Blog Archives
Henry’s Chapel
Graham Guest’s Henry’s Chapel offers a thought-provoking exploration of complex themes through the life of its central character, Henry, and his family’s entanglement with societal taboos such as incest. This novel, which delves into the intricate dynamics of a family grappling with unconventional relationships, is marked by its distinctive narrative style and uncommon approach to storytelling.
The tale unfolds through the eyes of a peculiar narrator, whose detached yet conversational tone forges an intimate connection with the reader. This approach effectively encourages readers to engage deeply with the story, pondering its many provocative questions and themes. An example of this narrative technique is the narrator’s inquiry about feelings towards The Dukes of Hazzard, pointing to a broader commentary on societal tastes and values. Intriguingly, the novel hints at Henry’s possible autism, a detail subtly woven into the narrative through descriptions of his movements and expressions. This aspect adds a layer of complexity to Henry’s character and the overall story. Guest skillfully employs metaphors, such as bats and moths, to navigate philosophical themes, including the Nietzschean concept of strength born from adversity. The narrative intriguingly touches upon a variety of profound themes, sparking curiosity and leaving readers yearning for further exploration.
While the book’s eclectic storyline and the narrator’s commanding presence give the narrative a unique feel, this richness in topics, ranging from politics to psychology and desire, adds layers of depth and interest, inviting readers to engage more deeply with the underlying story. Henry’s Chapel stands out for its creativity and originality, particularly in its departure from traditional storytelling methods. While this style might not resonate with every reader, I feel that those who appreciate a novel approach to literature and are open to a spontaneous reading experience may find it intriguing and somewhat offbeat.
Henry’s Chapel, by Graham Guest, is a daring and inventive work that pushes the boundaries of conventional fiction. Its narrative style and exploration of taboo subjects might not be universally appealing, but I believe it certainly offers an original and memorable reading experience for those willing to embrace its offbeat approach.
Pages: 234 | ASIN : B09SVTCFYC
Finding Mummy’s Glow
It can be incredibly difficult to find the words to help young children understand serious illnesses like cancer. Even more challenging is finding a way to help them process the many feelings and side effects associated with the cancer treatments their family members may be experiencing. With her book, Finding Mummy’s Glow, Mandy Woolf has gifted families a way to handle little ones’ questions in a loving way they will find easy to understand. I can’t think of a better gift for parents who are undergoing chemotherapy than to have a children’s book that answers the difficult questions for them.
In Finding Mummy’s Glow, Noah learns that his mother has cancer, and he tries every way possible to give her back the glow the disease has stolen from her. Mr. Snuggles, Noah’s teddy bear companion, joins him on his mission to make his mother feel better and help their home feel normal once again. Readers experience all the emotions alongside Noah as he becomes increasingly determined to make everything right in his mother’s world. Woolf’s book is touching and covers this topic with care in a way that comforts without creating worry.
I found the way that Woolf deals with Noah’s stress to be the most effective aspect of the narrative. When Noah worries that he might have caused his mother to be sick and that he might be able to catch the same disease his mother has, he is reassured by his mother with confidence and explanations that children will easily comprehend.
As a mother who has undergone treatment for skin cancer, I appreciate the approach Woolf has taken with this delicate topic. She does not shy away from having her main character express very real emotions. This realistic approach combined with the overarching sense of hope throughout the story and the fantasy elements surrounding Mr. Snuggles makes this a must-have book for families searching for ways to talk openly and honestly about cancer with their children.
Pages: 32 | ISBN : 978-1923020238
Live Life and Truly Experience It
Still is a poetry collection offering readers an intimate picture of your family’s journey as immigrants and the adversities and triumphs faced through the years. Why was this an important collection for you to share with readers?
In the last 7 years, I lost a significant number of my loved ones: my dad, my grandmother, my best friend’s mom, my cousins, my dog, etc. The relationship I thought was going to evolve into marriage broke down during this time. I felt life had stopped giving me things and had started to take them away, which makes absolutely no logical sense, but this is where I was at emotionally. Writing the poems that make up this book allowed me to process everything I was feeling during this time. This is why the book is called Still; I had to learn to be in the present moment and allow myself to feel and process whatever I needed to. Also, in Spanish, “still” means “todavia,” as in I’m still here. No matter what, I’m still here, and those that have moved on are with me in my memories and what they taught me. We’re here, and this is our story, and it means the world to me that anyone who reads this book will know them and love them, too.
Your work features so much emotion and many deeply personal experiences. Is there one selection that you hold close to your heart?
Your review singled out the poem “To-Do List.” When I turned 33, I traveled to Paris for my birthday, met a girl, and fell in love. After that I began to learn French because I wanted to communicate with her in her native tongue, to understand her unfiltered. I wanted to know her, and so much is lost in translation. I didn’t want to be the “dumb” boyfriend who just nodded and said “oui” or “oauis.” That long distance relationship lasted two years and disintegrated around the time my dad was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. I learned about the best of me as well as the worst of me. How kind I could be as well as how petty. It took me years to move past it. I haven’t spoken to her since she messaged me for my birthday the year we broke up. Once I had some perspective, I took my 5th grade reading level French and wrote “Liste à Faire,” or “To-Do List.” With its simple structure, it allowed me to first write it in French and then translate it to English, which took forever, and the French version probably isn’t as sophisticated as I would like it to be, but it was important for me to keep the promise I made to her even if it was only in my mind, even if I never told her. I think on some level I hope it makes its way to her, and that she knows that I hold no ill will towards her; that the years we spent together I treasure, even the bad times, because it made me who I am, which I hope is a better partner to the women who came after and the one I’ll end up with.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from the experiences you share in your collection?
I hope they realize we are connected through our collective experience as human beings. That it is through these connections that we bridge the gaps between us and begin to heal each other. I want them to live life and truly experience it. To connect with others, love deeply, become people of substance, and most of all, to create.
Can readers expect to see more writing from you soon?
My first short story is coming out as part of an anthology from Indie Earth Books this winter, and I loved the experience. It’s probably one of my favorite things I’ve written and that has given me an idea for a novel. Also, I already have a number of poems ready for a second collection.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Linktree | Website
Love Song to Cape Cod
Water Music: A Cape Cod Story follows a twelve-year-old girl whose family is falling apart in all directions who finds solace in her music and her love of Cape Cod. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I confess that Water Music was inspired by personal experience: my deep love for the many summers I spent on Cape Cod with my family, as well as my love for the cello and the music that has nourished me my entire life.
Like Lily, I had a marvelous elderly cello teacher each summer. And like Lily, my family had its share of discord. I wanted to explore how a girl, growing up in the 50s, might try to make sense of friction in an extended family, and how the women in her life were navigating (or resisting) the roles open to them.
Why choose this place and time for the setting of the story?
In a way, Water Music is my love song to the Cape Cod of the 50s, before Kennedy’s presidency and the National Seashore brought it to the attention of mainstream vacationers. But the 50s were also incredibly strict about expectations for women’s roles, and I wanted to explore how a young girl might try to make sense of all that.
It was important to me to include the sinking of the Andrea Doria in 1956. She was youthful—she had completed only one hundred crossings. In contrast, the Ile de France, who came to the Doria’s side, had launched a quarter of a century earlier. I saw in that relationship a potent—and poignant—mirror of the longed-for mother-daughter relationships in Water Music, both between Lily and her mother, and between Lily’s mother and grandmother.
I imagined the motif of the tether—the bridge that tethered Cape Cod to the mainland as well as the searchlight that “tethers” the Ile de France to the Andrea Doria—to be expressions of fragile family bonds. Especially between mother and daughter.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The 50s were brutal on smart, talented, educated women. I saw in Lily a confusion about how to understand her own prospects versus those of her mother. And how, in music, they both found the potential to redeem both their faults and disappointments.
When working on Water Music, the idea of competition—both as a destructive force and an impetus for growth—wouldn’t let go of me. For me, the rivalry between Lily’s father and his brother contrasts with the competition Lily frames for herself while learning the cello.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m working on a novel about a stolen cello. It’s a love story with a mystery. In it, I try to look at which loves serve to define us and which ones we must let go of. Competition—and what it can drive us to do—also plays a role in this book. There is also a mother-daughter subplot. I guess that’s an itch I keep needing to scratch!
Author Links: Goodreads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Thus twelve-year-old Lily Grainger, while safe from ‘communists and the Pope,’ finds her family suddenly adrift. That was the summer the Andrea Doria sank, pilot whales stranded, and Lily’s father built a house he couldn’t afford. Target practice on a nearby decommissioned Liberty Ship echoed not only the rancor in her parents’ marriage, a rancor stoked by Lily’s competitive uncle, but also Lily’s troubles with her sister, her cousins, and especially with her mother. In her increasingly desperate efforts to salvage her parents’ marriage, Lily discovers betrayals beyond her understanding as well as the small ways in which people try to rescue each other. She draws on her music lessons and her love of Cape Cod—from Sagamore and Monomoy to Nauset Spit and the Wellfleet Dunes, seeking safe passage from the limited world of her salt marsh to the larger, open ocean.
Life’s Most Important Words
You Are…Volume One is a collection of poems designed to help young children define and better understand some of life’s most meaningful concepts while providing parents with a tool for building connections through discussions. What inspired you to write this collection of poems?
After the birth of my first son, I realized the importance of speaking life into his life and reminding him of all the great things he can be and is in the world. I wanted to help him understand the meaning of these important words and believe the positive affirmations I was telling him. I developed the idea for the You Are series through these realizations and wanted to create the books to help myself and other parents and caregivers be able to share these inspiring words with the special children in their lives.
How did you decide on the unique title for this collection?
This title was derived from the “affirmations” in each virtue described in the books. Since each short poem within the books begins with “What does it mean when I say you are…?” It was only natural to name the stories “You Are…” Each volume of the series will have the same name with new virtues defined and described through poems and whimsical, watercolor illustrations.
What is one thing you would like both children and adults to take away from your book?
The mission of the You Are… series is to teach children (and adults) the meaning of some of life’s most important words. They are meant to help adults share these important truths with children to help them comprehend and believe all the wonderful things they are in life. It is a great way to build connection with your children, spend quality time, and have important, meaningful conversations. Through the descriptions and definitions, my hope is children and families can re-read these selections over and over and remember all the wonderful things they are through life with a deeper understanding of their significant meaning.
Can you tell us a little bit about what readers can expect in Volume 2?
Volume Two follows the same themes and formatting as Volume One, with new words and characters described and defined. Volume Two’s highlighted words are: Strong, Important, Courageous, and Creative. With the orange, yellow cover depicting the “strong” elephant walking in the savannah sunset, brown bears representing important, courageous lions, and creative dolphins. Each story also includes discussions questions for each word, as well as journal pages to reflect on what the words mean to the readers.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Through the use of poems and discussions, it gives adults a tool to speak life into children, while building a connection, and increasing a child’s understanding of the world’s most meaningful words.
No One is Truly Alone
The Connection Playbook is a guidebook that teaches readers how to build meaningful and healthy relationships in order to have a more fulfilling life. Why was this an important book for you to write?
My life’s path has primarily centered on guiding individuals through the intricacies of their relationships with others. Writing a book on this subject felt like the inevitable next step in this lifelong pursuit.
My enduring desire has been to take the insights I’ve held deep within and present them in an easily understandable and engaging manner. Writing a book has allowed me to discover the beauty in the shared human experience – realizing that many people have similar insights; they simply express them in unique and diverse ways.
With so many different books out on the market on relationship building, what ideas do you present that make yours different and stand out?
I’d like to start by expressing my perspective: to me, books are akin to seeds. When you plant them, some flourish with enduring significance others don’t make it so far. Books about relationships, regardless of their authorship, hold value for anyone who gains insight from them. In the case of this particular book, I believe it offers a blend of practicality, straightforward simplicity, and exercises that provide a genuine opportunity to transform lives and relationships.
A decade of my life has been woven into the fabric of this book, and I believe readers can sense that profound connection. Even the inclusion of QR codes at the conclusion of each chapter serves as a poignant reminder that every reader is not traversing this intricate journey alone.
Has anyone ever given you a piece of life-changing advice, if so can you share with us what that was and why it made such an impact on you?
Advice holds significant meaning in my life, and I tend to perceive it in a broader light than most. I genuinely believe that everything that comes our way carries hidden lessons. Each encounter is an invitation for us to discern the guidance the universe is presenting us with in that particular moment.
Reflecting on just this book, some of the most invaluable advice I’ve received came from my high school teacher, who remains a dear friend to this day. In the early stages of the book, he remarked, “The book is not a reflection of you. It lacks the depth I know you possess.” While it was more of feedback than advice, the lesson I gleaned from it was clear: don’t restrain yourself. And I heeded that wisdom wholeheartedly.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
I aim for readers to realize that they have the capacity to transform relationships they may have once dismissed as irreparable – be it with parents they’ve been reluctant to forgive or children with whom they struggle to find common ground. Ultimately, life can often seem isolating and insurmountable. I’m hoping this book makes that less so.
I wrote this book to illuminate the fact that no one is truly alone in their journey. I want people to recognize that there are tangible, practical steps they can take to enhance their interactions with others. In the end, they need not be mere victims of their circumstances; they possess the power to shape their relationships and their lives.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Website | YouTube | Amazon
🌐 The Connection Playbook is both deeply relevant and immediately practical, offering illuminating exercises at the end of each chapter. This book is an invitation to transform how we relate to others, unburden ourselves from the weight of unresolved conflicts, and embrace the transformative power of authentic connections.
🌐 Dive into the depths of human relationships, communication, and the intricate web that binds us all. Whether you’re seeking to enhance your personal connections, improve your professional networking, or simply gain a deeper understanding of the world around you, this comprehensive guide has got you covered.
📖 Inside, you’ll discover:
🗣️ Difficult Discussions: Learn strategies and techniques to navigate tough conversations with grace and empathy.
🧘 Managing Triggers: Explore how to identify and manage emotional triggers that can hinder meaningful connections.
🤔 Asking Skillful Questions: Uncover the power of asking the right questions to foster understanding and connection.
🚫 Overcoming Blame and Judgment: Gain insights on how to let go of blame and judgment, creating space for compassion and connection.
🎉 What’s Included?
📖 The Main Book: A comprehensive exploration of connection, featuring insights, stories, and expert advice on these and other vital topics.
🎧 7 Hours of Audio: Immerse yourself in the content with in-depth audio guides for each chapter.
📹 4 Hours of Video: Access exclusive video content to enhance your understanding.
📣 Get ready to connect on a whole new level, both with yourself and with others.
🌟 Get your copy today and let’s explore the boundless possibilities of human connection together!
LITERARY TITAN 