Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear

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Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and private detective, is tapped once again, and this time it’s for help with a case of chemical terrorism. It appears an individual has written a letter to British officials, spewing dissatisfaction on how certain factions of society have been treated and threatening harm to them and many others if action is not taken. Because Maisie herself has been named in this letter, she is brought onto the case, and it is quickly apparent that the author of this letter is suffering, has experienced tragedy, but is also extremely dangerous.

I love this series. I have erred by reading it in completely the wrong order, but because they are so well-written, they are also excellent as stand-alone novels. They serve both as detective/murder-mysteries and historical fiction narratives, and as a series provide vivid details of life in spanning from before the first World War to after the second. This particular one takes place in December, 1931, and one can feel not only the desperation of the Depression that has impacted so many, but also the residual psychological impact of the “Great War.”

Before we had the term “PTSD,” soldiers were diagnosed with “shell shock,” and it was really the first form of trauma that had been even remotely acknowledged. This story describes well how so many, mostly men, were affected by being in the trenches: hearing bombs go off just next to them, feeling explosions blow off body parts, seeing friends killed before their eyes. And so many of them were not allowed to process this trauma, but were forced, because they happened to be physically “ok,” to jump back in to the fighting because the armed forces just needed bodies. And the repeated trauma made for extremely vulnerable men returning to their homes after the war. Their vulnerabilities could manifest in extreme disconnection from their prior personalities, from their families, from their very souls, as is described in this story.

While I think one can skip around a bit, I would recommend beginning the series with the first one, which is called Maisie Dobbs, by Jacqueline Winspear, as it gives an important foundation to the series. And if you can, it is probably best to go in order, but there are a great many books in the series –  it may take you awhile! But the writing is solid, the plots are clever, and Maisie is a strong, ethical and wise character to stick with.

Ina Garten: A Memoir; Be Ready When the Luck Happens

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In this memoir, Ina Garten, of Barefoot Contessa fame, shares her story, her breakthrough into the world of epicurean cuisine. And while she shares some vignettes of the challenges she faced along the way as well as the hard work and long hours she put in – especially in the beginning of her career -it is clear that she was fortunate enough to frequently happen to be in the right place at the right time, both in her personal life and her professional life.

I had heard much ado about this book, and so had very much been anticipating reading it… which made it doubly disappointing when I found myself giving up on it around page 100. I so rarely abandon books, but I decided it was not worth my continuing to plow through the pages of Garten’s self adulation. I found it repetitive and dull and kept waiting for the bigger stories that would make the book worthwhile. Perhaps I should have stuck with it, as there may have been more glamorous parts, but honestly, glamour doesn’t impress me as much as genuine reflection. Even when Garten discloses difficulties with her father’s temperament, which of course must have been painful, she keeps it, I felt, at the very surface. We don’t really get to the heart of it, what it really meant to her and to her family more than it meant much time for her in her room, avoiding him. It feels like she tried to paint a picture for us, but it was in a vague black and white. I was seeking color.

Again, perhaps I gave up too early, but I will live with that. I’d love to hear your reactions, particularly if you’ve read it and loved it!

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo

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Marilyn and David have what appears to everyone to be a fairytale marriage: they met when they were young, fell madly in love, and their love has persisted over their years in that affectionate, singular way that few actually are blessed to experience. In truth, they have faced the many challenges that life brings with it, and they and their marriage are not perfect. Their 4 daughters are complicated and have been so throughout their lives, bringing stress and secrets and divisions that have threatened the very fabric of what defines their family. Could it be that Marilyn and David have created a bar that is set intimidatingly high?

In its own, unique way, this narrative is quite stunning. The author entangles the reader into the lives of each character, by swinging back and forth in time, switching focus from one dysfunctional family member to the other, keeping the plot moving forward inch by inch and only very gradually, very subtly delivering its plot punches. Each comes when you least expect it, dressed as a cruel, sisterly jab, a casual observation or a final word in a chapter. Each one leaving you almost breathless.

The relationship between the two eldest sisters – Wendy and Violet, Irish twins, as they are referred to – is at the heart of the deepest conflict here. They have a love/hate relationship and stab each other with venom when they are not depending on each other for their very existences. It is a sometimes heartless and sometimes heartfelt relationship that I am not sure I would be strong enough to survive. But it also shows the most base side of what two people can feel for one another, how family can at once anchor our souls and set us aflame.

I found this novel truly compelling. I suspect you will too.

 

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

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Emma Corigan has a secret: she is terrified to fly. And when her flight home to London from Glasgow suffers some major turbulence and she is convinced she is going to die, she pours out all of her deepest, darkest secrets to the total, albeit handsome and kind-eyed, stranger sitting next to her. She does not die, to her utter shock, but she does return to her life and to her frustrating job where she feels unappreciated and thwarted by her supervisor and her peers. Little does she know that the quiet, unassuming man to whom she’s poured out her soul will reappear in her life, and surprise her in more ways than she can imagine.

While this story is light and fairly formulaic, it is also entertaining and exactly the kind of therapeutic distraction I needed over these past couple of weeks (the inauguration, the absurd executive orders, clemency for the January 6th attackers, — the list is endless). We need fun reading like this in this moment and this was exactly that. It provides just enough tension, just enough amusement, just enough sarcasm to raise both grin and eyebrow, but not so much that you have to use too much of your brain to get through. Emma is sweet, kind, and sensitive – trying to move her life forward while not stepping on others’ toes, which can be challenging in the business world. But she finds unconventional means of advancement and unusual ideas from the real world and she uses them to her benefit.

And, of course, there is a happy ending. Which is not guaranteed in the real world. Another reason to indulge here!

Yes, this is not high brow literature – but it’s good clean fun right now. A healthy escape!

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

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It is 1789 and in Hallowell, ME, it is cold. After the night of the dance, a few young men have been caught in the Kennebec River during a quick freeze of its waters, but not before they discover a body just beneath its surface, which they bring to the town tavern (the heart of the town) to be examined. As the midwife and medical professional of the small town, Martha Ballard is called to determine the cause of death, which she pronounces to be murder. The victim is not exactly a popular man in town, as he has recently been accused, along with the judge of the town, to have raped the wife of their minister. And so begin the proceedings, which are clearly biased and contrived. Will justice be rendered at all? And by whom?

This fictional novel is based on the true life of Martha Ballard, a midwife who really did live in this town in the district of Maine (before it was a state), and who delivered hundreds of babies without a single maternal death. Like the Martha of our novel, she too kept a journal – extremely rare for women to do in her time – and this helped to keep her story alive. It was not surprising, therefore, that her progeny also were likeminded caregivers: her great-niece was Clara Barton, the founder of the Red Cross, and her great, great granddaughter, one of the first female physicians in the US, Dr. Mary Hobart.

The narrative itself is embellished with fictional details, however, and it is as captivating as its characters. There are twists and surprises, multiple simultaneous threads, backstories and love stories. Likewise, we come to love not only Martha, but her whole family, and particularly her devoted husband, who supports her in all of her personal and professional pursuits. He supports her, too, in her frustrations and her anguish, as she is unable to prevent the Puritan attitudes (and laws) toward women from playing out in so many unjust ways.

It is a beautiful novel on many levels – historical and literary, legal and ethical. It would make an excellent book for a book club, as there are so many topics/messages/questions to raise for discussion. And it is also just a wonderful read, great for right now, sitting in a warm home, perhaps by a fire, on a weekend afternoon. A book to get lost in.

Another MUST READ for the collection!

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

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Patch is not the most popular among his peers, being one-eyed, obsessed with pirates and their history, and the son of a single woman who has struggled to hold down most jobs. But he has a few eyes on him. Nix, the Chief of Police of his small midwestern town, tends to end each shift by swinging by to check on his house. And Saint, his one and only friend, and her grandmother, have remained quiet when they notice he’s lifted a few extra rolls from the dinner table to bring home to his mother, or when he stays overnight on some of the colder nights when he’s suspected the utilities been turned off in his own home. But when Patch goes missing, after saving the life of his crush, Misty, the popular girl in their class, Saint stops at nothing to find him. And she remains on a mission to continue to save others who continue to go missing long after.

This is a dark but gripping novel, a story of persistence beyond anything one might imagine. The writing is crisp, dialogue sharp, and the plot twisty, even as it unravels over the course of more time than I certainly expected. The relationships between Patch and Saint, even the relationship that develops between Patch and Misty, are vexing; complicated by extreme circumstance, crossed signals, and adolescent angst. But it is the nature of these relationships (and of course other peripheral ones) that keeps the reader tied to the story – addicted, really, because it is virtually impossible to put down.

The character of Saint is a beautiful and most sympathetic one. She has been raised by her grandmother, who, despite her rough exterior, is kind and loving in all aspects that matter. Saint is loyal, honest, and selfless to a fault, willing to give up her own dreams to pursue the truth she knows will be the only way to bring peace to her friend.

I will warn, though, this novel is not for the feint of heart. This is essentially a gruesome tale; one of stolen lives, hidden children, and violent crimes. But it is also a story of undying courage: the valiant pursuit to uncover an obscene injustice.

Hard but excellent read!

West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

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Though Woody is now 100 years old, all he wants to do is document the most important time in his life, back in 1938, beginning when he’d made it all the way from the Dust Bowl of the Texas panhandle to New York City. At that point, it had felt like a miracle to Woody, who’d survived more in his 17 years than most had in their whole lives. But after being knocked out by the blast of a hurricane, he awakened to a sight he could not believe possible: 2 true-to-life giraffes in a crate that just survived the harrowing storm. He was so entranced, he felt compelled to follow them, and as he did, so ensued the adventure that remained with him long after all his other life adventures had faded away.

Based on a true story of 2 giraffes shipped in from Africa to New York harbor and then transported across the US in a rig all the way to the San Diego Zoo, this story is simultaneously outrageous and heartwarming. Although I was a bit skeptical that it might be something I’d actually be interested in reading, I was captured immediately and captivated throughout, often not being able to put it down, in certain parts. The adventure is replete with colorful characters encountered by Woody and the giraffes’ caretaker, fondly referred to as “the Old Man,” and their narrow escapes from danger are described in such humorous and precise detail that your heart is literally in your mouth during many of them. And that very heart has to be made of stone if you do not fall in love with the giraffes themselves by the end of the story.

Given the historical context, the personal stories of the characters, and the wild tale itself, this novel is a hit, no matter how you slice it. You cannot help but love it – and the giraffes!

The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid

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Anders, a white man, one morning awakes to find himself having turned “a deep and undeniably brown.” He notes this first on his arms, then on his body, and in the mirror, sees he is now, completely, dark-skinned. He is, at first, just shocked. Not knowing what else to do, he calls in “sick” to his employment at a nearby gym and just stays home, thinking it might be something temporary, but knowing, deep down, it is not. What will his new lover say? What will his father say? As he begins to move through the world with this new appearance, he learns that he is not alone in his experience.

This is a most unusual book, both in the concept and in its execution – and I’m still undecided if I believe it’s in a good way or not. While the idea is unique, imaginative, and clearly meant to be an allegory, it felt almost too obvious, too blunt to be so. Some may find it even comical, in a perverse way. Moreover, the writing is also bizarre. Hamid is the master of the flip-flopping, run-on sentence, some of which continue for the length of his paragraphs.  Too many of his lines are similar, writing contrary phrases within the same sentence, which sometimes is effective and sometimes is just confusing. While I might have found it an understated and useful technique if used occasionally, it is so overused that it becomes almost tiresome.

Underlying the writing, though, there is a message that is, in fact, powerful. Hamid is making a statement here about the unnecessary social construct of race; that is, how we in America have assigned all sorts of attributes with various ones, and how absurd it all is. He is making race irrelevant here, evening out the playing field, as it were. In this way, I do have a deep appreciation for what he is trying to accomplish. 

I am curious to hear from you all if you feel he has achieved it – or not? I’m still digesting it, I think…

 

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

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Louise has awoken to every senior counselor’s worst nightmare – one of her campers has gone missing. And just to make it worse – it is the daughter of the owners of the camp. She had relied on her CIT last night to ensure that her campers had remained safely tucked into their beds, and that, she now realizes, was her first mistake. After immediately running up to the camp director’s cabin to report the incident, it is rapidly apparent how complicated this will become. In fact, Louise has no idea how far-reaching and how very, very complicated it truly is.

First off, yes, this book did live up to the hype it is getting. It is ABSOLUTELY as much of a unputdownable read, as everyone says it is. The writing is so crisp, creating a plot that is as twisty, layered, and surprising as it is suspenseful. One might worry that the way the author uses the technique of alternating the character and time perspective could potentially be confusing, but I found it to embellish the story and enrich it. And while it is very plot-driven, we also come to feel compassion for a few of the characters as well.

One particularly sympathetic character is the mother of the lost camper, Alice Van Laar. She has been convinced by everyone around her that her value is based solely on her appearance, rather than anything to do with her personality or her intelligence, and thus her self-esteem is tragically low. She has been so gaslighted, particularly by her husband, that even in times when we would expect her to assert herself, she is so filled with self-doubt that she can not allow herself to do so. Her loneliness is palpable.

This is utterly a MUST READ, because you just must give yourself this gift. It is one of those stories that is tragic in ways you won’t expect, and fulfilling in ways you will enjoy to the fullest.

The House of Lincoln by Nancy Horan

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

1851 in Springfield, IL could be a terrifying time, depending on the color of your skin, your heritage, and your politics. While Illinois was a northern state, there was the constant threat of slave hunters prowling around, searching for the bounty they would earn for themselves if they tracked down runaways. In fact, having arrived into this country as a Portuguese refugee herself, Ana finds herself with her friend Cal, witnessing a frightening scene that she must keep to herself in order to protect those she has come to love and respect. This comes to help form her views as she moves forward through her life, becomes a nanny and cleaner for the Lincoln family and follows the rise and tragic fall of the most impactful presidents our nation has ever seen.

Told through the eyes of this young woman, we glimpse into the home of the Lincolns, seeing their experience of both personal and national tragedies. We view the life of Mary Todd Lincoln, who experienced loss after loss, and, understandably, struggled with her mental health because of it. Yet she still fought so hard to encourage her absent-minded but brilliant and kind husband to fight for what he felt was the best for the Black slave – emancipation. Through Ana, we see how he agonized, how he sought the argument, the magical words that would not only convince his enemies to join him, but how to bring the fractured country back together. Through Ana, we also view the backlash, so quick to happen, so easily sprung back. Even in the hometown of Abraham Lincoln, where he was beloved, or so one would think, there was an evil backlash of hatred.

Not only is this an important part of our history, providing details that one might not know, but it is frighteningly relevant to what is happening today. While we might have made some progress toward freedoms, there is much in the way of backsliding and backlash happening now as well. Not only from people in the streets, but it is being supported and legitimized by our Conservative legislators and the courts. The civil rights of marginalized people are being chipped away and the highest court in our land is jubilantly cementing this in. I fear it will take years to undo the damage they are doing now.

We are growing less and less the “land of the free and the home of the brave” our founders sought for us. Shame on those who are perpetrating this backlash (and the current conservative members of the Supreme Court). This is why it is so important to know what has happened in our past. So that we can do our best to prevent the extreme backsliding to this segregation, this hatred, this fear of the “other” for our future.