Liz's Current Picks
"The Sign For Home" is a breakthrough in fiction representing people with disabilities, specifically the deafblind. Arlo Dilly is a young man who is enrolling in a community college writing class. Arlo struggles with English; it is his second language. His first language is ASL. Arlo has Usher's Syndrome. Arlo is interested in school and improving his writing skills to enable him to preach as a missionary of his Jehovah's Witnesses Congregation. He wants to meet new people especially new girls his age. Due to his religious beliefs, he is ashamed of himself for desiring to meet and have a relationship with a young woman. His perceptions of people are entirely based on touching and smelling them. I love his unique voice. "The Sign For Home" is a powerful story of Arlo and his quest to find forbidden love and live the life he wants. Arlo's family and interpreters can be helpful but primarily are obstacles and overprotective. Arlo must learn to advocate for himself. He knows what he wants but ironically few people listen to him. The writing is superb and the content is original and much needed! Thank you Blair Fell.
Molly is an efficient, hardworking maid at a regal hotel. Molly takes enormous pride in "returning a room to a state of perfection." But Molly is misunderstood as being cold and robotic and nicknamed "Roomba" by her cruel coworkers. Molly does not have perfect social skills; she misses verbal as well as non-verbal cues and tends to hear the literal interpretation of her conversations with others. She is intelligent but quirky. When Molly encounters a dead body in the bed of one of her rooms, she notes countless details about the victim and the crime scene. When the police interview her, she is distracted by the officer's poor etiquette and the police station's uncleanliness. Molly's uncooperative behavior turns her into a " person of interest". This is a clever, fast moving murder mystery. I highly recommend this novel.
Hannah first meets Owen in her woodturning showroom. In two years: the couple is married, living on his houseboat with Owen's 16 yo daughter, Bailey. Hannah is struggling to bond with Bailey. Everything changes radically the day Owen doesn't come home from work. This unique, fast-paced thriller has a constant sense of hope. I absolutely recommend it to everyone.
Out of necessity and due to the cultural norms of the early 20th century, Mrs. Sophie Hocking does not complain when her husband travels for work without explanation. Mr. Martin Hocking seems like a gentleman, but Martin is not in love with his second wife, Sophie. Sophie is resigned to this and is entirely devoted to his young daughter, Kat, from his first wife. The Hockings' lives are completely and permanently altered by the catastrophic events of the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906. In this setting, Susan Meissner writes an incredibly moving story that captures the unique event where people experiencing tragedy together become bonded with one another. This fabulous book is informative, inspiring and filled with the strength of love.