Liar's Dice: a coming of age historical fiction of one girls fight against all odds

Liar’s Dice by Juliet Faithfull is historical fiction, coming of age story of a teenage girl in 1970s Brazil who must learn to fight even against all odds. Dolores and Mita are identical twins who grew up in rural Brazil. At the age of seven, it is discovered that Mita has a degenerative condition and Dolores does not. By the age of 12, her condition becomes debilitating and suddenly, their parents send Mita to a hospital in their father’s native London and the family moves to Rio and begins to live an obstacle lifestyle. However, Dolores is miserable. She misses her sister, her small town and struggles in her new school. It all starts to change when she meets a brave, headstrong girl who shows Dolores a new side of Rio and how to survive. Soon tensions rise with the dictatorial government cracking down on protesters and dissenters. Dolores is determined to find the truth, discover where her sister and her own place in the world. 

I was looking forward to Liar’s Dice as it is a historical fiction which takes place in a different place and time that isn’t normally talked about. Liar’s Dice is described as a “heart-rending and hopeful” coming of age story as one young girl learns to form her own identity, the price of secrets and the courage to forge a different path. Dolores is a sympathetic character and I felt her pain and confusion. I liked the use of Portuguese phrases; however, I would have liked some form of translation in the context of the dialogue or description. Not a glossary at the end of the book which I didn’t know was there until I was finished. There were a lot of time jumps without explanation that pulled me out of the story at times. Overall, I did enjoy it, especially Dolores’s tenacity to find her sister and make sure Mita knows she is not forgotten. If you enjoy historical fiction, I recommend Liar’s Dice. 

Liar’s Dice will be available in paperback, eBook and audiobook on April 28, 2026. 

Split-Level: a story of 1970s wife swapping

Split-Level by Sande Boritz Berger is the story of Alexandra “Alex” Pearl, a married woman with children in 1974. She lives in a lovely home in an upscale New Jersey suburb and seems to be content with her two daughters and her charming husband. Until one day, she receives a telephone call which will send her world crashing down. In order to save her marriage and avoid the dreaded “7-year itch”, Alex signs her and her husband, Donny for a marriage retreat, to rekindle their marriage. When another participant at the retreat gives Donny a book on wife swapping, it begins a slippery slope that they may not be able to stop. Donny believes it’s the key to their happiness. At first, Alex refuses but she quickly finds a new heightened desire beyond her husband. Will this new life be the answer to their problems? Or will Alex find herself in a mess that she cannot get out?

Split-Level is a book in which the book description doesn’t give an accurate depiction of the story. I expected an edgy, dramatic book about one woman’s discovery of herself and her desires. From the very beginning, Alex was boring, dull and so naïve that I resisted the urge to scream. As she recounts the beginnings of her relationship with Donny and leading up to their wedding, there were so many red flags that she ignored and continued to minimize as she deals with that phone call. The great part about the book was the author’s description of the 1970s atmosphere. However, the characters were either creepy or so bland you just didn’t care for him or her. There were no real emotions, no real conflict and even a real resolution. With a topic like wife swapping, which usually ends badly, the book fell flat. I do not recommend Split-Level.

Split-Level

is available in paperback and eBook

Save My Place: a touching love story

Save My Place by Oliva deBelle Byrd is a heartwarming and heart wrenching love story set in 1960s and 1970s. It was recently honored with two Gold Medals in Florida Fiction for Adults and Cover Design by the Florida Presidents Book Awards. It is the story of love through various stages of courtship, marriage, war, and personal tragedy.

The story opens with Elisabeth Belle Sterling, a young college student who is “creative, independent but not rebellious.” She begins to enter the dating scene and after a lot of misses, she feel she’s doomed to be an old maid. Until she meets Kincaid Patterson, an Army buddy of her roommate’s boyfriend. The two immediately hit it off and before they know it, they are married and settling into life together. He is stationed at Fort Banning and she becomes a second grade teacher. Soon their wonderful life is halted as Kincaid is deployed to Vietnam. Before he leaves, Kincaid tells Elisabeth to “save his place.” She ends her letters to him with “your place is saved.” Will Kincaid return home? Will Elisabeth be able to learn to live without him?

I loved this book. It was sweet and tender. It had shocking moments when you gasped and hoped for a positive outcome. I can’t give more without ruining the entire book but there are moments when you cry and your heart aches for the characters as they deal with different tragedies. I especially loved the ending. It showed a great loved between these characters and I can imagine them living today still hand-in-hand. I highly recommend Save My Place. It definitely has a place on my keeper shelf. 

Trampled Underfoot: the Dirt on Vic and Lia

Trampled Underfoot: the Dirt on Vic and Lia by Elizabeth Good is a follow-up story to Just Another Sunday. I usually don’t like to read books out of order but the story intrigued me and it was advertised as a story to stand on its own. It is the story of Lia Benedict and Vic Somers in the late 1970s New Jersey. The story opens in the spring of 1976, Lia and Vic are newly married and newly pregnant. A hopeless romantic, Lia sets to make the perfect life with her new husband. Until trouble strikes, hang up phone calls, a paternity suit and radical religious beliefs begin to invade her perfect fantasy. Vic’s brother, Greg, returns from Vietnam a broken man. Lia discovers that she is RH negative and need injections but her religious beliefs prohibit such treatment. Vic doesn’t seem to end his philandering ways as Lia’s pregnancy progresses. When she has the baby, Vic suffers a TET spell due to his heart condition and needs several surgeries. Will Vic finally see the light and build his life with Lia and their baby? Or will Lia’s heart be trampled underfoot?

It was difficult to like or care about these characters. Lia eventually becomes a bitch and Vic is a stereotypical male who chases any skirt that flitters his way. I felt it was impossible to be sympathetic to Lia. I felt she was too naïve and she was blind for far too long. This book almost made my Did-Not-Finish list because I found myself turning page after page wondering when it would get better, exciting even. I waited for the final confrontation between Lia and Vic and….nothing! The story jumps years later and the reader is given a rundown of what happened since. Also the book was advertised as a follow-up to Just Another Sunday but could be read on its own. I still felt there were references in the book that I should have had knowledge and didn’t get because I didn’t read the other book. Maybe I'm wrong. However, I didn’t like the any of the characters. I cannot recommend this book.