The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan: A Review

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Survival in a lifeboat may sound like a simple plot line, but it astounds in the hands of debut novelist, Charlotte Rogan. In The Lifeboat Grace Winter, age 22, sails from Europe to America with her new husband in order to meet her new mother-in-law. After an explosion on luxury liner, the Empress Alexandra, Grace's husband Henry secures her a place on a lifeboat. She survives three weeks in the overcrowded lifeboat. Upon rescue, she finds herself on trial for murder-another form of survival.

1914. Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Seaman John Hardie takes charge on Lifeboat 14. His maritime experience enables him to adjust to changes in their circumstances. It also gives him the grit to put a boot in the face of a lost soul trying to climb aboard the already dangerously full lifeboat. When he is not giving orders, he remains aloof or expounds on scientific maritime facts and lore.

In this tiny boat adrift in a boundless ocean, the author examines whether murder justifies survival. The owners of mother ship, the Empress Alexandra, saved money by building lifeboats to hold only eighty percent of their intended capacity. "Capacity 40 persons" says the plaque on Grace's lifeboat now holding 39 people. Something or someone must give.

Told in the first person by Grace, the survivors' ordeals and fates are reveled in a series of flashbacks. Lifeboat duties are assigned. Stories told to pass the time become untruths as people "whisper down the lane." We learn Grace's constantly changing opinions of other passengers and assessment of their fate. She fills in back story about her relationship with Henry. She is "in the middle of a nothingness that was everything, or everything that mattered." Conditions worsen. Camaraderie veers toward suspicion. Surprising rivalries and alliances develop. Deprivation and emotional decay further weaken any hope for the survivors.

We learn early on that Grace has been married for ten weeks. Did Henry pay for her inclusion in the rescue? What does she know of her husband's fate? Can Grace come through this experience with her innate belief in man's goodness intact?

A Princeton graduate, author Charlotte Rogan lives in Westport, Connecticut. She spent her childhood surrounded by sailors. In the book's trailer, Rogan relates her interest in writing the story was perked upon perusing old legal texts. There she found the story of two drowning soldiers floating on a plank that can only support one. The case examined whether or not it was murder for one to push the other off if the plank would only hold one man. Little, Brown and Company recently released The Lifeboat. It is being translated into eighteen languages.

Rogan's rich debut novel,The Lifeboat, interlaces many layers of petty jealousies, shrouded motives, moral dilemmas, and psychological complexities. What are the boundaries of human civility? How humane are we when pushed to the brink?

Article originally published by Holly Weiss on http://www.blogcritics.org/.

Holly Weiss is the author of a historical fiction novel, Crestmont, writer and reviewer of newly-released books. http://www.hollyweiss.com/.

Free reprint of article if entire bio is intact.

History's Unforeseen Consequences - Fools Of Fortune by William Trevor

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Generally, genre thrillers are books without thrills. Someone gets killed. Turn the page and it happens again to someone else. There's a chase, a near miss; da capo al fine; repeat. There are never consequences. Characters seem to exist - they never come to life - in an eternal present devoid of either thought or reflection. Plot is a series of events, while characters are mere fashionably dressed acts. William Trevor's beautiful novel, Fools Of Fortune is, in many ways, a whodunit - or better who done what - thriller. But it transcends genre because it is the consequences of the actions and their motives that feature large, that provide plot and ultimately a credible, if tragic humanity.

Fools Of Fortune is a novel that presents tragedy not merely as a vehicle for portraying raw emotion, but rather as a means of illustrating the depth of ensuing consequence, both historical and personal. In conflict it is easy to list events, quote numbers, suggest outcome, but it is rare to have a feel of how momentous events can have life-long consequences for those involved, consequences that even protagonists cannot envisage, consequences that can affect the lives of those not even involved.

William Trevor's book is set in Ireland. Its story spans decades, but the crucial elements of the plot are placed inn the second decade of the twentieth century. They do involve the First World War, but really as a sideshow to the issue of Home Rule for Ireland. The Quinton family are Protestants living in an old house called Kinleagh in County Cork. Willie Quinton is a child, initially home schooled by a priest called Kilgarriff, who has a highly personal view of the world. We see many of the events through Willie's child eyes, including a surreptitious meeting between Willie's father and a famous man who visits on a motorbike.

The family owns a flour mill. They are quite well off, a fact that is clearly appreciated by some and resented by others. Crucially, it is this availability of finance that leads to a downfall, events that lead to deaths, destruction and calls for revenge. Willie's life is transformed for ever.

Over the water, the Woodcombes of Woodcombe Park, Dorset, have a daughter called Marianne. The Woodcombes and the Quintons are related. Marianne is Willie's cousin.

On a visit to Kinleagh she falls in love with Willie. She is a small, delicate girl. She has experience of a Swiss finishing school, a stay that brings exposure to practices that are not wholly educational. Marianne returns to Kinleagh to find Willie. She has important news, but finds that devastation has hit the Quinton household, a culmination of events beyond the control of any individual. No-one wants to talk about what might have happened, and no-one admits to the whereabouts of Willie. Marianne stays to wait for his return. It proves to be a long wait.

There is vengeance in the air, and unforeseen consequences for a child who apparently played no part in any of the events. She was blameless, a mere recipient of the consequences of others' actions, of others' grief.

William Trevor tells the tale of Fools Of Fortune as serial memoirs of those involved, primarily Willie and Marianne. Some of the school experiences that form a significant part of the story are comic, and offer some relief to the pressure of unfolding tragedy. But central to the book's non-linear discovery of motive and consequence is the fact that events can dictate the content of lives, and sometimes individuals appear as no more than powerless pawns in games dictated by others. We are all participants, but not always on our own terms.

Philip Spires
Author of Mission and A Fool's Knot, African novels set in Kenya
http://www.philipspires.co.uk/
Migwani is a small town in Kitui District, eastern Kenya. My books examine how social and economic change impact on the lives of ordinary people. They portray characters whose identity is bound up with their home area, but whose futures are determined by the globalized world in which they live.

Novel Peers Into The 2020 Presidential Elections: A Harbinger of Possible Future Reform in America

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Some Americans have always been turned off by American politicians who seem so out of touch with the mass of citizens. Many were added to those discontents during the congressional gridlock battles over health care and budget deficits. And more recently a new class of disenchanted were added to the list because of the extreme negative campaigning experienced in the 2012 Republican primaries.

If you fit into any of these groups have you ever wondered what can be done to improve our political system and elevate our democracy to a more civil level? Author Jim Lynch pondered these desires and put them in writing in a novel entitled The 2020 Players: A Futuristic Account of the 2020 Presidential Election Year.

The 2020 Players is a futuristic story of the Presidential Election of 2020. The plot goes beyond the election, however, as the author weaves in subplots involving domestic and international terrorism.

The election itself is a harbinger of possible future reform in America as it involves a viable third-party candidate who stands a real chance of getting elected. The sitting president is bound by a new amendment to the U.S. Constitution which limits her to a single, six-year term and must live under a provision which bans her from participating in politics while in office.

The plot picks up quickly and becomes very fast-paced and unpredictable as it nears an end which leaves the reader hopeful and optimistic about the future of American politics - much needed feelings. You will enjoy this book and will soon be talking about it with your friends.

Emory Daniels, freelance writer, web content specialist, book reviewer, lover of books.

One Second After - A Book of Surviving an EMP

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One second after is a book by William R. Forstchen about the aftermath of a nuclear bomb being detonated over the United States causing a massive EMP that takes out the power grid.

It all starts with the main character John Matherson after all power goes out in a small town. John realizes rather quickly that this isn't an ordinary power outage but the effects of an EMP as not only is power out but electrical devices no longer work, nor do most new cars.

One John realizes this many things begin to happen in the small town they live in. Hundreds of travelers are stranded on the freeway and everyone is wondering what is going on. Almost immediately some of the more negative side of our nature comes out and it's clear there are going to be problems.

John is a professor of history as well as a well seasoned military man and through the book he puts both of these skills to use trying to save as many people as possible as people face a variety of perils caused by the lack of water.

They have to contend with sickness, lack of medicine, food shortages as well as those that try to take by force. They are themselves forced to make tough decisions as a town to keep as many people alive as they can and secure their town from being overrun.

This book is so compelling you will not only read it, but once you have you will share it with others. Whether you are someone who believes the government is here to help you or you think the government doesn't do well when a major crisis happens this book is a good read.

It is very thought provoking with very believable scenarios about how life in America will be if we were to go backwards 100+ years to a time without all the moder conveniences we all come to value in our daily lives. We go about our day to day lives without a though in the world about how life would be if we didn't have our iPads, cell phones and computers.

I hope that if you get this book you will like it as much as I have and share it with others. I believe every person that reads this will think about at least having a 3 day survival kit if not a month so that we don't have quite so much reliance on the government and more accountability for our own security.

At http://www.doomsday-preppers.com/ you will find a wide variety of survival products for everyone from urban survivalist to the hard core emergency prepper. We have Gas Masks, Survival food and much more available. You can find this book HERE.

Book Review: Reckless Perfection

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Fiction/Young Adult
Reckless Perfection
Laura Francois
2009
Legacy Book Publishing
235 pages

Reckless Perfection is the debut novel of Laura Francois. It is the story of four high school girls from Roctown High in New Jersey who are involved in complicated, adult-like relationships with the opposite sex. All four of the girls also deal with volatile family relationships. Francois' story offers a window of insight into the lives of teens that is both entertaining and intriguing.

Fifteen-year-old Mercedez lives with her father and pregnant stepmother. While adjusting to her new family life, and dealing with her mother's chronic illness, Mercedez ends her relationship with her longtime boyfriend, Julio. When seventeen-year-old Robbie comes into her life, Mercedez experiences the dark side of an intimate relationship.

Julia and her twin brother, Julio, live with their mother in a two bedroom house while their musician father focuses on his career. Julia is an exemplary student and a musician in her own right, but she still struggles with the feelings she has for her ex-boyfriend.

Angela is a bad girl trying to go straight. She has a history of drug and alcohol abuse and promiscuity. A violent incident with her only friend leads to a change in perspective for Angela that puts her back on the right track.

Amanda is from a wealthy family, but transfers to Roctown High after being expelled from her private high school. She becomes involved with Julio, but the friendship that continues to connect him to Mercedez causes Amanda to become jealous and insecure.

The portrait of modern teen life that Francois paints in this tale of multicultural characters is filled with the adult themes of sex, drugs, and domestic violence. Some of the characters in this story are so independent, that it is easy to forget that this is a novel for young adults. There are many positive interactions between the teens and their friends and families; however the most memorable incidents are those in which the girls find themselves in situations that even adults have a hard time navigating. This book is best suited for older teens (fifteen-years-old and up) due to the adult themes.

Francois shows promise as a storyteller. She manages the cast of characters well, keeping the plot of each girl's story moving forward with unexpected twists that hold the reader's attention. Her writing technique needs refinement; hopefully the sequel to Reckless Perfection will show that the author has matured in her craft.

Reckless Perfectiondoes what good fiction should do: it entertains and educates.

Melissa Brown Levine
for
Independent Professional Book Reviewers

Melissa Brown Levine is a writer, book reviewer and manuscript consultant. She is the author of "I Need to Make Promises: A Novella and Stories." Read an excerpt at http://www.melissabrownlevine.com/.

Soviet Plot to Kill John Wayne Is Focus of Moffie's New Hollywood Novel

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Sam Moffie's "To Kill the Duke" may well be the funniest and most entertaining novel ever written about Hollywood and movie history. And Moffie is not afraid of casting some of Hollywood's biggest legends-both in terms of movie stars, directors, producers, and films-for his plot and characters. This time Moffie has penned a hilarious re-creation of the filming of "The Conqueror."

While I have never seen this 1956 film, as a movie buff, of course, I've heard about it. It's reputedly one of the worst films ever made, although it had everything going for it that should have made it a hit-an all star cast, including John Wayne, Susan Hayward, and Agnes Moorehead; being directed by Dick Powell, himself a screen legend; and being produced by Howard Hughes. Moffie creates a fictionalized-but not too fictionalized-version of the film's production, which is truly stranger than fiction and had some notable flaws. John Wayne as Genghis Khan just wasn't believable, especially when he refused to take voice lessons to pull off the role. And then there was the location-Hughes purchased land in Utah from the U.S. government for $1 to film the movie. How could he get it so cheap? Because it was the victim of nuclear fallout from nearby government weapon testing. In fact, most of the crew and cast would end up dying from cancer in future years, presumably from the nuclear fallout, and Moffie provides an extensive list at the book's end of all the cast and crew (and fictional characters), detailing their careers and deaths. I was impressed that Moffie even corresponded with one of the stuntmen while researching the book-of course, most of the cast and crew are long dead.

As if a novel about "The Conqueror" were not enough to please fans of The Duke and old movie buffs, Moffie mixes the Cold War into the story. The plot begins in the U.S.S.R. with Ivan, who is hired to work as projectionist to Joseph Stalin; not only does Stalin enjoy watching American films, but he likes to dress up like the characters in Westerns, and he has a desire to have John Wayne assassinated. Before long, Ivan and some of his fellow Soviets find themselves in Hollywood, making their own films while they try to figure out how they can get close enough to John Wayne to carry out Stalin's plan.

Moffie offers many surprising twists and turns along the way. I found myself checking online to find out what was true and what fiction, and I was surprised by how much was true, since as I said, the story behind "The Conqueror" is stranger than fiction.

I laughed out loud numerous times while reading this book. Some of Moffie's humor borders on the crude, but most of it is just plain funny and slightly exaggerated. The crude includes Howard Hughes' sexual efforts to find stress relief, and a Jew named Trotsky 7 whom Stalin keeps around with the job of holding his penis when he pees. But even this humor is very funny; I only point it out in case it would turn off some potential readers. Other hilarious comical scenes include Susan Hayward's obsession with raspberry lime rickeys that make her demand Hughes find out the exact recipe for her favorite drink before she agrees to be in the film. Throughout the book the dialogue sparkles to the point of Moffie obviously enjoying himself so much that the plot slows down a bit, but I doubt most of his readers will care because it's so funny.

My only real criticism of "To Kill the Duke" really has to do with the plot being a bit slow. Moffie has a lot of breaks between scenes, but he only has six chapters in a 355-page novel, and the chapters alternate between the Soviet characters and the Hollywood characters. I think if Moffie had divided his chapters up more and alternated them more it would have made the book's pace a bit stronger. There were also more typos than there should be, but these issues did very little to affect my enjoyment of the novel.

I think "No Mad" remains my favorite of Moffie's novels, but the concept and storyline of "To Kill the Duke" is really original, and while I haven't read a lot of novels about Hollywood, this one is the best I've read.

Tyler R. Tichelaar holds a Bachelor's and Master's Degree from Northern Michigan University and a Ph.D. from Western Michigan University. His family's long relationship with Upper Michigan and his avid interest in genealogy inspired Dr. Tichelaar to write his Marquette Trilogy: Iron Pioneers, The Queen City, and Superior Heritage. Dr. Tichelaar is also a professional book reviewer and editor. For more information about Tyler R. Tichelaar, his writing, and his author services, visit:

http://www.marquettefiction.com/

Catching Fire-The Hunger Games Book 2

After rising out of the poorest District, 12, to win The Hunger Games, Everdeen Katness and her co-tribute Peeta, should have been able to expect lives of safety and contentment, but that is just not the case for the winner of The games. President Snow, leader of Bread and organizer of The games, makes an unscheduled visit to Katniss and Peeta. He is troubled by vague rumors of insurrection brewing in the background and he is also troubled by the apparent linkage of winners with the revolutionary rumors.

This is the world that Katniss and Peeta find themselves as they make a grand tour of all of the losing wealthy Districts, including the Capital. The intrigues continue as Katniss is drawn into planning the 75th Anniversary Hunger Games.

As the planning and story of the move is Katniss ' life reveals itself as she becomes a more rounded individual. Her characterization is becoming broader and she is more than just a remix to be winning tribute. Behind the mask of the competitor, there beats the heart and mind of a developing growing character. That Katniss is growing is due to the carefully planned and well executed, the writing of author Suzanne Collins. Katniss is coming to life as a person-a person that the Capital of the District may have good reason to fear.

Beneath the apparently calm surface of Bread-a country that corresponds roughly to the Old USA and to which the outer Districts owe tribute in the form of warriors for the yearly games-there's an undercurrent of revolution. Katniss and Peeta Are part of this movement or are they just being used by the revolutionaries who hope to overthrow Bread and bring themselves to power?

It's an Celine question that President Snow is trying to answer with his visit. It is during this visit that bread and also becomes a fuller and richer place with traditions that one could have only guessed at during the Hunger Games (Book 1). In Book 1, Katniss and Peeta are fighting for their lives, while Book 2 brings more calm but also shows that there may be a fire in the background that President Snow and Bread have to deal with.

As all of this is happening, Katniss discovers herself and finds a relationship with an equal, one which helps to define her as an individual and round her character.

The Hunger Games-Suzanne Collins trilogy's author deftly handles these in the background changes as Katniss matures and bread and wonders. It is well done and shows that Katniss is more than just a warrior. It also shows that, as the saying goes: "uneasy lies the power" as bread and tries to halt the revolution.

With the help of the 75th Anniversary and planning Katniss Hunger Games will truly be something and are something special. Katniss gains humanity as she battles to stay alive in Book 2. The author handles this deftly and builds a nuanced storyline that Hunger Games fans love.

Roberto Sedycias works as an IT consultant for ecommUS-Books