Clytia's Reviews

This book turned out to be a total surprise for me. I was initially put off by the cover, but once I started reading it, I really loved it! It’s a great adventure story with enough romance to tug at your heart. Even Jane Goodall says, “Finally an honest portrayal of the only woman of whom I have been really, really jealous.” Now, I want to read Tarzan again, after more than fifty years.

Every year, the monarch butterflies fly more than two thousand miles to return to their winter home in Mexico. Now Luz Avila makes that same perilous journey south as she honors a vow to her beloved "abuela"--the grandmother who raised her--to return her ashes to her ancestral village. As Luz departs Milwaukee in a ramshackle old VW Bug, she finds her heart opened by a series of seemingly random encounters with remarkable women. This is a beautifully written story of family, place and the migration of the monarch butterfly.

In and out of abusive relationships with men, Terrill is drawn to a wolfdog named Inyo as a protector and fellow adventurer. Over the course of three years, their adventures are both hilarious and heartbreaking. While it’s impossible to keep Inyo contained, Terrill finds herself constantly moving and often taking long runs in the middle of the night to wear off some of the wolf’s energy. This is not a sentimental memoir, but a story about the alluring call of the wild, and the danger and responsibility of heeding that call.

This book is absolutely delightful! I admit, when I saw it was a story about a young girl who is half human, and half bonobo, I thought it might wind up a bit corny. But I completely fell in love with the characters. This book will appeal to both young adult and adult readers, and hit all the right discussion points.

History and character come alive in this new novel by Ciji Ware. Architect Amelia Bradshaw returns to San Francisco in 1906 to work with Julia Morgan (yes, Ware makes real-life Morgan, the first licensed female architect in California, a character in her book). Bradshaw is hired on in an architectural firm, due to Morgan’s influence, but no sooner does she get hired, than the April 18th earthquake strikes—demolishing the city. The tragedy becomes a catalyst that changes all of the characters. As Bradshaw struggles to start a life for herself and help rebuild the city, she faces corruption, politics, sexism and unforeseen romance. This is great summer read that ends up being more layered than you expect.