A Feather on the Water: a post-World War II novel

A Feather on the Water by Lindsay Jayne Ashford is the story of three women in postwar Germany. In 1945, as the world war ended, it was a time of hope for the lost and found as the world tries to rebuild. Three women from different regions of the world come to Germany to run a Displaced Persons (DP) camp. They long to rebuild the shattered lives the war had created, including their own. Martha comes to Germany to escape her violent marriage. Kitty arrives from England, hoping to find her parents who stayed behind in Germany. Delphine comes to Germany to escape the ghosts she left behind in Paris after the death of her husband and son. As the residents of the camp grow to more than two thousand, the three women rely on each other to endure the pain and devastation and give hope to the hopeless. Can they also find the strength to bring closure to the past and find a brighter future? 

In the genre of historical World War II fiction, the aftermath is rarely featured in a full length novel and it is usually left to a brief epilogue. It is why when I heard about A Feather on the Water, I jumped at the chance to read it. From the opening chapters, the story was very interesting and engaging as readers followed Martha, Kitty and Delphine from their various homes to the hard work of helping the displaced people who were liberated from the camps, forced from their own and left with nothing in the aftermath of war. The fear, the prejudice and the anger is very present as they try to come to terms with the events of the war. The only downfall was it had no urgency, no tension, no real conflicts other than trying to find the supplies needed to help these people. Overall, though, I did enjoy it. If you enjoy World War II history, I recommend A Feather on the Water. 

A Feather on the Water is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

My Sister's Boyfriend: twists and turns in the aftermath of My Sister's Husband

My Sister’s Boyfriend by Nicola Marsh is a follow up to My Sister’s Husband (2020). In the aftermath of My Sister’s Husband, sisters Lizzie and Brooke have a strained relationship but remain civil for the sake of Hope, their daughter and niece, and their Aunt Alice. They seem to be on a path to a better relationship when Brooke brings home her new boyfriend. There is something off about Noel Harwood, something Lizzie can’t quite vocalize. However, she knows her sister’s life is in danger. Behind the handsome face and a dazzling smile, there is a sinister gleam in his eyes. She wants to protect her; but she knows her warnings would fall on deaf ears. Lizzie needs to be smart and out maneuver Noel. She doesn’t know what his end game is, but he has no idea how far Lizzie will go to protect her family. She nearly lost Brooke once. She can’t lose her now. 

After reading the thrilling story of My Sister’s Husband, I was stoked to hear that Ms Marsh was writing a follow up. I started reading My Sister’s Boyfriend with great anticipation. I should have reread My Sister’s Husband as details were discussed in My Sister’s Boyfriend that had me a little confused but I quickly remembered. On a side note, if you haven’t read My Sister’s Husband, I highly recommend reading it. Not only is it an awesome story; but you will need to know the family history to follow My Sister’s Boyfriend. While it is not my experience with the drama between sisters, Lizzie and Brooke are two women with a lot of emotional baggage and past hurts to overcome. There were a few twists that I was able to predict; however, Noel’s true motive and his end game was a shocking reveal. Once the story hit high gear, it took off and would not stop. I highly recommend My Sister’s Boyfriend. 

My Sister’s Boyfriend is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

My Sister’s Husband is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Book of Fire: human resilience and healing in the face of tragedy

The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri is a story of tragedy and the resilience of the human spirit. In present day Greece, deep in an ancient forest, Irini lives with her husband, Tasso and their daughter, Chara. One fateful day, a fire rages out of control, changing their lives forever. In the aftermath, as the village tries to rebuild and injuries begin to slowly heal, Irini stumbles across the man who started the fire. He is dying but whether it was by his own hand or someone else’s is unclear. In her anger, Irini makes a decision that will haunt her. As the local police investigate the man’s death, Tasso mourns for his father who has been missing since the fire and Irini struggles with her decision and the meaning for their future. Can they rebuild their lives? Can they find forgiveness within themselves to move forward? 

Ms. Lefteri’s books are always gorgeously written with haunting images and deeply intimate with emotions and struggles. After falling in love with her writing since The Beekeeper of Aleppo (2019), I eagerly looked forward to The Book of Fire. Inspired by the fires that devastated Greece a few years ago, The Book of Fire is about the search for meaning in the wake of tragedy. It is a look at the human toll in all events, either natural or man made, people must learn to pick up the pieces and rebuild. Irini is deeply relatable as she makes a decision that most of us would probably have made in the heat of anger and the need for retribution and her coming to terms with her decision. Overall, I enjoyed The Book of Fire. If you enjoy deeply moving stories about the human spirit, I recommend The Book of Fire. 

The Book of Fire is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

A Promise to Remember: a tragedy and its aftermath

A Promise to Remember is a book in the Tomorrow’s Promise collection by Kathryn Cushman. When a tragic car accident kills two teenage boys from different economic classes, the aftermath threatens to tear apart a community as people start to take sides. Melanie Johnston is a grieving single mother. She is convinced that her son, Jeff, will be forgotten. Melanie is determined to make sure her son has a legacy to remember, Andie Phelps is a quiet woman who seemingly lives a life without any worry. After the death of her son, Chad, she retreats into her sorrow and pain, hiding from the world. As Melanie sues for wrongful death, their small seaside community starts to draw the battle lines. Both women must fight her own grief and pain, finding themselves struggling with faith and moving forward. Lives are forever changed with one simple decision. 

A Promise to Remember is a difficult read. Filled with emotion, tough questions about fairness, faith, and what it means to have a legacy. Sympathizing with both women was easy, however, their choices raise questions about privilege, expectations and societal prejudices. Melanie and Andie were both relatable and realistic as grieving mothers whose social standing influenced their opinions and actions. The secondary characters are wonderful too as they play into the social prejudice, thinking they had right on their side. A certain character decides to play dirty and brings up a sordid past in order to discredit the other mother.  I enjoyed the discussions of faith, heaven and a legacy worth leaving behind. A Promise to Remember is a story of forgiveness without being overly preachy.  There were a few tears as I read, especially near the end. I highly recommend A Promise to Remember. 

A Promise to Remember is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Ambassador's Daughter: Peace talks after World War I and trouble is already brewing

The Ambassador's Daughter by Pam Jenoff is set in Paris, 1919, during the peace conference after World War 1. Margot Rosenthal has been brought to Paris by her father, a German diplomat. At first, she hates being trapped in the congested city where she is seen as the enemy. But life waiting for her back in Berlin isn’t a more pleasant alternative. Margot strikes up a friendship with Krysia, an accomplished pianist who has a secret to protect, and an attraction to Georg, a handsome German naval officer who is tired of war. As her relationships grow, Margot begins to question everything she knows and thinks to be true. As the world’s leaders gather to rebuild after the devastation of the Great War, there is a delicate web of lies forming and trust is a luxury one cannot afford. 

A prequel to Ms. Jenoff’s The Kommandant’s Daughter and The Diplomat’s Wife, The Ambassador’s Wife is a slow burn story featuring the tenuous period between the two world wars. A time when everyone thought the worst was over and they were making assurances that it would never happen again. Little did they know that the foundations of the second world war are already brewing, as pride, hatred and political ideologies breed division and animosities. At the beginning of the story, Margot is very much a naive young woman despite having lived through war. She has been sheltered by her widowed father and maternal aunt. It is through Krysia that Margot sees the world in its stark realities. Overall, I enjoyed The Ambassador’s Wife. I look forward to reading Ms. Jenoff’s other stories. I recommend The Ambassador’s Wife. 

The Ambassador’s Daughter is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Nineteen Minutes: a lot can happen in nineteen minutes

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult is a grim and startling story about the devastating aftermath of a small-town tragedy. Think of what can happen in nineteen simple minutes. Could you mow the lawn? Bake cookies? Fold laundry? Maybe seek revenge? Sterling, New Hampshire is an ordinary town where nothing ever happens. In nineteen minutes, Peter Houghton will shatter the town’s quiet haven. As the residents seek the answers to their question, they must come to terms about their possible role in the tragedy and seek justice from those who would turn their world upside down. Jose Cormier is the daughter of a local judge and one of the students injured in the tragedy. She would be the best witness to figure out what exactly happened; unfortunately, she doesn’t remember any details...or does she? As the trial progresses, the bonds between friends and family begin to crack. Who is at fault? Will the town recover? 

Nineteen Minutes takes a hard look at bullying and how we, as a society, respond to it. Ms. Picoult is an amazing storyteller as she writes a raw and honest look at every parents’ and community’s nightmare. Told in the straightforward manner that I have some to expect from her, she asks the simplest questions with the most complex answers. How well do you truly know your children? What does it mean to be an outsider in the social world of high school and society at large? Is there anything that could have been done to prevent such tragedies?  Nineteen Minutes was a very difficult book to get through. Ms. Picoult does not shy away from the difficult subject and offers an in-depth look into the hows and whys that are often asked. Even though it was not an easy read, it is a topic that we need to think about and be prepared to respond.  I highly recommend Nineteen Minutes. 

Nineteen Minutes is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

On A Cold Dark Sea: the story of three women and their fateful decisions

On a Cold Dark Sea by Elizabeth Blackwell is a story of the impossible choices we made when faced with tragedy. On April 15, 1912, three women were among survivors in Lifeboat 21 and watched in horror as the unsinkable Titanic sank into the icy depths of the Atlantic ocean. Con artist Charlotte Digby lied her way through London and onto the Titanic. The disaster provided the chance at a new life and she is determined to keep her past a secret. Esme Harper is a newlywed, returning to America from her honeymoon. On the night of the sinking, she makes a sudden choice that would change her life forever. Anna Halversson, a Swedish farm girl, is tormented by the screams that rang out from the water. Did one of them call her name? After the tragedy, the three women went their separate ways, never speaking about the events of that night. Twenty years later, a sudden death brings them back together, forcing them to face the choices they made that night, the inconceivable loss and the secrets they kept all those years.  

I have been fascinated by the Titanic sinking since high school. On a Cold Dark Sea is a different story featuring the famous tragedy. It didn’t rehash why the sinking happened but told what happened from three different perspectives, from the different classes aboard the ship. It is a story of three very different women from very different backgrounds brought together by a series of events. I enjoyed the story as there was no clear hero/heroine or villain. Each of the three women had reasons to carry a guilty conscience. Did their actions that night cause the death of someone they knew on the ship? The characters were written as real people with real decisions and real consequences. The secrets that publicly would have ruined them as well as ate away at their souls. One character laments that her decision for one man over another was “her greatest love and her greatest disappointment.” Even after 109 years since the tragedy, the events on the Titanic and the aftermath still captures our attention. I highly, highly recommend On a Cold, Dark Sea. 

 

On a Cold Dark Sea is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.

Watts Riots: what happened?

Today is the 55^th anniversary of the start of the Watts Riots in Los Angeles, California. At the time, it was the largest and most destructive riot in California. By the end of the five-day riot, 31-35,000 have said to have participated with 34 deaths, 1,032 injuries, 3,438 arrests and approximately $40 million in damages. Growing up I had heard about the riots but never heard about what led to the riots. When I realized that the anniversary was coming up, I felt the need to read about it further. To understand the causes, the event as well as the aftermath. Understand that the information I present here is just an overview. As with any important event, there is so much more information that I couldn’t possibly cover it here in a simple blog post.

To understand the riots, we need to go back in history. The Great Migration (1915-1940) saw large populations of African Americans moving to Northeastern and Midwest cities, i.e. New York City, Chicago, and Detroit, to pursue jobs in manufacturing industries, better educational and social opportunities and to flee racial segregation. Jim Crow laws, violent and racial bigotry in the Southern states were at a fever pitch. Los Angeles saw little of this migration until the Second Great Migration in the 1940s. As black workers and families moved to the West Coast in great numbers, largely due to the defense industry recruitment efforts as WWII created the need for more workers. President Franklin D Roosevelt signed an Executive Order No. 8802 which prohibiting defense contractors from discrimination in hiring or promotions. However, restrictive laws prevented specific minorities from renting and owning property in certain areas, even after the courts ruled it illegal (Shelley v Kraemer, 1948) and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Approximately, 95% of LA was off-limits and minorities found themselves restricted to the East and South LA areas (Bernstein, 2010). Tensions ran even higher when California voters passed Proposition 14 in 1964 which overturned the Rumford Fair Housing Act. The Rumford Act was designed to remedy residential segregation. Civil Rights Activist Alvin Poussaint considered Proposition 14 as one of the root causes of the riots (Theoharis, 2006).

To say that police discrimination was prevalent in LA would be a vast understatement. On August 11, 1965, a minor roadside argument broke out and escalated into a fight with the police. That night, Marquette Frye was pulled over by CHP Officer Lee Minikus for reckless driving. After failing a series of sobriety tests, Frye was placed under arrest for drunk driving. Ronald Frye, his brother, was in the car with him and ran home to tell their mother, Rena Price. According to Minikus, it was a normal, routine traffic stop and everything was going well until Rena Price showed up to scold her son, Frye then turned surly and began resisting arrest (Dawsey, 1990). Eventually, Frye, his brother and his mother were arrested. The mounting tensions in the community finally exploded as community members reported police brutally including injuring a pregnant woman. Six days of unrest followed and resembled an all-out war zone. Nearly 14,000 members of the California National Guard were called in for suppression by LA Chief of Police William Parker. Rioting had spread throughout other areas and into other cities, including Long Beach, and even as far as San Diego, although, compared to Watts, they were very minor. According to essayist Bayard, “The whole point of the outbreak in Watts was that it marked the first major rebellion of Negroes against their own masochism and was carried on with the express purpose of asserting that they would no longer quietly submit to the deprivation of slum life” (1966).

In the aftermath, debates quickly began about the events in Watts, its origins and what do after. The California Supreme Court reinstated the Rumford Fair Housing Act in Reitman v Mulkey (1966). Governor Edmund Brown ordered an investigation into the riots, headed by John McCone. The McCone Commission released a 101-page report, Violence in the City- An End or a Beginning? on December 2, 1965. In in, the commission identified high unemployment, poor schools, and related inferior living conditions as roots to the rising tensions and eventual riots in Watts. Recommendations were made to address these issues, however, none of them implemented (Dawsey, 1990). For instance, the commission recommended job creation; however, it did nothing to suggest how jobs would be created or obtained (Rustin, 1966). The commission stated the untrained black man had a harder time holding on to jobs as industries improved machines to take over for even the skilled worker (McCone Report, 1965). Chief Parker was the focal point of grievances within the Watts community and despite statements from the community, the commission deemed that Parker was not a racist man (McCone Report, 1965). What happened to the man whose arrest was the final spark? Marquette Frye admitted he was drunk that night and had been shunned by some in his community and elevated to folk hero by others (Dawsey, 1990). Sadly, Frye died December 24, 1986 from pneumonia.

In conclusion, when I set out to learn about the Watts riots, I thought I was just going read about a historical event. However, I could not shake that the unrest of the riots is still the unrest of today. In his essay, Bayard Rustin finishes with a simple but profound statement, “And what is most impractical and incredible of all is that we may very well continue to teach impoverished, segregated, and ignored Negroes that the only way they can get the ear of America is to rise up in violence” (1966). Have the people learned that the only way to get the attention of those in charge is to be violent? Recent events with rising violence certainly make it seem so. While I have no answers or solutions to stop such a cycle, I find it interesting that the lesson learned was violence as the only answer.

References

Bernstein, Shana (2010). Bridges of Reform: Interracial Civil Rights Activism in Twentieth Century Los Angeles. Oxford University Press. Retrieved August 9, 2020.

Dawsey, Darrell (July 8, 1990). 25 Years After the Watts Riots: McCone Commission's Recommendations Have Gone Unheeded. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-08-me-455-story.html. Retrieved August 9, 2020.

Dawsey, Darrell (August 19, 1990). To CHP Officer Who Sparked Riots, It Was Just Another Arrest. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-19-me-2790-story.html. Retrieved August 9, 2020.

McCone Report (December 2, 1965). Violence in the City- An End or a Beginning? Archive.org. https://ia801602.us.archive.org/34/items/ViolenceInCity/violence%20in%20city_text.pdf. Retrieved August 10, 2020.

Rustin, Bayard (March 1966). The Watts. Commentary Magazine. https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/bayard-rustin-2/the-watts/. Retrieved August 10, 2020.

Theoharis, Jeanne (2006). The Black Power Movement: Rethinking the Civil Rights-Black Power Era. (New York: Routledge). Retrieved August 9, 2020.

Paint it Black: song of grief and depression

The Rolling Stones is among rock n roll royalty. They have been performing since 1962 with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards at the helm. While they are not my favorite rock n roll band, I do have a few favorites. One of my favorites is “Paint it Black” from their 1966 album, Aftermath. The song was released on May 7, 1966 and quickly became one of their popular songs. It was number 1 on Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart. It would The Rolling Stones third #1 hit in the US and the sixth in the UK. “Paint it Black” is listed as #176 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It has been covered numerous times by artists like U2, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister and Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest.

The lyrics meant to describe depression with color-based metaphors. The opening lines are clear, “I see a red door and I want it painted black/No colors anymore, I want them to turn black.” Color is the main imagery in this song. Black, of course, is the color of depression and darkness. The narrator wants the world to be as dark as he feels. “I wanna see it painted, painted black/Black as night, black as coal/I wanna see the sun, blotted out from the sky/I wanna see it painted, painted, painted, painted black.” The narrator talks about seeing girls in summer clothes and needed to look away. “Summer clothes” paints an image of bright yellows and other colors that might “blind” a man darkened by grief. Almost like walking outside after leaving a darkened room, it pains him to look at it. Another line “No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue” gives no real indication what the narrator means. Possibly its how he describes her eyes and his green eyes will no longer see her deep blue ones.

The lyrics describe a fictional girl’s funeral with “a line of cars” with “with flowers and my love, both never to come back” and the extreme grief suffered by the narrator. The line, “I could not foresee this thing happening to you,” shows the unexpectedness of this young girl’s death. The narrator, so deep in his depression, has lost all hope, “I look inside myself and see my heart is black.” The line, “I turn my head until my darkness goes” claimed to be inspired by James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922) referring to a theme of desperation and desolation (Visconti, 2014). The narrator talks about fading away so “not have to face the facts” that his love is gone and describes the difficulty in accepting her death, “It's not easy facing up, when your whole world is black.” In the traditional grief cycle, after the initial shock or disbelief, people generally go through five general stages: denial, anger and bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The narrator talks about looking “hard enough into the setting sun” that maybe his love “will laugh with me before the morning comes” as he may join her in heaven.

The song describes the everyday occurrence of death and the indifference to those outside the funeral procession. “I see people turn their heads and quickly look away/Like a new born baby, it just happens every day.” To everyone else, it just another death, like birth happens every day, so does death, but the narrator is devastated by his loss. That line always gets me plays in my head if I happened to be stopped by a funeral procession. I remind myself that loved ones are grieving, and I often say a prayer for the family and friends. A prayer of comfort and peace in their loss. Even acknowledging that death happens everyday and will affect us all at multiple times in our lives, it is still difficult to deal with. In his book, The Time Keeper, Mitch Albom writes, “Man alone measures time. Man alone chimes the hour. And, because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear that no other creature endures. A fear of time running out.” Despite acknowledge that death comes to us all, despite planning for its inevitability, there is never enough time with our loved ones. We always want, and wish for, more time.

In conclusion, “Paint it Black” is a song of grief and depression. A man has lost his love and he does not want to see a world filled with color when his heart and mood is dark. With the use of colors, The Rolling Stones paints imagery of pain, depression, and loss. Grief is often a lonely process as one looks on as life goes on and he or she has no desire to continue with it. Death is always around us in many forms. While we know this, some embrace it and others do all they can to avoid it, it is still a time of grief for those left behind. “Paint it Black” depicts that pain very well. For that reason, it is one of my favorite Rolling Stones song.

References

Visconti, Tony (2014). 1,001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die (4th ed.). New York, NY: Universe Publishing. p. 175 ISBN 9780789320896.

The Light After the War: a story in the war's aftermath

The Light After the War by Anita Abriel is the story of Vera Frankel, a Hungarian Jewish refugee living in Naples, Italy. It has been 11 months since the end of the war and believing her entire family was killed in the concentration camps, Vera fled with her best friend, Edith. As the two rebuild their lives in a new country, Vera finds a job at the American embassy in Naples and falls in love with her boss, Captain Anton Wight. A series of events will leave her heartbroken and wondering what to do next. Edith has an idea to get sponsored for citizenship in America and when that falls through, they end up in Caracas, Venezuela. There she meets the handsome Ricardo Albee, and everything seems to be back on track. With flashbacks of events which occurred during the war, Vera must learn to adapt and survive. Will Vera have the happy ending she’s been dreaming of? Will she ever find out what truly happened to her family?

This story was inspired by Ms. Abriel’s mother’s story of survival during WWII and from the opening page to the closing chapter, you are drawn into Vera’s story of survival which takes her across oceans. I enjoyed The Light After the War as it shows a part of history that many historical books do not feature: the migration of many refugees to other countries. Yes, some came to America, but many people do not realize that many refugees made their way to South America and beyond. I recommend The Light After the War. A story of friendship, love, survivor's guilt, loss and survival.

The Light After the War

is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

The Ones Who Got Away: a heartfelt survivor story with a great love story

The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren is the first book of Ms. Loren’s new series. A love story about two survivors who meet years later and find healing as the sparks fly. Olivia “Liv” Arias returns to her hometown of Long Acre, Texas to film a documentary about the shooting at her senior prom twelve years ago. As she sees the other survivors, there is one she wasn’t expecting to see. Finn Dorsey was her secret high school boyfriend who was the hero of that night. The moment their eyes met, she realized that the old feelings were still burning bright. As the two fight their attraction and deal with their old haunts and memories of that horrific night, they realize that healing only comes from within. Will they continue to fight their attraction? Will they let the memories of the shooting continue to keep them apart?

The Ones Who Got Away is a beautiful story about redemption, healing and moving forward. With the added bonus of a sizzling love story which will take your breath away. I won a copy from the publisher through Bookishfirst.com and I eagerly waited and waited for this book to arrive. And it was worth the wait. I enjoyed every character as they deal with who they were before the shooting and who they’ve become after. I look forward to reading book 2, The One You Can’t Forget which will be available June 5, 2018. I highly recommend The Ones Who Got Away. If you enjoy a great, emotional story with a wonderful love story, you will enjoy this book.

The Ones Who Got Away

is available in paperback and eBook

Death of Nation: a scathing look into 9/11 and its aftermath

Death of a Nation: 9/11 and the Rise of Fascism in America by George W. Grundy is a scathing account of the events leading to 9/11, the events of the day and the aftermath. Mr. Grundy argues that the events of 9/11 have been falsely portrayed. His premise is that the attacks were carried out by entities within the U.S. government and the military. Everything from the wars in the Middle East to the rise of ISIS to the election of Donald Trump. He discusses the timeline of 9/11 and the inaction of individuals and inconsistency in the statements made in the days following the tragedy. He asserts that the World Trade Center was a controlled demolition. The main premise is how the US government reacted with wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Patriot Act and Guantanamo Bay all have led to fascism in America. He asserts that anyone who believes the official report and that the government had no part in the 9/11 terrorist attack is blind.

I don’t know anyone who truly believes that the government tells the American public the truth. There never really has been transparency in government (even though some may have tried). It reminds of a line from the movie, Tommy Boy (1995), Ray Zalinsky (played by Dan Aykroyd) says “What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public.” Some of the American didn’t want to know. The grief and shock of watching the events unfold overwhelmed them that they didn’t pay attention to what happened afterword. While I do not agree with all of Mr. Grundy’s assertions and many of his assertions sound a lot like conspiracy theories, however; he does bring up valid points and shows the lasting effects of that horrible day. I recommend this book for those who are interested in reading an in-depth analysis of a day many of us cannot forget.

Death of a Nation:

9/11 and the Rise of Fascism in American

is available on Amazon

in hardcover and on the Kindle 

Always and Forever: a story of the aftermath after an impossible choice

Always and Forever by Soraya Lane is the story of Lisa and Matt Collins who must make an impossible choice and struggle with the aftermath of that choice. The story opens as Lisa and Matt learn they are finally pregnant after years of trying to start their family. Things are going smoothly until Lisa gets a devastating diagnosis. Now the couple must an impossible choice: her life or the baby’s. As they make their choice, life as they knew it falls apart. Lisa falls into a deep depression and Matt struggles to return to the life they had before. They decide to go on a road trip, thinking that leaving home will help them leave everything behind. Will the road trip be the therapy they are looking for? Will they return to the life and love they had before? Or did the choice they made destroy everything they cared for?

Always and Forever is a wonderful story which features a topic and a choice which many couples never think they will face. A fast read which gets to the heart of the conflict between husband and wife. They both rationalize their choice in different ways. As I read, I kept asking myself what decision I would make. Which decision would my husband make? Would be able to live with the choice? I highly recommend Always and Forever!

Always and Forever

Is available at all major booksellers

Today in History: April 26, 1986 the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

Today in Belarus, it is a Day of Remembrance for the victims of the Chernobyl disaster. April 26, 1986, a catastrophic nuclear accident occurs at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the town of Pripyat, Ukraine, under the direct jurisdictional control of the USSR. It was the worst nuclear power disaster in history in turns of cost and causalities. It is 1 of 2 classified as a level 7, the maximum, on the International Nuclear Event Scale. The accident itself caused the deaths of 31 people with the long-term effects still being felt and investigated.

The Chernobyl disaster was a sudden and unexpected power surge in the number four reactor. When the emergency shutdown was attempted, an exponentially larger power spike occurred causing the reactor vessal to rupture with a series of steam explosions. The graphite moderator of the reactor was exposed to air which caused an ignition. The resulting fire sent a plume of highly radioactive fallout into the atmosphere. The plume would spread and cover an extensive area including the nearby town of Pripyat. The city was not immediately evacuated. Many residents went about their day, oblivious to the events at the power plant. Within a few hours, dozens of people fell ill. Reports of severe headaches, metallic tastes in their mouths and uncontrollable fits of coughing and vomiting.

In the aftermath of the accident, 31 deaths were reported as the reactor staff and emergency workers. As of 2008, deaths from the radiation were noted as 64. Eventual deaths could reach 4,000 from exposure to high levels of radiation among emergency workers, evacuees and residents in the surrounding areas. Fifty would die from acute radiation syndrome. Nine children from thyroid cancer and 3,940 will died from radiation-induced cancers and leukemia. The actual number may be far worst as illnesses and connections to the disaster are still being investigated. In the investigation that followed, two official causes for the accident were determined. First, operator error due to the lack of knowledge of the nuclear reactor physics and engineering. Second, flaws in the operating instructions and design deficiencies.

Chernobyl today is a ghost town. The Dead Zone, as it is called by locals, is a no-man’s land. A “haunted beauty” of “deformed nature” as it was called in one article. Everything is irradiated. The irradiated soil has a half-life of 240,000 years. However, there are people working and living in the area. There are 4,000 engineers, technicians, specialists and laborers who work to make sure that the Number 4 Reactor is under control and decommissioning the other reactors. Other people are slowing moving back into the areas, despite risks of radiation-induced illnesses. There are doctors and nurses who look after the workers. In 2003, the area of Narodychi, Ukraine was deemed habitable again despite that the soil will be radioactive for another 26,000 years.

Today is the 30^th anniversary of the disaster and people are slowing returning to the area despite the risks. The citizens of Belarus commemorate the day in remembrance of the victims. However, as citizens of the world with nuclear power being used by all, we need to remember Chernobyl as well. We need to be aware of the risks of nuclear power and take every precaution we can. The effects of this terrible disaster are still being felt and observed today. 

Before the Fall: a mystery which will leave you guessing until the end!

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley is a mystery of a plane crash which leaves two survivors. As the pieces are pieced together with flashbacks which feature each of the victims, little clues are discovered. What brought down the plane?

The story opens with the Bateman family: David, his wife Maggie and their children, Rachel and JJ are boarding their plane at the end of their vacation on Martha’s Vineyard. They are joined by the flight crew, their security team and their friends, Ben and Sarah Kipling and a local painter, Scott.  The takeoff is smooth and the flight uneventful. Until 16 minutes into the flight, the plane disappears from radar and crashes into the Atlantic Ocean. Scott and the Bateman’s young son, JJ are the only survivors as Scott swims them both to shore. Soon the investigation is underway and everyone on the plane had something to hide. With the authorities investigating, rumors fly about what brought down the plane. Terrorism? Revenge? Murder? All fueled by a less than scrupulous reporter, Bill Cunningham, who not only wants the story but wants to make a name for himself at any costs, even illegal costs. The truth behind the events of the flight will leave everyone shocked and shaken.

Before the Fall grasped my attention from the first chapter and I eagerly read to discover the clues and figure out this mystery. When I read the last line, my first reaction was “WOW!” This book is a great story which intrigues and grips your attention. I didn’t expect the ending and I can’t talk about too much detail because it will give too much away. This book did not disappoint and I highly recommend Before the Fall!

Before the Fall

is available on Amazon

and Barnes and Noble

in hardcover for $35

on the Kindle for $26