Something Worth Saving

by Sandi Ward

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU / B&N

 

 Paperback: 304 Pages

 Publisher: Kensington (December 18, 2018)

 

Sandi Ward’s shrewdly observed, funny, and wonderfully touching novel tells of a fractured family, a teenage boy, and a remarkable cat whose loyalty knows no bounds . . .

A boy and his cat. It’s an unconventional friendship, perhaps, but for Charlie and Lily, it works beautifully. It was Charlie who chose Lily from among all the cats in the shelter. He didn’t frown, the way other humans did, when he saw her injured back leg, the legacy of a cruel previous owner. Instead, Charlie insisted on rescuing her. Now Lily wants to do the same for Charlie.

She’s the only one who’s seen the bruises on Charlie’s body. If she knew who was hurting him, she’d scratch their eyes out. But she can’t fix this by herself. Lily needs to get the rest of the family to focus on Charlie—not easy when they’re wrapped up in their own problems. Charlie’s mother kicked his father out weeks ago and has a new boyfriend who seems charming, but is still a stranger. Oldest son Kevin misses his father desperately. Victoria, Charlie’s sister, also has someone new in her life, and Lily is decidedly suspicious. Even Charlie’s father, who Lily loves dearly, is behaving strangely.

Lily knows what it’s like to feel helpless. But she also knows that you don’t always have to be the biggest or the strongest to fight fiercely for the ones you love . . .

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

No creature should be mistreated. I did not deserve it, and neither does Charlie… I recall how humiliating it was to be too small to fight back. It makes my eyes sting and nose quiver when I think about it. Believe me, if I knew who was hurting Charlie, I would scratch his eyes out.

He is amused by how excited she is to realize this, that he’s never kissed a girl. And the look that he gives forces me to see it, to understand what she likes about him.   I don’t want her to like him.   He’s a thief and a sneak and a manipulative human. However.   What I see is this… The look he gives her is guarded, but it’s also: Warm. Inclusive. A little naughty. As if they have a secret together.

Their first kiss. And I am witness to it. When they part, Victoria is all glorious smiles. Triumphant. Aidan, to me, looks a bit dazed. I think I am witnessing him slowly coming into his own as a young man. He must also be realizing his weaknesses. He is going to have to submit to Victoria’s whims if he wants to keep her as his mate.  

I feel a little squeeze of satisfaction in my heart. I do love to see humans happy. Even bad creatures deserve love… How am I so easily swayed?   The humans confound me.

There is something worth saving in this family – a love that connects all of us and binds us together… Like raindrops plunking onto the river, causing overlapping circles of waves, each member of our family impacts the next.   If only Gretel and I could talk!   I won’t give up yet.

My Review:

Something Worth Saving was simply stellar and one of the most insightful, thoughtfully written and poignant books I have ever read. The writing quality was exceptional and captivating and possessed that tantalizing allure that continually rattled around my cranium even when forced to put my book down. Written from the first person perspective of Lily, the ever watchful and beloved family cat, I was immediately pulled in by Ms. Ward’s hypnotic and powerful word voodoo, and obsessively remained within Lily’s well-crafted and intriguing vortex. My thoughts were consumed with the characters, and even as I performed my obligatory adulting, I continued to contemplate and visualize the sweet and concerned tabby as she guarded over her beloved humans and pondered her confusing observations. She loved her family deeply, even the dog, yet she felt a fierce and possessive loyalty toward Charlie, the youngest family member and the one who personally had selected her from the shelter. Their bond was instant and infinite; Charlie was her sweet and gentle boy.

Lily was on high alert as lately, Charlie was often upset, and more disturbingly, bruised. Someone was hurting Charlie and no one else had noticed. Lily understood his feelings all too well as Lily herself had been an unfortunate victim of abuse as a kitten, suffering a damaged leg and forever odd walk. While a loving family with three teenaged children, the family unit was unraveling while no one in that household actually communicated about anything of substance for fear of bringing about the final crack that tore everything asunder.   The entire family was in mild to moderate distress, each with their own unique turmoil and reluctance to voice their apprehension and discomfort with the causes and effects of the recent parental separation. In addition, each member was also working through significant milestones, transitions, and coming of age and sexual identity issues. The storylines were relevant, topical, and well paced while the narrative was fascinating, emotive, and heart-squeezing. I am enamored with this jaw-droppingly talented author and besotted with her tale and the adorable Lily, who will undoubtedly continue to inhabit my gray matter for some time.

Street Cat Blues

by Alison O’Leary

 The Military Wife

by Laura Trentham

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

“He’s been gone five years, sweetheart, and you haven’t gone on so much as a date.” “That’s not true. I went to lunch with Whit a few weeks ago.” “He was trying to sell you life insurance. Doesn’t count.”

He got out a pot and pulled down three cans. She moved close enough to see two were chili and one was dog food. She hoped she rated the chili.

Without thinking beyond the moment, she scooched closer and put her arm around him from behind. It was like hugging a gargoyle, and she half-expected him to shove her arm away as if comfort were a communicable disease.

Unable to unstick her gaze from him, she nodded, aware of him in ways that made parts of her tingle. Or was that the beginnings of frostbite?

His smile was like the sighting of a rare bird, and it filled her with the same kind of wonder.

And, in my mom’s eyes, you are officially the favorite of all my boyfriends. Although it’s not like the competition was steep. Not being a public nose picker put you in the lead.

I love bargaining. My husband says I can talk the devil down on buying a soul.

Time to push, Harper dear, but softly. We don’t want baby to squirt out and shoot across the room.

My Review:

This cleverly written book plumbed all the feels and insightfully covered several important and vexing societal issues with grace and finesse while bringing honor and recognition to some of the stressors bedeviling families that sacrifice to serve their country. The storylines were active and cleverly nuanced, highly relevant, emotive, evocative, and beautifully written with agility and artistry while well balanced with levity and witty quips. Ms. Trentham is a recent discovery for me with her delightfully appealing Cottonbloom series, and I have repeatedly noticed her special ninja-like talent for creating unique and complex characters who are unfailingly endearing yet extremely complicated, deeply flawed, and impossible not to love. Bennett and Harper included.

The Beantown Girls

by Jane Healy

A novel of love, courage, and danger unfolds as World War II’s brightest heroines—the best of friends—take on the front lines.

1944: Fiona Denning has her entire future planned out. She’ll work in city hall, marry her fiancé when he returns from the war, and settle down in the Boston suburbs. But when her fiancé is reported missing after being shot down in Germany, Fiona’s long-held plans are shattered.

Determined to learn her fiancé’s fate, Fiona leaves Boston to volunteer overseas as a Red Cross Clubmobile girl, recruiting her two best friends to come along. There’s the outspoken Viviana, who is more than happy to quit her secretarial job for a taste of adventure. Then there’s Dottie, a shy music teacher whose melodious talents are sure to bring heart and hope to the boys on the front lines.

Chosen for their inner strength and outer charm, the trio isn’t prepared for the daunting challenges of war. But through it all come new friendships and romances, unforeseen dangers, and unexpected dreams. As the three friends begin to understand the real reasons they all came to the front, their courage and camaraderie will see them through some of the best and worst times of their lives.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Ready or not, we’re on our way to England. We just went through six weeks of training for these jobs. I had to learn to play badminton, for the love of God. There’s no turning back now.

I realized I was in a much better mood than when I arrived. I was supposed to be the one boosting their spirits, but instead that’s exactly what these men had done for me. Sometimes morale was a two-way street.

… my heart was aching in ways that felt very familiar and yet so different. It turns out you can care for two men at the same time, but you never care for them in the exact same way.

“We’re off the coast of a place where thousands of American men died. And we’re dancing,” she said, squinting and tilting her head, looking out across the water. “It feels a little off, don’t you think?” “I’ve thought about that,” I said, nodding, leaning over the railing. “But honestly? I think any of the men killed here would say, Damn Hitler! Play that American music and dance. It gives these men some hope and cheers them up. Helps them fight another day.”

The beach was a haunted obstacle course of foxholes, concrete pillboxes, and debris… “The captain was right… You can feel the ghosts.” I got goose pimples on my arms again when she said it, because it was true. There was a heaviness to the air that had nothing to do with the dust.

Dick kept talking as we drove, in a trance, giving us the play-by-play of all that had happened to him, like a confessional. We couldn’t have stopped him if we had tried. And from the way he was going on, I knew that he would be haunted by the images of that day until he was an old man.

The ‘front’ is all around us; it’s not one straight line marked by barbed wire and a big sign.

My Review:

In addition to top-notch entertainment, this book was eye opening and surprisingly educational. I had no idea that Red Cross volunteers performed these functions. It sounded rather frivolous at first – driving around in trucks to cook and serve doughnuts and coffee to soldiers in battlefield and training encampments – however, they did so much more than that.   Heinously nicknamed Doughnut Dollies, they assisted the soldiers with writing letters; entertained them with music; provided a welcome break from the horrors of war with snacks, candy, and hygiene supplies; provided a kind personal touch while talking and listened to them about their experiences and news from their families at home; provided comfort and gentle reassurance to those coming off the battlefields and POW camps; helped them exchange information to their friends between compounds; although they weren’t nurses they willingly helped in a pinch with the wounded; and anything else they could possibly do to lift morale.

I was thoroughly engaged with this adventurous, poignant, profoundly moving and thoughtfully written story and was not surprised at all to learn that the author had performed a massive amount of research and had based her manuscript on actual events and archived writings of the brave and intrepid women who dared such hazardous feats. The storylines were beautifully crafted and expertly paced. I adored these spunky characters and greatly admired their grit and sacrifice. Ms. Healy’s writing was frequently emotive and tapped all the feels multiple times with considerable agility, yet was easy to follow and totally transportive. I instantly fell into a 1944 time machine and was completely immersed in their story – living and working right beside the three brave Bostonians Fiona, Viv, and Dottie. I could feel the rumble of the bomb blasts as well as their bone-weary fatigue, hear the jazz music playing, and smell the pungent and permeating scents of their cigarettes as well as the endless batches of doughnuts they tirelessly created. The author’s magical word skills were deft yet oceans deep; I also felt their excitement, fear, and profound heartache. My eyes stung and my throat constricted more than once at the horrific losses and moving encounters they exchanged with their new friends and frightened soldiers. Any writer who can move my cold heart to such extremes deserves a ten-star rating.