The origins of the Mafia have always fascinated me. Loyalty explores the complex dynamics of good versus evil in a time of societal upheaval. Set in 19th-century Sicily, during the rise of the Mafia, the novel follows four main characters whose lives intertwine in unexpected ways: – Franco Fiorvanti, a determined lemon grower with dreams of owning his own lemon grove. To prove his loyalty to his boss, Baron Zito, Franco agrees to arrange the kidnapping of a little boy, Dante, setting off a chain of events that shape the future of the world’s first Mafia family. – Gaetano Catalano, an idealistic lawyer and member of the Beati Paoli, a […]
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A Cozy Whodunit with a Dash of Nostalgia
3.5 stars. Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge is a cozy mystery set in the English countryside. The story follows Phyllida Bright, the housekeeper for the famous author Agatha Christie. Phyllida is loyal to and protective of Christie, who is as much a friend as an employer. When a dead body is discovered during a house party at the home of Agatha and her husband Max Mallowan, Phyllida leads the charge to solve the murder, using her keen observation skills and knowledge gleaned from Christie’s novels. The atmospheric setting captures the essence of a grand manor house with a cast of intriguing characters. Phyllida’s interactions with the staff and […]
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Love and Betrayal in the Vineyards of Champagne
Champagne, 1940: Inès has just married Michel, the owner of the renowned champagne house Maison Chauveau, when the Germans invade France. As danger mounts, Michel becomes involved with the Resistance. Inès fears exposure, while Céline, the half-Jewish wife of the chief winemaker, faces an even greater threat as rumors of Jewish deportations spread. Desperation leads Céline to a reckless choice for happiness, and Inès makes a dangerous mistake with a Nazi collaborator, risking the lives and legacy of those she loves. New York, 2019: Liv Kent is grappling with a recent divorce. When her eccentric French grandmother arrives and insists on a sudden trip to Paris for reasons unknown, Liv […]
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Sleep Book Empowers Readers
You know the feeling when you find a book that just clicks? That’s how I felt about Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep. It’s like a light bulb went on—finally, someone gets the battle I’ve been fighting since high school, the one against insomnia. Now, Dr. Walker isn’t your run-of-the-mill sleep doc. He’s got a PhD in neurophysiology and leads the Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab at UC Berkeley. The guy’s basically a sleep scientist superhero, so you can bet he knows his stuff. His book isn’t just about why sleep matters. It’s a gold mine on how it can sharpen your mind, brighten your mood, and even help keeping cancer and […]
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The Bullet That Missed
The Bullet that Missed, the third book in the Thursday Murder Club series, is deserving of its nomination for Best Mystery & Thriller in the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards. Set in Coopers Chase, an English retirement community as lively as a frat house, four sharp-as-tacks septuagenarians—Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Ron, and Joyce—spend their golden years solving crimes that leave the local police scratching their heads. In this installment, our geriatric sleuths delve into the decade-old disappearance of a TV journalist, Bethany Waites, who vanished while sniffing around a money-laundering scheme. It’s not long before our heroes find themselves tangled in a web of two murders separated by a decade. To thicken […]
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The Healing Power of Water
There’s something about the ocean that is magical. The sound of the waves crashing onto the shore, the salt spray, and the tide heals and energizes. For almost forty years I have lived with fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that causes widespread muscular pain, and affects my sleep and mood. Near-constant headaches are a pain in the neck. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.) Exercising, eating well, and minimizing stress help, but the only thing I’ve found to manage my flareups is the ocean. Many years ago, my husband and I took our kids on a beach vacation in Florida. The day before we were to return home, I suddenly recognized how […]
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The Greatest Women in History – Marie Curie
Photo by Henri Manuel, Public Domain March is Women’s History Month here in the United States of America, a time when we can collectively celebrate women’s contributions to American history. It began in 1978 as a week-long celebration in Santa Rosa, California, and a consortium of women’s groups and historians successfully lobbied for national recognition the following year. It took until 1987, but now every March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. Sadly, many of the women who changed the world remain obscure to most, a tremendous disservice to champions of science, literature, the humanities, the armed forces, politics, and business. Each day this month, I’ll be profiling […]
Read more...The True Meaning of Memorial Day
If you ask most Americans, few have any idea why we celebrate Memorial Day. A recent Gallup Poll revealed that only 28 percent of Americans know the true meaning behind this national holiday. To far too many, the last Monday in May is little more than a much-deserved day off, an opportunity to buy a car at a rock-bottom price, grill a burger in the backyard, or catch a few rays at the beach. Memorial Day is a big opportunity for racing enthusiasts, too; the Indianapolis 500 has been held on the holiday since 1911. Clearly, our modern-day Memorial Day celebration is miles away from the original intent of […]
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Visitors from Heaven
In many cultures, cardinals have long symbolized loved ones who have passed away. I saw a Cardinal in my tree, The bright red color so beautiful to see. Thoughts of loved ones brought a smile to my face, As I watched it flitter about with grace. Visitors from Heaven they are said to be, I feel blessed that you came to visit me. (author unknown) Cardinals have always reminded me of my mom. She so loved to decorate with them at Christmas that she gave me a gorgeous ornament featuring the songbird to hang on my tree once I was old enough to have one of my own. I get […]
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A Hidden Life
Last fall I watched a gorgeous movie titled A Hidden Life about Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian farmer and devout Catholic who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II. Franz, his wife, Fani, and their three young daughters lived outside the small village of St. Radegund and were important members of the tight-knit rural community. In 1943, he and other able-bodied were called up to fight for Germany. When recruiters asked him to swear an oath of allegiance to Adolf Hitler, Jägerstätter refused and was arrested and taken to prison in Linz where the most “dangerous” prisoners were housed. His family was ostracized and belittled by their friends […]
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