The Women of Brewster Place, by Gloria Naylor

The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While many, if not most, novels are written as one long story, other novels can be separated into short stories that are woven together to make up one novel. The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor is one such novel.

In this novel, Brewster Place is a tenement building on a now walled-off road, where those who can't afford better land. Each chapter introduces us to another woman and describes what led to her landing on Brewster Place, weaving her life together with the other women's lives.

The writing in this book is superb, the characters believable, keeping the reader engaged and cheering for the women.

I originally read The Women of Brewster Place in 1983, shortly after its pubication, and wondered if it would hold up. It does, making me wonder why I waited so long to reread it.

If one is looking for a book that stands up well and draws one in, Gloria Naylor's The Women of Brewster Place is worth the read.

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Jane Austen in Boca, by Paula Marantz Cohen

Jane Austen in Boca by Paula Marantz Cohen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Over the past couple of decades, it seems that numerous books come out in groups: Jane Austen books (those with Jane Austen in the title and/or as an updated version of an Austen book), animal books (following the success of Marley & Me, The Art of Running In the Rain, and Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, as well as other groups.

One of the Jane Austen-based books that I've just reread is Jane Austen in Boca by Paula Marantz Cohen.

I originally read it maybe 20+ years ago when my dad sent a box of large-print books that he figured I'd like. (We have similar tastes; I'll be rereading the other books that he sent in the near future.) Jane Austen in Boca was one of the books.

In this twist on Pride and Prejudice, Carol Newman discovers that Norman Grafstein's wife has died. Carol's husband was a childhood friend of Norman's son, and lives in Boca Raton, where her husband's widowed mother, May, lives. Carol immediately decides she has to set May up with Norma.

The book takes off from there, and involves May's friends, Flo and Lila, as well as other men.

If you love Jane Austen's books, and are looking for a modern light-hearted twist, Paula Marantz Cohen's Jane Austen in Boca just might be the book you're looking for.

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Caught, by Jane Schwartz

Caught by Jane Schwartz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are times when I just want to read (or reread) a book that's interesting and a quick read. Caught by Jane Schwartz is one book that does it for me.

On the surface, Caught deals with the world of pigeon chasers in Brooklyn during the 1950s. Louie is a young girl who is introduced to pigeons on roof-tops through her brother and brother's friend. When the group is found stealing birds from a man who stole from them, Louie is the only one officially caught, then dragged to the local pigeon store. After this trip, Louie meets up with Casey, who owns a large flock in the neighborhood. Casey, who is in his late-30s, needs a chaser, and hires Louie on.

The surface story deals strictly with the birds, Louie and Casey's relationship on the roof, and Louie's family's concern about Louie's time on the roof. As with any decent story, though, there are various layers to sift through.

At the end, though, Louie's mom and step-father decide to move, taking Louie and her brother with them. While Casey promises to come visit, the reader knows that this will never happen, that their relationship is over, and that Louie's chasing days are over.

While the ending may be inevitable, the events leading up to the last page will stick with the reader, making this a book to read, set aside, and read again at a later time.

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