Tag Archives: mother and child

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

25 Friday Aug 2023

Posted by in Fiction, Humor

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Siblings Olga (a wedding planner) and Prieto (a politician) are lifelong New Yorkers navigating their careers and personal lives when they begin receiving messages from their mother, who left them years ago to return to Puerto Rico. Olga Dies Dreaming is both funny and serious, weaving the culture and history of Puerto Rico into a story about love and family.

“Vibrant and raw…Olga Dies Dreaming delivers a roller coaster’s worth of beautiful highs and lows. All told, it’s an experience worth savoring.” ―BookPage

“Liberation is at the heart of Olga Dies Dreaming. The story’s driving tension derives from questions of how to break free…The book’s title is an allusion to the poem “Puerto Rican Obituary,” by Pedro Pietri, which contains the lines “Olga / dies dreaming of a five dollar raise.” But Gonzalez’s Olga will not go meekly to such a fate. Sometimes we must free ourselves ― even from dreams.” ― New York Times Book Review

“Atmospheric, intelligent, and well informed: an impressive debut.” ―Kirkus, starred review

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When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

21 Wednesday Dec 2022

Posted by in fantasy, Fiction, Uncategorized, United States

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I loved this book.  Having grown up in the ‘50’s this book took me back to my childhood when I was trying to be the best I could be, but told to “let the boys win”.  Why did my mother wear high heels to vacuum?    Why one day did my father ask my mother to explain to me why I should stop playing neighborhood football with my buddies.  Rage, rage.rage….

“A deeply felt exploration of feminism in an alternate fantastical history…This allegory packs a punch.”—Publishers Weekly

“Completely fierce, unmistakably feminist, and subversively funny, When Women Were Dragons brings the heat to misogyny with glorious imagination and talon-sharp prose. Check the skies tonight—you might just see your mother.”—Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry

“A complex, heartfelt story about following your heart and opening your mind to new possibilities. This novel’s magic goes far beyond the dragons.” —Kirkus (starred review)

“Kelly Barnhill’s poetic, pointed tale tackles the era’s pervasive silence concerning all things female.”
—Christian Science Monitor

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Some Bright Morning, I’ll Fly Away: a memoir by Alice Anderson

10 Saturday Mar 2018

Posted by in Biography

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This woman’s story of her ordeal to escape her abusive, mentally ill husband knocked me over. She is amazing.

“Like blowtorching through silk, Alice Anderson’s alchemy is to turn the shattering pain of her life into poetry. Heartbreaking, terrifying, and shattering, Anderson’s powerful fight for her kids and her own safety becomes a story of breathtaking redemption and yes, beauty.” -Caroline Leavitt, bestselling author of Cruel Beautiful World

 “Anderson is a gifted writer who vividly describes both settings and emotions. Her powerful story gives voice and hope to women caught in similarly terrible conditions.” –Booklist (starred review)

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Lilli de Jong by Janet Benton

15 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by in Fiction, Historical Fiction

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Set in Pennsylvania in the 1880’s, Lilli de Jong  is the story of a sincere and innocent young Quaker woman who does everything she can to keep her out-of-wedlock child.   Janet Benton is a first-time author, writes in a style reminiscent of Geraldine Brooks and seamlessly weaves accurate historical details into her powerful and elegant prose.

“Janet Benton’s remarkable novel Lilli de Jong is historical fiction that transcends the genre and recalls a past world so thoroughly that it breathes upon the page. From the first sentence, Lilli’s sensitive, observant, determined voice casts an irresistible spell. Benton combines rich, carefully researched detail with an imaginative boldness that is a joy to behold—though reader, be warned: Lilli’s story may break your heart.”
—Valerie Martin, author of The Ghost of the Mary Celeste

“A heartrending debut . . . Benton’s exacting research fuels Lilli’s passionate, authentic voice that is ‘as strong as a hand on a drum . . . that pounds its urgent messages across a distance’ . . . Lilli’s inspiring power and touching determination are timeless.”
—Publishers Weekly

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