The Vitae

by Lesann Berry

Rose Brashear enjoys teaching anthropology as adjunct faculty at a Sacramento university while she completes her dissertation. Or, at least she does until a job announcement lands in her in-box and she knows it’s time to get serious about the future. Between exploring historic mine sites and scrambling to teach undergrad courses, she’s already stretched to the limit, but now she’s got to prove she’s the best candidate for full-time employment. Competition is fierce and Rose is about to discover the perfect position is hard to find.

152 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2013

About the author

Lesann writes contemporary and historical mystery and suspense, usually with paranormal events and a few romantic elements because life is boring without spooky stuff and warm bodies.

Reviews

[Maggie Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is unlike anything I’ve read before. Rose Brashear is an adjunct faculty member in anthropology while working on her PhD. Her primary desire is to finish her degree, obtain a good full-time teaching position at a university, and pursue the research she loves. Anyone who has spent time in academia will completely identify with this book—-the competition, the importance of having a good graduate advisor, and the difficulty of pursuing research in a field that has limited openings.

Throw in a little mystery along with the competition and the plot rises above the graduate student’s plight of finding the next job or the next boyfriend. Obviously written by someone who has been through the dissertation and research process, this book truly gives an insight into the life of an academic—including the politics, the fight for confidence in one’s work, and the emotional ups and downs in the competitive environment. However, its attention to that detail may also be its weakness.

Few people have gone through the PhD process or know the politics of academia. Having survived my own doctoral pursuit and roles in academia, I personally loved that part of the novel. But, I can see how others would find it droll or perhaps unbelievable. Fortunately, the mystery takes it above the usual graduate student treatise.

I think this author has a nice voice and a good story sense. I’d love to see her write another novel that goes beyond the academic experience. I think she’s set this up to be a series and at the end we know that Rose Brashear is moving forward. I would definitely pick up the next book to see what happens.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vitae, A Rose Brashear Novella by Lesann Berry

I was pleasantly surprised by this novella. It appears to be a prequel, so it was a get-to-know-you kind of story that gave me a peek into Rose's character and a few of her friends. It lead me through the process and procedures involved in Rose's research at Yellowstone, where I assume the next story picks up. It really was terrific to just get knee deep into the characters without conflict or romance, just straight forward interaction.