the unexamined life

Dianne Warren's novel Liberty Street tells a story about a woman's journey through life in small-town Saskatchewan and, more broadly, about the strength of second chances. Frances Mary Moon's young life was full of bizarre tragedies that affected her more than she knew, and everything boils up inside her again when she and her partner, Ian, get trapped in traffic due to the funeral of a young girl and her infant. She blurts out her secrets: that she lost a baby during premature birth when she was 19, and that she had been married and probably still is. The long chapters jump between Frances's formative years and her present-day adult life as she decides to return to her hometown and see for herself what ghosts reside there. The depiction of Frances as a child is just exquisite; to see through her eyes is a perfect recreation of a child's inner workings. With a strong narrative voice in both sections, the novel creates an intimate portrayal of the road to resolution and recovery for a soul adrift. Frances as a child has a confused but determined voice. As an adult, she sets to thinking through what exactly she is looking to recover by digging into the past. Warren's novel is a thoughtful, intricate tale that builds quietly but strikes hard and fast. © Copyright PW (ML)

Christmas on Candy Cane Lane

Christmas on Candy Cane Lane by Sheila Roberts tells the story about the lives of three women that live on one festive street. Candy Cane Lane is a special street in Icicle Falls. All the homes on the street go all out for Christmas, even though it is a headache to many of the residents.
Newcomer Tilda is a local police officer and she's not a pleasant lady. She's bought a fixer upper. She's not as festive as some. Then, there's Ivy, a divorcee trying to keep things perfect for her young kids. Lastly, there's Maddy who is just way too into the holiday. *JK*

The Girls of Mischief Bay

The Girls of Mischief Bay is a wonderful start to a new series by Susan Mallery. The story features three women who are at different stages of life, yet they have a deep and loving friendship that helps them make it through the tough times. This was a sweet story that has a bit of everything, such as romance, tragedy, humor, fun, sadness, family, cute dog, and a friendship that will persevere. Susan Mallery has taken us on a wonderful journey of life's trials and tribulations, and the friendship that will hold the pieces together. *JK*

Read a Banned Book!

In 1937, writer and ethnographer Zora Neale Hurston published her greatest work to little fanfare -- Their Eyes Were Watching God was largely ignored, and was even viewed as tawdry.  Decades later, scholars and readers rediscovered her classic and fell under the spell of its heroine, Janie Crawford, a strong-willed African-American woman who narrates the passionate and tragic events of her life in 1930s Florida.  It is now regarded as one of the most important works in 20th century African American literature.

Their Eyes Were Watching God is just one of many books that the American Library Association has recorded as being banned or challenged by various groups -- check out our Banned Books display in the Adult Department.  HM

It's Phenomenal!

April is Poetry Month! For a quick start, read a tiny book by Maya Angelou entitled Phenomenal Woman. It contains only four poems dedicated to the celebration of Women. Angelou incorporates rhyme and free verse to get her message across. Although Maya Angelou is best-known for her autobiographies, she has published eight volumes of poetry. Regardless of your preference, you’ll agree that this petite book is powerful. DB

It's All About the Recipes

Small town southern life (and small town southern cooking) is portrayed in Friendship Cake by Lynne Hinton. This story surrounds five women from Hope Springs, North Carolina, who are talked into putting together a church cookbook. Reluctant at first the women begin to share more than recipes as they learn each others stories and develop lasting friendships. The best part of the book is the recipe that is found at the start of each woman's story. Try the egg custard recipe which is easy and delicious, just like this book. An old favorite - this story is recommended for book group discussions. SG

Dressmaker of Khair Khana

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon is a true story about a young girl who struggled to help her family when the Taliban seized control of the city of Kabul. Kamila Sidiqi started a sewing business to support her family but it soon turned into a way to help many women in her community. After the Taliban took control of Kabul women were not allowed to attend school, work outside of the home or leave the house without a male escort. The men were forced to flee from the military and the women were soon struggling to feed themselves. With Kamila’s help they were able to learn a skill and earn enough money to support themselves. This is an inspiring story reminiscent of Three Cups of Tea. SG

buzzzz for Little Bee...

recommended read and a starred review by Booklist---Little Bee, smart and stoic, knows two people in England, Andrew and Sarah, journalists she chanced upon on a Nigerian beach after fleeing a massacre in her village, one grisly outbreak in an off-the-radar oil war. After sneaking into England and escaping a rural “immigration removal” center, she arrives at Andrew and Sarah’s London suburb home only to find that the violence that haunts her has also poisoned them. In an unnerving blend of dread, wit, and beauty, Cleave slowly and arrestingly excavates the full extent of the horror that binds Little Bee and Sarah together. A columnist for the Guardian, Cleave earned fame and notoriety when his first book, Incendiary, a tale about a terrorist attack on London, was published on the very day London was bombed in July 2005. His second ensnaring, eviscerating novel charms the reader with ravishing descriptions, sly humor, and the poignant improvisations of Sarah’s Batman-costumed young son, then launches devastating attacks in the form of Little Bee’s elegantly phrased insights into the massive failure of compassion in the world of refugees. Cleave is a nerves-of-steel storyteller of stealthy power, and this is a novel as resplendent and menacing as life itself.---Seaman, Donna Copyright 2008 BooklistDistributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc. CKW

Charming Southern Novel

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, by Beth Hoffman came highly recommended to me and I recommend it to you. It is a wonderful and entertaining novel about a sad little girl who lived with and took care of her mentally ill mother but was eventually scooped up by her great aunt Tootie and taken to Savannah, GA, to live in a wonderful restored historic house. There are all the eccentric Southern characters you could want to find, pulling stunts that will make you smile, including a cook, Oleta, who assumes the role of CeeCee's first friend and caregiver. I was sorry to finish this book after being totally involved with the characters, the story and the setting.