Chicago wife, mother and finance executive Claire Cummings, arrives at work one morning to discover her friend Julia has embezzled millions and vanished. Blindsided and devastated by the betrayal, she’s sent home pending further investigation. Claire’s bizarre death the following day sends everyone reeling, guessing and looking for her in all the wrong places. In no time she’s addicted to an enchanting menagerie of tricks and techniques for getting the living’s attention, but most people are harder to reach than she’d ever dreamed and even harder to set free.
She was still a mother, a wife, a daughter and a friend… she’d move heaven and earth to keep it that way.
Sheri Meshal’s Swallowtail is a haunting story about life, love, loss and just how far we’ll go to control it all.
This debut from a thought-provoking new voice in fiction begs the question… what would you do if all the rules changed, and you were suddenly bestowed powers beyond your greatest imagination?
About the Author
Sheri Meshal spent most of her childhood on an old farm in Iowa. She is an author by day and chauffeur by night… for a tad bit longer. Swallowtail took over six years to write and was inspired by bizarre events which occurred shortly after her father’s passing in 1998. Best friends, they’d engaged in countless conversations regarding the possibility of life after death and enjoyed sharing books on the subject years before he was diagnosed with lung cancer. After a myriad of unexplainable events, Sheri realized had she died first, she would’ve done everything in her power to get her father’s attention and show him all the things she could do.
Her father had informed her that she was a writer long before she could begin to accept the possibility. In her heart, she knew he should’ve been the writer, and if she did possess any talent for it, it was due to his DNA. She began writing for both of them and often wondered if he helped her, as crucial research repeatedly found its way to her by the strangest means. When she met medium Jonathan Louis, he desperately tried to avoid a cliche topic. Exasperated, he finally gave in saying, “I don’t want to say this. Whenever I do, the room goes crazy. Sometimes it just is what it is and nothing more, but what does it mean when I say the word butterfly to you?” Overcome with emotion, she confessed she’d written a novel titled Swallowtail about a dead woman communicating with her friends and family. He answered softly with a smile, “He helps you.”
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Swallowtail by Sheri Meshal
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Let me begin by saying that this book was very different from what I expected. This could be a good thing or not so good depending on what you like to read. Unfortunately, I was not pleasantly surprised. I was a little disappointed, but understand that I am only one person.
First of all, I think that if the paranormal element had been removed, I really may have enjoyed this book more. I was intrigued by many elements in the story, and there was a certain promise in the writing style. Sheri Meshal has a way of writing that truly does make you care about the characters–especially the kids. Portions of the book were almost charming.
For me, I got so turned off when I realized that much of the book happened on the “other side” following the death of one of the main characters. There were also some reincarnation elements in the story. I tried to set aside all I know, but I guess I couldn’t push that far from what I believe and who I am.
I am grateful there were no bedroom scenes nor graphic violence. There was quite a bit of profanity that I could have done without, but that is not a reason to mark a book down. I wish I could have liked this book more, but I can certainly recommend it to lovers of fantasy and paranormal.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.
