The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Tess has just been told that her husband is in love with her cousin…  Cecilia has just learned that there is a letter from her husband that she is instructed to open only upon his death…  Rachel has just learned that her son is going to be moving to the other side of the world, taking away her grandson and the only reason for living since her daughter has been murdered all those years ago.   These characters are gradually woven together into a story that is both gripping and heartbreaking.

The writing here is simple, a little repetitive, but the story is worth it.  There is a calculated twist to the action in the story that is a little far-fetched, but that is what fiction is about, no?

I think the Epilogue is actually my favorite part of the book, though, and I won’t give any of that away.  Suffice it to say, it is a great commentary on the randomness of life and how a small or not-so-small action can impact the trajectory of a life and/or lives.  This I believe to be true.

Not exactly high literature here, but a good read nonetheless.

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Eilis, a young woman who lives with her mother and sister, has a good head for math and dreams of being a bookkeeper, but cannot seem to find a job in her home town in Ireland.  When an Irish priest from Brooklyn, NY comes to visit the town, he notices Eilis and promises to take her under his wing and help her get to Brooklyn where there are more opportunities.  Eilis struggles with the different culture and the absence of her family, but in many ways she is very successful.  When she is confronted with a serious trauma in her family, her newfound confidence is tested and she must prove herself once again.

The beauty of this book is the writing, which is uniquely simple, calm and straight-forward.  There is little description, but everything is depicted clearly enough to visualize it all.  There are certainly facts to the story but it is also filled with the thoughts and conjecture that Eilis has.  It is a pure and intelligent writing style that is easy to read and flows smoothly.

The story is also valuable as a history lesson.  It is the immigrant experience of a lone newcomer to a foreign land where everything is different, from the foods to the clothing styles, to the basic customs and it is an adjustment at each and every step.  Even as Eilis has support from the priest who sponsored her, she still has to cope with the judgement of those around her and she struggles with this.  It is really the story of all Americans, as most of us have been or come from immigrants, no matter how many generations ago.

Leaving Time by Jodi Piccoult (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Once again, one of my favorite authors has moved me.  This story is about a girl named Jenna who is in search of her mother who disappeared when she was 3 years old.  Jenna hunts down a detective and a psychic who are both, in spite of themselves, committed to helping her.  And because Jenna’s mom, Alice, was a scientist who studied elephant behaviors, the reader is also given an extensive education about the surprisingly beautiful and evolved behaviors of elephants.

Jodi Picoult always researches her topics so completely that you always learn so much from her.  But it’s the best kind of learning — it is woven into a fictional story that has so much tenderness and grace that you remember the facts without effort.  There is always a great deal of suspense and twists and turns that keep you engaged until you turn the very last page.

The twists in this story are really zingers, though — just wait till you reach the end!  I for one did not see this one coming!

About a Boy by Nick Hornby (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Since my children are huge Nick Hornby fans, I’ve been roped into reading a few of his books.  I have to confess, though, they’re actually really good…

Will has been insulating himself successfully against any real job or real purpose in life or real feelings, until he has the brilliant idea of finding women through a support group for single parents.  The fact that he has neither a spouse nor a real son does not stop him.  Through this group, he meets Marcus, an extremely awkward 12 year old boy, newly come to London, who worms his way into Will’s life and ultimately into Will’s heart.

Hornby has a unique writing style.  These characters begin fairly flatly, and throughout the book broaden and become more likable and colorful over time.  Both Will and Marcus have severe limitations at the outset of the book but they evolve into characters who can feel much more and who can express themselves much more as they both grow from the events in the story.

The story is told with warmth and humor and a rough honesty that is what makes Hornby’s writing so unique.  I have a feeling that these characters so simply written about will actually stay with me for a long time.

The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This book, by the author of The Glass Castle, is a surprisingly engaging story which takes place in the 70’s, about 2 sisters, Liz and Bean, who are essentially abandoned by their mother at the ages of 15 and 12.  In order to evade the authorities, they board a bus from California to Virginia to live with their uncle.  It is here where they are exposed to the racial integration of the South.  It is also here where they learn that it is important to fight for what is right, even if it is not successful.

The relationships among the characters are what is so beautiful about the story.  There is no one who is all good and only one character who is all bad.  Even their mom, who has left her own children, is portrayed with compassion and humanity.  The cousins that Bean discovers become her real family and the glue that holds her together through her ordeal.  And while each of the characters is sort of odd in his or her own way, they all complement each other and fit in perfectly to the story.

This is a very quick and easy read — and the ending is …!

The Woman Who Heard Color by Kelly Jones (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Lauren has finally gotten Isabella Fletcher to agree to an interview.  She has been trying to track down this daughter of Hanna Fleischmann for some time now in order to verify her suspicions:  that Hanna Fleischmann collaborated with the Nazis during WWII and profited from the public rejection and destruction of what Hitler, in his infinitely narcissistic manner, deemed “Degenerate”art (any art of which he did not approve).  What is told, by details revealed in the interview and by going back in time to the life of Hanna Fleischmann, is a bold and fascinating history of the art world during Hitler’s reign as well as a dramatic personal saga of a woman trying to survive.

This was a painful reminder of the additional crime against humanity, the destruction of thousands of treasured paintings and sculptures, perpetrated by Adolph Hitler.  This historical fiction account of the Degenerate Art show and the profiting by the Nazis of the selling and then the destruction of the art enables the reader to truly appreciate the impact of the harm caused by this monstrous lunatic.

I especially loved the passages about the character of Hanna.  She was extremely adventurous, brave and had a love for art that was contagious. The passages of the interview between Lauren and Isabel were more stilted and not as smooth, in my opinion.  The 2 current day characters were not as endearing and I found myself hurrying through these parts to get back to Hanna’s saga.

But on the whole, this was a book worth reading — for the beauty of the story as well as for the historical importance.

 

The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This is a beautiful, heart-wrenching story that I would highly recommend for all comers.  Tom, the attendant for a lighthouse on a tiny, deserted island off the coast of Australia, and Isabel, his wife, discover a boat with a dead man and a tiny, crying baby washed up on the island’s shore.  Isabel, who has suffered recent miscarriages, desperately wants to hold onto this baby, to whom she bonds instantaneously.  Tom, a decorated war veteran and one who lives by the structure of rules, feels he must report the arrival of these two strangers.  Their decision at this pivotal moment defines the trajectory of the rest of their lives.

The writing in this book is stunning.  Each character is drawn so tenderly that you can’t help but feel empathetic toward each one.  And because each one is so dear, you feel absolutely torn by the ethical dilemma presented by the situation.  As time goes on, life gets more and more complicated and the story builds to an emotional, twisted crescendo and I for one could not put the book down.

Loved this story, loved the writing — definitely another must-read!

Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scott

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This is the quintessential beach read…  light, amusing, and easy on the brain!  It is the story of Jillian, a full-time mother and wife who has been thinking more and more lately about her ex-boyfriend, Jack and her ex-career as an ad exec, while lamenting the current status of her marriage.  She goes for her appointment for her massage, and suddenly she finds herself rewound about 6 years prior, with another chance to reset the trajectory of her life.

This is a cute premise — probably something everyone at some point wishes for, even briefly — and it is written in a cutely engaging prose.  But even though it is sprinkled with an occasional heady idea, it is fairly predictable and trite.

Again, it is a fun, light book to read through if you have a lot of time to read (like on the beach).  If your reading time is limited though, I would not spend it on this!

The Dinner by Herman Koch (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This is one of the least enjoyable, well-written books I’ve read in a long time!  Paul, the narrator of the story, is recounting his dinner with his brother and both their wives which, is planned so that they can discuss the situation their sons have gotten themselves into.  As the story unwinds, the reader learns, from Paul’s disturbingly nonchalant account, both his story and his son’s.

I felt compelled to finish this book as the writing was truly solid and suspenseful; however, I did not like any of the characters and it was almost painful to get through.  Reading this book was like not being able to look away from a tragically gory accident – you hate it but you can’t help yourself.

I’d recommend not starting it in the first place!

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Ifemelu is a young Nigerian woman who, after 15 years in the U.S. is making her way back home to Nigeria.  She has always been outspoken and has found blogging to be a surprisingly lucrative outlet for her poignant observations and strong opinions about race and racism here.  Something is missing, though, and she finds that she cannot deny her urge to return home to Nigeria.  As she prepares to leave, she arranges to get her hair braided and as she does she reminisces to herself about the significant relationships in her life — the love of her life Obinze, her other romantic explorations, her Aunty Uju and her dear nephew Dike — and it seems to fortify her for her journey home.

This is an elegantly written book with a lot of content.  It is a story about life in Nigeria; the struggle of the immigrant in a foreign land; and class, gender and race relations and tensions — I felt that I learned a lot about Nigerian culture and life there.  Ifemelu is also an exceedingly honest, blunt character who gives voice to the idea that racism has not been conquered but rather there is a pervasive anger that it exists at all.   Her character gives a sympathetic means of expressing these ideas and you can see from where they emanate.   The story is also overwhelmingly a love story, with a romantic tension that stretches through the whole book.   In this there is a universality about the book that any reader can relate to.

I think this is a beautiful story that has enormous weight and depth to it.  It is long, but each page is full of meaning.