"Drawing on letters and newspaper articles, former writing instructor and political advocate Moran re-creates her personal history and the events leading up to Sept. 11, 1976, when Croatian freedom fighters launched a terrorist attack in New York City that killed her husband.
"In this moving memoir, the author recalls the panic gripping her as Walter Cronkite delivered the report of a Chicago-bound flight that had been hijacked by Zvonko and Julie Busic, a Croatian man and his American wife. The lockers at Grand Central subway station had also been bombed, and Moran's husband, Brian, a member of the NYPD bomb squad, perished when the explosive suddenly detonated. The author provides details of life growing up in the late-1960s South Bronx with seven brothers and sisters, several of whom were physically abusive or drug-addled, an abusive father, and an elusive mother who raised her children with resentment. The evolution of her seven-year romance with Brian also resonates throughout. Moran recalls meeting the recently discharged Air Force serviceman when she was 21, and she was instantly intrigued and attracted after his bold declaration that they would be married someday. The author delicately yet unreservedly explores a widow's experience: the necessary yet near-impossible task of reconciling a senseless death to a terrorist organization, the unanswered questions and insecurity, and the crushing reality of suddenly becoming a single parent to small children. The estrangement between Moran and her drug-addicted sister Gracie added further sorrow to her life, though she achieved a measure of closure from discovering exactly how her husband died and meticulously researching the hijackers, who were members of the Fighters for Free Croatia terrorist movement. In the closing chapters, the author delivers some engaging revelations. She remarried and, unable to reconcile the details of Brian's death, filed a lawsuit against New York for gross negligence, which was eventually dismissed. She also began correspondence with one of the hijackers, who sought atonement and a chance to "unload emotionally."
"A raw, somber emotional journey that concludes with hope and a measure of forgiveness."
The Mourning Parade 9781944995232
(8/11) Book Event at Barnes & Noble Vanderbilt Square (Houston); 2:30pm.
"In a slight twist on a well-trod theme, can a good boy change a bad girl?
"In 1920s Manhattan, fair-haired, white mobster's daughter Masie Schultz is the embodiment of a flapper: she's reckless, fearless, and bold. Despite her brazen bravado, she's treated as little more than a commodity to either be traded or displayed as needed. When her father hires Benny, a kindhearted and loyal young man, to be her bodyguard, the chemistry is undeniable. However, as the danger around Masie and her family intensifies, will Benny be able to keep her safe and ultimately help her escape her dangerous life? Ficklin's offering paints a vivid picture of the Jazz Age, dropping details of glamorous flappers and raucous speak-easies, and it boasts cameos from Zelda Fitzgerald and Lucky Luciano. The role of women is explored, with a keen eye to their lack of choices; alongside these issues, there are also some rather intense scenes of physical abuse against women. However, Benny and Masie's romance is formulaic and heavy on melodrama, weighed down with an abundance of platitudes. Although their struggles may be prosaic, however, most romance aficionados should find the starry-eyed glances and lush historical details swoonworthy. A cliffhanger ending hints at sequels, so hopefully subsequent volumes play to these strengths.
"Ambitious but doesn't quite deliver. (Historical romance. 14-adult)
"In Valen's solid seventh novel featuring St. Paul homicide detective John Santana (after 2015's The Darkness Hunter), Santana looks into the stabbing murder of Kim Austin, an accident investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, whose body was found buried in a cave along the Mississippi River. Austin was last seen attending a security conference in St. Paul six months earlier. She had been part of a team examining the crash of an airliner off the coast of California that killed 217 people two months before the conference. As Santana probes Austin's life and work, two FBI agents warn him off exploring the plane crash, and the body of another young woman, a convenience store clerk, turns up in a cave by the river. The trail eventually takes the dogged detective to Colombia, where he confronts el Lobo, a contract killer, in a dramatic showdown. Readers will look forward to Santana's further adventures. (Oct.)"
"Hausler's debut novel was an incredibly beautiful look at love put through the test of time. Retrograde is very much about the nature of love as it features many of the ups and downs of a difficult relationship. From touching dates and admiration to petty fights and full blown arguments, Hausler's breakout has it all."
"This disturbing, haunting and powerful story explores the minutiae of the relationship between the couple as they start to live together again . . . the ending was a masterpiece of the power of "less is more" in story-telling - but if you want to know what it is, then you will have to read this wonderful novel."
"A woman suffering from amnesia doesn't realize she's been separated for years from the husband who cares for her in this debut novel. Helena Bachlein works in advertising in Berlin. Separated from her husband, Joachim, for almost three years, she begins to date again. But after a meeting at a local cafe, she is hit by a truck and lands in the hospital with broken ribs, a broken arm, a broken ankle, and amnesia. Joachim is called to the hospital, and since Helena can't remember the accident or the past three years, she thinks that they are still together. He doesn't tell her they are separated and is conflicted about when to break the news. He also neglects to inform her that she has her own apartment and brings her back to his place, explaining that most of her things were put in the basement after a water leak. The internet isn't working; she doesn't have a cellphone; and the apartment is on the fourth floor. He contacts Helena's employer and arranges for her to telecommute, with Joachim returning work to the office via flash drive. A jarring visit from a co-worker named Doro changes everything since she hasn't heard of Joachim. Helena discovers that she has her own apartment. While Joachim struggles to decide if his attempt at saving the marriage has backfired, the tension intensifies as Helena concludes that she must decide whether she should stay in a relationship that she left behind long ago. Hausler's novel gives equal time to both Helena's and Joachim's thoughts, which is crucial in the sort of psychological drama she has crafted. Careful attention is paid to details that may jog Helena's memory, including people and places, but also German language conventions. As the story dives deeper into the layers of memory, each word that is spoken or left unsaid becomes important in a cat-and-mouse mind game that gives this pensive story some elements of a thriller. The love that's described is always on thin ice ("But the moment he touches her, the spell will break, and they'll just be two people in bed together, without any enchantments"). Hausler's ability to describe the precarious state of the emotions involved is consistently convincing.
"A strongly written tale about resurrecting a marriage under the most unusual and mysterious of circumstances."
