Thanks to Danielle Keir of Berkley, I am giving away one print copy of ‘Favorite Daughter’ by Patti Callahan Henry.
Description Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop at Water’s End, here is a lush, heart-wrenching novel about the power of memory, the meaning of family, and learning to forgive.
Ten years ago, Lena Donohue experienced a wedding-day betrayal so painful that she fled the small town of Watersend, South Carolina, and reinvented herself in New York City. Though now a freelance travel writer, the one place she rarely goes is home–until she learns of her dad’s failing health.
Returning to Watersend means seeing the sister she has avoided for a decade and the brother who runs the family’s Irish pub and has borne the burden of his sisters’ rift. While Alzheimer’s slowly steals their father’s memories, the siblings rush to preserve his life in stories and in photographs. As his secret past brings Lena’s own childhood into focus, it sends her on a journey to discover the true meaning of home.
Praise Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry
“Henry’s latest packs an emotional wallop, delving into the bonds and tragedies that make a family….Readers of thoughtful family dramas will be drawn to the travails of the Donohue clan.”—Booklist
“Readers will be immersed in this moving tale, hungry to learn whether love and family will overcome betrayal, secrets, and heartache.”—Publishers Weekly
“Patti Callahan Henry is quickly becoming one of my favorites. [This] is a story of reflection, forgiveness, and surprising twists.”—Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author
As fifteen year old Pleasant Day struggles with her mother’s distance, her father’s infidelity and the death of her best friend, she draws closer to Clarissa, an older woman with the secrets to heal her. But Clarissa has struggles of her own as she faces betrayal and seeks to come to terms with old wounds. With her unpredictable but psychic ability to ‘read people’ Clarissa uncovers the answers to a deadly crime and to Pleasant’s true identity. In the end, both Pleasant and Clarissa’s worlds are transformed by the truths they’re forced to accept.
My Thoughts on Pleasant Day by Vera Jane Cook:
Pleasant Day is a 15 year old who find s out from a friend that a girl in the neighbourhood was found dead. To top it off, her body was hidden in a very peculiar way. So peculiar that Pleasant didn’t believe it at first. This is just how the book opens, just wait until you read more.
Sorry, I don’t want to risk spoilers but lets just say their are secrets that come out along the way, that change Pleasant’s world forever.
This is the fourth book I have read by Vera Jane Cook and this is certainly the most suspenseful. It is written in the same no holds barred approach the Cook uses in all her books. Which is one of the many reasons I keep reading her work. Every book she writes is unique, raw, and emotional. Her characters are quirky and original. The southern back drop also adds to her novels.
If you enjoy books with a southern setting that are fresh and original, you need go no further than Vera Jane Cook. You are in for a treat! I highly recommend ‘Pleasant Day’! It is a real page turner with plenty of twists!
5/5
I received the ebook version for my honest review.
I Also recommend the following books by Vera Jane Cook:
Winner: Eric Hoffer Award for publishing excellence and the Indie Excellence Award for notable new fiction! 5 Star Clarion ForeWord Review!
Vera Jane Cook, writer of Award Winning Women’s Fiction, is the author of The Story of Sassy Sweetwater, Lies a River Deep, Where the Wildflowers Grow, Dancing Backward in Paradise and Annabel Horton, Lost Witch of Salem.
Jane, as she is known to family and friends, was born in New York City and grew up amid the eccentricity of her southern and glamorous mother on the Upper West and Upper East Side of Manhattan.
An only child, Jane turned to reading novels at an early age and was deeply influenced by an eclectic group of authors. Some of her favorite authors today are Nelson DeMille, Calib Carr, Wally Lamb, Anne Rice, Sue Monk Kidd, Anita Shreve, Jodi Picoult, Alice Walker and Toni Morrison. Her favorite novels are too long to list but include The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, Cheri and The Last of Cheri, The Picture of Dorian Grey, Wuthering Heights, Look at Me, Dogs of Babel, The Bluest Eye, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Body Surfing, Lolita, The Brothers Karamazov, She’s Come Undone, Tale of Two Cities, etc., etc., etc.
Today it is my pleasure to kick off the Dancing Backward in Paradise Tour.
Book Description:
Winner: Eric Hoffer Award for publishing excellence and the Indie Excellence Award for notable new fiction! 5 Star Clarion ForeWord Review!
Publisher: Musa (November 16, 2012) Category: Contemporary Fiction/ Women’s Fiction/ Southern Fiction Tour Date: April/May, 2014 Available in: Print & ebook, 347 Pages
Life for Grace Place is all about sucking on “meat jerkys” and Lenny Bean, her handsome lover. Grace’s mother has loftier plans for her daughter. She insists that Grace save her money and move to New York City so she can find fame and fortune as an actress.
Grace works as a cleaning lady for wealthy Betty Ann Houseman so she can pool her pennies for the trip north. Betty Ann has a passion for men more pronounced than her overbite, and it isn’t long before she’s parting the sheets for Lenny Bean. But just before Grace leaves Hixson for New York City, she uncovers an insidious plot: the Bean family is trying to steal Betty Ann’s estate.
Grace flees to New York, where she faces her darkest hours. In a world of surprises, Grace truly discovers paradise.
My Thoughts:
Grace lives in the south with her father, brother, mother, and grandfather in a trailer park called, Paradise. We Grace is old enough all her mother wants her to do is get a job and save enough money to move to New York and find stardom. Her mother had the chance when she was Grace’s age but ended up getting married.
Grace isn’t sure what she wants. She has a boyfriend, Lenny Bean and a pretty good job cleaning hose and taking care of a baby. However, it later becomes crystal clear to her that she has to at least go to New York and see what happens.
Dancing Backward in Paradise is the third book I have read by Vera Jane Cook. Cook is amazing at drawing out her characters and the landscape in which they live. Her books are not for the easily offended. There is some described sexual acts and profanity. However, to me, these things are real life. I dare someone to go out into the real work and not hear profanity. It would be pretty difficult. LOL!
Out of the three books by Vera Jane Cook, my favorite is ‘The Story of Sassy Sweetwater’ however, ‘Dancing Backward in Paradise is a very close second, almost a tie. If you haven’t read anything by Vera Jane Cook, I suggest your run to you computer and order an ebook or two. You have to give this immensely talented author a try! Don’t miss out on the Vera Jane Cook Experience!
5/5
I received the ebook for my honest opinion.
About Vera Jane Cook:
Vera Jane Cook, writer of Award Winning Women’s Fiction, is the author of The Story of Sassy Sweetwater, Lies a River Deep, Where the Wildflowers Grow, Dancing Backward in Paradise and Annabel Horton, Lost Witch of Salem.
Jane, as she is known to family and friends, was born in New York City and grew up amid the eccentricity of her southern and glamorous mother on the Upper West and Upper East Side of Manhattan.
An only child, Jane turned to reading novels at an early age and was deeply influenced by an eclectic group of authors. Some of her favorite authors today are Nelson DeMille, Calib Carr, Wally Lamb, Anne Rice, Sue Monk Kidd, Anita Shreve, Jodi Picoult, Alice Walker and Toni Morrison. Her favorite novels are too long to list but include The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, Cheri and The Last of Cheri, The Picture of Dorian Grey, Wuthering Heights, Look at Me, Dogs of Babel, The Bluest Eye, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Body Surfing, Lolita, The Brothers Karamazov, She’s Come Undone, Tale of Two Cities, etc., etc., etc.,
Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry
