You Were There Before My Eyes

You Were There Before My Eyes by Maria Riva. New York: Pegasus Books, 467 pages. ***** Publication Date - October 7, 2017.

The story begins, "The morning her mother died, Giovanna gave up on God." An only child, raised by a remote father and disciplined by the nuns in a quiet turn-of-the-century Italian village, Giovanna is determined to escape the inevitable future planned for her. When the brother of a friend returns to the village to choose a wife with certain qualities for a perfect marriage. When his chosen fiance turns him down, Giovanna volunteers to marry Giovanni and travel with him to America to start a new life as his wife.
Nothing prepares Giovanna for Ellis Island and the train journey to Detroit where her new husband works in the Ford factories. Renaming themselves, Jane and John, they are determined to fit into life in their new neighborhood and the culture surrounding employment in the Ford factory. Henry Ford has strong opinions about how his employees should behave and rewards those who are married. It is 1913 and the factory is installing the first assembly line to produce the Model T. John, a leader among his immigrant friends at the factory, is optimistic about the many opportunities available by working at the plant. Jane is determined to be a good wife to John and to make him proud of her, even if the many norms and customs in America are strange to her. With the advent of World War I, their world becomes one of suspicion, loss, and betrayal.

I knew nothing about this time period and the workings of the Ford factory, but I was absolutely captivated by this love story. Riva introduces us to everyday life for the poor working class at the turn of the century. The factory workers who revere the owners and those who covertly meet to push the "union" agenda. Immigrants who come to America believe that if one works hard enough, a better life and prosperity will be theirs. Being a family historian and ggggrandaughter of Irish immigrants, I am fascinated by the hardships, friendships, and relationships that they formed when they arrived in America. Riva gives us a glimpse into how it really does take a village to survive as an immigrant. Hannah, the landlady, takes Jane under her wing, befriends, and counsels her. The best historical fiction transports me to a time and place and I become lost in that other world, Jane and John's story does that for me.


I received an ecopy for a review.


Maria Riva was born in Berlin in 1924 and is the only child of Marlene Dietrich.  Maria performed in Germany and Italy as part of a USO troupe during World War II and taught acting at Fordham University upon her return to the United States.  She has performed on Broadway, radio, television, and film and has been nominated for an Emmy. Maria continues an active life in California and spends time visiting her sons and grandchildren. 

Enigma

Enigma by Catherine Coulter. New York: Gallery Books, 2017. 311 pages. ***** Published September 12, 2017.

In this latest FBI novel, Agents Savich and Sherlock race against time to free a pregnant woman held hostage by an armed stranger. When Savich saves Kara Moody from the crazy man who claims to be protecting her, Savich discovers a convoluted plot by a scientist to enable his father and others to live forever. At the same time, Wittier and Cabot track a violent criminal who has escaped during a well-planned rescue. Throw in the murder of the girlfriend of the President's Chief of Staff's only son and all bets are off.

Coulter once again delivers a heart-thumping, roller coaster of a ride. Her plots are involved and believable with likeable characters. This is her 21st FBI novel and I hope there will be many more from her. It's not easy to develop two plots simultaneously with strong alpha characters and create believable scenes and romantic situations. Make sure you have the time to finish this one once started because you are not going to want to put it down.

I received an ecopy for review.

Catherine Coulter is the New York Times bestselling author of 75 books. She lives in Sausalito, California. To learn more...http://www.catherinecoulter.com

A Dangerous Woman From Nowhere

A Dangerous Woman From Nowhere by Kris Radish. Tempe: Booksparks, 2017. 272 pages. ****
(Paperback- September 12th 2017.)

Briar Logan has finally found the love of her life only to see him kidnapped by lawless gold miners. Having survived a horrific childhood and life on the western frontier in the 1860s, Briar is determined to save her husband and return to the solace of their ranch. The harsh realities of the elements -- cold, snow, and gold thieves, whiskey runners, etc. force Briar to allow Jack and Percy to accompany her to the mines to save Logan. Jack, a damaged young man, and Percy, a notorious female horse trainer, prove their worth when Briar is injured and suffers a concussion. This unlikely trio forms a bond of love, courage, and resilience in an unforgiving world, however, is it enough to save Logan and bring him home?

Kris Radish's work always incorporates strong female characters. Pushed to their limits, they prove their worth in the face of extreme adversity. Every woman in the story has an important role in the survival of each other and Briar and Percy are no exceptions to this premise. I have liked her writing since the first book I read, The Elegant Gathering of White Snows. It's hard to believe that Kris is terrified of horses since Briar has a special relationship with her horse, Willow. This is a story of survival and love. Escapism at its best.

A received an ecopy for a review.

Kris Radish is the author of eleven novels and three works of nonfiction. A former journalist, nationally syndicated columnist, and university instructor, Radish is terrified of horses but has wanted to be a cowgirl her entire life. She lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, but readily admits her heart is in the mountains and the spirit of Mika is lurking her west. When she's not polishing her boots, Radish is working on a nonfiction book, a compilation of her poetry, her next two novels, and some really great stories to share around the campfire in Montana.

#historicalfiction #westernfrontierfiction

Fredrik Backman

 

Every once in awhile, I read an author by happenstance and then want to read everything published by that author. Sometimes, it doesn't even matter if I read the books in the order in which they were published, I just want to read them.

Reluctantly, I read A Man Called Ove and fell in love with Fredrik Backman. I say reluctantly because usually if a book is a best seller or everyone is raving about it, I can't relate to it or don't like it. Which is really embarrassing when I read a lot and review all of the time. Being out of sync in my thoughts with others usually ends in their disappointment in my opinion or somehow I fall short in their idea of what a good book should be. The book, The Shack, falls into that category. It is equally frustrating when I love an author or book and friends are "meh" about it. 

However, I totally relate to Backman's characters, his stories, his portrayal of people who exhibit OCD characteristics and his sense of humor. Maybe because I am of a certain age and can understand how Britt-Marie wants to be remembered. Britt-Marie sees everything as black and white. Everything and everyone has a place and there is an order to her universe. Some of her conversations with the unemployment office made me laugh out loud. She once read about someone who died and wasn't found right away, this story and her sister's death has a profound impact on her. I love the ending of Britt-Marie it is extremely satisfying and just right. 

I read Britt-Marie Was Here before my grandmother asked me to tell you she's sorry and was informed by a friend that I should have read Britt-Marie second. Yes, that probably would have been helpful, but they can be read out of order and still make sense. 

my grandmother asked me to tell you she's sorry is a Narnia like story of a special bond between a grandmother and her eleven-year-old granddaughter. Out of all of his books, this one was a slow starter for me, maybe because of the Narnia feel and how much I love those books. The fact that it is a story of hope, love, and the cycle of life told in Backman's style elevated it to mythological proportions with the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas. 

I thoroughly enjoyed both of these books and was sorry when they ended. However, I have Beartown on reserve at the  Public Library and look forward to reading it as soon as it becomes available. 

Fredrik Backman's stories have been published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. His most recent novel is Beartown.

#fredrikbackman #brittmariewashere #mygrandmotheraskedmetotellyoushessorry 

Ibotta

My daughter introduced me to Ibotta while we were on vacation. She is one savy shopper and has racked up savings/rebates of 400.00. I've decided to try it out for 6 months and see if I actually accumulate any savings.

She sent me a link with a special code...I get a 10.00 bonus for signing up and she gets 5.00 when I sign up.

My first day shopping...with the addition of the 10.00, I accumulated 12.00 in savings.

• 1.50 rebate on Clorox wipes at Walmart
• .50 just for scanning my cash register receipt at Walmart

The second day, I received notification that I will get an .88 credit for buying an item through Amazon.

I also found a blog that has strategies for saving even more. Click here to learn how. I hadn't realized that I could purchase the same item more than once to take advantage of an offer by paying separately. 

I can with draw my earnings through a PayPal Account once my balance reaches 20.00. 

I will continue to blog about this experience for the next six months, if you are using this App also, please share your experience. I f you would like to sign up...use my referral code and we both get rewarded...xcxsqbd If you do decide to sign up, let me know because there is a "teamwork" feature and we can get additional bonuses.

#ibotta

Down A Dark Road

Down A Dark Road (A Kate Burkholder Novel) by Linda Castillo. New York: Minotaur Books, 2017. 253 pages. *****

In this latest addition to the Kate Burkholder series, Chief of Police Kate is ambushed by an escaped killer who holds her hostage with his young children. Complicating the situation is the convicted killer is her childhood friend and first crush who claims that he is innocent and he has been framed. Caught between her previous Amish life and her search for justice, Kate doesn't know who or what to believe. If Joseph is innocent, Naomi's killer is still out there and may have been seen by 3-year-old Sadie. It doesn't help that during the hostage negotiations, a compromising picture is taken of Kate and Joseph and Kate is placed on restrictive duty. This does not stop her from uncovering corruption, drugs, and the abuse of power before the murderer is finally identified.

I received an ecopy for a review.

I read this book in one day at the beach and thoroughly enjoyed it. Fast, moving plot, that had some unexpected turns, Kate is at her best ignoring protocol and seeking justice for Joseph and Naomi King. Castillo through this series adds a small insight into the world and thoughts of the Amish. The emotional involvement of Kate takes the story to a new level of complexity and interferes with Kate's judgment. Sometimes when an author writes a series revolving around the main character, it can become stale and redundant...not so with this series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but I suggest you start with book one, Sworn to Silence. 

To learn more about Linda Castillo, click http://www.lindacastillo.com. To read the books in order, http://www.bookseriesinorder.com/kate-burkholder/

#kateburkholderseries  #downadarkroad

Exposed

Exposed (A Rosato & DiNunzio Novel) by Lisa Scottoline. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2017. 351 page. ****

In this latest Rosato & DiNunzio novel, Mary and Bennie are at a crossroads. Mary agrees to represent a childhood friend who has been let go from his job for poor performance. Simon, Mary's client, has a daughter in Children's Hospital, Philadelphia, who is in need of a bone marrow transplant. Her partner, Bennie, is on retainer with the parent company and sees Mary's client as being a conflict of interest for their partnership. They agree to disagree until it becomes apparent to both of them that Mary must leave the practice in order to adequately defend her client from a countersuit. The story takes an unexpected turn when one of the accuser's of Mary's client turns up dead and time is running out for Mary to prove that her friend is not a murderer.

Lisa loves to take a social issue, in this case, a father is supposedly fired from his job because of the high cost of his daughter's health costs. The affordability and availability of health care is a current hot button for many and Lisa captures the emotions of the frustrated parent who cannot cure his daughter. The book is dedicated "to the physicians, nurses, and staff of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia." My son was a patient there when he was a baby and Lisa has recreated the feelings of helplessness and hope that exists amid the chaos and pain. The scenes with Mary's father and his friends are always funny and representative of neighborhood Philly. This story is a compelling summer read.

I received an electronic and a hardcover copy for a review.

Lisa Scottoline is a New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author of twenty-eight novels. She has 30 million copies of her books in print in the United States, she has been published in thirty-five countries, and her thrillers have been optioned for television and film. Lisa also writes a weekly column with her daughter, Francesca Serritella, for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and those stories have been adapted into a series of bestselling memoirs, the first of which is entitled Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog. Lisa lives on a Pennsylvania farm with an array of disobedient pets. Visit Lisa at www.Scottoline.com, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @LisaScottoline.

#exposed #rosatoanddinunzio