Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


Houdini Pie by Paul Michel

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on August 16, 2010
Posted in Books Read in 2010DepressionEraHistorical Fiction  | 6 Comments

Halley, named after Halley’s Comet was born right after his father Charles got caught in one of his fraudulent schemes. Once Hal was considered old enough he was expected to work for Charles in his less than honest business ventures including running a lucrative alcohol business during prohibition.

In 1934, as a young man Hal is a pitcher for and upstart baseball team and strikes just about everyone out. His Uncle Warren shows up after a long absence and asks Hal to join in him in a business venture that his Charles is also tied up with. Hal thinks it sounds preposterous but his mother Vera talks him into doing it with the promise of riches, gold actually. 
A Hopi Indian and his daughter lead the search, with the story of their ancestors, who were Lizard people. They hid treasure in Los Angeles California way beneath a downtown street. Somehow the crackpot sounding scheme get approval from the mayor and they are allowed to dig.
This is a story about love, hope and loyalty for Hal. Though the constant reference to Houdini Pie and it’s symbolism got a little tiresome to me, the book flowed well with simple old fashioned story telling. Some of it was quite predictable but the book was enjoyable.
3/5
Thanks to Mary Myers of Bennet & Hastings Publishing for this book.
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Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

A Famous Author’s Personal Battle with Depression
In this short but powerful memoir, William Styron, the author of “Sophie’s Choice”, tells of his personal battle with clinical depression.
Suffering from depression myself and working in the mental health field, I can honestly say he captured this debilitating illness very well indeed. I have tried to explain to my friends how I felt going through depression at my lowest, low. It’s like sinking to the bottom of a well with no lifeline to hold on to, gasping for air.
There were so many things in this book that I could relate to first hand! People who have been lucky enough not to suffer from depression don’t usually realize how debilitating it is. Symptoms are not just psychological, but there are many physical aspects as well. Styron explains this in a way that everyone, suffers and non-suffers can understand.
I still have some smaller bouts of depression at times, but it’s more like treading water at the top of the well, thank goodness. Some of my experiences with the professionals were similar to his, but my ultimate recovery was a bit different. I was not hospitalized and my recovery took a lot longer.
This book is a bit dated. As I said above, I work in the mental health field. I can tell you that the hospitals that I have worked with, don’t have the budget to do many of the programs that Styron had the fortune to experience, such as a lot of art therapy. It’s a shame, because these would be beneficial!
Though this book is a little dated now, I recommend it for those that have suffered from depression and those who want to know more about what it is really like.
3.5/5
Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.