Review by New York Times Review
Originally named after the Hindu goddess Kali - associated with chaos, change and empowerment - Paula Vauss has appropriately enough become a formidable divorce lawyer: "I had on sleek black stilettos, their blood-red soles promising all kinds of carnage." Still uncomfortable in her copper-colored skin, she is haunted by her difficult past and the phone call she made as a girl that sent her mother to jail, decimating the bond they've never recovered. "Making amends was not my forte; any fortes I had lay in the entirely opposite direction," she says. "I could break things in a thousand ways." When an odd letter suggests her mother is dead, she doesn't have time to mourn the what-ifs, because suddenly she's a big sister with at least one sibling lost in the system. And not only does she need her emotionally wounded private-eye ex-lover to help her find the child, she might just love him too. Shifting from wrecking ball to bridge builder is challenging, but sets Paula on a journey of self-discovery and forgiveness. The unconventional characters in Jackson's books often provide thought-provoking studies of love and loyalty; this must-read also contemplates the transformative power of storytelling.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [February 7, 2016]
Review by Booklist Review
In her seventh novel, the popular Jackson puts the spotlight on a minor character from her previous novel, Someone Else's Love Story (2013). Paula Vauss is a tough Atlanta divorce attorney with a skeptical view of relationships. She grew up with her hippie mom, Kai, who was constantly on the move, had a string of boyfriends, and loved to tell stories woven through with Hindu mythology. But Paula hasn't seen her mom in 15 years, and their history includes a very painful passage when Kai was in prison and Paula in foster care. When Paula receives a cryptic note from Kai indicating that she is seriously ill, the hard-bitten lawyer crumbles, asking her ex-lover, Birdwire, an investigator who has had his heart broken by Paula, for help in locating Kai. Jackson excels at weaving a wholly absorbing story with vivid characters. Paula's fractious relationship with Birdwire is the highlight as the two sparring, onetime lovers renegotiate their relationship. A bit too heavy on the Hindu mythology, this novel, nonetheless, makes some affecting points about the importance of the stories we tell to each other and to ourselves.--Wilkinson, Joanne Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The voice is hard-boiled and the plot engrossing in Jackson's (Someone Else's Love Story) new novel, a realistic, contemporary story with a mystery driving it. In a twist, the troubled detective protagonist is no screwed-up male with substance abuse issues and an inability to commit (although there is one in the story); rather, she is hard-nosed, mixed-race, divorce lawyer Paula Vauss, nicknamed Kali (as in the fearsome Hindu goddess) by her feckless but charming mother Kai. Paula has settled near Atlanta, where she tries to push away everyone she cares about, but this becomes impossible when her past and present converge. She hasn't seen her mother Kai in years; then, the monthly check she sends to her is returned with a cryptic message, and a half-brother, Julian, whom she didn't know she had, shows up. Although Paula is rough and reckless, Jackson makes her an easy character to root for by vividly depicting her inner struggle and past. This is an excellent read with a fresh take on the detective genre. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Library Journal Review
Born blue and named Kali Jai for the Hindu goddess, Paula Vauss is estranged from her mother and has worked diligently to overcome her transient childhood. When her monthly check to her mom (to pay off her karmic debt) is returned with a puzzling note, Paula is forced to examine her troubled past. VERDICT Jackson's fans will find much to love and new readers will delight in compelling plot twists, unforgettable characters, and strong storytelling. (LJ 1/16) © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A tough divorce lawyer with a troubled past is forced to revisit her childhood when she discovers her estranged mother is probably dead and may have left another child behind. Paula Vauss was born to a free-spirited teen mother who nicknamed her Kali, after the Hindu goddess of change and destruction. The two traveled across the South, Paula's mother taking up with men who'd shelter her and her young daughter for a time, then growing restless and taking to the road againa lifestyle that worked much better for a young child than for a preteen beginning to exist outside her mother's influence. When an ill-fated move lands mother and daughter with a low-level drug dealer, Paula makes a phone call that will change their lives forever and drive a wedge through their close, loving relationship. Years later, still trying to atone for that devastating act and make sense of her subsequent reinvention into a hardscrabble fighter who survived foster care, law school, and her mother's scathing silence, Paula discovers she may have siblings, including a young child who may be lost in the system. Traveling back through her memories, Paula looks for guidance from her itinerant childhood and the stories her mother told her, an odd combination of Hindu mysticism and Southern mythmaking: "I was born in Alabama. My mother invoked Kali on the black and bloody soil of the American South, and she didn't get renewal, hope, or springtime. She got me." She'll also have to re-evaluate her sense of self, since suddenly, rather than burning bridges, she may have to forgive herself enough to let others in and create deep connections. Jackson delivers another quirky, Southern-based, character-driven novel that combines exquisite writing, vivid personalities, and imaginative storylines while subtly contemplating race, romance, family, and self. A searing yet ultimately uplifting look at broken people who heal themselves and each other through forgiveness, love, and the power of stories. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.