Review: Live Healthy with Hashimoto’s Disease: The Natural Ayurvedic Approach to Managing Your Autoimmune Disorder

Live Healthy with Hashimoto’s Disease: The Natural Ayurvedic Approach to Managing Your Autoimmune Disorder by Vikki Hibberd
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Black Hammer, Vol. 1: Secret Origins

Black Hammer, Vol. 1: Secret Origins by Jeff Lemire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: The Prisoner's Wife

The Prisoner's Wife by Maggie Brookes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Star of Persia: Esther's Story

Star of Persia: Esther's Story by Jill Eileen Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: The Year We Left Home

The Year We Left Home by Jean Thompson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: A Prayer for Travelers

A Prayer for Travelers by Ruchika Tomar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An expertly crafted debut with a time-jumping narrative that takes awhile to get used to but is a perfect device to build suspense and keep people reading. Cale has great appeal as a character, with her love for her dogs, her grandfather Lamb, and her friend Penny. She makes many mistakes, but has good intentions and a brave heart. Cale and Penny went to school together, but don't really become friends until they begin working together at a local truck-stop diner. When Penny disappears, Cale begins searching for her friend while also dealing with the failing health of her beloved grandfather. Because the numbered chapters appear out of order, we don't find out until late in the book about a violent and horrifying event shared by Cale and Penny that no doubt prompted Penny's departure. Part coming of age story, part mystery, this is a perfect choice for readers who like suspenseful stories with fully drawn characters. Good for fans of The Round House or Winter's Bone.

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Review: Perfect Little Children

Perfect Little Children by Sophie Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds: 100 New Ways to See the World

Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds: 100 New Ways to See the World by Ian Wright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: The Henna Artist

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Delia's Shadow

Delia's Shadow by Jaime Lee Moyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Meet Delia Martin, a wealthy young woman during the dawn of the century in the city of San Francisco. Her secret: she can see ghosts, and at times they seem as real as the living. Since the great quake in 1906, Delia has been haunted by the dead and fled to New York to escape them. However, one particular restless spirit seems unwilling to let her go. Delia returns to San Francisco in the hope that she can shake her "friend" off once and for all. Unbeknownst to Delia, "Shadow," her spirit, was one of the many victims of a serial killer who has never been caught and is killing again after thirty years. Detectives Jack and Gabe have been on this case as was Gabe's father before him. Delia, Sadie (Delia's childhood friend), Gabe, and Jack (Sadie's fiancé) join forces to solve the mystery. A dark paranormal mystery with a bit of romance, this is the first book in the Delia Martin trilogy.

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Booking Forward March 2020

American Animals: A True Crime Memoir

by Eric Borsuk

This is Erik Borsuk’s true crime confession about a few college lads that decide to burglarize their university’s library!  What could you possibly steal from a library you might ask…well this library had a few rare books worth millions.  I can’t wait to see how this heist caper turns out.  P.S. A librarian gets shot with a Taser gun!

For fans of: Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell; The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartless

The City We Became

N.K. Jemisin

I became enamored with Jemisin’s writing after reading her three-time Hugo Award-winning Broken Earth Trilogy. Here she leaves The Stillness behind and heads to New York City. While the setting might be familiar this go-around, the story appears to be wholly unique. The city is gaining sentience, and five New Yorkers have been chosen to become avatars for each borough and protect it from an alien threat.

For fans of: Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse; The City by Dean Koontz         

Cool Town

Grace Hale

When people think of alternative music, they usually picture Seattle, Washington. This book takes a detour down to Athens, Georgia where the true birth of alternative music quite possibly took place. Along with bands like the B-52s and R.E.M., author Grace Hale was there when it all happened in the late 70s and early 80s, and promises the book will be a perfect blend of her own memories and a music historian’s diligent research. This one should be irresistible to all the music nerds out there. 

For fans of: Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon; Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein

The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home

Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor

The creators of the popular podcast “Welcome to Night Vale” reveal to fans the thrilling life of one of the most mysterious characters from the show, The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home. I’m especially interested to listen to the audiobook read by Mara Wilson of “Matilda” fame who also voices the character on the podcast.

For fans of: Midnight, Texas by Charlaine Harris; The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

The Glass Hotel

Emily St. John Mandel

A strange and compelling story of people linked by a remote hotel in the Pacific Northwest. Fascinating characters and an intriguing but scattered plot that meanders all over the place. Difficult to pin down what it’s really about—trust, lies, luck, disappearances, the general uncertainty of life—but nevertheless a pleasure to read and hard to put down.

For fans of: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan; Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

A Good Neighborhood

Therese Anne Fowler

Heartbreaking to read and think about. We all want to live in a good neighborhood, but what does that really mean? The author throws a lot of heavy stuff into this novel, with lines of tension running under everything. Race, environment, ambition, privilege, abuse, double standards for men and women, activism, all the things.

For fans of: Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane; Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

The Henna Artist

Alka Joshi

Seventeen-year-old Lakshmi leaves an abusive marriage and becomes the most requested henna artist. There she learns secrets and gossip from the wealthiest women. She must tread lightly to avoid jealous gossip that could ruin her.

For fans of: Dominicana by Angie Cruz; The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The Light in Hidden Places

Sharon Cameron

Based on a true story of Holocaust heroine Stefania Podgorska, a 16-year-old Catholic girl. Stefania hid 13 Jewish people in her attic with an SS officer that lived adjacent to her for months. A tense and gripping novel, full of urgency, in which death seems to wait around every corner.

For fans of: The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe; Mapping the Bones by Jane Yolen

Recollections of my Nonexistence

Rebecca Solnit

"To have a voice means not just the animal capacity to utter sounds but the ability to participate fully in the conversations that shape your society, your relations to others, and your own life." In her new memoir, Solnit (Men Explain Things to Me) reflects on the events that helped her to find her own voice in a world and profession dominated by men.

For fans of: Hunger: a Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay; We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Valentine

Elizabeth Wetmore

Amazing debut. Tells the story through the voices of several women and girls in Odessa, Texas, a town where the oil flows freely but so do racism, sexism, hatred, anger, and fear. A young Mexican girl is beaten and raped by a white oil worker and everyone takes a side. Mostly the young man’s side.

For fans of: The Mothers by Brit Bennett; Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Review: Stay and Fight

Stay and Fight by Madeline Ffitch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Three women build their own house and live off the land in Appalachian Ohio. Karen and Lily are a couple, expecting their first child. When that child turns out to be a boy, they must leave the Women's Land Trust property on which they had set up their first home. Helen, who has traveled to the area with her boyfriend, reaches out to Karen and Lily after the boyfriend takes off. She has purchased a twenty-acre stretch of land, and asks the other two women, whom she barely knows, to throw in their lot with her in a partnership, building another cabin, hunting, growing a garden, constructing a life. Even with all their amazing skills and strengths, life is unimaginably hard. And black snakes, which apparently are almost impossible to get rid of, infest their house. Most people I know, including myself, might have a hard time relating to these three women. After all, when was the last time you ate a nettle sandwich, or brewed a raccoon stew? Ugh. But the boy, the heart of the "family," Perley, is the most lovable, winsome young character I've read about in a long time. He's smart and funny and eager to learn. It's when he insists that he wants to go to school that things begin to crumble. After the county officials find out about the living conditions, they intervene. (Snakes sleeping in the bed are apparently frowned upon. Along with the lack of indoor plumbing.) Things don't go well, and the women hit rock bottom. How they deal with it, and how Perley processes it, and rises above it, finding a true friend along the way, make this book a true gem.

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Review: Stephen King at the Movies: A Complete History of the Film and Television Adaptations from the Master of Horror

Stephen King at the Movies: A Complete History of the Film and Television Adaptations from the Master of Horror by Ian Nathan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ian Nathan’s Stephen King at the Movies is a perfect match for any fan of King’s novels, short stories, or the films and television series inspired by them. Claiming to be “a complete history of the film and television adaptations from the master of horror,” this compendium covers everything from 1976’s Carrie – which you’ll learn has already been remade twice – to 2019’s Doctor Sleep, chronologically giving every movie, mini-series, and TV show its own chapter complete with original poster art, filmmaking credits, photos from the set, and a review that includes making-of factoids as well as King’s own involvement (cameos!) and thoughts on each project.

This book also includes a few added sections I enjoyed as well. For instance, the introduction did a nice job of showcasing King’s career as a writer while at the same time explaining why his writing is so readymade for the silver screen. And, the author includes his own personal ranking of every movie and show in a section called The Final Reckoning. I won’t spoil which project got the top slot, but I have to agree with nearly all of the Children of the Corn sequels being near the bottom of the list.

The only dilemma with this book is that it became outdated the instant it was published. With shows like The Outsider currently airing, and over fifteen King-related projects slated for production, it seems the public demand for all things Stephen King is at an all-time high. But, what’s here in this compilation is outstanding – a film-geek and King-Completist’s dream. We can only hope for updated editions sometime down the road.


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Review: Infinity Son

Infinity Son by Adam Silvera
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Growing up, twins Emil and Brighton idolized the Spell Walkers, a group of crime-fighting magical vigilantes, and hoped to manifest their own powers someday. At 18, Brighton still dreams of the fame and glory powers would bring, but Emil would be happier living a normal life. The Spell Walkers’ popularity has waned, and some in the government want to lock them up along with the Blood Casters, a group of power-hungry alchemists who steal magical blood to create powers in themselves. When the brothers find themselves caught in a battle between the two magical groups, it’s Emil who discovers he has phoenix fire. When a video of Emil’s fight goes viral, the brothers must go into hiding, both from the Blood Casters and the government enforcers.
This fast-paced fantasy combines a fun twist on the Chosen One trope with all the things I love in a Silvera novel: complicated relationships, a diverse cast of compelling characters, and unexpected plot twists. This is the first book in a trilogy, and I’m very excited to see where Emil and Brighton’s story takes them.

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Booking Forward February 2020

Dave Brubeck: A Life in Time by Philip Clark

What do we know about Dave Brubeck? We’ve all heard his classic jazz anthem Take Five, and might have heard the name Dave Brubeck… but what else is known about this jazz giant? Well, in Dave Brubeck: A Life in Time, we’ll get to find out as the author Philip Clark had an all access pass to Brubeck, spending an entire tour of the United Kingdom with him and his band during the early 2000s. I’m really looking forward to the brain pickings of this iconic musical genius.

For fans of: 

- Birth of the Cool: how jazz great Miles David found his sound by Kathleen Cornell Berman

- Good Things Happen Slowly: a life in and out of jazz by Fred Hersch

A Divided Loyalty by Charles Todd

The latest in Todd’s popular Inspector Ian Rutledge series. Avebury is a village set inside a great prehistoric stone circle not far from Stonehenge. Can Rutledge solve a cold case when the victim is unidentified and the clues are few and far between? And if he does, is he brave enough to face the wrath of his superiors for going against their wishes?

For fans of: 

- Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayers

- The New Hercule Poirot mysteries by Sophie Hannah

The Illness Lesson by Clare Beams

In 19^th century New England, Samuel Hood and his daughter Caroline take up the unlikely task of educating young women in subjects that were at the time considered too difficult for them. As classes begin, a mysterious flock of red birds descends on the town and the girls become ill with a maddening variety of symptoms. When her father brings in a physician to treat the girls using suspect methods, Caroline finds she must do what’s right no matter the cost.

For fans of: 

- The Witch Elm by Tana French

- The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis 

The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley

Fans of Pulley’s The Watchmaker of Filigree Street rejoice! Thaniel and Mori are back, Katsu is alive, and the three are in for another adventure. This time in a steampunk-tinged Japan filled with secrets, political intrigue…and ghosts. After four years away, I can’t wait to revisit characters who feel like old friends.

For fans of: 

- A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

- Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

The Resisters by Gish Jen

In a near-future America, the country is half underwater, and citizens are either the “Netted” who live on dry land or the “Surplus” living in swamps and on the water. But this isn’t “Waterworld.” Gwen, a young Surplus girl, has a gift for baseball and is tapped for the Olympic team, playing alongside the Netted elite. While many dystopian books center the downfall of society on one cataclysmic event, what is truly terrifying (and perhaps all too real) here is that the breakdown of society comes through countless seemingly inconsequential actions. Chilling.

For fans of: 

- On Such a Full Sea by Chang-rae Lee

- Vox by Christina Dalcher

Sisters by Choice by Susan Mallery

This fourth book in the Blackberry Island Series is a heartfelt story of three women with their own dreams, ambitions, and problems. It's a story of love, family, and the friendships that see us through. A great read to warm you up on a cold February night!

For fans of: 

- The Summerhouse Novels by Jude Deveraux

- The Wednesday Novels by Meg Waite Clayton

  

Until the End of Time by Brian Greene

In the past, I’ve really appreciated how Brian Greene has simplified complex astro-physics so that the common person can be intrigued and inspired by this mysterious science, especially in The Elegant Universe, which also became a PBS documentary.  What has me excited about his new book Until the End of Time is that Greene is delving inward into human consciousness and what its place is in this vast universe.  I highly suspect this one will be made into a PBS special as well, with Greene as the narrator.  I can’t wait!

For fans of:

- Gravity's century: from Einstein's eclipse to images of black holes by Ron Cowen

- The quantum moment: how Planck, Bohr, Einstein, and Heisenberg taught us to love uncertainty by Robert P. Crease

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

Carolina Santos is a wedding planner hoping to land an opportunity that will take her business to the next level. Unfortunately, this opportunity comes with one big hitch: she’ll have to work with the brother of her ex-fiancé. Max Hartley is a marketing expert set on getting a new big client. But can he handle working with Carolina when she hates him for talking his brother out of marrying her?

I can’t pass up a good enemies-to-lovers story, and this one sounds like a lot of fun!

For fans of: 

- Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

- The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory

Review: The Girls with No Names

The Girls with No Names by Serena Burdick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just because you are rich doesn’t mean you have freedoms—you actually have limits, a slave to society and propriety. Meet sisters Effie and Luella Tildon, who lived a very comfortable life but had to conform to a strict set of rules that were placed upon women in the 1900s. Any kind of rebellion could send them to a work house, an asylum, known as the House of Mercy.

One day when their father took them out for lunch to spend time with them, both Luella and Effie witnessed the real truth behind his motive. After finding out their father’s shocking secret, Luella, the older and braver sister, decided that she would do as she pleased. However, with that rebellion comes consequences. One day she was no longer there. Effie comes to believe that she was sent to the House of Mercy and plans to get herself committed in order to save her sister. Once there, she falls victim to the cruelty and befriends another girl by the name of Mable. The two learn that they must rely on and trust each other to survive. The Girls with No Names is a gripping story till the end.



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Review: You Will Be Safe Here

You Will Be Safe Here by Damian Barr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set in South Africa in two timelines, You Will Be Safe Here explores the idea that telling someone "you will be safe here" is sometimes a perverted way of justifying mistreatment and confinement. In 1901, Sarah and her son Fred are swept from their farm in rural South Africa in the midst of the Second Boer War, in which the British employed a scorch-and-burn method of removing families, mostly women and children, left behind while their soldier husbands were away fighting, from their homes. The British soldiers burned the dwellings, barns, and crops, and funneled the people into concentration camps "for their safety." In reality, the British Empire was fighting with two Boer states, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, over the Empire's influence in South Africa, and they wanted to destroy anything that would give sustenance or support to the Boer soldiers. In 2010, Irma and Jan drop off Irma's teenage son Willem at the New Dawn Safari Training Camp, which is supposed to turn boys into men. Willem has been expelled from school for an incident that was not really his fault, but because he's sensitive and different, his stepfather insists that he needs straightening up, in more ways than one. New Dawn is a cruel and horrible place, with many parallels to the concentration camp that Sarah and her son were forced to endure. The reader eventually learns the connections between these two timelines and places. Although a sobering story about a history that most of us have no knowledge of, there are moments of devotion, caring, and connection that lift the heart. Highly recommended.

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Review: Sleepless, Vol. 1

Sleepless, Vol. 1 by Sarah Vaughn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Volume one of Sleepless collects the first six chapters in the series and gets this enchanting fantasy romance off to a wonderful start. This graphic novel tells the tale of Poppy- the illegitimate daughter of the recently deceased King, and Cyrenic – the sleepless knight sworn to guard her from all harm with a vow to never sleep, until his final “sleep unto death.”

With a new king now seated at the throne, courtly intrigue ensues as Poppy’s family and trusted friends leave for other lands, leaving her exposed to the new royalty as well as strange and unknown scoundrels attempting to assassinate her. But, at least she has Cyrenic at her side for moral support, relationship advice, and ninja-like bodyguard skills… and with the help of all the political maneuvering the two must perform to survive the treachery of the royal court, a true romantic tension begins to blossom.

Sleepless uses artwork that reminds you of the middle ages, having a style that hints at ancient illuminated texts while at the same time using much more modernized facial expressions and character gestures - and in some instances looking like stained-glass portraits come to life. The effect is pure fantasy!

Simply a joy to read, Sleepless would make a great first book for teen/adult readers looking to get into the world of graphic novels.


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Booking Forward January 2020

American Dirt

by Jeanine Cummins

A story of migrants struggling to make it to the US to escape targeted cartel violence in Mexico. Should be required reading for all US citizens who have no empathy for those who give up everything they have for a chance to live in safety. The path to and across the border is dangerous, deadly, and demoralizing, and American Dirt provides a glimpse into that experience, with a mother’s love and determination overcoming all. Painful but necessary reading.

For fans of: 
The other Americans by Laila Lalami

Where We Come From by Oscar Casares

Dear Edward

by Ann Napolitano

Eddie gets on a plane with his parents, older brother, and more than a hundred strangers. Only Edward survives. In this story of finding yourself after losing everything, readers see the last few hours of a handful of lives, and the first few years of a life forced to move on without them.

For fans of: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Ask again, yes by Mary Beth Keane


In the Shadow of Vesuvius

by Alexander Tasha

History and mystery in one book. Lady Emily discovers a body among the ruins of Pompeii. When the police dismiss the case as the work of gangsters, Lady Emily and a team of and archaeologists are on the case. Soon her fate becomes tied to that of a woman from almost 2000 years before. Intriguing. Of course I want to read this!

For fans of: The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

Thomas & Charlotte Pitt mysteries by Anne Perry

Martha Stewart's Organizing: The Manual for Bringing Order to Your Life, Home & Routines

by Martha Stewart

Organize, purge, tidy, and simplify.

In her latest book, Martha Stewart offers helpful tips for organizing by room and by season. With guidance for continued success.

Ahh the life of Hygge, who wouldn't want to take a look at this book?

For fans of: Spark Joy by Marie Kondo

Remodelista: the organized home by Julie Carlson

The Contact Paradox 

by Keith Cooper

Cooper, editor and science writer at Astronomy Now, makes the case for seeking out extraterrestrial life. I’m expecting him to delve into whether aliens will have welcoming or malicious intentions towards humanity, their possible intellectual levels, and what types of physical forms they might take. But, more than anything, I’m intrigued by the technical aspects of how the search will continue going forward.

For fans of: Imagined Life by James Trefil

Exoplanets by Michael E. Summers

Imperfect Union 

by Steve Inskeep

John and Jessie Fremont explored and expanded the western half of the United States, and in doing so became national celebrities in the late 1800s. Through Jessie’s senator father, the couple gained access to both political and media exposure, culminating in John’s presidential nomination. I can’t wait to take a glimpse - through the eyes of these charismatic figures - into one the most important times in American history.

For fans of: Buffalo Bill's America by Louis S. Warren

John Brown, abolitionist by David S. Reynolds

When we were Vikings

by Andrew Macdonald

Zelda is like a lot of 21-year-old women. She enjoys spending time with friends and is trying to gain a sense of independence. She is also obsessed with Vikings and was born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. When her older brother, struggling to pay the bills and keep the family together, becomes involved with drug dealers, Zelda knows she must follow in the footsteps of her Viking heroes and save him whatever the cost.

For fans of: Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon

Heart of Junk

by Luke Geddes

The vendors at Wichita’s Heart of America Antique Mall are struggling to stay afloat and hope the upcoming visit from TV’s Pickin’ Fortunes will bring in more customers. When a young beauty pageant star goes missing, the show’s visit is placed on hold, and the mall owner calls on his rag-tag crew of colleagues to help find her. Can they get over their own problems long enough to be of any help?

For fans of: The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich

Where'd you go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Review: The Family Upstairs

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell is a domestic-psychological thriller about a wealthy family stripped of their elaborate lifestyle by a cultic maniac. This novel is written from the point of view of three characters: Libby, Henry, and Lucy.

On her twenty-fifth birthday Libby receives a letter, informing her that she has inherited a beautiful home in one of London’s wealthiest neighborhoods. Libby, shocked and confused, is eager to find out how she could possibly be heir to this home. Libby knows she was adopted, but to belong to a wealthy family piques her curiosity.

Henry, the son of the socialite family, speaks about a man named David Thomsen, who moves in and seems to place a spell on his mother. David was a god to her. It didn’t take Henry long to figure out what David is doing, and it didn’t take long for David to usurp Henry’s family and everyone who lived there. David’s smooth-talking, holier-than-thou attitude, and a seemingly bewitching power over everyone (aka cultic leader), slowly changes the dynamic of the home.

In the midst of all this we also learn about Lucy, Henry’s homeless sister who has two children and a shabby dog. Lucy and Henry both wait for the day that Libby turns twenty-five, the day where they know that Libby will be at their home, and the day they will all eventually meet.

A journey of a family’s slow death, this is an engaging read that will leave you wanting more.


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