Sacha T. Y. Fortuné

This book came to me via an ARC program, and I chose it because the blurb piqued my interest.

The Premise

As a five-year-old child, Tori walked into her newborn brother’s room in the middle of the night to see a shadowy figure abducting him, and her baby brother’s lifeless body was later found in the crib. No one believes what she saw that night — which also becomes the case decades later when her old childhood friend also believes her baby was taken by someone. The similarities are uncanny; is there something more behind this crazy coincidence? The truth lies somewhere in Tori’s blurry past… can she figure it out, before it’s too late for her friend this time around?

The Pros

This was an intriguing mystery with a relatable female lead. I enjoyed the story and read it fairly quickly. I really liked the plot and found it was original and refreshing. I liked all the characters and the relationships built between Tori and each twin — a somewhat romantic interest with Cole as they conduct their amateur sleuthing investigations, and a begrudging but trusting friendship with his sister Missy.

I also appreciated the supporting character of her grandmother, and her role as one of the gatekeepers of knowledge about the family’s past. Her mother was the one who really stole the show though — what a reveal! As the mystery unravels, the deplorable actions of the past come to light, and it makes for a shocking discovery — nicely done! The novel also made me think a lot about the issue of mental illness, particularly as it relates to women, motherhood, and the general sense of a “fragility of mind” that society often assumes of women.

The Cons

Though I liked the premise of the story and the plot a lot, the pacing of the story was a bit choppy for me — it began slowly, sped up, then tapered off, sped up, and so on, which was quite a shame considering the great material to work with! If it were another genre (say literary fiction or women’s fiction), perhaps I wouldn’t have noticed or minded, but here it felt like there were moments that were bogged down with minutiae in the midst of such a great mystery! I also felt like there was a bit too much signposting from early on as to who the “villain” was; I’d figured out about 75% of the “twist” long in advance.

Conclusion

Overall, this was a great novel that I enjoyed and would recommend to others. I categorised this as a mystery rather than a thriller — mind you, this isn’t a con because I LOVE mysteries, but this isn’t the “psychological thriller” one might expect (from the title and cover), but a mystery with a sprinkle of family drama and a tiny smidge of romance. This seems to be a standalone in a series and I’m not sure exactly how interlinked the books are, but I can confirm it definitely reads quite nicely as a standalone and leaves you satisfied with a full, well-rounded story. It was my first by this author, but I’ll gladly read more.

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This book came to me via an ARC program, and I chose it as the opening lines caught my attention.

The Premise

In the 18th century, a series of unfortunate events and circumstances led to the death of a young woman, Sarah Grosvenor. This historical fiction revisits the shocking days of deceit, betrayal, and malevolence during the “Age of Enlightenment,” and then imagines what led to the multiple arrest warrants that were finally issued some three years later for the horrific crime.

The Pros & Cons

This was a thought-provoking tale of power and privilege that reveals the intrinsic horror of entrenched patriarchy in the face of social justice. Based on real historical events in colonial America, it recounts the events that led to a young woman’s death, primarily told through the eyes of her younger sister Rebecca who campaigned for the truth to be revealed. Though set in the 18th century, it is a timely tale particularly in light of the recent U.S. court ruling regarding Roe v. Wade, and its subsequent impact on women’s rights in America as it pertains to their bodies and the bearing of children.

Under the guidance of her doctor and coercion of her lover, Sarah Grosvenor was “taking the trade” to rid herself of an unwanted pregnancy. Her younger sister Rebecca bore witness to the events that led to her death, and the perpetrators involved in the crime–a murder, she believes it to be:

“I had been to the graveyard and it was not full to overflowing with stones set for women who had taken the trade and paid the doctors. Women lived. Something had gone horribly wrong for my sister.”

The village absorbed Sarah’s death and buried their heads in the sand to protect themselves and uphold the prominent reputations of the two families involved, until Rebecca took it upon herself to seek out the justice of the peace and demand that the truth be uncovered. Three years later, the court eventually charged the doctor John Hallowell and Sarah’s lover Amasa Sessions. The result was a trial that exposed shocking events, but the ultimate result was disheartening for Rebecca (and for the reader!) as the entitlement of men knows no bounds:

“Both men would be heralded for their future successes and lauded for their fine accomplishments. They would live prosperous lives, and that prosperity would guarantee that all was forgotten.”

Firstly, I must admit that this book was a difficult read in many ways. In one aspect, which I commend, the topic is unsettling, and the vivid imagery leaves an imprint — these are excellent for a writer to convey. In another aspect, though, the style of writing is quite eloquent which I found challenging to follow at times — some parts have repetition or an overabundance of description that obscures the actions or events of the plot from shining through. However, these unwieldy elements soon give way to the compelling story that unfolds beautifully in all its gory glory.

I appreciated the author’s talent at descriptive elements when it came to the powerful imagery that abounds: the chamberstick illuminating Rebecca’s face outside the justice’s door, Amasa’s callous ripping apart of beautiful wildflowers in his path, the demise of the underdeveloped baby, and so many more facets that were brought to life. From the defiant red-orange flame of Rebecca’s hair, to the ruddy-cheeked villagers whispering amongst themselves in the taverns, the author takes you right to the scene of the “crime”–not simply the death of a young woman, no, but the blatant disregard for women’s rights in favour of the men who hold all the power in society. At its close, when all was revealed, I especially appreciated the title’s choice of the word “murder” (rather than simply “death”) despite the intangibility of blame.

Conclusion

A historic novel based on an uncomfortable truth, this was no doubt expertly researched and presented. It gives many sides of the story through “vignettes” — we learn about Amasa’s family, Sarah and Rebecca’s family, several of the villagers, and the weary cowardice of those charged with making the laws and keeping the peace. I invite readers to challenge themselves and take a chance on this because its value runs deep both as a contribution to literature and to history on the whole. I can see this novel being used in an educational setting as a literature text for analysis, as there is a lot to dissect here. It is humbling and frightening to realise that women’s choices and the lives experienced in what we consider “ancient history” bear far too many similarities to the injustices that we still face today.

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A heartwarming, insightful, witty, and amusing memoir about “dadding”

This was my fifty-fifth book I chose via the Reedsy Discovery program, for which I am the single approved reviewer for this new book. I loved the first two in the series, Dear Dory and Dear Arlo, and was contacted by the author to also review this one. This review also appears on Reedsy.

If you’re interested in becoming a Reedsy reviewer (and have the chance to get paid “tips” to review books!) check it out here.

The Premise

Having found solace in penning a “journal” of sorts to his unborn miracle baby via “Dear Dory” and later to his newborn in “Dear Arlo“, the author continues writing a journal to his toddler son. From nursery drama to tantrums to health scares, the journal entries showcase the author’s continuing evolution into parenthood from a father’s (often hilarious and/or immature) perspective.

The Pros

After enjoying “Dear Dory” and “Dear Arlo”, I was excited to once more dive into the raw, honest, and refreshing take on parenthood from a dad’s perspective.

“Daddy” realises that he’s mastered the early challenges of keeping a small human alive; now, suddenly, there are more requirements:

How do I prepare for the next stage of psychological development, one that involves nuances that I simply cannot research?

As he watches his son evolve from helpless infant to a curious toddler with a mind of his own (plus an affinity for bananas, and an obsession with the vacuum — erm, sorry, “Hoover”), he imagines the world through Arlo’s eyes and finds wonder in the small things: the simple activity of wandering off and experiencing a space on his own, the flurry of a first snowfall, the wondrous all-encompassing power of heavy rain that makes the world seem limitless.

On the downside, there are the less-than-ideal moments: the horror of the airborne nappy, the seemingly-senseless tantrum, the exasperating washing-machine vs. toddler battle, and the deeper “Santa-isn’t-real” moments — when a wrong decision can impact the child’s wellbeing, namely an unsuitable nursery; and when parenting communication misfires and the result is a nasty toddler tumble. All of this, of course, while living through a pandemic — and eventually contracting not just the disease, but the debilitating weakness of being trapped indoors under quarantine… with a toddler… ***dun dun dun!***

There are some memorable scene stealers: celebrating the non-parenting moments of freedom to let loose; the anxious early-morning nursery drop-off — followed, of course, by overwhelming guilt; and Mummy (a child carer at one nursery) being devastated to learn that the new nursery’s maximum capacity is five (hers is seventeen). I also liked the through-Arlo’s-eyes “intermission” reports — we all wonder what’s going on in a child’s brain as they encounter the world, and I imagine that many toddler brainwaves are contemplations on how to wreak havoc!

I appreciated that the author doesn’t forget to check his privilege:

It’s times like this when I spare a thought […] for anyone out there who is a single parent with a limited support network to lean on. If they look at the cards they’ve been dealt, they won’t find a too hung-over-to-parent card, a too-ill-to-parent card or even a can-I-have-five-minutes-to-drink-a-cup-of-tea card. I look at my hand, and I’m spoilt for choice at the cards I can lay down.

Overall, from “Dory” to “Arlo” and now to “Toddler Inc.”, a begrudging maturity emerges, evident in reflective passages that ruminate on everything from parenthood to relationships to a “how-the-hell-did-I-even-get-here” career introspection, and this rawness will truly resonate with readers of all kinds. We’re all wondering, to some extent, how point A led to this moment right here right now — what tiny change could have sent our lives down an entirely different path?

From the awful first encounter that eventually blossomed into a loving relationship and a miracle child, “Daddy” reminds us that difficult days are part of the journey. To get to the good stuff — the “serotonin-like substance” that repels negative thoughts and makes you feel alive, you have to power through:

People queue up for the parenthood gig each day because of the unconditional love they have for their children. […] There is nothing more rewarding than parenthood, but you have to work for it.

Conclusion

As a parent of a toddler, this comedic memoir hit home for personally. It being the third book in the series, I can see many readers happily wanting more and more, for the pure escapism of diving into someone else’s mind and learning the inner workings of their family lives. If you love one of these, you’ll love them all — while a parenting memoir seems like it would be a humdrum, I beg to differ; when done right, these words connect to parents everywhere and let us all know that we’re not alone.

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https://books2read.com/toddler-inc