My Reviews of Mainstream Authors' Works
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This memoir of life as an ambulance EMT in the late 1960s New York City is a riveting series of stories that clings to the reader’s memory like blood in a carpet. Oh… did I mention blood? Uh… yeah. There’s plenty of blood—and gore, too. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
However, BAD CALL is not a gore fest, but a chronicle of a city and its people, a time and a society with all its warts and underlying beauty. There is the artist whose arms will have to be amputated and his devoted woman who sees him as “a beautiful man,” the teenage boy who O.D.s on his own product, the suicides, the reclusive elderly and the eccentric ones who have died alone, and the mentally ill who see everyone as a potential enemy. Among the dark stories are the bright stories: the babies born, the sailor with an excruciating back injury who only wants a cigarette on the way to the hospital, a counselor looking after his charge no matter how many hours it takes.
Author Mike Scardino’s narrative reads as if he is sitting down telling you, and only you, his experiences as a frontline responder to the people in peril—some of whom have transcended beyond the point of peril. This author’s insightful, and often humorous, description of his coworkers and his patients brings the reader to the same level of intimacy with them as his own. Ditto his word paintings of the city itself and its numerous boroughs. I could feel the rough pavement under my feet, roast in the sultry sweltering heat, shiver in the biting cold, and smell the very breath of the City That Never Sleeps.
But Scardino doesn’t stop there. He tells us what the long hours and constantly interrupted sleep does to his body. He shares with us the ugly side of what such a job dealing with people (and bureaucracy) at their worst does to his psyche and how it influences his decision to deny his parents’ hope he would become a doctor.
Really, I cannot say enough in praise of this unusual memoir. Yes, it is graphic and sometimes disturbing. But Scardino’s insight into the hearts of people from all walks of life emits a brilliant light out of the sordidness.
BAD CALL is truly unforgettable. I love this book so much, I will never, ever, lend out my copy. It has a permanent place on my KEEPER SHELF, and it is bound to become a classic. Get this book!!!
OLDER BOOKS
IN COLD BLOOD
BY
TRUMAN CAPOTE
This is the book that made Truman Capote a household name. His diligent research on-site with the detectives in Holcomb, Kansas that broke the case, and the two heartless murderers who slaughtered a family of four there led to Capote's intimate true crime novel. Masterfully written, descriptive and insightful, this book may keep you up at night (not just by reading, but by realizing how easily this could happen to YOU). No other account of this crime comes close to Capote's. If you are interested in this case, get this book!
Haunting account of life as a Jew in early 20th Century Russia. Long after I finished the book I found myself thinking about what they suffered and survived.
I was blown away with the both the story and the historical detail in author Sherry V. Ostroff's saga, "Caledonia." Not only is the story compelling, the details of what life was like for the characters, how the social norms dictated a man and woman's place in society, how life on a ship was like for the travelers and crew (scary and heartbreaking), and how the Scottish people were viewed by the new cultures they discovered all makes for an amazing journey back in time.
"Caldonia" straddles two eras in world history, the distant past and our contemporary times. Ms. Ostroff handles both with grace and connects the people of the past with the people of the present beautifully and seamlessly.
Her writing is beautiful and descriptive. Her presentation of dialogue (both the old archaic language and our contemporary terms) is spot-on. The reader can almost hear the voices, especially in the fascinating tongues of the distant past. Just beautifully done!
Now, I bet you're asking, "What about romance?" Well... thar's aplenty, Lassies and Lords! You'll love this! And... oh, yes - plenty of intrigue, and lots of sass.
Do I recommend, "CALEDONIA?" You bet'cha! Get this novel. You can thank me later! FIVE STARS!
The Caves of San Pietro by Susan Gayle is a winner that I highly recommend. This story kept my interest, the multifaceted character development kept me caring about what happened to them, and I was absolutely knocked out by Ms. Gayle's intimate knowledge of WWII Military terminology and her grasp of the experiences of those in the heart of the war in Italy. She took me into the center of the action and into the hearts of her characters.
The underlying love story is tender and believable, and goes where you do not expect it to go. Her descriptions of place give the reader the experience of being in the center of it all, so much so that one can smell the aromas of the countryside, the bombings, the dead, and the fear.
If you as a reader of this review are searching for just one Historical Fiction novel to read this year, make The Caves of San Pietro the one.
Author Lee Goldberg takes us on an odyssey with Martin Slade, a television executive and frustrated writer, through earthquake-ravaged Los Angeles and vicinity. This is one of the few times I have finished reading a novel in one day; it’s that good. Martin, also called, “Marty,” has no choice but to walk from Los Angeles to his home and wife in the distant hillsides of Calabassa. Injured during the main shock, the walk is no easy task, but he is determined to make it. Along the way, he encounters some people that he ordinarily wouldn’t meet or associate with under normal circumstances, and they force him to endure challenges that he once believed was beyond his limitations. In the meantime, the aftershocks keep coming, creating more damage and hazards, and each occurrence drums up flashbacks of disaster movies he’d seen, which brings a lot of humor to the story. At one point, Martin even begins to sing every television show theme song he can remember as he hikes through an area caught in the midst of a raging fire.
The writing is very good, and the story moves along at a quick pace with no dull moments. Goldberg’s description of the damage and aftermath is spot-on to what it would be like in an actual major earthquake over a wide area. It makes the readers ponder what they would do in a similar situation, how well prepared they are, and if they could endure the hardship, physically and mentally, during a disaster of such immensity.
The only criticism I have is that the narrative needed more diligent proofreading, but that does not take away from the overall quality of the writing or the story.
So, THE WALK has joined my Recommendation List. You will enjoy it, and maybe even learn something from it.
5 STARS ALL THE WAY!
The love between a father and son as they travel south in an harrowing apocalyptic wasteland. Unforgettable!
I have read a few of Stephen King's novels and was always impressed, even inspired, by his talent. However, GERALD'S GAME was a disappointment for me. I hated the characters, hated the sordid backstory, and wished it was shorter. I only hung in there through the end because I was rooting for the abandoned dog.
ON THE BEACH
BY
NEVIL SHUTE
Realistic and uncompromising novel about the effects of atomic war as the radiation slowly spreads south to Australia after decimating the rest of the planet. How would you react and what would you do when faced with the inevitable? Author Nevil Shute holds nothing back, and his portrayal of his characters and Australian society in general is spot on.
I highly recommend this book even if you have seen the movie. There is so much more in Shute's narrative that lends a tragic intimacy to the courageous characters, so much that you will find yourself rooting for them although you know they are doomed.
Many reviewers expressed disbelief and/or frustration with Shute's portrayal of the characters as accepting of their looming fate as the radiation rolls their way. I found his characters' acceptance of their tragic situation and their fate as realistic. They knew there was nothing they could do to change what was happening, so they aimed to make their final days their best days. Also note Shute included some brief scenes that indicated there had been some public misbehavior (rioting, vandalism, theft, etc.) in the city, that is almost expected when human beings are forced into a situation in which they feel helpless and trapped.
He portrayed all of the main characters realistically as to their personalities and their concerns (the couple with the child, for example). I completely understood it when they planted new flowers in their garden; it represented their hope for the future, that someone from somewhere might survive and find their garden, that even the flowers might survive, although mutated by radiation into something that may be even more beautiful.
ON THE BEACH will always be a relevant novel. It's message about the futility of nuclear war is timeless. I first read this book thirty-five years ago, and then bought my own copy in 2020. It haunted me thirty-five years ago, and now with so much of life experienced and behind me, it left me in tears. It is true that human beings are the most dangerous creature on this planet. Let it never be true that we are the ones who destroyed it. Let it never, ever, happen!
"On the Beach" is writing at its finest and is a novel that will haunt you long after you have finished reading the final poignant page.
5 Stars for this novel!
DECLINE
BY
JARED KANE
Jared Kane's debut novel, DECLINE is an unforgettable, beautiful, poignant, engrossing and disturbing story about the final years of the human race. I love books that make me pause and ponder, and this haunting novel delivers. DECLINE is a hidden gem in the Apocalyptic genre. Exceptional in every way! Five stars!
https://www.amazon.com/Decline-Jared-Kane-ebook/dp/B01KYNB3SK
NATURAL AND MAN-MADE DISASTERS
Isaac is a meteorologist in the early 20th Century who realizes the coming hurricane to Galveston, Texas will be a monster of epic proportions. This true and heavily researched account brings us into the heart of the storm, the lives of the people affected by it, and the burgeoning precision of hurricane forecasting. The hard cover and paperback versions include maps. I am not certain about the e-book version, as my only copy is paperback. If you are a student of history and - especially - historic disasters, this one will earn a permanent spot on your Keeper Shelf.
Excellent, EXCELLENT, account of the deadly wildfire that became a firestorm that hit Wisconsin in 1871. Very detailed (includes maps), and in-depth portrayal of the people affected by this horror. Drawn from numerous historical archives, newspaper accounts, eye-witness accounts and scientific findings, FIRESTORM AT PESHTIGO is riveting and almost impossible to put down once you begin reading. This book has my highest recommendation, not only to readers of history, but to readers who love a page-turning drama (only this one is non-fiction, which makes it more compelling).
On October 8, 1871, a massive fire and fire tornado swept through Peshtigo, Wisconsin and other towns in the vicinity. The death toll was great, and was probably greater than that recorded because so many of the victims were reduced to literal ashes by the conflagration. Yet, it took 100 years for this disaster to become more than a footnote in American history; this is due to the fact the Great Chicago Fire occurred the same night and received widespread news coverage that relegated the Peshtigo and environs cataclysm to secondary, very light, coverage.
Reverend Peter Pernin, who served in two churches in the area, including Peshtigo, recorded his personal experience in his account of the harrowing events. Pernin originally wrote his account (published in Canada in 1874) as a means to generate funds to rebuild his cremated Marinette church. The Wisconsin Magazine of History (vol. 2) later published it in serial form in 1918-1919. In 1971, the Wisconsin Historical Society Press published Pernin’s account in its entirety in book form for the Centennial Anniversary of the Peshtigo firestorm.
I am a history junkie and, having family roots in Wisconsin, the Peshtigo area fire intrigued me. Having already read the excellent "Firestorm at Peshtigo" by Denise Gess and William Lutz, I was curious to read Reverend Pernin's eyewitness account that he originally recorded while the memory and details were fresh in his mind.
Pernin's detailed writing of his ordeal and that of his neighbors is not for the squeamish. In addition to his account of grisly discoveries in the days following the disaster, he heartbreakingly describes the last panicked moments he witnessed of people and animals that died trapped in the midst of hell on earth. In addition, he shares with the reader his curious precognition of something terrible on the horizon as early signs of the fire's build and spread goes largely ignored by most of the populace. Just the buildup of his gut feelings based on the strange stillness in the hours before all hell broke loose is enough to keep the reader turning the pages while wondering if they would follow those gut feelings the same as Reverend Pernin had.
What makes this book even more intriguing is the fact that Pernin was among the first to describe in detail what we now call a "Fire Tornado." The idea of such a thing was non-existent in the 1800s, although the occurrence of these events were described in other accounts by survivors in other countries and even in ancient times; there simply was not the scientific understanding or name for the phenomena back then.
Even if you are not a fan of history or the subject of wildfires, "The Great Peshtigo Fire: An Eyewitness Account" is riveting reading as we travel in Pernin's shoes while hurricane-force winds send embers and fireballs combusting in every corner, building, forest and field; while choosing to freeze in the Peshtigo River is worth the gamble to avoid burning to death; while watching fellow human beings become instant torches.
Five Stars. I highly recommend this book!
This is an excellent (and probably the definitive) account of one of the worst man-made disasters in American history.
Told by those who experienced it first-hand, "The Worst Hard Time..." is both disturbing and inspiring. If you are unfamiliar with this dark time in our country, you must read this to fully
understand how it happened, why it happened, and how those who rode it out survived it.
There is really nothing I can add here that hasn't already been written in the many reviews on Amazon. Check it out for
yourself. This book should be required reading in schools.
This is another can't-stop-reading page-turner that has my highest recommendation. Just as in "Firestorm at Peshtigo" and "The Worst Hard Time," the catastrophic flood that wiped out Johnstown near the turn of the 20th century was another man-made disaster. This time, it was a poorly engineered and constructed dam that gave way and swept people to their doom.
Author David McCullough writes about the people involved with such descriptiveness that we come to know them and share their horror as the devastation sweeps through their homes and businesses, and we share their misery and grief with the outcome.
Everything you need to know about how and why this Flu epidemic became such a killer, and the many scientists enlisted to find the cure. Also covers the effect this epidemic had on daily life for the average citizen and medical personnel struggling to avoid infection while trying to save others. If I had ten thumbs, I would give this book 10 Thumbs-Up!
Excellent, definitive account! Brinkley
overlooks nothing in his research and narrative. I bought the hardcover when it first came out and have since read it three times.
This is the GO-TO book for readers interested in the full story. HIGHLY HIGHLY
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. TRUST ME!
EXCELLENT!
Intimate account of this tragedy through the author's first-hand account and those of the survivors. Focus includes the investigation into the deaths of so many children and teachers lost at an elementary school to the tsunami.
Heartbreaking, honest, and informative.
Must reading!
HISTORY
"DEAD WAKE" is the book that drew me to the rest of Erik Larson's works. This is the suspenseful and heartbreaking historical account of the sinking of the Lusitania. Larson's narrative style easily propels the reader into the lives of the passengers (all factual, by the way); his talent for describing the on board atmosphere and the nuances of the time period are so lucid, one can actually smell the varnished wood walls, the pipe tobacco, and expensive perfume.
Yet, the Lusitania and its crew and passengers are not the only focus of this intimately-researched account. Larson takes us into the German submarine (u-boat) - the stifling heat, the cramped, claustrophobic quarters, and the minds of the dedicated crew and officers. Strange how the same men who risked their lives to save drowning puppies from the brine have no such compassion for fellow human beings on the ships they are ordered to torpedo and sink!
This is a long read, but a page-turner that dissolves all realization of time passing. DEAD WAKE is an incredibly detailed true account of one of the greatest criminal acts of the Twentieth Century. Although the memory of it will stay with you forever, you will want to read this book more than once, and you will undoubtedly recommend it to your friends and family.
ORDEAL BY HUNGER: THE STORY OF THE DONNER PARTY
BY GEORGE R. STEWART
Definitive account of this historic tragedy. Not for the squeamish.
Some reviewers on other sites have complained about typographic errors and mis-spellings in their editions of this book. Please know that the e-book was digitized from print, and a FEW letters copied wrong at the beginning or middle of some words during that process. Not a big deal. The other "mis-spellings" mentioned by some readers are in verbatim copies of letters and diary entries written by Donner Party survivors; most people were not highly educated in those days and tended to write words as they heard or spoke them. So... please ignore the nitpickers, and give this worthy book a read.
True story of an American Diplomat and his family sent to Germany during the rise of Hitler and his Final Solution. Initially charmed by the people they meet and develop relationships with, they learn almost too late they are in the "Garden of Beasts."
Holy Toledo! This is a fantastic book! Intimately researched, and the results show. Author Martin Dugard brings Stanley and Livingstone to life, so to life, that I now feel as if I had known them myself.
He also brings the incredible and diverse continent of Africa to life, a strange, beautiful and often times foreboding land that dares to be conquered. It takes a brave and determined soul to attempt to challenge it, and Dr. Livingstone, following in the footsteps of previous explorers, does just that and more in his quest to find the source of the Nile River. When Dr. Livingstone is eventually regarded as missing and presumed dead, the fiery and passionate newspaper reporter Stanley is assigned the task of finding the truth. Once in Africa, Stanley soon wonders if he is in over his head, yet his determination to find Dr. Livingstone - dead or alive - spurs him on to the point of obsession.
This is a tale of two extraordinary men, two world powers, and one mysterious land on the verge of exploitation. Descriptive, gritty, heartbreaking and beautiful all at once, "INTO AFRICA: THE EPIC ADVENTURES OF STANLEY AND LIVINGSTONE" will keep you reading until your eyes cross, at which point you'll want to still keep reading. I highly, HIGHLY, recommend it!
Advice
MEDICAL CARE OF THE SOUL
by Bruce Bartlow, M.D.
Dr. Bruce Bartlow, M.D., mining his vast experience as a critical care physician and nephrologist, has written an excellent guide for those facing end-of-life issues and for those who are caring for them. It is also a book for all who are presently healthy, for there is not a one of us who can escape the inevitable. Yeah... we don't like to THINK about it, much less talk or read about it. But, whether we like it or not, we have to be prepared for it.
Don't let the subject matter steer you away from this book; it is a sensitive and even joyful guide to how to live while dying, and - for caregivers - how to make the most of caring for that person who is approaching their final days. At once compassionate, insightful, and practical, Dr. Bartlow shares his experience and knowledge to help us make the most of our precious time. This main focus of this book is on the "soul issues" - our emotional and psychological reaction to the Reaper waiting in the wings. He shows the reader how to explore the soul and how to discern the needs of the soul as "the time" draws nigh. In his beautiful chapter called, "The Soul As Legacy: Beneath the Stones, These Words," Dr. Bartlow shows us how our life and death - how we lived our life and how we prepared for our death - is a balm of healing for those we leave behind.
As to the tedious "practical matters," he guides the reader through the process of including spiritual beliefs and life outlook into the preparations for our Grand Exit. What do we want if we are at the point of whether or not to pull the plug? How do we plan and what do we want for our final arrangement? What is a Living Will? What is a Power of Attorney? What is a Physicians' Directive? What is a DNR?
But, all that practical stuff aside, the crux of his message is that we must dig down into the core of our total being to live gracefully and die gracefully, and he shows us how.
Beautifully written, sensitive, insightful, and thought-provoking, I give this book my highest recommendation.