Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

  • BLOSSOM — The Wild Ambassador of Tewksbury (Audiobook Review) by Anna Carner – Animal Rights, Friendship, Environmental & Naturalist Biographies

    BLOSSOM — The Wild Ambassador of Tewksbury (Audiobook Review) by Anna Carner – Animal Rights, Friendship, Environmental & Naturalist Biographies

    One woman’s encounter with a rescued deer turns into an unanticipated life-changing experience in Blossom — The Wild Ambassador of Tewksbury, the audiobook.

    Author Anna Carner lived in a horse-friendly farming area of New Jersey in 1999, when she encountered a newborn fawn, barely breathing, near her home. The animal seemed to be communicating its need to her, and, with some experience of animal and human care, Carner set out to revive the fawn. She took the baby deer into her house and nursed her back to health. When she and her husband, Pino, saw the fawn curled up asleep with the family dog, the couple knew they had a new pet. Her name, Blossom, seemed suited to her sweetness and soft, gentle beauty.

    Caring for animals was not uncommon nor unfamiliar to Anna, who, with her husband Pino, housed horses and raised alpacas on their property. But bringing in a fawn was different because some community members considered deer a nuisance and hunting a sport to be enjoyed. As Blossom grew, she would venture farther away from home for more extended periods. Anna and Pino circulated “please, don’t shoot Blossom” posters to bring awareness and compassion for not just the friendly deer but for all deer. While many championed Blossom’s safety, others did not.

    Narrator Petrea Burchard breathes life into the audio adaptation of Anna Carner’s captivating and moving memoir. Setting the tone from the get-go, Burchard’s soft, silken voice immediately draws readers in as she deftly prepares the groundwork of bucolic Tewksbury scenes that are mere façades to the danger lurking in its midst. Carner’s memoir functions more like a mystery thriller; its well-balanced mix between the first-person narrative and engaging dialogue and emotional roller-coaster scenes provides Burchard plenty of room to use the full range of her vocal skills.

    Carner’s encounter with Blossom pushes her to recall childhood memories she’d rather leave behind. She can’t since the parallels of victim and rescuer between her present and past are too powerful to dismiss. While much of the story centers on the present, Carner appropriately shifts to disturbing but at the same time thought-provoking moments from her dysfunctional youth. The alterations may not be unusual from a reader standpoint but challenging for a narrator since Carner’s memoir includes a full cast of mostly secondary characters—neighbors, hunters, veterinarians, supporters—many of whom play critical roles in the direction of the story.

    However, from a listener standpoint, three characters besides Anna take the front-and-center stage to shape the narrative. When Burchard morphs into Caruso, the Carner’s opera-loving and chattering parrot, her comical voice provides a definite mood change that lightens the story’s continual underlying tension focused on Anna’s incessant worry that a hunter will take Blossom down. The story’s tenor shifts again with the introduction of children’s voices, particularly Viola, one of the young burn-unit patients whom Anna befriends while in the hospital. Burchard’s attention to narrative details enhances the innocence and compassion as the girls converse with one another, discussing life issues. Lastly, another voice change, when Anna receives phone calls from a creepy stalker. Burchard’s gravelly tone against the terror in Anna’s voice could easily make one think the story was a Stephen King novel; it’s that spine-chilling.

    Audience listening level: Light profanity and sexual references (mainly dealing with animals) make this perfect for middle-graders on up.

    Riveting from beginning to end, Blossom—The Wild Ambassador of Tewksbury audiobook is a powerful story of love, determination, and hope for the betterment of wildlife conservation that won First in Category in the CIBA 2019 Journey Awards for Memoirs and Biographies.  A highly recommended listen!

  • EXECUTE ORDER by Jett Ward – Political Thriller/Suspense, Military Thrillers, Action/Adventure

    EXECUTE ORDER by Jett Ward – Political Thriller/Suspense, Military Thrillers, Action/Adventure

    On a military base outside Las Vegas, Lieutenant Brent Parker sits in a bunker in a darkened room looking to an outsider to be playing a sophisticated aerial combat video game. But this is no game. People live and die with Parker in control of a lethal drone nicknamed the Reaper flying over forbidden Syrian air space in 2011, striking American enemies on the ground with killer missiles from several miles in the air.

    Enemies are one issue, but collateral damage—men, women, children, whole families who die in a missile attack as a side effect of bringing down a terrorist—weighs heavily on Parker’s conscience. It doesn’t help when his ultra-sensitive cameras see the face of a woman who his missile will obliterate as a side effect of bringing down a military-mandated target, a face that haunts him as he leaves the bunker for the clean, and safe, American desert air of Nevada.

    Early on, we find out that Parker isn’t as safe as he thinks he is. Forces across the globe are watching as his drone wipes out an apartment building in the Middle East where a renowned Iranian bomb maker is holed up. When a missile controlled by Parker takes out the bomber and decimates the site, an incident widely reported by the international press, sophisticated military men in the enemy camp want the head of the man who murdered their prized weapons maker. They dispatch an assassin to infiltrate the U.S., track down and kill the killer of their esteemed techno genius.

    That’s only half of Parker’s problems.

    The other concerns another mission where Parker’s eye in the sky over Libya spots the transfer of some suspicious crates looted from a former Libyan dictator Gadaffi stronghold that turns out to be surface-to-air missiles that could wind up in the hands of ISIS. A U.S. crew is parachuted into Libya to stop the hand-off, but the mission becomes complicated when they are detected and are outnumbered by a superior number of ISIS soldiers. To complicate matters, a helicopter used to support the U.S. soldiers is shot down, and the soldiers’ orders are to kill the pilot to avoid him falling into enemy hands. Parker makes a decision to help the trapped soldiers, using a method frowned on by his superiors and puts him in danger of being court-martialed by his own command structure.

    This tense action novel gives the readers a close-up, first-person knowledgeable view of the massive, sophisticated technology with which war and the collateral spying that goes with it. It feels hands-on real, both in the descriptions of the various weaponry and the way it is used. Someone lived this life, which makes it all the more readable. It also delivers a satisfying portrayal of the international forces focusing on controversies that Parker kicks up in the performance of his job as the pilot of a remote killer aircraft, and the actions he takes that have international repercussions.

    There is more back story including a relationship that Parker develops with a well-paid Las Vegas escort and various battles with bad guys from both America and the Middle East. Some are bloody detailed hand-to-hand struggles, others are vicious mind games played by both sides.

    Parker himself is portrayed in terms that would fit well in a graphics novel or a Jason Statham movie. Some of the dialog between him and other characters is less than stellar. But this isn’t a novel you read for Eudora Welty-level characterizations. You read Execute Order for the rush of an action novel with complex plots, a knowledgeable narrative, and a surprising, satisfying conclusion. On that front, Execute Order delivers the goods, and then some.

    Execute Order won First Place in the CIBA 2019 Global Thrillers for Military Thrillers.

  • PINTO! Based Upon the True Story of the Longest Horseback Ride in History by M.J. Evans – Horse Showing and Training, Equestrian Sports, Middle-Grade Equestrian Fiction

    PINTO! Based Upon the True Story of the Longest Horseback Ride in History by M.J. Evans – Horse Showing and Training, Equestrian Sports, Middle-Grade Equestrian Fiction

    In the charming and heartfelt Pinto! Based Upon the True Story of the Longest Horseback Ride in History, M.J. Evans brings to life a forgotten piece of American history. Here from a unique perspective, Evans recaptures the legendary journey of the Overland Westerners, a group of four men on horseback who rode over 20,000 miles across the US, over 3 years. Their goal was to visit each of the 48 state capitols, be photographed with the governor, and ultimately reach California for the triumph of the 1915 World’s Fair Panama-Pacific Expo. Of the seventeen horses who joined the trip, whether traded, sold, or lost along the route, only one heroic equine made it the entire way.

    Pinto was that beautiful, 6-year-old black & white Morab, i.e., half Morgan/half Arabian horse. Only 15 hands high but sturdy and well-proportioned, he had always dreamed of accomplishing something great. The opportunity comes about when George Beck chooses Pinto to join his ambitious cross-country trek. Clearly, the two develop a special bond rooted in heart and determination.

    In a story that blends history, travelogue detail, equine knowledge, and adventure, this book is so special because the narrative is told from Pinto’s point of view. Whether struggling with variations of the terrain, observing human frailties – consider in the aftermath of a stolen saddle, Pinto opines, “I don’t like the evil side of men.”; performing as a show horse, or posing for photo ops; the arduous adventure keeps us invested.

    Humor and pathos play hand in hand throughout the chapters. Whether revealed in the act of a pile of manure deposited in response to a dishonest rancher’s nefarious business tactics or the harrowing lesson of a near-drowning due to improperly secured horse packs, this well-crafted storyline moves steadily forward. Throughout their odyssey, the riders sold postcards and calendars to help fund their endeavor, though often they found it difficult to pay bills or feed themselves. While hard times often had them relying on others’ generosity, pep talks and song helped buoy their spirits, and the well-being of the horses was always a priority.

    As an avid horsewoman, Evans weaves relative informative tidbits throughout this work. These range from artful descriptions of horses forming small familial bands rather than joining herds, dealing with colic’s precarious nature, and understanding the consequences of a horse’s improperly fitted tack or harness.

    Evans retrieved much of her research from the Overland Westerners’ diaries, journals, and photographic materials, housed in the Oklahoma City National Cowboy Museum, as well as historical museums in Washington State. Much of the dialogue is based on the actual writings. Choice conversations and actions serve to showcase individual personalities and the emotional sentiments of trek participants, through the likes of facing belly-high snows on a precarious trail; appreciating the comic relief and antics of a companion dog, Nip; or witnessing the rough and declining character of some who overindulge in alcohol. While certain details were created from Evans’ own imagination, such embellishments heighten the excitement and enhance the drama.

    In a nod to the classic Black Beauty story, one of her childhood favorites, Evans felt it necessary for Pinto to tell this tale. Though targeted for a middle-grade audience, history buffs and horse lovers of all ages will enjoy this rare account. The glowing result is informative, entertaining, engaging historical fiction that creatively explores a monumental horseback ride, now destined to be remembered.

    Pinto! won the CIBA 2019 First in Category Gertrude Warner Awards for Middle-Grade Fiction.

     

     

  • The KNOCK … a collection of childhood memories by Carolyn Watkins – Children’s Life Books, Childhood Memoir, Family Life

    The KNOCK … a collection of childhood memories by Carolyn Watkins – Children’s Life Books, Childhood Memoir, Family Life

    In a quiet voice filled with emotion and heartfelt detail, Carolyn Watkins’ The Knock… a collection of childhood memories realistically captures what it’s like for a child when a parent in the military is deployed at a great distance for active duty.

    From her own personal recollections as an 8-year-old girl, each vignette weaves an honest perspective of life growing up in a military family. Tapping into the tender parent/child bonds and the feelings of loneliness and anxiety that arise in being separated from loved ones, Watkins’ intentions are to help other youngsters in similar situations, and to let them know that they have a supportive network. Here she explores the importance of family coping skills to include the strengths of a parent on the homefront, the help of relatives, and the care and concern needed for a wounded parent returning from war.

    When dealing with her father’s absence, Watkins easily voices notable questions like “Would he remember me?” and “Would he be hurt?” She also recalls how her mom often hid her own emotions to remain stoic and supportive for her children. While the brave front is comforting, Watkins realized how it contributed to more concerns.

    Wisely, Watkins sheds important light on the need to be open and express emotions during trying times. The ultimate realization is that shared feelings can make the experience of handling tough situations a bit easier. Watkins also reflects on the adolescent insecurities she felt and how they seemed heightened by constant relocations. Flexibility and adjustment as part of a military family proved key.

    While this particular true-life memoir focuses on the ’60s and the war in Vietnam, the story is truly relatable to the conflict of any era. With Dad off to serve in the jungles of a foreign terrain, and Mom at home serving a dual parenting role, a visit from German Grandmother “Oma” helps solidify the cross-generational sentiments of wartime experiences. Stark recollections of visits to a hospital where Watkins saw firsthand the harsh realities of war seem a necessary component. Clearly, a time that helped Watkins gain strength in learning to accept “The Knock” at the door that symbolizes an unsettling fear of the unknown. Such moments undoubtedly helped the family come to understand the heroic efforts of those who put themselves in harm’s way in the fight for our freedom.

    Lyndsey Erickson’s soft pastel illustrations easily complement the moving words of this narrative. Whether visualized in the glory of the star-spangled flag flying against a blue-clouded sky; a family gathered around the dinner table featuring an empty chair, that speaks to both togetherness and the solemnity of dad’s absence, or an army helicopter falling from the sky, all depict indelible moments. The importance of letter exchanges, especially during a time before computers and internet communication is sweetly rendered through images of red & blue-bordered airmail envelopes. A small, yet charming note of nostalgia.

    The book’s final words include a great springboard of ideas to open up further discussion about family dynamics, challenges, and feelings of universal concern. Though intended for the 8-13-year age group, this gentle, informative memoir shares a powerful message that should be appreciated by readers both young and old.

    The Knock won First in Category in the CIBA 2019 Little Peeps Awards for Children’s Literature.

     

  • The TRAVELS of IBN THOMAS by James Hutson-Wiley – Historical Fiction, Religious Historical Fiction, Multi-Cultural Ancient World

    The TRAVELS of IBN THOMAS by James Hutson-Wiley – Historical Fiction, Religious Historical Fiction, Multi-Cultural Ancient World

    In an ancient world split in three by religion, a conflicted young man seeks the truth about his past and builds his future in this colorful panorama created by author James Hutson-Wiley.

    Ibn Thomas, the book’s narrator, taken from his boyhood home In Aegyptus after his father and mother disappeared, lives in a monastery where he is mocked for his name and his knowledge of Arabic. At age 12, the monks send him from England to Salerno, Italy, where he will study medicine, supported, he learns, by considerable wealth to which he is heir from the commercial activities of his father, a trader in Al-Sukkar, or sugar, considered a precious commodity at the time.

    After successfully completing his studies, he is sent to Sicily, where he will be appointed chief physician by the queen after saving her son Ruggerio’s life. But the monks have given him a secret assignment, a role that his father also undertook – to spy on certain members of the Sicilian leadership. He will also ally with the Islamic and Jewish family members, cordially doing business with his loving Uncle Assad, a Muslim, and with Jusuf, a Jew who considers himself the boy’s uncle. All of them hope to discover their friend and relative, the missing sugar merchant, alive.

    As Ibn Thomas travels through the Mediterranean region beset by pirates, massacres, plagues, and intrigues, he has a personal goal: to reach the Holy Land, where the great religions that seem so far apart as to cause war and hatred, and that live so strongly within him, have their roots.

    Author Hutson-Wiley has fashioned his sequel to The Sugar Merchant with an eye to the smallest detail. In this vibrant tale, the inner workings of the early Roman Catholic Church can be seen as it quells rebellion within its own ranks and battles fiercely with Islamic forces. The mysterious, almost magical realm of medicine, combining science and spiritualism, has been clearly researched to the last detail, in a way that modern readers, now used to herbal remedies as an alternative to scientific pharmacology, will find fascinating.

    In an amusing episode, Thomas and a school friend decide to experiment with the drugs they give their patients, one of them being a weed called “kanab.” Not surprisingly, they wind up thoroughly stoned. Importantly, the author deftly puts us solidly inside the mind of his protagonist, a man who knows his profession, tries to reconcile his intermingled religious beliefs, and often berates himself for his pride even as his perspicacity allows him to save many lives. Hutson-Wiley has traveled the regions he so vividly depicts in his career in international trade and, through the engaging perspective of Ibn Thomas, gives readers a fresh look at how some of the paradigms of our current geopolitical landscape came into being.

     

     

  • FAST BACKWARD by David Patneaude – Y/A Time Travel Fiction, Y/A Apocalyptic & Post Apocalyptic Fiction, Y/A Coming of Age Fiction

    FAST BACKWARD by David Patneaude – Y/A Time Travel Fiction, Y/A Apocalyptic & Post Apocalyptic Fiction, Y/A Coming of Age Fiction

    In Fast Backward, David Patneaude’s most recent YA novel, fifteen-year-old Bobby sets out on his morning newspaper route, but what happens next blows his shorts off, literally. First, he witnesses a blinding light that grows into a mushroom cloud, but no one on the military base where he delivers papers will talk about it. Then, on his ride home, a dot in the distance takes on the shape of a girl, a naked girl in the middle of the desert at the side of the road. Thus begins Patneaude’s novel that brings WWII to life through the eyes of a young man torn by his father’s anti-war sentiments, and his uncle’s military patriotism.

    Bobby realizes that this girl, Cocoa, is somehow tied to the blinding explosion. What does Bobby do? He offers the girl his carrier bag, his shorts, and a ride home. After some preliminary conversation, Cocoa realizes where she is, and what she must do.

    She has knowledge she must deliver a message to those in charge in the hope of stopping nuclear bombs that decimated her world.

    Are we concerned yet? Bobby is. He can hardly believe Cocoa’s crazy story, but Cocoa’s knowledge of dates, towns, and ship names make him a believer. They convince his parents and, with some effort, Bobby’s Uncle Pete. Cocoa has enough knowledge to capture the attention of some high-ranking military officials, but she also receives serious skepticism. When a bombing that she’d predicted actually happens, the Generals start listening.

    Cocoa’s premonitions are a torment to her, and when she remembers something that involves Robert’s dad, a journalist and pacifist and conscientious objector, Robert’s world is turned upside down. His ideas of the world are forever changed by Cocoa, Future Girl, the girl who will save the world.

    Award-winning YA author, David Patneaude effectively suspends our disbelief as he deftly crafts a world where nuclear bombs, Nazi submarines, the bombing of US cities, with two kids coming of age stuck in the middle, becomes a reality. Patneaude’s world explodes on the page in this post-apocalyptic war story that is plausible, terrifying, and quite satisfying to the spectacular end.

    Fast Backward is highly recommended for young and old alike – and won First in Category in the CIBA 2019 Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult fiction.

     

     

     

  • SOUL SACRIFICE: Book Three of Spirit Shield Saga by Susan Faw – Teen & YA Greek & Roman Myths and Legends, YA Epic Fantasy Novels, YA Wizards & Witches Novels

    SOUL SACRIFICE: Book Three of Spirit Shield Saga by Susan Faw – Teen & YA Greek & Roman Myths and Legends, YA Epic Fantasy Novels, YA Wizards & Witches Novels

    Evil has taken hold of Cathair and the surrounding lands, and only the Spirit Shields can save both the living and the dead. Cayden and Avery, human twins housing the spirits of the godling children of Morpheus, have been tasked with stopping their sister Helga. She is hellbent on wiping out humanity and controlling the spirits of both man and beast.

    Separated by missions unique to their abilities, Avery and Cayden are frantically searching for a way to defeat Helga. Cayden, the keeper of the Well of Souls, is connected to all spirit life. He can feel the life literally draining from the land but is nearly powerless to stop it because he is Soul Fetched, his mind imprisoned by Helga. He knows he must fight her insidious commands but is weakening mentally and physically. Avery must find a way to commune with their father and beg his help in defeating Helga since only a god’s power can destroy her minion army of Charun, souls of former warriors returned to ethereal bodies. She is also fighting against the Daimon, creatures born of hatred and fire who consume the souls of men before they can return to the river of souls awaiting reincarnation.

    Their sister, Artio, recently reborn as a half-bear, half-human woman, joins Avery in her quest. Her motives, though, are personal because Helga stole the body and soul of Artio’s lover in a past life. The three siblings must find a way to unite the clans, defeat Helga, and save the souls of man.

    Duty is more than a job. It is a soulful need to fulfill a purpose, either sworn to another or intrinsic.  Many characters within this novel are driven by that intense, all-consuming duty. Both the major and minor characters are consumed by it to the point they are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to it. Ryder, commander of the Kingsmen and close friend of Cayden, is a prime example. A fixture in the Saga, Ryder and his men have previously been tasked with defending the Well of Souls. Having been taken captive by Helga, he refuses to swear allegiance to her. Even when his own loyalty is used to imprison him, Ryder cannot give up his oath to protect his king, still feeling the swell of pride at knowing his friend has ascended to his rightful place in Cathair. He is willing to befriend a Charun formerly known as Captain Brennan and even endure Helga’s unwanted physical attention to find a way to defeat her and help Cayden from the Underworld.

    As a commander of the Kingsmen in his former service, Captain Brennan cannot deny his duty, though refusing at first to give in. Perhaps the ultimate example of his oath is Cayden’s need to protect the Well of Souls.

    Connected to the well by a mental bond that becomes physical, Cayden must guard the souls awaiting new bodies. As the river that flows into the well diminishes, so does Cayden. His soul drains as surely and swiftly as the river. He knows his human life is the only thing that can heal the rift. If he fails in his duty, all of humanity will suffer for eternity. His birthright is to remain faithful in his charge even though he knows he will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

    Another theme of the novel is that of sacrifice. Nearly every character is forced to sacrifice some part of themselves. Morpheus begins the cycle when, centuries earlier, he was forced to give up his family or leave them to the other gods’ fury. The sacrifices continue for his children, all of whom sacrifice, whether willingly or not. Artio surrenders her lover to a fate worse than death while Avery and Cayden, the twins, must offer their closeness, their twin bond, nearly severed by distance and strife. Even Helga, in all her evil glory, has made sacrifices, being forced long ago to the darkness of the Underworld. Those connected to the siblings endure hardships as well. Ziona, sworn protector of Cayden and his truelove, must give him up. She is also willing to do whatever it takes to protect the Well of Souls, even if that means taking his life. Denzik, Nelson, and Fabian, Kingsmen, try to protect Cayden, and all make sacrifices to bring their men back to Cathair. Lovers of the series will experience a shocking, jaw-dropping twist that only a master-storyteller like Susan Faw could pull off. And we are so ever delighted she did!

    Soul Sacrifice won First Place in the CIBA 2018 Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult fiction.  Click on the links to read our reviews of books one, Seer of Souls, and two, Soul Sanctuary.

  • MARTHA by Maggie St. Claire – Small Town Crimes, Contemporary Social Issues, Literary

    MARTHA by Maggie St. Claire – Small Town Crimes, Contemporary Social Issues, Literary

    In the unique and compelling voice of an aging woman teetering on the edge of financial ruin, Maggie St. Claire’s debut novel, Martha, takes the reader from affluent residential areas of Los Angeles to its urban streets of despair, shadowing a 71-year-old, retired bank teller as she comes to grips with the challenges and adversities that threaten her existence.

    This is the story of Martha Moore, many years divorced, estranged from her only child, and living a lie, as she enters her golden years. The most important things in her life, outside her pride in her desirable Hancock Park bungalow, are her book club friends. She attends their meetings dressed in her finest, projecting what she hopes is the image of a well-educated, well-to-do, Los Angeles dowager. The three wealthy women who comprise the remainder of the group are her best, perhaps only friends, and sometimes that’s a stretch.

    In reality, anxiety and fear permeate her psyche as Martha struggles with uncertainty, failing health, food insecurity, and dwindling finances. Impoverished and alone, she is learning to live by her wits, filching food from many sources and raising money in unorthodox ways.

    Martha’s handbag is filled with things from the kitchen that will never be missed when she leaves book club meetings and after times she volunteers at her church—she helps with the food bank and clothing donations, earning stars in her crown. She’s the sweet little old lady schmoozing her way to the buffet at local weddings and/or funerals, or the seasoned businesswoman whose nametag has been misplaced at conventions and rallies—a chameleon in sheep’s clothing, one might say.

    Such events are her food sources. Of course, they don’t pay the overdue bills or the taxes. She worries how long it will be before she loses her home.

    Then, seemingly, the planets align.

    After finding her friend’s large emerald and diamond ring on the bathroom counter at a book club meeting, Martha sticks it in her pocket, intending to return it. Later, at home, she finds it still in her pocket. She had intended to return it—hadn’t she? Conflicted, she vacillates between fears of losing face or being thought of as a thief, and the urge to keep the ring until she can sell it and raise some badly needed cash. When she decides, the die is cast. She’ll sell the ring somewhere in one of the many jewelry venues abounding in the city.

    Because she doesn’t dare, doesn’t know-how, and fears being found out, it was a fruitless decision until an indigent, young woman with her own problems enters Martha’s life. Then, everything changes …

    Throughout the story, the direction of Martha’s life has been dictated by both changing circumstances and the choices they engendered. Ultimately, she must make a choice that will permanently change the rest of her life.

    While the reader may “bump” out of the story by grammatical and formatting errors, they are drawn back in by the author’s complex characters, vivid imagery, and authentic dialogue and setting. In Martha, Maggie St. Claire has deftly chronicled troubling social issues that often go unnoticed in today’s world, within the context of one woman’s life.

    More than just a good read, Martha is a relevant, provocative, and memorable story that lingers long after the book is closed.

     Martha won First in Category in the CIBA 2019 Somerset Awards for Literary fiction.

     

     

  • TO BE ENLIGHTENED by Alan J. Steinberg, MD – Metaphysical Science Fiction, Magic Realism, Metaphysical and Visionary

    TO BE ENLIGHTENED by Alan J. Steinberg, MD – Metaphysical Science Fiction, Magic Realism, Metaphysical and Visionary

    If you have never read a work of philosophical fiction, be prepared—it’s not fluff.

    Dr. Alan J. Steinberg’s latest work in some ways echoes other works with similar themes, e.g., Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, or Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. But To Be Enlightened provides a distinctive, twenty-first-century take on setting and characters, giving it a uniquely California flavor.

    In a tale of ambivalence and obsession that would captivate a Freudian psychologist, Steinberg uses the main character, Abe Levy, a conflicted philosophy professor at a Southern California college, as a vehicle to recount the philosophical underpinnings of Transcendental Meditation, relating the tenets of Indian Vedic philosophical beliefs to those of Western and Middle Eastern civilizations over the ages.

    Abe’s conflict is both spiritual and mundane, affecting every aspect of his life.

    When he was fifteen, Abe experienced an inexplicable, life-altering event. At that time, two strangers transported him to another plane of existence—heaven, if you will—on another planet. There he lived a joyful, perfect life without the complications of sex, avarice, or any of the seven deadly sins, with a soul mate whom he had known forever. One day, when he was very old, the same two strangers returned him to his previous adolescent existence on earth.

    From that time, Abe’s obsession has been to return.

    Stuck in 21st century California, he is ambivalent toward his wife, Sarah, whose anxiety and panic attacks, along with her healthy libido, both distract from and interfere with the meditations that will transport him back. Abe is happiest when teaching The Insider’s Guide to Our Self, which allows him to escape his worldly concerns and responsibilities and focus on enlightenment. When Sarah masters the technique and joins him in advanced night meditations, Abe is delighted. However, he doesn’t anticipate what comes next.

    A well-crafted book, To Be Enlightened is weighted with philosophical thought from multiple sources, documented with citations and footnotes worthy of a doctoral dissertation. Most of this, presented in classroom scenes, slows the pace—only the repartee between/among the students and professor save it from a complete stall. However, quirky characters and unexpected events, while stretching credulity, keep it alive.

    Worthy of finishing—the reader should be prepared to set aside the time and patience it demands. To Be Enlightened is sure to illuminate the unenlightened readers, expanding their understanding of eastern philosophy and religion.

     

     

  • VICTORIAN TOWN by Nancy Thorne – Y/A Time Travel, Y/A Historical Fiction, Y/A Historical Romance

    VICTORIAN TOWN by Nancy Thorne – Y/A Time Travel, Y/A Historical Fiction, Y/A Historical Romance

    There isn’t much to do in Little Current, Abby Parker’s hometown. Desperate to escape her alcoholic mother and absentee father’s drama, Abby Parker takes her dog Riley for a walk near the local tourist attraction, Victorian Town, a restored settlement from the 1800s. When Riley unearths a silver filigree ring engraved with the initials “BB,” Abby doesn’t hesitate to slip the ring onto her finger. In a haze of white, Abby is transported back to 1876.

    Abby’s strange clothes and unfamiliar words quickly warrant a visit to the town doctor, Albert Edgecombe, where she meets Martha, his teenage daughter. With Martha’s kindness and easy nature, the girls form a fast friendship despite Abby’s confusion and constant questions. Soon she realizes when the ring is removed from her finger, she returns to her own time. Though warned repeatedly by her modern friend Jess, Abby cannot resist returning to 1876 and Martha’s family. Martha’s older sister, Elizabeth, seemingly left town though no one can confirm her leaving. The mystery of the missing Edgecombe sibling and a connection to the local blacksmith, Ben Dunstone, piques Abby’s interest until she can’t resist defying the laws of nature and returning frequently. However, the ring’s power is draining, and Abby will soon have to choose between the twenty-first century and the new family she has found.

    The place of women in 1876 creates an issue for Abby and a theme within the novel. Abby is clearly a modern girl, independent and opinionated. In typical late-teen fashion, she arrives unabashed and uncensored in the quiet Victorian town. Even after she finally understands her “transport,” she refuses complete conformity, continuing instead to both shock and scandalize Martha Edgecombe. Her struggles exemplify most women’s lives and are symbolized in many ways by the simple task of dressing to fit in. In a time of corset, pantalettes, and bustles, Abby is a “shorty-short” girl. Just as she fights her garments in what should be an easy task–dressing for the day–she fights the notion that women should settle, not in their attire and certainly not in their life choices. When Martha mentions women’s roles, those of mother and wife, Abby scoffs and is even disgusted by the suggestion that that should be a good life for a woman. Repeated references to the fairytale Cinderella and Abby’s refusal to want the rescue of a handsome prince highlights her feelings and her appreciation of the place of modern women.

    Friendship is another important notion within the novel. Jess, Abby’s modern bestie, is a significant part of Abby’s life. Abby has little to no family support; her mother is an alcoholic, while her father stays gone most of the time. Even Abby’s brothers, who are adults, are absent from Abby’s life. Other than her sheltie, Riley, Abby is alone. Jess is her only real human connection until she develops a close bond with Martha. Both friendships mean more to Abby than anything. She turns to Jess for advice in her time travels. Martha becomes a sister to her when the Edgecombe family welcomes Abby into their family after her abrupt arrival in 1876.

    Abby’s closeness to Martha keeps her returning to the past, though her chances of being stuck there increase with each trip. Moreover, she is hurting Jess by venturing into the past. This pull keeps bringing Abby back to the present even when she begins to feel drawn to the past. Though she must eventually choose between Jess and Martha, both girls have a firm claim on Abby’s heartstrings and give her the family she chooses instead of the one into which she was born.

    Abby’s sense of purpose is an admirable trait that gives her character a strong, heroic feel. Abby cannot let go of Elizabeth’s disappearance. She refuses to stay safely tucked into her own time when a possible murderer is wandering around in the distant past. Nearly from the first trip, Abby feels she was “chosen” for a reason and beyond determined to discover what that might be even at significant physical and mental risk to herself. What begins as a mystery becomes a rescue mission when Abby finds her friends’ fate through historical documents. Abby cannot leave the fate of Martha and Ben to chance.

    Victorian Town won First in Category in the CIBA 2019 Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult fiction novels.