The Whittiers

 

The Whittiers is a story about a close knit family living in New York City. Mom and Dad have a life long love and meet a tragic death on their annual "wintermoon", their vacation alone after the holidays without any of their 6 children. The 6 children could not be more different including the youngest son with Asperger's. 

The oldest son, considered the most stable, but in a loveless marriage is the executor of the estate. Will they sell the massive mansion the family grew up in just off of Fifth Avenue near Central Park?

This was such a heartwarming story. Each character has a unique personality which is described in such detail that you feel you know the person. I would say this book is a story about love and support of family. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

The High Notes

 

Iris has the voice of an angel.  Her father is her parent, her mother having left when she was very young.  At age 12, her father got her a job singing in a bar in Las Vegas.  Her father has a drinking problem, an anger problem and more problems than you can imagine.  To say that he took advantage of his daughter by exploiting her talent is an understatement.

Can Iris ever get out of the grip of her father even after she reaches stardom?  This is a very interesting read, but I hope many child stars are not growing up in an environment like this.  Iris is strong, she is resilient and to think she survives her childhood is amazing.