Another light, yet complex mystery by Ms Christie. This one was well textured and fascinating. Somewhere near the middle, it almost broke into a comedAnother light, yet complex mystery by Ms Christie. This one was well textured and fascinating. Somewhere near the middle, it almost broke into a comedic strain and then recovered itself to charge through to a great ending. Ah, Ms Christie. You did it again....more
As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I knew I just had to read it. Oddly, it wasn’t until I actually started reading this book that I remembered aAs soon as I saw the cover of this book, I knew I just had to read it. Oddly, it wasn’t until I actually started reading this book that I remembered a time when I was 14 or 15 my Dad took me to an airshow as a father/daughter outing about three hours’ drive from where we lived. I was completely fascinated.
I was only about 7 pages into the story when I first cried. There were also thrilling, exciting moments while reading, and very sad, even tragic moments. It reads like a fabulously well-written novel although it is far more than that.
The stories that are pulled together throughout various fronts and places (England, France, Italy, Africa, and the Far East are some of those places) during World War II feature a wide array of pilots and all of them had their stories to tell involving the Spitfire.
The Spitfire’s history began as an answer to the Luftwaffe planes that were able to maneuver well in flight and fire on bombers and other planes of the RAF. Its unique wing-shape and superb aerodynamics are its trademark, and gave the plane its ability to quickly move out of the way of attacking planes. To a man, (and woman), the veterans (RAF and later, all of the Allies) who shared their stories with the author had nothing but praise for the compact airplane with a huge heart and astounding athleticism.
We learn how it was first built, and also how it evolved throughout the course of the war. We learn about one pilot who had been attacked by roughly a dozen enemy aircraft yet emerged from the attack to tell the tale. This happened to him not once, but twice during the war in two different theatres, and as he takes us through the action, I had to admire both his skill as a pilot (which he underplayed), and the incredible engineering of the Spitfires he flew that were so responsive they were often described by pilots as “an extension of myself.”
It intrigued me that the Air Transport Auxiliary had both women and men pilots. Women fought for and received equal pay with the male pilots – most likely the first instance in the 20th Century where equal pay at work occurred between women and men.
I was also fascinated by the stories of some of these pilots, well into their 90’s when interviewed, who were given an opportunity to take a tour and/or ride once more in their beloved Spitfires. There are also photographs, and one of them had this caption: “ATA pilot Mary Ellis celebrates her 100th birthday in 2017 by taking the controls of a twin-seat Spitfire over Sussex. Shadowing her is one of the Spitfires she delivered during WWII while in the Air Transport Auxiliary.” The women and men of the ATA delivered aircraft from where they were manufactured to the air bases where they would depart for their missions.
This book was so well written that it was the first time I really understood the various movements of the war. Perhaps I needed a bird’s-eye view to see it all more clearly; although maybe I should say a Spitfire’s view.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel, and to the author, John Nichol, for writing it. Its publication date is October 29, 2019. ...more
Written in 1927, Hercule Poirot and Mr. Hastings pursue the existence of “The Big Four” – a Chinese man, an American man, a Frenchwoman, and an EnglisWritten in 1927, Hercule Poirot and Mr. Hastings pursue the existence of “The Big Four” – a Chinese man, an American man, a Frenchwoman, and an Englishman known as “the Destroyer” – in a quest to sideline their leadership in a conspiracy of global control.
Papers are discovered that refer to ”. . . some powerful wireless installation – a concentration of wireless energy far beyond anything so far attempted, and capable of focusing a beam of great intensity upon some given spot.” There is also a reference to harnessing atomic energy.
Where in the world, in the year 1927, would Agatha Christie have come across such a possibility? It boggles my mind.
Hercule Poirot and Mr. Hastings have several confrontations with members of the Big Four during the course of this novel, as they realize that Poirot must be eliminated if they are to succeed in their mission to control the world and all the entities that make the world turn. Along the way, Poirot and Hastings also need to deal with the “collateral damage” that the Big Four leave in their wake.
Agatha Christie continues to surprise me with the range of her mysteries and their complexity. Add in the quirks of some of her characters and a light touch of humour among heart-racing tensions, and this novel comes out a winner....more
Update: Today, August 6th 2019 - happy publication day for this novel.
There is so much I loved while reading this novel that it is difficult to know wUpdate: Today, August 6th 2019 - happy publication day for this novel.
There is so much I loved while reading this novel that it is difficult to know where to begin.
Perhaps I should state that for me, there are very few writers who can tell a story without side agendas getting in the way when it comes to the actual people who helped shape our world. Specifically the people who lived within the last couple of centuries: the scientists, artists, actors, inventors, musicians, sports heroes, reformers, and yes – definitely the writers – whose works reflect the time and pulse of our recent history.
In the haphazard scrimmage to the base-line of success, there are too many times when ethics and integrity are brushed aside to make room for the fast-paced thrill ride of innuendo, gossip, and other fabrications that result in what I call the Reality Show mentality of writing.
This novel is completely the opposite. Sigrid Nunez writes with thoughtfulness, accuracy, and definitely with integrity. While I read this story, I truly felt that I was experiencing life with Virginia and Leonard Woolf, their dogs, and their marmoset, Mitz. There is a noted absence of notoriety and scandal that I found very refreshing.
The Woolfs experienced some very sad and tragic times during their lives, and these are written about thoughtfully and compassionately without missing one heartbeat of the over-arching story itself. There are also some very funny moments and joyful ones. These may or may not result in laughs out loud or jumps for joy, depending on the reader.
Some readers may miss those moments altogether, because above all, Sigrid Nunez writes with such a subtle power that it is almost hypnotic. I felt drawn into the story she was telling without my own volition. To be more accurate, I was drawn in even despite my bias and misgivings. There is a seamlessness to how the author secured the threads that bound fact and fiction together. I could not help but feel awed, entranced, and charmed by this story.
With gratitude to Soft Skull Press for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of the re-publication of this novel, and to the author, Ingrid Nunez. Its publication date is August 06, 2019.
Personal note: Once upon a time, a little girl with the same name as I have, wanted a marmoset more than anything in the world. Her parents said no, and the little girl wondered if maybe among the cows, horses, geese, chickens, pigs, cats, and dogs . . . maybe marmoset had too many syllables to be allowed. I would like to think that if that little girl did get one eventually, she was smart enough to move to a climate where the marmoset could thrive and that perhaps she named it ‘Mitz’, just because....more
This is one of the cleverest mysteries I have ever read. The plot is dazzling and its execution is flawless. I was drawn into the mystery so easily anThis is one of the cleverest mysteries I have ever read. The plot is dazzling and its execution is flawless. I was drawn into the mystery so easily and, despite following all of Hercule Poirot’s “little ideas” (as he calls them), despite all the subtle clues to decipher, this story – and its ending – were a complete surprise.
No spoilers ahead (although there are a couple of very obscure clues): In this novel, Hercule Poirot has retired to a small village, and when a murder is committed coupled with the possible blackmail of another person close to the murder victim, one of the family requests Hercule Poirot’s help in discovering the truth behind the mystery. Hastings (Poirot’s chronicler and helper in past mysteries) is in Argentina, so Poirot asks the local doctor if he would be willing to assist him. Dr. Shepherd is thrilled to be asked as the life of a country doctor is tedious at times and he sees it as an opportunity.
There are several household members, all of whom are suspects; there are also a few of the household staff in the suspect category.
Despite the large cast of characters and the various clues attached to certain people, I found it very easy to keep track of everyone, including the clues, motives, and where everyone was at the crucial times. Dr. Shepherd is very good at keeping notes and then transcribing them for our benefit afterward.
What am I saying? Of course it was Agatha Christie behind it all – and what a brilliant little masterpiece she created with this novel. I am only 4 books along in her Hercule Poirot series and I can see very clearly why she is in the upper echelons of the best mystery writers of all time. ...more
In this 7th novel (of a 12-book series), I was pleasantly surprised to find that the fast pace and high energy of this series has not flagged one iotaIn this 7th novel (of a 12-book series), I was pleasantly surprised to find that the fast pace and high energy of this series has not flagged one iota. I found myself thoroughly involved in this portion of the Poldark saga.
This novel takes place in 1798-1799 in Cornwall 14 years after Ross and Demelza were married. Their quality of life, despite its two steps forward and one back pattern, is inching toward more prosperity and they never take it for granted. They also give back in any way they can and are heavily involved in improving the prospects of the poor. Yet progress in that mission also seems abysmally slow. Ross takes on an added responsibility with the hope of making faster, wider-spread change, but for the most part Ross and Demelza do what they can . . . one or two persons at a time.
I thoroughly enjoyed the historical details woven throughout this story. England and France at war, and a trip to London for Ross and Demelza where we encounter many other contrasts between the dreary and ridiculously wealthy – with only a scrawny, short middle path between the two extremes. There are also many other details of lifestyles and fashion – even of progress and invention. Here is one entertaining example:
[Ross speaking to Demelza of the “loo”]: ‘No doubt you found last night that there is always a bucket of water too in the Jericho down the passage. As well as one of sand. It’s the best indoor system I have come across.’
And the title is apt in so many ways. In this conversation between Ross and his cousin Verity, Ross is defending his propensity for hot-headed feelings that lead to irreversible actions: ’But now and then you do not have all the control of your feelings you should have – and then thoughts and feelings surge up in you like – like an angry tide. And it is hard, sometimes it is hard to control the tide.’
There are more births, deaths, re-unions, and permanent departures from conciliation in the novel. All of them, in one way or another, are directly or indirectly linked to both the Poldark family and the Warleggan family. George Warleggan maneuvers his way into ever more wealth and power, and in a dramatic ending we discover that the most potent force tempering the worst of his greed for vengeance on the Poldarks is dissolved forever.
I am completely on pins and needles – anxious to discover where this saga will carry me next. ...more
This is a collection of Hercule Poirot short stories – eleven of them altogether, and each case more deviously clever than the last.
I am not a huge faThis is a collection of Hercule Poirot short stories – eleven of them altogether, and each case more deviously clever than the last.
I am not a huge fan of short stories, in general, because I like longer, more involved stories where I can explore the surroundings and the characters in more depth. I am also a big fan of plots that include sub-plots, and short stories don’t have the space for most of those ‘extras’.
However, I must add that Agatha Christie writes short stories very, very well. The pace is fast, and even though there is only one main plot, it always has sufficient sides to it to keep Poirot and Captain Hastings on their toes.
Well, having said that – Captain Hastings is always a step or two behind Poirot. Luckily, Monsieur Poirot is also a gentleman and he is adept at smoothing ruffled feathers – even Captain Hastings’.
For me, the best part of these short stories is that they were all very good, very entertaining, and I wasn’t left wondering for very long how each crime was committed and what tiny inconsistencies led Hercule Poirot to the solution. ...more
This short story is poignant and moving, and as short as it is, it filled me with a varied mixture of emotions.
Two men share a room in an oncology warThis short story is poignant and moving, and as short as it is, it filled me with a varied mixture of emotions.
Two men share a room in an oncology ward with only a curtain between their beds. The curtain feels symbolic because it separates them visually from each other, yet sounds and other senses permeate that thin divide with ease.
This story is one of contrasts – between the two men, between hope and denial, between age and youth, between craving comfort and rejecting it, among many others. Contrasts there are – on each side of the curtain – yet there is an intangible essence that aligns perfectly and moves freely between the contrasts, like the senses that are able to navigate on either side of the curtain.
Touching and thought-provoking, I enjoyed this brief visit into a place where I could contemplate the vast space that brings all of us together; that sheds light on all, despite our contrasts. ...more
I feel honoured and privileged to have had the opportunity to read this remarkable memoir. Beryl Markham’s story is outstanding enough by itself. WhatI feel honoured and privileged to have had the opportunity to read this remarkable memoir. Beryl Markham’s story is outstanding enough by itself. What makes this memoir even more spectacular is the writing. On the cover is a quote from Ernest Hemingway: “[Markham] can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves as writers . . . It really is a bloody wonderful book.”
Never mind that when he wrote his comments in a letter to a friend the ellipsis contained some typically misogynistic and foul references to Beryl Markham as a woman, the bare fact of his accolade is perhaps even more powerful because of it, wrung out of his wrinkled heart through a mangle stronger than his bias.
Under the authentic and authoritative voice of Ms Markham’s prose, Africa in all its splendor and terror came alive for me in a way that set me down into its myriad contrasts and changes and variances both heart and soul. I can’t think of a way I could possibly read this book without feeling completely that I was there and witnessing it all at first hand – living it myself.
This memoir is now historical, of course, and as happens with much of history there was no such thing as political correctness. Even though there was one aspect involving Ms Markham’s flying career that is now so obviously illegal, back then it wasn’t; and I am certainly not about to flog the flyers of the day for actions taken in a context where it was normal and even desirable at the time.
There were times while reading this novel that I was moved to tears; there were even more times where I was enraptured by sheer, undiluted wonder. Ms Markham arrived in Africa when she was 4 years old, and as she grew up, some of her oldest friends were the African children she played with and learned from and even went hunting with. She accomplished more adult feats in her first few years of life in Africa than most people could claim in a lifetime. The sense of wonder doesn’t end there, for this woman led an astonishing life of adventure and achievement unparalleled at the time – and possibly for all time.
This story is one of the best, most absorbing reads I have had the good fortune to encounter. This is a book to be experienced and savoured.
Some food for thought:
“Nairobi has a frontier cut to its clothes and wears a broad-brimmed hat, but it tends an English garden; it nurtures the shoots of custom grafted from the old tree. It dresses for dinner, passes its port-wine clockwise, and loves a horse-race.”
“I could never tell where inspiration begins and impulse leaves off. I suppose the answer is in the outcome. If your hunch proves a good one, you are inspired; if it proves bad, you are guilty of yielding to thoughtless impulse.”
“And his were solemn dreams. They were solemn dreams and in time he made them live. Tom Black is not a name that ever groped for glory in a headline or shouldered other names aside for space to strut in. It can be found in the drier lists of men who figured flights in terms of hours or days, instead of column inches.”
“If a man has any greatness in him, it comes to light, not in one flamboyant hour, but in the ledger of his daily work.” Tom Black was her flying teacher, her mentor and her friend right through until his death.
“I am incapable of a profound remark on the workings of destiny. It seems to get up early and then go to bed very late, and it acts most generously toward the people who nudge it off the road whenever they meet it.”
“A word grows to a thought – a thought to an idea – an idea to an act. The change is slow, and the Present is a sluggish traveller loafing in the path Tomorrow wants to take.”...more
Of the many novels and history books about World War Two, one aspect of events that is much rarer to comUpdate: Publication Day Today - April 30, 2019
Of the many novels and history books about World War Two, one aspect of events that is much rarer to come across is the aftermath. There must be thousands of stories about what happened after the actual fighting was winding down or finished altogether, and yet these stories are not often told or heard.
Poland, 1945 – in a forest, a woman and her 10 year old daughter flee toward Germany, struggling to out-run their pursuers: renegades, refugees - desperate, dissolute, starving people willing to do anything to survive.
Germany, Autumn 1945 – Graufeld Camp near Hanover – a sanctuary for thousands of displaced persons, largely those who made it through the Russian-occupied post-war area of Germany to reach the section of Germany occupied by the British and Americans.
This is where Klara Janowska and her young daughter Alicja find a place to rest and regroup. Klara’s husband, a fighter pilot, was shot down in 1939. Klara’s father was Polish and her mother English, and like millions of others, they died in the war. It is now her strongest desire to leave mainland Europe completely and reunite with the British part of her family.
Klara finds a good friend in Hanna, whose work is in the laundry quarters. Klara also takes 3 other children under her wing and they are all involved in the black market in one way or another. It will take money to buy their way to freedom and there is no possible way to earn enough in Graufeld Camp without taking risks.
Klara is no stranger to risk, and it is when she recognizes one of the men in the Camp from the war years in Poland that she realizes she will need to take an even bigger risk: she must find a way to kill him.
This story gripped my heart and soul from the first sentences and did not let go. The writing is so excellent that I was oblivious to the reality of reading a book. The only reality was the story and the many choices and decisions that had to be made – and acted upon – to reach safety. For Klara has other secrets, and should those be disclosed, her future and that of her young daughter will, at best, be in serious jeopardy. At worst, they will not have a future at all.
It is nearly impossible to write about this novel objectively. Just thinking about it, I am instantly back in the story and maneuvering alongside Klara to evade danger and find safety. Fast-paced and heart-searing, this story will remain with me long into the future, and I highly recommend it to those who also believe that these stories – as many of them as possible – deserve to be heard.
With gratitude to Simon & Schuster Canada, Simon & Schuster UK, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel, and to the author, thank you Kate Furnivall. Its publication date is April 30, 2019....more
Update: Happy Publication Day! (Today, March 5th, 2019)
Haenyeo is the Korean name for the sea women who, through careful husbandry, harvest the sea thUpdate: Happy Publication Day! (Today, March 5th, 2019)
Haenyeo is the Korean name for the sea women who, through careful husbandry, harvest the sea through various seasons of production and restoration. On Jeju Island, south of mainland Korea, they called themselves jamsu, jamnyeo, or jomnyeo, which are all Jeju words. The haenyeo culture is characterized as matrifocal; that is, focused on females. They did all the difficult and dangerous work in their families and had to be in top physical form to do so, beginning their training when young: to hold their breath, develop strong, supple muscles, and expand their instincts for danger and for spotting their underwater harvests.
I know from reading the author’s note how much research was involved in this story. Before I even read how this book came about, the feeling I had was of Lisa See doing her always-exceptional historical and current research, and visiting the places she wrote about in person, but also listening to the stories of various people who remembered the period of time covered in this novel. Then, taking all of the history and the stories and stirring them with her imagination, Lisa See wove this fascinating, tragic, and utterly absorbing story.
And on the tides of trust in this author, and with a few deep breaths, I dove into this story, and I dove deep.
We are drawn into the story of Mi-ja and Young-sook who first met when they were seven years old and grew to be heart friends, sharing their deepest held secrets, their love of diving, and many adventures, including going to Russia as teenagers to dive in freezing cold waters for extra money to bring home for their families. When they are 21, a rift occurs and although they continue to be buoyed by their loving bond, the seeds of suspicion and distrust are planted.
Through the eyes, hearts, and experiences of two young girls who mature and grow into women with their own families, we are transported seamlessly between the past when they were younger, through and into a time 70 years onward. The culture and history of Jeju Island is both tragic and triumphant.
Tragic, because there was always some government somewhere wanting to take control of the Island due to its strategic military location. Decades of living in fear, of poverty, restrictions, and wars would surely wear down any group of people. Triumphant because, like the inspiring haenyeo with their amazing abilities, again and again these Island people propelled themselves from the depths and to the surface.
I loved everything about this novel: the story, the characters, the setting, and the many, many things I learned. There are heart-rending and catastrophic events in this story, and there were several times when I had to pause in my reading to absorb the shock of what these characters that I grew to love went through. At the same time, it is a testament and tribute to the resilience of the human spirit that will stay within my heart for always.
With gratitude to Simon and Schuster Canada, Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel, and to the author, Lisa See: the only author who could have written this story. Its publication date is March 05, 2019....more
Poetry is a fascinating language. Iamb, iambic, trochee, ionic, pyrrhic, spondee, masculine rhymes, feminine rhymes, irregular rhymes; there are beatsPoetry is a fascinating language. Iamb, iambic, trochee, ionic, pyrrhic, spondee, masculine rhymes, feminine rhymes, irregular rhymes; there are beats and measures and rhythms to poetry.
This book is and is not poetry; it does and does not have specific measures or rhythms throughout. It most definitely does have a very poignant story – a tale of a family who experiences great joys, and down times that are difficult and trying for everyone. This book is also not a comedy, although it is so funny in places I couldn’t help but laugh. It most definitely is not a romance, although love runs like a river through it all.
The family’s conversations are peppered with rhymes and various meters, as is the writing in this novel, in general. Most of it is written from the young boy’s point of view, although there are also excerpts from his father’s notebooks, too.
”The mirror always got the last word, because, she said, ‘your outlook is moving, but the mirror’s is more objective. It judges truthfully, if cruelly, and never gets affected by the affective.’” * * * * ”So why doesn’t the man on the first floor ever work either? I see him taking out his garbage every day at four when I’m on my way to the grocery store. His eyes are puffy and his hair’s all choppy, and his clothes are always very sloppy. Don’t try to tell me that he’s still in school or I’ll know you’re taking me for a fool!”
“No, for the man on the first floor, it’s a different story. He’s lost his job, and I bet he’d be thrilled to have to work on Saturdays, the poor slob.” * * * * She also taught him to be gallant – in her mind, being chivalrous was never frivolous. * * * * There was no room for us between her and her problems, there wasn’t even any air; they took up all the space that was there.
The narrative poem style of this novel was entertaining by itself, although at times I admit that for me, it had to be inhaled slowly, like a meditation. Of course, the humour made it a strange meditation – that, and the fact that it looks just like any other books - it just doesn’t read like them.
I loved the uniqueness of this novel as well as the blend of humour and pathos liberally sprinkled with fascinating bits of values and beliefs on the part of the characters. I grew to care for them – and although I haven’t yet mentioned Mr. Bojangles, reading this sent me to YouTube to find the rendition mentioned in this novel. I had never heard this version before, and I loved it. Mr. Bojangles was a song that was in my own repertoire and it never failed to move me while performing it or any other time I heard it. The version that was played so many times in this novel had the same rhythm and timing as the one I used to do – and it is different from the way many other performers play and sing it.
Rhyming, rhythms, (syncopated in one place in the song) – this novel has all of that along with a lovely, sad, triumphant story. At the end of it all, I wondered how a French narrative poem was transmuted into an English narrative poem because the words in these two languages rhyme only rarely, if at all. So what I really want to know is: how did Regan Kramer translate this from French to English so successfully? I am lost in wonder and awe....more
Words have power. We readers know that as we find ourselves moved to tears, beside ourselves with outrage, or smiling at the foibles of our fellow humWords have power. We readers know that as we find ourselves moved to tears, beside ourselves with outrage, or smiling at the foibles of our fellow humans – and ourselves.
Spoken words have power, too. Charismatic leaders and fanatic leaders know this, and know exactly how to put their words across to increase their own power. Generating and maintaining fear is one way to do it; taking credit for improvements that are actually the result of a previous leader’s efforts is common; and so is scapegoating.
Scapegoating is probably the most insidious and destructive use of words ever. Take a problem that you know concerns the largest number of people, find a scapegoat group of people, and in speech after speech, in written words and spoken words, on film or any media available, and the weak and ignorant and fearful masses will follow this leader into the maw of hell.
Does any of this sound familiar? It should. History tells us these are the tactics Adolf Hitler used to justify mass genocide – “intentional action to destroy a people in whole or in part” according to Wikipedia. Destroying people either physically and/or in their souls.
This little book was published in the United States in 1938 and became a classic in the author’s own lifetime. Its popularity was instant and far-reaching for the time, yet it wasn’t until many decades later that it reached continental Europe. Since its initial publication it has surged into popularity again and again because of the truths it bears – and the warnings.
World War II has been over for more than 70 years. When the war ended, everyone everywhere said, “Never again.” Did we mean it or are they just more words?...more
Update: Happy Publication Date today, March 26, 2019
Professor P. R. Chandrasekhar has been leading the kind of life he prescribed for himself 45 yearsUpdate: Happy Publication Date today, March 26, 2019
Professor P. R. Chandrasekhar has been leading the kind of life he prescribed for himself 45 years earlier when he left India at the age of 24. With a few alterations. He is 69 years old and although he is Professor Emeritus in Economics at a college in Oxford, the big prize, the one he has worked so hard for, has been elusive. His marriage fell apart a few years before when his wife left him for another man. They, and the Professor’s youngest daughter Jaz (Jasmine) live in Colorado which makes it difficult for regular physical contact.
His ex-wife calls him Charles, most people call him Chandra (or Professor Chandra), and sometimes Chandu. Chandra’s son, Sunny (Sunil) is in Hong Kong doing some kind of business seminars, and what’s worse, he is very successful at it and doesn’t hesitate to let his father know. Chandra is estranged from his eldest daughter, Rad (Radha), and with Jasmine so far away, Chandra assesses his life and finds it wanting. He works harder and believes that if he can reach his goal of ultimate success, the rest of his life will fall into place as well.
Then, he is in an accident. With a bicycle. He ends up in hospital because he also had a “silent” heart attack. His doctor is American and lets him know quite firmly that he is not to return to work for several months. He advises him to take a sabbatical, and cheerily suggests he “follow his bliss”.
This story has humour in it but it definitely isn’t comic. The humour is often dry – the kind where you blink and you might miss it, but you have a grin on your face anyway. It is also witty, and sometimes I could envision a winking emoji lurking somewhere in there.
For me, this novel is first and foremost about an older professional man who has an epiphany of sorts and begins to look at his life, and himself, with lenses that seem to be a stronger prescription than before.
His epiphany isn’t like a big light bulb going on over his head. It is more like a faulty set of Christmas lights with miniature bulbs that light up in a pattern – only the pattern seems to keep changing. The adventures that Chandra experiences in pursuit of the faulty little bulb (or bulbs) in the light string results in one of the most entertaining and engaging books I have read.
The author, Rajeev Balasubramanyam, is a hugely talented writer. To write about someone who is at a crossroad of crises in their life is not an easy undertaking. To do so with compassion, humour, deep insight, knowledge and wisdom is a glorious accomplishment.
With gratitude to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel. Its publication date is March 26, 2019....more
Update: Today, May 07, 2019 is Happy Publication Date!
In the fierce, majestic mountains and hollers of Appalachian Kentucky in the 1930’s, there were Update: Today, May 07, 2019 is Happy Publication Date!
In the fierce, majestic mountains and hollers of Appalachian Kentucky in the 1930’s, there were many small towns and communities that were so isolated some people never saw a newspaper. Or, if they did, it was used to paper a layer to the insides of their tiny homes to help keep the weather out. Books, for the most part, were a luxury, and often only family Bibles or the odd family heirloom would be in the home.
In the 1930’s people everywhere struggled for the basics of food and shelter during The Great Depression. As part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal, he set up education programs in isolated areas whereby books donated by a variety of service clubs and larger libraries could be delivered to families via horse, mule, canoe, or sometimes just walking. The program initially hired single women with the idea of giving them gainful employment and so the Pack Horse Project came into being, and the brave and inspired women came to be known as “Book Women”.
This beautifully written, warm, and touching novel is about one Book Woman who served her county in Kentucky near a small town center called Troublesome Creek for several years. It is a fictional novel, yet is based on well-researched historical facts.
Cussy Mary Carter, sometimes called “Bluet”, and sometimes called “Book Woman” is, according to her father, the last of “her kind”. Aside from all else, she is one of the rare people in the world who have congenital methemoglobinemia. Cussy Mary had the characteristic blue skin which occurs due to less oxygen in the blood. Thus, her nickname, “Bluet”. She was named “Cussy” for the town in France where her maternal great-grandfather lived before leaving for the United States.
Her story is inspiring. It is also heart-rending. Cussy Mary’s dedication to her “patrons” on her pack horse route brings her into contact with many events, some frightening, and some very touching. My heart went out to her many times during this book, and indeed, I felt such a strong bond with the people of this county in Kentucky and their children. So many of them were starved for knowledge and the sense of pride that comes from discovering that knowledge through reading. So many of them found hope in the stories of other people’s challenges and how they managed to overcome them.
This novel is very strong, and it is beautifully written. The one weak spot for me was near the beginning when Cussy Mary and her father have heated discussions about her future over a period of time. I understood the logic of both Cussy Mary and her father but I felt that their discussions could have been briefer as the long-term consequences were redeemed many times in many ways in the rest of the novel.
Aside from this minor weakness (from my perspective), this novel soared, and I am definitely interested in reading more of this writer’s work. I admit to both horror followed by tears of happiness and happy tears followed by horror over the time frame of this novel. The ending was excellent, except for one thing: by then I was so immersed in these people’s lives, I wanted to stay there and learn more of their stories.
4.5 Stars
With gratitude to Sourcebook Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel. Its publication date is May 07, 2019....more
Update: Today, August 6th 2019 - happy publication day for this novel.
I have been a fan of T. Greenwood’s writing for quite some time. I have also beeUpdate: Today, August 6th 2019 - happy publication day for this novel.
I have been a fan of T. Greenwood’s writing for quite some time. I have also been disappointed once before, but never to the degree that I was disappointed in this novel.
For me, the pacing was off completely. As I was reading, I felt like someone sat a half-dozen young women at a table with several open bottles of wine and glasses all around, then gave them an exercise to come up with ideas for a road trip – and to just write whatever came into their heads. Then, several of these ideas were scooped out of a bin and tossed into this book willy-nilly.
I usually bond with characters (at least one or two if not all – warts and all) very quickly when I’m reading. For the first four-fifths of this novel, only the two youngest characters made me feel close to them at all. Sadly, it was mostly because I was so sorry for them: the manner in which they were treated by supposedly responsible, educated adults was appalling.
Giving treats to settle a child out of a tantrum? Hello? That is an ideal way to train a child to have tantrums in the first place: reward them for doing so. And cramming their little faces full of greasy food, refined carbs, and sugar. Good heavens, this was the early 1970’s when everyone already knew how those foods contribute to juvenile obesity.
Getting drunk and smoking cigarettes while pregnant? Sure, we’ll throw that in, too, just to emphasize how ignorant and ridiculous two educated women can be – one endangering herself and the unborn child, the other playing the part of the enabler.
Am I judging too harshly? I don’t think so. None of these incidents were resolved. None of them were redeemed. So even though the last 15% of the book was good, it was definitely not great – far too many events, mistakes, and poor judgment calls were left hanging.
The premise of this novel held such promise, and as mentioned, the ending was good. However, that is simply not enough to call it even a fair-to-middling novel. I felt tempted to award 3 Stars for the sake of nostalgia – the times when this author wrote some incredible books – and again, because the premise held such potential. However, the execution right from the very start was so juvenile and unbelievable that I can’t in all honesty bump it up past 2 Stars.
With gratitude to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel. Its publication date is August 06, 2019....more
Olive Kitteridge. One-time Math teacher. Wife. Mother. Grand-mother. We have met her before during various stages of her life, and in this novel, we aOlive Kitteridge. One-time Math teacher. Wife. Mother. Grand-mother. We have met her before during various stages of her life, and in this novel, we are witness to her outspokenness and the force of her personality in the late autumn years of her life and on into the winter years.
The people of Crosby, Maine figure largely in this novel just as they did in the first. Many of these people we have also met before, and some are ones that come into Olive’s orbit through changes in their own circumstances. Regardless of how they came to be, they each contribute to the layers of humanity we are in close contact with throughout this novel.
Elizabeth Strout has surpassed the high calibre of her writing, taking us on an adventure of humanity where we experience a wide range of emotions, bolstered by the thoughts and interactions of the characters. Written with immense compassion coupled with Olive’s singular tart personality, this story elicits both recognition and empathy.
This novel is like a microcosm of the larger macrocosm we currently live in. I found myself completely ensorcelled moving between perspectives lived out by the characters in the modern world they found themselves in. The many changes over the decades of their lives and how they experience these changes are always present in the periphery.
The world within and the world without. Elizabeth Strout’s writing in this novel takes us deftly through both and blurs the boundaries between them. It was an unexpected surprise how accurately and beautifully the characters and their environs are presented – and how deeply I felt their reality.
For fans of Olive Kitteridge, this is a must-read. And for those who have yet to meet Olive Kitteridge, I implore you to do so. There are depths to Olive that encourage us to explore our own depths, and that is always a good thing.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel, and to the author, Elizabeth Strout, for sharing Olive Kitteridge with us. Its publication date is October 15, 2019. ...more
This is the second in what is (at this point) a trilogy where Anthony Horowitz writes about a private detective named Daniel Hawthorne solving cases. This is the second in what is (at this point) a trilogy where Anthony Horowitz writes about a private detective named Daniel Hawthorne solving cases. The difference is that Anthony Horowitz is also in the books, and I still haven’t figured out if the stories are real with himself written in, or if they are invented with him imagining himself as a hard-nosed detective’s sidekick.
At one point in the book, Hawthorne lectures Anthony about the importance of visualizing the ‘shape’ of a crime – similar to imagining the ‘shape’ of a novel. All that is then required is to fit the pieces into their rightful spots in the shape, and that’s how you find your killer. Or write your book.
The visual I got very strongly in this novel is pyramids: there are several triad groupings of people in this story, and all the pyramids connect together with the victim – a high-profile divorce lawyer who is known for being absolutely ruthless when it comes to discerning the truth and using it to win his cases.
Behind the many floating pyramids, waiting for Hawthorne and Anthony to explore them for their little factoid treasures, there looms a larger, ghostly pyramid. Three young college friends who love caving so much that they pursue the hobby into their adult lives, too – until about 8 or 10 years ago.
Becoming is a memoir of a famous person, Michelle Obama, the first black First Lady in the United States who lived with her husband, President Barack Becoming is a memoir of a famous person, Michelle Obama, the first black First Lady in the United States who lived with her husband, President Barack Obama, and their two daughters, Malia and Sacha in the White House for eight years. During that time, alongside taking care of her family, Michelle Obama managed to accomplish four major initiatives as First Lady to help improve people’s lives and well-being.
The first thing that struck me when I was partway into the book is how her background and her first years resonated so strongly. She is relatable, plain and simple. I could relate to her and her experiences as a woman, yet there is no doubt in my mind that a great deal of her story will also resonate with men. On a personal level, partway through the book I went online and discovered that Michelle Obama’s birthday is 3 days before my Dad’s, and Barack Obama’s birthday is the same day as my Mom’s.
Regardless of color, religion, sex, age, or any of the other ‘discriminators’ that still cling to our so-called advanced societies, each one of us makes our way into the world with a desire to accomplish something. Whether those accomplishments take place on a very small scale or a large scale matters not. Whether those accomplishments are on the dark side, the low road of stepping on top of others to gain lift matters a lot.
It is the attitude of optimism and gratitude for our lives and opportunities that drives us to make a positive impact. We also somehow magnetize the mentors we need to help us along the way. This is the story of a woman who came from very humble beginnings and spent the largest part of her life in the cause of elevating others into a better life because she, too, had positive mentors and people who showed her possible doors and helped her to open them. From my perspective, it was during this process of passing along the good she experienced in her life that her own life became more elevated, too.
I can’t even count the number of times that tears came to my eyes while reading Michelle Obama’s story. Tears of recognition and empathy, but also because her story touched my heart over and over again in incident after incident, and event after event.
At one point, I was reading along as Michelle Obama described their eldest daughter Malia’s 10th Birthday – a July 4th day in the midst of the high-tension campaign that Barak Obama was involved in. Near the end of their long day of campaigning, participating in the town’s July 4th celebrations, talking with people, shaking hands, and making connections with as many people as they could, all they had energy for was a thrown-together private party for their daughter at the end of the day. While reading this, I could feel a tightness in my diaphragm . . . I had a feeling I knew what was coming . . . and then she described the look she and Barak Obama exchanged, a tired and rueful “we really blew it, didn’t we” look. At that moment Malia came over, plopped herself in her daddy’s lap and said, “This is the best birthday ever”! I lost it.
There is so much in this memoir that is inspiring, interesting, fascinating even. I could write an entire short story on everything this book gifted me. Instead, if you haven’t already, I urge you to read it. It is a remarkable story that is uplifting and, despite all odds, all the hurdles, and all that has followed since the Obama family left the White House, it remains hopeful, and it re-kindled hope in my own heart. ...more
In Andy Carpenter’s household, his wife Laurie and adopted son Ricky hold fast to the idea that Christmas begins with Thanksgiving and doesn’t end untIn Andy Carpenter’s household, his wife Laurie and adopted son Ricky hold fast to the idea that Christmas begins with Thanksgiving and doesn’t end until the end of January. For me, it just ended today when I finished this novel.
Andy comes across a homeless man with a Golden Retriever mix and gives him $20 and a $50 coupon for a pet store. The next thing he knows, he is defending this same man against murder charges, the man’s dog is now in the Tara Foundation that Andy runs with his friend and previous client, and after going through the discovery documents from the prosecution, the only good news is that his new client, Don Carrigan’s dog, is about to have puppies.
From here, it is non-stop action and fact-finding. Andy is like a hound chasing after information. He doesn’t care what the information is as long as he has it. That is how he works: gathering facts and miscellaneous pieces of disconnected information – until some of it starts to fit together to form a picture – and in this case, the picture is sinister.
Along with the suspense and working my hardest alongside Andy and his team to solve the mysteries involved in each case, I enjoy the moments of humour that pop out when least expected. I also love hearing about the Tara Foundation and the care they take to match the dogs in their shelter with the right people. Reading about the home life that Andy and his young family (including the two dogs, Tara and Sebastian) enjoy together is a pleasure.
I also enjoy reading about Andy’s team – equal parts heart-stopping and funny. We have Edna, the self-appointed office manager who rarely shows up for work yet cashes her checks exactly on the day she receives them, and then there is Marcus – the silent hero who is like Andy’s secret shadow when the going gets rough. Hicks, Andy’s assistant lawyer who, as Andy says, not only isn’t a glass-half-full guy, but doesn’t believe the glass will ever be anything but empty, and Sam who rounds out the team. He is really Andy’s accountant but doubles as a superlative computer hacker. When Sam finds information Andy wants to use at trial, Hicks draws up the paperwork to subpoena the records through proper channels.
This story is both horrific and heart-warming, menacing and humourous. Above all, these novels are always charming, fast-paced, and well written. I look forward to staying in touch with all these characters long into the future. ...more
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