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Author du Jour: Mark Noce

09/22/201609/22/2016 by Frederic Colier

“Between Two Fires”
by Mark Noce
Thomas Dunne Books
($25.99, 327 pages)

This book will appeal to the fans of Game of Thrones. Here, the story of “Between Two Fires” takes place in 597 when Saxon Barbarians are about to destroy medieval Wales. So what? you may say. Just another fictionalized slice of history. But the reason the book made it to Author du Jour page lies in the strength of its main character, Lady Branwen. We are miles away from giants with inflated biceps performing miraculous acts. Noce has drawn a fine character. She is a young woman in a world of fierce warriors, reminding me very much of Boudica when she organized her uprising against the Romans. Branwen is courageous and determined, which always makes for captivating hero. Lady Branwen seeks unity to push back the enemy, but the trajectory get skewed when she falls for a man she cannot have, opening a good emotional dilemma. She sees herself forced to choose between her people, her nation, and the man she loves . . .

Author du Jour: Catherine Ryan Hyde

09/20/2016 by Frederic Colier

“Leaving Blyhe River” by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Lake Union
($14.95, 314 pages)

You may not remember who C. R. Hyde is, but suffices to tell you that she is the author of “Pay it Forward,” which was adapted later into a film with Kevin Spacey, for you to say “of course.” This new story takes place in the Blythe River National Wilderness, which I discovered is located in California.

There, a young teenager, Ethan, goes looking for his missing father, after he disappeared from his cabin, and rangers decided to abandon their rescue mission to find him. Totally unprepared, Ethan ventures nonetheless into the wilderness and quickly learn the roughness of nature: the punishing sun, the swirling rapids, and the strength and resilience derived from pushing oneself past one’s limits . . . but the story is not an exploration of one’s courage in the face of adversity, but rather a true confrontation regarding forgiveness, as Ethan must decide whether or not his father is worth to be saved at all. From from being a walk in the park, “Leaving Blythe River” meanders with splendor through nature’s brutality.

Author du Jour: Leigh Stein

09/19/2016 by Frederic Colier

“Land of Enchantment” by Leigh Stein
Penguin Random House
($22.00, 212 pages)

Set in the New Mexico, “Land of Enchantment,” is a riveting coming-of-age memoir about young love and its impact. The story opens with the author receiving a phone call from her brother to tell that her ex-boyfriend, Jason, has been killed in road accident. Jason’s death causes our protagonist to recall the difficult life they shared together and forces her to contemplate tough questions while grieving. How is it possible to fall in love with someone who causes so much pain? Why is it so hard to walk away from this type of love? How can love be so destructive? The engaging memoir traces the psychological evolution of an abusive relationship, while raising larger issues. Why are the women who step forward so often shamed and bullied?

Author du Jour: Ross King

09/16/201609/16/2016 by Frederic Colier

“Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies,” by Ross King
Bloomsbury
($30.00, 404 pages)

You may ask yourself why, as the title reveals, do we need another book, or rather a biography about Claude Monet, the painter, when there have been countless renditions. But to Ross King’s credit, his differs from the others. For a start, King’s research focuses mainly on the last 15 years of the painter’s life, just before WWI, when the artist, already in his 70s, saw no reason to keep on painting. He had lost his wife and eldest son. Crippling cataracts severely impaired his craft, and he suffered from nagging anxiety and depression, further aggravated by the arrival of new artistic painting sensibilities, cubist and Dadaist.

When most of us would have tossed the brushes aside, Monet decided to start painting again but on a giant scale, producing the colossal legendary paintings from his garden of Giverny. An incredible story strewn with friendships, notably Clémenceau’s, gives this book, which reads like a detective novel, full of intrigues, a welcome denouement.

Author du Jour: M. J. Pullen

09/14/2016 by Frederic Colier

“Regrets Only,” by M.J. Pullen (Thomas Dunne Books, p 322, $24.99)

Following her success with The Marriage Pact (2015) M.J. Pullen delivers the second installment of her engaging new series about a group of thirty-something in Atlanta. This time, the event takes place several years later. This coming of age story centers on Suzanne Hamilton, a young professional woman who has it all: the great career as an event planner, a rich social life, a trendy condo in the best neighborhood, and men forming a line outside her front door stretching to the street corner.

The story is no caricature however. Even though it starts on a high note, things quickly turn sour. After a freak accident, she loses pretty much all of it. This is when the novel kicks into high gear and finds its voice. Because the early thirty is really a time of readjustment. When coveted dreams end up in tattered, the nature of the dreams must be realigned to fresh perspectives. Often things we moan about or leave behind in grief are just step towards way better things.

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