Kaseys Korner

A Long Petal of the Sea

 

It's taken me almost a month to get back & review this book. If anyone out there was waiting on it, my apologies. It was not for lack of interest, I enjoyed the book immensely. The historical setting was very compelling (Spain pre & post Civil War) plus Allende gave us the additional bonus of learning something about the history of Chili as well.

Readers are also acquainted (or reacquainted, whatever the case may be) with the famous poet Pablo Neruda, whose work I now want to explore further. I had no idea he was responsible for arranging passage and bringing Spanish immigrants back to his home country. A very dynamic & progressive thinking man.

Well researched book with developed & fleshed out characters. There's a great message about immigrants and the hard work and skills they bring to their new home country. It was also interesting that once the opportunity occurred (death of Franco) for Victor & Roser to return to Spain ~ it was not the homecoming they had long awaited. I imagine they are not the only characters (fictional or real) to experience that feeling.

If you're a fan of historical fiction, I think this would be an enjoyable read.

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

** spoiler alert **
'Boo Daddy, Boo Daddy
In the woods
Grabbed a little boy
’Cause he taste so good

Boo Daddy, Boo Daddy
In the sheets
Sucking all your blood
’Cause it taste so sweet

Boo Daddy, Boo Daddy
One, two, three
Sneaking in my window
And sucking on me.'

I hardly ever insert passages from the book when I write reviews but this children's jump rope rhyme was just too good to skip plus it sums up everything you need to know about what transpires in the novel. A spoiler alert in itself!!

This read started out like a cream puff then morphed into a torpedo of sorts. It happened in that sweet syrupy way so typical of its southern setting too. 10% in, it felt like a totally innocuous read, fun for me as it was relatable in a lot of ways but nothing too gripping. Enter James Harris. The book flipped almost instantaneously & took on a dark undertone that never eased up and gave me more than a little anxiety at places.

I had to laugh out loud when we're introduced to our villian by Patricia thinking she needed to take him a casserole!! Casseroles to the rescue ~ could be a southern mantra! That saying, 'don't go looking for trouble & it won't find you' kept running thru my head regarding her ~ from the moment she pushed her way inside his house to chasing him down in the woods trying to find little Destiny, etc., etc., she epitomized the lengths Mothers go to for their children that's for sure.
One thing I did not like was Patricia's husband making her feel crazy for her opinions and experiences with James Harris. I don't know how she ever went along with the group for three whole years ~ there's no freaking way she could un-see what she saw going on in his van!

I really loved that the book club was a big component of the story. The bonds formed between the ladies became more "ride or die" as the evidence mounted & the situation became more dire. I seriously feel like this book could have a sequel. It's clear the ladies were only temporarily successful in ridding the world of James Harris. I shudder with thoughts of him coming back to life by some innocent or careless action? Crazy that he showed back up in the Mother in laws (Mary) life & got outed in the first place. What were the chances? If only the adults listened to the children ~ the 'Boo Daddy' rhyme showed they were fully knowledgeable while the adults preferred to be in denial.

Be warned that the book is a little graphic if you're squeamish about blood sucking or the like. Nothing more than what is typical in movies or on TV these days but nevertheless, there in places.

***Another book I've read in 2020 that was out of my usual comfort zone but I couldn't put down. Must be this crazy year causing a shift in my reading patterns!

 

 

Where the Forest Meets the Stars

** spoiler alert ** Maybe I was in the mood for something a little crazy but I was sort of hoping Ursa really was from a galaxy far, far away. I suspected at the outset that the behavior she was exhibiting was probably a psychological reaction but I think it would have been a really interesting concept to think of her as an alien assuming the human form of this unusual little girl. Alas, it was not to be. What Ursa turned out to be was an ultra intelligent young girl who experienced extreme trauma. Darn. No poofing up into space after witnessing her fifth miracle. I was kinda looking forward to that sensational exit.

Ah well. Super easy read and another book with a strong tie to nature and science. If you enjoy the natural world, Jo's study of checking on bird nests and the tidbits about various birds & bird behavior might be of interest. There were all sorts of social topics covered too tho including depression, adultery, the foster care system, etc. I'm not sure I agree with the way the author addressed each of those & I certainly enjoyed some aspects of the book more than others. In the end, it's just going down as an "okay" read for me. Not terrible nor especially memorable. I don't know if that's because I wanted something different from it or it just caught me on an "off" moment.

 

 

'Je t'Aime' Tulips

Especially gorgeous reveling in sunshine.

One might even say incandescent....

Definitely ordering more of these this Fall!!!