Drusilla CampbellCríticas

Really hard subject matter. Postpartum depression/psychosis is a hard subject to read about but I think the author did an okay job showing some of the symptoms/things that can happen. The timeline jumped around a lot and it was quite an abrupt ending I thought. Here's the verdict, here's 3 years later, BOOM. Not a book I would really encourage anyone to read nor is it really a re-read.

rabck from MyssCyn; Dana's daughter was kidnapped for 3 months, then returned. Does this have anything to do with her husband's defense of a man who murdered children, and despite that David can't afford to drop the case because they are financially in the hole too deep. Dana was studying for her thesis, and when in Italy, she falls into a torrid affair with her best friend's brother, but that can't have anything to do with Bailey, can it? When Bailey is returned, Dana and David are fighting all the time, best friend Lexy is going through a crisis of faith and Bailey, a slow child, won't even talk. Everything implodes in the end & it turns out that Dana's lover took Bailey.

It's a bit difficult to review this book and yet avoid spoilers. There are so many twists and turns in this novel that pulling one plot string tends to unravel large portions of the overall picture.

Briefly -- a young defense attorney is in the midst of defending an accused child murderer when his own family comes under assault. Is this a vigilante movement gone rogue? Or something worse?

As he, his wife, and their community continue to search for their missing daughter, multiple levels of trust and betrayal are explored and there are seldom any easy answers.

Suffice it to say this is a terrific read, and not one you will forget quickly.

Haunting and sad, this book depicts the true story that exists behind many families. No one can be responsible for another's soul, we cannot predict what our family members can do and we can't always save them either.

Read this one in a day. I enjoyed the plot and characters and it moved along nicely. A mother is on trial for commiting the "unthinkable" and her 9 yr old daughter knows the truth of what happened that day. The story gives points of view from various family members and tells a family history from many generations. The only thing holding me back from 4 stars is that I would have liked the author to touch upon the 9yr olds point of view in more depth.

Read this one in a day. I enjoyed the plot and characters and it moved along nicely. A mother is on trial for commiting the "unthinkable" and her 9 yr old daughter knows the truth of what happened that day. The story gives points of view from various family members and tells a family history from many generations. The only thing holding me back from 4 stars is that I would have liked the author to touch upon the 9yr olds point of view in more depth.

Donny is in a program for “troubled” teen boys, run by Roman and his wife, Iva. When Donny's mother comes to take him out of the program and bring him home, he is very upset to have to leave and really doesn't want to. Shortly after, the state governor, Maggie, is speaking in a park and is shot by Donny. There is no doubt about this; many people saw it and Donny didn't resist immediate arrest. His lawyer, Sophie, wants to dig further to try to figure out why Donny would shoot Maggie, as he's not talking.

Although I had a bit of trouble right at the start, with so many characters and trying to figure out who's who, once the story really started, I really liked it. I wanted to know what was going on and I wanted to keep reading. I felt badly for Donny and everything he'd been through. There were a couple of side-stories that weren't wrapped up, but that didn't bother me. I suppose that opens the door to more books about those characters or it's just more realistic. There was also an author's note at the end that was interesting to read about as she explained why she writes about the kinds of people that she does. This is the first book I've read by Campbell, and I will likely read more.

3.5 I enjoyed this mystery/legal thriller, the team of Sophie and Hemp are easy to relate to, flawed human beings each with their own baggage. When Sophie takes on the legal case of Donny, a seventeen yr, old boy who shot but not killed the governor of California, it looks like an open and shit case. But as is often true too in real life, nothing is ever as simple as it looks. There is much more going on than is at first apparent.

There are many different threads to this story, all interesting and some out of the headlines of today. I think the author did a credible job keeping the story from getting bogged down by allowing too many things into the scene. I found this book very interesting and the curves and turns were at time unexpected. Some of the themes, were dark and gritty but I don't want to give to much of the plot away. Did not get all the answers I wanted at book's end so I am hoping there is a sequel. I hope so anyway.

ARC from NetGalley.

AUTHOR: Campbell, Drusilla
TITLE: Blood Orange
Date Read: 03/17/14
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS: Fiction/2005/Kensington Books/335 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: SA
TIME/PLACE: 2005/San Diego, CA
CHARACTERS: Dana Cabot

FIRST LINES: Dana Cabot stood in the doorway to the undercroft holding a pastry box full of $26 worth of still-warm croissants.

COMMENTS: 1st time reading this author & have quite a few in my TBR. Dana Cabot is in her early 40's married w/ a 7-yr-old daughter. Her husband a workaholic attorney is defending a rather despicable man -- accused of murdering a young girl. It is a high-profile case and altho' this man is entitled to legal defense Dana wonders why it has to be her husband. She feels he is putting their family at risk and has skewed priorities. Dana has put her career on hold -- she has studied art history & has intentions to someday work on her graduate degree, meanwhile she is dabbling in her art history part-time while focusing on her 7-yr old daughter, Bailey, who has some learning disabilities. When Bailey disappears from their home one afternoon … Dana is sure it is related to her husband's new case. Bailey is missing for 3 months and then suddenly is returned home. This has put a major strain on their marriage. There is a bit of suspense in wondering who the kidnapper is, altho' it quickly became apparent to me of who was guilty. This was OK because I think the story was more of a relationship study than a thriller-suspense. I was not overly keen on Dana so wasn't overly impressed but it was still a nice way to pass the time. I am interested in reading more by this author.

I usually don’t read war/military books, but I don’t know why this book caught my eye. However, I am so glad I read it. When She Came Home has everything under the sun going on: domestic abuse, dysfunctional family, military issues, etc. You name it, it is probably somewhere in this book. You learn how to grow with the characters, how they intertwine with one another, you start to understand how it is to be in war, you urge to reach to them.. so captivating.
Frankie enlists in the military after 9/11, she thinks she needs to protect her daughter, her family, but most importantly her husband thinks she wants the approval of her father, the General.
When Frankie finally gets home she doesn’t want to admit anything is wrong with her, even two months later; however, the effects of Frankie’s emotions are toying with her daughter emotional balance.
This was by far one of the hardest books I have read in the longest time, probably why I don’t like reading war/military type books. On another note, I am so glad I did. It gives me more respect, than ever, for those who fight for our country on a daily basis.

This was a story of Postpartum Depression and/or psychosis. Quite interesting story of how families affect each other throughout their lives. How codependent they can become with each other. Roxanne is an only child at first and then her mother decides to push her off on her Grandmother. One day Roxanne’s mother (Ellen) just shows up to get her and take her home. Little does Roxanne know it is to take care of her new baby sister because her mom is afraid she may hurt her. In essence Roxanne becomes the 9 year old responsible on in their relationship taking care of her little sister while her mom gets herself together. They grow up and each of the girls Roxanne and baby sister Simone each marry. Simone still very much needing her big sister Roxanne. Simone marries Johnny Duran who wants to take care of Simone and have who very much wants a boy child which they are not very successful at producing. At 4 girls Simone decides some of them are too much like herself and ends up doing something drastic and puts the entire family into quite a tail spin and finds herself on trial. Overall a good story.

Nice fast easy read. A look into the act of "brainwashing" and how you can make things right.

This is a very timely book given the number of soldiers - both male and female - returning from war currently. As a society we are recognizing the traumatic effects that living in a constant state of alert and fear combined with the brutality of war has on the psyches of these soldiers. For the first time in history a fair number of them are mothers coming back to families after having lived through hell on earth.

When She Came Home tells the story of Frankie Byrne, the daughter of a retired Marine general who enlists after 9/11. She says her decision to join is because of her need to protect her daughter and other children from harm in light of the horror of that tragedy but she has been seeking her father's approval her entire life; he lives and breathes the Marines. Will she finally get that love she seeks? Apparently not - he sees women in the armed forces as unnatural. Her husband is less than pleased with her decision as well; it seems she enlisted without discussing it with him.

Frankie serves 10 months in Iraq and does not experience any personal trauma but does come home with PTSD. After two months home, living with its effects her family feels she should be "better" already. She can't seem to admit she has a problem or how do deal with it or its effects on her daughter.

This was not an easy book to read. It was dark, unhappy and there is no way to tie up a story like with with a ribbon and neatly tied bow. I can't say it was a story I liked, but it is a story I'm glad I read. The characters were well drawn, real and have stayed with me. At times I wanted to shake any one of them. Not having ever served myself I can only draw on my experience with my brother's return during peacetime service. Even then he had trouble readjusting to "normal" life so I can only imagine after a war time deployment. The book is compelling with no easy answers.

LITTLE GIRL GONE by Drusilla Campbell
Published by Grand Central Publishing,
Division of The Hachette Book Group
ISBN-10: 0446535796
ISBN-13: 978-0446535793
At the request of The Hachette Book Group, a TPB was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.

Synopsis (from publisher): Madora was seventeen, headed for trouble with drugs and men, when Willis rescued her. Fearful of the world and alienated from family and friends, she ran away with him and for five years they have lived alone, in near isolation. But after Willis kidnaps a pregnant teenager and imprisons her in a trailer behind the house, Madora is torn between her love for him and her sense of right and wrong. When a pit bull puppy named Foo brings into Madora's world another unexpected person--Django Jones, a brilliant but troubled twelve-year-old boy--she's forced to face the truth of what her life has become.

An intensely emotional and provocative story, Little Girl Gone explores the secret hopes and fears that drive good people to do dangerous things . . . and the courage it takes to make things right.

My Thoughts and Opinion: Unfortunately, this story reminded me of some real life stories that we hear on the news too often. And because of that, the characters, the settings, the emotions, the "brain washing" techniques read like a true story by the writer's descriptive words. I read this book in a matter of days because it felt so real and I HAD to know how it would turn out. There is also a psychological subplot of parallel lives, that have similar beginnings, damaged psyches and different outcomes. This is the second book I have read by this author, the first being, The Good Sister, and she is a master at writing about relationship dynamics. A poignant, heart wrenching, disturbing at times, read. Definitely recommend!!

My Rating: 4

THE GOOD SISTER by Drusilla Campbell
Published by Grand Central Publishing
The Hachette Book Group
ISBN 978-0-44653578-6
At the request of Bestsellersworld, an ARC TPB was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.

Synopsis (borrowed from B&N): Roxanne Callahan has always been her younger sister's caretaker. Now married, her happiness is threatened when beautiful and emotionally unstable Simone, suffering from crippling postpartum depression, commits an unforgivable crime for which Roxanne comes to believe she is partially responsible. In the glare of national media attention brought on her sister, Roxanne fights to hold her marriage together as she is drawn back into the pain of her troubled past and relives the fraught relationship she and Simone shared with their narcissistic mother. At the same time, only she can help Simone's nine year old daughter, Merell, make sense of the family's tragedy. Cathartic, lyrical, and unflinchingly honest, THE GOOD SISTER is a novel of four generations of women struggling to overcome a legacy of violence, lies and secrecy, ultimately finding strength and courage in their love for each other.

My Thoughts and Opinion: Ms. Campbell was able to take a real life , often misunderstood, disease, and with her sensitive, personal experience and masterful writing style, to create a fictional story that was poignant, emotional and heart wrenching. The family dynamics profound, psyches formed from childhood make one wonder of their own family dynamics. This book, at times was very personal and hard for me to read, especially because I could relate to the character of Roxanne. With this book, comes a "Reading Book Guide", and after reading it, I agree, this novel would make an excellent Book Club Choice. If you enjoy books where relationships are woven together, then this is a must read.

My Rating: 4

great!

Sorry to say this but it is so poorly written and the story so predictable that I am sorry that I spent anytime on it.½

Story of post-partum depression and a co-dependent relationship between sisters. Good book but a bit simplified for such serious subject matter.

A heart-wrenching story of post partum psychosis and of a family dealing with their not-so-easy life together. Roxanne and Simone are sisters and it has always been Roxanne's job to care for her sister, so much so that she (along with Simone's husband and mother) leave Simone with an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Simone has 4 daughters of her own and another on the way and has no way to care for them since she cannot care for herself. Most of this book take place in the past and helps you really get a feel for why these characters are the way they are. Definitely a good read, but if you're looking for a happy upbeat story this isn't it...you've been warned.½

May 26, 2005. The day I stopped loving Tom Cruise. That is the day he slammed Brooke Shields for publicly announcing her reaction to postpartum depression. She chose medication. Gasp! Since then I've felt nothing but contempt for the man who has never had his body rewired while internal organs are pushed aside and changes in hormonal balance makes you cry because the cat coughed up a hairball.

On this particular day, my own body was waging a war with itself, having pushed a person the size of a pot roast through a hole the size of a nostril, and for some mysterious reason, my previously aesthetically pleasing breasts became as hard as granite were leaking sustenance for a child that was wholly dependent on me. No amount of positive thinking was going to magically restore my sleep deprived, physically rewired body. Nope. Instead I did what any sane woman would do.

I painted the family room. And the kitchen. And the entry.

To this day, I can't properly articulate my manic response to giving birth. I can only sit back, sigh and enjoy the ambiance of the colors.

And so, back to the book and painting. The author paints a clear path to Simone's thinking and thinking errors. The feeling of being overwhelmed and helpless as the demands continue to pile around her, looking for impossible solutions and eventually slipping past depression into psychosis. It is as disturbing as it is well articulated. A new mother may see a sliver of herself in Simone and feel uncomfortable.

The author adds to Simone's personality bipolar, learned helplessness, narcissism, and provides a breeding ground for Simone's role. At the same time, Simone's older sister, Roxanne, takes on the caretaking role from a very early age. Co-dependency is threaded throughout the story by not only Roxanne but others from Simone's life and ancestral chain.

This is a work of fiction however, the author lays her soul out by taking on such a difficult subject. This book covers so many different aspects of relationships and mental illness and health along with multidimensional characters, I would strongly suggest it for a mature Reading Group. Reading level is not difficult, the language does contain the "F" word at times.

The novel, Blood Orange, encompasses that family is stronger than friendship. In the beginning, Dana, the protagonist struggles with the fact that she is married to a former football star quarterback. She also struggles with the fact that her daughter is mentally incapable of doing things on her own. In the middle of the story, Dana goes on vacation to Paris to search for modern arts because her dream has always been to be an artist. By the end of the story, her daughter, Bailey, is kidnapped but returned a month later. She later finds that the person who kidnapped her daughter was a person with whom she had an affair with in France. (200/352)½

This is a novel of child abduction and torrid love affairs, and what happens when these things intersect. The book opens with a community searching for the missing seven-year-old Baily Cabot. The book then moves back into the months preceding Baily's disappearance. Baily's mother made a fateful trip to Rome, and her father, an attorney, undertook the defense of a high-profile client, a suspected murderer. It quickly becomes clear that one, or both, of Baily's parents might know more about their daughter's abduction than they are telling.

I expected this to be a book about what happens to a family when a child is abducted, but it is actually a book about what happens to a family when a child is returned. I found that to be a refreshing change. It's difficult for me to offer too many of my thoughts without giving away the plot, but I can say that I did find Baily's mother Dana difficult to comprehend. As it becomes clear that she might know more about Baily's disappearance than she's telling, it was difficult for me understand how she could not come forward. The prose read easily, and was reasonably engaging.

It was a relief to read this book. I think the last few books I have read have been duds, but this book was hard to put down. It is about a little girl who is kidnapped and it is about marriage and relationships. And it includes a female priest.

As a child, Hannah Whittaker is attacked by a teenaged boy. In the subsequent struggle, the boy dies. Her best friends arrive on the scene a short time later and the girls decide to simply walk away, leaving the boy's body to be discovered by someone else. Fast forward 50 years and each of the three women is facing a crisis in her own life. Attempts by one of the triad to initiate a dialogue about the long-ago incident fail but only when the re-examine the roles they played in the death of the boy do they begin to understand the problems they face in maturity.

My reaction to this book was almost entirely neutral. It's not an awful book, although the characterizations are so weak that the three female characters sometimes seem identical in their motivation. The least likeable of the trio is, by far, the most clearly drawn. The plot is sadly predictable and many of the attempts to inject conflict or crisis into the story seem pointless. Still, it was somewhat entertaining; certainly a very fast and easy read. I would recommend it, with some reservations, as a nice book to take on vacation.