Debbie Winkler

In Mozart’s Shadow: His Sister’s Story

Book Review by Debbie Winkler

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Author: Carolyn Meyer
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (June 2008)
ISBN: 0152055940, EAN: 9780152055943
Page Count: 368 pages
Format: hardcover

Target Age Group: young adult
My Rating:

Synopsis:

Nannerl is hailed as a musical prodigy.  She is a gifted musician and can perform musical pieces that should be far too difficult for a girl her age to play.  Her hands dance along the keys and everyone is always amazed at her talents.  Then her little brother is born.  A little boy named Wolfgang Mozart.  At first, it appears that there will be room in the spotlight for both of them, but Nannerl slowly finds herself pushed to the side as Wolfgang’s musical genius is recognized.  For Wolfgang can not only perform difficult compositions, he can also improvise, do tricks and compose.  And, most importantly, he is a male in 1700s Europe.  Nannerl still dreams of becoming a great performer and of making a living with music, but reality slowly intrudes.  Before too long, Nannerl and her mother are left at home in Salzburg, Austria, while Wolfgang and her father travel to all the major cities in Europe to earn money.  Nannerl still hopes that Wolfgang’s success will mean a career in music for her, but the years pass and her dreams slowly fade away into shadow…

Review:

I recently read The 39 Clues series and was very interested in book #2 (One False Note), which was set in Austria.  Instead of focusing solely on Wolfgang Mozart, the book brought in a lot of Nannerl’s story.  I confess that, even though I took piano lessons for several years, I had never heard of Nannerl or spent any time investigating Wolfgang’s life.  I simply knew that he was an Austrian composer.  When I was in the library, this book, In Mozart’s Shadow, caught my eye as it was a fictionalized account of Nannerl’s life. I picked it up and found that I learned quite a bit about Nannerl’s life.  This book is not real, of course, but we have a lot of information about where Wolfgang trained and traveled in his younger years and the author used these details to extrapolate feelings and tell Nannerl’s story.  I wish that the author had included some more biographical detail as either an introduction or an afterward as I am not really sure how much of this book is based on fact and how much is made up.  This would have made the book much more meaningful for me and help give me a grip on what I can now refer to as fact and what was imagined.

Regardless of how much of this story is actual fact and how much is fiction, the feel and tone of the book holds a ring of truth in it.  We begin with Nannerl’s earliest memories of performing.  She loves the pretty clothes, the attention, the time spent with her younger brother in duets and shares many wonderful details about historical Europe.  Nannerl struggles with jealousy as her brother steals the limelight and her father’s full focus and attention.  This was probably my favorite part of the book as I loved “seeing” all of the foreign cities through Nannerl’s eyes.  She excitedly describes new clothes, new hairstyles and all of the local dignitaries and nobility that they perform for, as well as their reactions.  As she grows into a teenager, we see Nannerl left at home while her more famous sibling and her father travel around the continent.  A very gifted musician in her own right, Nannerl suffers due to the prejudice of the time and must be content to practice because she loves to play and to teach other young ladies.  As Nannerl enters her 20s and 30s, she finds love, loses it and settles for what her father – and cultural mores of the time – will allow her.  Her life shrinks down into the city of Salzburg and she only sees the rest of the world through Wolfgang’s increasingly rare letters.  I confess that I was absolutely crushed by the ending of this book.  I kept hoping for that Hollywood, happily-ever-after ending and for something to magically happen to Nannerl that would bring some joy and light to her life.  The book doesn’t end as a tearjerker, but it does show how difficult it is to have a very talented person in the family as their fame and gifts eclipse and overshadow everyone else.

While the writing in this book is fairly remote, you can still get a good sense of who the author imagined Nannerl to be and what she was doing and thinking in the mid- to late-1700s.  The book almost feels like an interview, a letter or a story that someone is telling you, the reader.  There is not a lot of action in this book (as we know it anyway), but the characters are so fascinating and you will find yourself rooting for Nannerl as I was while you read. I loved the descriptions of fashion and hairstyles, but would have appreciated some pointers as to what exactly certain words meant or to get an English translation for some of the German words that the author used.  By using authentic, historical terms, the book really has a period feel, but I didn’t know what a lot of things were and couldn’t always figure out what they were by the context of the book either.  I can tell that the author took the time to put in plenty of historical details as the people that Wolfgang performed for and composed for are well documented.  Royalty and nobility are described in a few broad strokes, but will bring a smile to the face of anyone who follows history and recognizes these famous, or infamous, names.  Children will not really know who everyone is, but their titles are included so that will help.  There is quite a bit of drama regarding the political machinations of the church and I know that many younger readers will be unfamiliar with the concept of the church being so involved in politics and of being the main employer in most towns.  While this information is not necessary to read and enjoy the book, younger readers might get a bit confused as to why all of these people are important and how they fit in to the book.

In the end, I am glad that I read this book as I feel like it gave me a glimpse into the sparkling young girl that Nannerl started out as and the resigned, obedient woman that she turned in to.  Throughout the story, music is the true leading character and is the thread that binds everything together.  While the story is told exclusively from Nannerl’s point of view, you also learn quite a bit about Wolfgang Mozart, her more famous younger brother.  He was a true genius, but he knew it, and was quite insufferable over it.  I loved that, even though Nannerl was jealous of his opportunities and his gifts, she still loved him as a sister and did her best to support him and keep her family together.  If you are looking for a fictional account of Nannerl’s life or Wolfgang’s life, this is a good, solidly written book that is entertaining enough to be readable, but still very informative.

Content:

This book contains a few off-color remarks regarding sexual intimacy, out-of-wedlock pregnancy, wedding nights and the like, but most are couched in historical phrases and are not very explicit.  It will be clear to younger readers that there was a rigid gender bias in Nannerl’s times, as well as a class bias, which may lead to questions.  Recommended for ages 10 and up.

Mandy

Book Review by Debbie Winkler

Author: Julie Andrews Edwards, Ill.: Johanna Westerman
Publisher: HarperCollins (August 2006)
ISBN: 0061207071, EAN: 9780061207075
Page Count: 320 pages
Format: paperback

Target Age Group: children ages 9 – 12
My Rating:

Synopsis:

The only home ten-year-old Mandy has ever known is the St. Martin’s Orphanage in St. Martin’s Green, England.  Matron Bridie and the staff are kind and loving to all of the orphans there, but with 30+ children to care for, it is nothing like being part of a real family.  Mandy longs for a home and a family of her own, but tries to be content with her life.  She has her best friend, Sue, her part-time job at the grocery store to earn a little pocket money and quite a bit of freedom to wander the countryside.  One day, while Mandy was searching for something to do, she decided to climb over the high, stone wall in near the orphanage to see what lay on the other side.  On the other side, she discovered a forest with many different paths leading off in different directions.  Mandy picked one at random and was absolutely delighted to find a small, dilapidated cottage at the end of the path.  The gardens needed tending, the cottage needed a good cleaning and Mandy decided that she was just the girl for the job!  As the seasons pass, Mandy finds great joy in tending to a little place that was all her own.  However, she may soon discover that hiding a secret this big requires a great deal of effort and that she can only keep her special place to herself for so long before she is found out…

Review:

I remember reading this book when I was a young girl and absolutely loved it!  I enjoyed reading it again, mainly for nostalgic purposes, but the book wasn’t quite the same to read as an adult.  This is the absolute perfect book to read with a young girl aged 5 – 12 as they are in that homemaking stage.  I used to pretend that I had my own  little cottage and would need to gather food and wood and the like to keep it stocked and comfortable.  What little girl doesn’t love to play house at this age?!  And a secret cottage in an undiscovered location with the promise of a handsome prince to come and find you is irresistible!  The edition that I read this time was a larger, oversized version that contained some lovely black-and-white line drawings to accompany the store.  This is a 1970 edition so it is no longer available, but there is another illustrated edition that I listed above that is also quite charming.  There are not very many of illustrations in the old version, unfortunately, but there are some to show a listening audience if you are reading this book aloud.  The chapters are a bit uneven in length, but most of them are quite short and can be read in fits and starts so you can take your time with this book.  Also, this book is written by the Julie Andrews Edwards, as in Mary Poppins/The Sound of Music Julie Andrews (her married name is Julie Andrews Edwards).  How wonderful it is to know that she can capture the memories of childhood and put them into a lovely little book for us to read?

The book is written in a style appropriate for young readers and, while there is not a great deal of action that takes place, readers will find themselves caught up in Mandy’s life and her small efforts to make a home for herself as she does not have a family of her own.  She buys flowers, plants seeds, weeds the garden, struggles to cut the grass, gathers wood for a fire, boils her own water for tea in her fireplace, makes friends with small woodland animals, and has many more adventures.  I think that Julie Andrews Edwards’ book really captured the enchanting countryside of England and the many small activities that you can do in a day that bring a richness to your life and give you something to look forward to each day.  Few of us will lead a life of great excitement and activity, but that does not mean that any of us will lead a life less rich or rewarding.  Younger readers will find a lot to enjoy in Mandy’s story and will be delighted with the happy ending that lays in store for her!

If you are looking for a book for young girls that will spark their imagination, this a good book to give them.  I think that, even though it was written some 40 years ago, it is still quite charming and has a timeless feel to the story.  Mandy is a delightful character and, while she is not a deep thinker or a particularly vivid personality, she was fun to get to know and I feel like we would have gotten along very well as children.  This is a wonderful book to read aloud or to buy for a young girl who dreams of having her own place someday.

Content:

This book contains a few scenes of mild peril, but there is really nothing inappropriate or frightening for children of any age.  Recommended for ages 5 and up.

Lenny’s Space

Book Review by Debbie Winkler

Author: Kate Banks
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (September 2007)
ISBN: 0374345759, EAN: 9780374345754
Page Count: 160 pages
Format: hardcover

Target Age Group: children ages 9 – 12
My Rating:

Synopsis:

Lenny Brewster is a quirky, intelligent nine-year-old boy.  He loves exploring the world around him, but usually does so in slightly unusual ways.  Lenny is super smart, but doesn’t really know how to get along with others and is constantly interrupting class with his observations.  His teacher, his principal and even his mom don’t know quite what to do with him.  So Lenny spends most of his time alone – or in the principal’s office – until he meets Van on the playground and shows him how to make the perfect slide.  He and Van have a lot in common and enjoy spending time together, but Van cannot do everything that Lenny can do because he has leukemia, a type of cancer.  Lenny is okay with that though, as he knows what it is like to be different.  As Lenny gets to know Van better and starts to understand the people in the world around him by working with Muriel, the school therapist, he comes to understand that not everything in life makes sense.

Review:

Lenny is a terrific character!  I am sure that everyone knows a boy just like him – bright, intelligent, funny, loud and curious!  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the world from Lenny’s point of view and think that the author was very successful at helping us remember what it was like to be an inquisitive child.  It also helps that Lenny is laugh-out-loud funny with all of his observations on what goes on in the world!  It is true that Lenny has a few more unique life characteristics as compared to the rest of us, but I think that everyone will find something to relate to in this book.

Lenny sees the world in a different way than most of us do.  He questions everything and loves to make hands-on experimentations.  He takes items apart, builds creations out of random materials and says the funniest things.  I am pretty sure that most adults are really bothered by boys like Lenny, but I think this book helped open my eyes to what it is like to be a child again and really want to know how everything works in the world around them.  Van was the perfect foil for Lenny as he is a dreamer, like Lenny, but is more cautious, more realistic.  Van has been sick for a long time and has been forced to face his mortality in a way that Lenny has not and they both learn a lot from each other.  Both of these boys have long struggled to have a friend – Lenny because he is so overwhelming and different, Van because he has been sick for so long.  Both families are thrilled when the boys find each other and reap the benefits of having a happy child with a close friend.

That is not to say that the children are the only well-developed characters in this book, as they are not.  The author really has a knack for capturing people of all types and backgrounds and, while we see them from Lenny’s point of view, I think it is easy to figure out what they are really like (whether Lenny sees them that way or not).  Lenny’s mother is a hand model and wears gloves all the time so that her hands remain perfect for the cameras.  Because of this, Lenny craves touch, but doesn’t know how to express himself and so his mother has no idea how he feels.  Lenny’s father left them when he was just a baby, but his mother dates a lot and Lenny has some unique perspectives on these prospective fathers.  Muriel, the school therapist, was a marvel of patience and understanding.  While I know that not every child would respond to some time and consideration the way that Lenny did, it is an eye-opener to all of us.  It is amazing what you can accomplish with children if you just listen to them and allow them to express themselves in their own special way.

I sat down to read just a few chapters of this book and found myself swallowing it whole.  I finished it all in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Lenny.  I was very sad to end the book as I wanted it to continue!  I would love to see the characters in this book again and really enjoyed getting to know Lenny as he grew and matured throughout the book.  Not everything that happens to Lenny in this book is funny or has a happy ending, but I thought the author gave us a realistic balance of both so that it is thought-provoking without being heavy.  If you have an active little boy at home, this is a great book to share with him as it will give both of you some wonderful insights – and keep you laughing until the last page!

Content:

This book contains some references to learning disabilities, therapy, psychology, single parenthood, and death.  One of the children dies in this book and it will definitely make you teary-eyed!  Recommended for ages 7 and up.

Ghost Shadow

Book Review by Debbie Winkler

Series: The Bone Island Trilogy #1
Author: Heather Graham
Publisher: Mira Books (June 2010)
ISBN: 0778327914, EAN: 9780778327912
Page Count: 368 pages
Format: paperback

Target Age Group: adults
My Rating:

Synopsis:

David Beckett had just returned from the military to his family’s home in Key West, Florida.  He loved working in the museum that his family owned, which captured the grisly and sensational moments in Key West’s historical past.  But everything changed when he found his ex-fiancée’s body laid out in one of the exhibits – especially since he was the prime suspect.  His family was his alibi and there were many who suspected that they lied to keep David out of jail.  David left everything behind him to begin a career as a successful nature photographer and didn’t even return home for his grandfather’s funeral.  But now he is back and he is determined to keep history from repeating itself by stopping the sale of his family’s museum.

Katie O’Hara loves Key West.  She is a native conch, or islander, just like David is.  In fact, her older brother and David used to be good friends until the murder ripped David from their lives.  Katie doesn’t understand why David is so fearful that history will repeat itself and that opening the museum will launch a spate of new murders.  She loved the Beckett museum as a child and dreamed of reopening it and restoring it to its former glory as a tourist hot spot.  However, without David’s signature, the sale cannot go through.  But Katie doesn’t give up easily and is determined to change David’s mind.  Unfortunately, she soon discovers that David was right about the murders happening again as another body is found in a different museum.  Is it just a coincidence that the murders began again when David returned to town?  Or was it one of the other locals who has returned home at the same time?  Katie isn’t sure who to trust and finds herself relying on the advice of her ghostly friends to keep her safe and out of the hands of a killer.

Review:

This was an enjoyable suspenseful romance with a touch of the paranormal thrown in.  I thought that the book was well written and it sucked me in right away.  I really liked the characters.  Katie is a strong heroine, but she isn’t stupid.  She does make a few ill-advised decisions, such as taking walks at night without protection, but she follows good advice and doesn’t get herself into too much trouble like most other romance heroines.  Katie is smart, spunky and independent.  She owns a successful business with her Katie-oke company, a karaoke enterprise that she runs in her uncle’s bar, owns her old family home and doesn’t need a man – but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t want one.  I thought she was a very good balance of a strong, single woman who is a true partner in a relationship with a man like David Beckett.  David is a veteran turned nature-photographer with quick reflexes and a keen, observant eye.  There is just something about Katie that he responds to right away and they find themselves caught up in a whirlwind romance at the worst possible time – in the middle of a killing spree where David is still the prime suspect.

The other characters are just as vivid and lively.  I would have to say that my favorite character in the book is Bartholomew, the ghost of an old-fashioned privateer who is a true gentlemen.  He added quite a bit of color and fun to the book, as well as some great advice (which, naturally Katie ignored most of the time).  I wish that more ghosts had been involved as real, solid characters in this book, but Bartholomew is pretty much it. Katie sees a lot of ghosts in the book – including all of the murder victims – but they are rather shadowy versions of themselves and don’t remember anything that would help Katie solve the crimes.  The idea behind this is that you have to get used to being a ghost and adjusted to the world around you and your limitations.  For example, Bartholomew was killed over 200 years ago and he has just barely worked up the power to push the button to turn the coffee on in the morning.  I thought that the paranormal touches where a nice addition to this mystery romance and it made me pick up this book whereas I probably would have given it a pass otherwise.  I wish that the author had done a bit more with the ghosts and their storylines so that Katie was helping them come to some sort of peace or helping them move on, but I was satisfied with what I got.

While the story is interesting, there are a limited number of suspects who could have committed the crimes and the author presents them all as viable suspects at one time or another.  I found myself jumping around from suspect to suspect, convinced it was the cousin, then the brother, then the missing man.  Of course, I was wrong with who the real identity of the killer was, but I at least got the motive right!  While the mystery was good, the characters were great and the book was well written, the true star of this book is the location of Key West itself.  I loved all of the atmospheric details that the author included about the houses, the people, the tourists, the famous people who used to live there, Key West’s history, the food, the bars, the beaches – I felt like I was really there!  There are some wonderful scenes in regards to Fantasy Fest and what people dress up as.  Details of costumes, body painting, traffic snags, the muggy heat and just crazy things that happen during this time are all included in the book and really made this story a lot of fun!  I knew next to nothing about Key West before I read this book, but now I know a great deal about its history and what makes this location so famous – and infamous!  This loving attention to location details really elevated the book into something special and memorable for me.  I will definitely check out the other books in the series!

Content:

This book contains some scenes of mild sensuality and sexual intimacy.  The scenes are very vaguely described and there is not a lot of detail, which I appreciated.  You get the feeling of passion and of falling in love without having to go through all of the grisly details!  There are several murders in this book and some of them are a bit gruesome.  There are also a lot of historical murders and details included such as pirates vs. privateers, lynch mobs, prejudice and the like.  There is some violence, some strong language and some suspense in this book, as well as quite a few ghosts and other paranormal elements.  Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Sarah’s Garden

Book Review by Debbie Winkler

Series: A Patch of Heaven Series #1
Author: Kelly Long
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (July 2010)
ISBN: 159554870X, EAN: 9781595548702
Page Count: 320 pages
Format: paperback

Target Age Group: adults
My Rating:

Synopsis:

Sarah King is happy with her life the way it is.  She has a wonderful, loving Amish family in a warm, friendly Amish community in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains.  She has her beloved garden, where she lavishes all of her love, care and attention.  Her life is orderly and familiar and she would like to keep it that way.  Everything changes when Grant Williams, a handsome young veterinarian moves in to the farm next door to the Kings.  For the first time, Sarah’s heart is stirred and she finds herself falling in love.  And Grant returns her feelings.  Indeed, her sassy tongue and pure beauty caught his attention from the moment that he met her family.  But their love cannot exist without a great deal of sacrifice.  For Sarah to marry Grant, she would have to leave her life behind – her family, her community, her faith and become like the Englisch.  For Grant to marry Sarah, he would have to go through the rigorous Amish conversion process and give up technology, his medical practice and all of the modern techniques that a doctor learns in school.  But how could either one ask the other to make such a sacrifice?

Review:

This is the first Christian romance book that I have read and the first Amish romance that I have read.  I enjoyed the book, but not as much as I was anticipating.  The book started off strong with the introduction of Sarah and Grant and then the sparks that fly as they flirt and try to resist the romantic ties, but then it kind of floundered in the middle.  They  know they are in love and want to marry the other person within about 1/4 – 1/3 of the way through the book and then it is just struggling to resist feelings until the very end of the book.  This was a bit tiresome for me as I wanted to see the relationship grow and develop more.  I understand that one of the people would have to make a huge lifestyle change and many sacrifices so it was a serious decision to make, but it is not the most fascinating reading to rehash the same problem over and over again.  To fill the time, the author started inserting filler subplots like a disturbed teenage boy, a local animal show that mistreats its animals, a near fatal heart attack and so on.  While all of these subplots are possible in even a tight-knit Amish community, I felt that they were introduced, resolved and dropped within a chapter or two and were just being used to fill the time.  I wish that the author had spent more time on the courtship and Grant’s learning about the Amish culture and trying to fit in and find a place with his neighbors.

I loved a lot of the details that the author included in this book, such as the type of goods Sarah sold in their family’s stand, the types of plants she grows in her garden, local plants and animals, scenery, quilting, what is expected of an Amish girl, and many sweet scenes with Amish family gatherings.  This was the most enjoyable part of the book for me and I felt like I was getting a good introduction to the Amish culture in a fast, enjoyable way.  Nothing is overly worked in these details, which was refreshing, and the pages just fly by as you read.  I also enjoyed all of the information about the animals that Grant tended while he was working.  The descriptions were wonderful and the author has a lovely, clear writing style that is atmospheric and evocative without being overly flowery or bogged down. Kelly Long has a real knack for describing characters in just a few lines that made you fee like you had known them for years.  I was easily able to identify with most of the characters in the book and really felt for Sarah, as most of the book is written from her point of view.  I am a Christian and could empathize with Sarah trying to work out a balance between love and her faith and all that she knows.  I am not sure what I would have done if I were in her shoes, but that would be a very difficult, if not impossible, decision to make!

In the end, I will recommend this book as it was an enjoyable read, but it has some limitations.  I think that I will give this series another chance with the next book, though, as I really liked the author and felt like her characters were real people struggling with real problems.  I really enjoyed her writing style and found this a quick, easy read.  There is not a lot that happens in this book as far as exciting, action-packed scenes, but that is actually part of its charm.  This book is a nice, old-fashioned romance with a kiss or two and lots of wonderful descriptions of the simple, beautiful life that the Amish choose to lead in our modern world.  If you are looking for a clean romance for those of the Christian faith, this is a good one to pick up and enjoy.

Content:

This book contains a few scenes of mild peril where a teenage boy threatens Sarah, an arson attack, etc., but nothing happens and everything turns out okay.  This book is a strongly Christian book and the focus is on God and what he would have us do as opposed to following our own hearts.  There are some scenes that describe what vets do with animals, including pushing organs back inside, giving birth, etc., which can be a bit messy and off-putting, but are not described in too much detail.  Recommended for ages 10 and up.