I Know This Much is True

Title: I Know This Much Is True
Author: Wally Lamb
ISBN: 0-06-098756--1
Recommended Grade Level of Reader: Adult Crossover (Acceptable Content for 11th and Up)
Publisher: ReganBooks
Media Type: Book
Copyright:  1998   
Genre: Fiction

Reader's Annotation:  With a schizophrenic twin brother and a failed marriage, life couldn't get too much worse for Dominick... or could it? 

Plot Summary:  I Know This Much is True details events in the life of the main character, Dominick Birdsey.  Told from Dominick's point-of-view, the story revolves around Dominick's adult life with flashbacks to his childhood.  Dominick has a schizophrenic twin brother who has gone in and out of mental hospitals.  The reader sees Dominick struggle with loving and taking care of his brother, but at the same time resenting him.  Dominick also struggles with his failed marriage to Dessa and his relationship with his stepfather.  The main plot is concerned with Thomas, Dominick's brother, and Thomas's shocking surprise.       

Evaluation: (A+)  It is evident why this is a number one New York Times Bestseller.  Lamb develops the characters so well that the reader will feel as if he or she knows Dominick, Thomas, and many of the other characters.  The plot is realistic and the text is rich with pertinent information on schizophrenia.  Lamb even provides a list of sources consulted which reinforces why the plot and characters are convincing.  While readers might be hesitant to pick this novel up due to its enormous size (897 pages), every page is filled with emotion, suspense, and heartbreak which will make it difficult to set this book down.  

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Things I Want My Daughters to Know

Title: Things I Want My Daughters to Know

Author: Elizabeth Noble

ISBN: 978-0-061-12219-4

Recommended Grade Level of Reader: Adult Crossover (May Appeal to 9th and Up)

Publisher: William Morrow

Media Type: Book

Copyright: 2008

Genre: Fiction

Reader's Annotation: Good advice is always hard to come by, but when it comes from your dying mother, words of wisdom are hard to forget.

Plot Summary: As a mother of four daughters, Barbara Forbes has lived and experienced enough to have a few sage words of wisdom. She realizes, as she is dying of cancer, that she has advice to offer her children. As each of the four young women is different, Barbara has specific advice based on the daughters’ individual personalities and circumstances. She writes a letter to each of her daughters and it is in each letter that she offers her advice. The letters help the daughters deal with their mother’s passing after she succumbs to her terminal illness.

Evaluation: (B)  The storyline of this book is unique and the content is well written. Through Noble’s descriptive writing, one can understand and feel each daughter’s story. The writing is so genuine that this account of a mother’s love and consequently, a daughter’s love for her mother, is emotional and touching. The life lessons in Things I Want My Daughters to Know are applicable to many.

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