We have 6 novels today that will take you from your summer into your fall reading. A Good Life is a bittersweet nostalgic novel. Long Journey Home, is a superb dysfunctional family story.  And from The Three Tomatoes’ Publishing, we have the head tomato’s’ two novels, Can You See Us Now? and the sequel, Can You Hear Us Now? And Robin Lieberman’s two novels, Searching for September and the sequel, Following the Fall are suspenseful rollercoaster rides.

A Bittersweet and Nostalgic Novel, and So Very French!

A Good Life (translated from French) by Virginie Grimaldi touches many chords of childhood, sisterhood, family ties, and the scars that bind us. The narrative is the story of two sisters, Agathe and Emma, reuniting after a long absence at the home of their dearly beloved grandmother, for a final visit after her passing.

Told in first person and switching between Agathe and Emma’s perspectives in both the past and the present, Grimaldi paints a portrait of a troubled family both tender and heart-wrenching. Their father died when they were both young, and their mother was emotionally absent and abusive to them. The girls marked time throughout the year anticipating the two months they spent in the summer with Mima at her home in the Basque country.

Five years apart in age, the sisters early adopted the roles of the mature big sister Emma and the free-spirited younger sister Agathe, who is also plagued with mental health issues. Emma has always been the defender and protector of Agathe’s chaotic personality. Well into adulthood now with their separate lives – Emma with a family of her own and Agathe with a career she loves – the sisters reunite after a five-year hiatus when Emma had to distance herself from Agathe’s disorderly life.

Primed with a delicate balance of sisterly discord and harmony, the women settle into a routine of indulging each other’s whims, sharing memories, and re-visiting childhood pleasures. There are moments of tension when ancient grudges surface, but also love and laughter recalling Mima’s ravioli, farfalle with zucchini, and orange cake. They explore Mima’s secret attic for hidden treasures and discover a private life they never knew Mima had.

In an idyllic setting of striking natural beauty on the Basque coast, the sisters go to the beach, hike the hills, and gaze at the stars, all the while reconciling past grievances and building a future bond. It causes the reader to reflect on what it means to have a good life. Is a good life defined by the things we do? Or by the things we have? Or by all we have overcome? Or by the people we love and the ordinary moments that carry us through life’s challenges by giving us something or someone to fight for?  GET THE BOOK.

~Joan Pagano, NYC, founder Joan Pagano Fitness

A Superb Dysfunctional Family Story

Long Journey Home is another fabulous book by our local author, Ashley Farley.  I am a huge fan of her work and highly recommend her books.  If you like the South Carolina Lowcountry, you will absolutely love her stories.  She has some stand-alone books and a few books in a series.

Long Journey Home is the first book in Ashley’s Marsh Point Series.  There will be three books in this series.  Eileen Darby, the heiress to the Merriweather fortune has just left her daughter, Ashton with the family’s waterfront estates.  This property is located on the Catawba Sound in South Carolina.   She has left almost nothing to her other three children or her husband.  This sparks a huge sibling rift and it not long before it becomes quite the family feud.  Ashton is determined to work this situation with her brother and sister.  Her other sister has been missing for years, no one knows if she is alive or dead.

Ashtons husband has managed her money since they were married.  He has always proclaimed he was the financial expert.   He told her he has made her a fortune, but now refuses to provide her bank statements for proof of what he is saying.  She becomes suspicious when he does not provide the statements. She wants to know how much money is available so she can make some house repairs to her family home she just inherited.  His behavior has also changed, going out drinking, staying out late, drinking during the day.  As her marriage begins to fall apart, Ashton finds herself in a web of deceiption.  When she loses her way, she turns to a friend from her past to help her find herself again.

Ashley Farley this is a superb dysfunctional family story.  So many twists and turns, you will not be able to put this book down.  I have read all of Farley’s books, loved all of them.  I love this one and already excited for the next two to come out.  Highly recommend.  Five star read. GET THE BOOK.

~Francene Katzman, Richmond, Virgina

Check out These Novels from The Three Tomatoes Publishing

The head Tomatoes two novels, Can You See Us Now? And the sequel, Can You Hear Us Now? It’s the story of three best friends, and their circle of friends, all over the age of 50, who are vibrant, sexy, empowered, sassy, and a little badassy.  The books are a funny and moving insider’s story about New York City’s not-so-invisible women over 50 and beyond, who are living their lives to the fullest, achieving dreams, dating, having sex, and sometimes even falling in love again. GET THE BOOKS.

Robin Lieberman’s two novels, Searching for September and the sequel Following the Fall will keep you on the edge of your seat. In the first novel, reality and fantasy are entwined in this gripping story of one woman’s journey to find inner strength in a psychologically destructive relationship. The suspenseful sequel is an emotional roller coaster ride that poses the question: Is love strong enough to change the trajectory of a troubled past? GET THE BOOKS.