Author: Sarah Jio
Release Date: April 26, 2011
Publisher: Plume (Penguin Canada)
Format: Trade Paperback
Genre: General Fiction
Summary:
"A heartbroken woman stumbled upon a diary and steps into the life of its anonymous author.
In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after.
Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.
A mesmerizing debut with an idyllic setting and intriguing dual story line, The Violets of March announces Sarah Jio as a writer to watch." (http://www.penguin.ca/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780452297036,00.html?THE_VIOLETS_OF_MARCH_Sarah_Jio)
About the Author:
Review:
This book was sooooooooooooooooooooooooo good! The journey the main character has to go on and the story she learns about are absolutely incredible and magnificently written! I got sucked into this story from the get-go and had such a hard time putting it down (which is why I finished it in one night!) I felt like I was part of the story when I was reading it and that everything Emily was learning was having the same effect on me as it was on her. Jio certainly has a way with words and they flow together as though they were always meant to be that way. I think if I continue to say anything more it will just be gibberish and I won't be making any sense. The most important thing I can say is YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK!!!!! And I hope you will...
Related Links:
Sarah Jio Website http://www.sarahjio.com/
Penguin Canada http://www.penguin.ca/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780452297036,00.html?THE_VIOLETS_OF_MARCH_Sarah_Jio
Chapters.ca http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Violets-March-Novel-Sarah-Jio/9780452297036-item.html?ikwid=the+violets+of+march&ikwsec=Home
amazon.ca http://www.amazon.ca/The-Violets-March-A-Novel/dp/0452297036/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331841631&sr=8-1
Interview with Sarah Jio
Tammy: When did you know you wanted to write novels?
Sarah: I'm one of those people who knew what they wanted to do at a very early age. I wrote my very first "book" at the age of seven, and it was called "A Tug Boat's Dream." Funnily enough, it won a young author award, which is what I think inspired me as a child. I have always loved to tell stories, and after working as a journalist for 12 years, I find it quite freeing to be able to sit down at my desk and use my creativity in different ways (aka "make stuff up"!).
T: Where did the idea for The Violets of March come from?
S: The idea came to me over time as I was thinking about the type of story I wanted to tell. I knew it needed to be a story that came from my heart, and one I felt an affinity to. So, I assembled all of my favorite things, places and ideas—Bainbridge Island, the 1940s, a lost love, and a long-held mystery—and created a story that resonated with me. Now, working on my fifth novel, my rule is that I will not continue writing a novel if the story doesn't haunt me by day and keep me up at night the way VIOLETS did as I was writing it.
In the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world-until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war.
A timeless story of enduring passion, The Bungalow chronicles Anne's determination to discover the truth about the twin losses-of life, and of love-that have haunted her for seventy years" (http://www.penguin.ca/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780452297678,00.html?THE_BUNGALOW_Sarah_Jio)
Review:
She's done it again. I could NOT put this book down and, again, I read it in an evening! It was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good! Honestly, I hope she writes forever because I can't get enough and I would be so sad if she ever stopped! I loved the setting in this book, the South Pacific. I also really like books in war settings, so this was a real treat for me! This book is full of love, loss, betrayal, but most importantly, hope. It is beautifully written and, being a hopeless romantic, I can't get enough of the love story! Jio does not write like other writers and give the reader what they expect, but throws in twists and turns, and keeps you wondering what is going to happen in the end. I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope you try this book! Recommend it to a friend! Recommend it to ALL of your friends! Happy Reading everyone!!!!!
Related Links:
Penguin Canada http://www.penguin.ca/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780452297678,00.html?THE_BUNGALOW_Sarah_Jio
Chapters.ca http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/The-Bungalow-A-Novel-Sarah-Jio/9780452297678-item.html?ikwid=the+bungalow&ikwsec=Home
amazon.ca http://www.amazon.ca/The-Bungalow-Novel-Sarah-Jio/dp/0452297672/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331911168&sr=8-1
The Literary Life of the Well-Read Wife Blog http://www.wellreadwife.com/2012/01/08/book-review-the-bungalow-by-sarah-jio/
ALSO BY SARAH JIO:
*Blackberry Winter Release Date: September 25, 2012
Interview with Sarah Jio
Tammy: When did you know you wanted to write novels?
Sarah: I'm one of those people who knew what they wanted to do at a very early age. I wrote my very first "book" at the age of seven, and it was called "A Tug Boat's Dream." Funnily enough, it won a young author award, which is what I think inspired me as a child. I have always loved to tell stories, and after working as a journalist for 12 years, I find it quite freeing to be able to sit down at my desk and use my creativity in different ways (aka "make stuff up"!).
T: Where did the idea for The Violets of March come from?
S: The idea came to me over time as I was thinking about the type of story I wanted to tell. I knew it needed to be a story that came from my heart, and one I felt an affinity to. So, I assembled all of my favorite things, places and ideas—Bainbridge Island, the 1940s, a lost love, and a long-held mystery—and created a story that resonated with me. Now, working on my fifth novel, my rule is that I will not continue writing a novel if the story doesn't haunt me by day and keep me up at night the way VIOLETS did as I was writing it.
T: TVOM is a pretty complicated story. How did you write a book such as this one? Did you have to work backwards?
S: I admit that I did get tangled in the web of details and past-and-present sometimes. I kept a good diagram going of notes, and frequently checked in with myself to make sure I was keeping things straight as I went. But, as I always do with my novels, I did write the last chapter first. I found that it gave the story a cohesive feel and I loved knowing where I was going and that I had a destination in sight. (Besides, as a writer, there is nothing more satisfying than typing the words "the end"!)
T: Who is your favourite character and why?
S: I connected with Emily, for sure, but I think my heart belongs to Bee. I love her quirkiness and her strength. I also think I could move right into to her big home on the shores of Bainbridge Island. Forget the month of March—I'd live there year-round! :)
T: Do you have any future stops in Canada?
S: Not yet, but I adore Canada, and hope to get up to visit on tour, perhaps, for my third novel, BLACKBERRY WINTER, which comes out on September 25th! I'm so excited about this new story, and can't wait to share it with the world.
I hope you enjoyed this interview with Sarah Jio! It was a very exciting opportunity for me, and Sarah is the first author I have interviewed! I am hoping to have more interviews with authors in the future! I just received a response from another author, so look out for another interview soon!
Title: The Bungalow
Author: Sarah Jio
Release Date: December 27, 2011
Publisher: Plume (Penguin Canada)
Format: Trade Paperback
Genre: General Fiction
Summary:
"A sweeping World War II saga of thwarted love, murder, and a long-lost painting. In the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world-until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war.
A timeless story of enduring passion, The Bungalow chronicles Anne's determination to discover the truth about the twin losses-of life, and of love-that have haunted her for seventy years" (http://www.penguin.ca/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780452297678,00.html?THE_BUNGALOW_Sarah_Jio)
Review:
She's done it again. I could NOT put this book down and, again, I read it in an evening! It was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good! Honestly, I hope she writes forever because I can't get enough and I would be so sad if she ever stopped! I loved the setting in this book, the South Pacific. I also really like books in war settings, so this was a real treat for me! This book is full of love, loss, betrayal, but most importantly, hope. It is beautifully written and, being a hopeless romantic, I can't get enough of the love story! Jio does not write like other writers and give the reader what they expect, but throws in twists and turns, and keeps you wondering what is going to happen in the end. I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope you try this book! Recommend it to a friend! Recommend it to ALL of your friends! Happy Reading everyone!!!!!
Related Links:
Penguin Canada http://www.penguin.ca/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780452297678,00.html?THE_BUNGALOW_Sarah_Jio
Chapters.ca http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/The-Bungalow-A-Novel-Sarah-Jio/9780452297678-item.html?ikwid=the+bungalow&ikwsec=Home
amazon.ca http://www.amazon.ca/The-Bungalow-Novel-Sarah-Jio/dp/0452297672/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331911168&sr=8-1
The Literary Life of the Well-Read Wife Blog http://www.wellreadwife.com/2012/01/08/book-review-the-bungalow-by-sarah-jio/
ALSO BY SARAH JIO:
*Blackberry Winter Release Date: September 25, 2012
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