Book Review: "Crime and Clutter" by Cyndy Salzmann

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

The Friday Afternoon Club can't believe it. Perfect Mary Alice has been keeping a secret for years. The always together mom has been hiding the fact that her parents were hippies and her real name is Maya. The FAC gets together again to unlock the secrets of the VW bus given to Mary Alice by her father. The women take a blast to the past trip back to a time where peace, love, and rock and roll was the national creed. But in between the love beads and bell bottoms is the story of a woman who discovers the father she never knew and the power of forgiveness.

The 60s are my absolute favorite decade. I love the culture of that time period especially the music. I would have killed to be alive when the Beatles were popular. So when I heard about the premise for this story, I was excited to read it. And I was not disappointed. This story will give Baby Boomers and fans of the decade a time capsule of the events that happened. From the Beatnik years to the Summer of Love, the story reminds you of Forrest Gump as you happen to be in all the important events of the time. I really liked the articles that would appear at the beginning of the flashback chapters. They helped to make he story seem more real and place you during that time period. I thought it was interesting that the 60s was picked because, even though I think of it as history, in the literary world it is still modern time period. I really liked the chapters set during the Democratic National Convention. It's an even that gets skimmed over during high school history class so I was pleased to read about it from the protester point of view. The story of Mary Alice and her father was sad to read, having to learn to forgive. Very touching and moving. And then there are the recipes. My gosh, I could have gained a pound just from reading them. They all sound soooo good. I can't wait to try out some of them. They all look really easy to make with nothing too fancy so that anyone can cook them. So don't read this book on an empty stomach because after a few pages I guarantee you'll be raiding your fridge! The only complaint I have about the book is that with only one POV telling the story and so many women in the group, I feel like I haven't gotten to know some of the characters that well yet. Hopefully that will change in the upcoming books. Can't wait for them!

Crime and Clutter by Cyndy Salzmann is published by Howard Books (2007)