The Rabbit's Paw Book Reviews

  The Last Mandarin is a thriller that starts with alarms going off all around the world, simultaneously. Who are the terrorists, and how have they achieved this?  Vivien Li and her American born daughter Alice have always had an icy relationship, but are thrown together in an odyssey of discovery that harkens back to the Tiananmen Square protests, when Vivien became a well-known freedom fighter. Alice knows this about her mother, but is very surprised when the two of them are immediately escorted to The White House. It seems the US president very much wants to consult with Vivien and her daughter.  The two of them travel to China, interpret impossible clues, reconcile with long lost family, and also save the world!   I found the main characters in this story to be mostly likeable but not very complex. Also, we never do find out much about the terrorists or how they've managed to wreck deadly havoc around the world.  The historical part of this story, regar...

 This is my first experience reading anything by this author, and I was pleased with her style. Her characters were mostly likeable and their motives and dialogue seem believable and natural.  This novel contains more than one story. It is a family saga, a historical novel, and a bit of a mysterious ghost story. The reader learns more about the ghostly narrator as the stories unfold.   Aubrey Lamb, a young woman who seems to have her hands full, emotionally and vocationally, is introduced to us by an unnamed, ghostly narrator. Aubrey's life is depicted in a way that I found to be quite engaging.  When Aubrey begins to get emails from relatives she was barely aware of, talking about a land inheritance in Tennessee, she embarks on a bit of an odyssey that will educate her about her roots and change her life. The history of the African American Lamb family, from the time Thomas Lamb first bought this farm and built his house, is fascinating. Thomas was resourceful,...

  The Frenzy, by Joyce Carol Oates, is a collection of short stories that are nuanced and memorable. I am fascinated both with the storytelling and the fact that this author can keep me engaged both in novel and short story forms.  The first three stories seem to focus on life decisions that have profound consequences. For instance, The Bicycle Accident introduces us to a mother who chooses not to examine the relationship she has with an older friend, or her daughter's feelings about him, in part because he has been financially generous. The consequences of this mother's neglect are tragic. The Fear is a story about a young woman who lives to regret the way she has treated a cousin, once so close and dear to her, in a time of need. The ending reminded me of a Twilight Zone episode: creepy and atmospheric.  And the title story, The Frenzy, ended with a satisfying and humorous comeuppance for a delusional, self-centered man. A story which appears later in this collection, R...

  This story drew me in with its intensity. Sarah, or Saoirse, is a very young woman with a  lot of history that is dark, abusive, and complicated. To escape a mortally dangerous situation, she needs to disappear. To that end, Sarah makes some desperate moves, makes decisions on the fly, and has mixed luck on the long, arduous road to claiming her own life and landing safely. I admired the way in which this story is told, as bits of Sarah's past life are revealed, bits at a time. As she is becoming Saoirse, a well-regarded artist in Ireland, she has various tense adventures and there are obstacles in her life, both emotional and practical, as her past eventually comes to light. Saoirse is as complicated as her life, but she is an admirable survivor. Saiorse's parents failed her miserably, but she is determined to find herself, be herself, and make her own way. A literary novel, a bit of a mystery, and a love story combined, Saoirse was an engaging read all the way through for ...

  The Memory Gardener, by Meg Donohue, is a charming story which contains a couple of intriguing mysteries and characters who seem believable and likeable. The writing style is pleasing and flows nicely, and I found the plot to be perfectly paced. The main protagonist, Lucy, has grown up in what sounds like a beautiful, idealic place close to the ocean called Bantam Bay. Lucy's special talent is gardening. Actually, it's more than a talent--it's actually a magical gift. Lucy's plants grow faster than anyone else's, but the most important power she has is the matching of particular scents to people, to bring out their best memories. Her gardens are wondrous, healing places for her clients. However, Lucy has not stayed in Bantam Bay. To the contrary, she's been a nomad for years, avoiding her hometown for reasons that will unfold as this novel progresses. When we meet Lucy, her mother has recently died, and she is returning to Bantam Bay to stay with her father be...

 When opening a John Irving book, I expect to meet lovable, eccentric characters living unconventional lives. The main plots in Irving's books are usually interwoven with colorful side plots as well, stories that vary in realisticness. Add to that a good message about social tolerance and some historical background, and it all comes together in his splendid novels.  John Irving's latest novel, Queen Esther, ticks all of those boxes, but this time, I found the plot a little too scattered, and did not get attached to any one character the way I usually do. One part of the story is about an orphan named Esther, but the most intriguing part of her life happens off stage. This novel spends more time following the life of Jimmy, the young man Esther gives birth to and then gives to her sister to raise. He does live in interesting times, and yet I didn't find his story to be compelling.  The author imparts quite a bit of history in this novel, which is mostly very topical, but ...