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Saving Peace
You go to college to meet your bridesmaids," or so the saying goes in North Carolina, on the campus of the all female Peace College.
But what happens when the friends you thought you were making for life, betray you? The same ones you'd be in the retirement home with aren't speaking not ten years later?
The ups and downs of women's friendships are tested in SAVING PEACE. Thirty years intervene in the friendships begun at the all female Peace College.
Sib, the local news anchor with dreams of going national. Mary Beth, the capable, restless mother of three. Kim, the college president who admits male students.
SAVING PEACE is the story of promises made and broken, love found then lost, and redemption sought for the past. Three women. Two choices. One campus.
What if there's nothing worth saving?
But what happens when the friends you thought you were making for life, betray you? The same ones you'd be in the retirement home with aren't speaking not ten years later?
The ups and downs of women's friendships are tested in SAVING PEACE. Thirty years intervene in the friendships begun at the all female Peace College.
Sib, the local news anchor with dreams of going national. Mary Beth, the capable, restless mother of three. Kim, the college president who admits male students.
SAVING PEACE is the story of promises made and broken, love found then lost, and redemption sought for the past. Three women. Two choices. One campus.
What if there's nothing worth saving?
95 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 8, 2012
1 person is currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar
32 books330 followersMohanalakshmi Rajakumar is a South Asian American novelist, educator, and scholar who has lived in Qatar since 2005. Her coming of age novel, An Unlikely Goddess, won the SheWrites New Novelist competition in 2011.
Her recent books have focused on various aspects of life in Qatar. From Dunes to Dior, named as a Best Indie book in 2013, is a collection of essays related to her experiences as a living in the Arabian Gulf. Love Comes Later was the winner of the Best Indie Book Award for Romance in 2013 and is a literary romance set in Qatar and London.
The Domestics is an inside look into compound life, the day-to-day dynamics between housemaids and their employers. Learn more about her work on her website at www.mohadoha.com or follow her latest on Twitter: @moha_doha.
Her recent books have focused on various aspects of life in Qatar. From Dunes to Dior, named as a Best Indie book in 2013, is a collection of essays related to her experiences as a living in the Arabian Gulf. Love Comes Later was the winner of the Best Indie Book Award for Romance in 2013 and is a literary romance set in Qatar and London.
The Domestics is an inside look into compound life, the day-to-day dynamics between housemaids and their employers. Learn more about her work on her website at www.mohadoha.com or follow her latest on Twitter: @moha_doha.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 24, 2012
I received a Copy of this book from the author for purpose of honest review for the IOB Tours. I was not compensated for the review, and all conclusions are honest and my responsibility.
Everyone grows up. That is the overwhelming lesson that arrived with this book. Set in North Carolina, and centered on the lives of 3 women who have been friends since attending Peace college. Their all woman’s college is changing, admitting men and renaming itself William Peace University, without forewarning to current students or alumni, a transgression made more egregious when you realize that one of the main 3 characters is currently the president of the school.
Siobhan is the anchor of the local statewide news, and appears to be terminally unhappy with her life, yet is unwilling to make steps to resolve the issue. Mary Beth, the first of the trio to marry right out of college, also appears to be the one most disturbed by the changes. Lastly there is Kim; unmarried and the university president, she is ducking her friends from her college days: if ducking can be explained in the drifting apart they have done in the years since school.
While all three women were from similar backgrounds and chose the same college, it is most evident to me from the story unfolding that their friendships were really created with proximity and chance: Mary Beth and Siobhan were roommates, Kim the single room on their floor. As is common in the college years, there are many things that are of dire importance that bond you – and in this story, most often those seem to center around men. The lack of men, the wanting of men, the marrying of men. And that is where the story rather lost me.
While I will say that the story was beautifully crafted, and the characters are well developed to show their faults and insecurities, there is some general lack of actual “liking” of one another that would carry forward through 30 years of acquaintance. All of the women feel incredibly uncomfortable in each other’s presence – whether from unreasonably long held resentments or just the fact that they realize there is no friendship there underneath it all, I am not sure. Perhaps they all have realized that the ‘idyllic impression’ often given to all-women’s schools, the overwhelming sense of “empowerment and support” is little more than an impression if the people who attend are not supportive and willing to be empowering to the community.
While this wasn’t the instantly engaging story I had hoped for, full of that palpable feeling of 30 years of friendships maintained even when paths have changed, diverged and strayed, there was a set of mysteries to be solved: how did they come to be so disparate and distant from each other? It is answered, in ways that you may not expect or realize until long after the book is finished.
Everyone grows up. That is the overwhelming lesson that arrived with this book. Set in North Carolina, and centered on the lives of 3 women who have been friends since attending Peace college. Their all woman’s college is changing, admitting men and renaming itself William Peace University, without forewarning to current students or alumni, a transgression made more egregious when you realize that one of the main 3 characters is currently the president of the school.
Siobhan is the anchor of the local statewide news, and appears to be terminally unhappy with her life, yet is unwilling to make steps to resolve the issue. Mary Beth, the first of the trio to marry right out of college, also appears to be the one most disturbed by the changes. Lastly there is Kim; unmarried and the university president, she is ducking her friends from her college days: if ducking can be explained in the drifting apart they have done in the years since school.
While all three women were from similar backgrounds and chose the same college, it is most evident to me from the story unfolding that their friendships were really created with proximity and chance: Mary Beth and Siobhan were roommates, Kim the single room on their floor. As is common in the college years, there are many things that are of dire importance that bond you – and in this story, most often those seem to center around men. The lack of men, the wanting of men, the marrying of men. And that is where the story rather lost me.
While I will say that the story was beautifully crafted, and the characters are well developed to show their faults and insecurities, there is some general lack of actual “liking” of one another that would carry forward through 30 years of acquaintance. All of the women feel incredibly uncomfortable in each other’s presence – whether from unreasonably long held resentments or just the fact that they realize there is no friendship there underneath it all, I am not sure. Perhaps they all have realized that the ‘idyllic impression’ often given to all-women’s schools, the overwhelming sense of “empowerment and support” is little more than an impression if the people who attend are not supportive and willing to be empowering to the community.
While this wasn’t the instantly engaging story I had hoped for, full of that palpable feeling of 30 years of friendships maintained even when paths have changed, diverged and strayed, there was a set of mysteries to be solved: how did they come to be so disparate and distant from each other? It is answered, in ways that you may not expect or realize until long after the book is finished.
January 23, 2013
I struggled just a little with this. It was just a teensy bit boring and, regrettably, blighted with errors.
Peace College hits the news because after many years of being an all-female college, it opens its doors to male undergraduates. Many students, past and present, are up in arms: specifically, three friends who studied there, fell in love there, got pregnant there, and their children who followed in their mothers’ college footsteps. The story starts in the present day and flashes back over thirty years, unravelling their student days and the relationships with each other and their men.
I really couldn’t understand the issue or why anyone would be up in arms about having urinals alongside the ladies’ loos. It’s called progress, and not only that, who cares? In the case of these three friends, their lives are not exactly a bed of roses and have far better things to think about. I really found the three women hard to like (I think I preferred the husbands to them): not only that, I wasn’t really convinced that although they were ‘friends’ that they actually liked each other that much. Sib is career-minded and self-absorbed. Kim was bulimic (and self-absorbed). Mary Beth is a mother of three, accepts her lot rather pathetically (but perhaps was the least self-absorbed). Mae was Sib’s only (anorexic) daughter…and, therefore, self-absorbed. I remained unconvinced that the thirty-year friendship is one to cherish: it seems that none of the three trust each other.
Unfortunately, there are a number of missing words and poor punctuation. Some sentences were long and convoluted, and the lack of punctuation meant an incessant reread of some sentences. A tad hard-going.
For all that, there were many sentiments one could identify with, and although I didn’t care much for the three women, I found the last twenty per cent or so compelling. However, that may have been because I was desperately hoping to find some redeeming qualities in one or more of the characters.
With a good edit, this may appeal to those whose college days were really the days of their lives, but it's very hard to connect to the characters or be sympathetic to their emotions or really be able to understand what is they want in their lives.
Peace College hits the news because after many years of being an all-female college, it opens its doors to male undergraduates. Many students, past and present, are up in arms: specifically, three friends who studied there, fell in love there, got pregnant there, and their children who followed in their mothers’ college footsteps. The story starts in the present day and flashes back over thirty years, unravelling their student days and the relationships with each other and their men.
I really couldn’t understand the issue or why anyone would be up in arms about having urinals alongside the ladies’ loos. It’s called progress, and not only that, who cares? In the case of these three friends, their lives are not exactly a bed of roses and have far better things to think about. I really found the three women hard to like (I think I preferred the husbands to them): not only that, I wasn’t really convinced that although they were ‘friends’ that they actually liked each other that much. Sib is career-minded and self-absorbed. Kim was bulimic (and self-absorbed). Mary Beth is a mother of three, accepts her lot rather pathetically (but perhaps was the least self-absorbed). Mae was Sib’s only (anorexic) daughter…and, therefore, self-absorbed. I remained unconvinced that the thirty-year friendship is one to cherish: it seems that none of the three trust each other.
Unfortunately, there are a number of missing words and poor punctuation. Some sentences were long and convoluted, and the lack of punctuation meant an incessant reread of some sentences. A tad hard-going.
For all that, there were many sentiments one could identify with, and although I didn’t care much for the three women, I found the last twenty per cent or so compelling. However, that may have been because I was desperately hoping to find some redeeming qualities in one or more of the characters.
With a good edit, this may appeal to those whose college days were really the days of their lives, but it's very hard to connect to the characters or be sympathetic to their emotions or really be able to understand what is they want in their lives.
September 2, 2012
I really enjoyed the characters and how different they were. Siobhan or Sib for short was an anchor woman for the local news, MaryBeth or MB the wife and mother that everyone came to for comfort and to hold them together, and Kim the President at Peace College.
The three women became close friends during college each trying to belong. Little by little they grow apart, and 30 years later barely are talking to each other. MaryBeth and Sib are shocked to find out that their beloved Peace College is going co-ed and changing its name to William Peace University, and that Kim their friend who is President at Peace College is letting it happen.
I liked how the author went back to the beginning and told about the friendship of the girls, when they went to school together, got married, and how their lives progressed. She told the story of how they each got busy with their own lives, Sib working hard to become a news anchor, being a bit cold and did not have much time for her family; ignoring her daughter and relying on MaryBeth to always be available even at the last minute; MaryBeth a mother of three but still lonely and a bit depressed at being a stay at home mother, and Kim who had an alternative lifestyle and an eating disorder.
This story reminds me that everyone has a story – that no matter what it looks like on the outside there is more going on than what can be seen.
Do you think that the 3 friends where able to keep Peace College as girls school only? Do you think they became the good friends they once were? You will have to read the book to find out.
I received a Copy of this book from the author for purpose of honest review for the IOB Tours. I was not compensated for the review, and the review is honest and my responsibility.
The three women became close friends during college each trying to belong. Little by little they grow apart, and 30 years later barely are talking to each other. MaryBeth and Sib are shocked to find out that their beloved Peace College is going co-ed and changing its name to William Peace University, and that Kim their friend who is President at Peace College is letting it happen.
I liked how the author went back to the beginning and told about the friendship of the girls, when they went to school together, got married, and how their lives progressed. She told the story of how they each got busy with their own lives, Sib working hard to become a news anchor, being a bit cold and did not have much time for her family; ignoring her daughter and relying on MaryBeth to always be available even at the last minute; MaryBeth a mother of three but still lonely and a bit depressed at being a stay at home mother, and Kim who had an alternative lifestyle and an eating disorder.
This story reminds me that everyone has a story – that no matter what it looks like on the outside there is more going on than what can be seen.
Do you think that the 3 friends where able to keep Peace College as girls school only? Do you think they became the good friends they once were? You will have to read the book to find out.
I received a Copy of this book from the author for purpose of honest review for the IOB Tours. I was not compensated for the review, and the review is honest and my responsibility.
September 3, 2012
Saving Peace by Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar is a story of friendship, college, and how those years shape the rest of your lives.
Kim, Sibohan and MB all attended the all-girls college, Peace College in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school brought them together, shaped the friendships that would carry them through the decades to come.
Today, Kim is an anchor for the local news, MB is raising a family and Kim is president of Peace. Kim is also responsible for some major changes at the girls' alma mater.
Peace, like so many of America's small, gender-specific colleges, has fallen on hard financial times. In an effort to keep the doors open, Kim and the administration are changing the school's name to William Peace University and admitting boys.
Sib and MB are not the only ones up in arms about the changes, feeling that the proposed changes comprimise the memories, the mission behind Peace. In fact, Sib's estranged daughter Mae and her class are organizing protests. They will not let their alma mater go in peace.
What touched me about this story was how the author wove flashback and current events together to bring you a true understanding of the characters. Their friendships have been tested, battered and nearly broken, yet Peace was the one place that brought them...well...peace.
Though I enjoyed the story, I did find it slow at points. I found the ending anticlimatic, which are the only reasons that kept me from rating it hire. Still, if you are looking for a story about friendship or nostalgic for the warm-fuzzy feelings of college-life, definitely pick it up. It's touching and heartwarming, worth reading for sure.
Disclaimer: I was gifted a copy of this book for review, but all opinions are my own.
Kim, Sibohan and MB all attended the all-girls college, Peace College in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school brought them together, shaped the friendships that would carry them through the decades to come.
Today, Kim is an anchor for the local news, MB is raising a family and Kim is president of Peace. Kim is also responsible for some major changes at the girls' alma mater.
Peace, like so many of America's small, gender-specific colleges, has fallen on hard financial times. In an effort to keep the doors open, Kim and the administration are changing the school's name to William Peace University and admitting boys.
Sib and MB are not the only ones up in arms about the changes, feeling that the proposed changes comprimise the memories, the mission behind Peace. In fact, Sib's estranged daughter Mae and her class are organizing protests. They will not let their alma mater go in peace.
What touched me about this story was how the author wove flashback and current events together to bring you a true understanding of the characters. Their friendships have been tested, battered and nearly broken, yet Peace was the one place that brought them...well...peace.
Though I enjoyed the story, I did find it slow at points. I found the ending anticlimatic, which are the only reasons that kept me from rating it hire. Still, if you are looking for a story about friendship or nostalgic for the warm-fuzzy feelings of college-life, definitely pick it up. It's touching and heartwarming, worth reading for sure.
Disclaimer: I was gifted a copy of this book for review, but all opinions are my own.
August 31, 2012
I do not know whether to laugh, cry or throw my Kindle because of how this book ended. I loved it and the characters so much.
Siobhan or Sib for short is an anchor woman for the local news in Raleigh. She is one of the woman that attended Peace College.
MaryBeth or MB a mother and wife. She is a stay at home mom with 3 boys ranging in age from 20 something to an infant.
Kim the Dean at Peace College. She has changed the college from being all female to allowing males to attend.
These three start out as friends during freshman year. They each have a little something they hide from the other. They all depend on MB to keep them together. MB is the strength that is never waving, always the one they turn to in times of trouble. She is the one that has everything the others want.
When Sib announces on air that Peace College is going co-ed, it is a shock. No just for her but everyone.
This book takes me back to the time when I spent a few years at college. It made me think of everyone I would hang out with, the friends I made, the fun we would have. This was not an easy read for me. I love the book. However, just having sent my only child off to college made this a hard read for me.
I was drawn to all the characters. I do not know if the author drew from personal experience in writing the but all I can say is read this book. Scroll up and click on the Amazon link and buy this wonderful book. Just have some tissues handy and something to throw. :-)
Thanks for a great read Mo.
The bunnies and I give this book 4 carrots.
Siobhan or Sib for short is an anchor woman for the local news in Raleigh. She is one of the woman that attended Peace College.
MaryBeth or MB a mother and wife. She is a stay at home mom with 3 boys ranging in age from 20 something to an infant.
Kim the Dean at Peace College. She has changed the college from being all female to allowing males to attend.
These three start out as friends during freshman year. They each have a little something they hide from the other. They all depend on MB to keep them together. MB is the strength that is never waving, always the one they turn to in times of trouble. She is the one that has everything the others want.
When Sib announces on air that Peace College is going co-ed, it is a shock. No just for her but everyone.
This book takes me back to the time when I spent a few years at college. It made me think of everyone I would hang out with, the friends I made, the fun we would have. This was not an easy read for me. I love the book. However, just having sent my only child off to college made this a hard read for me.
I was drawn to all the characters. I do not know if the author drew from personal experience in writing the but all I can say is read this book. Scroll up and click on the Amazon link and buy this wonderful book. Just have some tissues handy and something to throw. :-)
Thanks for a great read Mo.
The bunnies and I give this book 4 carrots.
September 2, 2012
Sib is on the air when she first gets the news from the teleprompter that her alma mater, Peace College, will be admitting males for the first time in history. Generations of Southern women have attended Peace College, forming friendships that lasted a lifetime. But Sib has left her friends behind, only contacting them when she needed them. But when she realizes that Peace College will change forever, and that one of those friends she left behind is to blame for that change, she joins forces with her daughter to fight the plan.
Saving Peace is about women and the friendships we create. Some run their course in a matter of time, and some are long-lasting. Ms. Rajakumar has created a good exploration of those friendships, but I would have liked to have seen a deeper exploration on the subject. Overall, while the narrative is a bit confusing at times, it was interesting.
3 stars
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Innovative Online Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Innovative Online Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*
Saving Peace is about women and the friendships we create. Some run their course in a matter of time, and some are long-lasting. Ms. Rajakumar has created a good exploration of those friendships, but I would have liked to have seen a deeper exploration on the subject. Overall, while the narrative is a bit confusing at times, it was interesting.
3 stars
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Innovative Online Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Innovative Online Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*
September 3, 2012
Sib, Mary Beth, and Kim each battle their own demons as they struggle to find their places in the world at large. Sib and Kim are both fighting huge self-esteem issues but take vastly different paths in their search for fulfillment. Mary Beth's life takes her in yet a third direction, but she too wonders if this is all life holds for her.
The books spans 30 years by showing us snapshots of life approximately every ten years. It was an interesting way to tell the story and get to know the women and their families. In fact, I would say that this book is about four women, because Sib's daughter Mae is prominent in the story as well.
Any book that can make me care about the characters is a good one. I felt the most sympathy for Kim and Mae. I identified with Mary Beth. And I just didn't like Sib very much. I'm not sure this can be called a book about friendship. Rather it's a story of relationships and how every decision we make affects those around us.
I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Notice of financial connection: I was paid to beta read and proofread this book. This did not affect my review, and I receive no compensation for purchases made based on my review.
The books spans 30 years by showing us snapshots of life approximately every ten years. It was an interesting way to tell the story and get to know the women and their families. In fact, I would say that this book is about four women, because Sib's daughter Mae is prominent in the story as well.
Any book that can make me care about the characters is a good one. I felt the most sympathy for Kim and Mae. I identified with Mary Beth. And I just didn't like Sib very much. I'm not sure this can be called a book about friendship. Rather it's a story of relationships and how every decision we make affects those around us.
I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Notice of financial connection: I was paid to beta read and proofread this book. This did not affect my review, and I receive no compensation for purchases made based on my review.
February 10, 2012
so so story...may have been extra interesting to me as it was set in the area I live, so lots of familiar references.
Showed how much we change from our dreams as a young person, and how sometimes trying to achieve
those dreams become more important than they should
Showed how much we change from our dreams as a young person, and how sometimes trying to achieve
those dreams become more important than they should
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews