Title: Stray Affections
Author: Charlene Ann Baumbich
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
First sentence: Preoccupied by troubling news, Cassandra accidentally broiled a batch of cookies.
My synopsis: The story starts out by introducing us to Cassandra and her brood of 4 boys. We soon learn that she has a penchant for collecting knick-knacks of "critters" - usually dogs.
She attends a Collectors' Convention, without her usual companion Margret, and gets swept away by a snow globe that contains three dogs and a young girl. She impulsively buys it - paying more than she probably should have - but pleased with herself anyway. Unfortunately the day end by her getting popped in the nose by a large bag, having her wallet stolen, and then being interviewed on TV as both her eyes are developing bruises.
Her mom, Betty, sees the news and is immediately all over Cassandra with the "I told you so's". Cassandra and her mother have never had a great mother/daughter relationship. Cassandra's father passed when she was young and her mother was constantly putting her down, to the point where Cassandra and her friend Margret started calling her Bad Betty.
The snow globe seems to be the only high point recently in Cassandra's life. Upon looking into it - soon after she purchased it - she has what she can only describe as a "flurrious" moment - where the snow in the globe twirled to the point of a white out. When it calmed down, the dogs and the little girl where gone.
My thoughts: I enjoyed this book very much and read it in just a couple of sittings. I liked the way that all the story lines seemed to be in upheaval at the same time - and that they all could see the changes that were being made or needed to be made. I actually liked Bad Betty. It gave, what appeared to be a perfect life (Cassandra's) a little tension. I would recommend this book to a friend - good book to read in front of a cozy fire!
Purchase Stray Affections
Stray Affections
Publisher/Publication Date: Waterbrook Press, Sept 15, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-307-44471-4
320 pages
Stray Affections blog tour concludes today - but please visit my previous post to read more about the book and hear from the author. Also sign up for the giveaway while you are there!
3 comments:
I thought this was a sweet book. Bad Betty really wasn't all that bad - she'd just had a tough life.
I love that first line. I was so distracted once, I went to put the scissors in the fridge!
That flurrious moment was very intriguing. Sounds a fun book. And I get distracted too, can spend months looking for something I put down when I wasn't thinking.
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