Product Description
Annabel Abbott's twin sister Julia has committed suicide. This act turns Annabel's life upside down. She simply cannot comprehend why Julia, who had everything, would call her life a senseless rip-off and put an end to it. While Annabel, the studious one, the boring insurance consultant, has doggedly kept moving forward year after year. The detectives who have responded to her call have no explanations to offer, but one of the pair, Harry Schoenman, is very taken with Annabel and offers unexpected comfort.

Their brief affair results in Annabel's pregnancy and also inspires her decision to create a special pregnancy insurance company for women. Working with her feisty assistant Joan and her equally feister lawyer, Frieda, Annabel begins putting her company together -- along the way encountering nonstop negativism from the men with whom she has to deal.

Surprisingly, the person who seems to understand best what it is she's attempting to do, and who takes a personal interest in Annabel is her doctor, Rhys Bowen.

As Annabel's due date draws nearer, she is forced to turn everything over to Joan and, resigned, goes home to wait for the arrival of the baby. And, frighteningly, the birth of the child proves as daunting and dangerous -- but, finally, as deeply rewarding -- as everything else in her life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Suicide, Feminism, and a little Romance Thrown in for good measure
Charlotte Vale Allen's books tend to touch upon certain social issues.In Julia's Sister, Allen touches upon suicide and feminism.Abigail is Julia's sister. Although outwardly successful, Julia commits suicide in her penthouse apartment. Abigail becomes romantically involved with the detective, Harry, who is assigned to investigate her sister's undetermined death. Abigail decides she wants a child, so she intentionally becomes pregnant by Harry.However, Abigail could also see that Harry was not the person she wanted to build a future with, so she left him. The book then shows the struggle and bias that Abigail faced as an unwed mother.
Julia's Sister was written in the late 1970's, and society, and our values have changed a lot since then. It is one of Allen's earlier works.Although it is not her best work, I have yet to read a bad book by Charlotte Vale Allen. ... Read more

Product Description
The African-born daughter of missionaries, nineteen-year-old Leonie Benedict arrives in New York in 1913.

She knows no one in the city, and she is newly pregnant as a result of her love affair with her cousin's husband, journalist Grayson Marlowe. Refusing to be afraid in this strange and challenging new world, and using her brief experience in a restaurant, she undertakes to open her own eating establishment.

Rose Manero, the first person she hires will, in time, become not only a friend for life but a partner in what evolves into a successful chain of restaurants.

Having given up hope of ever again seeing the father of her child, Leonie gets on with her life, and loses both a dear friend and a lover to the First World War and to the Spanish Influenza epidemic that follows. Yet she forges ahead.

Set in the period between the start of WWI and the end of WWI, we travel through the time with Leonie, her children, Grayson, and Rose; following the social and political events of the time. With a heart and a spirit that will not be broken, Leonie is a rare and remarkable woman. ... Read more

Product Description
In a panic, Lyle Maxwell takes the first flight out of Sydney and winds up in Perth, spending her days in the hotel swimming pool, trying to deal with the horror of her recent experiences with the man she had come to Australia to marry.

Jimmy Ballard, an older former journalist -- intrigued and touched by the aura of trauma about Lyle -- approaches her, offering to act as tour guide and show her around the beautiful city.

She finds herself telling Jimmy about things she's never before discussed: her famous comedian father who was anything but funny at home, her lifetime of anxiety, and the dreadful mistake she made in committing herself to a man she really didn't know. Jimmy assures her she's merely human; mistakes are allowed. It is an unexpected but valuable absolution. This chance meeting ultimately gives Lyle the strength to pull herself together.

She returns home to discover that her previously well-ordered life has fallen into chaos. Her shop assistant is leaving and in Lyle's absence she has hired a young Vietnam vet as a replacement. This change in itself is upsetting but then Lyle learns she is seriously ill and must have surgery.

While she is in the hospital, the running of her needlepoint shop is taken over by Jess Kelsey who gradually infiltrates her life and her affections. But Jess is suffering the effects of his experiences in Vietnam and before they can be together, they must be apart.

In Jess's absence, believing he may never return, Lyle finally sheds her past history -- along with her business and her old attitudes -- and out of love and desperation, she reinvents herself.

... Read more

Product Description
The Burgess family of Remington Park is not like other families. Lisette is a mother who loves too much; who is troubled but doesn't know why; who needs, but doesn't know what it is she needs. Ray is a father distanced from his children, deeply in love with his wife, absorbed in his career.

Dana, Gaby and Glenn are the products of this marriage. Three confused and uncertain people who keep trying, and failing, to make their way in the world.

It is Glenn, the youngest child, who is the ultimate focus of this book; a greatly talented, but bewildered young woman who relies on alcohol to help her find some sort of path through her life. And it is Cory, son of Gaby and grandson of Lisette, who -- against the odds, in spite of the circumstances -- knows exactly what he wants and has a powerful inner direction that will allow him to attain it. And it is Cory, too, who, remarkably, has a gift for what everyone else in the family wants but has such difficulty finding: love.

The Burgesses are three generations of complex, talented, and driven people, all of whom have been deeply, permanently influenced by the lost and loving Lisette. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful story
This is my 8th novel by Ms Vale Allen and I am planning to read them all if I live long enough. This was written in 1978, which may be among her very early works and I believe it is my very favorite. It is the stormridden saga of an unusual family, it is really the story of the baby, Glenn, the little sister who spends her life looking for true love. Her parents, Lisette and Ray, are a poet and a tv producer or star. They figure early on and produce these 3 very talented children but bow out rather quickly. All the characters in this book deserve their own book. The oldest daughter, Gaby, isn't very likeable but produces a wonderful son who goes on to do great things. Remember this was written in 1978 and Ms. Vale Allen had some good foresight in what Corey undertakes. Then there is Dana, the writer, very successful and worth knowing. He has some special problems which are fixed in the end. I guess they could be termed "fixed".. But, you can't help loving and identifying with Glenn, a gifted artist and a writer, who finds love after all even though things seem rough in the interim. I suspect Ms. Vale Allen is an artist in her own right as I have just finished Painted LIves in which art figures prominently. I wish I could write like this. ... Read more

Product Description
There are the visible flaws and the not-so-visible flaws, but everyone has them -- or thinks they do.

In the case of Caley Burrell, her flaws are very visible. Being sent face-first through the windshield of a car has left her irreparably, shockingly damaged. And after a number unsuccessful surgical procedures, she has said, No more. As a result of the accident, her life is as shattered as her face and she now wants either a beginning or an end.

To all outward appearances Martin Maddox has it all: a wife and twin sons he adores, and great success as a painter. But Martin is a drunk, and his wife Marian has had enough. She's leaving Martin, taking the boys back to England. And he can't seem to bring himself to do the one thing that would stop this happening: give up drinking.

Caley sets off on the highway in her big rattletrap car. And Martin flies to England in pursuit of his family, vowing to re-establish control of his life. But it is not to be.

Two people traveling somewhat aimlessly on paths that are destined to converge. And when they arrive at the intersection, their faith and trust is to be put to one last test. They must each decide how much flaws, visible or invisible, actually matter to human interaction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Very Special
This is my 15th of Ms. Charlotte's 37 (?) wonderful novel's and I plan to get through them all as she is a wonderful author. I hope she does a sequel of this one, especially Martin who is the most wonderful man in Literature. He is sooo sweet and lovable.I wonder how Ms. Vale Allen thinks up all her various plots and stories???I only wish I had her talent.

Exquisite!
This is a novel so grounded in painful, yet humorous, reality that it is positively gripping. Following the separate paths of Caley Burrell and Martin Maddox, the reader travels along with the two central characters, waiting for that moment when their paths intersect. And when they do, the physically shattered Caley and the recovering alcoholic Martin are funny and touching and tentative. This is a book about losses and about the possibility of small gains; it's about how fate will send you flying through the windowshield of a car, causing you to become horribly disfigured; it's about how an alcoholic can lose everyone he loves, regain them, get sober, and, even then, having done everything right, suffer unthinkable losses. That these two unlikely people find each other is surprising, and wonderful, and completely believable. A lovely, thoughtful book that delves far below the surface to find what is really important, really valuable, in human interchange. Don't miss this! It's a gem. ... Read more

Product Description
Mattie Sylvester, a widow of one of America's most celebrated painters, reveals the sordid truth of the past, and of her husband, to her secretary. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

awesome
i am an artist myself and it was great to finally read a book about an artist.the characters were great, a little sketchy at first, but cva makes you want to keep reading to find out more.you end up loving mattie and wishing you were part of the story itself.i read the book every night before i went to bed, and i liked it soo much it only took me a week and a half to read.i definitely was not expecting the twist at the end, but it made it worth while. absolutely one of my favorite books. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

A quiet and unusual romance.
Sarah Breswick, born with a harelip & mistreated as a child, has carved out a backwater life for herself and is content if not totally happy.Then she meets free-wheeling Simon Fitzgerald, an openly bisexual man, and they find themselves drawn together.Their relationship proves beneficial to both of them:she gains the confidence to get her final reconstruction surgery and venture out of her cocoon, and he finds a new security and steadiness that allows his acting career to finally take off.This is a "quiet" character driven romance of the old school and lacks the torrid sex scenes that have become so formulaic in today's romances.The author has a deft hand with details and relationships that keeps the reader coming back for more.

It seemed that someone was telling me their life story.
This is the story of a woman, born with a hair-lip in London, who lost both parents in World War II.She was shut in a room from birth until she was 7 because of her lip, then went to live with an uncle.The book tellsof her life from age 35 until the present, how she learned to love and livea normal life.I especially liked the way the book made me feel that I wasreading the words of some one telling me their life story.Nothing seemedcontrived, all of the characters actions and decisions seemed real.Ienjoyed reading this book and was anxious to keep reading to see how herlife turned out. ... Read more

Product Description
Twenty-two-year-old Margot Seaton meets Paul Rayburn at a party. He is six years older, funny, impulsive, and charming. She's immediately taken by his role-playing, his funny voices and accents, his whimsy. And in a spur-of-the-moment decision, agrees to marry him only days after they meet.

Ignoring the small voice in her head that urges caution, and ignoring all the good advice her parents ever gave her, she begins a life with a man she scarcely knows.

Initially, it's fun. But then Paul begins dictating the terms of her life, where she can and cannot go, what she should and shouldn't do. She must pay -- initially in small but upsetting ways -- for what she wants. But as time goes by, the payments evolve into ever worse acts of abuse.

Margot is being harmed, physically and emotionally, and she's too ashamed and too frightened to confide in her parents. So the assaults continue, growing worse with the passage of time. Until, finally, fearing for her life and with the support of her parents, Margot runs.

She finds work keeping house for Cameron Harley and his father Claude. It is a surprising and ill-kept sanctuary where Margot gradually rediscovers herself and her ability to trust others.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Pain from Abuse
I read this book in two days.It was wonderful.I could feel the physical and emotional pain that Margot experienced at the hands of her husband.My stomach would acturally knot up when Paul walked into the room.Margot's fear is pertrayed in such a way that it becomes so real to the reader.

I loved the old man,Claude, and the way he and Margot related to each other. I wish Cameron's character had been developed more in debt.I was never sure of how he was going to handle a situation.

The ending was spectacular.The reader feels the struggle Margot goes through to cross over the barrier of fear she has built around herself.

No Mixed Emotions Over This!
This is one of Charlotte Vale Allen's earlier books and,if you have not yet read it, I highly recommend it. Margot meets Paul at a party and is immediately smitten by his charm. After a brief courtship they marry in haste. It is only then that Margot realizes that Paul is not the person she thought he was. He becomes abusive and Margot is shattered by his change. Carefully planning her escape, she leaves all behind and starts anew in another city as a maid to Cameron and his father,Claude. Still fearful and haunted by her past with Paul,she slowly emerges as the person she once was and changes the lives of the people she is now with.As always,Charlotte's characters come to life.It is one of her great talents to make all of the people she writes about real. You can almost feel the pain that Margot suffered from Paul and live vicariously thru her;following her to her new life as if it were your own.Charlotte Vale Allen writes with such feeling and emotion that you become completely involved in her stories.

A good read!
Margot is young, vibrant, and outgoing.She meets Paul at a party and ischarmed by his attentions.After marrying quickly, Margot realizes toolate that she has made a mistake.She proceeds to endure the consequenceswhich affect both herself and her family.What follows is a powerfulcharacter study of how Margot chooses to deal with the violence and abuse,escape from it, and try to find her own self once again.Charlotte ValeAllen is a wonderful writer and you will find yourself having "mixedemotions" as you become immersed in the different characters andsituations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Just the best
This little workbook is something quite amazing. The author, who knows the fallout of abuse from a point of personal experience, has created a workbook that is a series of questions. But those questions are the most important ones for anyone who has ever suffered any form of abuse. It is a very special tool that can be used to help get people, of any age, talking about their experiences and, in the process, start feeling better about themselves. As far as I know, there is nothing else anywhere that remotely compares to this workbook, and it could only have been created by someone who's lived through it. If you have suffered abuse, or know of someone who has, get this workbook--for yourself or for them. It is something very unique and very special.

A fantastic tool!
This remarkable little workbook could only have been written by someone who had experienced abuse and understood not only the long-term effects but also what questions to ask in order to elicit truthful responses that will be of immense benefit to anyone (young or old) who has suffered from abuse of any kind. There is nothing else like it anywhere, and it is being used by more and more state and private agencies that deal with young people. ... Read more

Product Description
"Illusions" provides an in-depth exploration of the victim/captor relationship that is sympathetic to both parties, allowing readers to see the lengths to which grief can sometimes take people. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Intriguing Read...
Written in 1987, this book was like time travel. Once you get past the smoking everywhere (even on airplanes), it is an intriguing novel. It starts as an innocent conversation on a plane, and evolves into a nightmare. This book is not for the faint of heart, there are some rape scenes that are difficult to read. The end left me gasping, but not for the reasons you might suspect in a suspense novel. Read for yourself and see how you like the ending. In some ways I could make myself see it, but only by focusing on the main characters own deep psychological issues.

An Illusion of a real novel
This novel is like a parody of a suspense novel, bland and unsuspenseful.

After wading through 200 pages of so called character development I was still marveling at the lack of depth that the author manages. Especially Dan, the antagonist. There is absolutly no indication in his personality that he is capable of his crimes. There is vrtually no connection between the Dan of the first half and the second.

So maybe the author was trying to surprise us with this guy's character flaw, but half the fun of reading this type of story is the marvelous sense of forboding that can be developed and which can keep you looking back at the beginning for clues to the dissolution.

But we get none of that here. Nice guy one minute, terrorist the next. So Dan has some issues with his first wife, how exactly does that lead to his need to kidnap?

And are we to believe that the so called strong, independant Leigh really wants to marry a guy who calls her "my little trollop" and other sexist inanities?

The portrayal of New York City aristocrats is shallow. It seems mearly to give the characters the free time to play out the events of the novel.

The ending is totally ridiculous. After raping, beating, torturing and otherwise abusing Leigh she turns around and forgives the guy, doesn't tell the police, and starts hangin with his daughter? Come on.

I suspect that this is a basic bodice buster romance novel trying to make a leap into a serious subject, but fails.

This Book is Not an Illusuon
Leigh Dunn,an illustrator of children's books, is flying to London to visit her father, from whom she has been estranged for years. Having survived the earlier loss of her husband and son, this trip was prompted by the recent death of her beloved stepson,Joel. On the plane she meets Daniel Goddard, a businessman. The two fall into a brief encounter in London,which is only that for Leigh, but is much more for Daniel. After returning to New York ,Leigh,still grieving for Joel and upset over her reunion with her father,cannot re-establish herself in her old life. Her mother, an author of romance novels, and her agent Miles try to encourage her, but she is unable to ,and a quarrel with her mother plunges her deeper into despair. In the meantime,Daniel is becomming obsessed with her and falling deeper into his obsession. Leigh slowly comes back to life,making amends with her mother, and falling in love with Miles. Just at a point where good things are happening to Leigh an unspeakable act by Daniel changes the course of everyones' life, almost destroying everyone.This leads to a very exciting ending. This is an earlier book,1987,of Charlotte Vale Allen's, but is as contemporary as today. As always,her characters have such dimension you feel that they really exist. Her story-line moves quickly forward, never missing a beat. Once started, this book is difficult to put down.

One of the best books I've EVER read!!!!
This book was like reading a dream.It drew me into the story like a magnet.The writing was mysterious, enigmatic.This is her first book I've read and I intend to read everybook she's written.The sex sceneswere well written and very true to life.The plot kept me guessing; Icould not put this book down.A fabulous story which I highly recommend!

A Very Odd Book
I do not reccommend this book. This is probably one of Miss Allen's worst writings. The plot is not very well thought out, and the writing is atrocious. The book has some very sick and disgusting sexual scenes, thatwill make your stomach churn. This book isn't for the faint of heart! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (11)

Somewhat implausible, but forgivable...
It's hard to believe that someone who had been a virtual recluse for 27 years could start venturing outside again simply because of a few moments with a spunky 9-year-old. That aside, the book is full of wonderful characterizations, likeable personas that make you wish you could know Kat or her grandmother. I was happy to learn there was a sequel to their story.

A Little Girl Touches The Life of an Agoraphobic Woman
I enjoyed mostly all of this book by Allen. Lucinda was the main character, who after her mother's death, and learning she was part black, became a terrible recluse. Going out of the house at all terrified her to pieces, and all she could do was stay buried in her own little world indoors.

When Katayna, a black little girl waves to Lucinda in the window, Lucinda is curious. So Lucinda goes out to see what the little girl wants, and strikes an instant strong friendship. This special friendship with Katayna, just might pull Lucinda out of her shell, and force her to examine her life in the past.
Little by little, Lucinda begins to go places and overcome her fear of whatever-which I never understood what it was.

A worthwhile read.

Implausible, yes. Immensely engaging fairytale, YES!
This story is completely transparent, sometimes contived in its name-dropping-for-authenticity-sake style, but it is nevertheless an enjoyable read that focuses on interior issues rather than suspenseful plot-driven drama. Too much surface, not enough substance with regard to agoraphobia and its limitations, as well as the tired romanticized plotline could cause realists to disregard its character-clarity. However, the omnivorous reader will find much to like in the self-ruminations of these individuals, implausibility, aside. I was looking for a light-hearted story without the "Nora Roberts" formula. The sequel, however, simply screams ROMANCE NOVEL. As much as I liked being in this flawed character's head, the author lost me at the end while she was setting up the sequel.

Readable
This is a hard book to review.On one hand, it is a very readable story- it is easy to while away a snowy afternoon turning the pages and absorbing yourself in this book.However, there are SO many faults with the plot.THe story is way too contrived- woman almost never leaves the house, does not speak to anyone over the phone except to place work orders, sees a little girl in her backyard, and within 8 days she is transformed.She's called old friends, made new ones, got a new job... And all because of a too precocious 9 year old girl! It has to be fiction.Never has there been such a neat, happy, ending, where all things are as they should be.Near the end of th book, Lucinda is remarking that she can't beleive it's only been a month...well, neither can we.It's totally impossible to beleivethat this could happen to anyone.

But plausibility aside, the book has its moments.The language is simple, and for anyone who does not wish to see a bad ending, this is perfect.

I wanted to love this book, but it irritated me instead
I really wanted to love this book -- the story sounds so engaging and uplifting, with an inner-city child from the Fresh Air Fund opening up the life of a reclusive young woman. However, I ended up irritated by it instead: the twists and turns of the plot are so far-fetched, particularly the sudden and radical effect the child has on the life of the main character. The way in which the child suddenly appears and instantly rescues someone who's been deeply mired in agoraphobia for years just doesn't seem convincing -- the author is using a "deus ex machina" scenario to solve some very complex problems. The book tries hard to tug at the reader's heartstrings, but for me, the story just never rang true. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (10)

Incredible book
I read this book in two days.It was well-written with execellent character development.I highly recommend it, but don't start it unless you have plenty of time to read, you won't want to put it down!

A Well Story of A Battered Wife's Escape-A+++!
Bobby Salton knows she can't take her sadistic husband's abuse for another day. So at the beginning of the story, she takes her little daughter Penny when the monster isn't home and runs. Driving away in her half-working car, she finds refuge in a rambling house on the Connecticuit shore.

Hired as a live-in companion to Alma Ogilvie, Bobby helps the retired headmistress regain her independence.But Bobby's battered appearance also has a startling effect, especially on Eva Rule, Alma's niece, a successful author.

Three very different women grapple with dreams of haunted pasts, and yet form a tenuous bond. Just as they begin to look to to the future, the past catches up with them. Bobby's husband, for one thing, is still on the run looking everywhere for Bobby.

A very absorbing book and hard to put it down.

If OnLy ShE cOuLd StAnD Up FoR hErSeLf~
3 women...3 pasts...3 futures...what will happen to Bobby when Joe finds her? Or will Joe find her? Bobby and her daughter are being abused by Joe, Bobby's husband, they ran away to get away from the abuse. Bobby found a job as a "care-taker" and she nurses an old lady named Alma...who loves children. Alma's niece, Eva, is a writer and quite good...until she stopped writing about things she love...so in the end...will Bobby and Penny be able to stay away from Joe? Find out for yourself and read the book!

Not for the faint-hearted
There's nothing superficial about the female characters in this book.Starting with the little girl, Penny, and moving to the eldest woman in the story, each unique character is described with increasing depth and detail.The same cannot be said for the depth of the male characters, but at least the good guys outnumber the bad.Be prepared for some VERY realistic perspectives on domestic abuse from every possible angle: the victims, the abuser, the children, and the friends.

An Inspiring Read
I really enjoyed reading this book from the first page to the last. Not only did it capture my attention immediately,but I connected with the characters as though they were my friends. I couldn't put it down!
I'm really tired of reading trivia. I don't feel justified in taking the time to read a book if I don't learn something. Charlotte Vale Allen set the stage in "Dreaming in Color" so we could identify the atrocities of abuse from the perspective of each character (including the child, Penny).
Kudos to the author. Not only did I learn something, but I will be more understanding of abused women in the future. ... Read more

Product Description
Beatrice Crane and Bobby Bradley were Hollywood's greatest movie dance team--until the events of one horrific night changed their lives forever. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Timeless
I've had this book in my library for over 20 years.It is the one book that I come back to, year after year, when I have some free time at the beach or while on vacation.Ms. Vale-Allen's attention to detail in describing the world of Beatrice Crane is outstanding.Even though I've read this book countless times, I still take pleasure in re-visiting the characters and their relationships.It's a great work of fiction with life lessons embedded throughout the story.If you want to escape into a world of spotlights and glamor, and learn something on the way, please pick up this book.You will not regret it.

Another brilliant book by Charlotte Vale Allen
From a small girl, Beatrice Crain is one smart cookie.She has the gift to dance, and dance she does!She proved herself and went on to become a professional dancer and even made movies.Her dancing partner, Bobby Bradley is also a good dancer, but has a bit of a struggle finding himself in the beginning.This book is definitely about love, finding it and keeping it.I don't think Charlotte Vale Allen has written a bad book, at least none that I've found. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (17)

Interesting for the ending
When I began "Grace Notes," by Charlotte Vale Allen (my first time to read this author), I found myself drawn into it. But the only part of the story I found interesting was Grace's e-mail relationship with Stephanie. That is, in the very beginning. Toward the middle, it was starting to get repetitve, and I will admit that it was very unrealistic. In the midst of all of this, I did skip over entirely the scenes which dealt with Grace's life taking care of her ill brother. I read it in the beginning, just to get to know the characters, but after a while I found her life taking care of Gus rather boring. I suppose because it paled in comparison to Stephanie's story. And I didn't like Grace's daughter Nicky at all for some reason. I don't know what it was about her, but she just got on my nerves. Nicky was supposed to be twenty-two, and seemed more like the typical young teenager (her room always a mess, etc.) By twenty-two, I would have thought the character should have been a little more matured than that. As for Stephanie, if I had been Grace, I wouldn't have trusted her. When Stephanie first introduced herself to Grace, her story seemed truthful enough. But as Stephanie began writing more and more to Grace, her story just took on an unrealistic tone. I couldn't believe any parent could be that hateful of their child as Stephanie's parents were supposedly hateful of her, and her sick husband should have been hung. Can anyone in real life be that abusive toward their own wife? Laughing, making fun of her, taunting her the way he did...I found it terribly unrealistic. Grace was rather unrealistic also, for not being the slightest suspicious of the whole thing. I found the story interesting enough to finish, however. I found myself drawn into it enough to wonder how it would end.

People are never who they seem to be...
Author Grace Loring - drawing upon her own background with an abusive husband - is accustomed to readers emailing her for advice regarding their own situations. However, she's taken off guard when she receives an email from Stephanie Baine, a young woman whose stories about physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of her husband and parents are as horrific as anything Grace has ever heard.

Quickly becoming drawn into Stephanie's life, Grace is determined to help her save herself. As Stephanie begins to email her with increasing frequency - and increasing levels of horror in the tales she recounts - Grace finds herself becoming more and more consumed with Stephanie's life.

Then, Grace begins to have doubts regarding the things Stephanie's told her...and even about Stephanie herself. Does someone named Stephanie Baine really exist? And if she does, is she truly being abused...or is there something else going on here?

Throughout her days of communicating with Stephanie and taking care of her invalid brother Gus, Grace finds herself involuntarily pulled back into her own memories of the past. Essentially, she's so colored by her own experiences that she never stops to consider someone might be toying with her...something that might often happen in various real-life situations.

Readers might suspect what might happen next, but the ending is a true surprise. This is one of Allen's finest works!

Tugs at the heart strings but not hard enough
Grace Loring was once married to someone who abused her. She quickly got herself and her baby girl out of the house and went to her brother's house in Vermont. Her brother Gus looked after them just as Grace would look after him years later when he was sick. Grace and Gus were both adopted. Their adoptive parents are not remembered fondly by either of them. Grace is a successful author but has not written anything in a while, overburdened with the issues of care giving. There are many loving relationships in this book, Grace and her daughter Nicola, Grace and Vinnie, Gus and Jerry, but they're pushed aside to deal with the emotional ramifications of his illness. Grace gets involved with a young abused wife from Virginia who contacted her by e-mail. Her story sounds tragic and Grace is worried. Towards the end, it is somewhat expected that Stephanie is not who she says she is. Grace and Gus finally realize how important their relationships are but by then you are at the last page. The message of this novel is strong but it was over too soon.

Great Book-Couldn't Put it Down!
I always enjoy Charlotte Vale Allen's books. This was one of the best.

Grace Loring was a lucky woman when she and her daughter escaped from her abusive husband and went to live with her brother Gus in Vermont.

Grace becomes a successful author later, and has many loyal fans of her writing. She is always one to be sympathetic when she hears others stories like those of her own. However, when one girl, Stephanie Baine e-mails Grace about her abusive husband, and that she must get away, Grace gives her very clear advice. Get away from him as soon as possible.

As weeks pass with many exchanges between the two, the e-mails stop suddenly for no reason. Grace wonders what is going on, and in fact, if this woman is really telling the truth. Grace has the feeling that something far more sinister is going on, and in fact she better watch her back, as this woman could be very dangerous as it turns out.

A very serious book...
I didn't expect the book to be so serious and thought provoking.From the back cover it sounded like a mystery but in reality it was about the life of an abused woman who escaped and ended up taking care of her beloved crippled brother.I actually enjoyed the book very much and it taught me a lot and made me think.The ending was odd and a little abrupt but I'm glad it had a conclusion.I recommend this book to anyone who has had it rough. ... Read more

Product Description
Imagine this: On her deathbed, your mother confesses to an unthinkable crime. Thirty years before, she stole you from a New York City supermarket. She is not your mother. You are somebody's baby, but not hers.This is Snow Devane's story. At thirty-one, she is a successful child portrait photographer living in Manhattan. Her life is everything she wants it to be. And she has managed to establish some distance from the mother she loves but who would, given the opportunity, smother her with caring concern.Her mother's deathbed confession upends Snow's entire life. Who was this woman Snow thought she knew? What drove her to steal another woman's child? What happened to the woman who, thirty years before, turned around to find her baby gone? And, finally, who is Snow Devane?As we travel with Snow on a course strewn with endless obstacles in her search to learn her true identity and that of the woman she knew as her mother, Somebody's Baby takes you to the heart of the issue central to every one of us: the matter of our identity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Somebody's Baby
This is a great book.It kept me reading to see what next is going to happen, whether Snow will find her answers she is seeking. I was however left disappointed by a lot of unanswered questions. You never find out who Ann Cooke really was just a number of different identities. I don't like books that leave me with unanswered questions. I also don't like how the book ended with the letter from Irene. Yes I know that it is good to know that one person got their life figured out but she wasn't the main character and it was Snow's questions I wanted answered. Over all good book but disappointed about the questions not being answered.

A Great Story-Well Worth the Reading Time!
In this story, Snow Devane learns a shocking secret from her mother before she dies of a heart attack. Ann Cook tells her that she kidnapped her from a supermarket 30 years before, and that she never was her mother in the first place.

Hardly believing her mother's words, Snow knows she must check it out. The only way to do so is to go through all of her mother's things in the attic, and find out what information she can. As she does so, Snow finds out that things don't add up. So probing into her mom's business affairs, and with the help of her best friend Katie, they find the truth. After that, it takes a search through the police department to find out who Katie's biological mother is.

I enjoyed the book thoroughly, and would recommend it to anyone wanting a different type of mystery. And it really is.

Saw this title and was intrigued
This is the first book that I have read from this author.I saw this book in a book store and finished it within the same week.

The story is about a young woman whose mother just had a heart attack and is dying and her last wish is to see her "daughter" before she dies.On her deathbed the mother tells the daughter, Snow that she kidnapped her from a supermarket in New York, 30 years prior.Snow- not believing the mother, until the will is read, realizes that she was a missing child to another mother in
New York City.Snow goes on a search for her "missing Life" and her biological Mother.

Great story telling- moved fast and kept you interested throught the whole book.I would recommend this to everyone.

GreatSummer By the Pool Reading
I picked this book up at the library.The title caught my eye and also the description of the story's content.The beginning of the book is exciting and rather sad when Snow's mother confesses her crime of kidnapping.I thought the book dragged until Snow meets her real mother and then cried when she decribed how much they looked like each other.I rejoiced with Snow and her biological mother throughout the rest of the book and when I had finished was surprised how much I actually enjoyed the book.Great summer reading!!

A letdown at the end.
A wonderful storyline which, unfortunately, could also be true.You couldn't help but feel Snow's pain at her mother's deathbed confession, leaving Snow feeling that she has no identity at all.As Snow's search forher biological mother comes to a close, the mystery of the woman who raisedher for the past 30 years is just starting to take hold.The author had awonderful story going here until the end, when you are left hanging.Ihave never liked books that leave open storylines.Even if it is part of aseries, or if there is going to be a sequel, each book should beself-contained and with completed storylines.I feel like I was leftreading half a book.I do hope the author has plans to do a sequel and putclosure to this. ... Read more

Product Description
As her sister's sole heir, Rowena Graham moves into Claudia's house -- their old family home -- and begins to sort out her sister's affairs. She also steps in as manager of Claudia's restaurant and gradually leaves her former life and successful career behind as she relentlessly searched for the truth about her sister's death.There was no note and the suicide verdict feels all wrong. And while her beautiful younger sister had always been difficult and unpredictable -- warm and affectionate one day, calculating and cruel the next -- Rowena is certain Claudia would never have taken her own life.Rowena's unexpected discovery of a trove of documents and photographs unearths a host of secrets -- kept not just by Claudia but by every member of the family. Unraveling a tangle of lies and distortions that hid the dynamics of her family, Rowena uncovers the secret to Claudia's death. And finally sets herself free from the shadows of the past. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Making Her Own Way
Rowena Graham inherits the home and restaurant of her sister Claudia after Claudia’s apparent suicide, but isn’t convinced that her sister would have committed suicide. Claudia quickly leaves behind her old life as head librarian after remodeling the house that hadn’t been changed since they were children. Claudia goes to work in the upscale restaurant, wears her sister’s expensive designer clothes and shoes and drives her Mercedes.

Rowena’s relationship with Claudia had always been turbulent; Claudia was unpredictable, self-centered and often cruel. After Rowena discovers Claudia’s habit of videotaping her ... antics with a string of lovers, Rowena is even more suspicious that one of the lovers might have been involved in her death. Claudia’s former therapist, with whom she claimed she had been having an affair, takes an interest in Rowena but she is reluctant to pursue the relationship with him and somewhat suspicious of his motives.

As the secrets, lies and distortions of her family life gradually unravel, Rowena is even more disturbed with her sister and deceased, alcoholic mother. Rowena had been made to feel for years that she was the plain, ugly unsuccessful sister. Her mother lied to the children for years about the disappearance of their father after the divorce when Rowena was 7.

The book explores the devastating effects of FAE – Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. With the support of some wonderful friends, Rowena starts to get her life back on track and eventually solves the mystery of Claudia’s death. As in other books by Charlotte Vale Allen, you feel you know the characters so well that they have become part of your family, and you are reluctant to leave them behind when the book ends.

Another Great Story by Charlotte Vale Allen!
I recently discovered Charlotte Vale Allen by reading "Illusions", one of her older novels.I become so deeply meshed in the story that I literally wept at the end.I was emotionally drainedand in a daze!She has a way of getting inside a woman's psyche.You knowin your soul that she is an expert on the subjects about which she writes. "Claudia's Shadow" follows the theme that you just never reallyknow a person, not even your own sister.I was captivated until the veryend.I highly recommend her books.I'm working my way through all them. I've not been disappointed yet and I'm on my seventh one! ... Read more

Product Description
It is late winter 1934 in Manhattan when DeeDee Carlson dies after falling from the balcony of her apartment at the Ansonia. Her boyfriend, Chip Stevenson, begs Honoria Barlow-his late mother's closest friend, and his, as well-to look into the circumstances of DeeDee's death.Honoria insists that her experience as a script doctor doesn't qualify her to play gumshoe, but out of love for Chip, and against the wishes of her protective, Russian-born husband, Mikhail, she agrees to do a little sleuthing. This commitment takes Honoria and her assistant, Maybelle, into some of New York's most elegant dwellings where they meet the dead girl's mother and friends. Some of DeeDee's friends adored her; some loathed her. The young woman had many secrets, and as Honoria begins to uncover them, the situation turns as dangerous as the murderously cold weather.With homeless families living in a Hooverville in Central Park, and the popular radio shows, restaurants, nightclubs, and shops, the era is meticulously reproduced; it's black and white, like a film that's the end-product of one of Honoria's doctored scripts. It's Manhattan; it's a clever, unique woman working her way through a puzzle; and, ultimately, it's a matter of whether Honoria will survive the experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Awesome read!
This is the first book I have read from this author, but will not be the last. I sat down for a short break, thinking I would read a chaper or two, and ended up reading the entire book in one evening. I simply could not remove my self from the world of Honoria. If you are looking for an escape, this is it!

Mood Indigo is my favorite book!
Mood Indigo is my favorite book.The writing is excellent.

Mood Indigo is brilliant; it kept me guessing "who did it" until the end.Usually in mystery books I can tell right off the bat who the killer is.But not this time.And usually I can say at least one thing I didn't like about a book.But not this time.

I highly recommend Mood Indigo to anyone who wants to read a mystery with exceptional characters in a time before the internet and cell phones.I guarantee you will not be disappointment.

Charlotte Vale Allen has written many books, all different, and Mood Indigo is no exception.She makes you care about the characters.

Mood Indigo is a must read for mystery buffs.Once you've read the book you will see why it's my all-time favorite book.

Another great book by Charlotte Vale Allen.
I think the part of this book that hooked me was Honoria's energy towards everybody around her.In a time when many people still looked at black people and assumed they were nothing more than hired help, Honoria hired May as her personal assistant and treated her as an equal from day one.When the son of Honoria's best friend comes to her for help (wanting to prove that his fiancee was murdered, and didn't commit suicide) she reluctantly agrees to ask around and see what she can find.Toss in her loyal housekeeper, Mick (her Russian lover who everybody thinks is her husband), and a smattering of other characters and you've got a great story.Aside from the actual story, I liked the fact that the author kept the number of characters minimal so that you didn't have any trouble following who was whom.

perfectly consummated mystery
Wonderful as always, Charlotte develops and then allows us to explore vivid and complex characters. She weaves an amazing tapestry of a book, starting with only a few colors then leading us on with the promise of moreand brilliant additions, and she does not disappoint.

The pace of thisbook is exactly as a novel should be paced -giving us time to savor yetpropelling us to turn the page. There are valuable insights into thereality of abuse even in the setting of the great depression.Add to allof this a perfectly consummated mystery and you have MOOD INDIGO.

Pure Charlotte Vale Allen - Once Again!
The book starts off lightly, like an evocative Blues song -with a couple of instruments playing, teasing us with a hauntingmelody line.We 'witness' the crime and are introduced to some of the main characters.We don't know them well at this point, but they are intriguing enough to keep us reading, wanting to know more.

In Blues tradition, as each new segment of the song is played, more instruments are added, a few at a time, adding depth and power to the resulting sound, and we don't even realize how subtly we've been drawn into the heart of the music.So it is with "Mood Indigo".These are people we'd like to know (most of them, anyway!), and their lives, both past and present, form a rich tapestry which comes to life as we share with them this frigid winter month in the heart of New York City during a year when a lot of us weren't even born yet.The settings in which they operate and the clothes they wear, as well as the language they use, draw us back into that era.

As the rhythm of this story picks up momentum, all of the players are now in place, interacting with each other in fascinating, surprising ways, giving us entrancing 'solo' action at unexpected moments.Their individual 'melody lines' weave in and out, all headed in the same direction, but traveling in their own unique way.Honoria, who occupies the pivotal position in the story, is all at the same time strong and vulnerable, in control and at the mercy of, loved and feared - wonderfully, powerfully human. She is the rich, underlying 'melody line' throughout the piece, and her commitment and loyalty draw the remaining players along with her, including us as observers to their drama.We follow eagerly, gratified to be involved.

The end of the 'song' is approaching, all the 'players' are in full swing.The mystery has drawn us in, full of surprising twists, giving us clues, so far, but no answers.We proceed quickly, devouring paragraphs in great gulps as the story expands.We attempt to take it all in, not wanting to miss anything along the way.Once everyone's part in the performance has been disclosed to the fullest (in a song), and the characters' roles have been defined, giving us the answers to our questions (in a story), the individuals begin to slowly withdraw from the inner circle, backing away one or two at a time, leaving Center Stage to the one with the lead melody line."Mood Indigo" follows this path.The music slowly fades in our heads, and the book is reluctantly closed, because we're not yet ready to be finished with either the entertaining 'song' or the remarkable people whose lives we've shared.

From the haunting picture on the cover to the last typewritten line, "Mood Indigo" will captivate its readers, as it gives us yet another pearl to add to our string of Charlotte Vale Allen treasures.I laughed out loud, cried real tears, and was disappointed only by the fact that the end of the story came so soon. My thanks, once again, to the author! ... Read more