Conversations with Mom: An Aging Baby
Boomer, in Need of an Elder, Writes to her Dead Mother
Betsy Robinson
(2011, soft-cover, $11, see www.betsyrobinson-writer.com
for more)
Shortly after turning sixty years old, having
endured three long years of unemployment, writer, editor and former
actress Betsy Robinson feels a need to talk with her deceased mother.
And so she does. This humorous, insightful and deeply touching book
chronicles Betsy's six weeks of letter writing to her mother and her
mother's responses in return. Though billed as a work of fiction,
Conversations with Mom seems infused with the spirit of Betsy's
playful, wise and irreverent mother shining through. Instantly
engaging, enjoyable and easy to read, the book is divided into short
chapters that reflect Betsy's growing concerns: 'worthiness and the
law of attraction,' 'love, limbo and pride,' 'age,' 'ceremony,'
'fear,' 'courage,' and 'the human condition.'
Reading this book in two short sittings, I
found myself both tearing up and laughing out loud each time. Although
the details come from Betsy's life, the problems, fears, family
dysfunction and desire for love apply to all of us. The writing is
funny, but heartfelt as well. Betsy takes us up and down and all
around our emotions, invoking some hard questions but, in the end,
what healing we discover!
This is a remarkable book by a gifted and
generous writer. I loved the authenticity in every page, the way humor
was so well balanced with sadness, guilt and longing. The ending in
particular made me both cry and smile. Highly recommended to anyone
looking to explore themselves at deeper levels through an intelligent,
witty and really great read.
~ Review by Keila Swan
Journeys
of the Mind: The Amazing Adventures of Ethel and Willy
Carol Edler Baumann
(2011, soft-cover, $16.95, see www.ethelandwilly.weebly.com
for more)
Ethel Matson is a sensible and pragmatic
semi-retired professor who relies on the rational in life. So, when
she starts having strange encounters that involve time travel, lucid
dreams and doppelgängers, Ethel is forced to face the outer edges of
her comfort zone. Luckily for Ethel, the mysterious yet ever-helpful
Willy always manages to show up. Though Ethel's husband suspects Willy
is imaginary, Willy proves to be a good friend to Ethel, offering
alternative explanations to her linear, limited way of thinking.
Together, Ethel and Willy do indeed journey into the mind - dancing
lightly on subconscious musings and pondering the deeper nature of
life, death and different forms of reality, while at the same time
solving mysteries, thwarting bank robbers and confounding pirates at
sea.
Author Carol Baumann links 27 adventures of
Ethel and Willy in this lively, amusing and thought-provoking
collection of short stories. While the author draws upon her
experiences as a retired professor and former deputy assistant at the
U.S. State Department, she pushes her readers into considering what is
real, what is imaginary, and what lies in-between. Because the stories
are interconnected, readers can enjoy watching character development
and, in particular, Ethel's opening to new ways of seeing the world.
In addition, the author relates many interesting tidbits - the
development of isolation tanks, the science of cryonics, the realm of
CIA operatives and 17th century German history. Wow! Each story offers
a fun read and an exuberant adventure written by a skilled and
challenging writer. Highly recommended!
~ Review by Keila Swan
Running
Red
Katie Halley
(2010, soft-cover, $14.95, see www.publicationconsultants.com
for more)
It's difficult to find a book that breaks down
genre stereotypes without sacrificing the details and ambiance of a
good story. It's equally hard to find one that utilizes lush prose
without constantly resorting to hyperbole. Alaskan author Katie Halley
creates an uncommon balance among these elements in her novel, Running
Red. Even longtime writers might find a challenge in maintaining an
adventurous story line set within an invented world. Halley does so
with flair, even while garnishing the tale with sly nods to equestrian
culture - an impressive feat, especially when considering she penned
this work at the age of twelve.
The story follows Annie, a precocious young
girl from Talkeetna, on her quest to rescue her missing younger sister
Louise. In the first chapter, the heroine finds herself transported to
a fantasy world via a stunning "mare...red like the desert
sun". Her journey unfolds against a captivating backdrop of
fairy-tale forests, dark caverns, Medieval-style villages, and icy
mountainsides. New friends present themselves along the way, including
a wizard's teenage daughter and a collective of magical horses.
Wraiths with changeling abilities are among the dark forces that
converge in an attempt to prevent young Annie from finding Louise.
As a reader, I only found two distractions in
the book: artifacts from the manuscript editing process were scattered
throughout, and the aberrant level of awareness and articulacy
displayed by the eight-year-old main character. Both these confusions
are easily dismissed, however, and pose no detraction to what is, in
this reviewer's opinion, a very solid book.
~ Review by Jordan Riggs
Keila Swan loves to read. She lives with
two dogs, two cats, several kids, one man and one goat near Talkeetna,
Alaska.
Jordan Riggs is a writer and
photographer residing in Chugiak, Alaska. She has studied journalism
at the University of Florida and University of Alaska Anchorage.
