November 2012
David McCullough was on "60 Minutes" Sunday night, and during part of his commentary, he spoke about how many children do not know history today. I realize how much I have forgotten, or know only from facts in history books. Over the last week I read The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin, which will be published on January 15th. It is historical fiction about the life of Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I knew about Lindbergh’s famous flight and the kidnapping, but little more. Thus, this became a fascinating look at a man through the eyes of his wife and who I now see as less of a hero than I previously thought. It, like all good historical fiction, has prompted me to want to read more about the Lindberghs, and I have a reading list compiled. We will have more on this book in the months to come. (By the way, my husband and son, the latter of whom was a History major, both were surprised I did not know the “real” Lindbergh.)
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Editorial Content for The Dangers of Proximal Alphabets
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
The phrase “proximal alphabets” refers to the names of three odd people whose bonds form the focus of this unique, darkly rich debut. Ida, Jackson and James are a thick-as-thieves trio who remain so throughout their early childhoods and adolescence, well into the majority of their adult lives. The destructive power of their love begins to take on a life of its own, however, becoming evident in their earliest years and morphing into a thing that becomes ever more haunting and malicious, a force that quite literally tears them apart from the inside. Read More
Teaser
Ida, yearning to fill a void in her life from growing up in a single-parent household, forms a familial-like bond with her neighbors, two brothers named Jackson and James. Fissures form in the trio when Ida and Jackson start to fall for one another, discovering the dangers of love in the process.
Promo
Ida, yearning to fill a void in her life from growing up in a single-parent household, forms a familial-like bond with her neighbors, two brothers named Jackson and James. Fissures form in the trio when Ida and Jackson start to fall for one another, discovering the dangers of love in the process.
About the Book
Ida grew up with Jackson and James --- where there was “I” there was a “J.” She can’t recall a time when she didn’t have them around, whether in their early days camping out in the boys’ room decorated with circus scenes or later drinking on rooftops as teenagers. While the world outside saw them as neighbors and friends, to each other the three formed a family unit --- two brothers and a sister --- not drawn from blood, but drawn from a deep need to fill a void in their single parent households. Theirs was a relationship of communication without speaking, of understanding without judgment, of intimacy without rules and limits.
But as the three of them mature and emotions become more complex, Ida and Jackson find themselves more than just siblings. When Jackson’s somnambulism produces violent outbursts and James is hospitalized, Ida is paralyzed by the events that threaten to shatter her family and put it beyond her reach. Kathleen Alcott’s striking debut, THE DANGERS OF PROXIMAL ALPHABETS, is an emotional, deeply layered love story that explores the dynamics of family when it defies bloodlines and societal conventions.
October 2012
I love meeting our readers. It is lovely to hear feedback on the websites --- and more than that to hear about the books that you love that you discovered on the site and your suggestions, as well. This weekend I traveled to Bouchercon, the world mystery convention in Cleveland, Ohio. This is a true fan conference. Over the weekend, I heard from people who had attended this event for 30 years. As it travels from city to city each year, that is a real commitment from folks. I was there with our mystery/thriller reviewer, Joe Hartlaub.
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