Did summer seem to speed by? Here we are, pulling out the sweaters, baking pumpkin muffins, and hankering down with some good books. Here is my last half dozen. There's some good reading here - humour mixed in with some growing-old tales, a bit of historical fiction (did you ever wonder what life was like in 1950's America?), some mystery, a road trip across Canada, and a lot about finding ourselves wherever we are and whoever we are - but the recurring theme is the importance of human connection.
I hope you find a book that piques your interest.
In the order they were read:
Death And Other Inconveniences – Lesley Crewe is known for her humourous, slightly quirky characters and home-spun, endearing stories that take place in Eastern Canada. The book opens, uniquely, with a somewhat irreverent obituary for Richard (Dickie Bird) Ambrose Sterling. Widow Margo is left to tie up the affairs of the estate and marriage which she admits is outside her expertise. She is, after all, very good at fashion and makeup and appearances but not so good at responsibility - Dick had handled all of that. As is usual for Lesley Crewe, a whole host of characters steps in - Margo’s two adult children, her son’s animal-loving partner, her daughter’s health-nut husband, two lovely grand-daughters, Margo’s first ex-husband and his boyfriend, her well-meaning neighbour, Margo’s brother and sister - and we can’t forget two donkeys, Fred and Ginger, and a waywardly, brash young lady in need of a family. But also enter Dick’s adult daughter and her mother who have a real hatred on for Margo. Margo is forced to establish herself as a single woman who has never really been independent. The whole story winds around all the upheaval and turmoil and paperwork and legalities and family drama and foibles and strengths and weaknesses as Margo figures out her new life – and grows up – at the age of 62. For a book that starts with an obituary, this story is not at all morbid. In true Lesley Crewe fashion, it is quaint and focusses, with humour, on the human condition. It’s a very simple and fast read. Don’t look for anything more than a few hours of diversion. Lesley Crew has some 13 novels to check out - I haven’t read them all, but I did like her Nosy Parker and Recipe For A Good Life somewhat better than Death And Other Inconveniences. But like I said, it’s still good diversion. Rating: 3/5
Real Americans - I really liked this book – the writing, the layout, and the themes. You’ll be left pondering family relationships, cultural assimilation, the societal pressures to act in a certain way, the role that fate or luck plays in our lives, our satisfaction or dissatisfaction with our ethnicity, racial privilege, the decisions we make or don’t make, scientific ethics, and how far we push genetic testing to get what we think we want. Real Americans is told in three parts from the perspective of three generations. The story opens in 1999 with Lily, an American-born unpaid intern trying to make her way in New York City. We learn about her struggles as an English speaking Chinese and the expectations placed on her by her family and by society to act and achieve in a certain way. She meets a very well-put-together, very good-looking, very wealthy white man, and the relationship begins. We are introduced to his lavish lifestyle which is in deep contrast to Lily’s spartan circumstances and upbringing. The second part of the story jumps to 2021. Nick is living with his mother, Lily, on an island in Washington state. He is tall and blond and does not look at all like his Chinese heritage, and he has many questions about his past. We follow him as he grows up and sets out on his own to university. The third part of the story leaps forward to 2030. Mae, Lily’s mother, is now an old lady living in San Francisco. It is Mae who provides the background for the story. Real Americans is a unique novel that combines family saga, coming of age, ethnic and social prejudices, science, a few ‘fantastical’ elements, some romance, and some history of Mao Zedong’s China. It’s a fast read that held me riveted. This would be a great book club read, and the title alone is worth pondering. I’m sure there will be lots of opinions about it. Rating: 4.5/5
Long Island - It is 1976, and Eilis Lacey lives with her Italian husband Tony and their two children on a cul-de-sac on Long Island, New York, neighbours to all of Tony’s large and domineering family. One day, she opens the door to find a man who tells her that his wife is pregnant with Tony’s child and he is going to leave the baby on her doorstep as soon as the child is born. Eilis believes she is forced to make a big decision. She chooses to return to what could be described as her rather suffocating childhood town in Ireland, and her two children eventually join her. It is in her re-kindling of relationships with her mother, her siblings, her friend, and her previous love-interest that her life becomes even more complicated, and Eilis has to seek clarity about who she is and what she wants. The book is told in the third person in seven parts with much brief communication. Praise for the book includes the intrigue in all the decisions that Eilis has to make and her struggle to figure out just who she is. I liked Colm Toibin’s depiction of a small Irish town where everyone, literally, knows everyone else and their business. I also liked the parallels he created in the story. Some reviewers became frustrated with some of the characters and their communication style and their behaviour, and some people liked reading Colm Toibin’s novel ‘Brooklyn’ first, although he sees Long Island as a stand-alone novel. I found it helpful to watch an interview with Colm Toibin which is readily available online and in which he explains what he was thinking and thus his writing choices in Long Island. You might be left with strong opinions as to whether you liked this book or not. It's a fast read and whether you love it or leave it, you might be left thinking about secrets and decisions we make or don’t make. Rating: 2.5/5
The Briar Club - I really liked this book, also. The story takes place when not one, but two, dead bodies are found in the Briarwod House in Washington, DC, on Thanksgiving day 1954. The Briarwood House is a boarding house for women run by the bossy and rigid Mrs. NiIlsson. You are left wondering right to the end who exactly are the deceased and who are the murderers. What is really unique about this book is the style in which Kate Quinn spins this tale. Each of the eight chapters is focussed on one resident of the Briarwood House: Pete, Mrs. Nilson’s teenage son who is learning about life and women; Nora, a policeman’s daughter in love with a gangster; Reka, the elderly Hungarian refugee; Fliss, the apparently unflappable Englishwoman with a baby; Bea, the baseball pro mourning the loss of her career; Claire, who has a desire to buy her own small house in the suburbs; Grace, who puts life and energy into Briarwood House; and Arlene, who is paranoid about communism and who is simply not likeable. Each of these characters is so well developed, you get to know them intimately - well, you think you do until you realize they all have their secrets. This mish-mash of characters forms the Briar Club, weekly dinner parties in Grace’s small attic room. The eight chapters are uniquely separated by a return to Thanksgiving 1954 in which the good old Briarwood House, itself, reflects on the goings-on in the house with a ‘know-it-all’ eye. Throw into this mix an endearing awkward adolescent girl, gangsters, musicians, artists, untrustworthy politicians, government workers, government spies, society ladies, a pervasive paranoia of communism, fear of war, racism, nightclubs, female victimization, women’s rights, baseball, some romance (of course), homosexuality, coming of age, a Pilsbury bake-off (!), dysfunctional families, and support where you least expect it, and you have an historical fiction which paints a picture of life in 1950’s post WWII America. Kate Quinn has a real gift for making each of her novels unique. Be sure to read her historical note at the end for insight into her character and content choices. This is a fast read that kept me engaged. I liked all of it. Rating: 4.5/5
The Borrowed Life Of Frederick Fife - This is a debut novel by Australian author Anna Johnston and, like many debut novels, brings with it freshness and creativity. Frederick Fife is an 82 year old, almost destitute and very lonely, man still grieving the loss of his dear wife Dawn years ago and still feeling guilty for not being with her in a time of need. In a most unusual incident and in a case of mistaken identity at the Wattle River Nature Reserve, Fred is escorted to the Wattle River Nursing Home where he adopts, or ‘borrows,’ the identity of grouchy old Bernard. Fred, now Bernard, is an extremely kind and caring man by nature and soon is a helpful confidant to staff and other residents. But as days go by, he builds quite a predicament for himself as he meets many new friends, feels needed, is well fed, and is quite comfortable, but his conscience knows that he is not being honest. As time passes, and the story unwinds, new relationships come about, secrets are revealed, and old Fred is not the only one who learns to rethink his life, make amends, and practice forgiveness. There’s some good twists and turns and surprises along the way. The strength of this book lies in the characters and in the depth of emotion. Anna Johnston, as she says in her Author’s Note, knows about love, knows about the grief and loneliness and invisibility of the elderly, and knows about all aspects of life in a nursing home. Although the story is quite implausible, and some reviewers thought it contained a bit too much 'potty humour,' I appreciated the cleverness, the depth of the relationships, the foibles and antics, and the feel-good story. It’s the power of human connection. We should all be as attentive and kind and positive as Fred. It's an easy read, and you might cry and you might laugh - and you might especially like it if you are a fan of the 'little old man' or little old lady' genre. Rating: 4/5
Moon Road - If you appreciate talented wordsmithing and a good dose of Canadiana over an action-packed plot, this novel might be for you. 65 year old Kathleen and 73 year old Yannick live in eastern Canada. They were once married and have a daughter who has been missing for some 20 years. The haven’t spoken for that entire length of time, but when they receive news from police on the far west coast of Canada, they embark on a journey together in a pickup truck across the vastness of the country. And, if you live in Canada, you know that it is over 2,000 miles of pavement and varying landscapes and small towns and gas stations and motels and landmarks. The beauty of this book lies in the simple and highly descriptive writing style and in the journey and in the relationships. The story is told in chapters from the perspective of the two main characters, vacillating between the present and the past in order to reveal the backstory. The story is interrupted by short interludes from the perspective of someone known as ‘our girl’ which does add some mystery. I especially liked Sarah Leipciger’s colourful descriptions of the Canadian landscape and how she defines her two main characters with all their weaknesses and quirks and the rekindling of their relationship in their senior years. This book does deal with much loss and grief and guilt and pain which some might find quite emotional. But, again, Sarah Leipciger has a style that can show beauty and peace even in sadness. It’s not an exciting read and some believe it moves too slowly, but I found it compelling and read it in a couple of days. This book is written with lots of metaphors and adjectives that might make you want to stop and ponder a bit along the way, even if simply to think about the words. And while you are at it, think about all the different kinds of journeys in life and, as I like to say, linger awhile with the title. There is a nice little resource list at the end of the book. Rating: 4/5
So, that's my last half dozen. They are all unique, and I liked some equally but for different reasons. My preference: tied for #1 are Real Americans and The Briar Club; tied for #2 are The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife and Moon Road; #3 is Death and Other Inconveniences; and #4 is Long Island
"There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them." - Joseph Brodsky
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