Book Review: The Storyteller By Jodi Picoult

THE STORYTELLER

By: Jodi Picoult

Published: February 26, 2013



Sage Singer befriends an old man who's particularly beloved in her community. Josef Weber is everyone's favorite retired teacher and Little League coach. They strike up a friendship at the bakery where Sage works. One day he asks Sage for a favor: to kill him. Shocked, Sage refuses…and then he confesses his darkest secret - he deserves to die, because he was a Nazi SS guard. Complicating the matter? Sage's grandmother is a Holocaust survivor.

What do you do when evil lives next door? Can someone who's committed a truly heinous act ever atone for it with subsequent good behavior? Should you offer forgiveness to someone if you aren't the party who was wronged? And most of all - if Sage even considers his request - is it murder, or justice?

Always a fan of Jodi Picoult, I had no doubt about reading this novel.  What I wasn't expecting was to be completely blown away and left speechless.  Picoult has outdone herself and this book will be hard to beat  as my favorite of hers.  

I have always loved historical fiction and especially those set during WWI and WWII.  Even though it is hard to "love" a story about the horrors of the Holocaust, they have always hit me to the core.  This one was no exception. Picoult has a new way of telling the stories of victims and survivors and giving us a different perspective to contemplate.  

Picoult expertly tells the stories of Sage, her grandmother Minka, and Josef taking us into their past and bringing us to their present.  There are tragedies, horrors, bits of hope, and a fairy tale that keep you turning the pages.  You will gasp, cry, and cringe as the story of Minka is told. Knowing she makes it through is what keeps you reading and reminds you to have hope in the midst of evil. 

The underlying theme of forgiveness spoke to me the most.  I've personally learned that harboring anger and resentment only continues to feed the monster in your head and in your heart.  Picoult's message of forgiveness rang true to me and reminded me of one of the best decisions I have made....to forgive and let it go.

This was our book club choice for the month and I think all of us could have talked about this book for hours.  Unfortunately, we had to go back to the reality of motherhood.  But, each one of us commented on how much this book affected us emotionally.  I don't think I have ever highlighted so many passages in one book.  Picoult has an expertise in telling a story with life quotes and lessons that you want to remember forever. 

Without a doubt, pick up this novel at your local library or bookstore and set aside a day or two to read it.  The story will linger with you for days and it may even change you.

 BUY THE STORYTELLER HERE

Join Me in the Four Week Study of Philippians

www.momstoolbox.com

A blog I frequently read, Mom's Toolbox, decided to offer a four-week Bible Study.  The study will look at one chapter of the Book of Philippians each week.  I decided it was time to really get back into the habit of reading and studying God's word and what better time than the summer to get into it.  Each week, you read one chapter of Philippians and then reflect, if you choose to, using the SOAP method.  Learn more about that method HERE.  You can reflect by commenting on her site or by posting your own thoughts.  I will be posting mine here each Monday.  I hope you'll join in. To sign up or learn more about it, click HERE.


The schedule posted from Mom's Toolbox site:

Here’s the schedule:

• Monday, May 20- Sunday, May 26- Read Philippians 1 and journal your thoughts, potentially using the SOAP devotional format
• Monday, May 27- Post your thoughts from Philippians 1 on your own blog and/ or here on the weekly Philippians post on MomsToolbox and begin reading Philippians 2
• Monday, June 3- Post your thoughts from Philippians 2 on your own blog and/ or here on the weekly Philippians post on MomsToolbox and begin reading Philippians 3
• Monday, June 10- Post your thoughts from Philippians 3 on your own blog and/ or here on the weekly Philippians post on MomsToolbox and begin reading Philippians 4
• Monday, June 17- Post your thoughts from Philippians 4 on your own blog and/ or here on the weekly Philippians post on MomsToolbox

Book Review: Stories in Uniform

STORIES IN UNIFORM
A Look at the Heroics, Sacrifices, and Triumphs of Our Soldiers

A Reader's Digest Publication

Published:  May 2, 2013



STORIES IN UNIFORM is a chronological retrospective of the best military pieces Reader's Digest has run; pieces that will make you weep, make your heart sing, inspire you, enrage you, and make you laugh. Beginning in World War I and continuing though to the war in Iraq, readers will follow soldiers into the trenches, peer in on emergency surgery taking place in the depths of the ocean, watch heroes carry the bodies of fallen brethren, trail Eisenhower for the three days leading up to  D-Day, and be inspired as men and women rise above and beyond normal human limits to preserve our rights and save  their friends.

I was offered the opportunity to read and review this book.  As the daughter of a Korean War vet, I was honored to be able to read and share these stories with you.  As I turned the pages, I tried to imagine my dad in situations like these.  I wondered what he was thinking as he fought for his life and for the lives of many others.  Did he worry about his family back home and how did he cope as he dreamed of seeing them again?

Beginning with WWI, I started reading the stories of amazing heroism, friendship, devotion, and camaraderie.  Many times my eyes filled with tears.  After reading many novels of historical fiction set among the different wars, I had to remind myself these were true stories of real men and women and their bravery.  

One of my favorite stories was "No Medals for Joe" from WWII.  Joe worked tirelessly to save his fellow men.  He was a Navy shipyard worker and was shocked when he saw overhead, Japanese planes setting loose a pandemonium that will forever remain in the history of our nation.  After the firestorm, destruction was all around him.  He was ordered to the ship, Oklahoma, to save trapped men.  After hours of drilling, cutting, chiseling, and eventually crawling through, he was able to save 32 men by carrying each one out on his back.  After receiving a Navy citation, it was then stolen along with his suitcase.  Many unsuccessful attempts later he never received his medal but didn't finally get a copy of his citation.  But, more importantly, he was able to meet three of the men he saved just months before he died in a Navy reunion.  That was all the medal he needed.

My other favorite story came from the Korean War, 1000 Men and a Baby.  It was the story of a blue-eyed baby left behind on a Korean street.  The baby, taken to an orphanage, would never survive being half-American.  Finally, thanks to a American Chaplain, the baby "George" was sent to live on the USS Point Cruz and was raised by 1000 Navy men who changed his diapers, bottle fed him and cooed over him for months.  "George" was eventually adopted by an American surgeon who had also met him at the orphanage and "George" became Daniel and grew up in America.  In 1993, Daniel was able to be reunited with many of the men who cared for him and essentially saved his life.

As you can see, this book is full of heartwarming stories that will remind you of all the sacrifices our men and women are making every single day.  We can't forget all those who served in the years past and those who are serving to protect us now.  This book is one small way to honor them and inspire us.    

If you would like to read about how I was able to help my dad get his medals, click HERE.


Thanks to FSB Associates for sending a copy of this book for review.  This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any other way for this review.

Book Review: Sweet Salt Air By Barbara Delinsky

SWEET SALT AIR

By: Barbara Delinsky

To Be Published:  June 18, 2013

Charlotte and Nicole were once the best of friends, spending summers together in Nicole's coastal island house off of Maine. But many years, and many secrets, have kept the women apart. A successful travel writer, single Charlotte lives on the road, while Nicole, a food blogger, keeps house in Philadelphia with her surgeon-husband, Julian. When Nicole is commissioned to write a book about island food, she invites her old friend Charlotte back to Quinnipeague, for a final summer, to help. Outgoing and passionate, Charlotte has a gift for talking to people and making friends, and Nicole could use her expertise for interviews with locals. Missing a genuine connection, Charlotte agrees.
But what both women don't know is that they are each holding something back that may change their lives forever. For Nicole, what comes to light could destroy her marriage, but it could also save her husband. For Charlotte, the truth could cost her Nicole’s friendship, but could also free her to love again. And her chance may lie with a reclusive local man, with a heart to soothe and troubles of his own.

My book club gals and I were lucky enough to win copies of SWEET SALT AIR thanks to Reading Group Guides.  This book will be available from your favorite book seller on June 18, and would make an excellent summer beach read.  We read it during the month of April and had an excellent discussion around the book.  Even though the book was predictable and a bit "soap operaish" we all still liked it.

The story of Nicole and Charlotte and their two separate secrets draw you in but what kept me turning the pages was the rich details around the food, the herbs, and the scenery.  I've never liked clam chowder, but after reading this book I feel like I could eat bowls of it.  

All of us felt the story was a bit repetitive...telling the same scenario over and over again. But in each of those scenes were true and raw emotions that made the characters real to each of us.  The pressures on Nicole, Charlotte, Julian and Leo were very different, but equally heart-breaking.  Throughout the pages, you were rooting for them and crying with them.  I think the most emotional section for me had to do with this conversation:

"A baby isn't a downside"
"It is if you grow it for nine months and feel it move inside you, then watch it being born and hold it in your arms and love it even when it's covered with blood, and just when you're thinking you can't give it up, a nurse takes it away and you know you'll never see it ever again -"

This is why I am a fan of Barbara Delinsky.  Her writing hits at those deep emotions that the reader can relate to.

MS (multiple sclerosis) makes an appearance in this novel and unfortunately my own family has been touched by this disease as well as many others that I know.  I found Delinsky's research in this area and the direction she took this disease in the novel fascinating.  I did wonder though, why she didn't incorporate the healing of medicinal herbs (that were such a main focus in the novel) into the healing of MS.  But at 400+ pages, I suppose something had to be left out.  I certainly enjoyed reading about the healing power of different flowers and herbs either through their scent alone or through their use in recipes.  

With Nicole being a food blogger, I found myself nodding my head while she was up late blogging, or finding that her blogging was truly her therapy.  I find that to be true myself.  I think it was a neat way to bring Charlotte and Nicole together after all these years - in the creation of her cookbook. With both of them being writers in very different ways, they were still able to use their talents together to create the cookbook.  I found myself salivating over the food and wanting the recipes.  Maybe Delinsky needs to publish a Sweet Salt Air cookbook full of the food described in the book.

All three of us really liked the cover of the book and the title.  We felt like we could feel the breeze and smell the air while reading it.  Delinsky's descriptions of the area, the people and the homes on the island made all of us want to visit.  

Overall, this book is full of emotion, triumphs, tragedies, love and friendship.  All are excellent qualities in a good summer read and one that should be read with your girlfriends.  Warning: Reading it will make you hungry for Clam Chowder!

Barbara Delinsky has written twenty NY Times bestselling novels with over thirty million copies in print. Her books are highly emotional, character-driven studies of marriage, parenthood, sibling rivalry, and friendship. Barbara’s newest novel, SWEET SALT AIR, is a June 18, 2013 St. Martin's Press release. 

Her first foray into non-fiction occurred in October 2001 with the publication of UPLIFT: SECRETS FROM THE SISTERHOOD OF BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. UPLIFT is a handbook of practical tips and upbeat anecdotes that she compiled with the help of 350 breast cancer survivors, their families and friends. A breast cancer survivor herself, Barbara has donated the entirety of her author proceeds from three editions of UPLIFT to fund the first six years of a fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital that will train a surgical oncologist in research. A new Tenth Anniversary Edition of UPLIFT went on sale September 27, 2011.

Barbara lives with her family in New England.

For more on Barbara Delinsky, "Like" her Facebook page, HERE or visit her website, http://barbaradelinsky.com


Thanks to Reading Group Guides for sending us copies of SWEET SALT AIR.  This review is my honest opinion.  Neither I nor our book club was compensated in any other way for this review.  

Too Busy to Write

The last few weeks have been especially busy and I don't see a slow down in my future.  We ended track season and are moving right into baseball season this week.  At least this year the boys are on the same team.  I spent last week substitute teaching and will finish my school year tomorrow (hopefully). The kids have just two weeks of school left with many of those days full of field trips, talent shows, and a spelling bee, which means my days are full too.  Our nights will be busy with baseball games and hopefully getting some flowers planted which I have yet to do.

I still want to get some summer planning figured out....chore assignments for the kids, fun stuff planned, book reading incentives, vacation chosen and planned, and getting our home ready to house our niece for a month.

Then I have this huge stack of books staring at me every night when I go to bed.  I have so many books I need to review, but lately finding time to read seems to come at the bottom of my To Do list.

The books I am most excited about reading and reviewing in the coming weeks are:

THE MAPMAKER'S WAR

THE HOUSE AT THE END OF HOPE STREET

THE THIRD SON

THE OTHER TYPIST

Stay tuned for my thoughts on each of these books and several others.  

My life is full and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Our children keep me smiling and keep me running, and I am trying to savor each of these milestones.  As we are attending numerous graduation celebrations this weekend, the reoccurring theme I am hearing from the moms is that these years go by so fast....trust me....I am figuring that out the hard way.

Have a wonderful week and savor each moment!

Recipe: Chocolate Cherry Coke Cake

I have been wanting to try this cake for awhile and decided that Mother's Day was the perfect day for it. It is super simple, starting with a chocolate cake mix.  This cake is extremely moist and full of cherry chocolate flavor.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY COKE CAKE

Serves 12-15

1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix

1 Cup Coca-Cola

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/4 Cup Maraschino Cherry Juice

3 Large Eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13x9 inch pan with nonstick baking spray.

With your mixer, combine cake mix, Coca-Cola, oil, cherry juice, and eggs.  Beat at low speed until dry ingredients are moistened.  Then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.  Scrape sides of bowl as needed.  Pour into pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cook completely.

FROSTING

1/2 Cup Butter, Softened

3 Cups Powdered Sugar

5 Tablespoons Coca-Cola

In a large bowl, beat butter at medium speed until creamy.  Add sugar and Coca-Cola, beating until smooth.  Spread over the cooled cake.  

Garnish each piece with cherries.

Frankly, I thought the frosting was too sweet.  So, next time I think I will just frost it either with regular chocolate frosting or with Cool Whip.  But, the cake was delicious and everyone in the family just loved it.  I would definitely make it again.  This recipe is adapted from Semi-Homemade Magazine.

Reagan's Fairy Garden

I have been wanting to make a Fairy Garden for some time and with Reagan being 8, I thought she was old enough to help and be responsible for it.  We went shopping for the items together and then I helped her build it.

Most all of our items were purchased at Earl May.  They have an excellent supply of Fairy Garden items.  Amazon also has a number of Fairy Garden items HERE.  I decided to make our Fairy Garden in a pot so that we can bring it inside over the winter and not have to start completely over each year.  We chose a nice big round pot and first layered it with pebbles for drainage and then potting soil.

I let Reagan chose all the pieces for the Fairy Garden.  We placed more of the pebbles underneath the patio set to give it a little more support.  

Earl May has a whole section of "Itty Bitties" or small plants perfect for Fairy Gardens.  We used marbles for the path and the pond which we got in the craft section of Walmart.  We also got some alyssum in both purple and white to put around the bird bath.  Then in Earl May's succulent section we got a Hen and Chicks.  We just used the Chicks to place along the path.  Finally, a bag of moss from Earl May gives it that perfect pillowy touch.

Earl May has a number of Fairy Houses to pick from.  Each has an opening in the back where you could place a battery operated candle to give it a soft glow.  

Our garden is located right out front in our flower bed.  It does need a regular spritzing of water for the moss and water for the plants.  We haven't gone through our first rain storm yet, but hoping it is protected enough by the steps and house that it won't damage the arrangement too much. 

The total cost of the Fairy Garden was about $125, but next year all we will need to replace will be the plants.  We are certainly hopeful that a Fairy will stop by soon for a picnic!