Book Review: Heart Like Mine by Amy Hatvany

Title: Heart Like Mine Author: Amy Hatvany (author website) Publisher: Washington Square Press Pages: 384 Format: Advance Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.com Release Date: March 19, 2013

About the Book:  (from publisher)

When a young mother dies under mysterious circumstances, those she leaves behind begin looking for answers in the past—and find a long-buried secret they could have never imagined.

Thirty-six-year-old Grace McAllister never longed for children. But when she meets Victor Hansen, a handsome, charismatic divorced restaurateur who is father to Max and Ava, Grace decides that, for the right man, she could learn to be an excellent part-time stepmom. After all, the kids live with their mother, Kelli. How hard could it be?

At thirteen, Ava Hansen is mature beyond her years. Since her parents’ divorce, she has been the one taking care of her emotionally unstable mother and her little brother—she pays the bills, does the laundry, and never complains because she loves her mama more than anyone. And while her father’s new girlfriend is nice enough, Ava still holds out hope that her parents will get back together and that they’ll be a family again.

But only days after Victor and Grace get engaged, Kelli dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances—and soon, Grace and Ava discover there was much more to Kelli’s life than either ever knew.

Narrated by Grace and Ava in the present with flashbacks into Kelli’s troubled past, Heart Like Mine is a poignant and hopeful portrait about womanhood, love, and the challenges of family life.

About the Author: Amy Hatvany graduated with a degree in Sociology only to discover most sociologists are unemployed. Soon followed a variety of jobs - some of which she loved, like decorating wedding cakes; others which she merely tolerated, like receptionist. In 1998, Amy finally decided to sell her car, quit her job, and take a chance on her passion: writing books. She is the author of BEST KEPT SECRET, OUTSIDE THE LINES (a Target book club pick for 2012 and a Costco's Buyer's pick), THE LANGUAGE OF SISTERS, and HEART LIKE MINE. Amy lives in Seattle with her husband and children.

My Review:  I have to admit I picked Heart Like Mine by Amy Hatvany from Netgalley, based on the cover.  Amy Hatvany is a new author to me, but one I plan on reading more of.  On Sunday, I decided to start my day leisurely with a bit of reading time.  I started Heart Like Mine and found it very gripping and ended up finishing the entire book in one day.  This is very unlike me as I have a house and family to take care of on the weekends! Heart Like Mine is a story of love, marriage, parenthood and grief.   The struggles of a blended family are amplified by the recent death of the children’s mother, Kelli. 

The story flows very well, even with the transition between times and narrators.  What really kept me reading this book was how well the emotions of the characters were developed.  The tense relationship between Victor and Grace (stepmom) and the emotional roller coaster of the grief, feeling of betrayal and loss of the teen daughter Ava were spot on.   I just wanted to wrap in my arms around the youngest child, Max.
I loved the ending and being able to see how each character came to terms with each other, the past and the future. 

My Rating:  4 – I would have lost sleep to finish this book, if I hadn’t finished it before bedtime!  If you enjoy books by Jodi Picoult or Women’s Literature you will LOVE Heart Like Mine by Amy Hatvany!  This is the first book I have read by Amy Hatvany, but it will not be my last. 

My Rating Scale: 1 – didn’t like it; 2 – it was ok; 3 – liked it; 4 – really liked it; 5 – it was amazing

Heart Like Mine by Amy Hatvany is available in stores today, March 19, 2013.

Other Reviews of Heart Like Mine:

Chick Lit Is Not Dead 

Reviews by Lara Moore

SHE Knows  Book Lounge 

From 7Eight 

Happy Reading!

**Disclosure – Advance copy of Heart Like Mine received from publisher in exchange for a fair review.

Book Review: Fever by Mary Beth Keane

Title: Fever Author: Mary Beth Keane Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc. Pages: 320 Format: Advance Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.com Release Date: March 12, 2013

About the Book:  (from publisher)
Mary Mallon was a courageous, headstrong Irish immigrant woman who bravely came to America alone, fought hard to climb up from the lowest rung of the domestic service ladder, and discovered in herself an uncanny, and coveted, talent for cooking. Working in the kitchens of the upper class, she left a trail of disease in her wake, until one enterprising and ruthless “medical engineer” proposed the inconceivable notion of the “asymptomatic carrier”—and from then on Mary Mallon was a hunted woman.

In order to keep New York’s citizens safe from Mallon, the Department of Health sent her to North Brother Island where she was kept in isolation from 1907-1910. She was released under the condition that she never work as a cook again. Yet for Mary—spoiled by her status and income and genuinely passionate about cooking—most domestic and factory jobs were heinous. She defied the edict.

Bringing early twentieth-century New York alive—the neighborhoods, the bars, the park being carved out of upper Manhattan, the emerging skyscrapers, the boat traffic—Fever is as fiercely compelling as Typhoid Mary herself, an ambitious retelling of a forgotten life. In the hands of Mary Beth Keane, Mary Mallon becomes an extraordinarily dramatic, vexing, sympathetic, uncompromising, and unforgettable character.

Setting: 1906 to 1915 – New York  & North Brother Island

 

Newspaper Article About Mary – June 20, 1909	Mary at Willard Park Hospital – April 1907

As of 1910, there were an estimated 200,000 to 350,000 new cases of typhoid fever in the United States. Approximately 3% of those sufferers went on to become chronic carriers.

Mary was quarantined at North Brother Island from 4/15/1907 until 2/19/1910	North Brother Island Hospital	Mary’s cottage on North Brother Island in which she lived until her death.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire:  This fire is described as happening while Mary was working at the laundry in New York.   It was such a sad part of the story, that I had to research to see if this had actually happened.   This fire did occur on March 25, 1911.  146 workers were killed in this fire – many jumping to their deaths as the stairwells and exits were locked.   This was a common practice of the time to prevent pilferage and unauthorized breaks. Once again, Mary Beth Keane show remarkable attention to details of the time with her research.

Mary returned to North Brother Island after the out break of typhoid at Sloane Maternity Hospital, where she was cooking under a false name.  She remained at North Brother Island until her death at the age of 69 on 11/11/38. 

About the Author: Mary Beth Keane attended Barnard College and the University of Virginia, where she received an MFA in Fiction. In 2011, she was named one of the National Book Foundation’s 5 under 35. She lives in Pearl River, New York with her husband and their two sons.

 
My Review:  Fever by Mary Beth Keane caught my attention on NetGalley.com due to the topic, Historical Fiction being a favorite genre of mine.  I knew little to nothing about Typhoid Mary, so I was intrigued.  Fever caught my attention from the very beginning.   I was impressed by the detail that was presented of life in New York and plight of the working class during this period of time.  

Fever is the story of Mary Mallon, the first identified carrier of Typhoid.   She was a talented cook who worked for well to do families.  The fever seems to follow her, leaving illness and death in her wake.  Mary was a very strong character, but in denial of her condition.  This makes a lot of sense as during that time there was just starting to be talk about the details of disease and how it was spread.  There was some misconceptions about the spread of disease as it relates to garbage and the lack of sanitation in New York.  The author attempts to give a voice to the thoughts of Mary and her reasons for continuing to cook after being ordered to stop.   While I believe Mary was in denial to some extent of the illness she was causing, the author gave little suggestions that Mary might have thought in the back of her mind that she might be causing the fever.   Mary was stubborn and very strong, I didn’t like her disregard of others well-being by continuing to cook, especially at the Sloane Maternity Hospital.  

Fever by Mary Beth Keane captured my attention initially, but I did find the 2nd half of the book to be less captivating.  I completed the book as I was interested in knowing how everything turned out.  I wish there was more depth to the story surrounding Mary and her thoughts, reasons and relationships.  The book was fictional so the author could have built more into that part of the story.  Throughout the story Mary has a love interest, Alfred who struggled with employment, drug and drinking issues.  I am not sure how much this relationship added to the story, but it did give some reason for Mary’s decision to return to and continue cooking.

I commend the author, Mary Beth Keane for a very well researched story.   Her detail to the life and times of the early 1900 in New York was remarkable.  I really enjoyed the detail to the setting and the events during that time. 
 
My Rating:  3.5 – while I did not lose sleep to finish this book – Fever by Mary Beth Keane is very well worth the read!   If you enjoy historical fiction you will be very impressed by Mary Beth Keane’s research and detail!
 

My Rating Scale: 1 – didn’t like it; 2 – it was ok; 3 – liked it; 4 – really liked it; 5 – it was amazing

 
Other Reviews of Fever:

Start Tribune
Booksessed
Bookstalker
Historical Novel Society

 

Happy Reading!

 
**Disclosure – Advance copy of Fever by Mary Beth Keane received from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

From Our Family to Yours……………..

Merry Christmas!!!

Jen C and Family

Happy Holidays!!!

Wondering where I have disappeared to??   The holiday season is so busy and I have not been reading at all.  Can you believe that??    My family is participating in Lil Light O’Mine’s campaign to Light Em Up!   We are lighting up our community with Random Acts of Kindness.   So I will return in the New Year rested and reading again!

If you would like to see what we have been up to stop by our family blog, Jen’s World.  

Merry Christmas!!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? October 15th Edition

It’s Monday! What Are you Reading? is hosted by Shelia of Book Journey. It is a chance to share what you have read and what you plan on reading in the upcoming week. I enjoy seeing what everyone’s reading plans for the week. I always find some titles that I just *had to add to my TBR list.

Accomplishments/Reviews Since Last Posting:

Rules of Civility – Amor Towles   (My Review)

Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women’s Literary Society – Ann Hill Hearth (My Review)

The Secret Keeper – Kate Morton  (My Review)

Wringer – Jerry Spinelli  (Tommy’s Review)  - Reading in White Bear Lake is very excited to introduce our newest book reviewer, Tommy. Tommy is the youngest son of Jen C. Tommy is a 5th grader, who loves reading, soccer and hanging out with friends. His favorite series are the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter books. Look for more reviews from Tommy in the future. Leave a comment to encourage our young reviewer!! He would love to hear your feedback.

Netgalley.com – I have finally found time to sit down and start using the website NetGalley.com.  Wow, I wish I would have taken the time earlier when a friend mentioned the site to me.  I love it!!  NetGalley is a service to promote and publicize forthcoming titles to readers of influence. If you are a reviewer, blogger, journalist, librarian, bookseller, educator, or in the media, you can use NetGalley for FREE to request and read titles before they are published.  I have been reading a number of wonderful book from this site!  I have discovered some new favorite authors as well.  If you are a professional reader, you are really missing out if you haven’t checked out NetGalley.   All you need is a electronic reader such as a kindle and you are on your way to discovering some amazing new books!

Our Reading Plans for This Week:

Finish Reading: (Jen C)

Goodnight, Beautiful by Dorothy Koomson  (Book Club Read) Eight years ago, Nova Kumalisi agreed to have a baby for Mal and Stephanie Wacken. Halfway through the pregnancy, the couple changed their minds and walked away, leaving Nova pregnant, scared and alone. Eight years ago, Stephanie was overjoyed at the thought of becoming a mother - until she found a text from Mal to Nova saying, "Goodnight, beautiful". Terrified of losing her husband to his closest friend, Stephanie asked him to cut all ties to Nova and their unborn child. Now, Nova is anxiously waiting for her son, Leo, to wake up from a coma, while childless Stephanie is desperately trying to save her failing marriage. Although they live separate lives, both women have secrets that will bind them together for ever

Tommy – is reading

The Mark of Athena – by Rick Riordan  (Tommy’s Current Read) In The Son of Neptune, Percy, Hazel, and Frank met in Camp Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of Camp Halfblood, and traveled to the land beyond the gods to complete a dangerous quest. The third book in the Heroes of Olympus series will unite them with Jason, Piper, and Leo. But they number only six--who will complete the Prophecy of Seven? The Greek and Roman demigods will have to cooperate in order to defeat the giants released by the Earth Mother, Gaea. Then they will have to sail together to the ancient land to find the Doors of Death. What exactly are the Doors of Death? Much of the prophecy remains a mystery. . . . With old friends and new friends joining forces, a marvelous ship, fearsome foes, and an exotic setting, The Mark of Athena promises to be another unforgettable adventure by master storyteller Rick Riordan.

Listening To: (Jen C)

Casual Vacancy – J.K. Rowling (audible.com) When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…. Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the town’s council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations? Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.

Next Up ??

A Visit From The Goon Squad – Jennifer Egan (audible.com) Bennie is an aging former punk rocker and record executive. Sasha is the passionate, troubled young woman he employs. Here Jennifer Egan brilliantly reveals their pasts, along with the inner lives of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs. With music pulsing on every page, A Visit from the Goon Squad is a startling, exhilarating novel of self-destruction and redemption.

Frozen  – Mary Casanova (Netgalley) Sixteen-year-old Sadie Rose hasn't said a word in eleven years-ever since the day she was found lying in a snowbank during a howling storm. Like her voice, her memories of her mother and what happened that night were frozen. Set during the roaring 1920s in the beautiful, wild area on Rainy Lake where Minnesota meets Canada, Frozen tells the remarkable story of Sadie Rose, whose mother died under strange circumstances the same night that Sadie Rose was found, unable to speak, in a snowbank. Sadie Rose doesn't know her last name and has only fleeting memories of her mother-and the conflicting knowledge that her mother had worked in a brothel. Taken in as a foster child by a corrupt senator, Sadie Rose spends every summer along the shores of Rainy Lake, where her silence is both a prison and a sanctuary. One day, Sadie Rose stumbles on a half dozen faded, scandalous photographs-pictures, she realizes, of her mother. They release a flood of puzzling memories, and these wisps of the past send her at last into the heart of her own life's great mystery: who was her mother, and how did she die? Why did her mother work in a brothel-did she have a choice? What really happened that night when a five-year-old girl was found shivering in a snowbank, her voice and identity abruptly shattered? Sadie Rose's search for her personal truth is laid against a swirling historical drama-a time of prohibition and women winning the right to vote, political corruption, and a fevered fight over the area's wilderness between a charismatic, unyielding, powerful industrialist and a quiet man battling to save the wide, wild forests and waters of northernmost Minnesota. Frozen is a suspenseful, moving testimonial to the haves and the have-nots, to the power of family and memory, and to the extraordinary strength of a young woman who has lost her voice in nearly every way-but is utterly determined to find it again.

These are my reading plans for the week. What are you reading plans for the week??? Join in with Shelia at Book Journey and share your reading plans for the week!!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Wringer by Jerry Spinelli

Title: Wringer Author: Jerry Spinelli (Author Website) Publisher: HarperTeen (September 7, 2004) ISBN 10: 0060592826 Pages: 256 pages Age Level: 8 and up

About the Book:

Not all birthdays are welcome. In Palmer's home town of Waymer, a boy's tenth birthday is more than just another birthday -- it is considered to be the biggest and most honorable day of his life. When a boy turns ten he has finally earned his place as a wringer at the town's annual Pigeon Day. On this day 5,000 pigeons are released into the sky only to be shot down by the town's men. It is the job of wringers to retrieve dead birds from the field and to wring the wounded birds' necks.

Although all proceeds from Pigeon Day go to pay for the town's park maintenance and he is assured that wringers "humanely" put the dying pigeons to death, Palmer cannot shake the dreadful feeling that he does not want to be a wringer. Unfortunately, '"this not wanting to be a wringer" conflicts directly with the expectations of his clique of friends -- for them, being a wringer is the highest honor, an honor only a wimp would refuse. Not to be a wringer would mean going against his friends, his family, and the town and risking ostracism.

Palmer's life becomes further complicated when he befriends Nipper, a pigeon who likes to roost in his closet and sit atop his head. Now Palmer has a very important reason to strike out against his friends and the town's traditional Pigeon Day. In this gripping and thought-provoking novel, Spinelli tells of one boy's courage to overcome peer pressure and unquestioned tradition -- to stand up for what he believes.

About the Author: Jerry Spinelli is the author of the 1991 Newbery Medal-winning book Maniac Magee. His novels are regularly praised for their humor, poignancy, and realistic characters -- many of whom are drawn from his real-life experience as a father of six children. Jerry lives with his wife, Eileen, who is also a writer, in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Gettysburg College.

Meet Tommy!!!  Our Newest Review at Reading in White Bear Lake!

Reading in White Bear Lake is very excited to introduce our newest book reviewer, Tommy. Tommy is the youngest son of Jen C. Tommy is a 5th grader, who loves reading, soccer and hanging out with friends. His favorite series are the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter books. Look for more reviews from Tommy in the future.

Interview with Tommy about Wringer by Jerry Spinelli:

Jen C : Why did you decide to read Wringer?

Tommy:  Because it looked like a real scary book and I wanted a scare.

Jen C :Who was you favorite character in Wringer?  Why?

Tommy:  Beans – also known as Author Dodds – he was really funny.   He was very obnoxious and disgusting in a really funny way. 

Jen C: What is a wringer? 

Tommy:   A Wringer is someone who on Pigeons Day , when they are shooting pigeon out of the sky, grabs the the pigeons by the neck and twists to kill them. 

Jen C :How would you feel about being a wringer at age 10? 

Tommy:  I would not want to do it because I wouldn’t want to kill the pigeons.  I like the pigeons.

Jen C :Why does Palmer not want to be wringer?

Tommy:  The same reason as me basically, He just doesn’t want to kill the pigeons because he wants to have them as pets and play with them. 

Jen C : What is the treatment?

Tommy:  The treatment is when on your birthday, a kid named, Farquar punches you really hard on the arm on your birthday.

Jen C :  Your birthday is coming up, do you want the treatment?

Tommy:  No

Jen C :What was you favorite part of the book?

Tommy:  When Palmer first allowed Nipper (pigeon) into his house.

Jen C : What emotions did you feel while reading Wringer?

Tommy:  Sad because Beans, Mutto and Henry wanted to take Palmer's pigeon and wring his neck. 

Jen C :  Are there any life lessons that can be taken from this story?

Tommy:  Do not be a bully.  Stand up for what you believe.

Jen C :  Did you liked the ending of the story?

Tommy:  Yes – it kinds of left you hanging and I am wondering if there will be a second book to the series.

Jen C :Would you recommend this book to a friend?  Why should they read this book?

Tommy:  Yes – because it is really funny, adventurous, sad and emotional.  

Tommy's Rating: 4 – I really liked it!

Happy Reading!!!

Tommy

** Leave a comment to encourage our young reviewer!!  He would love to hear your feedback.

Book Review: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

Title:  The Secret Keeper Author: Kate Morton (author website) Publisher: Atria Books (October 16, 2012) ISBN 10: 1439152802 Pages: 496 pages Format: Advance Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.com

About the Book:  (from publisher)

The new novel from the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Distant Hours is a spellbinding mix of mystery, thievery, murder, and enduring love.

During a party at the family farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson has escaped to her childhood tree house and is dreaming of the future. She spies a stranger coming up the road and sees her mother speak to him. Before the afternoon is over, Laurel will witness a shocking crime that challenges everything she knows about her family and especially her mother, Dorothy.

Now, fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress, living in London. She returns to the family farm for Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday and finds herself overwhelmed by questions she has not thought about for decades. From pre-WWII England through the Blitz, to the fifties and beyond, discover the secret history of three strangers from vastly different worlds—Dorothy, Vivien, and Jimmy—who meet by chance in wartime London and whose lives are forever entwined.

The Secret Keeper explores longings and dreams, the lengths people go to fulfill them, and the consequences they can have. It is a story of lovers, friends, dreamers, and schemers told—in Morton’s signature style—against a backdrop of events that changed the world.

Setting:  England – 2011, 1961 and 1940

 

About the Author: Kate Morton was born in Berri, South Australia. Morton is the eldest of three sisters. Her family moved several times before settling on Tamborine Mountain where she attended a small country school. She enjoyed reading books from an early age, her favorites being those by Enid Blyton. She studied Speech a Drama at Trinity College London. Later she earned  first – class honors for her English Literature degree at the University of Queensland, during which time she wrote two full-length manuscripts (which are unpublished) before writing the story that would become the 2006 novel The House at Riverton. Following this she obtained a scholarship and completed a Master's degree focusing on tragedy in Victorian literature. She is currently enrolled in a PhD program researching contemporary novels that marry elements of gothic and mystery fiction. Kate Morton is married to Davin, a jazz musician and composer, and they have two sons; they live in the Brisbane suburb of Paddington.  (Wikipedia.com)

Related Media:  Kate Morton talks about her new novel, The Secret Keeper.

My Review:     The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton starts out with Laurel as a child in 1961 witnessing a tragic event.  Then the story flashes to present day, Laurel is a successful actress that returns home and starts to piece together the secret history that led to of this tragic event.  She begins to piece together the tale of three individuals,  Jimmy, Dotty and Vivien  and the events that intertwined their lives together during the London Blitz in the 1940’s.   I like that the past portion of this book was based during the time of the London Blitz.  I have read many other books set in this time so it really came alive for me. It is an interesting time in history when lives change very quickly for people. 

To be truthful, I generally find that the use of flashbacks as a writing technique takes away from the flow of the story.  That is not the case with The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton.  The flashbacks are expertly executed and add so much to the telling of the story of Jimmy, Dotty and Vivien.  Their story is slowly revealed to the reader in bits and pieces, which adds to the suspense and mystery of the story.   Morton develops complex characters that evoke emotions from the reader.   You truly get a great feel of who Laurel was as a child as well as an adult.  Jimmy was definitely my favorite character.  I think I might have fallen a bit in love with Jimmy.   I just loved him!   And if I ever wanted to smack a character, that would have to have been Dotty. 

So that I don’t give away any of the secrets, I will say the 2nd half of the book really got me hooked.  I was so absorbed in the story that I read the last half of the book in one evening.  There was no way I was going to go to bed without knowing the ending to this story!  And let me tell you this, the ending does not disappoint!   I loved the ending!   You will just have to read The Secret Keeper to experience the slow reveal of the secret history of the characters.   Secret Keeper will be released on October 16th .  If you are looking for a good read……The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton is just that. 

My Rating: 4+  –  I really like this book!   The Secret Keeper is the first book by Kate Morton I have read and it will not be the last!!!  Just writing this review has me so excited to get my hands on another book by Kate Morton.  I know one is in my very near future.  The Secret Keeper did not grab me initially, but keep with it, I promise you will not be able to put it down in the 2nd half!  Kate Morton is a masterful story teller.  Oh, and I did lose quite a few hours of sleep over this book and read it in all the most inappropriate times and places….that is a sign of a truly good book in my world! 

My Rating Scale: 1 – didn’t like it; 2 – it was ok; 3 – liked it; 4 – really liked it; 5 – it was amazing

Other Bloggers Reviews :

Red Headed Book Child

So Many Books, So Little Time

Ageless Pages Reviews

Under a Gray Sky

 

Happy Reading!

**Disclosure – Advance copy of The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton received from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.