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Sandy's short takes
REVIEWS BY SANDY HUSEBY
Sixteen years of separation seem too much to overcome. Michelle and Sam; Michelle and her father; Sam and his alcoholic mother; Sam and the son he never knew he had -- all must find their way together through the tangle of suspicion, fear and recrimination. The risks are great, the rewards incalculable as this long-separated family struggles to find its way again. Susan Wiggs' writing is heart-healing, noble and irresistible.
By Susan Wiggs Warner, $6.99 ISBN 0446608726
By Millie Criswell Ivy Books, $6.50 ISBN 0804119503
Sandy Huseby reads, writes and raises a wassail cup o'cheer from her homes in Fargo and lakeside in northern Minnesota.
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Family reconciliation is tested under the wide-open skies of Montana in Susan Wiggs' The You I Never Knew. Michelle Turner left Blue Rock Ranch as an unwed, pregnant teenager. Now she's coming back, with a rebellious 16-year-old son, to donate a kidney to her ailing father, Western movie hero Gavin Slade. For Michelle and her son, Cody, returning also means coming face to face with Cody's father, Sam McPhee.
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Just what is The Trouble With Mary? It's a delightful froth of romantic comedy, as spicy as Mama Sophia's lasagna (recipe included) in Millie Criswell's cheerful family romp. Mary, the zaftig heroine who refuses to stay unemployed, decides to take her food talents where they belong -- into the restaurant biz. Toss in a sportswriter-turned-food-critic named Dan Gallagher who hates Italian cooking, but can't resist Mary, and you have a feast for fun-loving readers. And if old man winter has made you grouchy, try out the recipes that are liberally laced throughout the story. Chocolate cannoli and Millie Criswell are a surefire treat.