Rich Harvest of Books Awaits October Readers
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By Jennie Hansen It's been a year since my last book was released so I'm happy to
announce that The
Ruby ,
the concluding volume in “ The Bracelet” historical
series is now on bookstore shelves. Of
course, I can't review my own book so I'll
simply announce that it is now available and
that it is the story of Charlie Mae Riggins,
the young daughter of one of the mobbers who
drove the Saints from Nauvoo. It concludes
the “Bracelet” series, but because the
series followed the bracelet and not
particular characters, it can be read as a
stand-alone book. * * * Her Good Name by Josi S. Kilpack is as timely as today's headlines. Chrissy and
Micah meet on a blind date that doesn't go
well. Little more than twenty minutes into
dinner, Chrissy gets a call from her niece
begging her to come get her. Micah assumes
the call is a pre-arranged brush-off.
Consequently Chrissy leaves before eating
her dinner and insists on paying for her
order herself. Micah finishes his dinner and
leaves a short time later. Months pass
before they discover their credit cards and
driver's license information have been
stolen. What follows is a tense and
absorbing race to prevent a total meltdown
of their private lives. Micah's loss is annoying and costly, but after a couple of weeks he
has the situation mostly resolved. Chrissy's
problem is more serious. A terrorist, who is
both clever and dangerous, assumes her
identity, and costs her far more than money.
A mutual friend asks Micah to help Chrissy
and they meet again, beginning an awkward
relationship. Chrissy has been burned before
and Micah has responsibilities to his
children that can only be complicated by a
relationship with a woman. Identity theft is one of today's most common crimes, and one where
proving identity and clearing up the
victim's credit, reputation, and the
accumulated debts are extremely difficult.
Kilpack does an excellent job of showing the
ease with which thieves can steal an
identity and the dangerous paths that theft
can lead to. Her Good Name is
well-researched and written in a blunt,
readable style that while providing great
entertainment also educates the reader to
this serious problem. Some readers may wish for more details at the end, but I found the
conclusion true to life and appreciated the
subtle reminder that there are still
identity thieves out there, terrorists too,
and that life is seldom wrapped up in neat
bundles of perfect answers. Not only is this
book filled with valuable information about
an issue that can affect any of us, but it
is also an exciting adventure that will keep
teens and adults glued to its pages. * * * A lot of people, including me, have been waiting anxiously for the
second volume in Betsy Brannon Green's
military suspense series. Above and Beyond won't disappoint readers. Rosemary Ferrante comes to Savannah
seeking help to escape from her controlling
father, none other than the man who
kidnapped Savannah 's young daughter in Hazardous Duty . Though Dane and his select team are reluctant to take the case,
they want Ferrante badly enough to agree, or
so they let Savannah believe. Ferrante is a challenging opponent with connections in high places.
Dane is uncommunicative and though he takes
steps to ensure Savannah's daughter's
safety, he doesn't share much information
with Savannah, leaving her uncertain whom
she can trust and wondering if her lack of
information is for critical reasons
pertinent to their case or if it's merely
Dane's perverse way of keeping her at arm's
length. The action spreads from Colorado to New Orleans and several other
points between Belvoir Army Base and
Louisiana . Savannah is largely a
sympathetic character, but there are moments
when she behaves a little immaturely. Some
of Dane's team members are excellently drawn
characters. Dane is a strong, positive
character, but sometimes he behaves a little
immaturely too, though his prior
imprisonment and betrayal by someone he
trusted gives him an excuse. Trust is a
major issue in this story, especially for
the two leading characters who have reason
to have trust issues. The timing is excellent; the plot will keep readers riveted to the
book, and the cliff-hanger ending tells us
there's more to come — mid-spring, I
believe. One research error bothered me and
may annoy others familiar with military
bases. There are several references to Fort
Lewis that don't fit. Fort Lewis is in
Washington state
and is nowhere near Washington D.C. and
Fort Belvoir in Virginia or Andrews Air
Force Base in Maryland . I also noticed two
copy errors, which is extremely minimal in
this age of electronic publication. Those
wondering about the slight hint of romance
in the last book will have to wait a little
longer for a resolution on that score. Both men and women, adults and older teens, will enjoy this intense
suspenseful novel. I highly recommend it. * * *
It has been awhile since Susan Evans McCloud produced a new novel.
An early pioneer of LDS fiction, McCloud has
maintained a firm fan base for thirty years
who range across a broad spectrum of ages. Throstleford, her
latest novel, will be welcomed eagerly by
her many fans. Two American missionaries arrive in the English village of
Throstleford in the early 1840s, bringing a
book and a strange new religion. Esther
Grey, the local pastor's daughter, becomes
caught up in the changes that come about
because of the new religion. With the change of loyalties of many parishioners, her father's
withdrawal from their close relationship,
and her own curiosity about the Book of
Mormon, her world becomes less secure and
she longs for a way to comfort and help her
father. Suddenly there are deep rifts
between her and the young man who has been
her closest friend since childhood, some of
the villagers become mean and seek to harm
those who join the new church, and she is
drawn into a strange friendship with the
squire's dying oldest son and his second son
who has been called home to take his
brother's place. Throstleford is not the kind of book one reads while sitting on the edge of a
chair rapidly turning pages to see “what
happens,” but is meant to be absorbed
slowly. It carries the reader back to an
earlier century that is filled with the
precise, fascinating details of daily life
that differ greatly from the rushed era in
which we now live. The emphasis is placed on
thoughts, feelings, and the gradual internal
changes that occur as Esther learns of the
gospel, seeks answers to her questions,
despairs for her and her father's future,
and matures from girl to woman. It explores
too the physical and emotional changes that
occur in the lives of the villagers who
choose to leave the two village churches to
be baptized into the new church. Though this book moves at a slower, statelier pace than I generally
favor reading, it held my attention from
start to finish. I found the huge cast of
characters a little confusing at times, but
enjoyed the brief slices of life they
represented and the many conflicting
dilemmas those early converts faced. There
is a kind of poetic beauty in McCloud's
writing that invites the reader to savor her
words. Throstleford will be enjoyed by thoughtful readers of any age. * * * Against the Giant by Christy Hardman is a fictionalized retelling of the Biblical
story of David and his life leading up to
his confrontation with the Philistine giant.
It is written in a simple straightforward
style, which can be understood by a reader
of almost any age and would be an enjoyable
book for a family to read aloud together. The story begins with ten-year-old David and his interaction with
his family and his trials as he learns to be
a shepherd. His older brothers go off to war
and are swept up in a movement to end
government authority invested in judges in
favor of having a king. The Prophet Samuel
plays a prominent role in the story as he
points out the pitfalls of a monarchy, but
the will of the people prevails and Saul
becomes king. This unwillingness of the
people to follow the prophet becomes a major
theme of the novel and sounds a warning for
our own time. * * * Jason F. Wright has a new book out called Recovering Charles. This
is a national release with no real
connection to the Church, but because Wright
is a member of the Church, many of those who
read LDS fiction consider his books LDS as
well. He is well known for writing
sentimental stories that tug at the
heartstrings, a genre I'm not particularly
fond of, but I enjoyed this story far more
than his previous two books. It's not only
better written, but I found it better
researched and edited. Against the backdrop of one of America 's most tragic natural
disasters, the devastation of New Orleans by
Hurricane Katrina, is the story of a man who
hasn't fully come to terms with the
devastation to his own family through
personal disaster. His easygoing mother
couldn't face the loss of her mother and
turned to prescription drugs until they
claimed her life. His father, unable to cope
with his wife's death, turns to liquor,
becoming an embarrassing alcoholic who can't
hold a job or support himself. Tired of his father's endless begging for money, Luke tells Charles
not to call him anymore. But during the days
immediately following Katrina, Luke receives
a call from a man in New Orleans who tells
him his father played with a musical group
at the man's club in that city, but that
Charles is missing. He pleads with Luke, an
up and coming photographer, to come to New
Orleans to help in the search for Charles.
Reluctantly Luke finally decides to go. His
search for his father leads him to
unexpected discoveries. The first part of the story is somewhat confusing, with the overuse
of flashbacks and backfill. Luke isn't a
particularly sympathetic character even
though we can sympathize with the tragedies
in his life and his reluctance to look for
his father is even understandable. Other
supporting characters are much easier to
identify with and more likable. The descriptions including small personal details of New Orleans in
the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the
flooding that resulted from the levees'
failure is poignant, real, and superbly well
done. The tie-in of music, an heirloom
saxophone, and jazz suit the story and the
setting well. Both adults and teens who
enjoy stories that deal more strongly with
emotions than plot will want to read this
one — as will all those who found
themselves glued to their television sets as
the events of this catastrophic event took
place three short years ago. This book will
strike a chord with many who gave up on
someone too soon, those who have faced great
pain and picked up their lives and gone on,
and those who have learned to have faith
that in life, like in music, there is a
second verse. * * * Clear as the Moon, the
final volume of “The
Great and the Terrible” by Chris
Stewart, has his numerous fans rushing to
the bookstore to find this compelling
conclusion. As I turned the last page, it
was with mixed feelings that I looked back
at this volume. I wanted the Church to play
a stronger role and I had expected the
series to end where it began, with the
characters united beyond the veil. I found
one event a little too contrived and
convenient, but I can't discuss that point
without spoiling the ending for those of you
who haven't read it yet. I loved seeing women finally playing really strong roles and I
liked seeing strong, patriotic, moral
leaders who were both members and
non-members of the Church. I was completely
hooked on the fast-paced action and feel a
little sad that this series has ended. For
all those who prefer to wait until a series
is complete before starting to read it, go
purchase volume one, and begin. This is a
highly satisfying series and though I wasn't
enamored of volume one, the succeeding
volumes have proved to be one of the most
exciting series around. * * * Please take time to nominate your favorite 2008 novels for the
Whitney awards. Nominate all of your
favorites at http://www.whitneyawards.com/nominations.php
* * * © 1999-2008 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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