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Forgiveness

The Moonglow Sisters

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The Moonglow Sisters by Lori Wilde
Format: Book, eBook
Who It’s For: Adults

Welcome to Moonglow Cove, Texas a picturesque small town of vivid colors, people and memories. Three young sisters, Maddie, Shelley, and Gia find themselves moving in with an unknown grandmother, Helen after the death of their parents. Embraced and raised by Helen amid multi-generational roots the sisters have the opportunity to heal and grow. Helen has successfully managed a bed and breakfast in the ancestral home her entire life. The sisters grew up cocooned in love and support until a betrayal rips them apart. Now with Helen’s health failing the sisters return to Moonglow Cove and if Helen has her last wish the sisters will learn to forgive, work (and quilt) together and reunite.

Find The Moonglow Sisters in the catalog!

 

The Island of the Sea Women

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The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

This book is a One Maryland One Book selection for 2020.

This historical fiction novel is set on the island of Jeju in Korea. Over many decades, beginning with the Japanese occupation during the 1930 – 1940’s and during World War II and the Korean War.
During this turbulent time in history, two young girls Young-sook and Mi-ja, both from different backgrounds bond. Their close friendship begins over their love of the sea and working in their villages’ all-female diving collective. The haenyeo woman are trained from a young age to expand their lungs and go diving on the ocean floor to harvest food. Their livelihood and traditions are intertwined. Their diving skills are handed down for generations.
Mi-ja, a city born orphan living nearby with a neglectful aunt and uncle is caught stealing food in the fields of Jeju by Young-sook and her mother. Her mother as head of the collective, decides to take Mi-ja on and teaches her alongside Young-sook to dive. The girls become lifelong friends enduring many life altering events that impact their lives growing up.
The political unrest and unspeakable tragedies inflicted upon the villagers are part of the horrors of war. The impact on their island from famine, to extreme punishment, and demands of the opposing government regimes are inflicted upon the villagers who struggle to comply.

Young-sook and Mi-ja endure impossible choices that tear their friendship apart causing disappointment, anger and judgement that take generations to understand and forgive.

Find it in the catalog

 

 

From Twinkle, With Love

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Recommended Book
From Twinkle, With Love by  Sandhya Menon
Publication Date: May 22, 2018
Format: Book or ebook
Who it’s for: Teens

“In this delightful romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi, told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy-a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man N begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?” – Publisher’s blurb

This took a bit for me to get into. It was soooooooo High School. The crush, the BFF drama, the awkwardness, the ‘Woe is me’ angst, etc. So very HS, so stereotypical; it made me cringe, laugh, and smh. I would have stopped reading it by like chapter two, if not for Books for the Beast (a YA reader’s advisory conference in Maryland) and the fact her first book got so much praise. I powered through.

It was very amusing with a couple of lil life lessons to boot. If this was a Disney Channel movie, I could have made it through without cringing so much or smh at the mistakes they made. I still would have lol at the awkward moments. Despite all those things it was a great read.

The Indian culture that was in the book was completely natural and did not feel forced. It was just a part of Twinkle’s life, her story. The gay friends felt forced, like an afterthought. I liked the text messages and emails. They made it feel epistolary. The supposed diary entries where Twinkle is writing to directors never really felt like letters. They did not really feel like a diary entries, either. Only at the beginning of the diary entry and when she closed the “letter” did it ever feel like she was writing a letter to somebody.  It felt more like just a first POV novel.

I was considering reading her debut novel but when I was talking about From Twinkle, With Love with a coworker, she said this plot sounds almost identical to When Dimple Met Rishi. Now if they made movies from her novels on Disney Channel, I would watch them all and enjoy. If I was in middle/high school and liked romance novels, I would read all her novels as well. Def geared for upper middle school and High School girls.

Read a High School Rom-Com starring a cute Indian Girl!

 

I Can Only Imagine

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I Can Only Imagine  Directed by Jon Erwin and Andrew Erwin
Format:  DVD
Who it’s for:  Adults, Teens

This is the true story behind Bart Miller’s creation of the song I Can Only Imagine.  As a young boy, Bart Miller (played by J. Michael Finley) grew up in a home with an angry father (played by Dennis Quade) who mistreated his mother and made Bart feel like he would never amount to anything.  With the support of his friends, his own courage, and his strong faith, Bart persevered.  After finishing high school, Bart left his home and his miserable father and ended up joining the Christian band MercyMe.

Although the band is successful, they can’t seem to get the break that takes them to the big time.  Feeling frustrated, Bart returns home.  To his disbelief, Bart’s father has become a Christian.  He is also dying.  Bart takes care of his father and finds that he is able to forgive him before he dies.  Months later and back with the band, Bart reflects upon what has happened in his life, and the grace that God has shown him.  Bart Miller imagines what it would be like to be in Heaven standing before God.  I Can Only Imagine is the resulting song.

The performances of J. Michael Finley, Dennis Quade, Trace Adkins and Priscilla C. Shirer are superb.  If you don’t have time to watch the DVD, at least listen to the sound track.  J. Michael Finley, who the film’s producers found on Broadway, gives an amazing singing performance.

This is an excellent movie.  I have to say it is one of my favorites!  I give it five stars!!

Find it in the catalog.