“Our Past Cannot Be Erased”

 

Friendship is a precarious thing these days. We connect with people. See their posts on social media, and think we are getting a glimpse of their real lives. But what we fail to see is the “B” side. The tedious little moments that don’t make it as a post, photo, or video.

Anyone who has ever created something faces a challenge when that piece of themselves is put in the spotlight. Whether through the written word, art, or something else. It takes an enormous amount of courage to bare one’s soul. To show who you are at that given moment. To give an “audience” a glimpse behind the curtain, the “B” side. Yet, all it takes is for someone to connect. To see value in what you created to know it was worth the risk. 

So, I will continue to scroll through my friends' pics, reminding myself that there is so much more that I don’t see. That they are so much more. 

Thank you Judy for showing us that side of you we didn’t see on social media. Thank you for taking that step outside your comfort zone. I hope others will read your book and find some comfort in knowing we all have a “B” side. To connect. 

“The Vibrant Years”

 

Generational. Strong women. Tough women. Women who want to be seen for who they truly are. Women who don’t want the past to dictate their future. Women who know with hard work they can do anything. Be anything. Be themselves.

Strong cultural ties. Restrictive. Stereotypical responses. Expectations. Struggles. Acceptance. Hurt. Awakening. Breaking free. Secrets buried in the past. Finding strength in those around you. 

Letting those you love see all of you, knowing that they will accept who you are. Without judgment. Without strings attached. Finding happiness. Learning from your past…finding your way into the future. Peace.

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers”

 

Sometimes you find a family where you least expect it, but, when you most need it.

We’ve all thought to ourselves that we could solve a murder, right? You watch enough true crime dramas, you pick up a thing or two. You’ve watched NCIS enough to understand how forensics works. How hard could it be? Round up the suspects. Pester them to death (no pun intended). Solve the crime.

But what happens when part way into your investigation, you find that you care for your suspects more than you thought? What if they have come to see you as the grandma they need in their lives? How do your emotions NOT cloud your judgment? 

In your quest to be useful, valued, you stumble into relationships that far outweigh your means to an end. You find value in those you’ve gathered near you. Their web of relationships is a tangled mess.  Yet, somehow you solve the crime and all that adrenaline leaves your body. Now what?

Sometimes you find a family where you least expect it, but when you most need it.

“Buddha in the Attic”

 

”This novel was inspired by the life stories of Japanese immigrants who came to America in the early 1900s.” (129)

I was hoping to find a historical fiction that showed how Japanese immigrants shaped the agricultural environment in California at the turn of the century. What I found was a story shaped by many stories. Mail order brides. Migrant farm workers. Shop keepers. Multiple points of view, blended together to create a cohesive story. Yet, at times, I was confused. I struggled to find the timeline. The individual storylines zigzagged through time. Some were lost to me. Others jumped out. I knew where this was going…yet the end came too abruptly. I found myself wanting the next installment, or chapter - tell us about the internment camps - tell us about what happened after the war? Where are all those stories?

Well, I found the answer: “Buddha in the Attic” is the prequel to Otsuka’s “When the Emperor was Divine.” Hmmmm…add it to my TBR pile!

“Tracy Flick Can’t Win”

 

Broken characters are always the best characters. 

Troubled backgrounds? Check. 

Struggling with sexual identity? Check.

Living a sober life? Check.

Making amends? Check.

Getting revenge? Check.

Extramarital affair? Check.

Running out of options? Check.

Dealing with loss? Check.

Being overlooked? Check.

Great plot twist? Check.

Happily-ever-after ending? Perhaps.

Yep, it checked all the boxes.