April 18, 2011
Tulsa's jazz past meets the present in an issue-oriented tale from Stewart (Chasing Lilacs). Mitzi Steiner has enjoyed a 60-year marriage and successful singing partnership with her husband, Gabe. In their later years, Gabe lives in the twilight of Alzheimer's. Volunteering as a "Pink Lady" at a hospital to keep herself busy, Mitzi is deeply affected when Brooke Woodson arrives in the ER, bearing signs of domestic abuse, signs Mitzi recognizes from her childhood. The former jazz singer and the young woman, a paralegal engaged to an ambitious lawyer with an explosive temper, form a bond as each shares her story. Mitzi's tale, narrated in flashback, works. Her past is filled with color, and her present is poignant. Brooke's story is less persuasive; as she moves from battered passivity to strength, characters in the abuse plot threadâher fiancé's aunt, her fatherâare less than credible. The fresher story is grounded in history and in Alzheimer's, a tough subject in life and fiction. In her sophomore novel, Stewart stumbles with the contemporary elements; she should concentrate on her strength with history.
May 15, 2011
Two women learn what it means to soar again in Stewarts promising inspirational debut. The last thing that a battered Brooke Woodson, fianc'e of a powerful candidate for district attorney with a violent temper, expects to find in the emergency room is a tenacious volunteer. Despite dealing with the heartache of watching her husband slip deeper into the silent abyss of Alzheimers disease, Mitzi Steiner takes it upon herself to help Brooke escape from her abusive situation, while recalling her days as a young woman in the jazz scene of 1940s Tulsa. By alternating between the voices of Brooke and Mitzi, Stewart provides a telling look into Mitzis mesmerizing past and Brookes harrowing present to help both women get a glimpse of what their future might hold. Stewarts story of resilient women will resonate with readers who appreciate the healing power that faith brings, coupled with a cross-generational friendship that comes from reaching out to others in need.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)