The Lockhart Women by Mary Camarillo

Release: June 1st 2021
Format: Paperback
Publisher: She Writes Press
Source: Suzyapproved Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Kobo, TBD __

Brenda Lockhart’s family has been living well beyond their means for too long when Brenda’s husband leaves them—for an older and less attractive woman than Brenda, no less. Brenda’s never worked outside the home, and the family’s economic situation quickly declines. Oldest daughter Peggy is certain she’s heading off to a university, until her father offers her a job sorting mail while she attends community college instead. Younger daughter Allison, a high school senior, can’t believe her luck that California golden boy Kevin has fallen in love with her.

Meanwhile, the chatter about the O. J. Simpson murder investigations is always on in the background. In short, a media frenzy that underscores domestic violence against women and race and class divisions in Southern California. And so Brenda, takes keen interest with the case. She convinces herself O. J. is innocent and the LAPD has framed him. Both daughters are more interested in their own lives, until Peggy starts noticing bruises Allison can’t explain. For a while, it feels to everyone as if the family is falling apart; but in the end, they all come together again in unexpected ways

About the Author:

Mary Camarillo went to work for the Postal Service after high school. And so It might be genetic; both her grandfathers were railway mail clerks. She sorted mail, sold stamps, balanced the books in the accounting office, went to night school to get her degree, earned her CPA, authored countless audit reports, and then started writing fiction. The Sonora Review, The Bookends Review, Lunch Ticket, and The Ear, among others have published her short stories and poems. However, this is her first novel. She lives in Huntington Beach, California, with her husband, who plays ukulele, and their terrorist cat, Riley, who has his own Instagram account.

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The Lockhart Women Review:

“The Lockhart Women” is an interesting story about a family of women who face hardships and how they try to overcome them, and it was nice to read.

Firstly, I admire the way the author wrote the story. Although the plot is straightforward, the author brought the characters to life. Brenda, Peggy, and Allison go through their struggles. Each character stood apart from one another, and it was interesting to see how they reacted to the situation. Frankly, I loved Peggy because I thought she was the most level-headed of them all. Even though her life changes when she is with Glenn, I thought she was mature of the Lockhart Women.

Similarly, I had mixed feelings about Allison. On the one hand, Allison frustrated me with how she treated Brenda and her relationship with Kevin. On the other hand, I felt bad for her for the mess that changes her life too. I thought the author wrote her scenes with Connie very well. Likewise, even Brenda was a complex character. She infuriated me at times for not taking more stern action in her daughters’ lives. Yet, I could still relate to why she behaved in that manner. As you can tell, I got personally invested with these characters and liked how the author portrayed them.

The author also writes the storyline in conjunction with the events during the OJ Simpson trial. I thought this was a fantastic idea that gave the book a realistic touch.

Overall, “The Lockhart Women” is a beautiful coming of age, a historical novel that shows how strong a person once faced their hardships and moved on.