By Marya from Iowa

I am not a graphic novel reader, but I enjoyed The Shiniest Jewel by Marian Henley maybe because it was a memoir, one of my favorite genres.

I particularly enjoyed the parts relating to her trips to Russia. I spent a lot of time in the former Soviet Union and was surprised that the post-Soviet Russia of ordinary people seems so similar to that of the Soviet era. Perhaps it’s true that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Marian Henley is to be applauded for this revealing and emotional novel. Her relationship with her parents and friends is well represented, anyone can relate to the nervousness involved in telling one’s parents about plans to do something of which they may or may not approve. No matter how old we get to be, we remain children to our parents.

Marian Henley also gently but truthfully conveyed the fears of a woman much older than her partner. It reminded me of Agatha Christie’s tale of her second marriage to a much younger Max Mallowan in her memoir, Come, and Tell Me How You Live.

Filed under: Reader Submitted Stories • THE SHINIEST JEWEL Advance Reviews