Compassionate and compelling with pitch-perfect narrative
348690
I loved this book. It takes place in 1962 in Jackson, Mississippi, where Minny and Aibileen are black domestic help for two white families. Skeeter Phelan has just graduated from Ole Miss and comes home for awhile with aspirations of becoming a journalist. She chafes at her mother's constant judgments of her clothing and behavior as well as the prejudice of her high school friends Hilly Holbrook and Elizabeth Lefolte. She also desperately misses her childhood companion and nanny, Constantine,who has disappeared and no one will tell her where or why.

Through the voices of Minny, Aibileen and "Miss Skeeter," the story unfolds with vivid and aching realism. The voices and dialects are pitch perfect, as are the conflicting emotions, loyalties and tensions between domestics and the members of the families they serve. Besides the issues of overt prejudice (total segregation, separation of black and white bathrooms, no sharing of food and dishes, Klan activity, etc.), the book also explores the dark side of social mores and the exclusivity that can be developed that ostracizes people (including whites of perceived lower socioeconomic status) often on the whim of a group leader.

As a result of a series of events, the three protagonists--at great risk to their own and their familes' safety--join forces to tell--and publish--the stories of at least 12 black women who work as domestic servants in the area. Their stories are poignant and varied, but in spite of this book being fiction, I believe it captures a snapshot of a piece of society in that time and place.

I suspect that having Southern roots and family from South Carolina contributed to my enjoyment and appreciation for this book. It touched on so many class- and  race-related things that are both cherished and controversial among Southerners, and I felt Stockett handled them sensitively, accurately, and with great compassion for all sides.
1314929
Ava and her brother, Fred, grew up in a peaceful, idealistic environment; free to roam and explore the world around them, free to make all of their own decisions. Fred showed signs of mental impairment, but his parents chose to give him the space to develop naturally into his own person, without labels or stigmas. When Fred is later accused of a horrific crime, Ava is forced to reflect upon their childhood and their parents' choices.

The narrative often moves in and out through time, between childhood memories and the crisis of present day. These are not presented in well-defined sections; rather, they weave in and out as Ava (and others) muddle through the attempt to make sense of what has happened. And the ending... wow. It was gut-wrenching. Like I'd been punched in the stomach.

No Book but the World brings up tough questions for its characters and its readers: At what point is the gift of autonomy not in the best interest of the child? Where is the line drawn between permissive parenting and neglect? How does one know when idealism needs to take a back seat to reality?

Leah Hager Cohen treats these questions and her characters with the utmost respect, compassion, and thoughtfulness. This is a compelling novel well worth reading.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.
3082488
Readers are drawn in immediately by Laura's compelling child narrative, and care deeply about the three adorable little girls Kathy, Mary Ruth, and Laura shown on the debut book cover of "Reversible Skirt: A Memoir" authored by Laura McHale Holland.

In the 1950's, the three girls were very young children when their father quickly remarried after loosing their mother tragically to suicide. A chilling maternal narrative following early chapters suggests a troubled marriage and a wife/mother unloved by her husband. Despite being a successful engineer with a good income, nice cars and home, the girl's father seemed indifferent or unaware that his second wife was very cruel and abusive and had absolutely no business caring for his young daughter's. This also included her elderly father, "Grampa Adam's" who was always cross with the girls and only viewed them as a nuisance. It was understandable when he died Laura felt zero emotion regarding his passing.

The girls dearly loved their father, he worked very hard to support a stay-at-home wife and family. Laura received a reversible skirt as a gift from her father one year, which allowed her the option of a combination of outfits, instead of wearing the same dress all the time. The girls were always shabbily dressed, not permitted new expensive clothing. Other students commented on Laura's poor hygiene, the girls weren't permitted to bathe or wash their hair regularly in a effort to conserve water. Only allowed into the house around dinnertime, when they were older, their records were deliberately scratched, transistor radios were turned on while they were in school to run down the batteries. A normal or even marginally happy childhood was never possible, as the girls attempted to understand and come to terms with their harsh existence.

On November 5th 1960, the girls lost their father likely from an unnamed cancer diagnosis. Laura observed the day after his death: (from the book)..... "Morning creeps up like an upset stomach, and pretty soon I'm a zombie trudging to school. I don't understand why somebody--Gramma, Uncle John, George, Violet-- couldn't have said that maybe it would be better for us not to go to school today." Their father's illness and death were never discussed, the girls were expected to carry on as if nothing had ever happened.
Predictably, as the girls matured, they found their voice and were empowered to defend themselves against their step-mother. In the Epilogue Laura concluded in her adult narrative, without resentment or bitterness of life lessons learned in the face of adversity; which have definitely included a more compassionate, understanding, and loving motherhood for her own children. With gratitude and thanks for the e-ARC for the purpose of review. ~ A second book: "Resilient Ruin: A Memoir of Hopes Dashed and Reclaimed" is due for release November 1, 2016.
2130047
Jessica Keener displays a gift for original and apt metaphor in this lyrically beautiful, poignant, first-person narrative about a young protagonist the reader will both ache and cheer for. I'm usually a speed reader, but I found myself re-reading passage after passage, just for the sheer beauty of the language. There are some dark themes, but there is something both cleansing and therapeutic about diving into this tumultuous but tender coming-of-age. A triumphant debut! Can't wait to read more by this author.

New note, 12/16/2012: Those new to Keener's writing should check out&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Recovery-a-short-story-Women-In-Bed/dp/B004EYUH1A/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Recovery, a short story (Women In Bed)</a>. She has an amazing ability to word-paint things that are ugly, disturbing, painful and real with a class and grace that makes them approachable for the reader but does not downplay or diminish them. Was one of the things I so admired about Night Swim.
4549893
Saved: Rescued Animals and the Lives They Transform is a feast--for animal lovers or for anyone who believes in the healing power of love, whether between, among, or within species. In crisp, spare, but evocative prose, animal lover and healer Karin Winegar brings her no-nonsense reporter's eye, her clear, strong voice, her quiet courage, and her wide-open heart to the noble task of telling the stories of people rescued by the pets they rescue.

Judy Olausen's wonderful photos both complement the narrative and reveal their own truths, and the effect of the collaboration is stunning. The interwoven stories and images shine with a generosity of spirit that is not only healing but also fully reciprocal--both between the subjects of the stories (human and nonhuman), and between the book's creators and their readers.

The animals are the stars of the book, but the people are far more than bit players. They're us--mostly ordinary people whose lives have been touched and changed by the creatures that have limped, crawled, and fluttered into their lives and their hearts. All are richly realized characters whose stories make you want to retrace the steps of the cross-country journey that this remarkable creative collaboration has brought to eloquent life.

I challenge anyone to read this book without crying. But even with all of the happy endings, this is not your garden-variety sappy, feel-good holiday book. The stories are elegantly crafted gems--literary journalism at its finest. They're sometimes searing, sometimes funny. And they're always deeply moving. But they're never cutesy or mawkish. These animals are real--no bassetts wearing antlers, cats in ruffles, or horses in bowlers; no animals frolicking and dancing, talking, or singing. Winegar and Olausen have far too much respect for these creatures to approach them with anything but reverence, as equals with us (and more) in dignity and moral standing on this fragile and perilous earth.

If you love animals, or even if you don't, read this book, and buy it for your friends. If everyone who's ever bonded with an animal companion reads this book, and then pledges to adopt (and spay or neuter) at least one abandoned or abused animal, we'll give Karin Winegar and Judy Olausen material and publishing cred for sequel after sequel. And we just might make a sizable dent in the population of homeless animals.
3125918
This is a great read: thoughtful and heartfelt, full of compassion and understanding. Although Stone Harbor Bound explores the lives of three characters, the book belongs to Camille Pickett, a middle-aged nurse who--one year after her alcoholic partner's death--is trying to get her bearings by returning to the summer vacation house her partner so loved. An inveterate caretaker, Camille finds herself involved immediately in the lives of her summer neighbors. This involvement helps her distill, if not resolve, her still-stinging grief, as she recounts and reconsiders her last few years with her troubled lover. As we watch Camille work through her feelings, we learn something about love and forgiveness and vulnerability, and we find affirmation in her growing hope of starting over.
1863054
I read Nico Laesers Skin Cage while I was ill in bed recently. It was one of the few things that kept me tethered to the world, and seemed oddly appropriate for my own physical condition at the time. I felt great compassion for Daniel, identifying with his dilemma of being locked inside his body and prevented from explaining his suffering or asking for the simplest of his needs to be met. So many aspects of what it means to be disabled were explored here in the story, and the authors own obvious empathy made this a particularly poignant read. For me the story also provided a rich metaphor for the many ways in which we might be trapped within our skin cage, for whatever reason unable to articulate our thoughts, feelings and needs  and how at the mercy of one anothers kindness we all are. Nico Laeser doesnt flinch from describing the basest of human qualities as well as the highest, and everything is here in this novel, from tenderness to inhumanity and all shades in between. And then, just when I thought I understood what the story was about, it changed. Having read Nico Laesers other exceptional novel, Infinity, I should have been prepared for that. I read on, more deeply drawn in than ever by the authors stunning narrative style and convincingly evocative descriptions of altered mind states. And when finally I had some new sense of where we were going, it changed again. This capacity to shift the readers awareness so seamlessly to another, deeper level is one of the many skills of this superbly original and imaginative writer. The book kept me totally gripped over two days, and was a wonderful antidote to my own discomfort. I found myself crying at various points throughout, for different reasons each time, profoundly moved by Daniels plight and by the beautiful language used to describe it. Nico Laesers work is among the very best I have found in a wide diversity of fiction and deserves universal acclaim. There are just a few authors whose next book I will get even before reading the synopsis. He is without question one of them.
14616
Monica McInerney's family drama "Hello from the Gillespies" is a delightfully enthralling narrative with a truly unique basic premise and masterful plot development.  Having occasionally written my own "yearly newsletter", as well as having a daughter who has done so as faithfully as Angela Gillespie (by fascinating coincidence, she, too, has reached the 33rd edition), I was intrigued at the notion of being truly honest, not just upbeat and cheery.  Obviously, in every family there are ups and downs, crises and emergencies, things that don't go as one desires, and inevitable communications blockages.  Likewise, there are numerous thoughts and feelings that one NEEDS TO ventilate about, but wouldn't want to share with an extensive list of acquaintances as well as not-so-close friends on a newsletter list.  Sadly, the immediacy of electronic communication has made it all too easy to send thoughts into cyberspace and beyond recall at the injudicious tap of a "send" icon.  McInerney's skillful development of this circumstance was enough to keep me completely involved during all 600+ pages of this extraordinary novel.

The characters are beautifully articulated, the setting of Errigal magnificently described, the plot nuances completely involving, and the eventual working-out of the circumstances totally satisfying without being over-worked or implausible.  There is charm and humor and yet deep meaning and psychological veracity as these characters deal with their problems and issues.  As is true in life, some things DON'T work out as one might wish, but the reader is not left with an unsettled feeling that the writer either "went too far" or "not far enough" to achieve dramatic effect.  In all, a thoroughly enjoyable novel I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone who is interested in a truly human reading experience.
4847080
From the dedication to the final sentence, I was captivated and inspired by Stable Relation. In "Full Moon Over Broken Glass," I feel as if I'm right there on the porch, exhausted from the first day of work much harder than imagined in that first place of your very own. In "Dogs to the Rescue" we are introduced to a timid rescued doberman and a cattle dog who lives up to his lofty name of Hero. Anna's insight into animal personalities (animalities?) is incredible. I really feel like I've met all these characters. "Die Hard on the Prairie" is a rhythmically paced account of a terrifying blizzard in which shivered along with the horses in their snow-bound stalls. "Wild Texas Wind" describes the grace and sacrifice of an equine mother and the moonlit gift she gave. "Visitors by Bus" is possibly my favorite chapter - one animal after another astonishes with its intuitive compassion to members of an unlikely audience. Anna's dressage partner, Spirit, is the shining white thread that weaves the story together, and you will thrill to their victories and admire their deep relationship of mutual devotion and respect. In the book's final third, we follow Anna with a sense of dread and foreboding into a dark past that shattered her sense of self and belonging, and back into the healing pastures of her herd.

The very best books are those with pages and passages we can hang on to like our own. For a memoir to succeed, it needs to be relatable, and in this way Anna draws us in. Even when our experiences differ, Anna taps in to the universal bond between the human who is open to listening, and the animal that has wisdom to share. There is something for every animal lover, introvert, and independent mind here. Stable Relation is just the right length - the tidy chapters leave you hungry for more like the very best small-course meal, and by the end you realize the book contains so much more than could really fit between those covers. There is no sentimentality here - Anna describes with gutsy honesty the truth of living on a farm, both as a child and as an adult. You form a relationship with loss almost as if it were an animal of its own - a sneaky beast that finds us in snowstorms, quiet evenings or broad daylight. She manages to perfectly balance gravity with humor, the mood changing with the moment with the immediacy of a horse's presence.

I laughed at the antics of goats, ducks and donkeys. I cried at the profound and intimate impact that animals had on Anna's life, just as they have had on anyone who has allowed themselves to love in that wild and wordless way, while they are here, while they are leaving us, and long after they are gone. If you have ever saved your own life, if an animal was ever the one to save you, if you have a complicated family, if you have ever illustrated your own family album with faces you weren't related to by blood, but whose eyes and hearts mirrored your own, if you have ever been lifted by a horse or swept off your feet by a dog...you want to read this book. Anna has been teaching people how to connect with their horses for years, and this book is a beautiful story of finding and connecting with your true self.
4687962
As painful as this narrative is, I could not put it down. On an obvious level, it deals literally with a traumatic accident that is very specific to this family, but with a nuanced candor concerning its differential impact on husband, wife and the remaining son. It explores being the embodiment of "a parent's worst nightmare", of not only losing all that this child represented in the past and the present but also losing their future together. It is refreshingly free of blame and shame. What elevates this book to a more universal relevance is that it places a magnifying lens over what it means to be human, as illness, aging, and unexpected losses are the very texture of life. As a psychologist/psychoanalytic myself, I have used my understanding of tragedy to heal the suffering of others. This book not only deepened my understanding of this particular loss, but what it shares in common with all loss. The author speaks to the toxicity he experienced about sharing the details of the loss and the almost inevitable aftermath of isolation that follows. So, I highly recommend this book not only for it's compelling and well written story, but because it also is an inspiration as to the possibility of healing and moving on. It feels particularly relevant to clinicans working with trauma.
2068273
A finely crafted tale of dysfunction (cured?) and coincidence, Listen for the Mourning Dove weaves loyalty and deceit through 40 years of Cady Frances Randolphs lonely yet heroic life.  Award winning author, F. C. Pearce, expertly incorporates several literary devices well:  First, beginning in the 50s in West Texas, this edgy narrative has the look and feel of a safe environment gone wrong. Also, the allusions and motifs that hold the characters and plot steps together (a Chinese vase, a toy bear, Frances Randolphs chair, and, of course, the cooing of the ubiquitous mourning dove- just to mention a few) give the book unity and coherence.  Finally, Ms. Pearce handles the omniscient narrator well, flawlessly transitioning from various locales, characters, and time periods.
My highlighter relished the myriad memorable lines, my favorite being,  Renatas favorite description of West Texas: a chicken-fried clump of caliche. 
I am jealous of the next readers who will discover the brilliance of this book as the mourning doves act as harbingers as much for them as they do for Cady.
1673676
This elegantly written and psychologically profound book is both a compelling mystery and a sensitive exploration of human nature, all set in a vividly, authentically rendered historical background.  Charlotte and Daniel are an appealing pair who are sure to win readers' hearts while they struggle to investigate a baffling murder and slowly find themselves more and more drawn to each other.  This in itself would make the book worth reading.  But I found an added richness in the author's re-creation of Brook Farm, one of America's most fascinating, most high-minded, and most impractical experiments in idealistic living.  At this time, when there is renewed attention to the environment, to women's rights, to racial equality, and even to animal welfare, it is good to be reminded that  we are far from the first generation to struggle to find peaceful, egalitarian ways to live.  Fasick beautifully reveals both the idealism that inspired Brook Farm and the very human frailties that led to its collapse.  Some important but nowadays little-known historical figures play key roles in the plot and they are depicted with both a novelist's sparkle and an historian's scrupulous regard for truth.  It always drives me crazy when writers try to appeal to today's readers by putting gross anachronisms in supposedly historical situations.  Fasick shows her respect for her readers by refusing to go along with that trend, and it makes her novel all the more fascinating.  I won't give away the "solution" to the mystery but I will say that the final chapters are piercing in their intensity.  Tears streamed down my face as I read.
I'm glad to see that this book is listed as "Volume 1" in a series.  I can hardly wait for the next one!
212748
Kathy Hepinstall's second novel -- long awaited by fans of her first, THE HOUSE OF GENTLE MEN -- shows that she is no one-book wonder. This novel is well-written and skillfully constructed, intelligent as well as entertaining. She has dodged the dreaded 'sophomore curse' very nicely.
Centering around a young sister and brother (Alice, 12, and Boone, 14), the novel gives a stirringly realistic view of the procedings from the point of view of Alice, the narrator, colored beautifully with all of the fantasies and feelings possessed by someone passing through that difficult period in life. She is grappling not only with the events in this story, but with growing up as well. Her brother Boone, being a couple of years older, is still in the throes of these emotions, even if he's a little further down that road. Their reactions and observations to the plot's twists and turns are believably drawn and compelling -- their characters have a depth that we can feel growing as they pass through the trials depicted here.
The author is very adept -- as she demonstrated in her earlier novel -- at both developing her story line at a thoughtful, reasonably pace, and building a tension that is so strong (almost without the reader realizing it) that it makes it difficult to put this book down. I read it in two days, and I don't have that much time to read -- I made sure to find the time for this one.
All of the characters in the story are searching for something in their lives. Alice and Boone are devastated by the departure of their much-loved father -- seen by them as perfect until he abandons his family -- and are looking for other sources for the love that has been stolen from them. Their mother Meg, one of the most emotionally needy women you could imagine, is desperately searching for a man to fill the gap in her life -- this desperation unfortunately makes her less selective than she should be. The man she finds is Simon Jester, whom she meets when he saves her from drowning. She sees him as her savior on more than one level -- and Simon, a mean-spirited, controlling religious fanatice, sees in Meg an opportunity to manipulate someone completely. Meg, to Simon, is not a human being, but merely a field in which to sow the seed of the son he wants so desperately. His use of religion -- something that should inspire and uplift people -- as a tool to further his own evil agenda is chilling. Persely Snow, the teenage girl accused of poisoning her parents, is a local folk-hero because of her repeated escapes from the local mental institution. Persely -- Boone's object of adoration -- is searching for several things: meaning for her life, revenge for what has been done to her, and a way to let people know the truth about what really happened to her parents and why.
There is a dreamlike quality to this work -- although not as much as in THE HOUSE OF GENTLE MEN, and for good reason. I think the nature of the story she's telling here requires that this one be anchored a little more firmly in the 'real world'. Like her other novel, there is a very tangible sense of time and place here -- the feeling is evoked very adeptly, putting us in the story right there beside these memorable characters. There is much to be gained here from repeated readings.
I can recommend this book very highly to anyone who enjoys a good read -- mystery, coming-of-age novel, well-crafted allegory -- it's all of these and more. Kathy is a major talent -- I will eagerly await each new effort from this wonderful writer.
3652310
"The Yokota Officers Club" is not only a convincing coming-of-age account of a daughter of a peripatetic military family; it is a sensitive and evocative exploration of the themes of family tension, hidden secrets and repressed fears.  Author Sarah Bird, drawing on her own life's experience as a "military brat," has created a magnificent protagonist in the isolated and marginalized Bernadette "Bernie" Root, whose profound alienation from her life's circumstances compels her to discover the root souce of her quietly agonizing loneliness.  Written with genuine compassion and insight, the novel is a stunning success.
The Roots emerge as an archtypical military family.  Bernie's father, Mace, a heroic pilot whose storied career has been scythed by a decision beyond the comprehension of his family, is not only icily dictatorial at home; he is an emotionally stunted husband and father who issues orders and synchronizes and subordinates his wife and children to his floundering prospects for promotion.  Kit, Bernie's younger sister, is everything her older sister is not.  Gregarious, glamorous and charismatic, Kit adapts to the flux and transitory nature of the Roots' lives.  She stands in dramatic counterpoint to the silent suffering of Bernie, a reserved, introspective intellectual, who, seemingly by osmosis, aborbs the pain, frustration and bitterness exuded by her mother, Moe.  Not even called mother by her daughter, Moe is a strong, self-possessed woman whose decision to marry into a military life generates recriminations, unspoken bitterness and near manic combat with the restrictions of being the wife of an Air Force officer during the Cold War period of the 1950s and the escalating violence of Viet Nam in the 1960s.
Set in the pivotal year of 1968, the novel revolves around Bernie's willed exploration of her family's past, one which pivots around their extended stay at the Yokota Air Force Base in Japan during the 1950s.  There, the family's maid, Fumiko, becomes both a physical and psychological presence that somehow holds the secret to both the father's demise and the family's deterioration into emotional dysfunction.  Bird is nothing less than brilliant as she explores the layered relationships Fumiko has with Mace, Moe and Bernie and how those relationships catalyze the tumultous changes within the family.
Using the effective metaphor of smells, fascinating and complex characterization, and powerful use of selective memory, Sarah Bird's novel instructs as well as recounts.  Bernie's anguish, her isolated alienation and her deeply-felt sense of personal inferiority transform the plot into a serious analysis of troubling feelings most of us experience at the hands of our family.  To what degree do children assume responsibility for the sharp shards of parental discontent?  How do combative siblings resolve mutual animosity and mistrust?  Are silences and repressed secrets effective means of eliminating parental frustration and betrayal?  How much does a man owe his country, and to what extent does a wife owe her husband blind allegiance?  "The Yokota Officers Club" answers these profoundly vital questions with courage, insight and grace.  This memoir-like novel is little less than exceptional.
4627696
Set in 1885 and told in a first person point-of-view, "This Quiet Sky" is the story of 16 year-old Sarah Miller, who - on her first day of school, after recently moving from South Carolina to Rocky Knob, Va., finds herself sharing a desk and books with 17 year-old Tucker O'Shay. Tucker is shunned by some of the children due to rumors of his terminal illness. When he is asked to tutor Sarah in math, by their teacher, they start off "on the wrong foot" - however, rapidly form a close friendship that deepens into love.

Tucker is a courageous young man, refusing to relinquish his life's dreams to his illness and continues to prepare for college admission, taking the required testing. Wanting to improve Sarah's life, he requests that she promise she will do the same - even though Sarah feels she doesn't have the knowledge or money required for college. Tucker tries to shield Sarah from the burden of his illness by pulling away, but Sarah feels a deepening desire and need to be ever present as an encourager and help-mate for Tucker.

I read "This Quiet Sky" in one sitting, unable to put it down. Such a tender, emotional, beautiful story that grabs the reader's heart and refuses to turn it loose. A story of hope and a lesson learned in enjoying what life has to offer - no matter how brief - and never taking it for granted.

I read the paperback of "This Quiet Sky" and also listened to the audio version. Gail Shalan does an excellent job of narrating the audio version - portraying the emotion, depth, voice and personality of each character expertly.
1771533
Life isn't easy for a disfigured, illegitimate boy called Moon growing up in Oskaloosa, Iowa during the 50's and 60's, especially after his mother abandons him. The doctor running the town views Moon as a hideous embarrassment and not only ostracizes the boy, but tries to institutionalize him. Moon, however, is smart, compassionate, and resourceful, and there are one or two adults on his side, including a beloved grandmother. All Moon wants is to live a normal life.

Oskaloosa Moon is a compelling, heartbreaking story of a person who faces hatred and powerlessness simply for being who he is. Author Gary Sutton, does an incredible job of telling Moon's story without melodrama. This is a quiet, beautifully told story that had me rooting for Moon as he struggles for self-esteem, an education, and love.

What I most liked about this book was Moon's voice; it's stunning and the character well rounded. It was a treat to read an independently published novel that was not only well written, but clearly better edited than most. I haven't read a book that stirred emotions in me for a long time, and I won't forget Moon's story. If you read this book, I'm betting you won't either.
1938894
The reader will never guess that this is McLaughlin's first novel, with the carefully and skillfully crafted voice of Jake Robertson, the young black man from Oakland who narrates this tale. Jake depicts what life is like for so many of our low income people, and the tortuous decisions that one frequently faces when living in poverty. The overarching moral dilemma that McLaughlin poses forces the reader to question his or her own values while Jake does the same.
  We can all relate to the failures and suffering Jake and his family confront, regardless of our position in society. However, this novel also exposes the realities of living in poverty, on the margins, and McLaughlin beautifully gives these realities a powerful voice through Jake Robertson; a voice that demands to be heard.
  Although there is no "Hollywood ending" to this novel, in the midst of brokenness, McLaughlin leaves the reader with a sense of reconciliation, hope and redemption. This is a novel that evokes a variety of emotions and makes the reader think reflectively and compassionately.
  I eagerly anticipate McLaughlin's next novel.