GAME OF HEARTS
Nemer, M.J. CreateSpace (372 pp.) $14.95 paper | $4.99 e-book Nov. 27, 2012 978-1-4802-6229-4 Nemer’s debut novel unfolds against the backdrop of the world wars and 1950s Europe. An American couple decides to spend a year living in Brussels in 1958. Ben plans on doing scientific research at a university lab, while his wife, Charlotte, will be continuing her art studies. A slight mix-up on their first day in town brings them to the doorstep of a local figure known as the Countess, who becomes fast friends with the pair. Ostensibly, everything is fine with Ben and Charlotte’s marriage, but surgery has left Charlotte with the inability to have children. The issue, lurking just below the surface, is a touchy one for the couple. Charlotte’s regular visits with the Countess turn the unique woman into a confidante who reveals her somewhat mysterious past. The novel blends two distinct stories: that of Ben, Charlotte and their European adventures, told by way of an omniscient third-person narrator, and that of the Countess, told in her own voice, beginning with her unconventional family life and continuing to her teen years, when a World War I romance with a prince—who would go on to become the king of England— forever changed her life. A mystery lies at the intersection of these two stories. What connection do a possible poisoning, spies and a man who knocks Charlotte down on the sidewalk have to the Countess? Is the Countess correct in thinking that these shadowy men mean to isolate her in an attempt to prevent her from trying to claim what she feels is her rightful share of her royal family’s inheritance? Readers who prefer conclusive answers may be disappointed to find that, at novel’s end, all Ben and Charlotte have to go by are their own best guesses as to what’s behind the bizarre incidents. Despite this ambiguity, Nemer deftly weaves together the different story strands, with the Countess’ ill-fated royal love affair and Ben and Charlotte’s marital struggles convincingly intertwining. A compelling novel that captures the feel of midcentury Europe, bringing it to life with complex, sympathetic characters.
TOBAGO The Union with Trinidad 1889–1899 Myth and Reality
Nimblett, Lennie M. AuthorHouse (374 pp.) $41.19 | $24.34 paper | $3.99 e-book Nov. 9, 2012 978-1-4772-3449-5 In this intelligent history, Nimblett analyzes the troubled but ultimately successful union of two Caribbean peoples. The 1889 annexation of Tobago, a small island off the coast of Venezuela, to its much larger neighbor Trinidad is still 116
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a subject of controversy. The author, a journalist and native of Trinidad and Tobago, seeks to correct misconceptions by undertaking a careful reading of the historical record. On the surface, Nimblett tells a prosaic story of cost-cutting by the British Empire, which ruled both islands as colonies; Colonial Office functionaries advocating for the merger complained of the expense of maintaining a separate administration for Tobago’s 18,000 people. After the annexation, Tobago’s insistence on fiscal independence led to disaster when the island lost most of its customs revenue on items imported from Trinidad. Tobago petitioned the Colonial Office to rescind the union, but the British government instead abolished Tobago’s separate tax, budget and treasury systems. Nimblett gets at deeper issues when he writes of how, in the 19th century, the island gradually lost its status as a self-governing colony. He details the class struggle behind Tobago’s constitutional wrangles, as Tobago’s legislature, representing a tiny, propertied minority, stymied reform initiatives to stop the exploitation of disenfranchised black workers. Nimblett’s lucid but sometimes repetitive narrative presents a wealth of documentary evidence and adds context with accounts of the West Indies’ legacy of slavery and racism and the economic effects of the collapse of Tobago’s sugar industry. In a challenge to other historians, Nimblett makes a compelling case that Tobago’s annexation helped alleviate many of its problems by sparking investment, land reform and agricultural diversification. His thought-provoking take will influence the ongoing debate over the island nation’s past— and its future. A well-researched, illuminating interpretation of Trinidad and Tobago’s formative crisis.
FROM PRESCHOOL TO GRAD SCHOOL Strategies for Success at Any Level of Competitive Admissions
Palacios, Kim CreateSpace (288 pp.) $13.95 paper | $9.95 e-book | Oct. 1, 2012 978-0-9857983-0-7 An experienced college-admissions advisor offers a comprehensive guide to gaining entrance to competitive schools, from preschool to graduate school. Debut author Palacios presents an engaging, no-nonsense primer for school admissions, asserting that “most competitive schools, regardless of education level, rank candidates in similar ways.” The author draws upon her experience—as a graduate school admissions committee member, a successful applicant to several nationally known private schools and a parent of a child admitted to a prestigious preschool—to make the case that the same principles govern all successful competitive admissions, no matter the school or grade level. After examining current trends in admissions and discussing the increasingly competitive environment for private school applications, the guide helps