This novel, you guys! I feel like I’m winning the book jackpot this year with my selections! This is the kind of book I savor: one which introduces meThis novel, you guys! I feel like I’m winning the book jackpot this year with my selections! This is the kind of book I savor: one which introduces me to a historical event new to me, one that transports the reader through luminous, visceral writing and emotion.
These women... how I wanted to wrap them all in my arms, how I wished for half their strength. The bees! The forests! The natural phenomena during this period in history. All so intriguing.
I was a huge fan of Millwood Hargrave’s The Mercies, so it is no surprise that I adored this one as well – maybe even more. I continue to be amazed by authors who can tell such interesting, soul-stirring stories with such brevity (this one comes in at 304, and is so well developed).
I’m an earthy person, so the connection to bees and the natural world intrigued me – and, of course, this notion of dancing women. (What? Why?) The heavy hand of religion in the church and its impact on personal lives and decisions, historically, also fascinates me – especially since this book is set in the 1600s.
This is a novel, really, about the strength of women, even when they are rendered voiceless – the ways they find to overcome adversity and subjugation, the love they find for one another, the strength they summon from thin air, and the insane resilience they possess. While there was so much hardship in this book, I finished the last page feeling warmth and hope as a result of all that female power. This story of outcasts and their pain, about love in all its many iterations, will transport you to Europe's forests. You'll hear the musicians of this story playing their lutes and drums, the anguish of their notes.
The language in this book is simply breathtaking:
She has started seeing white lights hang before her in the air. Lately she can stir them with her finger… Frau Troffea swirls a thread of light through her fingers, soft as lambswool. Sweat runs down her lip, and her back soaks the reeking cloth of her dress.
They turn to squint into the light. Backed by brightness, Sophey Wiler’s narrow body slices into angles, nearly vanishing at her waist, at the place where her hands meet her hips.
But if there are other mothers with empty arms, Lisbet has not met them, and so has not met anyone who understands what it is to carry the weight of so much absence.
She feels like a bee, sowing its maps into the air, a bird weaving its way home, stopping to listen now and again for approaching footsteps, for any sign at all she is not alone.
But the most brutal stories are of those unlucky enough to die unburied, their spirits returning to the forests and fields, legions of fury screaming toward their kin, shrieking justice.
I was so impressed by the author’s careful weaving of various themes and metaphors (the bees and their strength; the church's power over the people and over perceptions of human worth; themes of motherhood and lore). Oh, my... how seamlessly these literary techniques were tucked into the story – not forced (I am reading a historical novel right now, filled with info dumps and clunky history inserted into dialogue). You need not worry about that here. I simply did not want to put this one down.
In fact, another gem of this book is the pacing. Early on, the novel achieved a sweet and slow rhythm, alluring and tempting - not unlike the sweet honey dripping from Lisbet's bee skeps (but still insanely intriguing as I learned more about the characters and wondered how their relationships might develop. I was hooked from the first page!).
About halfway through, the obstacles started coming quickly, enticing me to flip, flip, flip to the next page, beauty still infused in the writing. I felt Lisbet’s intense love of the bees she kept (there is an almost magical bee scene that will be among the most memorable evoked in all of the fiction I've read). I felt her heartbreak, as well as Nethe’s and Ida’s ... even sourpuss Sophey’s pain registered on an empathetic level for me.
Finally…The author’s note is touching; the heartbreak of her personal experience is woven into the pages of this book as intimately as DNA. This is historical fiction at its best. I will, undoubtedly, be first in line to read her next adult historical fiction (This author is rather amazing – she writes children’s fiction and fantasy as well!). Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for an advance copy. One of my absolute favorites this year, to be certain....more
This slim book had been languishing on my physical shelves for years, and it wasn’t until this year – when it was on sale as an audio book – that I piThis slim book had been languishing on my physical shelves for years, and it wasn’t until this year – when it was on sale as an audio book – that I picked the original book up and tag-teamed it with audio. I should have read it sooner.
What a sad, eye-opening experience. I had no idea that ritual servitude was a practice in place up into the 2000s (and still?) in West Africa. I still am heartbroken by the reality of it – by the continued plight of women in the world, even today, who, in many cultures and so many scenarios, continue to be treated as less-than-human.
"Scars are proof of survival, they shouldn't be hidden - it's a story someone may need to see in order to believe that beyond their pain and suffering, there is healing."
Having this book narrated to me was even more rewarding than reading it, for me personally. The narrator’s voice – and the incredible range of voices she employed for various characters, the cadence, the inflection – was soothing and laden with emotion, which drew me even deeper into the story. (I have never been an audiobook gal, so this says a lot). And, to be honest, I’m not sure I’d have had the same reaction to the book having only read it, as it is written in a very unembellished, simple style (and is only 244 pages long). I generally prefer meatier writing styles, but, even so, this book was profoundly moving.
I recommend listening – or, like I did – doing a combination of both!...more
Ohh. This novel! My love affair is multi-faceted: the beautiful, evocative language; the Australian desert setting so reminiscent of my Sonoran desertOhh. This novel! My love affair is multi-faceted: the beautiful, evocative language; the Australian desert setting so reminiscent of my Sonoran desert home; the deep dive into rich and complicated characters; the nods to artistry and creative pursuits; the respect of the natural world; the symbolism and thematic messages!
While this is a book that takes place over seven days (compact time periods are not generally my favored set-up), it actually reaches back in time, well before the 1883 ‘event’ in the book – through flashbacks of multiple characters in this small desert community, making it a rich and nuanced reading experience.
Even with this depth, there is tension and excellent pacing (and several surprises) that had me flipping pages from start to finish.
McFarlane is a gifted writer, taking her readers on a journey through time and geography, and offering expert description of characters:
Cissy might be capable of standing at the gate and hauling the whole plain in like a net. Trees and fences will come with it, flocks of sheep, the wheat paddocks, the railway, and also Denny – Cissy will catch him up and bring him in.
[Another description of Cissy] … Mary watches Cissy walk onto the plain. She seems to sail over the thorny ground, with nothing to stop her step or catch her skirt. It’s as if there’s nothing there but Cissy – no plants or rocks or flies, no sun or temperature at all, and Mary is proud to have made this girl, this daughter, who will find Denny and bring him home.
… the country flattens, and all along the road out to the Wallace place you can see the surprising hill beside their house. The way it erupts from the flatness of the plain seems so unlikely, as if some tired prophet passed by once and God made a hill to give him shade.
The animals look out at Bear from lowered lids. Because they require nothing from him, not food or water, not pity or affection, he feels judged by them.
[From a character who is an artist]: The reds here are simply unimaginable, dumbfounding, the purest I have seen, as if fire itself has caught fire. Not to mention the deep purples, which are almost poisonous – when the sky turns red, the hills look bruised…. The sky pulls the land up to it. It involves the land. How to get this feeling out and onto paper?
I absolutely fell in love with the characters – little Denny, Mary and Mathew – and especially fiery Cissy – but also the Rapps, the Axams and the libidinous Minna. And Billy. Especially Billy. This novel offers a peek into the complicated lives of all the inhabitants of the town – and the ways their prejudices, desires, and religious/spiritual beliefs shape their lives and interactions with one another.
Through the lens of one exacting moment that brings together and divides a community, the author explores themes ranging from settler colonialism and its horrendous impact on native Aboriginal Australians to women’s roles during the 1800s in Australia. The novel is an examination of what humans do when nature is a formidable foe and touches on the role of art in the painting of history (both canvas and literary art).
I will be buying a print copy of this incredible literary book and so look forward to this author's future work! Many thanks to Net Galley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review....more
I read Turner’s These Is My Words years ago, and was tickled by the references to the geography, and even towns, near my desert home (only set during I read Turner’s These Is My Words years ago, and was tickled by the references to the geography, and even towns, near my desert home (only set during the 1800s). I was equally smitten this time around by Light Changes Everything during the 1900s – with local references, native wildlife, and, yet again, a tough-as-nails heroine.
Mary Pearl is ahead of her time, a young woman intent on attending college (even as a gun-toting, horse-riding spitfire). But she also lives during a period in history where most women know their place and, therefore, are forced to make concessions.
The books starts slowly, but by chapter four begins to move like a locomotive as the characters are faced by various (often heart-pounding) tribulations. The author does a wonderful job of taking the reader on a “will she- won’t she?” ride … and not about just a single event. There were plenty of surprises I didn’t see coming (and some I did). And there were a few occasions - one in particular - where tears flowed.
Rattlesnakes, lizards, arroyos, nopales, ocotillo, saguaros, javelina … they’re all a part of my daily existence – which made it fun reading about the ‘more wild’ West of the 20th century right down the road from me. If you love the desert southwest and strong female characters, this book won’t disappoint. In many ways, it is a coming-of-age book (told in first person), with family at its heart.
This author was, unfortunately, another victim of COVID publishing snafus, resulting in this novel not getting the marketing attention it deserved. Those who loved Turner’s previous books focusing on the Prine women will find much to savor here as well!...more
I so enjoyed the spunk of all of these women and, in particular, delighted in the banter and relationship between Eileen and her mother-in-law (intensI so enjoyed the spunk of all of these women and, in particular, delighted in the banter and relationship between Eileen and her mother-in-law (intensely amusing and endearing all the same).
I appreciated the nods to authors/the pursuit of writing, and the language was often lyrical and lovely:
Happiness was a strange notion, something that was wrapped neatly and packed into the closing scenes of television shows and daytime films, sharply relived on the screen but blurry in real life, a vague ideal.
He used his delicate sorrows as a battering ram, smashing his way into people’s hearts, where he could reside until he was bored, taking what he wanted.
I also appreciated the meta elements of this novel, but what I’ve come to realize about myself as a reader is that I don’t often do well with high-concept books and family sagas that span multiple generations. I’m not sure why, because I love character-driven fiction and the slow unspooling of story.
For me, I just didn’t connect on a deep enough level with the characters, as my apparently sadistic mind wanted them to face and overcome greater odds. To be fair, those elements were there; it just felt as if the author didn’t take them far enough to tug at my heartstrings.
Resolutions were quick and tidy, or challenges just went by the wayside – as if the author were holding back/being too kind to his characters. On occasion, I also felt events within the chapters were too convenient. The end result for me was simply a feeling of remove.
I enjoyed the concept of three, then four, generations of strong family women in their day-to-day lives. I loved the local dialect/colloquialisms (even though there were MANY I didn’t understand) and enjoyed the Irish setting, though my mind constantly had me feeling this book was set in the 1950s vs. 1990s.
As evidenced by the stellar ratings on this one, I’m an outlier in my opinions. So, even though I did very much enjoy this slim novel, I’d still be sure to check out other reviews – especially Melissa’s (Bantering Books), with whom I did a buddy read. It was such fun to hear her enthusiastic take on this lovely book and to gain a greater appreciation for this author’s work.
Note: some readers may be put off by the lack of quotation marks for dialogue. I found myself getting lost only on a handful of occasions when multiple speakers bantered back and forth -- with their conversation lumped all into a single paragraph.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for an advance reader’s copy in exchange for my honest opinion....more
We’ve all heard stories of how books have changed people’s lives, whisking them away from horrible life situations, providing insight, and hope – in sWe’ve all heard stories of how books have changed people’s lives, whisking them away from horrible life situations, providing insight, and hope – in some cases, charting new paths or even saving lives.
Over the years, as I’ve considered my own relationship with books – which have sustained, entertained and educated me – I’ve often thought, a bit wistfully, that my book experiences haven’t been that grandiose.
But this wonderful novel made me think again. Books (even the audio variety) impact us in so many different ways, and I am a better person for having had them as companions for so many years. I know this. This is the power of story. They’ve stretched me, opened my eyes to new ways of thinking, moved me to tears, angered me – brought out emotion that leads to empathy. This book illustrates so many unexpected ways – subtle and not so subtle – that books can touch us (many that I’d not considered).
Readers and writers, alike (anyone who loves words and that special relationship that comes only with reading a good book)… you will adore this novel. It was the absolute best way for me to start the year: with a love story about reading and the glorious and lasting power of words.
The author does an incredible job of threading these characters together in the end, as well – and introduces readers to some fascinating job occupations. I thoroughly enjoyed the literary metaphors that applied to life in all of its messy glory. I’d love to hear if others had the same metaphorical take I did on the last scene!
A few wonderful tidbits: His idea of a nap was a semicolon at best, never a full stop; a paragraph break.
Oh god, Nola thought. All those fictional lives she had opened herself to, taking on their experiences, their emotions, like the good octopus she was – and the one story she had refused was her mother’s.
“At some point, it’s written down, and that’s the book readers hold in their hands. But the story isn’t done, because it goes on to live in the readers’ heads, in a way that’s particular to each of them. We’re all caretakers of the stories, Alice. Writers are just the lucky ones that get to know them first.”
P.S. As I analyzed my relationship with books, it was fun to think back to those Scholastic take-home, newspapery order forms in elementary school (and my parents’ unending support to “buy WHATEVER you want.”) It was delightful to think about my reaction to Beverly Cleary’s books – and my JOY when she wrote back to me in the third grade. Perhaps those early influences with her books painted my career in the writing field? I know my reading experiences, now, continue to nurture understanding and hope.
Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, First Reads and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review....more
Some books just seem to mirror emotional events in a reader’s current life – even if they are set in different time periods – making them even more reSome books just seem to mirror emotional events in a reader’s current life – even if they are set in different time periods – making them even more relatable. Such is the case with Go as a River for me, which begins in the 1940s.
I think this would have been an emotional read one way or the other, but the particular circumstances facing the town of Iola as it is ‘reshaped’ are reminiscent of the displacement I am facing in my own life (my circumstance – not to be confused with Iola’s – is an enormous pit-mine copper mine planned for the picturesque mountains in front of what I had always planned to be my forever home. A place I love dearly and with every cell in my body. The destructive ‘exploration’ has already begun.)
So, to say I shed empathetic tears is an understatement – not just for the main character, Victoria, but for an entire town that never asked for its new reality. While this resonated with me, it is not actually the main thrust of the story. Though based on true events, Iola’s fate serves mostly as a lovely metaphorical backdrop to Victoria’s life and her journey ... a heart-tugging tale.
Read understands the environment, and her love of it is apparent in the tender and reverent way she writes about the natural world, and the nature-loving attributes she assigns to three specific characters. It is downright lovely – and so are the author’s instincts about human emotion:
I knew that a dozen cliff swallows descended on the river with every mayfly hatch and that this would be the exact moment a rainbow trout would rise to Daddy’s cast. And I knew that the fiercest storms, dark and ominous as the devil, nearly always blew in over the northwestern peaks and that every songbird and raven and magpie would silence just before the sky unleashed. So, no, one place was not just like another in my mind, and I wondered why this boy didn’t seem to know a thing about home.
I was a girl alone in a house of men, quickly becoming a woman. It was like blossoming in a bank of snow.
As I drifted off to sleep in my new forest home, woven in some great and mysterious tapestry, the only sound I listened for was the steady pulse of the vast collection of beating hearts, the inhale and exhale of a million lives being lived alongside mine.
This is a story of young love, misunderstanding, the mistakes we make, the ways we love, and the ways we survive. It is a lovely meditation on motherhood, friendship, acceptance and respect for all the living things – human, leafy and rooted, or mammalian.
I look forward to what Shelley Read writes next, and am appreciative of the chance for an advance copy from NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau. Reactions are mine and only mine (as you can tell)! ...more
Wow. What a wild ride this book was! Of course, I was dazzled by the prose of this literary novel (2022 National Book Award winner). I appreciate beauWow. What a wild ride this book was! Of course, I was dazzled by the prose of this literary novel (2022 National Book Award winner). I appreciate beautiful sentences, and this book was chock full of them (plus sadness, humor and truth). I was equally hypnotized by the structure of this story – the initial set up within the apartment building, the way it circled back at the conclusion, the question posed from a very intense first chapter … and the use of visual imagery to give the reader insight regarding the central answer in the story. (view spoiler)[Trying to parse out “what happened” through the interpretation of somewhat ambiguous artistic drawings was insanely interesting. (hide spoiler)]
I’m not sure I’ve ever read such quirky characters. Gunty introduces their differentness in imaginative ways – each with a unique phobia, inner conflict, or habit that makes him/her incredibly memorable. A few examples of the author’s characterization, and her humor:
[First introduction to Joan Kowalski] A jar of maraschino cherries waits on a lonely woman’s nightstand, a small fork beside it.[Second introduction] Noise pollution triggers a feeling best described as murderous rage within Joan Kowalski. This reaction is especially violent at libraries, at work, and during the week before her period. --
“That must have been very painful.”
Usually, Moses hates when people say this, or versions of this, but from Father Tim, it sounds less like an exit from the aforementioned pain and more like an entrance into it.
--
Hope wondered who taught all the news anchors of America how to do the American News Anchor Voice – the theatrics of it, the computerized hypnosis of it. Would those deep in the future find the footage and inaccurately conclude that this is how everyone used to talk? -- The last beer I tried was an Icelandic sheep-manure smoked IPA. Not so bad!
This novel really is about a group of characters in search of connection and meaning in their lives, fighting against economic and situational odds that have not favored them in a town abandoned by a once-thriving automobile manufacturer. With an eerie omniscient lens, Gunty takes us into their lives and their hearts.
The spiritual and religious themes were quite interesting, as some of the characters seek spiritual transcendence – the main character, Blandine, is obsessed with the mystic Hildegarde of Bingen (and hopes to exit her body), while Moses (hmm- ring any Biblical bells?) is convinced he is among a handful of super-sensitive who, “with his people,” must suffer “to unlock the affected consciousness to nirvana," “a condition that demands monastic humility.”
While the book becomes a bit heavy-handed with its late-capitalistic themes, overall, I felt the inner thoughts of the characters, their mannerisms, and quirks stole the show. Thematically, you’ll see mental illness, political ideologies, environmentalism, sexuality and power dynamics, and consumerism explored.
For devotees of literary fiction, who love flowery prose and glimpses into human fallibility, this book is for you. I can’t wait to see what Gunty writes next.
4.5 rounded up (My little ding is best explained through Leah Greenblat’s words in a NY Times review: “… her [Gunty’s] longer monologues tend to come off less like the cadences of ordinary speech than the workshopped thoughts of a star student, placed between quotation marks.) Even so, such a memorable, beautifully written book, and well deserving of its accolades....more
Oh, goodness. This book! I was hooked from the start – the lyrical, poetic writing, the nineteenth century setting, the blood-red birds and all that tOh, goodness. This book! I was hooked from the start – the lyrical, poetic writing, the nineteenth century setting, the blood-red birds and all that they symbolized … the red blood in my own heart stirring with anger at this accurate portrayal of the invisibility of girls and women in the late 1800s. And, dare I say, beyond the nineteenth century.
But the story within offers hope – two visionary men who see the potential of young women to be educated in the same way as boys – one of those men who raised a daughter on his own and includes her as a teacher in a newly created school of girls.
You’ll find birds – a majestic new/unstudied species, the trilling hearts –woven throughout this story like fine tapestry (I love the artistic rendering of this tapestry portrayed on the book cover art). They come to symbolize the tenacity of women, their future – expanding, taking on pieces of past women, forming them into something new, something to be reckoned with as they “expand their territory” in the narrative.
And, again, the writing… simply stunning (meaning, yes, I cannot wait to read the next book by this talented author). Beams has such a light touch, trusting the reader to connect the dots, and she does it with intense precision. Her sentences, like a poet’s, do so much work. I am still marveling that I felt so much – that an author could create such a brilliant literary work – in only 288 pages. I share some of that mastery here:
Below, their fields were spread rich enough for eating, as if someone had taken up a heaping knife full of sweetness and stroked it across the ground to tempt the appetite.
…Stands of trees clustered here and there, each casting its shade like the dark, wet spill of an overturned bowl… the air thick with its grass- and heather-baked dirt smell, the chorus of humming, chirping, buzzing things in the grass, a small riot like the voice of the soil, itself.
She seemed almost to feel Eliza’s fingers pushing and pushing at her own flesh, looking for the place that would give, like a soft spot on a piece of fruit.
She would be straight out of every book and song. She would come dripping words and notes, leaving pools of them in her wake, little puddles of grace for others to wander into. She would shape air into loveliness with her hands and arms.
If you enjoy literary fiction, mother-daughter or daughter-father stories, feminist fiction, and don’t need your fiction wrapped up with a tidy bow at the end – and really like to dig deep for and appreciate metaphor – this book is for you. I only wish I’d read it sooner. ...more
I’ll just say it: this is the novel Jamie Ford was meant to write. I’ve read Hotel and Willow Frost, both of which I enjoyed, each with a bit of a morI’ll just say it: this is the novel Jamie Ford was meant to write. I’ve read Hotel and Willow Frost, both of which I enjoyed, each with a bit of a more commercial feel. But this one -- I obviously adored this book; it was so wonderfully literary – with a hat tip to so many poets, such a complex storyline, and incredibly beautiful writing with characters who had fascinating backstories and experienced palpable heartache.
The theme tying the entire novel together – epigenetics – has long fascinated me. I had, in fact, previously read some of the studies the author mentioned in his Author’s Notes regarding the passing of trauma, genetically, from parent to child (notably, the altered stress hormones shared by children of Holocaust survivors who were generations removed from the Holocaust). So, I was “in” from the start – no issues of suspending disbelief for me, because this science is so incredibly interesting. And, besides, what fun is a world in which we cannot consider the unknown through the lens of possibility?
Then, the characters… Many readers indicated they connected only with one or two of the matrilineal line of characters, but for me, they all held equal weight (which is truly amazing; usually in a ‘simple’ dual-timeline story, I gravitate to one character/timeline, and almost exclusively the historic character). But in this book, I was swept into Afong Moy’s story as much as I was Lai King’s, Fay’s, Zoe’s (who had only a few chapters), and into Greta and Dorothy’s. I don’t read a lot of contemporary fiction, but I have started to read speculative fiction set in the not-so-distant future. So, Dorothy - the anchor of the story - appealed immensely.
Even if you don’t favor all of the eras highlighted in this book, every single character is put in insane high-stakes scenarios. You know… the kind where you, as the reader, ask yourself, “Now, how on Earth is she going to get out of this?”
And the ending… aaah… the way all the ancestral stories came to this one, brilliant point and conclusion. I absolutely loved it. It was such a smart literary technique that led to an incredibly satisfying ending. I can’t say more without spoiling it, except that Ford gently wove in themes of neglect and heartache, history, and family, tying them off with a final matriarchal theme illustrating the strength of women not only to endure, but to fight back.
Write another one like this, Jamie Ford. I’ll be first in line to read it!...more
Yes! I will read anything Lily Brooks-Dalton writes. I loved this every bit as much – more, I think – than Good Morning, Midnight. Another new favoritYes! I will read anything Lily Brooks-Dalton writes. I loved this every bit as much – more, I think – than Good Morning, Midnight. Another new favorite author alert!
It is no spoiler to say that the story starts with a heart-thumping hurricane that gets the pages turning (book-jacket copy tells you as much). But equally impressive is how emotionally evocative the story is, placing the reader inside the heads and hearts of ALL the characters.
And, the writing… it is gorgeous! Some samples:
The big coconut palm hanging over the yard sways. Its roots are sunk deep beneath the wilderness lurking at the edge of the property, but its trunk swings out over the lawn as if the wild is reaching for the house with those big fingerlike fronds.
… when he follows Lucas into the kitchen and catches the look on her face, puckered and tearful, he’s instantly ashamed of himself. He only meant to make his son feel safe. But then his guilt swells too big and it changes into something bitter, something charred.
Wes is scraggly, tall and thin like an adolescent pine tree, with a mouth that never stops flapping.
I’ve grown to love cli-fi/eco-fiction set in the not too distant future, and this one is now among my favorites. It combines light touches of science (presented through the lens of awe) via the character of Phyllis, a once-university-professor/biologist with concern for a changing planet. If anyone read The Overstory and fell in love with Patricia Westerford, you will adore Phyllis as well.
Power, water, light and time are given a voice through short chapters in their perspectives – such a brilliant way to include science and bring the natural elements to life in a book about climate change!
I appreciated this novel, also, because of the deep connections to a sense of place – all the characters’ love of Florida and their reticence to ever let go of it; it mirrors my feelings about an increasingly dry and threatened desert (my home). In many ways, this book felt all-too near.
As expected by the title, themes of light are sprinkled throughout with grace – power companies “keeping the lights on,” bioluminescence in the seas, the desire to fix and bring light to a struggling/changing Earth. (view spoiler)[The theme of adaptation – if not evolution – also rings throughout, centered around the notion of the Earth taking itself back, and people learning to live again alongside it. (hide spoiler)]
As Phyllis says, “Humans have spoiled so much, but nature is resourceful. It dies and is reborn as something new. Her work now is to watch this occur.”
I continue to find hope in novels like this that lean on science to explain that, yes … our current Earth as we know it is going to change, but something else will very likely come in its place. Life, in some form, will go on.
Many thanks to Hachette – Grand Central Publishing, through NetGalley, for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book! And it was so much FUN doing a buddy read with Melissa (Bantering Books)!...more
What a sprawling, wonderful story about an opinionated, often harsh, affluent 82-year-old woman and her friend. These were women I was sure I would noWhat a sprawling, wonderful story about an opinionated, often harsh, affluent 82-year-old woman and her friend. These were women I was sure I would not relate to, because, no, I am not a wealthy woman in my 80s, and no, I’m not of Quaker heritage. But what I do share with Agnes is her humanity, her respect and compassion for her friend, and her love of place, her love of nature, her willingness to fight for it.
I also am a writer and greatly appreciated the character’s insights about creativity and writing (she is an author). So many quote-worthy tidbits:
What does it mean to me to be a writer – that I have found a method of thinking that reliably moves me forward. That I have developed a system of logic that resembles reason while containing my emotions, which are, by nature, unreasonable. That I know I can express myself clearly if and when I need to. Above all, that I have a private space where I can wander and play and dream. Where I can be scathing and cruel and reprehensible. Where I can love and expose myself completely without any interference from anyone other than my private projections. Writing is how I live even when I am not writing.
I write because I am a human being and to make art is to be fully human as distinct from other animals. Art is human. So am I.
The structure had a natural form like a tree – a trunk and its branches and leaves. The sentences were marvelously various. The words layered with meanings. The story is only a sleight of hand, a disguise for how the book is shaped, which is the real subject. You ask readers to follow a logic, a way of thinking, by giving them – me – a plot to wonder about. Yet it isn’t about the plot. Like all the best books and works of art, it’s about form ultimately…
While this is, indeed, a serious book about loss and risk and love, there are so many laugh-out-loud moments when the reader is in Agnes’s head – or blindsided by the things she says outright (things many of us likely think, but don’t verbalize to others). Such perfect characterization of the curmudgeonly old woman so strong in her convictions she scares many away.
I found the portrayal of Agnes and her friend, Polly, over time, to be particularly endearing and dramatically realistic – watching both come of age in the 1950s, one, a feminist ahead of her time, and the other, “the good wife,” who grows into her own. The skill with which Elliott Dark illuminates the historic tug and pull of familial obligation and ‘proper behavior’ expected of women is astounding.
I see a number of reviewers commenting on the pace of the book – the extraneous detail. And I wouldn’t disagree; this one is a whopper – just shy of 600 pages. It could have been shorter, for certain. Many details could have been edited out. That said, I made the decision to purchase this novel as an audiobook (in the hopes of re-sparking my reading enthusiasm, which has suffered some this year). I also made the decision to listen to this novel in stops and starts, and to take my time with it. It is that kind of book: one that you can walk away from for periods of time, but one you are also quite pleased to come back to. Like getting reacquainted with an old friend. You start to miss that friend after too long…
I think that method, for me, served this book well. The added, slow-simmer time truly cemented my relationship with the characters, and because I went slowly – the book spans 80+ years – I felt as if I was cultivating my relationship with them – that I actually grew to know them better. I can’t say if I’d have had the same experience reading the book, but this type of consumption was utterly delightful and led to a full experience. So many threads are woven into the book – some mysteries and revelations – and they all come together with precision.
Even though this novel is billed (more or less) as eco-fiction (and that was part of it), it’s really a novel about friendship – the deep, everlasting kind of friendship that we all clamor to access in our lives. It was heartwarming and endearing, and a book I won’t soon forget. If you allow yourself time with this book, especially if you’re listening to it in audio format, that slowed-down nurturing attention will be rewarded.
Fanatical religion is of interest to me -- no surprise given my Evangelical upbringing. So this book’s description appealed, offering an opportunity tFanatical religion is of interest to me -- no surprise given my Evangelical upbringing. So this book’s description appealed, offering an opportunity to learn about faith outside my personal, formative (and not entirely positive) experiences. I also attended undergraduate and graduate studies in Ohio, so even the setting was of interest. And yet…
The religious aspects had an academic tone to them throughout the novel that kept me from becoming emotionally involved – the musings of the prophet’s journals/diaries, even the conversations characters had about religion. Too academic. Too stilted. As someone who knows little about Jewish-Islamic faith, I found myself often confused by terminology that had no contextual reference. On a single page, in one paragraph, for instance, the terms Ben-Gurion, kibbutzim, goyische settlers, Lubavitchers, qelippa, and tzaddik appeared. [I read and loved The Weight of Ink, which centered around Jewish faith and felt I was led through the religious history in an organic fashion – never confused. Not the case here.]
While the depictions of small-town Ohio – and football fever – felt true, other aspects of the book felt wholly unnatural – most notably the dialogue, which just never came across as authentic. I wrestled with it throughout. Additionally, as a journalist, myself, I really struggled with the plausibility of the premise of this book: the main character is a magazine editor who has written only book reviews and a few celebrity profiles, yet he is assigned an investigative journalism piece about – of all things – a controversial death in a religious sect. I’m not sure why a NYC-based magazine would even care to report on this rural Ohio story, let alone assign it to someone without investigative experience.
Those quibbles aside, I just felt the religious aspects far overpowered any character development or mystery in the book, often coming across as heavy-handed history lessons that were hard to engage with.
The novel’s structure – with three Books – and those parallels to Biblical books offered a nice touch. And the concept behind the novel is impressive. It could very well be a case of “This book was simply not for me.” Though it might be for you.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, through the First Reads program. I appreciate the opportunity....more
I'm just going to chalk this one up to "not for me," because this novel earned quite a few awards.
I felt this book was more experimental, as it didn'tI'm just going to chalk this one up to "not for me," because this novel earned quite a few awards.
I felt this book was more experimental, as it didn't read like a novel with its tiny, episodic "chapters"- sometimes of only a few sentences - that were merely random thoughts, and often just minutiae. The writing was overly simplistic, with short, simple sentence structure, which very likely was by design. This technique somehow earned it an award as literary fiction, though it read nothing like the literary fiction I generally favor.
I will say that, by the end of this short piece, some of those little snippets DID come together, telling a story of a strained daughter-father relationship. And I do always appreciate those heartfelt, familial tales....more
Oh, goodness… This book! I loved it. While it is told in multiple points of view (Jarret, Thomas J. Scott, Mary Barr Clay, Theo, Jess, and Martha JackOh, goodness… This book! I loved it. While it is told in multiple points of view (Jarret, Thomas J. Scott, Mary Barr Clay, Theo, Jess, and Martha Jackson), this is Jarret’s and Lexington’s story through and through.
The author clearly has an affinity for horses, which made the relationship between Jarret and Lexington all the more poignant. I felt the intense love between human and horse, and appreciated the subtle way Brooks connected revelations about the horse from the past with its legacy and bones in the present. I loved learning about the field of osteology and art history – and even the national fascination with horse racing.
While this novel belongs to Jarret and chronicles his journey with Lexington, it is a thought-provoking look at racism and bigotry in all of its forms – most notably Jarret’s heartbreaking story of bondage in the 1800s (and lack of recognition for not only his humanity, but also his skilled horsemanship). But also, Theo and Jess’s stories dive into present-day racism. It is an absorbing book rife with historical accuracy and transporting, nail-biting moments. If I have a complaint, it is only that I’d have loved to have spent more time with Theo and Jess.
Jarret and Lexington’s strength and fortitude will tug at your heartstrings. And for those who enjoy historical fiction during the Civil War, this novel won’t disappoint. I wanted to get back to this book every chance I could.
As usual, I adored the author’s notes, which included explanation of historical figures presented in the book and insight about the “real-life” Lexington and his prowess in the racing world....more
I so enjoyed this prequel to the fictional Hester Prynne of the Scarlet Letter. The main character, Isobel, is a woman ahead of her time – determined I so enjoyed this prequel to the fictional Hester Prynne of the Scarlet Letter. The main character, Isobel, is a woman ahead of her time – determined to follow her desire for love, her passion for embroidery and her hope for the future.
If you are interested in the historic Salem witch trials in this country – and those persecuted in Europe – you will find this a fascinating read.
Isobel is told by many to “trust the needle,” a powerful metaphor strung throughout the book. To me, it signified trusting one’s creativity. But it also served as a metaphor for female empowerment – to trust one’s passion, one’s instinct, and one’s female strength. Isobel is a woman with grapheme-color synesthesia, which aids in her creative skills, but also puts her at risk during a time when fear of black magick abounded, and any perceived ‘differentness’ could be dangerous for a woman.
I enjoyed the two time periods presented – Isobel’s during 1829, and her grandmother’s during 1662 – and the parallels between both women’s stories of persecution. Even Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story and Isobel’s are intertwined through the historic lens of “accuser and accused.” Fable and story are impressively infused in this work as well.
The language is lovely but accessible, and I look forward to more books by this author. A few samples:
Even Forbes’s wife is screaming, the bright words leaving her black maw of a mouth: “A witch, she’s a witch!”
… the three ships in the harbor huddle together like dark birds sleeping in the tides.
And yet silence doesn’t protect us from the past, as I well know. When a legacy haunts a family the echoes reverberate even if no one hears them.”
You’ll enjoy an excellent author’s note at the end about the research involved and the spark of an idea that led to this book.
Many thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy in exchange for an honest review. ...more
I’m a sucker for historical fiction, mother-daughter relationships and hints of magic and mystery. In Brock’s book, they’re all presented, wrapped aroI’m a sucker for historical fiction, mother-daughter relationships and hints of magic and mystery. In Brock’s book, they’re all presented, wrapped around the legendary Lost Colony of Roanoke, and the age-old question of “Who am I?” - in this case, posed by characters Alice and Penn.
I enjoyed the audiobook version of this novel, which – with the accent – took me directly to the South.
And, as always, I love a good author’s note …
Kimberly Brock shares her fascination for the real-life Virginia Dare and the historic Dare stones, but her bigger appreciation for story and dreaming. As Alice says to her daughter, “Stories matter not because they’re true, but because they’ve been told.” It was so lovely to hear that portion of the book in the author’s voice!...more
I was immediately interested in this book when I read the description concerning water rights and the protection of beloved California ranchland (as II was immediately interested in this book when I read the description concerning water rights and the protection of beloved California ranchland (as I sit smack-dab in the Arizona desert and parts of our state face water restrictions that seem, also, to cater to “the many vs. the few.” i.e., Ranchers/farmers in our county are being restricted while large cities in other counties have zero restrictions).
“You can’t save what you don’t love” was a theme presented throughout this novel – a sentiment I’ve voiced many times regarding humans’ detachment from nature. In this novel, it becomes an expertly woven theme – related to land and relationships and humanity.
Naturally, water images abound, and each section is presented with the various properties of thirst, eleven in all, including, among them, memory, desire, truth, reinvention, evaporation (brilliant)! Some of the liquidy imagery:
…Here he could hear the water, he could see the water, the shadow of the water: ice on the mountains vapor in the clouds….
He had loved the land and had watched it parch and buckle, water trapped and stolen by … he didn’t even like to think the name. Los Angeles.
I could relate to Rocky and his absolute adoration for the ruggedness of the area (and would hope to see Pierce Brosnan cast as him!). This novel tackles tough and tender issues simultaneously: love and loss, the corruption of large municipal entities, and the horrific reality of Japanese-American internment camps in America. It address moral consciousness and humanity, and pits it against greed and selfishness.
The writing is dense and complex and uses a lot of unconventional grammatical and punctuation techniques, which may turn some readers off (lots of dashes and parentheses, stream of consciousness). And while I wholly enjoyed this story, I noted a kind of unevenness throughout that I couldn’t quite put my finger on – very lengthy soliloquies that needed paring down (for my tastes) and often-excessive descriptions that got in the way of the story (usually something I don’t mind).
When I read the Afterword, I gained some clarity regarding my reaction. That said, the Afterword also erased any potential quibbles I might have had. (view spoiler)[When I learned the author had suffered a massive stroke when this book was still in draft stage, and read about the struggle her daughter went through to ensure it would be published, and then learned of the author’s struggle back to speech and sight and writing … I cried. The amount of work the editor, also, put in to coax the damaged-but-healing author’s words back from her… I appreciated it even more. (hide spoiler)]
Many thanks to the publisher, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review....more
Sign me up among the legions of Lauren Groff fans! This incredible novel is set in 1158, a time period I didn’t think would interest me. And a book abSign me up among the legions of Lauren Groff fans! This incredible novel is set in 1158, a time period I didn’t think would interest me. And a book about nuns? Also didn’t think it would interest me. But the character of Marie… So fierce, so fantastic.
This novel, in fact, made me really think about the strong women I’ve encountered in my own life: women of great physical strength, of tough emotional mettle, the problem-solvers, the tender-hearted, the dreamers, the pragmatists, the in-your-face leaders, the silent leaders. And beneath all those virtues, an innate ability to nurture community, to care about and take care of other women.
That’s what this book is about. Female strength. And love, betrayal, heartbreak, innovation, power struggles, injustice…
This book is unlike any other I’ve read; it has a density to it – and spans multiple decades – despite an economy of words (257 pages). Each word is perfectly chosen to paint incredible imagery. Part of the book’s thinness is due to the absolute lack of dialogue (something, also, I’d have thought would be difficult. Groff pulls it off without a hitch!) Some examples of the beauty of the writing in this literary novel:
It is Goda who lifts Marie to her feet, muttering what a great clumsy lunk this girl is, a giantess, too, and how peculiar-looking, though these clothes are quite fine, or were, now that she has gone and ruined them … Goda has the affronted air of someone who lurks in corners to hear herself spoken ill of so that she can hold tight a grievance to suckle.
… a fly beats its crisp body on the shutters…
She is a dark-haired , sunbrowned woman who gives the impression of boiling turmoil held in check by willpower alone, smaller than Marie but like Marie holding a kind of natural authority in her shoulders thrown back.
The horse senses Marie’s fear and her ears stiffen and point forward…. But with the increasing pace, the anxiety in Marie also increases, this is bad, the road is darkening, the sun has snuffed itself behind a cloud, the trees themselves are staring at her with sinister shadows, the branches above are meaty arms paused in downward swing…
The gorgeous prose goes on and on. Highly recommended to readers who love literary fiction and historical fiction – and strong female protagonists. If you enjoy doing some research after reading historical fiction, look up all the interesting theories about the real Marie of France (who is a mystery to historians to this day). So utterly fascinating!!! ...more
I had the pleasure of listening to Sequoia Nagamatsu speak at the Tucson Festival of Books this year, or I’d likely not have considered this book. It I had the pleasure of listening to Sequoia Nagamatsu speak at the Tucson Festival of Books this year, or I’d likely not have considered this book. It is speculative fiction/sci-fi – not my usual go-to. And while some of the genre isn’t necessarily my cuppa, there is no denying the ah-maz-ing talent of this author to weave in an enormous cast of characters that all connect and loop back to one another. This book is full of surprises, and you need to be on your toes to see the incredible reveal at the end.
I actually listened to this novel, and feel that was a handicap since I get so much more from reading. (Like the studies suggest, comprehension and retention often suffer with audiobooks – at least that is the case for me. Especially with the large cast of characters, I felt I’d have kept better track in print and appreciated the literary nuances more).
After an exciting discussion with my sister about this novel, I’m actually inspired to buy a print version for a re-read. This is the kind of book that, upon a second read, will allow you to unearth clues and themes you might have missed on the first go-round.
Ultimately, this is a book about human connection – how we crave it, what happens when we don’t get it, how we survive in the midst of adversity … all framed around a pandemic unleashed in the Arctic (written well before the pandemic; the poor author went on submission right when COVID hit). As the book jacket states, this tale is about “the resiliency of the human spirit, our infinite capacity to dream, and the connective threads that tie us all together in the universe.”
It was very trippy to have been reading this concurrently with Bewilderment, by Richard Powers (which included an astrobiologist who took his son to new worlds every night through bedtime stories. Interestingly, lots of parallels in both books re: the climate situation and possibilities of life beyond Earth)....more
Richard Powers has done it again – won my heart with his writing and thematic sensitivities to the environment, this time through a father and his eigRichard Powers has done it again – won my heart with his writing and thematic sensitivities to the environment, this time through a father and his eight-year-old son, Robin (Robbie).
This is a story about loss and love of family, passion for the good planet Earth, the possibilities of the future, the lengths we will go to remain close to those already gone. There is contemplation of global warming, there are illustrations of its impact, there is Powers’s trademark science intelligence woven within: decoded neurofeedback, planetary biology.
To be clear, there is politics (though not overbearing) -- this novel blurs the lines between the present and some nearby future – and there are also ‘voyages’ to other planets (Theo is an astrobiologist, and the science he shares with Robbie is fascinating.) The use of galaxies and interplanetary realms really drove home the environmental themes of “coming back to Earth.” What will it take to come back to our planet, appreciate it and marvel at its wonder so that we can save it?
I watched the Oprah’s Book Club interview with Powers about this book. When she asked him if we could ‘fix’ the catastrophe we’ve unleashed on the planet, he said this: “We’ve been misled as to where meaning is. We’ve gone so deeply into a culture where meaning is a purely private, caretaking thing, we don’t even think of it as a philosophy anymore. We just think, ‘That’s modernism, capitalism, that’s commodity culture. That’s who we are.’
“The reality is – if we are completely convinced that all we need to do is take care of ourselves, then of course, the world we hold in common is going to go to Hell.”
If these sentiments resonate with you, pick up this novel. It’s slim (278 pages) and powerful. You may think differently about the labels placed on people who are different – who see and interact with the world differently than ‘everyone else.’ (Powers says Robbie is a reflection of his own “strangeness as a child”); you might ask what it is, exactly, that makes up a personality, makes a person unique?
4.5 rounded up for this modern re-telling of Daniel Keyes’ classic Flowers for Algernon. ...more
I was so entrenched in the main character’s life, I didn’t want this book to end. From the first pages, I was swept away and immediately empathetic toI was so entrenched in the main character’s life, I didn’t want this book to end. From the first pages, I was swept away and immediately empathetic to Valery’s circumstances (I also needed to know what was happening to him, as I shared in his confusion).
But, for me, it went beyond character. I was a pre-teen/teen growing up during the Cold War, which, I think, predisposed my fascination with the secrecy factor of Russian politics (the book-jacket copy indicates the novel is based on historical truths, which only furthered my interest). Now, with the tragedies occurring in the Ukraine, the book may hold even more significance for readers, though it does not specifically address that historic struggle. More than anything, it provides insight to a national ideology.
The language, also, is beautiful, the characters emotionally fleshed, and the plot superb. I had a visceral reaction at one point in the book – complete stomach aches for the worry I had about a particular event. That’s good writing! And here are some additional examples:
He forced himself to look at her properly. He had never liked looking anyone full in the face. It felt as invasive as poking them in the chest, and the instinct not to do it was powerful, even if he was surrounded by people who insisted it was the polite thing.
He was in no state to cope with kindness. With no family and no people of your own to build up your resistance to it, kindness was like a triple shot of vodka after being teetotal for years. It went straight to the head.
He stood in the way that bears do when they aren’t sure if they want to eat you …
A lot of things went a bright colour to warn you that they were poisonous, and it was helpful even of lakes to do the same thing.
Finally, I love science, so the scientific aspects of nuclear studies and radioactivity were of great interest (even if you don’t love science, don’t shy away!)
You will learn about Stalin’s labor camps and the 20 million people who went through them. You will learn some things unknown to the general public. You will go back into the late 30s, with references to the evil Josef Mengele and his human twin studies during the Holocaust. But you will stay mostly in mid-60s Russia with two characters, in particular, who will tug at your heartstrings. And you will meet a loveable octopus!
I have one quibble, and I hope it won’t be a deterrent for many readers, as I think it was a gutsy stylistic choice (and one I still don’t fully understand)… but this book does not follow standard capitalization. (I did not include actual capitalization in my examples above). Some sentences start with caps, some don’t. Some proper names have caps, but most don’t. I tried to discern the pattern early on and found it so distracting, I had to re-read the first 20 pages. I was willing to do so, because 1) I was interested in the book 2) I knew my brain would learn to gloss over the punctuation eventually so that I would stop seeing it. That DID, in fact, happen.
I wonder if the point was to make the reader ‘feel’ the same disorientation as the characters? I’d have appreciated some author’s note to that effect. Maybe an interview, upon publication, will address this stylistic technique. I truly hope it doesn’t dissuade some readers from giving this a go, because it’s a fantastic book. And I hope it is optioned for film; hands down, Jon Hamm MUST play the character of Shenkov!!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review....more
Writers are often told, “Don’t withhold too much. Your reader needs connection up front.” Yet this slim book is nothing but withholding. We don’t knowWriters are often told, “Don’t withhold too much. Your reader needs connection up front.” Yet this slim book is nothing but withholding. We don’t know much of anything about the main character, Mara. We know she has fled her life (in the book jacket copy), and we make assumptions early on about a loss she has endured. We know her age and get a few flashbacks to childhood and a brother named Paul. That’s about it throughout most of the book.
In the scenes, there also isn’t much happening within the wine shop where most of the book takes place. And yet… All of this withholding– it works. In fact, it works so well, probably, because the novel (I would call this a novella, to be sure; it is only 240 pages, and each page is nearly half white-space) is more a series of short introspections. And somehow, all those tiny paragraphs of interiority and rumination build up to a whole.
A whole lot of anguish and grief that, with poetic but spare prose, burrows inside the reader. I’ve never read anything quite like it. For being so slim and with such an economy of words, I’d have thought it impossible to ‘feel’ so much of the story unfold, on such an emotional level, in such a seemingly unrushed fashion.
I don’t often gravitate toward non-traditional forms of storytelling. I like quotes for dialogue (this one includes italics). I like normal-sized chapter lengths, some external conflict thrown in with my internal crises. But, you know what? That went RIGHT out the window with this book. I was “in” from the first beautiful words.
Speaking of which… a few for your enjoyment:
Her mother didn’t witness a thing. She wasn’t like a mother at all. She was the weather system under which they lived, a sudden gust followed by an eerie period of calm, a sunny day made terrifying by what might follow, by what had come before.
She sees it, the way pity gathers like pleasure around Simon’s eyes, how he will think of her: sick branch on a sick tree.
A feeling is a decision you get to make, Lucien used to say.
Sometimes she wonders what might have happened if she’d been born less flawed, if she’d turned, on occasion, right instead of left. Maybe she’d be more like Paul, not a bay stripped bare by the tides, all the scum and rocks and dented plastic bottles on hideous display.
I’m game for the next Sara Freeman book. For sure. This is a little novel, but big on heart-wrenching emotion about a very troubled woman. (view spoiler)[If you need your books with nicely wrapped bows at the end, this one may not be for you. (hide spoiler)]
Thanks to Melissa (Bantering Books) for the recommendation. I found the ending masterful, too. ...more
I was swept away by the prologue of this book – the evocative setting, the beautiful language, the late 1800s time period, the mystery behind the charI was swept away by the prologue of this book – the evocative setting, the beautiful language, the late 1800s time period, the mystery behind the characters.
But we stay there only a short time and spend the remainder of the book in 1930s Denver with a different cast of characters (albeit endearing and interesting), but with only a slight connection to those introduced in the opening pages.
Despite my desire to remain in the latter time period, I learned a great deal about the horrific inequities faced by Chicano/a and indigenous people in Denver during the 1930s (I was unaware of the KKKs deep presence, as well). But I confess… I wanted so much more of that first story! And much more of Simodecea’s story. And so, so much more to the ending.
I appreciated the clairvoyant aspects of the book, loved the bad-assery of Maria Josie, and one character’s connection to snakes. I’m sure many will adore this novel and the easy flow of the writing, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of just wanting more.
An enthusiastic "5" for the prologue, and a solid 3 "like" for the remainder.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review....more
I may be among the few who call this behemoth book ‘refreshing,’ because, yes, it paints a frightening, if not depressing (but realistic), portrait ofI may be among the few who call this behemoth book ‘refreshing,’ because, yes, it paints a frightening, if not depressing (but realistic), portrait of the world today and where the world may be headed in 15 to 20 years.
But what was refreshing is that the author cast a massive spotlight on both political parties, and took punches – repeatedly – at both sides. This was incredibly restorative to me personally, in a time when traditional and social media have created this polarizing “refuse to see anyone else’s perspective - can’t objectively assess the political party I believe in – fly off the handle if someone has different views – cancel those with different beliefs - won’t consider both sides of a story” culture. As an independent, I’m talking about both sides wearing their blinders. This book pointed out our highly polarized society quite clearly. Yes, there was a particular political leaning, overall, but this novel did far better than traditional journalism does today with objectivity…
Let me be clear that I take a wide berth with politics, yet this book entranced me, because while it may be fiction, my guess is that it’s closer to the truth than any of us want to realize or will be willing to realize. And that’s the reason everyone should read it.
I admit that this novel may not appeal to a good number of readers due to its sheer length (almost 900 pages), its political emphasis, and its less-than-rosy undertones. The author also employs some interesting literary techniques, using a vast number of main characters and points of view, backstory overloading, letter/briefing reports, graphics with world headlines, second-person/present narrative, and loads of description about political processes and committees… BUT, for me, it all worked. I wanted to learn more and suspected that much of what goes on in this fictional account goes on in real politics: the closed-door meetings, the fence-jumping on issues simply to win an election, the backstabbing, the ‘do whatever it takes’ to get my party elected, even if the wrong person is in office… Oh, wait… We’ve been seeing this for years, haven’t we? We see it now.
But what kept me reading, in the end, was the characters. Markley has an uncanny ability to create unique characters, each voice singular, each person’s background wholly individual and real. I came to care for these characters and wept on at least three occasions. I was surprised to be so touched by the troubled character, Keeper; the cantankerous Tony; the brilliant and evasive character on the spectrum, Ashir. And the main character (who, interestingly, is not a point-of-view character), Kate… holy moly was she a power to be reckoned with and so expertly drawn by Markley. So damn good. The writing, also: so damn good.
Along those lines, I cannot imagine the research Markley went through to understand the science behind global warming, predictive theories about polar ice caps and methane clathrates in the oceans, political systems, resistance regimes, military operations, economics, political ideologies… my mind is completely, fantastically blown. If I’d seen the list I just wrote, I probably would have said, “Nope. Not for me.” And yet, it was for me…
There is a message of hope at the end, though readers will need to be patient getting there. I took months to read this book with 30-minute daily sessions and felt I was rewarded in the end. It got me to thinking that maybe the book length and its insane complexity mirrored the themes within. Getting whole societies together for the greater good – no, not an easy task. A long, arduous, time-taking task… And, quite frankly, I’m not sure this would have been the same book had it been pared down. Its elaborate and lengthy storyline felt necessary.
A few samples of the writing:
Gazing at that pink house, Shane could almost hear her father’s voice. Not particular words but the big, booming squall. The whole winds of the earth seemed to live in his lungs.
Wounded people, I’ve noticed, tend to welcome camaraderie.
I was speaking too softly and forced myself to sit up, to uncoil. It probably looked like a small movement to her, but for me, it was like knocking over my chair.
Then she looked around at her family’s cancer-alley lives, the sacrifice zone she’d called home, where the sun was a hazy red dragon breathing through the spires of refinery architecture, and she went hard for years at drinking and drugs herself.
After decades of delay, policymakers and the economic elite who support them have allowed this civilizational crisis to metastasize. Regan, Bush, Clinton, W. Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden, Hogan, Randall, and now Love – leaders with nothing in common except their failure to address the only issue that ever really mattered.
So, yes… As uncomfortable as this book may make you, you should probably read it. You won’t agree with all of the political solutions or stances – nor did I – but you might come away with a more open mind, asking “What would I do to save the world?”
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review....more
What I loved about this book was that it read like a love letter to fellow authors. The story being set in a bookstore, this makes sense … and it was What I loved about this book was that it read like a love letter to fellow authors. The story being set in a bookstore, this makes sense … and it was a real treat to see recent books lauded in this novel ( I can only imagine the surprise and wonder of authors whose books made it into this book).
Lines in the book include readerly and writerly comments such as:
Asema recommending a book to a customer:
”All right,” she said to him firmly, “you should really read this.” Before I could stop her, she handed him the Narrow Road to the Deep North, by Richard Flanagan. An anguishing read about prisoners of war worked to death in order to build a highway through impassable jungle. He didn’t wave it off…
Tookie recommending books to a particular customer:
Now, I stood beside him ticking through the past few months of success and failure. Toni Cade Bambara and Ishiguro, yes, all of Murakami, yes, Philip Roth, James Baldwin and Colson Whitehead (Get out. Read these a hundred times). Yaa Gyasi, yes, Rachel Kushner, yes, and W.G. Sebald, but no more mysteries because he complains that he becomes compulsive.”
And of publishing trends:
Girl this or Girl that is still popular. A few years ago The Whatever’s Wife or Daughter was a favorite. This is a Bone year. Bone-bone, BoneyBoneBone, Daughter of the Bones, Coughing up Bones and Happy Bones, which I decide to read.”
The bookstore owner, also, amusingly, described as “…Age had broadened her face and nose, plumped up her cheeks, grayed her hair, and given her a general air of tolerance,” is named Louise. (Yes, Louise Erdrich owns a bookstore called Birchbark Books in Minneapolis).
Then, of course, at the end of the book are seven pages of the main character and bookseller, Tookie’s, favorite books, listed as Totally Biased List of Tookie’s Favorite Books. They’re arranged by categories: Ghost Managing Book List, Short Perfect Novels, Sailboat Table, Books for Banned Love, Indigenous Lives, Indigenous Poetry, Indigenous History and Nonfiction, Sublime Books, Tookie’s Pandemic Reading, and Incarceration.
But what didn’t work quite as well for me was the story. Sigh. I love Louise Erdrich’s writing and was blown away by The Round House -- not surprising of a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. But I got the sense while reading that the book had been rushed into publication. And when I further look at the timeline of publication (2021), I do wonder if there was some publisher race to get the first pandemic book out – and Louise Erdrich was tapped to do so for Harper.
There is often laugh-out-loud humor in this book, which I appreciated, but the novel covers myriad topics – Colonialism, the impact of incarceration, the pandemic, the George Floyd riots – all things that demand to be in current literature. They’re critically important discussion points, but what felt amiss was the way they were included in the novel – in a series of slice-of-life, short chapters that seemed to have little to do with the main character’s journey and felt randomly thrown in.
The book jacket copy will have you believe this is a ghost story, but we only see elements of that ‘haunting’ in some 80 or so pages. Over the course of a year, the book essentially follows a bookseller, Tookie, to whom things happen. She doesn’t read as a character who has specific goals or makes her own choices in the present (though we learn of her poor choices in the past). Things happen around and to her, which left me at a disconnect.
Maybe there were subtle nuances that were lost on me, as I see many of my friends adored this novel – and, frankly, this book has, overwhelmingly, been loved by the majority of readers. For me, it was just a little too disjointed to make emotional connections, despite greatly appreciating the bookstore scenes and book talk – and especially learning about indigenous culture. Maybe it’s that this pandemic book didn’t strike me as authentically as the book I had just finished reading prior.
At any rate – there was much to enjoy here (and I did). And I definitely want to read Erdrich’s Pulitzer, The Night Watchman. I look forward to upcoming novels as well!...more
You may be like me – among those who have no interest in reading about pandemic-anything. Well… that’s what I thought… until I read this novel. It is You may be like me – among those who have no interest in reading about pandemic-anything. Well… that’s what I thought… until I read this novel. It is actually set a decade from now, but with flashbacks to the era of early pandemic-ness, when everything changed.
And yet… I adored this book. I didn’t expect to feel comforted the way I did – and maybe even validated about my own concerns over the past two years. I found myself nodding and feeling understood. And, somehow, even in the uncertain future painted within this book, I felt hope (more below).
The novel is told through a series of first-person narratives – nine, if I counted correctly. In Julia Glass’s capable hands, this technique works, and works well, as the reader gets a deep dive into the emotions of all the characters -- two young adults (one who writes poetry, one an actor), a biologist, a retired English teacher, an architect, a mother running a home-school co-op, and others facing a world with startling new realities – shrinking shorelines, a growing scarcity of specific food items, escalated terrorism activity, intense deportation laws.
When I requested this book, I had no idea there would be such an emphasis on environmental topics, but as we – in real life – inch closer to the realities brought on by climate change, this book felt like a very close approximation of the future – and the emotions of the characters felt achingly real. I tend to gravitate toward eco-fiction and cli-fi, but don’t often read contemporary stories. This was both – and so much more. It was utterly transporting.
I was most struck by my connection to the character, Brecht, a young man who self-describes his generation as “Generation F: failure, fuckup, fatalist; take your pick. Others call us Generation NL (out loud, nil): No Life, as in having no lives worth living, or maybe as in Get a Life, which it’s true a lot of us cannot seem to do…”
Glass was able to take me, a middle-aged white woman, into the mind of today’s youth and feel their uncertainty – which I found truly remarkable. I felt the same way with nearly every character, breathing the story of each as if it were my own.
So while this all sounds utterly glum, I still walked away feeling hopeful, because all of these characters found joy in their lives. And because the message, overall, is that humans are adaptable, resilient.
As one character thinks of what he might tell his mother if she asks how he’s doing (10 years in the future), he thinks of his response: (view spoiler)[ “I’m on an island whose shoreline is threatened, there are guards and cops and rangers and all kinds of uniformed people keeping an eye out for trouble, there are flood basins where there used to be basketball courts, there are stretches of summer when the temperature hits one hundred degrees five days in a row, and there may loom storms, bombs, contagions, pandemics and pandemonium, but I’m doing all right.” (hide spoiler)]
And, as a reader, you’re really going to believe him!
Finally, maybe my favorite part of this book is the fantastic mythical element that really ties together the theme of hope, of the importance of wishes and dreams, and of the possibility of the impossible.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I had been wanting to read Julia Glass since I saw her YEARS ago at Tucson Festival of Books (this novel took her a decade to write!). So happy I got the chance and that this was my first exposure....more
Love Margaret Atwood (and was blessed to have seen her speak YEARS ago in Phoenix). This short story just adds to my love affair. I listened to the auLove Margaret Atwood (and was blessed to have seen her speak YEARS ago in Phoenix). This short story just adds to my love affair. I listened to the audiobook and ADORED the narrator, who nailed teenage girl 'whining.' Such a lovely story of mother-daughter relationships that, sometimes, are only appreciated at the end....more
Kingsolver deserves kudos for tackling an opioid-addiction tale, and I appreciated the tie-in to David Copperfield and absolutely adored listening to Kingsolver deserves kudos for tackling an opioid-addiction tale, and I appreciated the tie-in to David Copperfield and absolutely adored listening to Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon launch at the Center for Fiction (insanely fascinating that she stayed in Mark Twain’s house while writing and felt his ‘muse’ speaking to her and guiding her as she wrote).
I also felt she nailed the ending, and I appreciated the superhero symbolism. Both worked, and worked well. But I won’t lie. I had a weird relationship with this book. While it was very easy to zip through 20 pages and feel interested enough in this character, I never felt connected. The deeper into the book, the more interest I lost. I admit I began to skim and felt I’d lost nothing for it.
Part of that could be my difficulty, overall, with coming-of-age stories, coupled with the fact that I don’t generally prefer first-person narratives. Part of that also could be the narrative structure, which was nearly all exposition, with very sparse dialogue, and short/choppy thoughts – nearly stream of consciousness (a good characterization technique, I suppose, for a young boy/teen that just didn’t work for me, personally). I also struggled greatly with the syntax of the sentences and the swapping back and forth of past to present tense; I finally got MOSTLY used to it with about one-third of the book left, but confess it was an irritant and constant distraction for me, luring me away from the story over and over.
Another part of my disconnect could be that I was never certain if the narrator was an adult, retelling his childhood, or if we were in the main character’s point of view with each stage of his growth. It was inconsistent at best, with some “when I look back” commentary and some looking-forward “it would be the last time…” commentary, and thinking/speech patterns that no adult would possess. I figured it out. But not until, literally, the last pages.
I had lots of qualms with time period accuracy that also pulled me from the story. Anything I’ve read or listened to (Kingsolver’s own interview) said this book was set in the 90s. And yet… as a teen, myself, in the late 80s/early 90s/undergrad through mid-90s, I found many inconsistencies that competed with my enjoyment of the story. I suppose that may have to do with whether this book is set in late or early 90s … but there are references to watching Survivor – the whole reality TV show scene not busting into existence until the 2000s – and there were references to girls stuffing lockers with print photos of naked body parts. Yet, this is a phenomenon that evolved through cell phones and texting that also only became popular around 2007. I just can’t see girls sharing racy photos in the 90s for the sheer fact the ONLY way to do that would have been to have them developed (this book never mentions a cell phone). And in a small town, I doubt you’d risk everyone knowing/seeing those images. Nor would you have the money for a camera. There were also references to Ronald Regan’s death, seeing Carrie Underwood on the streets (she would have JUST won American Idol in 2005), and online, low-residency programs (which didn’t really take off until around 2012). Maybe I was just confused???
All that said, you know the saying… “It’s not you, it’s me,” because, well… look at all the other rave reviews (many from friends whose opinions I adore and am often in agreement with). This one just wasn’t for me. I’m going to give an older Kingsolver a try – Prodigal Summer. Wish me luck!...more
There is no denying the writing chops and lyricism this author possesses. In this novel, she adeptly integrates Biblical language into the na3.5 stars
There is no denying the writing chops and lyricism this author possesses. In this novel, she adeptly integrates Biblical language into the narrative – quite fitting, since the book is about Old Lutherans in 1830s Prussia. You’ll see phrases such as: ‘revelations of water,’ ‘the world had forsaken its axis,’ ‘made myself an apostle,’ ‘ made a shroud of it,’ ‘a cathedral of sky.’
While I zipped through the majority of the first part of the book, the second was slow going for me, which surprised even me, since I share a love of nature akin to the main character, Hanne. And since I enjoy stories that explore mysticism and spirituality.
An event occurs halfway through the novel, and I’m still not sure exactly how I feel about it. In the end, I just didn’t develop the emotional connection with the characters that keeps me bound to the books I mark as my favorites. Some of that may be due to the age of the protagonists (teens), and some of it is due to a relationship in the novel that, for me, was not developed fully enough for me to go along for the ride.
The language is beautiful in this book, but it is just not Burial Rites beautiful. That book knocked my socks off. The historic elements are seamless – colonialism, the portrayal of illness on seagoing voyages, religious fanaticism. And the mother-daughter relationships shine in this book.
I so enjoyed this buddy read with Melissa (Bantering Books) and look forward to the next Hannah Kent novel!...more
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