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THE BIRD'S SONG

Name: THE BIRD'S SONG
Author: Timothy M. Burke
ISBN: 978-0615850764

by Timothy M. Burke ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 8, 2013

Fans of legal thrillers and true-crime stories will likely enjoy this ride.

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Burke’s (The Paradiso Files, 2008) true-crime drama depicts the trials of three different women, each of whom endured a tragic loss.

The author’s decision to leave his job as a Boston assistant district attorney is put on hold when he learns about Holly Robins, the victim of a brutal rape. With the encouragement of Boston Police Detective Reggie Rose, he decides to take on one last case before moving to private practice. After that case is concluded, he finds he’s unable to escape “the recurring presence of murder and rape, death and violence in its worst forms.” The very first private-practice case he accepts is that of Ruth, a frail black woman whose beloved teenage son Lonnie died in Boston Children’s Hospital from a fatal reaction to prescribed medication. He also tackles the case of Deirdre Griffiths, the wife of a police officer who wants to sue the owners of a Dorchester building where he was shot and killed. Each woman affects Burke profoundly, and he’s inspired by their fortitude and courage in the face of adversity. He also discusses several secondary cases, and although they may interest fans of courtroom drama, they also diffuse the story’s focus. The trials’ outcomes also aren’t always immediately revealed, and this delayed gratification may frustrate some readers. That said, Burke’s prose is affable and clear, even if descriptions of courtroom particulars occasionally impede the otherwise brisk plot. The theme of fate, contrasted with the random violence Burke sees regularly, is central to the story. While some readers may feel that the author’s frequent ruminations border on sentimentalism, others may embrace his sense of perspective on horrific events.

Fans of legal thrillers and true-crime stories will likely enjoy this ride.

Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2013

ISBN: 978-0615850764

Page Count: 272

Publisher: Timothy M. Burke

Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2013

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.