will endure through it all.

What Remains of Love defies simple categories.

One could say it’s a mystery, and readers will turn the pages rabidly like Kate trying to discover what happened to Emilie so long ago. This book is a historical fiction novel with a beautiful love story and a contemporary fiction about a family dealing with life after losing a loved one. Trauth expertly establishes her characters, that they soon feel like they are sitting next to you, telling you the story themselves.

A phenomenal story of life and everlasting love, What Remains of Love will remain with readers long after the last page. Highly recommended.

August 26, 2022
BETTER OFF BALD: A Life in 147 Days by Andrea Wilson Woods – Living with Cancer, Family Memoirs, Sisterhood

There exists a bond between sisters, and often that bond becomes a connection so strong that time cannot erase the love and the longing for the other. Andrea Wilson Woods defines such a bond in Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days.

Woods details the choreographed life she lives with her sister Adrienne, who has been diagnosed with cancer. Together they begin their dance, pirouetting around IV ports and long lists of medications. Sisters in life, love, and an all-out war against liver cancer.

Woods retells her story with compassion and a rational eye for detail while embracing all the deep emotions that ravage her as she records every one of the 147 days after the initial diagnosis.

Their confusion about how this could have happened and their hope that they can beat this “thing” growing inside Adrienne are present on each page. Woods makes note of the doctors by name, the nurses by nicknames, and the hospital visits by hours spent waiting, waiting, waiting for help to come and rescue them from the nightmare that cancer has made of their lives.

Adrienne, during this nightmare, remains her fifteen-year-old self, a bright, cheerful, optimistic imp who has brought so much joy to Andrea’s life. Adrienne’s love of music and the artists who create it becomes the beacon for her as her body begins a transformation caused by her cancer and the effect of the drugs used to fight it.

Woods is not only Adrienne’s sister but also her legal guardian, since approximately the age of eight. So, as well as the bond of sisterhood, they have the bond of parent and child. They have relied solely on one another for years, and the love they have for one another grows stronger and brighter. As an educator, Andrea’s love for her sister drives her to research to find a cure.

Andrea quits her job to care for Adrienne.

Her partner John and her biological father help her financially and emotionally. She struggles to remain positive and supportive of this beautiful child being ravaged by an enemy she cannot look in the eye.

Meanwhile, Adrienne salvages her teenage self by hanging out with her boyfriend and other friends when she can.

She goes to the movies with John, the only father she’s ever known, and meets Jay Leno and her musician hero Dave Navarro twice. Woods captures the essence of Adrienne’s youthful exuberance as they all learn to cope with the diagnosis and the grueling treatments that take Adrienne’s hair and strength.

Through this journey, hope reigns supreme, and to the last page, there is a winning spirit that will not be denied. The sisters cling to hope and each other in this candid tale. She gives us glimpses of their lives with their mother and the hardships they overcame for Andrea to gain custody of Adrienne. We see glimpses of the mischievous Adrienne, who doesn’t want to brush her teeth and is the honor student Adrienne who wants to get good grades and go to college.

Woods brings captions and paragraphs from Adrienne’s journal and emails to head each chapter and lead us through the days from 1 to 147. The love she had for her sister shines on every page, and as we root for Adrienne and hold out hope. Andrea navigates us through the labyrinth of the medical profession, becoming well versed in treatments and experimental drugs.

Andrea Wilson Woods’ Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days reflects a time of crushing grief and determination.

She grieves, yes, but she carries on the work of finding a cure for her sister’s cancer. She has devoted her life to making Adrienne’s experience matter, and we learn how much love can drive one to be a positive force. Better off Bald is a must-read for people of all walks of life because each of us is touched by cancer through our family, friends, or our own experiences. Woods’ experiences show us that “winning,” even though it may not be what we think it should be, can be a blessing and a comfort.

Better Off Bald by Andrea Wilson Woods won Grand Prize in the 2021 CIBA Journey Awards for Overcoming Adversity Non-Fiction.

August 24, 2022