An Attorney Who Writes

Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman My rating: 4 of 5 stars “Paris Never Leaves You,” is Ellen Feldman’s latest novel, and I came to it with high expectations. A World War II novel is a bookshop in Paris? What is not to love? Unfortunately, while there was a lot in this novel to like, I walked away from it less then satisfied. Alternating between New York in the 1950's and Paris in the 1940's, Paris Never Leaves You is about a bookseller, Charlotte and her baby daughter, Vivienne, who survive occupation during the war and are sponsored by acquaintances to find a new life in the United States. But as Vivienne grows older, she begins to ask for information about her family history. Charlotte wrestles with what to tell her daughter regarding some of the choices that she had to made during the war. The novel presents some good moral issues, such as what a mother would be willing to do, including befriend Nazis, to keep her daughter safe. I did not mind the parallel narrative...

A Happy Catastrophe by Maddie Dawson My rating: 4 of 5 stars I am one of the unfortunate few who did not get to meet Marnie and Patrick in “Matchmaking for Beginners.” When I was asked to review a copy of “Happy Catastrophe,” I was not aware the novel was actually a sequel until I was halfway through the book. The good news is “Happy Catastrophe” works well as a stand-alone novel, and the better news is I now get to spend more time with these characters in “Matchmaking for Beginners.” Marnie owns a florist shop but also has the ability to match people with their true loves. Taking a chance on love is what led her to Patrick who lived in the basement of a house she had inherited from matchmaker, Blix. Now living with Patrick, she is ready to get married and have babies, but Patrick, an artist, is still struggling with the ghosts of his past. Patrick, who suffers scars both physically and mentally from a tragic fire, tells Marnie he does not want children, but a woman approaches Patri...

Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland My rating: 5 of 5 stars “Florence Alder Swims Forever” is a wonderfully poignant story written by first-time novelist Rachel Beanland. Set in Atlantic City in 1934 over the span of three months, the novel focuses on the Alder family. Daughter Florence Adler, an accomplished swimmer, is training to swim the English Channel. Her parents, Esther and Joseph, who have successfully turned a small bakery into a thriving success, watch Florence’s niece, the precocious Gussie, while her mom, Fannie, is hospitalized due to a difficult pregnancy. Because of tragedy, Esther chooses to hide this information from Fannie with assistance from Isaac, Fannie’s husband. Also involved in the conspiracy are German refugee, Anna, who has unclear ties to Joseph, and Florence’s coach, Stuart, who does the best to distance himself from his racist family. This novel is told in the differing points of views of the above characters as we experience the impact of ...

What You Wish For by Katherine Center My rating: 4 of 5 stars Fans of Katherine Center are in for a treat with her latest novel, “What You Wish For.” Samantha doesn’t have much of her own family to speak of, but her landlords/employers, Max and Babette, have become the perfect replacements. By day, Samantha works as a librarian at the school Max and Babette founded, and by evening, she is either spending time with her surrogate parents or friend, math-whiz, Alice. For Max’s sixtieth birthday, Samantha conspires with Alice and other faculty (and many former students) to plan a party to remember; unfortunately, Max’s birthday is remembered for other reasons—it is the night he collapses and dies right on the dance floor. Max’s position as principal needs to be filled and in comes, Duncan. Samantha, missing Max, is not happy to see Duncan whom she knew from the past (which she is trying to run away from). But Duncan is clearly not the man she had a big crush on—instead of the happy, go-...

With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt My rating: 4 of 5 stars “With or Without You” is the latest by Caroline Leavitt and a welcome treat. Stella, a nurse, and Simon, an aging musician, have remained a couple for two decades. As a result, their relationship has become stale and a bit predictable. Simon gets an opportunity to open for a younger musician in Los Angeles, which could lead to more shows and a “second coming” for his band. He asks Stella to accompany him on the gig, but Stella is not so sure it’s such a great idea. She’s thinking mortgages and babies while Simon is still thinking fame and stardom. She believes the days of dropping everything to chase a pipe dream are long past them. A storm delays their flight as they continue to debate whether Stella should accompany Simon, their conversation fueled by alcohol. Stella is also nursing a cold, but trying to be agreeable, accepts a pill when Simon offers it because it was something they used to do in the past. The next mo...

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin My rating: 4 of 5 stars Be prepared to lose sleep when reading “The Night Swim,” the latest thriller by Megan Goldin Hannah’s sister, Jenny, died twenty-five years ago. While officials determined that Jenny had drowned, Hannah is convinced she was murdered and desires to seek justice for her sister. Real Crime podcast host, Rachel, discovers a note from Hannah on her dashboard: Hannah wants Rachel’s help. While hesitant to help Hannah, Rachel attends the trial of a famous swimmer who is accused of raping a teenage girl. Yet, at the same time, Rachel continues to receive notes from Hannah and becomes involved in both investigations, which intersect. I had not read any of Megan Goldin’s’s earlier work so was not sure what to expect when asked to review “Night Swim.” The author did a masterful job blending the two plotlines together as well as keeping the voices of Rachel and Hannah distinct. Transcripts of Rachel’s podcasts and Hannah’s letters are inte...