Review: The Italian Party (by Christina Lynch)

 My Rating:  3 stars

I will admit that I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I thought I would, probably because I knew this book was categorized as historical fiction and so I was expecting a story with a bit more substance, a bit more seamless blending of history and story, a bit better balance of seriousness and lightheartedness.  To me, the story felt a bit all over the place, at times being overly serious, other times bordering on comedic.  I did love the setting though and I felt the author Christina Lynch did a good job capturing the atmospheric charm of the Italian countryside as well as the local food, culture, and people – reading the descriptions of the various places Scottie went to during her exploration of the city, also the palio races, the descriptions of food that made my mouth water, and other aspects of Italian culture, I definitely felt I was there in Siena alongside the characters.  For me, this was when the story was at its best – when it covered the historical aspects and the culture and how the local people lived.  Unfortunately, I found my mind wandering during most of the segments about politics, especially the ones that go a bit too in depth about the various political factions and parties. 

Aside from the setting, the other aspect I appreciated with this story was the author’s treatment of the characters.  Lynch did a great job presenting realistic, flawed characters in Michael and Scottie, both of whom had many secrets they were keeping from each other and in some aspects, were living in a world of lies – both made many mistakes throughout their lives and yes, did things that were morally questionable, as did most of the other characters in the story, yet I still found it difficult not to like these characters.  The relationship that Michael and Scottie had was unconventional and I found it interesting the way it was developed and the direction they eventually went.  I find it refreshing whenever I see authors write characters and relationships that are well-developed and outside the stereotypical “norms” – this was definitely an area of strength with this book and one of the aspects that kept me engaged even though the overall story itself was a bit slow at times.

Despite this one not being what I expected, I still feel it was worth reading, especially for the insight it gave into the time period and the historical context of post-war Italy.  I think if the story had been a bit more tightly-written and less inconsistent, I would have rated this one somewhat higher, as the characters and the setting truly did draw me in.  I know many readers enjoyed this one and I can definitely see why, as certain parts of the story were intriguing and fun and I think as an relatively light-hearted story about spies, this one works fine overall – just not really for me due to the different expectations I have towards historical fiction.  Perhaps check out some of the other reviews as well for a more balanced view before deciding whether to pick this one up!

Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley

Review: Other People's Houses (by Abbi Waxman)

 My Rating: 3 stars

After a series of heavy reads, emotional reads, ones that tugged at my heartstrings and made me cry, I was desperately in need of a lighter read to help boost my spirits.  I had Abbi Waxman’s Other People’s Houses on my list of “ARCs past publication date that I need to get to” and since I knew this author to be a humorous writer, I decided to move this book up the list.   It turns out I made the right choice, as this was a fun read, one that was filled with snarky humor and realistic characters who dealt with everyday issues that most of us could relate to.  The central character in the story is Frances Bloom, a middle-aged mother of three who enjoys helping others despite the overload of responsibilities she already has on her plate with running her own household as well as being the carpool mom for her neighbors’ kids.  After Frances accidentally walks in on Anne Porter – the mother of two of the kids she carpools to school – having an affair with a man that wasn’t Anne’s husband, she finds herself reluctantly pulled into the fray when, a couple days later, the secret is revealed in the worst way possible.  Meanwhile, the other carpool families also have secrets of their own that they are more than willing to push to the back burner for the time being while they navigate the trials and tribulations of family life and raising kids.    Anne’s affair ends up impacting all these families in ways they never imagined and eventually causes them to re-examine their own lives and marriages.

While I did enjoy this book quite a bit overall and found the characters easy to relate to, I was not able to connect a whole lot to the story on a personal level as I initially thought I would, probably because I’ve read too many books with similar setup recently (families with kids all living in the same neighborhood dealing with every day issues of school, running the household, etc. whose lives are suddenly upended when an unexpected event occurs).  In fact, this particular story reminded me of Sally Hepworth’s The Family Next Door, except that this one was much lighter in tone and way more humorous, not to mention much more irreverent with its fair share of swearing and sex-related references.  With that said though, I actually enjoyed these characters far more and felt that the interactions between the couples in this one were more realistically portrayed and in line with what many of us would see in our neighborhoods.  The couple I actually enjoyed reading about most were Frances and Michael, as the hilarious way they would often banter back and forth while they tried to navigate the joys and frustrations of life with 3 kids reminded me of couples I know in real life.

Overall, this was an entertaining read and one that I felt was much needed during this particular “down” phase that I’ve been going through.  Though there were some serious issues that did get brought up in the story, those were dealt with appropriately without being heavy-handed and the light tone was maintained throughout, which is credit to the author Abbi Waxman’s story-telling skill.  This one is definitely recommended, though with the caveat that this might not appeal to all audiences due to the abundance of “colorful language” (which, in my opinion, was more than expected but certainly not excessive).

Received ARC from Berkley via Edelweiss

Review: The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row (by Anthony Ray Hinton)

 My Rating:  5 stars

As I write this review, I am wiping tears from my face -- tears that flowed more than once as I was reading this amazing book.   It is hard to describe the gamut of emotions I felt as I followed Anthony Ray Hinton’s incredible story of having to spend 30 years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit.  Disgusted, appalled, angry, outraged – none of these words seem to be sufficient in relaying my feelings towards the blatant miscarriage of justice that was described in this book as well as towards a broken criminal justice system that goes out of its way to protect corrupt, prejudiced officials who have no qualms about convicting and putting innocent people to death not based on hard evidence, but rather based on the color of their skin.   Facing a system that treats “the rich and guilty better than the poor and innocent,” Hinton fought for decades to prove his innocence, encountering one setback after another, until finally, with the help of his attorney Bryan Stevenson, they were able to get the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the original conviction and grant him a new trial, after which the local district attorney in Alabama decided to drop the charges.  Throughout his harrowing ordeal, Hinton was sustained by his faith in God, which helped him maintain hope, but most importantly, he was blessed with the unconditional love of  his mother --  a remarkable woman who was the center of his universe and also his most steadfast cheerleader – as well as the unwavering support of his best friend Lester Bailey, who, for 30 years, never missed a single visit, driving 7 hours every Friday down to the prison to sit with Hinton and make sure he had everything he needed and also helping to take care of his beloved mother.  Channeling the love he received from his family and friends, his own unique sense of humor, and also everything his mother taught him about life, Hinton was able to develop true friendships with his fellow inmates and even with some of the guards at the prison.  

Hinton’s ability to forgive those who wronged him and, despite the circumstances, try to better the lives of his fellow inmates through humor and genuine compassion were nothing short of extraordinary.  Most people in his situation would not have found the will to survive, but Hinton was different – his strong resolve and unbreakable spirit were essential in helping him survive the misery of his situation.  Also, it must be said that I have nothing but the utmost admiration and respect for Hinton’s attorney Bryan Stevenson – an extraordinary man who has dedicated his entire life to fighting for justice and equality for those who are poor, underprivileged, marginalized.  In Hinton’s case, Stevenson fought the courts tirelessly for 16 years, never giving up even when one court after another refused to admit the evidence that would exonerate Hinton, never backing down even in the face of blatant bias from the judges and prosecutors.  Even now, as Stevenson continues to battle with the State of Alabama to get compensation for Hinton, it continues to be a struggle, this time with semantics, as the same inherently prejudiced bureaucratic system maintains that Hinton should not get compensated because the charges being “dropped” is not the same as an official declaration of innocence.  

This is one of the most powerful memoirs I’ve read in a long time.  Hinton’s story is unforgettable, inspirational, and is one that I know will stay with me for a long time to come.  Since his release, Hinton has become a motivational speaker and works with Bryan Stevenson’s Equal Justice Initiative traveling around the world, going wherever he is invited to share his story, bringing awareness and also pushing for changes in this country’s justice system in the hopes that this doesn’t happen again to anyone.  One of the saddest moments in the book was when Hinton’s mother passed away from cancer in 2002 – this was a woman who had been his rock throughout his ordeal, the love of his life, someone who meant more to him than life itself, the one person who, from the moment her son was arrested, never wavered in her belief that her most beloved baby boy would return home.  A bittersweet reunion in the end, as Hinton walked out of the jailhouse finally a free man, grateful that Lester and his family were there to greet him, but also knowing that the mother he adored did not live to see that moment.  Despite what Hinton went through and knowing the deeply ingrained societal struggles with racial bias in that state, Hinton still chooses to live in Alabama, in the same house that his mother worked hard her entire life in order to buy so that he would have a home to go back to.  Hinton’s special bond with his remarkable mother was one part of his story that moved me deeply.

Remarkable, inspiring, eye-opening, and ultimately uplifting, this is a memoir that EVERYONE needs to read, and urgently, given what is happening in our country currently.  Bryan Stevenson puts it best in the Forward to this book where he writes: “Reading [Hinton’s] story is difficult but necessary.  We need to learn things about our criminal justice system, about the legacy of racial bias in America and the way it can blind us to just and fair treatment of people.  We need to understand the dangers posed by the politics of fear and anger that create systems like our capital punishment system and the political dynamics that have made some courts and officials act so irresponsibly.  We also need to learn about human dignity, about human worth and value.  We need to think about the fact that we are all more than the worst thing we have done.”

Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley