Hearts Upon a Fragile Bough by Vera Jane Cook: A Book Review for Bookpleasures
Michelle Malsbury, BSBM, MM
August 31, 2009
Vera Jane Cook, Author
Hearts Upon a Fragile Bough
Global Authors Publications, ISBN 978-0-97980-878-4
Fiction-romance, Ireland, prostitution, mafia
279 pages
August 2009 Review for Bookpleasures
Reviewer-Michelle Kaye Malsbury, BSBM, MM
Review
Author of Hearts Upon a Fragile Bough, Vera Jane Cook, has authored one other quite noteworthy work of fiction. That book titled Dancing Backward in Paradise. Dancing Backward in Paradise was recipient of the Eric Hoffer Award for independent publishing back in 2007, was an Indie Excellence finalist for Best in Fiction (2007), and finalist in the Hollywood Book Festival for fiction (2007). (Inside back few pages, 2009) Ms. Cook is working on her third book, a continuum of Hearts Upon a Fragile Bough, due out sometime in 2010.
This novel begins in Ireland, 1912, where a young gal has just been pledged to God. Early on she is transferred to a convent in the states where she has to decide between a life with God or a man she just met and fell madly in love with. Hannah is her name and she selects this exciting new man over God. Wade is his name.
Hannah and Wade make a life and family in Jacksonville, Florida where he works for a menswear shop. In time they have two children, a son and a daughter. When Hannah is pregnant with their third child Wade tells her to have an abortion. She refuses and he walks out of their home, but not out of her life. He decides to drink and cavort over caring for his wife and three children. Eventually he falls into the wrong crowd, a gang of bootleggers, but not before Hannah has a fourth child by him.
Wade is a cruel and selfish man. Hannah is befriended by a nun who helps her and her children along. When Wade decides he wants to marry someone else and Hannah says no he places her into an insane asylum where after years of no contact with her family she kills herself. Her children are sent to live with Wade´s sister in Clearwater, Florida. Wade´s sister does not care about those children and as they grow up they leave and move on.
The daughter who was supposed to be aborted, Vera, finds herself in Miami working as a call girl. She learns the ins and outs of that business and makes quite a lot of money. She is lovely and smart. She moves around a lot. Eventually she meets and marries a man by the name of Julius. Vera and Julius have a daughter, Fanny. They have quite a few trials and tribulations before Julius ends up dead and Vera goes back to hooking.
This book was extremely well written and quite engaging. The characters were so real that you felt you were living their lives alongside them. The emotions ran from joy and laughter to tears and hate. Locations begin in Florida, move to San Francisco, stop over in St. Louis, and end in and around New York City. Great read Ms. Cook. I believe Hearts Upon a Fragile Bough would make an excellent movie!
Hearts Upon a Fragile Bough
Global Authors Publications, ISBN 978-0-97980-878-4
Fiction-romance, Ireland, prostitution, mafia
279 pages
August 2009 Review for Bookpleasures
Reviewer-Michelle Kaye Malsbury, BSBM, MM
Review
Author of Hearts Upon a Fragile Bough, Vera Jane Cook, has authored one other quite noteworthy work of fiction. That book titled Dancing Backward in Paradise. Dancing Backward in Paradise was recipient of the Eric Hoffer Award for independent publishing back in 2007, was an Indie Excellence finalist for Best in Fiction (2007), and finalist in the Hollywood Book Festival for fiction (2007). (Inside back few pages, 2009) Ms. Cook is working on her third book, a continuum of Hearts Upon a Fragile Bough, due out sometime in 2010.
This novel begins in Ireland, 1912, where a young gal has just been pledged to God. Early on she is transferred to a convent in the states where she has to decide between a life with God or a man she just met and fell madly in love with. Hannah is her name and she selects this exciting new man over God. Wade is his name.
Hannah and Wade make a life and family in Jacksonville, Florida where he works for a menswear shop. In time they have two children, a son and a daughter. When Hannah is pregnant with their third child Wade tells her to have an abortion. She refuses and he walks out of their home, but not out of her life. He decides to drink and cavort over caring for his wife and three children. Eventually he falls into the wrong crowd, a gang of bootleggers, but not before Hannah has a fourth child by him.
Wade is a cruel and selfish man. Hannah is befriended by a nun who helps her and her children along. When Wade decides he wants to marry someone else and Hannah says no he places her into an insane asylum where after years of no contact with her family she kills herself. Her children are sent to live with Wade´s sister in Clearwater, Florida. Wade´s sister does not care about those children and as they grow up they leave and move on.
The daughter who was supposed to be aborted, Vera, finds herself in Miami working as a call girl. She learns the ins and outs of that business and makes quite a lot of money. She is lovely and smart. She moves around a lot. Eventually she meets and marries a man by the name of Julius. Vera and Julius have a daughter, Fanny. They have quite a few trials and tribulations before Julius ends up dead and Vera goes back to hooking.
This book was extremely well written and quite engaging. The characters were so real that you felt you were living their lives alongside them. The emotions ran from joy and laughter to tears and hate. Locations begin in Florida, move to San Francisco, stop over in St. Louis, and end in and around New York City. Great read Ms. Cook. I believe Hearts Upon a Fragile Bough would make an excellent movie!
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