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Spotlight Review: THE HEAVEN AND EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride

December 5, 2023

From the publisher:

THE RUNAWAY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“A murder mystery locked inside a Great American Novel . . . Charming, smart, heart-blistering, and heart-healing.” —Danez Smith, The New York Times Book Review

“We all need—we all deserve—this vibrant, love-affirming novel that bounds over any difference that claims to separate us.” —Ron Charles, The Washington Post

From James McBride, author of the bestselling Oprah’s Book Club pick Deacon King Kong and the National Book Award–winning The Good Lord Bird, a novel about small-town secrets and the people who keep them

In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows. Chicken Hill was where Moshe and Chona Ludlow lived when Moshe integrated his theater and where Chona ran the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. When the state came looking for a deaf boy to institutionalize him, it was Chona and Nate Timblin, the Black janitor at Moshe’s theater and the unofficial leader of the Black community on Chicken Hill, who worked together to keep the boy safe.

As these characters’ stories overlap and deepen, it becomes clear how much the people who live on the margins of white, Christian America struggle and what they must do to survive. When the truth is finally revealed about what happened on Chicken Hill and the part the town’s white establishment played in it, McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community—heaven and earth—that sustain us.

Bringing his masterly storytelling skills and his deep faith in humanity to The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride has written a novel as compassionate as Deacon King Kong and as inventive as The Good Lord Bird.

“With this story, McBride brilliantly captures a rapidly changing country, as seen through the eyes of the recently arrived and the formerly enslaved . . . And through this evocation, McBride offers us a thorough reminder: Against seemingly impossible odds, even in the midst of humanity’s most wicked designs, love, community and action can save us.” —The New York Times Book Review

“The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is one of the best novels I’ve read this year. It pulls off the singular magic trick of being simultaneously flattening and uplifting.” —NPR
https://amzn.to/3N6OAch

My friend Judy recommended this book to me, and I put it off for a while – my mistake. This was a totally immersive read into a world of incredible characters wrapped in a mystery, and I loved it.

The book opens in the 1970s, with a skeleton found in an old well, along with a couple of trinkets. Almost immediately, it moves back to the Depression era in the small town of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where European immigrants, Blacks, and Jews are all living together in near poverty on Chicken Hill, while the white folks live in town. Except for Moshe and Chona, a young Jewish couple who own the Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. It was Chona’s father’s store, and she takes over running it while her husband Moshe, owns a music theater where he brings in all kinds of music, from Klezmer to jazz. The grocery loses money on the regular, as Chona is too kindhearted to make any of her poor customers pay, but the theater makes money. Moshe wants to move off of Chicken Hill, but Chona won’t budge. He is so in love with her, he’ll do anything she says.

Chona had polio and wears a special shoe to help her walk. She is sensitive to others with disabilities, so when Nate, a young Black man who is married to Chona’s best friend, Addie, asks her to help hide Dodo, his nephew, she immediately agrees. Dodo was orphaned when their stove blew up, killing his mother and leaving him blind and deaf. Eventually, he gets his sight back but not his hearing. He is an intelligent pre-teen boy and reads lips remarkably well, but the state wants to institutionalize him at their hospital of horrors, hence the reason he needs to be hidden.

The town doctor leads the Ku Klux Klan parade every year, so it is understandable why none of the people on Chicken Hill will go to him. He has lusted after Chona since they were in high school together, but she rejected him then and he has held a grudge ever since. All these characters and more are introduced in the first section of the book, so it would be slow going except they are all so interesting, and I couldn’t wait to see how they would all come together in this story.

By the time the mystery of the skeleton was solved at the end of the book, I had almost forgotten that was how it started. I was so drawn into this world that I didn’t want to leave it at the end. This was one of those books that will stay with me for years, and had a little bit of everything – mystery, romance, history, humor, pathos, drama – all rolled up into one terrific novel. Book groups will love it, and everyone should read it. Look for this book to top my best books of the year list!

12/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE HEAVEN AND EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride. Riverhead Books (August 8, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0593422946. 400p.

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Spotlight Review: DEATH VALLEY by Melissa Broder

October 10, 2023

From the publisher:

The most profound book yet from the visionary author of Milk Fed and The Pisces, a darkly funny novel about grief that becomes a desert survival story.

In Melissa Broder’s astounding new novel, a woman arrives alone at a Best Western seeking respite from an emptiness that plagues her. She has fled to the California high desert to escape a cloud of sorrow—for both her father in the ICU and a husband whose illness is worsening. What the motel provides, however, is not peace but a path, thanks to a receptionist who recommends a nearby hike.

Out on the sun-scorched trail, the woman encounters a towering cactus whose size and shape mean it should not exist in California. Yet the cactus is there, with a gash through its side that beckons like a familiar door. So she enters it. What awaits her inside this mystical succulent sets her on a journey at once desolate and rich, hilarious and poignant.

This is Melissa Broder at her most imaginative, most universal, and finest. This is Death Valley.
https://amzn.to/3LALqvC

Melissa Broder (Milk Fed) has written a weird and wacky treatise on grief. The protagonist is an author trying to complete her newest novel while dealing with serious family issues. She hits the road, leaving Los Angeles, and heads to the desert, where she is delighted to find a room in her favorite hotel chain, Best Western. Her husband has been debilitating from an undiagnosed illness for years; her father was in a terrible car accident several months earlier but has cheated death twice while remaining mostly unresponsive in the ICU; her mother deals with it all by adhering to strict superstitions. Written in the first person, the novel’s first half details her journey to this point; the second half is a stream of consciousness of her visit to the desert, hallucinating an enormous cactus and going inside it; very much an escape from reality. The humor is bleak, the metaphors strong, and her grief is palpable. The meandering story finally arrives at a somewhat surprising, almost heartfelt ending. Buy for demand only.

Verdict: For the literary sophisticate – readalikes include novels by Banana Yoshimoto and Jeffrey Eugenides.

©Library Journal, 2023

10/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

DEATH VALLEY by Melissa Broder. Scribner (October 24, 2023). ISBN: 978-1668024843. 240p.

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Spotlight Review: AMAZING GRACE ADAMS by Fran Littlewood

September 5, 2023

From the publisher:

Bernadette, Eleanor Oliphant, Rosie, Ove . . . meet Amazing Grace Adams, the funny, touching, unforgettable story of an invisible everywoman pushed to the brink―who finally pushes back.

Grace Adams gave birth, blinked, and now suddenly she is forty-five, perimenopausal and stalled―the unhappiest age you can be, according to the Guardian. And today she’s really losing it. Stuck in traffic, she finally has had enough. To the astonishment of everyone, Grace gets out of her car and simply walks away.
Grace sets off across London, armed with a £200 cake, to win back her estranged teenage daughter on her sixteenth birthday. Because today is the day she’ll remind her daughter that no matter how far we fall, we can always get back up again. Because Grace Adams used to be amazing. Her husband thought so. Her daughter thought so. Even Grace thought so. But everyone seems to have forgotten. Grace is about to remind them . . . and, most important, remind herself.
https://amzn.to/3NKW4lU

Tales of extraordinary women abound, but the title character of Littlewood’s debut novel is a seemingly relatable everywoman. The timeline bounces around between the Grace of her 20s, 30s, and 40s, and the story begins as Grace spends the day trying to deliver a birthday cake to Lotte, her estranged 16-year-old daughter. She abandons her car in gridlock and starts hoofing it, taking off on a deeply personal pilgrimage of sorts. Her journey takes her to the bakery where she ordered the overpriced cake to an incident with the police and other assorted encounters. Grace is obviously troubled, and her journey to her daughter is also one of insight into her own life. Perimenopause rears its ugly head, divorce seems imminent, and unemployment all contribute to what appears to be Grace’s break with reality, but it is all underscored by the worst tragedy a parent can face. Although the story seems inconsistent at times, it only enhances the surreality that is Grace’s life. Despite this, we can’t help but root for her.

Verdict: An utterly charming debut, sure to appeal to readers who loved Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman and Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.

©Library Journal, 2023

9/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

AMAZING GRACE ADAMS by Fran Littlewood. Henry Holt and Co.; International Edition (September 5, 2023). ISBN: 978-1250857019. 272p.

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Spotlight Review: REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt

August 15, 2023

From the publisher:

For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick!

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF SUMMER by: Chicago Tribune * The View * Southern Living * USA Today

“Remarkably Bright Creatures [is] an ultimately feel-good but deceptively sensitive debut. . . . Memorable and tender.” — Washington Post

“A debut novel about a woman who befriends an octopus is a charming, warmhearted read.” — Kirkus Reviews

“A unique and luminous book.” — Booklist (starred review)
https://amzn.to/3O7wmqB

What an incredible read! My friend Nora recommended this book to me while we were on a *mini-vacay, and I’m so happy she did! There are two main characters, Tova, an elderly woman who cleans the small town aquarium, and Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus.

Tova has had a hard life. She’s lost everyone she loves, including her husband and her son, but she keeps putting one foot in front of the other and keeps moving on. Marcellus has come to terms with his captivity, but he enjoys sneaking out of his tank after hours. Tova knows this but figures live and let live, and she doesn’t rat him out. In fact, she saves him one night after he becomes ensnarled in a bunch of cords beneath a table. Marcellus is quite bright, and his observations of the humans who enter his world are often thoughtful, snarky, and just delightful as the book meanders back and forth from his viewpoint to Tova’s.

When Tova’s son was lost at sea, it was assumed a suicide, but Tova never accepts that. Turns out Marcellus may have information that will help Tova only he has to figure out how to communicate this to her. When Tova has a nasty fall, she is put on bed rest and the aquarium hires a young man new to town to help fill in while she’s out. But she can’t stay away; as soon as she is somewhat mobile, she starts sneaking into the aquarium, helping out her replacement but keeping it all on the down low.

This was such a charming book, and I’m sure it will stay with me for a very long time. It is an incredible debut filled with memorable characters and an unusual yet believable storyline; Remarkably Bright Creatures is bound for my best books of 2023 list. Don’t miss it!

*mini-vacay: only visited two bookstores and no libraries (other than a Little Free Library)!

8/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt. Ecco (May 3, 2022). ISBN: 978-0063204157. 368p.

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Spotlight Review: THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS by Kristy Woodson Harvey

July 18, 2023

From the publisher:

Four women come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and rediscover themselves in the process in this moving new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil and the Peachtree Bluff series.

Nearly thirty years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs and turned it into a thriving summer haven for girls. But now, June is in danger of losing the place she has sacrificed everything for, and begins to realize how much she has used the camp to avoid facing difficulties in her life.

June’s niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, during a fateful summer at camp. They’ve all helped each other through hard things, from heartbreak and loss to substance abuse and unplanned pregnancy, and the three are inseparable even in their thirties. But when attorney Daphne is confronted with a relationship from her past—and a confidential issue at work becomes personal—she is faced with an impossible choice.

Lanier, meanwhile, is struggling with tough decisions of her own. After a run-in with an old flame, she is torn between the commitment she made to her fiancé and the one she made to her first love. And when a big secret comes to light, she finds herself at odds with her best friend…and risks losing the person she loves most.

But in spite of their personal problems, nothing is more important to these songbirds than Camp Holly Springs. When the women learn their childhood oasis is in danger of closing, they band together to save it, sending them on a journey that promises to open the next chapters in their lives.

From an author whose “writing coats your soul with heart” (E! Online), The Summer of Songbirds is a lyrical and unforgettable celebration of female friendship, summertime freedom, and enduring sisterhood—and a love letter to the places and people that make us who we are.

“Harvey reminds us that sisterhood can take many forms…With a strong dose of nostalgia and multiple narrations from Daphne, Lanier, and June, the book will appeal to Mary Kay Andrews and Katherine Center fans, who will revel in the support the women demonstrate for one another.”—Booklist

“Equal parts moving and nostalgic, Kristy Woodson Harvey’s latest novel is a story of four friends who unite to save a summer camp and find out much more about friendship, love, and their own lives in the process.”—Southern Living

“Anyone in the sleepaway camp mood? Now that our kids’ trunks are in their cabins, it’s the perfect time to dive into this beautiful, heartwarming narrative by New York Times bestselling author and southern sensation Kristy Woodson Harvey. [An] ode to female friendship and the places that shape us into who we are.”—Good Morning America
https://amzn.to/46KqcoW

This author was new to me, but I’ve heard great things about her over the years and I’m not sure why it took me so long to get here. Better late than never, and this was a glorious read, especially if you have fond memories of sleepaway camp.

I did not have the experience of returning to the same camp summer after summer, but I did attend a variety of sleepaway camps, mostly in upstate New York. I loved the escape of camp, to be away from my divorced but still warring parents, to spend so much time outdoors in the freezing mornings and hot afternoons, to learn new skills like diving, rowing, water-skiing (ok, I never quite learned how to water-ski but it wasn’t for lack of trying!) archery, horseback riding, making lanyards (the only craft I mastered!) and of course, boys. But I have wandered way off course here, and if you attended camp, you probably will, too. This book brought back a lot of memories.

The three women at the heart of this story met their first summer at camp when they were six-years-old; their age group was called Songbirds, and the girls became lifelong friends. When the camp is in danger of going under, they flock together to try and save it. That is the basic premise of the story, and that’s all you really need to know about the plot.

What you should know is that these characters are fully realized on the page – I felt like if I took a trip to their small North Carolina town, I’d recognize them all. This was a nostalgic read and brought back so many wonderful summer memories. I loved watching their friendships grow from childhood to adulthood, and how much these women cared about one another and their families. Not everything was an easy ride though; they deal with serious topics like drug abuse, death, single motherhood, and much more. There is also a touch of romance, which I appreciated, and a happy ending. And one of the characters owns a bookstore, which was just the icing on this delicious cake. If you are looking for a charming, beautifully written, nostalgic summer read, look no further. I loved it.

7/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS by Kristy Woodson Harvey. Gallery Books (July 11, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-1668010822. 368p.

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Spotlight Review: THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA by Patti Callahan Henry

July 4, 2023

From the publisher:

When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed.

In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone—a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own.

But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves.

Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby’s. With a charming boyfriend and her elegantly timeworn Bloomsbury flat, Hazel’s future seems determined. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to Flora’s disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years?

As Hazel embarks on a feverish quest, revisiting long-dormant relationships and bravely opening wounds from her past, her career and future hang in the balance. An astonishing twist ultimately reveals the truth in this transporting and refreshingly original novel about the bond between sisters, the complications of conflicted love, and the enduring magic of storytelling.

“[A]ffecting…Henry’s offering shines most in its exploration of the ways relationships grow and adapt to time and trauma, making for a poignant meditation on the bonds of sisterhood. This captivates.”—Publishers Weekly

“Magical…an enchanting tribute to the power of storytelling.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“A charming story that weaves fairy tale, mystery, and historical importance with a good dose of romance, The Secret Book of Flora Lea will appeal to all ages, as the author unfurls a fantastic story about ‘an invisible place right here with us.’” New York Journal of Books

“In this heartfelt novel, Henry deftly examines the bonds of sisterhood while seamlessly melding the horrors of war with the comfort of fairy tales, reminding us that “telling stories is one of the greatest powers we possess.” The Washington Post
https://amzn.to/3Ptlhma

This was my first book by this author, and I’m not sure how she has escaped me! This was such a lovely book about storytelling and families and sisters and first loves, set in a backdrop of war but moving back and forth in time. It is a wonderful book, and everyone should read it.

I had never heard of Operation Pied Piper, but it was a real program where children from London were sent to live with strangers out in the English countryside to keep them safe from all the bombings during WWII. They packed up a few clothes, their gas masks, and were packed onto busses. In this story, Hazel, a young teenager, and her little sister Flora get lucky and a warm, loving woman agrees to house them during the War. That was not always the case; they meet another girl in the same village who was taken in by a “hag,” a nasty woman who, like some foster parents, took her in for the money she would be paid and to put her to work. But Hazel and Flora were very lucky, and Bridie is such a warm, loving mother figure to them, it makes the transition that much easier. She has a son, Harry, who is around the same age as Hazel, and he is an artist. He draws beautiful pictures of Flora and the lovely countryside and slips them under their bedroom door each night.

But that is only part of this story. Hazel has a vivid imagination, and she invents a fairytale for her younger sister, set in a small enchanted town with a “river of stars” running through it. She begins every story the same way, and the two girls are always in the story, sometimes as girls, but often as other fanciful beings, fairies, owls, etc. But then tragedy strikes; Flora goes missing and is never found. Hazel was with Harry at the time, and she can’t forgive herself or Harry for not keeping an eye on Flora, and she vows to never see him again.

Fast forward many years to 1960, and Hazel is working for a rare books dealer. It’s her last day on the job; she has gotten a new position at Sotheby’s. On her last day of work, her boss asks her to unpack a new shipment, which she does. To her shock, it is a fairytale about the place she invented as a child. The author’s name is unfamiliar, and she lives in the United States. Along with the book are some illustrations, and before she even realizes she’s done it, Hazel has taken them all and gone home.

Hazel has never accepted that Flora died. A few years later, a body of a young girl is found not that far from where they lived and the police consider the case closed, but Hazel does not. So when she finds this book, she is convinced more than ever that Flora must still be alive.

It’s a beautifully written, totally engrossing story that I hated to end. Book groups will find lots to discuss here. Put it on your summer reading list and enjoy!

7/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA by Patti Callahan Henry. Atria Books (May 2, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-1668011836. 368p.

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ON FIRE ISLAND by Jane L. Rosen

May 26, 2023

From the publisher:

A book editor spends one last summer on Fire Island in this sparkling and surprising new novel from the author of A Shoe Story.

As a book editor, Julia Morse lived and breathed stories. Whether with her pen to a manuscript or curled up with a book while at her beloved Fire Island cottage, her imagination alight with a good tale, she could anticipate practically any ending. The ending she’d never imagined was her own.

To be fair, no one expects to die at thirty-seven. So when the unthinkable happens to Julia, rather than following the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, she chooses to spend one last summer near those she loves most.

As she follows her adoring, novelist husband Ben to their—unexpectedly full—home on Fire Island, she discovers the ripple affect her life has had on the trajectory of so many: her baseball loving, young-at-heart neighbor who believes it’s best not to go it alone, two bright-eyed teenagers eager to become adults, and her best friend who must shake off heartbreak for a new chance at love.

With poignant comedy and insight, On Fire Island is an ode to the stories all around us and to the brightest types of loves…for the people closest to you and the places that shape you.

“Rosen has a winning sense of humor, bringing levity not to awkward and painful moments, and she packs the narrative with vivid details of beach life and city life. This is a treat.” – Publisher’s Weekly

“A sometimes tough read that will appeal to readers wondering if those who die can stick around for just a little longer.” – Kirkus Reviews
https://amzn.to/43iiQXf

Jane Rosen writes such interesting stories! I loved Nine Women One Dress and A Shoe Story, and this book lived up to my high expectations. Our main character is Julia Morse, a young woman who has died. That is not a spoiler! The dead Julia narrates the book from the get go. A young woman dying is always traumatic, and we meet her husband, Ben, a famous author, who is grieving. Her family insists on sitting shiva for the full week, and Ben can’t bear it. He takes the dog and walks out without a word to anyone, and moves into their beach home on Fire Island. This summer resort setting is as much of a character as everyone else.

Julia goes along for the ride, metaphorically speaking that is. She is an observer here, and shares her insight into her husband and friends. Her best friend, Renee, just got divorced after their teenage son catches his father in bed with another woman. Other characters include Renee’s son, Matty, and Shep, a neighbor who used to own the house Ben & Julia bought. Shep is also a widower, but much older than Ben, so when Ben finds him sleeping in his bed, he figures the old guy just got confused. But it turns out he doesn’t want to stay in his new, much larger house, so they become roommates.

The summer on Fire Island is healing for everyone, eventually, but there is a lot of unhappiness as well. Fortunately for us, Rosen manages to infuse humor among even the saddest of moments, and I was invested enough in these characters to make this a one night read. I also was intrigued by the notion of Julia being able to hang around her family and friends until she felt ready to go to that great beyond…which turns out to be, well, no spoilers here. I loved this book, despite its slightly morbid premise, and highly recommend it.

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ON FIRE ISLAND by Jane L. Rosen. Berkley (May 23, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0593638071. 320p.

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Spotlight Review: ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME by William Landay

May 9, 2023

From the publisher:

A mother vanished. A father presumed guilty. There is no proof. There are no witnesses. For the children, there is only doubt. From the New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob. . . .

“Astonishing, powerful, and provocative, this book is worth the excruciating wait for another William Landay.”—Louise Penny, author of A World of Curiosities

One afternoon in November 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find her house eerily quiet. Her mother is missing. Nothing else is out of place. There is no sign of struggle. Her mom’s pocketbook remains in the front hall, in its usual spot.

So begins a mystery that will span a lifetime. What happened to Jane Larkin?

Investigators suspect Jane’s husband. A criminal defense attorney, Dan Larkin would surely be an expert in outfoxing the police.

But no evidence is found linking him to a crime, and the case fades from the public’s memory, a simmering, unresolved riddle. Jane’s three children—Alex, Jeff, and Miranda—are left to be raised by the man who may have murdered their mother.

Two decades later, the remains of Jane Larkin are found. The investigation is awakened. The children, now grown, are forced to choose sides. With their father or against him? Guilty or innocent? And what happens if they are wrong?

A tale about family—family secrets and vengeance, but also family love—All That Is Mine I Carry With Me masterfully grapples with a primal question: When does loyalty reach its limit?
https://amzn.to/42k1lFo

I’ve read a couple of William Landay’s books that were excellent; his first novel, Mission Flats, and his bestseller, Defending Jacob. Defending Jacob became a limited drama series on Apple TV+ with Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery, and was very good. I was looking forward to this new book and was not disappointed.

This is a family nightmare – the mother goes missing one day, and no one knows what happened to her. Of course, the father/husband is the chief suspect, but they don’t get anywhere with him because he is a criminal defense lawyer. His kids, on the other hand, have their own theories. The family is split, but they come together when their mother’s body is found twenty years later. The original detective is retired, but he’s never forgotten this case and has always been sure of the father’s guilt. He starts working with the family to try and solve the mystery.

I don’t want to give anything away here. Most of the book explores the family dynamics, at least until the mystery starts unraveling. I found the ending to be a bit muddled, but definitely worth the read to get there. This is a beautifully written, interesting, and gripping mystery.

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME by William Landay. Bantam (March 7, 2023). ISBN: 978-0345531841. 336p.

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Spotlight Review: THE HALF MOON by Mary Beth Keane

May 2, 2023

From the publisher:

From the beloved author of the triumphant New York Times bestseller Ask Again, Yes comes a magnificently told novel about the complexities of marriage, family, longing, and desire.

Malcolm Gephardt, the handsome and gregarious longtime bartender at the Half Moon, has always dreamed of owning a bar. When his boss is finally ready to retire, Malcolm is inspired to buy the place. He sees unquantifiable magic and potential in the Half Moon and hopes to make it a bigger success—but quickly realizes that his customers don’t like change and that making a profit won’t be easy.

Malcolm’s wife Jess is smart, confident, and has dedicated herself to her law career. But after years of trying to have a baby, she’s struggling to accept the idea that motherhood may not be in the cards for her. Like Malcolm, she feels her youth beginning to slip away, and while her hopes and expectations fall short of the current reality, she wonders how to reshape her life.

Taking place over the course of one tumultuous week—when Malcolm learns shocking news about Jess, a patron of the bar goes missing, and their town gets hit by a massive blizzard—award-winning author Mary Beth Keane’s skilled storytelling and generous spirit are on full display as she carefully explores a marriage in crisis, what it takes to make a life with another person, and the true meaning of family.
https://amzn.to/3XpjOyn

Mary Beth Keane (Ask Again, Yes) takes us into a marriage that is struggling. Jess and Malcolm married when she got pregnant, but she lost that baby. That turns into years of infertility treatments and IVF, which is immensely frustrating and expensive. Jess is an attorney but doesn’t love her job, only the paycheck that comes with it. Malcolm recently purchased the bar where he’s worked for over twenty years, but he neglects to tell Jess that he also bought the building on a handshake deal with his old boss, which proves to be a problem. Everything comes to a head one week in this small town when a blizzard hits and everyone loses power, one of the bar’s regulars goes missing, Malcolm is feeling overwhelmed with money problems, and worst of all, Jess has left him for another man, begging the question: can this marriage be saved?

Verdict: This deep dive into the complexities of marriage makes this perfect fodder for book discussions. Should appeal to readers who enjoy Elizabeth Berg, Eleanor Lipman, or Meg Wolitzer.

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE HALF MOON by Mary Beth Keane. Scribner (May 2, 2023). ISBN: 978-1982172602. 304p.

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Spotlight Review: LOYALTY by Lisa Scottoline

April 18, 2023

From the publisher:

#1 bestselling author Lisa Scottoline presents Loyalty, an emotional, action-packed epic of love and justice, set during the rise of the Mafia in Sicily.

Loyalty can save a soul—or destroy one.

    Franco Fiorvanti is a handsome lemon grower toiling on the estate of a baron. He dreams of owning his own grove, but the rigid class system of Sicily thwarts his ambition. Determined to secure a better future, Franco will do anything to prove his loyalty to the baron. But when the baron asks him to kidnap a little boy named Dante, Franco makes a decision that will change his life—and even the history of Sicily—forever.

    Gaetano Catalano is an idealistic young lawyer whose devotion to justice is tantamount to a calling. He’s a member of the Beati Paoli, a real-life secret society of aristocrats who investigate crime in Palermo, a city riddled with graft. Gaetano sets out to find the boy and punish the kidnapper, but his mission leads him to a darker place than he had ever imagined.

    Meanwhile, Mafalda Pancari is a new mother rejoicing at the birth of her daughter, Lucia, when disaster strikes. And Alfredo D’Antonio is a reclusive goatherd under constant threat of being discovered as a Jew. How the lives of these unforgettable characters collide makes Loyalty an epic tale of good versus evil, as the story twists and turns to its monumental showdown.

    Readers will be transported to the dramatic and ruggedly beautiful island of Sicily, the jewel of the Mediterranean, where lush lemon groves and mouth-watering cuisine contrast with a turbulent history of colonization and corruption. Scottoline brings her decades of thriller writing to historical fiction, creating in Loyalty a singular novel that no reader will be able to put down.

“Scottoline brings nineteenth-century Sicily alive in this historical thriller…Every scene is a full sensory experience, as Scottoline weaves lemon-scented breezes, the ocean’s sounds, and sun-baked piazza stones into a timeless, tragedy-strewn story of love, power, and redemption. History fans will appreciate the novel’s well-researched foundation, especially concerning the origins of the Sicilian Mafia and early mental-health institutions.” —Booklist (starred)

“Scottoline brings her characters to life, instilling them with wit and intellect as they navigate the corruption of Sicily’s law enforcement. Historical crime fiction fans will be riveted.” —Publishers Weekly
https://amzn.to/3KfQULR

I love Lisa Scottoline – she is an incredible writer and a truly special human being. Many years ago, I was assigned her book Killer Smile for review at Library Journal. I loved that book and gave it a starred review. I was working for the Palm Beach County Library System at the time when one of my co-workers came running up to me to say I had a phone call, and it was Lisa Scottoline. Everyone was jumping up and down with excitement! We’d never had a New York Times bestselling author call our library, and everyone followed me to the back so I could take the call. Lisa called to thank me for my review, which had never happened before (or since!) I had never met her, but I did several years later at a library convention. And she remembered me! It was just the most surreal experience. I’ve met her several times since then, and she did a standing-room-only book talk for my library. A truly remarkable human being I am proud to call a friend.

With that out of the way, yes I can still do an unbiased review of her books, mostly because as I pointed out when I started this review, she is an incredible writer. She takes complicated stories like this one and makes them not only engrossing reading, but seriously unputdownable. I dreamt about these characters during the two nights I spent reading this book.

The publisher provided a good synopsis, and I don’t want to muddy the waters except to say that these characters propel the story and will be staying with me for a long time. Sicily is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, and Scottoline brings that beauty to the page in addition to all the drama – but it’s the drama that is at the heart of this story. Book groups will find a lot to discuss here as well.

I hope you’ll read it and love it as much as I did.

4/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

LOYALTY by Lisa Scottoline.‎ G.P. Putnam’s Sons (March 28, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0525539803. 432 p.

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