The Rockin' Chair by Steven Manchester (Book Review)

The Rockin' Chair
by Steven Manchester
on Tour July 1 - August 31

Book Details
Genre: Fiction
Published by: The Story Plant
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
Number of Pages: 242
Purchase Links:

Synopsis: Memories are the ultimate contradiction. They can warm us on our coldest days – or they can freeze a loved one out of our lives forever. The McCarthy family has a trove of warm memories. Of innocent first kisses. Of sumptuous family meals. Of wondrous lessons learned at the foot of a rocking chair. But they also have had their share of icy ones. Of words that can never be unsaid. Of choices that can never be unmade. Of actions that can never be undone.Following the death of his beloved wife, John McCarthy – Grandpa John – calls his family back home. It is time for them to face the memories they have made, both warm and cold. Only then can they move beyond them and into the future.

A rich portrait of a family at a crossroad, The Rockin’ Chair is Steven Manchester’s most heartfelt and emotionally engaging novel to date. If family matters to you, it is a story you must read.

My thoughts:  If you have spent anytime on book blogs this summer, I am sure that you have seen this book crop up.  I am not sure what I can say about it that hasn't already been said.  It was a wonderful read, with Grampa John imparting wisdom - wisdom that should be obvious, but sometimes it takes someone to point it out to us.

The family has scattered across the U.S. - well, really the world - with George being in Afghanistan, but as Alice, John's wife, continues to worsen, he puts out a call to bring the grandchildren home.  Even though his son Hank lives within an arm's reach, he might as well have been across the world with the distance that has separated him and his father John for many years.

I loved the way that the other drew everyone's sorrows out in their own time, without judgment and how Grampa John orchestrated the time they needed to share that sorrow with him.  It is a really good story about family - their struggles, their mistakes, the lines that separate and the bonds that draw us back together.

~I received a complimentary ecopy from Partners in Crime  Book Tours and Providence Book  Promotions in exchange for my unbiased review.~

Read an excerpt:

Elle picked up Evan, Tara and Lila at the airport. As she approached the threesome, she gasped at the sight of her emaciated daughter. For a few moments, Tara’s eyes scanned every inch of her mother’s face before she spread her twig-like arms. Elle hugged her, then pulled away and peered into her sunken eyes. “Are you sick?” she asked.

While Tara shrugged, Elle grabbed Evan for a hug. “I’ll explain it on the way,” he whispered in her ear.

Lila stood there, looking up at her grandmother—curiously.

Elle bent down and smiled at the baby. “Hello, my love,” she whispered, “Grandma’s waited much too long to meet you.” The little girl was a living doll. She had Tara’s strawberry blond curls and the same dark eyes as Alice.

Lila grinned. “Hi, Gramma,” she said, and never flinched when Elle scooped her up and kissed her cheek.

Elle looked back at Tara and could feel her eyes swell with tears.

“Grandma?” Evan asked, grabbing her attention.

Elle shook her head, the tears beginning to cascade down her tired face.

“When?” he asked.

Elle reached for his hand. “Last night…right in Grampa’s lap.”

“In the rockin’ chair?” he asked, his voice cracking.

Elle nodded again.

Evan’s eyes filled. “Where else?” he said.

Elle noticed the confusion in her daughter’s eyes and thought, She’s so out of it.

Before Elle could explain, Evan leaned into Tara’s ear and filled it with the bad news. “We’re one day too late. Grandma passed away last night.”

Though delayed, Tara burst into tears.

As they left the airport terminal, Elle walked alongside Evan. “How did you find her in New York?” she asked in a whisper. “Her cell phone’s been turned off for weeks.” She looked back at her daughter, who was already lagging behind.

“It wasn’t easy,” he said, and shook his head. “Let’s just say…thank God I did.”

Author Bio:

Steven Manchester is the author of the #1 bestseller Twelve Months, Goodnight, Brian, and several other books. His work has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s The Early
Show, CNN’s American Morning and BET’s Nightly News. Recently, three of Manchester’s short stories were selected “101 Best” for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Catch Up with Steven:

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Book Review and Giveaway! A Spoonful of Sugar by Brenda Ashford

Title: A Spoonful of Sugar: A Nanny's Story
Author: Brenda Ashford
Publisher: Doubleday

About the Book: Brenda Ashford is the quintessential British nanny. Prim and proper, gentle and kind, she seems to have stepped straight out of Mary Poppins. For more than six decades Nanny Brenda swaddled, diapered, dressed, played with, sang to, cooked for, and looked after more than one hundred children. From the pampered sons and daughters of lords ensconced in their grand estates to the children of tough war evacuees in London’s East End, Brenda has taught countless little ones to be happy, healthy, and thoroughly well bred. In this delightful memoir, Brenda shares her endearing, amusing, and sometimes downright bizarre experiences turning generations of children into successful adults.

From the moment Brenda first held her baby brother David she was hooked. She became a second mother to him, changing his nappies, reading him stories, and giving him all the love her warm heart contained. Knowing a career caring for children was her calling in life, Brenda attended London’s prestigious Norland College, famous for producing top-notch nannies. It was a sign of privilege and good taste for the children of the well-to-do to be seen being pushed in their Silver Cross prams by Norland nannies, who were recognizable by their crisp, starched black uniforms with white bib collars, and their flowing black capes lined with red silk. And what skills were these trainees tested on daily? Lullaby singing, storytelling, pram shining, bed making, all forms of sewing, cooking simple meals, and dispensing first aid—including knowing the best way to help the medicine go down.

In A Spoonful of Sugar, Brenda recalls her years at Norland and her experiences during the war (after all, even if bombs are dropping, there’s no reason to let standards slip), and recounts in lovely detail a life devoted to the care of other people’s children.

Sprinkled throughout with pearls of wisdom (you can never give children too much love, and you should learn how to sew a button, for goodness’ sake), this delightful memoir from Britain’s oldest living nanny is practically perfect in every way.

PEARLS OF WISDOM FROM BRENDA ASHFORD

"I had puzzled many times over the ingredients for a perfect recipe for a happy home. Throw in some stability, a dash of routine and respect. Sprinkle some fun and imaginative games and stir well. But the most vital ingredient is the mother. The mother is truly the heart and soul of a family.”

“As for fussy eaters? I don’t stand for it. I have taken a hard line on this topic. This is a home, not a restaurant and you will jolly well try it before you turn your nose up at it.”

“If a child has sufficient breakfast, lunch and dinner they shouldn't need a snack. I don’t really like it today when I see children being wheeling along in a pram stuffing things in their mouth. ”

“Children cannot get up to your level, so you have to get down to theirs; try and understand how the world looks through their eyes.”

“If we respect little people then they in turn will grow up to respect others.”

“Put a book in a child’s hands or plant them in an empty field or park, and suddenly the world opens up and becomes a fantastical place of make believe and adventure.”

“Never let a house define you. You can make a home anywhere from an air raid shelter to a shed, if you have to. Riches and wealth don’t matter a jot.”

“I was always honest with my charges. In fact in every area of my life I have been most careful to never tell a lie. Why can’t everyone be more careful to tell the truth? At least we would all know where we stand in life.”

“Little folk deserve a childhood that’s full of fun. It’s the single most valuable lesson in my eyes. I have always encouraged children to have a giggle wherever and whenever they can.”

PEARLS OF WISDOM FROM A Spoonful of Sugar: A Nanny’s Story by Brenda Ashford
*9780385536417* On Sale April 2, 2013
Strung Together During 60 Years of Devoted Service as a Nanny

My Thoughts: This was such an easy book to read.  The words just flowed out of the pages.  You could really feel the passion that Ms. Ashford had for those children in her care -- really all children.  Reading the book, it was hard to picture a 90+ woman writing it, as the spirit and energy was of someone much younger.

As you can see from the Pearls of Wisdom above, she is very honest and down to earth, and I don't know of anyone who would not benefit from some of her advice. About the first 1/3 of the book was dedicated to her own childhood and how she came about deciding she wanted to be a nanny, as well as her training at Norland Institute. For the most part, the rest of the book is dedicated to the time she spent with some of her charges and their families.  From humor to tragedy, she has experienced it all.

For some reason, and this is probably just the English flavor that the book had, but it reminded me of the books written by James Herriott and his experiences of being a vet.  They just seemed to have the same rhythm and style and leave you with just a feeling of goodwill.

Purchase Links:

  

Tour Schedule:

Stop by & you could win a copy for yourself!

About the author: Brenda Ashford is a graduate of Norland College, a world-famous institute for British nannies.  For sixty-two years, she cared for more than one hundred children, making her Britain's longest serving nanny.  She lives outside London.

Thank you to the team at Doubleday, Ms. Ashford and Providence Book Promotions for generously offering this book to me for review.
If you'd like to join in on an upcoming tour just stop by their sites and sign up today!




A Spoonful of Sugar
Publisher/Publication Date: Doubleday, April 2, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-385-53641-7
320 pages

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Book Review: Five Years to Live by Frank Zaccari (And Giveaway!)

Title: Five Years to Live
Author: Frank Zaccari
Publisher: Frank Zaccari, Create Space

About the book: It is the phone call every person lives in fear of receiving. There has been an accident and your loved one is paralyzed. A spinal cord injury is the single most devastating and life altering event. Based on a true story, Michael and Donna were young, successful, in love and planning their life together. That life was radically changed by a tragic car accident. Now a wheelchair user as a quadriplegic, with limited movement, constant infections and multiple surgeries, doctors projected Michael's best case life expectancy to be five years. See how this young man battles through his injury and spends his five years making a lasting impact on hundreds of people. It will make you realize what can be accomplished when a person does not let circumstances dictate their life.


Excerpt from Five Years to Live: 

With terror in his voice, he said, “I’m not going to walk again, am I?”
“We don’t really know yet, like I said…”
Michael angrily cut her off “Answer the god-damn question. I’m not going to walk again am I?
“I don’t know Michael.” Tears began to will up in his eyes, and he looked at her, begging for an answer.
After she wiped the tear from her eyes she said “The odds are not in your favor.”

My Thoughts:  When I first started reading this book, I kept waiting for the lightning to strike.  Because of the title and the cover, I figured this was going to be a tear jerker.  Surprisingly it was a book full of hope and perseverance.  

We meet Michael and Donna before they start dating - when they are young and the world is their oyster.  They have dreams and things they want to accomplish and when they meet, their worlds seem to mesh.  Planning on getting married and starting a new job, Michael sets out on a road trip for work which ends in disaster.  In the fog and rain, on a New Jersey turnpike, he hits a disabled car that hadn't been moved off the road properly.  As you can tell by the cover, he breaks his neck and ends up in a wheelchair.  After 8 painstaking months in the hospital, he sets out on a new course, and a new life.  He hopes to share it with Donna, but knows the life they dreamed of is now not possible.  

There are a lot of great quotes and inspirational sayings through out the book - the one that probably hit me the most with some things going on in my family right now was - "Remember this, the people who are the hardest to love are usually the ones that need love the most." 

Author Bio:

Frank Zaccari is a native of western New York. He received his bachelor’s in finance from California State University at Sacramento after serving as a military medic in the United States Air Force. He spent more than two decades in the technology industry, holding various positions from account representative to CEO. He also spent time specializing in turn-around management of companies under $100 million. Zaccari left the industry to provide primary care of his children, purchasing a small business that was more accommodating to his family. He presently owns an insurance agency in Sacramento, where he currently resides. “Five Years to Live” is not his only book for sale. He has also written, “When the Wife Cheats,” “From the Ashes: The Rise of the University of Washington Volleyball Program,” and “Inside the Spaghetti Bowl.”

Websites & Links:  
http://www.frankzaccari.com/

Purchase Link:

Amazon

~I received a complimentary ebook of Five Years to Live from Providence Book Promotions and Partners In Crime Book Tours in exchange for my unbiased review.~

I have been given the opportunity to give away one copy of Mr. Zaccari's Inside the Spagetti Bowl to one of my readers in U.S./Canada.  Please fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter!

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Five Years to Live
Publisher/Publication Date: Frank Zaccari, CreateSpace/Oct 2012
ISBN: 
245 pages
Genre: Family/Relationship