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Secrets of Worry Dolls
According to Mayan tradition, if you whisper your troubles to the Worry Dolls, they will do the worrying instead of you--therefore, it follows that Worry Dolls are the keepers of a great many secrets . . .
On the eve of the end of the world--according to the Mayan calendar--Mari Guarez Roselli's secrets are being unraveled by her daughter, Lu.
Lu's worry dolls are at-capacity as she tries to outrun the ghosts from her past--including loved ones stolen on 9/11--by traveling through her mother's homeland of Guatemala, to discover the painful reasons behind her own dysfunctional childhood, and why she must trust in the magic of the legend.
On the eve of the end of the world--according to the Mayan calendar--Mari Guarez Roselli's secrets are being unraveled by her daughter, Lu.
Lu's worry dolls are at-capacity as she tries to outrun the ghosts from her past--including loved ones stolen on 9/11--by traveling through her mother's homeland of Guatemala, to discover the painful reasons behind her own dysfunctional childhood, and why she must trust in the magic of the legend.
312 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2016
62 people are currently reading
736 people want to read
About the author
Amy Impellizzeri
10 books267 followersAfter 13 years in the cutthroat world of corporate law, including a decade at the top Manhattan law firm, Skadden Arps, Amy left in 2009 to advocate for working women, eventually landing at a VC-backed start-up company, Hybrid Her (named by Forbes Woman as a top website for women in 2010 and 2011), while writing her first novel, Lemongrass Hope (Wyatt-MacKenzie, 10/8/14), and her first non-fiction book, Lawyer Interrupted, published by the American Bar Association in 2015.
Today Amy is an award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction, a podcast host, and a frequently invited speaker in writing and transitioning lawyer circles. Her essays and articles have appeared in The Huffington Post, ABA’s Law Practice today, Writer's Digest, Scary Mommy, Grown & Flown, & Drunk Monkeys among more. She is a Tall Poppy Writer, a faculty member in Drexel University's MFA Program, and a past President of the Women's Fiction Writers Association.
For events and news, subscribe to www.amyimpellizzeri.com.
Today Amy is an award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction, a podcast host, and a frequently invited speaker in writing and transitioning lawyer circles. Her essays and articles have appeared in The Huffington Post, ABA’s Law Practice today, Writer's Digest, Scary Mommy, Grown & Flown, & Drunk Monkeys among more. She is a Tall Poppy Writer, a faculty member in Drexel University's MFA Program, and a past President of the Women's Fiction Writers Association.
For events and news, subscribe to www.amyimpellizzeri.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
November 29, 2016
I adored Impellizzeri's first book, LEMONGRASS HOPE so I was anxious to get my hands on this one, too. It does not disappoint! Gorgeously written, this is a story about mothers and daughters, but with a twist. It touches on Guatemalan culture and customs, magic, 9/11, secrets and betrayals. You'll fly through the pages of this elegant story and think about it long afterwards.
February 15, 2017
Beautiful and unique. Gorgeously written. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Mari and Lu. It's a perfect book club selection, especially for those who love stories that take the reader to exotic locales. I highly recommend.
(I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.)
(I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.)
December 15, 2016
Favorite Quotes:
Missed chances, secrets and regrets. When the end of the world does arrive, that’s all that will be left. And cockroaches, of course.
I switched my major 8 times in college… my college advisor said that I had ‘broken the record for indecisiveness among co-eds.’ I thanked him before I realized he wasn’t actually proud of me.
I felt grateful and relieved and hopeful and confused and sad. Which is kind of the story of my life.
I hate that no one would describe me as strong anymore. I’m so disappointed in myself – people just meeting me now would describe me as frail – I’m sure of it. And I wouldn’t be arrogant enough to disagree with them. They would be right. But my question is: When did I become frail? When did I stop being an orchid – beautiful and hearty and rare? When was that moment?
We never really had a chance – my mother and I. It wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t hers either… Losing her isn’t the hard part. The hard part is knowing now why, and not being able to tell her I forgive her.
My Review:
I vacillated in deciding how to rate this intense and complicated story as, at times, the characters frustrated and greatly annoyed me, yet I still cared about them and remained invested and interested in their tale. I delayed in writing a review – something I seldom do, to process the complex piece in total. After considering the consistent superior quality of the writing, I determined this work more than deserved a full set of five shiny stars. Ms. Impellizzeri’s writing was relevant, highly emotive, and vividly descriptive. She placed me securely in their heads… I was right there with them – seeing what they saw, feeling heavy with their anxiety, and gripped with their tension. Written from a dual POV of a mother and daughter with a difficult relationship and rocky family history, the story was laced with their inner musings, fears, dreads, regrets, guilt, and sorrowful memories. The narrative moved back and forth in time over 30 years as they each mined their histories, and I relished how the characters would suddenly gain a surprising insight from an observantly detailed memory that generally came unbidden. Both characters lived in a state of chronic anxiety and regret, yet they seldom spoke or acknowledged this with each other. Both were prone to pull to the negative, quick to jump to the worst-case scenario and then be practically immobilized and overcome with irrational panic. The plot was as complex as the characters with many twists and turns and blind alleys, but the ending was such a surprise and the relief brought a smile to my face, if only life events really did work themselves out that well. Amy Impellizzeri has been added to my ever growing list of uber-talented authors to follow.
Missed chances, secrets and regrets. When the end of the world does arrive, that’s all that will be left. And cockroaches, of course.
I switched my major 8 times in college… my college advisor said that I had ‘broken the record for indecisiveness among co-eds.’ I thanked him before I realized he wasn’t actually proud of me.
I felt grateful and relieved and hopeful and confused and sad. Which is kind of the story of my life.
I hate that no one would describe me as strong anymore. I’m so disappointed in myself – people just meeting me now would describe me as frail – I’m sure of it. And I wouldn’t be arrogant enough to disagree with them. They would be right. But my question is: When did I become frail? When did I stop being an orchid – beautiful and hearty and rare? When was that moment?
We never really had a chance – my mother and I. It wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t hers either… Losing her isn’t the hard part. The hard part is knowing now why, and not being able to tell her I forgive her.
My Review:
I vacillated in deciding how to rate this intense and complicated story as, at times, the characters frustrated and greatly annoyed me, yet I still cared about them and remained invested and interested in their tale. I delayed in writing a review – something I seldom do, to process the complex piece in total. After considering the consistent superior quality of the writing, I determined this work more than deserved a full set of five shiny stars. Ms. Impellizzeri’s writing was relevant, highly emotive, and vividly descriptive. She placed me securely in their heads… I was right there with them – seeing what they saw, feeling heavy with their anxiety, and gripped with their tension. Written from a dual POV of a mother and daughter with a difficult relationship and rocky family history, the story was laced with their inner musings, fears, dreads, regrets, guilt, and sorrowful memories. The narrative moved back and forth in time over 30 years as they each mined their histories, and I relished how the characters would suddenly gain a surprising insight from an observantly detailed memory that generally came unbidden. Both characters lived in a state of chronic anxiety and regret, yet they seldom spoke or acknowledged this with each other. Both were prone to pull to the negative, quick to jump to the worst-case scenario and then be practically immobilized and overcome with irrational panic. The plot was as complex as the characters with many twists and turns and blind alleys, but the ending was such a surprise and the relief brought a smile to my face, if only life events really did work themselves out that well. Amy Impellizzeri has been added to my ever growing list of uber-talented authors to follow.
April 12, 2017
SECRETS OF WORRY DOLLS is one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking, mystical and wonderful books I have ever read. Parts of this novel made me smile and more often, parts broke me in hysterical tears. This novel is part tribute to the NY Fire department, a reflection of 9/11 and a plane crash that was near to the author's heart and to those that lost and those that were heroes in that instance and part a slice of life and loving look at a complicated family relationship that falls between that of a mother and a daughter, two sisters and how complicated and intense grief can be.
Amy Impellizzeri has a way of taking a "normal" situation and adding in a taste of the mystic. In this novel the mystical portions are not as overtly presented as in her first (and equally fabulous) novel Lemongrass Hope they are there in forms of angels and the worry dolls themselves.
this novel felt so heartfelt and real. the characters spoke directly to me and their experiences were so profoundly told that as a reader my heart broke and healed with each of them.
I loved this novel more than I ever could express and would have to say it is in my top 25 of all time favorite books and in the top 5 of what ive read in the past 5 years.
loved, loved, loved it!!!!!!!!!!
Amy Impellizzeri has a way of taking a "normal" situation and adding in a taste of the mystic. In this novel the mystical portions are not as overtly presented as in her first (and equally fabulous) novel Lemongrass Hope they are there in forms of angels and the worry dolls themselves.
this novel felt so heartfelt and real. the characters spoke directly to me and their experiences were so profoundly told that as a reader my heart broke and healed with each of them.
I loved this novel more than I ever could express and would have to say it is in my top 25 of all time favorite books and in the top 5 of what ive read in the past 5 years.
loved, loved, loved it!!!!!!!!!!
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April 13, 2019Lu was supposed to be on Flight555 destined to Guatemala, but trusted her nervous instincts and doesn't board. Shortly after take off the plane crashes and Lu, understandably, had a strong, immediate and visceral reaction. She rushes home to find that the plane crashed in her neighborhood and that her mother is missing.
Interesting cultural elements such as the end of the Mayan calendar, when "some said December 21 could mark the end of the world and others said it's just a resetting back to start" and the worry dolls believed to be able to hold and take your worries, so you can let them go that are woven throughout the book.
Lu's mother, Mari's, secrets are slowly revealed right up until the end of the book. A unique and original story!
Interesting cultural elements such as the end of the Mayan calendar, when "some said December 21 could mark the end of the world and others said it's just a resetting back to start" and the worry dolls believed to be able to hold and take your worries, so you can let them go that are woven throughout the book.
Lu's mother, Mari's, secrets are slowly revealed right up until the end of the book. A unique and original story!
April 28, 2017
A beautifully written story about mothers and daughters, love and grief, secrets and regrets. Highly recommend!
January 28, 2018
Kudos to the author for really pulling me into the story right away. I loved the cultural pulls to a country I've never been to - Guatemala, the tragedies surrounding 9/11, and a mother-daughter story that I'll remember for a long time.
May 29, 2017
Amy Impellizzeri is a truly gifted storyteller. I have a set of worry dolls, so I was intrigued from the moment I read the title. This story is about a mother (Mari) and daughter (Lu), the tragedies they have endured, and the secrets that help Lu understand who her mother really was and helps her move on with her own life. I cried, laughed, and felt every emotion these characters were experiencing. From their home in New York to Mari's home in Guatemala, this story takes you on a journey of love, loss, grief, hope, and truth. A very beautifully written story that I absolutely love and did not want to put down when the real world came calling. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait to read Lemongrass Hope.
September 28, 2017
So I'm not really a crier but I definitely cried on multiple occasions while reading this book. Told by dual narrators—Lu and her mother Mari—this intricately layered novel explores grief, guilt, and, ultimately, hope. It's really gorgeous and really heart-wrenching, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
December 19, 2016
Amy Impellizzeri's novel, SECRETS of WORRY DOLLS (WYATT-MacKenzie) is a novel of grief, love, and truth as a daughter comes to terms with family secrets and deals with the effects of two tragedies. While reading, I wondered several times if it wasn't too much grief for one family to deal with.
In SECRETS of WORRY DOLLS, there are two parallel narratives, Lu Roselli who at the opening of the novel, has chosen to not board a flight to her mother's homeland, Guatemala and minutes later the plane crashes, killing everyone on board. The other is her mother, Mari Guarez Roselli, a Guatemalan immigrant, who lives in the neighborhood where the plane crashes is injured and now trapped in a coma thinking back on her life.
Lu is once again crippled with survivor's guilt, which she's carried since her sister and father were killed in the World Trade Center Towers on 9/11. She chose not to go on a field trip to Wall Street with her twin sister, Rae and her father was one of the first responders.
At the hospital, Lu not only finds out her mother will most likely not survive, but that she is pregnant. This only adds to the complicated relationship she's had with her mother over the years. Lu decides to take that flight to Guatemala and see her mother's friend, a nun who tells her and readers the story Mari is sharing in her narrative. SECRETS of WORRY DOLLS draws on Guatemalan traditions, especially the ritual of sharing one's worries with tiny dolls and the Mayan calendar projection that the end of the world would occur December 2012. Amy Impellizzeri's knowledge of Guatemalan culture and history has been extensively researched and it's an added treat readers get to enjoy while reading, SECRETS of WORRY DOLLS.
The alternating narratives between Lu and Mari was a good technique to use telling the stories, especially since Mari forwards background information while in a coma, that we readers learn, but Lu is unaware of. I always love complicated stories between mothers and daughters. There's something universal about them, which automatically draws me in. The sprinkling of magical realism throughout the novel was a nice added touch. Without giving away the ending, I will write that I'm grateful that the book ended on a hopeful note. As I wrote at the beginning, there were times, when I just couldn't handle anymore sadness.
In SECRETS of WORRY DOLLS, there are two parallel narratives, Lu Roselli who at the opening of the novel, has chosen to not board a flight to her mother's homeland, Guatemala and minutes later the plane crashes, killing everyone on board. The other is her mother, Mari Guarez Roselli, a Guatemalan immigrant, who lives in the neighborhood where the plane crashes is injured and now trapped in a coma thinking back on her life.
Lu is once again crippled with survivor's guilt, which she's carried since her sister and father were killed in the World Trade Center Towers on 9/11. She chose not to go on a field trip to Wall Street with her twin sister, Rae and her father was one of the first responders.
At the hospital, Lu not only finds out her mother will most likely not survive, but that she is pregnant. This only adds to the complicated relationship she's had with her mother over the years. Lu decides to take that flight to Guatemala and see her mother's friend, a nun who tells her and readers the story Mari is sharing in her narrative. SECRETS of WORRY DOLLS draws on Guatemalan traditions, especially the ritual of sharing one's worries with tiny dolls and the Mayan calendar projection that the end of the world would occur December 2012. Amy Impellizzeri's knowledge of Guatemalan culture and history has been extensively researched and it's an added treat readers get to enjoy while reading, SECRETS of WORRY DOLLS.
The alternating narratives between Lu and Mari was a good technique to use telling the stories, especially since Mari forwards background information while in a coma, that we readers learn, but Lu is unaware of. I always love complicated stories between mothers and daughters. There's something universal about them, which automatically draws me in. The sprinkling of magical realism throughout the novel was a nice added touch. Without giving away the ending, I will write that I'm grateful that the book ended on a hopeful note. As I wrote at the beginning, there were times, when I just couldn't handle anymore sadness.
May 31, 2017
This book is a balmy shower of love, finding oneself, coping with grief and finding the strength to keep going and living. I am so grateful to have found about Amy Impellizzeri's book from my bookstagram friends.
First of all, the writing style is soothing and real, these are the first impressions that come to my mind when thinking about this book. The worry dolls element is unique and adds complexity and depth to the story and even an element of supernatural. I really love such in a novel that is apparently about just life and common people.
The plot is beautiful woven, I really think the author is gifted and understands a lot about grief and love, and how these two come together.
Mari is kind, strong in a deep sense, psychologically messed up by everything that happened in her first 20 years of life. I had no idea about the attrocities committed during the civil war in Guatemala. I will probably read more on the historical part.
Lu is thoroughly affected by the lack of communication and affection during his childhood, though the twins had some really good years together with their parents. There was always the shadow of "sickness" from Mari's side, some unknown deep affection, a secret. The girls were too young to understand worries.
Tragedy after tragedy, leave their marks on Mari's psychological well-being and deeply affects the relationship with the remaining daughter Lu. There is a lot of learning and searching for the truth in this story, forgiving and realising the reasons behind a life of secrets.
I recommend yhis book whole-heartedly, to those who are in the mood for Women Fiction sprinkled with all of the above. The novel can be too much if one is not in the mood for sadness and characters searching for deeper meanings.
First of all, the writing style is soothing and real, these are the first impressions that come to my mind when thinking about this book. The worry dolls element is unique and adds complexity and depth to the story and even an element of supernatural. I really love such in a novel that is apparently about just life and common people.
The plot is beautiful woven, I really think the author is gifted and understands a lot about grief and love, and how these two come together.
Mari is kind, strong in a deep sense, psychologically messed up by everything that happened in her first 20 years of life. I had no idea about the attrocities committed during the civil war in Guatemala. I will probably read more on the historical part.
Lu is thoroughly affected by the lack of communication and affection during his childhood, though the twins had some really good years together with their parents. There was always the shadow of "sickness" from Mari's side, some unknown deep affection, a secret. The girls were too young to understand worries.
Tragedy after tragedy, leave their marks on Mari's psychological well-being and deeply affects the relationship with the remaining daughter Lu. There is a lot of learning and searching for the truth in this story, forgiving and realising the reasons behind a life of secrets.
I recommend yhis book whole-heartedly, to those who are in the mood for Women Fiction sprinkled with all of the above. The novel can be too much if one is not in the mood for sadness and characters searching for deeper meanings.
June 23, 2017
I enjoyed this book very much. At first the cover and name of the book caught my interest as I grew up in Guatemala and enjoy reading stories that take place there.
This is a story which takes us back and forth between, New York and Guatemala.
It is told mainly in two voices that of the mother Mari and her daughter Lu.
Mari Guarez originally from Guatemala, ends up in NY after having to leave her country, but never getting over what happened to her there. While in NY she meets her husband to be, a firefighter and together they have two twin daughters, Lu and Rae.
The book centers around what happened in Guatemala, on 9/11 in NYC and an airplane crash in the neighborhood where the family lives.
It is a story of regrets, longings, secrets, facing ones fears and trying to cope. A story that will pull at the heartstrings but also one that will make you want to shakes some sense into certain people.
There are a lot of good stories and people to read about as both Mari and Lu tell their stories. Mari about her life before leaving Guatemala and her choices after. And that of Lu's trip to Guatemala, to find out more about her mother and her own heritage.
Beautifully written and great descriptions. I look forward to reading something else by this author.
This is a story which takes us back and forth between, New York and Guatemala.
It is told mainly in two voices that of the mother Mari and her daughter Lu.
Mari Guarez originally from Guatemala, ends up in NY after having to leave her country, but never getting over what happened to her there. While in NY she meets her husband to be, a firefighter and together they have two twin daughters, Lu and Rae.
The book centers around what happened in Guatemala, on 9/11 in NYC and an airplane crash in the neighborhood where the family lives.
It is a story of regrets, longings, secrets, facing ones fears and trying to cope. A story that will pull at the heartstrings but also one that will make you want to shakes some sense into certain people.
There are a lot of good stories and people to read about as both Mari and Lu tell their stories. Mari about her life before leaving Guatemala and her choices after. And that of Lu's trip to Guatemala, to find out more about her mother and her own heritage.
Beautifully written and great descriptions. I look forward to reading something else by this author.
April 7, 2018
Oh how I struggled with even caring for Mari & Lu! Oh how I slugged through Part I of this story because I didn't care for Mari, and Lu just felt too tragic to me.
However, through Part II, I became intrigued to see where this story of mother & daughter was taking me as a reader. I started to wonder just how all of this tragedy would be resolved, when more tragedy seemed to loom.
Then, Part III unveils itself in what I have come to see as that fire Impellizzeri imparts in her writing. The last phase which culminates in such a crushingly endearing way.
Everything about being a mother, the love of & for my children, and now for my grandchildren, came to the surface in reading this last part. Tears flowed, folks, in such a cathartic way.
I'm in awe of Impellizzeri's ability to tell a story which slowly reveals, engages, and then captivates. Her craft is impeccable. Read her works!
However, through Part II, I became intrigued to see where this story of mother & daughter was taking me as a reader. I started to wonder just how all of this tragedy would be resolved, when more tragedy seemed to loom.
Then, Part III unveils itself in what I have come to see as that fire Impellizzeri imparts in her writing. The last phase which culminates in such a crushingly endearing way.
Everything about being a mother, the love of & for my children, and now for my grandchildren, came to the surface in reading this last part. Tears flowed, folks, in such a cathartic way.
I'm in awe of Impellizzeri's ability to tell a story which slowly reveals, engages, and then captivates. Her craft is impeccable. Read her works!
July 15, 2017
I found this book mesmerizing - couldn't put it down. Was introduced to this novel as a book club selection and I can't wait to discuss it! Once in awhile, a story comes along that is unique, full of of visualization, and feeling. I highly recommend this gem!
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May 13, 2018didn't like this, it was depressing, I kept waiting for it not to be depressing, I couldn't even finish it, I was almost at the end but decided I didn't want to be more depressed.
December 2, 2016
Originally published at Reading Reality
This is a slow-simmering story, as we read about mother-and-daughter Mari and Lu, each from their own very distinct, if equally unreliable, perspectives.
These two women have been touched by tragedy, over and over. They both seem to survive, and yet, neither of them really does. And the tragedies they share drive them even further apart than the ones they experienced separately.
As the story begins, Lu is at the airport, wandering a bit because she chose not to take her scheduled flight to her mother’s home country of Guatemala. Lu just wasn’t ready for the trip, or for whatever secrets her mother expected to be revealed to her.
Lu was even less prepared to hear over the airport’s speakers that the plane that she was supposed to be on had crashed with no survivors. And that the crash site was her own little community in New Jersey.
This was the second time that Lu had dodged fate. She was supposed to have been on a school trip on September 11, 2001 to see the World Trade Center. In the midst of a snit with her twin sister Rae, Lu decided not to go. So Lu was at school when the towers fell, and her sister died. She lost her father that day as well, he was a firefighter, a first responder, and he never made it out.
Lu might as well have lost her mother that day too. Mari retreated for long stretches of time in to the sleeping pills and wine that had always been her crutch. The only difference now was that Lu at least knew what drove her mother to self-medicate her pain and loss.
When Lu comes back from the airport, she discovers that she is the only member of her family left behind, as tragedy has struck again. Her mother is in a coma as a result of the plane crash. And her mother is pregnant.
From this point we view the story from two diverging viewpoints. With Lu, we see her childhood and young adulthood as she remembers them, and we see Lu in the present, coping with the decisions that must be made about the care of not only her mother, but of her unborn brother or sister. And we see her finally take the trip that her mother meant her to take, the trip to discover the truth about Mari’s past.
But we also view that past from Mari’s perspective. Within the depths of her coma, she seems to be telling, at last, the true story of her life to her unborn child. And as the past merges with the present, the joys, the sorrows, and the regrets are finally laid bare.
Escape Rating B: This story takes a while to go from a simmer to a boil. It feels as if the first two thirds are set up, and the final third is the payoff. But it definitely does pay off marvelously in that last third. The story in the present is from Lu’s perspective, and for a lot of the book, she is just barely treading water. Her life seems to have been on hold since 9/11. She can’t seem to let herself live. She can’t even manage to let herself leave the island community of Rock Harbor that both shelters and imprisons her.
There are so many things that Lu doesn’t know, and so much that she doesn’t want to tell herself.
But Mari is an even more unreliable narrator. She has been hiding the facts of her early life from Lu, and also from herself. There is too much in the past that she hasn’t wanted to face – which has not kept that past from haunting her life.
There’s also an element of magical realism in the way that this story works. After all, how are we reading Mari’s perspective? She is in a coma in the present throughout the entirety of this book. And yet, it feels right that we learn about her in her own voice.
The story revolves around choices, the different choices that women make, and the different choices that are available to them. So much of what went wrong in Mari’s life revolves around her choices and the choices of those around her. Lu seems to be trying to avoid making choices, until she finally realizes that she has to face up to them. In the end, she makes the choice that is right for her, and after having lived through her story, we feel it with her.
This is a slow-simmering story, as we read about mother-and-daughter Mari and Lu, each from their own very distinct, if equally unreliable, perspectives.
These two women have been touched by tragedy, over and over. They both seem to survive, and yet, neither of them really does. And the tragedies they share drive them even further apart than the ones they experienced separately.
As the story begins, Lu is at the airport, wandering a bit because she chose not to take her scheduled flight to her mother’s home country of Guatemala. Lu just wasn’t ready for the trip, or for whatever secrets her mother expected to be revealed to her.
Lu was even less prepared to hear over the airport’s speakers that the plane that she was supposed to be on had crashed with no survivors. And that the crash site was her own little community in New Jersey.
This was the second time that Lu had dodged fate. She was supposed to have been on a school trip on September 11, 2001 to see the World Trade Center. In the midst of a snit with her twin sister Rae, Lu decided not to go. So Lu was at school when the towers fell, and her sister died. She lost her father that day as well, he was a firefighter, a first responder, and he never made it out.
Lu might as well have lost her mother that day too. Mari retreated for long stretches of time in to the sleeping pills and wine that had always been her crutch. The only difference now was that Lu at least knew what drove her mother to self-medicate her pain and loss.
When Lu comes back from the airport, she discovers that she is the only member of her family left behind, as tragedy has struck again. Her mother is in a coma as a result of the plane crash. And her mother is pregnant.
From this point we view the story from two diverging viewpoints. With Lu, we see her childhood and young adulthood as she remembers them, and we see Lu in the present, coping with the decisions that must be made about the care of not only her mother, but of her unborn brother or sister. And we see her finally take the trip that her mother meant her to take, the trip to discover the truth about Mari’s past.
But we also view that past from Mari’s perspective. Within the depths of her coma, she seems to be telling, at last, the true story of her life to her unborn child. And as the past merges with the present, the joys, the sorrows, and the regrets are finally laid bare.
Escape Rating B: This story takes a while to go from a simmer to a boil. It feels as if the first two thirds are set up, and the final third is the payoff. But it definitely does pay off marvelously in that last third. The story in the present is from Lu’s perspective, and for a lot of the book, she is just barely treading water. Her life seems to have been on hold since 9/11. She can’t seem to let herself live. She can’t even manage to let herself leave the island community of Rock Harbor that both shelters and imprisons her.
There are so many things that Lu doesn’t know, and so much that she doesn’t want to tell herself.
But Mari is an even more unreliable narrator. She has been hiding the facts of her early life from Lu, and also from herself. There is too much in the past that she hasn’t wanted to face – which has not kept that past from haunting her life.
There’s also an element of magical realism in the way that this story works. After all, how are we reading Mari’s perspective? She is in a coma in the present throughout the entirety of this book. And yet, it feels right that we learn about her in her own voice.
The story revolves around choices, the different choices that women make, and the different choices that are available to them. So much of what went wrong in Mari’s life revolves around her choices and the choices of those around her. Lu seems to be trying to avoid making choices, until she finally realizes that she has to face up to them. In the end, she makes the choice that is right for her, and after having lived through her story, we feel it with her.
June 15, 2017
The worry doll and Lu's mother have a few things in common: they lie inert and keep their secrets to themselves. One of them, however, leaves a trail of bread crumbs.
When Lu survives an airline crash because she didn't board the plane, and that plane crashes into her Rock Harbor NY neighborhood, gravely injuring her mother, Lu picks up a trail of clues hinted at by her mother that takes her to her mother's homeland in Guatemala, where she learns more about her mother's challenges and the strain they put on their relationship.
Meanwhile, the author takes an imaginative leap by giving us alternating chapters in the perspective of Lu's mother, who is hospitalized in a coma. The effect is like peeling away the skin of the worry doll to see what had been poured inside. The reader sometimes knows more than Lu does, creating an interesting tension as Lu gets up to speed, but Impellizzeri leaves a few gripping twists for the reader as well.
When Lu survives an airline crash because she didn't board the plane, and that plane crashes into her Rock Harbor NY neighborhood, gravely injuring her mother, Lu picks up a trail of clues hinted at by her mother that takes her to her mother's homeland in Guatemala, where she learns more about her mother's challenges and the strain they put on their relationship.
Meanwhile, the author takes an imaginative leap by giving us alternating chapters in the perspective of Lu's mother, who is hospitalized in a coma. The effect is like peeling away the skin of the worry doll to see what had been poured inside. The reader sometimes knows more than Lu does, creating an interesting tension as Lu gets up to speed, but Impellizzeri leaves a few gripping twists for the reader as well.
December 20, 2016
***May be slight spoilers but it is all covered in the very beginning of the book.
4.5 Stars Overall.
Amy Impellizzeri wrote Secrets of Worry Dolls based on her fascination for them as a child, as well as two incidents that impacted her and the Bell Harbor, New York neighborhood she lived in; the terrorist attacks on 9/11 (where the small community lost over 70 residents) and the crash of American Airlines Flight 578 into the neighborhood, just two months later (all of the passengers and crew aboard and 5 of her neighbors perished). Impellizzeri was at home on the day of the crash and her house was used by the emergency response team (many leaving shifts at Ground Zero) as the command center for the recovery efforts. That mix of gratefulness for being alive with a still-standing home, mixed with the guilt for those who did not make it, give Secrets of Worry Dolls and its characters heartfelt and personal tone that permeates the book.
In the novel, Lu is about to take off for Guatemala on the urging of her distant mother Mari, to meet the nun that essentially raised her and to hear Mari's story and the secrets that she has kept in her life. Lu does not get on the plane, which turns out to be a fortuitous decision as it crashes after take-off in her Rock Harbor neighborhood, leaving Mari who was home at the time in a coma. Having lost her father and twin sister Rae, ten years prior in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Lu is once again left with survivor's guilt and a feeling of abandonment. The story goes back and forth between Lu's thoughts about what is happening and her memories of her childhood and Mari's viewpoint, told while in her coma. Both Lu and Mari have worries, secrets, and guilt about their pasts and there may be far too many for both the worry dolls that Mari keeps and the ones she gave to Lu.
This is my first book by this author (her second novel) and I was impressed with how well she told both Mari and Lu's story and wove them back and forth in short chapters that kept the story flowing along to the end. Along with the worry dolls, the meaning of the purported end of the world on 2012 according to the Mayan calendar and the violence and heartbreak of the country's violent political history gave me insight into Guatemalan folklore and history. I liked that the folklore and magical realism has a deft balance in the book, it makes sense in the story and comes off as believable rather than fantastical. I found Secrets of Worry Dolls to be a multi-layered and wonderful book that captured both my imagination and my heart. Although there is tragedy, pain and heartache--and certainly much of it--in its pages, it manages to convey a feeling of hope and the future.
You can see my full review, a recipe inspired by the book (and enter to win a copy through 12/28/16) on my blog post here: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...
Note: A review copy of "Secrets of Worry Dolls" was provided to me by the publisher, Wyatt-MacKenzie and TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.
4.5 Stars Overall.
Amy Impellizzeri wrote Secrets of Worry Dolls based on her fascination for them as a child, as well as two incidents that impacted her and the Bell Harbor, New York neighborhood she lived in; the terrorist attacks on 9/11 (where the small community lost over 70 residents) and the crash of American Airlines Flight 578 into the neighborhood, just two months later (all of the passengers and crew aboard and 5 of her neighbors perished). Impellizzeri was at home on the day of the crash and her house was used by the emergency response team (many leaving shifts at Ground Zero) as the command center for the recovery efforts. That mix of gratefulness for being alive with a still-standing home, mixed with the guilt for those who did not make it, give Secrets of Worry Dolls and its characters heartfelt and personal tone that permeates the book.
In the novel, Lu is about to take off for Guatemala on the urging of her distant mother Mari, to meet the nun that essentially raised her and to hear Mari's story and the secrets that she has kept in her life. Lu does not get on the plane, which turns out to be a fortuitous decision as it crashes after take-off in her Rock Harbor neighborhood, leaving Mari who was home at the time in a coma. Having lost her father and twin sister Rae, ten years prior in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Lu is once again left with survivor's guilt and a feeling of abandonment. The story goes back and forth between Lu's thoughts about what is happening and her memories of her childhood and Mari's viewpoint, told while in her coma. Both Lu and Mari have worries, secrets, and guilt about their pasts and there may be far too many for both the worry dolls that Mari keeps and the ones she gave to Lu.
This is my first book by this author (her second novel) and I was impressed with how well she told both Mari and Lu's story and wove them back and forth in short chapters that kept the story flowing along to the end. Along with the worry dolls, the meaning of the purported end of the world on 2012 according to the Mayan calendar and the violence and heartbreak of the country's violent political history gave me insight into Guatemalan folklore and history. I liked that the folklore and magical realism has a deft balance in the book, it makes sense in the story and comes off as believable rather than fantastical. I found Secrets of Worry Dolls to be a multi-layered and wonderful book that captured both my imagination and my heart. Although there is tragedy, pain and heartache--and certainly much of it--in its pages, it manages to convey a feeling of hope and the future.
You can see my full review, a recipe inspired by the book (and enter to win a copy through 12/28/16) on my blog post here: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...
Note: A review copy of "Secrets of Worry Dolls" was provided to me by the publisher, Wyatt-MacKenzie and TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 21, 2016
When Lu and Rae were about 6 years old, their mother gave them worry dolls. According to Guatemalan lore, each person should whisper their troubles to the dolls each night and the dolls would do all the worrying for them. Mari (the mother) had used her for many years and wanted to share this custom with her daughters. The dolls were a theme throughout the book as Lu and Mari tired to deal with the life that they faced.
As the book begins, a plane has crashed into their neighborhood and killed several people and when Lu returns home from the airport, she is unable to find her mother. Given the tragedy that this family endured on 9/11, it was terrible to think that they would face even more. I don't want to say much about the plot because the book is so beautifully written, that you need to let the story unfold without any potential spoilers. The story is told in alternating chapters by Lu and Mari which is a wonderful way to give the reader a look at what it happening today (Lu's chapters) and the family history (Mari's chapters).
This is a wonderful book about mothers and daughters, family and how what happened in the past so greatly affects the present day in everyone's lives. I loved this novel and I think that Lu and Mari will be characters who I won't forget.
As the book begins, a plane has crashed into their neighborhood and killed several people and when Lu returns home from the airport, she is unable to find her mother. Given the tragedy that this family endured on 9/11, it was terrible to think that they would face even more. I don't want to say much about the plot because the book is so beautifully written, that you need to let the story unfold without any potential spoilers. The story is told in alternating chapters by Lu and Mari which is a wonderful way to give the reader a look at what it happening today (Lu's chapters) and the family history (Mari's chapters).
This is a wonderful book about mothers and daughters, family and how what happened in the past so greatly affects the present day in everyone's lives. I loved this novel and I think that Lu and Mari will be characters who I won't forget.
July 6, 2019
This story captivates one immediately with a gut wrenching truth...Lu is shaken to the core when she learns that Flight #555 has taken off and crashed and she was supposed to be on board. The second shock comes when she rushes home to her NY neighborhood where the plane has crashed. Her mother, Mari is missing. Lu had been bound to Guatemala, her mother's homeland. There are dark mysteries hidden there and the origin of the worry dolls held many Lu wanted to know. Her father and sister Rae died on 9/11 and this current event is too familiar...too frightening. The story is written in alternating chapters from Mari's perspective and then Lu's, creating palpable tension since everything we read about are things Lu has yet to face. The relationship between mother and daughter has been separated by tragedies unknown to Lu, and deep secrets are kept that Lu knows she has to find out to understand the painful distance between them. This is a story to tear at your heartstrings, one to learn about some magic legends of Mayan culture, and the love for daughters.
December 17, 2016
What an amazingly loving and heartbreaking book all rolled into one! I loved it!!! It is a story of a mother and daughters love, a deep love of family, and a story of finding one's self. It is told by the point of views from Mari-the mother and Lu- the daughter. I loved how it was told since you read both stories and understand each person. I didn't want it to end. I will be recommending this book to all my friends who read!!!
July 8, 2017
From the award-winning author of LEMONGRASS HOPE comes a haunting new story of unbearable love, loss, and redemption, with a thread of magical realism woven from the Mayan myths of Guatemala and a poignant and surprising reveal you will never see coming.
Amy Impellizzeri is a gifted writer and I don't say that lightly. I was taken with LEMONGRASS HOPE, but this book, SECRETS OF WORRY DOLLS, sealed my vote. I loved this book.
When Lu(na) and her mother's home in suburban New York is hit by a plane bound to Guatemala, old memories surface. Why didn't Lu go on that school field trip to the Twin Towers on 9/11? Why was her life spared and not her twin's? And Mari, she's grieving the loss of her firefighter husband in that horrific event (not spoilers--I promise, this is important backstory and set-up).
It's now 2012 and nearing the end of the Mayan calendar. (Some) Americans believe the end-of-the-world is looming. Mari, a 9/11 widow and Guatemalan immigrant is keeping secrets from her 23-year old daughter, Lu; they simply cannot be contained in the tiny Worry Dolls Mari holds near and dear. But Lu's kind of had it with her mother; their relationship is fraying.
A plane crash changes everything. Secrets leak. Pasts are uncovered. SECRETS OF WORRY DOLLS is absolutely compelling, gorgeously written with vivid characters transporting the reader to NYC and Guatemala and back again. I found I was flipping pages at a quick pace to find out what happened in the past and how it's affecting the future.
Trust me, when I say this book is multifaceted and built upon layers of lovely prose and backstory, yet very true to the present-day story. I loved it. I cried, I cheered, I sighed those delicious moments of relief.
Impellizzeri has a special touch that isn't quite magic, isn't quite fantasy, but definitely has a light hand in the slightly paranormal/mythical realm that will have you questioning just how much you can trust fate and karma and what exactly our purpose is.
SECRETS OF WORRY DOLLS is a slight homage to 9/11 and NYC, but...there's so much more. Great for readers who like to 'arm chair travel,' and also some similarities (mostly in place) to Jacqueline Sheehan's THE CENTER OF THE WORLD and reminded me a bit of THUNDER DOG/RUNNING WITH ROSELLE by Michael Hingson (for the 9/11 connection).
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com
Special thanks to Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishers for this review copy. All thoughts are my own.
Amy Impellizzeri is a gifted writer and I don't say that lightly. I was taken with LEMONGRASS HOPE, but this book, SECRETS OF WORRY DOLLS, sealed my vote. I loved this book.
When Lu(na) and her mother's home in suburban New York is hit by a plane bound to Guatemala, old memories surface. Why didn't Lu go on that school field trip to the Twin Towers on 9/11? Why was her life spared and not her twin's? And Mari, she's grieving the loss of her firefighter husband in that horrific event (not spoilers--I promise, this is important backstory and set-up).
It's now 2012 and nearing the end of the Mayan calendar. (Some) Americans believe the end-of-the-world is looming. Mari, a 9/11 widow and Guatemalan immigrant is keeping secrets from her 23-year old daughter, Lu; they simply cannot be contained in the tiny Worry Dolls Mari holds near and dear. But Lu's kind of had it with her mother; their relationship is fraying.
A plane crash changes everything. Secrets leak. Pasts are uncovered. SECRETS OF WORRY DOLLS is absolutely compelling, gorgeously written with vivid characters transporting the reader to NYC and Guatemala and back again. I found I was flipping pages at a quick pace to find out what happened in the past and how it's affecting the future.
Trust me, when I say this book is multifaceted and built upon layers of lovely prose and backstory, yet very true to the present-day story. I loved it. I cried, I cheered, I sighed those delicious moments of relief.
Impellizzeri has a special touch that isn't quite magic, isn't quite fantasy, but definitely has a light hand in the slightly paranormal/mythical realm that will have you questioning just how much you can trust fate and karma and what exactly our purpose is.
SECRETS OF WORRY DOLLS is a slight homage to 9/11 and NYC, but...there's so much more. Great for readers who like to 'arm chair travel,' and also some similarities (mostly in place) to Jacqueline Sheehan's THE CENTER OF THE WORLD and reminded me a bit of THUNDER DOG/RUNNING WITH ROSELLE by Michael Hingson (for the 9/11 connection).
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com
Special thanks to Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishers for this review copy. All thoughts are my own.
April 18, 2020
This book was so lovely. Beautifully written, with lots of moments that spur you to take stock of your own life and put things into perspective.
Not quite 5 stars for me, however. The big reveal did not live up to the build up. Perhaps I was just itching for something more sensational. Also, there was too much sadness in the story to achieve the comforting closure I believe the author intended. Some aspects were oddly convenient. But the idea of Worry Dolls is wonderful and the characters and settings were all well-developed.
I'm sure snippets of this book will pop into my head for a long time to come, especially when I find myself pondering the story behind any distraught or troubled strangers I may share passing glances with now and then.
Not quite 5 stars for me, however. The big reveal did not live up to the build up. Perhaps I was just itching for something more sensational. Also, there was too much sadness in the story to achieve the comforting closure I believe the author intended. Some aspects were oddly convenient. But the idea of Worry Dolls is wonderful and the characters and settings were all well-developed.
I'm sure snippets of this book will pop into my head for a long time to come, especially when I find myself pondering the story behind any distraught or troubled strangers I may share passing glances with now and then.
November 19, 2018
Wonderful read
I loved this book! The characters are like real down to earth people. An amazing story that revolves around a mother and daughter who were caught up in love, loss, tragedy, and survival. Mari was a survivor from the days of her youth in Guatemala. A strong character with secrets, some to share and some to take to get grave, or so she thought. Lu, Mary's daughter, is a character who seems unsure of her place in this world but finds herself through tragedy and through finding out , and keeping her own, secrets. This is a book I will read and revisit again, and again.
I loved this book! The characters are like real down to earth people. An amazing story that revolves around a mother and daughter who were caught up in love, loss, tragedy, and survival. Mari was a survivor from the days of her youth in Guatemala. A strong character with secrets, some to share and some to take to get grave, or so she thought. Lu, Mary's daughter, is a character who seems unsure of her place in this world but finds herself through tragedy and through finding out , and keeping her own, secrets. This is a book I will read and revisit again, and again.
August 4, 2024
"Missed chances, secrets and regrets. When the end of the world does arrive, that's all that will be left. And cockroaches, of course"
4.5 rounded up. 9/11 historical fiction setting with a focus on the End of the World- end of the Mayan Calendar.
What a beautiful freaking story. Dual POV that fluctuates between a beautiful small American town and a vibrant Guatemalan city. This is a story of loss, regret, discovery, acceptance and forgiveness and rebirth. The characters, at times, were annoying, but I felt attached to them. They were complex characters with beautiful character development. Impellizzeri creates beautiful scenes and really captures you. So. Beautiful!
4.5 rounded up. 9/11 historical fiction setting with a focus on the End of the World- end of the Mayan Calendar.
What a beautiful freaking story. Dual POV that fluctuates between a beautiful small American town and a vibrant Guatemalan city. This is a story of loss, regret, discovery, acceptance and forgiveness and rebirth. The characters, at times, were annoying, but I felt attached to them. They were complex characters with beautiful character development. Impellizzeri creates beautiful scenes and really captures you. So. Beautiful!
May 25, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It was heartbreakingly sad a lot of the time and I almost gave up because it was almost too depressing but towards the end it redeems itself completely. I love how real the writing felt. The characters and what they each went through felt so realistic it was hard not to fall for them, to love them and root for them to overcome. I would say it's a book about grief and learning to live and overcome it. I am not usually into stuff so deep but it was a nice change and a really quick read that I really enjoyed!
July 12, 2017
I'm not even sure where to begin to write a review. I am filled with many different emotions as I just finished this book. This was a wonderfully written book. I laughed, I cried and I wish I had my own set of worry dolls. I was captured from the very beginning and could not put the book down. I so loved the characters. The story has secrets of course, love, heartbreak and a new year to start fresh. I would highly recommend this book. I can't wait to read another book by Amy Impellizzeri.
September 28, 2017
I loooooved this book. It was mysterious, heartbreaking, lovely and hopeful. Each page revealing just enough to keep you craving more of the story. My first impressions of the the characters in the story were challenged as I read, and I grew to love them more and more as their stories played out. I even cried at times.
Great read! Looking forward to book club discussion and perhaps a virtual visit from the author.
Great read! Looking forward to book club discussion and perhaps a virtual visit from the author.
May 28, 2018
The story was interesting and kept me reading. The writing was just ok.....I was distracted by so many sentences ending in prepositions. Don’t mean to be a nudge, and I know that is how people speak, but the written word should be well written. The characters were not fully developed emotionally, unless you want to think that living a guilt trip is development. I read it, I finished it, and was surprised at the ending .........but my overall opinion.....meh.
May 24, 2017
Excellent!
What a beautiful story! I don't know who touched me more Lu or Mari! Mother and daughter. Two compelling stories and so much loss for the both of them. I loved seeing the change in Lu as she learned her Mom's secrets. And it all started when Lu didn't get on the plane as planned. shows how easily a path in our lives can change. Outstanding read!
What a beautiful story! I don't know who touched me more Lu or Mari! Mother and daughter. Two compelling stories and so much loss for the both of them. I loved seeing the change in Lu as she learned her Mom's secrets. And it all started when Lu didn't get on the plane as planned. shows how easily a path in our lives can change. Outstanding read!
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