Page 26 - Boca Club News - December '23

Page 26, Boca Club News

The Arts

Book Review: “Saving Marina”

By Nils A. Shapiro Mournings,” “Boca Daze” and “Boca Knights”—about ex- to her. At the same time, Teresa
Having now reviewed more than New York detective Eddie Perlmutter who retires to Boca and is confused by odd encounters
200 books for this column since Boca finds himself embroiled in cases taking place in familiar locales she has with some local people,
Club News began publishing just throughout our fair city…and others. their negative and resistant
over 16 years ago, I always consider So, when a newly published novel—“Saving Marina,” attitude toward her, and by
it a special treat to come across Palm by Ines Ferrari Garcia of Palm Beach Gardens—was discoveries she makes about the
Beach County authors whose works recommended to me, I unhesitatingly opened it to the first ghostly history of the mansion.
might otherwise remain hidden from page, began reading and, once again, knew that I was in for an All combine to dramatically
many neighbors if I were not afforded enjoyable reading experience in the hands of a creative Palm change Teresa’s life to the point
the opportunity to bring their considerable talents to light here. Beach County author. where she begins to question
Several such books and authors come readily to mind: Our Ms. Garcia has imbued her story with several ingredients her feelings about everything
own columnist Dale Brown’s “Small Steps…Big Changes: The certain to appeal to a large audience. Many readers who begin in her life: Michael, his attitude
Personal Stories of a Life Coach!,” (which I also mention in this this story, which unfolds as a first-person narrative by a woman toward her, and whether to end
month’s InBox column); “Starting Small and Making it Big: named Teresa, will empathize with her situation. An interior the marriage—in fact, whether
An Entrepreneur’s Journey to Billion-Dollar Philanthropist,” decorator, happily married to an architect, she and her husband to give up the entire idea of the mansion and Bed and Breakfast.
one of the most fascinating and inspiring books I have ever have decided, now that their daughter is off at college, to leave About halfway through the book, as these strange dreams
read, and which I highly recommend to everyone as a true New York, purchase an historic old mansion in Palm Beach, about the young girl, Marina, persisted, I sensed that I had
contemporary Horatio Alger memoir by Bill Cummings, who Florida, completely renovate it and turn it into a luxurious Bed figured out their meaning and how the author had planned
vacations with wife Joyce at their Singer Island home part of and Breakfast—an exciting new chapter in their life together. her ending. But in a truly brilliant and surprising twist, I was
each year; Florine Mark’s “Talk to the Mirror: Feel Great About With Teresa in Florida overseeing the months-long proven wrong; the actual ending is perfectly credible and much
Yourself Every Day,” by a Broken Sound Club member who renovation construction, and her husband, Michael, in New more impressive than I had anticipated.
built a Weight Watchers franchise into the largest of its kind York closing out their company and personal affairs in advance If Hollywood makes a film from Palm Beach Gardens’
in the world; “An Inside Seat,” a memoir by Public Relations of their move to Palm Beach, Teresa experiences a series of Ines Ferrari Garcia’s novel, I hope they don’t change
pro Maxine Adler, who has since retired at Woodfield Country strange dreams involving a young girl, Marina, who had lived the ending. And I wonder if you will come any closer to
Club in Boca; Steve Forman’s irresistible novels—“Boca in the mansion–a girl who for some reason seems so familiar anticipating it than I did.
Film Review: “Life on Our Planet:

A Nature Documentary Series”

By Nils A. Shapiro series because, with my busy schedule—Editor of Boca Club episodes later, at 1 a.m., I finally managed to get to sleep—and
This is the first time in more News, reading a book every month for my Book Review column, even then I could not get this series off my mind. I watched
than 200 film review columns watching a film most nights to find one deserving of my Film episode four the following night.
that I have decided to bring to Review column, devoting time to my wife as a (hopefully) good Each of the eight episodes covers both the planet’s early
your attention not a single feature husband, etc.—I have no time to get hooked on a TV series. history and remarkable photography showing present
film but, instead, a documentary However, the subject of this one appealed to me, so I figured
series—in this case eight I would spend a few minutes with it. Three hours and three Film Review on page 27
one-hour episodes executive
produced by Steven Spielberg’s
Amblin Entertainment and
introduced in late October on
Netflix.
It is not an exaggeration on
my part when I state that none of the enormously successful
motion pictures created by Steven Spielberg has impressed me
more than this documentary series, nor have I enjoyed any more
than this—and I have been a big fan of his for years.
Perhaps it is my ongoing insatiable thirst, in my retirement
years, to learn as much as possible about the natural world and
the creatures with whom we share it, that has affected my view
of this series—readers of my Book Review column know that
this carries over to my reading tastes—but if so I welcome that
pleasure and invite you to share it with me.
“Life on Our Planet” is a sweeping saga covering the 500
million years of Earth’s history, beginning with the very first
life forms, and over the course of this series making clear the
constant adaptations needed for survival.
As the history unfolds, a timeline across the bottom of the
screen keeps the viewer informed of the period in which the
action is taking place. Guided by the mellifluous voice of narrator
Morgan Freeman, we watch as a combination of computer
graphics (for past events) and current videography depict a
panorama of life: lichen breaks down rock to make the first soil;
plants; insects; reptiles; amphibians; dinosaurs; birds, mammals
hunt and are hunted. We learn that the rules of adaptation take
place because of the need for survival against such events as:
the asteroid that struck our planet causing the first of five mass
extinctions and destroying almost all life on Earth; the waves
of massive volcanic eruptions, ice ages, global warmings, and
worldwide flooding that broke up the planet’s single Pangaea
land mass into the oceans-separated continents we live in today.
Not only are we introduced to much that will be new to
the readers of this column, but the visual impact is nothing
short of breathtaking. I noted later that one reviewer referred
to the “cinematography and special effects” as being “nearly
indistinguishable.” It is true that the scenes taking place 500
million years ago look as though they are being photographed…
which is what took my breath away when I began to watch the
first episode.
That is what attracted me instantly to this series. I had already
watched a feature film with my wife after dinner in my usual
search for one deserving of a review in this column. (I usually
have to watch a dozen or so before finding one worth writing
about every month.)
But at 10 p.m., before turning off our TV I happened to notice
the “Life on Our Planet” documentary. I never get involved with