The Carb Sensitivity Program

- by Natasha Turner

While there is really nothing ground-breaking in its concept (we all know that those with insulin resistance, diabetes, and/or PCOS have a difficult time with carbs), I really appreciated the personalized approach it takes in assisting a person in finding out which carbs negatively affect them the most. Everyone's body is different, so a "one-size-fits-all" approach is undesirable and ineffective.

The author deals with carb sensitivity herself, so she is not unsympathetic to the readers' plights! Her program offers many simple recipes, menu examples, and relatively simple strength-training exercises. Be prepared to drink a lot of smoothies and protein shakes (whey isolate protein is recommended). Turner does seem to peddle her supplements a fair bit, but those are easily ignored; you can always use your supplement(s) of choice, so long as you're getting what your body requires.

This book mainly outlines a 6-week elimination program - not dissimilar to one of those "elimination diets" done to assess food allergies or sensitivities - in order to assist you in finding out which carbs you're the most sensitive to, affecting weight loss and overall health.

The Face of a Stranger

 -by Anne Perry

 (William Monk, #1)

London. July 31, 1856. Enter, William Monk. At the outset of The Face of a Stranger, we know as much about Monk as he does: not much at all. A carriage accident has left him completely amnesic. Confused and dismayed at his current state, Monk gradually learns - through observation of his rooms, and carefully worded questions to others (without revealing his disadvantage) - that he is a police Inspector. Much to his chagrin, he comes to the realization that, while he is a brilliant detective, he is also callous, generally disliked, and infamously ambitious - willing to trample on others to advance his career. Others' reactions to Monk, paint a grim picture of his character - someone he does not even like, himself. While rather unlikely, it is fascinating to read the lead character's introspective thoughts and 'internal woolgatherings' as he comes to know the person he used to be, and is striving to change with every turn of the page.

Amidst all of this, Monk is sent back to work. He must piece himself together, while investigating a gruesome murder of a Crimean War hero, a member of the gentry. He ultimately succeeds in solving it with the help of his newly-assigned Sergeant, John Evans, who becomes his trusted friend, and Hester Latterly, a nurse who knew the murder victim in the Crimea.

I was impressed with how the story was constructed. While the investigation of the Grey mystery became cumbersome at times, overall the plot was very engrossing! Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed by who the culprit was, as I had suspected them early on, and hoped it was something a bit less predictable. However, the story was truly about Monk and his 'self-discovery' -- I enjoyed that aspect the most and it was really well done.

The Face of a Stranger was refreshingly different and a treat to read. What a clever way to involve the reader... by making the main character a mystery unto himself! I look forward to more in this series.

EDIT TO ADD (July 2013): I am current reading book number 11 of the Monk series. I am enjoying every single one!

The Jade Peony

The Jade Peony
— by Wayson Choy

288 pages (2007)
Other Press, paperback
ISBN 0312155565

MY RATING: 4 / 5 stars

a poignant examination of Chinese immigrants’ struggle in Canada

Wayson Choy's beautifully written debut novel, The Jade Peony, is a poignant examination of the Chinese immigrant experience in Vancouver’s Chinatown before and during the Second World War, and its consequence on collective ideals, as well as the immigrants’ personal identities. It is a representation of a proud, dignified people struggling to regain autonomy from the constraints of history, intolerance, destitution, and cultural heritage.

True to memoir-like fashion, The Jade Peony consists of three individual manuscripts, written from different perspectives. Three siblings in the same household of Chinese immigrants, eking out a meager living in Vancouver’s Chinatown, combine their accounts in one volume, to compile a narrative of different acculturation effects within the family and the Chinese community itself. These three very different life experiences and vantage points, bestow an accurate sampling of a new generation desperate to adjust and assimilate the new world culture, often at the sacrifice of the “old ways”…much to their elders’ dismay.

Little sister Jook-Liang, who longs to be a performer like Shirley Temple, befriends family friend Wong Bak, a deformed elderly man from the old country. As the two of them form an unlikely friendship, Jook-Liang ambitiously dreams of escaping the unyielding old ways, while grappling with the old Chinese convention of elevating the life of a boy above that of a girl.

Second brother Jung-Sum, taken from a neglectful family in China, is sent to live with his new adoptive family in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Besieged by childhood trauma of what he had to endure at the hands of his biological parents, he ultimately feels a sense of belonging amongst his new family, and finds his niche in boxing.

Third Brother Sekky, often plagued with illness (and as a result, coddled by Poh-Poh), never quite comes to terms with the plethora of complex Chinese dialects he is forced to study. Overwhelmed, he often retreats into himself, inducing visions of Poh-Poh after she is gone, and filling the void with an obsession for war games. When a forbidden relationship flourishes between Sekky’s Chinese babysitter and a Japanese boy, the lines between friend and foe are blurred by fear of frightful events happening a world away, with devastating consequences.

At the heart of each account is Poh-Poh (respectfully known as the “Old One”, or Grandmother). the mainstay and matriarch of the family, who passes down vivid reminiscences of her life experiences to the children. Not unlike the jade peony, which she bestows to them as an inheritance, Poh-Poh also confers them a more valuable inheritance — their cultural heritage as a people, and the necessity and importance of holding on to a measure of “old way” attitude.

Though discrimination and poverty predominated the early immigrants’ experience, Choy tempers his story with a caustic wit and a gritty humor that brings a certain hope to the often-heartrending chronicle. Given its candor and lucid voice on an important topic, it is no surprise that The Jade Peony has gained many accolades and awards, and has won its way to many readers’ hearts.

Buy The Jade Peony at Amazon.com.

05/07/2007
- reviewed for Curled Up With A Good Book

Secrets to Drawing Heads

Secrets to Drawing Heads
-by Allan Kraayvanger

Paperback: 112 pages
Sterling (February 2007)
ISBN-10: 1402747438 / ISBN-13: 978-1402747434

MY RATING: 4 / 5 stars

Exceptional guide for the novice

Capturing the quintessence of the human head and face, as well as character of the individual, is the “holy grail” of all techniques, to most artists; also the most complicated and challenging to achieve. This is mainly due to the fact that most struggle with the tendency towards drawing things symbolically, rather than what is actually seen. Allan Kraayvanger’s Secrets to Drawing Heads is a classic of simplicity, yet exceptionally focused, when it comes to helpful direction in this exceptional art, especially for the absolute novice attempting to develop their skills in portrait drawing.

An easy-to-read condensed art tutorial, Secrets to Drawing Head’s 112 pages are copiously illustrated with over 230 drawings, including step-by-step instructions and text outlining the core techniques that will help the budding artist reason on why such methods are taken. The reader is shown the building blocks of an accurate portrait and how to master the techniques in applying the study of basic components such as skin values, geometric shapes, shadows and lighting, perspective, and planes, to develop visual awareness. Advice offered on “individualizing” a face is also exceedingly helpful in capturing the subjects ‘character’ and personal aura in a portrait.

Extremely helpful in guiding and nudging the burgeoning artist beyond the lifeless one-dimensional line drawing, the complexities of the human face and head are abridged to their simplest structures to accommodate easy comprehension. It should be said that, while accurate and recognizable, the final result is akin to a loose sketch, rather than a detailed and refined portrait. Therefore, its richly visual instruction and references are geared more towards the beginner or intermediate, as opposed to the seasoned artist who is looking for a greater echelon of detail in a finished drawing.

Also included are discussions capturing realistic anatomy by understanding bone and muscle structure, advice on capturing tipped profiles and angled views accurately, as well as the use of symbolism. A comprehensive index in the back of the book also aids in rapid look-up of particular topics of interest.

Kraayvanger’s own drawing illustrations, coupled with his pointed text and guidance in Secrets to Drawing Heads, strike a perfect equilibrium, as he demonstrates the quick, rewarding way to master the fundamentals of a favorite genre of expression. The beginner artist will appreciate how the author reduces complexities with fun and easy-to-follow instructions. This book is highly recommended to the artist endeavoring to gain confidence in drawing an accurate likeness.

Buy Secrets to Drawing Heads at Amazon.com

05/04/2007
-reviewed for Sterling Publishing, NY

Lock 14

Lock 14 (Inspector Maigret Mysteries)
-by Georges Simenon

160 pages, Penguin
ISBN-10: 0143037277 / ISBN-13: 978-0143037279

My Rating: 4/5 stars

Acclaimed author, Georges Simenon, once again weaves a capturing tale of mystery and suspense, with the astute Inspector Maigret at the wheel. A series numbering over 100 books, the Inspector Maigret series – after a long stint of unavailability – has, thankfully, been reintroduced by Penguin Books to readers hankering for good mysteries. With an intriguing plot and a cast of believable characters, Lock 14, set early on in the Maigret series), is a swift but gratifying read.

Brusquer and less loquacious than Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, Inspector Maigret is all business as he takes on a new case that is sure to perplex even the most skilled of sleuths.

Set in France, in the region of a lock located on a busy section of canal, Lock 14, recounts the underhanded goings-on along these extensive waterways. With commercial barge interchange in the lock, coupled with high-class yachts and tourist boats, which were often gathered in close proximity, the result was an aquatic melding pot of working class and “upper crust” societies.

The varying degrees of society in the vicinity of Lock 14 have apparently collided, on a rainy April day, when two dockmen stumble upon the cadaver of elegantly-clad Mary Lampson while rummaging under the hay in a stable; 5 hours dead from apparent strangulation. Inspector Maigret is called to piece things together. First to be interviewed is the dead woman’s husband, Sir Walter Lampson, an Englishman and retired colonel of the Indian Army, whose pleasure craft is docked near Lock 14. The Inspectors sharp instincts are alerted when Lampson, along with fellow passengers of his yacht - who seem only bent on a life devoted to decadence - appear oddly aloof and indifferent to the murder. Ultimately shedding light on a heartrending occurrence of lost identity and lost love, Maigret gradually pieces together the stories of those involved, and how Mary Lampson and a second victim met their untimely end.

Regardless of the descriptive language outlining the characters, conspicuous is the lack of background on Inspector Maigret himself. Simenon leaves the reader guessing about the Inspectors persona, and the depths that lie beneath his somewhat gruff and abrupt exterior.

Despite their small size, Simenon's Inspector Maigret series of mystery books are highly satisfying and concentrated with page flipping “who-dunnit” suspense, keeping readers captured until the final pages. Lock 14, itself, saw publication in 1931 and yet remains accessible and a pleasure to read. These are excellent books that are small and easy to pack for a weekend getaway or outing, and can be easily enjoyed in a few brief sittings.

Buy Lock 14 at Amazon.

04/26/2007
- reviewed for Curled Up With A Good Book

Design Is In The Details: Living Spaces

Design Is In The Details: Living Spaces
- by Brad Mee

160 pages (2005)
Sterling Publishing Co., NY
hardcover with jacket

MY RATING: 4 / 5

Fresh innovative design

Living spaces are literally the heartbeat of our home – where we meet, entertain, and relax and unwind. It is where we spend the majority of our time, at home. Therefore, it is only natural that we aspire the design of these rooms to work along with, and complement, the purpose and function of these beloved areas of our dwellings.

In Design Is In The Details: Living Spaces, renowned HGTV interior designer Brad Mee offers unique and inspiring tips for decorating these “living spaces” with professional finesse. Whether it is a living room, a great room, an entertainment room, or a special space such as a library or drawing room — these living spaces are given new life with Mee’s innovative steps to attaining a beautiful and livable space. Spanning from the subtle to the bold, he demonstrates how attainable attractive designs can be, no matter what the budget, resources, or floor plan, and provides ample tips for making your designs easier.

It all starts with the crucial initial assessment. Mee encourages analyzing the potential of the space you have to work with. The next step is to then outline and identify any special eye-catching feature in the room that you would like to enhance and, on the other end of the spectrum, note problematic characteristics you wish to conceal in that space. After listing the said characteristics, it is then suggested to prioritize the room’s advantages and disadvantages. What do you have to work with? What ‘feeling’ or ambiance is desired for the finished product? Does the room require any special needs, layout wise?

While claiming to meld style with a hospitable family-oriented space, many readers may find the design layouts featured in the photographs do not lend an overly practical feel to them. Most room designs are targeted to those who lean more towards the contemporary-modern look, and perhaps those who prefer more traditional colonial designs may lose interest in his more modernistic approach. However, even the most traditional of decorators will be able to garner helpful ideas from Mee’s wealth of interior designing experience — especially when it comes to the unique techniques of making optimum use of space and shape, and how it relates to the interplay of lighting, color, texture, and fabric in the overall design.

Design Is In The Details: Living Spaces is a comprehensive guide containing innovative ideas and eye-catching design for an exclusive and multi-functional space for all to enjoy. Mee’s demonstrates how attaining a signature look is truly all in the details that make up a collective workable design.

Buy Design Is in the Details: Living Spaces at Amazon.com

04/12/2007
- reviewed for Sterling Publishing Co., NY

The Shadow of the Wind

The Shadow of the Wind
-by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
512 pages (English ed., 2004)

MY RATING: 4/5

histrionic but fabulously riveting

"You mustn't tell anyone what you're about to see today."So were the words of Daniel Sempere's father, a dealer in antiquarian books in brooding post-civil war Barcelona, when he introduces his young son to the esoteric Cemetery of Forgotten Books. There he has his young son "rescue" any book he wishes, from a lifetime of neglect. "The Shadow of the Wind", the boy's selection, was written by author, Julian Carax, purported to have enigmatically perished in a duel shrouded in ambiguity.As Daniel grows into a young man, he becomes obsessed with the book and its mystifying author. He also comes to the realization that Carax's books are conspicuously starting to disappear - a mysterious cloaked collector has been buying them up and setting them ablaze, one by one...and he has made it very clear that he is after Daniel's copy too.

Daniel enlists the assistance of Fermín Romero de Torres - an erudite vagrant who just happens to be a former Republican emissary - in piecing together the story of Carax's life, which turns out to be a superbly macabre Gothic-style epic. As a result, Daniel and Fermín are thrust into the middle of a perilous escapade as they struggle to avoid the perils of a psychopathic fascist agent.

Some brilliant passages induced comparisons to Gabriel García Márquez or Arturo Perez-Reverte, whereas others occasionally read like a melodramatic over-sensationalized screenplay (which makes sense, as Zafon is a former screenwriter). Zafon's use of comical relief in Fermín Romero de Torres is effective in offsetting the story's oftentimes far-fetched intensity.

Nonetheless, despite all its flaws, Ruiz Zafon's post Spanish Civil War thriller will indubitably entertain.

Buy The Shadow of the Wind at Amazon.com

03/10/2007

The Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale
-by Diane Setterfield
416 pages (2006)

MY RATING: 4/5

Tell me the truth..."

“People disappear when they die. Their voice, their laughter, the warmth of their breath. Their flesh. Eventually their bones. All living memory of them ceases. This is both dreadful and natural. Yet for some there is an exception to this annihilation. For in books they write, they continue to exist. We can rediscover them. Their humor, their tone of voice, their moods. Through the written word they can anger you or make you happy. They can comfort you. They can perplex you. They can alter you. All this, even though they are dead. Like flies in amber, like corpses frozen in ice, that which according to the laws of nature should pass away is, by the miracle of ink on paper, preserved....”

Setterfield’s novel The Thirteenth Tale is a captivating debut — brimming with complex twists, secrets, confused identities, squeaky staircases and gothic-like intrigue — conjuring up loose comparisons to Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White and Brönte’s Jane Eyre.At the heart of the story is Margaret Lea, a plain bookish girl who works in her father’s antiquarian bookstore in London. Constantly surrounded and preoccupied with books, she has also written a minority of amateur biographies of relatively unknown historical figures.The intrigue commences when a mysterious letter arrives for Margaret, from Vida Winters – an eccentric famous author who insists on confounding her aficionados and biographers with fictional adaptations of her life story with an oath of their authenticity. Aside from countless best sellers, Winters has also written a book entitled “The Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation” which, curiously enough, only contains 12 stories. The letter summons Margaret to Winter’s home where she is asked by the terminally ill author to embark on a biography of her life at the tragic Anglefield Estate. It is a story of twins, shadows, scandal, and deception.

As work on the biography begins, both Winters and Margaret struggle to deal with the truth of their painful pasts. Not before the dreadful realities are skillfully revealed by the author, the secret behind the strangely absent “thirteenth tale” is finally uncovered.

The Thirteenth Tale succeeds in being equally heart-pounding and heart-wrenching, and most definitely worth a read. One can only look forward to Diane Setterfield’s next novel.

Buy The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel at Amazon.com

02/23/2007

Love In The Time of Cholera

Love In The Time of Cholera  (El Amor en los Tiempos del Cólera)
-by Gabriel García Márquez
348 pages (1985)

cholera: an effective metaphor for love

Love in the Time of Cholera, an arresting tale of unrequited love, dramatically chronicles a 50-year love triangle set in Columbia, spanning from roughly 1880 to 1930. Gabriel García Márquez's novel, with an intensity that rivals the classics, explores the concept that suffering for love is akin to a genre of nobility. Based on the perception that love-sickness is a literal infirmity, the author effectively uses cholera throughout the novel as a metaphor for love - love as a malady comparable to a devastating ailment. 

The condemned vertices of the love triangle include the obsessive lyricist, Florentino Ariza, who falls desperately and dangerously in love with the beautiful headstrong Fermina Daza. After meeting only briefly, the two commence an intense 3-year romance-by-letter. As years pass and Daza matures, she ultimately casts off any feelings towards the romantically love-sick Ariza, and instead, offers her hand in matrimony to the practical and respectable Doctor Juvenal Urbino - a specialist in overcoming the wide sweep of choleraic outbreaks. 

Heartbroken and rejected by the only woman he will ever truly love, Florentino Ariza does everything in his power to try to forget Daza, to no avail. And so, for over 50 years, he is left to be tormented by his passion for the woman he cannot forget, attempting to move on and yet hoping all the while she will return to him, even in the winter years of his life. 

Aside from the unnecessary sexual content in certain chapters, the story-line and García Márquez's poetic style are captivating.

The touching bitter-sweet conclusion to the severity of Love in the Time of Cholera will be sure to satisfy.

Buy Love in the Time of Cholera at Amazon.com

 

10/05/2006

The Periodic Table

The Periodic Table 
-by Primo Levi
240 pages (1985)

"a poetic causal nexus known only to chemists"

Primo Levi, a chemist and a young Italian Jew, grew up during WWII in Mussolini's Italy. The Periodic Table relates his story. Part autobiography, part poetry, part history and science textbook, Levi fuses these together in a "life-thesis" filled by both comedy and drama. This unique and unforgettable memoir is organized by the periodic table of the elements. 

The chapter titles range from Argon to Zinc and, like the elements themselves, each with its own distinctive characteristics. The element denoted in each chapter heading is often literally represented in the particular chronicle. And yet, if the reader delves further in interpretation, the element often relates metaphorically to the human experience depicted within the text. While the majority of the novel's chapters orbit various important biographical events in Levi's intriguing existence, three of the book's chapters are fictional: Carbon, Lead and Mercury. 

Often deceptively simple, Periodic Table is hardly an elementary read — Levi's concepts, philosophies and frequent use of veiled symbolism, require and deserve lengthy deliberation to digest their hidden depths. Beautiful in its precision, it is the story of a life touched by the experience of science, war and love.

Curious, unconventional, poignant and memorable, The Periodic Table is the magnum opus of memoirs. Read it.

Buy The Periodic Table at Amazon.com

06/21/2006

Eleanor Rigby

Eleanor Rigby 
-by Douglas Coupland
256 pages (2005)

look at all the lonely people…

"Death without the possibility of changing the world is the same as a life that never was."

Enter lonely Liz Dunn. Thirty-something, overweight, friendless, neglected by society, and under appreciated by her dysfunctional family and workmates. Struggling under the millstone of loneliness, Lizz is resigned to the idea that anything interesting will ever happen in to her. Often misunderstood, her extremely pragmatic outlook on life is often mistaken for as morbid and apocalyptic.

Little does Liz know that her life will change forever, after an unexpected phone call from a local hospital. Her name and contact number just happen to be on the medic-alert bracelet of a stranger, barely clinging to life in a hospital bed. 

Eleanor Rigby takes readers on a bizarre but stunning journey of self-awareness, explores the waking nightmare of loneliness, and ultimately bestows a sense of hope. Coupland cleverly maneuvers believable characters in-and-out of nearly unbelievable circumstances, all the while maintaining his hallmark – sharp, sardonic humour and wit. 

Amidst the pain-filled past and present of his characters, Coupland always allows a thin ray of light in through a trap door. 

Eleanor Rigby is a rewarding read -- classic Coupland!

Buy Eleanor Rigby: A Novel at Amazon.com

12/20/2005

All He Ever Wanted

All He Ever Wanted
-by Anita Shreve
310 pages  (2003) 

Never judge a book by it's...title
 






Never having the pleasure of reading any of Shreve's works prior to delving into "All He Ever Wanted”, I admittedly formed an unfair and premature opinion of the novel based on its somewhat flimsy melodramatic title. However, I was soon to discover that it is definitely a fitting and descriptive cover for the thespian narrative that unravels within. I was also taken unaware that this was a period piece, set in New England in the early part of the 20th Century - a fact I was all too happy to uncover, as I am an aficionado of period works.

“All He Ever Wanted” is a heart-wrenching account of unrequited love, obsession, jealousy and betrayal; exploring the most intense (and at times, darkest) workings of the human heart. Dreary and rather depressing, this candid narrative painstakingly chronicles a marriage of convenience gone sadly awry. It is written in the voice of Nicholas van Tassel, an English literary professor at a small college in New England as he ponders upon the memories of his fateful past… 

One harrowing evening after escaping a restaurant fire, van Tassel happens upon the striking Etna Bliss and is instantaneously enraptured. Here commences their somewhat stifled and confusing courtship. Ultimately, their marriage forces each character to make critical compromises that will change their lives forever: Man gives up romantic ideal of marriage (knowing full well his wife does not love him) if only to ‘possess’ her for himself; Woman relinquishes hope of marrying someone she loves and settles instead for a man who offers her freedom and a degree of independence (which is ultimately counterfeit).

Although the story is a little slow and one-dimensional at the outset, as the plot proceeds the reader will be taken in by the rich detail and character definition that quickly develops. The letters between certain characters were also a nice touch, allowing a glimpse into their personal thoughts - a unique perspective for the reader, digressing temporarily from the narrator’s recital. 

All in all, I must say I was thoroughly impressed by Shreve’s shrewd portrayal of affections not reciprocated in "All He Ever Wanted"…it is a theme all too familiar in the human game of love.

- review for Time Warner books

The Saxophone Winter

The Saxophone Winter
-by Robert Harlow
362 pages (1988)
 

Ahh…the power of suggestion! My friend was correct - what a book! Soon after I delved into The Saxophone Winter’s depths, I was unable to put the book down until I was well into it’s story. Finally I was persuaded to surface once in a while for food, potty breaks and sleep (or what little was left of that elusive thing).

What is the driving force behind this engaging novel? Sheer simplicity and the convincing thought processes of believable characters. Harlow poetically depicts the life of a 14-year-old boy growing up in a small town located in British Columbia during the winter of 1930-1931. 

The reader is quickly drawn into Christopher Waterton’s changing social environment as he undergoes his difficult and, often times, confusing metamorphosis to maturity. Throughout the novel, Christopher undergoes great change as he is confronted with life’s hurtles. Meanwhile he struggles to cover new ground – perfecting his new found interest, his saxophone; his first love (Emily Gordon); peer pressure at school; and mounting family problems – all encompassed by a changing world scene on the brink of war.

The Saxophone Winter possesses an uncluttered poignancy that makes it unforgettable. It will appeal to readers of varying ages – the young, who may be encountering similar experiences and can relate to the foreboding frontier of growing up – or the more mature, who can look back wistfully on their past as they flip through Harlow’s masterpiece.

09/15/2002

Girl With A Pearl Earring

Girl With A Pearl Earring
-by Tracy Chevalier
233 pages (2001)

A classic - not unlike Vermeer's art

Chevalier's Girl With A Pearl Earring revolves around main character, 14-year-old Griet, the daughter of a tile maker in 17th century Holland. When her father is blinded and no longer able to care for his family's needs, Griet must find work to support the family. She obtains employment as a servant in the Vermeer household, with the famous Dutch artist Johanne Vermeer as her employer.

The story is beautifully written, as seen through Griet's eyes - the complex family she is thrust into the midst of, the society of the small town of Delft, and life with an obsessive artistic genius. Griet loves being drawn into Vermeer's abstract life and ultimately becomes one of his models - as the "girl with a pearl earring." 

A fascinating novel that I would highly recommend to history-related fiction buffs, or anyone who is just plain interested in a personal and touching tale.

REVIEWER'S NOTE:  It is not a coincidence that I read this touching novel while abroad in Holland. I felt it would've added much to the story, being in the country of its setting. And so it did! I couldn't put the book down as much I tried. (Feb/March 2002) 

Mr. Darcy's Daughter

Mr. Darcy's Daughter
-by Rebecca Ann Collins
(2000)

an excellent P&P sequal

After recently completing Ms. Collin's latest work, Mr. Darcy's Daughter, I must fervently applaud her talents once more. Out of all of Ms. Collins' characters, I believe that Cassy Darcy (Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam's lovely daughter) is one of my favorites. A strong and complex heroine, not unlike her mother Lizzy when we first met her in Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Cassandra must overcome and conquer many trials in life. Yet, her harrowing experiences are but a strengthening aid to her persona, and as a result, she is consistently a mature and stable character throughout the novel. One is able to relate to her thoughts, sympathize with her concerns and struggles...and feel  relief  when obstacles are overcome, or at least, adequately dealt with. 

The reader will certainly discover that Mr. Darcy's Daughter is a delicate and intricate blend pertaining to love, honor, trial and duty. The story's convincible plot engulfs all of these complex issues, coupled with a consistent ease so notable in Ms. Collin's work. And as always, it is artfully dappled with Austen-like wit and historical flavour of the time. Each adroitly contrived chapter leaves you anticipating what the next one will hold with eager expectation. A truly "capital" read! 

To Ms. Collins -- I think I speak for all your readers when I express sincere gratitude for this special commemorative novel, along with your encompassing works. I surmise that Miss Austen herself would have been very well pleased. Mr. Darcy's Daughter is the fifth novel in her lovely Pemberleyseries - convincing and historically-researched sequels to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. You can find my full reviews of her previous 4 novels on her official website: The Shades of Pemberley in the "reviews" section, or on my Pride & Prejudice Prudence page.

02/01/2001 

Who Has Seen The Wind

Who Has Seen The Wind
- by W.O. Mitchell
336 pages (1947)

a coming-of-age during the Great Depression

If it be a no-brainer adventure or a plot full of relentless debauchery you're looking for, I suggest you avoid this book entirely. However, if you seek a deeply touching novel of intelligence and substance, indeed I urge you to read Who Has Seen The Wind. 

 It tells the story of a prairie boy's initiation into the mysteries of life, as he discovers death, God, and the spirit that moves through everything: the wind. 

The plot details the little things in life that most of the masses overlook, and accurately relates the expressions and deep feelings of a young person growing up during the Great Depression. At the time I read it in school I could relate very easily to the primary character, Brian O'Connal. 

The novel's greatest strengths lie in its sensitive evocations of Brian's feelings, sometimes associated with his various experiences of death, sometimes with a child's fundamental, inarticulate but insistent curiosity to discover the world within and beyond himself. I was lost in the character's maturation and progression as a person. 

This book is truly one I will never forget. WHSTW has definitely contributed to the way I looked at life in general, as a young person at the time. (I just recently learned that this novel was also made into a successful movie.)