Vickie Smith

Book Recommendation: Bicentennial Eve

/ mariezhuikov / 6 Comments
Book Review: Bicentennial Eve: A Wisconsin Novella by Julie A. Jacob, Fresh Water Press, 2026

I interrupt my France travelog to wish America a happy semiquincentennial! If you want to make the celebratory feeling last, there’s a book you should read: Bicentennial Eve: A Wisconsin Novella by Julie Jacob. I had a chance to read the book before it was published and to provide this promotional blurb for it:

Step into the heart of 1976 Wisconsin, where the spirit of America’s Bicentennial pulses through every page. In Bicentennial Eve, Julie Jacob delivers an evocative, unforgettable portrait of a family on the brink of change. A young girl aches for her first kiss, a college student is caught between adventure abroad and love at home, and a devoted husband is left wondering what his wife truly desires. Brimming with nostalgia, longing, and the quiet hope of new beginnings, this gentle novel invites you to relive the magic and heartbreak of a pivotal moment in history. Perfect for fans of rich family dramas and coming-of-age tales, Bicentennial Eve will leave you reflecting on the ties that bind and the dreams that set us free.

–MARIE ZHUIKOV, author of The Path of Totality

I haven’t had time to reread the book since it’s been published, but my friend Vickie Smith has. Please see her review on her “Writing by the Lake” blog.

“The Path of Totality” Book Review

/ mariezhuikov / 7 Comments

Fellow writer and blogging friend Vickie Smith was kind enough to review my upcoming short story collection for the Wisconsin Writers Association. You can find the review here, plus a link to preorder the book at a discount. (It’s coming out on Feb. 11.) You can find out more about Vickie at her blog, “Writing Near the Lake.”

Like me, Vickie lives near Lake Superior. We support each other as writers, and I hope to return the reviewing favor when her first book is published!

Here’s an excerpt from her review: Zhuikov’s stories explore a wide range of human emotions – grief, duplicity, curiosity, loneliness, love, obsession, and fear – against a backdrop of both rural and urban worlds filled with the inexplicable, the mystical, and the paranormal. She skillfully combines these human emotions with well-crafted imaginative worlds as she delves into the everyday desires and struggles people face, making her tales intriguing reads to be enjoyed by everyone.