Take Me home, Country Roads

When trash coal is set on fire it turns rose and orange and lavender. What’s left is called red dog. The road where Drema grew up, in East Beckley, West Virginia was a red dog road. In her new book, Running on Red Dog Road: And Other Perils of An Appalachian Childhood, Drema Hall Berkheimer recalls life with her grandparents. They were devout Pentecostals. Her father was killed in a coal mining accident, and her mother was working in a war plant in New York. Drema writes about everyday life, carefully blending sweet memories with crazy characters and Appalachian charm. If you wish to meet faith healers, gypsies,or snake handlers please pick up this book. DB  

Walking to the Ocean

What happens when an 83 year-old woman decides to walk across Canada to see the ocean? somewhat interesting adventures—that’s for sure.  Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper deals with a journey, both physical and reminiscent, by three elders whose lives are intertwined. Etta, Otto, and James live in Saskatchewan. They have lived through WWII and the Great Depression. Each one of them have a story to tell and a longing to fulfill one last desire. Then there is James. There is definitely something magical about James. The story unfolds in letter and narration format and jumps from present day to past memories. It definitely arouses the reader's interest. DB  

A Curious Christmas

An off-beat newcomer and her strange shop threaten to upset the well-being of Parrish Springs just before the holidays. Matilda Honeycutt whirls into town, buys the old Barton Building on Main Street and opens what she claims is a Christmas shop, but appears to be filled with junk. The local merchants put up a fuss and aim to run her out of business, but the folks that enter her shop seem to leave transformed. They come away with items that are meaningful and remind them of the past. Things get more and more curious the closer it comes to Christmas. The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson is a short, inspirational read that will definitely warm your heart. Happy Holidays! DB

Loving and leaving

Lily Tuck's novel, I married you for happiness starts with the line "His hand is growing cold: still she holds it." Nina has discovered her husband of many years has died suddenly as he was taking a nap. As she sits beside him for one night, her memory ranges over the years of their marriage. Beautifully written, this novel explores the profound depths of memory, chance and marriage. Although sad, not depressing! ML

Eternal Flame

In Ghost Light, Joseph O'Connor explores what remains after a great romance has come to an end. Based on the real-life relationship between Irish playwright John Synge and his teen-aged muse, actress Molly Allgood, readers are taken on a journey through 1900s Dublin and 1950s London. Only a few years into their secret courtship, Synge dies, leaving young Molly alone to contemplate their love affair in the decades that follow. Through Molly's narration, we are told that a ghost light is the single luminescent left to burn in the theatre, always avoiding complete darkness. Synge's memory is Molly's ghost light and her constant companion during her downward spiral to alcoholism and destitution, but Molly herself is also a ghost light, the only flame left from a time gone by. O'Connor's prose makes for a very quick and engaging read, leading readers down the rabbit hole within his heroine's mind. HM

thinking about the past

Dancing Backwards by Sally Vickers. Violet Hethrington is traveling by ship from London to New York. She's going to visit a dear friend from her past who she feels she betrayed some years before. On the long trip she reflects about her past, her dead husband, her abusive first love and her life in general. She meets many characters on board that help her with this process. This novel is quietly intelligent and explores love, loss, and memories.