South of Broad

South of Broad By Pat Conroy    Leo King was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. The story begins with Leo's senior year in highschool where his mother is a tough principal and father an adored science teacher. Leo has had a difficult past and is determined to make his life more positive and fulfilling. He has lost his dear brother, survived a mental breakdown and is on probation for a drug bust he could not explain. Leo quickly learns that when one one door closes, a window opens. His senior year becomes a series of life experiences that he could never have dreamed. His group of friends fast become life long connection and South of Broad takes this motley crew through all the trials and tribulations of adulthood, family and friendship. My first Pat Conroy novel. He is an exquisite writer dispensing warmth, love and humor generously. South of Broad brings Charleston and its characters to life in the readers imagination. It is rather lengthy but if you have the time to indulge in this saga of Charleston, enjoy.

Love and Shame and Love

Love and Shame and Love  By Peter Orner   Alexander Popper grew up in Chicago in the 1970's. He had an older brother Peter, classic grandparents, Bernice and Seymour and Phillip and Miriam, his mother and father. This novel time travels between Poppers life and his family history dating back to when his grandparents began their courtship in the early 1940's. The writing is eclectic and the author is funny. It is easy to read. But the big question, what is this story really about? It is about family dynamics, the pains of adolescence and Chicago life and politics. The read is an enjoyable one but not a page turner and frankly it could have ended at any point and it wouldn't have made a difference.

The Language of Flowers

The Language of Flowers By Vanessa Diffenbaugh    In the Victorian age flowers had a language of their own. If you gave someone a certain flower or bouquet it had a specific meaning, love or happiness, forgiveness or even jealousy. Victoria Jones is a foster child who barely survives a sad and difficult childhood. She goes from foster home to foster home and craves love and a place of safety in the world. Unfortunately, that day never comes and Victoria is finally thrust out on her own at 18 to truly fend for herself. At 10 yrs old, she had lived with Elizabeth on a farm that was a vineyard. Elizabeth had a love for flowers and the language they represented. She taught Victoria all she knew. Victoria had a gift and by a miracle found a job at a florist designing bouquets, the one thing she was truly good at. Victoria begins a journey to find friendship and love and learns that it is not too late. Her life is not meant to be solitary, she is not being punished. This is an amazing first novel. The author brings us on a journey into the world of flowers and also the despair of the foster system and its children that want so little but often get nothing. The simplicity of what a flower means, the simplicity of a smile, some food, a place to stay, can be shared with those who do not have. The things we take for granted and complain about nonchalantly are only dreams for many.

Walking Israel

Walking Israel  By Martin Fletcher   NBC Foreign news journalist Martin Fletcher has spent the better part of his career reporting from and about Israel. It has become his home and his passion. His love and deep understanding of this country is evident throughout this small journey he made hiking alone down the coast of Israel a few years ago. The reader is taken on a trip from the Lebanon border down the coast past Tel Aviv to end in Gaza. Mr. Fletcher visits and meets with a diverse group of Israelis with an open ear and open heart. He has intense conversation with Holocaust survivors, Israeli Arabs, young and old and some unique individuals trying to rebuild a new type of kibbutz life. This is not only a pleasurable trip through a mesmerizing country but an educational one as well. The author never fails to find both sides to every story in the most fair honest light possible, a difficult task for any reporter in this part of the world where emotions run high and histories collide. Whether you have never been to Israel or have traveled there many times, this would be an enjoyable easy read.

Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness

Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness  By Alexandra Fuller   The tales continue to flow from the lives of the Fuller family. Some stories reminiscent from Alexandra's childhood and others dating back to her parents and grandparents lives. They all wind one way or another back to the land they love, Africa. Similar to her first novel, Don't Lets Go To The Dogs Tonight, a phenomenal memoir, the reader can enjoy everything from funny anecdotes to more serious situations that make living in Africa abundantly rich and unpredictable. Ms. Fuller is a delightful writer, her prose is easy to read and enjoyable. This book is more of the same stories, it would probably benefit to read them in order of publishing. What a lucky writer to have such a rich loving unique history and the talent to share her life with us all.

The Great Fire

The Great Fire  By Shirley Hazzard   This novel is set in 1947. It is post WWII in East Asia. Much of the story regards the relationship and love story of Aldred Leith, a British war hero studying the aftereffects of Asia post war (of which I'd actually hoped there was more information) and Helen Driscoll, a 17 yr old daughter of a cold hearted Austrailian officer with political aspirations. Ms. Hazzard's writing is like poetry. Every word in every sentence is like a melody, it flows and melts into the next sentence. It is a pleasure and calming experience to read her writing. The reader can hear her voice. On the other hand, new characters were introduced constantly and with needless depth into their lives that the reader never returned. It broke the beautiful prose and caused the reader to constantly look back and question who it was they were reading about. It would be ludicrous to insinuate that Ms. Hazzard's writing is anything less than magnificent but the story itself was not enjoyable.

The Weight of Water

The Weight of Water  By Anita Shreve    In the late 1800's many fisher families from Norway emigrated to America in search of industry and a new life. Some of these immigrants made their way to the Isles of Shoal, a chain of islands off the coast of New Hampshire. Maren and her new husband John establish themselves on Smutty Nose Island. And it is there they experience harsh, solitary, difficult, long winter months. After a few years Marens sister, brother and sister-in-law arrive, along with her husbands brother. The addition of family makes times more tolerable but even so Maren has deep rooted problems with her sister and unwarranted love for her brother. There is murder, there is mystery. Intertwined with this story is Jean, her husband Tom, their daughter Billie and another couple on a sailboat near Smutty Nose in present day. Jean is doing a photo shoot for a magazine regarding the famous Smutty Nose murders that happened more than 100 years earlier. The weather turns badly, and so does the sailing trip. The writing of this story is captivating. It is eerie and suspenseful and it is a book I could not put down.

Then Came You

Then Came You  By Jennifer Weiner     Jules is a Princeton graduate that becomes an egg donor. Annie lives outside Philadelphia and is a very young mom of two that becomes a surrogate to earn much needed cash and help her family, Bettina is billionaires daughter that hates and is suspicious of her new stepmother, and India is the stepmother that is unable to have a baby on her own. This book is filled with warm, likeable, intelligent women that come together under extenuating circumstances that would have once been deemed unique but in recent years become commonplace. It is a story full of lives, mostly realistic, some too predictable but nevertheless, Jennifer Weiner manages to pull it together with her wit, humor, kindness and characters. If you haven't read one in awhile, its a pleasant easy read that is surprisingly enjoyable.

French Lessons

French Lessons  By Ellen Sussman    Three french tutors.  Three students. One day in Paris. Chantal, Nico and Philippe are tutors for a language company in Paris. They teach outside the classroom walking the streets of Paris while conversing with their students about, food, history, art and on this day, love. Suffice to say, they are all searching for love and romance. They have been heartbroken and disappointed but are still hopeful which is the essence of romance. Chantal walks Jeremy through the city while his famous wife shoots a movie, Nico accompanies Josie who has just been devastated by loss and Philippe teaches french to Riley who has two infants and is barely speaking to her husband. This read is an easy, enjoyable trip to Paris. A quick read that that is truly delicious. S'amuser!

The Marriage Plot

The Marriage Plot  By Jeffrey Eugenides    Three students about to graduate from Brown University in 1982. Madeleine Hanna is a waspy, intelligent, beautiful girl searching for her voice, her path, her destiny and true love. She is dating Leonard Bankhead who is a brilliant, handsome, science student who is a bit odd but very charming when he chooses to be. Leonard and Madeleine are on an emotional rollercoaster when Leonard is diagnosed with a medical condition. Mitchell, the third main character is a brilliant theology student who is secretly or not so so secretly in love with Madeleine. They are all three confused about their next step, their future lives and what real love truly means. The characters are all interesting and charismatic. The beginning feels scattered, it is hard to decide where this story is going but the characters are likeable enough to continue on. It feels like the author is sometimes trying too hard to impress but ultimately brings it full circle very successfully.