The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

The elegant simplicity of this novel captured my interest right from the get-go. It is set in Burma and the descriptions of the area are exquisite.

Julia Win has traveled to Burma looking for her father, who disappeared from NYC four years ago. She meets U Ba, a man who knows her father, and he tells her the story of her father's early life before he left to attend college in America.

It's a beautiful story. I didn't want it to end. But it did. Maybe a bit abruptly. But, other than that, five stars for this novel that just glows!

The Snow Child and Touch and Go

This is a beautifully written novel! So, why did it take me like a month to read it? I have no idea but, every time I picked it up, I enjoyed it. Guess it was just me.

It's 1920. Mabel and Jack are a middle-aged couple who have escaped to Alaska after the death of their stillborn child. They are trying to make a go of farming and trying to get used to the idea of not having children.

Then, out of the blue, they spy a small child in the woods. They befriend her and help her out but she is elusive and only visits them in the winter.

No one believes she even exists.

Rich in descriptions of the bleak Alaskan wilderness and full of deft characterizations, this is a wonderful read.




Then I read this one in two days! Not as beautifully written but the action is nonstop and the characters are believable.

Libby Denbe, her husband, and their fifteen-year-old daughter are kidnapped. It's Tessa Leoni's job to find them and bring them home alive. But the more Tessa looks into the circumstances and personal lives of the Denbes, the more mystified she is by the case.

All in all, a very satisfying read.