The Mistletoe Mystery - Nita Prose

Genre - Contemporary Novella

I forgot for a minute how much I love Molly Gray. I am grateful to Nita Prose for the little visit with Molly and Juan Manuel in her upcoming novella The Mistletoe Mystery. Molly is looking forward to her fifth Christmas with Juan Manuel. Each year he adds a new tradition to their celebration. But something feels off to Molly. She feels he is keeping something from her and that perhaps she has made the biggest mistake of her life in trusting him with her heart. 

All of the details that make Molly come to life are present here. She still recalls the wisdom and advice of her late grandma - most specifically through witty little sayings. She still loves to clean and to restore all things domestic to perfection - here, I loved the way she and Juan wipe their shoes carefully and place them in the closet every single time they enter the apartment. She still struggles with social cues and Juan appears to be sensitive to her struggles. She still has the most pride ever in being the head maid at the Regency Grand and wears her pin with pride. These lovely bits and pieces are interspersed with magical Hallmark Christmas moments (which I love). But they are Molly style. Recycled gifts. A branch for an affordable fresh tree. “Sleigh” rides. Work parties. Cookie baking. The holidays with Molly and Juan Manuel are accessible and delightful. The mystery here is Juan Manuel. He seems himself, but he is not…quite. She fears he is tiring of her.

And here I will stop - no spoilers. Nita Prose’s the maid series as ever reminds me that everyone has a place in this world and that careful love and tending are the key to a beautiful life.  I am reminded that hard work matters as does attention to detail. The Mistletoe Mystery is a delightful read…give yourself an early Christmas gift and add it to your holiday shelf. 

Shred Sisters - Betsy Learner

Genre - Contemporary Fiction

I have been blessed with a sister who is my best friend. My daughter, much to her dismay, wasn’t blessed with a sister at all. Some sister relationships are fraught with drama. Betsy Lerner explores a complex sister relationship in depth in her upcoming novel Shred Sisters. Amy is the younger of the Shred sisters, but because of Olivia’s mental illness and all of the chaos that results, she often feels like the older or the only sister. From a very young age Olivia fights against her sister and her parents. She is first a free spirit and later in spite of or even because of treatment mentally unstable. Olivia refuses to accept the different diagnoses and medicines. Ultimately she rolls in and out of her family’s life at will. Most of her life Amy feels overlooked or challenged.

Amy struggles to function in the world (don’t we all at times?), and the reader can easily see the impact of Olivia here. She longs to be a stable professional with a stable marriage and family and, perhaps, to get the attention and respect of her parents in the process. She just struggles to get there. She works hard to be a researcher and can’t advance; she chooses poorly in relationships; and always, always - Olivia shows up and wreaks havoc in her fragile world. She perseveres; she sees a therapist; she doesn’t even necessarily blame Olivia, but life feels difficult. Olivia has her own struggles. Beginning with family rebellion, bad mental health care scars her early. Her difficulties are heartbreaking as her family wants so badly to do the right things for her. Luckily, she doesn’t disappear altogether, but her returns home generally raise expectations and lead to further heartache. I often found myself scared for her. Amy and Olivia’s parents battle struggles of their own - ultimately unable to meet Olivia’s needs and often unaware of Amy’s - their marriage doesn’t survive the trauma.  Lerner creates complex, believable characters, and this reader felt their joys and sorrows. Through them she explores the impact of one difficult family member on them all. She creates a surrounding cast of folks who are also well developed and who help to highlight all that the Shreds have been through. Lerner is a compassionate writer as she shows us a world of broken people; she invites us to offer compassion. 

Ultimately, Lerner celebrates the strength of this pair of sisters - Amy and Olivia Shred. Without giving anything away, the novel does end on notes of hope for these two and their parents. Lerner doesn’t offer a magical resolution for anyone, but she allows for them to see that relationships, therapy, and sisterly love, can prevail over a host of sorrows. I am reminded to be grateful for my sister - for the love and support that she offers me when others cannot. I am reminded that everyone may be just a little bit broken inside. When you get the chance read Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner - she will challenge you perceptions in a very good way. Publishing October 1, 2924. Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Press for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

That Librarian - Amanda Jones

That Librarian - Amanda Jones

Genre: Memoir

As a retired high school librarian - That Librarian by Amanda Jones is a title that I couldn’t resist. And while I’m glad I did, in many respects I found it difficult to read. Amanda Jones, a public school librarian, showed up to speak at a board meeting about her reservations regarding book censorship. She was subsequently attacked via social meeting - dishonestly and inaccurately - in a clearly calculated movement. She experienced death threats, worried for her job, for her family, and for the patrons and readers she valued so highly.

Jones accomplishes several things in her sharing of this difficult experience. She illustrates well her vision as a librarian and as a parent for wanting all kids to be able to find themselves in her library collection. I love how she reviews her own history as a reader and also cites her training to make an effective case. She also depicts the power of abusing social media. Even though I know, I was stunned at how quickly the movement against her built on social media. The destruction was  profoundly difficult to read about. As a librarian who was often asked whether I had to really go to school to do my job, I appreciate how thoroughly Jones outlines how librarians are trained to fulfill the position. The lack of respect she receives is palpable, but it is balanced out with stories of respect. I also respect how Jones responds to the call to fight against censorship.  

As a school librarian, I had the privilege of working cooperatively with other teachers and their students on a variety of challenged and banned books projects and presentations. I found it one of the most eye opening projects for the students and one of the most fulfilling for me. I am stunned at how much the attitude toward censorship has changed so quickly. Newer teachers often avoided tackling the topic head on. For the first time in my 26 year career as a librarian, a parent requested a copy of my shelf list. Nothing came of it, but the request itself seemed portentous to one who has never had a book challenged. LIke Jones, I believe in the power of books and reading to change lives and that book banning has never historically lent itself to positive cultural changes. I appreciate Amanda Jones’  commitment to her patrons and her willingness to share her experiences in That Librarian in such an honest way to even further the cause. 

A Season of Perfect Happiness - Maribeth Fischer

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Would you? Could you? Choose a season of perfect happiness if you knew it was going to end and that you wouldn’t remember? This question is the premise of Maribeth Fischer’s upcoming A Season of Perfect Happiness. She explores answers beautifully through the life of Claire. Claire is clearly reeling from her former life in Rehoboth Beach as the book opens in Wisconsin.  We learn of her sorrow - the loss of a child and then a marriage. Her move to Wisconsin is one of survival. At first she doesn’t even dream of a new life. As she finds one first with Erik and then with his friends, she lives it in a constant kind of fear waiting for her past to catch up with her. The reader is equally unsettled in the way that the content is structured - we feel suspense and fear, joy and sorrow right beside Claire. 

Those feelings are what largely makes the novel such a success for me.I would not necessarily describe this as a book of suspense, and yet, I was on edge the entire time I was reading. What had Claire done? What will happen? Why on earth were so many secrets kept? Structurally, the novel is divided into parts and introduced with parts of a play that is part of the story. With Claire we come to know Erik, his children, his ex wife Annabelle, Eva, and Gabe. Together they create a season of happiness - one of best friends, but secrets abound. Through this template and flashbacks and glimpses forward, Fischer explores several things: the power of art - through Claire’s collages and the theater, friendship, a neurodivergent child and the power of family. She explores mental illness (I’d be more specific, but spoilers would definitely lessen the impact of the novel.) 

And ultimately, very skillfully and compassionately, Fischer explores a woman finding her voice. For me this through line was the strength of the novel. Claire’s growth is powerful. I think as I am reading that she is stronger than I could ever be, and then, she grows stronger. Her development challenges me to accept no less than the best in terms of my own willingness to accept some of what life brings. I feel like in some ways life consists of seasons of happiness interspersed with times of anger and sorrow where we forget happiness for a while. So even while the circumstances of Maribeth Fischer’s A Season of Perfect Happiness may seem extreme to some - all can relate to its rhythm - an excellent and thought provoking read. Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton, and imprint of Penguin Randomhouse for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Our Narrow Hiding Places - Kristopher Jansma

Genre - Historical Fiction

Our Narrow Hiding Places by Kristopher Jansma is a gorgeous book. Rooted in his own family history, Jansma tells the story of Mieke and Rod - two children trying to survive the Hunger Winter with their families in  Holland at the end of World War II. Mieke is reliving and recounting the story for her grown grandson as they each deal with their own reckonings. She is still looking for the story of her lost father in law who disappears during that time. He is battling issues personally and professionally that could be traced back to his grandparents’ suffering that winter. I am reminded again about the horror of war and evil in this book. I am also reminded about the beauty of love and hope. Jansma creates these side by side in this upcoming publication.

The novel is punctuated by vignettes narrated by eels and signed with mysterious initials. These vignettes are beautiful and poetic and speak to the power of language. I can’t share quotes as evidence, but please believe me. They further speak to mystery, quiet strength and survival. No spoilers, but the role these interludes fulfill is profound - felt reminiscent of an ancient Greek drama’s chorus. These eels have a more physical and practical role in Mieke’s childhood and survival during this time - I love the connection. Through Mieke and her grandson primarily, Jansma explores the impact of war on victims and on the generations that follow them. I feel helplessness in the face of this motif. And again, Jansma notes that these descendents are often, then, caught up in wars of their own. I appreciate the sensitive and respectful exploration of mental health. Mieke has to deal with the mental illness of her son and perhaps that of her grandson Will. Through Will we learn of his wife Teru’s ancestral connections to the bombing in Japan and her own struggles. In the midst of all of the horror, Jansma explores the fine line between good and evil, hope and despair. Mieke often sees only the darkness in her hungry and freezing world - she becomes tempted to join the evil forces just to survive, but she chooses to remain loving and good and fair, and is able to appreciate that in the others she sees trying to do the same. These moments of hope are so striking in the winter landscape. I also noted how often Jansma contrasted winter and storms and flooding with color and sparkle and fairy tales and joy. Even when connected with death, imprisonment, and mental illness these moments are beautifully written - again, the power of language. 

Our Narrow Hiding Places by Kristoper Jansma appeals to me on so many levels. The writing is beautiful. The motifs are powerful. The connection between past and present is complex and fascinating. We must think more about war, family, mental illness and determine where and how we can influence culture and do better for our people. I am grateful for Jansma allowing for hope and the power of love to transform people and families. I am further grateful for how he illustrates that healing can be in friendship or the hope of a new baby or other daily joys. If you are still reading, please know that I could go on and on…even more than I have. I have just begun to touch on what Kristopher Jansma accomplishes. Please read Our Narrow Hiding Places. Thank you NetGalley and Ecco Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.