The Garden of Happy Endings by Barbara O'Neal

Spring is upon us and I can’t help but feel inspired by the lush greenery that surrounds me. I want to open up all the windows in my house and let the healing power of nature seep in. It’s always astounding how books seem to find you at the right time, the most appropriate time. This is what happened with Barbara O’Neal’s The Garden of Happy Endings. I picked it up randomly one night, drawn to it by the cover and title. It promised a certain happiness and calm that I couldn’t resist. The main character is Elsa Montgomery. A reverend of a small church in Seattle. Tragedy immediately envelopes Elsa and she’s forced to question her beliefs (or lack there of) in this moment of complete shock and horror. Distraught and despondent, Elsa returns to her hometown of Pueblo, Colorado. Her sister, Tamsin, is going through her own personal breakdown. Together they help rebuild each other’s lives through food, gardening and community involvement while searching for hope and happiness amidst the ruins.

There is an elegant quality to O’Neal’s writing that seems to transcend the genre she’s placed. Passages in The Garden of Happy Endings read like poetry. Images of the garden they are creating and the food that they produce evoke a visceral reaction in the reader. It is like watching spring unfold through the pages of a novel.

The themes of loss, regret, confusion, betrayal, fear and love are all emotions that we, as readers, can identify with and understand. The characters of Elsa, Tamsin, Father Jack and Deacon McCoy allow us to watch real people struggle to find both their place in the world and the happiness that they hope resides there.

I recently read an essay by O’Neal on Writer Unboxed where she detailed the need writers have for writing to answer their “central question.” The question that O’Neal wanted to answer with The Garden of Happy Endings eluded her at first. She ultimately understood the question to be about what happens when something gets in the way of your passion, of your inner drive, or your life choices. I think it’s interesting that O’Neal wrote about her desire to answer questions with her novels because I feel it is this quality that made The Garden of Happy Endings so rich with detail and the evolution of the characters’ lives.

This novel is vivid and honest. Hopeful and calming. Powerful and evocative. Subtle and charming. I devoured it and am now inspired to check out all of Barbara O’Neal’s earlier work.

Walking Back to Happiness

“You don’t have to stop loving the past to enjoy the rest of your life.”

Life and death. Love and honesty. Betrayal, fear, and jealousy are all at the heart of Lucy Dillon’s literary journey, Walking Back to Happiness. Juliet is a young widow who is turning her back on life. She finds solace retreating into her own private world, surrounded by memories of her husband, Ben. Overcome with grief, the only voyages Juliet takes beyond her front door is to walk Minton, her deceased husband’s loyal dog. Juliet’s mother encourages her to interact more with people and lovingly pushes her into starting a dog-walking business. While still very much mourning Ben, Juliet begins an innocent flirtation with the owner of a spaniel and gets pulled into the messy and chaotic folds of her neighbors’ lives.

The emotional component of this novel was very realistic and heartfelt. It was not a simple, “watch her get over the loss of her husband and move on to someone new” kind of book. It was very honest and often heart wrenching but ultimately hopeful and life affirming. Anyone who has had their life flipped upside down can relate and be inspired by this wonderful story of hope and survival amidst life’s worst curveballs.

Highly recommended read.

“Life’s not one long poem, Juliet. It’s a book with a series of chapters. You’re sad for awhile; then you turn the page and see what happens next.”

British Cover

Had to include the British version here to support my belief that British covers are just happier and more inviting. Thoughts?

Ernest Hemingway

In the February 1935 issue of ESQUIRE, Hemingway listed books he ”would rather read again for the first time [...] than have an assured income of a million dollars a year.” I found this gem at Lists of Note…my new favorite site!

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Far Away and Long Ago by W.H. Hudson

Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

A Sportsman’s Sketches by Ivan Turgenev

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Hail and Farewell by George Moore

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson

La Reine Margot by Alexandre Dumas

La Maison Tellier by Guy de Maupassant

Le Rouge et le Noir by Stendhal

La Chartreuse de Parme by Stendhal

Dubliners by James Joyce

Autobiographies by W.B. Yeats

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Check out more of Jenny’s hilarious writing at her blog, THE BLOGGESS. Here is one of my favorite posts.

That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor by Anne Sebba

Wallis Warfield Spencer Simpson is a hot commodity today. Madonna has a new movie coming out based on her, there is a new stage drama in London called The Last of the Duchess, and there is the upcoming novel Abdication by Juliet Nicolson that is a “breathtaking story inspired by a love affair that shook the world at a time when the world was on the brink of war.” (I will certainly be adding this title to my Books to Pine For list).  Is it any wonder why the Duchess of Windsor would be a subject of great fascination and intrigue? In THAT WOMAN, Sebba takes an in depth look at letters that portray the Duchess in a new and more detailed light.

If you are looking for a great love story, THAT WOMAN may not be your cup of tea. “Few who knew them well,” writes Sebba, “described what they shared as love.”

Read more about THAT WOMAN here.

Little Girl Gone by Drusilla Campbell

“We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face…we must do that which we think we cannot.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

The definition of courage is the power or quality of dealing with or facing danger, fear or pain. Millions of women face tremendous danger and fear daily. They are literally prisoners in their own lives, prisoners of domestic violence. It is easy to offer simple solutions when not facing these challenges personally. It is easy to say, “Get out!” or “Don’t stand for his harsh words,” or worse, his strong fists. But unless you are faced with the constant fear for survival it is impossible to pass judgment. In Drusilla Campbell’s Little Girl Gone (Grand Central Publishing, January 2012) we are introduced to a young woman trapped in an unhealthy relationship and forced to do things that are beyond comprehension. Unfortunately, oftentimes the abuser holds more power over their victim than just fear, they also represent safety and security. Psychology Today reports that any situation in which one partner is wielding power over the other can fall under the domestic violence umbrella. This is exactly the case for Madora and Willis. Willis saved her from an unhappy life and she feels indebted to him. Even when he kidnaps a homeless, pregnant teenager, Madora still follows along. She is as much a prisoner as the pregnant teenager.

Domestic violence can take many forms; physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse. The United States Office on Violence Against Women defines domestic violence as a “pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.” A recent survey of college students found that 43% of college women have experienced violence and abusive dating behaviors. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women. These are terrifying statistics and to those unfamiliar with abusive relationships, seem impossible. But statistics don’t lie. Reading a novel like Little Girl Gone allows readers to step inside this terrifying life and see for themselves the powerlessness that women feel. Stepping inside Madora’s life is both terrifying and inspiring. We route for her to find the strength and courage to free herself from the hands of Willis, from the isolation and terror he has created in her life. Campbell beautifully captures the raw and stark reality of Madora’s life while building tension and suspense towards a climactic ending. Little Girl Gone is a fantastic exploration into domestic violence and the power of courage in the face of tragedy.

Four of a Kind by Valerie Frankel

“A man’s growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I sat down to write this review in the same manner I write every review. I wanted to diplomatically describe the details of the book (something you can easily find on Amazon or Goodreads and therefore do not need me to repeat here). I was then going to give my impression of the book, where the author excelled, what was interesting about the plot, describe the challenges the four main characters faced in their lives (at home, at work, in love).  All of this would have been interesting and informative but it would also be stagnant. It would be run-of-the-mill. It would be something you could find in the hundreds of reviews online or in magazines and newspapers. It would be something you could find just by reading the book yourself. (Which I highly recommend you do!)

Instead, I want to do things a little differently. I want to explore the theme of this book and how it relates to life. Because isn’t that why we read fiction in the first place? To learn more about ourselves, to understand our lives, our hopes, dreams, fears, and failings?

Four of a Kind by Valerie Frankel (Ballantine Books, February 7, 2012) is a novel about FRIENDSHIP.

Friendship is crucial in life. It is an integral part of our happiness. Strong social ties are key to happiness. Gretchen Rubin in her book, The Happiness Project, routinely points out that “To be happy we have to feel strongly connected to other people.” She even has a post on her blog with 8 Tips for Making Friends. In that post she talks about how the “mere exposure effect” makes you like someone better. Basically, just by repeatedly seeing the same people, you will, in fact, like them better. Another tip she gives is to join a group. “Being part of a natural group, where you have common interest and are brought together automatically, is the easiest way to make friends.”

This is what happens in Valerie Frankel’s completely entertaining novel, Four of a Kind. Four women are brought together as part of a school diversity committee, each woman has a child in the same school. Ironically, the diversity committee is a very diverse group, women who would never be friends if not forced together. On a whim, the women end up playing a game of Texas Hold’em, but instead of money the currency is secrets. Secrets in their marriage, secrets with their careers, their children, their parents. Every woman has a secret in her life and even though she keeps them close to her heart and aches because of them, she is really just looking for the right person to tell.  When these secrets (and worries and fears and hopes) begin to come out, the women realize they are bonded more closely than they ever could have imagined. These women found each other and as a result have built honest, beautiful, complicated relationships.

Rachel Bertsche’s website and book, MWF Seeking BFF, was devoted to the challenge of finding friendship once you are no longer in structured, friend-building environments (school, offices, teams). Her message struck a chord. Why is it so hard to make friends as you get older? Studies constantly point out the health benefits behind having friends. For example, did you know that gossiping with friends can help lower stress? Friends give you an impartial outlet to vent your frustrations. They can listen to your complaints, offer advice and guidance and be the shoulder to cry on. They can also help you find joy and happiness in life. They get you out of your routine and can help you discover new aspects of yourself.

It is easy to isolate yourself, to retreat into your own world and shut people out. Women often feel competition and jealousy, even with their closest friends. They strive to have the most successful life; the best clothes, career, husband, children, vacations. Women can sometimes see that green-eyed monster lurking when a friend’s life seems to be sunnier than their own.  So in trying to prove that our lives are successful and that jealousy never crosses our mind we put on false fronts, fake faces. We live in a false sense of security with our hundreds of Facebook “friends.” But what about real, live interaction? An email message pales in comparison to lunch with a girlfriend.

By reading Four of a Kind you will find yourself longing to have the close friendships that evolve throughout the novel. You may not envy their struggles and fears, but you will rejoice in their successes and find yourself routing for all of them in the end.  When you turn the last page you will have an immediate urge to call your closest friends and organize a girls night out. I highly recommend you do this!

According to Deadline.com, 20th Century Fox has hired Karen McCullah & Kirsten Smith to adapt 29, the novel by Adena Halpern. John Davis is producing. The book is a high concept comedy about an elderly woman who wakes up in the body of her 29-year old self and finally has the chance to do things right. McCullah & Smith’s credits include Legally Blonde and The House Bunny. In addition to solo projects, they are scripting Love It Or Leave It for Chockstone Pictures, which they are producing with Seth Jaret and Steve Schwartz, Paula Mae Schwartz and Roger Schwartz. The scribes are repped by Paradigm and manager Seth Jaret.

Summary:

What if you closed your eyes, blew out the candles, and your wish came true?

Ellie Jerome is a young-at-heart seventy-five-year-old who feels she has more in common with her twenty-nine-year-old granddaughter, Lucy, than her fifty-five-year-old daughter, Barbara. Ellie’s done everything she can to stay young, and the last thing she wants is to celebrate another birthday. So when she finds herself confronted with a cake full of candles, Ellie wishes more than anything that she could be twenty-nine again, just for one day. But who expects a wish like that to come true?

29 is the story of three generations of women and how one magical day shakes up everything they know about each other. While Ellie finds that the life of a twenty-something is not as carefree as she expected, the sheer joy of being young again prompts her to consider living her life all over. Does she dare stay young for more than this day, even if it means leaving everyone she loves behind?

Fresh, funny, and delightful, 29 is an enchanting adventure about families, love, and the real lessons of youth.

150 Pounds by Kate Rockland

Summary:

A smartly-written novel of two women starting at opposite ends of the scale–and finding compromise and friendship in their journey towards 150 pounds In the fast paced life of blogging, two women stand out: Alexis Allbright, of Skinny Chick, and Shoshana Weiner, who writes Fat and Fabulous. Both have over five million loyal readers. Both are hungry for success. But the similarities stop there.

With over 100 pounds on the scale separating them, weight isn’t their only difference. Alexis is a loner who is so bitchy the only person who can stand her company is her gay best friend Billy. She gives neurotic New Yorkers a run for their money with her strict daily workout routine, and weighing of food. Shoshana is Alexis’s opposite. Living in Jersey with rowdy roommates, she is someone who “collects friends,” as her mother puts it; and treasures a life of expanding circles…and waistlines.

When both appear as panelists on a popular talk show, their lives intersect in ways neither could have imagined. In turns comedic, heartwarming–and familiar to any woman who’s ever stepped on a scale–Alexis and Shoshana realize they have far more in common than either could have possibly imagined, and more importantly, something to offer. (via Goodreads)

The journey of self-acceptance and comfort in your own skin is a life long one for many. Weight plays a key role in this journey and it can sometimes make the road ahead of you seem long, winding and filled with potholes. No matter how fit, confident and put together a woman appears, everyone has insecurities. Kate Rockland does something extraordinary with her novel 150 Pounds, she realistically gives readers hope. Hope that they can make their journey easier and more enjoyable by accepting themselves. Hope that one day they can stop caring about the extra pounds they’re caring around. Hope that they can appreciate themselves as is and love themselves, extra baggage and all.

Shoshana Weiner is a plus size writer for the blog Fat and Fabulous. Alexis Allbright is skinny, obsessed with working out and runs the site, Skinny Chick. Both girls meet at the start of the novel as guests on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Immediately pitted against each other, hurling insults and accusations, the girls are enemies out to prove that their lifestyle is the “right” way to live. But fate steps in and mixes things up.

Each chapter is told from either Shoshana or Alexis’s perspective and opens by documenting their current weight. Immediately I liked Shoshana better than Alexis. Alexis is uptight, self-obsessed and consumed with fat-burning and fitness. Her life is structured, scheduled and strict and no one is going to mess with the order she has created. Of course, life has other plans and soon a wrench is thrown in Alexis’s seemingly perfect life. We also discover some darkness in her past that has influenced her need for structure, perfection and control.

Shoshana, on the other hand, is leading a life filled with love and happiness. She has great friends, a great family and a confidence that you will find yourself envying. But even people who seem to have figured out the “big” issues in life still have lots to learn and discover. Shoshana has her own insecurities and her path is not an easy one either.

Rockland reminds me of Jennifer Weiner in her ability to accurately portray the plight of women and the emotional landscape we all face. There are similarities in all of our stories and struggles and Rockland perfectly captures that in 150 Pounds. Her writing is enjoyable, her plot is compelling and her novel is a must-read for women everywhere.