~Mailbox Monday~

Books that I received last week were:

Painting the Invisible Man by Rita Schiano: Based on a true event... In 2001, while researching the online archives of her hometown newspaper for a client, freelance writer Rita Schiano made a keying error a simple mistake that led her to a path she d been avoiding most of her life; on a journey inside the world of her father, killed gangland-style more than two decades ago. Schiano turned that difficult journey into an engrossing novel, "Painting The Invisible Man," which explores the complex dynamics of growing up in an Italian family on the fringes of the Mafia. Employing philosophical insight and a sardonic wit, Schiano vividly takes the reader through myriad brushstrokes as her character paints the unfinished portraits of both her father and herself. ~From Librarything.com.

In The Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor: Immerse yourself in this highly anticipated political docu-drama set in the Deep South amidst the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement.
Martha was a young white girl living in the Deep South, inundated with the racist sentiments of the times. But Martha's natural curiosity and generous heart led her to question this racial divide. When she discovered a primitive Negro family living deep in the woods near her house, everyone's life changed forever.
Take the journey of a lifetime alongside Martha as she forges relationships that lead to self discovery and a clearer understanding of the world around her. In the Land of Cotton provides an outstanding snapshot of life in the South during those troubled times - a snapshot everyone should take a close look at, regardless of era or color. ~From Amazon.com

When I'm Not Myself by Deborah J. Wolf: Once again, with astonishing truth and refreshing humor, Deborah J. Wolf brilliantly depicts a woman's real joys and sorrows during love, loss, and starting anew...Sometimes a marriage is over long before it officially ends. When Cara's husband packs a bulging suitcase and leaves her for a younger woman ironically named Barbie, Cara can only say, "That's it?" before the tears begin. Now Cara has lost three dress sizes while picking up the pieces of her life with four kids and no man, and a mother whose idea of support involves detailing how Cara didn't do enough to save the marriage. But she is surviving with the help of her best friends: Melanie, aka Mel-the-fixer-of-everything, who feels that faithless Jack's departure is the best thing that could have happened; Leah, solid as a rock, who is always there to lean on; and Paige, the casserole queen, who shows up with mac-n-cheese and sympathy.

Despite frustrations and self-doubts, Cara is learning to hope and heal as she transforms from a long-suffering wife to the vibrant, self-assured woman she was meant to be. But the road to Cara's brighter future is strewn with complications, especially when the "other woman" asks for a favor...and Cara's path takes a poignant twist on the road to happiness. ~From Librarything.com.

What was in your mailbox today?