The Weight of Air by Kimberly Duffy

 

In 1911, Mabel MacGinnis is Europe's strongest woman and has performed beside her father in the Manzo Brothers Circus her entire life. But at his unexpected death, she loses everything she's ever known and sets off in the company of acrobat Jake Cunningham for America in hope of finding the mother she's just discovered is still alive.

Isabella Moreau, the nation's most feted aerialist, has given everything to the circus. But age and injury now threaten her security, and Isabella, stalked by old fears, makes a choice that risks everything. When her daughter Mabel appears alongside the man who never wanted to see Isabella again, Isabella is forced to face the truth of where, and in what, she derives her worth.

(excerpt from back of book)

This may not be Duffy's most polished novel but I feel like it may be one of her more memorable and emotional ones. I feel pretty confident saying this won't be everyone's cup of tea and more conservative readers will probably find the subject matter uncomfortable. However, I found the story highly engaging and a thoughtful attempt to address some deeper topics in fictional form.

While the story may be centered in the world of 1911 circus life, Duffy uses the tale to explore themes such as post-partum depression, abandonment, suicide, loss of spouse, and having to rebuild your life/self. 

Mabel and Isabella were interesting leads in both their comparison and contrasts. I appreciated how Duffy used their storyline to highlight just how often generational pain can be unintentionally handed down and how much strength can be required to being healing at any age. While I was sometimes frustrating with either woman's decisions Duffy really works hard to provide framework within her characters stories to highlight how past trauma and fear can drive her characters decisions even years later (and yes I'll include Jake in that as well).

Though Mabel and Jake do fall under the marriage of convenience trope, it still comes across as a wonderful slow burn romance and really helped give the characters some space to heal from the previous mentioned trauma to come to a place where they were ready to pursue a relationship. Which made it a much more satisfying read, in my opinion.

4 out of 5 stars. 

Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.

The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green

 

I will confess, Jocelyn Green has always been a hit or miss writer for my personal taste. So I was thrilled to find myself on the edge of my seat as Green takes readers back to Prohibition era NYC.

Leading this tale is Dr. Lauren Westlake, the assistant curator of the Met's Egyptology department. I mean, there was so much I liked about Lauren, she's a smart and capable scholar, a caring and attentive friend, and yet Green writes her longing for family and stability with such vulnerability to make her feel relatable and well-rounded.

As usual, Green does deliver a strong and complex storyline. The Egyptology/art forgery storyline is utterly fascinating. Green's descriptions of key signs for forgeries, her ability to convey the excitement and dismay of Lauren as items were confirmed or found short really helped to engage the story as I was relatively clueless on the subject before this book.

I also appreciated Lauren's more personal storyline centering on the theme of her family both with her strained relationship with her father as well as her reconnection with detective Joe Caravello. Green does such an excellent job capturing that alternating hope and pain that can be present with childhood trauma.

With Green's attention to detail and ability to capture the feel of her settings there are definitely times this novel feels like a written film noir. Joe's plotlines with police corruption, prohibition, and murder have that grittier feel with Green's detailed world building.

Readers looking for a clean, happy ending will probably find themselves a little disappointed by the ending. While Green wraps up the story beautifully there's definitely not the "storybook happy ending" for all the plot threads that readers may expect from this publisher. However, I think Green made the best choice for her story as anything else would have felt hollow to the characters she has created and the realities of their tale.

4 out of 5 stars

Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.