Linda C. Wright's Blog, page 4
November 2, 2018
Should I Accept a FB Friend Request form a Long Lost High School Boyfriend?
I'm going to digress from my usual format of seeing my life through the books I read. Although I do have some interesting reviews to write, this topic takes precedence for me today. I've been out of the country for three weeks on a wonderful vacation to Japan and Southeast Asia. Email and Facebook have taken a backseat, as they should, to allow me to soak up the sights, sounds and people in these fascinating countries. I'm back home now trying to catch up on all the happenings of my Facebook friends.
Two hundred and fifty six notifications and one friend request. It's not often I get new friend requests so I opened that first. The name was a blast from the past to be sure. It's from my one and only and short lived high school boyfriend. Now I know I've recently connected with several old friends at my 45th high school reunion but he was a year behind me. I had to ask him to the junior prom and he was old news by the time the senior prom rolled around so I had no date to that. Plus I was the one with a driver's license and I had to pick him up at his house and drive us whenever we went out. His parents must have thought I was trustworthy at the time.
Curious, I clicked on his profile. There were pictures of his wife and children and a sixty something year old man. I studied it for awhile. I thought this guy was cuter than everything at sixteen. Now he looks more than just a little worn out. What was the attraction? Did he think the same thing about me when he sought me out on Facebook? Would he have sent the friend request if he did?
I'm not sure I want to read about his political views or see pictures of what he's having for dinner at this stage of my life. Should I accept his friend request? Or should I let the thrill of teenage love stay in the past where it belongs?
Two hundred and fifty six notifications and one friend request. It's not often I get new friend requests so I opened that first. The name was a blast from the past to be sure. It's from my one and only and short lived high school boyfriend. Now I know I've recently connected with several old friends at my 45th high school reunion but he was a year behind me. I had to ask him to the junior prom and he was old news by the time the senior prom rolled around so I had no date to that. Plus I was the one with a driver's license and I had to pick him up at his house and drive us whenever we went out. His parents must have thought I was trustworthy at the time.
Curious, I clicked on his profile. There were pictures of his wife and children and a sixty something year old man. I studied it for awhile. I thought this guy was cuter than everything at sixteen. Now he looks more than just a little worn out. What was the attraction? Did he think the same thing about me when he sought me out on Facebook? Would he have sent the friend request if he did?
I'm not sure I want to read about his political views or see pictures of what he's having for dinner at this stage of my life. Should I accept his friend request? Or should I let the thrill of teenage love stay in the past where it belongs?
October 3, 2018
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
Hal is a young woman who reads tarot cards for a living on the pier. She's barely scraping by since losing her mother, who was recently killed by a hit and run driver. The loan sharks are after her for money she borrowed but being winter on the pier, she's not generating enough business to even pay the rent.
And then the letter arrived, an official letter from a lawyer. It states her grandmother has died, listing the time and place of the funeral and the reading of the will. Hal has never known who her father is or about any other family. Her mother kept that hidden from her. But she goes to the funeral hoping that she can con this family out of enough money to solve her financial woes.
Even though I loved the character of Hal, the rest of the ensemble were irritating to say the least. The reader was inside Hal's head so much of the time, that her angst repeated over and over again also became annoying. I liked the explanation of the tarot cards which was peppered into the story, but they didn't really help her solve the mystery. The story left many unanswered questions.
I've read other Ruth Ware novels and found them all to be exciting, can't put down, page turners leaving me gasping until the end. The Death of Mrs. Westaway did not do any of these things. I figured out fairly early on who the culprit was and I had to keep reading just to confirm my assumption. I was right, which for me, detracts from the enjoyment of the book. The Woman in Cabin 10 and In A Dark, Dark Wood kept me on the edge of my seat, something Mrs. Westaway was unable to do.
Hal is a young woman who reads tarot cards for a living on the pier. She's barely scraping by since losing her mother, who was recently killed by a hit and run driver. The loan sharks are after her for money she borrowed but being winter on the pier, she's not generating enough business to even pay the rent.
And then the letter arrived, an official letter from a lawyer. It states her grandmother has died, listing the time and place of the funeral and the reading of the will. Hal has never known who her father is or about any other family. Her mother kept that hidden from her. But she goes to the funeral hoping that she can con this family out of enough money to solve her financial woes.
Even though I loved the character of Hal, the rest of the ensemble were irritating to say the least. The reader was inside Hal's head so much of the time, that her angst repeated over and over again also became annoying. I liked the explanation of the tarot cards which was peppered into the story, but they didn't really help her solve the mystery. The story left many unanswered questions.
I've read other Ruth Ware novels and found them all to be exciting, can't put down, page turners leaving me gasping until the end. The Death of Mrs. Westaway did not do any of these things. I figured out fairly early on who the culprit was and I had to keep reading just to confirm my assumption. I was right, which for me, detracts from the enjoyment of the book. The Woman in Cabin 10 and In A Dark, Dark Wood kept me on the edge of my seat, something Mrs. Westaway was unable to do.
September 28, 2018
Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris
Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris
Ellis Reed is a struggling reporter in Philadelphia in 1931. He makes his living covering the few society events in the area during the Great Depression. Anything to keep food in his own belly and a roof over his head. When he stumbles across the sign, "2 children for sale", at a run down farmhouse, he uses the company camera to snap a picture.
The Chief is anxious to print the gut wrenching story and accompanying photo. However, for some reason the photo was destroyed before it could go to print. Ellis goes back to the farmhouse only to find it empty. Desperate to make a name for himself, he convinces two neighbor children to recreate the picture.
Lily, who has a secret of her own, discovered Ellis' original photo in the dark room and set the wheels of the newspaper story in motion. When she realizes what Ellis has done in taking the second picture, she joins forces with him in an effort to make it right.
Sold on a Monday is a heartbreaking story of how children of the time were treated in desperate situations. They were sometimes sold by parents hoping to break out of poverty, not knowing they were sending their children into a life of abuse and neglect. But I thought this story dragged on through the middle. The author added many sub plots that maybe didn't all need to be there and didn't add any depth to the story. This book is an interesting slice of history but the writing itself is over done.
Ellis Reed is a struggling reporter in Philadelphia in 1931. He makes his living covering the few society events in the area during the Great Depression. Anything to keep food in his own belly and a roof over his head. When he stumbles across the sign, "2 children for sale", at a run down farmhouse, he uses the company camera to snap a picture.
The Chief is anxious to print the gut wrenching story and accompanying photo. However, for some reason the photo was destroyed before it could go to print. Ellis goes back to the farmhouse only to find it empty. Desperate to make a name for himself, he convinces two neighbor children to recreate the picture.
Lily, who has a secret of her own, discovered Ellis' original photo in the dark room and set the wheels of the newspaper story in motion. When she realizes what Ellis has done in taking the second picture, she joins forces with him in an effort to make it right.
Sold on a Monday is a heartbreaking story of how children of the time were treated in desperate situations. They were sometimes sold by parents hoping to break out of poverty, not knowing they were sending their children into a life of abuse and neglect. But I thought this story dragged on through the middle. The author added many sub plots that maybe didn't all need to be there and didn't add any depth to the story. This book is an interesting slice of history but the writing itself is over done.
September 22, 2018
The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict
The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict
Not much is known about Albert Einstein's first wife, Mitza Maric. I call her Mitza, her nickname, not her given name, Mileva, because I grew to know her quite well on the pages of this book. The Other Einstein is historical fiction but the author has done extensive research into Mitza and Albert's relationship in order to craft her story.
In the late 19th century the only career option for women was learning how to cook and clean in preparation for marriage and children. Mitzi, born with a deformity which caused her to limp, knew from a young age that marriage was not in the cards for her. A close relationship with her father set her on a path of education in math and science. She secured a position in the physics program at the University of Zurich which would make a teaching career a real possibility. It is there however, she met Albert Einstein.
The pair fell in love with each other but also with their ability to collaborate so well on their physics projects. Mitza got Albert out of many a jam in math calculations but being a woman meant her brain power was not respected. When Albert began leaving her name off of their published work, Mitza had to learn to stand up for herself.
Albert Einstein was just not a nice guy, smart but with a big ego. Mitza was equally as intelligent but pushed aside because she was a woman. There are a lot of lessons in The Other Einstein to be learned especially for young women, such as the power of an education, standing by other women instead of competing with them and standing up for our rights as a human being.
The Other Einstein is a brilliant glimpse into a part of history most of us know little about. And it also tells us about the power of women. The Other Einstein is definitely worth your time.
Not much is known about Albert Einstein's first wife, Mitza Maric. I call her Mitza, her nickname, not her given name, Mileva, because I grew to know her quite well on the pages of this book. The Other Einstein is historical fiction but the author has done extensive research into Mitza and Albert's relationship in order to craft her story.
In the late 19th century the only career option for women was learning how to cook and clean in preparation for marriage and children. Mitzi, born with a deformity which caused her to limp, knew from a young age that marriage was not in the cards for her. A close relationship with her father set her on a path of education in math and science. She secured a position in the physics program at the University of Zurich which would make a teaching career a real possibility. It is there however, she met Albert Einstein.
The pair fell in love with each other but also with their ability to collaborate so well on their physics projects. Mitza got Albert out of many a jam in math calculations but being a woman meant her brain power was not respected. When Albert began leaving her name off of their published work, Mitza had to learn to stand up for herself.
Albert Einstein was just not a nice guy, smart but with a big ego. Mitza was equally as intelligent but pushed aside because she was a woman. There are a lot of lessons in The Other Einstein to be learned especially for young women, such as the power of an education, standing by other women instead of competing with them and standing up for our rights as a human being.
The Other Einstein is a brilliant glimpse into a part of history most of us know little about. And it also tells us about the power of women. The Other Einstein is definitely worth your time.
September 15, 2018
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Lo Blacklock wakes up from an alcoholic binge to find her flat is being burgled. That's how they say it in Britain. He slams the bedroom door, cutting her cheek and locking her in before running off with her purse, phone and money. If all that wasn't traumatic enough, she's only a few days away from a journalistic assignment for a travel magazine aboard a luxury yacht. Her boss is ill and she's been asked to take her place, a real coup if Lo is ever going to make her way up the corporate ladder.
Once onboard, Lo's labeled as paranoid when she thinks she's seen a body being tossed overboard in the middle of the night. Thus unfolds the drama of wealth, risk, illicit affairs and murder, all the components of a good mystery.
Yes, I've read other reviews from readers who were turned off by the constant use of alcohol and drugs and feeling like crap all the time. I understand that, but if Lo was on top of her game at all times, what kind of page turning, tension filled novel would be left. I've read other books by Ruth Ware and she's a master at building stress and anxiety that leave the reader tense and wanting more.
I enjoyed The Woman in Cabin 10. I even stayed up reading past my usual bedtime to find out what happened. It's a high anxiety story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Lo Blacklock wakes up from an alcoholic binge to find her flat is being burgled. That's how they say it in Britain. He slams the bedroom door, cutting her cheek and locking her in before running off with her purse, phone and money. If all that wasn't traumatic enough, she's only a few days away from a journalistic assignment for a travel magazine aboard a luxury yacht. Her boss is ill and she's been asked to take her place, a real coup if Lo is ever going to make her way up the corporate ladder.
Once onboard, Lo's labeled as paranoid when she thinks she's seen a body being tossed overboard in the middle of the night. Thus unfolds the drama of wealth, risk, illicit affairs and murder, all the components of a good mystery.
Yes, I've read other reviews from readers who were turned off by the constant use of alcohol and drugs and feeling like crap all the time. I understand that, but if Lo was on top of her game at all times, what kind of page turning, tension filled novel would be left. I've read other books by Ruth Ware and she's a master at building stress and anxiety that leave the reader tense and wanting more.
I enjoyed The Woman in Cabin 10. I even stayed up reading past my usual bedtime to find out what happened. It's a high anxiety story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
September 12, 2018
Ohio by Stephen Markley
Ohio by Stephen Markley
I grew up in Ohio, you know, round on the ends, hi in the middle. Although I moved away a long time ago, lots of family and friends still live there. On a recent visit back for my high school reunion, I realized that Ohio will never leave me. It's who I am and where I will always be from. It is my heart.
When I heard about this novel, Ohio, I wasn't sure I wanted to read it. It's about the opiod crisis that is gripping our nation and especially small rural towns. I didn't want to believe that was true. I wanted my memories of a safe, serene place with fresh air and a Dairy Queen to remain intact. During my trip back I learned those precious things were no longer reality. Doors are locked now to keep out those looking for money to fuel a drug habit.
Ohio tells the story of several teenagers growing up in a small, rural Ohio town and the trajectories of their lives as they moved to adulthood. Some went off to college at Bowling Green, where I got my degree and Wittenberg, where my brother and sister both got degrees. The author also threw in Cedar Point amid some civil war Ohio history. Alcohol and drug use started early in this tiny enclave and impacted how each one of their story lines evolved.
This book is long and dark and highlights the Iraq war and diverse political views on top of the already heavy weight of alcohol and drug use. Often I thought the story dragged on but I was kept interested in how each of these kids turned out. For all of them their lives weren't pretty, loaded with past baggage they couldn't seem to shake. I connected with the characters maybe because they were Ohioans and I'd driven the same roads and been to a lot of the same places in my life. But they broke my heart because they are navigating a world I know nothing about.
If you have the time, Ohio is worth the investment.
I grew up in Ohio, you know, round on the ends, hi in the middle. Although I moved away a long time ago, lots of family and friends still live there. On a recent visit back for my high school reunion, I realized that Ohio will never leave me. It's who I am and where I will always be from. It is my heart.
When I heard about this novel, Ohio, I wasn't sure I wanted to read it. It's about the opiod crisis that is gripping our nation and especially small rural towns. I didn't want to believe that was true. I wanted my memories of a safe, serene place with fresh air and a Dairy Queen to remain intact. During my trip back I learned those precious things were no longer reality. Doors are locked now to keep out those looking for money to fuel a drug habit.
Ohio tells the story of several teenagers growing up in a small, rural Ohio town and the trajectories of their lives as they moved to adulthood. Some went off to college at Bowling Green, where I got my degree and Wittenberg, where my brother and sister both got degrees. The author also threw in Cedar Point amid some civil war Ohio history. Alcohol and drug use started early in this tiny enclave and impacted how each one of their story lines evolved.
This book is long and dark and highlights the Iraq war and diverse political views on top of the already heavy weight of alcohol and drug use. Often I thought the story dragged on but I was kept interested in how each of these kids turned out. For all of them their lives weren't pretty, loaded with past baggage they couldn't seem to shake. I connected with the characters maybe because they were Ohioans and I'd driven the same roads and been to a lot of the same places in my life. But they broke my heart because they are navigating a world I know nothing about.
If you have the time, Ohio is worth the investment.
September 1, 2018
Laugh Out Loud: 40 Women Humorists Celebrate Then and Now
Laugh Out Loud: 40 Women Humorists Celebrate Then and Now Before We Forget
I regularly enter the Erma Bombeck writing contest put on by the University of Dayton. I have yet to win or even place but still hold out hope that one year I'll create the perfect funny essay that will wow the judges.
When I received an email asking me to read this book, I jumped at it. Why wouldn't I? I'm well over 40 and I still remember rotary phones, rolling my hair on orange juice cans and wearing garter belts to hold up my nylon hosiery. Throw in night sweats and hot flashes and I was all in. None of these things were especially funny when they were happening but time between then and now has turned them into fair game.
The first few stories reminded me of some things from my youth that I had forgotten like Jean Nate and having my ears pierced. I got a chuckled out of that. But the longer I read, even though they were written by different authors, the stories repeated themselves. I was no longer laughing by the fifth story about that lemon perfume.
I blame the editor for my disappointment not the individual writers. There is some funny stuff in here that any woman can relate to. Maybe don't try to read the whole book at once. Reading one or two stories at a time might keep it fresh and funny.
I regularly enter the Erma Bombeck writing contest put on by the University of Dayton. I have yet to win or even place but still hold out hope that one year I'll create the perfect funny essay that will wow the judges.
When I received an email asking me to read this book, I jumped at it. Why wouldn't I? I'm well over 40 and I still remember rotary phones, rolling my hair on orange juice cans and wearing garter belts to hold up my nylon hosiery. Throw in night sweats and hot flashes and I was all in. None of these things were especially funny when they were happening but time between then and now has turned them into fair game.
The first few stories reminded me of some things from my youth that I had forgotten like Jean Nate and having my ears pierced. I got a chuckled out of that. But the longer I read, even though they were written by different authors, the stories repeated themselves. I was no longer laughing by the fifth story about that lemon perfume.
I blame the editor for my disappointment not the individual writers. There is some funny stuff in here that any woman can relate to. Maybe don't try to read the whole book at once. Reading one or two stories at a time might keep it fresh and funny.
August 27, 2018
State of Wonder by Anne Patchett
State of Wonder by Anne Patchett
Dr. Marina Singh is a pharmaceutical scientist for a large company in Minnesota. Marina's boss, Mr. Fox, who is also her much older lover, receives a letter from Dr. Swenson who is working in the Amazon, stating that a colleague the company sent to check on Dr. Swenson is dead. Marina is tasked with breaking the news to the man's family before getting on a plane to Brazil.
Marina dreads being the one to finish the job that Anders, the dead man, was unable to. What she hates even more is taking the pills necessary to ward off malaria in the insect rich jungle. Once in Manaus, Dr. Swenson proves to be an elusive character guarded by a unique mix of paid protectors. Marina is ready to go home but when her ride into the Amazon finally arrives, she can't resist the challenge.
As you would expect, things in the jungle are not what they should be. And because of those developments, I'm not sure what I should feel about this book. Anne Patchett is a fabulous writer, her description of the thin, blue airmail letter that folds itself into its own envelope on which the news of Andres death was reported, is amazing. But the only characters who are likeable are Anders and sometimes Marina. The rest of the cast have big flaws that even in the depths of despair are never resolved.
State of Wonder drops the reader straight into the jungle of the Amazon without any protection from the snakes, mosquitoes and rare creatures living there. The setting alone is a science lesson in itself. Ms. Patchett takes us on a journey that is sometimes believable and sometimes not but at the end your heart will be both happy and sad all at the same time. The level of emotion felt is what makes State of Wonder a good book.
Dr. Marina Singh is a pharmaceutical scientist for a large company in Minnesota. Marina's boss, Mr. Fox, who is also her much older lover, receives a letter from Dr. Swenson who is working in the Amazon, stating that a colleague the company sent to check on Dr. Swenson is dead. Marina is tasked with breaking the news to the man's family before getting on a plane to Brazil.
Marina dreads being the one to finish the job that Anders, the dead man, was unable to. What she hates even more is taking the pills necessary to ward off malaria in the insect rich jungle. Once in Manaus, Dr. Swenson proves to be an elusive character guarded by a unique mix of paid protectors. Marina is ready to go home but when her ride into the Amazon finally arrives, she can't resist the challenge.
As you would expect, things in the jungle are not what they should be. And because of those developments, I'm not sure what I should feel about this book. Anne Patchett is a fabulous writer, her description of the thin, blue airmail letter that folds itself into its own envelope on which the news of Andres death was reported, is amazing. But the only characters who are likeable are Anders and sometimes Marina. The rest of the cast have big flaws that even in the depths of despair are never resolved.
State of Wonder drops the reader straight into the jungle of the Amazon without any protection from the snakes, mosquitoes and rare creatures living there. The setting alone is a science lesson in itself. Ms. Patchett takes us on a journey that is sometimes believable and sometimes not but at the end your heart will be both happy and sad all at the same time. The level of emotion felt is what makes State of Wonder a good book.
July 31, 2018
The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve
The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve
During a recent family vacation in Maine, the women decided to read The Weight of Water and take an excursion to the Isles of Shoals in kind of a combination summer book club and field trip. It's always fun to add to our reading enjoyment with a visit to the setting even if the topic is murder.
In March of 1873, the gruesome murder of two women took place on the island of Smuttynose, one of the 9 islands or sometimes 8 depending on the tide, of the Isles of Shoals. The islands are an archipelago off the coast of Maine and New Hampshire. In fact some of the islands are in the State of Maine and the rest in New Hampshire. The landscape is desolate, rough and rocky 7 miles offshore of the mainland.
Jean is a photographer researching the murders for a professional assignment. She, her husband, Thomas, and her daughter, Billie join her brother-in-law, Rich and his girlfriend on a sailing trip to the islands for some fun in the sun while she's working. This family's present day problems are woven with the lives of Maren, her fisherman husband, John and her sister Karen in 1873.
My understanding is that the author's historical account of the actual murders is far from factual, but still made for a good story. The way the book is written and formatted however, is often distracting and gives a jolt to the reader every time the story switches centuries. In any event our vacation book club had plenty to talk about as we sailed from New Hampshire to the Isles. Could Louis Wagner, the man hanged for the crime, have rowed in a small boat to Smuttynose that night? Was his motive that his advances to the women were rebuffed? Or did Karen push her sister to the edge with her constant complaining?
We may never know the truth but the story was intriguing and the discussion, lively. More importantly we had a wonderful day discussing a good book and exploring a new place. See if you can find a book that relates to your next vacation destination and add a book discussion. You'll see how fun it can be.
During a recent family vacation in Maine, the women decided to read The Weight of Water and take an excursion to the Isles of Shoals in kind of a combination summer book club and field trip. It's always fun to add to our reading enjoyment with a visit to the setting even if the topic is murder.
In March of 1873, the gruesome murder of two women took place on the island of Smuttynose, one of the 9 islands or sometimes 8 depending on the tide, of the Isles of Shoals. The islands are an archipelago off the coast of Maine and New Hampshire. In fact some of the islands are in the State of Maine and the rest in New Hampshire. The landscape is desolate, rough and rocky 7 miles offshore of the mainland.
Jean is a photographer researching the murders for a professional assignment. She, her husband, Thomas, and her daughter, Billie join her brother-in-law, Rich and his girlfriend on a sailing trip to the islands for some fun in the sun while she's working. This family's present day problems are woven with the lives of Maren, her fisherman husband, John and her sister Karen in 1873.
My understanding is that the author's historical account of the actual murders is far from factual, but still made for a good story. The way the book is written and formatted however, is often distracting and gives a jolt to the reader every time the story switches centuries. In any event our vacation book club had plenty to talk about as we sailed from New Hampshire to the Isles. Could Louis Wagner, the man hanged for the crime, have rowed in a small boat to Smuttynose that night? Was his motive that his advances to the women were rebuffed? Or did Karen push her sister to the edge with her constant complaining?
We may never know the truth but the story was intriguing and the discussion, lively. More importantly we had a wonderful day discussing a good book and exploring a new place. See if you can find a book that relates to your next vacation destination and add a book discussion. You'll see how fun it can be.
July 6, 2018
City of Thieves by David Benioff
City of Thieves by David Benioff
It's World War II in Leningrad, Russia. 17 year old Lev elected to stay behind in the city when his mother and sister flee to the country. When an already dead German paratrooper lands in the street after curfew, Lev and his friends rush out to see what can be looted from the body. This is a crime punishable by execution and Lev is caught while helping the others escape.
His prison cell is a dark and lonely until the arrival of his cell mate, a soldier accused of desertion. Kolya vehemently denies any such thing. He's a man capable of talking himself out of a paper bag. So when the Colonel says he will spare them both in return for 10 eggs by Thursday to bake his daughter a wedding cake, Koyla agrees to the challenge.
The unlikely pair end up on a grueling journey through the countryside in search of the rare and elusive eggs. Koyla says what he thinks at all times in all situations. The naive and shy Lev learns many life lessons from him while trekking through the snow. Their banter is often funny and quite entertaining. There are many laugh out loud moments even though the backdrop is the death and destruction of war.
I liked this story alot. The writing is wonderful, characters engaging and lovable, the scenes authentic. City of Thieves will hold your interest whether you're laughing, crying or feel like throwing up while you're immersed in a very real tale of war and despair.
It's World War II in Leningrad, Russia. 17 year old Lev elected to stay behind in the city when his mother and sister flee to the country. When an already dead German paratrooper lands in the street after curfew, Lev and his friends rush out to see what can be looted from the body. This is a crime punishable by execution and Lev is caught while helping the others escape.
His prison cell is a dark and lonely until the arrival of his cell mate, a soldier accused of desertion. Kolya vehemently denies any such thing. He's a man capable of talking himself out of a paper bag. So when the Colonel says he will spare them both in return for 10 eggs by Thursday to bake his daughter a wedding cake, Koyla agrees to the challenge.
The unlikely pair end up on a grueling journey through the countryside in search of the rare and elusive eggs. Koyla says what he thinks at all times in all situations. The naive and shy Lev learns many life lessons from him while trekking through the snow. Their banter is often funny and quite entertaining. There are many laugh out loud moments even though the backdrop is the death and destruction of war.
I liked this story alot. The writing is wonderful, characters engaging and lovable, the scenes authentic. City of Thieves will hold your interest whether you're laughing, crying or feel like throwing up while you're immersed in a very real tale of war and despair.
