Take the Monkeys and Run
by Karen Cantwell
Kindle Edition
File Size: 350 KB
ASIN: B003SE7O40, July 2010\
Reviewed by Jenny Mounfield for The Compulsive Reader
Here is one for all those who like their fiction light, fluffy, and just a little bit corny.
‘My name is Barbara Marr. I’m not a lady coroner, bounty hunter or crime scene investigator. I don’t fight vampires, werewolves or flesh-eating zombies destined to destroy humanity. Even worse, I don’t knit, sew, bake gourmet goodies for sweet English ladies or refinish houses then flip them for a profit. In fact, I lack a veritable encyclopedia of talents and accomplishments. I have managed to give birth to three children, but when my teenage daughter looks at me like I’m an alien from the planet Freak, I wonder at my parenting abilities.’
Roused one cold night to the sounds of mischief at the House of Many Boxes across the way in sleepy White Willow Circle, Barb is determined to get to the root of the mystery. The house in question has been vacant for some thirty years, which in Barb’s opinion is odd enough, but now she sees light and hears someone yelling about missing toes. The next morning she discovers monkeys in her trees and is convinced they have something to do with the goings on at the vacant house. Roping in good neighbourhood chums, Peggy and Roz, the trio go snooping. What they, or rather what Barb discovers is a severed human head and another three monkeys, all deceased.
Having passed out in grand style, one would think Barb would take little convincing when it comes to steering clear of the death house. But not so. If nothing else delving deeper into the underbelly of White Willow Circle will serve to keep her mind off hubby Howard and his reasons, or lack thereof, for walking out on her the previous week. So, too, a neighbourhood mystery is fine fodder for her movie-mad mentality, and as a fan of all the best (and not so best) action flicks, she probably couldn’t leave well enough alone even if she wanted to.
Enter Colt: PI and ex-boyfriend—who, of course, still has the hots for Barb. And who, naturally, is every bit as handsome as Barb’s George Clooney lookalike hubby. Some gals do have all the luck. What follows is a lot more madness and mayhem (not to mention another good looking sort for Barb to drool over), which culminates in kidnapping, a mafia cover-up and a marital twist straight from Schwarzemegger’s True Lies.
A semi-finalist in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award content, Take the Monkeys and Run obviously pleased a few readers. While this is no literary masterpiece, it is essentially well-written with engaging, often larger that life characters, and most importantly is laugh out loud funny. Sure Barb’s motivation is questionable, the clichés numerous and the wise-guy dialogue truly annoying after a couple of pages. BUT the world really does need feel good easy-reads like this. In Cantwell’s own words:
‘When I set out to write this book, I knew I wanted to write something that readers would say, “Now that was FUN.” I HOPE I have achieved that goal’
To which I say: Absolutely!
More on this title and author Karen Cantwell at: http://karencantwell.com. She blogs at http://fictionfordessert.blogspot.com/ .
Watch the book video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlCJKr9xvlE
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
This blog, #TheNewBookReview, is "new" because it eschews #bookbigotry. It lets readers, reviewers, authors, and publishers expand the exposure of their favorite reviews, FREE. Info for submissions is in the "Send Me Your Fav Book Review" circle icon in the right column below. Find resources to help your career using the mini search engine below. #TheNewBookReview is a multi-award-winning blog including a MastersInEnglish.org recommendation.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Robert Duperre Raves about Daglish's New Novel
Title: The Cost of Betrayal
Second book in the Half-Orc Series
Author: David Dalglish
Genre: Epic Fantasy
ISBN-10: 1450574483
ISBN-13: 978-1450574488
Reviewed by Robert Duperre
Let me preface this by saying that normally I like to sit on a book a few days before I review it. This allows me time to ponder the meaning of the story in greater detail, to mull over the finer aspects of the storytelling and decide whether my initial, guttural reaction was indeed true, or if I was simply caught up in the moment. Sometimes a book I loved will appear lesser after time, sometimes one I loathed will be struck with new meaning. This balance is what I seek and what this practice is for, to come from an objective place. However, as with most things of an objective nature, sometimes the emotion can be wrung from my explanation of it, due to both the time and that pondering.
So now I sit here, an hour past finishing The Cost of Betrayal, the second of the Half-Orc series by David Dalglish, and I want nothing more than to get my thoughts down on paper now. This is a work that is demanding of a highly emotional state, and it’s in my own, right now, that I honor it.
The story picks up where The Weight of Blood left off, in the aftermath of master necromancer Velixar’s failed attempt to destroy Woodhaven. The three partners-in-convoluted-crime – Harruq and Qurrah, the half-orc brothers, and Aurelia, an elven sorceress – are on their way back to Veldaren, the city in which the brothers grew up, on the streets and all alone. Upon reentering the city, they are immediately attacked, by a group called the Eschaton, a militia who protects the city for coin and favor. The way Dalglish pours you right into the action is admirable. He does it without missing a beat and without a ton of setup, which is appreciated.
The small group joins up with the Eschaton, and wackiness ensues. They encounter a plot by the local thieves’ guild and the battle scenes are epic. In fact, ALL the battle scenes are epic, extremely graphic, and skillfully presented, just as in the first book.You don’t get lost in the action and you actually care about what’s about to happen to the characters.
The funny thing about these battles, however grand they might be, is that they are overshadowed by the emotional threads that run through the novel. The relationship between Harruq and Aurelia grows by leaps and bounds, and Qurrah becomes obsessed with a strange and tweaked-out girl named Tessanna, who is possessed of power that not even she knows the depths. It is with these two relationships, mirrored against each other, that the bulk of the story grows and flourishes.
More than in book one, the differences between Harruq and Qurrah and made that much more apparent by the way they relate to their loved ones. Harruq, though a big lunk, is thoughtful and caring. He listens and is willing to change. Qurrah, on the other hand, is fanatical, cynical, and unbending. He thinks he knows his place in the world and is not willing to alter his mindset…or his actions.
Though a work of fantasy – and a graphic, cringe-inducing work at that – it is this heart that sets this book apart from others I’ve read. The emotional and social threads that run through it cast it above the realm of high fantasy and into highly literary. There are so many issues presented, from racism (how well an individual can “pass” when partially of a lineage deemed unsavory) to the difference between love and fixation (how far will one go, how much will one sacrifice, to help out someone they care about) to the simple act of forgiveness (an example of which I will not give away, as it is the most powerful and gut-wrenching part of the book).
Yet despite all this, there is one theme that rises above all others: family. What does it mean to be family? Can there be family without blood relation? Can that family overcome the faults of its members, even if those faults endanger them? These were stunning revelations to read, and some of the more prophetic words and ideas presented left me with a gigantic lump in my throat. By the end of the book I was a quivering mess. I cried. I couldn’t help but look at my own family, pull them in, and tell them how much I loved them. I thought of the actions of those involved in this yarn and wondered if I would be able to be as forgiving as they were. That is what I found surprising. Almost every character in these novels is a highly flawed individual. They perpetuate horrible acts and seek no clemency. They murder and maim because it’s their job, and they refuse to apologize because that is the state of the world they live in.And yet, through each of them runs a deeply emotional center, a potential to love and be loved that they wish to feed and encourage. There is change, and as I said before, there is forgiveness, and we the readers forgive right along with them. We do this because we recognize the power they hold, the love they are capable of, and when one treads off that path, we shake our heads in pity. We want them to succeed, to overcome whatever demons have befallen them, and it actually HURTS when they fail.
This is a deeply sad book. And it is poignant. I couldn’t put it down. It is painful, at times, to take in, and yet you can’t stop. It makes you FEEL and THINK, and that is, besides pure entertainment, the reason most of us read in the first place. For this, David Dalglish should be commended. I do not speak in hyperbole to say that this is one of the four or five best novels I have read IN MY LIFETIME. It has everything one would want in a book. It takes you through the roller coaster of sensations – from hopeful to despaired to overjoyed to, finally, broken – and spits you out on the other side shaken and thankful for what you have. You laugh, you cry, you ponder. This is truly an accomplishment, and one that should not be overlooked.
Yes, The Cost of Betrayal is that good. I dare anyone to read it, to take it in, to relish it. The mistakes in the writing from the first book (which weren’t that noticeable to begin with) have been remedied. What remains is a tale of such power that you have no choice but listen. Carnage and conflict aside, as some might not welcome them, there is too much here to not appreciate it.
This needs to be read. It needs to be out there.
And with that, for the emotions I feel, I give the author two simple words that I think say everything.
Thank you.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Second book in the Half-Orc Series
Author: David Dalglish
Genre: Epic Fantasy
ISBN-10: 1450574483
ISBN-13: 978-1450574488
Reviewed by Robert Duperre
Let me preface this by saying that normally I like to sit on a book a few days before I review it. This allows me time to ponder the meaning of the story in greater detail, to mull over the finer aspects of the storytelling and decide whether my initial, guttural reaction was indeed true, or if I was simply caught up in the moment. Sometimes a book I loved will appear lesser after time, sometimes one I loathed will be struck with new meaning. This balance is what I seek and what this practice is for, to come from an objective place. However, as with most things of an objective nature, sometimes the emotion can be wrung from my explanation of it, due to both the time and that pondering.
So now I sit here, an hour past finishing The Cost of Betrayal, the second of the Half-Orc series by David Dalglish, and I want nothing more than to get my thoughts down on paper now. This is a work that is demanding of a highly emotional state, and it’s in my own, right now, that I honor it.
The story picks up where The Weight of Blood left off, in the aftermath of master necromancer Velixar’s failed attempt to destroy Woodhaven. The three partners-in-convoluted-crime – Harruq and Qurrah, the half-orc brothers, and Aurelia, an elven sorceress – are on their way back to Veldaren, the city in which the brothers grew up, on the streets and all alone. Upon reentering the city, they are immediately attacked, by a group called the Eschaton, a militia who protects the city for coin and favor. The way Dalglish pours you right into the action is admirable. He does it without missing a beat and without a ton of setup, which is appreciated.
The small group joins up with the Eschaton, and wackiness ensues. They encounter a plot by the local thieves’ guild and the battle scenes are epic. In fact, ALL the battle scenes are epic, extremely graphic, and skillfully presented, just as in the first book.You don’t get lost in the action and you actually care about what’s about to happen to the characters.
The funny thing about these battles, however grand they might be, is that they are overshadowed by the emotional threads that run through the novel. The relationship between Harruq and Aurelia grows by leaps and bounds, and Qurrah becomes obsessed with a strange and tweaked-out girl named Tessanna, who is possessed of power that not even she knows the depths. It is with these two relationships, mirrored against each other, that the bulk of the story grows and flourishes.
More than in book one, the differences between Harruq and Qurrah and made that much more apparent by the way they relate to their loved ones. Harruq, though a big lunk, is thoughtful and caring. He listens and is willing to change. Qurrah, on the other hand, is fanatical, cynical, and unbending. He thinks he knows his place in the world and is not willing to alter his mindset…or his actions.
Though a work of fantasy – and a graphic, cringe-inducing work at that – it is this heart that sets this book apart from others I’ve read. The emotional and social threads that run through it cast it above the realm of high fantasy and into highly literary. There are so many issues presented, from racism (how well an individual can “pass” when partially of a lineage deemed unsavory) to the difference between love and fixation (how far will one go, how much will one sacrifice, to help out someone they care about) to the simple act of forgiveness (an example of which I will not give away, as it is the most powerful and gut-wrenching part of the book).
Yet despite all this, there is one theme that rises above all others: family. What does it mean to be family? Can there be family without blood relation? Can that family overcome the faults of its members, even if those faults endanger them? These were stunning revelations to read, and some of the more prophetic words and ideas presented left me with a gigantic lump in my throat. By the end of the book I was a quivering mess. I cried. I couldn’t help but look at my own family, pull them in, and tell them how much I loved them. I thought of the actions of those involved in this yarn and wondered if I would be able to be as forgiving as they were. That is what I found surprising. Almost every character in these novels is a highly flawed individual. They perpetuate horrible acts and seek no clemency. They murder and maim because it’s their job, and they refuse to apologize because that is the state of the world they live in.And yet, through each of them runs a deeply emotional center, a potential to love and be loved that they wish to feed and encourage. There is change, and as I said before, there is forgiveness, and we the readers forgive right along with them. We do this because we recognize the power they hold, the love they are capable of, and when one treads off that path, we shake our heads in pity. We want them to succeed, to overcome whatever demons have befallen them, and it actually HURTS when they fail.
This is a deeply sad book. And it is poignant. I couldn’t put it down. It is painful, at times, to take in, and yet you can’t stop. It makes you FEEL and THINK, and that is, besides pure entertainment, the reason most of us read in the first place. For this, David Dalglish should be commended. I do not speak in hyperbole to say that this is one of the four or five best novels I have read IN MY LIFETIME. It has everything one would want in a book. It takes you through the roller coaster of sensations – from hopeful to despaired to overjoyed to, finally, broken – and spits you out on the other side shaken and thankful for what you have. You laugh, you cry, you ponder. This is truly an accomplishment, and one that should not be overlooked.
Yes, The Cost of Betrayal is that good. I dare anyone to read it, to take it in, to relish it. The mistakes in the writing from the first book (which weren’t that noticeable to begin with) have been remedied. What remains is a tale of such power that you have no choice but listen. Carnage and conflict aside, as some might not welcome them, there is too much here to not appreciate it.
This needs to be read. It needs to be out there.
And with that, for the emotions I feel, I give the author two simple words that I think say everything.
Thank you.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Women's Action Adventure E-Book Sure to Please
Color Me Grey
By J.C. Phelps
Action Adventure; Womens Fiction
ISBN: 9780981769004
Reviewed by Misty Baker for Kindle Obsessed
Kindle Obsessed Review: Paging Mr. White
I have always been “that girl.” You know… the one that when she gets bored wants to jump off of or out of something. The need for adrenaline has been rushing through my blood since I was a child and even though, with age, I have had to tone down my actions (for the sake of my small children) I still feel this constant need to challenge myself, prove that I can do anything, and more importantly… do it better than a man.
Alexis, the tuff as nails, lead in Color Me Grey is also an adrenaline junkie, but I would classify her as more “Adrenaline Junkie on 8 shots of espresso.”
Alex gets everything she wants. Growing up in a wealthy home she not only had the pleasure of private tutors, but also the flexibility to try and/or conquer anything she felt the need to. With a military dad and a artist mom she was trained in everything from how to walk with a tea cup on her head to disabling a man with just her pinkie. With this stability and money also came a boring job in computers, but after 1 early morning revelation, Alex decides she’s had enough of sitting in one place and answers a newspaper ad that not so subtly screams RUN AWAY. It takes only seconds for Alex to realize there is more to this little adventure than meets the eye, and it takes even less time to realize that bowing out gracefully is not an option. Will Alex’s need for heart pumping excitement be what she ultimately needed, or will it leave her 6 feet underground and making friends with worms?
I have always loved books where female leads are thrust into, what is stereotypically, a man’s position, and this little ditty is no exception. J.C. Phelps did a wonderful job of weaving suspense, intrigue, and lust, resulting in what was a very pleasurable, and solid read. Each character had their own unique qualities and the use of “code names” while developing each was an engaging way to keep the reader guessing as to who they “really” were. The plot, however, is where Phelps’ writing really shined. As a reader the push and pull of a story is what keeps you reading. “Where is this going?” “I know something big is about to happen… but what is it?” This more than anything is what made “Color Me Grey” so exciting, you could always feel something bubbling just under the surface… even in the most sedated moments of monologue.
Like I said before… I truly… genuinely… enjoyed this novel, and even though I didn’t have to purchase it, I would… (without a doubt in the world) have absolutely no problem forking over the $2.99 for it.
Get it, live it, love it… pass it on.
Happy reading my fellow Junkies and remember: if the application asks how long it takes for you to assemble an m16… chances are they aren’t looking for a receptionist.
Author Information:
JC Phelps blogs at http://jcphelps.blogspot.com/
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
By J.C. Phelps
Action Adventure; Womens Fiction
ISBN: 9780981769004
Reviewed by Misty Baker for Kindle Obsessed
Kindle Obsessed Review: Paging Mr. White
I have always been “that girl.” You know… the one that when she gets bored wants to jump off of or out of something. The need for adrenaline has been rushing through my blood since I was a child and even though, with age, I have had to tone down my actions (for the sake of my small children) I still feel this constant need to challenge myself, prove that I can do anything, and more importantly… do it better than a man.
Alexis, the tuff as nails, lead in Color Me Grey is also an adrenaline junkie, but I would classify her as more “Adrenaline Junkie on 8 shots of espresso.”
Alex gets everything she wants. Growing up in a wealthy home she not only had the pleasure of private tutors, but also the flexibility to try and/or conquer anything she felt the need to. With a military dad and a artist mom she was trained in everything from how to walk with a tea cup on her head to disabling a man with just her pinkie. With this stability and money also came a boring job in computers, but after 1 early morning revelation, Alex decides she’s had enough of sitting in one place and answers a newspaper ad that not so subtly screams RUN AWAY. It takes only seconds for Alex to realize there is more to this little adventure than meets the eye, and it takes even less time to realize that bowing out gracefully is not an option. Will Alex’s need for heart pumping excitement be what she ultimately needed, or will it leave her 6 feet underground and making friends with worms?
I have always loved books where female leads are thrust into, what is stereotypically, a man’s position, and this little ditty is no exception. J.C. Phelps did a wonderful job of weaving suspense, intrigue, and lust, resulting in what was a very pleasurable, and solid read. Each character had their own unique qualities and the use of “code names” while developing each was an engaging way to keep the reader guessing as to who they “really” were. The plot, however, is where Phelps’ writing really shined. As a reader the push and pull of a story is what keeps you reading. “Where is this going?” “I know something big is about to happen… but what is it?” This more than anything is what made “Color Me Grey” so exciting, you could always feel something bubbling just under the surface… even in the most sedated moments of monologue.
Like I said before… I truly… genuinely… enjoyed this novel, and even though I didn’t have to purchase it, I would… (without a doubt in the world) have absolutely no problem forking over the $2.99 for it.
Get it, live it, love it… pass it on.
Happy reading my fellow Junkies and remember: if the application asks how long it takes for you to assemble an m16… chances are they aren’t looking for a receptionist.
Author Information:
JC Phelps blogs at http://jcphelps.blogspot.com/
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Publisher's Weekly and Others Review New Women's Fiction
Title – The Unexpected Son
Author – Shobhan Bantwal
Genre or category –Women’s Fiction, Cultural Fiction, Women’s Issues
ISBN-10: 0758232039
ISBN-13: 978-0758232038
About The Unexpected Son
What happens when a woman who’s realized her dreams wakes up to a shocking truth? It is a morning like any other in suburban New Jersey when Vinita Patil opens the battered envelope postmarked “Mumbai.” But the letter inside turns her comfortable world upside down. It tells Vinita an impossible story: she has a grown son in India whose life may depend on her.
Once upon a time, a naive young college girl fell for a wealthy boy whose primary interests were cricket and womanizing. Vinita knew, even then, that a secret affair with a man whose language and values were different from her own was a mistake. He finished with her soon enough—leaving her to birth a baby that was stillborn. Or so Vinita was told.
Now that child is a grown man in desperate need. How will she confess her secret past to her arranged-marriage husband and her grown daughter? Nonetheless, to help her son, to know him, Vinita must revisit her darkest hours by returning to her battle-scarred homeland—and pray for the faith of the family she leaves behind.
About Shobhan Bantwal
Shobhan Bantwal calls her writing “Bollywood in a Book,”romantic, colorful, action-packed tales, rich with elements of Indian culture — stories that entertain and educate.
Her writing career is a “menopausal epiphany,” because she took up creative writing at the age of 50. By day Shobhan works for the government. In the evenings and on weekends she slips into her writer’s cape and flies off to Authorland. She loves writing stories about her native India and Hindu culture.
To date, Shobhan has four published novels by Kensington Publishing, with a fifth slated for 2011. Since 2002, Shobhan's articles and short stories have appeared in a variety of publications including The Writer magazine, India Abroad, Little India, U.S. 1, Desi Journal, India Currents, Overseas Indian, New Woman India, and Sulekha. Her short stories have won honors and awards in fiction contests sponsored by Writer's Digest, New York Stories and New Woman magazines. Her award-winning stories are available for reading on her website.
Shobhan can also be contacted through her website: www.shobhanbantwal.com
What Reviewers are saying about The Unexpected Son:
"This inspiring testament to a mother's enduring love makes for a fascinating tale and provides a window into an equally fascinating culture."
~~~~ Publisher's Weekly
"The Unexpected Son by Shobhan Bantwal is yet another crosscultural delight by this author."
~~~~Chicago Examiner - 5 stars
"Shobhan Bantwal is a magical storyteller. The characters are so tangible that you miss them when you finish reading The Unexpected Son."
~~~~Book Pleasures - 5 stars
"... a page-turner ... a moving story that flooded my heart with emotions and crowded my mind with endless questions."
~~~~Coffee Time Romance - 5 cups
This excellent contemporary provides strong insight into the Indian-American culture ... The Unexpected Son is a super Indian-American tale.
~~~~Harriet Klausner - 5 stars
"This enchanting, heartbreaking, but uplifting tale was impossible to put down ... extremely well-written book that will grab you at page one." ~~~~Romance Reviews Today - Perfect 10
Topics In The Unexpected Son by Shobhan Bantwal –
• Indian culture
• Dark secrets that can affect a relationship/marriage
• Arranged marriage
• Women’s issues in India
• Imperfect heroes (mine has many flaws)
• College romances that crash and burn
• Family ties
• Male oriented cultures
• Broken promises
• Mother-son relationship
• Mothers and Sons
• Indian Immigrant Culture in the U.S.
• Pre-marital affairs in a conservative culture
• Illegitimate children and their impact on marriage
• Male-dominated cultures.
----- The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:
Author – Shobhan Bantwal
Genre or category –Women’s Fiction, Cultural Fiction, Women’s Issues
ISBN-10: 0758232039
ISBN-13: 978-0758232038
About The Unexpected Son
What happens when a woman who’s realized her dreams wakes up to a shocking truth? It is a morning like any other in suburban New Jersey when Vinita Patil opens the battered envelope postmarked “Mumbai.” But the letter inside turns her comfortable world upside down. It tells Vinita an impossible story: she has a grown son in India whose life may depend on her.
Once upon a time, a naive young college girl fell for a wealthy boy whose primary interests were cricket and womanizing. Vinita knew, even then, that a secret affair with a man whose language and values were different from her own was a mistake. He finished with her soon enough—leaving her to birth a baby that was stillborn. Or so Vinita was told.
Now that child is a grown man in desperate need. How will she confess her secret past to her arranged-marriage husband and her grown daughter? Nonetheless, to help her son, to know him, Vinita must revisit her darkest hours by returning to her battle-scarred homeland—and pray for the faith of the family she leaves behind.
About Shobhan Bantwal
Shobhan Bantwal calls her writing “Bollywood in a Book,”romantic, colorful, action-packed tales, rich with elements of Indian culture — stories that entertain and educate.
Her writing career is a “menopausal epiphany,” because she took up creative writing at the age of 50. By day Shobhan works for the government. In the evenings and on weekends she slips into her writer’s cape and flies off to Authorland. She loves writing stories about her native India and Hindu culture.
To date, Shobhan has four published novels by Kensington Publishing, with a fifth slated for 2011. Since 2002, Shobhan's articles and short stories have appeared in a variety of publications including The Writer magazine, India Abroad, Little India, U.S. 1, Desi Journal, India Currents, Overseas Indian, New Woman India, and Sulekha. Her short stories have won honors and awards in fiction contests sponsored by Writer's Digest, New York Stories and New Woman magazines. Her award-winning stories are available for reading on her website.
Shobhan can also be contacted through her website: www.shobhanbantwal.com
What Reviewers are saying about The Unexpected Son:
"This inspiring testament to a mother's enduring love makes for a fascinating tale and provides a window into an equally fascinating culture."
~~~~ Publisher's Weekly
"The Unexpected Son by Shobhan Bantwal is yet another crosscultural delight by this author."
~~~~Chicago Examiner - 5 stars
"Shobhan Bantwal is a magical storyteller. The characters are so tangible that you miss them when you finish reading The Unexpected Son."
~~~~Book Pleasures - 5 stars
"... a page-turner ... a moving story that flooded my heart with emotions and crowded my mind with endless questions."
~~~~Coffee Time Romance - 5 cups
This excellent contemporary provides strong insight into the Indian-American culture ... The Unexpected Son is a super Indian-American tale.
~~~~Harriet Klausner - 5 stars
"This enchanting, heartbreaking, but uplifting tale was impossible to put down ... extremely well-written book that will grab you at page one." ~~~~Romance Reviews Today - Perfect 10
Topics In The Unexpected Son by Shobhan Bantwal –
• Indian culture
• Dark secrets that can affect a relationship/marriage
• Arranged marriage
• Women’s issues in India
• Imperfect heroes (mine has many flaws)
• College romances that crash and burn
• Family ties
• Male oriented cultures
• Broken promises
• Mother-son relationship
• Mothers and Sons
• Indian Immigrant Culture in the U.S.
• Pre-marital affairs in a conservative culture
• Illegitimate children and their impact on marriage
• Male-dominated cultures.
----- The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Your First-Person Essay (Or Memoir), Your Book. Your Book Sales
Naked, Drunk, and Writing
Subtitle: Shed Your Inhibitions and Craft a Compelling Memoir or Personal Essay
By Adair Lara
Ten Speed Press
ISBN: 9781580084802, 2010
Nonfiction/How-To (Writing)
Publisher's Site: http://www.tenspeed.com/
Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of This Is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, several chapbooks of poetry and the How To Do It Frugally series of books for writers.
I collect books on the writing and marketing of books. After reading and reviewing so many, I’ve found that some of the best lessons are those that teach by example. In the case of Adair Lara’s new book--which is a bit about writers’ block and a lot about craft-- the first lesson I noticed was one about marketing. It was that great title. Naked, Drunk, and Writing.Naked is metaphorically what those who write memoirs must get. Yes, and maybe a little drunk, too.
The subtitle, Shed Your Inhibitions and Craft a Compelling Memoir or Personal Essay, explains what the reader may not get on first glance at the title. I liked that it has lots of searchable keywords that explanation of what the book.That very simple “writing” in the main title will help writers reaching for help on Amazon’s search feature, too.
So, I’m a little off the subject. Maybe it’s the way my brain works. Dunno.
I do know that if Adair were my teacher, she’d get after me for straying from a review of the book’s content. Or, she would, at the very least, suggest I reconsider digressing. Being a teacher myself, I’ve stubbornly decided against a change on the grounds that my students and my blog and Web site visitors will learn something from my detour, and that they get a marketing lesson or two is almost always one of my goals.
Having excused away my tendency toward a tangent (I hope successfully), I also recommend Naked and Drunk for those writing their own stories. When I teach the marketing of books, I always find many in my class who don’t know what a first-person essay is. So, to explain, I must digress (I have lots of practice in that, as you can see).
I’ll be recommending this book to in my UCLA class handout, for sure. No matter what an author’s genre of choice, he or she will need the skills for a personal essay. Every author’s media kit should include one. Therefore every author needs this book for the most practical of reasons. So they can get publicity. For it’s publicity that will sell the memoir that Lara so capably teaches them to write.
PS: A note to Ten Speed Press: From a marketing standpoint, what would it hurt to include on the “Other Books by Adair Lara” page a little explanatory pitch about what her other books are about. Some have titles that are adorable, but are not upfront clear about what might be between the covers. Option two: Include the subtitles. We’re all going to want to know more about Lara.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Subtitle: Shed Your Inhibitions and Craft a Compelling Memoir or Personal Essay
By Adair Lara
Ten Speed Press
ISBN: 9781580084802, 2010
Nonfiction/How-To (Writing)
Publisher's Site: http://www.tenspeed.com/
Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of This Is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, several chapbooks of poetry and the How To Do It Frugally series of books for writers.
I collect books on the writing and marketing of books. After reading and reviewing so many, I’ve found that some of the best lessons are those that teach by example. In the case of Adair Lara’s new book--which is a bit about writers’ block and a lot about craft-- the first lesson I noticed was one about marketing. It was that great title. Naked, Drunk, and Writing.Naked is metaphorically what those who write memoirs must get. Yes, and maybe a little drunk, too.
The subtitle, Shed Your Inhibitions and Craft a Compelling Memoir or Personal Essay, explains what the reader may not get on first glance at the title. I liked that it has lots of searchable keywords that explanation of what the book.That very simple “writing” in the main title will help writers reaching for help on Amazon’s search feature, too.
So, I’m a little off the subject. Maybe it’s the way my brain works. Dunno.
I do know that if Adair were my teacher, she’d get after me for straying from a review of the book’s content. Or, she would, at the very least, suggest I reconsider digressing. Being a teacher myself, I’ve stubbornly decided against a change on the grounds that my students and my blog and Web site visitors will learn something from my detour, and that they get a marketing lesson or two is almost always one of my goals.
Having excused away my tendency toward a tangent (I hope successfully), I also recommend Naked and Drunk for those writing their own stories. When I teach the marketing of books, I always find many in my class who don’t know what a first-person essay is. So, to explain, I must digress (I have lots of practice in that, as you can see).
I’ll be recommending this book to in my UCLA class handout, for sure. No matter what an author’s genre of choice, he or she will need the skills for a personal essay. Every author’s media kit should include one. Therefore every author needs this book for the most practical of reasons. So they can get publicity. For it’s publicity that will sell the memoir that Lara so capably teaches them to write.
PS: A note to Ten Speed Press: From a marketing standpoint, what would it hurt to include on the “Other Books by Adair Lara” page a little explanatory pitch about what her other books are about. Some have titles that are adorable, but are not upfront clear about what might be between the covers. Option two: Include the subtitles. We’re all going to want to know more about Lara.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
JAVELINA: Have-uh-What?
TITLE: JAVELINA (Have-uh-WHAT?)
AUTHOR: Gene K. Garrison
GENRE: Children's
ISBN: 798-1-4528725-3-7
Originally reviewed by Mona Tippins for Eons.com
This book is not just another bedtime storybook. It is a learning experience for children. The javelina is an animal that many children have never heard of, nor will they study it in school. The author explains, in an entertaining, lyrical way about the lives of the javelina and other animals, especially the ones that roam our Sonoran Desert. The thirty-eight pages are packed with information and spiced with color photographs of the javelina, other desert animals, and the plants and flowers of the desert. The author has mastered the art of "Show and Tell."
Ms. Garrison has added a glossary/dictionary of words she has used in the story that will further the child's vocabulary and possibly the parents' too.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
AUTHOR: Gene K. Garrison
GENRE: Children's
ISBN: 798-1-4528725-3-7
Originally reviewed by Mona Tippins for Eons.com
This book is not just another bedtime storybook. It is a learning experience for children. The javelina is an animal that many children have never heard of, nor will they study it in school. The author explains, in an entertaining, lyrical way about the lives of the javelina and other animals, especially the ones that roam our Sonoran Desert. The thirty-eight pages are packed with information and spiced with color photographs of the javelina, other desert animals, and the plants and flowers of the desert. The author has mastered the art of "Show and Tell."
Ms. Garrison has added a glossary/dictionary of words she has used in the story that will further the child's vocabulary and possibly the parents' too.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Psychiatrist Searches for Sanity in a Crazy World
Title: The Most Revolutionary Act: Memoir of an American Refugee
Author: Dr Stuart Jeanne Bramhall
Web site: http://www.stuartbramhall.com/
Genre: memoir
ISBN: 978-1-60911-858-7
Reviewed by Michael David Morrissey
This is a frightening book. Much of it reads like a thriller, but unfortunately it is a true story. Dr. Stuart Jeanne Bramhill, a woman (despite the unusual first name) and a psychiatrist, describes her 15-year long mental, emotional and physical ordeal resulting from her involvement in leftist activist politics in Seattle, Washington. Beginning in 1986, says Bramhall, "for some unknown reason, some faceless higher-up in one of the eleven federal agencies that spy on American citizens decided I posed a threat to national security," and from then on she was subjected to phone harassment, wiretaps, break-ins, and even attempts on her life. Since she was never able to prove any of this (and how does one prove it?), she was also confronted with the disbelief of her own professional colleagues, who were quick to diagnose her as "psychotic" and gave her the choice of losing her medical license or spending a week in a locked ward at a mental hospital for observation. She chose the latter, though she continued to be misdiagnosed and over-medicated, which exacerbated her mental torment and had serious physical side-effects that lasted for years afterward.
Bramhall learned the hard way that her fellow medical professionals were the last people in the world she could be honest with about her feelings of persecution:
"The moment I mentioned the CIA, my psychiatrist decided I was psychotic and refused to listen anything else I said... Nelson's erroneous diagnosis stemmed from pure political naiveté. He had no reason to come in contact with political or union activists, unemployed whistleblowers or the low-income street people that the police, and, I believed, U.S. intelligence, recruited as informants. Nevertheless, I had no confidence in any of my colleagues to objectively assess my mental state. I practiced in a totally different world from other Seattle psychiatrists, who automatically turned away patients who couldn't afford their one hundred dollar fee."
Bramhall was never more than a "lukewarm radical":
"I was a very late bloomer politically. Despite my early disenchantment with the "establishment," as we called it in the sixties and seventies, it never occurred to me to blame political factors for my chronic sense of loneliness, alienation, and unmet emotional and social needs."
At thirty-five, she "fell into Marxism almost by accident" when a medical colleague invited her to join CISPES (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, formed in 1981 to protest Reagan's covert war against El Salvador). Marxism helped her "make sense for the first time of a political system riddled with contradictions," but she "never accepted the need for violent revolution to overthrow capitalism."
This would have been enough, I think, to have alienated her from most of her colleagues, since it must be as almost as hard to be a "Marxist" psychiatrist in the U.S. as it was to a "capitalist" one in the former Soviet Union, where political deviance was routinely equated with psychosis.
But Bramhall crossed a number of other tripwires in her efforts to combine political activism with her profession, the most conspicuous one being the color line. As a white woman who actively pursued her profession, as well as social and political associations, in the African American community, she became involved with other activists whose motivations, she came to suspect, were not as innocent or transparent as her own. One of her early acquaintances, a former Black Panther called Jabari Sisulu, put it succinctly: "White professionals who fraternize with black radicals are at much greater risk than I am." Bramhall's story is testimony to the truth of this statement.
Over the years, as she continued to participate in local activist projects like the effort to turn an abandoned school building in Seattle into an African American museum and cultural center, Bramhall broadened her political consciousness by reading about the assassination of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King, Cointelpro, AIDS, and more recently, 9/11 -- in short, by delving into the immense body of literature dealing with the facts and evidence about such topics that continues to be systematically suppressed by the mainstream press and dismissed as "conspiracy theory" but which is now readily accessible on the internet. At some points, her activities at the "micro" level intersected, perhaps with consequences, with the "macro" level (my terms), such as her association with Edna Laidlow, who claimed to be the lover of the "umbrella man" at Dealey Plaza who supposedly gave the signal to begin the shooting of JFK. She also suspects that her effort to publicize an ulcer drug called "Tagomet" [sic, presumably Tagamet] as a treatment for AIDS may have triggered a covert response.
The reader, like Bramhall herself, waits in vain for any resolution of the question of who was harassing her and why. This is hardly surprising, since none of the issues at the "macro" level have been resolved either. Despite the ever-increasing mountain of evidence of government involvement in multitudinous conspiracies ("plans by more than one person to do bad things") against "the people," both domestic and foreign, the steadfast response of both government and mainstream press, which are in this respect identical, remains the same. It is not denial -- which would require facts and arguments -- but silence.
Thus Bramhall leaves us, at the end of the book in 2002, having emigrated to New Zealand in hope of starting a new life at a healthy distance from the "insidious pseudo-culture" of the U.S. public relations industry and "stranglehold of the U.S. military and U.S. intelligence." I wish her luck, and as an longtime ex-pat myself I can say that she made a rational decision. I too am a kind of "American Refugee," as Bramhall subtitles her memoir. Fortunately, I never experienced the kind of personal harassment she did, but reading her book gives me a strong sense of "there but for fortune." I could have easily gone the way of Stuart Bramhall, just as I could have ended up in Vietnam or (more likely) in Canada fleeing the draft. But I got lucky. First of all, I was lucky enough to realize early on that the Vietnam war was insane, and secondly, I found a psychiatrist who shared my view. (He called it a "mass neurosis," which I thought a gross understatement, but it served my purpose of escaping the draft.)
I did not leave the U.S. for political reasons, however. I left, in 1977, because even armed with a Ph.D. (in linguistics), I couldn't get a decent job. So I guess I was an economic "refugee." (Part of Bramhall's motive for emigrating was also economic, her medical practice having suffered under cutbacks in Medicare and Medicaid in the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations.) I was, obviously, opposed to the Vietnam war, but I did not become "radicalized" until much later, in 1988, when I was older than Bramhall was when she turned to Marxism, so I too was a late bloomer, politically. The catalyst for me was, I am almost ashamed to say, a TV program: Nigel Turner's documentary about the assassination of President Kennedy (The Men Who Killed Kennedy). I saw this in Germany, after I had been living here for almost 11 years. This was the major turning point for me, but it all happened in my head. In Bramhall's case, despite the opinion of her bourgeois colleagues, I don't think it was in her head. Maybe some of it was, but her story is much too detailed to be dismissed as paranoia.
So the irony of our two stories is complete. On the one hand, we have a psychiatrist who is persecuted for political reasons and falsely judged by her colleagues to be insane. On the other hand we have a linguist who opposes an insane war and is correctly judged by a "renegade" psychiatrist (as I'm sure his colleagues would have described him in those days) to be sane and therefore unfit to "serve." Both of us end up leaving the country.
But not everyone can leave. Vietnam did not end. It's here again under a different name: Afghanistan/Iraq. In fact, things are much worse now, much more insane, than they were in the sixties. There was at least some attempt to lie convincingly about the reasons for the Vietnam war. The "communist threat" was more convincing than the the blatant lies about non-existent weapons of mass destruction, retaliation for 9/11, and bringing "freedom and democracy" to those unfortunate countries. A very large portion of the population, probably close to one half, disbelieves the government's story of 9/11, and a clear majority does not support the ongoing war (read "military engagement"). There is a huge disjuncture between what people think and what the government and the mainstream media tell them.
If societies were people, the U.S. would have to be locked up with the criminally insane. No person could remain sane harboring so many violently conflicting ideas. Societies are not people, but people do have to live in this insane society. How do they do it? I think there are three alternatives: 1) denial, 2) acceptance, and 3) fighting back. 1) and 2) are themselves psychotic states. How can you deny or accept insanity without becoming part of it?
3) is the only sane, reasonable and honorable alternative. This is what Bramhall did, and what many of us try to do, each in our own way. It is wrong to see her story as negative or her struggle as futile. It is part of the ongoing struggle.
P.S. Dr. Bramhall mentions me as the "translator" of AIDS researcher Jakob Segal, but in fact I only proofread the English edition of his book "AIDS Can Be Conquered" (Verlag Neuer Weg, 2001; "AIDS Ist Besiegbar," 1995). I did translate a couple of shorter pieces, which are accessible on my homepage (mdmorrissey.info) and in my book "Looking for the Enemy." The latter and my more recent book "The Transparent Conspiracy" (on 9/11) are available on Amazon.com.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Author: Dr Stuart Jeanne Bramhall
Web site: http://www.stuartbramhall.com/
Genre: memoir
ISBN: 978-1-60911-858-7
Reviewed by Michael David Morrissey
This is a frightening book. Much of it reads like a thriller, but unfortunately it is a true story. Dr. Stuart Jeanne Bramhill, a woman (despite the unusual first name) and a psychiatrist, describes her 15-year long mental, emotional and physical ordeal resulting from her involvement in leftist activist politics in Seattle, Washington. Beginning in 1986, says Bramhall, "for some unknown reason, some faceless higher-up in one of the eleven federal agencies that spy on American citizens decided I posed a threat to national security," and from then on she was subjected to phone harassment, wiretaps, break-ins, and even attempts on her life. Since she was never able to prove any of this (and how does one prove it?), she was also confronted with the disbelief of her own professional colleagues, who were quick to diagnose her as "psychotic" and gave her the choice of losing her medical license or spending a week in a locked ward at a mental hospital for observation. She chose the latter, though she continued to be misdiagnosed and over-medicated, which exacerbated her mental torment and had serious physical side-effects that lasted for years afterward.
Bramhall learned the hard way that her fellow medical professionals were the last people in the world she could be honest with about her feelings of persecution:
"The moment I mentioned the CIA, my psychiatrist decided I was psychotic and refused to listen anything else I said... Nelson's erroneous diagnosis stemmed from pure political naiveté. He had no reason to come in contact with political or union activists, unemployed whistleblowers or the low-income street people that the police, and, I believed, U.S. intelligence, recruited as informants. Nevertheless, I had no confidence in any of my colleagues to objectively assess my mental state. I practiced in a totally different world from other Seattle psychiatrists, who automatically turned away patients who couldn't afford their one hundred dollar fee."
Bramhall was never more than a "lukewarm radical":
"I was a very late bloomer politically. Despite my early disenchantment with the "establishment," as we called it in the sixties and seventies, it never occurred to me to blame political factors for my chronic sense of loneliness, alienation, and unmet emotional and social needs."
At thirty-five, she "fell into Marxism almost by accident" when a medical colleague invited her to join CISPES (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, formed in 1981 to protest Reagan's covert war against El Salvador). Marxism helped her "make sense for the first time of a political system riddled with contradictions," but she "never accepted the need for violent revolution to overthrow capitalism."
This would have been enough, I think, to have alienated her from most of her colleagues, since it must be as almost as hard to be a "Marxist" psychiatrist in the U.S. as it was to a "capitalist" one in the former Soviet Union, where political deviance was routinely equated with psychosis.
But Bramhall crossed a number of other tripwires in her efforts to combine political activism with her profession, the most conspicuous one being the color line. As a white woman who actively pursued her profession, as well as social and political associations, in the African American community, she became involved with other activists whose motivations, she came to suspect, were not as innocent or transparent as her own. One of her early acquaintances, a former Black Panther called Jabari Sisulu, put it succinctly: "White professionals who fraternize with black radicals are at much greater risk than I am." Bramhall's story is testimony to the truth of this statement.
Over the years, as she continued to participate in local activist projects like the effort to turn an abandoned school building in Seattle into an African American museum and cultural center, Bramhall broadened her political consciousness by reading about the assassination of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King, Cointelpro, AIDS, and more recently, 9/11 -- in short, by delving into the immense body of literature dealing with the facts and evidence about such topics that continues to be systematically suppressed by the mainstream press and dismissed as "conspiracy theory" but which is now readily accessible on the internet. At some points, her activities at the "micro" level intersected, perhaps with consequences, with the "macro" level (my terms), such as her association with Edna Laidlow, who claimed to be the lover of the "umbrella man" at Dealey Plaza who supposedly gave the signal to begin the shooting of JFK. She also suspects that her effort to publicize an ulcer drug called "Tagomet" [sic, presumably Tagamet] as a treatment for AIDS may have triggered a covert response.
The reader, like Bramhall herself, waits in vain for any resolution of the question of who was harassing her and why. This is hardly surprising, since none of the issues at the "macro" level have been resolved either. Despite the ever-increasing mountain of evidence of government involvement in multitudinous conspiracies ("plans by more than one person to do bad things") against "the people," both domestic and foreign, the steadfast response of both government and mainstream press, which are in this respect identical, remains the same. It is not denial -- which would require facts and arguments -- but silence.
Thus Bramhall leaves us, at the end of the book in 2002, having emigrated to New Zealand in hope of starting a new life at a healthy distance from the "insidious pseudo-culture" of the U.S. public relations industry and "stranglehold of the U.S. military and U.S. intelligence." I wish her luck, and as an longtime ex-pat myself I can say that she made a rational decision. I too am a kind of "American Refugee," as Bramhall subtitles her memoir. Fortunately, I never experienced the kind of personal harassment she did, but reading her book gives me a strong sense of "there but for fortune." I could have easily gone the way of Stuart Bramhall, just as I could have ended up in Vietnam or (more likely) in Canada fleeing the draft. But I got lucky. First of all, I was lucky enough to realize early on that the Vietnam war was insane, and secondly, I found a psychiatrist who shared my view. (He called it a "mass neurosis," which I thought a gross understatement, but it served my purpose of escaping the draft.)
I did not leave the U.S. for political reasons, however. I left, in 1977, because even armed with a Ph.D. (in linguistics), I couldn't get a decent job. So I guess I was an economic "refugee." (Part of Bramhall's motive for emigrating was also economic, her medical practice having suffered under cutbacks in Medicare and Medicaid in the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations.) I was, obviously, opposed to the Vietnam war, but I did not become "radicalized" until much later, in 1988, when I was older than Bramhall was when she turned to Marxism, so I too was a late bloomer, politically. The catalyst for me was, I am almost ashamed to say, a TV program: Nigel Turner's documentary about the assassination of President Kennedy (The Men Who Killed Kennedy). I saw this in Germany, after I had been living here for almost 11 years. This was the major turning point for me, but it all happened in my head. In Bramhall's case, despite the opinion of her bourgeois colleagues, I don't think it was in her head. Maybe some of it was, but her story is much too detailed to be dismissed as paranoia.
So the irony of our two stories is complete. On the one hand, we have a psychiatrist who is persecuted for political reasons and falsely judged by her colleagues to be insane. On the other hand we have a linguist who opposes an insane war and is correctly judged by a "renegade" psychiatrist (as I'm sure his colleagues would have described him in those days) to be sane and therefore unfit to "serve." Both of us end up leaving the country.
But not everyone can leave. Vietnam did not end. It's here again under a different name: Afghanistan/Iraq. In fact, things are much worse now, much more insane, than they were in the sixties. There was at least some attempt to lie convincingly about the reasons for the Vietnam war. The "communist threat" was more convincing than the the blatant lies about non-existent weapons of mass destruction, retaliation for 9/11, and bringing "freedom and democracy" to those unfortunate countries. A very large portion of the population, probably close to one half, disbelieves the government's story of 9/11, and a clear majority does not support the ongoing war (read "military engagement"). There is a huge disjuncture between what people think and what the government and the mainstream media tell them.
If societies were people, the U.S. would have to be locked up with the criminally insane. No person could remain sane harboring so many violently conflicting ideas. Societies are not people, but people do have to live in this insane society. How do they do it? I think there are three alternatives: 1) denial, 2) acceptance, and 3) fighting back. 1) and 2) are themselves psychotic states. How can you deny or accept insanity without becoming part of it?
3) is the only sane, reasonable and honorable alternative. This is what Bramhall did, and what many of us try to do, each in our own way. It is wrong to see her story as negative or her struggle as futile. It is part of the ongoing struggle.
P.S. Dr. Bramhall mentions me as the "translator" of AIDS researcher Jakob Segal, but in fact I only proofread the English edition of his book "AIDS Can Be Conquered" (Verlag Neuer Weg, 2001; "AIDS Ist Besiegbar," 1995). I did translate a couple of shorter pieces, which are accessible on my homepage (mdmorrissey.info) and in my book "Looking for the Enemy." The latter and my more recent book "The Transparent Conspiracy" (on 9/11) are available on Amazon.com.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
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