Tag Archives: Pam A.

Review: Anatomy of a Miracle

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Anatomy of a Miracle
by Jonathon Miles
5 stars

When confronted by a seeming miracle, how do we, in modern society, react? This is the construct upon which this novel is built. When Cameron Harris, a paralyzed veteran of the war in Afghanistan, rises up out of his wheelchair in the parking lot of the Biz-E-Bee convenience store, we see how various people respond to this other-worldly event.

Is it a miracle, or hoax? His doctor views it scientifically, delving into medical records from the time the old Soviet bomb exploded and severed Cameron’s spinal cord. Was he hiding his ability to walk for four years to avoid being called back to serve?

Many people become involved, including an investigator from Rome, arriving to research claims of this “miracle” for the Catholic church.

Theories and suspicions grow in the community and online, as Cameron, himself struggles to understand what happened to him and why. To complicate matters, a reality TV show based on Cameron is being filmed, with the Biz-E-Bee becoming a pilgrimage spot for those seeking miracles. A circus ensues…

The underlying story of what happened in Afghanistan is slowly brought into focus, with the true miracle happening at the end of the book, one in which love heals and Cameron may at last find peace.

 

Read-alikes

Every Note Played by Lisa Genova

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

Review: The Great Alone

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The Great Alone
by Kristin Hannah
5 stars

“You stand by the people you love.” As crazy as it proves to be, this is the motto of Leni, a young teen trapped in a tortured family where love and pain are twisted together in a torturous knot. After her parents move to Alaska to escape the “craziness” of life in Seattle during the early 1970’s, they are met with the uncompromising realities of living off the grid in a tiny fishing community where darkness reigns 16 hours a day during the long winters.

However, Leni and her mother also find strength in true community: a fellowship of women who stand up and work together to protect each other and their way of life. Finding friendship and love in her tiny high school also brings to light possibilities of a future different than that of her parents.

This book opens a window into the lives of modern day “pioneers” living in the last true wilderness of the United States.  Kristin Hannah is a master of weaving together stories that resonate long after you put the book down.

Read-alikes

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Heroes of the Frontier by Dave Eggers

Educated by Tara Westover

Review: Blue Shoes and Happiness

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Blue Shoes and Happiness
by Alexander McCall Smith
5 stars

Alexander McCall Smith has created, in his No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, an intimate cast of delightful characters.  Mma Ramotswe, who loves to drink red bush tea, is the ‘traditionally built’ owner of the only ladies’ detective agency in Botswana.  She relies on Clovis Anderson’s The Principles of Private Detection, to guide her in her work. Her assistant and secretary is Mma Makutsi, an opinionated woman who scored a highly prized  97% from the Botswana Secretarial College.  She is partial to stylish shoes, which seem to have opinions of their own.  These two women work out of a back office at Tiokweng Road Speedy Motors, a garage owned by the kind and hardworking Mr J.L.B Matekoni.

Heartwarming stories unfold, introducing the reader to the culture of Mma Ramotswe’s beloved Botswana, as she works to resolve “everyday life” cases with great personal insight.  Her investigations lead her not only to resolve mysteries, but also to heal hurts and divisions by respecting the dignity of the brothers and sisters of her country.

In Blue Shoes and Happiness, the 7th book of this series, Mma Romatswe is faced with two cases: one of blackmail involving a cook who is feeding her husband stolen food, and another tracking a doctor who is profiting by selling generic drugs at high prices.

These stories are intertwined with Mma Ramotswe’s decision to go on a diet to reduce her “traditional build”, as well as Mma Makutsi’s dilemma of scaring off her fiancé with talk of being a feminist.

The deft touch of a master storyteller brings these plots and characters to life in a way that resonates long after you set down the book.  McCall Smith awakens the reader to consider the subject of our shared humanity, no matter where we live on this planet, or what circumstances arise.

Read-alikes

A Carrion Death by Michael Stanley

The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

Friday the Rabbi Slept Late by Harry Kemelman