The Epiphany Machine

Title:  The Epiphany Machine

Author:  David Burr Gerrard

Publication Information:  G.P. Putnam's Sons. 2017. 432 pages.

ISBN:  039957543X / 978-0399575433

Book Source:  I received this book through the Penguin First to Read program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "The epiphany machine will not discover anything bout you that you do not, in some way, already know."

Favorite Quote:  "Almost anything could be tattooed on my arm and I would recognize it as a murmuring from the deepest part of my soul, because at some point or other I've wanted everything. I've wanted to be everyone. There have even been rare occasions when I have wanted what I am supposed to want and have wanted to be what I am supposed to want to be ... That's the entire reason the machine seems to work; anything that you can claim is in somebody's head has probably been there at some point. People feel a shock of recognition at the truth, but they feel a shock of recognition at a lot of other things, too."

Some books reach out and grab you. Some books leave you at the end untouched. Then, there are the few that just sit. Usually, I read a book in a couple of days either if I am engrossed or if I just want to get to the end. Rarely, I encounter a book that sits on my nightstand for days or weeks. I pick it up and put it down. I restart it. I pick it up and put it down. I eventually finish, but it takes a while. The Epiphany Machine became one of those books.

The premise of the book sounds wonderful and grapples with philosophical questions. A machine exists that that will tattoo on your arm a truth about you. Do you want to know? Do you perhaps already know what the machine will write?

The perspective in the book is mostly from the viewpoint of Venter Lockwood. He is a child at the beginning of the book; both his parents have used the machine. His father's tattoo reads, "Should never become a father," and his mother's tattoo reads, "Abandons what matters most." Both tattoos impact Venter's life because how could words like that taken at face value not impact a child The question I expect to see explored is whether the epiphany machine is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Does the machine write what is embedded in a an individual or does the writing cause the person to believe that about themselves and make decisions in that light, forever altering the course of their lives? What is the ripple effect of these decisions on the people who surround them?

The book doesn't quite go in that direction. It seems to turn more in a way to explore history through the lens of the epiphany machine. What might have been the tattoo on the arms of historical figures? What is the cultural phenomenon of the epiphany machine? Why do people want to know? What are they hoping to gain? Again, intriguing questions.

The book does not quite commit in that direction either as the story narrows down to Venter and his life and to a memoir like approach to his search for his own history and the history of his parents with the epiphany machine. The story follows him from childhood to middle age. It is here that the book gets bogged down. Venter is neither a likable nor a really interesting character. His story also gets into entirely unnecessary graphic descriptions of personal encounters. Unfortunately, his story ultimately finds not a defining moment or closure. Is his life defined by the revelations of the epiphany machine? Is his life defined by the fact that he gives meaning to these revelations? Is there indeed truth in the machine or is belief what drives its success?

For many, the word "epiphany" has religious meaning. The word itself can also mean "a moment of sudden revelation or insight" however that insight may manifest itself. I suppose that is what I expected from this book - a moment where it all comes together, where it perhaps leaves a life lesson, or where it perhaps has a dramatic pause. Unfortunately, although the book probes a wide array of intriguing questions, that epiphany never comes.

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Sourdough

Title:  Sourdough

Author:  Robin Sloan

Publication Information:  MCD. 2017. 272 pages.

ISBN:  0374203105 / 978-0374203108

Book Source:  I received this book as a publisher's galley through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "It would have been nutritive gel for dinner, same as always, if I had not discovered stuck to my apartment's front door a paper menu advertising the newly expanded delivery service of a neighborhood restaurant."

Favorite Quote:  "Here's a a thing I believe about people my age:  we are the children of Hogwarts, and more than anything, we just want to be sorted."

The mention of sourdough bread conjures up a smell and a taste, perhaps even a memory. The mention of bread conjures up images of hearths, homes, and warmth. This book takes those mental images and places them in the context of a post-modern futuristic world of genetically engineered food products, robots, and business intrigue. This book then takes this incongruous combination and places it in the sometimes beautiful and sometimes concrete industrial jungle of what seems to be present day San Francisco Bay.

Lois Clary is a worker at a company called General Dexterity. "At General Dexterity, I was contributing to an effort to make repetitive labor obsolete ... In other words, you solved a problem once, and then you moved on to more interesting things." Lois works on robot arms on a quest to forever improve the efficiency of repetitive motion tasks.

She goes to work. She comes home. She goes to work. She comes home. She goes to work. She comes home. Her life is a repetitive motion. She does not seem to have much in terms of family, friends, or other life other than the Lois Club of San Francisco. Yes, this is a club of women named Lois with chapters around the world apparently.

A brochure left in her apartment door brings escape in the form of food - spicy soup and bread from Clement Street Soup and Sourdough, a place that delivers. This soup and bread becomes Lois' sustenance both physically and emotionally. She in turn becomes the restaurant's Number One Eater.

Then, disaster strikes as the operators of the restaurant are forced to leave the country because of visa issues. They leave Lois with a gift - directions, kitchen utensils, and their very own, very old sourdough starter. Their one request is for Lois to keep the starter alive. It'll be easy, they say.

What is a girl who codes robots for a living and does not cook supposed to do with that? So begins Lois' adventures into baking, the world of science and food, the collaborative and competitive realities of artisan food vendors. "Baking, by contract, was solving the same problem over and over again, because every time, the solution was consumed. I mean, really:  chewed and digested."

The twists and turns in this book lead in some eccentric directions, but somehow it - singing bread starters, underground farmer's markets, scientifically engineered nutrition gone haywire - all works. The whole things is all together bizarre, but somehow it all forms a cohesive whole story I want to keep reading.

Some of the futuristic developments have me laughing with the eccentricities of the science and the characters. These element add a surreal touch to the entire book. Lois' story, however, has me caring as this chance encounter leads her down a path she could never have imagined and as she becomes the woman she never dreamt possible.

Robin Sloan's first book, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is a similar mix of old and new, technology and traditional tale set in San Francisco. Both books successfully create an intriguing fanciful world full of charm and adventure. The first book reaffirmed my love affair with bookstores. This one leaves me with an urge to start baking again.

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How to Behave in a Crowd

Title:  How to Behave in a Crowd

Author:  Camille Bordas

Publication Information:  Tim Duggan Books. 2017. 336 pages.

ISBN:  0451497546 / 978-0451497543

Book Source:  I received this book through the Penguin First to Read program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "There was a darker brown stain on our brown suede couch."

Favorite Quote:  "when people talk about love, Dory, they call it love because it is a festive word, like champagne. You hear the cork pop just saying champagne. But what they're really talking about when they say love is attachment, its, which are, admittedly, less glamorous words. And when they say you only love once ... they don't mean it in a cheesy romantic way or anything you now? It's very practical, in fact:  there is no time in life to get to know and ... tie yourself to more than one person."

I am not quite sure what to make of this book. I am undecided if the book lost something in the translation, or somehow, I just do not see the point. I get the premise, but I don't really get the book.

The book description calls the book "an absorbing, darkly comedic novel that brilliantly evokes the confusions of adolescence." Clearly, I am not the reader for this book for I miss the humor and the entire idea of a coming of age story.

Isidore "Dory" Mazal is the youngest of six siblings, growing up in a small town outside of Paris. His mother is the parent present along with the man they call "the father" who seems to travel a lot. Dory's siblings, all in their own way, are brilliant. They have skipped grades, are about to get their doctorates, are on the brink of fame, or are otherwise spectacular in some way (if only in their own vision of themselves). Dory, who is eleven as the book opens, is none of these things especially in his own vision of himself.

When tragedy strikes the family, Dory finds his strength - or so the premise of the book states. It more like Dory discovers that even the spectacular older siblings and the adults in his life are perhaps as lost as he is. The tragedy and its aftermath is, of course, part and parcel of Dory's growing up. Coming of age stories, particularly in the face of tragedy, can be touching and sweet. This one is not. When a book describes the sex-life of a twelve year old as if it is the most natural thing, I am done. I am clearly not the reader for the book.

Dory's other main line of thought is the idea of running away. Many adolescents (dare I say, even adults) contemplate running away. However, Dory actually does at times and seems none the worse for wear. Again, the tone is casual and nonchalant as if none of it matters.  This seeming lack of emotion in what is a challenging time for a family and a challenging time for an adolescent is probably the biggest stumbling block for me as a reader.

This book is filled with what the description calls quirky characters. Unfortunately, for me, quirky goes too far as to be the story of a dysfunctional family with characters that are not necessarily likable or unlikable. Sadly, either reaction would be better than the fact that for me, they elicit no interest or reaction at all. I am left with a sensation that I missed some connection.

The tragedy that is the heart of this book is casually announced in a single sentence. That's it. Not funny. Not sad. Not anything at all. I almost miss the announcement the first time through. I find myself rereading the page before and the page after for something more. What occurs should elicit sympathy for this family and particularly for this little boy but sadly elicits no reaction at all.

Overall, I am trying to explain my reaction to this book and struggling to put it into words. Honestly, that is because I walk away with just the idea that I missed something.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Impossible Views of the World

Title:  Impossible Views of the World

Author:  Lucy Ives

Publication Information:  Penguin Pres. 2017. 304 pages.

ISBN:  0735221537 / 978-0735221536

Book Source:  I received this book as a publisher's galley through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "The day Paul Coral vanished, it snowed."

Favorite Quote:  "I was just a human-shaped supply of erudition and random bits of data that kept the paintings from falling off the walls."

My favorite part of this book is the wonderful title and cover. In fact, that was my primary reason for requesting this book. Beyond that, I am not entirely sure what to make of the story.

The book is marketed as a mystery centered around an ancient map and set in a New York museum. The setting and premise are intriguing; this was my my other reason for requesting the book. A historic museum, a missing person, and a ancient map provide the perfect set up for mystery and adventure. Unfortunately, the mystery does not really go anywhere. I am left at the end wondering what the point was. I persevere through the entire book hoping for an epiphany or a resolution but one really does not come. Having read the entire thing, I am not sure I could exactly describe the characters or what the story was really about.

In the middle of this "adventure" is the personal story of the main character Stella Krakus. She has a soon to be ex-husband who antagonizes her. She has a mother who is an icon in her own right and Stella does not measure up. She has a boss who has his own agenda. Overall, Stella, or at least her life, is cracking up. Unfortunately, for all her misfortunes, Stella's character as the narrator falls prey to the tone of the book. She becomes a relatively annoying heroine.

At the root of this sadly is the language and narrative style of this book. I am a lover of words and language, but I am also a believer that you choose your words to suit your message. In this book, for me, the writing and the language gets in the way of the story. Big words and complex language seems to be used not for the story but rather for the sake of language itself. The writing style and word choice gives the entire book a pretentious feel and leaves me as a reader disengaged from the story.

For example, the main character describes her condition as follows:  "This, to be honest, made me feel like a microbe that was living under the shoe of a cockroach that was living under the sink of two of the most doltish frat boys you'd ever want to meet on a Billyburg corner at midnight midvape who'd just moved in together to explore heir dreams of becoming middle managers." What? I think that translates simply to the fact that she feels undervalued in her job. Yes? No? Maybe? Who knows.

What compounds this feeling is the fact that almost the entire book is a first person narration with very little dialogue or interaction to break up the style of storytelling. Another example towards the very beginning of the book:  "I have modes of being that are less than elegant ... On this particular morning, I assumed the demeanor of a roach on its way back to its nest through a lighted kitchen." What is with the roach motif? Very little in the book breaks up this narrative style, ultimately leading to a disappointing reading experience.

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The Luster of Lost Things

Title:  The Luster of Lost Things

Author:  Sophie Chen Keller

Publication Information:  G.P. Putnam's Sons. 2017. 320 pages.

ISBN:  0735210780 / 978-0735210783

Book Source:  I received this book as a publisher's galley through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Somewhere in the Fourteenth Street subway station there is a statue of a little bronze man who waits for a train that never comes."

Favorite Quote:  "Out there might be dark places to be afraid of and lonely islands to escape from and terrifying heights to fall down, but what also awaits are more places to see and people to know and friends to make and experiences to share, and what could be more worth the pain than to open up and let yourself be a part of a sweeping story."

Walter Lavender Jr is an unusual young man. His father, a pilot, has been lost. His mother has build a life for Walter. She runs a bakery, but not just any bakery. This bakery is sprinkled with its own magic, created by a magical book that Walter Lavender Sr. left behind. The legend of the book is a magical story all its own. In the midst of this, Walter Lavender Jr. is loved and cared for by his mother, the workers in the bakery, his giant dog Milton, and his neighborhood.

Walter has a knack for finding things - lost things. Sadly, a speech impediment leaves him unable to articulate his thoughts in ordinary conversations. He finds his voice in his quests for lost things, but his inability to communicate in day-to-day interactions leaves him the subject of ridicule and bullying.

The book has this perfectly charming beginning setup. A caring neighborhood where people seem to know each other and care for each other. A magical book and a magical bakery. A precocious young main character.

Of course, drama comes to town in the shape of a new landlord who threatens the bakery and the neighborhood. On top of that, the Lavender's magical book goes missing. Therein lies the plot of the book. Walter can find things; he now just needs to do it for himself. This sets him on a quest around the city and through the paths of a wide assortment of characters. The book winds its way to a predictable ending.

Walter is a likable character, and as a adult, I want to make this child's path easier. The idea of a caring neighborhood and a magical bakery, of course, holds appeal. However, the book slows downs and begins to drag as Walter winds him way around the city in his search. Too many characters and too much of the same thing lead away from the charming, cozy beginning.

The publicity for the book calls to the readers of The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night and A Man Called Ove. This book reminds me more of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. Both books are about young boys dealing with the loss of their fathers. Both books are set in New York City. Both are about a quest to find something literal - a lock that fits a key and a lost magical book. In the quest to find the missing item, both stories are about a cast of characters who meet the young boys and who leave them with a lesson and a step forward. In both stories, the adult characters clearly take a back seat to the boys. Both stories are ultimately about these boys finding a way through their grief with the innocence of childhood.

One main difference is the use of magic realism in this book; the magical book is the missing item which serves only to accentuate a child's imagination. The fact that it is magical is not essential to the story. This book for me creates a more lasting impression because of the charm and warmth of the beginning, and maybe things are just better with a belief in a little magic.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Everything We Left Behind

Title:  Everything We Left Behind

Author:  Kerry Lonsdale

Publication Information:  Lake Union Publishing. 2017. 348 pages.

ISBN:  1477823972 / 978-1477823972

Book Source:  I received this book as a publisher's galley through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "He dreamed about her again."

Favorite Quote:  "I urge you to come to terms with past mistakes, to forgive those who have wronged you, and find peace within yourself. You might discover that despite the losses, you've gained so much more."

The question of this book is can you go home again? When time has passed, can you return to a life and expect to pick up the pieces and step right back in? The even bigger question is do you really truly even want to?

Everything We Left Behind is the follow up Kerry Lonsdale's debut book Everything We Keep. The first book is about Aimee Tierney as she deals with the disappearance of her childhood sweetheart and husband to be, James Donato. By the end, the book reveals how and why James disappeared and how Aimee moves forward.

This book picks up six years later when James returns to California. The story is now about James remembering and moving forward. Aimee has started life anew. She is running a business, is married, and has a child. James is a widower with two boys, wondering how he got to where he is. He is rediscovering himself. In some ways, his life has been wonderful in the last six years. In other ways, it has not been his life at all, at least not the one he thinks he knows.

James' medical condition, which carries forward from the first book is dissociative fugue. This is a psychiatric disorder in which an individual can have two completely different personas - memories included. The individual is either one or the other, and can remain in one states for days, months, or even years as with James. Within each state, the individual is completely immersed in that life, emotions, actions, memories and all. Unless the individual has been told, there is no recognition or acknowledgement of another life. However, when a transition occurs from one persona to the other, the individual has no memory of the other.

James Donato is also Jaime Carlos Dominguez, widower and father of two. He has been happily so for six years. The discontent and sadness arrives when Carlos  awakes one day as James. Now, back as James, he struggles between his two identities and the love he has in both. His journey is further complicated by family and business intrigue that forced James to becomes Carlos now finds him again. So, his struggle to rediscover also turns into a struggle to survive, escape, and protect his family.

This book is more challenging than the first to follow. James story is more difficult to follow than Aimee's. The timeline is not linear. Past and present collide more in this book. Aimee's stories of the past were clearly nostalgic memories of the past. James's memories are that but also introduce decisions, actions, and incidents that are now coming forward into his present and threatening the life he has built. As such, past and present sometimes become blurred.

Perhaps, the nonlinear timeline creates a disconnect. Perhaps, James is a less interesting character than Aimee. Perhaps, the styles of the books and the story they tell is too similar. Perhaps, I read the two books one after the other. Perhaps, the mystery is lacking, and the ending is predictable. For all these reasons, this book is still an entertaining read but a less engaging one than the first.

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Everything We Keep

Title:  Everything We Keep

Author:  Kerry Lonsdale

Publication Information:  Lake Union Publishing. 2017. 304 pages.

ISBN:  1503935310 / 1503935310

Book Source:  I received this book as a publisher's galley through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "On our wedding day, my fiancé, James arrived at the church in a casket."

Favorite Quote:  "... I learned not to let go too easily of the people I want in my life. Friends, people I care about a lot."

As a reader, everything we have to leave behind in in this book is disbelief. Just go along for the ride.  Mystery, mysticism, medicine, business, criminal activity, family, and love all play a part in this debut novel. Keep in mind, this book is the beginning of a series (or has at least one sequel). So, don't expect everything to be all wrapped up by the end.

Overall, though, this book is about endings and beginnings. Aimee Tierney is a pastry chef working in her parent's restaurant and getting ready for her wedding to the love of her life, her childhood sweetheart, James Donato. Sadly, the book opens with a funeral instead of a wedding. The church, the guests, and even the flowers planned for the wedding become the backdrop for James Donato's funeral. It's an ending to everything Aimee has ever dreamt of. It's an ending of life as she knows it.

From the beginning though are signs that all is not as it appears. A stranger approaches Aimee at the funeral suggesting James may not be dead. So begins Aimee's story. Hers is a story of beginning again and moving into the future and of reflecting on the memories of the past as it ends. Aimee works at her parents' restaurant which is set to change hands. Aimee mourns this ending, but it leads to a new beginning and new dreams. She mourns for James and the life they shared and the life they still had yet to share. His death, however, forces life in a new direction.

The book also becomes the story of a search for closure. What happened to James? Is he or is he not dead? That is the mystery of the book. The answer to that question is no real surprise, but the "how" is the point of interest. The "how" involves a lot of moving parts fitting together just so. Not the most believable story but a fun journey.

The one point that is of concern in this book is that a rape occurs, and it is covered up by both the victim and someone who loves her. That is not okay. I understand that it happens in real life, but in a fiction book, I disagree with the message being sent particularly when the main story is not the terrible impact of those actions. Rape and a cover up are not okay. That is never okay. Also, the incident seems to be compartmentalized in the victim's life. Other than an abiding dislike and distrust of the perpetrator, it seems to not have had a lingering effect. That to me undermines the seriousness of that crime and its devastating effects in real life. Again, that is not okay.

Suspend disbelief is my recommendation for this book. Coincidences and leaps abound. The love story is sweet and sappy. However, with a relatively sympathetic character at the heart of it, it makes for a quick enjoyable read. In that, the book becomes a perfect beach or rainy afternoon read.

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The Great Quake

Title:  The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet

Author:  Henry Fountain

Publication Information:  Crown. 2017. 288 pages.

ISBN:  1101904062 / 978-1101904060

Book Source:  I received this book through the Penguin First to Read program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Riding shotgun beneath the clouds in a rattling De Havilland Otter, George Placer gazed down upon an Alaska he's never seen before."

Favorite Quote:  "Of the thousands upon thousands of earthquakes that happen around the world every year - from imperceptible tremors to powerful shakes like the one that hit Lituya Bay - roughly one in sixteen occur in Alaska. That makes the state one of the most quake-intensive places on the planet."

One in sixteen earthquakes in the world occur in Alaska. Just think about that. One in sixteen. The strongest earthquake ever measured occurred in Alaska in March 1964. The earthquake measured 9.2 on the Richter scale; that is before the scale broke because the earthquake was too strong to be measured. According to the US geologic survey, an earthquake of that magnitude causes almost total destruction at its epicenter with damage extending to far distances and changes in the land's topography that are permanent.

The Great Quake is the story of this natural disaster and how it changed science and how it impacted those who lived through it. Two things about this earthquake made it unique. The most obvious, of course, is its strength. The second is that, at that time, scientists did not know what caused the earthquake. It sent the Geological Survey on a scientific quest to determine the cause. What they found gave credence and credibility to the theory of plate tectonics. The science describes the structure of our planet and provide an explanation for natural events. The research done as a result of the Great Quake has forever changed this study.

Mind you, I find science fascinating but do not really look to read dry, scientific tomes. I find history fascinating, but, again, I look for the story of history more than a rote description of facts, figures, and timelines. This book satisfies on both counts. It contains science and history, but it is indeed a story.

The story of the people is front and center in this book rather than the science of the earthquake itself. Geology is explained, but this is not a book about geology. Again, it is a story of those whose lives changed because of this earthquake - Alaskan residents whose lives were literally upended by the earthquake, citizens who became heroes, and the scientists who rushed to study the events.

As a story, the book develops the "characters" if you with background information on their lives before and after the earthquake. In other words, this book goes beyond the quake both before and after. It anchors around George Plafker, the US Geological Survey scientist who was instrumental in the study of this earthquake. This past May, Geoge Plafker was awarded the 2017 Harry Fielding Reid Medal, the highest honor awarded by the Seismological Society of America (SSA). This award honors his lifetime contribution to the study of seismology, which stems in large part to the work he and the US Geological Survey team did in Alaska in the aftermath of the 1964 story.

In its style and approach, this book reminds me of Erik Larson's work. With eyewitness accounts, interviews, scientific information, and a narrative story-telling approach, this book makes for an engrossing and entertaining scientific history.

A note: The e-galley I received includes no images. I do not know if the print version does, but I hope it does for the images I have now looked up online give a whole new meaning to what the author manages to describe in words.

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Reincarnation Blues

Title:  Reincarnation Blues

Author:  Michael Poore

Publication Information:  Del Rey. 2017. 384 pages.

ISBN:  0399178481 / 978-0399178481

Book Source:  I received this book through the Penguin First to Read program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "This is a story about a wise man named Milo."

Favorite Quote:  "'Love' ... and 'in love' aren't always the same thing. 'In love' is a human thing. Chemicals. 'Love' is cosmic."

Reincarnation Blues is a most unusual love story. A man, Milo, lives almost ten thousand lives, reincarnated over and over again in a quest to achieve perfection. A cricket. A worm. A cow. A fish. A man. Another man. A woman. Another man. And so on. Life after life. Milo is not entirely sure what perfection is or if perfection is what he want. Actually, up until life number 9,996, he is unaware that perfection is the goal. He is just having a good time living.

He enjoys living, at least most of his lives. More than that, he enjoys his one true love in between lives. His love is Suzie aka Death. She is not human but rather an eternal being but not a god, perhaps something undefined. Suzie loves Milo but is not sure she wants to be Death anymore. She is tired of her "job" and would rather open a store in the afterlife, making and selling candles. (After all, she's only thought about this since the time candles were invented.

The premise goes that a human has ten thousands tries at life to get it right and achieve perfection. If the individual does, then he/she becomes part of the eternal perfection. If he/she does not and the ten thousand tries expire, then the individual disappears into nothingness.

Out of ten thousand lives, Milo has about four left. His reason for wanting to try to achieve perfection is not perfection but to get a shot at being with his beloved forever.

The telling of this story circles around and through and over and under multiple lives in a nonlinear fashion. The story of the different lives range from sweet to humorous to tragic as you would suspect life would in a span of 10,000 lives. In between are precious moments that Milo & Suzie are together.

This book is in turn a bit of science fiction, a bit of dry humor, and a bit of philosophical reflection on life. The individual reincarnations seem like somewhat jumbled, individual stories strung together. The love story of Milo and Suzie is the underlying thread that holds the book together.

The book is an interesting premise and an interesting execution. I like the characters, but the jumping time lines and the disjointed lives make the book a little difficult to settle into. I find myself reading a bit and then putting it down and then picking it up again only to then spend time figuring out where in time and place the book was. In addition, after a while, I start to look for something more than another of life. The connection and the "something more" does eventually come, but only towards the very end of the book. It takes perseverance to get there.

Suzie's character to me is actually the more intriguing one. After all, she is Death, but Death as a beautiful woman capable of empathy and love and other perfectly relatable human emotions. This book is very much Milo's story, but I would love to see more of Suzie's perspective.

The book is a unique play on a love story, and for that reason, will be memorable on my list.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

The Unquiet Grave

Title:  The Unquiet Grave

Author:  Sharyn McCrumb

Publication Information:  Atria Books. 2017. 368 pages.

ISBN:  1476772878 / 978-1476772875

Book Source:  I received this book as a publisher's galley through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "The place was as quiet as it every got in the hours around midnight, with only occasional screams or sobs from the cells down the corridor to disturb hi contemplation."

Favorite Quote:  "I reckon he could'a done worse, and I could'a done better, but we soldiered on and made a family, which is all there is, when you come right down to it."

The testimony of a ghost helps convict a murderer in the 1890s in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. In reality or so the story goes. Zona Heaster Shue died young, a new bride in her home away from her  parents. Initially, it was thought she fell and died of the injuries before she was discovered. Later, it was said that she was murdered. The story goes that Zona's own words to her mother helped to discover the truth of what happened.

This is the story of the Greenbrier Ghost and as the book description claims, a story "based on the true story of one of the strangest murder trials in American history."

Zona Heaster's short life was full of misadventure, anguish, and heartbreak for her parents, and that was before she died at such a young age. At some point, her father urged her mother to let Zona go. That meant marriage to Edward "Trout" Shue. He was a drifter new to town, and Zona fell in love.

Mary Jane Heaster allowed the marriage to happen although she had her doubts. She allowed Zona to make her choices, but she would not let go as Zona's father suggested. A mother's love kept leading her back. Upon Zona's death, she pursued the case, claiming that Zona's spirit appeared to her and told her that she was murdered.

The book builds a fictional story around this unique history. It builds a background for Zona's life, depicts the events leading to her death, and the case after.

The book alternates between two completely different perspectives. The first is Mary Jane Heaster, who had the courage to see her daughter for who she was and, at the same time, love her unconditionally. Her love and strength is a focal point of the book. The other perspective is that of an attorney, who is now in an insane asylum. He encounters a young physician who wishes to try a new idea - a "talking" cure for mental illness. (Remember, this is the 1800s.) James P D Gardner was an attorney, who found himself defending Edward Shue. Although the reason for his insanity does not stem from the case, he finds himself narrating the case to the doctor. One perspective is that of love, emotion, and involvement; the other is that of detachment and analysis. Both are tales of reaching for and finally finding closure.

Through these two perspectives and descriptive language, the author creates an atmospheric ghost story. Through one or the other, gradually, the other players in the story are introduced. The connection of the characters to the story is sometimes not apparent at the time of their introduction. Knowing the history of Zona Heaster Shue's case prior to reading the book would be helpful because then each newly introduced character could be placed in context. The book needs almost a cast of characters, with names and roles, much like a play to accomplish the same purpose.

The atmosphere and the unique history are the memorable aspects of this book. Once again, I find myself marveling at the ability of fiction to introduce me to a history I may never otherwise have learned.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.