To paraphrase the words of Belle, I have just finished the most magnificent book. I LOVED this book!

Anthony hires Laura as his housekeeper. Laura is divorced and lonely. She needs something different to do. Anthony has been a finder of lost items which he brings home and meticulously records when and where he found them. Upon Anthony's passing, Laura is left his home with instructions to find the owners of the lost things he has found through the years. Can she do it?

These characters are wonderful. I laughed. I cried. I saw things come full circle. There are three stories in these pages. Anthony and Therese's story is the first and, for me, maybe the most tragic. Eunice and Bomber's was, perhaps, the funniest though it also brought me to tears. His sister, Portia, made it both funny and sad. Laura and Freddy, the gardener, was the most recent. Each story has its highs and lows. Each person must determine what is right and best for them. At times I was not sure if the choice was right. But I grew to love these characters.

Another character, Sunshine, Anthony's neighbor girl was a bright spot. She saw with the heart. She was honest, even when people did not want her to be so honest. Her openness was wonderful as she knew stories of the things Anthony found.

Stories came full circle at the end. My heart ached for the endings at times. Other times I was cheered by those endings.

This is not a book to be overlooked or forgotten. It is a wonderful story full of magic and love. It is a keeper!

Lena goes to the Ionian coast for vacation. She plans on getting her class work ready for the next semester. While there she meets Nina and Elena, a young mother and her daughter, and takes an interest in them and their extended family. She also reflects on her daughters and her mother and their lives.

This is a character study of Lena. She does not come across well. She is mean and selfish. She should not have had children (her ex-husband either.) I found her hard to like and I wanted to be sympathetic, but I couldn't. She was not nice. I could relate to some of her experiences with her mother. I could not relate to why she kept the doll (there are a couple of dolls in the story.) I did not like her and that is rare for me. I finished it because of book club. Not sure I would have otherwise.

99¢ BOOK OF THE WEEK

FOREST – Love, Loss, Legend

‘til Aug. 31 at

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003DS6LEU

Matthew and Raminder are young, idealistic and in love.

As soon as they can they plan to leave behind the small town and small minds of Pitt Landing. They will embrace life and experience the world, maybe even change it.

Man plans, God laughs. Raminder’s father has a stroke and her commitment to her family means she must postpone her plans and stay in Pitt Lake. It’s just the opposite for Matt. A family tragedy leaves irreconcilable differences between him and his father and forces him to leave.

They promise to reunite, but life happens.

Twelve years later, Matt is an acclaimed war correspondent. He’s seen it all and it’s left him with post-traumatic stress, a gastric ulcer, and an enlarged liver. He’s never been back to Pitt Landing though the memory of Raminder and their love has more than once kept him sane.

He’s at his desk in the newsroom, recuperating from his last assignment and current hangover and reading a letter from his father, the first contact they’ve had in over a decade. It talks about a legendary lost gold mine, a map leading to it, and proof in a safety deposit box back in Pitt Lake. He’s sent it to Matt in case something happens to him and cautions his son to keep it a secret.

Matt is about to dismiss the letter when the telephone rings. It’s Raminder telling him his father has disappeared somewhere in the wilderness that surrounds Pitt Lake.

Lost gold, lost love and lost hope compels Matt to return home to a dying town on the edge of the wilderness.

The forest is waiting.

★★★★ FOREST...neatly encapsulates the battleground of humanity’s greed for natural resources versus the cost to the environment... a compelling story, studded with evocative detail and under laid by a very real question – definitely worth the read.

- Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews

★★★★ Definitely worth reading!

“Intriguing story about a man's quest. Searching for a father, gold, peace of mind, love”
- e.memelink, reader review

★★★★★ Wow! A very well written mystery, suspense book.

 Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great foreign film adventure movie, or mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
- Tony Parsons, reader review

★★★★★ A search for true love and meaning in life

I truly enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it. If you are looking for something meaningful, you'll certainly get a lot of true love, trust, relationships, friendship, childhood memories, and a lot more in this excellent book.

★★★★★ A fantastic nature adventure. The author has a great writing style that is easy to read and very enjoyable.

- Jack Anderson

★★★★ A strong character driven novel

“… a snapshot into so many lives and somehow the author was able to create a believable story behind all this was spot on. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a deep character driven novel.”

★★★★ “The author did a wonderful job of pulling me in and caring about these people. This is the second book I have read of Rod Raglin. Both times I have been impressed with his work. I'm happy I came across this one.”

- Bryan Fagan, author of Dempsey’s Grill

WATCH THE VIDEO TRAILER AT 

https://animoto.com/play/LvULq5Q5pYF0mobUKwOTVg

He Said Never by Ruth Cardello

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The running theme of The Lost Corisis is what makes a family. Is it love? Is it blood? Or is it hope? Cardello pulls emotions into the creation of a family that's been years in the making. Dominic Corisi continues to make for compelling storytelling and this time around, his long lost family takes center stage. He Said Never is a love story drowning in family chaos. Caught in the middle of it all is Riley. With an overbearing brother, A wary mother and a family history that continues to haunt her present happiness, it's hard to guess if a happy ending waits on the horizon. Cardello keeps getting better.



View all my reviews