Cradle Mates

Kin by Tayari Jones is about the lifelong friendship of two girls from Louisiana. Both are motherless, which forged a special bond that lasted despite vast lifestyle differences as they grew up.

Vernice’s mom was killed by her father in a murder-suicide. She was raised by her Aunt Irene. Annie’s mother abandoned her shortly after birth. She was raised by her grandmother.

Annie’s determination to locate her mother, Hattie Lee, sets her on a very different path than Vernice. She sneaks out before graduation with Bobo, Clyde and Babydoll. They spend several months living at a brothel, working (not as prostitutes) to pay for car repairs on their way to Memphis.

Meanwhile, Vernice moves to Atlanta to attend Spelman College. She has a sexual relationship with her wealthy roommate before being matched with the youngest son of a prominent family. Once they marry, Vernice’s mother in law teaches her how to be a society wife.

Despite this change in circumstance, she maintains her friendship with Annie through letters.

Annie comes to visit when she becomes pregnant by her married boss. She does not want to become like her own mother, and needs help. The events that follow bring the story to its heartbreaking conclusion.

This story takes place during the Civil Rights movement which is an important backdrop to many of the events. It is an extremely well written story about the power of love, family and friends who are family.

A Classic

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – My grandmother loved this book and recommended it to me ages ago. I finally read it.

Jane is a great character. She’s strong, intelligent, caring and thoughtful. Orphaned at a young age, she is taken in by her uncle and aunt. When he passes away, her aunt begrudgingly keeps her according to his wishes. However, Jane’s cousins and her aunt all treat her worse than an outsider.

She ends up being sent to a school, Lowood, meant to improve one’s disposition. It is strict and sparse in its offerings. Jane excels and eventually becomes a teacher here before deciding that she would like to do more with her life.

She gains a position as a governess. Over time, she develops feelings for the master of the home, Mr. Rochester. Their relationship slowly builds to a climactic secret which causes Jane to run away.

On the verge of death, Jane happens upon a family who are willing to help her: St John and his two kind sisters. Jane becomes very close with them and faces a life changing decision. However, her deep feelings and worry for Mr Rochester’s well being drive her back to check on him.

Jane learns important information about her lineage which changes her life. Again, the old-fashioned writing can take a little getting used to, but it’s well worth it. I really enjoyed this story (more than Wuthering Heights). Thank you Grandma ❤️

Road Trip

The Road to Tender Hearts by Anne Hartnett is about a broken family years following the oldest daughter’s death on her prom night.

PJ’s ex-wife Ivy and her fiancé Fred live a few houses down the street from him. He visits them every morning and Ivy still looks out for him. Their remaining daughter, Sophie, still lives in the area too. Ivy and Fred are about to go to Alaska for a couple months, leaving PJ on his own which can be problematic as PJ is an alcoholic.

A terrible tragedy in town leaves him as the only surviving relative of his grandniece Luna and nephew Ollie; they’ve never met. He decides to take them on a road trip to find out if Luna’s real dad is a famous soap actor. The plan also includes a visit to PJ’s high school love interest who was recently widowed.

Sophie and a stray cat named Pancakes (a “killer” cat with quite a personality) join them for the journey. Their trip includes quirky stops (wax museum, purse museum and alpaca ranch), along with plenty of family drama and self discovery.

I loved this book. One line to remember- “a person needs three things to be happy: something to do; someone to love; and something to look forward to” (177). The story and characters were unique, funny, at times maddening, and overall, engaging from start to finish.

Strange Families

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë was recently made into a movie, so I thought it would be a good time to read it.

It took a bit to acclimate to the old-fashioned writing style, but once I got going it was fine. Mr. Lockwood is a visitor intending to lodge at Thrushcross Range. He accidentally gets snowed in at the neighboring Wuthering Heights. He meets the odd collection of people living there, including Heathcliff, Catherine Linton, Hareton and some of the help. He experiences strange occurrences in the room he stays in. Upon returning to Thrushcross, he asks the housekeeper, Nelly, to fill him in on the people of Wuthering Heights.

From here she takes over telling the story of the Earnshaws and Linton families who lived in the two homes. She grew up with the Earnshaws and recounts their upbringing and dynamics once Heathcliff was brought home to live with them.

Heathcliff and the late Catherine developed an intense relationship that was never to be due to his station. She married Linton and moved to Thrushcross, leaving her brother and Heathcliff behind. Her brother’s child, Hareton, is born of a sickly mother who passes away. Heathcliff marries her sister in law. The story details all the drama across the two households leading up to and beyond Catherine’s death and the turmoil that follows.

It’s a convoluted love story with intense emotions.

Small Town

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan is a slow, steady read delving into different family relationships.

I finished this book a couple weeks ago so my memory is a bit fuzzy! Here goes-

Multiple character perspectives are explored as their lives eventually intertwine in unexpected ways.

There is the beautiful orphan Margaret who eventually finds love with the very dependable and handsome Felix. Their relationship lacks passion which readers discover is due to Felix being gay. He discovers love and loss while at war. He returns a shell of himself which creates further tension in his marriage. They conceive a son, Tom, shortly after his return, but Margaret knows he has another potential father, Cal. Cal works in the local hardware store.

Cal’s wife Becky is the local medium. She is able to communicate with spirits and offers her services for free. They have a son named Skip. Eventually, their families crash together when Felix begins visiting her hoping to connect with his deceased love. The truth finds its way out and Margaret ends up leaving Felix and her son.

As mentioned, this is a complex story with many characters and rich detail. It is a story of love, loss, betrayal, family and war.

Forever Friends

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marian Kamali is an impactful, well-written book.

It spans the course of decades (1950-2022) and settings, including Iran, NYC and Massachusetts.

Ellie meets Homa in 1950 after moving to a poor neighborhood with her mother following her father’s death. They become best friends. Their friendship is beautifully developed.

To reclaim status, Ellie’s mom decides to marry her husband’s brother. This allows them to move back to an elite neighborhood. Ellie eventually adapts and becomes popular in the new, prestigious school she attends. Homa is a distant memory, until she becomes a new student at Ellie’s school during their senior year.

Their friendship eventually reignites and continues as they go to University (along with Ellie’s fiancé). Through it, Homa continues her tireless desire to fight for freedom and women’s rights through the changing of regimes in Iran. Her rebellious nature and Ellie’s misguided jealousy end up terminating their friendship.

Ellie moves to NYC with her husband. She unsuccessfully attempts to reconcile with Homa before leaving. Homa has become a mother following her time in prison.

Their paths reconnect when Homa reaches out for help. She is worried for her daughter’s safety and hopes to send her to NYC with Ellie. It’s at this point that their lives become entwined again.

My brief summary and review can’t begin to capture the depth of this story and its characters. There are so many important lines and moments; it’s a story I want to remember.

Multiple Suspects

I Don’t Like Mondays by Maria Frankland is about Cathy’s recovery after being pushed in front of an oncoming train.

She survives the incident with multiple injuries but doesn’t remember the last ten years of her life.

As her memories slowly begin coming together, there seems no end to the possible suspects in her attempted murder. Her competition at work, her husband’s current fiancée, her husband and her brother are all on the list. In the aftermath, she also finds out that her stepsister and closest friend is actually her half sister. A half sister with extreme jealousy over Cathy’s relationship with their dad.

While this book was entertaining, it is not a favorite. The first person narration got on my nerves and the plot’s constant attempts at suspense grew tiresome to me.

Bestowals

Theo of Golden by Levi Allen was highly recommended on social media.

Theo is an older man who decides to move to the small town of Golden, Georgia. The neighborhood coffee shop is filed with portraits drawn by a local artist. Theo makes it his mission to gift each portrait to its subject. With each gift, Theo builds deeper relationships with many people in the community. We learn more about certain residents through their interactions with Theo. Some notable friends are: Tony the bookseller, Asher the portrait artist, Simone the cello player, Ellen the homeless woman, Kendrick and his daughter, Shep the coffee shop owner and others. He is a skilled conversationalist; however, he reveals very little about himself when conversing with others.

Theo’s backstory and purpose for residing in Golden are slowly revealed, with a shocking turn at the end.

This was a slow, steady read for me. I enjoyed the writing and feelings of kindness, friendship and appreciation for life expressed throughout the book.

Haunted

Beloved by Toni Morrison is a book delving into the horrors of slavery and its aftermath.

Sethe is an escaped slave living in Ohio. She moved in with her mother in law and her children, but there is a terrible heaviness upon their home. It’s the ghost of Sethe’s murdered daughter, Beloved. Once they’re old enough, her two sons moved away leaving behind her one living daughter.

After her mother in law’s death, Sethe and her daughter receive two visitors. One is a man from her past and the other is the adult version of her deceased daughter. Strange events occur as Sethe wrestles with her past actions and tries to make amends with her dead daughter. The horrors of her past (and the men in her life) are revealed in snippets throughout the book which lends some understanding of the post traumatic stress she inhabits. Meanwhile her living daughter, Denver, is forced to step outside her (self-imposed?) reclusiveness.

This is a strongly written read (of course – it’s authored by Morrison!) which will force one to think about the atrocities white men were capable of during this time period and the horrible after effects on their victims.

The Meanwhile

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood is a beautifully written story full of emotion.

It tells Violet, Harriet and Frank’s stories which inevitably intertwine.

Violet is in jail for vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence with her boyfriend. They were running away together. The victim was Frank’s wife.

Violet is part of a book club while in jail which is led by Harriet, a volunteer and retired teacher. Harriet carefully chooses their books at a bookstore in Portland, Maine. Frank is a part time employee at this bookstore.

Each character’s background is developed with the emphasis on present time. It turns out that Frank was in the process of being divorced by his wife. Although, his grown daughter thinks it was due to his own infidelity.

Meanwhile, Violet is released but is essentially orphaned. Her mom passed while she was in jail, and the rest of her family (aunt and sister) have disowned her. They blame her mother’s death on the stress that her trial created.

Luckily, her connection to Harriet is rekindled on the outs. Harriet’s niece puts in a word for Violet to work as an assistant to an avian scientist, Misha, who is studying the intelligence of parrots. Violet is able to handle his abrupt manner and she loves the birds in their care. And she begins to love Misha too.

Eventually Frank, Harriet and Violet develop a familial relationship toward one another. There is kindness, forgiveness and a beautiful patience and love of story woven throughout.