#BookReviews: 5 #Stars for Each one!

Published on by balroop singh

Here are the latest books that I’ve read and reviewed. There are three more, which I would share in another post.

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Mae takes you along to Harbor Inn, creates a perfect aura to immerse in the mystery that she creates from page one, with her signature style – “The creaking, jostling carriage,” “dusk made darker” by the dense pine and cedars, “heavy mist of the pacific and the clop of hoofbeats reverberating,” the rope burn that gaped on either side of his neck and the pocket watch – such is the symbolic portal that opens the moment you start reading The Price of Atonement. It is not just the style of writing that would keep you hooked, the exquisite prose and the characters evoke many emotions that linger long after you’ve read the last page. Fast-paced and packed with action, the story keeps getting darker as it proceeds. I could empathize with Iona and Willie. Leviticus too becomes worth loving as the mysteries fall apart.

Why is Leviticus searching for a particular spirit? What is his connection with the ghost? Why does he want her to cross over to the other world, willingly? What is the guilt that has brought him to Harbor Pointe? If you are an assiduous reader, you’ll find many hints to guess the answers to these questions. Iona would shock you but the reactions of Leviticus  have been brilliantly described.

The Price of Atonement is much more than a mysterious story, it stirs human values that lie dormant within us till somebody ignites them. I finished reading it within a few hours, as I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.

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Dreamland by Patricia Furstenberg is a fascinating book – one of its kind, as it infuses new life into folklore and legends of the past. If you look at the mesmerizing cover of the book carefully, it conveys where it is going to transport you and how succinct the stories are. I’ve never heard the stories it tells, and therefore its charm doubled for me.

The stories speak about the art (cave paintings) that has survived wars, earthquakes and battles. Stories like ‘Ogling a Hen with Gold Eggs,’ Idyllic Edelweiss, Tough Luck at Lower Viseul have a magical appeal. Many legends from the regions of Romania come alive, and many of them tell how towns and villages got their names. Each story ends with a short piece of history to explain its significance. The prose is lyrical in many stories. There is poignancy, valor and discrimination embedded within the stories. It is a marvel how Furstenberg says so much within a 100 word story!

She seems to be a poet at heart. Her exotic style shines through such sentences:

“Spring’s shamrock changed its coat for a lustre-less pickle that turns to mulch through rainfalls.”

“Peaceful plains like a sleeping maiden naively awaiting the kiss of dawn’s brightest star.”

“Hope was a stern mistress.”

“Words whisper from a slab of red marble.”

“The mountain path like an emerald belt hugged the curves of Bargau Mountains whose tree-church sang of life and death.”

Patricia also shares beautiful pictures of the landscape, Romanian pottery, fortresses, churches and Banffy Castle. I enjoyed each moment of reading these stories.

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‘Three-Penny Memories’ is a powerful and poignant reflection on Leonhard’s life, her relationship with her mother and emotional upheavals that made her resilient.

Packed with emotions, most of the poems are about her mother’s Alzheimer’s but that takes her back to her encephalitis and she dwells on the weird connection with her mother’s condition. As a caregiver, she lays bare her struggle with the failing memory of her mother. Her dilemma – “I’m always torn. Mom or career? Mom or marriage? Mom or my own sanity?” A “doting daughter” who hangs onto the false hope that “mother will recover” evokes an uncanny kinship with the reader.

“Never a mother except to my own.” Just one phrase sums up the poet’s woes. The anguish of “my broken womb” continues to haunt her thoughts, resurfacing in many poems. Pain and guilt mingle to produce intense poetry that tugs at your heartstrings. 

While an ‘Ode to the Embryo’ wrenched my heart out, ‘An Unsanctioned Outing’ gave me goosebumps. It is brilliantly written with the metaphor of a bus. Leonhard’s love for her mother shines through ‘Mom’s Dreams’ and ‘The Phone of the Wind.’  What a befitting homage!

Some memorable phrases that stayed with me:

“Her memories linger as lint.”

“You shelter in my wound of wanting.”

Thank you! Happy reading!

Many thanks to all the readers who’ve read my latest release and shared their fabulous reviews of my poetry book –  Fusion – my latest release

33 thoughts on “#BookReviews: 5 #Stars for Each one!”

  3. Hi, Balroop. Many thanks for including your review of The Price of Atonement with these other amazing books and authors. I’m so delighted you enjoyed my story. Happy October, and congrats to Patricia and Barbara!

      1. I really appreciate hearing that, Balroop! I do work hard to roll out background a bit at a time, hopefully further hooking the reader with each small reveal 🙂 🤗

  5. Great reviews, Balroop. The Price of Atonement was great and definitely shows off Mae’s talent at writing a human story. I really liked Leviticus and the internal turmoil, not to mention the ghost story. Dreamland was so unusual, and I was also completely swept up in it. Thanks for introducing me to Barbara and her memoir. It sounds like a poignant read. Have a great weekend and Happy Reading.

    1. I agree Diana, the way Mae creates the conflict is marvelous! I stumbled across Barbara’s book on somebody’s blog – don’t remember now – but you know my love for poetry and I was drawn by it. I enjoyed it despite the somber mood of these poems. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, dear friend.

  6. Ah, Balroop, you made my day!
    I am ecstatic. Thank you for this precious shout-out for Dreamland.
    I have “The Price of Atonement’ on my TBR list, and the entire series to say the truth.
    I am interested now to read ‘Three-Penny Memories’ . A poetic memoir sounds divine.
    Congratulations to the authors for these wonderful reviews.

    1. I was transformed to a different land, Pat, and I enjoyed the journey through Dreamland. I admire your proficiency in collecting so much info about those places and putting it together. Thank you for joining in the fun of sharing, much appreciated.

  7. Great reviews, Balroop! I completely agree about Mae’s story and found a new read to add to my Kindle! Xo

  8. Balroop , thank you so much for reviewing my book, Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir. You really saw my truth. Your understanding of the traumas in my book warmed my heart. I’m most grateful.

  9. Pingback: Balroop Singh Reviewed “Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir” on Emotional Shadows – Extraordinary Sunshine Weaver

  10. Great reviews, Balroop! I have read The Price of Atonement and loved it. I haven’t read the others but I see a couple that I am drawn to, Thank you for sharing!

  14. Balroop, I adored your book. It brought me so much joy to engage with it. I’ve reviewed it but am only now posting it on my website to tell my audience about it. A bit late but here it is. It goes live tomorrow. I will share the link, (for tomorrow) so you can find it right away when you need it (after tomorrow). Thanks for writing this gem. I bless you and wish you miracles. https://selmamartin.com/a-book-review-poetry-thats-calming-and-restorative-for-the-soul/

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