The Help

Book Bag Rating: Read it!

The Help is a story set in 1962 Mississippi where the division among blacks and whites remained pre-civil war like. The story is told from the perspective of Skeeter a 20 something cotton plantation daughter who aspires to be a journalist rather than just a Junior League wife and two maids Minny and Aibileen. Both of these maids have so many layers to their characters. Skeeter and the maids work together to write a book about what it is like to be a maid in Mississippi. Through telling their story the women change. Preconceptions are lost and mutual respect is born.

The relationships are complex. Hearts are broken and secrets are kept and then revealed. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded and I liked the fact that Skeeter remains brave and true to herself. My only criticism is in the ending. While I know historically how things turn out, I really wanted more of an ending for the three women. I wanted to follow them into old lady-hood and find them sipping tea together and talking about old times. I'm a sucker for a happy ending.

Little Bee

Book Bag Rating: Read it.

This is a very readable story about two women who collide in tragedy and how they survive. Survival is at the very base of our humanity and yet some are better at it than others. The two women in this story are brave beyond comprehension.
It is reminiscent of the stories about blood diamonds but this story is about oil and what people will do to get this commodity.

A chance meeting on a beach sets in motion a string of events that cannot be predicted. The story is not pretty and there were several moments where I gasped out loud. Once my son actually asked me what was wrong. There are things in this book that are disgusting and the examples of cruelty are all too vivid. Yet it is inspiring.

I liked Little Bee and I rooted for the two women. I was surprised by the ending. I was sad yet oddly uplifted. I don't know that I would be able to do was Sarah and Little Bee did.

This book is the polar opposite of the last one. This was not light and easy. It was dark and sad yet through the sadness you see a glimmer of hope. This hope is what keeps us getting out of bed each day.

I can't say I enjoyed the story but I did like this book. I was gripped by it and finished it in a day and a half. Which is almost unheard of for me these days. I stayed up way too late and read before work.

If you want to read something a little bit different this is a good choice.

On Folly Beach

Book bag rating: Read it!

I loved this book from start to finish. It is a great beach read that takes place at the beach. The author weaves a story from the past with the present. Usually when a book is written this way, I like one story line and not the other so I find myself speed reading one half and savoring the other. That was not the case with this book I loved both parts. The stories are set on Folly Beach in South Carolina. One story follows the lives of sisters Maggie and Lulu and their cousin Cat during World War II and the other follows Emmy an Afghanistan widow who moves to Folly Beach after buying Folly's Finds a book store once owned by Maggie. Part of the purchase of the bookstore includes allowing cranky old Lulu to sell bottle trees from the store.

While working through her grief, Emmy discovers secrets that have remained hidden since the 1940s. These secrets include Nazi spies, murder, infidelity, forgiveness, love and bravery. Through her discoveries Emmy realizes that she has much in common with the old and cranky Lulu. More importantly she learns how to say her first last goodbye...

The author paints a beautiful picture of Folly Beach and her inhabitants that made me want to visit. I learned things about World War II that I did not know and I learned about bottle trees. I really enjoyed this story and have decided Karen White is one of my favorite authors.

The Heretic's Daughter

Book Bag Rating: Read it!

This is a story about the Salem Witch Trials and is largely based on the author's own family history. It is not uplifting and happy but tells the awful truth about this part of our history. Despite the gloomy nature of the story we do see many human qualities to be admired and many to be abhorred.

It is the story of the Carrier family told by 10 year old Sarah whose Mother, Martha is one of the first to be arrested for being a witch. Martha is a strong-willed, self-assured woman who does not show affection easily. She and her husband Thomas do their best to raise their children under the scrutiny of the puritanical ideals of early New England. The hardships of life at this time included the threat of death by Indian raids or illness. There seemed to be very little joy in the Carrier home and yet we learn there is fierce loyalty and enormous strength.

Prior to reading this book, I had a romanticized view of the witch trials and often thought about visiting Salem around Halloween because let's face it what could be creepier than "real" witches at Halloween. Now I know what these men, women and children endured was cruel and inhumane. Driven by fear and mob mentality many innocent people were put to death and their families tortured into turning on one another. Any illness, bad luck or good luck for that matter could and often would be attributed to witchcraft. If someone had a grudge against you they could avenge it by accusing you of being a witch. Many people were imprisoned in deplorable conditions for unreasonable lengths of time during these trials.

Despite the horror of the story we see redemption in many of the characters. We see incredible strength and abysmal cowardice. There are secrets and promises.

I really liked this book and the story is one that will stay with me. I liked the author's writing style and the historical fiction aspects of the book. It is not a cheery book and not for those who need a happy ending.

In For a Penny

Book Bag Rating: Good Summer Read

I bought this book on vacation in Hilton Head a while back after I had finished yet another Jodi Picoult book. I chose this because I was in Hilton Head and the backdrop for this story is Hilton Head. I also needed something light after the cry fest that is Picoult. Alas the vacation ended and I put it on my book shelf and forgot about it. I picked it up the other day and read it and I liked it so here's the review.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I've bought "local author" books before only to be disappointed.

The story is about a recently and tragically widowed 40 something, Bay Tanner, who is drawn into the murder of her father, Judge Simpson's, housekeeper's nephew (that sounded ridiculous). The housekeeper, Lavinia is a part of the family helping to raise Bay. As with all good mysteries the plot twists and turns leading through not only the mystery but into Bay's life. The author does a good job of mixing the mystery with some of the sadness of being widowed and the healing that you so hope for.

There is no deep or meaningful message in this book. It would not be a good book club choice, but I liked it and I plan to read the next book in the series. There are 9 of them presently with one more promised. I liked Bay Tanner although I wish she would quit smoking (lol). She keeps saying she will. Also she is super skinny yet I swear they are always eating this book!

If you are looking for a beach bag book this is a good choice.

The House on Tradd Street & The Girl on Legare Street

Book Bag Rating: Read it!

I loved these two books so much that I even wrote to the author to ask her when the next book in the series was due. There will be four books in the series which will not be enough for me. If you are looking for novels with deep meaning or book club discussion these are not for you. I would categorize these as smart beach or bubble bath reads. A friend described The Time Travelers Wife as really good dark chocolate (not like Forrest Gump) she read it very slowly, only allowing herself a few pages at a time so it would last. This is how I felt about these books. I, however, can devour a box of chocolates quickly and did the same here.

The stories are set in Charleston, SC. The author paints a beautiful picture of Charleston and brings to life wonderful characters. A good book for me always makes me feel like I know the characters whether I like them or not. The heroine of these stories is Melanie Middleton, a real estate agent specializing in historic homes, yet she herself prefers the new and bland. In the first book The House on Tradd Street, Melanie is left quite surprisingly a historic home complete with dog, housekeeper and many secrets with the stipulation that she needs to live in it for one year or forfeit the property. Melanie decides to proceed with renovating the home in the hope of making a tidy profit when it's done. Along the way she meets Jack Trenholm a gorgeous, charming author. Jack is obsessed with unsolved mysteries and the two work together to unlock the secrets of The Tradd Street House. I loved all the renovation and history scattered throughout. I loved the relationship between the characters and I was drawn in from page one.

In the second installment Melanie moves back to her childhood home to help her mother, an opera singer recently retired, renovate the house after buying it back from modern art enthusiasts. Again, Melanie and Jack team up and discover some family secrets that prove dangerous to know. The ending of this book surprised and left me begging for more...Unfortunately, I'll be waiting until 2011 when the next installment is scheduled for publication.

There is a supernatural aspect of these stories but it is not so overwhelming as to make this a horror or science fiction book. Somehow the author makes it believable and readable. Her character development for me was first class and I'll be stalking her website for the release date of the third book.

The Ten Year Nap

Book Bag Rating: Skip it

I was excited to read it since my daughter is 9 years old and I haven't worked in that many years. The story is about a group of women who have put their careers on hold for ten years to raise children. Ten years later they realize the kiddos don't need full-time care any more -- so now what?

One character, a lawyer, is star struck by another who works and seems to have an exciting life. Her story line follows this woman around while she herself resents having to rejoin the work force and practice her profession. Another is married to a man who takes a job because his "career" of puppetry is not paying off...yes puppets. (Spoiler alert--he ends up making it work!) The most pathetic moves to the burbs for her learning disabled child whom she doesn't seem like. I really disliked these woman and hope to God that I am not like any of them even though I've taken a 9 year nap...one that I'm not so ready to wake up from. I like being a stay at home mom, but heck that's me.

I disliked this book. The characters are whiny and pathetic. Only one of the women seems happy with her choices. The others seem to merely exist in some kid limbo dreaming about what could have been. Sure we all sacrifice for our kids but in my experience we do it willingly and without regret.

One of my friends said "I read it quickly because I kept thinking something has to happen and nothing ever really does." The author's style is to describe things ad nauseum. Some people enjoy that kind of detail. I do not. I can picture a child waking from sleep without being described the funky smells!

I found myself sympathizing with the children in the story which I'm sure was not the author's intent.

A Reliable Wife

Book Bag Rating: Read it!

For the last month every time I walked through Borders I passed this book. I would pick it up, read the reviews, and then put it down. Last week I finally purchased it.

A Reliable Wife was not at all what I expected and for the first few chapters I wasn't sure I liked it. As the tale unfolded I found myself completely engrossed in the story which takes place in the winter of 1907 in rural Wisconsin. Ralph Truit a broken middle aged man places an ad for a reliable wife. Catherine Land answers the ad promising she is an honest and simple woman. She is neither. As the tale unfolds many secrets from the past are revealed. These secrets are largely predicable and yet the story is still fresh. Catherine is a chameleon capable of doing and being anything her new husband desires. Ralph Truit is so scarred from his past that he and Catherine are more alike than they know.

Despite the tragedy that each character endures, the book is smart and very sexy. If reading about sex on a very primitive level bothers you...don't read this book. It's not vulgar or extremely descriptive but it's a large part of the book. Sex is almost a character in the story. Each character has their own relationship with sex and it's not necessarily a good one.

Overall I really liked this book. I like Mr. Goolrick's writing style. I could envision the desolate cold of a Wisconsin winter. I found myself sympathizing with the characters and rooting for a "happy ending." The story twists and turns and provides a satisfying read.