Tag: Book Reviews

Book review: ‘Death of a Messenger’ by Robert McCaw

‘Death of a Messenger’ is Robert McCaw’s new Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery novel. Photo: amazon

Robert McCaw is an author who grew up in a military family traveling the world. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, served as a U.S. Army lieutenant, and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia. He was a partner in a major international law firm in Washington, D.C. and New York City, representing major Wall Street clients in complex civil and criminal cases. Having lived on the Big Island of Hawaii, McCaw fills his writing of the Islands with his more than 20-year love affair with this Pacific paradise. His new book “Death of a Messenger,” is a prequel and follows “Fire and Vengeance” and “Off the Grid” in McCaw’s Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery Series. In this new mystery, after an anonymous 911 caller reports a body at Pōhakuloa, the Army’s live-fire training area, Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kāne, a cop with his own secret criminal past, finds a mutilated corpse bearing all the hallmarks of ancient ritual sacrifice.

“Death of a Messenger” begins as Detective Koa Kāne is aboard an Army helicopter heading towards a crime scene that will haunt him throughout his investigation. Not only does he have another murder to solve, but he is also constantly troubled by a pinched nerve in his neck and no matter where he goes, he has sporadic jolts of pain that only add to his misery. Regardless, he is excited at the prospect of another mystery to solve and this one occurs in an Army live training area between two of the five volcanoes that form the Big Island of Hawaii. There, he finds a mutilated corpse just inside a lava tube and it has all the signs of a ritualistic killing. It might also be an archeological site because the site contains a stone tool, an old fire ring, and some stone chips so Kāne consults with a local archeology expert, Jimmy Hikorea. He is off-putting and rude, but he knows his material and keeps Kāne on his toes and proves to be useful in the investigation. Solving this murder will not be easy due to constant obstacles in Kāne’s way including an incompetent medical examiner, hostility from both Westerners and Hawaiian sovereignty advocates, and one lie after another. The victim turns out to be Keneke Nakano, an astronomer who worked at the local observatory and his death is linked to grave robbing and antiquities theft.

Detective Koa Kāne is back in full force in this prequel to the Koa Kāne Hawaiian Mystery series. Even though it is Robert McCaw’s newest novel, it is considered a prequel but still a stand-alone novel, like the rest of the series. This highly riveting police procedural mystery has everything: relatable characters, Hawaiian terms and language, all explained, as well as interesting history that involves the murder case. It is easy to read and though the action starts out slow, it picks up, especially at the end when Kāne is pursing the suspects. The author’s love of Hawaii is evident in his writing and through beautiful poetic language, shares that love with his readers: “The giant eyes peered deep into space and backward in time to a younger and more violent universe.” Koa Kāne is a deeply flawed character. He has physical pains and is fighting his own personal demons because he is still being haunted by the fact that he got away with killing a man. Others see him as a brilliant Detective who solves crimes, but in his mind, this case is only a small redemption. According to him, “he had much left to do before, if ever, he deserved to be hanohano [honorable].” The plot twists keep the reader guessing until the shocking end. Hopefully, there will be more Koa Kāne mysteries to come. “Death of a Messenger,” a noteworthy murder mystery that showcases both the beauty and dark side of Hawaii, is recommended for fans of the genre who also appreciate learning about Hawaii’s history and archaeology.

“Later, the two of them walked out of the observatory into perhaps the most stunning sunset in Koa’s memory. Far off to the west, trails of vaporous mist played eerily over the deeply shadowed valley where night had already fallen between the Hawaiian mountains….Hues of red, orange, yellow, and pink glorified the darkening sky. No edges separated the colors. A continuum of subtle shades simply slid softly together in the ever-shifting light of the dying day.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

 

Book review: ‘Primal Calling’ by Barry Eisenberg

‘Primal Calling’ is Barry Eisenberg’s debut novel about a young man searching for his father. Photo: google

Barry Eisenberg is an associate professor of health care management in the School for Graduate Studies at the State University of New York Empire State College, a health care management consultant, and a former hospital administrator. During the years he has spent in health care, he has met a wide variety of people who have inspired him and helped him to understand how caring and courageous some can be.  Most of his writing has been fiction, with a focus on the future of health care and higher education. “Primal Calling” is his first novel and centers around Jack, a twenty-year old whose search for his father becomes an all-consuming mission.

“Primal Calling” begins as Jack is finishing another day of college. As he drives out of the parking lot, a mysterious car follows him out and the man and woman force him into their car. When Jack questions their motive they tell him that they are taking him to meet his father. From there, the action goes back in time to Jack’s life with his mother Linda. He discovers the truth about his father one day when he is home sick from school and, because he is feeling better but bored, he is rummaging through the attic and finds his birth certificate. Curiosity gets the better of him and he uncovers his father’s name. This goes against what his mother always told him, that his father was an anonymous donor because she claims she was artificially inseminated. Rather than tell his mother and risk her stopping him from digging deeper, he continues on his own. All his probing triggers an FBI alert and it turns out his father, whose real name is Stewart Jacobson, works for the government and has different identities to protect his work and life. Jack persists in his search even though he runs into one obstacle after another. In the end, he gets to know his father and Linda reconnects with Stewart since he never knew he has a son. To protect Stewart, his employer fakes his death and he is given a new identity, but Jack and Linda remain a part of his life.

It is hard to pin down what genre of book “Primal Calling” is because it has touches of everything: a coming-of-age story because in the process of finding his father, Jack finds himself; a love story because of the budding romance between Jack and Cathy, the young lady who is helping him in his search; and an international spy thriller when Stewart’s job is the focus, including a suicide bomber plot twist. In all cases, it is an intriguing debut novel by Barry Eisenberg that has potential for becoming a series. The character development is extensive, so they become familiar and relatable without an obvious villain standing out. In an interesting plot development, before Abdel, Rafiq’s son, who is Stewart’s ally, blows himself up along with others, the reader gets to know the victims. Their description begins with “He never looked at the faces of the people near him.” This is important because it reinforces the fact that actions have consequences, affecting other people who have their own lives and that they are not just objects: “The cafeteria became a cathedral to blood, smoke, death, and chaos. Body parts were strewn about in a catastrophic human mauling.” The language level begins as intermediate: “There was no shortage of pursuits to which his interest could be applied, and, in the meantime, he vowed to savor this indoctrination into the next stage of his life” but becomes easier halfway through, which helps the pacing of the story. It also has its poetic moments: “Trees were frosted with ice, its weight tugging at the branches, creating a vastness of luminescent archways.” A one-of-a-kind novel, “Primal Calling” is recommended for fans of mysteries that are wrapped up in family drama with a touch of international spy intrigue.

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Book review: ‘Being Boss’ by Kathleen Shannon and Emily Thompson

‘Being Boss’ by Kathleen Shannon and Emily Thompson. Photo: amazon

Kathleen Shannon and Emily Thompson are self-proclaimed “business besties” and hosts of the top-ranked podcast Being Boss, where they talk shop and share their combined expertise with other creative entrepreneurs. In 2009, Emily Thompson founded Indie Shopography, a design and strategy studio for online entrepreneurs. She has worked to help makers, coaches, and designers develop an online business model, strategize, and launch websites, and grow their online business. Kathleen Shannon is the founder of Braid Creative and Consulting, a boutique branding agency and consultancy she co-owns with her sister. Together they have helped thousands of creative entrepreneurs authentically brand and position themselves as creative experts. Kathleen also does creative coaching and is regularly invited to speak on personal branding at design conferences and retreats. Their book “Being Boss: Take Control of Your Work & Live Life On Your Own Terms” is an interactive self-help guide for creative entrepreneurs where they share their best tools and tactics on “being boss” in both business and life.

“Being Boss” begins with the Introduction where the authors describe that their goal in writing this book is to help readers reach their business goals of being an entrepreneur: “We’re here to share our own experience, advice, stories, tactics, and to-dos that will help you make money doing what you love while being who you are 100 percent of the time in work and life.” They do this by sharing stories and tips along with quotes, excerpts and Q&As from experts in the business field. There are exercises, worksheets to fill out such as “Your Dream Day,” “A Tea Ritual,” and “Monthly Income Goals” all meant to help readers and aspiring bosses “dig deep, dream big, and take action.” It is divided into six chapters: Chapter 1: What It Means To Be Boss, Chapter 2: Boss Mindset, Chapter 3: Establishing Boss Boundaries, Chapter 4: Habits and Routines, Chapter 5: Do the Work, and Chapter 6: Live Your Life.

The subject of business and entrepreneurship can be tedious, but in this case, the authors make it easy to understand and follow without using complicated terms. It is a business book for the average person who wishes to get a better sense of what it takes to be a successful business owner. Even for non-entrepreneurs, it has tips and advice on how to be more productive, especially Chapter 4: Habits and Routines. These include taking care of yourself, listening to your body, and being kind to yourself with the overall idea that it is important to have a proper work/life balance.  Highlight is Chapter 5: Do the Work that covers personal branding, a simple business plan, finding your voice, and the importance of being consistent in your business. It is not a book on how to launch your own business, instead, it shows readers how to get in the “boss” mindset to be able to create success, deal with failures, and “take responsibility for creating the life you want to live.” Far from being an intimidating business book, it has inspirational quotes, personal stories, and advice and tips anyone can use. “Being Boss” is an excellent reference guide and is recommended for readers who appreciate advice on how to create a more meaningful work/life experience.

“The core of the boss mindset is your values and your intentions. When your values and intentions are aligned, your work and life will feel efficient, effective, and meaningful.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Book review: ‘Greatest Love’ by Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha

‘Greatest Love’ by Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha with Master Maya Mackie.

Dr. and Master Zhi Gang Sha is a world-renowned healer, Tao Grandmaster, philanthropist, humanitarian, creator of Tao Calligraphy and an eleven-time The New York Times bestselling author.  In 2016 Master Sha received rare and prestigious appointments as Shu Fa Jia (National Chinese Calligrapher Master) and Yan Jiu Yuan (Honorable Researcher Professor), the highest titles a Chinese calligrapher can receive, by the State Ethnic of Academy of Painting in China.  A Master Teacher personally trained by Master Sha, Master Maya Mackie is dedicated to empowering humanity.  As one of the top trainers at the Tao Academy, Master Maya teaches people how to apply soul power to every aspect of life, including health, relationships, finances, business, pets, and more.  In “Greatest Love: Unblock Your Life in 30 Minutes a Day with the Power of Unconditional Love,” they show readers how to use unconditional love to receive blessings and melt all blockages to enrichen their lives.

“Greatest Love” begins with an Introduction that explains the purpose of the book: “to share with you sacred wisdom and powerful yet simple practices that can empower you to help your loved ones, humanity, and Mother Earth through this challenging period of time.”  These include simple ancient techniques such as chanting powerful mantras and revolutionary new techniques using Tao Source Calligraphies to empower readers to enhance and transform all life. Chapter 1 defines greatest love as unlimited and unconditional.  The top ten qualifies of this love are ‘greatest’: love, forgiveness, compassion, light, humility, harmony, flourishing, gratitude, service, and enlightenment. Chapters include: The Power and Significance of Greatest Love (Da Ai), What is Tao Source Calligraphy?, Apply Tao Source Calligraphy to Enrich and Bless Your Life, and Chant and Trace Tao Calligraphy to Serve Humanity and Mother Earth.

One school of thought states that we create our own karma, whether good or bad, depending on our actions. “Greatest Love” makes that point when describing “Shen,” which includes the soul, heart, and mind, which can become polluted or blocked. Simply put, bad karma blocks the soul, good karma unblocks it: “Karma is the root cause of success and failure in every aspect of life.” This is the underlying message that the authors successfully are putting out there and the exercises, chants and meditation techniques all strive to help create good karma and positive flow to help readers change their lives.  It is a small book, made to be carried everywhere as a source of constant enrichment. The language is simple to understand and whenever necessary, the terms and practices used are defined, since it references spiritualism and Taoist philosophy. “Greatest Love” contains positive messages of self-healing and improvement and is recommended for readers who appreciate alternative methods of self-help and spiritual guidance.

“Currently, Heaven and human beings are not joined as one. They are not in alignment. We believe this is why we are seeing so many natural disasters, economic and political challenges, war, diseases, and more.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Book review: ‘Act of Revenge’ by John Bishop, M.D.

‘Act of Revenge’ is the third book in the Doc Brady series. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

John Bishop M.D. is an orthopedic surgeon, keyboard musician and author of the beloved Doc Brady mystery series. The series includes “Act of Murder,” “Act of Deception,” “Act of Revenge,” “Act of Negligence,” “Act of Fate” and “Act of Atonement.” Jim Bob Brady, the protagonist, is an accomplished orthopedic surgeon with a talent for solving medical mysteries who also moonlights as a blues musician. The series is set in the 1990s and features Houston and Galveston locales. In “Act of Revenge,” Jim Bob Brady is once again helping in an investigation, this time in regards to Lou Edwards, one of his colleagues, who is the prime suspect in the murder of Paul Thompson, the CEO of an insurance company.

In “Act of Revenge,” Doc Brady and his wife Mary Louise are in Colorado for a combined continuing education conference and ski getaway when he crashes into another skier. That skier turns out to be Lou Edwards, a plastic surgeon from Houston and a colleague of Jim Bob Brady. Once back in Texas, Lou has knee surgery and while he is in the hospital, Mary Louise spends time with Mimi, Lou’s wife.  As it turns out, Mimi has lupus along with other health issues brought on by leakage of her breast implants, which were inserted by Lou.  Lou is being sued multiple times for other faulty silicone breast implants and because of that, his medical malpractice insurance has been cancelled.  Days later, he shows up at a protest downtown at the office of that insurance company and while being interviewed, he threatens Paul Thompson live on the air.  Later that same day, Paul is found murdered in his luxury penthouse and Lou, being the main suspect, disappears. Since he has successfully helped before, Jim Bob is brought into the investigation and with the help of his son J.J., he follows the paper trail to uncover the real killer.

In “Act of Revenge,” John Bishop M.D. once again takes his real-life knowledge as an orthopedic surgeon to give his writing an authentic voice even though the medical aspect of the story is not the mystery. Jim Bob Brady is once more lured into an investigation that puts him in the crosshairs and this time he is trying to find out who killed Paul Thompson. He is almost run off the road: “As I slammed on the brake and ducked down into the seat, the sound of a sonic explosion, followed by shattering glass, deafened me” and towards the end, he is held captive at gunpoint. Descriptions of the author’s native Texas are spot on, especially Houston and the characters are familiar, believable, and relatable. Except for the sections explaining plastic surgery and medical insurance, it is an easy read and the story is entertaining and light-hearted. The language is poetic at times: “The evening was spectacular, an unusually clear, starlit night with a half-moon shining through the cloudless sky” and acts as a transition between the dialogue. The extensive backstory on Felicia Edwards (Lou Edwards’ daughter) and Annie Harrison makes it seem it seem like revenge was a motive in Paul’s murder so the plot twist at the end came as a surprise. Even though this is the third in the Doc Brady series, it stands perfectly fine on its own and should not dissuade readers who have not read the previous books. A definite page-turner, “Act of Revenge” is a must-read for fans of murder mysteries who appreciate the intricacies of the medical profession as background and want to learn more about the different types of plastic surgeries.

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Book review: ‘Dying With Ease’ by Jeff Spiess, M.D.

‘Dying With Ease’ by Jeff Spies, M.D. Photo: amazon

Jeff Spiess, M.D. has spent his medical career caring for those facing serious illness and death, first as an oncologist, then as a hospice physician.  He is ‘mostly’ retired as associate medical director of Hospice of the Western Reserve and has been recognized as a leader in his field. Believing that death may be inevitable but fearing the end-of-life is avoidable, in his new book “Dying With Ease: A Compassionate Guide for Making Wiser End-of-Life Decisions,” he gives readers thorough information about advance care planning, hospice, palliative care, and ethical and legal issues surrounding dying in America to help them learn how to put their fear of their final days to rest.

“Dying With Ease” begins with an Introduction where Jeff Spiess recounts the life of Socrates and how in his “seventy years of his life, he had killed no one, betrayed no one, robbed no one, lied to no one, yet he faced capital punishment.” His crime? In short, corrupting the youth by failing to adhere to the religious norms of the day because he admitted that death is a mystery – that one one knows what it is all about.  After years of caring for terminally ill patients, the biggest lesson the author learned is that just like his patients, he will also one day die. Most Americans fail to accept death because conversations and decisions about the end-of-life topic are “unknown territory.” He quotes surgeon Atul Gawande, who in his book “Being Mortal,” writes “Death may be the enemy, but it is also the natural order of things.” Spiess’ focus is to present death as a personal process that everyone will experience eventually.  The book is divided into nine chapters, including, among others, Dying in America, Suffering, and Envisioning Your Own Death.  At the end, there are Notes and a Bibliography as well as a Discussion Questions section, by chapter, to help readers reflect on what they just read. For the braver ones, Chapter 7 contains a guided exercise to help them get an idea of what it may feel like to die; it may be too emotional for some. His hope is for everyone “to become more informed and at peace regarding your own dying.”

While most people agree that death is an inevitable part of life, not everyone has seriously thought about it, much less planned for it.  It is a scary thought, but in “Dying With Ease,” Jeff Spiess attempts to arm readers with what they need to know about death, dying, and how to adequately prepare to lessen the pain and grief for themselves and for those who will be left behind.  He successfully does this by using language that is easy to understand, the exception being Chapter 3: Hospice, but the material it contains is invaluable.  The book is not too long and can easily be read within a couple of days and is also useful as a future reference guide. Some of the details of the case studies presented (like the infamous Terri Schiavo case) are heartbreaking but overall, it is a balanced work that includes examples of people who experienced death as well information on how to choose a hospice, religious/spiritual/cultural views regarding death and dying and what documents to have in place to prepare for the inevitable. Highlights include the three basic anxieties surrounding death: fear of what dying will be like, fear of loss and fear of the unknown; and Chapter 2: I’m Going to Die? What Can I Do? – an eye-opening account of what to expect when your health declines and how to plan for it. Chapter 4: Suffering contains options for how to deal with unbearable suffering: increased treatment intensity, palliative sedation, and voluntary shortening life, which includes Medical Aid in Dying. This highly practical guide is recommended for readers who appreciate a perspective on death from someone who has seen his share and therefore has the resources and credibility to educate others on the subject.

“…for the highest likelihood of your wishes being carried out, you should not only execute advance directive documents but also communicate their presence, location, and content to your family and friends, and care providers. A living will form lying in a file drawer with your other estate documents might get noticed, but most likely only when you are dead, and then it is too late.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Book review: ‘No One Will Hear Your Screams’ by Thomas O’Callaghan

‘No One Will Hear Your Screams’ by Thomas O’Callaghan is the third in the John Driscoll series.

New York City native and graduate of Richmond College, internationally acclaimed author Thomas O’Callaghan is a member of both the Mystery Writers of America and the International Thriller Writers associations. His work has been translated for publication in Germany, Slovakia, Indonesia, the Czech Republic, China and Italy. “Bone Thief,” his debut novel, introduces NYPD Homicide Commander Lieutenant John W. Driscoll. “The Screaming Room,” is the second in the John Driscoll series and the third, “No One Will Hear Your Screams” was released on May 9, 2020.  In “No One Will Hear Your Screams,” Lt. John Driscoll is on the case involving a sociopathic killer who is on the loose and murdering prostitutes in New York City.

“No One Will Hear Your Screams” is set in the dark and violent streets of New York City and begins as a woman helplessly calls out for help when she realizes that she is being held captive.  Her head, wrists and ankles are bound with rope and when she lets out a “bestial scream,” there are only trees outside her grave, but they are “deaf to her howling. Indifferent to her plight.” That is where the book’s title comes into play and the serial killer, only known as Tilden, keeps killing prostitutes, embalming them alive. He claims to have been sexually abused as a child by this mother’s john, but that is only one of the reasons why he focuses on prostitutes; he is also viciously attacked by one in the present . Lieutenant Driscoll, together with Sergeant Margaret Aligante and Detective Cedric Thomlinson, who each have their own issues to deal with, team up to stop the killings and bring Tilden to justice.  They stop the killings, but justice evades them because Tilden gets away too easily. He is taken down by ‘suicide by cop’ and does not get his due punishment.  Even though they stop the killings, “The Lieutenant knew the public sighs of relief would be temporary because evil always metastases. So, closure eluded him.” He will always be haunted by his inadequacies to stop evil in general. It ends with Driscoll’s final thoughts on the matter:  “Would he ever find reconciliation? He doubted he would.”

The most interesting characters are those who are flawed but still manage to help others.  In “No One Will Hear Your Screams,” every character is damaged or flawed in some way, but the detectives are still out there, catching the bad guys. They might be temporarily distracted, but they have a goal, something to keep them grounded. In Driscoll’s case, he had a rough childhood and is still haunted by the loss of his wife and daughter on a regular basis and that is what makes him relatable. The third person point of view narrative gives the reader an insight into the characters’ minds.  This is especially true with Tilden, who just before he is shot down, ponders: “If this was the end, and it appeared it was, he’d go out in a blast.”  Aided by short chapters, the dialogue driven-action is fast paced and captivating.  The character development is excellent all around, including Tilden’s traumatic childhood experiences, particularly in Catholic school, which is what partially fuels his violent tendencies.  With descriptive language such as: “Tilden moaned as shards of metal bored through his lungs, ripped tears through his tendons, lacerated muscle, sliced thorough viscera, shattered bone,” it is easy to envision the goriest parts. Because of this, it is not for the squeamish, since some of the details are too graphic, especially his last victim, whom he intended to consume. Even though it is disappointing that the last victim was not saved in time, “No One Will Hear Your Screams” is an impressive work of crime fiction and is recommended for readers who appreciate the hauntingly darker side of storytelling.

“The relevance, Cedric, is in the motive.  The ex-soldier confronts and kills his brother’s tormentors. Remember, nothing fuels murderous tenacity like revenge.” – NYPD Homicide Commander Lieutenant John W. Driscoll

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Book review: ‘Someone to Watch Over’ by William Schreiber

‘Someone to Watch Over’ is William Schreiber’s new novel. Photo: amazon

William Schreiber is an author and screenwriter who earned the 2019 Rising Star Award from the Women’s Fiction Writers Association for his novel “Someone to Watch Over.” The book was adapted from his original screenplay, which has won or been nominated for many competition awards, including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ prestigious Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting, as well as numerous Best Screenplay awards at film festivals throughout the country. A life-affirming story about faith in second chances, “Someone to Watch Over” is the multi-generational story about Eleanor “Lennie” Riley’s quest to find her only child, secretly taken from her by a powerful family two decades ago; a journey that leads to a string of mysterious encounters in the Appalachian Mountains. It was inspired by the unexpected death of William’s father and his family asking him to write and deliver his eulogy.

“Someone to Watch Over” begins as Eleanor Grace Riley, aka Lennie, is returning to Mosely, Tennessee hoping to reconcile with her aging father and learn from him the fate of the now-grown child he forced her to give up as a teenager. She had a difficult childhood right from the start; her mother dies delivering her and at seventeen she leaves town with a terrible secret about her teenage pregnancy.  Before she has a chance to make contact with her father, her brother John informs her that he has died. Crushed, but nevertheless determined, Lennie sets out to find answers on her own.  After she learns about guardakin angels in a distant corner of the Appalachian Mountains who can connect deceased parents with their children, it renews her hope of finding her child. John has planned a road trip to recreate one of their father’s vacations when they were kids as a way to remember him but Lennie only sees the trip as a way to find a guardakin angel. John comes across as aloof and distant and his and Lennie’s relationship is strained but he hesitantly agrees to let Lennie come along. The trip is anything but a smooth ride, but along the way, Lennie learns what happened to her daughter Michelle and reconnects with her while she and John finally become a family again after being separated for twenty years.

No matter how happy and put-together families look from the outside, they all carry their share of baggage. Even though Lennie and John come from the same family, they each had different experiences growing up which included the relationship they had with their father.  Because of this, they grieve in their own way without taking into consideration what the other’s memories of the father could be. This is an important point to be learned from “Someone to Watch Over,” that we should always strive to consider other people’s points of view and experiences so we can better understand them. The story is narrated in alternate points of view between Lennie and John, so the reader is always aware of their thoughts and opinions. It reads like a modern day piece of American literature, with poetic language “She set her acoustic aside and ripped up her pages of poetry, letting the shreds fall like ashes to the bed” that flows through the pages and makes the action deeper and more meaningful. This feel-good, heart warming novel is a must read and deserves a spot among literature’s best-loved works. “Someone to Watch Over,” the story of one family’s hard earned reconnection after much needed healing and forgiveness, is highly recommended for readers who appreciate reading about second chances.

“Lennie leaned out the window as the tow truck slogged up a woodsy mountain road, the night air soothing her as the moon played hide ‘n’ seek among the towering trees.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Book review: ‘The Book of Ceremony’ by Sandra Ingerman

‘The Book of Ceremony’ by Sandra Ingerman. Photo: amazon

Sandra Ingerman, MA, is an award-winning author of 12 books, including “Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self,” “Medicine for the Earth: How to Transform Personal and Environmental Toxins” and “Walking in Light: The Everyday Empowerment of a Shamanic Life.” Sandra is a world-renowned teacher of shamanism and has been teaching for close to 40 years. She has taught workshops internationally on shamanic journeying, healing and reversing environmental pollution using spiritual methods. Sandra is recognized for bridging ancient cross-cultural healing methods to our modern culture, addressing the needs of our times.  In her book “The Book of Ceremony: Shamanic Wisdom for Invoking the Sacred in Everyday Life,” Sandra Ingerman presents a rich and practical resource for creating ceremonies filled with joy, purpose and magic.

According to the author, her purpose in writing this book is to share what she has learned over the years, hoping to inspire others to lead healing and blessing ceremonies. Starting with the Introduction, Sandra Ingerman defines a ceremony: “Every shamanic journey a shaman takes, every healing method a shaman works with, is considered a ceremony.” She goes on to briefly describe the history of ceremonies and look back at the first ceremony she performed in 1982. The book is divided into for parts: Part One: The Power of Ceremony, it clarifies the basics of what constitutes a ceremony, how to prepare and perform one, Part Two: Sacred Transitions, Part Three: Ceremonies to Create Energetic Balance and Part Four: Life as a Ceremony, it includes examples of blessing and healing ceremonies for people and places, as well the community as a whole. The final part of the book includes other resources for further information on the practice of shamanic journeying.

Shamanism has been around for tens of thousands of years and has been a serious practice with the sole purpose of helping the community thrive. Today’s ceremonies are used to improve health and the quality of life and with so much negativity going on in the world, for serious practitioners, shamanic ceremonies are now more important than ever. The author connects ancient shamanic practices with modern culture and makes them relevant to today’s issues. The book touches on all topics related to ceremonies, including how choose the space, preparing ceremonial items and the types of ceremonies: for weddings, births and new beginnings.  Some of the ceremonies are familiar ones while others include newer adaptations of known ceremonies, the most poignant being the ones to honor death: burying a pet, plant ceremony, honoring trees and honoring environmental losses. All this information is given in plain and easy to understand language without being condescending to possible newcomers. While it may not be for everyone, “The Book of Ceremony” has resourceful guidance for readers who are genuinely interested in shamanic ceremonies.

“Once we wake up and recognize that other spectacular dimensions of reality exist, we experience a new sense of awareness about how to connect with nature, the flow of life, and the web of life.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Book review: ‘Family in Six Tones’ by Lan Cao and Harlan Margaret Van Cao

Photo: google

Lan Cao is the author of the novels “Monkey Bridge” and “The Lotus and the Storm” and a professor of law at the Chapman University School of Law, specializing in international business and trade, international law and development. She has taught at Brooklyn Law School, Duke Law School, Michigan Law School and William & Mary Law School. Her latest book “Family in Six Tones: A Refugee Mother, an American Daughter” is the dual first-person memoir by the acclaimed Vietnamese-American novelist and her thoroughly American teenage daughter, Harlan Margaret Van Cao, who just graduated from high school in June 2020 and will be attending UCLA.

In the Introduction, Lan Cao views motherhood and being a refugee with equal trepidation because of how uncertain she still feels about both. Even after forty years of being in the United States and seventeen years of being a parent, she still feels inadequate in both. This is the central theme throughout this memoir as she explores being a refugee and being a mother with the help of Harlan, her teenage daughter, who is half Vietnamese. In short alternating chapters, they show how different and yet how similar they really are.  Lan relates her immigrant experience including war, past traumas and tragedies and the struggles and discriminations she faced while getting an education, especially in law school, while Harlan deals with culture clashes, bullying and going through life coping with synesthesia – a condition in which people often see sounds, taste word or feel a sensation on their skin when they smell certain scents – she often relates about having a purple cat following her.

Being an immigrant is never easy and too often the Vietnamese viewpoint is left out of the conversation.  This is what makes this memoir unique; not only is it told through the perspective of a mother/daughter relationship, but it is told through the Vietnamese point of view, not a solider or a politician, even though it touches on the sensitive topic of the war. Readers get to witness Lan’s transition from naïve immigrant to law student, especially the moment she decides to study law – when she was working in a video store and the police questioned her regarding missing money. The insight into Vietnamese culture is interesting, especially the system of ranking people, i.e. calling relatives Father Two, Sister Three. Her shared immigrant experiences of discrimination makes her relatable: “We may have Americanness officially documented in birth certificates, passports, or naturalization papers. But despite the seductive panache of the American Dream, the message that we can never really be American has curiously been passed down from generation to generation.”  Harlan also has this conflict about being too American versus not being Vietnamese enough and her writing is more poetic: “This life isn’t meant to be a race. It is meant to be a long, slow dream of perfect confusion, loneliness, deep friendships, and ambition. I’m ready.” When she writes “You can be American outside, but not in the house” it speaks to what children of immigrants sometimes deal with at home. They are expected to be Americanized outside the house, but at home they are expected to speak the native language and adhere to that culture’s expectations, leading to an emotional tug of war.  Overall, “Family in Six Tones” is an impressive and poignant exploration of the mother/daughter relationship which often has the same struggles and insecurities passed on from generation to generation. It is recommended for readers who appreciate a distinctive perspective on the struggles of refugees and familial bonds.

“ I wanted to bloom wherever I was planted, in this present tense where I had found myself, like a lotus flower that grows in mud and turns to face the sunlight.”  – Lan Cao

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.