Our Tomato reviewers have three novels to recommend. “How to Love Your Daughter,” depicts troubled relationships; based on a true story, “The Women of Chateau Lafayette” is a historical novel about heroic women; and “It Could be Worse,” is a beautifully written debut novel. Here’s to summer beach reads.

 An Excellent Depiction of a Troubled Relationship

In her novel “How to Love Your Daughter” author Hila Blum explores the complex relationship between a mother and daughter, as Yoella, the mother, searches back in her memory for traces of how a love that began in bliss could have ended in total estrangement. At the start of the book, we meet Yoella as she stands on a dark street, peeking through well-lit windows at two little girls. They are the grandchildren she’s never met of the daughter she has not seen in years.

As an infant, a toddler, a child and a teenager, Leah is smothered with her mother’s love, given to a lack of boundaries which crosses the line between protection and possession. The two share an unbreakable bond, a symbiotic relationship, totally enmeshed with each other. Throughout the novel, the bond between mother and daughter gathers force so that Yoella’s loss is unbearable when Leah eventually disappears.

Why has Leah deserted her adoring mother, pretending to call in from exotic locations around the world, fabricating a nomadic life, when she is living in the Netherlands, married, and raising two young daughters? Her smoke screen works for a time, but Yoella develops her investigative skills to eventually successfully track Leah across the world to the town of Groningen in the Netherlands, subsequently making several trips there to observe the family.

The mother is the one who orchestrates the return of her daughter and granddaughters into her life by employing manipulation and once again crossing boundaries. It’s an excellent depiction of a troubled relationship. Perhaps it should have been titled “How NOT to Love Your Daughter”! GET THE BOOK.

~ Joan Pagano, NYC, CEO of Joan Pagano Fitness

A Beautiful Historic Account about Heroic Women

Based on a true story, The Women of Chateau Lafayette, a historical novel is substantial – 600 pages – but I found it hard to put down.  Stephanie Dray is one of my favorite authors.  Her book, America’s First Daughter, is about President Jefferson’s daughter, Patsy.  Jefferson was a widower when elected President and Patsy took on the role of First Lady during his term and continued in her role as head mistress of Monticello, the family home in Virginia.  My Dear Hamilton is Hamilton’s story told by his wife, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton.  All her books are painstakingly researched and wrapped in captivating storytelling.

The Women of Chateau Lafayette is an epic tale of an extraordinary castle in the heart of France and the women bound by its legacy.  It spans three wars – the American and French Revolutions, World War I and World War II.

The chateau’s founding mother is Adrienne Lafayette who married Lafayette in 1774.  She became as much of a supporter of freedom for France as her husband.  She ran the chateau and supported his causes, even during his long absences to fight for America’s freedom during the Revolution.  Often putting her life at great risk.

The second period at the chateau begins with Beatrice Chandler, an American socialite, who travels to France to see her husband who is injured and in a French hospital.  She returns to America and creates the War Relief Fund and establishes the preventorium at the chateau.  Parts of the chateau were an orphanage and hospital.

The third period of the chateau centers around Marte Simone in 1940.  Marte is a schoolteacher at the preventorium and helps it survive by making black market trades.  She bravely protects the school from Nazi occupiers and ultimately hides Jewish children in the chateau.

This historical account is a beautiful story about heroic women and their contribution to the causes their country faced in times of war.  GET THE BOOK.

~Peggy Conlon, Pointe Verde, Florida, retired CEO The Ad Council

A Beautifully Written Debut Novel

Dara Levan’s debut novel, It Could Be Worse is a story about a woman’s past trauma and how it is affecting her adult life.  The main character, Allegra Gil, is a Miami based trauma counselor.  She and her husband Benito have two young children, living what appears to be a charmed life.  They have a beautiful home and lots of friends.

Allegra is having a difficult time getting away from her past, her abusive parents and her narcissistic mother.  Her mother has said to her “you have no idea how much having children will hold you back from the things you love.”  She does not understand how her mother can say something like this to her.  She grew up looking up to her father as her hero, her relationship with her mother was a little more strained.  Her parents are still making her feel unworthy as an adult, always questioning her decisions.   Allegra has always tried to keep the peace with them.  Everything changes when she finds a letter in a piano bench.  This letter helps her find the courage to break the cycle of abuse that will threaten even her own children.

Levan tackles the difficult issues in this book that the protagonist deals with, emotional abuse, body shaming, miscarriage and a life-threatening illness.  She shows the reader how Allegra is able to pull all the pieces of her life, good and bad together to become the person she is today.  These are tough issues to talk about, so you have to imagine more difficult to write about.

This is a beautifully written debut novel that examines the topics of love, loss and resilience.  It is heartbreaking to read parts of this book at times.  As a reader you will be rooting for Allegra almost from the beginning of this story.  You just want her to find her own voice and true happiness.  It is compelling and thought-provoking story that you will not be able to put down.  I highly recommend this book that I loved so much.  Dara Levan your book is a 5 star read for me.  GET THE BOOK.

~Francene Katzen, Richmond, Virginia, advocate for parents who have children with drug addictions.