Here, Home, Hope - Kaira Rouda

Kaira Rouda is a very successful woman - she is the founder of the Real Living Real Estate brand and the Real You - a road map for success for womenpreneurs. This doesn't even begin to touch on her many, many accomplishments.  Here, Home, Hope is the culmination of "her life-long dream to publish a novel."

Kelly Johnson has it all - million dollar home, loving husband, two happy, healthy sons, loving friends and family, but as she's looking at her fortieth birthday, something is missing from her life. She hasn't worked since the boys were born - her husband is a successful law partner- and she gave up her PR job. There are a lot of things she'd like to change. To remind herself she puts up post-its with reminders throughout her home. (The list is pretty good and is printed in it's entirety at the end of the book)

Rouda tackles a subject many women can identify with. What happens when the kids don't need you as much? When is it time to want more for yourself? Using her own entrepreneurial background Rouda empowers Kelly as she starts her own home staging business, reconnects with friends and helps solve the seemingly myriad problems in her friends' lives. Spoilers ahead.

Unfortunately I found it really hard to connect with Kelly and crew. Her 'emergency blonding appointment' runs $295.00, she is worried about the six pounds she gains every summer when her two boys go away to camp in Maine for the summer. (It really shows on her 5'5' frame...)

"Did we all simply have too much time on our hands, we Grandville stay-at-home moms? What about the other six million women who stay at home full time? Did all of us use our time to judge one anther and feel fortunate, superior even, that we were the chosen ones, able to quit our jobs and be there for our kids? I wondered what the 74 million moms who work outside the home would think about these petty salvos."

When Kathryn, one of her closest friends, asks Kelly to have her anorexic daughter Melanie stay with Kelly for part of the summer she agrees. Kelly also enlists the help of a former anorexic friend, Beth, who is now a counsellor, to help with Melanie. Beth is the mother of a 6 week old girl. But Melanie, who is under 16, attempts suicide.

Kelly - "The ER doctor had insisted a parent be called, and since they told me Melanie was stable, I decided not to call Kathryn right away. She still hadn't returned my call from the other night, and perhaps we could handle this situation better without her."

Seriously? C'mon....

Kelly herself is a little weight obsessed....

"Afterward as we cuddled, Patrick complimented me on losing weight. I told him that having an anorexic around had prompted me to think about eating healthier through watching portion sizes and writing things down."

"I did a little dance in front of my full-length mirror and thought again about permanently adopting Mel and inviting Beth and her family to come live with us. I need to keep the people on the road to healthy eating around me. This could be way better than Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig. I could save money and spend it on clothes."

When Kelly meets Beth's husband..

..."Beth's husband, Ryan - who seemed nice, dressed metrosexually, and was not necessarily gay, I decided -"

Umm, isn't he the father of the 6 week old baby, and really, does the way someone dresses denote if they're gay?

There's more, but I'll stop. I think the idea Rouda is promoting is great...

"...something in my life had to change. What I also discovered was that I was the only one who could do it. Not having that realization was what held me back for so long. I was ready to rewrite Things to Change rule Number One. My life is up to me to define. I needed to make my own dreams come true."

...but I think the delivery left something to be desired. I just found the careening from one crisis to another unbelievable and quite far fetched in some situations. I found the story to be almost a series of plot ideas on a whiteboard joined conveniently together. I never connected with Kelly and quite frankly found her annoying.

Read an excerpt of Here, Home, Hope. Find Rouda on Facebook and on Twitter.

For other opinions check out In Search of Balance, The Book Chick, ForeWord Reviews.

What I Thought I Knew - Alice Eve Cohen - Review, Guest Post & Giveaway!

I always feel privileged to read someone's memoir. Sharing their thoughts, feelings and experiences is an intensely intimate read.

Alice Eve Cohen's story is so unbelievable it almost reads like fiction. As a young woman, Cohen was told she was infertile. So, when she married, she and her husband adopted instead. The marriage ended, but at age 44 Cohen is happy in a new relationship, her career has taken off and everything seems to be going her way until...she begins to experience symptoms that no one doctor can seem to diagnose. A CAT scan finally reveals the cause....she is six months pregnant.

I truly was unable to put What I Though I Knew down - I devoured it in one afternoon. Cohen works as a storyteller and performer and her skills as a raconteur shine through in this deeply honest and open memoir. Cohen takes us along with her through a gamut of emotions as she deals with having to make unimaginable choices. I found myself wondering what choices I would have made in the same situation.  A highly recommended read. This would be an excellent choice for book club discussions. Read an excerpt of What I Thought I Knew.

I asked Eve if her daughters had read the book or discussed it with her and here's the reply....

CENSORING MY OWN BOOK

A pro-choice mother’s conundrum

By Alice Eve Cohen

I once attempted to censor my own book…That, of course, was a dumb idea.

I was hell-bent on hiding the book from my daughter, who is central to the story of my memoir. She quickly let me know just how dumb an idea it was.

My memoir begins eleven years ago, with my unexpected and terrifying pregnancy at the age of 44. I was so desperate that I scheduled an appointment for a late term abortion with Dr. George Tiller, in Wichita, Kansas; but at the last minute, I decided to have the baby.

Eliana was nine when my book came out. As my July 2009 publication date approached, I feared that she would be traumatized by the knowledge that I had considered an abortion.

The truth is, I had censored my story for many years. I bottled it up inside me, unable to talk to anyone about it, until I was finally able to write the book. Given that I’ve always been an ardent advocate of women’s reproductive rights, why was I was so wracked with guilt at having considered a late term abortion?

Even after my book was complete, I held on to the half-baked idea that I could publish my memoir, while at the same time selectively censoring myself on the subject of abortion. I told my publisher that in order to protect Eliana, I would not take any media interview questions about abortion, to which the publicist reluctantly agreed.

...Until May 31, 2009, when Dr. George Tiller was murdered in Wichita, Kansas by an anti-abortion terrorist.

I mourned Dr. Tiller’s death and reflected on the vital importance of knowing, in the midst of my terrifying pregnancy, that I had the right to choose whether or not to have the baby. I realized that having that right saved my life and, by extension, Eliana’s life.

I decided that it was irresponsible of me to censor my abortion story. I called my publicist to say I’d changed my mind, and would welcome interview questions about abortion. I wrote an essay for the Huffington Post, titled “Dr. George Tiller Saved My Life…and my Baby’s Life.”
But even after that, I still wanted to hide my book and my abortion story from Eliana. My husband and I tried to persuade Eliana not to read it until she was a teenager, but she let us know that was out of the question.

“This book is about my birth,” Eliana said, “so of course I’m going to read it. And I’m going to read it before the public gets to read it in July!”

“OK,” we said, with trepidation. “But on one condition: We want you to read it when Mommy or Daddy is home, so that you can ask us questions.”

For two days in June, Eliana and I lay down on my bed with two copies of my book, reading side-by-side. I regularly peeked over to see what page she was on. She was laughing in all the right places, but I knew she’d have hard questions.

She finished the chapter where I scheduled a late-term abortion. For years, I’d dreaded her ever finding out about this moment, fearing that she would be devastated.

“Did that upset you?” I asked.

“No.” she said. “Why would I care what you thought about me before I was born? I was only a fetus.”

She got to page where she was finally born, after my horrific 47-hours of labor.

“Wow, Mom this is like a non-fiction book that teaches you a lot about pregnancy!”

She got to Epilogue—which is virtually a love song to my two daughters, Eliana and Julia. When she finished, she turned to me and smiled. “Good book, Mom. I really liked it.”

“Thank you, honey, I’m so glad. Did anything in the book upset you?”

“Nope! Because I knew exactly how everything was going to turn out.”

Eliana wasn’t devastated to learn that I’d considered a late term abortion. Rather, I had injured myself by keeping it a secret for so many years. Note to self: knowledge isn’t traumatizing. Secrets, lies, and censorship are."
 

You can find Alice Eve Cohen on Facebook and Twitter.
 
Thank you so much for sharing both your story and this conversation with Eliana.
 
Want to read What I Thought I Knew? One lucky reader will win a copy! Open to US and Canada, no PO boxes please. Simply comment to be entered. Ends Wednesday Dec 29/10 at 6 pm EST.

Q&A and giveaway - Julie Metz - author of Perfection

A Bookworm's World is very happy to have Julie Metz, author of Perfection, stop in to answer a few questions. (If you missed yesterday's post, you can find my review here.) Make sure you enter to win a copy of this engrossing memoir by commenting on this post.


Q: What made you decide to go “public” with your loss and betrayal? What did you gain by sharing this with the world? Any negatives to baring all? Did you hear from other betrayed spouses after they read Perfection?

A: After Henry’s death I began keeping a journal and I wrote letters to friends. After the revelations of his betrayals, several friends suggested that I consider writing a book. At first I dismissed this idea, but I began to think about what resources there were for women in my situation. I wanted to write the book I wished had existed for me to read. I also saw my story as a cautionary tale for younger women. The response to my book has been controversial at times, but the letters I receive are overwhelmingly positive and supportive. They are from women (and some men too!), who have lived through a similar experience.

Q: How did this change your parenting style? What will you now impart to your daughter that you may not have before Henry’s death?

A: After my husband’s death I was a single mom for a time. My daughter and I had always been close, but with just the two of us we grew closer. When I met my boyfriend, we created a new family, one where each member has a different last name. I think the big lesson I would like to share with my daughter and other young women is the importance of valuing themselves as individuals and not losing themselves in a relationship.

Q: Why do you think it’s mostly men who are unfaithful in a relationship?

A: It may seem like that but I am not sure that it is mostly men. It takes two, right? From statistics I have read, nearly equal numbers of men and women report having been unfaithful. I think it’s possible that women might feel more hesitant about admitting this behavior. It’s also possible that some married men seek out unattached women with whom to have an affair.

Thanks so much for stopping in Julie! I have a copy of Perfection to giveaway - open to US and Canada, ends Sunday, November 21 at 6 pm EST. Simply leave a comment to be entered.

You can find Julie on Facebook or on Twitter. Read an excerpt of Perfection. Julie is also available for book club discussions!

Perfection - Julie Metz

Julie Metz has a seemingly perfect life. She's a successful graphic designer, has a beautiful daughter with her husband Henry and a new home in a charming small town. What more could anyone want? Sure, there have been ups and downs with Henry - but what marriage doesn't weather a few storms?

But the unthinkable happens one day - 44 yr old Henry dies....

The grief of losing a husband and your child's father unexpectedly and at such a young age is unimaginable. But what Julie discovers after Henry's death is even more gut wrenching. Henry was not the husband and lover she believed him to be. He had been cheating on her for most of their time together. And the one affair that went on the longest was with a woman she called a friend.

Perfection is an intimate look into a private sorrow. Metz leaves nothing out - I felt as if I were reading her private journal. We are privy to her pain and anguish over losing Henry and her anger and pain as she discovers the lies. She painstakingly pieces together the details of his betrayals - first through emails and then by contacting the women themselves. Remarkably, relationships are created with a few of these women - they too were subject to Henry's deceptions. The last third of the book chronicles Metz's attempts to rebuild and go forward in life. And her success in finally putting the past to bed.

I applaud Julie Metz's  honesty and openness in sharing such a difficult time in her life. I don't agree with everything she did and found some of her decisions questionable - my choices would not have been the same. But it's very easy to judge from the outside looking in. There is no blanket policy for handling grief and anger. I think the writing of Perfection was a catharsis and a way for Julie to put an end to this time of her life. Perfection was a compelling, emotional and addicting read, although at times, I felt a little like a voyeur. But a book I couldn't put down.

Make sure you stop by tomorrow for a Q&A with Julie and a chance to win a copy of Perfection for yourself. Read an excerpt of Perfection. You can find Julie on Facebook  and on Twitter as well.

Fragile - Lisa Unger - Review and Giveaway

I'm a long time fan of Lisa Unger, but I have to say, I think her new novel Fragile is my favourite thus far.

Fragile's prologue opens with a cop throwing a bundle into the bottom of an abandoned well, shoveling in dirt to cover it completely.... The story then shifts to a month earlier.

Jones is the lead detective on the police force in the small town of The Hollows, just outside of New York City. He has lived there his entire life. His wife Maggie also grew up in The Hollows, but went away to school. She chose to return and works as a psychologist. Their son Ricky is unsettled, unsure if he wants to go to college or pursue a music career. When Ricky's girlfriend Charlene vanishes, history seems to be repeating itself. Her disappearance mirrors that of an unsolved case from the past - one Jones, Maggie and many others remember well.

Fragile is a departure from Unger's earlier works. Instead of just focusing strictly on the mystery, she  has combined a suspenseful whodunit that builds slowly with an introspective look at the population of a town that seems bent on keeping secrets. I enjoyed the mystery, but for me it took a back seat to the exploration of the characters.

In flashbacks and memories, we learn how the past has shaped every character and affected their present day relationships. Jones is torn between suspecting his son and protecting him. In such a small town and as a psychologist, Maggie is privy to many secrets, some that could hurt, some that could help. The relationships between the two of them as a couple and as parents were the most compelling to explore. But each new character introduced somehow has a connection. The plot is carefully and skillfully unraveled . The small town feeling is accurately captured, with everyone knowing everyone's business. This is at the heart of Fragile...

"He could sense the mingling of the past and the present, how one couldn't exist without the other. He wanted to find his way there, to a place where could understand it all, make sense of those connections that were too fragile to be easily defined."

Fragile captures the delicacy of the ties that bind us - to lovers, family, friends and community and how those connections can be our saving grace or our downfall.

Unger loosely based Fragile on an actual incident in her life - a fifteen year old acquaintance who went missing from the small town they both lived in.

Read an excerpt of Fragile.

An excellent read and one that you have a chance to win! One copy of Fragile to giveaway - open to US and Canada. Simply comment to be entered. Ends Sunday Sept 5th at 6 pm EST. Thanks BookSparksPR for the review copy.