Book Review: The Boarding House

Marcia Melton’s The Boarding House (Raven Publishing) brings the early 1900’s to life. Although listed as a Young Adult novel, adults will also love this slice of Montana history.

When eleven year-old Emmie Hynes’ father dies in a mining accident, her world changes forever. In those days, mining companies didn’t take financial responsibility for families of injured or killed miners. The small family–her twelve year-old brother Conrad, her mother and Emmie–move from Butte to a small town across the mountains to Philipsburg, Montana to run a boarding house.

The family scrapes by. Conrad’s slacking off of chores comes to an abrupt halt when his scheme to earn money backfires. Both children support their widowed mother, still fragile from their father’s death. In addition to running the boarding house, Emmie’s mother works with mine officials for financial benefits for families of miners. In addition, Emmie’s mother also supports the growing suffrage movement and takes her children to rallies.

When the owner of the boarding house dies, it looks as though the little family will lose their new-found security. Although the children try to be helpful, there is no way they can close the looming financial gap that faces them. How will this family survive?

The author’s library and teaching experience serve her well. The Boarding House
is written with knowledge of the life and times of the era. The novel is a fun read, yet readers are reminded of many things we now take for granted, such as workers’ compensation and women’s right to vote. This excellent story was inspired by the experiences of the author’s mother and uncle. I recommend this novel for all ages.

Book Review: Crossed Trails

Crossed Trails (Whiskey Creek Press) by Eunice Boeve is a fast-paced, skillfully crafted and exciting western.

After trailing a herd of longhorns from Texas to Montana, Joshua Ryder is determined to settle near the Pacific Ocean, a place where no one would know his father was a violent outlaw and his mother a prostitute.

In the spring of 1877, Josh begins his journey west when he encounters a Nez Perce woman and her newborn baby. The woman is unresponsive and unable to care for her new-born on her own. He feels obligated to do what he can and takes them to Virginia City, Montana. Knowing the town will not welcome an Indian woman, he finds a home for them with an old washerwoman, Jesse, who has met with an accident and is unable to work. In order to pay the woman for board, Josh takes on whatever work he can find. Their lives are further complicated when a little Chinese girl joins the make-shift family.

As their lives become entwined, Josh’s intentions to move on become more distant. With all these complications, he can’t in good conscience leave. Adding to their hardships, the old woman becomes ill and Josh must hire someone to take care of her, the Nez Perce woman and her child, plus the little Chinese girl.

As much as he tries to avoid admitting it, Josh is smitten with Jolene, the young woman he hires to help. But a relationship is impossible. He won’t subject her to someone with his past. In any event, if she knew about his parents, she wouldn’t want anything to do with him.

Along comes Eli, the old woman’s worthless grandson, and their world turns from troubled to dangerous. Josh is framed for a murder. He could run from the law, probably successfully. Or he could stay and face his accusers. But can he hide from his past? In either case, he’s bound to lose those he’s come to love.

Crossed Trails is a sequel to Ride a Shadowed Trail, though each book stands alone. Boeve provides the reader with enough of the first story’s details to enhance the threads of the second. Boeve is a gifted storyteller and knowledgeable about the times and mannerisms of the era.

To learn more about the author, visit www.euniceboeve.net

Book Review: Broken for You

Broken for You (Grove Press) by Stephanie Kallos is a beautifully crafted debut novel, a story of repair, healing and redemption

Elderly Margaret Hughes lives alone in the Seattle mansion where she spent her childhood, surrounded by valuable antiques her father collected. She can identify each object and spends her days alone, caring for her house and its precious contents.

Wanda Schultz, although able to capably function professionally, is nursing a broken heart. Her only goal in life is to find her boyfriend who has left her to “find himself.” Abandoned as a child and now as an adult, she clings to the idea of what never seems possible to her, a solid relationship.

Margaret learns she has a terminal illness and forms a plan to take in a boarder. Wanda, who, after her boyfriend left, is living at the YWCA, takes up residence with Margaret. Although their relationship is formal at first, they soon form a bond.

The population in the mansion increases as one person after another finds their way to Margaret’s home, each contributing a vital role. Although on some level Margaret knows where many of her antiques came from, she is suddenly faced with the horror and guilt that they had once been possessions of European Jews and confiscated by Nazis. The household bonds in their determination to do the right thing by these stolen treasures.

This novel is many things, but primary are the importance of family and the power of forgiveness. The many irresistible characters Kallos has woven into this memorable tale all have a story, but eventually their paths lead to the same destination.

Raised in Seattle, I loved the setting and could picture the author’s vivid sense of place. Kallos furnishes just the right amount of detail, so that readers not familiar with Seattle will have an understanding of the area.

Broken for You is a moving, endearing story of survival and triumph.

Book Review: Stone Heart’s Woman

Stone Heart’s Woman (Wild Rose Press Publication) by Velda Brotherton is a finely crafted historical romance. Brotherton’s vivid descriptions quickly bring the reader into the thick of the story, whether it’s a passionate love scene, or a stark, frozen landscape.

Seriously injured in battle, Stone Heart, the son of a Cheyenne woman and George Armstrong Custer, painfully makes his way to what appears to be an abandoned sod house.

Aiden Conner, deserted by her financ , is run out of town in the dead of winter as a “loose woman.” After walking a distance and nearly freezing, she seeks shelter in a run-down soddy. To survive she must build a fire in the pot-belly stove and goes out to collect wood. When she returns, she finds a fierce blonde-haired Indian.

At first, Stone Heart speaks only his native tongue, having made a vow that he would never again speak the language of his father. It becomes clear that in order to survive, Stone Heart must accept the help of Aiden to treat his wounds. Likewise, Aiden needs his help to survive the wilderness.

Stone Heart is filled with hate for his father who betrayed the Cheyenne. His people have been forced from their land, starved and slaughtered. He lived with his mother until he was twelve, then sent away to be educated in white schools, passing as a white boy. He knows both worlds and has returned to live the life of a Cheyenne to do what he can for his people.

Aiden wants only to return to the safety of her family in the East. But once Stone Heart speaks English and they converse, they find a passionate attraction. But it appears to be a hopeless love–they have opposite goals and neither wants to interfere with the other’s plans.

A gifted story teller, Brotherton weaves an unforgettable tale. Stone Heart’s Woman passionately describes the plight of the Indian and the ensuing terror on the frontier.

To learn more about the author, visit www.VeldaBrotherton.com

Book Review: The Proof is in the Poodle

The Proof is in the Poodle: One Veterinarian’s Exploration into Healing by Donna Kelleher, DVM, gives readers a chance to explore alternatives to traditional treatment for ailing dogs, cats and horses. Kelleher seeks to treat the whole animal, the physical, emotional and spiritual facets of their lives.

In her youth, Kelleher works on Saturdays with Iris, a neighborhood healer. Gardening with Iris, Kelleher learns the healing qualities of plants, how to preserve them, how to prepare them to make teas or salves. From Iris, she also learns that public opinion isn’t as important as following your heart.

While attending Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Kelleher becomes aware of certain practices that are contrary to what she believes would be better, more effective healing treatments. She finds the common practice of dispensing chemicals repugnant, of euthanasia as being a choice too easily taken.

Kelleher becomes further trained in veterinary acupuncture and chiropractic medicine and becomes a member of the Veterinarian Botanical Medical Association. Using these skills along with those she learned from Iris, her childhood mentor, she finds ways to holistically treat animals without pharmaceutical intervention.

Not everyone will agree with Dr. Kelleher’s views. Eking out another week of an old dog’s life may be difficult for many to grasp. But to cure a disease with herbs rather than with chemicals that often introduce harmful side-effects, may make sense to many.

The Proof is in the Poodle: One Veterinarian’s Exploration into Healing offers well-founded viewpoints on healing. Whether or not you’d want to take this path, the small volume offers enlightened opinions on healing and treating the whole animal. The book is written with humor and heart.

To learn more about Donna Kelleher, DVM, visit www.wholepetvet.com

Book Review: The Egg Rocker

The Egg Rocker by Jack Gunter takes you from tranquil Camano Island, WA to the jungles of South America, with hair-raising stops in between. The fast-paced novel is the second in the Wally Winchester Adventure series.

Wally Winchester makes a winning on-line bid on an antique chair, an egg rocker and he naively plans to go to South America to pick it up. As it happens, his live-in partner, Rae Roberts, a professional photographer, has a photo shoot assignment from National Geographic in Chile, so they travel together. Wally leaves Rae in Chile and drives a rented truck to collect his treasured chair from South America. The chase is on.

Wally picks up the chair, but then is drawn to other antiques, European artifacts stored in old barns or run-down shops in unsavory parts of various towns. Later, Wally is joined by an old friend, a recently retired Russian who worked for a United Nations agency recovering stolen national properties. Together Wally and Yvgeney scour shops in the South American countryside, seeking antiques. Along the way, Yvgeney’s investigative background begins to surface, revealing alarming facts.

The story maintains high-pitched excitement as the two antique dealers weave themselves into a web of underground intrigue. When they finally return to Camano Island, their troubles aren’t far behind.

The author, a well-known northwest artist, is also an antique collector, so speaks with authority on the subject. His sense of humor, together with his knowledge of antiques make for a fascinating read. The three book series, Original Finish, The Egg Rocker, and Mother of God, all deal with mystery and intrigue. They’re meaty, complex mysteries that provide scary moments with plenty of laughter thrown in.

To learn more about the author, visit www.JackGunterArt.com.

 

Book Review: The Inheritors

The Inheritors, a novel by Judith Kirscht’s (New Libri Press), offers thought-provoking views of challenges and conflicts between nationality, class and race.

Alicia Barron attends the funeral of her dearest girlhood friend, the friend’s husband and their child who were killed in an automobile accident. Although once as close as kin, she finds herself an outsider now, not only to this family, but even to her own mother. This animosity dates back to Alicia’s college years when she participated in the violent Vietnam War demonstrations.

Raised Latino, Alicia never knew her Chilean father who was killed in Korea before she was born. With her dark hair and eyes, she never suspected she was anything but Latino. Even when asked, her mother didn’t share information about her own background, but simply lived in the moment. Alicia and her mother were a pair without history, without relatives, but still, her mother insisted, were a family.

After a long absence, Alicia has returned to the working-class Chicago community where she was raised and she teaches at the same elementary school she attended. Alicia and fellow teacher Ricardo Moreno are in love and share many of the same interests.

Alicia inherits an old, run-down mansion, an estate left by a Chicago industrialist whom she eventually discovers was her grandfather, her mother’s father. She learns that her mother was the daughter of an Italian woman and a white father. Delving into her past, she discovers a line of women who fought and overcame the battles of nationality, class and race.

When she shares her discovery with Ricardo, he is upset and wants her to reject her gringo roots. Their love is threatened and Alicia must decide what path she will take. Should she investigate further and work with her new status? Or, should she follow Ricardo’s desire and pretend she never made the discovery?

The Inheritors is a well-researched book, written about bias, though without bias. It was an eye-opener to me to learn views of some Latinos who live in a diverse, industrial city like Chicago, at least how it was in the 1960’s and 1980’s. Kirscht handles flashbacks smoothly, giving plausible reasons for misunderstandings and conflicts. This is an important novel that reveals views from a fresh perspective.

The Inheritors is currently available as an ebook and is scheduled to be published in print in the fall. To learn more about the author, visit www.JudithKirscht.com.

 

 

Book Review: On Chesil Beach

On Chesil Beach (Anchor Books), a novella by Ian McEwan, is a burst of fresh air, a book that swiftly moves along and took my heart with it.

Both virgins on their wedding night, Florence and Edward can only imagine what the evening will hold. They eat dinner in the honeymoon suite as they gaze out onto Chesil Beach. Florence tries not to think about what will soon happen; Edward hopes he’ll know what to do and when to do it.

The book, set in England in 1962, flashes back to when they met and how their love gradually blossomed. Although a university graduate, Edward’s vocation was still illusive. Florence, however, never doubted her choice as a professional musician. Their differences melt away as their love develops.

Back to their wedding night, Edward anxiously begins to make love as he has so often fantasized. Florence, overwhelmed with this sudden closeness feels herself mentally backtracking. The inevitable plays itself out, but not as they expect.

I found this small book haunting, yet filled with compassion. McEwan is a master at detachment while evoking intimate details. On Chesil Beach is a profound novel, a story that demonstrates that what isn’t said can transform lives.

 

 

Book Review: Starlight Rescue

Starlight Rescue by Leslee Breene, a Contemporary Western Romance, is a story of a woman with a big heart, and a big debt.

Veterinarian Kimberly Dorn, runs a Wyoming ranch on which she keeps rescued animals, mostly horses and llamas. She’s facing a large loan payment and the threat of greedy land developers. Gabe Trent, from Montana, is a wildlife photographer and filmmaker who needs a temporary place to stay while working in the area, and rents a building on Kimberly’s ranch.

Sparks are ignited, but Kimberly must keep reminding herself that Gabe is just passing through. One of the highlights of the book is when a llama gives a complicated birth and Kim and Gabe assist.

The intriguing love interest is well handled. Breene also does a good job of portraying the personalities of the animals in her charge. Readers have an opportunity to learn about horses, llamas, and emus as Kimberly conducts her daily business.

Starlight Rescue is a fun read, full of life’s passions, compassion, and vivid Wyoming landscapes. For more information about the author, visit www.LesleeBreene.com.

 

 

Book Review: Chalk Dustings

 

Chalk Dustings by Gloria MacKay is a rare slice of homespun philosophy. MacKay’s unique view of life, evident on every page of poignant poetry and insightful prose, is sometimes charming, sometimes witty. Her wisdom gives you something to think about while recognizing life as a mixed bowl of beans.

MacKay’s poetry, laced with wisdom and observations, is rich with truisms. She shares with us heart-warming wisdom that only someone who has really lived can do.

Scattered throughout the book, short prose defines life according to Gloria MacKay. She manages to impart amusing yet milestone moments that have defined the person she is. One of my favorites is the last, “Salt Is More Than a Seasoning,” in which she shares her love for Puget Sound. The piece gives life to a body of water that many would take for granted. It ends:

Puget Sound is family. I dunk my fingers in it and splash in it and taste it and float on it and dig around the edges. It gets into my lungs and clings to my hair. I always have. I always will. It suits me.

Chalk Dustings is a book you’ll put in a special place, the kind of book you’d be proud to give to someone special in your life. Chalk Dustings, published by Aquillrelle, is available through www.Lulu.com.