A Woman without a Country
Book
The poems in Eavan Boland's new collection seek out the delicate intersections between generation,...
Sweetness and Lightning 2: 2
Book
Teacher Kouhei is a single father who is terrible at cooking. His adorable little daughter Tsumugi...
Heartbreakers (2001)
Movie Watch
Max (Sigourney Weaver) and Page (Jennifer Love Hewitt) are a brilliant mother/daughter con team who...
Alicia Keys recommended Purple Hibiscus: A Novel in Books (curated)
SunnyD (6 KP) rated Lady Bird (2017) in Movies
Jun 19, 2018
I liked that, in addition to the mother-daughter theme, Lady Bird goes through a journey of selfdiscovery that starts when she dates her first crush at her Catholic high school. Lady Bird learns more about herself and those closest to her with every decision that she makes.
The quality of the ending might be up for some debate. If you're looking for real closure here, you won't be getting one. Ultimately, what happens after Lady Bird gets to college is up to your interpretation. The only thing that leaves your mind at some peace is that Lady Bird seems to learn to be grateful for what she has been given in life.
Life on the Refrigerator Door
Book
Life on the Refrigerator Door is told exclusively through notes exchanged by Claire and her mother,...
Norma
Book
When Anita Naakka jumps in front of an oncoming train, her daughter, Norma, is left alone with the...
99 Red Balloons
Book
Two girls go missing, decades apart. What would you do if one was your daughter? When...
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Familiar Dark in Books
Apr 7, 2020
Amy Engel is known for her previous works, The Roanoke Girls and The Book of Ivy series. Her latest, The Familiar Dark, is the first of her books I have read. It will not be her last.
In The Familiar Dark, Eve Taggert's daughter is killed. She wants answers. When Junie was born, Eve turned away from her mother and the life her mother lives. When Junie is murdered, Eve is forced to go back to what she knew in her childhood, the dark side of life. Eve must decide how far will she go to get justice.
Engel could have written a typical "mom seeking revenge for her daughter" book. She does not. To find out the truth, Eve has to turn back to the dark side she never let and never wanted Junie to see.
Eve's childhood was one of poverty, fear, and neglect. The two constants in her life were her brother Cal and her drug-dealing abusive mother. Engel could have written a typical "pity the character because of how she was raised" book. She does not.
Amy Engel creates an engaging story that starts with a murder and ends....well, read it to see how it ends.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 4/6/20.
The Torturer's Daughter (Internal Defense #1)
Book
When her best friend Heather calls in the middle of the night, Becca Dalcourt assumes it's the usual...