Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: family life

  • BACK to ONE by Antonia Gavrihel – Contemporary Romance, Family Life, Audiobook

    Antonia Gavrihel shows off superb storytelling and narration skills in her audiobook, Back to One, where passion, family, and, most importantly, friendship clash in an emotionally intimate slow-burn romance.

    When Catherine Leigh meets famous actor Kyle Weston at a Hollywood party, an unbreakable bond snaps into place. But, while Cate and Kyle each acknowledge this intense connection, their life situations make a courtship impossible. Cate is happily married, and Kyle’s career leaves him with little time for any personal ties.

    The two vow to take romance off the table and love each other as best friends—or at least try to.

    Cate and her young family help reinvigorate Kyle’s strained relationship with his son Scott, while Kyle revives Cate’s acting career. This surprisingly wholesome romance focuses on the support that two true friends can give each other, and how it forms a strong foundation to lean on during difficult times.

    Back to One, Gavrihel’s debut novel, was quickly followed up with three additional books in the series of the same name. This audiobook version brings even more vibrancy to her work.

    The audiobook’s dynamic and engaging character voices highlight Gavrihel’s entertainment background and family ties. She’s obviously comfortable in front of a microphone as she breathes life and emotion into each one of her characters.

    A captivating audio adventure from a perfect light beach read, Back to One delivers the feeling of a summery getaway no matter where readers are when listening to this engaging tale of star-crossed lovers. Gavrihel’s exceptional imagery and narration transport readers from Hollywood to Montana and New Orleans to Aruba.

    The greatest strength of this novel are the characters who bond and conflict with the perfect blend of drama and realism.

    The story’s villains are unsympathetic troublemakers motivated almost exclusively by lust or greed. Their schemes provide unending fuel for dramatic fire and leave the reader hoping their karma will come back to haunt them.

    The two incorruptible main characters stand out amidst their unethical antagonists. Cate is both flirtatious and innocent, reliant on the overprotectiveness of her older brother and Kyle to maintain her dignity and safety. Kyle fills the role of a self-identified player who feels guilty about not being there for his son while traveling for work.

    Gavrihel uses familiar romance tropes, infusing them with the atypical conflict of two lovers who attempt to put their true feelings aside for the sake of the other people in their lives.

    What makes the two characters unique is the care they show for their families and their genuine, though at times strained, commitment to platonically loving each other.

    Readers’ interest will be piqued with the ever-present question of whether or not their commitment to being friends will persevere despite their true feelings for each other. This sweet twist makes Back to One a perfect romance for readers who want some feisty drama and a bit of steamy tension, but nothing graphic, which can be a tough combination to find in contemporary adult romance.

    Ultimately, Antonia Gavrihel’s Back to One is an emotional romance that provides a unique perspective on the ties between friendship and love—and how difficult it can be to suppress the latter. Gavrihel’s impassioned narration and tension within the story create a compelling audiobook that’s nigh on impossible to pause.

    Back to One by Antonia Gavrihel is available through the above links and right here through Spotify!

     

  • PETALS by Anna Casamento Arrigo – Poetry Collections, Family Life, Memory

     

    Anna Casamento Arrigo tells of longing, memory, and lingering pain through verdant imagery and mythological metaphor in Petals, a poetry collection.

    Poems such as “Life Speaks Loudly” and “Time Too Quickly” establish a focus on the ever-changing seasons, and the power of time to both take away from someone and transform them. Arrigo’s work here is a remembrance of those things gone to the past, both the beautiful and the awful. “A Slow Dance in the Summer Rain” shows the weight of loving memories, while “Treading” reaches for the dreams of childhood, before they were stamped out by the struggles of life.

    These poems use vibrant sensory descriptions – especially of the natural world – which ground the heightened emotions to allow readers to connect with them. In fact, readers can listen to some of these poems in musical form on Arrigo’s YouTube channel.

    Petals grapples with family and identity in “Who Am I” & “Nonno’s Orchard”, grief over a lost father in “Daddy’s Flower”, and a yearning for connection in “Wrapped in Your Heart”. These themes meld with one another to give a complete sense of loss. Certain intimate details, such as a specific jacket or kind of flower, recur throughout the book. Readers will begin to recognize these motifs, creating a familiarity that will open them to deeper sorrow and joy.

    Arrigo explores a sense of being adrift in the world, unsure of even one’s own self.

    “Hey Child!” and “More than Now” insist that, even while adrift, there is a powerful urge to act – to take in the world. “My Naked Soul” dalliances with the very cosmos, while “Hollow Men” and “The Reality” use mythology to interrogate how people see themselves, and whether their eyes are clear when they do so.

    This sense of interrogation continues, growing into the biblical reckoning of “The Gatekeeper” and the menace of “The Red Knight”. Greed, injustice, and faith intertwine in these poems as Petals sets its sights on those who have used and abused their fellow people and the world around them.

    A strong rhythm carries Petals along, with a back-and-forth of long lines and short, as well as comforting and tumultuous emotion.

    Arrigo uses occasional formatting changes to make poems such as “The Night Warrior” striking while maintaining a broadly consistent style.

    The likewise consistent through-line of reminiscence lends itself well to stark tonal shifts, as these poems hold tight to memories of love, fear, and grief alike. “Sounds and Silent Seas” calls out to the past, asking it to open a path of reunion while indulging in the beauty of what once was. “TOO!” speaks instead of escape, flying away from the darkness of childhood.

    And yet, a person can’t let memory consume them, not while they have a present. “Now” stands as an answer to the past ­– for all of its wonderful and terrible power, it only exists through the lens of what is now.

    Through careful description and dedication to the impact of memory, Petals creates a cohesive and affecting collection of poems.

     

     

    5 Stars! Best Book Chanticleer Book Reviews

  • THE RELUCTANT VISIONARY by Datta Groover – Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Multi-Generational Fiction

     

    Visions of the future swirl, unclear and contradictory, giving dire warnings of lives soon to be cut short, in Datta Groover’s The Reluctant Visionary.

    Three women, Anna Mae, Kat, and Jess each confess to being the visionary of her era.  They never asked for the ability to glimpse danger ahead, to have the opportunity to save others from a terrifying destiny. It’s a heavy burden when people refuse to believe them, and the dangerous consequences of their visions lay in wait. The best of intentions lead the ladies further into a dire struggle. Can they survive all that life throws their way, and learn how to reshape the future? Or will they lose their way in the blur of chilling prophecy?

    Jess is in her mid-twenties, a resident of a rural town in contemporary Texas. She works hard with her family to hold on to the ranch that’s been with them for generations.

    No matter what they try, they continue to experience misfortune and lose more money. As they slip further and further into debt, they wonder what is the root of all their bad luck. Jess juggles this financial struggle with her visions of the future, just like her mother, Kat, did. Visions of violent and heart-wrenching crimes haunt Jess and drive her to act defiantly and protect the innocent victims.

    As she delves into a criminal mystery, she has no idea the danger she’ll face along with her family, and the secrets she’ll uncover in her mission to change the future. She partners with the lone law enforcement officer who believes in her and her visions, but can she resist his charms?

    In the 1960s, an entrancing story set in rural Tennessee plays out parallel to Jess’.

    Anna Mae has just turned eighteen and lives at home with her abusive parents. Her visions of the future are met with anger and fear from the people she’s trying to help, and someone even reports her to the police when her attempt to save a child in danger is deliberately misinterpreted. Anna Mae seeks a tranquil and happy life but her disturbing visions make that wish impossible.

    She finds herself in the middle of an investigation when the police accuse and arrest the wrong person for a crime. She’s determined to save him. In the midst of the chaos, Anna Mae falls in love with the wrong man and is faced with a drastic, life-altering decision. Will she find a wise path forward in her visions?

    Author Datta Groover tells a story of three generations of strong female protagonists.

    These women show how a determination to light a hopeful way forward ignites courage despite threats of desperation and peril. Their contrasting struggles, inherent to different decades and settings, leap off the page, relatable and emotionally vivid. And just as in real life, the ending of the story is filled with unexpected surprises, even for these visionaries.

    Available for Pre-Order Now! Comes out 9/6/23!

     

    5 Stars! Best Book Chanticleer Book Reviews

  • 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.

     

  • HOME ON THE WAVES: A Pacific Sailing Adventure by Patrick Hill

    HOME ON THE WAVES: A Pacific Sailing Adventure by Patrick Hill

    Family, love, and adventure are all tied together in Patrick Hill’s alluring travel memoir Home on the Waves. It’s a story set in the 1970’s that provides remarkable insight into the lives of a family exploring the open ocean and discovering new cultures and people.

    Hill’s memoir is an excellent read for everyone interested in reading about out-of-the-ordinary lifestyles and family adventures, even if they have never set foot on a boat.

    As a previous liveaboard and fellow sailor, I enjoyed reading a story that showed the family’s journey in becoming familiar with the sea. Their adventure starts with Patrick, a civil engineer, sitting in his office reliving fond memories of his days on the water.

    He decides to take action and create more treasured memories and to share his love of sailing with his wife and children. That momentous decision will disrupt his normal life with its mortgage almost paid off and a boss not expecting him to ask for an extended leave of absence just so he could go sailing.

    From start to finish, we see every step of Patrick and his family’s adventures in building the boat and getting it into the water. I particularly liked watching them build the boat in the backyard, and reading about all the BBQs they had and the friends they made (and neighbors they probably annoyed).

    A novel and compelling addition to this engaging memoir is his incorporation of his family’s perspectives. His wife, Heather, and his children Jeremy and Erica, voice their experiences, including both the happy memories and the frustrations of living together on a 42-foot sailboat with one head (toilet) over fourteen months and across 15,000 miles at sea while moving at an average speed of five miles per hour.

    This family travel memoir uses some technical terms of boating and lingo of sailors, adding to the genuine nautical ambiance of the story. I found it fascinating to read about sailing during the 70’s before computer technology was available to individuals. Cell phones, personal computers, chart-plotters, “epirbs” for satellite location, and other gadgetry didn’t exist. Noon sights had to be taken from hand-held sexton for navigation, printed charts were a must, and de-salinator water makers were not readily available, so gathering rain water using tried and true methods was essential.

    What really makes this memoir a special gem are all the nuances incorporated into the chapters. I learned about pleasingly random things such as how to make limes last longer and on which side to wear a flower in your hair when attending local festivities. As well, Hill is unflinchingly honest about the less glamorous aspects of sailing: trash on the shores, paying people off to get gas, and long johns. Are you wondering what they are (and they are not what you thinking)? Join Hill and his family to find out.

    The Hill family definitely was at home on the waves as they sailed down the coast from Vancouver, British Columbia to Mexico, over to the Marquesas, on to Bora Bora, and finally, back north to Alaska. As I sailed with them, I kept an atlas nearby to orient myself to major points. This gave me a deeper “armchair adventure” to the South Pacific and to Alaska. I was engaged quickly and then transported because there was never a dull moment in this Pacific sailing adventure and Hill graciously supplied photographs of the family’s journey.

    Home on the Waves brings life to exotic cultures, sailing, and family life in 1970’s America. It’s a true story that will inspire readers to seek their own adventures and find ways of making dreams come true. Here’s to the Hill family and their adventures, their boat, Sky One Hundred, and to all those who follow their dreams.