The author is a journalist, TV writer and former paramedic himself and he tells a most interesting -- and poignant -- story here. He writes about the The author is a journalist, TV writer and former paramedic himself and he tells a most interesting -- and poignant -- story here. He writes about the Black men of Pittsburgh's "Freedom House" who, from 1966 to 1975, provided emergency medicine from ambulances, the brainchild program of Dr Peter Safer (inventor of CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation) -- and who then had their jobs taken away from them by white politicians and police. Such a sad and familiar story in our country's long racial history. I found it astonishing that Ambulance EMT's did not exist before then. Hazzard knows how to write a dramatic story! Well done....more
This is a pleasantly sweet bit of historical romance -- very chaste romance -- with just a touch of the paranormal, involving the 'Second Sight' of ceThis is a pleasantly sweet bit of historical romance -- very chaste romance -- with just a touch of the paranormal, involving the 'Second Sight' of certain Scots. The history, very well researched, was eye-opening enough (I knew nothing of King James I of England, who was also King James VI of Scotland, who perceived his children as rivals, and who may have helped to make sure that his son Henry didn't live long enough to take the throne. . .) and I occasionally wondered why the author chose to muddy it up with the enemies-to-friends relationship and the odd visions of her hero. If you need such things to make history palatable, this is for you. If not, the historical plot is a grabber, regardless....more
This is a magnificent read, but it is also harrowing -- an adventure tale so dramatic and tense that I had to put it down repeatedly before finishing This is a magnificent read, but it is also harrowing -- an adventure tale so dramatic and tense that I had to put it down repeatedly before finishing it. Based, evidently, on the experiences of a 16th century noblewoman, it will absolutely make you grateful that you did not live then. Orphaned Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval was victimized first by her guardian, who sold her inheritance to fund expeditions to the New World, and then by the elements when she was abandoned on a rocky island off the coast of Canada (then called New France) in punishment for having fallen in love. She survives there for two years, outliving her lover, her nurse, and her infant child, and learns to be fiercely self-sufficient in order to stay alive. Quotation from pious Anne of France's "Lessons for my Daughter" at the beginning of each chapter will make you even MORE glad that you didn't live in the 16th C. I closed the last page with relief, glad to be done with this fearsome read. Highly recommended for those who yearn for adventure: myself, I am glad to be safe at home....more
I LIKED this curious novel, with its mind-bending focus on time travel! The bulk of the tale takes place in 19th C. England where we get a proper grouI LIKED this curious novel, with its mind-bending focus on time travel! The bulk of the tale takes place in 19th C. England where we get a proper grounding in the pros and cons of the social order of the times and the Corn Laws (!) but there's an intriguing romance as well, plus a good deal of derring-do as main character Nick (alternately a 19th C Marquess and a 21st C dairy farmer) figures out which of the two competing time-travel groups he wishes to align himself to. The book cries out for a sequel, of course, and it seems odd that one has not yet materialized.
If you want to remove yourself from current political crises, this is a most excellent escape!...more
I was familiar with the author's suggestion that we "Eat Food, Not too Much, Mostly Plants" but hadn't realized how much of this advice hinged on his I was familiar with the author's suggestion that we "Eat Food, Not too Much, Mostly Plants" but hadn't realized how much of this advice hinged on his understanding of what constitutes "food." Evidently he takes that to mean consumables untouched by industrialization and manufactured additives, and that eliminates a host of things we've been eating since we were kids. Goodbye store-bought bread, breakfast cereals and just about everything available from fast food businesses. It makes good sense to me, after reading the explanations in this slim volume, and will make me think long and hard about what I put on my table (or in my mouth) for a long, long time, but what a discouraging realization. Sigh. . ....more
Would I have liked this better if I were more familiar with the original story? I haven't read the Bram Stoker original and have studiously avoided fiWould I have liked this better if I were more familiar with the original story? I haven't read the Bram Stoker original and have studiously avoided film versions as well. That said, I found the characters a bit flat and the story convoluted: the description of main character Mina's treatment at a Victorian women's asylum was as close to horror as I wish to read! I'm not troubled by sexuality in books, but did not find the characters or the writing particularly compelling. I get that the author was looking to create a novel twist on an old story, but think I generally prefer Charlaine Harris' "Sookie Stackhouse" tales to this....more
I read this because of promising reviews and an intriguing premise, that of a neuro-divergent forensic psychologist who is asked to consult on a policI read this because of promising reviews and an intriguing premise, that of a neuro-divergent forensic psychologist who is asked to consult on a police investigation: the execution proved to be somewhat less engaging. I found it a slow read until the very end, when an improbable and much overused trope ("lets use the vulnerable woman as 'bait'") led to a breathless close. The novel uses the idea of a detective on the autism spectrum as a rarity, when I think we've seen that scenario in print -- and on numerous TV screens! -- for years....more
I've loved any number of books by Louise Erdrich, but this one wasn't my favorite. Her familiar array of quirky, one-of-a-kind characters with connectI've loved any number of books by Louise Erdrich, but this one wasn't my favorite. Her familiar array of quirky, one-of-a-kind characters with connections to our country's Native American history fill what is essentially a group of short stories loosely strung together. The history is very sad. I wish I had liked the characters more....more
This was a new kind of romance to me, and left me wondering how I'd missed Alexis Hall before! And how deliciously transgressive to have discovered thThis was a new kind of romance to me, and left me wondering how I'd missed Alexis Hall before! And how deliciously transgressive to have discovered this author right now, when so many politicians need to be reminded that queer people are just as human as anyone else, and just as deserving of respect. This is a delightfully tongue-in-cheek historical romance, deliberately anachronistic in parts, with a Victorian English setting and a wordy, witty plot. The main characters are a gay man and an a-romantic woman (who does relish sex, but who does not fall in love). They take turns kidnapping each other on a days' long elopement journey to Gretna Green, orchestrated to spare Sir Horley Comewithers the very great mistake of going through with an arranged marriage. The names are as wacky as the characters encountered along the way; the sex is graphic and good natured. The characters care deeply for each other and are kind and accepting of each others' differences. Would that real life were like this!...more
Oh my. This is a peculiarly bifurcated novel, one that requires the reader to plod through 100 pages or more of the political posturings of young "fooOh my. This is a peculiarly bifurcated novel, one that requires the reader to plod through 100 pages or more of the political posturings of young "food activists" in New Zealand (one character has "a masters critiquing the anti-humanism of post-structuralist political thought"!) before the tale abruptly transforms into an eco-thriller tense enough to keep a person awake at night. ALL of the characters are navel-gazers of the first order, examining themselves and their relationships ad nauseum, but when we are introduced to The Bad Guy, a fabulously wealthy American venture capitalist who might sound a whole lot like Peter Thiel or Elon Musk, it all becomes a whole lot more compelling. The last third of the book was un-put-downable and will stay with me for a very long time....more
A novel of magical coming-of-age in which plot and dialogue fare badly in a muddy mix of strongly-felt but poorly explained emotions. It begins as a dA novel of magical coming-of-age in which plot and dialogue fare badly in a muddy mix of strongly-felt but poorly explained emotions. It begins as a dark gothic story, with main character Harriet living alone in a creepy Victorian house: "She feared the house she lived in but felt safe outside in her garden, where plants came to life with their hypnotic scents, watchful eyes and thorns like teeth." (Have to say this garden felt pretty threatening to ME.)
There's lots of "screaming pain" and "deafening silences," and a HOST of peculiarly awkward figures of speech: on p. 32 we learn of cousin Eunice "trying to draw a reaction from Harriet and Harriet resisting, dodging the invitation, relishing, instead, in her cousin's feelings." On p. 82 another character "seemed to feel Harriet's overwhelm." After accepting a truly odd marriage proposal, Harriet is puzzled because "Christian insisted that they host at Harriet's per his mother's suggestion." When her dress is on fire (!) "Harriet's mind was ablaze with fear . . . the idea that she had no control over this wild, destructive flame spiraled her thoughts."
The author seemed to get her sea-legs under her toward the end and I quite enjoyed the resolution, but overall this is an awkward tale that would have benefited from a good editor....more
Second novel in the "Quiet Teacher" mystery series. I like the initial conceit here: a mild mannered Black man with a pronounced British accent teacheSecond novel in the "Quiet Teacher" mystery series. I like the initial conceit here: a mild mannered Black man with a pronounced British accent teaches Russian and French at an exclusive private school in Pittsburgh -- and is, in reality, a native Russian on the run from Russia's GRU, its military intelligence agency. Here he helps solve another murder, all the while juggling his secret identity and fending off murderous advances from Russian thugs. The characters are engaging, the writing clear and well done. I even like it that he manages to fit in some social justice issues: conservative anti-"woke" parents on a school board play a big role here. But by tale's end I was asking myself "Why do I read mysteries?!" The complicated denouement -- double-crossers double-crossing each other in a swirl of complex schemes -- made my head hurt. Maybe I'm too old for all this....more
A marvelous book! This is the tale of a post-Civil War (1865-1867) road trip by a GOOD man, a man readers will remember for a long, long time. Jean-LoA marvelous book! This is the tale of a post-Civil War (1865-1867) road trip by a GOOD man, a man readers will remember for a long, long time. Jean-Louis (John) Chenneville, only son of an old French family from St. Louis, returns home from his time in the Union army to find there isn't much of anything to return to. He is badly wounded, the family farm a neglected ruin -- and his beloved younger sister, her husband, and their year-old child (John's namesake) have all been murdered by a rogue deputy sheriff while he was away. The deputy, a man named Dodd, proves to be a truly evil man who appears to kill for sport, and John sets off on an 18 month journey to find and kill him.
There follows a long, slow, relentless journey from Missouri through the Indian territory (later Oklahoma) and into Texas, where John meets people both good and bad -- including a U.S. Marshall named Giddens who vows to put him in prison if he takes the law into his own hands. John is a man who is good to horses and dogs, yet well able to take care of himself, and for much of the journey he feels that he has nothing much to lose: his pursuit of the murderer is implacable.
We learn a lot about the countryside, the telegraph system (Morse code!) and, eventually, a certain lady telegraph operator, Miss Victoria Reavis, who proves, at the end, to be the only spot of light or hope in John's world. Chapter 23, when John and Victoria finally meet, is worth reading a couple of times: it's a heart-stirring marvel, and makes a lovely counterpoint to the determined misery that came before.
The ending is absolutely perfect: to quote Marshall Giddens, "There's the law and then there's justice. Sometimes the two overlap." Readers close the last page with a sense of hope. (And those who have read previous books by Jiles will enjoy brief mentions of Captain Kidd the itinerant traveler who who reads the news of the world, and of Simon the fiddler.)...more
I have never read "Huckleberry Finn" -- and confess no desire to do so now -- but I do have a general awareness of the prior tale simply because it isI have never read "Huckleberry Finn" -- and confess no desire to do so now -- but I do have a general awareness of the prior tale simply because it is so well known. After listening to this disturbing and very moving re-imagining of that novel, I am glad to have known the version that gives Jim the Slave an important measure of dignity and humanity. The book provides a vivid look at the horrors of slavery during Civil War times in the deep south and is NOT a fun read as a result. It is painful to be reminded that people could EVER have treated other human beings as they did in those days. I applaud the author's choice to re-tell the tale from the point of view of a slave, and to make him a wise, courageous and resourceful individual. The ending is clearly designed to make the reader want to give a huge fist-bump! It leaves us feeling celebratory, a most welcome feeling in these discouraging political times.
I listened to an audio download of this because reviewers made such a big point of the vocal "code switching" of the main character: reader Dominic Hoffman did a fine job....more
I listened to an audio read by the author while spending a long day at my sewing machine: I enjoyed the low-pitched voice and the author's appealing II listened to an audio read by the author while spending a long day at my sewing machine: I enjoyed the low-pitched voice and the author's appealing Irish accent but found it a VERY dark tale, sad, mournful, and elegiac. Also quite violent. Reviews read elsewhere called it "Profane and savagely funny" but I didn't crack a smile once. This is a WESTERN about love gone wrong amidst Irish immigrant workers in 19th century Butte Montana, and you get to follow them making a LOT of very bad choices here....more
A quick-moving historical novel featuring four women from 1906-1911 in San Francisco -- who ALL sport 21st century attitudes and ideals. If that does A quick-moving historical novel featuring four women from 1906-1911 in San Francisco -- who ALL sport 21st century attitudes and ideals. If that doesn't put you off entirely, you'll find it an entertaining if not altogether believable romp. You'll get an introduction to the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and the subsequent fire, and will learn a lot about opera, needlework, and botany as well. All of the women are victimized by the same reprehensible man, and it is great fun to see them bring him to justice in the end. Could have been a movie. I valued the authors' notes at the end....more
I happened upon this at a book sale and found it an odd read: a nine year old motherless boy and a thirteen year old free spirit of a girl (whose own I happened upon this at a book sale and found it an odd read: a nine year old motherless boy and a thirteen year old free spirit of a girl (whose own mother may be certifiably nuts) form a curious alliance one summer, staying up all night long, alternating scrapping with each other and being kind. NO kids these days have the freedom that these two did. I wasn't much moved....more
Clever, gamboling prose and a vivid imagining of the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924) who lived from the time of hoop skirts to the RoarinClever, gamboling prose and a vivid imagining of the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924) who lived from the time of hoop skirts to the Roaring Twenties, and who enjoyed -- eventually -- turning staid, proper Boston on its ear. The novel opens with young newlywed Isabella feeling undervalued and dismissed by Boston society despite her wealth ("a lost and worthless button in the pocket of day-to-day") but ends with her triumphant and unrepentant, having found her place in the world as a collector of great art. I found it hard at first to feel sympathy for someone so privileged, but grew to admire her determined pluck and spirit....more
I think I most valued this for the TIMELINE it provided about WHEN various technologies emerged, from TV to to microprocessors to the internet to smarI think I most valued this for the TIMELINE it provided about WHEN various technologies emerged, from TV to to microprocessors to the internet to smart phones and social media. Those of us who lived through all these developments tend to forget how recent most of them are, and haven't taken note of the kind of societal changes that have ocurred as a result. It is very discouraging to realize that "outrage" (eyballs, clicks, what people look at) is so monetized now that it trumps common sense and civility. If you want to understand how it is that we have lost trust in traditional news sources, here it is: it is NOT a pretty picture....more
If I hadn't needed an audio to help pass the time while doing heavy-duty sewing I doubt I would have finished this: I found it silly adolescent fantasIf I hadn't needed an audio to help pass the time while doing heavy-duty sewing I doubt I would have finished this: I found it silly adolescent fantasy for the most part (tough-talking teenage girl is spirited away by the fairies and and continually provokes and tests them despite the fact that they surround her with unimaginable luxury -- isn't this every 15 year old's daydream?)
In the end I'm going to say this is a mashup of all sorts of folklore and fairy tale, with a big dollop of Laurell Hamilton's "Merry Gentry" at its core, and a whole lot of "Hunger Games" added in to provide supposed excitement. Clearly I'm too old for this. ...more
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