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Kate’s 2¢: “Absent in the spring” by Mary Westmacott (Agatha Christie)
“Absent in the spring” by Mary Westmacott (Agatha Christie)
I did not appreciate slogging through Joan’s ruminations to come to the conclusion that her life has been so controlling and abysmal, only to find a solution, but didn’t follow through on it when she finally returned home. The epilogue was a real slap in the face and I didn’t appreciate that either.
Socrates believed that living a life where you live under the rules of others, in a continuous routine without examining what you actually want out of it is not worth living.
This illustration of a lifestyle is what Socrates would describe an unexamined life. Hence Socrates’ renowned statement “The unexamined life is not worth living”. Declaring that humans must scrutinize their lives in order to live a fulfilled one isn’t agreeable to any extent.
From: https://www.agathachristie.com/stories/mary-westmacott
Using the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, Agatha Christie was able to explore human psychology in greater depth. Semi-autobiographical in nature, the 6 novels offer a fascinating insight into Christie’s relationships with her family. Her daughter Rosalind Hicks describes the books as “bitter-sweet stories about love”.
The Mary Westmacott Stories
Giant’s Bread
Giant’s Bread
⌸ Novel
First published: 1930
Unfinished Portrait
Unfinished Portrait
⌸ Novel
First published: 1934
Absent In The Spring
Absent In The Spring
⌸ Novel
First published: 1944
The Rose and the Yew Tree
The Rose and the Yew Tree
⌸ Novel
First published: 1948
A Daughter’s A Daughter
A Daughter’s A Daughter
⌸ Novel
First published: 1952
The Burden
The Burden
⌸ Novel
First published: 1956
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Absent in the spring / DB31775
Westmacott, Mary. Reading time: 5 hours, 5 minutes.
Read by Flo Gibson.
Romantic suspense fiction
Psychological Fiction
An Englishwoman is stranded for a week at a rest house in the desert. A remembered conversation with an old school friend starts her on an exploration of her past, and she experiences a vision of the truth that her “happy family life and successful career” were smug, hollow lies.
Downloaded: August 5, 2023
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Kate’s 2¢: “About Face: by Fern Michaels
“About Face: by Fern Michaels
It was interesting, how the author laid down layer by layer until the whole picture was exposed. Except for the two main characters, Casey and Blake, falling in love and eventually marrying, the ending might surprise you.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
www.fernmichaels.com
Fern Michaels is the pen name of Mary Ruth Kuczkir, who was born in Hastings, Pennsylvania on April 9, 1933.[1]
Michaels married, moved to New Jersey, and had five children. When the youngest entered school in 1973, her husband told her to get a job. Because she had no idea how to get a job, Michaels decided to try to write a book. Her husband was not very supportive of her efforts, and consequently they separated.[1]
Although her first manuscript did not sell, the second did. Since then, Michaels has sold over sixty books, many of them New York Times bestsellers.[citation needed] She has been quoted as saying that she loves breathing life into her characters. She also loves writing books about women who prevail under difficult circumstances, which she feels reflect her struggle for success early in her career.[1] For her efforts, she has been inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame.[citation needed]
When she was a girl, Michaels’ grandmother told her “when God is good to you, you have to give back”. With this in mind, she founded the Fern Michaels Foundation, which grants four year scholarships for deserving students. In addition to that, she has also helped establish pre-school and day care programs with affordable rates for single mothers.[1]
Michaels currently lives in Summerville, South Carolina, in a 300-year-old plantation house listed in the Historic Registry. She claims to share the house with a ghost named Mary Margaret (which had also been documented by the previous owners). Mary Margaret is said to leave messages on her computer.[1]
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
About face DB57010
Michaels, Fern. Reading time: 11 hours, 33 minutes.
Read by Sharon Murray.
Suspense Fiction
Psychological Fiction
After ten years in an asylum, twenty-eight-year-old amnesia patient Casey Edwards joins her mother’s new family at a Sweetwater Island estate. As memories trickling back reveal a horrifying past, Casey and a new love search for answers–despite someone who will do anything to hide the truth. Explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. 2003.
Downloaded: July 6, 2023
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