Roberta (Always Behind)'s Updates en-US Fri, 02 May 2025 11:00:52 -0700 60 Roberta (Always Behind)'s Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg ReadStatus9378683765 Fri, 02 May 2025 11:00:52 -0700 <![CDATA[Roberta (Always Behind) wants to read 'Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools: An Invitation to the Wonder and Mystery of Prayer']]> /review/show/7294968232 Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools by Tyler Staton Roberta (Always Behind) wants to read Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools: An Invitation to the Wonder and Mystery of Prayer by Tyler Staton
]]> GiveawayRequest707793377 Thu, 01 May 2025 11:42:43 -0700 <![CDATA[<a href="/user/show/1172204-roberta-always-behind">Roberta (Always Behind)</a> entered a giveaway]]> /giveaway/show/409651-under-the-stars Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams
10 copies available, ends on May 31, 2025
Enter to win ]]> Review7509652360 Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:36:39 -0700 <![CDATA[Roberta (Always Behind) added 'The Antidote']]> /review/show/7509652360 The Antidote by Karen Russell Roberta (Always Behind) gave 5 stars to The Antidote (Hardcover) by Karen Russell
Although THE ANTIDOTE is set in the fictional town of Uz, Nebraska, it reflects the horrible Dust Bowl era during the Great Depression of the 1930's. Uz has a Black Sunday when there was a sort of dust blizzard. Most everything in the town was covered; buildings, farms, vehicles and people. Many people died and others suffer lung illnesses afterwards.
This novel is told by a wide variety of characters. The title character believes herself to be a prairie witch. She calls herself the Antidote because she takes away people's deepest secrets that continue to plague them. They speak into an ear horn and she files them into a Vault in case they want them again some day. Of course, most people never do that.

Harp Oletsky is another pivotal character. Only his farm survives Black Sunday in all of Nebraska. He ends up taking in his niece Delle. She is a fantastic basketball player and continues to lead her team after the Coach leaves for a safer place. Eventually, Delle believes she has the same gift as the prairie witch and wants to be her apprentice.

There are other characters that seem to have special talents. The author uses a fair amount of fantasy and magic realism to flesh most of this saga.

Several of the characters have similarities in their past where they have been torn away from their native land. The part that resonated most with me was how all of people now live on land stolen from Indigenous tribes. The author writes about horrific events that occurred along the plot of this novel and also in the Author's Notes. Although we can't change the past, we can make things more equitable.

The issue of climate is woven into this fantastic story. The poor planting decisions in the Midwest contributed to a lot of the Dust Bowl era. As modern issues are ignored, the whole earth has horrific storms and heat waves.

This is the first novel that author Karen Russell has written since SWAMPLANDIA. It's not an easy read, but it's a very important one. ]]> Review1253961722 Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:17:32 -0700 <![CDATA[Roberta (Always Behind) added 'Heaven Sent']]> /review/show/1253961722 Heaven Sent by Judi McCoy Roberta (Always Behind) gave 4 stars to Heaven Sent (Paperback) by Judi McCoy
]]> Review7531629086 Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:15:48 -0700 <![CDATA[Roberta (Always Behind) added 'The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing']]> /review/show/7531629086 The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin Roberta (Always Behind) gave 3 stars to The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing (Kindle Edition) by Lara Love Hardin
]]> Rating852731623 Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:01:50 -0700 <![CDATA[Roberta (Always Behind) Austin liked a review]]> /
Roberta (Always Behind) liked Robin's review of Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead (Finlay Donovan, #2):
Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
]]> Rating852731534 Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:01:32 -0700 <![CDATA[Roberta (Always Behind) Austin liked a review]]> /
Roberta (Always Behind) liked Nicole2112's review of Broken Country:
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
"Solid 4.5 stars. Loved the way this story unfolded with the back and forth in time. Was a little confusing at first but once it got rolling it was gripping!"
]]> Rating852410571 Tue, 29 Apr 2025 11:09:40 -0700 <![CDATA[Roberta (Always Behind) Austin liked a review]]> /
Roberta (Always Behind) liked Pegasus in Fire's review of Beautyland:
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino
]]> Review7433399289 Sat, 26 Apr 2025 07:06:26 -0700 <![CDATA[Roberta (Always Behind) added 'River Sing Me Home']]> /review/show/7433399289 River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer Roberta (Always Behind) gave 4 stars to River Sing Me Home (Kindle Edition) by Eleanor Shearer
bookshelves: fiction, historical-fiction
]]> Review7510005405 Tue, 22 Apr 2025 12:04:58 -0700 <![CDATA[Roberta (Always Behind) added 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn']]> /review/show/7510005405 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Roberta (Always Behind) gave 3 stars to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Paperback) by Mark Twain
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