“Confidence John”

 

Brief remarks for a short novel…

“We are not what has happened to us. Instead, I think we are what we do about what has happened to us.” (108)

Family. Revenge. Treasure. Disappointment. Blame. Lies. Secrets. Starting over. Betrayal. Hope. Legacy.

Family is what we make it. Blood or not, it is the people we love and with whom we surround ourselves. Who we learn to trust. Who accepts us for who we are. Who comes to see the good in us, despite our past sins. Who stands by us. Who gives us hope for the future.

“A Bullet for Cinderella”

 

“Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.”

-Captain Jack Sparrow

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” -but what if those lemons come from a dark time, a POW camp? How does your conscience reconcile your profit from the death of another?

Greed. Insanity. Heartbreak. Treasure. Lies. Secrets. Betrayal. Death. Treasure. Trust. Forgiveness. Love.

Sometimes the treasure that we seek, is not the treasure that we find. Sometimes it’s the relationships that are truly worth their weight in gold.

“How Lulu Lost Her Mind”

 

“I need a shotgun, a carton of smokes, and some fucking jerky.” (237)

Relationships are hard. Patience is a virtue. Alzheimer’s sucks.

Mother. Daughter. Caretaker. Memories. Building a future. Fighting the past. Racing to find the “sweet spot.” Family heritage. Old. New. Breath. Relax. Laughter. Smiles. Anger. Tantrums. Passionate nature. Responsibilities. Respect. Coming to terms with inevitable loss. Love. Survival.

I loved the characters. I laughed, even though I knew what was coming. My heart aches for anyone facing the challenges of a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. 

Relationships can be hard. Patience is a virtue that requires 24/7 commitment. Alzheimer’s still sucks.

“Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost”

Thorn Bluffs estate. California’s central coast. Fog. Rip tides. Secrets. Venture capitalist. Governess. Chef. Brother. Daughter. Caretakers. Characters living in fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of their benefactor. Fear of the monster.

Schizophrenia.

Schrödinger’s cat…until you “open the box” Beatrice McAdams is both dead and alive. Is she a ghost? An apparition, haunting the estate? Or did she survive the dangerous surf? Whose story should you believe? Where is the evidence for either scenario? 

Greed. Belonging. Protection. Love.

“The Nakano Thirftshop”

 

“These are not antiques. They’re second-hand goods.” (5)

Quirky. “You know what I mean?” These are the people you work with day in and day out. The people you share a meal with. Share your thoughts. And yet, how well do you really know them? Those are the relationships we sometimes take for granted. Those are the relationships that are sometimes lost…

Rectangular #2. Paperweight. Bus. Letter opener. Big dog. Celluloid. Sewing machine. Dress. Bowl. Apples. Gin. Punch ball.

Lives collected like objects in a thrift store. Not antiques. Simply second-hand goods. Waiting to be loved. To be valued.

“The Language of Hoofbeats”

I want to say that this novel is about filters. I want to say that it reminded me of my Grandmother, as she got older, and rarely filtered her thoughts before they became words. I also want to say that that same Grandmother was also bitter at times. Angry. Hurt. Judgmental. Loving.

I want to say that we are all trying to find where we fit. Seeking out what is familiar to us. Resistant to change. Making order out of chaos. I want to say that this novel filled me with hope. 

So, I guess, in my own way, I did say all of that. Oh, and the horse was cool too!

“The Guncle”

 

Twelve Guncle Rules (more or less). GUP. Self-absorbed actor. Niblings. Loss. Grief. Love. Healing. And, a lot of sarcasm.

The pink Christmas tree. Marlene. JED. Rosa. Pool floats. Stars (the kind in the sky). An earthquake. Death. Rehab.

This novel had a perspective that was new to me. Not the “retired” actor part. Not the part about the uncle entertaining his niece and nephew. But, the part where GUP deals with his losses and that of his niblings. How do the three of them help to heal each other? How much time can one spend in a swimming pool in Palm Springs? Heartfelt. I was hoping for the happily-ever-after ending…let’s just say, Rowley left the novel on the upswing. Loved every moment of the adventure.