Reviewed by Alle Wells for "Readers' Favorite" 

NOTOWN

By Tess Collins

Tess Collins tells a tale of a Kentucky coal mining town during the mid-to-late 20th century. “Notown” is a place where survival is up to the individual, regardless of age. In 1987, Randi Jo Gaylor thinks back on her life as she stands before the man that she intends to kill in the place where she was born. As a child, hunger and the “fear angel” were Randi Jo's constant companions in the meager shack that hangs on the edge of a coal miners’ mountain. One of thirteen children, she learned to steal what she craved. Lies and secrets became her only protection. As a teenager, Randi Jo’s luck takes a turn when her beauty catches the eye of a middle-class college boy. But no matter how hard she tries, Randi Jo knows that she’s still a nobody from Notown and that’s all she’ll ever be. Randi Jo is forced from a world where she doesn’t belong into the dark underworld she promised herself she’d never enter. Each day brings her closer to the realization that there are few choices for a poor girl from Notown.

“Notown” is a powerfully written story presented with hard, biting edge characters bound by strong roots. Members of the Gaylor family are both lovable and horrifying. Randi Jo is raised by faithful and loving parents who possess an amazing sense of serenity amid the squalor of Notown. Her siblings are a blend of good and bad, tough and frail. I highly recommend Randy Jo’s story of ultimate survival. Some say that she has nine lives. After reading her story, I believe that is true.

Reviewed by Alle Wells for "Readers' Favorite"

The Story of Sassy Sweetwater

By Vera Jane Cook

In "The Story of Sassy Sweetwater”, Vera Jane Cook presents a powerful family saga that follows the passion, pain and quest for happiness of a brilliant young woman over a 50-year lifespan. The daughter of an unwed, teenage mother, Sassy’s life began in secrecy near a stream called Sweetwater in rural South Carolina. We catch up with thirteen-year-old Sassy when Vi, her beautiful yet sad and haunted mother, moves back to her South Carolina home at Carter’s Crossing. Grandma Edna, the matriarch of the McLaughlin family, admires her granddaughter’s high-spirited ways. Grandma Edna takes Sassy under her wing while Vi sorts out the trouble she left behind at the time of Sassy’s birth. Wise beyond her years, young Sassy is what Southerners call an old soul. She reacts with hard-nosed frankness when confronted with the crime, lies and deception that goes on in the wealthy, ruthless and eclectic McLaughlin family. Confronted by violence, lies and indifference from the people she trusts most, Sassy learns at a young age that “happiness is fickle as a whim”.  Young Sassy’s heartbreak and sorrow leads to a series of events that paint the picture of an unforgettable life filled with tragedy.

Narrated in first person, “The Story of Sassy Sweetwater” by Vera Jane Cook is a magnificent depiction of life in the rural South during the mid-20th century. The on point Southern characterization played out in this powerful family drama had me hooked from the very first page. As in all great family sagas, this story has its victims, villains and heroes.  “The Story of Sassy Sweetwater” is clearly the best book I’ve read this year, engaging and well written. 

07/22/14

Reviewed by Alle Wells for Readers' Favorite

"The Killdeer"

by Michael Cotter

In a journey that began as an afterthought, Michael Cotter has become a sought after and well-known storyteller. Cotter, a natural-born care-taker of the land and dreamer from Austin, Minnesota, shares his heart and life stories in a unique anthology filled with humor and sorrow. From the days of the horse drawn plow to modern day GPS navigation, this is the story of a farmer’s son, a farmer, and manager of a multi-generational farm. Cotter’s voice rings clearly and purposefully as he recounts the trials of managing a sprawling farm, raising a large family and the joys of fatherhood. Many hours spent running a combine in the corn fields provide our storyteller with an empathetic view of correlation between nature and humans. The pages are sprinkled with tales of nature’s wonders and genuine human kindness. The first story begins with a compassionate encounter with the intelligent little bird known as “The Killdeer”. In the poem, “Wounded”, Cotter relates his own heartbreak to the broken pride of an injured deer while he contemplates the routine of life in sweet, lyrical prose as he stops to say, “Pardon Me, Mouse.” 

“The Killdeer” is filled with sentimental tales of simplicity and old-fashioned family values. Bygone tales of encounters with Gypsy horse traders and sinewy, homeless cowboys, shady cattle dealers along with an array of charming characters keep the stories engaging and fun to read. As a bonus, Michael Cotter shares his rewarding volunteer work with HIV infected victims. “The Killdeer” is a satisfying collection of stories about a rewarding life.

Reviewed by Alle Wells for Readers' Favorite

Choosing Energy Therapy:

A Practical Guide to Healing Options for People and Animals

by Wanda Buckner

My personal success with Acupuncture and Acupressure treatments led me to pick up this informative, quick read on energy healing. Wanda Buckner, author of “Choosing Energy Therapy”, shares her experience with alternative healing techniques and the world of energy therapy. Her experience begins with grief after the loss of loved ones who were treated by traditional methods. Dr. Buckner emerged from

 her loss to discover her own ability to heal humans and animals using the field of energy that is available to all of us.

In ten short chapters, “Choosing Energy Therapy” covers the physical, emotional, social and spiritual impact that energy therapy options can have on our lives. The basic definitions and concepts of Acupuncture, Acupressure, Reiki and Reconnective Healing are presented in an instructive way that’s easy to understand. Dr. Buckner gives advice on types of treatment, finding a practitioner and helpful tips to achieve personal internal healing. Each chapter ends with stimulating, interactive questions to assist the reader in making the right decisions regarding treatment options.

Dr. Buckner sites believable yet miraculous case examples throughout the book. After reading about the emotional disorders in animals that have been cured through energy therapy treatments, I reconsidered my own pet’s health needs and his reaction to my well-being. Do you know what your Chakras are and what they do? Did you know that Reiki originated in Japan? Would you like to release yourself from the maze of daily demands? I learned the answers to these questions and many more while reading “Choosing Energy Therapy”.

Reviewed by Alle Wells for Readers' Favorites

Innocent War

By Susan Violante

Susan Violante tells the captivating story of her father’s childhood experiences during World War II. “Innocent War” gives an unusual account of a well-known war that begins in Tripoli. Nino, a young Italian boy, is barely ten years old when his father is sent away to fight in Mussolini’s army. In his father’s absence, Nino skirts around the military camps and strikes a deal with the Italian and German soldiers to help feed his family.  When the school is bombed and the city becomes increasingly more dangerous, Nino’s mother leaves her home, with two children in tow, in search of her husband. Over the next four years, they embark on a remarkable journey as the family continually seeks shelter and safety. Each new home presents challenges and opportunities for Nino’s adventuresome spirit. He learns a valuable lesson when his crafty survival skills lead to danger for himself and others.

Through Nino’s eyes, Ms. Violante guides us through a desert dust storm, the rocky Mediterranean coastline, colorful villages of Sicily and dark images of Italy’s cities destroyed by the spoils of war. Nino’s passage from childlike innocence to a coming of age awakening relates to the fiery youth within all of us. “Innocent War” provides an insightful look into life along the Mediterranean during the German occupation during World War II. Nino’s story intimately portrays the economic, social and emotional impact that warfare has on its innocent victims. I highly recommend this historical read for middle school teachers and their students.

Reviewed by Alle Wells for Readers' Favorite

Too Much Left Unsaid

By Lee Collins

“Too Much Left Unsaid” profiles the lives of two American women from 1917 through 1969. Lee Collins’ characters, Mattie and Kathy, share similar childhood losses that have an emotional impact on their adult lives and their decision making. Both women dream of becoming well-educated and self-reliant, but these women live in an era when men go off to fight wars while the womenfolk keep the home fires burning. Mattie’s dream of obtaining a college education is thwarted, so she agrees to marry Ron. Kathy is literally swept off her feet and marries Josh in a rush. In a small Ohio township, the lives of these women become joined forever. Mattie is determined not to repeat the sins of her mother while pining over the loss of her younger sister. Kathy continues to seek independence, stumbles along the way and faces the pitfalls of a society that is not ready to set her free.

Ms. Collins’ story mixes a powerful brew of love in this heartwarming family saga of opposing social, political and religious views. Her characters are strong-willed, open-hearted and forgiving. Beginning with World War I and up to the war in Vietnam, hearts are won and lives are sacrificed as our characters, Mattie and Kathy, deliver a fine representation of American life during the 20th century. From the 1930s movie theaters to the home perms of the 1960s, “Too Much Left Unsaid” is a story to be savored over a tall glass of iced tea and a plate of Mattie’s special Toll House cookies.

Reviewed by Alle Wells for Readers' Favorite


The Willow Tree 

By Elan Carson

In “The Willow Tree,” Elan Carson spins a picturesque tale filled with torn emotion. We meet our young protagonist at the impressionable age of fourteen when life is anything but tender. Recurring abuse from the hands of her step-father are mingled with the image of his perfect, lost love. This sets the stage for Emma’s feelings of self-loathing and confusion. She is academically gifted and artistic, yet unable to shake the guilt and hatred she carries within her soul. Then he is gone. Emma’s naive mother steps in to sort out what remains of her child’s silent screams for help. Emma makes it through high school without the support and love she desperately needs. During her college years, she sets out on a perpetual social wanderlust. Amid an array of aspiring artists and off-beat characters, she cries out for acceptance and validation in a world where she feels invisible.

Ms. Carson’s lyrical prose weaves a lovely, haunting tale in “The Willow Tree”. Emma’s intimidation and fear of her step-father saddened me. I identified with the loneliness of an outsider walking the crowded halls of her high school years. As a young woman, her yearning for fulfillment splattered the pages with longing. I wish I could say that Emma finds true love and fulfillment, or that this story ends like a fairy tale. Nonetheless, as in real life, the tale ends where it begins with memories that can’t be packed away. I leave "The Willow Tree" haunted by its memories, desires and unspoken dreams.