Helen Bonner's Web site

The reviews are in for The Dolphin Papers, which came out last fall. You can read the one from US Review of Books on my published works page. That review compares me to Mary Shelly, who wrote Frankenstein, but my favorite so far is the one that just came in from Susan Hauser, award winning Minnesota writer. Here it is:

"The Dolphin Papers is the fourth book by Helen Bonner that I’ve read. (The others are The Laid Daughter, Cry Dance and First Love Last.) Her writing does not always make me feel comfortable. In order to get to her stated goal of writing about what brings us together, she also has to write about what keeps us apart. She does this unflinchingly. With eyes wide open, she describes how we humans are with each other. In The Dolphin Papers, she extends the story into the natural world, specifically the marine world. Here she dares to imagine our return to the sea in the form of a girl-child raised from birth in a pool with a dolphin. Frankly, the story creeps me out a bit but, as with all good art, the means and matter of the telling carry me along: Bonner is a poetic storyteller with a sense of the sound and shape of language. “White trunks of eucalyptus, stripped like bones, threw barred shadows in scattered patterns across the slope.” It is said that good art makes the new sound familiar and the familiar sound new. Bonner does that with this story. If you like strong characters deftly drawn, if you like to steal a glimpse behind the barricade of everyday reason, if you like to lose yourself in a good book, then I think you will like this novel. Bonner is a trustworthy guide: you will be in strange territory but will never be adrift. She takes your hand, walks you through the story, returns you to the sea, from whence we all came."

I'm also delighted to be visiting the AAUW Book Lovers and Page turners in February. Each member of this group has read at least one of my books. No visitors, but I will be reporting on the discussion that follows, sure to be fascinating, on this web site.

A nice surprise. A recent call from the Mountain Democrat, California's oldest newspaper. My book, First Love Last, finally made it's way to the hands of one of their reporters, Wendy Schultz. I came from Placerville and was once a reporter for that same newspaper, so I was delighted to get a request for an interview, and afterward Wendy Schultz wrote a fine insightful review for their book column. The review begins: What if you could go back in time and heal old wounds -- eliminate pain from the past from limiting your life in the present? Helen Bonner had that opportunity when her ex-husband showed up at their 57th El Dorado High School reunion, an almost miraculous appearance from a man how had never attended any previous reunion....

Recently the Mountain Ranch Book club chose Cry Dance as its Book of the Month, and this month’s hostess, Sheri Boesch, invited me to their annual dinner. I love hearing readers talk about my work. What I’ve noticed over time is their responses are a weaving together of who they are and what I have written. Young women, for example, will focus in on Lorinda’s love life, young men are sometimes angry for how Richard behaved. Older women might be concerned about what happened in L.A. “How could she do that?” One Native American felt the whole book ended when Bonnie, a Paiute, died. Almost no one pays much attention to the sub title - What if there was no death? One woman’s comment was “I don’t like books that make me think.” I noticed she thought about it anyway. These book clubs are great feedback for me. Thanks to all of you.

Our 7th Annual Goldrush Writers Retreat in historic Mokelumne Hill will be on May 4, 5, & 6 this year, and as always, will bring in outstanding writers and poets to inspire and delight us. The final choices for dynamic speakers and workshops will be made soon. Follow the link to Goldrush Writers and sign up early! I hope to see you there.

A few months ago I had the opportunity of a lifetime - My idol from the 70's, Gloria Steinem, visited 3 Stages in Folsom. We got to talk before her lecture, she signed my copy of her book and took a signed copy of Cry Dance home with her. This dynamic woman is definitely not "stuck in the past" -- her lecture was all about where we need to go from here to continue the work begun back then. I was lucky enough to get a picture of the two of us, which I will use on the back cover of MSdemeanors, a book about the seventies, which I hope to revise soon.

Both my novel, Cry Dance, and my memoir, First Love Last, competed with thousands for the Writer’s Digest International Small Publisher Book Awards and received “close but no cigar” certificates. Judge 48 wrote of Cry Dance: “Intriguing plot. Helen Bonner has woven an interesting premise with a fascinating plot. The concept is compelling and includes enough suspense to keep the reader turning pages. The situation has a unique twist that sets the story apart. The author’s voice rings through without being intrusive. Bonner’s superior writing skills are showcased in Cry Dance. The cover, however, does not do it justice.” I’m happy with that. A cover can be changed.

For First Love Last Judge 37 wrote: “Beautiful writing, a story well told. I was impressed by the love affair AND by her husband’s comments near the end. I was especially moved by the pillow talk; that part of their relationship was perhaps more intimate than sex. And the sex was delightful. I wonder how much effort it cost introvert Tom to open up with someone? His slip of the tongue about Betty revealed a good deal. Other than two mistakes regarding names, the book is WONDERFUL.” Happy with that too! ...but not happy with the errors. I fixed them and had it republished.

I'm excited and delighted to report that my breakthrough Novel, Cry Dance, is getting great reviews.

Reviewed by Jenny Luper, The US Review of Books

"She smells of alcohol and perfume. She leans over and gives me a kiss, somehow vague, as if it were blown to me."
Blending aspects of romance, new age, and chick lit, Cry Dance follows the journey of a young woman through love, loss, and a return to self. Lorinda has grown up with only the memory of her mother and the belief that there is no death. Though she tries to keep her faith in love, circumstances put her faith to the test. She is heartbroken when she finds her lover believes she has betrayed him, and a possible charge of murder pending against her doesn't help matters. Three name changes, burgeoning fame, and the loss of a loved one later, Lorinda decides on what shall be her true self and her true name.

This new take on a romance provides many surprises. In a story interspersed with tones of new age fiction and self-help books, an unexpectedly quick pace pushes through an action-filled plot. While not giving away any spoilers, the ending is satisfying in a unique way, taking care to avoid clichés. Bonner is also adept at bringing in the senses when creating a landscape for her characters. Whether a scene is set in a bedroom, the desert, or a run-down nightclub, the surroundings are shown by a clear sense of texture, sight, and sound. This technique provides a firm sense of setting, allowing the reader to more fully delve into the novel's themes of betrayal and redemption. Bonner's skill in peppering her novel with these sweet, yet melancholy details give a refreshing depth of tone to Cry Dance.
The US Review of Books

And another review: Just finished Cry Dance last evening. I was so captivated that I stayed up til midnight just to finish it. It's a great read. It really captures the ambiance of the Bishop area, and LA, and the difficulties of growing up between cultures, Native American vs. Anglo and rural vs. city. I'll look forward to reading your other books.
-- Kathe Hughes, Cameron Park, CA.

On my recent visit to El Paso Community College, (where the book was taught along with Barbara Kingsolver and Orson Scott Card!) Professor David Henry said, "the novel is deep, profound, and spiritual." His students clearly like the book, like Richard and Lorinda, and find the issues pertinent, since some have served in the Middle East or have relatives there, and others are bi-cultural.

Professor David Henry wrote: Bonner's Cry Dance is a very good book. Her central character is a young woman who is blessed with advanced intuitive abilities and an understanding of human-ness that can only be inborn, not learned. The young woman has the inate ability to caste light on any person or any environment she touches.
But this young woman draws some extremely challenging life experiences, and she struggles mightily to find the light within those situations. In the process, she inadvertently brings some very difficult circumstances to those she loves. Working through her challenges and learning to forgive herself are the primary focuses of this fine novel. I highly recommend it.
-- David Henry, Lit Professor, EPCC

Geri Cartier reports of her book club, Mountain Ranch Booklovers, "We fell in love with Cry Dance. It is exciting as well as informative. A page-turner."

And LLee of Mountain Ranch wrote:
I loved Cry Dance. This is quite a departure for you to be writing fiction and I think it's going to be very well recieved. It's got it all: love stories, exotic locations, deeper meanings, wow!
Love you,
L.Lee

If you believe, as I do, there are far too few books that portray the retired as intelligent, dynamic, loving and even sexual, you should check out my short memoir, First Love Last, which just came out and is now available on Amazon.com, Lulu.com, or your book store can order it for you.

When my estranged husband of fifty years showed up at a class reunion, I did not know him or want to know him. He had nothing to do with our two sons for years, and my memories of our early marriage were not pleasant. Yet, when I looked into his eyes, my arms went around him. “Tommy!” I did not understand my spontaneous reaction, nor the chaotic relationship that followed, but I felt then, and still feel that our story was somehow miraculous, and should be shared with others of my generation, especially those bitterly divorced when a divorce required that someone be bad or wrong. I wanted to tell it as honestly as I could, even when the truth didn’t make me look all that good, often quoting e-mails and journal entries exactly as they were written. As a student of A Course in Miracles, I felt guided all the way. I included wisdom quotes from sages reminding me that whether we know it or not, “we are all connected.”

Here's all, or most, of the women who meet on TSPN TV's Just Between Us show on Wednesday and Friday mornings. The station thanked us with a big luncheon at Jose's this week. A wonderful bunch of women, representing everything from a Boston Marathon runner to business owner, writer, artist, actress, master gardener, spiritual adviser , whatever -- we have it all.