Along the Infinite Sea by Beatriz Williams

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Another absolute winner by this gifted writer!

Pepper Schuyler certainly has her reasons for selling the 1936 Special Roadster Mercedes Benz she’s been working on restoring, but she can’t imagine why the mysterious Annabelle Dommerich was so intent on buying it, and for such a small fortune.  To learn why, the author takes us back and forth between the relative “present” (1966) and the past (1935-) in the telling of the story.  We learn that Annabelle has had to navigate a passionate love for a Jewish German man at the start of the Nazi uprising.  Her complicated history has lead her inextricably back to this car and to Pepper, with whom she will share more in common than Pepper would have ever predicted.

 

Beatriz Williams has a way of creating characters whom you just want to invite over for a drink and conversation.  Her female characters are smart and sharp-witted and yet hopeful and strong.  In addition, she crafts her plots with twists and turns and actually keeps the suspense maintained throughout the pages.  This is a book that you can’t stop but yet don’t want to finish reading, because you just want to stay in the world of these real-life, endearing characters.

Highly recommend this and can’t wait to read other books by her!  (This is my 3rd by her,  I believe.)

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

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Love seems to actually trump hate in this frighteningly timely novel by Jodi Picoult.   It begins when a Black labor and delivery nurse, Ruth, begins to care for the baby of a White supremacist couple and the couple insist that she be removed from their case because of her race. As it would happen, Ruth is alone with the baby when the baby stops breathing.  Should she touch the baby and save him, as she is trained to do?  Should she abide by the racist rules the hospital has imposed at the request of this repugnant couple?  What happens next sets Ruth and the couple and ultimately, Ruth’s lawyer, Kennedy, on a road to grappling with race as it is seen from all perspectives.

Little did I know that I’d be reading this amidst the worst campaign and most devastating election outcome in the history of the United States.  The spillage of racism, misogyny, and bigotry that has poured out of the mouth of the Republican party nominee and his bedfellows has unleashed the underbelly of this country and its darkest side.  The election result has spawned a crippling shadow over my whole universe and I know this has been true for over half of this country.  We are embarrassed to call ourselves American, as it associates us with this new, evil and mean rhetoric in the eyes and ears of the rest of the world.  This is not the country I have known to be the home of the free.

And so it was, amidst my deepest disappointment that has sent me into a physical nausea that I cannot shake, that I read how Kennedy, seeking to defend Ruth in her ultimate trial, really tries to understand the day to day psychological beating that Ruth endures as a Black woman in a white man’s world.   The small slips, the subtle differences in perception, and the more overt signs of difference from which Kennedy is protected because of the color of her skin.  And while the 2 butt heads, they also come together because of the genuine efforts to try to understand each other, which is the foundation of the beginning of actually understanding each other.

Unfortunately for this story, love trumps hate in sort of a too perfect way by the end, so that it becomes a little fairytale-like as an ending.  I pray for this country, though, that we can reach an understanding that even remotely approximates this ending – for the good of our present and the good of our future.

The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton

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It is the late 1960’s and Frankie has just moved to Palo Alto with her husband and two children.  While her husband has found his dream job, her own dream of going to college and becoming a writer has gone unfulfilled.  That is, until she meets the “Wednesday Sisters.” While watching her children play in a park near her new home, she meets a group of women who become her closest friends, her confidantes, and her literary critics!  And as the 60’s roll into the 70’s, they see each other through their writing struggles as well as their personal struggles, and they evolve with women all over the country, supporting each other as they each begin to pursue their own interests and passions just as their husbands have done.

This is a sweet story, with the 1960’s as a subtle backdrop.  The women have a wonderful relationship and bring out the best in each other.  The respect that they show for each other, in spite of their individual quirks and conflicts, is what most would aspire to in a friendship and their solidarity, expressed most fully at the end (I won’t spoil it for you!) is truly beautiful.  It is a little far-reaching as “realistic” goes, but it works anyway.

A fun, mostly light read…  definitely a chick book!

 

 

All I Love and Know by Judith Frank

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Matt and Daniel were a happy couple, comfortable with their life in the liberal town of Northhampton, MA – that is, until they learn that Daniel’s twin brother and wife were killed in a terrorist bombing in Jerusalem.  Dazed by the knowledge that his brother wanted Daniel to raise his two young children should anything happen to him, Daniel and Matt immediately flew over to Jerusalem to confront the situation.  The emotional turmoil and upheaval of their lives that ensues take Daniel and Matt through challenges they never imagined they’d have to face.

There are many layers to this story – the relationship between Daniel and Matt, their relationship with the children they suddenly are responsible for, the political issues surrounding the death of Daniel’s brother, the conflicts between the religious family and their sexual orientation – just to name a few.  And the characters are also very complex – between Matt, who isn’t Jewish and who never imagined being a parent and is thrust into both worlds, Daniel who is grieving in his own complicated way, and Gal, the older of the children who is in kindergarten when her parents are killed.  Their story is told in a simple manner with tactile details that give the story a warm authenticity.  And while there is a lot of love among the characters, there is grief, loss, and fear that each is digesting and this strains the relationship among all of them.  When the end of the book comes, I felt that I’d really experienced this saga with actual people, they all felt so real.

While this is not necessarily a “must read,” it is a powerful story with very real characters that will become your family as you read them.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman

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Elsa’s granny is certainly “different” –and Elsa knows how complicated, even burdensome, that can be.  But Elsa also knows that even while she can argue for hours, even days with her granny (mainly about the fairytale world they’ve constructed), she always knows that Granny has her back.  So what happens if something happens to Granny…?

Utilizing the world of fantasy, Elsa’s Granny helps Elsa escape a world in which she feels alienated and lonely because she is “different.” Unfortunately, because of how closely this is entwined with the actual storyline, there is vast description of this fantasy world, to which I personally felt disconnected.  These parts lost me a little.  On the other hand, the parts that were real pulled me back in.  And while I was not crazy about the fairytale parts, I do appreciate the brilliance of the author’s use of this as a vehicle to show Granny’s eccentric but steadfast show of love for Elsa.

What is most beautiful about this book are the characters.  They are real, imperfect, temperamental, sweet, and human.  And all are portrayed with such grace and subtlety in the course of the telling of the story.  The way the story is constructed, there seems to be a wall of characters built around Elsa, who function as a fortress to protect her and love her.  It is very moving and I have to confess that I did choke up at times.

All in all, it’s a beautiful story that slowly and very definitely works its way into your heart.

 

Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline

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Wanting only to reconnect with his son, Ryan, Jake agreed to pick him up at the movies, when his wife, Pam suggested it.  Encouraged by the beginning of the first real conversation he’d had with Ryan in awhile, he hesitated only briefly when on the way home, Ryan asked to drive, even though it was slightly after the curfew for those with only drivers’ permits.  What happened after that changed their lives forever, bonding father and son together but binding them in a web of lies that almost tears them apart forever.

The writing in this book is not what keeps it a page-turner; rather it is entirely plot-driven.  But the plot is well-navigated and drives through twists and turns that keep the reader absolutely engaged.  The characters are also each very likable, so that you really care what happens and feel a warm sympathy toward them, in spite of their flaws and very bad decisions.

This is suspense novel that is extremely suspenseful – a fun, quick read.

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

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For each of the 3 families attending the BBQ hosted by Tiffany and Vin, life was permanently altered.  Clementine and Sam were unsure if their marriage would survive, Tiffany and Vin were not sure what was going on with their daughter, Dakota, and Erika could not remember a slice of time during the BBQ and was obsessively trying to recover that memory.  Life seemed so simple before the BBQ.  Things were taken for granted…

The beauty of this book is in the skillful crafting of the narrative, which circles around the BBQ and only very gradually divulges exactly what happened and how.  By rotating around the characters’ perspectives and by weaving in and out of time frames, Moriarty builds up the suspense and enriches the impact of the crescendo of the story.  And on the way down, she continues to add smaller punches which ultimately tie in each of the pieces of the puzzle.

I also love the message in this book, which is, essentially, that issues that are difficult or painful should be talked through.  Keeping secrets and holding things inside only lead to repression and misperceptions, usually resulting in unfounded guilt or other sources of misery.  Especially with children.

I am a big fan of Liane Moriarty – and this is yet another engaging, well-spun tale by her!

The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan

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Violet, raised by her American single mom, the owner of an upscale courtesan house in Shanghai, is used to getting her way.  As she spies on everyone in the house, including her own mother, she learns that her mother manages to get her way, as well.  She watches as her mother navigates the business world, bringing Chinese and foreign businessmen together in order to create opportunities for these men.  In doing so, she also brings them into her business.  Life is good for Violet, until the day she learns of the existence of her father (who is Chinese, much to her shock) and a long-lost brother whom her mother feels she must go to America to see.  In a twist of circumstance brought about by a devious suitor, Violet and her mother are separated and Violet’s life is set upon a trajectory of hardship, of love, and of heartbreak.

The story is beautiful and tragic and heart-wrenching.  We follow Violet as well as her mother, Lucia, through their lives which are complicated and also made beautiful by love.  The issue of Chinese and American cultures clashing comes out frequently and creates a lot of the conflict in the story.  The other characters in the book are also quite beautiful and add greatly to the depth of this saga.

My only criticism of this book is the editing – I feel that parts of the story were drawn out almost to the point of boredom.  Violet is compelled to take a long journey that lasts a couple of weeks.  It is a very difficult journey, that is clear.  But the number of pages used to describe every obstacle – almost each stone that was in their way – was truly onerous to plod through.  There were a number of parts like this that could have/should have been abbreviated somewhat.

That said, it is still quite a stirring tale of ultimately 3 generations of very strong women who overcome their adverse circumstance, almost against all odds.  Although the reader must wade through excessive detail, it is ultimately a very inspiring and up-lifting.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

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Well, JK Rowling seems to have done it again.  We meet Harry once again, now as an adult with 3 children.  His middle son, Albus, seems to have inherited Harry’s knack for being awkward but charming, and his only friend is, shockingly,  Scorpius, the son of – you guessed it! – Draco Malfoy.  This unlikely pair get themselves into a mess of misunderstandings and potential unleashing of evil in the world, and Albus, just as his father did before him, shows his own form of bravery and a love that conquers all.

It is important to remember that this is a script of a play and not the rich, descriptive prose of a novel.  More is left to the imagination, and the story is left more to dialogue and direction.  That said, the plot is still full of twists and turns and catches the reader off guard as always.  There are still allusions to prior books and it builds on a knowledge of the world of Hogwarts and its history.  And it still remains as a testament to love overcoming evil, as all the Harry Potter books seek to do.

Having experienced the book release parties at midnight this past weekend and reveled in the enthralling enthusiasm among people of all ages over this book – A BOOK!! – I am still just overwhelmed by the gift of this author.  She has succeeded in revitalizing, almost single-handedly, a love of reading across generations.  She has given the world a gift unlike any other in history – and we must be thankful for this.

If you have not read the Harry Potter books, do it now.  It doesn’t matter how old you are.   Anyone can relate to them as they are fantastical but completely relatable.  They are brilliant and imaginative and just plain fun!

Thank you, Ms. Rowling – thank you!

Such a Pretty Face by Cathy Lamb

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In the past, Stevie has coped with her life stress by eating – and this brought her to being 170 lbs overweight and to having a heart attack at the age of 32.  She’s now had her stomach stapled and has lost the weight.  Unfortunately, she still has not confronted her demons and her nightmares continue as do her shyness and her fear of speaking her mind.  Fortunately, she has her cousins who love and support her, although they too are coping with shared trauma.  This story is the tale of how Stevie finally confronts her fears and begins to take back her life.

The theme of the story is interesting, and some of the scenes are very poignant.  There is stark portrayal of mental illness and how it affects everyone around them.  The scenes with Stevie’s mother are particularly heartbreaking, as she has raging auditory and visual hallucinations and severe paranoia.  This is the valuable part of the book.

On the other hand, the writing is so poor that it was hard to actually enjoy this book, and it seemed to deteriorate as the book progressed.  It was almost as if the author herself tired of the book and just didn’t care anymore about how it was written – just had to finish it already!  Things worked out too perfectly, characters were unidimensional and flat, dialogue was inane.  Even basic grammar was sort of thrown to the wind.  Sad, just sad.

So, all in all, it was actually a bit painful in many respects – not worth the time it took to read it.  A good idea, but not at all well-executed.

By the way, I found this book via Bookbub, a daily email notification of the books that are on sale on the Kindle.  I’ve found a few good books this way – I highly recommend this resource!  Unfortunately, this wasn’t the best find on the email…