#BookReview - Fedor

Fedor

By: Brant Vickers

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: May 2021

ISBN: 978-1637529447

Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott

Review Date: November 15, 2021

A most remarkable man overcomes the odds in a vivid portrait of an early circus denizen in this wide-ranging, literate view by author Brant Vickers.

Fedor Adrianovitch Jefticheff was born in 1868 in Russia, in abject poverty. In addition to the family’s desperate financial straits, both Fedor and his father had a medical condition known as hypertrichosis - covered with thick hair on face and body giving them an animal-like appearance. Both became circus performers, touted as savages found in the wild and ordered to act and sound like dogs for their gawping audience.

Fedor, as styled by Vickers in this fictionalized speculation about his life and times, is fortunate to meet and bond with the future Tsar Nicholas II, who takes a personal interest in his condition and arranges for him to gain employment in the United States with the rising star of showmanship, Phineas T. Barnum. Barnum seeks wild animals and talented acrobats as well as unusually constructed human specimens – called “freaks”- first for his museum and then for his traveling entourage. Fedor is not only a genuine curiosity with his furred face and body, but also a high-powered intellectual, having read the books of Tolstoy as a child, speaking several languages, and endeavoring to keep abreast of the literature of his times. As painted by Vickers, he is blessed to meet, through Barnum, Mark Twain, and through Twain, a growing chain of notables including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Louisa May Alcott, and even Geronimo. As “Jo-jo the Dog-faced Boy,” Fedor blends easily with the other performers in the depressingly named “Black Tent”: the diminutive fellow known to the public as “General Tom Thumb,” the bearded and tattooed ladies, the helpless aboriginals captured for their exotic looks, and the cruelly designated “Turtle Boy,” “Camel Girl,” “Zip the Pinhead,” and the “Elephant Man,” - whose titles offer a perverse description of their birth defects and disabilities. When Fedor bonds with a charming, brainy female from the Tent cohort, and the circus begins an inevitable transformation that will exclude the freak displays, he must make a momentous decision.

Author Vickers served in the military, lived overseas, and found his “true profession” working with individuals with special needs, a profession that evoked his investigation of the experiences of people like Fedor. Added to this personal interest is his scholarly approach to the subject matter, cleverly drawing together the many now well-known intellects of the era such as Twain, Herman Melville, and Arthur Conan Doyle, weaving their perspectives into the narrative. Added to the mix is colorful circus slang - terms like gillys (locals), riggers (workers who set up the many tents and structures), and criers (announcers). The tapestry that emerges makes for an enjoyable and highly thought-provoking reading experience.

Quill says: Fedor’s first-person account as created so deftly by Vickers will enchant those familiar with some of the book’s historical background, while introducing, in a respectful but factual manner to those just learning of it, the often-accepted abuses of disabled folk in our nation’s past.

For more information on Fedor, please visit the book's Goodreads page.

#BookReview - Taint

Taint

By: Janet Kelley

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: December 2021

ISBN: 978-1639880065

Reviewed by: Lynette Latzko

Review Date: November 13, 2021

Author and sexual assault survivor advocate, Janet Kelley, presents her debut novel, Taint, an intense story of friendship, and the overwhelming desire for justice.

By all accounts, class valedictorian Rebecca White and her bestie, Luke Warren, are regular high school seniors who are fully enjoying all the typical perks of being in their final school year before they embark upon the next chapter in their adult life. Hanging out with their friend Tiffany, at a local diner, eating pie and drinking coffee, is one of their favorite pastimes. Rebecca believes high school life is mostly mundane but is sprinkled at times with some excitement such as getting ready for prom. That is until the day she quietly slips out of her house, and into the car with Luke, who is quite distraught. After she’s sworn total secrecy, he tells her of the horrific incident that happened to him the previous week.

Luke explains to Rebecca that he was invited by Weston, the son of the principal of their high school, to join a bunch of guys at his family’s lake house for some beer and fun. Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a cool night hanging out with friends, ended up spiraling downwards when Luke was alone and Weston attacked him, pulling out a knife, and raping him. Obviously stunned by this information, Rebecca tries to comfort Luke but is completely speechless. Over the next few weeks while Luke continues to plod along at school, hiding his dreadful secret, Rebecca’s emotions transform from shocked numbness, into indignation and rage. At times her feelings are described so profoundly, it’s as if she is experiencing survivor's guilt, even though she wasn’t actually there during Luke’s assault. Eventually Rebecca becomes torn between keeping Luke’s secret, and what transforms into an obsessive desire to make Weston pay for his hideous actions.

Taint is a deeply moving and original account of what happens in the aftermath of a sexual assault. However, what makes this a truly unique page-turning tale, is the perspective it’s being told from; that of the victim’s best friend. Although the writing in Taint is wordy and feels a bit scatterbrained, which may lose an adult reader’s attention, the writing is generally typical of some teenagers’ thought processes and behavior (particularly a teen going through such emotional turmoil), and should be taken into consideration before giving up on the book entirely. The author weaves a powerful story with such vivid descriptions that readers feel every emotion Rebecca experiences, and although Rebecca’s actions may be at first shocking and questionable, it becomes easily understandable why she makes her decisions - though are they the best decisions, and to what extent are they justifiable? These questions will swirl around readers’ heads long after finishing this read. Finally, it should be noted that parts of this novel have extremely graphic content, and may be an emotional trigger to those with a history of sexual assault or violence.

Quill says: Author Janet Kelley brings to light a new perspective on the aftermath of sexual assault, that is both riveting and thought-provoking.

For more information on Taint, please visit the author's website at: writenowjanetkelley.com/

#BookReview - Easy Marks by Catherine Wagner

Easy Marks: Cracking a University’s Academic Integrity Con

By: Catherine Wagner

Publisher: Sunlight Works

Publication Date: October 1, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-999-8623-0-8

Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott

Review Date: August 29, 2021

A college student with high grades and high hopes finds herself enmeshed in a perilous situation in the very system she so highly regarded and innocently trusted, in this potent account by Catherine Wagner.

Wagner was accepted at North Carolina State University, a time-honored institution, where she had a 4.0 grade average by the end of her freshman year in 2016. She was accepted to study in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, with the ultimate intention to study medicine. At the same time, she undertook a double major in Spanish and received much academic recognition. But her first class, Chemical Engineering 205, would prove her downfall.

Early in the 2016 academic year, after meeting with a fellow student to do homework, separately but in the same commons room, she was accused by her professor, Dr. Beisel, of cheating, because she and the other student had very similar answers to one question on the assignment. A year of legal struggles and personal agonies would follow. Her signature on a form entitled Report of Academic Integrity Violation in which she claimed that she was “not responsible” seemed to jeopardize, if not entirely crush, her ambitions for future education. The Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Bullard, a dynamic woman and very powerful within the University structure, seemed convinced that Wagner had cheated. This designation was intolerable to the young woman, who enlisted the help of her parents, some legal personnel, and independent expertise located on the Internet, to prove her innocence. This book is the result, an almost hourly chronicle of her many encounters with Bullard and others, her determination to clear her name, and her uncovering of what she refers to as a con game perpetrated by Bullard and others, seeking to produce a certain number of cheating incidents to underpin their own academic research and credentials.

Wagner has collected hundreds of pages to establish her integrity and point out underhanded practices perpetrated by certain members of the University faculty. She has reported hearings word for word, interjecting her own vibrant opinions at various phases and referencing such historical events as the Salem Witch Trials by way of example of the perfidies she observed and diligently recorded in this highly complex, fact-weighted unmasking. She includes interesting, even at times amusing commentary, and in general, makes a strong case for her voice of vindication to be heard by all concerned. Through her persistent struggles and many dialogs with those in power, she was finally exonerated. But she still uses her strong voice on behalf of others: she insists that since students pay enormous sums to pursue higher education, they should not be manipulated and threatened as she was within the system. She makes a case for righting previous wrongs and establishing more scientifically based structures for determining allegations of cheating.

Quill Says: Catherine Wagner’s Easy Marks could be a life altering read for anyone caught in similar circumstances, and for that reason, her painstakingly careful approach to the potential academic and organizational minefield is admirable.

#BookReview by Stuart Jay Silverman

Drifters

By: Stuart Jay Silverman

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: October 2021

ISBN: 978-1639880607

Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott

Date: November 10, 2021

Poetry is magic, and especially so when coming from award-winning wordsmith Stuart Jay Silverman, who spins yarns, weaves tapestries of time and place, and creates seemingly real characters out of colorful patches of poesy.

In the first section of this multi-layered aggregation, he takes the reader “In the Biome,” and for those of us unfamiliar with the term, he will walk his reader through a multitude of these large, flora- and fauna-filled environments. At the outset, he shares “What the Tree Heard”:

A creaky old pond,

Then, toad, frog, something, drops in,

Maybe a gator,

Then, from the goopy water,

Wind breaks, a bubble of sound.

Readers will visit “The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens” and share some time with “The Ant.” But there will be human actors too, including the poet himself, as he contemplates “Roadkill” and buries a “package of bristles that had been a squirrel.” In the section titled “Familial Territory,” Silverman recalls a trip to Bulgaria on the day the Russians launched Sputnik. He and his companion drink Bulgarian wine, which he recommends for “removing paint or shining brass.” He leaves a frisson of doubt in the reader’s mind as to the absolute verity of the memory - adding to its mystic charm. “Workday” - a stark portrait of the dreary routine of a house cleaner - is credible and in its way, quietly hopeful. Not so hopeful is the picture of Sarah, a go-go dancer immersed in a sense of the futility of finding happiness, resorting to a rowdy routine that mocks her clientele.

In the section “A Formal Feeling Comes,” readers will find an “Autobiopsy” and identify, perhaps, with the varied recollections of “Class Reunion.” In the neatly named “One for the Road,” Silverman turns to rhyming couplets, detailing the strained triangle of wife Amelia (“Mother, partner, hausfrau and wife, whose tongue could cut like a carving knife”), husband Bill (“Whatever he’d done, or been, alive, died when he died, turned ninety-five”) and their maid Vickie (“A young black woman, she knew the odds had been stacked against her by the gods”).

Silverman, who has won several prestigious honors for his previous poetic works, has taught English at Auburn University, the University of Illinois and elsewhere and composed a travel guide with his wife with whom he has explored much of the globe. He describes himself as an “expatriate Brooklynite” who embraces both outer realities and his own inner spaces, while aiming to keep his poetic pieces as a lens for his reader to observe, and possibly identify with, both realms. His use of language is alluring throughout, whether in free or rhyming framework. Readers who let preconceptions go will find themselves immersed in Silverman’s uncompromisingly unconventional view of just about everything.

Quill says: In Drifters, observant poet Silverman has created a new themeless, timeless work that proves his mastery of his genre that will undoubtedly enchant a wide readership.

#BookReview - Chelsea's Forever Garden

Chelsea's Forever Garden

By: Laura Lamb

Illustrated by: Mary Barrows

Publisher: Forever Publishing

Publication Date: October 2021

ISBN: 978-1737534402

Reviewed by: Holly Connors

Review Date: November 10, 2021

A girl who learns about the beauty of nature, and by getting closer to nature, learning more about herself, is the focus of debut author Laura Lamb's new book, Chelsea's Forever Garden.

As the story opens, it's a beautiful spring day and Chelsea is very, very excited. She can't believe her good fortune, because her parents have just given her a plot of land. Her very own space, her very own garden, a place where she can do whatever she wants. What a fantastic opportunity for Chelsea!

Chelsea rushes to the spot her father pointed out and discovers a lovely white picket fence surrounding her new special place. She rushes through the gate and plops down on the ground, a big smile on her face. Surrounded by bees, birds, crickets and all sorts of wildlife, Chelsea can't imagine a more wonderful place.

Once Chelsea has had time to let the joy of her new plot of land sink in, she turns her attention to deciding what to do with the area. Should she pull out all the weeds first? Maybe. But then she notices that the weeds have flowers and those flowers are feeding the bees. Nope, she should leave the weeds right where they are. A garden would be fun. But that would mean shutting the gate to keep out all the little visitors who might feed on the food in the garden. Nope, that wouldn't work either.

Chelsea eventually realizes that her little piece of land is perfect the way it is - no changes needed. She discovers the wonders of the world as she sits in her special place and watches the sun come up in the morning, as well as simply enjoying the clouds pass by above her. The joy Chelsea finds in her special place soon seeps over into other aspects of her life. She is nicer to her brother, she doesn't mind the days when it rains because she knows her land needs the water, and she even sings and whistles while doing chores. As Chelsea grows into a teenage, however, school and other things get in the way, and she spends less and less time in her special place. She also grows unhappy, and things just aren't the same. What's wrong? After some thought, Chelsea realizes she misses those early days spent in her happy little plot of land. Will she ever be able to get that carefree feeling back?

Young people today are under a lot of stress. Whether from social media, school, or dealing with the pandemic, life has never been more chaotic. Finding a place, or a way, to relieve that stress is something that is greatly needed today. Author Laura Lamb clearly shows readers a way to deal with the anxiety they may be facing by showing how one special plot of land was able to cure one youngster of her troubles. We see how having such a place brought all sorts of positive changes to Chelsea's life. And while others may not have the option of getting a plot of land, Lamb shows how, through the story as well as questions she poses on the last page, a way all readers can find their own "special place."

Quill says: Chelsea's Forever Garden is a lovely tale that highlights how finding a special place can help improve all aspects of your life and even help you get through the more difficult days you may face.

#BookReview - Where the Rain Cannot Reach

Where the Rain Cannot Reach (Doman’s Despair, Book 1)

By: Adesina Brown

Published by: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: December 2021

ISBN: 978-1-6398-8138-3

Reviewed By: Amy Lignor

Review Date: November 9, 2021

Looking at the cover of this fast-paced fantasy tale, you wouldn’t be able to imagine the scope of the characters and amazing plotlines that lie within. Don’t get me wrong, the cover is lovely and makes you want to pull it down off the shelf at your local bookstore – which is basically the job of the cover artist. However, when you hit page one and meet a three-year-old child with golden brown skin who is given a “hand” that helps her up and takes care of her in a world where she is the only creature called “Human,” that is when you find yourself whisked away on an adventure of mammoth proportions.

Her name is Tair, and she is the classic outsider looking in when it comes to her friends and adopted family. Living in the green hills of a location called Mirte, she has no memory of her parents or her original home. Mirte is the last valley that is under the sole control of the Elves. The beings closest to Tair include Shianna, who is a Dwarf living in the valley of the Elves that Tair has always looked up to as both a guardian and then a sibling as she grew older. Silaa is a prankster who looks at Tair as fragile, because she’s a Human. Silaa is one of the first Elves Tair met when she arrived as a child. Alyn is a Fel, which is made when an Elf and a Fairy mate, and also cooks food for Tair and the others, and does his best to keep everyone safe. Although he’s the only one who is the same height and build as a Human, his pointed ears and white eyebrows, among other features, sets him apart from the rest.

One evening, the usually rambunctious house becomes extremely silent during dinner and Tair knows something’s going on. When she asks, Alyn tells her that the very next day they will leave the valley before the Red Sun rises. He explains that they have known for the last fourteen years that tomorrow would be the day Tair would have to leave the only home she’s ever known. The three creatures are, in fact, her protectors, and they must take her to a new place, while all the time keeping her safe from the other Humans out there who have wanted Tair dead for a long time because they know what she represents and how, exactly, Tair can derail their own treacherous plans.

The journey they take will lead to Doman; this is the current home to the Dwarves, yet once upon a time it was the home to all kinds. Unfortunately, it was also the scene of the Doman War where horrific Human behavior took place, making the Dwarves’ legendary magic and wisdom gifts that they’ve had to keep secret. When Tair arrives, she meets new people and those that will help her progress. As her life moves forward, and her three protectors continue to shield her as best as they can, Tair is placed on a path that will lead to her having to choose between the homeland and beings who took care of her and the Human life that she’s supposed to live.

There is so much action, so much well-thought-out wisdom that hits upon present-day matters within this fantasy, that this is one debut every reader will agree deserves a huge round of applause. The author was able to create creatures with backgrounds, worlds that could very well be real because they “feel” real when you’re walking through them, and even made up a variety of languages, and a way to help all of those in the world who feel “different” or “alone” find a place that fits them just right.

Not wanting to give away any nuggets of information that could spoil the story, the upside is that there are no downsides to this book. For a first-time author, it is more than difficult to get a 5-star rating, but this is one that should receive 10-stars if it was at all possible.

Quill says: It’s the token “thankful” season now, and I must say the best part about this read is, thankfully, a Book 2 that will eventually allow us to continue on this fantastic adventure!

For more information on Where the Rain Cannot Reach, p

#BookReview - Memoirs of a Manic-Depressant

Memoirs of a Manic-Depressant

By: Michelle McConnell

Published by: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: December 2021

ISBN: 978-1639880973

Reviewed By: Amy Lignor

Review Date: November 9, 2021

I understand that this title may not be one that jumps off the page at you and makes you excited to read it. I was in that mindset as well...at first. When I have read books in the past dealing with emotional, mental or medical issues, I have been mostly inundated with graphs, statistics, references, medical terminology, etcetera. But this book changed my entire perspective the minute I read page one.

Readers first realize that this story is told from Maddy Tanner’s point of view as she writes in her diary. She enters events that have happened on various days of her life, talking to her diary as if the pages are you, the reader. Beginning in 1977, when Maddy is eight years old, she talks about the diary being given to her as a birthday present, then goes on to introduce her early life. Maddy was uprooted, to say the least, during her younger years. Her mom joined the Air Force at one time, and they lived in a camping trailer on the Air Force base. She speaks of her first friends, Katy and Karen, that she’d met on that base and how she’d spent more time in their trailer because their parents were so nice, which is a trait that her own father was sorely missing. Her mother wasn’t a bad one, but she did ignore a great deal that went on inside their abusive household instead of dealing with it and getting rid of the man who drank constantly and loved to yell at both Maddy and her mother.

As time goes on, the family moves around a lot, once living in Clarksville, California. It was in Clarksville where Maddy had a number of friends, but Diane was her closest. Unfortunately, all of her friends are afraid of Maddy’s drunk of a father, so they end up staying one night for a visit and never returning, making Maddy feel even more alone than before. She does, however, spend a lot of time with her father’s friends because he usually takes care of her while Mom works, meaning Maddy spends her time at the Royal Oaks Tavern while her father drinks with men like “mean” Fred or Walt, the latter being a scary man who likes to yell as much as her father. But Maddy has no choice; she’s stuck in her situation.

As time progresses, Maddy also starts having blackouts in school. Bullies upset Maddy, and she gets extremely mad and starts to punch and kick at the mean girls, not remembering any part of the fight when she wakes up. This pattern continues, and Maddy finds herself in trouble with her parents and teachers even though she’s emotionally depressed and doesn’t understand the things that are happening to her.

Maddy must go through many battles. She even talks about how she always felt like a fighter who kept getting up only to be slapped down over and over again. From a bicycle accident when she was younger, to braces that broke inside her mouth, to losing her pets and watching her mother sink into the alcoholic realm, Maddy never seems to be able to have one great day. As adulthood looms, Maddy also uncovers secrets from her past that include discovering her name is not actually her “birth” name, and a mystery about her own father that changes who she may or may not be.

Empathy is granted to this girl as you watch the many trials and tribulations that no child or teen should ever have to cope with. And when Maddy finally does reach those adult years, watching her handle a mental illness that she doesn’t have the knowledge to understand, makes the tears well up, knowing that this type of emotional anguish is true for many.

The author does a stellar job sharing Maddy's life with others. She even has diary entries that focus on historical moments none of us will ever forget – from the World Trade Center destruction to President Reagan being shot in 1981. Her writing is so well-done that we cheer for Maddy at her first piano recital at church, and we want to hug her when her first adult love, James, ends up the way most all of our first loves did...in the toilet.

Mental illness causes isolation and that feeling of being absolutely alone in a room full of people, and it’s heartbreaking. But if more books like this were available, at least people experiencing that type of pain would know that the last thing they are is alone.

Quill says: Well done! This story is a personal, emotional, amazingly beautiful look at how a person can overcome the darkness and live a stable, happy life.

For more information on Memoirs of a Manic-Depressant, please visit the author's website at: memoirsofamanicdepressant.com/