QUEEN OF THE OWLS by Barbara Probst

This is a book about finding yourself. Finding out who you really are and what you want in your life. Whether it’s to be a teacher, mother, wife, lover, business owner or something entirely different. Elizabeth is going to college working on her dissertation on Georgia O’Keeffe. Through O’Keeffe’s paintings Elizabeth learns more about herself than she every thought possible. Meeting Richard at a Tia Chi class she learns to let go of her inhibitions and finding her own sexuality. But will it help her or hurt her? Can she make her husband see the things she needs or that they need to be truly a happily married couple. They have two beautiful children they both adore but Elizabeth does seem to do most of the nurturing and being there. Though she does take her time finally and leaves Ben to care for them when she needs him too. It was kind of silly in my opinion that she had to ask, when she should have just told him he was going to watch them while she went to a class or whatever she needed to do. After all, he is their father. He is a parent also. Will the choices Elizabeth makes change her life or will she be treated fairly? If she was a man I’m thinking all would have been fine. People would not judge her or say what she did was wrong if she would have been male. Maybe, maybe not. You have to judge that for yourself. Did Richard just use Elizabeth to further his career or was he sincere. Did his paintings help her to see herself as a complete woman who deserved more in life or did it hurt her? In my opinion she needed to learn who she was. That she was a desirable woman. I do not believe her and Ben should have ever married. They were to different. He didn’t seem to stand by her like a spouse should have. The desire was just not there. Though I think he believed he was a good husband, an in many ways he was, he still didn’t see her as an individual or as a beautiful woman. She was just: his wife, mother to their children, college teacher, graduate. He seemed to ignore her most of the time. This book was beautifully written and presented in a way that makes you feel like you are there. In every sense of the word there. From the halls of a college to the home with the children. From the posing for pictures to worrying to much what others thought. I would love to believe that Richard did what he did for the right reasons not for his own selfish gain and maybe he did. It was a job after all. Elizabeth may or may not have done something wrong. In my opinion she did what she had to do. It’s truly a very good story of one woman’s journey at self discovery and finding that one thing that will help her in life. He own self worth and her own beauty. I loved it from start to finish. Thank you Barbara Linn Probst for this ARC of your awesome book. I look forward to more of your work in the future. You sure started out with a great debut book! It’s a 5 star from me and a highly recommended read.