Book Review: Petals from Roseland

Petals from Roseland. C.J. Martello. Lake Claremont Press, December 13, 2019, Trade Paperback, 239 pages.

Reviewed by Greg Borzo.

For an enjoyable romp through the good old days in the Chicago neighborhoods of Roseland, Kensington, and Pullman, one should read Petals from Roseland, by C.J. Martello. This book is a collection of columns that Martello originally wrote for Fra Noi, Chicagoland’s Italian American magazine published from 2008 to 2018. These columns cover everything from restaurants to churches, expert tailors to historic preservationists, and shop keepers to war heroes.

There are hard-hitting columns about the Vietnam War and sweet stories about picnics and grustoli. If you don’t know that grustoli, aka “crostoli,” is an Italian cookie, you’re not part of the target audience for this book: Italian American Catholics with a streak of nostalgia. Anyone who was raised in a large ethnic family and attended Catholic schools will find countless nuggets in Petals from Roseland that will spark flashbacks to church and school, parents and priests, and tastes and treats from their childhood. 

I attended Catholic schooling for twelve years and spent countless hours at the church serving mass, singing in the choir, and ushering, and I about fell off my chair when I read these words from Martello’s May 2010 column: “O Mary! We crown thee with blossoms today. Queen to the Angels, Queen of the May!” That certainly brought back memories of a grade school celebration that centered on a festive procession and always struck me as a beauty contest as much as it was a religious ceremony. O Mary! Which of the pretty young school girls will be selected to crown the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the culmination of the procession!

Still, many of the stories have a broader appeal. They harken back to growing up in the 1960s. Record stores. Phonebooks. Foot x-rays. Saving stamps. Remember those? One of my favorite columns tells the story of Roseland’s Operetta Club. This group started as a soccer and social club that raised funds through fests and other events. It went as far back as the 1930s, evolving somewhere along the line into a neighborhood operetta company. How did such an improbable thing happen? Well, after soccer matches, won or lost, the players would gather with their fans, families, and friends to celebrate; these gatherings typically turned into songfests featuring Italian tunes and light opera songs. The informal group had fun—and some talent, too. The singers began practicing in the basement of one of their members and performing at the Venetian Hall on Kensington Avenue. Soon they were able to purchase a building on that street for their performances and to use as a clubhouse. Of course, they equipped it with bocce courts.

Martello has had an interesting life. His parents were born in Italy and raised a big family in Roseland during the 1960s and 1970s. Martello spent a year and a half in the seminary before switching to Roseland’s St. Willibrord Catholic High School. He became an accountant for the Illinois State Forensic Science Center, a job from which he is now retired. Although he lived on the North Side for years, Martello remained active in the Roseland-Kensington-Pullman community. He recently purchased a home in Pullman, perhaps drawn back to his childhood neighborhood by all the contacts he made—and all the people he reconnected with from his youth—thanks to writing the column for Fra Noi. Today he gives tours at the Pullman historic site and even performs a one-person show that he wrote called “George Pullman: The Man and His Model Town.”

Roseland has been predominantly African American since the early 1970s. Through his book and other activities, Martello helps to keep alive the memories of when Roseland was a tight-knit neighborhood of Catholic Italian Americans, when it was the lively center of Italian culture and community on the South Side.

The book would be stronger with an index, which would allow readers to quickly find stories about, and descriptions of, favorite people, places, and things, from Arcade Park to Zordan’s Music House. Everyone has a selective memory, and picking up a book like Petals from Roseland immediately sparks specific memories. Therefore, an index would have allowed readers to zoom in on particular delights that this book recollects.

Also, the eight-pages of photographs enhance the book, but more would have been welcomed. And, unfortunately, the images do not run larger because details of the streets, businesses, and advertisements are quite telling.

Anyone who wants to revel in Roseland’s good old days will greatly enjoy this book. Martello shares an impressive story of two friends who, unbeknownst to the other, gave each other a copy of Petals from Roseland at the same time. Leggere bene!

Book Review: Buried

Buried. Sue Rovens. Plump Toad Press, April 21, 2019, Trade Paperback and E-book, 211 pages.

Reviewed by Susan Gaspar.

Buried is a gripping story that solidly straddles the genres of suspense and psychological horror. Make no bones about it: this book contains graphic, explicit details that both repulse and fascinate the reader. I was hooked from the first dark images that Chapter 1 conjured up in my mind’s eye. 

Ms. Rovens has a knack for creating a palpable atmosphere, and Buried leads you slowly and purposefully around the small town of Foote, Indiana, with the bulk of the creepy action centering on the Sommerville Funeral Home. That is not to say that the other locales in the story are comforting or upbeat. Almost every house, business, and plot of land in Buried has an unsettling history or vile underbelly. Within a paragraph or two of each new location or development, the author pulls the reader into a disturbing situation or upsetting circumstances. 

The chapters are short and move quickly, but the characters are introduced slowly—one or two at a turn, with a bit more detail each time—which serves to build and ferment the tale. The reader gradually paints a picture of each person and invests more energy into who they are, what they want, and how much we like them. I didn’t find myself personally identifying with any of the characters so much as being voyeuristically interested in their lives—past and present. And as one would expect, it seems most of them have deep, dark secrets. Little by little, chapter by chapter, we learn some nasty tidbits about the inhabitants of this tiny Midwestern town. 

This purposeful pacing is highly effective. I found myself captivated and reeled in, and then found myself completely hooked as the action ramped up. I stared at certain paragraphs open-mouthed as heinous behaviors or stomach-turning activities were revealed. Readers will find themselves attempting to understand the deep psychological illnesses or strange idiosyncrasies that drive each character as the inner thoughts and workings of their minds reveal uncontrollable urges and hidden agendas.

Different aspects of human nature are represented in each individual, yet one thing ties these characters together: they all want what they want for reasons they don’t truly comprehend. It’s as though their understanding of themselves is as deeply buried as their secrets. But eventually, those desires and secrets are unearthed, and the ripple effect is devastating to all involved. 

What sort of secrets and desires are we talking about here? Well, they cannot adequately be summed up with words like “lust,” “greed,” and “obsession.” For example, the seemingly innocent but messy stockpiling and hoarding of tchotchkes becomes truly grotesque when the hoarded items become partially decomposed human remains. And what begins as a brief flirtation turns deadly when emotional manipulation and sexual addiction take hold. Finally, what might be viewed as basic white-collar crime and unsavory sexual habits turn out to be profound moral and ethical corruption and full-blown necrophilia. Buried is not a book for the faint of heart or the easily nauseated. I could not put it down.

The climax of Buried is a jaw-dropping moment, and how the characters—those who are left standing—reconcile their actions and cope with their undoing is by no means a happy ending. After such foul revelations, the best hope is for a semblance of peace, and several of the characters do find some, in their own off-kilter way. There is no neat bow to wrap up this story, but rather a smoothing over of desecrated grounds followed by a quiet, unnerving regret that is left to take root in the previously disturbed soil.      

Book Review: Living a Motivated Life

Living a Motivated Life: A Memoir and Activities. Raymond Wlodkowski. Brill | Sense, October 25, 2018, Hardcover and Trade Paperback, 206 pages.

Reviewed by Brian Johnston.

I've always believed that it's essential to be a lifelong learner. I enjoy hearing and reading about others who are pursuing knowledge and trying to improve themselves throughout their lives. That's why I was interested in reading Living a Motivated Life, the new book by Raymond J. Wlodkowski.

Wlodkowski has lived a rich life, and he tells his story with great passion. He divided the book into two parts. The first part, which covers most of the book, is a memoir focused on his career in education. Early on, he introduces the concept of intrinsic motivation, which is the concept of doing something as its own reward. This drove him to a career in education. The second part of the book offers activities for the reader to learn more about themselves and their pursuits of knowledge.

After describing his time growing up in Detroit, including time studying at Wayne State University, he details his experience as an elementary school teacher before working for the Milwaukee Public Schools during the tumultuous years of racial desegregation. Wlodkowski cared deeply about the issue, yet he's also honest about his shortcomings throughout the process. He went into each endeavor with an open mind and showed a willingness to learn from each experience. 

Subsequently, Wlodkowski pursued a career in psychology, eventually becoming a professor in Seattle. It's a career that he has enjoyed, particularly because of the friendships that he made. I found it interesting that he didn’t talk much about his relationships with his students, though I can imagine that they enjoyed being a part of his classroom discussions. 

The second part of the book offers more information about the concepts of intrinsic motivation, vital engagement, and flow. He poses interesting questions to readers that will allow them to reflect on their pursuit of knowledge and what motivates them.

Though Wlodkowski is an academic, I found this to be an easy book to read. He limits the use of technical jargon and communicates in a down-to-earth manner. Indeed, the book held my interest from start to finish. He cares about the reader and wants people to keep learning long after they finish their formal schooling.  

If you're looking for an inspirational story about the pursuit of knowledge, and how to become a better adult learner, this would be a great book to read.

Book Review: One Lil Indian

One Lil Indian (The Adventure of Oli – Book One). Debra ʻKeshinowahkiew’ Campbell (Author) and Sean Ramirez (Illustrator). Self-Published, October 25, 2019, Trade Paperback and E-book, 98 pages.

Reviewed by Roger Prosise.

One Lil Indian is the story of a nine-year-old Native American girl, Oli, who dreams of going on a family vacation. In her dreams, Oli flies around the world, and at times finds herself among wild animals, thriving in nature as she walks and talks with them. 

Oli's parents are aware of Oli's special gift—one that she could use to help save the environment—but neglect to tell her. This creates tension throughout the story, as the reader learns of Oli’s mission and her inherent struggles.

When Oli connects with the Great Spirit, she demonstrates her belief in the existence of a Greater Power or God and how the Great Spirit was there to help her. When Oli’s parents give gifts to the many people who helped raise her, the reader learns more about Native American culture, the sweat lodge ceremony, and how prayer is used to help the sick. 

As Oli gets ready for her trip, she packs a medicine wheel, which is a part of the Menominee culture. When Oli spotted a hawk near her Uncle Bob's house, who she thought to be Bob, the bird wished her well and left her with the message: take care of Mother Nature and Mother Nature has a way of taking care of you. 

Does Oli overcome her fears, and is the Great Spirit there to help her? What does Oli find on her mission to China, and how does she get there? These are questions that carry the reader through the story to a final resolution.

The fact that the protagonist of the story is a little girl is a wonderful example for other girls. Oli has dreams, is brave, but still struggles with fears. The story is suspenseful, moves at a good pace, and is filled with authentic dialogue and beautiful illustrations.  

One Lil Indian, the first book of a series, is one that will capture the imagination of, and appeal to, young children with its talking animals (anthropomorphism) and the rescuing of a little girl. It's a chapter book that would work well for a read-aloud in elementary school classrooms, and the themes—save the environment and diversity—are timely messages for young people.

Book Review: Obsession

Obsession. Patricia Rosemoor. Dangerous Love Publishing, January 17, 2020, E-book, 234 pages.

Reviewed by Lisa Sherman.

Patricia Rosemoor’s Obsession tells the story of Chicago homicide detective, Camille Martell, who is obsessed with bringing a sexual predator named Angel to justice.

Removed from the case and wracked with guilt after Angel succeeds in luring his third victim, Camille continues searching for the so-called Chat Room Predator in her off-duty hours, only to discover that her contact with him has inadvertently put her fourteen-year-old neighbor, Sandy, in danger.

Desperate for help, she turns to the private investigation firm run by her former mentor, only to discover that her mentor's brother, a private investigator named Drago Nance, has been assigned to the case. Drago is a man with whom she'd spent one steamy weekend years ago that neither of them has been able to put out of their minds.

Now forced together as they work tirelessly to find Angel before he harms Sandy, questions arise as to whether Camille and Drago will be able to save Sandy and whether they will rediscover a connection with each other that is deeper than they ever could have imagined.

It’s easy to see why Patricia Rosemoor is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Obsession. Tension is maintained throughout as we fear for Sandy’s safety and the safety of Camille and Drago. The criminal case was not the only element of tension in Obsession; the romance between Camille and Drago pops off the page. Rosemoor does a phenomenal job of creating sizzling chemistry and desire between Camille and Drago.

I also really enjoyed the descriptions of Chicago in the book. The references to Chicago neighborhoods like Logan Square, among others, made me feel like I was right there walking the city streets with the characters. Also, the details regarding the criminal justice system rang true, making the story come even more to life. 

Overall, I am very glad I had the opportunity to read Patricia Rosemoor’s novel Obsession. Readers who enjoy romantic thrillers, and suspense in general, will enjoy the story. I know I will definitely be checking out more of her novels.