A Book Review – The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico

If you’re looking for an enjoyable coming-of-age story that transports you to 1960′s Puerto Rico I highly recommend this debut novel by Sarah McCoy.

Conflicts abound for 11-year old Verdita as her safety net of childhood starts to unravel and she begins the transition to adulthood.  Not only is Verdita struggling with the  physical changes to her body, but she is also struggling with her alternating child and adult viewpoints of the conflicts that surround her – politics, parents, traditions. family and more.

Though serious issues are dealt with throughout the book, the tale is woven with such care that it was a light-hearted romp, preventing this reader from feeling weighed down.  Instead, I was anxious to turn the page to see what would happen next and how Verdita would view and react to whatever unfolded.

The author’s love and knowledge of her family’s home country is clearly evident as vivid pictures of  the beliefs, traditions and life of Puerto Rico fill every page.  This knowledge also helped create a character that even the author has called “saucy”.  And like good sauces, Verdita oozes everywhere, even into nooks and crannies where she shouldn’t be.  She’s at times sweet and creamy and at other times spicy, but Verdita is always interesting, which makes this book a fun read!

Pick it up, turn to page 1 and let the fun begin!

Skipping A Beat – A Book Review

There was a lot of Twitter chatter about this book, Skipping A Beat by Sarah Pekkanen, so of course I had to order a copy for myself!

I wasn’t even 10 pages into the book when I despised the main character Julia.  This reader could clearly see that she had everything, but all Julia was able to focus on was the tangible, while the intangible, the more important, was invisible to her.  I so wanted to hit her and knock some sense into that space above her shoulders!

I continued to read the book, and as the pages passed from right to left and Julia’s story unfolded, I slowly found myself understanding her and yes, cheering for her.  There were so many layers to Julia that I was soon chiding myself for judging her based upon what I learned in the first few pages instead of holding off until I discovered all that brought her to this point in her life.

Though subtle hints had been dropped about the ending, tears were rolling down my face as the events unfolded.  I had a feeling it was coming but I was not prepared for how deeply the author’s words would affect me.  I sighed in contentment as I turned that final page, my tears replaced by a sense of peace.

I was now so in love with this book I was ready to recommend it to everyone who asked for a book to read.  And then the disappointment set in as I started reading the Epilogue.  I usually love a happy ending where all loose ends are tied up, but not this time.  For me, the Epilogue came across as a few pages of words that were totally unnecessary.  Though it tied up those loose ends in a happy little package, the Epilogue was in stark contrast to all the care the author had taken to create the tension and opposing viewpoints that existed throughout the rest of the story.  It was too neat, too happy…too fairy tale-ish.

Would I recommend this book?  ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, without a doubt!!!!  For an author to weave a tale that completely changes this reader’s view of a main character speaks volumes about the story and the writing.  But I will also recommend that the reader stop on page 318 and skip the Epilogue.

A Book Review – Learning To Swim by Sara J. Henry

I don’t know about you, but when I read a book I want to be captivated by the unfolding story, transported to another time/place and so enamored by the characters that closing the book after I read the final word on the final page is a sad moment.

Did “Learning To Swim” deliver?

For this reader, the answer is a resounding YES!

“If I’d blinked, I would have missed it. But I didn’t, and I saw something fall from the rear deck of the opposite ferry: a small, wide-eyed human face, in one tiny frozen moment, as it plummeted toward the water.”

Who could not be drawn into a story that starts so quickly?  And who could not picture themselves in that moment, wondering what decision they would make in that split second – jump in, call for help or forget what was seen?

The minute Troy jumps in and swims across cold Lake Champlain, dives deep to retrieve the boy and gets both of them safely to shore, she becomes my hero.  When I learn that no one, absolutely no one, is looking for French-speaking Paul, my maternal instincts kick in, and like Troy, I just want to keep him safe.

After these first few pages I am so involved in a craftily woven story of kidnapping, murder, wealth, privilege, deception, trust and yes, a touch of romance, that I follow along, rarely questioning how or why anything is happening.   That’s what made this book such a fun read, because the author, Sara J. Henry, DID question everything, and dropped the questions into the story like bombs, completely catching me off-guard and taking  me on a roller-coaster ride that kept my attention.  Every time I thought I knew what would happen next, the story took another detour, and when I finally got to those last pages, I was once again surprised.

There is quite a cast of characters, but each one is relevant to the story and introduced so naturally that at times, their importance isn’t realized until the end.  While Sara rounds out the story well with details and descriptions, they are not so overwhelming that the story is bogged down with information that doesn’t matter.  Every person, detail and description has a purpose, and it was only when I got to the end that I discovered how the seemingly unimportant were actually very important, and I appreciated the care with which Sara crafted the story.

For me, this book was a great read that had me from the first sentence on the first page.  I highly recommend it, and if you enjoy it as much as I did, there’s great news!  A sequel!!!  There’s also bad news…we have to wait until February 2012 to continue our journey with Troy and Paul.

True Compass

Immediately following the death of Senator Edward Moore “Ted” Kennedy I posted about this man and the place he had in my life.  Given the high regard I had, and still have, for him, it should come as no surprise to anyone that I pre-ordered his book True Compass.  It didn’t matter to me that there were no reviews available, for even if there were and they were less than favorable, I was going to buy and read this memoir. 

When the book arrived I flipped through it then set it on the dining room table, a move that may seem callous, but one that actually had an unexpected reward.  The next day as I bent over to pick something up off the floor I happened to look at the book and the creative soul in me gasped…

I know it’s just a book cover, but isn’t the black and gold shiny name box an awesome yet understated tribute?  To me it speaks volumes about the care that was taken with this book!

As for the book itself, I am enjoying it immensely!  Granted I’m not even 1/5th of the way through the 507 pages, but what I’ve read so far is interesting, informative and humorous (can you guess that I’m still in his childhood and not yet in the messy politcal world?).  The writing style is so friendly that at times I feel like I’m sitting with Ted Kennedy on the Mya and as we’re cutting a path through the waters, he’s regaling me with tales of his life as they come to mind.  There’s no sophisticated, worldly or superior telling of the stories as one might expect from a man of such position.  I’m confident that even as the stories become more political or personally devastating, the writing style will keep me enthralled with what is unfolding on the pages in my hand.

Though some of the appeal may be getting some first-hand information about such a prominent American family, it’s does have a price, albeit a small one - name dropping that removes me from the story and deposits me back into reality.  Which names cause me to stumble?  Unfortunately they are the names of his lesser known siblings, at least those lesser known to me.  Mention Joe Jr, John (or Jack), Robert (or Bobby), Jean and Eunice and I’m still absorbed in the story.  Throw in  Rosemary, Kathleen and Patricia and I’m instantly out of the story.  I’m hoping that as I progress through the book, these names become as familiar as the rest of the Kennedy clan.

So folks, if you’re at all curious about the Kennedy clan, Ted Kennedy in particular, I recommend you pick up this book.  I realize that I’m recommending a book I haven’t completely read, but I’m really that confident that the remaining 4/5ths are going to be as enjoyable as the first fifth.