I saw that most of the reviews stated that this was “just another slave narrative” and I’d have to disagree. This really wasn’t a narrative. Yes, Cora was the main character but there were other aspects of the story provided by the other characters. The slave catcher and the Lumbly’s provided the reader insight on how this part of history affected everyone. Slave catchers weren’t always bred to become slave catchers. Poverty will make a person accept any job in order to get money to survive. The Lumbly’s marriage was not one that was between two abolishionists. It was between a man and wife who had 2 separate views on the particular subject. Ethel may not have been outright prejudice but her prejudice was more menacing because it was undercover. Poor Martin was just trying to do what was right because of his father. My favorite chapter was of Cora’s mother. Throughout the book, the feelings towards her are negative until you get her side of the story. Overall, my opinion is that Colson took a story we all know well enough and put a different spin on it. It is much appreciated.
Author: Kala
My breakdown of B.A Paris’s The Breakdown
I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of B.A Paris’s second novel, The Breakdown. It took some time getting my copy but it was worth the wait. I breezed thru this novel as I did her first novel, Behind Closed Doors.
Starting off with reading this novel , I assumed that the “breakdown” had to do with car troubles, but soon found out that was not the case. What do you do when the people you are supposed to trust the most do not have your best interest at hand. In this novel we meet Cass, who we soon find out wears her heart on her sleeve although not intentionally. She’s a teacher who has come into a large inheritance from her parents and seems to have a decent marriage to Matthew and a solid friendship with Rachel.
While returning from a party on a stormy night, she takes a shortcut that is going to change her life as she knows it. During this drive home, she passes what she thinks is just a woman in a broken down car, not knowing that this situation is going to be the key event in what is about to happen to her. She tries to stop to help the woman but decides that she needs to get home. The next day on the news she finds out that the woman was murdered. Instantly Cass starts feeling remorse which only worsens when she finds out it is a woman that she knew. Instead of talking about it to her husband or best friend, she tries to deal with it on her own. Soon weird things start happening to Cass to make her think that someone is after her and that she is slowing losing her memory. She turns to her husband who is at first very understanding and supportive until she starts experiencing more events that make her seem like a mad woman.
Cass is convinced that the killer probably saw her and is going to come after her next. She starts receiving weird phone calls every day. Then her memory seems to start slipping. Starting with a simple gift that she forgot she was supposed to purchase, then escalating to other things such as forgotten trips. Eventually Matthew takes her to doctor who puts her on medications to try and sooth her and tests her for possible early on set dementia, something her mother suffered from(another secret she has hidden from her husband).
What Cass doesn’t realize is that she is being tormented by the ones she loves and trusts the most. Eventually she decides she is going to fight back and when she does fate steps in again, but this time it is on her side instead of against her. What happens next is a key reminder of why one should always watch what they send in text. Her tormentors thought texting was the safest way to communicate but in the end it proved to be the worst idea that they had.
This is all I will say about this book as, I do not want to give too much away. I want others to read it and find out what is going to happen. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, a curveball was thrown my way. Something I love to experience when reading a psychological thriller and B.A. Paris came threw with a hard curveball this time around.
Secrets and Lies
So I just finished an emotionally trying book called The Light Between Oceans by M. L Stedman.
It is a novel set in Australia surrounding a married couple and their secret or as some may perceive it, their lie.
The story follows Tom Sherbourne and his wife Isabel. Tom is a World War I vet and Isabel is a native girl from Partaguese. Tom is employed to be light keeper on the island of Janus where Isabel later joins him after a short and odd, yet endearing courtship. They have to reside on the island 3 years at a time with supplies being brought out every six months. They are the only residents on this island. It would seem that whatever they do on the island would not have an effect on anyone not on the island but that is not the case.
After years of trying to have a child, 2 miscarriages and 1 stillborn, an infant is washed ashore in a boat with a dead man. Tom, being a man who follows the rules immediately knows that he must report this incident. What keeps him from doing so is the love he has for his wife. This act made me think about how far a person would go for a person they love even if they knew what they are doing is wrong. Isabel is recently mourning their stillborn child and thinks this baby has been sent to them by God as a gift for all of their suffering. She knows the rules just as Tom does but does everything in her power to keep him from reporting the incident.
They keep this secret for about 3 years, during this time, Tom starts to struggle with knowing what they are doing is wrong especially after finding out that the baby’s birth mother is still alive.
Not only have they lied to people who care about them, they are now withholding information from a grieving mother and her family. Isabel refuses to see that what they are doing is wrong. She wants to keep this baby for her own selfish reasons.
This secret, once out, nearly destroys everyone in its path. I definitely would recommend the novel for anyone who wants to read a good emotional drama. The ending just about threw me for a loop. I definitely have a book hangover after this one.
How long if at all would you have kept a secret like this? If married would you be able to be like Tom and turn a blind eye just so that your spouse would be happy? If you were Isabel would you expect for your spouse to keep this secret for you even if it means contributing to the hurt of an innocent person?
This is the second novel that I have read this year that surrounds a secret that is kept within a family. Although secrets are kept within families, the outcome of the truth is just as bad if not worse as the outcome of a secret kept between strangers. Once the truth is out, families are at risk for being destroyed to the point of no return.
I know firsthand how it can be. My parents kept my adoption from me for 21 years. Once I found out the truth, I was completely devastated and had to literally go thru a healing process. I know it seems that keeping the secret or holding onto the lie is better at the moment but in the end it can destroy more than what was set out to protect.
Reading books versus reading on social media
Lately I’ve found myself buying more books but reading less of them because I am constantly reading smut on social media. Who’s been offended by whom, what the latest “crisis” is that I should be upset about. Out of the 200+ plus “friends” that I have on Facebook, only about 5 of them post things that stimulate the sensors in my mind which other wise lay dormant while reading other posts. I have one friend, or maybe just a really good associate who goes incognito from time to time and I never really understood why until recently. I have decided that the amount of time I spend on social media I can use reading books and stimulating my mind. I can even spend time on this blogging venture. Reading books opens parts of my mind and even my soul that leave me wanting more. There is no better feeling than wanting to learn more and venturing out to do so.
Social media just doesn’t do it for me. I find myself wanting to take red pens to most of the statuses that I read and see on a daily basis. In fact, the other might I corrected my own family member after they stated their life has made a 360 and people were congratulating them on this. I was very appalled and I had to correct them. I nicely put “its 180, not 360.” Of course they liked my comment but I wonder if they really understood what I meant.
Reading is fundamental and it is the foundation to all other subjects. Reading and comprehending what you read can be life changing. It will open doors that you didn’t even realize existed. You can find a book on just about any subject there is. Reading books is also entertaining, even more so than social media.
With all this being said, I think that I too will take a break from social media once my son’s football season is over and dive into the many books I have on my reading list and try to make time to share my thoughts and feelings on them.
Happy reading, folks!
Lost and Found
Lost and Found
I just finished a book by pastor T.D Jakes’s daughter. On my new journey to becoming a better christian, it was definitely a plus that I read it. Too many times you find yourself wondering if God is really there, or if you are even worthy enough of His grace. It was good to read a story like hers. No matter what you do or go thru, you are not alone and yes you ARE worthy of his grace regardless of what people say or think about you. You are never going thru anything by yourself. God is always there even if you can’t or won’t acknowledge Him. Sometimes when you think you are running from Him, what you are actually doing is running right to Him without even realizing it. He is the greatest parent of all. It is never too late to seek Him and you are never too broken for Him to fix. These are things I know I will need to remember on my journey. It will jot be easy because something this good never is. But it will become easier the more I let my faith in Him grow. I will definitely have to purchase a copy of this book to add to my library because there were a few points I wanted to highlight so that I could reference them later. I am very glad that I decided to get this book from the library.
readerthenblogger.com 