The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova

I grabbed this book off the New Book Shelf at my local bookstore before I even knew what it was about.  You see, I LOVED The Historian.  Loved it!  I read The Swan Thieves too, and it was ok, but I mean I loved The Historian!!!!

Then I read the flap.  Huh.  An American in Bulgaria...something about a bag of human ashes she accidentally ends up with...and her chase across the country to find the family that left it behind...honestly I was not enthralled.  But you know, Sally the Owner is looking at me and there I was at the counter so, I took the plunge.

First of all, that flap writer should be fired.

This is a fascinating, if slow, story.  Alexandra (she now goes by her middle name for some unexplained reason) is determined to find the young man and elderly couple who left their bag at her feet as she helped them get into a taxi in Sofia, Bulgaria.  She tries to do the right thing and track them down, and luckily for her she teams up with the first person she meets - a taxi driver with a past. She trusts him (don't do this, daughters of mine - Alexandra was LUCKY and plus, this is FICTION!) but remains cautious, and they are off on their odyssey which somehow only takes a few days but spans the entire novel - oh yeah, because of the flashbacks to the life of the man whose ashes they protect.  These flashbacks may be the best parts of this novel.  Yes, it is a story we've heard before - unwarranted arrests, labor camps, corrupt officials - but by focusing on one man and his story/family, you learn how it also affected Bulgaria's people too.

There are a couple of unanswered secondary questions here, but you do get a good feel for the characters and how they build relationships despite cultural, language and lifestyle differences.  I found Bobby the taxi driver to be most interesting.  There is one nice twist at the end that I did not see coming, and Kostova's writing is as good as ever - subtle, lyrical at times, and in this case not stressful but more dreamlike.  It was not necessarily a book I "could not put down" due to this slower pace.  But it was a great story and full of love of all kinds - a hint of the romantic, but mostly focused on the love of family, be it by blood or by choice.

The Book of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall

Hilarious.

I mean, laugh OUT LOUD funny.  At least for the first half of this book I was really glad I was mostly sitting at my kitchen table, and not on a plane or anywhere else in public because I was giggling away.

Truth be told, I picked up this book mainly because of the title.  See, my darling grandmother was named Polly.  And she was adorable, incorrigible, a bit mischievous, and I loved her fiercely.  And of course, being the first grandchild, I was totally her favorite (sorry David, Will and Karen, but you know it is true).  Come to find out, the author based Polly on her own grandmother too!

The Polly in this story did not disappoint.  She is something else.  She is in her late 60's, has two grown children, she is a widow, and she is also the harried mother (prior to the death of her husband, that is) of a very curious 10 year old girl named Willow.  Oooops.

Willow is a good girl, but she is obsesssed with finding out who Polly was before she was a mother. Willow is raised pretty much as an only child in a non-traditional mother daughter relationship (the cover shows Polly with a falcon on her shoulder - just wait til you find out why!!  HAHAHA!!  #busted) in which Polly's term of endearment for Willow is "dummy."  And it is adorable.  Really.  Their conversations are hysterical, biting and witty.

So there I was thinking, yea, after all these heavy murder mysteries I have been reading I finally picked a light fun read that is making me laugh - this is GREAT!  But then, the plot thickens, and suddenly I found myself in a very poignant story about lives unlived, secrets kept, and the fear of loss.  Willow actually forces her stubborn mother to revisit her past and face the day and the man who changed the trajectory of her life forever, before it is too late.    Don't worry, it is NOT sad, I never cried or anything, so you are safe.  But what happens is I think more of a full circle event.  Life isn't always laughter and funny situations; life isn't always what you plan either.   I did find the ending to be a bit sudden - I actually wanted an epilogue here.  But this is a delightful read with lots to discuss, but it is not a heavy read at all.  Just enjoy the shenanigans of Willow (what an imagination!) and enjoy the ride - this is a beautiful read.

Touch and Go by Lisa Gardner

Another thriller from Lisa Gardner.  A mega rich Boston family is kidnapped but there are no demands for ransom.  Some crack investigations from Tessa Leoni, a former policewoman now doing private detective work, leads to the unraveling of a multi-layered mystery.  Why were all the family's valuables left in a big pile on the kitchen counter?  Was the marriage as strong as it appeared?  Did the teenage daughter have anything to do with this??  Gardner again switches perspectives between the kidnapped wife, Tessa, and a new character - Wyatt, a sheriff in the nearby wilds of New Hampshire - which oh so slowly helps to put the myriad pieces together.  We also get a glimpse into Tessa's past and why she is no longer working on the force she so obviously loves - she has a greater love for her fatherless child.  And we are treated to a cameo by Detective Sergeant D.D. Warren.  I saw a bit of the end plot coming but there was one surprise in which minor character was actually involved.  I preferred Find Her to this one, but this one is certainly worth a read.  Gardner's book are perfect beach/pool reading!!!  Happy Summer!!

Welcome to my blog

I like to read.

A lot.

And I like lists.  Also a lot.

And I like for others to find good books to read, so they can read too.  This blog will be my List of Books.  LoB.  I will lob them out to you for you to catch and lob back!! (ugh, my mother played a lot of tennis, sorry.) I won't be giving a lot of synopses here in this blog, you can find that at Goodreads or Amazon or on the book flap - which is really my dream job, I mean who gets to write those fabulous things???  I need a dictionary half the time just for the flap!  But I digress.

What you'll find here are my reactions to books and the stories they tell.  I will also include trigger warnings when I think it might be an issue, and specific warnings/info to parents on the YA books I review.  It's important.  I like lyrical writing, great character development, attention to detail, and if you can surprise me with the plot then all the better! I read lots of different books, but not much non-fiction. No self help for me, I just dive into a book whenever I need to reset!   I learn enough through my favorite genre: historical fiction.  Then there's young adult fiction, mysteries, and a bit of supernatural.

You'll start to see the trend pretty quickly!! I might read a bit of science fiction here and there, but mainly stick to the best seller list and whatever my local bookseller, Sally, tells me to read.  And if you don't know your local bookseller by first name, then go take care of that right now!

Otherwise, I am a mom of teenage readers, the daughter and granddaughter of avid readers and teachers, the wife of a wise Brit, and the caretaker of a little white fluffball (ie, dang dog whose nickname is It's a Good Thing You're So Cute).  My neighborhood bookclub has been going strong for 12 years, and I was in a book club for a few years in my previous town before that.  Wait, I am starting to age myself.  Oh well.  My book selections probably do that too!!

I can talk books all day long.  So in order to save my family and friends from that fate, I will pour out my reviews and recommendations here for you to peruse at your leisure.  In between reading books, of course.

Happy Reading!
Rawles

#onereasonwhyNOT

Only one week in and I am already making myself into a liar.

This is NOT a book review.  But it is about a book.  And a TV show.

And the number 13.

You know where I am going now don't you?  And if you don't, google it quickly and then pay attention. This is important.  This is also my opinion, not an argument.  And it is long.  Sorry not sorry, but I got a little hot under the collar this morning.

I did not read 13 Reasons Why.  I did not watch the TV show.  I almost did; after all I am the mother of TWO teenage daughters.  My 14 year old asked to watch it and I said Sure, as long as we watch it together. And I would have watched it with her.  But she changed her mind.  Never as much fun to watch with mom.  But there was no way I was going to leave her alone to watch this.  My older daughter refused to watch the last installment of Harry Potter for goodness sake, because of the violence, so I knew she wouldn't watch this anyway.  And I am proud of her for knowing her limits.

So let me jump on the first big parenting question:  How can I make a decision about something that I haven't read or seen?  BECAUSE I AM THE MOM, THAT'S WHY.  I have complete power to make a decision like this for my child.  You do what you want, but I personally do not want my impressionable young daughters watching someone commit suicide and then go on to explain in super dramatic teenagers-are-gonna-love-it video fashion WHY it came to this.  Artistically, it sounds beautiful.  Plus look how FAMOUS she got!!!!

This is not to say that this is not a topic worth discussing, that is not at all what I am saying.  And I think the best thing to come out of all this is that we are even having this discussion, and how many parents have been able, through this book, to bring up the topic of suicide and how it is NOT the answer, that you WILL survive whatever horror you are going through as a teenager.  Bullying in all its forms, and isolation and feeling unloved or unworthy or stupid or embarrassed, etc etc. - these are not topics to be brushed aside.  Please reference my friend Jennifer Weintraub's blog about this at www.thetruthhurvitz.com (but excuse her language, she is from Detroit....).  I completely agree with her take on this:  She watched, then turned right around and gave her two teenage boys #onereasonwhyNOT: Because it would kill their mother.

But even sister publications People and Entertainment Weekly have different spins on the series.

Not surprisingly, the more liberal leaning EW put the actors on the cover of their May19 issue and include a seven page spread about the show and why it will break your heart (great acting! perfect and unglamorized (I just made that up) depiction of high school! female director for the rape scene!).  No explanation is given for the filmmakers' decision to change a key issue from the book (I hate it when filmmakers see the need to CHANGE an author's story!  Ugh.): the suicide itself is referenced as an overdose in the book but is not seen.  In the show, she slits her wrists - hello sensationalism.  More like - hello triggers for any rape victim.

Conversely, People Magazine only had a two page spread (May 15 issue) and focused more on the controversy and the negative reactions of people worried how teenagers will now think suicide is THE way out, that it is a viable answer.  I was somewhat placated by learning that in response to this type of reaction, Netflix added a trigger alert/warning before each episode, and a doctor from the American Foundation for Suicide prevention is warning not to binge-watch it, it is too dark.

If I am really honest, I guess I have more of an issue with the show than the book - I remember when the book came out and I sorta shrugged.  I didn't read it, didn't hear about it from my kids (they were too young then).  It was easy to just move on.  I might even let/encourage my kids read the book (after I do of course) if they want to. But now this story is a visual thing and has gone viral so to speak, and the book is at the top of the bestseller list.  I can't shrug anymore.

Obviously, I am a reader.  But I am picky about what I read.  Because I don't want to put certain things into my brain that I cannot erase.  I don't read about murdered children or terrifying horror novels or anything to do with chainsaws.  Because then it becomes real for me.  I miss characters when I finish a book and I discuss them ad nauseum with my book club AS IF THEY ARE REAL PEOPLE.  Don't you???  Can you imagine how real fiction can be to a teenager, especially a sensitive, impressionable, hurting teenager desperate for answers or a way out??  Oh how cool!  Let's go make some videos and then kill ourselves!!!!!  Awesome!!!!

Which leads me to the comment that really riled me up this morning, from an online article at Syracuse.com:

James LaRue, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association, said, "Sometimes the world is a dangerous place, but reading about it isn't." 

Do WHAT?  I beg to differ.  Reading about something certainly CAN be dangerous if the reader believes what they are reading is real, is exciting, and is what they should emulate.

Now, he is talking in reference to whether or not this book, or any book, should be banned by school libraries.  So perhaps I have taken this out of context.  But I don't think it should be so lightly assumed that everyone who reads fiction can totally bounce back from a traumatic read and not be affected by it, or even influenced by it.  Especially when it is causing such a media storm right now (don't get me started on the negative influence on social media on our kids - just take your kid's phone away for a week and watch them slowly turn back into the intelligent conversational happy people you always knew they could be).  Depressed, desperate kids are very liable to think, oh, ok, this is an option.  WRONG.  The messages we should be sending them are: This too shall pass.  Hang in there.  Talk to me or somebody responsible (not your bff, an adult with perspective).  You are NOT ALONE.  You are NOT alone.  YOU are not alone.

And, as is going around Facebook right now with the Suicide prevention hotline:

It's ok to NOT be ok.

If you and your family have read this book/watched this show and you think it has changed your life for the better because you finally had an opening to talk about suicide with your kids or your kids' friends, then I applaud you and that is fantastic news.  I am so happy for that.  Truly.  Like I said at the beginning, this is my opinion only.  And I have not been personally touched by suicide, thank the Good Lord, but I do know people who have.  It is unbelievably devastating.

But what I do know is the power of books.  Don't underestimate how long they stay with you.  Or how they can change your life.   Hopefully, this book and show will do what the producers say it is meant to do - bring positive change and realistic views on the aftermath of the horrors of suicide and the need to halt behaviors that can lead to such a desperate act. 

Find Her by Lisa Gardner

Find Her
By Lisa Gardner

Fabulous.  A tight, taut thriller.  I could not put this one down.  The author deftly leads you in several directions about what is happening and what did happen - her use of flashback here is brilliant.

Told from three perspectives - a modern day police sergeant in charge of a case; the 27 year old woman at the center of a new and violent crime being called self-defense; and that same young woman five to six years prior when she herself was a kidnapping victim.  Then, she goes missing again and all bets are off.  What is happening?  Has she done this to herself?  What really went on during the 472 days of her former captivity??  How is her case related to another missing girl in Boston?   And what exactly is an FBI Victim Advocate anyway?

This novel is serious, intense but not too violent, a thriller in the old fashioned sense but with added psychological drama and repercussions galore.  This is the 8th of the D.D. Warren series but I did not really find it a problem that I had not read any of the others.  There is a reference to an injury D.D. is still recovering from in this novel that happens a novel or two back, but it does not impede the storyline here.  Although, I do find myself wondering what D.D. stands for.......

***The author includes a lot of the trauma and emotion that a hostage/kidnap victim undergoes, especially a long term hostage.  There is a bit of a claustrophobia aspect here as well as the almost casual mention of continued sexual assault during the captivity, so beware.  But it is not the main point of the story so the author does not dwell here.  Also, as a sidenote, I really like the cover of this one - shattered, torn apart, demanding in its command for a title.  I would definitely read more by Gardner, I think her books would be perfect for a lazy afternoon or long plane ride - hello summer!!!!

When by Victoria Laurie

When
by Victoria Laurie

My teenage daughter recommended I read this one.  I like to read what my kids are reading sometimes - to check it out, see what they like, and just make sure it isn't 50 Shades of anything inappropriate (of course, if it was I am sure they would NOT be recommending it to me, haha!).

I am so glad she lent me this story.  As young adult non-series fiction goes, this was really good. Tightly written, suspenseful, and a couple of twists I did not see coming.  I love it when a book is not totally predictable!!

Maddie is 16 with a single mom and a special ability - she sees people's death dates.  That's right, just above everyone's forehead are up to 8 digits that represent the day that person will die.  She never knows how or why, but she is never wrong.  Down on their luck, she and her mom offer her services for a fee to supplement their growing debts.  But this causes trouble when she predicts the death of a client's child for the following week, only to have that child go missing the day before.  She tries to figure out how to save the boy, but suddenly, Maddie is a suspect.  How did she know?  Is this a hoax?  Could she and her best friend Stubs be responsible??

The situation continues to spiral, and circumstantial evidence becomes damning.  Luckily her Uncle Donny is a good lawyer, but even he is unsure how to save them.  Maddie is guilt ridden - could she have done more?  And can someone's date be changed if she tries hard enough?   Her angst is truly felt - she is a scared teenager in an impossible situation, and I did not mind that she cried a lot - I would too!!  Her friendship with Stubs is the typical bonding of awkward outsiders, as she has no other girlfriends to speak of and is ostracized at school because people think she's a witch. But I love how Stubs stands by her and "gets" her ability.  So there are elements of bullying by students as well as school administrators that ring very true - once associated with the missing boy, everyone assumes Maddie is guilty and treats her as such.  She feels ruined.  And alone.

This is the author's first young adult book (she has written more than 30 books, many with a paranormal bent - she is a professional psychic herself, cool!!!), but I sure hope it is not her last.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander
By Diana Gabaldon


I need six stars. 


Ask anyone who knows me and they will be able to tell you that THIS is my Favorite All Time Book and series.   I am a teeny bit obsessed.  If you are at all interested in historical fiction in England, Scotland and France in the 1700’s, and like a fully fleshed character base with lots of meticulous research into the times, the language, the accents, the styles, and some wicked smart humor, give this a try. I will warn you, it is addictive, and there is, um, more than one book (tome, some say). And they are long, but well worth the investment.

Some think this first book is a little slow to start, but bear with it and know rewards lie ahead.  Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser are the main characters in a love story for the ages (that can get a little bit steamy, a-hem), but this is not a book I would categorize as romance, or time travel, or science fiction, although there are elements of each within.  (Ok, team Frank - Frank Randall is the third main character, sheesh.)   This book is "genre-bending" in the words of several critics. Gabaldon is a fantastic writer. She's smart, she adds fascinating detail, and she has woven in to all of her stories real historical figures.  The dialogue is hilarious, poignant, emotional, frighteningly real.  The wartimes, the family dramas, the place of women, and the idea of witches all play a big part in Claire's survival as a 20th century nurse thrown back to 1743 Scotland.  She keeps her wits about her in admirable fashion and manages to survive, and yes, fall in love with the man who literally saves her life.  Over and over again.  But Claire is no damsel in distress, far from it.   She saves lives with her medical knowledge and shows a rare strength in impossible situations.   I rarely read books more than once - this, and Harry Potter of course, is the exception.  Every time a new book comes out I go back and read the previous one or two again, and each time I find a new tidbit.  I have lost count of how many times I have read or listened to the books in this series.  Yes, the Audible versions of these books are fabulous as well - the narrator Davina Porter really gets the various accents down perfectly. I love it, and it is currently in production for its third season on STARZ.   Can't wait. Go read it, ye wee lads and lassies, quickly, ken?

Tulach Ard!!!!!!!!!!!

A Gentleman in Moscow

A Gentleman in Moscow 
by Amor Towles 

SIX STARS. Marvelous. Top three books of my year. Count Alexander Rostov has lived an incredible life - luxury, glamour, wealth - in early 20th century Russia. Then, one fateful night, circumstances conspire and his life is forever changed. As a "gentleman" with a well known and respected past, his actions, and specifically reactions, find him placed under house arrest at a large Moscow hotel - for the rest of his life. 

Never one to sulk, the Count makes lemonade out of lemons in ways large and small. It is his attitude towards life and what you do with it that makes this a very special story. Never bitter, never vengeful, always proper, the Count shows us how life should be lived, regardless of our circumstances. What happens to him and because of him during his decades in the hotel will surprise you, uplift you and yes, make you laugh. I love how the author gives little side winks to the reader. Rostov himself has a brilliant sense of humor in both definitions of brilliant. I really wanted to read this book out loud, it has that much personality. So original, sneaking in Russian and international history, espionage, government corruption, family loyalty, paternal strife and fulfillment, and workplace frustrations all in one little novel. 

Even better than Rules of Civility, and that was a great book. Read this. I might even (gasp) read this one twice!!!!

Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett

Rabbit Cake 
by Annie Hartnett 

Sa- WEET! A book about cake!!! Wait, but the book says it is about a young girl who loses her mother. Gasp! That is way too sad. Can't do it.

Enter Elvis. Elvis Babbit, that is.

Elvis is my new favorite 10 year old. She is smart, efficient and curiously unemotional. Even when her mom disappears and is found dead months later. (ok, so that part was true.)

This book is not really about grief though. It is not even about loss. It is definitely not sad. It is triumphant. This story is more about Elvis and her sister Lizzie and how they go about trying to figure out life. They each have their "issues" and their remembrances of their wild and crazy and crazy smart mom, who gave up a promising career as a scientist to devote herself to her family. And to make rabbit cakes for every special occasion. Elvis wants to know why and how her mother died, of course - so she tries to research what happened. But then Lizzie starts acting out and her Dad is clueless and Elvis gets in trouble at school through no fault of her own and has to meet with a counselor (eye roll here) and ends up working at the zoo and can teach the zookeepers a thing or two about the sleeping habits of animals.......in other words, she finds her way. Set in deep south Alabama and organized over the 18 months following her mother's death, we watch Elvis grow up a little, but not too much, and we admire her tenacity in the face of difficulty. And we know at the end, that even though we might not have all the answers, Elvis is gonna be ok. Thank you very much.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

The Little Stranger

by Sarah Waters

WOW.

Thank you Bookseller at The Country Bookshop in Pinehurst, NC for this recommendation. I must hurry and write this review so I may go grab EVERY SINGLE OTHER THING WATERS HAS WRITTEN.

I admit, I am a sucker for historical fiction. It is my favorite. I am also a sucker for a big Victorian mansion, strong women, and strange goings-ons in said mansions. Check, check and....check!

While our narrator I found to be exasperatingly weak and condescending to our two main women, I had to forgive him as this was most likely just a sign of the times. Post War England, to be exact. The aristocracy are failing Downton-like, and our narrator, a small town doctor with not much to look forward to, befriends the local manse owners - a widow and her two grown children who still live with her in the dilapidated and crumbling Hundreds Hall. The daughter, described as "solid," is not your typical debutante - plain and sturdy, she is a no-nonsense kind of girl. Her brother, injured in the war, is surly and withdrawn. But our Dr. Faraday (what IS his first name, anyway???) is fascinated by the house and eventually by "spinster" Caroline (she's like 32, sheesh). 

This story has a very slow build to it and sucks you in. I was distracted by Faraday's constant diagnosis of the women being "tired" all the time though. That got old. But as one after another of the family falls ill or worse, Faraday becomes frantic to rescue Caroline somehow and save the house from demolition to the town's new growth. Is something in the house? Is there a curse? Are the family members crazy? And what is it that Faraday is really after - love of this woman or love for this house? We may never know, as the end is shocking and maybe inevitable, but the book itself is well written - I read it over Spring break in about two days, couldn't put it down. 

Gothic, creepy but not scary (no nightmares here), you pull for Caroline and Faraday and yet somehow.....the House always wins......this one leaves a lot to discuss, so let me know if you read it and let's discuss! Especially the part about a "split soul" and the last page's reference to a mirror....hmmmmmm...

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Lincoln in the Bardo 
by George Saunders 

Weird.

This book is NOT for everyone. Just putting that out there right away. I will not be recommending this to my book club or my mother. Or her book club.

So, why four stars, you ask? Ahh, well spotted. I gave this book four stars because it is wildly inventive, like nothing I have ever read before, and frankly, it was fascinating! Crude to discomfort in some places, and the format was at first very hard to follow - sort of like a script, no quote marks anywhere, just character names. I admit, I cheated a bit and read The New Yorker's review of this after I struggled with the first 20 pages or so - that article was a tremendous help in figuring out what was going on for me (it is not a sunbeam, for example, it is a ceiling beam - very different result!). So I started again, and I GOT it.

Here's the deal - the story is set in a graveyard and there are three main characters, and they are all dead. But they don't know they are dead, they all just think they are "sick." (That might be a spoiler, but I think you need to know that going in. And it is mentioned on the inside flap of the book, so.....) One is a middle aged man married to a younger woman who was just about to, well, be happy, when he got "sick." Another is a man of the cloth who actually does know what is what but is terrified of what is next. The third man had an oppressed life and a self inflicted "sickness" that he immediately regretted, and spends much time lamenting those wondrous and mundane things he misses about "before." Suddenly, they are all greeted by a newcomer they all feel compelled to help- a very young newcomer, named Willie. Willie Lincoln. As in son of Abe. Yep. Here we go.

The rest of the story includes many other "sick" people and their various manifestations in this Limbo (bardo) and their stories and quirks. (This is where the crudeness comes in, and you really have to have an open mind into the author's idea of spirits here. But hang in there, it's worth it.) It also includes extremely detailed research on the times - 1862, the first year of the Civil War and the year Lincoln really did lose his 11 year old son to typhoid fever. There are several chapters that are devoted to quotes from various sources about the public's (very negative) perception of their President, this war, and the toll in life it was already costing - not to mention the huge soiree Lincoln hosts in the White House while his son lies upstairs dying. Lincoln, suffering from his own deep grief, visits Willie's grave and comes to understand a bit more about what needs to be done for the country to end these losses. But the story is less about Lincoln and more about our three spirits and their situation, their attitudes toward their situation, and their relationships with each other.

Themes of awareness, acceptance, grief, responsibility and what the afterlife looks like are all part of this crazy story. I have never read anything by Saunders before, but understand this first full length novel was highly anticipated. I will be interested to see the full reviews - I suspect they will be as varied as the spirits in his graveyard yarn.

Also, I can't resist this timely quote regarding Lincoln that is found in chapter 70:
So we have a dilemma put to us, What to do, when his power must continue two years longer and when the existence of our country may be endangered before he can be replaced by a man of sense. How hard, in order the save the country, to sustain a man who is incompetent. - In "Lincoln Reconsidered," by David Herbert Donald.

Incompetent? Hmmmm. How time changes perspective. I love history. ;-)

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

So I know it is only January, but I might have to go ahead and say this is the most important book I will read all year.

First, let me set my stage for you: I live in Charlotte NC. This city was in the news a lot last fall after riots and marches occurred in response to the shooting death of Keith Scott, an African American man, by a CMPD officer who also happened to be African American. It was the latest in a flurry of police shootings across the nation and the city exploded in anger, fear and violence. One other man was shot killed during the riots by another protester (although his death got much less attention).

Charlotte was shocked. This sort of thing doesn't happen so close to home. Obviously we need to work on healing, listening, understanding on all sides. My church is still discussing how to have some very difficult conversations about race relations on a personal and community level, and there is a group of clergy representing 70 congregations around town that are working towards just that. There was a beautiful yet small event of music, song and speeches during MLK weekend that brought together all colors and ages to discuss freedom, hope and determination. It was a start.

Then, this book pops into my feed because my friend Sarah read it and loved it. Sarah is a faithful and tireless community volunteer and empathy trainer and has one of the biggest hearts I have ever known. She is an avid reader and we often discuss the books we read. She reads more for education than I do I think, so some of her choices are too tough for me - she is BRAVE, let me tell you. But this one intrigued me due to the recent events so was in the forefront of my mind. Sarah, thank you.

This book is important. This book is honest. This book says things that everyone else is afraid to bring up or admit. This book pulls back the film on what racism is today, and why. This book is aimed, as the author admits in her epilogue, at people like her - white, middle class people who say "Oh, I am not a racist, I don't see color." Then, she calls bullshit.

Ruth has been a neonatal nurse for 20 years. She is assigned follow up on a newborn, but the white parents insist that they do not want an African American near their baby. Ruth complies quietly but feels the discrimination deeply. Then, an emergency with another patient leaves Ruth alone in a room with the new baby, who suddenly goes into distress. What should she do? Follow her Florence Nightingale oath to care for all or follow her supervisor's instructions not to touch the baby? When the baby dies, the parents blame Ruth and an explosive trial ensues. In true Picoult form, she tells this story from three points of view - Ruth's; Turk's, the father of the dead baby; and Kennedy's, the lawyer assigned to Ruth's case. Some scenes are repeated from the experience of a different character, proving that the exact same experience can mean different things and provoke different reactions from different people. The relationships Picoult brings into the story are fascinating. Ruth and her sister have had opposite reactions to the reality of discrimination - Ruth has tried to blend in and Rachel exacerbates the stereotypes. Ruth's childhood friend Christina is the daughter of a wealthy white family who employs Ruth's mother as their housekeeper. Ruth's teenage son is an honor roll student who has never been in trouble, until his mom is thrown in jail and angst ensues, threatening to negate all of Ruth's hard work to create a different, successful end for her son. And Ruth's public defender Kennedy, a white woman, becomes not only Ruth's defender but maybe even her friend. They have much to learn from each other, and it is the lawyer's eyes being open to the subtleties of racism that I found so important. Racism is quiet; it is assumptions; it is ingrained reactions; it is not always visible to those who do not experience it first hand. And Ruth also questions herself - is she looking for people to discriminate her? Is she also doing some assuming about others? It can work both ways, which makes it even more difficult to know the real truth of a situation.

Not often does a book come along that has the potential to create widespread social change. Read this book. Read it with your teenagers, read it with your book club, read it with your church/synagogue, read it with your neighbors, read it with your friends from high school and college. Read it, then pass it on, then talk about it. Be brave, like Jodi and Sarah and Kennedy. And like Ruth, who never ONCE gave up on herself, her story, or her future.