Christopher Klim's Blog

by Asher Frend

book review by Mari Carlson

“I realized he didn’t like me. He liked the control he had over me.”

Best friends Mikaila and Chara love each other like sisters or soulmates, sharing family struggles, high school drama, and premonitions about each other that bind them. But they argue over Asa, the bullied boy who has been infatuated with Mikaila since she befriended him in elementary school. A chess player, Asa strategizes to win Mikaila away from her boyfriend by hitting on Chara, then humiliating her.

Toggling between Mikaila, Chara, and Asa’s perspectives, Mikaila’s chapters are the only ones in the first person. Mikaila succeeds as the novel’s poster child. She is feisty, competitive, and impulsive. Running from grief, she moves to her dad’s house and stops communicating with Chara when they disagree. Her larger-than-life personality sets the book’s exuberant tone. The settings—beach towns in Maryland and Connecticut beset by storms—create a cohesive and cinematic backdrop. Like the book’s mirroring environments, the rift between Chara and Mikaila over Asa reflects other fractures.

Both their fathers say they get second chances with these daughters after they fail them in their own ways. The background supports dialogue as the book’s primary vehicle for moving through these relationships. In the face of open communication between fathers and daughters, Asa’s lies seem all the more insidious. Italicized asides to himself reveal the schemes his polite exchanges with others hide. The theatrical use of spoken (and unspoken) words works to expose the exploitation at the book’s core. Just as the dads get second chances, so do the girls, when the visions of the future each was meant to make true are dashed. Then, they show their resiliency. Mikaila might occupy the book’s spotlight, but Chara gets the last word. Dated chapters are portentous and suspenseful, driving the story toward a judgment day that does not disappoint.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

by Y. Tony Yang
Tuttle

book review by Mark Heisey

“The art of health, like the art of war, is not a prescription but a process—a way of thinking strategically about the most precious territory you’ll ever defend: your body.”

Yang, who holds graduate degrees in both health and law from prestigious universities, remembers being a boy in Taipei and studying The Art of War under his father’s direction. Decades later, he realizes that classical work provides a framework for a better approach to health care. In an era dominated by reactive medicine and fragmented, isolated opinions based on individual symptoms or illnesses, Yang uses the classic text to present a more integrated, holistic approach to one’s own health journey. He uses research and case examples to illustrate how the current practice often focuses on one or two markers or details rather than seeing the multitude of interconnected systems that need to communicate and work harmoniously for maximum health. He also discusses the importance of being the source of intelligence gathering for one’s own health and facilitating interactions among the various health specialists providing care. Yang points out that only the individual has 24/7 access to their body and can likely notice changes and patterns before they occur in health screenings. He urges the need for a proactive and deliberate approach to the wellness of the individual based more on the overall composite of the varied health, environmental, psychological, genetic, and nutritional pictures rather than standard averages and isolated results.

Although seemingly unrelated based on subject matter, readers familiar with Stephen Hawking’s bestselling A Brief History of Time will likely begin to see a parallel in intention in reading Yang’s health book. Hawking attempts to explain extremely complex subjects, such as black holes, antimatter, the nature of time, and alternative dimensions, in language and examples understandable to laypeople. The success and popularity of Hawking’s work suggest he performed admirably, especially to those without an educational background in the field but with a keen interest. Admittedly, many still find the work a bit difficult, and Hawking himself eventually felt he may have been wrong and worked with a coauthor on new theories about some of the same subjects. Similarly, Yang sees a need for change in how the medical system works, and he uses The Art of War to help simplify the complex systems that make up an individual’s health and wellness. Anyone who has researched a medical, psychological, or nutritional question beyond a surface-level response understands how complex understanding health quickly becomes.

Much of what Yang does works very well, with sections covering knowing the enemy and attempting to avoid a battle with the enemy altogether being particularly readable and well-explained. However, particularly in the middle chapters, the complexity of the medical and biological fields and their terminology may overwhelm the average reader. The main idea behind this book is transformational and necessary, and it is good to see it brought up more often in recent years. The fragmented, reactionary framework of healthcare does need significant structural and philosophical changes. Yang’s book is grammatically clean and presents solid research and examples, which help illustrate the importance of a transformational shift in the field of health care and personal wellness. The overall idea is well conveyed, and the book will be engaging for those actively interested in their own well-being and/or the current state of Western healthcare.

by George Byron Koch
Byron Arts Publishing

book review by Michael Radon

“In a lifeboat large enough for everyone, throwing others overboard and hoarding provisions does not prove your worthiness to be captain.”

Inequality persists in many forms in our society today, but dominating the headlines, the domestic and foreign policy debates, and even the household dinner table for virtually everyone is income inequality. This book examines how current systems allow the rich to get richer and prevent upward mobility for everyone except those with no one above them to profit from their work and station. Identifying everyone as belonging to one of three groups—bullies, parasites, or slaves—the author shows the number of ways people who are simply trying to sustain themselves or to provide a better future for their children are undercut by a myriad of institutions and figures designed to chip away at their gains and keep them in whatever position they were raised in.

However, in the second half of this examination, the author delves into how power still resides with the people, should they mobilize and choose to use it. These chapters contain actionable concepts that, if adopted, will create an opportunity for people to call out the predatory behavior of bullies and parasites and replace faulty methods with ones founded on community, care, and empathy. It may sound like a wide-eyed, optimistic view of the future, but each concept is introduced with firsthand accounts of how things work on a more individual scale, plenty of examples, and a roadmap that offers eventual solutions rather than just a destination with no idea of how to get there. This book is not intended to be merely a thought exercise or a theoretical exercise, but a real, collaborative way to end centuries of abuse for people of all locations and walks of life who are being taken advantage of by those who ordain themselves to have the power to do so on no other grounds.

The criticisms leveled at the exploitative, powerful forces keeping others from flourishing are not rooted in any particular political ideology or party affiliation, so readers are advised, from the opening pages, to set aside their feelings in that regard and focus on the larger issue. However, the actual position presented in both parts of the book isn’t especially inflammatory or radical, given its roots in creating a society where resources are used fairly to benefit everyone contributing to said society, and to exclude those who sit on the outside, bending the rules and creating loopholes to siphon away those resources for their own gain. To be sure, there is a force of opposition at work in the framework provided by the author, but it is not a specific group or ideology so much as a pervasive element that works its way into any power structure, across history and geography.

One of the most interesting elements of this book is the way that it invites collaboration and further action from the reader, not just in the form of researching sources, but in its cry to take part in the conversation and become engaged. In so doing, its purpose of fighting inaction and making progress more tangible is realized, with readers seeing how they can create a more mutually caring exchange of support in their local sphere of influence. At the same time, any omissions or corrections that need to be recognized can influence the text itself, creating a kind of living community around the book that steers its ideas into regular practice. Odds are good that any reader picking up this book will be able to pinpoint the many ways their efforts toward self-sufficiency have been hamstrung by easily recognizable bullies and their decisions, so as divisive as the subject may be for many, by the end, it should be obvious where the enmity and the need for action should be directed.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

I was lucky enough to be able to take my time to write my debut novel, Water Music: A Cape Cod Story. A good ten years. And that’s probably an undercount. Fortunately, Minneapolis hosts a strong writing community and while I was learning, I was able to work with giants like Patricia Hampl, Sandra Benitez, Michael Collier, and Josip Novakovich. I found what would become long-time, brilliant, go-to “writing buddies,” while carving out writing time for residencies, which encouraged and inspired. All this due to my steady job and wonky schedule as a full-time symphony musician.

Music has been a generous teacher in so many ways. Not only has it given me a palette to explore: using the sounds and rhythms of language to deepen meaning, but I learned to embrace revision as a cousin of “practicing” or “rehearsing” for a musician. Most of all, my life in music gifted me the stability which allowed me to take my time. Of course I was eager to get my novel out in the world, but I also understood that, like a live musical performance, once it was out there, there would be no possibility to revise.

My lifelong love for Cape Cod prompted me—no, drove me—to set Water Music on that fragile penninsula. Throughout my rewrites I was guided by water as the physical landscape of the setting, and music as the inner landscape of the characters. Now I’m working on something completely different: a novel about a stolen cello. The theft of a colleague’s violin years ago and what such a loss would mean to ones career and confidence has haunted me ever since.

The care that The US Review of Books has taken with every one of our interactions has shown me again and again that I am in trustworthy hands. I am enormously grateful.

About the Author: Marcia Peck‘s debut novel, Water Music: A Cape Cod Story, has won the Literary Titan Award, Next Generation Indie Book Award, a New England Book Festivals Award, an Entrada Incipere Literary Fiction Award, and a 2024 Eric Hoffer Book Award Grand Prize Short-Listed book, among others. Her award-winning fiction has appeared in New Millenium Writings, Chautauqua Journal, Gemini Magazine, Glimmer Train, and others. Her flash fiction, “Long Distance,” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Essays have appeared in Strad Magazine, Strings Magazine, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and Musical America. Before joining the cello section of the Minnesota Orchestra, Marcia studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and Schumann Konservatorium in Düsseldorf. Growing up in New Jersey, she was a cat person. But she’s learned to love dogs—even the naughty ones, maybe especially the naughty ones.

Author Spotlight is an author interview exclusively for  The US Review of Books  and available through the Platinum Plus Review service. Author Spotlight interviews may be reprinted with full attribution to “The US Review of Books.”

by Jeffrey G. Hamman
WestBow Press

book review by Kellie Haulotte

“As an infant, I was baptized and thus given the Spirit of the Lord.”

Hamman’s latest work explores the Bible through a popular word hobby—crosswords. The modern version of crosswords was created in December 1913 by New York World editor Arthur Wynne. He created it right before World War I, and when war eventually broke out, the crossword was used to help people cope with the bleak news. This mirrors exactly what Hamman has created—a fun and engaging collection of puzzles that also uplifts through the use of scriptures from the books of the Bible. His first series covers the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, along with the Acts of the Apostles.

Before readers begin the puzzles, Hamman wisely explores each section, providing summaries of each chapter. For example, he explains that the fourteenth chapter is about John the Baptist being imprisoned by King Herod. It is also very handy that Hamman created heading outlines for each chapter. There is also an area where readers can put their own notes. This is unlike anything that readers (or puzzlers) will find in commercial puzzle books with a Bible theme. Usually, crossword puzzle books contain only the clues, and there are no guides to help one learn more about God. There is also another feature that is different from books readers would find from popular commercial puzzle creators like Brain Games or Kappa Puzzles: a personal touch that gives Hamman’s work a charming, authentic feel. Additionally, the author candidly shares his personal journey with Christ in the book’s final section.

This is a fine example of a tool to teach people about the Bible. It seems not to have been just created for those who are already experts on Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and the Acts of the Apostles. Those who get stuck on any puzzle clues would be happy to know that the clue tells exactly where to find the answer in the Bible. The first puzzle covers the first three chapters of Matthew. Therefore, the reader would find everything they needed in those chapters if they got stuck on a clue. That is not only helpful but also encourages the person to go further and read more than what has been listed. Hamman has set up a nice layout to pique the curiosity of any “novice Christian.”

That’s not to say that devout Christians are being left out in the cold. Rather, they will find the book to be the perfect way to test their knowledge, with easy to more difficult questions like “He was the father of Amminadab.” Overall, Hamman has created a book for anyone who wants to learn God’s teachings while providing a sense of fun and relaxation. It’s a good way for individuals to step away from technology for a few hours and reset when the world can be negative. As mentioned earlier, crosswords were a way to help with bleak times. Hamman’s book will likely help readers find the faith and spiritual knowledge to get through even the hardest times. In short, this is not just a book of puzzles but rather an encouraging guide to deeper understanding.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Were it not for a coca leaf reading in Peru, Beyond Fear: A Woman’s Path to Enlightenment, wouldnever have been written. For nine years I traveled with a group of women to study with the medicine men and women of the Andes to awaken the Divine Feminine. One year, I had a coca leaf reading before heading to the mountains. Don Andreas, a Q’ero shaman, took a number of coca leaves in his hands and began blowing into the leaves while praying in Quechua, a language native to the Q’ero. After a few moments, he haphazardly threw the leaves on the table, lifted his head and asked, “Did you write a book?”

My jaw dropped. Years earlier I had self published an obscure book, A Structure for Spirit. “You have to make it bigger,” he said. “You have to include more of what you have learned on your journeys here in Peru. You are like a farmer planting seeds that others may harvest in the future. This wisdom is not your own. It must be shared.” I had no thought of ever writing a book again, but if a shaman from the holy mountains of Peru tells you to write a book, you really should start writing.

May Beyond Fear serve the prophecy well is my daily prayer. 

About the Author: After spending her entire life in New York City, Karen Chrappa moved to New Mexico in search of love and meaning. Her books include the children’s book, Jethro the Runaway Puppy. Today, she lives in Abiquiu, surrounded by the beauty of the mountains and desert, where she continues her work with rural communities. Hiking the wilderness with her dog, Jethro, has become a way to nourish her soul. For over 30 years, she’s worked as a physical therapist, with healing at the heart of everything she does. Her own journey to health began when she trained for the New York City Marathon to overcome a two-pack-a-day smoking habit. “Running became the foundation of my transformation and dedication to helping others heal. I am a mother and a grandmother, and this new chapter of my life has deepened my commitment to leaving behind a legacy of beauty and healing.”

Author Spotlight is an author interview exclusively for The US Review of Books and available through the Platinum Plus Review service. Author Spotlight interviews may be reprinted with full attribution to “The US Review of Books.”

by Yvon Milien

book review by Michael Radon

“How does a people born of the world’s first successful slave revolt, deeply rooted in the ideals of liberty, find themselves, again and again, betrayed?”

Milien’s book goes beyond the headlines and the foreign, passive perspective on Haiti, offering a deep examination of the island nation’s history, present, and future. The author explores the development and stifling of the Haitian national identity from its roots as a settlement of the Taíno people to its French and Spanish colonization, the slave revolt that led to its many firsts, the dictatorial years under the rule of Duvaliers and the Tonton Macoute, a return to democracy, and its path forward to liberation. The text describes not just the crucial moments of modern Haitian history but also its people, their culture and values, and how the direction of their nation is reflected (or rejected) in the hearts and minds of its citizens.

Readers also become acquainted with the authoritarian culture of fear that Haitians have had to endure, beginning with colonial slave-holders to more recent military coups, rigged elections, and foreign influence. The human rights issues facing the nation are highlighted, raising valid concerns and calling for treating the conditions in Haiti not as a national concern but as a humanitarian one in need of proper support and aid, rather than quick fixes and uneven attention. Concerns about governmental corruption, media bias and accuracy, and the right to protest will resonate with readers depending on their location and political stances, but will also show how the Haitian political climate is a real-world crisis demanding immediate action, not a threat or theoretical possibility.

Anyone who wants to know how people endure harsh governmental negligence and even hostility towards its citizens can find a first-hand example in this gripping consideration of Haitian life. The book’s contents are prepared and presented in a logical order that lays the historical groundwork and identifies the major problems Haiti has faced and continues to face, yet each chapter reads as a stand-alone article. The author encourages readers interested in a specific topic to focus on that subject and use the rest of the book to fill in the gaps. Those with a general curiosity about the Haitian way of life will find that reading each chapter sequentially provides a comprehensive view, even across multiple readings. Citations and concepts from reports and other books on Haiti are also provided, giving readers even more opportunities to hear from a variety of voices and experts and to flesh out their research or interests fully.

While the number of setbacks and obstacles in Haiti’s quest for democratic rule is numerous, the latter portion of the book also focuses on ways to correct this trend. Trading more in realism and pragmatism over idealism, the solutions and steps offered by the author feel attainable. There are even suggestions for non-Haitians to take to help create effective, lasting change through foreign aid and increased visibility and empathy toward Haiti.

The facts presented in this book can be found in many other writings on Haiti’s history, but what makes this book unique and stand out from the crowd are the more intimate observations on what the average person living in Haiti experiences, from the modern Port-au-Prince resident to the millions living in remote rural conditions with almost no resources to their name. That human angle is what makes these arguments so much more compelling. This book is a fascinating read for those interested in modern history and politics.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

by Mary Albanese
Oxshott Press

book review by Haley Koth

“I had come to realize many things about the Darlin’s. We were all strong-minded souls…. We put up with hardships and danger, and let nothing get in our way.”

Growing up in a contentious family, twelve-year-old Anabel feels invisible and isolated from her parents and younger brother. Little does she know that her life is about to change when she meets her father’s mother, Macedonia “Maisy” Kline, for the first time. Relegated to a nursing home by her son, with whom she shares an antagonistic relationship, Grandma Maisy is sassy, opinionated, and sharp, much like Anabel herself. As Grandma Maisy says, “You want to make up your own mind. Some people get itchy when girls think for themselves.” Recognizing a kindred spirit, Maisy opens up to Ana during her recurring visits and tells her full life story for the first time.

Maisy was born to a feed shop owner and his unhappy wife. Growing up in the early 1900s, Maisy enjoys helping her father with his work, risking her mother’s ire whenever she comes into the house smelling of the granary. When she discovers her mother’s plans to marry her off to a high-society stranger in far-away Philadelphia, Maisy rebels by learning to lasso and ultimately runs away from home. She spends weeks traveling the wilderness, crossing the Rockies, foraging and sometimes stealing her food, and picking up work as an itinerant mender. When her horse, Spackles, splinters a hoof, she meets Rosey and Lill, two strong and outspoken women. Lill invites her to come with them to join Buffalo Bill’s show after Maisy demonstrates her skill with a rope by lassoing a raging bull. When Cilla Pystunia, a “trick rider,” comes to town bringing news that Buffalo Bill isn’t hiring, the four women set out to start their own show: the “All-Girl No-Man Little Darlin’s Wild West Show.”

Soon after, they are joined by sharpshooter Violet and cow-riding Klara. Their first show is a resounding success, and they continue traveling west to put on performances. However, small fractures start to form within the group as strong personalities clash. They meet with success, failure, challenges, and ultimate tragedy that changes their lives forever.

This is an incredible historical novel, uniting themes of independence, friendship, familial bonds, and awe-inspiring women. The author’s characterizations are masterful. She captures the loneliness of a misunderstood preteen and the importance of finding kinship, as well as gives voice to a potpourri of independent female characters. She demonstrates that strength comes in many forms: Rosey’s brash, no-nonsense force; the quiet steel of Violet, Glory, and Klara; the steadfast, forward-thinking focus of Lill and Maisy; and even Cilla’s selfish persona. Although some personalities are more likable than others, she treats each female character gently and provides each with redeeming qualities.

The story itself is well-paced, exciting, and difficult to put down. Fortunately, it can be easily read in one sitting. Albanese draws on her own personal experiences growing up on a horse farm, providing an excellent sense of the grit and pluckiness required to be a cowgirl. She infuses her words with warm humor and gentle clarity as she weaves a masterful epic, recalling the storytelling abilities of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Diana Gabaldon. The story’s final twist is a bit jarring and causes some disconnect from the novel’s earlier light and quick pace. However, it provides great shock value and several heart-racing moments until the story’s swift conclusion. It should be noted that although the main characters are teenagers (Ana is twelve, and Maisy in her retellings is barely sixteen), the events in the book’s latter half are geared toward more mature readers. Overall, this is an epic adventure full of surprises, warmth, and plenty of spirit.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

by Jeffrey Weiss
MSI Press

book review by Mihir Shah

“What I know, though, is this: I want to always live a life of challenge and audacity in everything I do.”

From the opening line of the prologue, Weiss sets the tone for his audience: anything is possible, and if done correctly, limits are simply checkpoints to cross. The author’s running journey, however, is not linear. He deep-dives into other sports, most prominently weightlifting, and achieves success. Following his father’s passing, Weiss, then forty-six, realizes he cannot rest on his weight-lifting laurels and must take better care of his body to optimize his performance into middle age and beyond. The transformation that ensues is nothing short of inspirational, but the author depicts it with both anecdotal and analytical references, offering others a roadmap for understanding that peak performance is possible for decades, even into one’s eighties.

Weiss’ elusive quest for the 300-pound bench shifted to running the 10K in under an hour. This was just the beginning. Utilizing online plans and in-person mentors, the author dove headfirst into half-marathons. Yet, as is often the case, he faced setback after setback, a soft tissue injury here, a strain there. Weiss remained undeterred, though, completing the half in under two-and-a-half hours and setting his sights on the next challenge: the triathlon.

From a stylistic perspective, what makes the author’s work intriguing is his ability to be conversational and articulate his thoughts in an organic way that makes the reader feel they are present with him throughout the journey. Reaching the top of a daunting mountain is special in its own right, but Weiss has a knack for humanizing the process in a way that compels audiences to believe they, too, can experience a modicum of that success and transformation.

In Weiss’ case, the author’s inevitable collision course with endurance competitions becomes evident early on. For instance, once he has decided to dive into the triathlon, he not only trains his body but also his mind. He consumes all the content there is on fitness and everything about triathlons. Then come the goal setting and structure creation, which become the trademark of his regimen. The results are astounding: the author completed a marathon, two 50K runs, and two training runs of over twenty-one miles in a span of two months, all injury-free. It is at this point that Weiss goes all in on the Comrade ultramarathon (an 88KM race), leaving no stone unturned in understanding the logistical details of the course as well as the mental toll and resistance needed not to call it quits in the race.

Above all else, the granular details at each level of racing are at times mindboggling, yet always insightful. When one hears stories that seem to defy human capabilities, like that of David Goggins, for example, the instinctive response is that this could never be me. Yet, Weiss is fearless in detailing his blueprint, both the mental and physical, that not only prepared him to train in racing’s most arduous competitions but also allowed him to travel the globe. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the work is that it is not simply an ode glorifying his accomplishments. In fact, it is quite the opposite. It’s as if Weiss unpacks the whole experience into a scientific breakdown, challenges and all.

As the work progresses into the latter stages, the Comrades, Ironman, and MCM races all get some shine. The vulnerability with which he explores veganism and highlights his mindset on nutritional approaches like intermittent fasting is endearing. At its core, Weiss’ work is a raw and honest commentary on the human condition and the need to squeeze everything out of life while pushing past perceived limits to live life as it’s meant to be lived—an adventure.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

by Jennifer Harris
Troubador Publishing

book review by Amanda Hanson

“He must know that a diamond bracelet would not solve their crisis.”

Marian and Jason have been married for over twenty years and have two adult children, Olivia and Mark. Marian discovers that Jason cheated on her during a business trip to Sydney, a realization triggered by hearing the laughter of another woman on a phone call. Feeling deeply betrayed, Marian still decides to take a trip with Jason to Paris in the hope of saving their marriage. They have visited the city several times before. While working on their relationship, Marian is confronted with painful memories, including the loss of their unborn child many years ago. During this time in Paris, she is also organizing a vernissage with her art colleague and friend, Stephanie. As Marian navigates her marital issues, she finds herself juggling both personal struggles and professional responsibilities.

In her novel, Harris delves into the themes of adultery and betrayal, creating a compelling narrative for readers. Through the character of Marian, readers gain insight into her relationship with her husband. The author conveys Marian’s feelings of rage and betrayal, allowing readers to connect with her on a deeper emotional level. One pivotal moment in the story is the phone call that makes Marian realize her husband’s infidelity. Harris emphasizes this phone call and the emotions it evokes in Marian, which creates a vivid mental image of that specific event. Furthermore, the author explores the loss of trust that occurs after being cheated on and the difficulty of rebuilding that trust. Harris skillfully discusses this complex process throughout the narrative. As a result, readers who have faced similar situations can empathize with Marian and understand her emotions. Those who have experienced marital challenges will find themselves relating to the characters. Readers will appreciate this book for its many twists and turns, which help make it an engaging and thought-provoking read.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review