The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

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.

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Vivian was never exactly interested in following in the path her nuclear family had laid out for her: school, perhaps a temporary job before she settled down to a marriage, and of course motherhood, thereby maintaining the social status comparable to that which she was born into, in her upstate NY, 1940’s, upscale community. So, when, at the age of 19, she failed out of Vassar after essentially never having attended any classes — clearly flouting this path — she was shipped down to Manhattan to live with her equally unconventional Aunt Peg. Here in the heart of the theater district (well, almost), Vivian found her freedom – the ability to explore the city, the ability to express herself in ways she could never have imagined, and also the ability to make mistakes she would gradually learn and grow from.

This novel is just as entertaining as the theater world itself, opening the curtain to both the comedy and tragedy of NYC in wartime 1940’s, the challenges of managing a theater production with all its moving parts, and underneath, the struggle of a young girl finding out who she really is in the midst of all this frenetic drama. As Vivian falls in love with the city and with her newfound theater family, we find ourselves falling in love with each of the characters. Vivian’s Aunt Peg, with all her vulnerabilities, is as generous and forgiving as anyone might be and teaches us the beauty of living in this way. Her “secretary,” Olive, a no-nonsense, teetotaler, who never hesitates to remind everyone how little money they all have, demonstrates loyalty in the most understated and compassionate ways. Peg and Olive become both the liberators and the anchors for Vivian.

The voice of the narration is also quite clever. The story is told by Vivian to Angela, and we only discover late in the game who Angela actually is. We hear her name periodically as the story unfolds, and this reminds us that we are being told a story from Vivian’s perspective to someone in particular with a particular goal. It is a confession of sorts, but without the remorse or regret a confession has because there is no sin, no misdeed. It is just an honest telling. And we love Vivian for her living her life without apology and without regret, as she has lived, for most of her life, an honest life.

This is a beautiful book of historical fiction – highly recommend this!

Honor by Thrity Umrigar

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Much to Smita’s dismay, she has been brought back prematurely from her vacation in the Maldives to India, where she’s sworn to herself not to return. And worse, she has been brought back not to tend to her friend, as she’d believed, but rather to take over her friend’s news story that is quite controversial. The story is that of Meena, a Hindu woman who dared to marry a Muslim man. Seeing this as a slight against their honor, Meena’s brothers sought vengeance and torched her husband to death and left Meena maimed by the fire. She is now awaiting the verdict of their revived murder trial and Smita must cover the story. But at what emotional cost to herself?

This is an extraordinarily trying narrative to take in – not only as a woman, but as a human. The repugnant misogyny and collusion chronicled here is not unique to India, but exists around the globe, and is promoted, even exalted throughout. So often, whether in the name of God, religious extremism,  or just “family honor”, women are treated as if they are either property of men or as if they do not exist at all. Even here in our first world country it exists, where women’s rights are being chipped away daily, leaving us with less pay, less agency over our bodies, our choices, our rights to be our truest selves in this world.

The writing here is crisp, the imagery vivid, and the characters capture our hearts immediately. We are curious about Smita’s struggle with her homeland and her story is also extremely powerful, also rooted in hateful extremism. It is clear why she is a journalist and why she seeks to document the world’s troubles. She has been borne of them and has lived them.

This novel is well-written and while it is a painful book to ingest, it carries a message that must be heard. I very highly recommend it – but definitely not a “beach read!”

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld
Amazon.com: Anxious People: A Novel (9781501160837): Backman, Fredrik: Books

Ostensibly, this is a story about a bank robbery gone bad, resulting in a hostage situation in an apartment showing across the street from the bank.  It is even authenticated by the presence of a gun, a police interrogation, and even hostage negotiators on the way. However, what we gradually come to learn is that the real story is in the details of how each of the characters were brought together by an uncanny coincidence of fate to the hostage situation.  As we learn their stories, we become held ourselves, invested in seeing each of them resolve their own personal crises.   

Few are able to captivate their readers in the way that Fredrik Backman is.  His warmth and his humor permeate his writing, and he has a magical way of creating characters that are deeply human, layered and vulnerable.  He also constructs a tale that is utterly engaging.  What starts as a seemingly simple story winds its way into a much more complex drama, twisting with surprises that come when you least expect them, and occasionally unmasking our inherent biases  and beliefs.  

I am reluctant to say more, as I don’t want to give any of it away.  Suffice it to say that reading this will be a wonderful gift to yourself – it is a gem with perfect writing, beautiful characters, and a plot that will hold you and keep you smiling until the very last word.  

A DEFINITE MUST READ!!

 

 

The Best of Times by Penny Vincenzi

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

A complicated motor vehicle accident involving a “lorry” (semi) and many cars is the focal point of this novel.  We learn a bit about each of the characters that are involved as a prelude to the accident, and then it happens, sort of in slow motion, almost as they experience it.   But it is the aftermath that carries each story line (and there are many that intertwine).  The accident complicates and devastates, but in some ways revives and empowers.  In every case, it changes the course of each of the lives of those involved in it.

There are quite a few characters, but the author does a wonderful job of endearing each of them to the reader, such that it is easy to keep track and stay interested in each of their trajectories.  And transitions are particularly smooth.    And because there are so many different story lines, the book never, ever gets dull.  Honestly,  a few of the characters are so charming and feel so real that by the end you’d like to invite them over for tea!

This is an utterly delightful novel that I very highly recommend!

 

 

The Telomere Effect by Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and Dr. Elissa Epel

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

telomere effect

This is science at its most glorious.  What these two brilliant, Nobel Prize-winning researchers manage to do between the covers of these non-fiction pages is to bring their crucial medical findings from their laboratory into your home.  And what they’ve found is how to keep yourself healthier, longer.

The telomere is a part of the chromosome that is involved in the aging process.  In short, the telomere is to the chromosome as the aglet is to the shoelace – it functions to protect the chromosome from wear and tear.  As one ages, one’s telomeres become shorter and less effective.  When this occurs one becomes more prone to inflammatory conditions, infections, and even death.

So what do we do about this?  Fortunately, the doctors provide a great deal of research that shows that if we take care of ourselves, eat healthfully, sleep well, and so on, we can improve the condition of our telomeres.  So what is the value of this?  Is this not intuitive?

Well, no, it’s not.  So many give up and say that genetics predetermine how long they will live and how long they will remain healthy and it doesn’t matter what we do in the meantime.  This research shows how and why it actually does matter how we care for ourselves – how mindful we are, how we exercise, how we sleep – it all matters.

And one very striking takeaway:  How one approaches stressors has an impact on one’s telomeres.  If you feel oppressed by your stressors and maintain a negative attitude, you will have shorter telomeres; however, if you view stressors as “challenges”and keep a can-do attitude instead, your telomeres will be longer and more robust.  It will even help you look younger!

This is a fascinating read that is full of science, but made accessible by excellent, clear, vey understandable writing.  Highly recommend!!