Archive for the ‘Strong women’ Category

Now & Then, Jacqueline Sheehan

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

I was so excited to find this book at Half Price Books, after reading Lost & Found last summer (which I reviewed here).

Honestly, I didn’t pay much attention to the story line on the back of the book.  I read the first line “Anna O’Shea has failed at marriage, shed her job at a law firm, and she is trying to re-create herself when she and her recalcitrant nephew are summoned to the past in a manner that nearly destroys them” and the final words “and one unforgettable dog named Madigan” from the back cover.  On the front cover is a cute dog being hugged by a blonde woman.  I did not read any more of it, nor process that line entirely.  I bought it based on the fact that there was a dog on the cover (as there was in Lost & Found) and on my past experience with the author.

When I got home and read further,  I see that it is not what it appears.

Summoned to the past … what does that mean?  I thought that it would mean through photographs, memories, tales something like that … but no, it’s actually being summoned to the past.  Over a hundred years ago … to Ireland.   Anna and her nephew really are transported to the past.   I’m getting ahead of myself.

The basic plot is that Anna is travelling home from overseas with a friend, when she is summoned to an out-of-town hospital where her brother Patrick has been admitted after an accident.   Patrick was on his way to pick up his son Joe from jail when the accident occurred.   Since Anna lives near the jail that Joe is being held, she is the one who goes to bail him out.   At this point, Anna is sleep-deprived and tired of driving, so she and Joe spend the night at her apartment, and promises Joe that she’ll take him to see his dad the next day.

During the night, Joe awakens, and for some reason is compelled to look through Anna’s luggage, and become enraptured with a piece of cloth that he finds in there.   Anna hears him, and when she gets up and finds him in her luggage, she gets mad and she tries to take the cloth away.   They tug with it and the next thing they know, they have been swept to Ireland, 164 years ago.  They are separated when they get there, Anna is found by a simple, poor family and Joe is taken in by a wealthy man and his family.    Anna immediately starts searching for Joe, and Joe, well… you know teenagers.

Yes, it’s a bit far-fetched.  But see, Ms. Sheehan pulls it off.  She is such an incredible writer.  The language she uses, she just pulls you in.  She makes you forget about the implausibility of time-travel, and sucks you into the story.   You really start to care about these two people.  You feel like you know them.    It’s interesting to see how two 21st century people adjust to life 164 years ago.  How they have to be careful not to reveal that they are really from the future.

The dog you ask?  Yes, there is a dog.  Is he unforgettable?  Probably not.   I had to revise this review after I remembered that I forgot to mention him.  Unlike in Lost & Found, Madigan is just a background character, he does not play a central role in the story.  At least that is how I felt.   He is important to a central character, however.

Will their actions affect the future?  Of them?  Their families?  What about the people they are staying with and have grown to care for?  The future?  Is it affected?  Read the book and find out.  Because although the book wasn’t what I expected, I still loved it and highly recommend.

Rating:  3 out of 4 stars.

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Little Bee, Chris Cleve

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

When I walked into my local Border’s, I encountered a display with this book as one of their “Recommends” or whatever they call it.  Every time I have bought a book (and read it) from this collection, I have totally enjoyed the book.  Once again, I was not disappointed.

Here is what the jacket to this book says:

We don’t want to tell you what happens in this book.  It is a truly special story and we don’t want to spoil it.  Nevertheless, you need to know enough to buy it, so we will just say this: This is the story of two women.  Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face.  Two years later, they meet again — the story starts there ….

Once you have read it, you’ll want to tell your friends about it.  When you do, please don’t tell them what happens.  The magic is in how the story unfolds.

Let’s break this down:

This is the story of two women.  Yes, Little Bee and Sarah.  Little Bee’s age is not stated, but I don’t think she is of age yet, and Sarah is a young woman in her early 30’s.   Sarah’s son, Charlie a.k.a. Batman is also a central character.  There are two adult men who figure prominently in the book as well, Andrew and Lawrence.   But the central characters are Little Bee and Sarah, and they tell the story, in alternating chapters.  This is sometimes not done really well, but Chris pulls it off.  However, I did sometimes get confused on who was talking to me.

Their lives collide one fateful day, If you believe in fate, that is.  I was pleased that we find out what happened that day within the first third of the book.

and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. I can honestly say that for 99% of us, we will never have to make this choice.  I’d also like to think I would make the same decision Sarah made.

Two years later, they meet again — the story starts there …. Not quite.

The magic is in how the story unfolds. I think this might be an overstatement.

But I won’t tell you what happens either.  What I will tell you is to read this book.

The story of Little Bee and Sarah is a fantastic one.   It is mostly a dark tale, but like life, it has its moments of humor and brightness.   If this book was twice the length, I would have still enjoyed it.  Mr. Cleve could have started the book from the first meeting, instead of telling it through flashbacks and the book would not have lost one bit of its essence, but I think it had to end exactly the way it did, even though it left me wondering what will happen next.

I highly recommend this book and give it a 3 out of 4 stars.

Posted in Fiction, Literature, Mystery, Strong women | No Comments »