September 2016 - AudiobooksNow Blog

In Extreme Situations…How Do You Respond?…”Rushing Waters”, by Danielle Steel

We all watched in horror as Hurricane Sandy destroyed area after area in New Jersey and New York. It seemed surreal actually watching such a violent act of nature uprooting and ruining people’s lives and health. American author, Danielle Steel creates a fictional account of a hurricane of horrific proportions striking the densely populated area of New York City. She weaves together many characters from several different walks of life, to demonstrate how people personally react to extreme situations.

I have always wondered why some people choose to refuse to evacuate from threatened areas when the evacuation orders are given. Author Steel gives the back story of some such people, and how their decisions affect their safety or harm. Others characters are among those who must deal with trying to patch up those who have been injured, or in the worst cases, report deaths to anxiously awaiting family members. Some characters are unlucky foreign visitors who have gotten caught up in the storm drama.

Hurricane Ophelia does not discriminate against any victims. The wealthy, the poor, the students, the medical teams……. all suffer the chaos of the storm. It is up to those individuals to decide how they will respond. “Keenly observed and brilliantly told, this is an unforgettable story that proves that while life can change in an instant, even the darkest storm can bring forth courage, resilience, unexpected joy, and new life”.

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The Moral Dilemma of Right and Wrong…”The Light Between Oceans”, by M.L. Stedman

In an exquisite novel, author M. L. Stedman presented the moral dilemma of right and wrong in a very complicated situation. Tom Sherbourne, a World War I veteran has accepted a position as an Australian lighthouse keeper to move away from civilization as much as possible. However, in the small town where he must get supplies, Tom meets a beautiful girl who becomes smitten with him. One reviewer suggested that maybe he was so appealing to her because he was one of only a few who returned from the war with both legs.

Isabel joins Tom on the isolated island, where supplies are only delivered once per year, and leave is only granted every other year. In great desire to have a child, Isabel suffers two miscarriages and a heartbreaking stillbirth. While being inundated with overwhelming grief, Isabel hears a baby’s cries through the sound of the wind. As it turned out, a man washed up on shore in a small boat, but was found dead. However, much to Isabel’s wonder, a living baby was found in the boat. And so began the moral dilemma for Tom. He wanted to report the dead man and the baby, but Isabel convinced him to go along with her plan to present the baby as their own. What seemed like justice for the agony the couple had suffered, turned out to be a tragic loss for someone else.

Derek Cianfrance directed the film adaptation of Stedman’s book in the melodrama of the same name. Tom is played by Michael Fassbender, and Isabel is played by Alicia Vikander. The dialogue is sparse, and the imagery is very beautiful with the lighthouse scenes and the dramatic, crashing waves. The beauty is intensified by the music which is from a score by Alexandre Desplat.

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Shy, Dyslexic…”Damaged”, by Lisa Scottoline

With anti-bullying being a contemporary anthem these days, the 15th in the Rosati & DiNunzio novel is very timely. Patrick O’Brien is the target of those who are so cruel to their fellow students. Patrick, who is 10 years old, is shy, dyslexic, very small for his age, and does not defend himself against the bullies. In an unfortunate set of events, he is accused by a nefarious teacher’s aide of Patrick stabbing him with scissors. The male aide sues Patrick’s guardian (his grandfather), and the school board. Mary DiNunzio is called to defend the ten year old. Patrick would never harm anyone.

Mary DiNunzio was just about to walk down the aisle when the complicated and emotionally draining case was presented to her. She immediately became very emotionally involved, to the point of finding herself fighting her associates, her fiancé, and social workers to defend and care for Patrick.

The story has many upsetting twists and turns as though ripped from current headlines. As if the abuse that Patrick has encountered from the aide isn’t bad enough, having to announce it to the public through court is very traumatizing to both Mary and Patrick. Then, the nasty opposing lawyer attempts every trick in the book to try to remove Mary as the boy’s attorney. “Starting slowly, (author) Lisa Scottoline, expertly stokes the boiler to the bursting point”. Readers will immerse themselves in Mary’s sweet-talking attempts to rescue this ten year old boy who is in danger of being lost to a world of trouble.

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Who’s Trustworthy, Who’s Not…”Bullseye”, by James Patterson

One of the most thought about ideas, probably of all time, is the question…….what would happen if the United States of America and Russia would go to war against each other? It is a daunting thought……one that brings fear to the hearts of even well seasoned members of the military. Author, James Patterson, has once again struck a nerve of reality with his newest book, Bullseye.

There is a husband/wife team of assassins on the streets of New York City. They are stalking their prey like animals ready for the kill. Detective Michael Bennett has received his orders to find a deadly pair of assassin’s before they are able to carry out their mission. Unfortunately, the President of the United States is in their cross hairs. Also unfortunately, he is in New York City for a summit with his Russian counterpart at the United Nations. Such an incident could cause negative reverberations around the world. Michael must find the source of the threat to head off a potential world war.

How can he tell who is trustworthy and who is not? Who is friend, or who is foe? There is no one above suspicion…….only Bennett has a chance to find the killers, before they can get to the President. The safety of the country is at stake.

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