Mailbox Monday (Feb 7, 2011)

 Mailbox Monday's host for February is Library of Clean Reads. In My Mailbox is hosted Sundays at The Story Siren. Please visit these posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week! 

The Midwife's Confession

by Diane Chamberlain

When Noelle Downie is found dead of an apparent overdose, her best friends Tara and Emerson are left blindsided by her death and struggling with burning questions.  Everything they knew about their longtime friend -- her natural calling as a midwife, her passion for causes, her love for her friends and family -- portrayed a woman who completely embraced life, not someone suicidal.

Clearing out Noelle's small home, Tara and Emerson encounter old photos, handwritten birth records, and sincere thank you notes from Noelle's former patients -- no hint that Noelle had been unstable during the years leading to her suicide.  But among Noelle's belongings, an unfinished letter is discovered -- a clue to a disturbing past and an unbearable secret.  With just one piece to the puzzle, Tara and Emerson commit to digging deeper for clues, slowly peeling back years of hidden deception that had been silently tearing apart their best friend.

I received a copy of this book from Meryl L. Moss Media Relations and will be reviewing in April.

"What Will Happen to Me?"

by Howard Zehr and Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz

What is life like for a child who has a parent in prison?  This book includes:

• Photographic portraits of 30 children whose parents are incarcerated, along with their thoughts and reflections, in their own words.
• Reflections of several grandparents who are unexpectedly parenting children whose parents are incarcerated.
• "Ten Questions Often Asked by Children."
• "Dealing with Emotions" - including grief and loss, shame and stigma, anger and isolation.
• Resources for "Staying in Touch," "Finding Moments of Celebration," "Adjusting to a Parent's Return," "Self-Care for Family Caregivers," and "Suggestions for Third-Party Caregivers."
• "The Children's Bill of Rights," along with thoughtful consideration about how to apply restorative justice and respect for relationships in these difficult situations.

I received a copy of this book from FSB Associates and will be reviewing it this month.

Love Drunk Cowboy

by Carolyn Brown



She's a self-made city girl. . .

High-powered career woman Austin Lanier suddenly finds herself saddled with an inherited watermelon farm deep in the countryside.  She's determined to sell the farm until drop-dead sexy neighbor cowboy Rye O'Donnell shows up. . .

He's as intoxicating as can be . . .

Rancher Rye O'Donnell thinks he's going to get a good deal on his dream property -- until he meets the fiery new owner.  Rye is knocked sideways when he realizes that not only is Granny Lanier's city-slicker granddaughter a savvy businesswoman, she's also sexy as hell. . .

Suddenly Rye is a whole lot less interested in real estate and a whole lot more focused on getting Austin to set aside her stiletto heels. . .

I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks and will be reviewing in April.

What books came home with you this week?