In the Waters of Time / Bette Lischke - Book Review

The intensity of In the Waters of Time lies in its exploration of the pathways taken by two women who live life in the same body, one, Elizabeth, who finds a meaningful existence in the arms of her lover, despite the grim surrounds of a Victorian workhouse, and the other, Jane, who flees her unfulfilling life in the modern-day corporate world to find a more personal sense of contentment in reshingling a friend’s home. Both of the characters have much in common, including a love for children, who are described in joyful detail, and their yearning to express themselves creatively. Elizabeth encourages the poverty-stricken and abused children in the workhouse to draw in colored chalk on the walls of their school room, while Jane finds an innate sense of accord in the world of interior decoration and design. No wonder, then, that one finds that the author of this metaphysical novel, Bette Lischke, is a well-known dowser and watercolorist who takes a keen interest in all things spiritual. Like Jane, she, too, has worked as an executive recruiter, and her own love for children is shown by the fact not only did she once work as a nanny, but also by her writing of numerous songs for children.

The Jungian influences on Lischke’s work are clear, in that the narrative is primarily focused on Jane, who lives in modern-day Portland, Maine, and who is able, first through dreams, and then by means of a steadily increasing emergence of her subconscious through her waking moments, to become ever more emotionally and spiritually in touch with what one assumes to be her previous life, as the initially socially constrained and duty-bound Elizabeth. As the flashbacks to her earlier existence become increasingly more powerful, Jane’s awareness of her own innermost conflicts in the present day develops in its intensity. By being open to her presence in this world on an earlier occasion, Jane is able to reconcile herself to the demands that are made on her in the present day.

In the Waters of Time is a genre-crossing (containing elements of history and mystery, as well as romance) and deeply sensitive portrayal of the role of women who wish to avoid the constrictions and restrictions that society has, for so long, sought to impose upon them. Lischke’s poetic use of imagery mirrors her depth of feeling, and anyone who appreciates the lyrical descriptiveness of the English language is bound to be sensitive to the nuances of this text. Do not expect the commonplace and mundane from In the Waters of Time, and you will not be disappointed. This novel is for all lovers of romance and the unexpected, who can appreciate sound character development and a well-written exposé of the human spirit as it travels through time.

The Lovers' Tango / Mark Rubinstein - Book Review

Smooth-flowing and fluid as silk,The Lovers’ Tango: A Novel (Thunder Lake Press; ISBN: 978-0-9856268-2-2) by Mark Rubinstein is a fast-paced read that one would dearly love to consume in a single sitting—the sensuality and suppleness of the text are ideally suited to the intimacy of the subject. In retrospect and through timely glimpses, the reader is invited to witness the attraction between the male lead, Bill Shaw, and his beguiling partner, in the dance of life that has now become one of death, in which Bill is ensnared as the most likely suspect.

Central to the core theme of the work is the image of the Argentinian tango, the nature of which is described in the Preface to the novel. The dramatic nature of the dance is a fitting symbol of the life and death struggle that occurs in the sick room, which is later painfully borne witness to in the courtroom. Elements of the dance have much in common with the unfolding drama of the novel. The fact that the tango was originally danced only by women foreshadows the close relationship between Bill Shaw and his lawyer, and longtime friend, Ben Abrams, who comes from a working-class background, as, too, does the dance. The thrust and parry of the courtroom brings to mind the head-snapping action that characterizes the South American dance. The exotic nature of the tango can be seen as being embodied in the sensuous Nora Reyes, with the riveting first encounter between the lovers, which is described early on in the novel, totally sweeping Bill off his feet.

The sensuality of the imagery (“Her skin appeared moist; I inhaled deeply, her essence filling my nostrils.”) draws the reader into the intensely lived moments between the lovers, but with the continuously present sense that they are living on borrowed time, as one is aware from the start that their love is doomed, with Nora ultimately succumbing to the depredations of MS (and perhaps to the willing hand of her ostensibly loving partner). Just as the romance of the tango liberated the poor from the squalor of the Buenos Aires slums, so, too, does the loving and erotic relationship between Bill and his wife lift them out of the mundane and banal to a transcendent state of ecstatic intimate union, albeit one that ultimately ends in her tragic demise.

The Lovers’ Tango: A Novel should intrigue a broad spectrum of readers across the genres of medical thriller, courtroom drama and romance. The characters are so well described and have such appeal that the novel should attract a wide range of adherents from young to old. Mark Rubinstein is a well-known author of both fiction and nonfiction, with an extensive background in medicine and psychotherapy, which enables him to give great depth to his writing. His work deserves to be prescribed for creative writing courses, as many a novice author could well benefit from acquiring his economy of style, coupled with his breadth of theme.