November Bloom Day

Surprisingly enough, I do still have a few things blooming this month! We usually have had our first snowfall by this time, but so far all it's been doing outside this year is raining.

By the way, if you're new here--welcome!

I garden in Eastern Washington state, USA, zone 5b.

So here are the few things still hanging on:

1. Salvia

 2. Pink geraniums by the  mailbox.
[These have been blooming for months now!]

3. Purple verbena, also by the mailbox.

4. 'Rose Glow' barberry

This one isn't blooming, but the foliage color echoes the guillardia blooms right above it beautifully.

5. Guillardia

These hardy flowers just keep going and going!

Not so many, but hey--for November, I'll take whatever I can get!

I'm linking up with Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Head over there to see what other gardeners around the world have blooming!

What's alive in your garden right now?

Series Spotlight: the Meg Langslow Mysteries by Donna Andrews

Do I have any cozy mystery fans out there? If you like a lot of humor, with the murder and investigation more in the background, you would probably like this series. Meg Langslow is a sensible, level-headed, practical person in a family of crazies. Endearingly crazy, most of them, but still. In the first book she's single, but meets an interesting guy named Michael--who amazingly--isn't scared off by her family.

As you go through the series, Meg and Michael's relationship progresses as well. You don't have to read them in order. Within the first couple of pages you'll be caught up with where their relationship is currently, and then you can settle in and enjoy the hijinks for the rest of the book. In fact, the first one I picked up was #8. I liked it so much that every so often I find a few more.

One of my favorite parts about them is that they're mostly clean. Not squeaky, but close! Meg swears a handful of times in each one. Any intimacy between Michael and Meg is completely offstage--you may get a little bit of innuendo, but the most there's ever been in the books I've read is kissing. Inevitably, they get interrupted before anything can get too serious!

Murder with Peacocks (Meg Langslow #1)

4 stars: Zany and fun!--Oh, and there's a mystery to solve, too.

Meet Meg Langslow, a blacksmith with an...eccentric family. She the one sensible person in the clan, which is why she lives a couple of hours away. She's moving home to her tiny town for the summer, because she happens to be the Maid of Honor in 3--yes 3!--weddings. It's going to be a long summer.

Her one saving grace might be Michael, the gorgeous (single) guy who is taking over his mother's wedding dress shop for the summer...except that he's gay. Oh well, she could really use a good friend at the moment, too.

In the midst of all the wedding craziness, someone is murdered. Forensic pathology being a pet hobby of her dad's (retired physician), he immediately jumps in to "help" the local policeman. Meg gets drawn into the case as well, as hard as she tries to extricate herself from it. After another person dies under suspicious circumstances, Meg's dad is even more sure it's homicide. Of course, he has some theories he wants Meg to help him test. Of course she will! It's not like she's busy or anything!

* * * * *
This book cracked me up! Meg's family is just so exuberantly odd. One of her cousins owns a gorilla suit--just because--and wears it often. They all love parties, which tend to become a public stage for some of their eccentricities. Meg does a little bit of amateur sleuthing, while planning 3 weddings, fending off clumsy matchmaking attempts from her best friend and several relatives, herding peacocks, and generally getting things done.

Content: There are a few swear words here and there in dialogue.

(Finished reading Oct. 24)

Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos (Meg Langslow #3)

3 stars: Not as funny as the first, but still enjoyable.

Meg is working at a craft fair which is part of a reenactment of the siege of Yorktown. Her boyfriend Michael's mother is in charge of it--much to everyone else's chagrin. Not only has Mrs. Waterson insisted on every craftsperson dressing according to the period, she has organized a "Town Watch" to catch and fine any caught with anachronisms. Meg has her hands full running interference, running her booth, and running away from a serious talk with Michael about their relationship. When she discovers a body in her booth, her weekend gets even more crazy.

* * * * *
The indomitable Meg is back, with Michael in tow. As mentioned in my rating, this one was not as laugh-out-loud funny as some of her others, but it had the same mix of personal and familial chaos along with the murder investigation. In this case, Meg is trying to get along with her [possible] future mother-in-law, while also trying to keep the craft fair together. This one had less of her mother and father in it, who are two of my favorite characters, so that could be contributing to my lower rating as well.

Content: A bit of innuendo. An implied intimate relationship between Michael and Meg, as they share a tent and during one scene Michael walks in on Meg as she's changing. As with most of them, a handful of cuss words throughout.

(Finished reading Nov. 9)

No Nest for the Wicket (Meg Langslow #7)

4 stars: Rollicking, crazy, and always entertaining.

Meg and her long-suffering fiancé Michael have bought a house and are in the midst of renovations. Her father, supposedly in charge of said renovations, is also in charge of a bunch of ducks, which keeps him a bit distracted, to say the least. Meanwhile, Meg finds a murder victim in the middle of playing Extreme Croquet. Again?! If she can keep it together and maybe do a little sleuthing here and there, it could be a miracle.

* * * * *
This book had me at Extreme Croquet. Sounds like something my brothers would come up with. (Oh wait--they did, sort of. They called it Tundra Golf. Yeah, those were good times.)

(Originally reviewed August 2014.)

The Penguin Who Knew Too Much (Meg Langslow #8)

4 stars: The first one I read--I burst out laughing more than once!

Meg comes home one evening to penguins in the basement--well actually, not anymore, now that the body has been discovered. With a whole crowd of relatives coming any day now, not to mention various displaced zoo animals being dropped off (Meg's father volunteered to take care of them after the local zoo closed), Meg's life IS a zoo. Before long the police chief has set up headquarters in her parlor, and Meg is determined to figure out whodunnit, so she can happily elope as planned--hopefully with people and animals all taken care of someplace other than her house and grounds.

* * * * *
Unpredictable situations and zany characters add to the fun of trying to figure out who the guilty party is. I'll have to find more by this author. This one cracked me up!

(Originally reviewed November 2011.)

Swan for the Money (Meg Langslow #11)

4 stars: You thought craft fairs had some odd characters, welcome to the rose show!

Meg has her hands full running the local rose show, in which both of her parents have entries. The logistics aren't the half of it. The bigger difficulty may be staying sane while trying to keep a crowd of exacting, demanding, slightly deranged rosarians happy. Not to mention, she might be pregnant, but Michael is gone to NYC, and every time she has a chance to ask him to bring back a pregnancy test for her, someone comes walking by. Added to this already chaotic mix, is a murder. Meg knows she should just stay out of it, but that may impossible to do.

* * * * *
These are great fun! I laugh at the absurdities and cheer Meg on!

(Originally reviewed August 2014)

There are at least 2 others that I've read and didn't take the time to review, back in the day. Anyway, let me know if you give these a try! I'd love to know what you think!

Front Porch Updates

My in-laws came to visit last week and we got some great projects done! The most visible is our newly spiffy front porch. It has definitely been a bit of a process, but after all the effort, it finally looks finished. I'm so happy with it.

Here's the progression, over several years:

When we first moved in, August of 2010:

BEFORE

Kind of a slanted view, but pretty basic: wooden & blue, with space between steps and house.

Dirt underneath.

We kept that original porch for 5 1/2 years, but by then it was really in need of some help.

A couple of the railings were broken, the paint was peeling badly--it was time.

So, during last year's surprisingly mild January, we hired a builder to redo it.

We put the same decking for all the boards with foot traffic as we used on the back deck.

(It was either Trex or something like it--synthetic, very low maintenance, lasts forever.)

The rest was still wood.

We also gave up on any sort of landscaping choices in the dry strip between the porch and the house, and just filled it in with platforms for pots or planters.

January 2016

The flowerpot platforms worked beautifully!

(The white powder is ant poison--we had a real problem with carpenter ants this year.)

May 2016

That was the status quo until we had the rest of the house painted.

As the railings and under part of the porch were all still raw wood, we knew something needed to be done with them before winter.

So we had the railings painted white to match the house trim.

October 2016

I was happy with this look, but my husband felt like it still need something a little bit more to finish it off. So last week, he and his dad stained all the support boards, and added one more layer to the railings.

AFTER

November 2016

I really like the wood on top--I didn't even know what I was missing until they put it on there, but now I love it!

You can also see all the rocks we used to fill in underneath the porch--a spring project.

(We did a layer of weed cloth under them first.)

Especially since this side of the porch is so open, I think the rocks went a long way toward making it look finished, as well.

Staining the support boards really helped them blend in, which was the hope.

(It will help protect them from the weather, too.)

Now--on to the next project!

(There's always a project of some kind going on around here.)

Picture Book Picks

Our library is currently closed as they replace the carpet, so these books have gotten read even more than they might have! Here are the few that have stood up to many re-readings over the past couple of weeks.

Hooway for Wodney Wat, by Helen Lester
Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger

Rodney Rat has a big problem: he can't pronounce his r's. The other rodents at school tease and make fun of him, until the day comes that he becomes a hero!

* * * * *
I had forgotten about this little gem of a book. It's such a great story! Downtrodden Wodney saves the day and gains a little confidence. My kids really got the giggles at the Simon Says game. The illustrations are classic Munsinger, too: expressive and energetic.  Pretty much anything you can find from this duo is worth reading!

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, by Audrey Wood
Illustrated by Don Wood
(Caldecott Honor 1986)

King Bidgood is determined to spend all day in the tub, foiling repeated attempts to get him out! Finally, the hard-working page boy succeeds where all else have failed.

* * * * *
This one has been around for a long time, but if you haven't come across it yet, do yourself a favor! My kids love the idea that it would be possible to do everything in the tub! Every time we read it, we pore over the illustrations to find all the little details: counting frogs in the fishing scene, finding the replica king in the bathtub at lunch, etc. The sopping, bedraggled people coming out of the tub are pretty funny-looking, too. (They all go in fully clothed.)

You just have to put out of your mind the actual weirdness of it--everybody climbing into the tub with the king in his birthday suit. If you can do that, it's all good fun.

Lester's Dreadful Sweaters, by K. G. Campbell

Lester is a list maker and a hair comber. When Cousin Clara (possibly not related) moves in with the family, he becomes something else--ugly sweater recipient. You see, Cousin Clara is a curiously speedy knitter. She also has curious taste.

These aren't just ugly sweaters. They're awful! Misshapen, dreadful colors, and little extras added on in odd places. Unfortunately, his parents make certain he graciously accepts each gift and wears it to school. Is poor Lester doomed to a life of dreadful sweaters?

* * * * *
This is such a funny, offbeat little story! The illustrations show the battle of yarn between Lester and Cousin Clara perfectly. Somehow each sweater mysteriously meets its end--rather quickly, in fact. Not to worry! Cousin Clara just keeps on knitting away. Satisfying resolution, too.

My favorite parts were the descriptions of the sweaters themselves, like: "Then there was the terribly turquoise one with several unexpected sleeves." Made me grin!

Water is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle, by Miranda Paul
Illustrations by Jason Chin

"Drip. Sip. Pour me a cup. Water is water unless...
it heats up.
Whirl. Swirl. Watch it curl by. Steam is steam unless..."

* * * * *
Gorgeous illustrations to go along with a deceptively simple, rhyming text. You'll hardly even realize all you're learning! Each page turn reveals a new stage of the water cycle. A section at the end gives more in-depth explanations and terms, but even that is very accessible for younger listeners. One paragraph per page of the book is all, each with a mini illustration.

I used this with my preschool-aged Joy School kids a couple of weeks ago, and they really liked it. Wow. I just cannot get enough of those illustrations! Highly recommended.

* * * * *

What have you come across at the library lately? Anything I should look for when it opens back up next week?

Garden Put to Bed (Last of the Fall Chores)

If this year's weather follows the same pattern as the last several years, we will get our first snowfall in the next couple of weeks.

For the first time, though, we are ready now!

Just today we had a sunny day (finally!) with weather up in the 60's.

Perfect to get those last few chores taken care of.

Here's what I've checked off in the last few weeks:

1. Dig out all the rest of the carrots.

There was one patch left behind the oregano. I was surprised by how many carrots were in there!

2. Fix the crowding issues in the front bottom terrace.

One reason I planted irises between these young shrubs, was that I knew they would be easy to move as the shrubs grew to fill in the space.

After 2 years, it was time to give the shrubs a little more elbow room!

BEFORE:

Both of my English laurel bushes looked like this: irises crowding in on every side.

Above and below: The boxwoods needed a bit more room, as well.

AFTER:

After digging up and transplanting the irises these bushes finally have a little breathing room!

I  may regret not taking out that whole clump.

I just broke off the ones going into the bush.

Aah, better. Much better.

These should be all set for another couple of years now.

3. Empty out the rest of the flowerpots and store in shed.

DONE!

4. Put the last of the hoses away.

DONE!

5. Empty out compost tumblers onto garden.

I did not do this one last year, and wished I had.

The compost was too dry in the tumblers to break down all the way, so in spring when I needed them for all the spring cleanup, there was still half-finished compost filling them up.

So today we emptied them into a wheelbarrow and dumped all the partially finished compost onto the garden, where the winter weather will break it down the rest of the way (I hope!)

Then--bonus!--in the spring, it will be right where it's needed, ready for tilling.

6. Refill bird feeders.

DONE (for now)!

It feels good to get the last little chores done.

Are you ready for winter, or do you still have a few things to take care of?

Remembering Wholeness, by Carol Tuttle

I read this book a couple of months ago now, and I'm still processing it a bit.
There were many things I liked about it and some that made me deeply uncomfortable. However, even getting to this book has been a bit of a journey. So I guess you get to hear about that first. It's long. Consider yourself forewarned!

To understand part of my conflicting feelings about this book, I need to tell you my story of how I came to know of Carol Tuttle. Here's a link to her website, if you want to skip my chit-chat and learn about her on your own: https://my.liveyourtruth.com/dyt/home/

Carol Tuttle is an energy healer who also works with women on their appearance. Basically, you take a free mini-course to figure out which of 4 energy types you are, then you can purchase a full course to teach you how to "Dress Your Truth"--in other words, how to choose clothing, accessories, makeup, and hair styles that reflect your energy type. She also talks about parenting according to the 4 types, etc.

Anyway, I came to know Carol through the Dressing Your Truth side of things. I was hesitant at first. I thought I would just look into it, but I was pretty skeptical. I didn't want to be taken advantage of or sold something that wasn't really useful. I watched the mini-course on energy profiling, and pretty much immediately decided I was a Type 2, which in her system is a more introverted, yin, soft-spoken, subtle energy. I decided to buy the course. 

Well, that was over a year ago and I have never looked back since! After taking the course, I immediately went to my closet. It was like a light bulb went on in my head. All of a sudden, I knew why I had chosen the clothing I did. My favorite clothes were ALL Type 2 in design lines, color, fabrication, etc. Even the ones I never wore, I could pick out what I was drawn to in the first place--usually they had a couple elements that were Type 2, but were very wrong in color, or pattern, or some other area. I also figured out why I rarely wore jewelry and have since found jewelry that I enjoy wearing.

While I took the course to help me figure out a personal style, I was pleasantly surprised how much it helped me with my relationships. I pretty quickly figured out the types of my husband and children, and just knowing a little better how they relate to the world has helped me so much. In fact, looking back, some of my biggest arguments with my husband have been each of us approaching a certain problem from our own Type's frame of reference, without understanding why the other person wasn't "getting it."

Okay, so all 3 of you who are still with me after that explanation, let's talk about this book!

Remembering Wholeness, by Carol Tuttle

3 stars: Conflicted feelings on this one!

So, I knew about this book, and that it was about healing things from your childhood and moving forward in your adult energy. Carol talks a lot about clearing negative energy leftover from childhood experiences, and even generational energy imbalances. She is Mormon, and some of our doctrine comes into it, but there's a lot of it that is not doctrinal--in case you were wondering.

As Mormons, we do believe that our spirits lived with God before we came to this earth. We also believe we have a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother watching over us. I think those are the main two, but she touches on others as well. (You can find out more about what we believe here: Come Unto Christ.  Or just ask me! I'm always happy to talk about my religion!)

She talks a lot about how powerful our words are for creating the experiences we have, and how the angels assigned to watch over us are happy to be given tasks to make our lives easier, if invited to do so. If you say, "I always have a hard time finding a close parking space!" every time you're in a parking lot, that is the experience you are creating for yourself. So if you want to change your experiences, change your words and your expectations, invite angelic help, and be grateful for everything that begins to show up in your life.

She talks about how if you don't heal your emotional wounds from childhood, that negative energy will keep showing up in your life, amplifying each time, until you finally do something about it. I had a happy childhood overall, so at first I thought this part didn't apply to me, but it's not just about big traumatic events. It's about recognizing your triggers, for anger or sadness in particular, and how to figure out what caused that trigger to form in the first place. Healing that and moving on.

So these parts were all very fascinating to me. I am still processing them and how to apply them to my life. Very empowering. If you don't like how your life is or was, you have the power to change it! You can create a life of joy and ease, or a life of struggle and lack. It's your choice.

Where I became very uncomfortable was when she started talking about healing from abuse. (She is a survivor of abuse, herself.) Her idea is that before we born, we decided there were certain things we needed to learn--unconditional love, maybe, or forgiveness. Well, in order to learn those things, there had to be people to forgive. So basically, [she says] we asked certain people to take on those roles in this life so that we could learn what we needed to learn. So the abusers were basically fulfilling a promise made in the pre-earth life.

I just don't think that's correct. She's basically saying child abuse victims chose those experiences before they came to this earth. I can't believe that. It makes it seem like there are no true victims and almost that the abusers are let off the hook to some extent. I could see each of us being prepared, before we came to earth, for certain hard situations we would encounter--particularly abuse--but I can't buy in to the idea we chose that and even asked someone to be the perpetrator so we could learn something from it. I just...can't.

So anyway. I don't know what else to say. Like I said, I'm still mulling over a lot of what she talked about.

Any thoughts?

p.s. If you decide to try Dressing Your Truth, I would love to hear about your experiences with it!

5 LDS fiction titles

I should start by explaining the acronym "LDS" in case you're not familiar. It stands for Latter-day Saints, which itself is short for the full name of the Mormon church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So yes, these are books written for the Mormon market.

I enjoy reading them, because I know they're going to be clean! No sex, no bad language, violence (if any) depicted in a way that doesn't focus on the blood and gore. It's a relief. I read a lot of general fiction, and it seems there's almost always content that I don't want in them--particularly the adult books. Then it becomes a matter of how much is too much? You can read more of my thoughts about books with objectionable content here.

I also enjoy LDS fiction because it's fun to read about characters who share my belief system and many of my Mormon cultural traditions. I like it best when there's not a lot of preaching or scripture quoting--this actually goes for all Christian novels--but the characters live a faithful life. So for instance, if they're having trouble, they pray, or they might ask for a Priesthood blessing. They attend church and have a calling, (or if they're struggling in their faith, that is addressed,) and so on. It doesn't have to be the main focus, but it gives me warm fuzzies when it's done well as a background.

Anyway, the LDS fiction market is still relatively young, and at times that shows in the quality of work. More and more lately, though, I've been as happy with the writing as with the clean content. So hooray!

These run the gamut between historical fiction, contemporary, and romantic suspense. I hope you find something to try!

Between the Lines, by Erin Klingler

4 stars: Enjoyable (clean!) romantic suspense.

Sydney Hallam is a journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle who is married to her work. She lives for getting the story, for taking down the criminals, and championing the little guy. She expects there to be some repercussions--after all, if she didn't ruffle some feathers in high places she wouldn't be doing her job.

However, she's got some leads on a big story with consequences she may not be ready for. When a source doesn't show up for a meeting, she doesn't think much about it at first. Later, she finds out he was murdered. She knows she's onto something that could implicate many prominent people--she had just better watch her back if she wants to survive to write the story.

Meanwhile, Justin--a good friend of the murder victim, and also a reporter for the Salt Lake Tribune--comes to San Francisco for the funeral. While he's there, he has permission from his boss to look up Ms. Hallam. It seems some of the criminals she's hunting down have ties to Utah. If they can work together, they might just see this thing through. Falling in love would be a bonus.

* * * * *
A plot that kept me reading to find out what happened next! This one did a good job making the suspenseful situations believable. It's one of my pet peeves with this genre: too often it seems the main character (your average girl or guy) somehow takes on the bad guys--singlehandedly--and wins! Anyway, this one seemed more realistic in that regard, particularly as far as what was left to the police, etc.

The romance was sweet, but not overpoweringly so. It was a good mix.

p.s. Is that cover creepy, or what? Nice job, somebody! 

(Finished reading Oct. 9)

Chariots to Jordan, by E. James Harrison

4 stars: Compelling historical fiction, retelling one of my favorite Bible stories.

Young Gili has always been close to God, and a kindred spirit to His prophet, Elisha, who stops at their family's humble farm on his travels. Gili has 3 older brothers, and ever since they moved to the outskirts of Edrei, a very small village on the edge of Syria, their family has prospered. Despite being on the enemy border, they feel safe from attack, simply because the desert at their backs is deemed uncrossable.

Gili's faith is only strengthened when the prophet heals her father from a mortal wound. When the Syrians attack Ramoth-Gilead--an Israeli settlement not far from where they live, Gili's mother Miriam wants the family to move. Somehow the Syrian armies have found a way across the desert. In the end, her husband convinces her they should stay just a little bit longer.

It is a tragic mistake. Their village is indeed next in line for attack, but this time the commander Naaman and his men take most of the women and children prisoners. Gili is taken away from her family (what's left of them), and purchased by Naaman himself as a household slave.

As she fulfills her duties, she discovers that Naaman and his wife are kind. She also discovers something else--something meant to be kept a secret: Naaman has leprosy. Before too much longer, he will be unable to continue his military command. Little Gili's faith and her masters' kindness cause her to speak out, and tell them about Israel's prophet who has the power to heal.

* * * * *
The narrative switches between Gili's family and Naaman--both at home and at war. At times other characters take the main stage, as well. I didn't mind for the most part, though a couple of times I had to backtrack a bit to figure out who was talking.

Harrison really helped me visualize how this story may have come about--how and why Naaman would have a young Israelite girl serving in his household, along with the apparent trust if not affection between her and her masters.

I enjoyed the historical side of it, as well, with the tensions and war between Syria and Israel brought to vivid life.

Content: There are a few battle scenes, and detailed descriptions of the leprosy symptoms.

(Finished reading Oct. 2)

Emma: A Latter-day Tale, by Rebecca H. Jamison

3 stars: Light-hearted and good fun.

Emma lives with her dad in Virginia. She's a young 20-something, with hopes of starting a life-coaching business, and also snagging a boyfriend. If she can't find a man for herself, she'd settle for setting up her friends in the Single's Ward. Her best friend, Justin Knightley, is proving to be a deterrent to her a business and a distraction for her romantic fancies. Although, he might turn out to be just what she needs--if she can get past his infuriating habit of criticizing her (mostly correctly, which makes it even more maddening.)

* * * * *
A witty, frothy retelling of Jane Austen's Emma, with a modern-day Mormon girl as the protagonist. This was a fun little diversion for a rainy day. Stays fairly close to the original in general plot lines.

(Finished reading Sept. 18)

Escape to Zion, by Jean Holbrook Matthews

2 stars: Maria's perilous path away from a vicious and lecherous slave master.

Maria comes over on the boat from Germany with her parents, but when they die crossing the ocean, she is sold as an indentured servant. She serves her 10 years under a hateful master, Lafayette Breaux, only to discover upon turning 18 that he has no intentions of releasing her. In fact, he insists that she is a metif (white slave) and belongs to him.

After he rapes her, she manages to escape. She finds a hero in Hank, an unassuming man who is willing to let her ride on his boat for awhile, as he travels upriver to sell some goods. All the while, Breaux is determined to find her no matter the cost.

Maria and Hank eventually become friends and decide to join the Mormon church. They get married, fall in love, and make their way west with the Saints. Breaux continues to send bad guys to find them, some more successfully than others.

* * * * *
While there were some of the historical aspects I found interesting--the white slaves and their struggle for rights--I was less than thrilled with the overall plot. I had a hard time believing that Breaux wouldn't just cut his losses at some point--long before he did--and move on to easier prey. Their life seemed an endless loop of running away, getting found, big confrontation, running away again.

Also, it seemed like any slightly shady character with a mile of Maria thought he should assault her. Thank goodness for Hank, who would unfailingly come to the rescue. Still. It was a bit tiresome. The romance was just okay. While I could understand Hank wanting to protect Maria, I had a hard time figuring out what he saw in her on a day-to-day basis.

Content: As mentioned, Maria was raped at the beginning of the book, though it was not graphically described.

(Finished reading Sept. 3)

Sun Tunnels and Secrets, by Carole Thayne Warburton

3.5 stars: As the title suggests--secrets and what happens when they come to light.

Norma, Mabel, and LaRue are 3 elderly sisters who live in rural Northern Utah. They've had their share of ups and downs over the years, and most recently, Norma's husband Wes passed away. They take a trip out to the Sun Tunnels together and come upon a man's body. After covering him up a little, they decide to call the police station on their way back. After all, they don't have cell phone coverage, and there's not much more they can do for him at this point, anyway. The only problem is--when they drive back, the body is missing. Along with their umbrella, the half-embroidered pillowcase used as a coverup, and baseball cap. It turns out Mabel's car has been stolen, as well.

The "dead" man, a young, shifty character named Kevin, keeps turning up in their lives. He tries for sympathy, claiming he's trying to find his wife--a girl named Cadence, who is due to have a baby in the next month. The sisters will have to decide how much to help him or believe him. Meanwhile, Norma discovers some old photos that throw her whole marriage into question. Despite the pain, she's determined to get to the bottom of it all.

* * * * * *
This held my interest. It's not a mystery, but more of a small-town community life novel. There are many characters with secrets, and by the end most of the secrets have come to light, mostly for the better.

Couple of side notes:
I'm not sure what the deal is with the cover. The shadowy man standing in the Sun Tunnel looks cool, but has no relation to the story. At all.

Also, in case you were wondering, the Sun Tunnels are real! They're art created by Nancy Holt in 1976. They are large concrete tubes that line up with the rising and setting sun on the summer and winter solstices. You have to drive 45+ miles out into the middle of nowhere to see them, but it might be worth a road trip sometime!

(Finished reading Oct. 30)


Have you read any good LDS fiction lately? Any authors I should try? Talk to me!