Once in Every Life by Kristin Hannah

"Tess Gregory's brilliant career as a researach scientist hides her longings for a husband and child. Though deaf, she is a free spirit -- a woman full of life and love. She is struck down all too soon.
But for Tess, a new life begins at her death, in post-Civil War America. She is now Amarylis Rafferty, wife and mother of three -- and she can hear. Shocked and disoriented by her new surroundings, she is drawn into the savage heartache burdening the family, especially her husband, Jack.



Pioneer living is rough for a woman used to modern conveniences, but Tess flourishes, bringing happiness and hope to her daughters and her son -- to all except her husband, a man haunted by angry, violent voices that give no rest to his bitter soul. A man who fears himself capable of anything."

But Tess's faith is unshakable. Sheer determination will drive her as their hearts become entwined in a fierce struggle that can be tamed only by love itself....




I read this book a long time ago; it was originally published in 1993. I never really forgot it, and recently I've been wanting to read it again, so I sat down last night and re-read it.

Once in Every Life begins with Tess Gregory's death and subsequent rebirth into the adult body of Amarylis Rafferty. Tess meets a spirit named Carol, a giver of second chances, who allows Tess to make a choice between lives. A glimpse of a man standing over a newborn baby in a crib makes Tess's heart lurch; the love he has for the tiny infant draws Tess to him, and she hits the button reflexively. Her choice is made.

When Tess wakes up, she doesn't remember the choice - at first. But she can hear voices around her - a doctor saying he thought she'd died. Amarylis Rafferty died in childbirth, and then Tess realizes she is in the body of a woman who just gave birth.

Her husband, Jack, treats her warily, asking if she wants to see the baby. Two little girls enter the room, Savannah and Mary Katherine, also known as Katie. Suddenly, Tess has become a mother of three. But why is seven-year-old Katie hiding behind her sister's skirts? And why is there fear and trepidation in twelve-year-old Savannah's eyes when she hands her mother the newborn boy?

As the days progress, Tess becomes accustomed to Amarylis's body. She learns to breastfeed the baby, and fully feels a mother's love for the infant they call Caleb, and the two broken little girls . Jack is stunned by her decision to breastfeed; Amarylis didn't do that for her other children. Jack is shocked by a good many things, yet he won't let his guard down. Tess wonders - exactly what did Amarylis do to her family? They're all so broken and fearful.

Throughout the story, the reader sees that Amarylis has made Jack afraid to openly love his children; they are just one more thing she can use to hurt him. Tess understands this, she wants them to know she is no longer Amarylis; she insists on being called Lissa and maintains that she is no longer as she was before. The doctor says it's amnesia. Jack finds himself hoping - just a little - that the old Amarylis is gone forever, but she has "tricked" him before.
Tess has a huge job ahead of her, mending this broken group of damaged people into a family. Slowly, as trust is gained, the seeds of hope are planted. Could there be a future for the Rafferty family?

The characters are wonderfully likable, even if I fully didn't understand how a man could stand by and be abused by a woman - and keep loving her, despite the fact that she was a destroyer of lives. I know Jack was damaged, wounded by the past, yet I found him to be a little wimpy at times. Until I got to understand him a little more ;) 

Tess is amazing. She is strong and determined, yet remembers her own feelings of being shuffled between foster homes and the longing for a family of her own. Adapting to a pioneering way of life proves a little difficult, and Tess's trials are sometimes really funny, which brings the moments of comic relief needed between the pain.

Savannah, a child forced to grow up too soon, and little Katie, a child never held or told she was loved by her mother, are both sweet and heartwarming characters. I felt such pain from the girls, but as they started to believe in their mother again, they began to blossom and shine, bringing laughter into the Rafferty house and making it a home.

I really loved this book!


-Aili

Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

"From the acclaimed author of STILL MISSING comes a psychological thriller about one woman’s search into her past and the deadly truth she uncovers.

All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara’s home life was not ideal. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and find closure.

But some questions are better left unanswered.

After months of research, Sara locates her birth mother—only to be met with horror and rejection. Then she discovers the devastating truth: her mother was the only victim ever to escape a killer who has been hunting women every summer for decades. But Sara soon realizes the only thing worse than finding out about her father is him finding out about her.

What if murder is in your blood?
Never Knowing is a complex and compelling portrayal of one woman’s quest to understand herself, her origins, and her family. That is, if she can survive…" 


Canadian author Chevy Stevens has done it again. Her second novel Never Knowing is another brilliant read.

Sara Gallagher is a young woman looking for answers to her past. She always knew she was adopted, she'd grown up feeling the differences keenly, especially in the way her father treated her after her younger sisters were born. Little Sara wasn't even allowed to hold her sisters when they came home from the hospital. All her life she'd wondered about her birth parents, who they were, and why they gave her away.

Now a mother of a precocious six-year-old girl named Ally and her sidekick Moose (a lovable little dog), Sara is ready to explore the past and find out where she comes from. Her fiance, Evan, isn't too keen on the idea of Sara digging into her past; he thinks the timing is wrong with their wedding fast approaching, and he worries Sara might be setting herself up for rejection. Yet, Sara is headstrong and determined.

When Sara locates her birth-mother, Julia, she thinks she may finally get her answers. But Julia rejects her, unwilling to be anywhere near Sara. For Julia, Sara represents a horror she wanted to leave buried. Julia is not who she says she is. She has changed her name and tried to hide her identity from the world: she is, in fact, the only living victim of a serial killer known as The Campsite Killer. Sara is the product of her mother's rape. Her biological father is a murderer who preys on women.

When the story is leaked, Sara realizes she has put everyone's lives in danger, including Julia's. When the killer makes contact with Sara and starts sending her gifts, the police ask her to help them trap "John."

What ensues is a chaotic heart-pounding game of cat-and-mouse, as "John" demands more and more from Sara. He wants to know his daughter. He is angry when she is not available to him, threatening to hurt other women, claiming only Sara can help stop him. The web of complexity that follows will leave readers stunned and questioning, "Who can you trust?"

I highly recommend both of Chevy's books, she is one of my favorite new authors!

- Aili

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

"On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old realtor, had three goals—sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.

Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of a psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor.

Still Missing is that rare debut find--a shocking, visceral, brutal and beautifully crafted debut novel."

Chevy Steven's debut novel is not to be missed. A cleverly written psychological thriller based on stranger abduction, Annie's story unfolds through a series of sessions with her psychologist.

Realtor Annie O'Sullivan is just about to close the house she's showing, when a man appears in a van. He seems nice, he says he has a dog and he's willing to pay cash for the right house. He can't be that bad, right? Wrong. Oh, so very wrong.

Annie wakes up in a remote mountain cabin, taken by a man she calls The Freak. She must quickly learn his many rules, what makes him angry, what appeases him. He says he wants to protect her from the world and the people in her life. She just wants to get the hell out of there. But there is NO way out. She is kidnapped and imprisoned with a psychotic monster, forced to endure a new level of hell as each day passes.

As the details of the kidnapping and Annie's year with The Freak are revealed, a psychological horror story emerges. The idea of it - of being taken from your life - while going about your daily business is so horribly real, it adds another element of fright to the book. It could happen to anyone. The details are so disturbing, but I couldn't put it down.

The book not only deals with Annie's kidnapping and her year in captivity, but also with the after-effects as Annie struggles to re-enter society and permit herself release from The Freak's rules.

I can't say enough about this book. I've just finished my second read. The scenario is horrible to comprehend, at times extremely difficult to read, yet worth every horror-filled page, as it draws to a stunning close. Chevy Stevens is an amazing author, who will leave you thinking about her book long after you've finished it.

-Aili

On the Pile

I thought I'd share a list of up-and-coming books in my pile. It seems to only get larger as the days pass (which is great because that means there are a lot of fantastic books waiting to be read!). Here are a few I hope to tackle over the next week or so...

Bones of Faerie - Janni Lee Simner
Faerie Winter - Janni Lee Simner
Thief Eyes - Janni Lee Simner
The Near Witch - Victoria Schwab
Imaginary Girls - Nova Ren Suma
The Truth-Teller's Lie - Sophie Hannah
The Last Child - John Hart
Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Beautiful Darkness - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Lost Voices - Sarah Porter
The Silver Boat - Luanne Rice
A Man Named Dave - David Pelzer
Tomorrow When the War Began (series of 7 books ) - James Marsden
Dreamland (Riley Bloom book 3) - Alyson Noel
Paranormalcy - Kiersten White
Supernaturally - Kiersten White
The Hunger Games (series of 3 books) - Suzanne Collins
Full Dark, No Stars - Stephen King

Suggestions are always appreciated!

Aili

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

"On the eve of the monsoons, in a remote Indian village, Kavita gives birth to a baby girl. But in a culture that favors sons, the only way for Kavita to save her newborn daughter's life is to give her away. It is a decision that will haunt her and her husband for the rest of their lives, even after the arrival of their cherished son.

Halfway around the globe, Somer, an American doctor, decides to adopt a child after making the wrenching discovery that she will never have one of her own. When she and her husband, Krishnan, see a photo of the baby with the gold-flecked eyes from a Mumbai orphanage, they are overwhelmed with emotion. Somer knows life will change with the adoption but is convinced that the love they already feel will overcome all obstacles.

Interweaving the stories of Kavita, Somer, and the child that binds both of their destinies, Secret Daughter poignantly explores the emotional terrain of motherhood, loss, identity, and love, as witnessed through the lives of two families-one Indian, one American-and the child that indelibly connects them."

 Secret Daughter is a beautifully written story that will captivate your heart. Centered around themes of adoption, family and finding one's true self, the story follows the life of a girl named Asha from her birth in a small village in India, through her adoption and growth into young adulthood.


Asha is the second-born daughter of a poor Indian woman named Kavita, who lives in a remote village. Kavita lost her first-born child, a daughter, immediately after birth to infanticide at the hands of her husband:

“Kavita spent the next two days curled up on the woven straw mat on the floor of the hut. She did not dare ask what had happened to her baby. Whether she was drowned, suffocated, or simply left to starve, Kavita hoped only that death came quickly, mercifully. In the end, her tiny body would have been buried, her spirit not even granted the release of cremation. Like so many baby girls, her first-born would be returned to the earth long before her time.”

In a culture that cherishes sons and considers daughters too great an expense for a poor family, Kavita's husband sees no alternative but to murder their infant daughter.  They can only afford one child, and the child must be male. The treatment Kavita suffers for giving birth to a female child, even from family members, is unspeakably heart-wrenching.


When Kavita becomes pregnant again, she wishes desperately for a son. Unwilling to lose another child, Kavita secretly gives birth, in case it is another girl. When she does give birth to another little girl, Kavita conceals the birth from her husband and makes the decision on her own that - this baby will live. She bravely makes the long journey with her sister to Mumbai, where her daughter is placed in an orphanage. She names her baby girl Usha.


Somer, an American doctor, and her husband, Krishnan, are unable to have children of their own. Krishnan, also called Kris, suggests adopting an infant from his home country of India. Everything about India makes Somer uncomfortable, but the one-year-old baby with the gold-flecked eyes captures their heart and they bring her home, calling her Asha.


The story follows the families through the next 20 years of their lives. Kavita giving birth to the cherished son; the family moving to the city slums and working hard to provide the boy an education. Sacrifice doesn't always work out in the end. Meanwhile, not a day passes that Kavita doesn't think of, or long for, her lost daughters.


Back in America, privileged Asha questions her mother and father about her "real" family, longing for some connection to her Indian heritage.  When she earns a journalism scholarship,  Asha decides to go to India, where she falls into the embrace of her father's family. Her family is wealthy, yet Asha learns about the two very different sides to India, as do the readers. Extreme wealth or abject poverty, there seems to be no middle ground in India. 


The interviews Asha does with the people living in the slums is eye-opening and at times difficult to comprehend how people can live this way. In a society where some people are untouchable, there is very little room for self-improvement. Education is valued, yet poor children are not given the opportunity to attend school; they are too busy working, begging, and taking care of their siblings or family members.


The story is filled with heart-break, joy and that wonderful thing called family. Asha's journey is one of self-discovery, of finding her place within the world, and within her own family.


Aili

Shadowspell & Sirensong (Faeriewalker Series, Books #2 & #3) by Jenna Black

Shadowspell


"On top of spending most of her time in a bunker-like safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking has long been the nightmare of the Fae realm. A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together. Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the Faerie Queen wants her – and her rare Faeriewalker powers – dead. The smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?"

Sirensong

"When Dana is invited to Faerie to be officially presented at the Seelie Court, it’s no easy decision. After all, everyone knows Titania, the Seelie Queen, wants her dead. But Titania claims not to be the one behind the death threats; and her son, Prince Henry, makes the decision a whole lot easier when he suggests Dana might be arrested for (supposedly) conspiring with her aunt Grace to usurp the Seelie throne. So she and her father better do as they're told . . .

The journey through Faerie is long—and treacherous. Dana thought it would be a good idea to have friends along, but her sort-of-boyfriend, Ethan, and her bodyguard’s son, Keane, just can’t seem to get along, and Kimber’s crush on Keane isn’t making things any easier. When a violent attack separates Dana from their caravan, the sexy Erlking saves her just in the nick of time . . . and makes it clear that he hasn’t given up on making her his own.

Arriving at Titania’s beautiful palace should be a relief. But Dana is soon implicated in an assassination attempt against Titania’s granddaughter, and is suddenly a fugitive, forced to leave her father behind as she and her friends flee for their lives. Will she be able to prove her innocence before the forces of the Seelie Court—or, worse, the Erlking—catch up with her? And will she save her father before he pays the ultimate price in her stead?"

In  Shadowspell and Sirensong, author Jenna Black continues the story of Dana Hathaway, a young girl who is half Fae and half Human.

We're introduced to the formidable Erlking, who leads the Wild Hunt. For some reason, he is focused on Dana. Which in turn leads Dana's father to hide her away in an underground safe house for her own protection. But is it enough to keep the Erlking away from Dana?

The Erlking is one of those dark characters that you can't help but end up liking. His motives for declaring himself an "ally of the Faeriewalker" are very much self-serving, but the reader does not know the full details of the bargain Dana makes to save someone she cares for from being bound to the Wild Hunt until much later. Every action has a consequence, as Dana finds out the hard way.

There are several wonderful characters in the books, however, I didn't really care for the character of Ethan, the Fae boy that you meet in book one, whom Dana seems interested in. I much preferred the character of Keane, the rebel boy who teaches Dana to fight. Ethan was too shallow and self-absorbed, in my opinion, and just not entirely likable.

Dana's journey into Faerie at the summons of the Queen does not end well and sets up the story-line for the final book in the series. I won't say too much about it, as I will give it all away!

I have to say that I was disappointed in the ending of the final book. I wished several things had turned out differently. And I wish there was one more book in the series; I don't quite feel Dana's story is complete.

-Aili

Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker Series, Book #1) by Jenna Black

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (May 25, 2010)

"Dana Hathaway doesn't know it yet, but she's in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie. 

Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does.  Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again…"

Glimmerglass is Jenna Black's first foray into the world of YA books.  I have to say that I was enchanted by the characters, and by the worlds that Black created.

Dana's struggles as a sixteen-year-old girl living alone with an alcoholic mother lead her to search for her biological father, a man she knows little about, not even his name. Her mother has told her many different stories about her father, depending on her state of sobriety at the time. All Dana really knows is that he is Fae, and considered powerful. During one of her mother's drunken stupors, Dana takes advantage and finally finds out her father's name is Seamus Stuart. She contacts him, and before she knows it she is on a plane bound for London: final destination Avalon.

Avalon is an independent state within Great Britain where Fae and humans live together. Fae cannot leave Avalon; they cannot carry the magic outside the walls of the city.


From the time she arrives in Avalon, Dana's life is in danger. She is kidnapped - twice. Her father is nowhere to be found, and she is accosted at the border by a woman she finds out is her Aunt Grace. But is this her Aunt? And where is her father? Who are friends and who are enemies?


As Dana learns more about life in Avalon and neighboring Faerie, she comes to realize that her very existence threatens almost everyone. She is a Faeriewalker, one of the rare individuals who can cross into Faerie, and into the human world. But what does that mean for Dana?


A well-written and magical book that weaves together the existence of Fae and Human, and those born of both worlds.  The first book in the series will captivate you, leaving you wanting more. Fortunately, there are two more books in the series, each one delving deeper into Dana's struggles and triumphs.


Wonderful books for teens and young adults.