A Small Death in Lisbon - LIVE Lunch Review
Two great titles this week! 😃
A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson
A few weeks ago, I was at work when one of my fellow employees indicated she'd been to a local bookstore and seen a few intriguing titles. One of them was A Small Death in Lisbon. She shared a picture she’d taken because there was a swastika on the cover, and she was unsure if it would be too controversial for her.
My challenge was clear! "No worries," I told her, "I'll get the Kindle copy and review it asap."
And with that, I've since read the book and have assigned it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ For starters, it's tough to produce a genuinely engaging historical fiction that fires on all cylinders. In my opinion, A Small Death in Lisbon gets it done!
1) Attention to detail. You'd think the author was immersed in both periods as he produced this story. He does an excellent job going from 1941-42 to 199- That's right, he doesn't indicate which year the second half of the period takes place. And we never know why... GREAT device.
2) Intensity. It’s easy to think that writing a wartime novel makes the story instantly exciting. An audience can quickly tire of 'war action.' Robert Wilson does an AMAZING job of sidestepping these pitfalls and creating a story/fictional world that's engaging AND provides insight into lesser-known elements of this period.
3) Characters. The people in this story are developed quickly and are flawlessly portrayed every step of the way. Superb 👌
One of the more notable elements of this book: Europe's hypersexuality associated with the devastation of World War I. Every European country experienced sizable losses and noticeable population declines, which resulted in a period of 'repopulation' fueled by these troubled times. A Small Death in Lisbon takes such a unique and stylistic approach to the topic that I had to include a screenshot of some of the devices.
👀 It was such a creative way to say, "The lady was wearing a push-up bra," before there were push-up bras AND why push-up bras would eventually exist. Because of history’s impact. Without creating any spoilers, let me say, "Read this book...and prepare yourself!" It was excellent.
Bonus review! 👀 Meet Zoe Richards by Joshua Andrew Stauffer
When I was eight years old (give or take a year or two 😂), my mom handed me a book called An Exceptional View of Life, which was a collection of stories written by children with disabilities. To this day, it’s one of the most moving books I've ever read.
Writers will tell you the fear of publishing or even having their work reviewed because it will be ridiculed, looked down upon, or bashed. What happens? We find out our fears are correct! Our work gets put to the fire!
When I first read An Exceptional View of Life, I knew I would publish my writing one day, regardless of the reception. The child author's courage inspired me. 36 years later, the book Meet Zoe Richards does the same. The author begins with a letter to the reader explaining his hardships resulting from autism and how he used the challenges to write and illustrate an engaging story.
(from the synopsis Meet Zoe Richards)
Growing up on the autism spectrum, I had a very difficult time making friends. My social skills were weak, and I had very little in common with other kids. But what if there was a person who was patient and kind enough to be my friend, even if I was different? Zoe Richards is the kind of person that I wished I would have had for a friend.
Meet Zoe Richards, the new kid at West End Elementary. She enjoys spending lunchtime with her two new friends, Felix and Victoria. But there's this other kid named Joshua who always sits by himself. Zoe wonders if she should make friends with him. Felix says Joshua is a cool guy, but Victoria thinks Joshua is weird. What should Zoe do?
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The story takes the reader on a memorable journey, and it's a good time for some of those ☺️