Book Review: Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars: same year at Yale, same debut year in publishing. But Athena's a cross-genre literary darling, and June didn't even get a paperback release. Nobody wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.

So when June witnesses Athena's death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena's just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I.

So what if June edits Athena's novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song--complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn't this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That's what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.

But June can't get away from Athena's shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June's (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface takes on questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation not only in the publishing industry but the persistent erasure of Asian-American voices and history by Western white society. R. F. Kuang's novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable.

My Thoughts

This book is very popular so of course I jumped in and picked this one for my Goodreads Book club pick (Between The Pages) for the month of July. Yellowface was very good indeed. Very interesting. In the story we have Athena Liu a very popular Asian American author who is looked at among the writing community as the next big thing to come to the literary world. Her friend (perhaps only friend) June Hayward who is also a writer but not as successful. 

When Athena suddenly dies June steals Athena's manuscript for her latest work "The Last Front". June edits the manuscript and publishes it with resounding success. But soon she begins getting negative social media posts, describing her as a thief. 

I found that this was a really good look into the life of a writer and the publishing industry. This author was really descriptive of June and Athena's lives as writers and it was skillful how she went into detail of the pros and cons surrounding this industry. I have always been curious myself as an avid reader about what goes into writing a book and publishing it. 

What was also interesting was how Juniper was viewed by the book community as a Caucasian person who was writing about the Asian community. I found that very exciting about the book no wonder this is a best seller. After reading this book maybe I could become a writer myself hahaha. Who knows. 

I highly recommend this. It was very good.

 

Book Review: River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer

ABOUT

The master of the Providence plantation in Barbados gathers his slaves and announces the king has decreed an end to slavery. As of the following day, the Emancipation Act of 1834 will come into effect. The cries of joy fall silent when he announces that they are no longer his slaves; they are now his apprentices. No one can leave. They must work for him for another six years. Freedom is just another name for the life they have always lived. So Rachel runs.

Away from Providence, she begins a desperate search to find her children--the five who survived birth and were sold. Are any of them still alive? Rachel has to know. The grueling, dangerous journey takes her from Barbados then, by river, deep into the forest of British Guiana and finally across the sea to Trinidad. She is driven on by the certainty that a mother cannot be truly free without knowing what has become of her children, even if the answer is more than she can bear. These are the stories of Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy. But above all this is the story of Rachel and the extraordinary lengths to which a mother will go to find her children...and her freedom.

MY THOUGHTS

This book was a rollercoaster of emotions. At some points it was sad at other times it made me angry but all in all it was hopeful. I love historical fiction especially those that highlight key aspects of Caribbean history. Ms. Shearer did her homework with this one, making it a good book to read for someone who knows little about the period of apprenticeship in the Caribbean.

Rachel was a former slave, who after escaping her plantation was determined to find her children who were taken away from her. Her journey starts in Barbados to Demerara and ends in Trinidad where she finds answers to her questions as to what happened to each of her children. I loved how the author gave the story of each child to illustrate the hardships that each one had to face.

As a lover of Caribbean History, this book was very enjoyable to me. Keeping in mind that any account of slavery can be a heavy read, in my opinion books such as this one could be used as a teaching tool and not only entertainment. Rachel's story and those of her children Mary Grace, Thomas Augustus, Mercy, Micah and Cherry Jane remind us of the trials and hurt that came along with slavery.

All in all i would recommend this one.

 

Book Review: The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

 

ABOUT

From the award-winning author of Yellow Wife, a daring and redemptive novel set in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC, that explores what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how much one is willing to sacrifice to achieve her greatest goal.

1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright.

Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his par­ents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William’s family and grant her the life she’s been searching for. But having a baby—and fitting in—is easier said than done.

With their stories colliding in the most unexpected of ways, Ruby and Eleanor will both make decisions that shape the trajectory of their lives.

MY THOUGHTS

I have had Yellow Wife on my TBR list since it came out and still I did not get around to reading it. This book had a long waiting list on Libby so when it became available I decided I had to see what had people so excited. Let's just say, I read it and hands down this is a five star read. WOW. This book had me up in the middle of the night reading so you know it had to be something special.

Eleanor's and Ruby's stories were both heartbreaking in different ways. Eleanor, a first generation college student, intent on fulfilling her dreams at Howard University meets the charming soon to be doctor William Pride. He comes from an affluent family and is everything she could dream of in a boyfriend. Upon getting pregnant William does the "right" thing in spite of his mother's protests and marries Eleanor. Unfortunately a chain of events happen that will test the couple in more ways than one. I don't want to spoil the story but when you read what happens you will have mixed emotions.

Ruby however, is a teen, from a poverty stricken family who desires to be a doctor. She is part of a program that can promise girls like her poor and of colour, an opportunity for a scholarship. When her stepfather attempts to molest her she was sent to live with her aunt by her mother Inez. It is while there she meets Shimmy (a white Jewish boy) who soon becomes head over heels. Their romance is forbidden, so when Ruby becomes pregnant, she had no alternative but to choose being sent to a home for unwed mothers. It is here where the story between Eleanor and Ruby comes connected. 

I gave this book five stars because it really had me gripped from beginning to end. The story was just good in every way.

Book Review: If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery

ABOUT

A major debut, blazing with style and heart, that follows a Jamaican family striving for more in Miami, and introduces a generational storyteller.

In the 1970s, Topper and Sanya flee to Miami as political violence consumes their native Kingston. But America, as the couple and their two children learn, is far from the promised land. Excluded from society as Black immigrants, the family pushes on through Hurricane Andrew and later the 2008 recession, living in a house so cursed that the pet fish launches itself out of its own tank rather than stay. But even as things fall apart, the family remains motivated, often to its own detriment, by what the younger son, Trelawny, calls “the exquisite, racking compulsion to survive.”

Masterfully constructed with heart and humor, the linked stories in Jonathan Escoffery’s If I Survive You center on Trelawny as he struggles to carve out a place for himself amid financial disaster, racism, and flat-out bad luck. After a fight with Topper, Trelawny claws his way out of homelessness through a series of odd, often hilarious jobs. Meanwhile, his brother, Delano, attempts a disastrous cash grab to get his kids back, and his cousin Cukie looks for a father who doesn’t want to be found. As each character searches for a foothold, they never forget the profound danger of climbing without a safety net.

Pulsing with vibrant lyricism and inimitable style, sly commentary and contagious laughter, Escoffery’s debut unravels what it means to be in between homes and cultures in a world at the mercy of capitalism and whiteness. With If I Survive You , Escoffery announces himself as a prodigious storyteller in a class of his own, a chronicler of American life at its most gruesome and hopeful.

MY THOUGHTS

Loved It!!
I went into this book completely blind just from seeing it everywhere and all I can say is WOW. I love stories about the Caribbean diaspora. If you do too you need to read this one.

In the story which reads like a short story collection, we meet several characters Jamaicans trying to survive life in the USA. The most notable character is Trelawney, a young man trying to deal with identity and what I would say a series of bad decisions. We also meet his parents, brother Delano and cousin Cukie whose stories were equally interesting.

I dont want to put too many spoilers into this review because I want people to read it.

 

Book Review: Token by Beverly Kendall

 

About

She’s brilliant, beautiful…and tired of being the only Black woman in the room.

Two years ago, Kennedy Mitchell was plucked from the reception desk and placed in the corporate boardroom in the name of diversity. Rather than play along, she and her best friend founded Token, a boutique PR agency that helps “diversity-challenged” companies and celebrities. With corporate America diversifying workplaces and famous people getting into reputation-damaging controversies, Token is in high demand.

Kennedy quickly discovers there’s a lot of on-the-job learning and some messes are not so easily fixed. When Kennedy’s ex shows up needing help repairing his company’s reputation, things get even more complicated. She knows his character is being wrongly maligned, but she’s reluctant to get involved—professionally and emotionally. But soon, she finds herself drawn into a PR scandal of her own.

My THOUGHTS

This was an interesting story with a serious message and with serious romance. I was impressed at how the author was able to mesh the themes to create this story. 

In Token we meet Kennedy Mitchell a young black woman trying to navigate the corporate world upon graduation from an Ivy League university. When she is asked to pretend to be on the board of her company (where she was employed as a temp) to close a deal with a high profile client of colour, Kennedy and her best friend Aurora decided to start Token. A company gives corporations tips on diversity and does a bit of damage control. 

The story takes a turn when Nate, Aurora's handsome brother, who runs a multi million dollar tech company is being sued by a former employee of colour for discrimination, returns from France. Let's just say that Nate and Kennedy had a past.....

The story was very realistic in my opinion and I like how it touched on real issues such as inclusivity and equality in the workplace. The passion between Nate and Kennedy was really written well, I was fully engrossed in  their relationship and that part made for fun and enjoyable reading at night for me.

This was a nice book. I will read this author again.

READ CARIBBEAN MONTH JUNE 1st to JUNE 30TH 2023

 

It's June!!! Read Caribbean Month 2023.

In this month Caribbean Book Influencers, Readers and others celebrate the work of Caribbean Authors and Poets past and present. If you are a follower of mine, you would have noticed that I absolutely love Caribbean writing. So as I celebrate this month, you can look forward to me posting about my favourite books and other things uniquely Caribbean.

Happy Reading!!!! 

BOOK REVIEW: DAISY JONES AND THE SIX by TAYLOR JENKINS REID

Book Description

Everyone knows DAISY JONES & THE SIX, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now. 

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it's the rock 'n' roll she loves most. By the time she's twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things. 

 Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she's pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road. 

 Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend. 

 The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

MY THOUGHTS

Loved this!!! Now I want to see the series.

I am on a mission to read all the books by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This is the fourth book I read by her and it was not a disappointment at all. I absolutely loved the oral history style of this novel. It just flowed and made it so easy and entertaining to read.

The story Daisy Jones and The Six was a Grammy award winning fictional rock and roll group in the 1970s and their way of navigating fame and relationships. It really was about sex, drugs and rock and roll.

Daisy was an interesting character, she was a young singer songwriter who while trying to make it in the music business jumped at the opportunity to join the rock and roll group The Six. Her talent was what the group needed to make it big. Front line singer for The Six, Billy Dunne, trying to overcome his demons felt for Daisy more than he was willing to admit. Their relationship was the main idea of the story.

For me though Billy's wife Camilla was the character I loved. She was THE WIFE...and that's all I'm going to say, because I want people to read this book. I cannot wait to read another book by Taylor. Her stories are really good

 

BOOK REVIEW: THE GOD OF GOOD LOOKS BY BREANNE MC IVOR

ABOUT 

This entertaining, transportive, and luminous debut novel follows a young Trinidadian woman finding her voice and a new kind of happy ending.

Bianca Bridge has always dreamt of becoming a writer. But Trinidadian society can be unforgiving, and having an affair with a married government official is a sure-fire way to ruin your prospects. So when Obadiah Cortland, a notoriously tyrannical entrepreneur in the island's beauty scene, offers her a job, Bianca accepts, realizing that working on his magazine is the closest to her dreams she'll get.

As Bianca begins to embrace her power and creative voice, she starts to suspect Obadiah is not the elite tyrant he seems. She's right. Born in one of the poorest parts of Trinidad, Obadiah has clawed partway up society's ladder and built his company around his meticulously crafted persona. Now, he's not about to let anyone, especially Bianca, see past his façade.

When Bianca's ex-lover threatens everything she's rebuilt, jeopardizing all she's come to love about her new life, she's surprised to find support from the most unlikely ally and, finally, draws the strength to fight back like her mother taught her.

Sharp-witted and fiercely fun, The God of Good Looks alternates between Bianca's diary entries and Obadiah's first-person narrative to portray modern Trinidad's rigid class barriers and the fraught impact of beauty commodification in a patriarchal society. Boisterous, moving, and full of meaty, universally relatable questions, Mc Ivor's sparkling debut is an open-hearted, awakening tale about prejudice and pride, the masks we wear, and what we can become if we dare to take them off.

MY THOUGHTS

If you grew up in Trinidad and Tobago in the 90s, there was a local show on TV called "Westwood Park." The show depicted the twin island in a more glamourous way and it was in my opinion quite different to what you would expect a local show on TV to be like. This book The God of Good Looks gave me that "Westwood Park" vibes in 2023 (if that makes sense). Actually, I think this book should be a series because I want to know Obadiah's story. So Ms. Mc Ivor if you are reading this, I want a sequel.

I really connected with the book's main character Bianca Bridge in a way that is strange (because of course my experience is so far from what she went through). Something about her though connected with me. I think this author is one to watch because she really put a lot of thought into every character that draws you in from the very beginning. Eric Hugo was brilliantly written because I could not stand him. (I admit I was trying to look at our current ministers of government to figure out which one he could be lol).

I need some people to discuss this book with because I would like to know what they thought about OBADIAH.

The literary talent coming out of the Caribbean is exciting to me. This was well done. Highly recommend

BOOK REVIEW: AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE BY TAYARI JONES

 

ABOUT

Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.

This stirring love story is a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward—with hope and pain—into the future.

MY THOUGHTS

I do not know how to feel about this book. Roy and Celestial's relationship made me really think. You know no one ever thinks about prisoners, especially those that are found innocent after some years, and how hard it is for them to get back to normal.

After Roy spent five years in prison for a crime that he did not commit, he thought that the marriage bond he had with his wife Celestial was rock solid. Upon his release what he met was just some broken pieces and a lot of loss. While I felt sorry for Roy, I felt it for Celestial.

I can only imagine how a wife feels when her husband is incarcerated, and the questions that swirl around in her head, the uncertainty of whether freedom is ever going to be a possibility. I felt it for her because she didnt know which way to turn. Andre was just in the right place I guess.

This was a good story and really worth the read.

Book Review: It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

 Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil coparenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date.

But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life.

Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts with Us picks up right where the epilogue for the “gripping, pulse-pounding” (Sarah Pekkanen, author of Perfect Neighbors) bestselling phenomenon It Ends with Us left off. Revealing more about Atlas’s past and following Lily as she embraces a second chance at true love while navigating a jealous ex-husband, it proves that “no one delivers an emotional read like Colleen Hoover” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author).

My Thoughts

This sequel was highly anticipated by me because I loved 'It Ends With Us'. While Colleen Hoover's writing in this book was excellent and did not disappoint, it was not my favourite by her so far.

It was a very romantic story though. Lily and Atlas had so much love for one another. It was really nice to read. The story gave the ending that these characters deserved so because of that the story was meaningful. It could have had a little more action for my taste but in all it was a good story.

BOOK REVIEW: YOU MADE A FOOL OF DEATH WITH YOUR BEAUTY BY AKWAEKE EMEZI

 

Feyi Adekola wants to learn how to be alive again.

It’s been five years since the accident that killed the love of her life and she’s almost a new person now—an artist with her own studio, and sharing a brownstone apartment with her ride-or-die best friend, Joy, who insists it’s time for Feyi to ease back into the dating scene. Feyi isn’t ready for anything serious, but a steamy encounter at a rooftop party cascades into a whirlwind summer she could have never imagined: a luxury trip to a tropical island, decadent meals in the glamorous home of a celebrity chef, and a major curator who wants to launch her art career.

She’s even started dating the perfect guy, but their new relationship might be sabotaged before it has a chance by the dangerous thrill Feyi feels every time she locks eyes with the one person in the house who is most definitely off-limits. This new life she asked for just got a lot more complicated, and Feyi must begin her search for real answers. Who is she ready to become? Can she release her past and honor her grief while still embracing her future? And, of course, there’s the biggest question of all—how far is she willing to go for a second chance at love?

Akwaeke Emezi’s vivid and passionate writing takes us deep into a world of possibility and healing, and the constant bravery of choosing love against all odds.

My Thoughts

I went into this book not knowing what it was about because the title gripped me. What I enjoyed was the concept, what I did not enjoy was the execution.

In this book we meet Feyi, a young artist, who upon losing her husband is trying to get her life back on track. In comes the handsome Nasir who tries the subtle approach to sweep Feyi off her feet.

On a trip to the islands, Feyi meets celebrity chef Alim who is none other than Nasir's father. This encounter will change the whole direction of the story as Feyi and Alim share a connection that is very deep.

While this book was not a favourite of mine. I will still recommend it to someone. I think it started well but somewhere around the middle the concept was lost.

BOOK REVIEW: THE MAID BY NITA PROSE

 

BLURB

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misinterprets the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has had to navigate life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is turned on its head the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself very dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.

My Thoughts

Original. Unique.

These are the words I would use to describe this book. The Maid follows a hotel maid named Molly, who because of her straightforward and direct manner is regarded as different, weird and a bit obsessive by most.

Molly finds herself lonely upon the death of her grandmother who was all the family she had known. While Molly buries herself in her work, her world is turned upside down when she discovers Mr. Black dead in a suite at the Regency Hotel where she works. This sets in motion a chain of events that places Molly in the spotlight.

I think this book was a work of art. I say this because it is very difficult for a writer to craft a character like Molly. Reading Molly places the reader into a world where people are socially awkward. Molly's character in the book shed some light to how to effectively deal with people who are different.

There were many twists and shocking revelations at the end which added an extra flavour to the story. In all the book lived up to the hype.

BOOK REVIEW: THE IT GIRL BY RUTH WARE

 

BLURB

April Coutts-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.

Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the second, April was dead.

Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide…including a murder.

My THOUGHTS 

This was "Between the Pages Book Club pick for March" (GOODREADS BOOK CLUB) and let me tell you this was a great pick indeed.

John Neville is dead in prison. He died still trying to convince his accusers that he was innocent of the murder of Oxford University's It GIRL April Coutts- Cliveden ten years earlier. Hannah is convinced that John was the killer, after all fit the profile and he was seen coming out of April's room right before Hannah found her dead. A call from Geraint a reporter, that is convinced that everyone got it wrong. casts doubt in Hannah's mind.

But who did it? Was it Will? Hannah's husband past boyfriend of April, Hugh (Will's best friend) or was it someone else in the circle of friends Emily? or perhaps Ryan? This book will send you on a mysterious adventure.

it Girl was gripping from beginning to end. I have always been a fan of dark academia and mystery novels and I think that this novel meshed both very well. What I loved about this book is that at times you thought you knew who did it and then it would throw you off and then you will be asking yourself, who was the killer. I really enjoyed this one. I hope my book club members felt the same.

BLOG TOUR: WHERE THE WATER FLOWS @rararesources

Where the Water Flows

It had been a long, hot summer followed by a very wet autumn. The River Hawk, lying to the north of a former little mill town, was in full flood but nobody imagined the catastrophe that lay ahead.
Not the elderly couple who created a beautiful memorial garden that would become a lake.
Not the opera singer who found a friend who would risk all to save her life.
Not the owner of Wax Polish who would battle to rescue her first love.
Not the new parents who would be overwhelmed and torn apart.
And certainly not two drama students whose lives would change forever.

My Thoughts

Today is my stop on the blog tour for 'Where the Water Flows"by Romola Farr. 

The synopsis gripped me and I was not wrong. The story was gripping, exciting and can I say POETIC.

Absolutely loved the writing style of this author. I'm telling you she is going places. Of course if you have been following my blog you will know that I go for unique stories and this book did not disappoint at all. 

What I loved most apart from the quality of writing was the cast of characters and the story line. Let me tell you get your hands on this book. Really enjoyable indeed. Well done.

Purchase Links

 AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

Author Bio –

Romola Farr first trod the boards on the West End stage aged sixteen and continued to work for the next eighteen years in theatre, TV and film - and as a photographic model. A trip to Hollywood led to the sale of her first screenplay and a successful change of direction as a screenwriter and playwright. Bridge To Eternity was her debut novel, and Breaking through the Shadows and Where the Water Flows are standalone sequels. All three novels are set in the fictional town of Hawksmead.

Romola Farr is a nom de plume.

https://twitter.com/RomolaFarr

https://twitter.com/merlinwardcom

 

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT!!!! EDEN GRUGER

 HELLO READERS,

Today on the blog I would be highlighting the work of a very talented writer, Ms. Eden Gruger who graciously sent an excerpt for everyone to enjoy from her exciting new book "Down With Frogs". I am so happy for the opportunity to share this sneak peek with you guys. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Take Care and Happy Reading!

From: Trini Girl Reads.

ABOUT:

In this candid, darkly comic, occasionally tragic, satirical fiction collection, Eden Gruger invites us inside the private world of the dating woman.

We see them being cooked for, meeting the potential in-laws, unexpected gifts, and being ghosted in the most creative of ways.

Enjoy The Curry Question, Going To Meet The Parents, The Reason I Don't Eat Pork Chops and more

"I laughed...I cried...a great read, thoroughly recommend"

"A fabulously funny read"

"I couldn't put it down"

"Five star"

Going To Meet The Parent’s Chas

When we arrived at his parent’s house I waited in the car at the gate, while he went to ring the doorbell. We couldn’t just drive onto the property park up and approach the door Chas said they really wouldn’t like that.

 

The parents were cordial to him and slightly less than that to me. I noticed straight away the lack of hugs or kisses for the son they hadn’t seen in six months. Before I could even get out of the car, I was given clear instructions about where on the property I could park, including which direction the car should face.

 

My rebellious spirit struggled, could I turn the car around later after stretching my legs? No, because they didn’t want the exhaust pipe directed towards the vegetable patch some two hundred yards away. While I did my five point turn they stood to watch me, arms folded, Chas’ dad called out instructions when he felt I wasn’t giving my optimal turning performance. Which was cheeky I thought, as he had only known me forty-five seconds.

 

Once out of the car I was told that I could call them Mr and Mrs Titty (names changed for my entertainment purposes). We were led inside and directed to sit at the kitchen table, despite our three hour journey the kettle was not put on, and no other liquid refreshment was offered.

 

It transpired over the course of the visit that Chas had descended from camels. There were three cups of tea taken per day, one at breakfast, one at lunch and the last at dinner time. No other drinks were provided outside of these times unless there was an emergency (which I guess did not include dehydration). You could have a glass of tap water, as long as you asked first.

 

A barrage of awkward questions were aimed at their son ‘How are you getting on with the mortgage?’, ‘have you been offered promotion?’. And absolutely no notice was taken of me at all. Both parents then showed us upstairs to our room. We were in the same room, but had twin beds with a cupboard between. And were told in no uncertain terms that ‘we don’t expect anything to go on under our roof’. Then they showed us where they wanted us to put our bags, ‘here on the floor only, bags don’t belong on beds or chairs’. Well, there you go.

 

Next on the tour was the shower room, we were fortunate to have been given the room with an ensuite. After talking me through everything in the room, as if I had never before seen a bathroom Mr Titty told me he would explain the instructions for the shower. I assumed that the instructions would tell me about temperamental fittings, but they did, in fact, tell me exactly how to shower whilst in their home.

 

The instructions were actually typed, laminated and fixed to the wall next to the cubicle: 1. Do not run the shower before getting into the cubicle 2. Stand under the flow for maximum of thirty seconds 3. Turn the water off, apply soap and shampoo 4. Water can be run for a further sixty seconds to rinse hair and body.

 

And no, this was not a joke, this was water conservation at its most militant. The toilet in this bathroom was ‘for urination only, if you wish to defecate there is a bathroom downstairs for that’.

 

The parents were satisfied that I understood the rules and agreed to abide by them. Leaving the bedroom door open on their way out, they went downstairs (no sneaky kissing in this house). Whispering my hilarity over the military operation that had been our arrival, Chas did not join in (through fear of hidden cameras I think).

 

Asking what would happen if I broke the rules, Chas looked stricken as he told me about an incident with a previous girlfriend. Unfortunately, the poor girl suffered from OCD, and needed three showers a day. The visit had ended after a day with Mr Titty banging on the ensuite door telling her she had used too much water and demanding she come out immediately. Saying he would wait there until she did. I can only wonder why that relationship came to an end.

 

Back downstairs we were offered a tour of Mr Titty’s campsite, which was plainly his pride and joy. After nearly two hours of him explaining the quality and variety of the hedging plants, why they had been chosen. Where they were bought and how much they cost. How long they would take to mature, what they would look like as they grew. How the new toilet block had been designed, what had been done to the drainage system to accommodate this new arrangement, and of course, how much it had cost. I could not nod or look interested, I really couldn’t.

 

Mr Titty detailed the superiority of the site as a whole, mainly due of course to his rigorous attention to detail. Which included that each caravan, only being allowed two days on any spot, at which point the guests would be told to move to the adjoining plot so that his grass wouldn’t be damaged by their vehicle.

 

It must have made for a relaxing week’s holiday to keep taking down the awning, packing away all their stuff and moving the caravan to the next pitch along to accommodate the welfare of the grass.

 

By the evening of the second day dehydration and military procedures were pushing me to my tolerance limit. What I really needed to calm myself was a proper bath, three cups of coffee one after the other, and a massive bar of fruit and nut. With none of these an option, I stared out of the window at the empty campsite and wished the clock would move faster.

 

Every family has its eccentricities, but this was seriously uncomfortable. Not only was this plainly a family under the control of a megalomaniac. It was one that I could never choose be a part of. Imagine having to spend every significant holiday or event with them for the rest of their lives.

 

Like the OCD woman before me, I knew this relationship would have to end because of them. So, I smiled, made polite noises through the next twelve hours, before we could leave, and I could get on with breaking their son’s heart.

Hope you enjoyed this.

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Author Bio

Eden Gruger is an eccentric middle aged writing and writer's mentor, whose CV that mentions both PCB Design software sales, and hula hooping.

Now Eden writes modern fiction collections with a humorous, candid, occasionally tragic twist, each collection is based around a theme that touches women's hearts and funny bones. And non fiction guides to the writing, publishing and book marketing process.

When not working Eden spends her time in her garden, on her allotment or enjoying her dogs.