Mary E. Trimble

Sincerely Yours is a collection of four novellas with a common thread of love.

A Moonlight Promise by Laurie Alice Eakes
English born Camilla Renfrew is desperate, not only to find a new life, but to bury the old. She receives a letter from a friend that could answer her prayers. Camilla manages to hitch a ride on Nathaniel Black’s steamboat in her rush to get to Albany to meet her friend. When the steamboat is sabotaged, Camilla and Nathaniel recognize in each other what is important, what true faith is, and how it can shape their lives. A Moonlight Promise is not only a lovely story, it offers an intriguing glimpse of steamboat life on the Hudson River in the early 1800’s.

Lessons in Love by Ann Shorey
It’s 1858 and Merrie Bentley has a secret passion. More than anything, she wants to be a writer. She is of marriageable age and her aunt dutifully tries to fulfill the promise she made to Merrie’s parents that she would encourage the young woman to seek a suitable husband. When Merrie receives a letter addressed to Mr. Bentley, an invitation from a publisher to discuss her work, her joy is shattered. Confident that as a woman she won’t be published, she convinces Colin Thackery, her piano teacher, to act as Mr. Bentley for the meeting. The plan takes an unusual turn and so do social expectations of marrying within one’s station in life. Lessons in Love is a fun read and especially enlightening about social expectations in the mid-1850’s.

One Little Word by Amanda Cabot
Lorraine Caldwell was trained to be the wife of a wealthy man. Her uncle and guardian since her parents’ death has her future husband all picked out. Unfortunately she has no love for the man. When Lorraine receives a letter from her brother asking her to visit him at a resort some distance from New York City, she is thrilled, yet mystified. Arriving at the train station she is met by English-born Jonah Mann, a carousel maker. The purpose for Lorraine’s visit opens her eyes to a new kind of life. Besides the well-drawn characters in One Little Word, the story is enhanced by carousel lore, history and traditions. The story takes place in 1892.

A Saving Grace by Jane Kirkpatrick
Music teacher Grace Hathaway receives two letters in the same envelope. One, a letter from her young godchild, Carolyn, asking for help, the other from an attorney writing on behalf of Carolyn’s caretaker. Carolyn’s mother, a recent widow, is in a sanatarium and cannot be convinced to leave. Grace leaves her teaching position in Oregon’s ranch country and travels to Olalla, a small community on Puget Sound. At the hotel where she stays, Grace is attracted to another guest, Claude Millikan, a pharmacist who is temporarily working at the sanitarium. When she visits the sanatarium she’s appalled by her friend’s condition and the treatment given other patients. Grace devises a ruse to save her friend, but finds herself in danger when her plan backfires. Although fiction, the story is based on a real Olalla sanatarium that operated with questionable medical practices in 1911, when this story is set. A Saving Grace offers interesting views of health and social norms of the era.

Each of the novellas in Sincerely Yours ends with a letter from the author to the reader adding authenticity and interest to the 1800’s and early 1900’s, particularly as they pertain to women’s lives today compared to expectations in the past. The well-crafted collection of stories is highly recommended.

Book Review: Emily, Alone

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Mary

Stewart O’Nan’s Emily, Alone touched my heart as it follows Emily Maxwell on her final journey, alone. The novel is a sequel to the acclaimed Wish You Were Here.

Now 80, Emily manages to fill her days maintaining the home where she and her late husband raised their children. She hires a few things done, but she has her rigid housekeeping rituals, her music, her garden and her old dog, Rufus.

Emily’s children live a distance from her Philadelphia home, so visits with them and her grandchildren are infrequent. In any event, she finds their relationship as distant as the miles that separate them.

When Arlene, Emily’s best friend and sister-in-law, faints at their favorite breakfast buffet, Emily finds herself without transportation. She dusts off her husband’s old, treasured Oldsmobile, and drives to the hospital where Arlene has been admitted. Emily is intimidated with the huge car, but for now she can’t rely on Arlene for transportation.

Another vehicle sideswipes the car where it’s parked on the street and Emily feels compelled to replace it with a new, smaller car. The new car paves the way toward a new independence. Arlene is discharged from the hospital and now Emily is often the driver for their excursions. She discovers she can go places and do things on her own and she savors these new possibilities.

Emily, Alone follows the daily life of a woman used to an orderly life. The novel goes into the sort of detail that brings Emily into the reader’s world. It’s a rare glimpse into the life of a person in her twilight years with typical anxieties, hopes and frustrations. I found myself holding my breath as Emily braves the freeway by herself to visit the graves of her parents, an errand she feels duty-bound to fulfill.

Emily, Alone isn’t a fast-paced novel with a breath-taking plot. It’s a quiet story of a lovable woman who faces life with dignity, hope and wry, sometimes quirky humor. I loved this story and its humane, intricate details.

Book Review: Rules of Civility

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Mary

Amor Towles’ debut novel, Rules of Civility is a captivating period piece that takes place in New York City, particularly in Manhattan. The story begins in 1966 but quickly turns back to New Year’s Eve, 1939.

Kate Kontent and her roommate Eve meet wealthy Tinker Gray at a jazz club on New Year’s Eve. A solid friendship forms and the three of them share many enjoyable times together. An accident abruptly changes their relationship and the direction of their lives.

Kate, who narrates the novel, is at first in a secretarial pool at a successful law firm, but quickly moves on to become a secretary at a trendy magazine. The daughter of a Russian immigrant, she never denies her background and that she is among “the working class,” but finds herself socializing with a privileged group of people (white, rich and sophisticated). Kate, extremely well-read and intelligent, remains grounded, but finds herself involved in the social activities of the well-to-do with their well-kept secrets and expensive life-style.

As we ride along with Kate, we learn about the lives of the New York rich. The book takes place toward the end of the depression and the wealthy portrayed don’t seem to have suffered unduly. It’s an era of surprisingly aimless goals among the rich, smoking, drinking martinis, rarely cooking one’s own meal, living exclusively in apartments, and commuting in cabs or chauffeured limousines. The dialog is fast-paced and witty, the sense of New York rich in detail.

Rules of Civility takes its name after the 110 rules that George Washington crafted during his teenage years, “Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation.” Towles ends the book with the complete list of rules, often mentioned in the novel as either rules to be followed in a civilized society, or possibly rules no longer relevant. Here’s Washington’s 6th Rule of Civility:

“Sleep not when others Speak, Sit not when others stand, Speak not when you Should hold your Peace, walk not on when others Stop.”

I enjoyed Rules of Civility. I marveled at the differences between New York and the mid-west or west. The novel concentrates on either the very rich and the poor working class. There must have been some “middle class” but this novel does not touch on what most of us recognize as normal. The author’s descriptions of scenes and scenery feel realistic and vibrant. The book gave me a glimpse of an era and place now changed forever. I recommend Rules of Civility and look forward to reading more of this author’s work.

Book Review: Matterhorn

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Mary

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes is a gripping, gritty account of life as a Marine in Vietnam.

We were torn as a nation over Vietnam. As the war between U.S. backed South Vietnam and U.S.S.R. backed North Vietnam raged, so did the U.S. citizens at home. As far as U.S. Marines were concerned, they had a job to do, a job for which they had been rigorously trained.

Lieutenant Waino Mellas, a young Marine on his first mission, together with his comrades in Bravo Company are dropped into the mountainous jungle of Vietnam with orders to take Matterhorn, a mountain renamed by Americans after the Swiss Alps. The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) isn’t their only enemy. The Marines, most of whom are boys in their late teens and early twenties, fight their way through thick, nearly impenetrable jungle, monsoon rain and mud, blood-sucking leeches, jungle rot that seriously infects their skin, immersion foot which can result in amputation, malnutrition, dehydration, diarrhea, and even killed or maimed by tigers. When the company is nearly overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of a highly trained enemy regiment, the Marines are thrust into the raw terror of mortal combat.

Luckily, the author has furnished a flowchart of the Chain of Command and principal characters. I found myself referring to that many times to refresh my memory as to names and ranks. Another great aid is a glossary explaining slang, military jargon and technical terms. I’d recommend marking these two sections with sticky-note bookmarks for easy reference. The maps furnished also help to clarify troop locations.

Matterhorn was an eye opener to me. Although I was acutely aware of the Vietnam War, I was unaware of many of the issues and obstacles involved. Now, forty-some years after the war, it’s hard to remember that integration had just recently been introduced into the Marine Corps. Although African Americans kept to themselves during their off-time, in combat they worked in closely-knit units.

Matterhorn was written by a highly decorated Vietnam veteran who turned his own experience into this raw, emotional novel. His honesty is stark and disturbing. Marlantes removes all doubt that many decisions of war are made by ambitious men who use troops to further their own careers. Counts of enemy dead are magnified, of American troops, minimized.

Another disturbing fact is the reality of “friendly fire,” when a fellow warrior is in the way of fire, or mistaken for the enemy. It is a constant nightmare to a combatant who may have been responsible for a comrade’s death or serious injury.

Probably the most disturbing fact is the practice called “fragging,” murdering someone, usually an unpopular officer or sergeant, by throwing a fragmentation grenade into his living quarters or fighting hole. In his glossary, Marlantes states that the Marine Corps had forty-three fragging incidents during the Vietnam War, although not all ended in fatalities.

I was surprised to learn how much liquor was consumed, especially nights before battles. My practical spirit would dictate getting all the rest you can before a huge push, but the mind-set is different among those going into a battle from which they possibly won’t return.

War is hell, of this there is no doubt. It’s a hell that continues on long after the actual battle in the form of life-changing injuries or PTSD and the resultant chronic rages and fear attacks.

I recommend Matterhorn, though it isn’t for everyone. At first I didn’t think it was for me, but I slogged on and was soon “hooked.” The book is a raw, naked look at war and all its blood, filth and exhaustion. It’s also a book about bravery and the bonds of friendship forged in battle. It’s a large book, the paperback version is 608 pages, so plan on spending a block of time reliving the horrors of the Vietnam War. It isn’t all grim–there are humorous, fun parts, too. For sure, it’s a memorable chronicle of war.

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Book Review: Where Lilacs Still Bloom

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Mary

Award winning author Jane Kirkpatrick’s historical novel, Where Lilacs Still Bloom, filled my heart. It’s a compelling story of enduring love of family and God’s earthly bounties.

The story begins in 1889 in Woodland, Washington, when German immigrant and farm wife Hulda Klager seizes an idea to improve the pie apples growing in their small orchard. She’s weary of the scrawny fruit that’s hard to peel. Her experiments with apple hybridization result in a crisp, juicy apple that’s easy to peel. Her consuming interest is questioned by those who feel she’s overstepping boundaries of a simple housewife and mother. Some even assert that she’s tampering with God’s plan.

Hulda’s father encourages her to follow her God-given talents. Even though her husband Frank teases her about her “hobby,” he encourages her to pursue her growing interest, providing there’s “bread on the table and pies in the oven.” She begins to experiment with flowers, concentrating on lilacs, with a dream of growing a creamy white lilac with twelve petals. By 1905 Hulda had created 14 new varieties of lilac, using a turkey feather to cross-pollinate, always seeking to produce “bigger blooms, hardier stalks, richer color, and finer fragrance.”

Interest in Hulda’s garden grows and she begins to hold open houses, sometimes drawing hundreds of people, even from distant communities. She resists selling cuttings, preferring instead to share God’s bounty. Her four children help in the garden, and as they leave home to begin their own families, Hulda opens her home to two young girls who need a loving home and who can help in the garden. These girls’ lives, thread throughout the book, show how tender care for plants mirrors life.

Throughout Hulda’s long life she sees tragedy in the loss of loved ones, but she endures and finds comfort in her horticultural interests. Her gardens, along with their farm and their neighbors’ property, are threatened with seasonal floods and when the Columbia and Lewis Rivers overflow in 1948, the entire community is flooded. We learn the true character of this legendary woman as she deals with this calamity.

Where Lilacs Still Bloom is filled with the richness and grace found in Jane Kirkpatrick’s work. This novel is her twenty-second book and nineteenth novel. A master storyteller, Kirkpatrick researches her subjects, then brings their story to readers in a compelling, refreshingly creative way, yet always keeping true the subject’s spirit. I highly recommend this book. It would be of special interest to garden enthusiasts, but also to anyone drawn to an inspirational story of loyalty, faith, family values and God’s bounty. For more information about the author, visit www.jkbooks.com

Reviewers Note: I was especially fascinated with this book since I also live in Washington. Next spring I hope to drive to Woodland in the southwest part of the state to visit Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens. For more information, visit www.lilacgardens.com

Book Review: The Longest Trail

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Mary

Roni McFadden has written a memorable book,The Longest Trail, a true-life novel that begins in 1963 in northern California when Roni is twelve years old. After saving her baby-sitting money for two years, she buys her first horse, Sparol, for $125,

While on horseback, Roni can forget the sexual abuse from her step-father, forget that she isn’t accepted at school, and, later, that the crowd she’s running with could get her into serious trouble with sex, drugs and free love. When astride a horse, she feels whole and at peace with herself.

Through a friend, Roni meets John Slaughter, then in his forties and married with his own children, a throw-back cowboy with a kind nature and a magical way with horses. In addition to his regular job, John takes hunters on pack trips in the High Sierra Mountains. He offers her an opportunity to help with the horses, to exercise, feed and groom them, and clean corrals. While at school, she lives for the time when she’ll be with the horses, when she’ll be at peace.

Roni proves her value and is soon a part of John’s pack operation and joins him at a pack-station, a place where they stage high-country trips. Through the years, Roni is given more responsibility. With the responsibility comes dealing with city folks who bring the noise and rush of city life to their country outings. She learns patience, self-reliance and how to deal with hardship and discomfort. She learns to appreciate the high country’s beauty and simple pleasures. Roni finds a kinship with horses that few achieve.

An important part of this intriguing story is Roni’s involvement with the by-gone spirits of native peoples. As she learns more about herself, she absorbs ancient spiritual values, wisdom that enriches the rest of her life.

The Longest Trail is the story of an angry, confused girl becoming a woman of strength and character. It’s a fascinating journey, sometimes rough, sometimes awesomely beautiful, always entertaining. I highly recommend this coming-of-age book–it’s an unforgettable story. To learn more about the author, visit www.thebiscuitpress.com

Book Review: The Whistling Season

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Mary

Every once in awhile a book of pure excellence comes along and, for me, Ivan Doig’s The Whistling Season has reached that level.

In 1909 change was in store for the Milliron family. The story is told in the voice of a reminiscing Montana school supervisor when he was 13 years old, The oldest of three sons, Paul is a precocious child who takes his responsibilities seriously. His father counts on him, especially since the boys’ mother died the year before.

The family manages, but the house is usually in disarray. Besides keeping up his farm at Marias Coulee, Montana, the father works as a drayman for a diversion canal under construction, and is president of the local school board. Housework and cooking naturally aren’t at the top of chores that manage to get done. When the father sees a housekeeper’s work wanted ad in the newspaper, the family’s interest is piqued. It is puzzling though when they learn through the ad that the housekeeper, though well qualified, does not cook. Can’t all women cook?

When the new housekeeper Rose and her brother Morrie crash into the Millirons’ lives, immediate change transforms the household. Through a death, serious accident, a vengeful family and a puzzling mystery, every member of the family responds for the good of the whole. These are tough folks, people who must take life as it’s served to them. How they measure up to the challenges shows the caliber of grit it takes to survive the dryland Montana prairie.

The entire book takes place primarily between the Milliron’s modest farmhouse and the one-room schoolhouse that serves grades one through eight.

The Whistling Season unfolds with the flawless assurance of an acclaimed storyteller. The landscape and characters are vivid, as is the emotional depth of the novel. It’s a story guaranteed to pop into readers’ minds with gentle reminders of the book’s every-day situations. The Whistling Season is a masterpiece.

Book Review: Home Fires

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Mary

Judith Kirscht’s Home Fires is a noteworthy and timely novel dealing with a family gone awry.

Myra and Derek Benning and their teenage children, Peter and Susan, appear to live a privileged life. Susan has a few social issues, but there’s love and strong bonds between the parents and children, and they’re a happy family. Myra feels blessed to have a handsome, successful husband and thankful for their enduring love. A phone call shatters her serenity and plunges the marriage into chaos.

Guilt, anger, and surmounting worry consume Myra. But then, an even more serious situation surfaces with daughter Susan and immediate action must be taken. Myra does what she must do, but at a price that affects every member of the family.

The story takes place on the Santa Barbara, CA coast and the author beautifully sets the various scenes, making the reader feel as though she breathes the salty air while walking along the beach, strolls quaint streets of the water-front town, or skims along waves while sailing the Santa Barbara Channel.

Although the subject matter is serious, Home Fires is an enjoyable read. Kirscht handles the subject of a complicated dysfunctional family with finesse. The various facets of the story are believable with realistic dialog and situations. Home Fires is an excellent novel, one I enjoyed immensely. Even when I wasn’t reading it, the story was on my mind, trying to second-guess the outcome.

Home Fires is currently available in ebook format, but soon also will be available in paperback. For more information about Judith Kirscht, visit www.JudithKirscht.com

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Book Review: Think Like Your Dog

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Mary

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.
Roger Caras, as quoted in Think Like Your Dog: and Enjoy the Rewards

Dianna M. Young (with Robert H. Mottram) has shown with undeniable expertise the value of communicating with your dog in a language canines understand. In Think Like Your Dog: and Enjoy the Rewards, Young gives readers the step by step process necessary to have a canine companion to bond with in a rewarding relationship.

The most important lesson to be learned is that in every human and dog team, there is one leader and one follower. In a dog’s eyes, there is no in-between. Young clearly reiterates this principle throughout the book and gives understandable examples of how it can be achieved.

Think Like Your Dog discusses the important steps to take when your pup is first brought home, which ideally is not before eight weeks of age. Those first eight weeks with the pup’s mother assure that the puppy will get a strong foundation in tems of behavioral characteristics it will possess for the rest of its life. The next eight weeks with the new owner are critical in providing socialization skills, exposing him to people, kids, trains, buses, other dogs, noisy places, crowded places. Further, the pup should go through these experiences on his own four feet, not to be scooped up in the protective arms of his owner.

Each chapter in this valuable book discusses how a dog views the various elements of his life. The reader learns how a dog thinks through our verbal and body language, the senses and how all that relates to his comprehension. She discusses the various breeds and how they may differ when it comes to choosing a family pet. She talks about getting a dog as a puppy, or a mature dog and, in either case, how to proceed with meaningful training.

It’s important to have the proper dog equipment and in the book various types are illustrated and explained. Methods of training are outlined, with emphasis on positive reinforcement. The importance of a structured environment, patience and compassion are directly related to a successful dog and handler relationship.

Our chocolate lab Toby is 10 years old, yet I learned techniques in this book that we can use to enhance our family’s relationship with him. Not only that, I’ve learned the mistakes we’ve made, primarily relating to getting him too young, at five weeks, before he had that essential time with his mother.

Think Like Your Dog: and Enjoy the Rewards makes an ideal all-in-one reference book. It’s an enjoyable read with interesting stories and photos emphasizing the various principles Young teaches. For more information about the author and her training and boarding facility on Camano Island, visit: www.HowtoThinkLikeYourDog.com

Review: The Heart Trilogy

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Mary

In The Heart Trilogy, Carmen Peone has skillfully created three novels about a Native girl in the emerging American West. Filled with heart and compassion, the character Spupaleena grows in skill, knowledge, leadership, and in her relationship with her newly found Christian God.

Change of Heart

When Spupaleena, 13, runs away from her Arrow Lakes pit home near Eastern Washington’s Columbia River, she escapes from more than a bossy big sister. But she doesn’t consider the difficulty of traveling by foot in the dead of winter. Change of Heart is a story of survival, compassion, love and enduring faith.

Heart of Courage

Spupaleena,16,dreams of breeding and racing horses. Although her father is against her pursuing this male-dominated sport, Spupaleena feels that God has put into her heart the love of horses and that she is fulfilling her destiny. She receives a gift of a four year-old Tobiano stud colt that is ready to ride and a perfect match for Spupaleena’s enthusiasm and skill. Heart of Courage is a story of a girl determined to fulfill her destiny.

Heart of Passion

Spupaleena, now in her late teens, has built a stable of powerful race horses. Her team of relay racers are consistent winners, much to the chagrin of a vengeful boy. Passionate about her vocation, Spupaleena overcomes many obstacles, including both human and horse injuries. She turns to God for direction in how to handle her enemy, this boy who is determined to see her fail. Heart of Passion is a story of compassion, faith and determination.

Carmen Peone has written an engaging trilogy steeped in Native American and religious culture. She lives on the Colville Confederated Indian Reservation and has studied the language and customs of her husband’s people, the Sinyekst. With her American Paint horses she has competed in local Extreme Trail Challenges. It’s no wonder The Heart Trilogy rings true with knowledge and authority. For more information about the author, visit www.CarmenPeone.com