INCIDENT AT SAN MIGUEL BY A.J. SIDRANSKY—A REVIEW BY VERONICA JORGE
May 22, 2023 by Veronica Jorge in category Book Reviews by Veronica Jorge, Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as A.J. Sidranksy, book review, Incident at San Miguel, Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
Incident at San Miguel
By A.J. Sidransky
Black Opal Books 2023
ISBN 978-1-953434-96-8
1950s Cuba, the pearl of the Caribbean, is the idyllic home of the Cohen family whose ancestors found refuge in Cuba after being exiled from Poland during World War II and the Nazi regime. The two Cohen brothers, Aaron and Moises, are up and coming young men ready to make their mark on the world.
Aaron, a bank lawyer, enjoys the relaxing nonchalance of the tropics and is eagerly hoping for a promotion, and planning his wedding.
Moises, somber and studious, and at odds with his family over his political stance, spends his time engrossed in Marxism, grappling with what he sees as the corruption inherent in the current society.
The relaxing nonchalance of the island paradise is thrown into an uproar by the fire of revolution, and the eventual overthrow of the government by Fidel Castro and his brother Raul.
Moises, enraptured by the revolution, determines to fight against “the cathedral of capitalism and its den of thieves.”
When property and businesses are confiscated, the young men’s parents find themselves living their own parents’ nightmares of having to flee their native country.
Marked an enemy of the working class, Aaron the banker, is sidelined and must now kowtow to former aides. Attempting to obtain visas out of the country for his family, he finds himself trapped in a cruel game of cat and mouse.
Desperate to save his family, Aaron seeks out his brother Moises for help. But he’s part of Fidel’s group. Will he help? Can he trust him?
How strong will family ties prove for two brothers on the opposite sides of revolution and history?
Destructive alliances, family ties, and the uplifting power of faith, culture, and love make Incident at San Miguel a compelling and engrossing read.
For more of Alan Sidransky’s books, in which he writes about ordinary people faced with extraordinary events and situations, check out his website at www.ajsidransky.com. You can also read my reviews on this blog of some of his other titles.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on June 22nd.
Other Books Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
The Witch Whisperer: A Review by Veronica Jorge
March 22, 2023 by Veronica Jorge in category Book Reviews by Veronica Jorge, Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as Barb Delong, book review, Keepers of Magic Series, The Witch Whisperer, Veronica Jorge
THE WITCH WHISPERER
Book 1 in the Keepers of Magic Series
BARB DELONG
The Wild Rose Press, 2023
ISBN 978-1-5092-4722-6
Willow Gladstone, one of the Elite witches with healing hands, strives for and is obsessed with being perfect. When her magic powers go awry: plates flying out of cupboards, silverware lifting off the table, and worse, she panics. As a witch living in a world of regular mortals, it’s her responsibility to keep her magic hidden and in check. If she can’t control her powers, the Bureau of Magic will incarcerate her in the secret witch society’s Haven, which she is sure is anything but.
Willow’s only option is to entrust herself into the hands of a recluse, living out a sentence on a secluded estate for his past misdeeds; Never Ravenwood, a man known as the Witch Whisperer, for his skill at fixing broken magic.
In Willow’s dire case, the cure for her broken magic is Bilbane, a special herb found only in the forbidden other-worldly realm of Tae-wan.
Willow and Never butt heads and match wits and unknowingly spark the unexpected yet much desired magic of love.
Never must decide if he should enter the magic portal into Tae-wan to obtain the Bilbane and heal Willow’s magic. Is his love for Willow strong and true enough to risk his life and the safety of their world? Willow questions what she wants most: the safety of the man she has fallen in love with, or the herb that can make her magic perfect?
What would you choose?
Enchantment, mayhem, danger, and love make The Witch Whisperer an entertaining and exciting read.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on April 22nd!
Read an interview of Barb DeLong here.
Book Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
UPROOTED by Albert Marrin—A Review by Veronica Jorge
January 22, 2023 by Veronica Jorge in category Book Reviews by Veronica Jorge, Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as Albert Marrin, book review, Histroy, Non-fiction, Uprooted, Veronica Jorge, World War II
Uprooted: The Japanese American Experience During World War II
Albert Marrin
Alfred A. Knopf
2016
ISBN: 9780553509366
We all come from someplace. For varying reasons an ancestor set America as a goal post, made it their home, and so here we are; one, two, or many generations later.
The migration and uprooting of peoples are nothing new as any student of history or intelligent observer knows. But the current migratory events beg us to question. As a nation of immigrants, by and for immigrants, when will we get it right?
In Uprooted: The Japanese American Experience During World War II, Albert Marrin skillfully balances facts, first-hand narratives, news clips, photos and illustrations to present a comprehensive and insightful account of the uprooting and internment of Americans of Japanese descent after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Albert Marrin’s writing is clear and concise as he explores the foundations, historical events and racial attitudes of both America and Japan that culminated in war between the two nations.
In addition, he details the role that the news media played in stirring panic that encouraged animosity toward the Japanese-Americans.
The author also references similar experiences of other groups throughout our history. For example; the forced removal of Native Americans, the Chinese Exclusion Laws of the 1880s, and the racism against African-Americans that led to the Civil Rights Movement.
Lovers of history, in addition, will recall the English Only Movements that have surfaced at various times in the United States in order to protect and secure the country from foreigners, and the expulsion of Mexican-Americans in 1929-1936, who were blamed for taking American jobs.
Uprooted: The Japanese American Experience During World War II challenges readers to grapple with thought provoking questions. How do we ensure the safety and liberty of each individual? Should race and religion exist as factors when determining a nation’s security? Should the media be held to a higher standard of accountability in its news coverage?
These questions are all the more relevant today as the world becomes an increasingly migratory multi-cultural environment and continues its war against terrorism, human trafficking, drugs, pandemics, and the like.
Albert Marrin reminds us of the importance of studying history. It not only informs us about the past. It helps us decide about the future. We can learn from our collective knowledge and experience.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on February 22nd!
0 1 Read moreTHE ORPHANS OF BERLIN BY JINA BACARR—A REVIEW BY VERONICA JORGE
November 22, 2022 by Veronica Jorge in category Book Reviews by Veronica Jorge, Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as Boldwood Books, book review, Jina Bacarr, new release, The Orphans of Berlin, Veronica Jorge
The Orphans of Berlin
Jina Bacarr
ISBN: 978-1804153475
November 10, 2022
Boldwood Books
Distance and independence from her overbearing mother are just what Kay Alexander needs to establish her life on her own terms, and figure out who she is and her place in the world. When her uncle Archibald offers her an unusual opportunity in Paris, she jumps at the chance. Fluent in French, a debutante, socialite, and heiress to her family’s Radwell chocolate business, Kay feels confident to take on this challenge.
How hard can it be to mingle and observe what goes on in the salons and grand hotels, and spy on some German leader named Hitler?
Under the guise of studying the French chocolate business, in order to open an American Radwell Chocolates branch in Paris, Kay finds her own troubles pale in comparison to the realities of German occupation, brutal Nazi soldiers, and horrific antisemitism.
Thrust into the precipice of a world on the verge of war, Kay determines to use her money and affluence to help as many people as she can; in particular three young Jewish sisters, desperate to escape Europe and the certain death camps that threaten to swallow them up.
The risks she takes, the friends she makes, and the daring pilot she falls in love with, will change her life forever.
As one of the characters states, “…we’re stronger in harmony.”
The Orphans of Berlin is a song of bravery, sacrifice, and freedom that sings out loud and strong.
See you next time on December 22nd!
~Veronica
This month, Jann Ryan has a fabulous interview with Jina Bacarr, the author of The Orphans of Berlin. Read it here.
2 2 Read moreWHISKEY LOVE—A REVIEW BY VERONICA JORGE
September 22, 2022 by Veronica Jorge in category Book Reviews by Veronica Jorge, Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as book review, Joy Allyson, new release, romance, Whiskey Love
Who doesn’t love a good romance? Especially when you start wishing the story was your own.
It’s the 1800s, in Tennessee. Folks don’t take kindly to outsiders, especially highfalutin northeasterners. Men reject women meddling in business affairs, particularly the whiskey business. And the temperance movement is in full swing, trying to do away with intoxicating spirits altogether.
Meet Chloe Tanner, a high-born lady from Boston, who has inherited her family’s famous distillery, which she is determined to keep and run against all the odds.
Bold and brash, Chloe can hold her own against societal mores and conventions and inept managers. But she’s thrown off balance by her attraction to the very handsome Penland Kittrell, her main business rival.
When a suspicious fire burns the cornfield that supplies Chloe’s business, the bottling company claims to be out of stock, her office is blown up, and someone takes a shot at her, Chloe braces herself for the fight of her life.
Is it the temperance movement? A disgruntled worker she fired? Men who don’t want to work for a woman? Or her rival, Penland Kittrell, the man she’s fallen in love with, trying to shut her down or force her to sell out?
As Chloe discovers. “Sometimes you can’t help who your heart falls for, you just have to deal with it. Somehow.”
But with so many threats against her business and now her life, how will she deal with it? And can she trust the love of her life, Penland Kittrell?
If you like danger, mystery, romance, and strong heroines, Whiskey Love by Joy Allyson is the book for you.
You might also find yourself reaching for a bit of Tennessee history and whiskey.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on October 22nd!
WHISKEY LOVE
JOY ALLYSON
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
2022
ISBN: 978-1-5092-4191-0
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