Mailbox Monday/In My Mailbox 2-8-10

Mailbox Monday is hosted at The Printed Page or In Your Mailbox at The Story Siren on Sunday. Please stop by those posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!





Corked
by Kathryn Borel

"When it comes to champagne and our family, my father has only one absolute rule: We do not drink it when we are sad."

Meet Philippe Borel, retired hotelier, former chef, and eccentric genius, and his daughter Kathryn Borel. Kathryn is a clone of her father in every way except one: he is a wine expert and she couldn't care less. Philippe has dedicated the better part of his life to researching, collecting, and studying wine. And since Kathryn's birth, he has dedicated the better part of his parenting to teaching her about wine, to no avail.

After an accident and a death, Kathryn realizes that by shutting herself off to her father's relentless wine-stained orations, she has shut herself off from an integral part of him. And so, she proposes a father-daughter road trip. Corked is her no-holds-barred account of their tour through Alsace, Burgundy, Cotes du Rhone, and the Languedoc.

Though Corked is a book for anyone who has never understood how wine can taste like beetroot, wet dog, cigar smoke, coffee bean, or anything other than "winey," it is, above all, for anyone who has awoken one morning glove-slapped by the realization that his or her parents will die one day, and in the name of love and genes and existential insight and friendship, has wanted to figure out who they are. (inside cover)



Yesterday's Promise
by Linda Lee Chaikin

He fought to seek his fortune. Would he lose a greater treasure: the love he left behind?

As the son of the squire of Grimston Way, aristocrat Rogan Chantry has fought hard to win his independence form Sir Julien Bley and the British South Africa Company. Now, his pursuit of a mysterious deposit of gold, marked on a map willed to him by his murdered uncle, Henry Chantry, is challenged by a new complication: the impending British colonization of South Africa. Can Sir Rogan find the gold in the midst of escalating tensions among the native tribesmen, the missionaries sent to win them, an the new colonists?

Meanwhile, Evy Varley, the woman Rogan loves back in England, is headed for a brave yet dangerous confrontation with Henry's killer -- but at what price? With so much against Rogann and Evy, a reunion seems improbable, if not impossible. Can yesterday's promise hold them faithful to the hope of future freedom and a victorious love? (back cover)



Beneath a Southern Sky
by Deborah Raney

Her second husband healed the sorrow of a tragic loss. Her first has just returned from the dead. Which man has the right to claim Daria's heart?

After two years of serving as a missionary in a remote area of South America, Daria Camfield has returned to the States to mourn her husband, reportedly killed while providing medical aid to a neighboring Colombian village.

One family discovers how God can redeem any tragedy.

At first, Daria finds comfort only in the daughter born to her after Nate's tragic death. As she begins to heal, she also finds a listening ear and a tender heart in her new boss, veterinarian Colson Hunter. Determined to move forward with life, Daria ignores the still small voice calling her to wait and accepts Cole's marriage proposal. But after the wedding, Daria's new dream life turns into a nightmare following the arrival of an unbelievable telegram: "Nathan Canfield found alive. Flying int K.C. Int'l via Bogota. . ."

Now, two men have the right to her daughter, her life, and her love. Will Daria return to her beloved first husband, abandoning Cole? Or will she reject Nate and choose the only man her daughter has ever called "Daddy" -- a man she has come to cherish with all her heart? (back cover)


Starting Over
by Andy Serwer

Bookended by 9/11 at the beginning and an epic financial meltdown at the end, the first decade of this century will surely go down as one of the most difficult in American history. We were plagued by a series of catastrophes and major missteps, from the convoluted presidential election in 2000, to the invasion of Iraq, to the devastation of Katrina as well as all manner of financial shenanigans such as Enron, the tragedy of GM and Bernie Madoff.

It wasn't just coincidence that this carnage all occurred over the past ten years though. Rather, much of it was brought about by years of neglect and deferral of responsibility. In this book, FORTUNE Magazine Editor Andy Serwer explains how we fell into this national hole and more importantly how we can and will pull ourselves out of it as we head into what could well be another most promising decade for America. Critical to this rebound is a learning of the lessons of the recent past such as accepting responsibility, punishing financial alchemy and excess, and refocusing on our core strengths like innovation and a political system which is a beacon to the rest of the world. Now is the time for Starting Over. (inside cover)



Kids, Wealth, and Consequences
by Richard A. Morris and Jayne A. Pearl

How to make the financial rewards of one generation the starting point for the dreams of the next generation.

Kids, Wealth, and Consequences provides an iterative, chapter-by-chapter process that leads parents to a deeper understanding of themselves and what their choices and actions mean for their children.

The book describes how parents can impart to their children the skills they need for successful, happy lives. Morris and Pearl help parents evaluate how their choices in spending, financial management, and estate planning affect the wealth and the legacy they will leave behind. The authors offer ways for parents to discuss money with their children, teaching them how to spend, invest, and manage it responsibly. Parents also learn how to avoid the unintended consequences of inherited wealth, such as uncontrolled spending, lack of direction, lack of self-esteem, and dependency.

In addition, the authors address the key financial, intellectual, and emotional issues of wealth. The book tackles such "hard" issues as investing and estate planning as well as such soft" issues as values, family, and communication in a way that underscores the interplay among all three areas.

Morris and Pearl cite experts to illustrate key points and also include insights into how recent economic difficulties have affected decision making. (inside cover)