My life has been affected by TBI.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Due to a car accident in July 2010, my best friend suffers from TBI. But the crazy thing with TBI is that it's completely unpredictable, and every person's case is completely unique. People heal at different times, to different levels.
LEFT Neglected deals with a TBI injury that causes Sarah, the main character, to lose recognition of the left side of everything. Her brain doesn't recognize it. It doesn't exist. Not the left of her body, or the left of a room, or the left side of a page that she is reading. At one point she explains it like this - what would you do if someone asked you to look at the middle of your back? You can't do it - it's not a place you can look. You know it exists, but it's not an option.
An easy read, Genova takes us through the emotion and physical difficulties behind a woman struggling to recover from TBI. We see her difficulties as a daughter, wife, and mother.
At times, it is heartbreaking. The first time she tries to read her daughter a book, something they shared before the accident, and she realizes that she can't. She only sees half the page.
And yet the author also brings a humorous rhythm to the book, in a wonderful tone, which draws you in even more, not wanting to put the book down.
Having spent the last four years with my friend as she continues to recover, and accept her new normal, this book was beautifully written. It gives an incredible insight into TBI and the challenges so many people face. The humility needed to accept help, and to accept that you are different than before. It is so well written, that I assumed all along it was a memoir - written by a survivor. I was shocked to find it fiction, written based on reasearch.
This is an excellent read. Not just for people personally affected by TBI, but for anyone who has ever had to overcome change, hardship, etc. Five stars.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
I will be honest in saying I'm not a huge fan of Jodi Picoult. But this story had more depth, with the use of a change of person, multiple parallel stories being told at one time, and an ending not quite as obvious as one would expect.
The Storyteller was a good book, an easy read. I enjoyed the historical references pertaining to a Holocaust survivor. And I loved the fact that the main character was being torn between her loyalties to the survivor and an ex-Nazi.
For me, the fact that the main character is a baker, and that the baker reference was used throughout the stories in the novel made it all the more enduring. I'm a sucker for baking - and for what food can mean to someone. What we see is the metaphor that the baked goods mean - in modern time, and during the holocaust, as well as in the fiction story being retold. We have three separate storylines - current day, the Grandmother's history, and the fiction story, all intertwined, and all with similarity. And the baking, the bread and sweets, is at the heart of all three.
All in all, a nice, enjoyable read.
The Storyteller was a good book, an easy read. I enjoyed the historical references pertaining to a Holocaust survivor. And I loved the fact that the main character was being torn between her loyalties to the survivor and an ex-Nazi.
For me, the fact that the main character is a baker, and that the baker reference was used throughout the stories in the novel made it all the more enduring. I'm a sucker for baking - and for what food can mean to someone. What we see is the metaphor that the baked goods mean - in modern time, and during the holocaust, as well as in the fiction story being retold. We have three separate storylines - current day, the Grandmother's history, and the fiction story, all intertwined, and all with similarity. And the baking, the bread and sweets, is at the heart of all three.
All in all, a nice, enjoyable read.
Monday, February 17, 2014
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
It all started with a letter... and a request.
What would follow is a wonderful story, actually two stories, intertwined and twisted, like the branches of the trees and bushes so meticulously cared for in the gardens throughout the book.
Margaret Lea, daughter of a bookstore owner, is asked to write the biography of a prolific writer. Through her time spent at Vita Winter's home we start to see the pieces of Winter's life come together.
The story is beautifully written, including not only the stories of Winter's life, but the story of the relationship between storyteller and writer that unfolds and grows throughout the process. Lea ventures multiple times to the childhood home of Winter, now in ruins, and through her research there, and in records, is able to put the pieces together.
Multiple conflicts, complex characters, and twisted plot lines keep you hooked on every page. It was definitely a hard book to put down!
What would follow is a wonderful story, actually two stories, intertwined and twisted, like the branches of the trees and bushes so meticulously cared for in the gardens throughout the book.
Margaret Lea, daughter of a bookstore owner, is asked to write the biography of a prolific writer. Through her time spent at Vita Winter's home we start to see the pieces of Winter's life come together.
The story is beautifully written, including not only the stories of Winter's life, but the story of the relationship between storyteller and writer that unfolds and grows throughout the process. Lea ventures multiple times to the childhood home of Winter, now in ruins, and through her research there, and in records, is able to put the pieces together.
Multiple conflicts, complex characters, and twisted plot lines keep you hooked on every page. It was definitely a hard book to put down!
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Home Again, by Kristin Hannah
I am a fan of Kristin Hannah's writing. It all started for me with The Winter Garden. So when I realized that I had time to read a book NOT as a selection from my book club, I was drawn to Home Again, one that been on my shelf for awhile, waiting for a moment like this.
While I found the book to be a bit predictable, it was an easy, entertaining read that kept me hooked, not wanting to put it down until I finished.
There is a complex web of relationships that begins to show itself, and there is where the predictability lies. As soon as characters are introduced, it is obvious where they are going to fit, and what their conflict will be. This is not the book to go to if you are looking for a deep, intellectual read.
So while predictable, sometimes I am simply in the mood for a good book to read. And that's what this was for me. A book that drew me in, and wouldn't let up until I'd finished it. It contained everything I look for in a book like this - romance, conflict, bad boys, and good boys. It was just what the doctor ordered in the middle of this long and cold winter. A perfect book to read in front of the fireplace.
While I found the book to be a bit predictable, it was an easy, entertaining read that kept me hooked, not wanting to put it down until I finished.
There is a complex web of relationships that begins to show itself, and there is where the predictability lies. As soon as characters are introduced, it is obvious where they are going to fit, and what their conflict will be. This is not the book to go to if you are looking for a deep, intellectual read.
So while predictable, sometimes I am simply in the mood for a good book to read. And that's what this was for me. A book that drew me in, and wouldn't let up until I'd finished it. It contained everything I look for in a book like this - romance, conflict, bad boys, and good boys. It was just what the doctor ordered in the middle of this long and cold winter. A perfect book to read in front of the fireplace.
Friday, January 17, 2014
These is my Words, the diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901
These is my Words, the diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901, by Nancy E. Turner, is a fiction book that is written, and reads like non-fiction. As a reader, you feel like you are truly reading a discovered diary from a young girl, from her travels along the wagon trail to the Arizona Territories, through her growth into a wife and mother. The book is based loosely on stories the author heard from her family, as well as a journal from a relative, lending a factor of truth that makes the stories very real.
As a reader, I connected with the main character almost immediately. Her love for books, her ability to be tough (shooting Indians) and ladylike all at the same time, and her love for her family all hit a chord with my life. I love how she provides for, and takes care of everyone.That she does whatever she has to do (making homemade soaps) to make ends meet.
She is not afraid to try anything. I often say that I was born in the wrong century, and through Sarah I lived a bit of that life - in the west. She is a strong main character, who we see through so many tragedies. We see her survive, and prosper, and we see her fall down.
I think the book is a beautiful snipet of life in the early west. A story of perseverance. A story of love. A story of family. So many of the ingredients I need in a novel to keep me going.
As a reader, I connected with the main character almost immediately. Her love for books, her ability to be tough (shooting Indians) and ladylike all at the same time, and her love for her family all hit a chord with my life. I love how she provides for, and takes care of everyone.That she does whatever she has to do (making homemade soaps) to make ends meet.
She is not afraid to try anything. I often say that I was born in the wrong century, and through Sarah I lived a bit of that life - in the west. She is a strong main character, who we see through so many tragedies. We see her survive, and prosper, and we see her fall down.
I think the book is a beautiful snipet of life in the early west. A story of perseverance. A story of love. A story of family. So many of the ingredients I need in a novel to keep me going.
Friday, March 15, 2013
The Twelfth Child, by Bette Lee Crosby
Crosby uses a unique technique in this book. As we hear first person the account of the mail charcter's life, we come to find that the narrator is actually dead, and tells us as much. The auther jumps from past to present, with the present being told after the narrator has died.
There are many story lines that we follow. The family story starts with a patriarch who does not care for his daughters. He has several wives, and with each hopes to have a son heir. With his final wife, he gets just that, as well as a daughter (the narrator).
In our glimpses of the past, we see her fall from his grace, and leave to pursue independence. Through her life as a single woman, we see her struggle to find work and support herself, we see her succeed in finding a niche in life, and we see her broken.
In the future, she is an independent old woman, befriended by a young sweet girl living next door. Their relationship blossoms, and late in life, she has seemingly found a daughter to share life with.
Additionally, we see the appearance of a long lost distant relative who begins to dig for the family fortune, left to the main character after her brother's death.
The story is well written, and fun to read. The ending left me disappointed however. There were too many unanswered questions. Normally, that is ok with me, as I will conjure up my own endings, but in this story, I actually left the book extremely disappointed.
Aside from the ending, another great historical fiction addition to my year!
There are many story lines that we follow. The family story starts with a patriarch who does not care for his daughters. He has several wives, and with each hopes to have a son heir. With his final wife, he gets just that, as well as a daughter (the narrator).
In our glimpses of the past, we see her fall from his grace, and leave to pursue independence. Through her life as a single woman, we see her struggle to find work and support herself, we see her succeed in finding a niche in life, and we see her broken.
In the future, she is an independent old woman, befriended by a young sweet girl living next door. Their relationship blossoms, and late in life, she has seemingly found a daughter to share life with.
Additionally, we see the appearance of a long lost distant relative who begins to dig for the family fortune, left to the main character after her brother's death.
The story is well written, and fun to read. The ending left me disappointed however. There were too many unanswered questions. Normally, that is ok with me, as I will conjure up my own endings, but in this story, I actually left the book extremely disappointed.
Aside from the ending, another great historical fiction addition to my year!
Face the Winter Naked by Bonnie Turner
Daniel Tomelin has left his family. Not able to provide for them during the Great Depression, he left. Simply walked away.
He had the best of intentions. He knew that without him there, his wife's family would take care of her. He thought he would find work, save some money, and return to his family a better man. We cannot imagine the thought process, or the difficulty he had in making that decision to walk out. He gave them no information as to motive, or direction, he simply walked out of their lives.
He left at home a wife and several children, and did not know that his wife was early in a new pregnancy when he left. The home they lived in is owned by a ruthless, and moral-less brother-in-law.
We follow Daniels' travels, as he walks, hops rides on cargo trains, and hitch-hikes across the country in search of work. He finds work here and there, but barely enough to survive on. We find him sleeping in barns, in ditches, wherever he can find some shelter from the elements.
We also follow the problems at home, as his wife tries to survive, feed her children, and make sense of why her husband would simply walk out. The brother-in-law takes advantage of her vulnerable situation, in a horrible turn of events.
While a beautiful story - of survival on both fronts (both Daniel's on the road as a vagrant, and his wife's at home). But I found that the story dragged on too long. About half way through the book, it was just the same story, over and over, as Daniel found his way to a new town, into new vagrant circumstances.
The story has good things offer, through insight to the struggles of the Great Depression, but the author tended to ramble on, and had it been cut a few chapters shorter, would have been a better novel.
He had the best of intentions. He knew that without him there, his wife's family would take care of her. He thought he would find work, save some money, and return to his family a better man. We cannot imagine the thought process, or the difficulty he had in making that decision to walk out. He gave them no information as to motive, or direction, he simply walked out of their lives.
He left at home a wife and several children, and did not know that his wife was early in a new pregnancy when he left. The home they lived in is owned by a ruthless, and moral-less brother-in-law.
We follow Daniels' travels, as he walks, hops rides on cargo trains, and hitch-hikes across the country in search of work. He finds work here and there, but barely enough to survive on. We find him sleeping in barns, in ditches, wherever he can find some shelter from the elements.
We also follow the problems at home, as his wife tries to survive, feed her children, and make sense of why her husband would simply walk out. The brother-in-law takes advantage of her vulnerable situation, in a horrible turn of events.
While a beautiful story - of survival on both fronts (both Daniel's on the road as a vagrant, and his wife's at home). But I found that the story dragged on too long. About half way through the book, it was just the same story, over and over, as Daniel found his way to a new town, into new vagrant circumstances.
The story has good things offer, through insight to the struggles of the Great Depression, but the author tended to ramble on, and had it been cut a few chapters shorter, would have been a better novel.
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