Book Review: Vacancy (The Dust, #2) by Jann Alexander

Vacancy: Secrets and Second Chances in Small-Town Texas by Jann Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Secrets and second chances exact a price.

Vacancy is the second book in Jann Alexander’s West Texas-set women’s fiction series, The Dust, and in this novel two women at different points in their lives face tragedy and second chances, finding common ground in their losses. Keep a box of tissues at hand as these characters quickly wedge their way into your heart.

Helen McCabe, the middle-aged, widowed kindergarten teacher, is shocked by her husband’s sudden death, suffering the uncertainties and questions it prompts. In her grief, she becomes entangled in the life of one of her small students, a winsome, shy girl named Jillie, and concerns herself well beyond the boundaries she’d normally recognize. Charlene Simpson, Jillie’s mother, has been trapped in an abusive relationship with Jillie’s deadbeat, drunk of a father, and a new pregnancy is the last thing she needs. Not only is he in no position to welcome another child into her tenuous living situation, but her boyfriend, Ray, who didn’t want Jillie or Mick, his young teenage son from an earlier marriage, is going to take out his displeasure on her with his fists. Both women have drifted through their lives up to this point, and their conflict over Helen’s excessive interest in Jillie motivates both to seek a better way. A terrible accident reveals they have more in common than they ever thought.

Alexander’s characters are strong and vividly crafted, and their choices drive the plot. I was immediately drawn into these two women’s lives, waiting for the next shoe to drop because of the ominous foreshadowing from the beginning of the book. The descriptions of the struggling, dusty West Texas town of Hartless are cinematic, and the harsh extremes of the High Plains weather add another layer of challenge to everyone’s daily existence. The town’s name itself hints at what the besieged young single mother may find there when the dust settles.

I recommend VACANCY to readers of women’s fiction, especially those who want strong female protagonists and character-driven stories.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.

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Book Review: Cold Girls by Maxine Rae

Cold Girls by Maxine Rae
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A strong debut novel about friendship, loss, survival, and moving forward.

Cold Girls is the debut novel by Maxine Rae about the growth of a deep friendship between two young women and the aftermath when one is killed in an accident in which the other survives. Told in two converging timelines, before the accident and after, readers learn how the two became friends and the devastation the survivor endured later.

The story is presented from the viewpoint of the shy and introverted Rory Quinn-Morelli. Rory is the new girl at her preppy high school and feels completely out of place, not fitting in, while sticking out like a sore thumb. That is, until Liv happens. I liked how the author chose to let the friendship slowly evolve, taking time for the girls' common interests to come to light and then having those instances of recognition between the two that they were, indeed, kindred spirits. Everyone should have a person with whom they can be completely themselves and share interests, opinions, hopes, desires, and even their deepest, darkest secrets in safety and confidentiality. The loss of Liv shatters Rory, not only with grief over her death but with guilt over surviving.

Besides extreme sorrow and survivor's guilt, the book includes common teen activities and issues such as sex, drug use, drinking, college preparation, occasional strong language, and the changing relationship between teens and their parents. These topics and their inclusion in the story may make this young adult novel more suitable for the more mature readers in this age group. However, the developing friendship is amazing and wonderfully written, as are the heartbreaking scenes that follow the accident. I couldn't put this book down.

I recommend COLD GIRLS to the more mature readers of contemporary young adult fiction.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy through TBR and Beyond Book Tours.

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Children's Book Review - Spoons: A Family Story of Enduring Loss by J. Corn

Spoons: A Family Story of Enduring Loss by J. Corn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Colorful, simple, and comforting story about missing and remembering our loved ones who have passed on.

Spoons by J. Corn is a helpful children’s picture book about how we can gain comfort from loss by remembering our loved ones who have passed on before us. Grief, loss, and loneliness are natural feelings after the death of someone we love, but when missing them, remembering the good times with them and their special traits or talents or things that made them happy can lessen the pain of loss and make those reflections a positive and healing experience.

The author conveys these ideas through the whimsical story of the Spoon family whose Grandmother Spoon has died and becomes Grandmother “Angel” Spoon. Mom and the young Spoons miss her physical presence in their lives as they go about their day. But when they remember how she, too, enjoyed the same activities they were doing that day, they began to feel she was with them in spirit. The author color codes the lines of dialogue to the colors of the Spoon family members so readers can easily identify which of the Spoons are talking. This lovely picture book, with its simple message, would be a gentle way to open discussions with young children about the loss of someone in their lives.

I recommend SPOONS to families with young children who have recently experienced the loss of someone in their lives.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.


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Pop-Up Blog-Hop & Giveaway: "So Sorry for Your Loss" by Dina Gachman

 

“SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS”

by

Dina Gachman

Grief & Bereavement / Love & Loss / Parenting & Relationships

Publisher: Union Square & Co.

Page Count: 240 pages

Publication Date: April 11, 2023

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A heartfelt exploration about what it means to process grief, by a bestselling author and journalist whose experience with two devastating losses inspired her to bring comfort and understanding to others.

Since losing her mother to cancer in 2018 and her sister to alcoholism less than three years later, author and journalist Dina Gachman has dedicated herself to understanding what it means to grieve, healing after loss, and the ways we stay connected to those we miss. Through a mix of personal storytelling, reporting, and insight from experts and even moments of humor, Gachman gives readers a fresh take on grief and bereavement—whether the loss is a family member, beloved pet, or a romantic relationship. No one wants to join the grief club, since membership comes with zero perks, but So Sorry for Your Loss will make that initiation just a little less painful.

In the spirit of Elizabeth Kubler Ross books like On Grief and Grieving, or C.S. Lewis’s A Grief Observed, So Sorry for Your Loss is the perfect gift for someone who is grieving. With her blend of personal experiences, expert advice, and just a little bit of humor, Gachman has provided a compassionate and compelling resource for anyone looking for grief books.

PRAISE FOR SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS:

Gachman perceptively puts words to the uncomfortable realities of loss…and deconstructs its social myths, helping readers feel less alone. Those facing loss will find solace here.” —Publishers Weekly

“So Sorry for Your Loss is a monument to the work of remembering and a testament to the immutable love of family and the grief that forever changes us.” —Lauren Hough, New York Times bestselling author of Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing

“So Sorry for Your Loss is a meditation on loss that reminds us how to go on living.” —Deirdre Fagan, author of Find a Place for Me and The Grief Eaters

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Interview with Dina Gachman 

 You’re a Texan; how has being a Texan influenced your writing?

As a journalist, I love telling stories set in Texas and about the culture and people in the state. With the book, I guess my Texas roots come through in my point of view, and in the lessons I was raised with like “kill ‘em with kindness” or “don’t be a hateful Hannah,” which both found their way into the book. Do people say “don’t be a hateful Hannah” outside the state? I have no idea, but I know my mom and grandmother said it, and now it’s in my book.

Where did your love of books and writing come from?

I don’t remember a time that I didn’t love books, writing, and just letting my imagination run wild. I’ve never wanted to be anything but a writer, except for a brief period when I wanted to be an archeologist—but that was because of a book I read in fifth grade called Motel of the Mysteries, where the main character is a bumbling amateur archeologist. My parents, and especially my mom, nurtured my love of books and writing. They introduced me to my two favorite books of all time when I was in high school—my mom gave me Toni Morrison’s Beloved and my dad urged me to read Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove. Both of those books will forever be dear to me. I had never read anything as unique and piercing as Beloved, and I had never fallen in love with characters like McMurtry’s. I cried reading the last page of both those books, mainly because I was so devastated that the experience of reading them for the first time was coming to an end.

What kinds of writing do you do?

Besides writing my own books I do a lot of ghostwriting with celebrities, so that gives me freedom to write stories I care about and pitch ideas to magazines that I’m excited about. The ghostwriting is almost like my base salary, and then I can spend the rest of my time finding interesting stories to tell. I spent so many years waiting tables, writing blog posts for lamp stores, and copyediting tech news to make money, and it took a very long time to get to a place where I could actually say I’m a full-time writer. I hope I never take that for granted. I write for publications I love, like Texas Monthly, Texas Highways, the New York Times, and Teen Vogue, and I get to discover interesting subcultures, like women who race lawn mowers, or profile people like a “yucca whisperer” in West Texas. I love it. As a freelance journalist, you have to be constantly curious, and Texas has an endless supply of people and places to become curious about. 

What does your writing spot look like?

I have an office at home with a big, beautiful wood desk that my husband made for me in the garage. On the desk I have a lamp that my mom gave me years ago, with a letter that said she hoped I would write beautiful things under that lamplight, so how could I ever part with such a gift? Next to the lamp I have a framed photo of my sister Jackie. My mom and sister are gone, but those two things on my desk make me feel like they’re close. The office is full of books and photos and flowers that I love, and I face a big window that looks outside at some rose bushes and a big yucca. If my dog is getting too needy, I’ll leave my desk and sit on the couch and write so he can snuggle with me. Both spots are pretty magical.

Dina Gachman is a Pulitzer Center Grantee and a frequent contributor to the New York Times, Vox, Texas Monthly, and more. She’s a New York Times bestselling ghostwriter and the author of Brokenomics: 50 Ways to Live the Dream on a Dime. She lives near Austin, Texas, with her husband and son. Photo credit Jessica Comiskey.

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So Sorry for Your Loss

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