Mary E. Trimble

“A life without risk is no life at all.”
——Across the Crying Sands

Across the Crying Sands, a powerful historical novel by Jane Kirkpatrick, is book one of “The Women of Cannon Beach” series. The novel is inspired by a true story and takes place along Oregon’s coast beginning 1888.

Mary Edwards is the only child of loving parents. Her mother harbors fears and finds contentment in staying close to home and tending her family. She’s cautious, even fearful, around strangers.

Mary, 16, is happiest when outdoors, relishing the rugged Oregon coast. She marries John Gerritse, 24, originally from The Netherlands, a sailor who has sailed around the world. The two work hard to prove their homesteading claim as they start their family. It doesn’t take Mary long to realize being a wife and mother isn’t the adventure she had expected. She loves her family, but doesn’t find fulfillment in the endless feeding and caring for a rapidly growing family. She yearns for adventure, for something besides the endless drudgery of homemaking.

John works hard, and for a spell goes back to sea, then later works the land to provide for his family. To bring in extra income, he takes a mail route, riding horseback for miles, delivering mail to seaside communities. Mary, in the meantime, has had a miscarriage and experiences deep depression. She desperately needs to be outdoors, to have adventure, to do something. John finally agrees to allow Mary to take over the mail route. They hire someone to care for the children so that John can continue working the land.

Mary’s mail route takes her along the wild Pacific coast, through rugged mountain trails and remote beaches, always on the lookout for changing tides and sudden squalls. She finds the spark of life she had lost, and relishes in the adventure. But will she be able to cope with the dangers this adventure presents?

I loved this story of courage and unconventional lifestyle. Typical of Jane Kirkpatrick’s novels, she describes the history of the area, how Cannon Beach got its name, and the development of this rugged coast. Across the Crying Sands brings the settlers and landscape to life. Through Mary Edwards Gerritse, we learn that “women are capable of being good wives and mothers and having careers,” and the importance of being true to yourself and following your own values, beliefs, and passions.

Book Review: Bitter Roots

Posted on June 2, 2025 by Mary

Bitter Roots: Police Procedural Mysteries by C. J. Carmichael is Book 1 of 4 of the “Bitter Roots Mysteries” series. The contemporary story takes place in the fictitious small town of Lost Trail, western Montana.

On Halloween night, a young woman’s body is found in an alley behind the town’s medical center. Not much is known about her other than she worked at the Masterson Christmas Tree Farm. She apparently lived out of her car and wasn’t known to socialize with any of the townspeople.

Dispatcher Zak Waller prefers working behind the scenes at the Sheriff’s Office. But when the brutal death of a young woman is reported, he feels compelled to investigate. The sheriff is quick to pin the death on an unknown outsider, but Zak feels there’s more to the story than what the Sheriff is saying.

After losing her CPA job in Seattle, Tiff Masterson has been traveling for the past few months. After her funds run out, she reluctantly returns home to her family’s tree farm. The farm just isn’t the same since both her father and older brother died, and she finds her mother in ill health.

Tiff and Zak are old school friends, and once together they start comparing notes about the young woman’s death. It’s not easy to gather facts in this tight-knit community, but between them and another high school friend, they discover some surprising truths.

Bitter Roots is a compelling mystery that paints a believable picture of small town loyalties. The author’s descriptions of life in Lost Trail with its hushed secrets is realistic. I found the sheriff’s investigation was, unfortunately, believable as he seemed more concerned about antagonizing future voters than solving the mystery of a relatively unknown woman. Bitter Roots is an intriguing read, and the series is off to a good start.

Book Review: Chance’s Return

Posted on May 26, 2025 by Mary

Chance’s Return, a clean and wholesome romance by Lucy Naylor Kubash, is Book 1 of the “North Star Legacy” series. The contemporary western is set in Wyoming’s ranch country.

Casey Girard, a widowed single mom, and her young son Jamie drive from Michigan to Wyoming for the summer. Casey, a librarian, desperately needs a change of pace. Hopefully, different scenery and occupation will help them recover from the tragic loss of her husband. Her plan is to help her aunt, a cook at the North Star, a working cattle and guest ranch.

Chance McCord, an ex-rodeo champion, is returning to his family’s ranch, the North Star. He’s still nursing his wounds–both physical and mental. His family has been torn with tragedy and anger. Will his return make things even worse?

When Casey and Chance meet, their mutual attraction is immediate. But both have pasts that need to heal. Will they be able to overcome these tragedies, let go of the past, and make a life together?

Clean romance, or “clean and wholesome romance,” is a genre of romance novels that focus on family, relationships, and clean content. I found Chance’s Return fit that description perfectly. The love shown between Casey and Chance didn’t need graphic descriptions of sex scenes. The lovely prose said it all.

I enjoyed Chance’s Return. Besides the storyline, I savored the author’s vivid descriptions of Wyoming, of a ranch nestled in the shadow of the looming Grand Teton Mountains with its extreme weather changes, the miles of pastureland, the clicking of insects, and the trill of songbirds. Besides all that, the story is captivating and heart-warming.

Book Review: I Made Them for Hope

Posted on May 12, 2025 by Mary

I Made Them for Hope: Revelations of God in Everyday Life, inspirational stories by Carolyn Wing Greenlee, is a small book packed with short stories about everyday people with everyday problems. But the answers to these problems are often unexpected, and often seemingly miraculous. This little gem of a book shares minuscule miracles—small accounts of God’s interventions—that have been granted to the author, her friends and loved ones.

Each chapter in the book shares an account of a problem, perhaps small in the scope of the big picture, but nevertheless a problem that is worrisome, even damaging, to someone. How a solution comes about is often surprising. We sometimes look at these solutions as magical, but, as the author points out, it’s more likely God has furnished the perfect solution, one that will be beneficial in the long run.

Sometimes it seems our prayers aren’t answered. The author points out that God answers in three different ways: “Yes,” “Not yet,” or “I have something better for you.” It’s good to keep this in mind, especially those times when we think we can see the perfect solution, but later acknowledge that another solution was far better.

Carolyn Wing Greenlee has written several books, many of which I have read and reviewed. I was especially impressed with Steady Hedy: A Journey through Blindness & Guide Dog School, a story of the author’s transformative journey through blindness, independence, and self-discovery. She went to the school full of doubt. After twenty-eight days, she came home with Hedy, a Labrador puppy. Hedy was a handful, but through many prayers the guide dog became a great companion, bringing joy and boundless opportunities.

I Made Them for Hope is a lovely little book. Although only seventy-six pages, the book is packed with wisdom and hope. It would be an ideal book for group discussions, or as a gift to someone who is discouraged or desperate. It is a book of joy, compassion, and healing.

Book Review: Anxious People

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Mary

Anxious People, a novel by Fredrik Backman, is an insightful look at a diverse group of people who become hostages during an apartment open house. The contemporary story takes place in a small unnamed town in Sweden, a country that is almost cashless.

Several people gather at the open house. It’s a diverse group of people including a retired couple, a wealthy bank manager, a gay couple expecting their first child, an older woman grieving over the death of her husband, a mysterious man who has locked himself in the bathroom, and the real estate agent. They all have grievances, secrets, hurts, and regrets, conditions that threaten to surface.

Suddenly a desperate armed bank robber bursts into the apartment and takes the group hostage. Actually, the bank robber has failed the crime—the bank was a cashless institution. What the robber encounters is a puzzling group of hostages who are too wrapped up in their own lives to worry about their dire situation.

Called to the scene of the crime are two policemen who happen to be father and son. They, too, have their story. It’s not an uncommon story between father and son, but their situation becomes even more complicated working such a bizarre case together.

As the story unfolds, we realize that all of them–the hostages, the would-be bank robber, even the policemen, have buried personal secrets and truths that, once recognized, surprise even themselves.

This story is not only about anxious people, as the title implies, it’s about compassion and forgiveness of others and of oneself. Fredrik Backman, a Swedish author, also wrote A Man Called Ove, which I previously read and reviewed. His views of people in general are unique. People are often not what they seem on the surface; a good reason not to judge hastily. I enjoyed Anxious People. It gave me a different perspective of diverse people in what could be drastic, desperate situations. Humor surfaces in this story, along with kindness and mercy.

Book Review: The Stranger in the Lifeboat

Posted on April 28, 2025 by Mary

The Stranger in the Lifeboat, a spiritual novel by Mitch Albom, is narrated by Benji, a crewman aboard a luxury yacht that sank after a mysterious deadly explosion. Forty-four people had been on board the Galaxy, including world leaders in politics, business, the arts, and technology.

After the explosion, nine people make it to the yacht’s lifeboat. The survivors are a mix of people; some were guests who come from great wealth, some were crewmen. For three days the lifeboat is adrift, short on water, food, and hope. When they see a man floundering in the water, they pull him aboard, and one of the survivors says, “Thank the Lord we found you.”

“I am the Lord,” the man whispers.

Days pass slowly as the survivors suffer from exposure. The lifeboat has some shelter, but they must alternate seeking relief from the blazing sun under the small canopy. They take turns stretching their legs in the cramped lifeboat. They suffer from thirst, sharing what meager water they have or are able to catch. They divvy up a small packet of crackers, then must resort to eating raw fish when they can catch one, or even a raw bird that lands on the raft.

The man who calls himself Lord isn’t particularly useful, but insists he can only save them if they all believe in him.

Benji, in his written narration, which is in the form of a letter to his wife, records all that is happening, but each day his despair grows as the weary days pass with no relief in sight.

The story switches to a year later when the empty raft appears on the shore of Montserrat, an island located in the Caribbean Sea, part of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. The incident is reported to the island’s chief inspector who finds Benji’s written narration, and attempts to solve the mystery of what caused the yacht’s explosion, and what happened to those on board.

I especially enjoyed this sea story. My husband and I sailed from Seattle to the South Pacific on our 40-foot sailboat, Impunity. Although we had a life raft aboard, we never had to use it, thankfully. It often crossed my mind what would happen if our survival depended on our life raft. We rehearsed a scenario of the possibility of having to abandon ship. The Pacific Ocean is huge. It took thirty-five days to sail from San Diego, California to our first landfall, the Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific. In all that time we never saw another boat.

The Stranger in the Lifeboat is another well-written novel by Mitch Albom, an author of several inspirational books, many of which I’ve read and reviewed. This is yet another memorable read.

Book Review: Educated

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Mary

Educated, a memoir by Tara Westover, kept me spellbound from beginning to end. The story begins at Buck’s Peak in Idaho’s hill country in 1979 when Tara is seven years old.

Tara’s family is Mormon, but perhaps more fundamentalist than what is more commonly recognized. Her father is the absolute ruler of the family and distrusts government, schools, hospitals, and traditional doctors. Her mother is a midwife and an herbalist. Four of Tara’s six siblings have no birth certificates, no medical records, nor have ever seen a doctor or nurse. The children are home schooled, though not in any organized or supervised way.

Tara’s father runs a scrapyard and as the children are physically capable, they work with him. It can be dangerous work and many times serious injuries occur to Tara and her brothers.

One of Tara’s older brothers, a brother with whom she has a good relationship, becomes violent, even sadistic. When she tries to tell her family they don’t believe her and refuse to intervene. Another older brother loves music and dreams of a real education. He applies for and manages to get into college, and encourages Tara to do the same, though their father claims it is a sin to “whore after man’s knowledge.”

Tara is 16 when she takes her college entrance exam, the first examination she has ever taken. As a freshman in college, she sits in her first classroom at the age of 17. It’s a new and strange experience, sitting in a room full of people. She lives in a dorm and feels like a misfit with her two sophisticated roommates.

Tara continues her education by winning scholarships and awards, eventually studying abroad. The chasm widens between Tara and her family, a situation that saddens her, but that grows more distant with each passing year.

Educated is a deeply moving memoir, a story that opened my eyes to people who live and believe very differently than what is familiar to me. I am impressed with Tara’s determination for acquiring an education, and with her remarkable scholastic accomplishments.

Book Review: Shattered Peace

Posted on April 14, 2025 by Mary

Shattered Peace: A Century of Silence, by Julie McDonald Zander, is a riveting novel inspired by true events. The story mostly takes place in Centralia, Washington and toggles in time between 1919 and 2019.

In 2019 Colleen Holmes is still suffering from her tour of duty in Iraq as a Navy Seabee, and her exposure to violent death, carnage and destruction. She refuses to get professional help and, in fact, broke up with her fiancé because he kept nagging her to do so. Colleen is in the process of moving into a house she inherited from her grandmother, an older home that at one time belonged to Colleen’s great-great-grandfather. While in the process of remodeling, she finds letters and diaries dating back to 1919.

Michael Dillion, 22, is a WWI veteran fighting in France, 1918. The story describes much of the horrors of war Michael experiences. He dreams of Bridget, the love of his life, and returning to his hometown, Centralia, Washington. However, when he returns home, Bridget finds him distant, not the warm friendly man she once knew and loved.

In 1919, Centralia is divided by labor disputes. On November 11, 1919, during a parade celebrating the first anniversary of Armistice Day, a conflict between the American Legion and Industrial Workers of the World, known as Wobblies, erupted resulting in six deaths, including a lynching. Michael finds himself involved in the injustice he sees, and, unfortunately, Bridget witnesses and is horrified by his involvement in the bitter dispute.

Shattered Peace is a well-written novel based on actual history. The author does a good job alternating between modern day and historical events, describing striking similarities in attitudes of a century ago and modern times. In the beginning of the novel, the author lists both fictional and actual historic characters, a page to which I often referred. The author vividly describes the events of The Centralia Tragedy, also known as the Centralia Conspiracy and the Armistice Day Riot. Historians will find this novel of interest, and also those interested in the results of conflict, whether it be domestic or foreign. I’ve lived in Washington most of my life, and although I had heard of the labor dispute in Centralia, I’d never known the details. I’m thankful to have an opportunity to learn more about this conflict.

Book Review: Bellweather Rhapsody

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Mary

Bellweather Rhapsody, a fun mystery novel by Kate Racculia, takes us to an annual weekend statewide high school music competition held in an old, but famous crumbling New York hotel.

Twins Alice and Bertrand (Rabbit) Hatmaker are among the hundreds of high school students gathering for an annual competition. Alice, the flamboyant twin, is an exceptional singer and dancer–just ask her. Her sensitive twin brother excels in bassoon. The two are very close, can read each other’s thoughts, and Rabbit is fine with Alice always taking the lead.

In 1982, the Bellweather Hotel was the scene of a gruesome murder/suicide of a newly married couple on their honeymoon. Now, in 1997, the decrepit hotel is again the scene of competition of high school musicians and dancers.

Alice Hatmaker happens to be assigned to the room where the notorious murder/suicide took place. When her roommate disappears, everyone is wondering: could that horror of bygone days be happening again, or is this a dumb prank some high school kid dreamed up?

Aside from the intriguing mystery, the adults are experiencing their own crises. Old romances, bitterness and resentments surface. In the meantime, a fierce snowstorm keeps everyone confined to the hotel. But the competitions must go on, and the students dutifully perform their various forms of art.

This was a fun novel for me to read. I loved the sections of music competition. From fourth grade through high school and beyond I played the clarinet in bands and orchestras, and in high school also played in the Seattle Youth Symphony. So many of the performing scenes were familiar to me as I relived my own musical background.

The author does a good job of capturing young students’ angst and rivalries. The adults, too, have their histories, many of which are better forgotten. The well-told story is fast moving with vivid descriptions of an old moldy hotel that harbors dark secrets.

Book Review: You Learn by Living

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Mary

“We are the sum total of all the choices we have made.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt

You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life by Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 – 1962), former first lady and civil rights activist, impressed me by its relevance today, sixty-five years after it was published in 1960.

Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of one U.S. president, Theodore Roosevelt, and married a man who would become another, Franklin D. Roosevelt. She redefined the role of first lady, and was outspoken for human and women’s rights. She held press conferences and penned her own newspaper column, “My Day,” published nationwide six days a week. After she left the White House in 1945, she became chair of the United Nation’s Human Rights Commission. In her day, she was one of the world’s most widely admired and powerful women.

Within each chapter are words of wisdom on topics mentioned in the book’s subtitle: “Learning to Learn, Fear—the Great Enemy, The Uses of Time, The Difficult Art of Maturity, Readjustment is Endless, Learning to Be Useful, The Right to Be an Individual, How to Get the Best Out of People, Facing Responsibility, How Everyone Can Take Part in Politics, Learning to Be a Public Servant.” Each chapter reflects Roosevelt’s views with suggestions on how to apply the concepts to our own lives, wisdom that resonates in any era.

Eleanor Roosevelt lived a life of affluence with boarding schools, education abroad, housekeepers, cooks and nannies. Yet she devoted her life to helping people become the best they can be by sharing her wise philosophy on living a fulfilled life.

You Learn by Living is a treasure of wise concepts still applicable in today’s world. Reading this memoir, I discovered the depth of Eleanor Roosevelt’s passion for life, her confidence, maturity, and civic stewardship. I was impressed with this stellar woman’s devotion to mankind.