Small Island by Andrea Levy

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Hortense and Gilbert, essentially strangers, have made an unusual deal: Hortense has offered to pay Gilbert’s passage from Jamaica to England so that he can pave the way for her to follow him there. She would love to fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher in that faraway, fairytale land, as she perceives it. And for his part, Gilbert, feeling claustrophobic himself on that tiny, Carribean island, he agrees to it, even at the price of marrying this haughty and serious, albeit beautiful, young woman.

On the other side of the world, in London, Queenie and Arthur have had their share of challenges. Queenie has had no choice but to run a boarding house while caring for her father-in-law. Her husband, Arthur, has been MIA since the end of the second WW, after being stationed in India. She is ready to declare him dead and try to move on with her life, but she is quite distracted with all the goings on in her own home, such as it is. Getting flak from her neighbors because of whom she is renting to is frustrating enough, but managing all of their comings and goings isn’t what she’s signed up for either. And now with the advent of Gilbert’s wife to add to the mix. Where will it all lead?

This is a fascinating dive into London’s WWII and post-WWII world, where there remained as much hostility toward anyone who was considered “foreign” as there is today. Anyone of color who moved into a neighborhood was considered to be “taking over,” and White folks complained, moved out, and sought out their own. While Gilbert thought this was purely an American issue, a “Jim Crow” problem, he learned the hard way that it was just as alive and well in England, even if it didn’t have an official name. When Queenie defends sitting with Gilbert in a movie theater, rather than having him seated in the rear, it ends in terrifying violence. Sadly, things haven’t changed much, right???

What is interesting is how the story is told. We learn each of the stories from the perspective of each of these characters: Queenie, Arthur, Hortense and Gilbert. They each have a history, a story to tell. They are each complicated, with their own fears, anxieties, and challenges. Through them we also learn about the tension between the British and its island of Jamaica; that is, how hardly anyone in Britain knew where Jamaica even was, while those in Jamaica were taught to worship the crown as if Buckingham Palace were situated right there on its shores.

While the overall message is clearly heavy, it is told with warmth, wit, and with a Jamaican lilt that gives it just enough lightness to make it enjoyable, surprising, and a worthwhile read.

The Women by Kristin Hannah

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Frankie wants to make her parents proud. The idea that women can be heroes too, whispered in her ear by her brother’s friend, has never occurred to her before, but when it is uttered, it hits her like a breath of fresh air. What better way to make her father, especially, proud than to join his “wall of heroes” by enlisting and serving her country as an army nurse in Vietnam? What she finds, as she disembarks from that first plane, is nothing like she’d ever imagined. And what she encounters there, whether she likes it or not, will stay with her for the rest of her life.

Here is yet another MUST READ, gifted to us from Kristin Hannah. It is not an easy one. It is harsh but realistic in its graphic detail of the horrors of the Vietnam war. It is a constant reminder, again and again, of what is lost in each and every battle. It also is historically and acutely accurate in its documentation of how horrifically veterans of this war were treated upon return to their country after their service, as if it were their choice to continue the war that most were drafted to serve in. More importantly, for this story, it documents how horrifically the WOMEN veterans of the war were treated. These women were denied their very existence there. Frankie was told, again and again, “There were no women in Vietnam,” when in fact, there were thousands of women in Vietnam – nurses, and support staff – serving their country, endangering their lives, and witnessing the trauma every day of their lives there.

Is the story all doom and gloom? No, of course not. It is also a story about love. Frankie finds so many versions of love. She finds beautiful friendships that last her lifetime. She opens her heart enough to have it broken time and again, which hurts but also helps her to grow. She also learns to appreciate that love can be demonstrated in many ways, even if it is not how we’d prefer. Frankie also learns to love herself, as she succeeds and fails and succeeds again.

It is an inspiring, gruesome, and heartwarming saga of a woman’s search for meaning and for herself. It is hard – perhaps impossible –  not to love this book.

 

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

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When we are first introduced to the Briarwood House, we are informed that there are 2 dead bodies found within. This is in 1954.

We are immediately transported back to 1950, however, when Grace is first shown the tiny closet of a room on the top floor of this women’s boarding house, when she decides she can make this work, at least for the time being. Her answer to the cold, mean and nosey Mrs. Nilsson who runs the place? To undermine her rules and start a dinner “club” in this tiny room for all the tenants of the house on Thursday nights, when she is out at her regular card game. In this way, Grace creates a community within the house and actually makes the house a home to this disparate group, gets to know their various stories, even as her story remains quite mysterious.

This is yet another astonishing feat created by the extraordinary Kate Quinn. With the disturbing background of the McCarthy era, the oft-ignored Korean War, the pervasive fear of a Russian nuclear attack, and the absence of power that women still had over their lives and livelihood, Quinn sheds light on the fact that the 1950’s were not necessarily “Happy Days.” Her characters are not the sweet and shiny women we often expect from this time period, but they are real and they are hurting and they reflect the life experience they’ve each been through. We learn that there is a reason we are who we are.

The plot is also so intricate and suspenseful that I guarantee you will not be able to put this book down until you turn the final page. I was absolutely kept guessing until the very end.

This may be one of Quinn’s best novels, in my opinion – and that is high praise! It is deeply-researched, with relatable characters, and with a twisty plot that kept this reader’s light on through all hours of the night just to get to the finish line. Here’s one more MUST READ to add to her list!

Trust by Hernan Diaz

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We first meet Ida as she recounts her visit, later in life, to the home of her previous boss, Andrew, who has hired her to help him write his life story, as he sees it. You see, it has been written, by one Harold Vanner, albeit disguised as fiction. But it carries some accusatory and, as he sees them, misguided details, particularly about his dear, departed wife, Mildred. And he needs to see this story corrected. The story within the story, within the story, becomes clear only as we near the very end, when Ida herself clarifies for us who and what we should actually “trust.”

Not only is this a brilliant telling and, of course, retelling of a story, but it also shows how perspective and motive is key. Everybody has a story they want to tell about themselves, how they would like to be perceived, how their legacy is viewed. And yet, that story may differ from the truth. Do we get to change that truth, or the perception of that truth? What if we have the means to do so? What if we care not about stepping over others in our way to do so? Maybe then, no one will know the truth? What, then, is the cost of our legacy?

Without giving too much away, I think it is important to draw similarities between Ida’s father and her boss. While they would see themselves as completely opposite, because of such differing sociopolitical views, they both use Ida to retell their own stories. They are both dishonest to her and to themselves, while trying to appear to be looking out for her best interest, as if doing her favors. They are both undeserving of her trust.

What is strikingly unique here in the writing is the construction of this novel within a novel within a novel, which builds upon itself to a suspenseful crescendo. It is clear why it is a Pulitzer Prize winner – and I would be remiss if I were not to make it a MUST READ!

Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams

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2022: Mallory has essentially had her life on hold, since her son had that terrifying accidental ingestion of poisonous mushrooms that changed his life (and his kidney). Will his only hope be a kidney from the father that he doesn’t even know is his father?

1951: Hannah Ainsworth has a troubling past that she’s managed, until now, to put behind her. Her unhappiness has, so far, been masked by her new, wealthy husband, and his recent posting in a fancy hotel in Cairo, Egypt. Unfortunately, there is unrest here as well, between the spies from Israel and its unhappy neighbors as well as its own citizens who are unhappy with the local British presence. Hannah’s heart seems to find distraction in her hotel, however, that leads her to both danger and heartache.

How the two stories are connected are the source of the intrigue that Williams is so deservedly known for.

This is yet another masterpiece by one of my favorite authors, as you must know by now, if you’ve read any of my posts. Williams has a magical way of incorporating history into romance to create stories that are as captivating as they are suspenseful. There is layer upon layer here that keeps the reader completely enraptured. She also writes strong female characters that do not bend to social pressures, no matter the time period, no matter the circumstances. Her characters have brains, brawn, and banter – the dialogue is always sharp. And even when there is an ending we wish for, it does not feel sappy because it is always so hard-won.

I would place all of her books in the MUST READ category – she is a MUST READ author!

 

Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn

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In the year 69 AD, Rome was the center of upheaval and violence, as the title of Emperor became as changeable as the seasons. During this tumultuous time, the “Cornelias,” as they were referred to — two sisters and their two cousins — were very much a part of the events, as they were in the “inner circle” of the elite. The first Cornelia, the eldest and most dignified, was married to a man expected to be named heir to the Emperor, so she saw her place by his side. Her sister, Marcella, the historian, kept occupied recording – and somehow impacting – the historical events of the year. Lollia, one of the cousins, was serially married off to the power-broker of the day by her wealthy and strategic grandfather. And the youngest and wildest, Diana, was one obsessed not by men but by horses. And while each brought vulnerability to each other, each brought strength as well, as they fought to survive the many changes this year brought to their lives.

While it did take me a bit of time to be fully engaged in this story, perhaps because of my own ignorance of the historical details of this era, once I got to know the characters (and appreciate their depth), I was all in. Because I came to love these Cornelias, I became invested in their welfare and as the plot became more entangled, so did my fascination with their story. This plot had intrigue, romance, suspense, and twists that brought both smiles and tears as I got to know these characters better and better.

My favorite character, I have to admit, is Lollia. When we first meet her, she appears, on the surface, to be just that – all surface. She appears vain, coddled by her wealthy grandfather, and only concerned with what she can gain by her marriages. But as we get to know her, we really see her: her generosity, her kindness, her humility, and her ability to love deeply and to look beyond what is expected and to do what is right.

Not only will you fall in love with these beautiful characters and their bond with each other, but you will also learn about this wild year in the history of the Roman Empire, where there were four different Emperors in a brief, bloody period of time. It’s what I love most about historical fiction – and Kate Quinn is the master!

Z by Therese Anne Fowler

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Toward the end of the first World War, many young folk, including Zelda Sayres, sought relief from all the death and sadness. For someone as beautiful and vibrant as she, any excuse to be able to dance or attend a gathering was welcome, but on one particular evening, when she was performing a ballet solo for soldiers, she noted one solder who stood out to her. He was tall and blond and had an air of confidence she’d rarely encountered in the boys she knew in her small southern town. He was also an author, something that also attracted her, as she was an avid reader and dabbled in writing herself. Unfortunately, her father did not appreciate the attraction of an author, something he perceived as a sideline and not a steady career, and he insisted this was not suitable for his daughter. It took a couple of years, but Scott Fitzgerald proved himself worthy, at least to Zelda, and she followed him to New York City, where their adventure together began. For better and for worse…

This novel provided a peek inside the glamorous but exhausting lives of both F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda. Based on extensive research and told from her vision, it not only showed the wonders of the time and the artists they rubbed shoulders with. It also shed light on the struggles they had, with each other and each with their own demons. To an outsider, it may have seemed the perfect life, with world travel, sophisticated parties, knowing the most famous of the writers, dancers, and artists of their era. But to Zelda, it was a constant challenge; keeping up, maintaining appearances physically, financially, and emotionally. Multiple times the pressure was so high, it necessitated hospitalization and inhumane treatments for Zelda.

What is apparent is that while on the outside, Zelda did not see herself as a feminist in the stereotypical sense, she was one at heart, and this is what likely ate at her throughout her life. She could not see why she needed to suppress her own artistic endeavors just because her husband needed to pursue his. His jealousy was so overpowering that even when she wrote stories, he published them under his own name, claiming they’d get more acclaim if he did so. This undermining of her, the constant repression she had to force upon herself, slowly ate at her, giving her both physical and psychological pains throughout her adult life.

This is a very dramatic, historical fiction account of Zelda’s life with F. Scott Fitzgerald. I highly recommend it!

 

Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown

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Molly is smart and she is tough. She knows she’s different from those around her but she truly doesn’t care. While her mother, Carrie, and her best friend, Leroy, try in their own ways to convince her to bend to what is “acceptable,” especially when it comes to both gender and sexual stereotyped norms, she remains true to herself.  And this is no simple task, not in the early 1950’s and not in rural Pennsylvania, nor on the Florida coast.  It is clear to Molly that she must make it out of her small town to survive, but how she accomplishes this and what she finds when she gets there shows that life can be challenging wherever we may find ourselves.

This was a groundbreaking book in 1973, but of course it was initially ignored and kept underground because of its unabashed celebration of lesbian sex. Only a few years later, when a more established publisher took on the title did the book become more widely sold and gain something of its current notoriety. Now, of course, there are many books about this topic and it is less of a standout, but it must be acknowledged for its pioneering spirit and daring language. Few ventured into this terrain at the time; few were brave enough to “out” themselves when it was not only not fashionable but it could actually be quite dangerous to do so. But doing so clearly spoke to millions of folks who either identified with the characters or felt they needed to learn more. Doing so opened up a world of dialogue about the topic, freeing many to speak their truth and to acknowledge what might be in their hearts. 

That said, the story itself is quite depressing. It feels as if there is a constant tugging at the heart, a constant thrum of defeat. Molly has high hopes, high expectations of herself and while she works hard and keeps herself focused on her goals, she has one obstacle thrown at her after another. Whether her family, her friends, her lovers, or her so-called mentors, everyone seems to disappoint. However realistic it is, in her world at that time, it is a hard story to take in. No matter her incredible achievements,  she lived in a world where men ruled unchecked and women had no legal protections. 

This novel functions as a crucial reminder of some rights we take for granted – and some that we should be continuing to fight for. 

 

Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict

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Seeking to pursue a career in basic science research in an environment where she would be accepted as an equal to her male peers – not an easy task in post-WWII 1940’s – Rosalind Franklin moved from London to Paris. On arrival, she felt immediately welcomed by all of her fellow researchers in the x-ray crystallography lab. She quickly began her painstaking work of pursuing the identification of carbon-based structures via this type of X-ray imaging, and became known for her meticulousness, hard work, and dedication. After an uncomfortable incident in the lab between herself and one of her superiors, however, she felt compelled to leave this otherwise congenial environment to return to London. There, she was thrust into a competitive race to use her perfected techniques to identify the structure of DNA. Only gender discrimination prevented her from achieving the fame that Watson and Crick did, as it was Franklin’s research that truly uncovered the secret to DNA’s structure.

This deeply researched fictionalized story is a profound tribute to Rosalind Franklin, a woman who contributed so much to what we know about the structure of carbons, DNA and RNA. Only now, decades later, are we understanding the ways in which she was robbed of the respect and acclaim that was her due. The men around her took credit for her work, her discoveries, her hard-won labor, and she had no recourse at the time because she was a woman and would be looked upon as a complainer, a shrew. She was denied the status of a full professorship, and with that, the ability to achieve rights to her own grants and her own laboratory. She was always beholden to the men around her, who were often her intellectual inferiors.

I also never knew her family situation, which came through in this story as well. First, she was Jewish, which influenced where she was able to go and when. During the second World War, she certainly could not go into Paris – not until the Germans were overthrown by the Allies – and so her training began initially in London. Moreover, while she was simultaneously fending off the pressures from her male colleagues in the lab, she was also quelling her family’s efforts to bring her to more “ladylike” pursuits, as they saw them – doing charity work, marrying and raising a family. Because she saw these as being incongruous with her deep ambition to pursue science, she resisted pressure from all sides.

This is a beautiful tribute to a true hero in our history – one who should be acknowledged and celebrated for her brilliance, dedication, and contributions to science, to medicine, and to the betterment of mankind.

The Beach at Summerly

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Emilia, whom most on Winthrop Island know as Cricket, has had something of an idyllic upbringing. Although her family works for the Peabody family, who only grace the island during the summer, she has always seen no difference between herself and the Peabody boys with whom she and her siblings were constant companions from Memorial until Labor Day. But things appear changed for all of them now that each family has lost a son in the second world war, and the sons who have returned have done so having seen what the world could impose. When the Peabodys’ aunt shows up with her children and an offer of a job for Cricket, this opens up possibilities – and danger – for Cricket and for her family.

Once again, Beatriz Williams has written a wonderfully crafted novel with all the ingredients of a MUST READ. We love Cricket, because she is smart, loving, and trying her best to do what is right. Nevertheless, she is of course caught up in a tangle of historical fictional intrigue and there are more than a few sections that even I, who tries to really read every word of a book, found myself glossing over some to try to find out what happens, because I NEEDED to know!

In this novel, we also see how the “bad guys” are not always necessarily “bad,” but just victims of their own ideals. It can be quite easy to be swayed by ideas that feel right or pure. There was a time, for example, particularly after the market crash of the 1930’s when Marxism and communism may have appeared to be a sound alternative to economically vulnerable capitalism. An “equal” society might have seemed to be a fairer way to live when there was such a stark difference between the rich and the poor. It might even appeal today. Nevertheless, the countries who reign under these Marxist/communist theories obfuscated what was really going on in order to maintain these regimes – which was that any opposition of opinion or thought was being rooted out and violently suppressed. It was going on then, during and just after WWII, when Russia was considered an ally, and it is absolutely going on now.

This is both a well-researched, valuable historical perspective and an un-put-down-able work of fiction. The best combination, in my book!