Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Contemporary Fiction

  • THAT KIND Of GIRL by Jacey Bici – Psychological Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Family & Relationships Fiction

     

    A doctor’s life is one of ease and luxury—a big house, nice clothes, and a fancy nanny, right? In Jacey Bici’s latest novel, That Kind of Girl, Opal Collins would disagree.

    Opal balances on the constant edge of a breakdown, with her marriage on the rocks and mounting professional pressure.

    Fox, Opal’s husband, wants to expand their family and pushes Opal desperately to pursue the hospital administrator position. Opal balks away from breaking the deep bonds she has with her patients. If she leaves her current job, she’ll be leaving behind the very reasons she chose to become a doctor. Besides, she can barely get to work on time in clean clothes now. She doubts she has what it takes to become “the boss.” But Fox’s insistence and the pressure to be a better mother push Opal down a treacherous path.

    Ronald Aberdeen, the owner of Doctors Inc, is tired of his life in the corporate world. Having conquered and merged two hospitals, Ronald seems to have it all—power, wealth, and the fear of his employees. But in truth he longs to return to cancer research and his life as a young New York doctor. Ronald sees a path to achieve at least part of his desires in Opal, a woman willing to do whatever it takes to become the medical director of Ocean Hospital. Ronald and Opal want something more from life, each other is the means to that end.

    Trying to outrun the past and build a life on lies could lead both Ronald and Opal to complete devastation.

    Through Opal, readers will feel many of the struggles mothers face.

    She longs to be at every parade, every class party, every early morning and every late night, but the adult world demands ever more of her attention. She worries over the expectation to always have the right clothes and shoes, perfect hair and makeup, and the respect of her coworkers and supervisor. In pursuit of her professional and home life, Opal finds herself floundering under both.

    Opal caves to Fox’s pressure and creates a quagmire in which she might suffocate.

    Opal begins an affair with Ronald, even as the older man brings up memories of an assault she experienced as a teenager. It’s a trauma that follows her daily as something impossible to push away. Opal believes she can control the situation, but the emotional turmoil begins to overwhelm her.

    Opal becomes chained to her bad choices, torn between Fox, her supposed soulmate, and Ronald, who’s more concerned with himself than her.

    Jacey Bici’s That Kind of Girl exposes the treacherous balance between personal bonds and career ambition. Both women and men may find themselves in Opal, who tries to make far too many pieces fit into the shape of her life. The emotional and moral tension surrounding Opal’s relationships only grows more complicated, but she keeps trying, as we all must, and might just find a better path through the fog of conflicting obligation.

     

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  • BACK To BAINBRIDGE by Norah Lally – Middle Grade, Contemporary Fiction, Friendships & Family

     

    Norah Lally’s upper middle grade novel Back to Bainbridge sees unstable family life through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Vicki Hanlon. The story opens as her single mother has just lost another boyfriend, and the family is being evicted from their house in upstate New York.

    Vicki’s memories, recalled as the family travels on the interstate down to grandmother’s apartment in the Bronx, shows the tumultuousness of her young life so far. It has left her with a world view based on disappointments, leaving friends, and the absence of a secure home.

    To say Vicki’s family is dysfunctional would be an understatement. She can predict her life circumstances based on her mother’s relationships with men: happy, bereft, flirty, angry. As the eldest child, she cares for her siblings when her mother can’t despite how young Vicki herself is. Judith, her younger sister, wears her scars in the form of mistrust and cynicism, while her ten-year-old brother Dylan still clings to his stuffed bear as a small piece of reliable comfort.

    Vicki’s mother deems their stay at grandmother’s home temporary, but also realizes she needs to change her life for her children’s sake. She promises this new beginning will be good for them all. Vicki can’t believe her, but one minute after meeting her grandmother she realizes this no-nonsense woman means business, and they need her for their very survival.

    Vicki wants a stable home life, but she wants friends and a sense of belonging even more.

    That first night in her grandmother’s home, she hears the voice of an angel. She opens the window and meets Rosa, the daughter of the building’s superintendent. They form an instant bond, and Vicki has her first friend inher new neighborhood. Then she meets James, the skater-dude whose problematic parents abandoned him to live with his aunt in the same apartment building. His parents’ past unruly behavior has left a bad impression on the other tenants, an unfortunate reputation that sticks to James like stale perfume. No one trusts him, not even Rosa, but Vicki won’t let anyone tell her who she can and cannot be friends with. She immediately sees something she likes in James and gives him the benefit of the doubt.

    Vicki even refuses to judge her cranky downstairs neighbor, Mrs. Kirby, based on other people’s opinions. Word on the block is that she’s an old witch, but Vicki embraces everyone—a trait that proves invaluable as her friendships begin to blossom and change her view on the world.

    When the talented Rosa leaves for a cultural-artistic summer camp, she entrusts the keys to her secret hideout with Vicki so that she can feed the rescued cats living in the basement against building rules. Vicki agrees but she has an ulterior motive for wantingthe keys; the ability to gain access to the basement storage units, especially the one holding her mother’s magenta bag. She suspects her mother has been keeping secrets about her father, whom she dreams of reuniting with in California.

    What Vicki discovers in her exploration of the storage units surprises her. She uncovers forgotten treasures that tell the stories of her neighbors’ hidden lives, and as Vicki learns more about the multi-dimensional humans whom she sees each day, she realizes that there is truly more to everyone than what meets the eye, and she has empathy for them all.

    Through her experiences, Vicki comes to respect the people of Bainbridge Avenue, and she becomes a builder of bridges, not walls, until even her own mother opens up to her and they grow closer.

    The changes that occur over the course of this novel in Vicki, her family, and her new friends on Bainbridge Avenue show us the power of respect and understanding to heal and create lasting bonds. Vicki embraces acceptance and forgiveness, even after she learns about family secrets that her mother and grandmother have tried to keep shrouded due to shame and fear of being judged. In the end, the family is able to support one another and look ahead to better days.

    Lally writes lovingly with great respect for kids and their real-life challenges, and the diverse urban setting of the Bedford Park neighborhood in the Bronx (where Lally’s own grandmother lived) is brought to life in intimate and vibrant detail. But the greatest gift you will receive by going Back to Bainbridge with Vicki in this book is the simple but profound recognition that everyone is deserving of being seen for who they are, afforded the grace to stumble and get back up again, and having  a place to call home where they can feel a sense of safety and belonging. This charming debut novel is must-read for kids and adults alike.

    Back to Bainbridge by Norah Lally won Grand Prize in the 2024 CIBA Getrude Warner Awards for Middle Grade Fiction.

     

  • THROUGH QUICK And QUINN by Erica Mimran Sherlock – Contemporary Fiction, Friendships & Relationships, Grief & Loss

    Through Quick and Quinn, Erica Mimran Sherlock’s young adult novel, follows two intertwined journeys of grief, healing, and questioning the status quo.

    The titular characters Quick and Quinn both experienced family tragedies at a young age but deal with the aftermath in very different ways. After Quick’s family moves to a new town in an attempt to get away from so many memories of what they had lost, Quick and Quinn start attending the same school. Shortly thereafter, in their junior year, everything changes.

    While working together on a class assignment, Quick and Quinn find they share an interest in research. Their friendship slowly grows beyond their shared hobby and becomes the missing piece of each other’s healing journey.

    With graduation creeping ever closer, Quick and Quinn have many tough decisions ahead of them.

    They struggle to mend the wounds still present within themselves and their families and fear their friendship might not last. Much as Quick and Quinn hope to stay in each other’s lives, the natural course of adulthood threatens to turn adolescent relationships into mere fond memories.

    The characters of Quick and Quinn come alive through their shared but distinct experiences with grief and tragedy.

    Everyone deals with grief and trauma differently, with Quick retreating to the internet for his “digs” and Quinn drawing towards meditation and crystals. The supporting characters throughout Through Quick and Quinn are understated but support the narrative’s focus on the two protagonists.

    Young readers will relate to Quick and Quinn’s feeling of not belonging as they start high school, as well as how one teacher can make all the difference.

    The emotional focus of the story is very effective. Quick and Quinn are well fleshed-out and their interactions are complex and meaningful as their internal journeys through grief and healing grow organically from their similar pasts. This demonstrates how important their relationship truly is.

    Erica Mimran Sherlock’s Through Quick and Quinn is a debut young adult novel about growing up and growing out of grief, and how life-changing the power of love can be.

     

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  • CONFLUENCE by Mary Elizabeth Gillilan – Contemporary Fiction, Travel Novel, Buddhism

     

    In Confluence by Mary Elizabeth Gillilan, Maya has lived much of her life where she feels safe—at home with her Buddhist mother in the small town of La Conner, Washington. But a surprise discovery about Maya’s past pushes her to explore a wholly unfamiliar corner of the world.

    Living with cerebral palsy, and a self-professed homebody, Maya is the queen of getting out of plans. But at sixty-five, two years after her mother passed, Maya finds a suitcase with her grandmother’s diary, several photos, and a letter written by her mother hidden inside.

    In the letter, Maya learns she was born in a place called Sangam and her father could still be living there. The letter names a nun who helped deliver Maya and founded a hospital in that area, Yeshe Maya. Hesitant to leave her comfort zone, Maya waits to write to Yeshe Maya for a year. It takes even longer for Maya to work past all that is holding her back from the call of adventure.

    Maya’s neighbor Jack, who’s like a brother to her, is a seasoned world traveler and supports her in facing her fears. Bolstered by her own desire to learn about her origins and reunite with her father, Maya begins the long journey to Sangam.

    As a sacred place, Sangam’s location is a secret closely guarded from outsiders. A well-known guru wants to find Sangam to use for his own exorbitantly priced retreats. He decides to follow Maya’s movements after he learns the significance of her origin story.

    A journey of unleashing one’s own inner strength, and a love letter to a beautiful location and way of life, Confluence is a gem of a novel.

    Within the first page, the setting and Maya’s character are masterfully established. As a shorter novel, Confluence keeps up this efficient pace. Gillilan’s prose flows easily and carries the plot with natural speed. The shorter chapters provide readers a perfectly-sized break with an uplifting story.

    Confluence is a reminder to step out of your comfort zones because you never know what life there is to live if you don’t go and find it.

    The story is influenced by Buddhist ideology, but Gillilan makes its messages accessible and impactful to readers regardless of their familiarity with Buddhism.

    Mary Elizabeth Gillilan creates her characters with heart. Finding inner strength to seek all the love and wonders life has to offer is a challenge, but it’s one we can all benefit from. In Confluence, we are reminded how that first step, while it may be difficult to take, opens the door to experiences and people that add so much to our lives.

     

  • A GOOD DAY And OTHER MOSTLY HUMOROUS STORIES And LISTS by Radu Guiasu – Humor & Satire, Short Story Collections, Contemporary Fiction

     

    Through the thirty-six diverse writing efforts of A Good Day and Other Mostly Humorous Stories and Lists, Radu Guiasu masterfully combines wit, whimsy, satire, and personal contemplation.

    These vignettes cover a wide range of topics, styles, and techniques. While they often seem to be typical “slice-of-life” moments, Guiasu clearly has a knack for finding humor in even the most absurd situations.

    As a native Romanian now residing and teaching in Canada, Guiasu writes from his own knowledge and experience. He often broaches serious and meaningful topics, such as the world of academia, growing up under a dictatorship, and a love of nature.

    The book’s title story, written while the author was a graduate student, follows a central character who cheerfully muses on fellow graduates not pursuing careers connected to their degree. Choosing not to sell out, he furthers his education and teaches high school to troubled students rather than drive a cab. Ultimately, he loses both his job and his girlfriend, thus deciding to celebrate his newfound freedom by writing about it.

    In “My Mao Experience”, a 7th grade class is chosen to offer expressions of grief when Chairman Mao dies, as part of the national day of mourning in Romania.

    “The Day The Bear Came” focuses on two friends who are forced to overcome their differences when a wild carnivore confronts them on a camping trip.

    Guiasu incorporates a variety of writing forms into this anthology—from short story prose and primary dialogue pieces to creative rejection letters, invented submission guidelines, and thoughtful lists.

    After reading Guiasu’s work, and in particular his “lists”, readers will undoubtedly come away wondering why this quick-witted writer doesn’t consider a second career as a stand-up comedian. It’s easy to picture him on stage in front of a live audience extolling the virtues of “Life Lessons You Probably Won’t Find in Self-Help Books”; “Reasons for Giving an Amazon Book a Poor Review”; or “Clues That a Lion Tamer Job Is Not For You.”

    Guiasu’s underlying style is clear and concise. The stories do not need to be read in any particular order, and a shared thread of humor and satiric sentiment unites their many distinct ideas.

    A bevy of interesting characters fill this collection, including a young writer who is told by an elderly gentleman that he needs more life experiences before he can write; a masters student who works in the basement of a museum; a man quarantined until a SWAT team can capture the rabid squirrel that attacked a German Shepherd; and an individual trying to figure out which neighbor turned him in for leaving his home more than one day during the COVID pandemic.

    This compilation clearly demonstrates Guiasu’s remarkable talent and lighthearted, clever tongue.

    He turns simple observations into relatable tales using humor, irony, and exaggeration—simultaneously exposing flaws in modern society. An artful display of storytelling that will engage even the most stoic reader until they can’t resist a smile.

     

  • WHEN WALLS TALK by Geralyn Hesslau Magrady – Contemporary Fiction, Family Saga, Family Relationships

    Toni has the chance to start her own business in the building of her family’s old bakery. But history waits within those walls. In Geralyn Hesslau Magrady’s novella, When Walls Talk, Toni and her father uncover secrets they could never have expected.

    The Russo Bakery, with its 1920s architecture had been the family business since the four Russo brothers first opened its doors. Decades later, Toni and her widowed father plan a complete redesign of what their ancestors made to fulfill her dream of owning a bookstore. As the walls fall around the Russo family business, a long-hidden truth brings about profound personal changes for Toni.

    Toni takes this giant leap into the unknown, unsure if she’s even prepared to own a business. But the bookstore is the key to her hope for a better future, her only path to escaping a past tragedy.

    In the face of death and loss, Toni is crippled with a feeling of powerlessness. Fighting to never feel that pain again, she builds walls high within her spirit to shut out joy in her life, knowing that openness will only lead to more pain.

    The life Toni leads now is reduced to mindlessly putting one foot in front of the other, until a heartfelt promise, a secret, pushes her to act on her dream. The decision will demand more of her than she expects, and she’s not ready for the emotions she’ll face, but the promise compels her forward.

    Magrady draws readers immediately to Toni and her father Paulie, their conflicts a careful reflection of the human struggle we all share. Their friends are likewise compelling, bringing the periphery of their lives forward in the storytelling.

    Paulie eagerly joins his daughter’s project, working to manage the tension and strain that had once existed between them. Family ties have driven Paulie his whole love, paired with pride in his Italian heritage.

    Neither Toni or her father expected or wanted to learn the secrets they stumble across about their family, but history cannot be undone. They have each other and friends new and old to help absorb what the bakery-turned-bookstore has to say. As the walls tumble down, one can only hope Toni will find her own happiness, because the message heard When Walls Talk is a powerful one.

    Award-winning author Geralyn Hesslau Magrady gently weaves an emotional story of despair, surrender, and a glimmer of hope. When Walls Talk provides an insightful look at the human spirit, what it must face, and whether it can endure.

    The Chicago neighborhood comes to life as a character itself, artfully depicted with the Bakery as the heart of the story.

    When Walls Talk invites readers into a world where family secrets can forge new beginnings. The novella brings the loss, legacy, and uplifting power of hope in a family into beautiful relief. A perfect pick for anyone who relishes stories of resilience and indomitable spirit.

     

     

  • UNPAVED by Anthony Horton – Contemporary Fiction, Family Issues, Psychological Fiction

    Somerset Blue and Gold First Place BadgeUnpaved by Anthony Horton is a pensive novel of how returning to one’s roots can reveal hints on how to move forward after a lifetime of grief.

    Russell Nowak-McCreary is a man whose life has been proudly shaped by formidable women. His mother, Judith, was a prominent cardiac surgeon at the reputable St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. His wife, Anna, thrived as a student of Judith’s and has risen to the top of Boston’s best medical campus. And Russell’s work partner Sarah Westroes joined his company, Datatel, as its CEO with a relentless drive to expand its footprint in the tech industry. His childhood was spent without a father figure, only excepting the fond memories of a single summer at his grandfather’s cabin in the Canadian wilderness.

    As he returns to the remote cabin of his youth to set his mother’s affairs in order, Russell takes this time alone to finally process all that he lost.

    His mother, Judith, died in her prime from pancreatic cancer. Russell’s only son’s life was taken too soon, and his marriage has fallen apart in the wake of it all. After several dark years enduring grief in compounding waves, Russell comes to wonder how he “felt so incredibly severed from that happy boy who had been satiated with the promise of the future”.

    Meanwhile, a corporate and romantic drama unfolds involving Sarah and Datatel. Russell has to reckon with fraud, insider trading, and illicit offshore bank accounts.

    While Russell isn’t convinced his lover is the one at fault, he finds it harder to trust Sarah after more of her personal life is exposed. As he ties loose ends on his mother’s will in Toronto, Russell struggles to decide: should he take Sarah’s place as CEO, or leave the company for good?

    Anthony Horton’s consistent lyricism gives an engaging rhythm to the story’s slow pace and puddle-hops through time — an arguably welcome reprieve from the typical hustle of an office drama.

    The corporate subplot in Unpaved proves to be the most entertaining and propulsive element of the book. Its rare appearance throughout Russell’s pilgrimage to Toronto and Teapot Lake provides the momentum needed to move our protagonist forward as he finds himself venturing into the backwaters of his past.

    For readers seeking a novel that sees them in their own grief, Unpaved is a thoughtful work that wades gently into the subject with grace. Horton’s careful prose allows us to take comfort in Russell’s unwavering confidence in the face of uncertainty as he determines how to begin the next chapter of his life on his own.

     

     

  • ROSES In DECEMBER: Hamilton Place, Book 2 by Mark A. Gibson – Family Saga, Contemporary Fiction, War in Afghanistan

    Roses in December is the epic conclusion to Mark A. Gibson’s compelling two-part family saga, Hamilton Place. Now focusing on the family’s next generation, James Hamilton Jr.—Jimmy—follows in the footsteps of the father he never met, a Vietnam War hero who died in battle, and ultimately finds his own path in life.

    Pressured by a conning mother-in-law only out for monetary gain, the elder Jimmy’s widow, Becca, is pushed to marry Mack Lee, her deceased husband’s older brother who proves to be a cheating and abusive husband. Trapped in this loveless marriage, Becca hopes that attending church will remove her son from the toxic influence of her new husband and set him on the right path to a good life. But it’s the discovery of young Jimmy’s superior photographic memory that opens the door to a brighter future, and he sets a course to an outstanding medical career, coupled with military service in Afghanistan.

    Gibson delivers the recent past with a great sense of immediacy, showing events that ripple into our contemporary world using pop references that are relevant in today’s world.

    There is no shying away from the thorny reality of world conflicts and tragedies, such as the 9/11 terror attacks. Jimmy’s budding empathy and photographic memory become both a blessing and a curse when all the best and worst parts of his life are only one visual recall away. This unique and imaginative narrative follows Jimmy as he grows into a man named James who must come to terms with his most painful experiences.

    Roses in December develops on the themes of love, loss, and resilience revealed in its predecessor, A Song That Never Ends, with thematic vines are grafted together into a deeply rewarding whole.

    Many of the same elements from the first book return in this two-part series, with its details now paying off, from a special photograph the Vietnam medic uses to cover a chest wound, to James referencing the unique bandage to his hospital interns. Roses in December is laced with connective details that immerse the reader in the lives of its characters as family mysteries come to light, including the long-held secret that Becca has kept from her son, James. And the story comes full circle when the adult James shares the full family history with his own children.

    While Roses in December can certainly stand on its own, reading Gibson’s books in sequence will help lay a solid foundation for this generational saga. It will also serve to impart a core of knowledge about the characters and their relationships, and their development within the family’s overall dynamic. Together these volumes prove a truly satisfying duo, with Roses in December blossoming into a beautiful conclusion to the Hamilton Place Series.

  • NOT THAT KIND Of CALL GIRL by Nova Garcia – Contemporary Fiction, Mexican-American Fiction, Contemporary Social Issues

     

    Blue and Gold Somerset First Place Winner Badge for Best in CategoryIn Nova Garcia’s novel, Not That Kind of Call Girl, Julia Navarro-Nilsson balances a lot heavy responsibilities on her plate. She’s the supervisor of the Cascade City Chronicle call center, has just had her first child, and is dead set on saving her newest employee from a lifetime of abuse.

    As a Mexican-American, Julia knows first-hand how difficult life can be for a minority woman, so when Carmen Cooper shows up for a job interview, Julia is determined to hire the young college student even though her story and answers to Julia’s question are sketchy. This reluctance to share her personal information intrigues Julia, but Carmen’s life turns out to be much more challenging than Julia would have ever dreamed.

    Sussing out the truth behind the timid young woman’s clearly fictional story, Julia turns detective with the help of her reporter friend, Jerry. The two are dogged in their search and discover a secret so deep that it will rock Hollywood — that is, if she can juggle her new baby, her neglected husband, her sexually harassing boss, and an unending visit from her critical mother.

    Julia’s detailed character makes her easy to empathize with, especially as she faces issues that many women confront in the real world.

    Her biggest personal struggle is with motherhood. After the birth of Trey, Julia expects to be overwhelmed with her love and devotion to this tiny person. However, when she doesn’t feel those things — feeling almost the opposite actually — she is shocked and disappointed in herself. She has no immediate connection, instead suffering from postpartum depression.

    To add to her fears of motherly inadequacy, she endures multiple bouts of mastitis — landing her in the hospital on one occasion— and she finds that maternity leave feels like a prison sentence rather than a chance to bond with Trey. She hates that she is missing work and hates that she hates that! Julia’s muddled feelings leave her frightened and uncertain, far from her sense of self pre-motherhood.

    Like many women, Julia has a hard time accepting her body for what it is.

    She has never been a petite size four, like her still-attractive mother, who always pressures her to conform to a different standard of beauty. Julia is tall and full-figured, a curvy, sensual woman. Post-birth, she feels “fat” and unattractive. Because she has to continue wearing her maternity pants (another very common experience), Julie feels as though she has failed again in some way. Though her adorable, loving husband Charlie still tells her she is beautiful and shows her that he continues to find her desirable, Julia has a hard time engaging in any physical contact. Her mother’s comments don’t help the situation, and with her confidence in tatters, Julia stress eats, continuing an unhealthy cycle.

    Julia takes great pride in her position as call center manager for the local newspaper, but that position comes with near-constant harassment from her boss.

    She cares about her employees, knows their problems, and is fighting for their jobs as the newspaper owners negotiate a sale of the business. In fact, it’s this level of concern that leads to her involvement in Carmen’s tragic life. Julia takes her job seriously and maintains high expectations for herself, but at every turn her boss Carlton Cressey epitomizes a villain to all of womankind. He makes jokes about various body parts and propositions Julia directly for sex. Even though she is a hard-working employee, likely his best, he can only see her body and face, so not only is Julia worried about her employees losing their jobs, she is also worried about losing her own if she reports him to HR.

    Julia is a strong, normal woman. She’s not a superhero or a rich Country Club wife. She’s real, and many readers will identify with the problems she faces.

    Not That Kind of Call Girl by Nova Garcia won First Place in the 2023 CIBA Somerset Awards for Literary and Contemporary Fiction.

     

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  • R&R: A Feast of Words by Maria Giuseppa – Contemporary Fiction, Friendships & Relationships, Covid-19 Fiction

     

    In R&R: A Feast of Words by Maria Giuseppa, two life-long friends, Rachele and Raffaele, connect through letters and emails during the early stages of COVID quarantine.

    Their conversations–fusing with each other and evolving rapidly through life stages–culminate in a long-overdue reunion and a trip to Portugal and Italy. Through the loss of a spouse, divorce, parenting struggles, and the apocalyptic reality of COVID-19, two real-as-life characters–oft-neglected in their daily lives–share their thoughts with one another across an intimate distance.

    Simple and elegant, Giuseppa’s heartrending storytelling will inspire readers to live with intention and purpose–and perhaps, to cook more delicious food and write more meaningful letters.

    R&R is a small, close story. With only two active characters, readers come to inhabit their daily monotony and to crave adventure and companionship alongside them. Despite each letter’s lack of timestamps, the current of time is constantly pressing forward in the background. Holidays come and go, tragedies break and are healed, even as some days feel never-ending.

    At first, Rachele’s and Raffi’s confined spaces are palpably claustrophobic. “I think the world as we knew it no longer exists,” Rachele admits. But as time moves on and they realize there is more to their friendship than meets the eye, the world opens for them in both exciting and dangerous ways. Despite how long they’ve known each other and the correspondence that connects them, they realize that there is no end to the newness they uncover in one another.

    In the end, their submission to vulnerability leaves them raw and at the mercy of their instincts, freeing them to live unabashed in their tenderness for one another.

    While an undercurrent of romance keeps Rachele and Raffi drifting ever closer, this novella transcends any superficial sort of tale.

    This is a story of two people who belong with each other no matter what form their belonging takes. Although hints of “long lost love” appear, the reader feels that no romance is necessary for a satisfying ending. As Raffaele admits to Rachele, “For the first time in my life, I am longing for something other than a lover. I want a true friend. You are the one.” This insistence on friendship continues throughout the novella, despite the romance that threatens their close connection.

    They support each other through hardship, coach each other through difficult decisions, and love ceaseless despite mistakes and wrongs. With their letters, the characters create space for vulnerability and cultivate a communal understanding of selfhood despite the physical and social barriers that inhibit their ability to share their lives together.

    R&R will linger in readers’ hearts for a lifetime, urging them to intentionally reflect on their own intimate details, including relationships, adventures, faith, regrets, secrets, loss, politics, trauma, travel, parenthood, and so much more.

    The form of letters allows the characters, as well as readers, to “strip away boundaries and…share” the most vulnerable parts of their lives. Giuseppa weaves together the intricacies of the characters seamlessly into a world all their own. When readers reach the final page and leave Rachele and Raffi behind to finish their glorious adventure, they’ll be moved to feast on their own blessings as well, moving toward openness and belonging.