Book Review: Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau

It is the summer of 1975 and Mary Jane is 14 years old. She lives with her lawyer father and homemaker mother in an upscale Baltimore neighborhood. Shy, naïve, and lacking a huge group of friends, Mary Jane’s life consists of going to her parents upper crust country Waspy country club, attending church services and singing in the choir, listening to Broadway show tunes (rock and roll is verboten), and helping her mother make the nightly dinner. But Mary Jane’s life is about to go through a huge transformation in some major ways in Jessica Anya Blau’s superb novel Mary Jane.

Mary Jane procures a job acting as a nanny for the Dr. and Mrs. Cone’s daughter, Izzy. Because Dr. Cone is a psychiatrist and he and his family live in the neighborhood, Mary Jane’s mother assumes they are the “right people” so she initially has no problems with Mary Jane’s new job.

But the Cones couldn’t be any different the Mary Jane’s family. Whereas Mary Jane has grown up in a household with with rigid ideas and rules, the Cone family is free-spirited, raucous, and quite sloppy. Dr. Cone works from home, and though Mrs. Cone is a homemaker she doesn’t do a whole lot of homemaking. She doesn’t cook, the house is cluttered, and the refrigerator is filled with food that has seen better days. However, Mrs. Cone is kind, friendly, open-minded, and like her husband, clearly loves her daughter, Izzy. The Cone family makes Mary Jane feel completely welcome from the moment she enters their house.

The Cones are about to have some special guests at their house, Jimmy and Sheba. Jimmy is a mega rock star and Sheba is an actress who once had a top-rated TV show. Jimmy is a drug addict, and he and Sheba are hoping Dr. Cone can help Jimmy with his addiction and get back on the right path even though the 1970s was a time of debauchery. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll were truly a thing.

Though Mary Jane is sheltered, she is aware of Jimmy and Sheba and how famous they are. And she’s about to get a glimpse behind the curtain of glitter and glamour that is celebrity. She learns about what it’s like to deal with addiction, the intricacies of marriage (both Jimmy and Sheba’s and the Cones), and how to take care of a rambunctious, precocious, and clingy five-year-old like Izzy.

Mary Jane is also gets more acquainted with rock and roll, and she is even asked to sing along with Jimmy and Sheba, and they are impressed with her vocal talents. Despite being a bit nerdy, everyone is taken by Mary Jane. She brings some semblance of normalcy to the the lives of the Cones and Jimmy and Sheba. Mary Jane is devoted to Izzy. She also is a whiz in the kitchen, using her mom’s recipes to feed everyone.

Mary Jane continues to get an education while working for the Cones. Her world is changing from a strict black and white to a kaleidoscope of color. She begins to realize how rigid her home life is and is appalled over her parents thinly veiled anti-Semitism (Dr. Cone is Jewish) and racism (Mary Jane’s mom flips when her daughter is photographed with the gang at a record store in predominantly black neighborhood and it ends up in the local newspaper).

But Mary Jane also sees that just because Jimmy, Sheba, and the Cones aren’t totally square like her mom and dad doesn’t mean they are perfect as Jimmy falls off the wagon, adulterous acts are committed, and marriages aren’t always “until death do us part.” And maybe Mary Jane’s mother will prove to be not such a stick in the mud after all.

I absolutely loved this book. I found the characters richly drawn and as someone who is of Izzy’s generation, Generation X, I completely recognized the time and place of the mid 1970s, which Blau captures with utter perfection. Mary Jane was a character I rooted for, smart and sensible, but so willing to learn about different worlds. I also appreciated how Blau didn’t turn Mary Jane’s story into a cliché, getting hooked on drugs or getting seduced by either Jimmy or Dr. Cone. Mary Jane is a wonderfully original and entertaining coming-of-age story.

Book Review: The Hope Raisers-How a Group of Young Kenyans Fought to Transform Their Slum and Inspire a Community by Nihar Suthar

With so many bad things happening in the world, I often want to read books that are positive and uplifting. And positive and uplifting is exactly what I got with Nihar Suthar’s book, Hope Raisers: How a Group of Young Kenyans Fought to Transform Their Slum and Inspire a Community.

Korogucho is a slum in Kenya where life is quite difficult. Extreme poverty, gang violence, environmental degradation, and food and water shortages negatively affect Koroguchos citizens. Some people have to earn a living by going through piles of trash, which is very dangerous. And often, the children of Korogucho have no hope of getting an education or improving their lives for the better. Many of them turn to a life of crime.

Two young men, Daniel Onyango, and his friend Mutura Kuria started a band they called the Hope Raisers. Daniel and Mutura wanted to inspire the children of Korogucho through their music. Little did they know, the Hope Raisers would do so much more.

One day, while going through one of the trash piles, they came across a pair of inline skates, rollerblades, and came up with an idea. Why not learn how to use these rollerblades and and teach the children of Korogucho. Rollerblading became very popular amongst the boys and young men, and soon girls wanted to get involved with rollerblading, too. One of these girls, Lucy Achieng , proved to be quite adept at rollerblading, and figured it would elevate her above and beyond what most girls in were destined to in the slums-a life of early marriage, too many kids, and a life of poverty. After Lucy joined, many other girls joined the rollerblading club, and the club started competing in rollerblade races.

The rollerblade club figures out ways to raise money to purchase more rollerblade and attend rollerblading competitions. Lucy, especially, became a very strong skater, often teaching and mentoring new members along the way. And she often represented Kenya in international competitions where she won both trophies and money, which made her dreams of being a flight attendant so much more realistic and achievable.

Whereas the Hope Raisers and the rollerblading club had a lot of triumphs, they also had to experience defeat, whether it was losing a race or dealing with many obstacles in their way like crime, poverty, or inhospitable environments.

But mostly, The Hope Raisers shows what can be done with a positive spirit, lots of ambition and hard work, and community support can do. I loved learning about Lucy’s travels to China for a rollerblading competition where she flew on a plane for the first time, got lost in trying to find the hotel, and ate frog legs thinking it was chicken. I also loved learning how her friend, Chumbana Omari, also got involved with rollerblading and had dreams of her own. And then there was Mama Bonie, an early supporter of the Hope Raisers. Every community, rich, poor, or somewhere in between needs a Mama Bonie.

Ultimately, The Hope Raisers is a tale one what a committed band of young people can do with a few resources, a lot of community support, and a desire to better one’s self and one’s community. The Hope Raisers is never patronizing; it is wonderful inside look at the beauty of one very special community and it’s people. After reading The Hope Raisers, I wish for a sequel. I truly want to know where Daniel, Matura, Lucy, Chumbana, Mama Bonie, and the people of Korogucho are up to these days.

Book Review: Not Your Father’s America-An Adventure Raising Triplets in a Country Being Changed by Greed by Cort Casady

Being a woman without children, I can only imagine what it’s like to raise one child. But what about raising three children, and not three children born consecutively, but all at once. Yes. TRIPLETS! Raising triplets is a huge undertaking, one that TV writer Cort Casady along with his wife Barbara are quite familiar with. They raised three triplet boys, Jackson, Carter, and Braeden, and Casady documents the raising of his three boys in his memoir Not Your Father’s America: An Adventure Raising Triplets in a Country Being Changed by Greed.

Cort and Barbara met, fell in love, and got married. They knew they truly wanted children, but the process of getting pregnant wasn’t exactly easy (though initially, I’m sure they had fun trying-wink). Having difficulties, Cort and Casady resorted to IVF and other fertility treatments, which I am now very familiar with.

However, there was heartbreak in conceiving a child. They lost a baby early on, and were devastated? We’re Cort and Barbara never going to have children? But soon Barbara was pregnant with triplets, which truly threw them for a loop. There was talk of elimination of one or two of the embryos, but Cort and Barbara decided to keep all of them. Knowing being a woman of a certain age (Cort and Barbara became parents when most of their peers were sending their oldest to college), Barbara to extra care of herself and her pregnancy.

The Casady boys were born in January of 1995. Being multiples, they were underweight and had some health issues that needed to be attended to. But soon Carter, Jackson, and Braeden were safely home with their parents. And that’s when the fun, and a lot of hard work began. Fortunately, Cort and Barbara had a lot of help from family, friends, and several nannies, though it did take time to get the nanny situation figured out. It truly does take a village to raise a child, or in this case, three children.

Cort lovingly records Carter, Jackson, and Braeden’s development and progress from babyhood through childhood onto the teen years and then young adulthood and college. No small detail escapes Cort. And to think about it no details are small. It’s a major accomplishment to learn how to walk, go to school the first time, travel to a new place, and figure out one’s place in the world. And what I appreciate it, is how Cort and Barbara encourage their boys to be unique individuals with their own separate ideas, talents, and skills. Often parents think their children should be carbon copies of each other, especially those who are multiples. Cort and Barb don’t do that.

But Cort does so much more than cover his son’s growing up. He also covers the major events that have occurred during their lives (and ours), and how it has affected so many people. Though very young when September 11th happened (the triplets were in first grade), the boys knew something very bad had happened. How do you explain this horrific act of terror to children when adults could barely explain it to themselves?

Cort also discusses corporate malfeasance and greed. Remember Enron? And then there was the fall of financial institutions thought too big to fail and a recession that hurt countless Americans. Sadly, it seems corporate malfeasance and greed is built into the fabric of our society.

Cort doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, and he knows politics and social issues are very thorny topics. But I do appreciate how he is concerned about various issues that have harmed everything from our political landscape to our environment to the world of finance and business.

But ultimately, Not Your Father’s America is one father’s love letter to his boys. At times it may seem Cort is bragging, but Cort has a lot to brag about. Carter, Jackson, and Braeden have grown up to be wonderful young men. In a world where we hear about so much abuse parents do to their children, it’s lovely to come across a father who not only loves his sons, he also likes them a whole lot, too.

Retro Review: 13th Gen-Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail? by Neil Howe and William Strauss with Ian Williams

As I mentioned in my review of Liz Prato’s book Kids in America, Generation X captured some attention in the 1990s. I remember there were quite a few books trying to figure Generation X out. Ha, as if we’d let them.

However, in the early 1990s, I read Neil and William Strauss’s book 13th Gen: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?. And at the time, I found it to be interesting and quite infuriating. It just seemed as if the Gen X lifespan was filled with so much doom and gloom.

But why did Howe and Strauss label Generation X the 13th generation? Well, it’s because they were the 13th generation to know the United States since its inception. Also, unlike other demographers, Howe and Strauss did not consider 1965-1980 to be Gen X birth years. Instead, they considered Gen X birth years to be from 1961-1981. Twenty years!

Another reason why they used the number 13 is due to the idea that it’s unlucky (Friday the 13th, anyone?). And many Gen X-ers have dealt with a string of bad luck, especially as they came of age-family breakdown, crumbling schools, gang violence and the crack epidemic, AIDS, political malfeasance, the high cost of higher education, workplace woes, and several recessions. It’s as if Gen X was dealt a bad hand.

13th Gen is divided into three sections. Part One looks at how the generations preceding Gen X shaped and molded them and how we also compared to them, mainly the Greatest Generation, the Silent Generation, and yep, the Baby Boomers. It also takes a look at the historical experiences that affected Gen X from Watergate, Vietnam, gas shortages, the Jonestown mass suicide, Three Mile Island, the Iranian hostage crisis, the election of Reagan, AIDS, and the Challenger space shuttle explosion in 1986.

Part Two is named “The American Dream Has No 13th Floor.” This section takes a look at how various issues like race, sex, money, education, the workplace, and politics affects 13ers and 13ers stake and influence when it comes to these issues.

And in the third part, Howe and Strauss examine the 13er generation’s impact on America, especially when it comes to pop culture. Remember, this book came out in the early 1990s as grunge and hip hop were becoming popular. Howe and Strauss also peer into their crystal balls and predict where the 13th generation will be as they head into middle age in the 21st century.

Howe and Strauss aren’t alone in it’s examination of 13ers. Actual 13ers, most notably Ian Williams, crash into Howe and Strauss’s digital conversation (this is when the internet was in it’s infancy) to give their two cents. Or should I say their 13 cents? The crashers waste no time telling Howe and Strauss what it is like to be a 13er, the good, the bad, and the ugly. And Ian has fun sharing his favorites when it comes to pop culture.

13th Gen is filled with fun illustrations by Robert John Matson, various factoids and lists, and compares 13ers with other generations who were stuck with a bad reputation, but turned out to be pretty awesome in the end.

For the most part, I enjoyed reading 13th Gen when I first came across it in the 1990s. I got the vibe that Howe and Strauss truly wanted to understand my generation. And I appreciated their lack of stereotypical Boomer condescension. And I really liked the crashers adding their unique voices, especially Ian Williams, who used to have a blog I read.

But reading 13th Gen decades later is also enlightening. And it’s interesting how the prediction for my generation played out now that we are in our 40s and 50s. Did Howe and Strauss’s predictions turn out to be true? Well, to me, I think my fellow 13ers need to read this book and make up their minds.

And as for the term 13er? Well, I used it for a brief time, but you can’t go wrong with a classic like Generation X.

Book Review: Confessions of a Domestic Failure by Bunmi Laditan

Meet Ashley Keller. In another life she was working as a marketing executive and climbing the corporate ladder. Now she’s an overwhelmed stay at home mom to eight month old Aubrey. Ashley, of course, loves her daughter, but will she ever get her mama mojo going or is she destined to be a hot mess mom? Ashley’s journey to being a better mom is depicted in Bunmi Laditan’s novel Confessions of a Domestic Failure.

Ashley desperately wants to be a good mom, but she feels like a major screw up. She hasn’t lost the baby weight, she can’t bottle feed, and when it comes to having sexy time with her husband David, well, Ashley would prefer a good night’s sleep. And the fact that David is trying to launch his advertising business and working crazy long hours isn’t helping matters.

Mothers have struggled with feelings of inadequacy since time began. But in the modern day of social media and mommy expert influencers, feelings of inadequacy have increased tenfold. How can mothers compete with Instagram images of designer-clad mamas with adorable toddlers and Pinterest boards featuring homemade gourmet meals and fancy crafts?

For inspiration and in hope of improving her mothering skills, Ashley looks up to Emily Walker, a mommy influencer extraordinaire! Ashley reads Emily’s blog religiously and is a devoted viewer of of Emily’s TV show. Ashley is also engrossed in Emily’s new book Motherhood Better and is valiantly soaking up Emily’s words of wisdom.

When Ashley finds out about Emily’s Motherhood Better Bootcamp she quickly enters and becomes one of the lucky winners. Ashley is thrilled and thinks this is the ticket to motherhood greatness. It’s one things to follow Emily and watch her show, but to be mentored by the maternal goddess herself! Wow! Jackpot! And Ashley is also pretty stoked about going on Emily’s Motherhood Better retreat and possibly winning a huge cash prize.

Emily connects with Ashley and the other moms in the boot camp via several video chats. All of the moms try to excel in the tasks and challenges laid before them by Emily. Despite giving these tasks and challenges her all, Ashley feels like she’s screwing up and compares herself to the other moms in the group who seem to be doing a much better job. Ashley also tries to make mom friends in her community and inadvertently joins a group for breastfeeding moms. What’s going to happen once they find out she doesn’t breast feed Aubrey?

After the boot camp ends the moms collect themselves at the retreat. And this is where things get a big out of hand. And it’s also where Ashley and the other moms realize things aren’t always as they seem. Perhaps, Emily isn’t as perfect as she comes across on her blog and her TV show. But is she a monster? No. She’s just a mom going through what countless other moms go through. Nobody, even mommy influencers, is perfect.

Ashley and the other moms, including Emily, learn an important lesson-go easy on themselves and each other. They’re doing the best they can do as mothers, wives, and women.

Confessions of Domestic Failure is an entertaining story featuring a mom who is flawed but has the best of intentions. I think a lot of moms will relate to Ashley’s foibles and find solace in her struggles. And they’ll also cheer when Ashley has her triumphs.

Book Review: Savvy Auntie: Ultimate Guide for Cool Aunts, Great-Aunts, Godmothers, and All Women Who Love Kids by Melanie Notkin

A few years ago, I wrote a review of Melanie Notkin’s book Otherhood: Modern Women Finding A New Kind of Happiness. I wasn’t crazy about the book; in fact, I hated it. However, I first became aware of Ms. Notkin’s work when I read her much better book Savvy Auntie: Ultimate Guide for Cool Aunts, Great-Aunts, Godmothers, and All Women Who Love Kids. I wrote a review of it for another publication, and decided to dust it off, edit it a bit, and publish it here. Enjoy.

I became an aunt 18 years ago when my nephew Fredrick was born, and then again nearly three years later with the birth of my niece, Claire. From the moment I met these two precious bundles I was completely smitten by them, and I relish being an auntie.

Or should I say I relish being a Savvy Auntie?

Melanie Notkin’s book Savvy Auntie: Ultimate Guide for Cool Aunts, Great-Aunts, Godmothers, and All Women Who Love Kids discusses the fun and joy in playing such a role in a child’s life. Playing with nieces and nephews, reading to them, telling secrets, sharing family and holiday traditions and discovering are just a few of the joys of being an aunt. In the book, real-life aunties share memories and stories on why being an aunt is such a wonderful thing, and while reading it, I couldn’t help but reminisce about the fun times I’ve had with Fredrick and Claire.

The book comes with a host of practical advice for aunties, like how to throw a baby shower, first aid tips, baby proofing your home, traveling with kids (always have snacks on hand) and how to contribute to a niece or nephew’s college education.

The book is also peppered with fun facts and trivia. Want to know what kind of aunt you are by your birth sign? Savvy Auntie will let you know. (As a Pisces, I am apparently the empathetic and intuitive … but I’ll let Fredrick and Claire be the judge of that). Can you name any famous aunties in pop culture? Well, there is the neurotic Aunt Jackie from Roseanne and Opie Taylor’s kindly Aunt Bee from The Andy Griffith Show. And you certainly can’t forget Auntie Mame from the iconic film of the same name who declared “Life is a banquet, and most poor fools are starving to death!”

While the book is a delightful read, I do have a couple of reservations. I’m not a big fan of the overdose of pink in the illustrations and graphics. Yes, I know this is a book for women, but women like other colors in the rainbow. Also, Notkin tends to insert “aunt” into other words, which gets to be quite obnoxious. For example: “entourage” becomes “auntourage,” “entrepreneur” becomes “auntrepreneur.” We get it. You can stop now.

Still, those quibbles are minor. For the most part, Savvy Auntie is a joy to read, informative and the perfect book for both newly-minted aunties and aunties with years of experience.

(And just a special shout out to my sister, Julie — I know I’ve been an auntie for quite a while, but it is never too late to throw me a “DebutAunt Ball.” I don’t need anything fancy. Just get mom’s recipe for Brandy Smash and pick up a bucket of KFC’s original recipe and I’ll be a happy camper.)

Book Report: A Sanfranciscan Dream by Saad Aman

Six young friends, Heather, John, Aman, Zee, Tina, and AFN are stranded in San Francisco, their parents gone. Together they figure out how to work together and spend their time until they are able to get back to their respective homes. Instead of descending into chaos that would make Lord of the Flies look tame, they use their smarts to make sure they get out their situation intact.

Does this work? At times. Often things worked out but at times they had their squabbles. They couldn’t agree on everything, but decided to make the best of a rather daunting situation. I found it quite interesting how they handled themselves despite their tender ages. And some of the conversation among these young friends was quite funny and amusing.

However, I did find many grammatical and spelling errors. These errors were rather off putting as I read this story. I do feel if the author would have spent more time editing A Sanfranciscan Dream, or got some else to edit his book, the story would have flowed better.

Still, this book is entertaining and will probably appeal to young readers.

Book Reviews: All the Good Things by Clare Fisher

Beth has done a bad, bad thing. And while she ruminates about the tragedy she brought on herself while paying the ultimate price, she goes on a journey of healing and redemption.

In Clare Fisher’s novel All the Good Things, Beth is seeing a counselor while serving a prison term. Convinced she is completely worthless, Beth’s counselor, with both compassion and wisdom, tells her to write a list of all the good things that have to her.

This is pretty difficult for Beth. In her young life, Beth has dealt with tragedy, abandonment, and heartbreak. Among these include being deserted by her mother, mental health issues, abusive relationships, one crappy job after another, and a series of dreadful foster homes.

But as she looks back on her life, Beth remembers the things. She’s very creative, she has a network of supportive friends, she’s felt the embrace of true love, and her sweet baby girl who she loves with great intensity.

Beth writes this list in a journal form that comes across like a series of letters to her daughter. And as he writes these letters she comes to terms with the lowest moments in her life, the moments that gave her life purpose, and one horrible mistake that altered her life. Now she’s asking herself is she can be forgiven and can she be redeemed?

All the Good Things kept me riveted, page after page. Beth’s story both broke my heat and uplifted my spirits.

Fisher’s debut novel is written with a great deal of clarity that fulfills all the senses. Beth is written as a fully-dimensional character, as are the tertiary characters.

Obviously I’m not going to reveal why Beth is being punished and in prison. But you just might gasp out loud when she admits her crime…like I did.

We Interrupt This Blog For This Special Announcement

If you have a child in your life who adores animals and loves reading then this child is going to be over the moon over author Pop Jamison’s Skwerdlock series. Skwerdlock is a whimsical character who delights and encourages young readers. The latest book in the Skwerdlock series is Never Take a Skwerdlock to the Doctor.

“The Skwerdlock is always fun to be with, and is always curious and excited to try new things. The Skerdlock watches everything you do and then likes to try it all. Because of that, the Skwerdlock is a great friend to have around.

The Skwerdlock would never do anything to hurt anyone or to cause any problems. But sometimes, just being a Skwerdlock means that strange things can happen when a Skwerdlock is nearby. This little story is a friendly reminder of what can happen when a Skwerdlock is around.

But, mostly, the Skwerdlock is just an excuse to curl up in the recliner or sofa with your favorite early reader or listener and smile together.

And, if the illustrations seem a bit “amateurish”, that’s something Pops and the Skwerdlock have done intentionally. They both love really nice illustrations, but they also want to remind your young storytellers they don’t have to be “perfect” to create a really good story.

Just remember, ‘Never Take A Skwerdlock to the Doctor!'”

Pops Jamison’s first name is John and he’s been writing for children for nearly sixty years, much of it inspired by his daughter Tricia.

As a writer, Pop’s goals include making kids laugh, love reading and tell “just good stories.” Ultimately, Skwerdlock is a true blue friend to everyone he meets.

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