My Bookshelf 24 - the last half dozen: some fresh new reads for a cool spring

After being away on a travel adventure for five weeks and not reading a single novel, I was ready to settle back with some good books, especially since spring was surprisingly slow to come here on the prairies. In fact, the first flowers are just starting to bloom. Fortunately, when I wandered into our local bookstore, all manner of books - historical fiction, family drama, coming of age, light mystery, comedy - just jumped off the 'new release' displays.

Here's some fresh new novels that you might like. In the order they were read and with my highly subjective rating (sometimes books can be admired for their writing or their style or their creativity but might not be your favourites):

If you liked books like Lessons in Chemistry, or if you are a woman of an 'accomplished' age, you might really like this book. Meet the Newmans takes place over a brief period of time in 1964 and follows the  Newman family who have had a long-running family show, called, well, Meet the Newmans. So, we meet the patriarch Del,  a dashing, confident, and in-control man;  Dinah, his beautiful wife known for sunglasses, pearls, and designer dresses; their eldest son Guy who is quiet and studious;  and their teenage son Shep who is a heart throb musician. On screen, they are the perfect family where any little upset in life is easily resolved and the show always ends happily ever after.  But in 1964, times are a-changin’ as a famous singer said, and the Newman’s television ratings are plummeting.  When a crisis occurs, the whole family is forced to confront who they are in real life and who they want to be in the context of the changing times.    Some truths come out. Dinah isn’t exactly the homemaker she appears to be on screen. Del has a large family secret.  Son Guy has some relationship news, and rockstar Shep might be facing a more ‘normal’ life. The story unravels amidst the large issues of the day – feminism, sexuality, civil rights, and just overall equality. But it’s also about love and personal growth during changing times. I loved how the author  weaved these themes in between plenty of references to life in1964 – from TV shows to music to literature to  food to fashion to customs. It's well researched. To me, this book is an important reflection on where we were and where we are now. People of my age might nod their heads in understanding while the younger reader might be both surprised and reminded not to take our current rights and freedoms for granted.  And, as times were a-changin’, there is some sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll in this book that might make some readers a bit uncomfortable. If you want a little nostalgia and historical fiction in an engaging, entertaining, and easy read, do Meet the Newmans. Rating: 4.25/5

 Wild People Quiet is an historical fiction which portrays the struggle of the Metis people in Canada to live in a white society. The book alternates between two timelines – the current 1946 when Florence is living a happy life in the fictional town of Torduvalle, Saskatchewan, and the flashback starting in 1908 when she was a child in the Metis settlement called The Nest and making huge decisions about just who she wants to be as an adult. In Torduvalle, where she has established herself for the past 11 years or so, Florence faithfully dyes her hair and takes every precaution to ensure she passes as white. She has a prestigious job with an insurance company and owns her own car and her own home furnished with high quality décor. In all ways she is denying her Metis heritage.  But when a man from her past comes to town, she is forced to confront her identity and even more so when she learns of the government’s plans to  re-settle the Metis community far away from the edge of town. This book is a fast, engaging read, full of metaphors and symbolism. The expectations and judgement of the town of Torduvalle is a stark contrast to the Metis lifestyle of The Nest while the traditional art of beading is a perfect metaphor for life. There are plenty of themes to this book. Yes, it’s about the struggle of Metis to live alongside a white society.  As the author states, “set aside people on set aside land”.  It’s about power and inequality and inclusion and politics. But it’s also about the strength of families and  denying our identity and living a lie, and the author has many great comments about this such as it's “only when she  pretends to be someone else that she excels”. There are some beautifully creative sentences in this book. You will be left with plenty to think about, not the least of which is 'Am I living the real me?'. Do look closely at the intricate cover. Rating 4/5

 You can look at the The Golden Boy in two ways. You might simply read it as the story of a middle-aged man’s search for himself, a man who is highly successful yet whose identity remains affected by his traumatic past.  Stafford Hopkins is a Canadian who has achieved much success  (and wealth)  in Hollywood production and who finds himself retired prematurely - and involuntarily.  He and his wife Agnes, who has longstanding trauma of her own, live the exclusive life on Maui where status depends on appearances, what you own, and which clubs you belong to. When he receives a letter from Canada advising him he has been made the guardian of four children, the grandchildren of his childhood friend Bobby Shepherd, Stafford’s life takes a sudden turn.  He has not only to confront the ghosts of his past but also has to reimagine his future. But this book is deeper than that story line, if you wish.   Patrcia Finn skilfully unwinds Stafford Hopkins’ story and personal journey through the teachings of Aristotle, dividing the book into three sections, Rational Desire, Irrational Appetite, and Courage. Now, I’m not going to do this justice, so if you are interested, you might want to read a review by Trish Bowering in The British Columbia Review entitled ‘Aristotle For Everyday Use!’ in which she explains how Patricia Finn works philosophy and meaning into the life of Stafford Hopkins. There are several things I really liked about this novel including the depiction of the shallow and isolated life of the ultra-wealthy in paradise,  the realness of the marriage of Stafford and Agnes, and the historical fiction of life in Ontario, Canada, especially the story of Stephen Truscott.  This book is more  character development than  dynamic plot, and that’s why we don’t meet the four children until the end of the book – the focus is not Stafford Hopkins raising four children in middle age  but in his  own life journey. The Golden Boy will give you plenty to think about - or discuss in a  book club.   Rating: 3.5/5

Keeper of Lost Children is an historical fiction which delves into one of the lesser known fall-outs of World War II - the abandoned mixed-race offspring of American black servicemen and white German women,  children who ended up in orphanages in Germany when their mothers did not have the means to care for them. The story  begins  just following War II in approximately 1946 and carries through to 1968. The main story alternates between three lives in America and Germany.  First is protagonist young Sophia who earns the opportunity to be one of the first very few black students to attend a prestigious white boarding school away from the harsh and abusive family farm in Maryland. Here, she comes to question her background and upbringing. Ozzie Phiips is a black volunteer American serviceman  who is stationed in Mannheim, Germany, where he meets and forms an intense relationship with a white German lady, Jelka. Ethel Gathers is the wife of an American officer in occupied Germany who discovers an orphanage filled with mixed-race children and who decides to take action to place them in safe, loving homes. We meet several other characters who play brief but important roles such as a first boyfriend or a cafeteria worker or a librarian.  We learn not only about the mixed-race orphans but also about the prejudices and mistreatment of the times, and we learn about love and strength in many forms. Keeper of Lost Children is an easy and quick read, and you know the three characters will become connected in some way at some point.  But, as I said, the strength is the insight into one of the unintended consequences of World War II.  Sadeqa Johnson provides an insightful author’s note and a bibliography which support her writing if you’d like to check them out. Rating: 3.75/5

Laws of Love and Logic is more than a simple romance.  If you are a thinker who would like to ponder the interconnectedness of emotion, nature, science, faith, and numbers, this book might be for you. The protagonist is Lily Webb, older sister to Jane. Their father is a teacher in a monastery and all-boys boarding school while their mother is a feminist with a scientific approach to the Catholic faith, beliefs and views she passed on to her daughters and which play an integral role in how they experience the world. As a teenager in 1976,  Lily meets her first love, someone who is only referred to as “the boy” throughout the book.  He is a handsome, athletic, smart  soulmate with whom she  envisions a life of marriage and family; but when bad decisions are made during one night of partying, they are forced to part ways. The story progresses through to 2007.   In the ensuing 30 years, Lily is faced with the dilemma of a comfortable marriage or following her heart and with all the emotions of decisions past. There are several themes to this story – how we come to see our world,  romance,  the roles of men and women, moral dilemmas, family relationships, sibling bonds, trauma and grief, huge guilt, addictions, forgiveness, and the journey to learn to live with ourselves and our decisions.  Laws of Love and Logic does contain a lot of references to science, mathematics, literature and ornithology (the study of birds) that might feel cumbersome at times; but keep reading and you will find some pleasant surprises as the story unwinds. This unique book might be a good book club choice as it will garner plenty of discussion, not the least of which might be about the power of first love or forgiveness of self and others or just how we arrive at our major life choices.  This is much more than a simple love story. Rating: 3.5/5

 On the surface, Mad Mabel is about curmudgeonly 81 year old Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick who was previously known as Mad Mabel and previously suspected of committing a number of murders.   For some six decades, she  has lived her life in anonymity  as a rather reclusive old lady with a lack of friends and family. Elsie has resided for the past  60 years on Kenny Lane in Melbourne, Australia, with an assortment of neighbours including the precocious and know-it-all seven year old Persephone.  But when the man next door,  with whom she has had some conflict, dies suddenly, her past is brought forward and she is of course a prime suspect. The story unwinds as Elsie tries to prove her innocence. The story is told in two time lines - “now” as her current life unfolds and “then” as we learn about Elsie’s past. But beneath this straightforward story line, there is much to ponder. It’s about childhood neglect and cruelty, about being someone who doesn’t fit in, about labels and judgement and how that colors our lives,  about  what we do to fit in or simply to survive, about just who is sane and who isn’t, and about those people who enter our lives when least expected. Mad Mabel is a fast read.  I wouldn’t really describe it as a thriller but maybe ‘domestic suspense’ would be a better category. There’s tragedy and mystery interfused with emotion and humour. The characters are well-defined, and there are a few neat twists and turns that you might or might not figure out.  Be warned, there is violence and language and ‘potty’ humour and sexuality that might be offensive to some. It’s certainly a unique read. Rating: 4.0/5

There's some spring and summer reading for you. It's difficult to rate my preferences, but here's my take: 1) Meet The Newmans 2) Wild People Quiet 3) Keeper of Lost Children. 4) Golden Boy 5) Mad Mabel and 6) Laws of Love and Logic

"I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book" - Groucho Marx