A House for Miss Pauline

My husband and I were in St. Pete Florida last year and we were taking a walk. We came across a bookstore and had to stop in. While browsing I came across this book A House for Miss Pauline. Hmm...  I thought, Jamaica a place to read about, and this house of Miss Pauline‘s must mean a lot. I must find out now.

So here I am with book finished and now my thoughts

As Miss Pauline writes to her granddaughter she seems a bit nervous. She thought about how Justine might not want to come for a visit. So instead of writing and seeing, how long a letter would get to her, she was talked into Skyping by a young man named Lamont, which not knowing later, she befriended him.

See Miss Pauline was hearing voices and she thought her house was speaking to her. So when she was speaking to Justine she did'nt say anything about that, if she knew she would think unkindly. Some things you just don't speak of. Miss Pauline knows she is getting older. She feels it. Turning 100 years old, Miss Pauline hears the reluctance in Justine’s voice. So she told her she was sick. As her health declines she isn’t steady and she gets dizzy. Time for a cane for her. That’s what she told Justine, also she wants her granddaughter to help her make things right.

What things does Miss Pauline need to make right? Does she have a secret? Justine did come for a visit. She helped her with her doctor. And she also helped her with documents on finding who owned the land her house is on. She also became friendly with Lamont, who actually thought Miss Pauline was cool. I know he thought a lot of her. When the time came to go looking for who/what she needed he was there to see her through it. Her advice to him was immeasurable.

For the secret and making things right. Miss Pauline was afraid the stones of the house would give her secret away.

She, and her husband, friends, and people from her village helped Miss Pauline build her house of stone. Stones from slaves. From a slave house called a Backca House. This shows identity, colonialism, and land. The rest of the stones was taken to build some parts of the village. Was she suppose to be on that land? Hmm... And this is where she needed to find the owner/family of that land and make it right.

With the guidance of the voices of the slaves, including her girlfriend(who was raped by no other than the clergyman who taught the children)and had a baby. Miss Pauline made amends with the people she did wrong by. And to tell them what happened to their father. They made their choice to carry on with their own lives. Lamont decided to move on. He will never forget Miss Pauline. Both mean too much to each other. Miss Pauline also said goodbye to Justine. She had to get back to America for work.

As for Miss Pauline she found out she has ancestry with the person who owned the land. She will miss Lamont but I think she will be able to live with the voices even though her house is falling apart. She is stronger by it.

So Miss Pauline educated herself with the books that she stole, to the woman who started a ganja farm, A successful farmer at that, she supported her family, and herself. Whatever was thrown her way she seen it head on. Miss Pauline lived her life the way she wanted, with her children and her one love, Clive.

I gave A House for Miss Pauline 5

Reading this I had this feeling of Jamaica with its beauty and natural dialect. Also learning a bit about the way of living with what food people of Jamaica eat.

You need to read this story to get the full beauty of what Miss Pauline and those voices of the past are trying to teach. Good book!

The Last Father - Daughter Dance

I was looking for a book that was going to be short.  So this is what I picked. I'm glad I read it. It was a good book. The story flowed very well.

Although it wasn't a visit home for pleasure for Kalista, but a visit for her dad and do some organizing of her feelings of home.

Her dad not doing so well after hearing of no heart transplant talked Kalista against her mothers, and doctors wishes to take him away for a while at the old family farmhouse in the Blue Ridge mountains.

He wanted to recreate memories with her.

Working hard to do what her dad wanted. And to make her fiancé happy she tried her best for the month. Not getting along with her fiancé and getting help to set these memories up when her dad, from one Calhoun boy. A memory for each season. Special moments around by blooming dogwoods.

The last season was recreated from a play. And even though Cal helped Kalista and her dad out. It left that wonder for the readers if Kalista married Cal, the one that really knew her back in childhood. That will have to be left a wonder for the importance and last was her dad finally having that dance with his daughter Kalista.

I give The Last Father - Daughter Dance 5 

 

Its been a long time that I read a Christmas book that was of murder on the comedy side. I had a good laugh through out the book. Okay it was more comedy than murder, but a murder did occur. 

From the time of a party to the time Anna wakes up and heads to her pantry and sees a dead person. What the hell happened?

In typical Anna style she tries to solve the murder on Christmas Eve, with her in laws coming. Uh Oh!

She tries to protect her daughter Lily and son Ben. Ben though somehow gets to be involved with this because well he wants something. And Anna really does need his help to keep Lily occupied and have his tech savoy.

Her husband Oli does help a great deal and keep Anna from going off the rails. Her friend Jennie and she mentions  a great deal of Agatha Christie characters that they feel they relate to. Even Anna and Oli's cats are called Tommy and Tuppence.

At the end through all her mess ups and whatever's she gets her person. 

Grateful as the police should be because of Anna!

I give Happy Blood Christmas 5------>

Can't wait to read the next in line!

 

By The Pricking Of My Thumbs

I must say I like Tommy and Tuppance. I liked watching them grow as a couple as well as individuals on the job.

Not my favorite book of the group but, entertaining just as well.

I like how Agatha Christie has put them in the scene of a nursing home. Here I seen how both see things and people in a different way.

I'm surprised that the story was written with just the one character reacting to other things in a job. And the other was following some  clue about a house. I gotta say when Tommy and Tuppance aren't together working, finding clues etc... makes a bit of a slow moving story. Bit boring I'm sorry to say.

Once Tommy was back in picture the story seemed to move on. Although he had to find Tuppance he kept a level head. 

I was a little confused about the house and who was living there and how the house was ever split. As I read the story I was sure a certain couple were the bad people. Only to find out at the end who really was bad. 

Of course Tuppance gets herself in a pickle but Tommy finds her and keeps her safe.

I give By the Pricking of My Thumbs 5 

Although a bit of a drag, still it's AC and I'm rooting for Tommy and Tuppance.

Highlights on Goodreads

 

Partners In Crime

 

Actually this the 2nd book that I have read of Tommy & Tuppence. So far my favorite. I like how the book  was written in short stories. Makes the book, or so it seems, shorter. The dialogue that goes between Tommy and Tuppence is very appeasing.

They like to keep their lives interesting. Going in character with a variety of detectives. Including are own Poirot also Holmes too.

Albert their guy is cool too. He is a card. With Tuppence saying that she wishes that Albert didn't go to the pictures. He comes back copying a Long Island butler. And he's English.

Even though Tommy and Tuppence, or at least Tuppence, thinks that detective stories go a bit easier and different but they both figure it out. And they get their guy/s and gals.

I give Partners In Crime 5 

More of highlights on Goodreads