“Franco Is Dead! Viva España! A Memoir in Poems and Photographs”
By Barbara Strelke (Studio 218 Press, $19.95)
Black and white shots of an aproned woman behind a basket of bread, a goatherd wearing a blouson and striped trousers, two elderly black-gowned ladies whitewashing a wall, fishermen rowing a wooden boat: the scenes that Barbara Strelke photographed in Spain in the 1970s could well have come from a hundred years before.
In “Franco Is Dead! Viva España!” painter, photographer and former city planner Strelke intertwines iconic images of Spain with the twists in her own life. Her love for the country began in 1977, when she joined friends for a hiking tour. It grew with time that she and her husband spent there, and continued after his death and into a second marriage.
The photos in this memoir—both color and black and white—vary from the grand — mountains and seascapes — to the detailed — antique door hinges; workers’ faces — and reflect an artist’s sense of composition. Her poems are visual, thoughtful and observational.
Poignant, nostalgic, lovely, this work is fondly appreciative of a bygone Spain.
Christine Wald-Hopkins
Don’t Make Me Rattle!
By Elaine A. Powers. (CreateSpace. $14.95, $9.95 Kindle.)
A rattle from a reptile is not a welcome sound, but if it makes you tread carefully it’s served its purpose, says Tucson author Elaine Powers. In a picture book chock-full of rattlesnake facts, she emphasizes the good they do (eating rodents, scattering seeds, and aiding cancer research) as she imparts interesting reptilian lore. For instance, although toxic to those on the receiving end, venom acts like saliva for a rattlesnake, a necessary digestive aid since they lack teeth for chewing. And rattlers are surprisingly social creatures who bunk together when it’s cold—forming a “rhumba” of rattlers. An unabashed rattlesnake fan, Powers bemoans how willingly we exterminate them, largely because they look so unlovable. She gets no argument here from illustrator Nicholas Thorpe, whose threatening rattlesnake pictures, some of them with mouths agape, dripping venom, are undeniably scary. This is the third in Powers’ “Don’t” series of nature books for kids in grades K-4.
Helene Woodhams
“Philippe”
By Jack Petersen (Jack Petersen, $8.95)
Ever since a sinister character with penchants for changing his name and speaking entirely without contractions emerges from his hidey-hole in Belize, dead bodies have begun piling up in and around Silver Springs.
It seems that Philippe (or Phillip) Gonzalez (or Fitzgerald) can’t stay officially dead once he discovers that his (unacknowledged) son has met his (real) demise. He has work to do to exact revenge.
There is no narrator or point-of-view character in this crime thriller by Sahuarita resident Jack Petersen. The narrative constructs through alternating speakers — that of crime boss Philippe, the investigating police captain, and victims of previous attacks, again endangered.
Not to give away too much, it turns out that even the most vicious crime bosses can be felled by their own vulnerabilities. Think male progeny.
Christine Wald-Hopkins
“Tortilla Moon and Other Tales of Love”
By G. Davies Jandrey (Cascabel Press, $15.)
After one particularly vicious fight between a Barrio Anita mother and her pregnant 15-year-old daughter, the mother — having made her share of costly mistakes — collapses with love and regret. Did the daughter remember the story her grandmother used to tell? That the moon is a big tortilla? It rises in the sky to feed God. Each night, God nibbles away at it. When he consumes it all, the earth sends him a fresh one.
So go the stories in this collection. In its “Tales of Love,” regrettable behaviors too often are cyclical, and young women (and a couple of young men) get consumed and replaced by fresh ones.
Former Tucson High teacher Gayle Jandrey writes that she drew from experiences of her students and friends to create this Spanglish-speaking, Southern Arizona community. Its lives are hardly easy — love is irresistible, but it’s rife with disappointments, abuses, betrayals and consequence.
Jandrey shows a clear affection for her population in “Tortilla Moon.” The stories showcase a sensitive ear for language, clear eye for detail, and a deft hand rendering culture and narrative.
Christine Wald-Hopkins
Moonlight and Molly
By Maureen Harris (Hobo Publishing. $9.95)
You can make your wishes come true if only you believe. This is the message Sierra Vista resident and author Maureen Harris hopes to impart to young readers; she herself is realizing a long-cherished wish with the publication of this children’s book, the first in a planned series. It introduces Molly, a lonely and imaginative child, who is playing by herself in the woods one day when a magnificent white horse appears. Amazingly, it is an exact replica of her favorite Christmas gift. Molly can scarcely believe her eyes, especially since no one else can see her forest friend…or can they? If wishes were horses, indeed! Startling, computer-generated illustrations give a tech-y, modern vibe to this age-old theme of children’s literature.
Helene Woodhams
Red-Tailed Odyssey
By John Irby. (WiDo Publishing. $15.95; $4.99 Kindle)
Former junior high school teacher John Irby has some important things to say about courage, loyalty and perseverance in this novel about the bond between a young woman and a flock of red-tailed hawks. Traveling into bad weather on their 12-hour flight home from a flying competition, a team of young hawks disappears. Through the magic of anthropomorphism — among other human behaviors, the hawks carry cellphones — texts fly as rapidly as young birds between the frantic hawk families and their flightless friends, prompting rescuers to set out across the vastness of South Dakota and into the teeth of a dangerous storm. The parallel odysseys of youthful hawks and young humans are fraught with dangers and filled with villains and cliffhangers enough to keep middle-school-aged kids turning pages. This is a sequel to “Red-Tailed Rescue,” Marana resident Irby’s first volume about the red-tailed hawks.
Helene Woodhams
Invitation to a Bonfire
(By Adrienne Celt. Bloomsbury Publishing. $26)
Intrigued by Russian writer Vladimir Nabokov’s relationship with his secretive wife, Vera, Celt crafted a complex, ripe depiction balancing around Zoya, a marginalized immigrant shipped from Russia after losing her parents during the Revolution. Sent to an exclusive boarding school, Zoya becomes a shadow, observing and mimicking the girls as she struggles to blend in. Instead she becomes a target of barbs and taunts, soon relishing the physical pain that relieves her emotional anguish. After graduation, Zoya stays on at the school working in the greenhouse and is drawn into an illicit affair with Leo, a visiting Russian writer. Daring to picture a life together, both Zoya and Leo must break the spell of Vera, Leo’s controlling wife. Celt captures the voices of the Russian immigrants in sensual detail, and what begins as a literary gem evolves into a psychological thriller reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith. Celt is the author of two novels and award-winning short fiction. A past Pima County Public Library Writer in Resident, she will read at Antigone Books on Friday, June 8 at 8 p.m.
—Vicki Ann Duraine
Pattern Fitness: Your Body, Your Mind, Your Workout!
(By Scott Shoemaker. Dog Ear Publishing. $15.95)
In his third book concerning mental illness, Shoemaker, a personal trainer, connects increased physical fitness with improved mental health. While much of his instruction is mainstream—including stretching, work-out routines and techniques—Shoemaker also offers strategies in “solving brain power vs. will power.” Shoemaker’s personal experience with “mental struggles” lends a practical and empathetic approach—including introspection, manageable goals, nutrition, fitness, and building a confident self-image—for those who battle the brain as well as the bulge. Step-by-step program including photos, detailed exercise plans and recipes.
—Vicki Ann Duraine
Disappearance
of Lucinda
By Phyllis de la Garza. Silk Label Books. $14.99
It’s been six months since Lucinda disappeared and her horse was found dead on the trail: a bullet hole in his skull; the saddle still on his back. Her baby brother, Luther, and sexy, young step-mother Nancilee — conveniently widowed after two years of marriage — are at a standoff concerning an offer made on the ranch. Nancilee craves elegant carriages, silk dresses, and gaiety. Luther craves Nancilee. After an argument turns violent, Luther, on the lam, is aided and abducted by El Cajon, Lucinda’s longtime lover, and taken into Mexico. But Luther is not about to let anyone ride roughshod over him and leaves bodies scattered like spent shell casings in his quest to reclaim the ranch and Nancilee. De la Garza is the author of 16 novels and countless articles chronicling the West’s bygone days.
—Vicki Ann Duraine
