Stillborn Armadillos - Book 1 of the John Lee Quarrels Series by Nick Russell

 

A couple of notes as I begin... I was trying to contact the author because the book copyright states clearly that excerpts may NOT be used even for reviews... So I'll be talking about the books from my own thoughts without any ability to share the actual writing. Please note also that there are mistakes, not many, but sufficient to be aware that a final editing was never done. Also, the book I got for my reader is NOT what I later found to be provided on my desktop format. I have no idea why, but as I already noted to the author, the pages were unnumbered, and at least once, I lost location of where I had left off reading. Don't ask me why. other than to say that Fire does that frequently if you lay your reader down on an uneven surface... Not LOL

In any event, once I discovered that the desktop version was different, I decided to not talk about the books in the order in which this book presents them. Given that I will be discussing the books as opposed to my regular review format, you should realize that the comments and thoughts are purely my own--sometimes opinions--sometimes flashbacks--sometimes editorial... And, more importantly, as most of you already know, I will be correlating the material presented in a somewhat comparative analysis with what is happening in the world right now, on a daily basis. I'm going to try this first book that I just finished and see how it goes. As you know, I normally use short excerpts to pinpoint issues and explore the content, but since, apparently, the fear of AI related to book content being illegally used is growing, I will be exploring how to adjust to those authors who require that I seek permission before any use. In any event, feedback about how you feel about my adjustments to copyright restrictions are, as with any other issue, always welcome...

Amazon Book Description - Life is already complicated enough for John Lee Quarrels, what with his estranged wife dropping in for unannounced sleepovers, her oversexed sister tempting him, his pot smoking ponytailed grandfather growing his own stash, his Elvis obsessed grandmother, and being caught smack dab in the middle of a power struggle between the Sheriff and Chief Deputy. But when a road construction crew unearths the skeletons of three murder victims, John Lee suddenly finds himself on the trail of a killer who may well have died long before the deputy was even born. And then a mysterious sniper begins shooting at deputies...
As sultry as a Florida back road in August, as mysterious as the South's live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss, and as deadly as a copperhead strike, New York Times bestselling author Nick Russell's new John Lee Quarrels series is sure to hook you from the first page and keep you reading late into the night.
~~~~

Small town USA is the setting for the books I've read thus far... As I mentioned yesterday, I immediately thought about the fact that in the first term for the republicans as they began movement toward Project 2025's attempt to control us, there was an emphasis that they had already started at the local level to influence for their plans and to begin control... We saw an emphasis on banning books, disruptions of school boards as movement toward a tighter control for our citizens was begun...

In the books thus far, there is one blatant factor. There are always local "rich" men, leaders of the community who "think" they have the right to control our lives... Interestingly, however, Russell also includes the extreme of the other side of the small town people... Discovering the individual people within each story is, therefore, a highlight to be watched... 

Because within a small town, apparently, it seems that everybody knows about everything that is going on... And, as with today's world, individual reactions are based upon where you are "seen" in relation to the "class" of people in which you live...

Let me quickly point out that, for me, I was influenced by this obvious use of people and their relationships to each other was quite offensive. That doesn't mean that I've never had similar feelings, it merely shares that "my feelings" are based upon, oftentimes, a very different base of beliefs. I found myself often reading the books more from a sociological standpoint as opposed to content of the storyline.

What do I mean by that? Well, for instance, I have no idea what the title of this book is supposed to represent... LOL... Now talk about coons or deer that scamper around my area, and I'm fully involved. Add some cats or dogs, and I've got friends to enjoy while I read... But talks among men as it relates to sex and competition was too much of a reminder of how deadly that can and has become as we watch television each day...

Take John Lee Quarrels as the main character... and how his character is developed. My first reaction was John Boy from The Little House on the Prairie... I mean, do small towners actually use two names each time you talk among friends? In any event, his personal life is interesting. His interaction with family is stranger... and yet, the man, himself, is somebody that most women will immediately respond to. But not know what to say about him... Interested in knowing more?

Well, often in a small area, we have nepotism as an issue... relatives getting jobs because they are familialy connected. John Lee's boss, is also his father-in-aw. This becomes an issue because John Lee is an excellent officer, but supposedly reports to another man, who is also familialy connected and feels he should be the Sheriff--as opposed to reporting to his brother-in-law... So there is constant friction by the supposed boss being bypassed... Also, in a small area, we learn that sex is an open discussion option, so readers will know all about John Lee's life in that area...

But let's start at the beginning. Often an officer will be involved in providing security to construction site activity. It was there that, as digging was occurring, a human bone was discovered. In fact, ultimately there were three old bodies that had been brought to the surface... And, once site review was made, they learned that each of the men, later confirmed as Black, had been shot in the back of their heads.

This, then, becomes an ongoing investigation led by Quarrels and a need to search old records when the age of the skeletons were confirmed. That occurred when the first few bones didn't match and the digging spread out from that original discovery... And, almost immediately somebody attacked the group, firing from a distance into the cop cars!

Once it was determined that the skeletons were from Black men, the issue of slaves was considered. But the timing and the ages of the skeletons soon eliminated that they had been slaves... One major find at that time was a small object that could not be defined with a purpose... Finally, a local historian provided sufficient information to pull up an historical fact on earlier camps to collect turpentine... On the other hand, John Lee learned that what was called Turpentine had been a product of a company that was still located in town... At some point in the past a discovery was made that there had been six camps which might have used the small token to be worn by the workers who lived in the various camps. Using these to identify the workers.

This was one of the connections that came to mind... That is, the fact that, supposedly, slavery had been abolished, but many Black people, attempting to find some type of work, were often caught into the same type of corruption of rich cotton growers... The product just changed... And, workers might have been of more than one race, but treated just as badly... Those who controlled men in the camps, I picture, as the type of men now working with ICE... Yes, it was a job, but it was also a method by which racial bias was often displayed, often resulting in death for the workers... The small ID could be used and often was worn around the neck. Indeed this small item had the initials of the company name.

John Lee soon was talking with the company leader but he claimed he knew little about what was going on back that far in the company's history... But John Lee soon was dealing with who was shooting up cop cars as well as who might have murdered the three Black men so long ago...

An interesting connection between many of those John Lee interacted with was a slightly different version of ICE of today, where they go into various locations without benefit of warrants or other legal  authority. This theme runs through the small town areas in the various books, with militia-type individuals--or Klan--who used guns and threats against any law officer who tried to come on to their property... As of now, I don't have a handle on why these people felt that they could prevent the law from coming on their land... Perhaps when there is a conflict between what the law is actually trying to do, versus what the individuals believe is right or wrong? Certainly we have learned of the correlation being used by those who now walk our streets masked and with guns aimed and ready...

It was the murder of Ray Ray that brought the entire community up in arms... Ray Ray stuttered, but was so involved, kind, and caring that it didn't matter... He paid with his life... And how he died was something that called for action of various sorts...

As the book ends, readers are confronted with an ending that has little to offer... When those involved lie to the police officers or blame others as seems to be a standard operating procedure for many small town business representatives, we are confronted with one major result.

The problem of communication moves from the very bottom of civilization all the way to the top... The question is what to do when the people with legal authority are prevented from acting... by parents who choose to support their child rather than acknowledge that accountability is required... Two boys had decided it would be funny to scare a cop... The cop thought he was being killed, or could be... The mother attacked John Lee for pointing out that her son could be killed...

All I have to say it that if the small town of these books represent what actually exists in the United States...there is every reason to consider that the lack of proper training and accountability does indeed begin in the families... And, when power and money becomes a factor, it only gains strength, longevity and moves upward and outward... creating chaos...

John Lee had the scars to prove it. That mother used her claws and dug into his face, not caring that her son was actually to blame--or, perhaps, she was actually the one to be jailed...

Are we generating the world we live in through the type of parenting being done? Yet, those who are parents are often stopped from dealing with problems due to lack of money, some type of abuse, or out-of-control problems in the family that are rarely handled or even attempted because the parent is not able to handle the responsibility.

Have we reached today's crisis through ignoring the needs of those who need the most help? Statistics seem to support that to be true... Decades have gone by while one political party not only refuses to deal with gun control, but also garners financial support for retaining policies about gun control as not being needed...

Are our children being stillborn because there are no longer clear guidelines with families, local governments, federal government and across the world?

Like Nero, do we allow supposed leaders at every level to fiddle while Rome burns to the ground... and then blame anybody and everybody other than ourselves or those we voted for, at any level, including our religious leaders, to actually get away with murder???

A final thought re this series... Quarrels, in developing John Lee as his main character achieves something that many writers have not... He has put together a story that is intriguing enough to pull readers in at the same time, that his main character has sufficient moral character to allow readers to know exactly how he feels about various situations... and yet provides a layer of ongoing humor that both surprises and delights...

Watch for the next book soon...

GABixerReviews

A Wonderful Family Drama for Boomers, Especially, by Bette A. Stevens - Dog Bone Soup!

"Travel with Shawn Daniels through the guts and the glories of life. You’ll find them all in DOG BONE SOUP, a Boomer’s coming-of-age saga." Many of us will think of Huckleberry Finn when we consider this book, and it is indeed that type of story, but my first thought was of Opie to play Shawn. Why? well, we boomers will remember him and can picture him as the sweet boy that he portrayed on television. You'll find that same personality in Shawn Daniels, an intelligent young boy who happened to be born into a poor family with a father who drank... and a mother who did everything she could to keep her family together and fed...

Shawn Daniels now in the Army and on his way! But, he already missed his mother and siblings...and couldn't help but think back over his life as he moved toward the future...

There was a brook not far from the cabin. Dad crossed it most every day to cut logs. Sometimes he would take me down to the brook to watch him when he went fishing. It was my favorite place, until that day Mum got hurt. 

I was sitting at the table writing my ABC’s. Mum always had me writing something. She said that education was important. Told me that I was sure to be the smartest boy in my class by the time I got to kindergarten. I peeked over at Willie sleeping on a blanket in the corner. Mum smiled at me from the stove. “We’ll be having hotcakes with maple syrup for breakfast tomorrow. You just keep working on your letters.” I was back to working on my letters and stopped to draw a picture of hotcakes at the top of the paper when BANG— something exploded. 

Mum was in a fit bawling and screaming at me. “Shawn, go find your father. GO! GO, SHAWN!” I just sat there wondering what to do. “Run, son! SCREAM– BLOODY MURDER. Go Get Dad. SCREAM it LOUD and don’t stop screaming.” 

I ran out of the house screaming “bloody murder” at the top of my lungs. I ran and ran and kept screaming until I slid down the bank on the crusted snow and fell through a chance to say a word, he picked me up, put his cap on my head and stuffed as much of me as he could inside his heavy wool jacket. 

He carried me home while I told him about Mum. By the time we got to the cabin, Willie was on his feet thrashing around the room and screeching to beat the band. Dad picked him up and handed him to me. Then he bandaged Mum up and gave her a good bawling out. “Henrietta, sometimes you’re about as stupid as a stick. Don’t you know that a canner with a lid on is for cannin’ stuff, not for boilin’ down maple sap? You got to leave the lid off for that.” 

For a long time after that, Mum and Dad didn’t talk much unless it was about things they didn’t like. Mum didn’t like Uncle Hiram, said he was a bad influence. Dad didn’t like Mum calling him and his family “no damned good.” Mum cried a lot. By summertime, baby Annie came along and Mum stayed at home with her most of the time. 

Dad would take Willie and me down to the brook when he went fishing. He’d have his beer bottle in one hand and Willie hooked to his hip with the other. I was old enough not to need holding. I’d run ahead with Dad’s pole and find my favorite spot along the bank. I’d sit there, listening to the brook sing, looking up into those giant oaks and pines. On real nice days, the sun peeked through the branches and danced on the water. It was pretty much like being in church, only quieter. 

Late that summer, Mum made me my own fishing pole out of a maple sapling so I could fish alongside of Dad. She even made me a fish hook out of a safety pin. I loved that little pole...

~~~

Dog Bone Soup:

A Boomer's Journey

By Bette A. Stevens

It wasn't too long into the story before I began to compare my own background with Shawn and his family. The most telling was my memory of our buying chicken backs and necks in bulk when a local store had a sale... Oh how we hated to clean those chicken parts...But they made wonderful chicken and noodles which we had every Sunday...

So, too, could Shawn look back on the good times when he was younger and his Dad was more involved with the family. Even then, though, he drank a lot of beer and would think nothing of his verbal and, often, physical abuse of his wife...

But there came a time when it was even worse for the Daniels family. They had a small vegetable garden, so Shawn's mother would send him to the local butcher and beg for old bones for their dogs, supposedly... Instead, what she would do it scrape off any meat and cut the bones to pull out the marrow. That would become the stock for soup. No, it was not very tasty, especially when they had it night after night... But it kept them going, though they were still hungry most of the time...

“Tell the butcher we have a bunch
 of dogs and ask him for all the bones
 he can spare.” 
I could feel my neck and face heat up
 when I asked. Those bones stunk
so bad, they nearly made me puke. 
Couldn’t believe I’d asked for those
 stinking things or 
that we’d be eating them....
~~~.

Mainly it all started when Shawn's father decided he wanted to save the money he was paying for rent and he tore down an old cabin and moved to a piece of property and started to build a home...He did grudgingly put in electricity, but there were no indoor plumbing and the water had to be carried from the stream... Until he finally built a well...

But Shawn's mother wasn't willing to have the family live like that and she started to scratch out a little money to save...thus the Dog Bone Soup... But one night Eddie brought home a television and acted as if he had bought it for the family... He had taken the money that was being saved to improve the house...

With his wife's reaction, he changed for the worse and sat drinking beer and watching television most of the time. Soon Shawn's mother was taking part-time cleaning and other jobs. But Eddie just accused her of running around on him...

And Shawn was affected in another way--he was made fun of at school about their being poor with no indoor plumbing... The lives of the other kids was so different to his that he had no ground to begin to develop friendships...

Then Buddy Wentworth and Timmy Doyle started singing, “Shawn has a pee pot, Shawn has a pee pot; a to-i-let, he ain’t got….” Buddy had his arm around Timmy’s shoulder, like they were best friends. Pretty soon, a bunch of other kids joined in. I couldn’t believe Timmy was chumming around with Buddy. Usually it was Buddy poking fun at Timmy...

While most of the kids in school were yackin’ about football games, dances and The Beatles, I kept pretty much to myself. I didn’t have a clue about what those kids were talkin’ about and I really didn’t care...

The only thing that saved Shawn was his determination to work to make a better life. He studied and got good grades and still spent time helping his mother with chores and the other children...

When it got so bad that, as a teenager, Shawn went in and got the rifle to chase his father from the house and protect his mother from further abuse, Shawn had to start thinking what to do. His grades were failing, he couldn't see any options, until... he was willing to risk being sent into the Vietnam War to find his own life...and move toward it...

For Boomers, it will take us back to things happening during this years we were young; e.g., the Kennedy Assassination...

But your age really doesn't matter because once you start reading, you'll be sucked deeply into the story and its characters that Stevens has presented. They are real, they live the life that many Americans have lived during those years, earlier years...and, yes, later years. Poverty and prejudice are not solely owned by Boomers... We all know that! So, I'm going to disagree that Boomers are the only audience... I recommend it highly to individuals who enjoy stories based upon the family... whether it's Little House on the Prairie, Or Blue Bloods... Only the setting has changed... Because it's a story of hope, of tenacity, and of caring for those we love... 

Only one scene disturbed me...when the church brought the foods for a thanksgiving dinner to the family, Mrs. Daniels refused to accept it, indicating they would take no charity. Shawn learned a lesson that day that affected him in later decisions... It was sad, because I was sure that part of her feelings was based upon how her family had been treated by church members during other interactions... Let us remember that everybody sometimes needs a little help...and there really is no shame in accepting... Help!

There is much to ponder, to think about how we would respond...and to help look at life's issues from a different perspective. Enjoy this as much as I did!

GABixlerReviews

Note: Several pics were illustrated by the author...

Inspired by nature and human nature, Bette A. Stevens is an author, retired teacher, wife, mother of two and grandmother of five. Stevens lives in Central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys writing, reading, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and childhood literacy and for monarch butterflies, an endangered species. Stevens's children's activity book, THE TANGRAM ZOO and WORD PUZZLES TOO!, was first published in 1997 by Windswept House Publishing, Mt. Desert, ME; a second edition was self-published by the author in 2012. AMAZING MATILDA, Stevens's second children's book, self-published in 2012 won a 2013 Purple Dragonfly Book Award (Honorable Mention for Excellence in Children's Literature - Ages 6 and older category) and also placed #9 on The 2013 Gittle List for Self-published Children's Picture Books. Stevens has written articles for ECHOES, The Northern Maine Journal of Rural Culture based in Caribou, Maine. In 2013, the author published her first book for the YA/Adult audience: PURE TRASH: The story, a short story of a boy growing up in rural New England and prequel to DOG BONE SOUP, debut novel released January 2015.

From The Author: 

"I love to walk and enjoy nature's beauty, whether at home or on the go. I'm passionate about the beauty in the world around me and enjoy jotting down notes and composing short poems. The coast is one of my favorite places to relax. I'm a nature collector: everything from seashells to birds' nests. When I was teaching, these treasures filled my classroom and provided inspiration for reading, writing and research. It was hands-on fun and excitement and I enjoyed every moment spent learning with, from and about my students. One thing I learned is that many children don't have an adult to read to them or listen to them read and talk about those books. Many of my blog and facebook posts will focus on how we can improve childhood literacy by reading to the children in our families and communities. My own childhood was filled with books and adults who shared and encouraged a love of reading. I've written some poetry and several short stories. I plan to write some adult fiction, including a coming of age story, and write reviews on some of my favorite books. I'll be sharing some of your stories, poems and tips on reading and writing, too. Let's have fun learning, living, sharing and loving language together." Bette A. Stevens 

Just Out July 7th From Harper - The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop Takes Readers into 1974 Coup in Cyprus!

President Makarios

Nikos Sampson, the leader of the coup

Greek military coup of July 1974

In the spring of 1974, Greek Cypriot intelligence discovered that EOKA-B was planning a coup against President Makarios which was sponsored by the military junta of Athens.

~~~

Mr.  and Mrs. Papacosta

request the pleasure of your company

at the Paradise Patio

Cocktails

6:30 p.m.

1974

Now, as Savvas and Aphroditi moved through to the patio to greet their guests, a few dozen people were already gathered there, all of them looking out to sea. It was impossible not to be mesmerized by the sight. In the balmy early-evening light, there was a rosy tint to the sky, the sun was still warm on the skin and the lithe bodies of the boys who lingered to play games of volleyvall on the beach were sharply defined by the shadows. It seemed entirely credible that Aproditi, the Goddess of Love, might have been born on this island. It was a place to be in love with life itself.

There was a pattern and rhythm to the way the couple circulated, asking guests how they had spent the day, listening patiently to descriptions of wonderful swimming, clear waters, perhaps an excursion to see the medieval city. They had heard everything before but exclaimed politely as if it was for the first time.

In the corner of the room, a young French pianist moved his pale fingers seamlessly from one jazz favourite to another. The sound of chattering voices and clinking ice drowned out his music here as in every other venue. Every evening he made a journey along the row of hotels, playing for an hour in each one. At five in the morning he would put down the lid of the Steinway at The Savoy, the last of the bars where he had a nightly engagement. He would then sleep until later afternoon and be back at The Paradise Beach for six fifteen.

Savvas was shorter and stouter than most of his northern European clientele, but his suit was better cut than any in the room. Similarly, his wife's clothes were always more chic than those of their guests. However dell dressed they were, whether from London, Paris or even the United States, none of the women matched Aphroditi for glamour. Though the American was more than ten years her senior, Aphroditi cultivated a Jackie O style. She had always loved the way Jackie dressed, more than ever since her marriage to Aristotle Onassis, every magazine was full of her image. For years Aphroditi had devoured everything to do with her icon, from the days when she had refurbished the White House and entertained foreign dignitaries with cocktails, to more recent times with

 images of her on islands so far away from Cyprus. Jackie's was the style she favoured: immaculately tailored but feminine.

Though the whole impression was flawless, it was her jewellery that made Aphroditi stand out. Most women bought a necklace of bracelet to go with an outfit, but Aphroditi had dresses made to match her jewellery. Usually this reflected a classic Cypriot design but sometimes it had a more modern touch. When people met Aphroditi and were reminded of Jackie Onassis, they sometimes doubted whether Aristotle's gifts to his wife matched up to those given by Savvas Papacosta to his...

~~~

The Sunrise

By Victoria Hislop

No matter what the novel, I am always first attracted to the characters that people the book. In The Sunrise, we meet a couple who are both rich and well-known in their area of Cyprus--Famagusta. The Island had gained independence and President Makarios was in office at the beginning of the story. Islanders were called Cypriots and had been living there for many years. Some were called Greek Cypriots due to their heritage while the other primary group was Turkish Cypriots. There was a blend of people--working together in the largest industry--tourism... There was a need for all to support the island and many became good friends, no matter their background...

Why is it that some people are allowed to use their prejudices, their hatreds to stir up trouble. It happens over and over, all over the world... While America was dealing with Watergate and the world watched, rumblings and secret meetings and solicitation of supporters was beginning in Cyprus...

And before the end of the book, this beautiful island had been destroyed by bombings, forced evacuation and...all those vicious actions that take place during war...  The island had been split and the portion of Cyprus, which included Famagusta--including The Sunrise--had been enclosed with wire fences!

Savvas and Aphroditi had owned a hotel in Famagusta and were in the process of building The Sunrise, which would be the most luxurious and beautiful hotel on the island...

For Savvas, we watch as he becomes immersed in a greedy need for biggest and best...and more and more... At the same time Aphroditi, who had worked on the interior decisions for The Sunrise, feeling part of the whole organization, was now pushed aside, with little to do. Worse, her father had died and left all his property to Aphroditi. Savvas convinced her to immediately sell all of it and put it to work on their (his) growing empire... Aphroditi was stripped of all of her wealth, except for the jewels that Savvas would give to her. Seemingly to show her off as the wife of the Great Papacosta!

During the years Aphroditi had been married and chose her Jacki O style, she had become friends with the two women who ran a local beauty shop. When the opening of The Sunrise was nearing, it was arranged that they move their shop into the Hotel...For Savvas it was good business since it showed the inclusiveness of the hotel, using both Greek and Turkish Cypriots in all parts of the Hotel. For Aphroditi, it meant continuing her growing friendship with the women... The Turkish family is one of the three families that are spotlighted in the novel. What happens as they are, finally, the last Turkish family who had not left the island is both heartwarming and illustrative of the reality that hate really is only a learned response for strangers, but not for people who have become your friends...

Inhaling the dust of the building site for fourteen hours a day and poring over paperwork for several more, Savvas Papacosta considered that he worked harder than any other man in Cyprus.

The hours that his right-hand man worked were almost as many. Over the past months, with the Clair de Lune and all his other new responsibilities in the hotel, Markos had spent at least sixteen hours a day at The Sunrise, but he needed little sleep so he did not complain...

~~~

The third family we meet through Markos who has become an important second man in Savvas' Sunrise hotel. He was given total control of developing The Claire de Lune, the hotel's nightclub... The atmosphere in the club was so very different from the rest of the hotel, which Aphroditi has controlled and when she saw it for the first time, she hated it. Of course, the club setting had been designed for the night, for different lighting, and for the acoustics needed for the many forms of entertainment that would be provided.

Most of all she hated it because it became the central money-making location and Savvas was so thrilled that he began to put more and more responsibility on Markos while he began to think what he was going to build with the money that Aphroditi's inheritance had brought to him!

But the final indignity was when Savvas was so committed to his latest creation that he had more or less put Markos in charge, and required him to play host opposite Aphroditi at all formal functions at The Sunrise... Once again, the place of partnership that her wealth should have provided at The Sunrise,  had been ignored...now she had to suffer Markos and acknowledge her jealousy of his relationship to her husband and The Sunrise...

Markos moved between the two co-existing worlds.
The kaleidoscopic tourist playground of blue sky,
warm sea, bikinis and cocktails was real enough,
but where the sun did not penetrate, there were
shadowy places where activities of a different kind
took place. Though he never opened the parcels
that he ferried on an almost daily basis now,
Markos knew that they must contain the tool kits
for terrorism, usually stolen from the police:
guns, ammunition, detonators and other
ingredients for bomb-making. Carefree holiday
makers had no idea what was happening
around them, and in the case of The Sunrise,
beneath their rooms. The vault was now an
arsenal.
~~~

This is not an easy book to read, although the author has created an outstanding family drama within the realities of a war zone... I wondered most whether the lives of the characters as presented would have been different if the coup had not proceeded... Markos in particular was loved by everybody, but readers begin to see another side of him as time goes on... Can you blame him? Maybe... But, he had been working his head off taking on more and more responsibilities but Savvas had never rewarded him with a change of title to show his present scope of responsibilities, nor had he given him any increase in salary...

When he was given the responsibility of acting as host to hostess Aphroditi, was he totally out to take advantage of her or did he really begin to care for her as a beloved woman and friend? For we will see what happens to Aphroditi after she has fallen deeply in love with Markos and faces an unexpected pregnancy...

And while that was all happening, Markos had stayed with his family, the last Greek Cypriots to stay in Famagusta...ultimately joining with the last Turkish family to try to survive as the Soldiers invaded each home, stealing, killing...and more...

Don't expect a good ending to the novel. Can it be anything other than the truth of the lives of those individuals who are affected by the devastation of war? The novel is provocative, intriguing, and epic in the breadth of the story itself. I was impressed by the author's obvious knowledge of the history and the setting as well as her ability to establish the tension and fear of characters as they are forced to hide or run for their lives, reacting to a totally unexpected attack, while trying to deal with the thousands of tourists who were visiting there and now caught in a place where no place and no people could really be totally trusted...

An amazing story for your consideration, featuring both a historical tale of an important coup in 1974, as well as deep family drama! Do check it out!


GABixlerReviews

Victoria Hislop is the international bestselling author of The Island, The Return. and others In the United Kingdom, she writes travel features for The Sunday Telegraph, The Mail on Sunday, House and Garden, and Woman's Home. The Island sold over a million copies in the UK and has been translated into 24 languages. Victoria's second novel, The Return, has been published in more than a dozen languages. She lives in Kent, with her husband Ian and their two children.

Lavina by Mary Marcus - Print Copy Out Today! Fiction Based on Author's Early Life...

The ordinary response to atrocities is to banish
them from consciousness. Certain violations of
the social compact are too terrible to utter
aloud: this is the meaning of the word
unspeakable.--Judith Herman
~~~

Read the lovely story about the author's decision to write Lavina... I suspect the main reason I ended up writing Lavina is on account of the fact that I lost my picture of Aline.

~~~

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he say, "I'm Matthew so and so." Right away, I took to the boy on account of the fact that he said Ladies and Gentlemen. I thought that was very polite of him. Anyway,he say, "I'm here tonight on behalf of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who can't come tonight because of legal problems."

Then somebody in the front say, "Thought they sprung M.L...Hew ain't still in jail, is he?" "No," Matthew say. But he can's leave Alabama on account of some legal whatchacallum and then somebody else said, "We all heard M.L. gonna be here. We gave our money to the defense fund." Then that Matthew...

I don' remember very much of what the boy said. If you want to know the truth I could hardly understand a word he say. Don' think the rest of us did neither... 

What he do is start telling us about some ray-she-oh which he say mean nothing more than we all knew;; that there were more colored than white in Murpheysfield. Then he starts tellin' us we is oh-pressed...

Guess it was then that he started talking 'bout the sit-in. He say Dr. King and him and two other folds from up North were comin' to Murpheysfield on August 17 to sit-in at the Woolworth's lunch counter and he was here tonight to ask two of us to sit down with them...

"Why, if we sat down at the Woolworth's counter, they'd call out the dogs. The Klan'd burn the place down...." 

"No colored ever say down at no white lunch counter in Murpheysfield." Matthew look stern, stern and say, "No black person has ever tried to sit down at a white lumch counter...."
Lord only know what made me do it, 'cause it was shortly thereafter that I stood up myself...  [then a child interrupted running to the white man, Matthew, and asking for Christmas gifts from Dr. King.]

That's when it came over me, a feelin' I never had before or since. I thought to myself, why that child she don't know black from white but when she do, why it gonna change that little face a hers. I felt the wrongness of it. The wrongness of it for her. The rest of us, we were used to the way things were, and I sat there tryin' to remember if I ever in my whole life go free and happy like that child in her pink dress who didn't know the difference of black and white. Well, I don't think I ever didn't remember. Seemed to me I knew it since the day I were born into this world..."

Everything still and quite in the church. I hear myself, but though it sound like me, it don't feel like my own feets standing in my old worn down shoes. "I'll do it!" I says. Everybody in the church turn round and look at me. Matthew, he come down the stairs and up the aisle heading toward me and he is smilin' and everybody singin' "Lord Laid His Hand on Me"...Lord, we were happy. Though that bluebird of happiness, it didn't last long. Fact near as soon as I say it, second it fly out of my mouth, I know I is making the biggest mistake of my life..."

~~~

Lavina

By Mary Marcus

Having just read Ruby, the latest Oprah Book Club selection, I found I was doing something I rarely do--a comparison... No, the author is not African-American and I understand the selection process. At the same time, I was much more touched by this book--felt the pain and anger of our Black brothers and sisters and want you to know that I highly recommend this book that is, in my opinion, just as valuable to Black History as is Ruby, for those who loved it--which I didn't (click over to read my review).

Lavina is based upon the real life of the author and her relationship to Aline, her beloved friend and mother-figure as she grew up... This is a story full of tragedy during the early years of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., but the connection is minor in comparison to the story of the two young children who were most affected by Lavina as they faced their own personal futures...

What I never understood to this day, to this very
day, was how white people could have black
people cook dinner for them, make them meals,
but wouldn't let them sit down at the table with
them. How can you dislike someone so much and
have them cook for you? Shoot, if I don't like
someone, you ain't cooking nothing for me, ever.
--Ray Charles

Mary Jacob was on her way home to Murpheysfield, Louisiana, to see her father who was very ill. Her sister had called from the Shumpert Hospital and put her father on the line..."Child, I want you to come home. I'm longin' to see you."

That shook Mary Jacob! She hadn't been home for years and had no real desire to go. She and her sister had spoken maybe twice in five years.

She hadn't wanted to come and walked into her large home with trepidation, straight on into the kitchen. The woman with her back to her--she first thought it was Lavina, but, no, everything was now changed. 

Kathryn, her sister, made it quite clear why she was willing to call to get her home.

"I'm gonna need you to sit there with him. We can't even keep a nurse, Mary Jacob. He pinches the pretty ones and makes fun of the ugly ones and won't do what they say. He's a livin' breathin' terror. I was thinkin' why it's a good thing he's weak as a kitten, or we'd never be able to control him. I was lookin' at him just today, thinkin' Daddy's an old man now."
Strong Jack Long, weak as a kitten? It seemed impossible. Like God or the devil being ill. 
At a red light, I stopped and turned on the radio. Just a couple of notes let me know it was Billy Ray singing. There's nothing wrong with my musical memory. It was one of his very early hits...

[Billy Ray is a fictitious character so I've selected Charlie Pride as his character. I had the chance to meet him years ago as a first-row fan at Branson...I was thrilled, of course, so was the first singer/musician I thought of for the role! The song selected was based upon Billy Ray's early involvement in the Black church. By the time, though, that he had actually started to perform professionally, he no longer believed in, as he called him, the White God, who did nothing to help his people...]

The announcer on the radio was saying
Billy Ray would be playing tomorrow
night in Murpheysfield, L.A. like it was
Los Angeles, not Louisiana. Home of
the not so great Mary Jacob Long.
~~~

"I've always loved Billy Ray's music. I read somewhere a long time ago that, like me, he comes from Murpheysfield. We wouldn't have known each other. Those were the days of Jim Crow, yet the singer has always felt like someone close. At signings, people tell me all the time that they feel close to me on account of my books. Perfect strangers will hold out their hands and call me by name like they know me. And I'm not even remotely famous outside my tiny little children's lit circle. But Billy Ray's been famous forever. As long as I can remember anyway. I even dream about him. Sometimes we are children in the dream and sometimes all grown up. We're always kissing in the dream, kissing and holding on to each other like we'll never let each other go.

~~~

When Mary Jacob first went to see her father, she was, of course, shocked at how old he looked, but as they talked, there seemed to be a connection that she hadn't remembered. Could she even be having genuine feelings for him? She willingly began to help take care of him, which, of course, greatly pleased both he and her sister...

What nobody knew there in Murpheysfield was that Mary Jacob had lost most of the memories of her childhood... True, she remembered the music by Billy Ray, but she did not remember there had been a long connection between them--they hated each other... 

Billy Ray was trying to breath new life into his failing career and, with a new manager, was scheduled back in his home town and then on to New Orleans. Would all of his fans remember him?

But when he realized that Mary Jacob was also in town, he knew he must see her, he needed to know--he must know! By whom and how was his mother

murdered? Billy Ray had tried and failed to reach her and then one day he walked right up to the door of the Long home and rang the bell. He demanded to know what had happened and she was shocked and then frightened, claiming she didn't know anything...

Even though Mary Jacob had come to terms with her father, especially when he shared that Kathryn wanted to put him in a home. He also asked her to fulfill a dying wish. He wanted her to find Van, his second wife, and ask her to come... When she left him that night, she was more and more upset and went directly downstairs, past all the familiar things, staring at the guns behind glass, four of them... and through the kitchen into the only room in which she felt safe... She now sat in that rocking chair in the back corner of the laundry room...

I began to feel afraid then, like on the plane only worse: a pulse throbbing in my throat, a sinking feeling in the guts, pain running up and down my arm. Sweat.

I ran from the room, as though I were running away from a shower of bullets. Through another door, along the length of the dining room and through the swinging door of the butlery to the kitchen and once again, like I had done this afternoon, to the laundry room: sanctuary.

There in the dark, simple things shined. The luminous dials on the washer and dryer and the moonlight that beamed in the window above the sink. A shaft of light ran across the maple rocker where I sat down and without thinking, began to rock, as if the chair was waiting for me, the firm slats against my back--safe--in the one place in this house where I belonged...

Memories had been triggered and Mary Jacob started her own investigation...until she remembered...all of it... And the majority of the book is her memories of what had actually occurred...an unwanted child loved by only the housekeeper, who she loved more than anybody; the son of that housekeeper who hated her because his mother spent the major part of her time with Mary Jacob, while at the same time, she jealously hated that he actually lived in a home with her and was there during the night... the rise of Billy Ray's career while Mary Jacob was subjected to seeing her mother dying, and finally overhearing a plan to kill Martin Luther King... An interesting side bar is about her father's hatred of Blacks and Jews in the same sentence and a surprising twist that connects them in reality...

The actual, life-like events were explosive, tragic, and a result of King's leadership to seek freedom...with one important loss to two young children who loved...Lavina... A heartbreaking story that will stay with you forever... about the power of...love...

GABixlerReviews

I was born and raised in Louisiana, but left for New York after graduating from Tulane. I worked very hard to get rid of my southern accent, and now I wish I hadn’t. For many years, I worked in the advertising and fashion industries for Neiman Marcus, Vogue, Lancome, Faberge and San Rio Toys where I worked on the Hello Kitty Brand. My short fiction has appeared in North Atlantic Review, Fiction, Jewish Women’s Literary Journal and others.

My husband, Joel Goodman and I live in Los Angeles and East Hampton, New York. We have a grown son, Amos Goodman.