Saturday, November 19, 2011

String Bridge--A Book Review


I recently finished "String Bridge," which was written by our fellow blogging buddy, Jessica Bell. The beautiful story, with all it's twists and turns, is still on my mind. Here's a brief description from Amazon:

Greek cuisine, smog, and domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician, Melody, was expecting when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece. Keen to play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her guitar for a 'proper' career and her music for motherhood. That is, until she can bear it no longer and plots a return to the stage--and the person she used to be. However, the obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that awaits.

What I loved most about this book was how textured and real these characters were. Melody, Alex, and Tessa became real people to me, and I cared about what happened to them. Tessa, Melody's daughter, was a spirited little girl who added comic relief to the serious story, and provided a compelling reason for Melody to stay in her current life. Alex was the hubby I wanted to smack across the head while at the same time make him a sandwich. Their family life was complex, and there were no easy answers to their problems.

Most women can probably relate to Melody's feelings of love, loss, and regret. She compared the life she thought she'd live vs. reality, and experienced days when she didn't quite measure up. The author captured these emotions beautifully, and without giving anything away, she also did an amazing job of throwing in some wild twists. Like the ending...I didn't see it coming, and I absolutely loved being surprised.

Have you read Jessica's book? If so, what did you think? And if you haven't read it yet, here's where you can get a copy:


The soundtrack is on iTunes and Amazon

Jessica can also be found on Facebook and Twitter

Bio:

Jessica Bell is a literary women's fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter who grew up in Melbourne, Australia, to two gothic rock musicians who had successful independent careers during the 80's and early 90's.

She spent much of her childhood traveling to and from Australia to Europe, experiencing two entirely different worlds, yet feeling equally home in both environments. She currently lives in Athens, Greece and works as a freelance writer/editor for English Language Teaching publishers worldwide, such as HarperCollins, Pearson Education and Macmillan Education.

In addition to String Bridge, Jessica has published a book of poetry called Twisted Velvet Chains. A full list of poems and short stories published in various anthologies and literary magazines can be found under Published Works & Awards on her website.

From September 2012 Jessica will be hosting the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Green island of Ithaca, home of Odysseus.

23 comments:

  1. I haven't read it but, thanks to the excellent blog tour, it's on my list :-)

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  2. I have it onmy iPad!
    And this Alex prefers sandwiches to smacking, thanks.

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  3. LOL: "Alex was the hubby I wanted to smack across the head while at the same time make him a sandwich."

    I love that you had this reaction. It was exactly what I was going for!

    So glad you enjoyed it, Julie, and thank you so much for being a part of the tour!!!

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  4. Ha, that was a great line! Thanks for the recommendation!
    erica

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  5. LOL I've never heard of anyone wanting to make a character a sandwich! I LOVE IT! :D

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  6. Guys, thanks so much for stopping by on Jessica's blog tour. *hugs*

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  7. wow, I've heard nothing but great things about this book. Love that line too, Julie.

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  8. This was a lovely review, Julie. I love how complex the story sounds, and I appreciate that you didn't give anything away. Another book on my TBR list.

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  9. The story sounds unique. Thank you for the rec. It's now on my radar and my TBR.

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  10. I have not yet read it, but it's on my TBR list!! I've got the soundtrack already and it's made me more eager than ever to read the book.

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  11. What a fabulous review. I love it when a book or movie stays with me, thinking about it for days. Such a rewarding experience. Thank you!

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  12. I'm waiting until after NaNo to get caught up on all the books in my TBR list on my Kindle! :)

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  13. You had me at Australian musician! I'll have to check this one out for sure.

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  14. I've been seeing this book all over the Internet and now I REALLY want to read it.

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  15. Hi, Julie. Thanks for posting. I have already spent a lot of time listening to the "soundtrack" to the book and have been very impressed.
    Jessica, I am definitely going to check this book of yours out. It isn't always horror with me...
    You can keep a secret, right? ;)

    -Jimmy

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  16. I'm hearing so much about this book. Glad you enjoyed it--I will have to look for it. :)

    Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse

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  17. Great review, Julie. I've read other reviews and have heard lots of good things about this book.

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  18. Great review! I'm very intersted to read this now and would you believe I hadn't heard of it? See, without this it might have flown under the radar:)

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  19. I too have heard rather a lot about this book lately. It certainly sounds like a good read.

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  20. I haven't read this yet, but I was excited to read it even before the huge web splash! :) Thanks for yet another great recommendation!

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  21. I've heard of this book, but haven't read it. I totally trust your judgment, so put it on my wish list!

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  22. I have read the book, and I liked it very much. Great review, Julie! Thanks,

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