A thoughtful and sensitively observed tale with a heroine whose adventures are worth following.
In this debut novel, a series of chance encounters and coincidences sends a college student on a journey of self-discovery.
In April 1965, Katherine Roebling takes a leap of faith and moves to Chicago after accepting a position as an airline stewardess. The job means taking a two-year leave from Beloit College in Wisconsin, where she studies anthropology. But her adviser has given her a waiver to complete course work at Northwestern University before returning to her studies at Beloit. With her best friend and roommate, Charlotte Delaney, a Bunny at the Playboy Mansion, Katherine enjoys a life of travel and escapades; yet she finds herself at a crossroads as she reaches the end of her leave. While she promised her parents and adviser that she would continue her education, she is one-eighth Chippewa and feels the need to examine her Native American roots. Trips to Greece and New York pique her interest in other cultures, and a visit with a friend named Adam Goldstein prompts her to research possible connections between Native Americans and the lost tribes of Israel. She searches for direction until the mysterious appearance of eagle and crow feathers sends Katherine on an exploration of her Chippewa heritage and leads to a new career and the chance for true love in Washington, D.C. Kundert offers a sparkling, sharply observed tale of a young woman’s search for personal and intellectual fulfillment during a time of tremendous social and political change. Katherine is a strong, dynamic heroine whose odyssey takes her from academia to busy airports and exotic trips before she finds a home in Washington and a job at the Smithsonian. She is surrounded by a well-rounded cast of supporting characters, including Emma Jean Hasting, a fellow stewardess and Southern belle who dreams of romance; Danny O’Brien, a Playboy Club bouncer; and Neal Meyer, an aspiring Justice Department attorney who falls for Katherine. The author also does a fine job describing Katherine’s cultural and social milieu. A former United Airlines stewardess, Kundert paints a vivid portrait of Katherine’s flight attendant world, from the weigh-ins and strict dress code to the leering male passengers. The author weaves in several subplots, including one about Luther Williams, an inner-city child Danny mentors. While Luther’s story ends abruptly, his friendship with Danny provides additional insights into the bouncer’s character.
A thoughtful and sensitively observed tale with a heroine whose adventures are worth following.Pub Date: June 18, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-63152-523-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: She Writes Press
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.
A promise to his best friend leads an Army serviceman to a family in need and a chance at true love in this novel.
Beckett Gentry is surprised when his Army buddy Ryan MacKenzie gives him a letter from Ryan’s sister, Ella. Abandoned by his mother, Beckett grew up in a series of foster homes. He is wary of attachments until he reads Ella’s letter. A single mother, Ella lives with her twins, Maisie and Colt, at Solitude, the resort she operates in Telluride, Colorado. They begin a correspondence, although Beckett can only identify himself by his call sign, Chaos. After Ryan’s death during a mission, Beckett travels to Telluride as his friend had requested. He bonds with the twins while falling deeply in love with Ella. Reluctant to reveal details of Ryan’s death and risk causing her pain, Beckett declines to disclose to Ella that he is Chaos. Maisie needs treatment for neuroblastoma, and Beckett formally adopts the twins as a sign of his commitment to support Ella and her children. He and Ella pursue a romance, but when an insurance investigator questions the adoption, Beckett is faced with revealing the truth about the letters and Ryan’s death, risking losing the family he loves. Yarros’ (Wilder, 2016, etc.) novel is a deeply felt and emotionally nuanced contemporary romance bolstered by well-drawn characters and strong, confident storytelling. Beckett and Ella are sympathetic protagonists whose past experiences leave them cautious when it comes to love. Beckett never knew the security of a stable home life. Ella impulsively married her high school boyfriend, but the marriage ended when he discovered she was pregnant. The author is especially adept at developing the characters through subtle but significant details, like Beckett’s aversion to swearing. Beckett and Ella’s romance unfolds slowly in chapters that alternate between their first-person viewpoints. The letters they exchanged are pivotal to their connection, and almost every chapter opens with one. Yarros’ writing is crisp and sharp, with passages that are poetic without being florid. For example, in a letter to Beckett, Ella writes of motherhood: “But I’m not the center of their universe. I’m more like their gravity.” While the love story is the book’s focus, the subplot involving Maisie’s illness is equally well-developed, and the link between Beckett and the twins is heartfelt and sincere.
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64063-533-3
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...
True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.
On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
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