Category: books

Family in Six Tones speaks both to the unique struggles of refugees and to the universal tug-of-war between mothers and daughters.

About a Family In Six Tones: A Refugee Mother, an American Daughter

In 1975, thirteen-year-old Lan Cao boarded an airplane in Saigon and got off in a world where she faced hosts she had not met before, a language that she didn’t speak, food she didn’t recognize, with the faint hope that she would be able to go home soon. Lan fought her way through confusion, and racism, to become a successful lawyer and novelist. Four decades later, she faced the biggest challenge in her life: raising her daughter Harlan–half Vietnamese by birth and 100 percent American teenager. In their joint memoir, told in alternating voices, mother and daughter cross ages and ethnicities to tackle the hardest questions about assimilation, aspiration, and family.

Lan wrestles with her identities as not merely an immigrant but a refugee from an unpopular war. She has bigoted teachers who undermine her in the classroom and tormenting inner demons, but she does achieve, either despite or because of the work ethic and tight support of a traditional Vietnamese family struggling to get by in a small American town. Lan has ambitions, for herself, and for her daughter, but even as an adult feels tentative about her place in her adoptive country, and ventures through motherhood as if it is a foreign landscape.

Reflecting and refracting her mother’s narrative, Harlan fiercely describes the rites of passage of childhood and adolescence, filtered through the effects of her family’s history of war, tragedy, and migration. Harlan’s struggle to make friends in high school challenges her mother to step back and let her daughter find her own way.

Family in Six Tones speaks to the unique struggles of refugees and to the universal tug-of-war between mothers and daughters. The journey of an immigrant, away from war and loss toward peace and a new life, and the journey of a mother raising a child to be secure and happy. Both are steep paths filled with detours and stumbling blocks. Through explosive fights and painful setbacks, mother and daughter search for a way to accept the past and face their future together.

My Thoughts

Family in Six Tones is a powerful book that made me cry, made me smile and opened my eyes. My husband came to Canada with his brother at the age of 19, sent by their parents in the hopes of a better life for them. I found many parts of his own story within this story (the struggles of different cultures, longing for the home from their youth yet knowing that it is just not the same, the new community that is built in this new country and so on). I can’t even begin to imagine or put myself in the shoes of a refugee or an immigrant, instead I try to do my best to understand and be respectful. For many, they are not leaving by choice (for adventure, for a new job, etc) but instead they are fleeing war, persecution, politics, poverty and so much more. They have seen things that others cannot even begin to imagine. I cried when I got to the part where Lan’s parents sent her to America alone. The strength and love that they had for her was incredible, I can’t even begin to imagine the hurt they carried within seeing their daughter leave but also the sacrifice and hope for her future that they saw.

The story is told in an unique manner – both in Lan’s and Harlan’s perspectives which gives us such a personal look at their lives and helps us to fill in the gaps. We learn about Lan’s family history in Saigon and the struggles they faced before and during the Vietnam War. We watch as she boards a plane to America, not really understanding that this is not a short vacation but instead her parents have made the greatest sacrifice to protect her. We watch as she becomes exposed to American culture and we see the differences between the two cultures and how difficult this must have been for her to find her own way in a country that is so unlike her home. Many times, America is not the warm, welcome inviting place it should be for her – instead she is faced with racism and hate because of her birth place (some of this may have been due to the war but after witnessing how people have treated immigrants myself, it could be more than that). We watch as she grows into a young woman, heads off to college and finally as she becomes a mother. I can’t even begin to imagine the stress of becoming a mother, the fears she would have for her daughter and never really knowing should she raise her in an American culture or her Vietnamese culture. We watch as she struggles with the rules that she grew up with, changes her mind but is always trying to be mindful of the American culture that her daughter will have to navigate.

With Harlan’s sections, we see a new side of Lan – the sides that are permanently affected by what she saw as a child and the sides that she tries to hide. No one can ever truly appreciate the long term affects of war, fleeing your country and starting over can have on you mentally, emotionally and physically. We saw glimpses of this in Harlan’s chapters and she shared this with love, respect and honesty. I loved the way Harlan wrote, she shares her heart openly and you just can’t stop reading.

This is a beautiful story of family, the mother-daughter relationship, the struggles of a refugee and starting over in a new country and culture. I couldn’t put this memoir down, it was an intimate and honest story that was told with respect and love, a definite must read novel.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Authors

Lan Cao is the author of Monkey Bridge and The Lotus and the Storm, and most recently of the scholarly work Culture in Law and Development: Nurturing Positive Change. She is a professor of law at the Chapman University School of Law, and an internationally recognized expert specializing in international business and trade, international law, and development. She has taught at Brooklyn Law School, Duke University School of Law, University of Michigan Law School, and William & Mary Law School.

Harlan Margaret Van Cao graduated from high school in June 2020 and will be attending UCLA. She was born in Williamsburg, Virginia, and moved to Southern California when she was ten.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A baker and a food critic – one bad review, lots of chemistry and a cooking show. What could go wrong?

About A Sweet Mess

Aubrey Choi has been content running her highly successful bakery Comfort Zone and with its first expansion taking up all of her time, dating has been the least of her priorities. Then a one-night-stand with gorgeous Korean hunk Landon Kim makes her want things she didn’t think she had time for. Too bad it turns out he’s a celebrity food critic whose scathing review of Comfort Zone goes viral and nearly destroys Aubrey’s business—and her fond memory of their night together.

Landon tries to clean up the mess he made by offering Aubrey a spot on the new celebrity cooking show he’s producing. She agrees to use this as a way to save her bakery and her reputation—no thanks to him—but vows to guard her heart. Now Aubrey and Landon find themselves sharing a villa in California wine country, which is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. For the next three weeks, baker and critic will tempt each other as they struggle to resist admitting that they have all the necessary ingredients for love.

My Thoughts

A Sweet Mess was fun, sweet, made me laugh and was a great read from start to finish.

We have Aubrey, the people pleaser, who owns her own bakery and is proud of all that she has accomplished. She has not always had it easy with her family life, but she is a determined young woman who has set out to prove that she can make it in the world. She definitely has done a great job! Her community loves her baking and she has even decided to expand her business into a bigger space (not an easy task for any young person). But all of this spirals out of control when she meets a handsome young man, has a one night stand and then he leaves an awful review of her bakery! Did I mention, he was a famous food critic?? His review has the potential to destroy her business and we can almost immediately see the impact it has.

Everything that Aubrey has worked so hard for with her business could now come crashing down around her, and she will not sit back and let this happen . When Landon realizes his mistake, he tries to make it up to her and the pair start down a very interesting path that involves wine country, a stay together at a beautiful home and a live appearance on a baking show (can’t give away too much but it was good!).

The plot was fantastic – full of humour, it was sexy (these two have such a strong connection), but also focuses on some difficult topics (it is done in a way that doesn’t leave you feeling overwhelmed). These two had a rough start despite their attraction towards each other, and they would make a perfect couple from what we can see on the outside but can they make it through the drama that surrounds them?

A Sweet Mess is a fun read that is perfect for the summer months, that you can enjoy on the beach or in the backyard by the pool.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

JAYCI LEE writes poignant, sexy, and laugh-out-loud romance every free second she can scavenge and is semi-retired from her fifteen-year career as a defense litigator. She loves food, wine, and travelling, and incidentally so do her characters. Jayci lives in sunny California with her tall-dark-and-handsome husband, two amazing boys with boundless energy, and a fluffy rescue whose cuteness is a major distraction.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review, all opinions expressed are my own.

See the U.S.A Constitution in a new light with this bold, modern and accessible illustrated guide to the document that helped define democracy.

About We The People: The United States Constitution Explored and Explained

With the 2020 Presidential election around the corner, there has never been a better time to take a closer look at the Constitution, the bedrock of U.S. politics. Inquisitive minds will have their questions vividly answered (and new ones raised) by a mix of illustrations and clear, engaging text, including passages from the Constitution given in plain English.

As well as a detailed history covering the original Constitution, the Bill of Rights and all Amendments, discover how this milestone in American democracy shapes and is shaped by the world at large. We The People shows that the U.S. Constitution is a living, evolving rulebook that is as relevant today as it has ever been.

Our Thoughts

As a Canadian, I was not familiar with the U.S. Constitution. I have heard several parts in the news but did not really understand the amendments and how the government worked.

I loved the foreword of this book, as it truly sets the tone for what is to come. It encourages you to challenges your beliefs, the Constitution wording and to take action about the things you belief in. It encourages you to understand and appreciate that any person has the ability to make a change and difference, in order to make the country they live in a great place to do so.

From here the book jumps into the basics of the Constitution, the three branches of government, the Preamble, articles and then Amendments. I enjoyed learning about the Preamble (basically an introduction) as it helps to explain why the Constitution exists, what it is supposed to accomplish and who it is for. The book then jumps into an explanation of seven articles and the Bill of Rights.

What I enjoyed the most of this book is that it did not just explain the history of the articles and Amendments and what this means but it also gives you how people championed for equal rights for all people under each of these rights, key individuals in this fight, and encourages you to challenge what you know by asking questions. “What do you think?” questions are asked quite frequently throughout the book, these questions encourage the reader to think about how society is now, why this topic is important and at times how could we do better. This book also includes several, ‘Did you know facts’ under each topic along with fun facts – many that I did not know (for me, I learned the District of Columbia is a territory and does not have any members of Congress, and this was done so that the capital of the United States of America would belong to everyone!). I enjoyed learning about key political characters that helped create the country we all know now.

This book is geared towards older children but can still be enjoyed by younger children when read with an adult. It challenges your thinking, beliefs and encourages you to understand the rights and freedoms for all people. It is a celebration of the rights and freedoms that the citizens of the U.S. enjoy and how they interact with their daily lives. The illustrations are bright and engaging which is great for young readers. This is a book for all readers and you can see this through the title and through the way the book is written.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Evan Sargent is an intuitive creative director, strategist and designer with a knack for seeing the big picture. Her background includes over a decade as an art director and creative director in advertising – more recently, she has become a political activist and community organizer. We The People is her first children’s book.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Working undercover for London’s first official police force, the Bow Street Bachelors have an obligation to serve the city’s best interests—even while they’re falling for the city’s most alluring women.

About To Catch an Earl

Alex Harland, Earl of Melton and dedicated rake, never pictured himself as an agent of inquiry. But the thrill of investigation is a challenge he now embraces. When he’s asked to pursue the Nightjar, a notorious thief who is reclaiming France’s crown jewels, the case throws him into the path of the beautiful and equally elusive Emmy Danvers, reminding him of the only puzzle he’s never solved: the identity of the mysterious woman who once stole a kiss from him—and left him wanting so much more.

The daughter of a thief, Emmy learned long ago how to keep her secrets safeguarded—and, as the notorious Nightjar, her love for Alex Harland is one of them. With the determined earl hot on her trail—and making her hot under the collar—Emmy has no choice but to keep her distance. But when a moment’s danger threatens Emmy’s life as well as her name, will Alex finally discover that he’s followed every clue…to true love?

My Thoughts

I love the first book in this series as the plot was so different from the typical historical romance and this novel in this series does not disappoint.

Emmy is the daughter of a thief and has learned well from her Father, including learning all of the tricks of the trade. She is determined, strong but reserved in society because of her family history. The one man she does fall in love with (Alex) at a ball during a dance, is someone she knows she can never be with especially given her family history. She never does forget the special moment they shared at the ball and carries it with her for four years.

While her Father was a thief (the Nightjar), he did so for a noble cause – returning the French jewels to the French (not at a price but to ensure the jewels return to their real home) and his calling card? A black feather. With four years of no thefts, the sudden return of the black feather has many people wondering has the thief returned? What does the thief now have their eye on? How will they stop the thefts from happening?

Alex is determined to catch the Nightjar and he prides himself on his skills to solve cases that no one else can. He does not hesitate to take on this case and begins to plan to capture the Nightjar in the act. Alex is a hard man, he does not open easily but there was something special about a woman that he met at a ball four years ago. He never learns her name and his only memory of that moment is a special scent that she wore. Alex’s beliefs are sent spinning as he begins to investigate the Nightjar case and he has to question everything that he has believed his whole life. Can he look past her history in order to accept love? Can he even keep her alive as the plot begins to thicken?

This was an excellent, exciting novel with great twists that I did not see coming. I loved our characters that were full of personality and humour even as they face great obstacles (including bribery and murder!). The novel develops well and at a great pace, where you do not feel as though you are missing anything but not too slow either. This novel is a great summer read.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Kate Bateman, (also writing as K. C. Bateman), is the #1 bestselling author of historical romances, including her RITA® nominated Renaissance romp, The Devil To Pay, and the novels in the Secrets & Spies series To Steal a Heart, A Raven’s Heart, and A Counterfeit Heart. When not writing novels that feature feisty, intelligent heroines and sexy, snarky heroes you want to both strangle and kiss, Kate works as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several popular TV shows in the UK. She splits her time between Illinois and her native England.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.