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writerrhiannon's Reviews (1.1k)
First published in 1956, Imperial Woman is the historically fictionalized account of Tzu Hsi, the last Empress of China. Born of low caste in the city Orchidloves her cousin Jung Lu, but she must leave her childhood home and go to the palace. Discarding her childhood name, Orchid becomes Yehonala and is chosen by the Son of Heaven as a concubine. She sets herself apart and becomes the emperor's favorite. She is waited on by multiple servants, however she misses her one true love. She calls Jung Lu to her chambers and the two engage in a one night affair. Later Yehonala bears a son and she becomes the Empress Mother. She realizes that she must know her son's foes & requests a teacher to give her the empire's history. She is enraged at the pillaging and conquering that has occured for years by Russians & English. The emperor's opium additcition has allowed his concils to make decisions for the Dragon Throne. Now rebels, led by a man named Hung, who calls himself the Chinese Christ, wishes to restore the dynasty of Ming.
Set in multiple palaces and full of plots to thwart succession, Imperial Woman is action packed with schemes at every turn. Who else knows the young heir's paternity? Will The Three steal the throne? Who has stolen the young heir? how will she maintain control of the dynasty even when there are changes to who sits on the throne?
Read my full review here: http://www.ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2013/07/imperial-woman.html
Set in multiple palaces and full of plots to thwart succession, Imperial Woman is action packed with schemes at every turn. Who else knows the young heir's paternity? Will The Three steal the throne? Who has stolen the young heir? how will she maintain control of the dynasty even when there are changes to who sits on the throne?
Read my full review here: http://www.ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2013/07/imperial-woman.html
So often I start my reviews with my preconceived notions going into a book and The Summer without Men is no different. Based on the title and cover, I expected light and snarky humor, but my notions were turned on their ear.
The inside dust jacket describes Mia Fredrickson as the "wry, vituperative, tragicomic poet narrator" of The Summer without Men. Happily married to her science nerd husband for thirty years, she is thrown into a tailspin when he asks for a "pause." The opening lines of the novel are: "sometime after he said the word 'pause,' I went mad and landed in the hospital. He did not say 'I don't ever want to see you again' or 'its over,' but after thirty years of marriage 'pause' was enough to turn me into a lunatic whose thoughts burst, ricocheted, and careened into one another like popcorn kernels in a microwave bag." After leaving the psych ward, Mia rents a home in the same small town where her mother is residing in an assisted living facility.
The story rotates between the women residing with her mother, "the Five Swans," Mia's troubled neighbor, and the girls in her poetry workshop. These adolescents' academic works showcase what its like to be a young teen girl. But it is their personal interactions that eventually require an intervention. (Trigger warning for personal reflection on the fragility of teen friendships and flashbacks of emotional whirlwinds related to sleepovers. )
Read my entire review here:
http://www.ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-summer-without-men.html
The inside dust jacket describes Mia Fredrickson as the "wry, vituperative, tragicomic poet narrator" of The Summer without Men. Happily married to her science nerd husband for thirty years, she is thrown into a tailspin when he asks for a "pause." The opening lines of the novel are: "sometime after he said the word 'pause,' I went mad and landed in the hospital. He did not say 'I don't ever want to see you again' or 'its over,' but after thirty years of marriage 'pause' was enough to turn me into a lunatic whose thoughts burst, ricocheted, and careened into one another like popcorn kernels in a microwave bag." After leaving the psych ward, Mia rents a home in the same small town where her mother is residing in an assisted living facility.
The story rotates between the women residing with her mother, "the Five Swans," Mia's troubled neighbor, and the girls in her poetry workshop. These adolescents' academic works showcase what its like to be a young teen girl. But it is their personal interactions that eventually require an intervention. (Trigger warning for personal reflection on the fragility of teen friendships and flashbacks of emotional whirlwinds related to sleepovers. )
Read my entire review here:
http://www.ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-summer-without-men.html
Orphaned at a young age, Elizabeth "Betsey" Dobson must work to support herself. At 14she falls in love with the 19 year old son of the house in which she is working. Dismissed from this job, she trains to work as a typewriter girl making just enough money to pay her share of rent on a rundown room in a rough part of town. An "inter-office romance" evolves and she is aware that she will lose this job in a matter of time. With the promise of a job as a manager at Idensea Pier & Pleasure Building Company within Betsey's grasp and the knowledge that she will soon be fired for her morals, she forges a letter of character for herself. In these opening scenes, the reader can't help but fall in love with Betsey's determination while shaking their head at the society she is up against. Betsey's supervisor at Idensea Pier & Pleasure Building Company, John Jones has made a name for himself and is a hard worker, but not a gentleman born into high society. Lilian Gilbey is looking for a husband, but thinks John beneath her. Betsey must interact with the hotel guests and give orders to men. A Duke is coming to an opening. A spurned lover shows up. At a time when a woman not being a virgin meant she was ruined, virtue was all a woman not of a certain societal standing possessed as a ticket to marriage. Unless you planned to work hard and support yourself, like Betsey. Not interested in pursuing marriage and determined not to make any more mistakes, she finds herself pushed to her limits in her new role at the hotel. So when feelings arise between her and John Jones, Betsey refuses to give in, refuses to lose another job, especially one she loves so much. If only it were so easy...
To read my full review, go here: http://www.ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-typewriter-girl-by-alison-atlee.html
To read my full review, go here: http://www.ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-typewriter-girl-by-alison-atlee.html
