Crux

It is very rare for me to say that a book is nothing like I've ever read before.  There is a book that was released this past week that has me shaking my head with disbelief.  It is an incredibly unique memoir entitled Crux.

Crux is a child's cry for understanding of her emotionally distant and eccentric father and the parallels of his life compared to her own.  Jean Guerrero wants to understand where she came from so that she can not only understand her father, Marco Antonio, but also understand herself.

Digging deep into her ancestral past, Jean finds truths and a family history that she could never possibly have imagined.  It does make one wonder if these circumstances of the past made her father the way that he was which has in turn made her who she is.

From the first page I was transfixed, the cry for understanding apparent from the beginning, instantly pulling the reader in and gripping them in such a way that you have to fight to tear your eyes away from the page.  Reading about her and her sister's childhood and the things that she had to endure was heartbreaking.  Jean's mother longed for a better life, and in turn practically abandoned her children so that she could go to school and one day become a doctor.  This meant leaving her girls with their father full time.  There was a time where Marco was an attentive and loving father but slowly things began to change.  Marco began having delusions and and her once doting father slowly started to disappear, at first emotionally, but then physically, being gone for years at a time only to return even more haunted and broken than he was before, swearing that the government and CIA were after him.  Jean and her family didn't know what to believe.

There are several stories of crossing the border into Mexico and the troubled visits that have scarred Jean for life.  As you read each ordeal it sends shutters up your spine, making you want to turn your eyes away from the page but also craving to know every detail so that you too can know the truth.

I will admit that the story is on the erratic side and can be a little all over the place but to me this adds to the truth of the narrative as a whole.  The end of the book did take a bizarre turn and I wasn't too crazy about the tone that it ended with but that's just me.

Having a husband of Hispanic descent, my mind can't help but gravitate to his ancestors and what they must've went through to have a better life.  I wonder if they struggled with the same things that Jean's family has had to struggle with.  It makes me want to do some research of my own.  I wonder if I did what I would find.  

Crux is a difficult story to hear but this book in and of itself was a wonderful read.  Jean Guerrero is an incredible writer and I hope that her writing does not stop here.  I also hope that she has finally found what she's so desperately wanted to find.

If you would like to see more from the author herself please check out this interview on KPBS News and definitely pick up this incredible book.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.  All opinions contained in this review are my own.

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An Amish Heirloom

An heirloom is defined as "a valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations," and in An Amish Heirloom we read about four different heirlooms in four, beautifully written stories that weave the past with the present by way of one treasure.

A Legacy of Love by Amy Clipson

After the death of a fellow volunteer firefighter Leon King is reassessing the choices that he's made in his life.  Seeing his ex-girlfriend Susie Bontrager on the arm of her fiancé doesn't help matters either.  Susie was the one that got away and Leon is quickly figuring that out.  

Susie is preparing the house that she will soon share with her fiancé Joshua Chupp and the first thing she wants to put in her new home is a pair of rocking chairs that were left to her by her grandparents but they are badly in need of repair and Susie asks Leon, who is a skilled woodworker, to repair them for her.  These heirlooms bring Susie back into Leon's life and rekindles their friendship as well as reignites feelings that have been tucked away in both of their hearts.  

I really enjoyed this story and how the author connects these two characters and weaves the past with both the present and the future.  You can feel the confusion and dynamics that both the lead characters struggle through and as the reader you feel the constant will they won't that played out throughout the entire story.  Wonderfully written and such a sweet story of legacy and love.

The Cedar Chest by Beth Wiseman

Catherine Fisher has an unwavering faith but she has recently started worrying about her daughter Emma.  Catherine and Emma had always been close but since Emma got married and moved away Emma has been distant and untalkative and Catherine cannot figure out what might be wrong.  A donation that Catherine wants to give to a local auction brings the two women into Catherine's basement where there lies an old cedar chest.  Emma is instantly intrigued but the chest has been locked for decades with the key broken inside and even Catherine doesn't know the contents of the chest.  Together the two women unlock the cedar chest and the contents not only bring out secrets from the past but it also brings out the secrets that Emma herself has been hiding.

I've never read anything by BethWiseman but this story was gripping from beginning to end.  The reader is in constant wonder about where all of the secrets will leave the two women, as well as the fates of those whose secrets have been tucked away for so long.  It was hard to put this story down, with the reader constantly wondering how the stories will eventually play out.  A charming and wondrous premise that is marvelously written and a joy to read.

The Treasured Book by Kathleen Fuller

Lucy hasn't seen Shane Broyles in years but after a chance meeting it all comes flooding back to her as does the feelings that had one gripped her.  What Lucy doesn't know is that Shane has been feeling a tug in his heart to join the Amish ever since meeting Lucy and her family.  He has been staying with his Amish friends in Birch Creek, Ohio and Lucy is in Birch Creek to help care for an old family friend.  When they had met in Iowa years before they had both had feelings for each other but there were several major complications that kept them apart.  They had went to a flea market together and had found an old Bible and now, years later, they have found each other again in the most unlikely of places, and both want to explore not only the mystery of the Bible, but their feelings as well.

This was a sweet story but out of all of the novellas in An Amish Heirloom this one was my least favorite.  In saying that there is nothing wrong with this story.  The characters were lovable and I really liked the premise but there was something about the story that fell short with me.  This is the first book that I've read by Kathleen Fuller but I will not let it be my last as she does have a decent writing style.

The Midwife's Dream by Kelly Irvin

Iris Beachy is the bridesmaid that is never a bride.  She is a midwife who dreams of having a family of her own one day and with each delivery that she assists with her yearning grows stronger and stronger.  One night, after helping with a very hard and long delivery, she is sought out by her friend Mahon to help deliver a baby of two young teenagers, neither of whom are ready for parenthood.  When the baby finally arrives in the wee hours of the morning, Iris leaves the young family in her room and wakes the next morning to find the baby all alone with a note telling her that they will be back for the baby soon.

Iris tries as hard as she can to not fall in love with the sweet little girl, especially when the quilt that has been left for the baby looks just like the quilt that Iris will inherit once she has her first baby.  Together Mahon and Iris care for the baby as well as reveal their feelings for each other.

I remember having those same yearnings years ago and can sympathize with Iris and her wanting a family of her own.  You feel the tug she feels for this child as well as the craving for what others have that you do not possess.  The character development for Iris was pretty in-depth but I wish there would've been a little more for Mahon, though I know with it being a novella that the author only has so much time to give to her characters.

All in all I thought it was a wonderfully sweet and beautiful story, as was all the novellas in An Amish Heirloom.  They are clean, wholesome stories that really make you feel more than just Lovey-dovey.  You do read stories of love but you also feel the friendship and community that comes with many Amish fictions.  I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to read stories that will uplift you and show you that you never know where an heirloom might lead you.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Where I Belong

After reading my last book I was wanting something more on the sunny side.  Where I Belong by Heather B. Moore is the second book in the Pine Valley series and was exactly what I needed: a quick read with a happy ending.

After reading the first Pine Valley book, Worth the Risk, and not being too thrilled with it, I wasn't sure what to expect with Where I Belong.  I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised.

Written like a modern-day Cinderalla Where I Belong is the story of Jane Morris, a sweet and humble woman, and Cameron Vance, a handsome and wealthy man, who is very engaged, and way out of Jane's league.  Cameron's fiancé is Crystal, a girl that he's met only a few months before, and who you can tell right away cares more about Cameron's money than Cameron himself.  It doesn't take long for Cameron to realize this fact himself and he quickly ends the engagement which unleashes Crystal's wrath.  Jane runs her own housekeeping business and was hired to clean Cameron's condo.  After their breakup, Jane literally picks up the pieces and is there to comfort Cameron.

Needing a date for an upcoming gala, Cameron's mother suggests he take Jane.  It's a match that is made strictly out of convenience but Mrs. Vance makes sure Jane gets the star treatment.  She picks out a gown that fits her perfectly and has her assistant help get her hair and makeup all ready.  Jane feels like she is in a dream, being transformed into a beautiful princess.  What girl wouldn't love that?  The night is absolutely enchanting, both Cameron and Jane immersing themselves into the night, and enjoying each other's company.  Even though rumors swirl about Cameron's incredibly recent breakup with Crystal, everyone cannot help but notice the electricity between Cameron and Jane.

As Cameron and Jane fall for each other the reader falls in love with the characters which makes the story that much sweeter.  The innocent love that blossoms between them was quite enjoyable but what I really appreciated was how the author focused on their friendship before their love.  The attraction is felt immediately but they crave to know each other before they let their feelings truly show.  That paired with the antics of the crazy ex-fiance makes this story more grounded compared to a true fairy tale, though it does have that fairy tale feel.

Where I Belong definitely redeemed the Pine Valley series for me and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Mirror Press in exchange for honest, unbiased review.  All opinions are my own.

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Before and Again

It's every woman's nightmare to lose a child.  One second, one glimpse, and your child is gone forever.  The aftermath is like an out of body experience, the weight of their death on your shoulders.  Not to mention the media attention and the trial while you are grieving, attempting to keep it all together.  It's unfathomable.  You looked away for a split second and didn't see the stop sign.  It wasn't like you were texting!  You were looking at your GPS, trying to find a house on a heavily wooded street, headed to a playdate, and suddenly the nightmare that you never dared to dream has become a reality.  In an instant you've lost everything in your life that matters.

It's been five years since that fateful day, the day that she lost her five-year-old daughter Lily, and Mackenzie Cooper has pieced together a life that looks nothing like the life she had before.  The only reminders are her mugshot, which she keeps taped to the medicine cabinet in her bathroom, and the faded red scar on her forehead that she constantly keeps covered on her forehead.  She is a makeup artist at The Devon Inn and Spa in Devon, Vermont, which isn't far off from her previous career as a well-known sculptor.  Devon is the perfect place for Mackenzie, who now goes by Maggie Reid, to start a new life with no questions asked.  It is a quiet life she leads, just her and her animals, no husband, and no children; a place where she can keep it together and control her environment.  Or so she thought.

Grace Emory works as a masseuse at the spa with Maggie.  Grace's son Chris is arrested for hacking Twitter accounts of some of the biggest names in New York and the FBI has been trying to crack the case for awhile.  Internet crime is a federal offense and these "big names" are looking for justice.  In an instant, Mackenzie is once again thrust into the spotlight, standing by her friend, as the media storm opens secret pasts and relationships that no one expects.

All in all, I enjoyed Before and Again.  The first chapter has you immediately hooked as you first wonder what happened to Lily and, once you find out the truth, wondering how a mother and father deals with such an incredible tragedy.  The book is very well written, with little twists and turns, and secrets here and there, which keep the reader interested.  The ending was a little predictable but I really love how the writer left us with hope for these characters.  The character development is wonderful and by the end you feel like you are reading about one of your friends, longing to see that happy ending.

I had few complaints with this novel.  One was the cursing, which was unnecessary in many of the places in my opinion, and really took a lot away from the story itself for me personally.  I also thought there were spots that were too drawn out but when you look at it in the scheme of a grieving mother it makes a lot of sense, and in that respect more forgivable.

Other than that Before and Again is a tale that once you finish will have you hugging your children tighter, feeling thankful for your family, and never taking even the slightest moment for granted.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.  All opinions are my own.  

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