From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley & Riley Keough

I was born after the Elvis craze. I understood his significance in the music industry, his sexy rock-n-roll vibe, the popularity of his "beach movies" though. I was more familiar with the "heavy, addicted" Elvis than the young, vibrant, hip-shaking Elvis. My family is from Tennessee, and I lived in Memphis when I was a young child. I have toured Graceland. I listened to this on audiobook, which included excerpts from Lisa Marie's audiotaped notes she was using as she was writing her memoir with her daughter Riley. I definitely have a deeper understanding of how deeply dysfunctional this family was.

Since Lisa Marie has passed on, Julia Roberts read her chapters of the book. Riley read her own chapters. That took a minute for me to get used to. Knowing Julia Roberts' voice so well, it was disconcerting having her speak for Lisa Marie. And then actually hearing Lisa Marie speak on audiotape, was even more disconcerting because she has a very masculine voice and sounds nothing like Julia Roberts. Some of the audio clips were difficult to hear/understand as well, but I still think it was an important addition to this story since it's her story.

Not having an "attachment" to Elvis Presley, I was a little surprised at how moved I was by this memoir. I actually got teary-eyed a couple of times. Again and again and again we read/hear about addictions in the entertainment industry. Is this because artist's personalities make them a higher risk for addiction? There seems to be a link between artistry and mental health issues. The more "genius" someone is in their talent, the greater the risk for depression, anxiety, addiction, suicide. Elvis spent the later part of his career mired in addiction. Lisa Marie, his only child, loved him deeply, lived with him as much as she was allowed to. Elvis had no boundaries for her. No bedtimes, no restrictions, no limits. She had the run of Graceland. She was a wild, free-spirited child, whose father loved her unconditionally. After his death, she was forced to live with her mother, Priscilla, full-time (at least when she wasn't sent off to live at boarding schools, etc, which she would get kicked out of repeatedly.) Priscilla is described by both Lisa Marie and Riley as cold and impersonal, and not a mothering type. That probably explains why Priscilla and Riley seem to be having issues since Lisa Marie's death on the issue of Elvis' estate!

Lisa Marie struggled with her relationships, which isn't surprising since she never had a good role model of what a healthy relationship could look like. She loved her children, and she seemed to have a few good years when Riley & Ben were young, but she was ultimately a lost soul in the truest sense of the word. Lisa Marie succumbing to addiction and living in addiction for over a decade was heartbreaking. The death of her beloved son, Ben, by violent suicide was devastating to the entire family, but definitely something that Lisa Marie never worked through. She lived past his death, but never with a sense of peace. I really don't think there was ever true "joy" in Lisa Marie's life. Even when she had Elvis, he had a violent temper and was scary and intimidating when angry. She did love Michael Jackson, and he loved her, but in the end, he was just another man in her life trying to control her narrative. (He desperately wanted children with her, but she feared that he would control those children and her role in raising them. She was probably spot on with that assessment!)

I was emotionally impacted by this memoir, which I certainly wasn't expecting. Deeply sad and moving.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Ghosts of Honolulu by Mark Harmon & Leon Carroll Jr

This is a nonfiction book about the US Navy's counterintelligence unit in Honolulu, HI in World War II. It's written by Mark Harmon, of NCIS fame, and Leo Carroll, who is a former NCIS Special Agent. I have read a lot about Pearl Harbor and visited it several times. I used to live on Oahu as well. I also know a lot about World War II in general. I figured this book about counterintelligence would fit right in my wheelhouse. 

This book involves a lot of people, most with Japanese, Hawaiian, or German names. It was truly difficult to keep track of everyone and their roles in this historic event of the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. There were counterintelligence agents for the Americans, the Japanese, and the Germans. The main focus however was Douglas Wada. His story was very interesting. He was born in Hawaii, but when he was a teenager his father pretty much tricked him into "visiting" Japan. Douglas thought it was a visit, but his dad's intent was for him to stay there to learn the culture & language. He ended up finishing his education in Japan. He had a knack for languages, so by the time he escaped back to Hawaii, before he could be conscripted into the Japanese military, he was fluent in Japanese. Once the US Navy found him, they wanted him to work undercover in Naval Intelligence. They didn't necessarily want people to know he was connected to the Navy because he was very charismatic, personable, knew fluent Japanese as spoken in Japan, so they wanted to use him to translate wiretaps of the Japanese Consulate, gather information on the streets as a reporter, and interrogate a POW captured in Honolulu.

The book also explains how the Japanese Americans living in Hawaii and California at the time of Pearl Harbor were treated. One thing I didn't realize before reading this book is that the Japanese Americans living in and around California are the people who ended up in the internment camps in the US. The Japanese Americans living in Hawaii, like Douglas Wada's family and friends, were affected (ie their shrines being shut down, etc), but they were not sent to camps as POWs.

Although we learn all about Douglas Wada, his childhood, family, and career with Naval Intelligence, I wouldn't classify it as a narrative. Like I said earlier, it was hard to keep track of everyone. There was a point when I stopped trying to remember who everyone was and just kept track of the key people, especially those associated with Douglas.

Wendy's Rating: ***1/2

The Mother Next Door by Andrea Dunlop & Mike Weber

This is a nonfiction account of Munchausen by Proxy. It details the investigations into three different cases of mother's inflicting harm on their children for attention: Hope Ybarra, Brittany Philips, and Mary Welch. Andrea Dunlop is a novelist whose own family has been affected by MBP, through her sister. Mike Weber is a detective who has become an expert in MBP simply by spending years investigating these incredibly challenging cases. He has worked on more medical child abuse cases than anyone in the US. Although I knew about Munchausen by Proxy long before MBP victim Gypsy Rose Blanchard became a household name after she was charged and convicted of killing her mother, I didn't realize how many similarities there are between cases. I also had no idea that doctors will perform surgeries based on a mother's report, without doing any extra testing themselves. It's astounding really.

Just like police officers need to be trained in how to deescalate people having a mental health crisis, doctors should be trained to spot medical child abuse, especially since there seems to be a pattern in many cases. Hope, Brittany, and Mary all had children that were born premature. These poor children had multiple unnecessary tests, inconsistently abnormal labs, medical diagnoses (like cystic fibrosis and cerebral palsy) simply reported by their mother, feeding tubes, rare blood infections, leg braces. In all of these cases the children's eating issues and mobility issues were reported by their mothers but were not witnessed by anyone else. In fact, many friends, family members, and even nurses saw these children eating normally when mom was not in the room and walking/running with no issues at all.

All three of these cases were very challenging to bring to court. Both Hope and Mary were well-loved, intelligent, and wealthy. Mike Weber tried a number of ways to get these woman to admit what they had done. He had better luck with Hope, probably because her mother was the one who reported her and found some evidence that she turned over to Mike. Hope's story was actually quite remarkable since she was such an accomplished liar. She lied about her own health for eight years, pretending to have various types of cancer. This resulted in fundraising efforts by family and friends that raised an enormous amount of money. Hope lied about her education and her credentials. She lied about miscarrying twin daughters. She lied about her first daughter (second child) having CF. Her youngest child suffered the most however. Hope introduced bacteria and contagions in her feeding tube (which she didn't need) which could have easily killed her. Hope did end up in prison for 10 years. 

Mary was extremely wealthy (with money to burn) so she could afford to get her son medical care in Texas and Minnesota. When the Texas doctors told her that her son did not need a brain shunt, she simply got on a private plane and flew him to Minnesota to get it done. And she found a doctor to do it, taking her word for it! Mary fooled doctors, friends, her family, lawyers, and the judge! She was pretty and personable and wealthy. Money talks, right? Her mother protected her 100% and spent all her energy blaming Mary's ex-husband for everything, who was naive and innocent. He temporarily got custody, which probably ended up saving his son's life, although Mary won back joint custody in the end.

Brittany's case was different because she was not well-liked, respected, or wealthy. She had no supportive family or husband. She was verbally and physically abusive to her three year old daughter, Alyssa, in front of other people. She was reported to CPS several times by a variety of different people. Her daughter was finally taken away from her and put into a foster home after it was discovered that Brittany put feces in her daughter's (unnecessary) feeding tube which gave her a life-threatening blood infection. Her trial ended up with a hung jury (10 guilty - 1 not guilty - some people cannot believe that a mother would intentionally harm their child). Eventually Brittany pleaded guilty instead of going back to trial but she only served five years. Alyssa thrived in the care of her foster family, who ended up adopting her.

These women knew what they were doing. They were not "delusional". They were constantly seeking the attention they craved (and received) while caring for their "deeply ill" children. Both Hope and Mary's husbands believed their children were as sick as their wives told them they were. MBP continues to be under-reported and very difficult to prove. It's incredibly tragic.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

I loved this book. There are several narrators: Louise, camp counselor; Tracy, camper; Alice, mother of Barbara; Jacob, accused and convicted murderer; Carl, gardener of the Van Laar Preserve; Judyta, BCI Investigator; and Victor, Director of Camp Emerson. The story alternates from the 1950s to 1961 to Winter 1973 to June 1975 to July 1975 to August 1975. There are other key characters (Barbara, TJ, Bear, three Peters, Delphine, John Paul), but we learn about them from someone else's perspective. The way the story is interwoven between timelines makes the story even more fast-paced.

The central family of this story is the Van Laars. Peter Van Laar 1 bought the land on which the homestead is built. By all accounts, he was a kind and generous man. He cared about the land and about people. The homestead was named Self-Reliance. Camp Emerson was developed on part of the Van Laar Preserve so that children could spend two months of their summer learning the land and how to survive on it. Peter Van Laar 2 didn't quite have the same vision. He was more controlling and domineering and wasn't necessarily well-liked. Peter Van Laar 3 was handsome and charming, but pretty much a jerk. When he was 29 years old, he chose to marry Alice, who was only 17 years old when they met. She was pretty and malleable. Just what he wanted in a wife. He wanted a son, which she promptly delivered (Peter Van Laar 4, but called Bear) and then he told Alice that they would not be having any more children. That was pretty much their relationship. The only thing they had in common was their love of Bear.

Bear was an adventurous and spirited child that was loved by everyone at Self-Reliance, including all the staff. He tragically disappeared when he was 8 years old, after he went for a walk with his grandfather, Peter 2. Carl, the gardener, was eventually accused of killing Bear, even though Bear was never found. Peter 3 and Alice end up having another child after Bear's disappearance. They named her Barbara. Barbara's parents weren't overly invested or engaged in her life. She was a difficult child, which made things worse. Victor Hewitt's daughter, TJ Hewitt, took over as the Director of Camp Emerson after her father could no longer handle the responsibility as he aged. TJ also took over as Barbara's "mother figure", since Alice was never the same after Bear disappeared.

Barbara declared to Alice in the summer of 1975 that she wanted to attend Camp Emerson as a camper. She befriended Tracy, who was new to the camp and was struggling with her own family life (parent's divorce, dad's new girlfriend, etc.) One morning, Tracy woke up and Barbara was gone. Louise was the camp counselor responsible for the girls in Barbara & Tracy's cabin, and she had left them unattended for part of the night. That's when Judyta joins the story, as one of the investigators who arrives at the Van Laar Preserve to find Barbara, or at least figure out what happened to her.

Despite the number of characters, the story is well-written and easy to follow, even considering the jumping around in timelines. I really enjoyed the ride.

Wendy's Rating: *****

I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

I've always been interested in the investigation of cold cases. It's astounding that people can get away with murder, especially with today's science and technology. This book details true crime journalist Michelle McNamara's deep dive into the "Golden State Killer", aka the "EAR" (East Area Rapist), aka the "Original Night Stalker". This unknown individual raped over 50 women and killed 13 people in the 1970s-1980s across California without ever being caught. It's truly remarkable. This rapist/murderer also burglarized 120 homes during his crime spree, taking random and often personal items from homes and the people he attacked. He would leave a lot of these items at other crime scenes, or simply in other random places. He had a distinct look (although he was usually seen with a ski mask covering his face), a distinct voice, and a distinct penis. It was reported by his surviving victims that he was fairly routine in how he exhibited his crimes. He scoped out people and homes for weeks at a time, ran through people's back yards, looked into windows, called his victims on the phone, left over 50 people alive, but was not caught until 2018!! That's absolutely crazy.

It's safe to say that Michelle was pretty much obsessed with her self-appointed task of tracking down this killer. She worked steadily on it for years, talking to dozens of people, scouring thousands of documents, traveling to crime scenes, developing a number of profiles, in her search for this man. She unexpectedly died before finishing her mission, and interestingly enough, the actual killer was not even on her radar. She mentions a ton of possible suspects in this investigative work, but Joseph James DeAngelo, the actual rapist/killer, was not ever named as a suspect in any file, interview, or documentation. Michelle died in 2016. DeAngelo was apprehended in 2018. Each of the suspects that Michelle focused on was eliminated through DNA analysis. After each elimination, she would have to go back to the drawing board. Michelle was definitely on the right track however. She suspected that the rapist/killer lived in the Visalia and Rancho Cordova areas, and she was correct. She suspected that he may have been associated with the military, which he was. He was in the US Navy during Vietnam War and he was a police officer. But, apparently his DNA was not in any sort of data base. Again, remarkable.

Michelle was very detail oriented and extremely personable, focused, and determined. This book, and the way it's laid out, is very engaging and readable. Since she died before it was finished, her notes and transcripts were used to finish it for publication. She was married to comedian Patton Oswalt and all I could think was, "he is a very supportive and patient man"! Not everyone could be married to someone so driven to find the truth! If you are a true crime fan that enjoys the investigative process, this is the book for you.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Night by Elie Wiesel

This is a powerful testament to the horrors of the Holocaust. I listened to it on audiobook. This is a translation by Elie's wife, so it feels like an authentic expression of Elie's words as he explains what happened to him and his family when they were taken in the last transport out of his town during WWII. Elie and his father were separated from his mother and younger sister at the start. Elie and his father were sent to Auschwitz. Elie was only a teenager. Although I have read many, many books about the Holocaust, to listen to a first-person account is impactful.

One thing that struck me again and again is how many last second decisions people made that could either save their life or end their life. Since the prisoners never knew what the intent of a SS officer was, it was challenging to figure out what "line" they should be in. Which one was going to the crematorium and which one was going to another camp or another work detail? There was a point towards the end of the war when Elie's father was selected to go to the crematorium and Elie panicked, rushing toward his father's "line", which created chaos amongst the prisoners and SS officers, and as the officers were trying to get everyone back in the appropriate line, Elie managed to bring his dad with him. I'm not sure he could have gotten away with that earlier in their time at the camp, but it worked at this stage of the war. Many times they had no idea what they should hope for, having no idea if it was the right decision until the choice was made - either by them or someone else. People would whisper in Elie's ear what Elie should do in any given situation, but Elie didn't necessarily know if the person was trying to educate him and help him (because they had been there longer) or if the person was simply wanting him to do something to eliminate Elie so there was more room or food for himself. What a burden to lay on the shoulders of a teenager who desperately tried to protect his father and keep him alive.

The cruelty of humans against humans is astounding and deeply unsettling. It's unimaginable  how so many Nazis could find it within themselves to routinely starve and beat innocent men, women and children to death - people that were simply people living their own lives. These were not "enemies" fighting a battle against their oppressors. I know a lot of people that don't want to read any more stories about the Holocaust, but I believe that this is a part of history that should never be forgotten. I think this book should be required reading in our high schools. Our centered-around-self youth should gain a different perspective about what's important in life, especially since the Jewish people continue to be oppressed even today.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Getting Naked by Valerie Bertinelli

I listened to this on audiobook. I have always loved Valerie Bertinelli's spirit, kindness, and sense of humor that she has portrayed in her TV series', including her cooking show. She comes across as positive, encouraging, and friendly. Consistently, she's the same way in this book. It's more of a self-help book than a memoir, but she does talk about her career and personal life at times. It's more about how she has changed and grown as a person however.

I think her message is an important one for all people who believe the road to happiness is being "perfect" in others' eyes. People have always been cruel to each other, commenting on someone's looks or weight or the way they wear their hair or the clothes they wear. But with the introduction of all the social media platforms, it's become a societal nightmare. The judgments, the critiques, the assumptions and presumptions, the hurtful comments. Why?? Why do people want to drag other people down rather than build them up? The easy answer is: they are insecure. Valerie talks about her own insecurities, but the only person she has repeatedly beaten up on is herself. The pressure to be "perfect" is real. I grew up with similar expectations, which I am just now coming to terms with myself.

After 60+ years of thinking a certain way, it's difficult to change a thought process. I love how she stopped thinking of "dieting" and started simply eating healthier and not stepping on the scale every morning. She stopped drinking alcohol since she was using it as a coping tool. She started walking every day with her dog, which is good for her and her dog. She is making lifestyle changes for the right reasons and has stopped holding herself hostage to the idea of being "perfect". It's a lesson that I need to learn as well. I love her positive attitude and her openness about moving forward and not letting the past dictate who she is.

Wendy's Rating: ****

My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand - Part 1

Wow! I am listening to this on audiobook and it's whopping 48 hours long! Most memoirs are 6-10 hours long. So this is an investment of time. I got to 60% and then "Libby" took it back. It wouldn't let me renew because of the waiting list, so I put it back on hold and now I have to wait another 22 weeks until I can get it back! I decided I should write about the first 60% so I don't forget what I want to say about it. First of all, I love Barbra Streisand and I always have, ever since I first watched What's Up Doc back in the 1970s when I was a young teen. Then when I was introduced to her music from Funny Girl (1968), I fell in love with her voice. She has always been my favorite artist because of her immense talent (singing, acting, directing), but after listening to her memoir about her childhood and rise to stardom; her innate sense of artistry; her ability to sketch scenes the way she sees them in her head; her ability to improv a conversation so that it matches the emotions of the scene; her ability to "see" and "feel" the character she is portraying; is phenomenal. She is so detail-oriented that she knows what lighting she wants for each scene of a movie. She likes to do as few takes as possible so that a scene is the most authentic that it can be (vs. coming across as over-rehearsed). 

The first 60% of this book details how she got her start when she was a teenager living in Brooklyn, NY. Her dad died tragically when she was young, so she lived with her unsupportive, negative mother and a jerk of a step-father (part of that time). She wanted to be famous for her acting. Her voice was an afterthought. She got her first gig singing at a night club however, and it's that voice that propelled her to stardom. She was cast in Funny Girl as an "unknown" and the rest, as they say, is history. This part of the book details her experiences in Funny Girl on Broadway and in London, and also the making of the movie (very detailed); Hello Dolly (detailed); On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (briefly); The Owl and the Pussycat (very briefly); What's Up Doc? (detailed); Up the Sandbox (very detailed); The Way We Were (very detailed); For Pete's Sake (very briefly); Funny Lady (somewhat detailed); A Star is Born (very detailed); The Main Event (detailed); All Night Long (mentioned); and Yentl (very, very detailed!) She talks about her co-stars, producers, directors, camera people, lighting people, art people, set people, musicians, lyricists, composers, and every other person associated with a production. It's absolutely fascinating. 

She is so detailed in her descriptions that I rented Funny Girl from Prime video after I listened to that detailed chapter to see what she was talking about. I studied the characters, the lighting, scenes, the clothing, etc. She insisted on singing one of the songs live while filming the movie (which was unheard of) because she wanted her emotions at the time of the filming to match the song. I watched clips of Hello Dolly, The Way We Were, and A Star is Born after reading about the production of those movies and her co-stars. I was completely blown away that Walter Matthau was her co-star in Hello Dolly! I think of him as a slob in The Odd Couple and a grumpy old man in Grumpy Old Men - not as a co-star to Barbra Streisand! (It didn't go well, by the way. He was a total jerk to her.) I was happy to read that she worked well with Omar Sharif, Ryan O'Neal and Robert Redford however. Whew!

Finally, Yentl. I loved the movie when I first saw it. Now I love it more. I have watched it twice since listening to that chapter (which brought me to 60%). She talks about wanting Richard Gere to play Avigdor but she ended up with a 29 year old Mandy Patinkin (she was 10 years older than him) as her co-star. I love Mandy Patinkin. It's been so long since I originally saw the movie in theaters (1983) that I didn't even realize that Avigdor was played by Mandy! I love his acting and I love his voice. So imagine my deep, deep disappointment when I found out that Barbra had a very difficult time with him as her co-star. He didn't want to take direction from Barbra; was hot-headed; restless; difficult. Sadness set in. So, I watched the movie a second time to study all the things she talked about. Here is my final analysis: This movie is absolutely wonderful. I love it. The way it was written, directed, filmed, edited, the music - fabulous. There is no way you could tell that the two leads didn't like each other. That's impressive acting. (Like Richard Gere and Debra Winger in An Officer and a Gentleman.)

The most wonderful thing about listening to this on audiobook: Barbra includes video clips of some of the songs she sings! I am pretty much obsessed with this book and I can't wait to finish the last 40% of it - in 22 weeks or so.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

I am definitely leery about reading books that everyone else "LOVES" because I have too high of expectations and then I am disappointed when I actually read the book. This is not the case with Theo of Golden. This is a beautifully written character-driven narrative.  No one knows who Theo is, or even what his last name is, but you don't need to. Theo comes to the town of Golden, Georgia from New York. He is an elderly gentleman (86) who only stays in Golden for about a year. (That's referenced a few times, but you don't know why he's there and why he leaves after a year.) Theo is a refined gentleman who values art of all types: books, paintings, architecture, music. He is a great listener, accepts everyone for who they are, and is kind & empathetic to all.

When Theo arrives in town, he locates an apartment to rent in a building owned by the town lawyer. It overlooks the town square. Theo stops in at the local coffee shop and is intrigued by all of the hand-drawn portraits displayed on all the walls (over 90 of them). The portraits are for sale (at a pretty low price so that people can afford them), and the portraits are of people who live in Golden. He discovers that they were drawn by a local artist. He is drawn to them (no pun intended!) because of the details of their faces, especially the eyes (the eyes are the windows of the soul, so to speak). He decides to start buying them and inviting the person whose portrait he buys to meet him in the square so he can "gift" them their own portrait. In the process of meeting them, he invites them into his world. He asks them questions about their lives and really builds relationships with many of the recipients from these encounters.

As the months go by, he establishes a core group of friends. They are people from all walks of life. They are different ages; have different interests; are different nationalities; one of the women he befriends (Ellen) is homeless. He is gentle, kind, supportive, non-judgmental...and incredibly secretive. The only person in town that knows anything about him is the lawyer, Mr. Ponder, since Theo retained him as an attorney when he came to town. Mr. Ponder wasn't actually taking any new clients when Theo approached him, but Theo is quite persuasive.

As the story progresses, we learn about the lives of this core group, and a little of Theo's past life (like he had a daughter who died in a car accident who he still mourns). This group starts supporting each other; sharing meals together; coming together to celebrate each other's successes; offering support during the hard times. The book simply flows. I can't describe it any better. You don't find out why Theo chose Golden - and how it all connects - until the very end. It's a heartwarming story about kindness and living a purpose-filled life. I really loved it - just like everyone else! Ha!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

I have owned this book for many, many years, but had never actually read it. So it was time. Since it was published in 1719, the language used and the writing style made this a slow read. My copy of the book had 397 pages and it felt like 1397. The first half of the book went faster for me because it details Crusoe's life before the shipwreck that strands him on the deserted island, and the 28 years he spent on the island. I enjoyed reading about his ingenuity for surviving on the island. Fortunately, the ship that was wrecked - causing everyone else to die - was initially accessible to Crusoe. He was able to get supplies, tools, weapons, food, clothing, etc. off of the ship before it shifted and sank. He was able to build a crude home for protection and hunt for food. As the years went by, and with all the time in the world, he became really creative in making tools, carving canoes out of tree trunks, weaving baskets, capturing baby goats which became his own personal herd so he had food, milk, cheese and didn't have to use his dwindling ammunition to shoot animals to eat. He also grew his own crops (grain and corn), which he discovered after he emptied out a container from the ship and there happened to be some seeds at the bottom. Over time, he realized what it was and he was able to plant seasonally and taught himself how to make a sort of bread (without yeast of course.)

While there were no wild animals that preyed on him on this island, there were "savages" who came to the island in their canoes to celebrate their battle wins by eating their prisoners. Yes, they were cannibals. There were different tribes (always fighting each other) that would show up on different sides of the island. They would stay to eat their prisoners and then leave. They had no idea that Crusoe lived on the island. He didn't know about them either for a long time. He had already fortified his home(s) so they were not easily seen, but as the years went on, the area surrounding his primary home was nearly impenetrable due to the thick foliage surrounding it. Eventually he saved some escaped prisoners who stayed extremely loyal to him from then on. One was a boy he named Friday. Then there were a group of Spaniards. Then Friday's father. When he finally was given an opportunity to leave the island, he took Friday with him and left the others there to maintain the goat herd, the crops, the homes, etc. It really surprised me when the story didn't end there! But no, all this happened, described in a very detailed account, in less than half the book.

The next 200+ pages described his further travels, worldwide. The various ships he traveled on, the countries he visited, the tragic encounters, the people he met. He actually married at one point and had a couple of kids, but after his wife died, he simply left the kids (somewhere?) to resume his travels. There were long sections about religion (paganism vs. Catholicism vs. Protestantism); a long journey over land (including Siberia); death, including a massacre; pirates; revisiting his island, which was now quite populated - which was also explained in detail; endless conversations with a variety of people. On and on and on. The last 50 pages were truly a struggle to get through! I pushed through but if the book had ended at page 189, I would have given it 4 stars. The rest of the book dropped it to a 3-star read for me. To give you some indication, Crusoe originally left his father's home as a teenager and he spent 28 years on the island. The book ended (finally!) when he was 72. It was a long, eventful life, I will certainly give him that!

Wendy's Rating: ***

Spare by Prince Harry

I listened to this on audiobook, read by Prince Harry. I have a deeper understanding of Prince Harry's decision to leave Royal life after reading this. I also understand why security for his family is so important to him, beyond what happened to his mother at the hands of the paparazzi. Thirdly, the fact that the media simply makes things up for the sensationalism of it all is driven home in this book. Anything to sell their story. After finishing this book, I started My Name is Barbra and Barbra Streisand says the exact same thing as Prince Harry on this subject in her Prologue! I think there is a difference between someone whose goal was to "be a star" vs. someone like Prince Harry who was simply born into it, however.

Prince Harry has a significant trauma history that he continues to battle. Even before Princess Diana died, his father's jokes about his true paternity and Harry being the second born (the spare) were engrained deeply into his soul. On top of that, he shoved his feelings inside and just kept pressing on. After his mother died, there were people who loved him of course, but he was not shown affection like his mother had shown him. The Royal family is hardcore. No demonstrations of affection at any level. He never hugged his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. It wasn't allowed. What a lonely existence.

Being second born, and with Prince William marrying Kate Middleton and starting a family, he continually dropped down the line of succession. He wasn't a good student (basically had no interest in the classroom), so he wasn't sure what to do with his life. He and his father decided that the Army would be best for him. He eventually learned how to fly an Apache helicopter, which is a complicated piece of aircraft. He thrived in the Army, but was called out suddenly, more than once, since he became a target for the enemy (he was in Afghanistan), putting himself and his unit in danger since there was such a high price on his head. He was not allowed to return after his second (shortened) deployment.

Harry did have two significant relationships before Meghan Markle: Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas. Neither were overly impressed or invested in him as a Royal, which is what Harry really loved about them. Unfortunately, the paparazzi harassed them, their friends, their family endlessly. No sane person wants to live that way, including them. When he met Meghan Markle, it was pretty much love at first sight. The paparazzi and the stories circulating in the media (some made up; some derogatory; some a result of betrayal) caused Meghan to consider suicide at one point. They really didn't have support from the Crown, who just wanted them to stay quiet and toe the line. It's incredibly sad. Prince Harry's actions and feelings since childhood are a reflection of how lost he really was.

Royal life would be a difficult life. What I want to say to all of them is this: "View the situation from a different perspective." Perspective-taking is key. Prince Harry is so focused on the lack of support shown him and his inability to get what he wanted (1/2-year Royal life in England; 1/2-year in a different country) that he loses sight of what life has been like for Prince William since birth. Prince William comes across as angry and unsupportive in this book, but his life has to be super challenging. As heir to the throne, he doesn't have a choice in anything at all. His wife doesn't either. They have to meet certain (high) standards set by the Queen/King. Harry can't seem to acknowledge that. Harry was allowed to "run free" and do all sorts of questionable things. William could never be free to do anything that would potentially hurt the image of the Royal family. I totally understand why William would be upset with Harry. On the other hand, Harry has a right to security. He has been a "target" his entire life and now with a wife and two young children to protect, his family should step up and help protect them. That's what families do. It's quite tragic. Hopefully Kate Middleton will change the Monarchy is ways that Diana was ultimately not able to. Kate can finish what Diana started.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Paris by Paris Hilton

I listened to this on Audiobook. It was read by Paris Hilton. People's personas on social media can be very different than the person behind the persona. I didn't have any particular interest in Paris Hilton before reading this, but her experiences pretty much shocked me. Paris doesn't present herself in this book any other way than what she is. She is privileged from a wealthy family. She is also a hard worker, which appears to be the case for every generation of her family. She is open and unapologetic about the challenge she was to her parents as a young teenager, who were very strict. She rebelled against that strictness in a very public way. That's the Paris Hilton I know from her antics being presented in the media. I also remember her from her show with Nicole Richie, which I never really watched, figuring it was silly.

So here is what I didn't know - and what the family didn't want anyone to know: Paris' parents sent her away for two years to Provo Canyon School in Utah, which was a "school" for troubled teens. Her parents told everyone else that she was in London. As an adult, Paris has fought to shut down Provo and other "schools" like Provo because of the intense abuse suffered by the children who have been forced to attend them. To be fair to Paris' parents, Provo was presented as something entirely different than how it was actually run. Paris begged her parents to take her out of Provo and made several attempts to escape it. She was always caught and forced to return - sometimes being turned in by her family. They simply didn't know what was going on. Paris tried to tell them, but having a "wild child" complaining about a school setting isn't likely to be believed by anyone. It's like the little boy who cried wolf once too often. Paris also grew up with undiagnosed ADHD, so that didn't help her behaviors.

With that being said, Paris was tormented and abused at Provo, along with everyone else who was there. They were taught to degrade and humiliate each other - oftentimes for several hours at a time. Trust was non-existent. There were times that Paris trusted other "students" who turned her in. There were other times that other "students" tricked her into thinking they wanted to escape too, but these were often attempts to turn the focus from themselves onto Paris, who would then be punished for it. Interestingly, Paris doesn't necessarily blame her parents for sending her to Provo since she accepts that they didn't honestly know what happened there. They believed they were doing the right thing, since she was out-of-control and they didn't want to "lose" her. She seems to definitely suffer from PTSD however, and I'm not sure her relationship with her mother will ever be 100% healthy. Her mother really doesn't seem to be comfortable talking about hard things in life. She's a "sweep it under the rug" and hope it goes away kind of person. According to her, their family needs to behave a certain way and be presented a certain way and anything less than that is unacceptable.

This memoir is well written and really demonstrates Paris' determination, intelligence, and limitless strength to push through, no matter what.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Sociopath by Patric Gagne

This was a very informational memoir. Since I work in the field of mental health, I found this first-person narrative of what it's like living with sociopathy very enlightening. I also liked learning the differences between sociopathy, psychopathy, and antisocial personality disorder. The majority of people use these three diagnoses interchangeably, which is understandable since the DSM-5 does not include sociopathy or psychopathy as standalone diagnoses.

Patric knew she was different from other kids at a very young age. She didn't experience any emotions like the people around her. She didn't feel guilty for hurting someone or doing something bad. She had no sense of remorse. This is one of the key symptoms of this diagnosis of course, but it was interesting when Patric explained that she felt something build up inside her that could only be released if she did something bad. Doing bad things allowed her to "feel" something, so that's why she did the things she did: breaking into homes, stealing things, stabbing a classmate in the neck with a pencil, and when she got older, stealing cars. Otherwise, she felt nothing.

Patric had to do a lot of her own research to understand sociopathy. She tried hard to maintain relationships with people she cared about, especially her mother, sister and her childhood friend/future husband, David. These are the people who seemed to accept her for who she was (for the most part.) Even though she may not experience "love" like the average person does, she does love people in her life. She certainly didn't want to lose them. I had a more difficult time understanding her relationship with her father. He pretty much forced her into the music industry (as a manager), but she ended up being really good at it. If you take away feelings like fear, guilt and empathy, you can be very successful in a ruthless business, which the music industry is. So, she became quite successful at it, even though she didn't necessary want to do it and eventually quit.

Patric's mission was to understand and accept herself and to live in this acceptance fully. She found herself always trying to mimic what other people did in specific situations so that she would fit in. With that being said, a lot of us do that! I did it myself for at least two decades of my life, so you don't have to be a sociopath to live in a way you think you should, rather than how you want. Honestly, I think that's human nature. I learned a lot however, and I'm glad that Patric was able to find acceptance and happiness with her husband and sons.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon

I really loved this book, maybe even more than The Frozen River. This is a historical fiction novel. Nancy Wake is Australian, but living in Paris. She is bold and fearless, and I admire her guts and determination. She doesn't let anything or anyone stop her from what she wants to do, or believes that she needs to do. Nancy is a journalist for Hearst, a job she got by bluffing her way into it. In the early 1930s, Nancy was sent by Hearst to interview Hitler, who was the German chancellor in Vienna at the time. In 1936, Nancy and her cameraman, Frank, are in Berlin and they witness a woman tied to a waterwheel being whipped again and again because she is Jewish. This is Nancy's first encounter with Obersturmfuhrer Wolff, who is known for his whip and his cruelty. I don't think Nancy hates anyone more than she hates this man/Nazi.

Also in 1936, Nancy meets Henri Fiocca, a wealthy industrialist. Her friend, Stephanie, defines Henri as, "the most notorious heartbreaker in all of France." Well, Henri sets his eyes on Nancy (and loves her laugh) and his gaze never leaves her. He is very attractive and Nancy is wary of his attention, especially because of his reputation. He wears her down however and they end up being the loves of each other's lives. Henri is an extremely supportive husband, even though he fears for Nancy's life and never knows if she will return to him after her missions for the French Resistance. Henri's father doesn't like this brash Australian at all, so they definitely don't have family support. Henri's father wants Henri to marry Marceline, a beautiful Frenchwoman who desperately wants Henri (or at least his money), but Henri is certainly not interested. A little foreshadowing: this poses a severe problem in the future.

The story alternates between time periods (between the years 1936-1944) and narrators (Nancy and Henri), and various places that Nancy and Henri find themselves. Nancy has four code names: "Madame Andree", "Lucienne Carlier", "Helene", and "The White Mouse". Nancy works with a variety of people (mostly men) and groups. In all situations she presents herself as a leader and people come to respect her as such. So, does it get confusing? Yes. It certainly does get confusing with all of the jumping around in time. On top of that, Nancy is not the only person using a code name! The reader does not always know that someone she meets in 1939 is the same person she is working with in 1944 because he is using a different name. Surprise!

I love reading books about strong women, especially when they actually existed. Nancy Wake was one exceptional woman. Well worth the read.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

I listened to this on audiobook, read by the author. First of all, Chanel Miller is a really talented writer. Her writing style is very engaging. This is a memoir about her experience being sexually assaulted on the Stanford University campus one night when she attended a frat party with her younger sister. It exposes the injustices of our legal system, which always seems to rule in the favor of wealth and status. I have to hope and pray that the tide will swing the other way one day, toward justice for the victims, regardless of their financial status.

Chanel Miller was known as "Emily Doe" until 2019. Her assault happened in 2015. It seemed to be a "slam dunk" case. Two Swedish men on bicycles saw her being assaulted, while unconscious, and caught the man after he ran from the scene and they called the police. Chanel was laying on the ground behind a dumpster, naked from the waist down, one breast hanging out, unresponsive. So, there were eye witnesses, DNA, the perpetrator running from the scene, and yet it took 15 months in the court system before the assaulter, Brock Turner, was found guilty of three felony offenses. Despite all the evidence, and the conviction, Brock was only given six months in the county jail (only three months for good behavior), because his family was wealthy and he was a star swimmer with a great scholarship. By the time this case was argued in court, Brock was declaring that the sexual encounter was consensual, and all of his character witnesses gave glowing reports of what a wonderful person he was. Of course, none of them had ever hung out with him while he was drinking heavily at a frat party.

Meanwhile, they painted Chanel as a black-out drunk who was promiscuous and a party animal. She was hammered away by the defense attorney about every minute detail of the day and night. Where did she have dinner? What did she have to eat? What time? How much? Why did she go to the party? Did she want to? Who did she go with? What time? What did she drink at dinner? How much? What time? And on and on and on. It was endless. And this was when she finally got to court! There was delay after delay, which put her life on hold, as well as her sister's life, who kept having to reschedule her life because of rescheduled court appearances. 

The turning point was when Chanel was not allowed to read her entire victim impact statement in court because it was too long. She was asked if it was okay to post the statement on BuzzFeed, and she said yes, because why not? She was disillusioned and angry and discouraged. Well the victim impact statement went viral, viewed by 11 million people in four days. It resulted in changes in California law and the recall of the judge who oversaw the case. Chanel reads her entire statement at the end of her book. It's extremely well-written and obviously very powerful. Highly recommend!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Dead Wake by Erik Larson

I listened to this via audiobook. I am a fan of Erik Larson. He does thorough research on his topic (a lot of his books are set in times of war) and presents the facts in an engaging and informative way. He includes what's going on with other key people at the time of the event(s), including personal information on their relationships at the time and/or their emotional frame of mind. I think this always adds to the story and helps to create a "bigger picture" of the era.

Dead Wake is about the sinking of the Lusitania in May 1915 during WWI. It was sunk by one torpedo that was fired by a German U-boat, whose captain, Walther Schwieger, was one of the deadliest captains the Germans had at the time. Schwieger only cared about the tonnage that he could sink. The greater the tonnage of the boat, the higher the honor. Since the Lusitania was a passenger cruise liner, with 2,000 passengers and crew on board, this was definitely a new "low" by the hands of the Germans.

The Lusitania was the fastest liner in service at the time. It could travel up to 26 knots, which is much faster than a U-boat could ever move. U-boats moved around 9 knots. So even though the Lusitania was traveling through an area where U-boats were known to be present, most people, including Captain William Thomas Turner, believed that it could flee the danger of an U-boat. Yep. And..... the Titanic was considered "unsinkable".

So, the Titanic sunk in 1912 and the industry made significant changes so that this type of event would not ever happen again. The Lusitania had plenty of lifeboats and lifejackets on board - enough for every person on board. They also trained the crew to handle the two different types of lifeboats on board, including regular drills. BUT, they didn't instruct the passengers on emergency procedures; didn't assign boats/locations for the passengers to go to in an emergency; didn't even instruct the passengers how to correctly put on their lifejackets. These facts became issues that compounded the problem of course. It also hurt deeply that the crew members that were trained in how to manage the lifeboats were mostly killed by the torpedo blast, since the torpedo landed in their section of the boat.

This was a chain reaction of unfortunate timing, from beginning to end. The Lusitania left England late; the Lusitania couldn't travel as fast as it normally could because management of the Cunard Line told Captain Turner to only use three of the four funnels; since there was no sonar at the time, a deep fog had the Lusitania traveling slower during parts of the journey and it ended up over 12 miles from the coast as they approached Liverpool instead of the normal 1 mile or so; the evaporation of the fog was advantageous to the U-boats in the area since now they could see other boats in the area; Schwieger miscalculated the speed of the Lusitania and aimed the torpedo according to his calculations of the ship going faster than it actually was, so the torpedo hit a spot that actually sunk the entire ship in a matter of minutes. If he had known the ship was going only 18 knots, the torpedo would have hit a part of the ship that allowed people to use the lifeboats, etc.

The reader also learns about President Wilson's emotional state at this time (the death of his wife); how deeply Wilson felt about the USA staying out of WWI; "Room 40" which was a top secret British intelligence site that intercepted German radio transmissions; all the known movements of the German U-boats in the area and other sinkings of boats at the time that no one shared with Captain Turner. So much information.

The conspiracy theorists believe that Britain allowed the Lusitania to be torpedoed simply to get the USA involved in the war. Britain was losing the war at this point and they needed the USA to step up. I would certainly hope that is a false theory. Such a tragedy.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Nightfall by Shannon Messenger

This is the 6th book of this series. I think I was experiencing "series fatigue" in this book. I found myself being irritated with Sophie for focusing on her human parents after they were kidnapped by the Neverseen. Why wouldn't she be focused on them? She loved them. I found myself just wanting her to move on and focus on the "big picture" problem. Very insensitive of me. Part of the problem is waiting too long to read the next book in the series. I lose track of what the key goal is in this story. I'm glad that she finally let one of the three boys that love her go though. It's difficult to not like all the guys that are interested in her, but she needed to let someone off the hook. So Dex has finally been set free. The other two, Fitz and Keefe, are both awesome and it's difficult to decide between them. I have a tendency to favor Keefe, but to be fair, the focus was on him for this book. Fitz might take a bigger role in Book 7 and then I will switch back to him.

Anyway, Sophie's human parents are taken and being held prisoners by the Neverseen at a place called Nightfall. Keefe's mother, Lady Gisela, once a part of the Neverseen and now apparently wanting to work with the Black Swan, has knowledge of Nightfall (because she designed it - as well as the monsters that guard it.) No one trusts her (for good reason), but Sophie & gang need her and the information she is willing to give them about Nightfall if they are going to find Sophie's parents. Sophie's human sister, Amy, is brought in to the Elvin world, and she is initially kept safe in Atlantis, the infamous city sunk in the ocean. Then she is moved for her protection because the Neverseen seem to know everything about Sophie and her cohorts. Another element has been introduced into the story: Soporidine. This is a drug that has been developed by the Neverseen that will induce someone to go to "sleep" indefinitely. There is an antidote, but the Neverseen are the only ones that have it. Sophie & friends & the council are definitely behind the eight ball in this installment. 

The gang finds Alden, the betrayer and Fitz & Bianna's sibling, at Nightfall. He is severely injured and in a deep sleep caused by Soporidine. They take him back with them. They are trying to develop an antidote to the Soporidine, which they will need for him to wake up and give them information about the Neverseen and where they are holding Sophie's human parents. The only thing they find at Nightfall is Alden. Then they find out that the original Nightfall is actually in Atlantis.

The elves manage to team up with King Dimitar of the ogres. He is initially hesitant, since they are known enemies, but he comes around. He sends his daughter, Princess Ro, to be Keefe's bodyguard after he is nearly mortally wounded. She is a wonderful addition to the team!

This is a good vs. evil story and it's taking some time for good to conquer evil!

Wendy's Rating: ****

Filthy Rich The Jeffrey Epstein Story by James Patterson, John Connolly with Tim Malloy

I listened to this on audiobook. I love finding out the true story, based on actual interviews, court proceedings and documentation of an investigation. This book starts in 2004-2005, when Jeffrey Epstein is using high schoolers to recruit other high schoolers to go to his home to give him a massage. He concentrates on young girls, as young as 14 years old, who are poor and vulnerable. He offers them $200 a massage; but he will give them more money if they are willing to do other things. These "massages" are mostly done with Epstein being naked and him encouraging the girls to take off their clothes. He masturbates, uses vibrators and massagers, and touches them with his hands. He does have intercourse with some - and even rapes one of his accusers. He sex-trafficked Virginia Giuffre, and I'm sure she wasn't the only one. He only seeks/wants girls that are thin and attractive. There are beautiful women who assist him with this process. Ghislaine Maxwell, the most well-known thanks to her friendship with ex-Prince Andrew and her prison sentence for sex trafficking for Epstein, is only one woman who helps Epstein lure hundreds of minor girls to his home.

The book then explores Epstein's childhood, family life, journey to wealth through questionable means, high intelligence, connections to people in high places, etc. It's interesting that it's so difficult to track how he actually became a multi-millionaire. He was an expert at manipulating numbers and people. What's most disturbing is the number of people who still considered him a friend or had business dealings with him after his first arrest and conviction for procuring a girl for prostitution of a person under 18. (Which was a despicable plea deal.) What's most disgusting (and there are quite a lot of things to find disgusting about this story) is the attempt to set up Epstein's accusers as extortionists. One of the most difficult things to discover in the book (other than the actual sexual actions of Epstein with young, vulnerable minors), is Alan Dershowitz, the American lawyer and Harvard Law professor, who denied all involvement with Epstein and his sexual activities with minor children. Yet Virginia Giuffre accused him of participating in his own sexual activities with her. I believe Virginia. Dershowitz was on the "dream team" defending OJ Simpson, was a member of Harvey Weinstein's defense team (another scumbag), defended Trump in his impeachment trial, and helped negotiate the non-prosecution agreement on Epstein's behalf. I really despise him.

This investigation is (further) proof that there is no justice if enough money is involved. It was a difficult read in that respect, but I do like to know more of the "truth" about a situation than what we read/hear in the media. This is a man who preyed on the vulnerable. I actually don't care if he committed suicide in prison or was murdered. It's one less criminal that the tax payers have to support. Good riddance.

Wendy's Rating: ****

My Next Breath by Jeremy Renner

I listened to this on audiobook, read by Jeremy Renner. I remember hearing about his accident in the very first reports made to the public. I had no idea at the time that getting "run over by a snow plow trying to save his nephew" meant getting crushed by a 14,000 lb Snow Cat! What's most remarkable about this story is Jeremy's survival. His fortitude and strength to save himself on the ice seems unmatched. He is a tough son of a gun, to put it very mildly! Ha! It was interesting to listen to his thoughts on life, because this is ultimately what saved him. His "clarity of intention" once the Snow Cat rolled off of him was to breathe. Without breath, there is no life. So he concentrated on breathing, one painful breath at a time - for 45 minutes! He believes he died once, but came back through shear persistence and the knowledge that he would stay dead if he didn't "wake up" and take another breath. He strongly believes that "complacency is death" and one must take action because doing something screams love and shows that you care.

Jeremy's personality shines through this memoir for sure. He's tough as nails, loves deeply, speaks freely, and was The. Worst. Patient. Ever. He was honest about what a jerk he was to the hospital staff. He continually ignored doctor's advice. He persuaded his poor nephew, the actual witness to this traumatic event, to do things against his better judgement. Jeremy is a force to be reckoned with. Many of these qualities (which I would consider undesirable in a family member or friend) is what saved his life. He is a man who decided to "face his fears" years ago, one after another. According to Jeremy, fear is simply caused by a lack of information. So the way to face a fear is to arm yourself with information so that it's no long scary. He also stated that something only has value if you give it value. He gave me a lot of things to think about.

Jeremy apologizes a lot in the book to his family and friends for bringing such trauma into their lives. He is obviously very close to his sister, nephew, and daughter. There seemed to be some relationship issues between his sister & mother (since they hadn't talked for months before the accident) and I couldn't get a good read on his actual relationship with his mother and father - a part from their (separate) support after the accident. What I do know is that this traumatic event, and his survival of it, has changed him forever. He has a sense of humor, but there is one incident in the book that I laughed about, out loud, for minutes! It was toward the end of the book and Jeremy explains the process the doctor used to take the four screws out of his face. He is incredibly funny in how he describes it. And then he went to Taco Bell. Hilarious!

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

This is the true story of Stephane Breitwieser and Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus who stole over 300 pieces of art from museums and churches (mostly museums) all over Europe in the late 1990s - early 2000s. They stole for the beauty of the art, not because they wanted to try to sell it for money. They actually had very little money, living with Stephane's mother and living off the wages earned by Anne-Catherine and money given to Stephane by his mother and grandparents. This is a unique story for so many reasons. First of all, Stephane's theft of art was definitely a compulsion. Once he locked in on a piece of art, he would take any risk to get it. Secondly, Anne-Catherine was a willing participant in these thefts, usually being the "look out" for Stephane as he was figuring out how to get the art out of its box, frame, etc. Thirdly, Stephane's mother most definitely turned a blind eye to what he was doing. He and Anne-Catherine hauled these 300+ works of art into HER home and upstairs to their bedroom and the attic. She never said anything about it.

Although I personally am not over interested in art - or art museums - I still enjoyed reading how Stephane managed to take each of these pieces without being caught. There are so many small museums all over Europe that it was so easy for them to travel around taking items since these small museums don't have the money for security measures, including guards. Plus, art displayed in museums are for people to come in and enjoy looking at. Art is "for the people." Stephane didn't take the most valuable or famous pieces of art; he took what caught his interest. He loved things made out of silver or ivory, and oil-based paintings.

Eventually Stephane's compulsion got the best of him and he was caught. It also took the different counties involved to join forces to zero in on "the couple" seen in museums before things went missing. Years in fact. Once they figured it out, and arrested Stephane, he spent some time in prison while they put a case together. Anne-Catherine and Stephane's mother were also charged. The reactions of these three people, as well as Stephane's father who decided to re-enter Stephane's life at this point, was interesting and curious. Can you say deeply dysfunctional people? Anne-Catherine decided that silence was the best action; Stephane's mother went with denial and destruction; Stephane's father decided that his son was a bit too much for him after all; Stephane was simply a thief. An interesting character-study read.

Wendy's Rating: ****