The Summer's End is the 3rd book in the Lowcountry tiology. The series tells the story of 3 half sisters drawn back to the grandmother's summer home on Sullivan's Island, SC. Mamaw and her housekeeper companion, Lucille, are hoping to cement the young women's friendship as well as lure them back to the Lowcountry.
While each book can stand alone, it is much more rewarding to read them in order and fully understand the back story as you move to the next book.
In book 3, The women are struggling with the death of Lucille, Mamaw's impending move to an assisted living home, and, the sale of her beloved home, Sea Breeze. Dora is moving to her own home in order to enroll her son in a special school for children with autism. Carson is coming to term with her pregnancy and how to proceed with her life as a single mother, and Harper is struggling with wanting to be a writer and falling under the thumb of her mother to return to New York and her mother's publishing firm as an editor.
This is a romance novel, a call for environmental responsibility, a shout out to a more relaxed time and place, and a coming of age novel. Ms. Monroe has created full-body characters, a setting that is beautiful and challenging, and a story that is entertaining as well as intelligent. More than just a good summer read, this series leads you through the lives and loves of 5 interesting women. I highly recommend with 5 stars.
Showing posts with label Aging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aging. Show all posts
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Saturday, May 9, 2015
In Vertigo of Silence
In Vertigo of Silence
This debut novel by Miriam Polli is a multi-generational exploration of the effects of secrets and fear on 3 generations of women. This saga addresses important issues of alcoholism, abuse, adultery, mental illness and death. It follows a young woman, her mother, aunts and grandmother. It shows the effects of long-held secrets and makes you examine your own values and beliefs.
For a debut novel, this is a well-written crafted work, worthy of a much more experienced writer. If you enjoy character exploration, you will love In Vertigo of Silence.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.
This debut novel by Miriam Polli is a multi-generational exploration of the effects of secrets and fear on 3 generations of women. This saga addresses important issues of alcoholism, abuse, adultery, mental illness and death. It follows a young woman, her mother, aunts and grandmother. It shows the effects of long-held secrets and makes you examine your own values and beliefs.
For a debut novel, this is a well-written crafted work, worthy of a much more experienced writer. If you enjoy character exploration, you will love In Vertigo of Silence.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.
Monday, September 29, 2014
The Gifts of Christmas
I have received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for writing a review. This is my personal and true opinion of this book.
All of the Ballad books must be read with a suspension of disbelief. There are hints at spirits present, miracles done, and knowledge known.
Christmas Past is a novella that weaves two separate but related stories from the mountains of North Carolina.
When the house next to Nora Bonesteel is purchased after years of being empty, many memories of Nora's youth are stirred, the new owners experience some difficult to explain episodes, and Nora communicates with her memories to find a solution to ending the upsetting episodes.
At the same time, on Christmas Eve, Sheriff Spencer Arrowwood and Deputy Joe LeDonne are assigned the unpleasant job of issuing a warrant on a gentleman who lives far into the mountains on a night when snow is closing in.
If you enjoy Appalachian life, a bit of magic and good-feelings in your Christmas stories, this book is for you. Each of the Ballad books are fascinating and can be read independently. Enjoy!
All of the Ballad books must be read with a suspension of disbelief. There are hints at spirits present, miracles done, and knowledge known.
Christmas Past is a novella that weaves two separate but related stories from the mountains of North Carolina.
When the house next to Nora Bonesteel is purchased after years of being empty, many memories of Nora's youth are stirred, the new owners experience some difficult to explain episodes, and Nora communicates with her memories to find a solution to ending the upsetting episodes.
At the same time, on Christmas Eve, Sheriff Spencer Arrowwood and Deputy Joe LeDonne are assigned the unpleasant job of issuing a warrant on a gentleman who lives far into the mountains on a night when snow is closing in.
If you enjoy Appalachian life, a bit of magic and good-feelings in your Christmas stories, this book is for you. Each of the Ballad books are fascinating and can be read independently. Enjoy!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Fear of Aging
I had a very vivid dream last night, so vivid I wanted to call my friend and make sure she wasn't really angry with me. Let me explain:
In my dream one of my best friends had hired me to help her with a PR project for her business. We had discussed the possibility a few times, but I was now "officially" meeting with her to get started.
She mentioned an idea we had floated at an earlier discussion, and I could remember none of the details. I asked her to refresh my memory, and she was rather short with me, saying something to the effect that had our pervious meetings been a waste of time. I was taken aback since we usually got along very well. I chalked it up to her having a bad day. But as we proceeded, it became obvious we had gone into a lot of detail in our previous chats, and I remembered none of it. My friend ended up walking away in disgust.
And then I woke up.
After my first thought that I needed to call my friend for reassurance, I realized how foolish that was, and, began to think about what it meant to me. It was all very obvious. My friend represented my competent, professional self, and I represented my current fears. I have been having greater and greater memory problems. I can't think of common, everyday words several times a day. I have always been bad with names of people I only see occasionally, but now it is happening with people I know well but don't see very often.
I have a fairly deep fear of developing dementia. I can't imagine the hell it must be for a productive person to gradually forget how to do things and who people are. My biggest, deepest fear is that I would lose my relationship with God and not recognize His presence with me or experience His comfort any more. And I certainly do not want to lose touch with my family and friends. ANd I don't want to put them through the heart-wrenching experience of my body still being present but the person they know and love not being there anymore.
My current walking program is partly to help stave off dementia as long as possible. I know I have good genes. My grandmother was alert and mentally "present" until a few days before her death. Pretty much the same with my mother. My dad died very young (52), but his mother lived into her 90's and still recognized her children when she died. So Alzheimer's does not run in the family. But I also know that physical and mental activity help decrease the chances of developing dementia.
It is my spiritual fear that runs the deepest. I do not want to let fear run my life, so I keep asking God for faith to believe He will be with me no matter where my life turns. And I am comforted by that, because I know there has never been a moment in my life thus far where He has abandoned me; even in those times when I didn't "feel" His presence, I knew on a deeper level that He was there. I am going to trust that this will be true until I take my dying breath. And then, I will be with Him!
 |
| Grandma Stengl 1955 |
She mentioned an idea we had floated at an earlier discussion, and I could remember none of the details. I asked her to refresh my memory, and she was rather short with me, saying something to the effect that had our pervious meetings been a waste of time. I was taken aback since we usually got along very well. I chalked it up to her having a bad day. But as we proceeded, it became obvious we had gone into a lot of detail in our previous chats, and I remembered none of it. My friend ended up walking away in disgust.
And then I woke up.
After my first thought that I needed to call my friend for reassurance, I realized how foolish that was, and, began to think about what it meant to me. It was all very obvious. My friend represented my competent, professional self, and I represented my current fears. I have been having greater and greater memory problems. I can't think of common, everyday words several times a day. I have always been bad with names of people I only see occasionally, but now it is happening with people I know well but don't see very often.
I have a fairly deep fear of developing dementia. I can't imagine the hell it must be for a productive person to gradually forget how to do things and who people are. My biggest, deepest fear is that I would lose my relationship with God and not recognize His presence with me or experience His comfort any more. And I certainly do not want to lose touch with my family and friends. ANd I don't want to put them through the heart-wrenching experience of my body still being present but the person they know and love not being there anymore.
My current walking program is partly to help stave off dementia as long as possible. I know I have good genes. My grandmother was alert and mentally "present" until a few days before her death. Pretty much the same with my mother. My dad died very young (52), but his mother lived into her 90's and still recognized her children when she died. So Alzheimer's does not run in the family. But I also know that physical and mental activity help decrease the chances of developing dementia.
It is my spiritual fear that runs the deepest. I do not want to let fear run my life, so I keep asking God for faith to believe He will be with me no matter where my life turns. And I am comforted by that, because I know there has never been a moment in my life thus far where He has abandoned me; even in those times when I didn't "feel" His presence, I knew on a deeper level that He was there. I am going to trust that this will be true until I take my dying breath. And then, I will be with Him!
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