Book Review: The Guardian by Beverly Lewis

This is the first Beverly Lewis book I have ever read and, I guarantee you, it won't be the last. What a joy it was to immerse myself into the world of the Amish (Plain) people of Pennsylvania. I think most of us find ourselves wishing, at one time or another, that we lived in a simpler time or place. As you read this book, you can almost feel yourself relax into a completely different world.

In the opening pages, we meet widow Maryanna Esh and her four young children as they ride home one evening in their buggy. The youngest child, little four-year-old Sarah doesn't make it home, however, and Maryanna is understandably frantic. A massive search is undertaken almost immediately as word spreads throughout their close community but to no avail. Little Sarah is nowhere to be found.

We are then introduced to Jodi, a young woman who is house sitting in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for her cousin. She is still reeling from the death of her sister just six months prior and has decided to have nothing to do with God any longer. Although raised in a Christian home and engaged to a godly young man, Jodi finds herself feeling distant from those she loves as they encourage her to pray and turn to God for help. She is just not interested in having any conversations with a God who let her sister die. Jodi's life takes a major turn, however, when she goes out for a run and discovers little Sarah asleep by the side of the road, dressed only in her underwear, with a bump on her head.

When events take place that lead Jodi to the Amish community and Sarah back home, it quickly becomes apparent that God knows exactly what He is doing. We would do well to remember that too. I highly recommend this book.

**I was given an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give a positive review.**

I have been busy reading~

The Forever Year by Lou Aronica

Having fallen completely in love with two other stories from Lou Aronica (Until Again and Blue), I just couldn't wait to read this one. Here again, this author has crafted an amazing, touching story that will stay with me for a long time. Just like the main character in the book, I too was an "oops" baby, surprising my family with my presence. However, Jesse was a much bigger "oops", arriving twelve years after his nearest sibling. The resulting family dynamics left him feeling out of the loop, so to speak. He and his siblings are too far apart in age to relate and his father, Mickey, just can't figure out who he is or what to do with him. His mother, Dorothy is the only one who takes the time to nurture and understand her young son. Unfortunately she passes away unexpectedly and far too soon, leaving the family distant and disconnected.
When Mickey begins showing unmistakable signs of age, the four children get together to determine what needs to be done. The three oldest are way too busy to even consider anything besides dumping him into an assisted living home. However, Jesse, longing to get to know his father and develop a relationship with him, suggests that Mickey move in with him. Although his siblings dismiss his idea out of hand, he decides this is worth fighting for. When he lets Mickey in on the decision being made by the other three, his father decides to accept the better option and moves in with Jesse.
The remainder of the story follows the two of them as they learn about each other and how to live in the same space. The main focus comes about when Mickey insists on meeting Marina, Jesse's girlfriend. When Mickey recognizes the special relationship they have and yet realizes his son Jesse is too skeptical of the enduring quality of love to take it seriously, he makes the decision to tell Jesse about his own amazing love story ... and this story has nothing to do with Jesse's mother Dorothy. Since he tells the story in stages, as a reader I felt like taking his face in my hands and saying, "Just get on with it, will you?" I don't want to give any more of the story away so I will leave it at that. I guarantee you though that you will love this amazing story.




The Mine (Northwest Passage) by John A. Heldt

I absolutely loved this story, much more than I anticipated. Of course I assumed I would enjoy it; otherwise I never would have bothered to read it at all but what a pleasant surprise!
The story opens as we meet Joel Smith on Memorial Day in 2000. As a college senior just about to graduate, Joel is out celebrating with his best friend Adam, and his typical playful and risk-taking personality leads him to a decision that changes his life. While exploring an abandoned mine much to the chagrin of Adam, he stumbles upon an odd, glowing chamber and emerges from the mine in May of 1941. His money is dated far into the future, his cell phone doesn't work and his options are few. We go along for the ride as this smart, likable young man quickly adapts to his surroundings and turns a potential disaster into a surprising new life. As war threatens those he has come to love, he realizes he too may end up dying in a war that, in his world, is long over and simply part of history. When circumstances present him with the possibility of returning to the year 2000, what does he do? Does he go and lose the love of his life or does he remain and risk erasing his very existence? You'll have to read it for yourself, but I am sure you will not be disappointed. Highly recommended!

Review of "A Cast of Stones" by Patrick W. Carr

As a copyeditor I was too busy to read the advanced copy of "A Cast of Stones" when I received it at the end of last year. I only just got to it this weekend. 

This is the first in a three book series called "The Staff and The Sword." I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed my trip into the life and times of Errol Stone. From the very first pages, I was completely drawn into and committed to the outcome of the story. Each one of the characters in the story is well developed to the point where I could see and hear them in my mind. Patrick's descriptions weren't overly wordy or pretentious as I have found at times in other books but were just perfect to help me imagine the people, the scenes and the locations where the action occurs. And the action? Well, there is certainly plenty of that. The intensity of the fighting was enough to build suspense but not to the point of being overly frightening. I truly cared about Errol and Liam as well as several of the other characters and cannot wait to find out what happens in the next two books. I highly recommend reading this book.

Tyndale Blog Network review of "I Still Believe" by Jeremy Camp

I honestly had not heard this story prior to reading the book and although it was heartbreaking in one sense, it was encouraging in another. 
Born January 12, 1978, Jeremy Camp is a well-known Christian music artist with several popular songs under his belt. Growing up in a Christian family, Jeremy personally witnessed God's grace as a child through his parents' faith during times of intense financial poverty. His father played guitar and often led worship at church, encouraging Jeremy as a young teen to learn to play the guitar.
Without re-writing his story here, the book delves deeply into his struggles as a teen, his sense of God's hand on his life in college and on his relationship with his first wife Melissa. While on their honeymoon in October 2000, Melissa realized her fight with ovarian cancer might not be over and she succumbed in only a little over three months. Around her hospital bed immediately after she passed away, Jeremy's family along with Melissa's family began to praise God for the fact that He is good even in the midst of devastating circumstances, and although crushed, Jeremy joined in the praise. Thus began a long time of grief and healing for Jeremy as he learned to trust his Father in heaven with everything and, more importantly, everyone. Now married for the second time (December 2003), Jeremy tours and shares his story along with his music. More often than not, his wife and three children accompany him. Expect to need tissues as you read his story but beyond even that, expect your faith to be challenged.
Please note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, Tyndale House Publishers, in exchange for my review. I was not required to give a positive review.

Review of Amanda's Story by Brian O'Grady

Brian O'Grady is the newest person to join The Story Plant's growing group of authors. If you have been reading my blog for some time, you are aware that I have been copyediting for The Story Plant for several months now and I have been thoroughly impressed by the quality of the writing coming from this group. These are authors to watch.

I was recently given the opportunity to review Brian's newest book, Amanda's Story. It is the prequel to his best-selling debut novel, Hybrid. I finished reading Amanda's Story in just slightly over one sitting and immediately put Hybrid on my "must read" list! Wow! It reminded me somewhat of one of the few Stephen King books I have read. (He's a great author; I am just not into horror stories.) I won't mention it here because it would give too much of the story away and I don't want to do that. You have to read it for yourself.

The story begins in Pakistan, heads to Honduras, back to a remote location in the U.S. and finally ends up in Colorado Springs, Colorado with a few other stops here and there. Along the way we meet several interesting characters including terrorists, Red Cross workers, detectives, and of course Amanda herself.

The first chapter more than hints at the coming disaster, which is apparently even more completely fleshed out in Hybrid. Believe you me, it makes quite an appearance here though. Anticipating some rather gruesome developments, I was already on edge. We meet Amanda in the next chapter and find a likable but grief-stricken woman. She lost her parents as a child and has recently lost her husband and two-year-old son in a plane crash. One can't help but empathize with her as she tries to navigate her newly empty world.

With help from her in-laws with whom she is very close as well as her aunt, she decides to take a job with the Red Cross and is immediately assigned to go to Honduras after a huge hurricane has devastated the area. This is where the action really ramps up and keeps you on the edge of your seat, ripping through the pages and reading as fast as possible. At this point it is pretty much impossible to put down.

I had several emotions while reading this novel, not all of which were pleasant. Since I have no intention of including any spoilers in my review, I am simply going to tell you how Amanda and her experiences affected me personally. As I watched her grow and change throughout the book, I found myself alternately feeling sorry for her, wanting to hug her, being afraid for her, being scared to death of her, seriously disliking her and finally pulling for her as she had to figure out how to deal with her demons.

After getting a little distance from the book today, I had to come to the uncomfortable conclusion that my visceral reaction to Amanda had a good deal to do with relating to her in a way that I didn't want to admit. If we are honest with ourselves, we all have dark emotions and feelings that we are mostly successful in hiding from others. I too have always been "the good girl," following the rules, doing what was expected of me regardless of how I felt about it. However now that I am in my fifties with the accompanying hormones, I am finding it much harder to keep my mouth shut when I am unhappy about something, to always go along with the status quo if I don't like it, to be the one to give in. I honestly think I liked myself much better before ... I was certainly more pleasant to be around for everyone else. Most of the time, I truly was okay with it too. Confrontation is hard and messy. I don't like hard and messy but I seem to walk right into it now.

What if I could always do what I wanted with impunity? What if there was nothing anyone else could do to stop me? No consequences? Isn't that what we think we want? To always have our own way? Hmmm, maybe not such a good thing after all! Read Amanda's Story and you will understand what I mean.

(I was given a copy of this book by The Story Plant in exchange for my honest review but was not required to give a positive review.)

Tyndale Blog Network review of "A Voice in the Wind" by Francine Rivers

Incredible, thought-provoking historical novel~

I look again at the five words I used to introduce my review and find they don't even come close to explaining the depth and impact of this story. I have read other works of fiction by Francine Rivers and have found them all to be well above average.
I agree with another reviewer, in that this book is not for a young audience nor is it for the faint of heart. The book is filled to the brim with the worst of human nature. If one ever doubted that human beings without God are depraved, one doesn't need to look further than this book. The descriptions of the human heart's insatiable desire for sin are, unfortunately, all too accurate. And the parallels between the Roman culture in 70 A.D. and our current culture, not only in the United States, but in most of Western Europe are too obvious to ignore.
The main character is Hadassah, a young Jewish girl who has been sold into slavery after the destruction of Jerusalem, but the remaining characters are well-developed. Decimus and Phoebe Valerian are wealthy Roman citizens who purchase Hadassah as a slave for Julia, their petulant, strong-willed, fifteen-year-old daughter. Their son Marcus, several years older than Julia, is shrewd in business and handsome enough to attract the most beautiful girls, not hesitating to enjoy their intimate company until he gets bored and moves on to his next conquest. Marcus and Julia both have grown up surrounded by the debauchery of Rome and do not understand their parent's objections as they both, each in their own way, serve themselves without regard for others.
Although a Jew, Hadassah is a Christian, and we watch as her faith grows stronger with each page turn, through all her fears and failures as she continues to cry out to God, praying for the family she serves. She tries in vain to help her mistress, Julia, as she defiantly propels herself down a dark path of destruction. As the story progresses, Marcus finds himself irresistibly drawn to Hadassah as she selflessly and willingly serves not only Julia, but the entire family. I also can't neglect to mention Atertes, the young German captured by Roman soldiers and taken as a slave, trained to be a gladiator, and now fighting for his freedom with blood on his hands and heart.
After finishing this book, I immediately, and I do mean immediately, downloaded the remaining two books in the Mark of the Lion Series. When you make the wise decision to pick this book up, make sure you get the other two as well. If not, have your keys and wallet handy, ready to drive to the nearest bookstore the very second you read the last word on the last page. Woe to you if you finish the book at night when they are all closed. You will not want to wait for the store to open the next morning!

(I was given a copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review, but was not required to give a positive review.)

Tyndale Bloggers review of "Abducted" by Janice Cantore

Let me start by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. So much so that I have to admit I probably read it too fast! I just couldn't wait to find out what happened to Carly, Nick, A.J., etc. As I was reading this story, I soon realized it was the second book in a series and I hadn't read the first one yet. Ugh! I hate that, so as soon as I finished this one, I checked on Amazon in their Kindle store for the first book (Accused) and found that I had already downloaded it! I am now in the middle of that one as well.

Okay, on to my synopsis and review. The main character, Carly, is such a likable and believable person that the reader can't help but be drawn into her story as she struggles to find the path to reconciliation with her ex-husband Nick. Of course, Nick is struggling himself as he recovers from an injury (which I am sure I will find out about when I finish the first book!) that has put him on desk duty. Both of them are new christians and they are both trying to trust God in not only their relationship, but also in the middle of the main thrust of the story. Carly's partner Joe finds himself in an unthinkable situation—his sweet wife is unconscious in the hospital and the doctors have no idea why. When she was brought in an ambulance, their four-month-old baby boy A.J. was brought in as well for observation. However, someone managed to slip in, disable security systems, and slip out of the hospital with the baby! The closer Carly and Nick get to solving the mystery, the more dangerous it gets.

I don't want to say too much more and give anything away, but hopefully I have said enough to get you interested. It is a great book and I think you will love it. My husband is going to read it next. Hey, it's a cop story! What more could he want? Anyway, buy it ... you'll like it!

Please note: To comply with FTC regulations, it is important to mention that Tyndale House Publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

Tyndale Bloggers book review of "No Greater Love" by Levi Benkert

I knew I would love this book as soon as I saw the synopsis. My brother-in-law Ken and his wife Laurette have two little girls from China, and my nephew Nate and his wife Pam are currently waiting for their referral call for a child(ren) from Ethiopia. We also have several friends who either have, or are in the process of, adopting children from various corners of the globe. I thought it would be interesting to read about a couple who took it one step further and actually moved from the United States to a foreign country with the specific goal of helping orphans.
In the forward of the book, Levi states, "'this book does not end well." Quite frankly, I think it ends great! He wasn't afraid to put the highs as well as the lows of their journey in this book, and that is one of the main reasons why it is so amazing. As a reader, one can get tired of the perfectly predictable storybook endings, especially in non-fiction. Life is not pretty, and is more often than not, quite messy. I have learned to be suspect of an author's honesty when everything appears to tie up into a nice, perfect bow. Yes, God is behind the scenes, weaving together the tapestry of our lives, but it is normally only in hindsight that we can catch a glimpse of His intricate handiwork. When we are in the middle of the complicated situations of life, we often can't see our hand in front of our face. That openness is what Levi has given us in this book. The honest and at times heartrending story of his decision to move his family to Ethiopia.
Be prepared to learn some disturbing things you probably didn't know about the (hopefully) past culture of Ethiopia. You may need a box of tissue, especially if you are a mother. This book is well written, but be warned, once you pick it up you will have a hard time putting it down! If you have a heart for children, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Levi's story.

(I was given a copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review, but was not required to give a positive review.)

W: When Hummers Dream by Mara Purl

I have never before described any writing as "delicious", but honestly, I can't think of a better adjective to use in this case. I don't tend to enjoy books that have too much detail in the description of the locale or wardrobe of the characters or whatever. However, the prose here just feels like eye candy. I loved every minute as I read through this short story, and as a result, Ms. Purl has a new fan.


Although "When Hummers Dream" provides an introduction into the Milford-Haven series of novels, this short story can stand on its own. Right from the first pages, we meet artist Miranda and begin to see the world through her eyes. Actually, I think that is where the magic lies. For those of us that do not possess an artistic gift, this story allows us a glimpse into what that might be like. As she takes in her surroundings and begins to prepare to paint in her favorite garden restaurant, we the readers are ushered into her world and are allowed to experience it with her. When the hummingbird buzzes past, we can almost feel the breeze! Don't hesitate to buy this book -- you won't be sorry.

V: Veronica's Nap by Sharon Bially

I am supposed to be doing a book review on Veronica's Nap. Unfortunately, I haven't read it yet. Sigh...

The best I can do is give you the book description from Amazon. I think it sounds interesting—do you?

Veronica Berg has everything she needs to make her dream of becoming a painter come true: a charming home studio in Provence, a hard-working husband and a nanny who watches her two-year-old twins. Yet instead of painting she spends her days secretly indulging in lengthy naps. When her Moroccan-born, Sephardic husband grows impatient and challenges her to sell one painting, Veronica must find a way to break out of the seductive rut that's overtaken her life. Against the backdrop of the impending Iraq war, her journey reveals depression's sunny mask and the dark side of privilege and security.

U: Unraveling Ada by Barbara Sullivan

Quilts, coffee and murder ... what more could you want?


Although private investigator Rachel Lyons is the main character, the book is full of interesting characters ... interesting in more ways than one! As the newest member of a hand-quilting bee, Rachel quickly finds out that she was selected to participate in order to tap her skills as an investigator. After spending an entire night quilting with seven other women, she finds herself embroiled in a dark, family mystery that takes every ounce of her intelligence to solve, and more importantly, to stay alive.
This is a page turner that grabs you right from the beginning and won't let you go until you get to the end.


P.S. Sorry I missed posting this yesterday!

Tyndale Bloggers book review of "As One Devil to Another" by Richard Platt

(A to Z blog challenge readers—today's "S" post is right before this one!)

The front cover of this book declares, "A fiendish correspondence in the tradition of C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters." In the christian fiction genre, this is a perfectly accurate description of the book Mr. Platt has offered us.

Just like the Lewis book, the chapters are a series of letters between two demons. In this case we read correspondence from a "loving " uncle, Slashreap, to his nephew, Scardagger. The uncle is mentoring his young charge in the procedures to keep human souls out of Heaven and usher them into Hell. Satan is referred to as "His Infernal Majesty," and Jesus is called "The Adversary."

At the end of Chapter One, Slashreap suggests that his nephew study some articles in the Encyclopaedia Diabolica about such negative character traits as cowardice, doubt, despair and arrogance, and points out that they are cross-referenced with character traits we would consider virtues such as courage, faith, hope and charity. Although humorous in a way, the entire book prompts the reader to consider the fact that the forces of darkness are real, and as the Bible says, our enemy is prowling around like a lion ready to destroy us.

If you have read and enjoyed The Screwtape Letters, you will most certainly enjoy As One Devil to Another. (I was given a copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for a review, but was not required to give a positive review.)

I have also been given the opportunity to offer a free copy of As One Devil to Another. If you would like to have a chance to receive the free book, please comment and request your name be entered into the running. One week from today on April 28th, I will pick a random name from all entries and notify the winner shortly thereafter.

S: Silent Tears: A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage

I have two, soon to be three, nieces that have been adopted from Chinese orphanages. When I saw this book, I immediately knew I wanted to read it. I started this afternoon and basically did nothing until I was done except to warm up an already prepared dinner. I was simply astounded by the things I read. 
As a mother, grandmother and aunt, I simply cannot understand the lack of plain, human compassion that was described in the pages of this journal by Kay. It was heartening to see that by the end of the book, she recounted many changes that had occurred in the care and treatment of the orphans in the institution where she volunteered for the better part of four years. However, even though there was a lack of funds, too few hands for too much work, etc., in my mind, I cannot find any excuse for the cruelty she observed, especially ... ESPECIALLY ... to the handicapped and most needy children. 


I am so thankful for people like my brother-in-law and sister-in-law who are able to adopt these children and help them find the happiness they deserve within a loving family. If you aren't afraid to open your eyes and heart, I highly recommend reading this book. Have the tissues handy!

R: Reinventing Leona by Lynne Gentry

Such a heart-rending, and yet at the same time fun, account of the trials and tribulations experienced by a small town pastor’s wife, when her husband unexpectedly suffers a fatal heart attack during a Sunday morning sermon. Leona Harper has been the quintessential pastor’s wife—her entire identity and existence wrapped up in her husband and the church.
When the uncompassionate and self-important head deacon decides to immediately seek a new pastor as soon as Pastor Harper is buried, Leona finds herself in the position of seeking employment while coping with her all-consuming grief. She fully expects to be thrown out of the parsonage and essentially homeless very shortly, and were it not for an outspoken friend and members of her church who comes to her aid, she might very well have succumbed to her situation.
As if all this weren’t enough, she is estranged from her two children as well as her mother, the very people one would hope to be able to lean on with the loss of so much. Readers follow along as Leona rediscovers who she is as a person, and finds the strength and faith to face her circumstances.

P: PawPaw Patch by Janice Daugharty

The main character in this story is Chanell, but the supporting "character" is racism and the poison it spreads. The hypocrisy of the townspeople who, on one hand go to church with their Bibles, and on the other hand hold a profoundly unBiblical, racist attitude is disturbing to say the least. Chanell is shocked when she is all of sudden shunned by the entire community with the exception of her neighbor Archie and her sister-in-law Bell. She eventually finds that a supposed friend started a rumor that she is part black. Eventually she is forced to confront the unpleasant fact that she would have reacted the same way if the rumor had been about someone else. 


This may be a novel, but there is a stark truth existing between the lines -- a reality that still exists today in some circles. 
The language is a bit "spicier" than I prefer. Since this isn't a problem for everyone, I felt I needed to give an honest review in spite of my preferences.

N: The Noon God by Donna Carrick

This story is told through the eyes of the main character, Desdemona Fortune, or Mona for short. It begins with the death of her famous father, J. Caesar Fortune, and continues through his funeral plus a few days after. The family's history is told through Mona's flashbacks as she reads through her father's latest masterpiece, as well as other events that recall specific memories. The ending came as a total surprise which, in my opinion, says a lot about the author. 


I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and give it a heartfelt recommendation! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Sorry this is posted a day early. I got ahead of myself!

M: The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan

     I try very hard in my reviews NOT to always give 5 stars very often, simply because it would appear phony and misleading. I may enjoy a book, but that doesn't necessarily mean it deserves 5 out of 5 stars. That said, this one does in my humble opinion.

     This book pulled me in right from the very first pages, and kept me enthralled through the last page, and like so many others, left me wanting more -- much more! The characters were believable, and the author's depiction of small-town life made me feel as if I could walk on the streets and smell the baked goods coming from the door of the cafe'. Although I didn't want the story to end, the conclusion was well written. The main character, Mary, reminded me to some degree of my late mother, and I just wanted to reach through the pages and give her a hug. She wouldn't have wanted that, but I don't want to spoil the story, so enough said!

I highly recommend this book -- I think you will love it!

L: Lie Down in Green Pastures by Debbie Viguie

Let's get the editing issues out of the way first. This book needs to be re-edited badly. As others have noted, there are many instances of run-on words, which interrupts the flow of the story. However, there are also at least two sentences that don't make sense at all. This is much worse than a run-on word, as one has to stop and re-read the sentence a few times in order to figure out what the author meant. Of course, even the title is spelled wrong on Amazon! The book of the Bible is Psalm, not Pslam!

Now to the book itself. I would definitely not let the editing issues get in the way of reading this delightful book. We are, of course, back with Cindy and Rabbi Jeremiah in another quest to solve a mystery. The fact that Cindy now sees herself in that role -- one of a mystery solver rather than observer -- gets her into quite a bit of trouble as usual. Rabbi Jeremiah ends up in the middle again much to his dismay, this time not as a rescuer, but as one who needs rescuing ... sort of. I won't spoil the book, but as the mystery behind the rabbi deepens yet again, we find that he is quite capable of extricating himself from the situation.

This book actually leaves off with more mystery yet to be solved than the first two. I am excited that the next installment is due in ten days! I definitely recommend this series, and would suggest reading the first two before embarking on this one. Although the story could be a standalone, the reader will be missing so much if the others have not been read first.

K: The Killing of Train-Man Brown by Will Bevis

   This is a fascinating and touching story. Train-Man Brown loved his job sorting the mail aboard the mail train, and he was the best. He started as a young man, working on the mail trains for more than fifty years "... before they'd made him clear out and retire." His father was a train man before him, and when this way of life ended, Walker Brown's entire world collapsed.

   I had never heard of the mail trains before reading this short story. As my husband would say, "I don't want to think about what you weren't taught in school!" That said, I am so glad I read this book. The author gave me a good education in just a few short pages. To quote the book, "... he opened up a whole new world I'd never even known existed: the world of the mail trains. A world that's gone now."

J: The Journey Home by Michael Baron

   This book transitions back and forth between the main cast of characters on their personal journeys. Unless you simply don't enjoy this type of book, I believe you will come to care about each one as you walk through their stories with them.

   Joseph has lost his memory, and embarks on a mission to find his way home to his wife. Accompanying him is Will, a young man searching for his place in life.

   Warren is working his way through a divorce and unemployment, all the while desperately trying to show his love to his mother Antoinette. She is an elderly woman, losing her grip on life and reality a day at a time as she struggles with Alzheimers.

   The ending came as quite a surprise. Sure, I sensed some things weren't quite the way they appeared (don't want to give anything away here), but I still didn't anticipate the conclusion. I very much enjoyed this book.