Title: Incidents of Life
Author: Molly Odegard Nikolic
Publisher: PublishAmerica
ISBN: 1605635197
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 234
Reviewed by: Aaron Washington
Hollywood Book Reviews
The book starts on a sad note as the author writes about the death of Vesna, Harrison Barkley’s fiancée. I sadly read how difficult it was for both Harrison and Vesna’s mother to move on after the death of the person they loved so much. I like how the author narrates the story; giving details about Harrison as an individual. Author Molly Odegard Nikolic wrote about Harrison Barkley, his family, career, and friends at the beginning, giving the reader an insight of this character. I enjoyed reading the story of Harrison and how he was raised. His mother, Meg Olsen Barkley, became an instant favorite because of how hardworking she was. The author’s way of describing the characters and the events was brilliant. I could visualize the conversations, actions and every other thing that happened through the narration.
The meeting between Bosko Arandjelovic and Harrison Barkley was such a wonderful experience. Here were two men who could mutually benefit from each other. Harrison had admired Bosko since he was young and meeting him gave him the satisfaction of meeting someone he had considered a superhuman. Bosko needed his book to be translated into English and Harrison was the man to do it. Branka, Bosko’s niece was another favorite character. I like her inquisitive nature, how observant she was and how well-mannered she was. Branka had a good sense of humor too. I liked how she related to her uncle. The two seemed close, which was a great thing as they both needed each other. Bosko was like the father she did not have.
Incidents of Life is an excellent, interesting and fantastic book with a simple plot. There is nothing aggressive in the writing, other than a beautiful narration that makes the reader so engrossed in what is happening in the book. The characters are diverse too. Every major character was distinct and likable. The author’s way of creating suspense was rousing. Vesna Petrovic was briefly mentioned when the book started, yet reading on I had a ton of questions concerning her since she was such an important figure in the main character’s life. Nothing much had been mentioned other than her death. The author reintroduced her later in the book when Harrison and Bosko met. Vesna was Bosko’s assistant. It was such an amazing experience to see how Harrison fell for Vesna. She was a Slavic beauty with gorgeous eyes and lovely hair. She was a darling to everyone.
The death of Vesna was the saddest part of the book. I could feel Harrison’s pain as the author wrote about it. A beautiful love story had suddenly been cut short. The writer’s character development is to be appreciated. This is especially with how Molly created Bosko Arandjelovic, Vesna Petrovic and Harrison Barkley. Their linking together for work created something big and beautiful; love. Incidents of Life is an amazing book that focuses on themes like romance, family ties, survival, career, death, and hope. It is a simple contemporary romance novel that is easy to follow as the author’s diction is not complicated for the average reader.