Unbreakable

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah is a story in which you know someone is going to lose his or her life, it’s just a matter of figuring out who it will be and how it will happen. The story follows a family through most of daughter Leni’s childhood into adulthood. Leni and her parents (Ernt and Cora) have moved numerous times. Her dad is a Vietnam veteran and POW; the war has changed him. He is moody, physically abusive to Leni’s mom Cora (and eventually to Leni too). A friend of his killed during war left him a piece of land in the remotes of Alaska, and he decides that this is the change that their family needs.

They leave quickly and with few resources. The cabin is rundown and the land is overgrown. They work hard and learn from friendly locals about how to properly prepare for Alaska’s harsh winters. In time, they begin to feel more at home. Ernt begins to rage again, especially during the long winters. He turns against his wealthy, businessman neighbor Tom Walker which stirs the plot even more. Along with this is Leni’s growing friendship with Tom’s son, and her growing concern for the safety of her and her mom.

There are unexpected twists and turns through the story. Ultimately Leni and her mom are free from abuse, but not without many sacrifices. The story comes full circle when Leni is able to return to Alaska and create her own life and family there as an adult.

There are two standouts for me from this book. First is the love of Alaska evident in the detailed setting. The characters are in love with this place, both its beauty and its harshness. It takes a special person to make this setting a permanent home! Second is the relationship between Leni and her mom. Their love for each other is unbreakable.

Truth

The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity by Matthew Kelly was a Christmas gift to all parishioners of my church. I read this book in a day, and found the author’s straight-forward, repetitive style to be thought-provoking and true.

The book establishes that our world is suffering. I think we can all agree to this fact on multiple levels. People have become complacent in doing nothing, or sleepwalking through life. The “biggest lie” is that holiness isn’t possible. When people believe this lie, they will continue to sleepwalk through life.

Kelly stresses that holiness is in fact possible and attainable through performing Holy Moments. They are acts of pure beauty, love, and kindness that can ultimately change the world. Holy Moments are founded on a relationship with God; they are collaborative acts. Not only will they change the world, but they will create pure happiness for those creating them.

Winding Tracks

I am so glad that I finally read Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline.

This is actually two stories in one. One belongs to seventeen-year-old Molly in present day Maine. She has been shuttled from one foster family to another for years. She is caught stealing a library book, Jane Eyre, and her boyfriend manages to finagle a way for her to earn community service hours as her punishment. She will help clean out the attic of his mom’s employer, Vivian. This experience begins a relationship between Molly and Vivian, who have more in common than realized at first glance.

Vivian begins telling Molly her life story for one of Molly’s school projects, beginning with her family’s immigration from Ireland. When a fire erupts in her NYC apartment, Viv’s family is killed. Nine-year-old Viv (then named Niamh) is placed on an orphan train along with other family-less children. These children end up in Minnesota, and are lined up and signed away to a new life. Vivian’s experiences begin with families looking for cheap labor and nothing more. She finally ends with a kind couple that own a store. This store becomes her business and she does well with it. There is additional heartache in her life, but I don’t want to give away all the details!

I loved the links between Molly and Vivian, down to the detail of both keeping a cherished item from their pasts (the claddagh from Vivian’s grandmother and the charms from Molly’s dad). Their pasts have hardened them, yet they are open to each other. In fact, they have provided each other with an important change in life. Their connection is one of several in this story in which events twist to bring the exact right person along at just the right time. I think this is true in real life too.

This story ended with tears of the best kind, and for me, is story telling at its finest.

Miny Moe

This last read, Eeny Meeny by M.J. Arlidge, should be a favorite; it has all the elements I normally love about a story. There are twists, suspense, a little gore and drama, but for some reason it was tough for me to get through. End of summer timing with back to school and work prep may have been a big factor in messing up my normal reading pace.

Anyway, the story revolves around a crazy murder case in which two people are abducted and then imprisoned without food or water. A gun and the instruction that once one is killed the other will be set free is their only way out. Desperation, starvation and extreme thirst take their toll until eventually a murder takes place. The “survivors” then have their own demons to face in the aftermath of such horror. The case is all the more odd because it is a woman who is responsible.

The detective on the case is another strong, focused woman, Grace. She begins to notice that each pair of abductees has some connection to her own life. Her secret past and the demons she hides come to light as the story draws to close. Through the investigation there are side plots involving corruption within the squad too.

Ultimately, Grace is able to figure out the case, but not until the lives of many people are horribly changed or finished.

Rotten Fruit

There’s nothing like some Stephen King for pure creepiness and solid story elements. The Outsider is a lengthy book (as most of King’s tend to be) that kept my interest from start to finish.

This book follows a horrific case involving the murder of an eleven-year-old boy. Everything about the case seems clear cut: fingerprints, numerous witnesses and plenty of other evidence. Police arrest Terry Maitland, a well-known figure in Flint City for his work with Little League and teaching. The problems begin when Maitland reveals his alibi. It turns out there are witnesses and even video evidence that he couldn’t have committed the crime. Events unravel quickly as most of the town has already deemed him guilty (before knowing the extent of his alibi). His first appearance at court goes horribly wrong, and the lives of his family and the victim’s family are changed forever.

Characters must face that there is a supernatural element at play here. Some believe easily because of their strange dreams/encounters while others need a little more persuading. Everything comes together at the end, as Detective Anderson and other people with an invested interest in the case come face to face with the being responsible for potentially countless unspeakable murders.

This book kept me reading until way past my bedtime, and I probably won’t be able to eat cantaloupe for a very long time!

Home

The memoir Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka will hit home for anyone affected by a family member with an addiction. This is Jarrett’s story of being raised by his grandparents because of his mother’s heroin addiction. The story begins with some background into his grandparents’ lives and then his mom’s. His mom began using when she was only thirteen. She cleaned up while pregnant with Jarrett, but couldn’t fight her addiction once he was born and through his upbringing. She served jail time and her relationship with him consisted of periodic visits and letters. Jarrett didn’t meet his dad until he was graduating high school.

Jarrett’s love of art provided an outlet for him and got him through difficult times at home and school. His grandparents had their own issues with drinking, but their love for him is apparent throughout his life. They supported his art by sending him to classes, buying supplies for him to use at home, and helping his application process to art colleges. I felt endeared to his grandparents (despite some not so great moments) because of his grandfather’s sense of humor and his grandmother’s crassness. They went through a lot with their daughter as well.

This is a graphic novel with an incredible sense of detail. Krosoczka used actual drawings that he saved from his childhood throughout the book. He even used his grandmother’s favorite pineapple wallpaper between story sections. This book is clearly a labor of love. Jarrett came to terms with the mixed emotions he had for his mother and her choices and ensured that his life would be positive. Two important points become evident in this story: the tenacity of the human spirit can push one through difficulty, and home is found where you are cared for and loved.

Will to Live

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware raises an interesting moral dilemma. If you were “accidentally” named in a wealthy person’s will, would you take the chance of getting caught and go for the money, or would you come clean about the error?

Hal finds herself in this exact situation. Hal is quite broke and a bit desperate since her mother’s death by a hit and run. She is being physically threatened by a loan shark’s henchman, and decides to take the chance that she can uphold the mistaken identity to get some money out of it.

In going to the deceased’s mansion, she finds that she actually is related to the family. It takes some time to dig into her past in order to find the true connection. Her mother’s diary and an old photograph are key pieces to start unraveling the puzzle. Through this she must navigate a seemingly vengeful old housekeeper, and three very different uncles. The story has a great twist, but there was a bit of confusion for me with the photograph. I felt that the mother’s description didn’t line up with the twist. I normally would go back to double check, but since I read this one on my Kindle it was too much work to do that!

I most enjoyed the overall concept of the book and I liked the mystical presence of the Tarot throughout the story. Hal learned how to read Tarot from her mom, and it provided both of their livelihoods while forming how they viewed people and life. While the story got a bit dragged out in parts for me, it had enough strong elements to keep me going until the end.

Outbreak

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is another friend recommendation. I can best describe this book with the word intricate. The plot jumps around quite a bit among many characters, yet everything comes together.

The story begins the night that the pandemic illness, the Georgia Flu, begins its full outbreak. Arthur is acting the part of King Lear when he drops dead onstage (from natural causes). More about Arthur’s past is woven throughout the story: his three marriages including a son from his second marriage, his rise as an acclaimed actor and his friendships.

Arthur’s first wife, Miranda, is a graphic novelist whose sci fi work (also titled “Station Eleven”) is an anchor through the story. This work ties together a couple of key characters, and it also (somewhat) parallels the main story’s plot.

One of the key characters is Kristen, the child actress who was part of King Lear with Arthur. We follow Kristen through her time with the Traveling Symphony, a group of musicians/actors who move through the post flu world. The Symphony provides entertainment to the various groups they come across, until they reach one that is a bit different than the others. It is a cult-like settlement run by the prophet. A pre-teen girl is promised as his next wife and she stows away with the Symphony when they leave. This causes the prophet and some of his followers to go after the Symphony during their travel to the Severn Airport, which they heard is a safe haven.

There are other important characters too. Clark is one of Arthur’s lifelong friends who was stranded at the Severn Airport at the start of the outbreak (along with Arthur’s second wife and son). Another is Jeevan, who ran onstage during King Lear to perform CPR on Arthur.

There is a lot to enjoy about this book. The plot’s maze of movement among different characters, times and places kept me aware and involved. It was a constant guessing game as to whether everyone would connect. I liked the Shakespeare references and the presence of the graphic novel throughout the story too. More than anything, books, movies and shows with post-apocalyptic plots make you think about how one would function in this altered reality and instill some fear. This novel is no exception.

Creepy Treat

After so many young reader books, it was a real treat to read an adult novel. I was beyond excited to borrow an advanced reader copy of Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage from a friend.

Suzette is a stay-at-home mom to her seven-year-old, mute daughter Hanna. The story moves back and forth between Suzette and Hanna’s perspectives. Suzette struggles with her own state of health along with feeling ineffective as mother to her troubled daughter. She often thinks back to her own difficult relationship as a child with her own mother and the happiness of her life before children.

Hanna’s mind is a very twisted place. Hanna senses her mother’s discomfort and disdain of her. This drives her to continue a twisted game of trying to get rid of her mother. She is a perfect angel for her dad which creates additional conflict between her parents too. I couldn’t help be reminded of the movie The Omen while reading! This book is disturbing in a similar way to the movie.

I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next throughout the entire book. The ending (especially Suzette’s last statement to her daughter) made my jaw drop. There is even the hint of a sequel. Sign me up!

Gone Baby

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena hooked me immediately. Marco and Anne are having dinner at their neighbor’s house. The night is not going well for Anne, who feels insecure around vivacious, flirty Cynthia. The night gets much worse when Marco and Anne return home to find that their baby daughter, Cora, is gone.

This story took me on a wild ride through the investigation into Cora’s disappearance, and all that it uncovers. Every character has something to hide and sharing their secrets gives too much away. Even though this book has some unrealistic aspects, I really enjoyed it! It’s one of the few books that warrants the comparisons to The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl.