The General Fiction Shelf

Pasta Mike
Andrew Cotto
Black Rose Writing
https://www.blackrosewriting.com
9781684338658, $16.95 Paper/$3.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Pasta-Mike-Story-Friendship-Loss/dp/1684338654

Pasta Mike is a novella about male friendship, loss, and mental
illness, and follows Andrew Cotto's survey of his 40-year friendship
with another man, which ends suddenly when Mike dies. This prompts a
spiral into depression which holds no easy resolution as Andrew
struggles with the loss of a friendship that can never be replaced.
It's also a review of a somewhat idyllic New York childhood, the close
bonds of boys who differed in ethnicity but shared so much that it
felt like they were brothers, and a survey of how that bond began,
evolved, was broken, and continued unexpectedly. As adulthood brings
girlfriends and wives, teaching jobs, and new experiences, the two
remain firmly bonded by roots and interactions that keep their
friendship alive on a different level.

Abruptly changed and challenged by death, Andrew seeks to avoid the
memories that once gave him strength. As his trajectory spirals
downward, readers receive a solid examination of this process: "The
routines, so to speak, both good (writing every day) or bad (getting
shit-faced each night and taking cigarette walks) kept me occupied
somewhat as each day became an exercise in avoidance. Memories of Mike
interrupted me throughout the day, and especially when my guard was
down during times of either not being immersed in creativity or
succored by liquor. The experience was relentless as it was jarring,
just a normal moment alone or in front of a class or talking to
someone else, when a thought of Mike would arrive and ruin everything.
I assumed this was a temporary condition, a phase of grief that I was
entitled to because we had so many memories, and that, eventually,
this "new normal" I kept hearing about from people who spoke of grief
would arrive like a new day and the life I previously enjoyed would
return, minus a key figure, of course, but livable nonetheless."

At once a journey through friendship's bonds, their disintegration,
and Andrew's process of moving beyond the pain, Pasta Mike represents
a study in emotional growth from beginning to end that holds its roots
in connections and love.

Biographical fiction seldom emerges as poignantly and powerfully as in
Pasta Mike. Blend a first-person memoir format with the embellishing
drama of fiction and the psychology of interpersonal relationships and
self-examination for a winning story that men and women alike will
find compelling, revealing, and hard to put down. While its novella
format translates to library interest for fiction collections, ideally
Pasta Mike will be included in discussion groups about men's
friendships and mental health during grief. It's a powerful saga that
grabs and doesn't let go.

Beauty Abides
Robert Albo
Independently Published
9798784246547, $14.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Abides-DARK-MATTER-NECKLACE/dp/B09NGTB7K4

Book 2 in the series Her Dark Matter Necklace is just as evocative a
work of metaphysical, visionary fiction as its predecessor, and
continues the saga of a teenage orphan destined to become humanity's
savior. Or, is she? Alice holds doubts about her self, her destiny,
and her future. It's been three months since events placed her in a
position of fame, and since she survived what happened to her father.

Newcomers to this story will find that Robert Albo succinctly recaps
these past events, winding them into the story's opening lines a
manner that will remind prior readers of the past while educating
newcomers about Alice's background.

This approach to building the present plot on the foundations of past
experiences makes Beauty Abides accessible to all and neatly dovetails
with a story that evolves as Alice confronts her deepest fears, more
metaphysical events, and the evolution of her changed position among
her peers, new friends, and more.

One feature to note as the story moved forward is that Alice isn't
your typical spunky character filled with self-confidence. Indeed, her
doubts power this story of her pursuit of an uncertain destiny. She
questions everything around her -- most of all, her changed role and
evolving position of power.

As the government's Project Dark Knight (a fifth force electromagnetic
beam that breaks the matter/dark matter bond, effectively dissolving
any matter it touches) proceeds, Alice finds herself in the center of
a tumultuous struggle that calls upon her newfound strengths, powers,
and yet-new sense of self and purpose. Her efforts to make the
blossoming Community of Beauty successful against all odds places her
in increasing positions of self-awareness and connection that hold
important lessons for the rest of the world.

Albo's attention to psychological development and detail create just
as compelling a story as its predecessor. The direction, purpose, and
consequences of failure are clearly outlined to Alice: "Humanity has
two futures. One is love, compassion, and the arts. The other is
unenlightened self-interest that results in human misery for the
majority, abundant worldly pleasures for the few, and the destruction
of natural beauty. The conditions for success have never been better
and the repercussions for failure have never been worse...You and your
world, society, and technology are at a crossroads. Either come
together around a common purpose or remain fragmented in selfishness.
This is your last shot for change."

The tension, action, metaphysical encounters, and social and political
descriptions are very nicely done, creating a story that will appeal
to a wide age range, from teenagers to adult readers, and across
genres, from fantasy to fiction. Its multifaceted approach makes
Beauty Abides a winning read that operates both as a stand-alone story
and as a fitting addition to the series, ending in a cliffhanger to be
continued in the next story.

Death, the Pharmacist
D. Ike Horst
https://horstbooks.com
Atmosphere Press
www.atmospherepress.com
9781639882274, $16.99

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Pharmacist-D-Ike-Horst/dp/1639882278

Death takes many forms in different stories, but in Death, the
Pharmacist, Death runs the "ever-white way station that was his
pharmacy" and caters to beings who "...appeared day after day to pick
up their daily dose of life essence, and it was a single-minded
pursuit that required nothing but the innate desire to continue one's
existence."

If you are not just taking but distributing life, your perspective
about those around you is different. It takes a miracle to change that
certainty about life and death. It takes Robinette, a human who breaks
into Death's worldview and purposes, to change him. She sees through
him with a clarity that astonishes even the seasoned Death, who has
presumably seen and heard everything in life and death. As he embarks
on a journey to explore unnatural alterations, nature, and his other
self, readers move through Death and a life that revises his view of
mortals as relatively mindless beings. Perhaps he owes more to them
than doling out demises.

As readers emerge from the sheltered and set world of Death's pharmacy
into the greater world with Death and Robinette, they receive a
delightful blend of philosophical inspection and insights that
traverse immortal and mortal concerns alike. Readers will enjoy the
special brand of psychological and philosophical inspection that may
assume the form of Death, but ultimately rises to become something
very different.

D. Ike Horst creates a fine story of a paradigm changing series of
events to show that even a centuries-old perspective set in stone can
be changed. His is a thought-provoking read that injects
contemplative, novel circumstances with a sense of fun and
self-inspection to create a delightful interplay between fictional
exploration and spiritual and social inspection. Death, the Pharmacist
simply delights. It is highly recommended reading for anyone
interested in an uncommon opportunity for a figurehead of demise to
"be a better vision of himself" against all odds and definitions.

Asterisk: A Wildcard Character
Booth Milovnik
Fulton Books
9781639857968 $32.95 hc / $8.49 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Asterisk-Wildcard-Character-Booth-Milovnik/dp/1638607745

Synopsis: In January of 1983, fourteen-year-old Cindy found out that
she was pregnant. Her faith-filled mother was crushed. She ended up
giving birth and naming the baby Matthew. Cindy ended up calling
Matthew her little asterisk. As Cindy tells us the story of her life,
Matthew seems to be a footnote to everything that happens. But Matthew
is not just an asterisk in his mother's story. Family members and
friends also share their stories, and Matthew seems to be an asterisk
in all of them.

Who is Matthew? Who is his father? Just how important is Matthew to
everyone he encounters as he grows up? Read stories that are raw and
emotional. Sometimes funny, often sad, but always compelling. Enjoy
this unconventional look at someone's life through the eyes of many
different people, including Matthew himself.

Critique: Set in Michigan, Asterisk: A Wildcard Character is an
original novel about the challenges a struggling family. In 1983,
Matthew is born to a fourteen-year-old mother Cindy, who refuses to
identify his father. Cindy ends up calling Matthew her "little
asterisk" as she raises him, with help from family members and
friends. The narrative perspective shifts between Cindy, her family,
her friends, and Matthew himself, but Matthew always seems to be an
"asterisk" in everyone's point of view. Matthew can't exist as an
"asterisk" forever - his need to find the truth and determine his path
in life is a core theme of this sometimes quirky, sometimes
heartbreaking, and thoroughly fascinating saga. Highly recommended! It
should be noted for personal reading lists that Asterisk: A Wildcard
Character is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.49).

Truth and Other Lies
Maggie Smith
http: //www.maggiesmithwriter.com
TEN16 Press
https://www.ten16press.com
9781645382621, $18.99 pbk / $9.49 Kindle 360pp

https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Other-Lies-Maggie-Smith/dp/1645382621

Synopsis: Megan Barnes' life is in free fall. After losing both her
job as a reporter and her boyfriend in the same day, she retreats to
Chicago and moves in with Helen, her over-protective mother. Before
long, the two are clashing over everything from pro-choice to #MeToo,
not to mention Helen's run for U.S. Congress, which puts Megan's
career on hold until after the election.

Desperate to reboot her life, Megan gets her chance when an
altercation at a campus rally brings her face-to-face with Pulitzer
Prize-winning journalist Jocelyn Jones, who offers her a job on her PR
team. Before long, Megan is pulled into the heady world of fame and
glamour her charismatic new mentor represents.

Until an anonymous tweet brings it all crashing down. To salvage
Jocelyn's reputation, Megan must locate the online troll and expose
the lies. But when the trail leads to blackmail, and circles back to
her own mother, Megan realizes if she pulls any harder on this thread,
what should have been the scoop of her career could unravel into a
tabloid nightmare.

Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "Truth and
Other Lies" is author Maggie Smith's debut as a novelist, is an
impressively original, inherently engaging, fully entertaining, and
truly memorable read from first page to last. Having a special appeal
to readers with an interest in political fiction from a female
perspective, "Truth and Other Lies" is an especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to community library Contemporary Women's Fiction
and General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Truth and Other Lies" is also readily available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).

Editorial Note: Maggie Smith's writing centers on women and the
challenges they face in dealing with what life throws their way. She's
the host of the weekly podcast Hear Us Roar, where she interviews
debut novelists for the Women's Fiction Writers Association. She also
pens a monthly blog for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and serves as
managing editor for The Write City Magazine, a literary publication of
The Chicago Writer's Association. She maintains a website at http:
//www.maggiesmithwriter.com and can be followed on Instagram where she
posts as @maggiesmithwrites

The Road to Resilience: Velma's Story
G. L. Gooding
www.glgooding.com
Independently Published
9781734022889, $15.99, PB, 356pp

https://www.amazon.com/Road-Resilience-Velmas-Story/dp/1734022884

Synopsis: An inherently interesting novel that is based on the life of
author G. L. Gooding's mother, Velma Steele, "The Road to Resilience"
is the sequel to, and continues the saga that was introduced in author
Garry Gooding's first novel, "Where Courage Began" -- where readers
first met five-year-old Velma, her young siblings, and her suddenly
widowed mother Alice.

Now, with the publication of "The Road to Resilience" we find that it
is Christmas Day 1924 and young Velma is still breathless from the
dramatic events of the previous night. She remembers with joy
participating along with many of her community in rallying around an
isolated family in a moment of great need.

As years pass, Velma continues working hard at school and putting in
endless hours helping her widowed mother and older sister. Together
they support the family during the economic hardships in rural America
that foreshadowed the Great Depression of the 1930's. Uprooted yet
again by this national tragedy, the family's indomitable spirit and
endless spunk help sustain them. Along the way, Velma begins to
envision a brighter future in spite of continuing hardship.

Then, as a young woman, Velma meets handsome Jack Gooding and in the
briefest of time, realizes she has found her one true love. Now
equipped with hard earned life skills, she feels confident in facing
the vagaries of life with Jack at her side. Together they begin
pursuit of shared dreams amid a turbulent world. All too soon,
however, her resilience and courage must endure the greatest challenge
yet.

A lasting fictional tribute to life in Dallas County, Iowa, "The Road
to Resilience" continues a heartwarming literary series that mirrors
the struggles of a generation, shining a special light on the
Midwestern love for God, the land, hard work, family, and friendship.

Critique: Exceptionally well written by an author with a genuine and
memorable flair for the kind of 'feel good' narrative fiction that
wins literary prizes, "The Road to Resilience" is a fully
entertaining, engaging, and memorable novel that is highly
recommended, especially for community library Historical & Literary
Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists
that "The Road to Resilience" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $3.99).

A Mother's Secret
Caroline Finnerty
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781801625364, $TBA, Large Print, PB, 478pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781801625296

Synopsis: In one split second, Aidan Whelan's perfect world is changed
forever when his wife Rowan and three-year old daughter Milly are
involved in a tragic accident.

Helena O'Herlihy and her husband James have been struggling in their
marriage but a knock on the door telling her that James has been
involved in a car crash, has Helena rushing to his side.

When Aidan and Helena bump into each other at Dublin City Hospital,
they soon begin to wonder if it's more than just coincidence that
brought them there. Why were Rowan and James in the car together on
that fateful morning? Through their pain and tears, they form a bond
as they try to piece together what really did happen on the morning of
the crash.

As the lies begin to unravel and secrets are uncovered, can Aidan save
what's left of his family and Helena her marriage?

Critique: A carefully crafted and complex novel by a master of the
narrative driven storytelling style, "A Mother's Secret" by Caroline
Finnerty is an inherently fascinating and fully engaging read from
first page to last -- making this large print paperback edition from
Boldwood Books a truly welcome addition to personal reading lists and
community library Contemporary General Fictions.

Editorial Note: Fans of novelist Caroline Finnerty can visit her
informative website at www.carolinefinnerty.ie or contact her on
Facebook (carolinefinnertywriter) or on Twitter @cfinnertywriter

A Spring Surprise For The Cornish Midwife
Jo Bartlett
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781800489707, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 506pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781800489707

Synopsis: Midwife Jess knows she'll never have a baby of her own, but
she's determined to still be a mum. So Jess decides to foster,
providing love and support for children who desperately need it --
something Jess never had as a child when she was in foster care.

Jess loves caring for the precious babies who come into her life, but
letting them go again breaks her heart every time. Can she really be a
mum after all?

But then Jess finds a surprise on her doorstep in the form of a
newborn baby! As the search for the missing mum begins, Jess cares for
the precious babe day and night. She desperately wants to reunite mum
and baby, but knows that when the day comes, her own heart will
shatter.

Critique: An impressively engaging and entertaining read from cover to
cover, "A Spring Surprise For The Cornish Midwife" wonderfully
showcases author Jo Bartlett's imaginative talents as a novelist and
will have a very special attraction for those who appreciate and
outstanding and truly memorable work of contemporary women's fiction.
This large print paperback edition of "A Spring Surprise For The
Cornish Midwife" is especially recommended for personal reading lists
and community library general fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Jo Bartlett has made up stories for as long as she can
remember, but never really took it any further until writing her debut
novel in 2015. Since then she has another 19 novels to her credit. A
list of her novels can is at
https://www.fictiondb.com/author/jo-bartlett~502522.htm

The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl
Annemarie Brear
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781801627535, $TBA, Large Print, PB, 478pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781801627535

Synopsis: Yorkshire Dales, England, 1850. As a terrible storm rages,
Annabelle Wallis is shocked to find a distressed young woman at her
cottage door, heavy with child. Moments later a baby girl is born. But
by dawn, the mother has vanished, leaving behind the helpless child
wrapped only in a silk peacock shawl.

When news spreads that Lady Eliza Hartley, sister to wealthy estate
owner, John Hartley, has been found dead, Annabelle realizes the
terrible secret she has stumbled on. Terrified she'll be blamed for
Eliza's death, Annabelle flees to the filthy slums of York, where she
plans to raise the precious orphan as her own.

But the cobbled streets of York's slums are no place for a young woman
like Annabelle or a Hartley babe and John Hartley is determined to
bring them both home. But Annabelle proves impossible to find.
Annabelle can't hide forever from the wealthy Hartley family, but can
she ever give up the baby she loves?

Critique: A deftly crafted and inherently engaging historical novel
featuring skillfully drawn characters and unexpected plot developments
that keep the reader fully entertained from beginning to end, this
large print paperback edition of "The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl"
from Boldwood Books is highly recommended, both for the ever growing
number of AnneMarie Brear fans and community library general fiction
collections.

Editorial Note: Australian born AnneMarie Brear writes historical
novels and modern romances and sometimes the odd short story, too. She
especially enjoys researching historical eras and looking for
inspiration for her next book. She has a website at
http://www.annemariebrear.com. She can be followed on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/annemariebrear and on Twitter @annemariebrear

With Love from London
Sarah Jio
Ballantine Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
www.randomhouse.com
9781101885086, $17.00, PB, 400pp

https://www.amazon.com/Love-London-Novel-Sarah-Jio/dp/1101885084

Synopsis: When Valentina Baker was only eleven years old, her mother,
Eloise, unexpectedly fled to her native London, leaving Val and her
father on their own in California. Now a librarian in her thirties,
fresh out of a failed marriage and still at odds with her mother's
abandonment, Val feels disenchanted with her life.

In a bittersweet twist of fate, she receives word that Eloise has
died, leaving Val the deed to her mother's Primrose Hill apartment and
the Book Garden, the storied bookshop she opened almost two decades
prior. Though the news is devastating, Val jumps at the chance for a
new beginning and jets across the Atlantic, hoping to learn who her
mother truly was while mourning the relationship they never had.

As Val begins to piece together Eloise's life in the U.K., she finds
herself falling in love with the pastel-colored third-floor flat and
the cozy, treasure-filled bookshop, soon realizing that her mother's
life was much more complicated than she ever imagined. When Val
stumbles across a series of intriguing notes left in a beloved old
novel, she sets out to locate the book's mysterious former owner,
though her efforts are challenged from the start, as is the prospects
of Book Garden's future.

In order to save the store from financial ruin and preserve her
mother's legacy, she must rally its eccentric staff and journey deep
into her mother's secrets!

Critique: "With Love from London" by novelist Sarah Jio, is an
impressively well written and inherently compelling story about
healing and loss, revealing the emotional, relatable truths about
love, family, and forgiveness. An original and fully entertaining read
from first page to last, "With Love from London" is an extraordinary
and unreservedly recommended addition to community library
Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of women's friendship and family saga stories
that "With Love from London" is also readily available in a digital
book format as well (Kindle, $11.99). Librarians should note that
"With Love from London" there is also a large print library binding
edition available (Central Point Publishing, 9781638082309, $39.95).

The Bright Side Running Club
Josie Lloyd
Alcover Press
c/o Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781643859491, $16.99, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bright-Side-Running-Club-friends/dp/1643859498

Synopsis: When Keira first receives her breast cancer diagnosis, she
never expects to end up joining a running group with three women she's
only just met. Totally blind-sided, all she can think about is how she
doesn't want to tell her family or step back from work. Nor does she
want to be part of a group of fellow cancer patients. Cancer is not
her club.

And yet it's the running, the hot, sweaty, lycra-clad running in the
company of brilliant, funny women all going through treatment, that
unexpectedly gives Keira the hope she so urgently needs. Because Keira
will not be defined by the C-word. And now, with the Cancer Ladies'
Running Club cheering her on, she is going to reclaim everything: her
family, her identity, and her life. -- One step at a time.

Critique: Although a work of deftly crafted fiction, "The Bright Side
Running Club" deals with the real-life dilemmas of a cancer diagnoses
that impact tens of thousands of women every year. An inherently
fascinating and entertaining novel about love, family and the power of
finding your tribe, "The Bright Side Running Club" is guaranteed to be
an immediately welcome and enduringly popular addition to community
library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted
for the personal reading lists of non-specialist general readers with
an interest in medical fiction, friendship fiction, and novels that
linger in the mind and memory of the reader after the story is
finished and the book set back upon the shelf that "The Bright Side
Running Club" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Dreamscape Media, 9781666534009, $22.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Josie Lloyd's first novel, It Could Be You, was
published in 1997 and since then she has written 15 bestselling novels
(under various pen names), including the number one hit Come Together,
which she co-authored with her husband, Emlyn Rees, and which was
number one for 10 weeks, published in 27 languages and made into a
Working Title film. Josie has also written several best-selling
parodies with Emlyn, including We're Going On A Bar Hunt, The Very
Hungover Caterpillar and The Teenager Who Came To Tea.

The Marriage of Rose Camilleri
Robert Hough
Douglas & McIntyre
c/o Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
www.douglas-mcintyre.com
9781771623049, $22.95, PB, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Rose-Camilleri-Robert-Hough/dp/1771623047

Synopsis: When Rose Camilleri and Scotty Larkin meet, neither expects
to spend a lifetime together, navigating a sometimes turbulent
marriage and scraping through the process of raising a family.

When Scotty first enters the bakery where Rose works, she is a new
arrival from the tiny island nation of Malta, fond of rabbit stew and
Hollywood cinema. He is a thoughtful printer's assistant recently
released from juvenile detention after stealing and swiftly totaling a
stranger's car. Even after years of marriage and two children
together, Rose struggles to shake the idea that perhaps she should
have held out for someone more exciting, less withdrawn. But together
they will face poverty, infidelity, troubled teenagers, latent
criminality, illness and cold Canadian winters and find their own kind
of happiness along the way.

Critique: With the publication of "The Marriage of Rose Camilleri",
novelist Robert Hough eloquently creates his memorably
larger-than-life characters with genuine warmth, insight and humor,
and displaying the masterful approach to storytelling that gained his
previous novels acclaim and several prestigious award nominations. As
an experienced and narrative driven storyteller, Robert Hough is able
to transport his readers into the epicentre of an unconventional love
story, where he draws out captivating details from the fabric of an
ordinary shared lifetime to create a story that lives in the moment
and takes seriously the small but vital details of everyday life. An
engaging, entertain, and memorable novel, "The Marriage Of Rose
Camilleri" is unhesitatingly recommended for personal reading lists,
as well as community and academic library contemporary literary
fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Currently residing in Toronto, Canada, Robert Hough is
also the author of The Final Confession of Mabel Stark (Vintage
Canada, 2002), short listed for both the Commonwealth Writers' Prize
for best first book and the Trillium Book Award; The Stowaway (Vintage
Canada, 2004), one of the Boston Globe's top ten fiction titles of
2004; The Culprits (Vintage Canada, 2008); Dr. Brinkley's Tower (House
of Anansi, 2012), short listed for the Governor General's Award for
fiction and long listed for the Giller Prize; The Man Who Saved Henry
Morgan (House of Anansi, 2015), a finalist for the Trillium Book
Award; and Diego's Crossing (Annick Press, 2015), and was short listed
for the Arthur Ellis Award.

The Tobacco Wives
Adele Myers
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9780063082939, $27.99, HC, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Tobacco-Wives-Novel-Adele-Myers/dp/0063082934

Synopsis: Maddie Sykes is a burgeoning seamstress who's just arrived
in Bright Leaf, North Carolina (the tobacco capital of the South)
where her aunt has a thriving sewing business. After years of war
rations and shortages, Bright Leaf is a prosperous wonderland in full
technicolor bloom, and Maddie is dazzled by the bustle of the crisply
uniformed female factory workers, the palatial homes, and, most of
all, her aunt's glossiest clientele: the wives of the powerful tobacco
executives.

But she soon learns that Bright Leaf isn't quite the carefree paradise
that it seems. A trail of misfortune follows many of the women,
including substantial health problems, and although Maddie is quick to
believe that this is a coincidence, she inadvertently uncovers
evidence that suggests otherwise.

Maddie wants to report what she knows, but in a town where everyone
depends on Big Tobacco to survive, she doesn't know who she can trust
-- and fears that exposing the truth may destroy the lives of the
proud, strong women with whom she has forged strong bonds.

Critique: Although a work of fiction, "The Tobacco Wives" by Adele
Myers accurately reveals the hidden history of women's activism in
exposing the dangers of tobacco use during the post-war period. A
deeply human, emotionally satisfying, and dramatic novel about the
power of female connection and the importance of seeking truth, "The
Tobacco Wives" will prove an enduringly welcome addition to community
library fiction collections. For personal reading lists, "The Tobacco
Wives" is available in a digital book format (Kindle, $$14.99.
Librarians should note that "The Tobacco Wives" is also readily
available in a large print paperback edition (9780063211353, $29.99,
480pp) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio,
9798200854257, $46.99, CD).

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to
promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We
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The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines
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"MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch".
All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www
(dot) midwestbookreview (dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them
to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to
Frugalmuse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title,
author, publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number,
13-digit ISBN number, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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Stephen Hayes, Author of The Year of the Dragon
Sample or purchase The Year of the Dragon:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/907935
Web site: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail: shayes@dunelm.org.uk