Kirkus Indie Reviews Prehistoric Adventure

Title: Misfits and Heroes: West from Africa

Author: Kathleen Flanagan Rollins
Blog: misfitsandheroes.wordpress.com
Facebook: Misfits and Heroes
Genre: prehistoric adventure
ISBN: 978-1453755037
Page count: 442pp

Reviewer: Kirkus Indie Reviews

Rollins tells an epic tale of ancient conflict, migration, spirit-world mystery and love.

The story is set in 12,000 B.C. in the forests and on the grassy steppes of West Africa. From the get-go, Rollins establishes a lovely, haunting tone: “It was the smell that had brought him here, to this village, the complicated, heavy smell of men and women and children.” Naaba is an outcast and a wanderer, and in this village he will find a like soul in Asha, who has a deep affinity for the watery realm, but has so far had her yearnings thwarted. They quit the village and set out to find a home. They move through a world in flux—“There were powerful places in every community: certain hills or lakes or trees that held special energy… but this was different somehow; it was a deliberate manipulation of that power.” These early humans learn that power can be diabolical and that the gods of the proto-myths, once protective, could be just as cruelly fickle, happily killing humans “not for anything they’d done, but only because the gods found it entertaining…. [I]t was a difficult balance, to acknowledge the power of the gods and yet maintain the importance of individual life.” A dynamic tension runs through the quest, a push-pull of forces—cooperative captives, murderous love, surprising intersections of principal players—as Naaba and Asha move forward, still following their noses, through a number of different communities that Rollins draws with detailed color, and the pair gather a cast of characters around them, fashioned with panache by Rollins into breathing entities with unforeseen weaknesses and unexpected strengths. They also learn to sail and ride a hellacious storm to the Antilles. The variety of settings—brutal war scenes, sporting contests, mysterious happenings in sacred places, the spookiness of what lies beneath the ocean’s surface, island biogeography—are meticulously plotted, the language precise but not prim, with an intriguing contrapuntal melody between the cadenced formality of Dashona, the storyteller within the text, and the liquid nature of Rollin’s narrative.

The kind of dangerous book that makes you want to remove most of your clothing, climb in a dugout and just start paddling.

----- 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 :

Karyn Saemann Reviews Military Memoir

Title: Mollie's War

Authors: Mollie Weinstein Schaffer and Cyndee Schaffer

Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers

Web link: www.mollieswar.com

Genre:  Nonfiction, WWII, memoir, women's issues

ISBN: 978-0-7864-4791-6

Reviewed by  Karyn Saemann for Midwest Book Review

Synposis of book:

Why did an average American woman become a WAC (Women’s Army Corps) during World War II and place herself in peril?

Authors Cyndee Schaffer and Mollie Weinstein Schaffer, answer this question and more in the book, Mollie’s War, a story weaved around the collection of letters that Mollie wrote home to her family during WWII along with historical commentary concurrent with the letters. Published by McFarland Publishers in August 2010, Mollie’s War documents the human side of life during the war – a life that alternates between fear and romance, exhaustion and leisure.

It took many letters home, sharing everything from daily challenges to exciting experiences (when the censors allowed) for her story, Mollie’s War, to emerge. What was it like to be in England while the country was under constant bombardment by unmanned German missiles? Imagine being among the first WACs to enter Normandy after the D-Day invasion. Consider using your foreign language skills from high school, as Mollie did in Normandy, and when she was transferred to Paris serving as informal interpreter in both work and social situations. Envision a young Jewish woman in Frankfurt, Germany, on Rosh Hashanah, 1945, and walking with other soldiers and officers to the rededication of the only standing synagogue.

The collection and story vividly depict Mollie’s experiences from her first train trip to Daytona Beach, Florida, for basic training in October, 1943, to the dramatic image of her seeing the illuminated figure of the Statue of Liberty in the midst of darkness as her ship approached the U.S. shores when she returned in November, 1945. This book may be the first collection of letters published by a Jewish American WAC.

Review:

 

Excellent editing, including a painstaking inclusion of explanatory text, elevates a collection of old letters into a warmly human, accessible account of a young Jewish woman's service in World War II Europe. From 1943 to 1945, while in the Women's Army Corps (WAC), Mollie Weinstein Schaffer saw England, France and Germany. Ultimately, her sister saved 350 pieces of correspondence penned by Schaffer, friends and family. About 200 make it into "Mollie's War," as do some brief diary entries. In her editing, Schaffer's daughter Cyndee judiciously excluded portions of longer letters, a wise decision that keeps things from bogging down, contributing to a wonderful novel-like flow. And she injects beaucoup explanatory notes, with just about every letter set up by a few lines. They flesh out details such as where Schaffer is geographically when she can't divulge that, significant battles and other events that have just or are about to occur, happenings and attitudes at home and weighty topics such as the role of female soldiers, whose participation wasn't always supported. And they reflect on the generally upbeat tone of the letters not being due to a lack of difficulties, but rather to the fact that Schaffer couldn't talk about her work with the Army's Medical Intelligence Division (whose duties ultimately included analyzing records left behind by Nazis of horrific experiments done on prisoners) and didn't want to worry her parents with news of hardship. Social activities were often all that was left to recount. Many of the letters are breezy accounts of dates, which female soldiers were asked out on constantly as they were far outnumbered by men. Others talk about living accommodations, food, sightseeing and nightlife in Paris. Sometimes they get intensely personal, particularly those detailing the simultaneous relationships Schaffer had with two men, both of whom she considered marrying. There are religious references, as Schaffer revels in gifts of her mother's Jewish pastries and marks holidays. And there is the reality of war, including stretches without heat or hot water, uncertainty over where the Army was sending her next and moments such as when she and her roommate woke to bombs overhead. "You can bet your boots we both felt to see if we were wearing our dog tags," she writes. Throughout, Schaffer's wit endears. "You should have seen me get ready to go out on my date last night," she writes to her sister from a muddy tent encampment in northern France two months after the June 1944 Normandy invasion. "You would have really laughed. " After a cold shower she fixes her hair with a mirror wedged in a tree limb, dons combat gear and then puts on "a few dashes of cologne to make me feel like I wasn't a soldier." Later from Paris, writing on letterhead left behind by the Nazis, she quips "Can you imagine - ME - with the "handle" that I've got (that is, her Jewish name) using Hitler's stationary?" Ultimately, that she found friends, love and time for laughter in the depths of war is a testament to Schaffer's personal strength. And her story is a historically vital representation of the role played by the 20,000 WACs sent overseas in World War II.

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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 :

K. M. Whittaker Reviews Suspenseful Novel

Title: Ring of Lies

Author: Victoria Howard
Author's website: www.victoriahoward.co.uk
Genre: Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 9781935407683

Reviewed by K M Whittaker originally for Amazon

 

What happens when the man you have been married to for ten years is not who you thought he was? After Daniel Elliott dies in a car crash, Grace is left to deal with all the details regarding his will. Grace finds that Daniel has an alias, a lot of money, and a beach house in Miami that she knew nothing of. It seems that this loveless marriage, that Daniel kept Grace in, controlling her and keeping his secrets, was more than just connivance, but a lie. Her life with him was safe and stable, but now she is unsure who her husband really was.

Grace contacts an old friend, Jack West, an FBI agent, who she met 6 months previously. Jack agrees to help her get answers to questions and unravel the mystery behind all the secrecy in her marriage, and find out who Daniel Elliott really was, and where this money came from.

With strings of lies, deceit, murder and mystery, Jack protects Grace from harm’s way and uses his expertise to help Grace unravel all the mysteries and secrets. Family boundaries are pushed, heart breaking discoveries are made, and Grace finally decides to take her stance.

Review

An emotional roller coaster that was fast paced, filled with murder, suspense, lies, and romance. I really enjoyed this mysterious storyline. The plot smoothly flowed from one chapter to the next, and the end finalized swiftly, but efficiently, to give the reader a well delivered finale to a suspenseful read. Romance was present, but not the main factor in the read, but I felt this was evenly distributed to give us those elements we look forward in any suspenseful romance thriller. I was worried towards the end only 15 pages to go and still no deal was sealed. But Victoria ended it well, nothing left unfinished, and a finale which I am sure pleased the reader. I know I was impressed.

The main characters are very different, but fit the jigsaw well. Every little detail was included, giving an insight to the character’s personality and views. Descriptions were well portrayed -including thoughts, emotions and surroundings. I enjoy this in a read, as I am a visual reader!!!

I enjoyed Jack’s character - definitely not flawless, but his love for his daughter softened his hard exterior, good cop -hard arse. He knew what his responsibilities were and never faulted with either. He was brave, and respected, and gallant to the end.

Grace was a tortured soul. Living in a loveless marriage she stuck to her vows, no matter what. She was withdrawn in the beginning of the story, but in time her character grew strong and determined to move on with life, and start to live. I was happy to see Grace stand her ground no matter what happened to her. She had a strong will and in the end this showed in her character.

There are plenty of villains present creating that mystery and suspense that we all crave in a good thrilling read. Their characters coming across as callous and uncaring and just hard arse, this was portrayed well. You grew to hate the characters and what they stood for, but this also is part of a great story.

Overall, Victoria never disappoints in her writing, intriguing the reader into the world that she has created, drawing us into the suspense, and mystery and even little loving entwined. The romance wasn't a big part of the story, but I fell it was just perfect, giving us the insight to Jack and Grace's emotions and dragging us along in the moment.

All secondary characters meshed well with the story line, making it an enjoyable read, all necessary and blending in well with the plot.

I've now read two of Victoria's stories and have enjoyed both immensely. I certainly look forward to more of her stories in the future. A must read!! That will keep you on the edge of your seat, right till the very end

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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 :

Sleep Before Evening Reviewed by Joyce White

Are you an author? Learn about Author Central

Sleep Before Evening

By Magdalena Ball

$17.99Paperback: 296 pages Publisher: Bewrite Books (July 24, 2007)Language: English ISBN-10: 1904492967 ISBN-13: 978-1904492962 Author's Web site: www.compulsivereader.com/html
Also available for Kindle

Reviewed by Joyce White

Magdalena Ball says in this drug fiction slice-of-life drama, you can find good and bad in everything that happened which meant there is no such thing as luck only perception. She obviously loves writing and has mastered quantum jumping from a poet to a brilliant novelist. Her narration whispers, never intrudes. Her metaphors sing like most good poetry; and her scenes leave you wanting more. The reader can not only feel but hear and see each emotion change from page to page, being more like an opera than a novel.

I’ve often wondered if it was wise for a poet to try novel writing. Obviously Magdalene has a talent for both. It amazes me that this is her first novel. It is that good. To be obscurely clearly is a real talent. When something can be read without effort like her scenes, you can be sure great effort has gone into its writing.

One of my favorite metaphors and there are many, she describes Marianne, the young protagonist, as swimming in an ocean of amniotic fluid, cradling and nourishing her. Another metaphor I enjoyed was…feeling Miles’ arms like long tendrils of a parasitic vein, snaking around her body, taking her breath and her life away. Later, she says…There is no heaven, no hell, but there is music…sounds, smells, taste, touch, there is always music.

I recommend this story to all families, teenagers and college students. This is not a typical drug fiction book but a classic work of art.

~Reviewed by Joyce White of Sculpting the Heart Book Reviews www.wingedforhealing.com

 

Joyce White
Author
Sculpting the Heart with Art Therapy
Read Now - http://bit.ly/d1jGLN
Twitter - @wjoycewhite

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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 :

TITLE: The Pumpkin Field

AUTHOR: Linda Nance

PUBLISHER: Create Space http://www.createspace.com

PAGES: 40

PRICE: $10.95 (US), £6.62 (UK), CDN$ 10.80 (CA)

FORMAT: Paperback

ISBN-10: 1461044812

ISBN-13: 9781461044819

Reviewed by Deb Hockenberry

Strange things happen on Halloween night or do they? In this picture book it is a chilly and misty night. It’s a perfect night for spooky things to happen. It’s a perfect night to be full of fright!

Do scarecrows jump from their posts and dance around on Halloween? Do pumpkins dance from their pumpkin patch? Or is it just shadows in the misty night air?

What was that flying through the air? Was it a bird?

In this delightful children’s book, we find out just what the answers are to these questions and more. Linda’s watercolor illustrations really bring the story to life!

A child will love this book. It explains the spooky things you see and the creepy sounds you hear. Adults will enjoy reading this to their children as it brings back memories of their own Halloween celebrations.

To learn more about Linda Nance, you can go to a couple of different places. You can go to Linda’s fan page on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Linda-Nance-Fan-Page/162224753802546.

You can also learn more about The Pumpkin Field and Linda Nance at: http://linda-nance.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-is-pumpkin-field.html.

This entertaining book is sold in several places. You can pick The Pumpkin Field up at http://www.amazon.com or http://www.barnesandnoble.com in the US, at http://www.amazon.ca in Canada or http://www.amazon.co.uk in the United Kingdom. You can also purchase this directly from the publisher at https://www.createspace.com/3588264.

 ~Reviewer Deb Hockenberry

The Bumpy Road http://thebumpyroadtopublishing.blogspot.com

Deb's Book Reviews http://debsbookreviews.blogspot.com

"When God closes a door, He always opens a window."

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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 :

Singh Reviews Indian Satire

Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard By Kiran Desai Author:Kiran Desai Genre: Indian fiction/Comedy/Satire Reviewed by Aakanksha Singh originally for Book Reviews Galore The problem with reading an awesome novel by a particular author is the high expectations one has with the other novels and when that doesn't happen,you feel heartbroken for both yourself and the author. And that's exactly what happened with 'Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard' written by Kiran Desai. Having read her other, more famous, Booker prize winning novel, 'The Inheritance Of Loss,' which is quite splendid weaving strands of varying themes into a beautiful story, I built up many sky high praises for Kiran Desai. But, unfortunately, her debut novel doesn't come close to her 2nd one. 'Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard,' is a good read nonetheless, yet lacks the brilliance that lights up the storyline of 'The Inheritnace of Loss.' Synopsis (from Christopher's Rare Books):   The plot of 'Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard' begins with the birth of Sampath in an apparently middle class family living in a village named Shahkot. Then the novel does an Indian soap opera kind of leap and we see Sampath twenty years later, quite dull, and doomed as a failure by his father. Only his mother, Kulfi, has faith that her son will be able to be something in life. And ho! what do you know, he does manage to do just that. But not before getting fired from his clerk job in the post office and running away from Shahkot to be away from the misery of life. He then comes across a guava orchard and decides to climb on a guava tree and interestingly finds peace and solace over there. He feels uncluttered and unfettered on that tree. With a quirk of fate, he gets mistaken by a holy man atop a tree and his father gets a brilliant idea to juice out money from this venture. People flock to listen to his wise words and seek his advice and blessings! Sampath thus from being a good for nothing fellow becomes a famous Monkey Baba revered by one and all. Apart from Sampath, we get to see the rest of his peculiar family like his mother who relishes food and whipping up quite grand and glorious dishes. Then his sister, Pinky who falls in love with an ice cream seller, Hungry Hop. The one word for this novel is eccentric. 'Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard' reminds one of the bumbling comedies staged during Elizabethan Age that had similar comic situations with myriad quirky characters. The book gives a satirical take on rural/town India and its obsession with godly figures. It highlights the dishonesty that prevails among the fake babas that spring up in all nooks and corners. Of course, Sampath never intended to become a Monkey Baba. He in fact wanted to run away from all things pretentious. So perhaps Desai is trying to bring out how holy men should be in their heart and soul? Well, one can interpret it in anyway one wants. The characters are also well fleshed out particularly Kulfi whose love for food has been highlighted since page 1. While the comic ans satirical part of the book is perfect, its the Bollywoodish touch and the simple, immature writing and the weak climax that make the book rather disappointing. Its quite entertaining and funny in its ludicrous situations but not really a must read, though a fun read! Well, you could either go for it and enjoy the fun or avoid it completely. Take your pick!

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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 :

Intellectually Stimulating, Emotionally Engaging Cold War Thriller

Title: The Allemagne Deception

 Author: Donald J. Farinacci

 Author’s Website: DonaldJFarinacci.com

 Genre: Historical Novel/Military

 ISBN: 10:0983416818

ISBN: 13:978-0983416814

Reviewed by Steve George Bustin originally for Independent Author Network and Amazon

 

Author Donald J. Farinacci's latest work, The Allemagne Deception, is a terrifyingly suspenseful and gripping account of a history that few Americans know. While the shooting war in Vietnam was hot and the bellicose actions of the Cold War were in the papers, an unknown, but strategically important and viciously executed secret war raged in Europe between the unsung intelligence services of Democracy and the Stalinesque forces of Communism.

Farinacci has expertly crafted a complex, multi-layered web of deceit, loyalty, patriotism and greed, all within the greater context of the Cold War. As he did in his previous book, Truman, he provides both a global and individual perspective while keeping you in doubt of the final outcome of history.

The heretofore unheralded heroes of this war finally get their due in this story that spans decades and countries, yet remains timeless. There is such detail and credibility in the great prose, one has to wonder if in fact Mr. Farinacci was closer to the actual intelligence operations of the time than anyone but he knows.

Intellectually stimulating, emotionally engaging and certainly a page-turner, The Allemagne Deception is a superb work of the clandestine sacrifices of a highly select group of dedicated Americans who selflessly served without acknowledgement by anyone outside of their small community. This is a movie begging to be made.

~Reviewer Steven George Bustin is the author of Humble Heroes: How the USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWII .

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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 :