Novels Now

First Sentence: Somewhere in her heart, Danielle Montgomery knew this was wrong, and her guilt had a face.

Detective Rebecca Montgomery is hanging by a thread emotionally and career wise. Her sister’s disappearance and the lack of progress in the investigation have the grieving San Antonio detective on edge. Her coworkers are tired of her butting in and jeopardizing the investigation, one that involves more than just Becca’s sister. Other girls have gone missing across the country with possible ties to the San Antonio area.

In order to divert her attention and keep her busy, Becca’s superior assigns her to a case involving the discovery of skeletal remains in the old Imperial Theatre, which had just recently burned down in an arson fire. When Becca’s investigation takes her to the doorstep of a shady wealthy businessman, she is suddenly pulled off that case as well, and the FBI takes over. Not ready to give over the reins completely, Becca decides to continue with the investigation on her own. Becca must decide if she wants to try to enlist the help of an insider, Diego Galvan, whose own motives are questionable.

Billed as a romantic suspense, it is easy to see why. Sparks fly the moment Becca and Diego first lay eyes on each other. She is not sure which side he is on, but it’s clear he has a dangerous streak that she must not underestimate. While at first I questioned the believability of her falling so fast for Diego despite common sense and the walls she had built around her, I came to recognize that her toughness was only a façade. She wanted—needed—a connection with someone and her mysterious stranger was able to get under her defenses from the very first moment. In addition to the physical attraction, he showed an interest in her and listened to her, filling a void in her heart. She had been living a relatively lonely existence since her sister’s disappearance and apparent murder.

I tend to shy away from books with heavy romance overtones as a matter of preference, and I had been hearing here and there that this particular novel might be too much in that direction for my tastes. While the sex scenes were certainly sizzling in content, they did not overwhelm the overall story, one that exposes a very dark and ugly criminal underworld that unfortunately is very much a part of our world today.

The players in the novel become obvious fairly quickly as I am sure the author intended, but where all the pieces of the puzzle will fall remain unknown for most of the book. No One Heard Her Scream is predictable in some respects, but not in all. Jordan Dane is off to a great start with her first novel. It is suspenseful and fast paced, always a good combination for a book like this.

Rating: (Good)

Compulsion by Jonathan Kellerman
Mystery/Thriller
2008 Ballantine Books
Finished on 5/7/08
Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)
Product Description

Once again, the depths of the criminal mind and the darkest side of a glittering city fuel #1 New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman’s brilliant storytelling. And no one conducts a more harrowing and suspenseful manhunt than the modern Sherlock Holmes of the psyche, Dr. Alex Delaware.

A tipsy young woman seeking aid on a desolate highway disappears into the inky black night. A retired schoolteacher is stabbed to death in broad daylight. Two women are butchered after closing time in a small-town beauty parlor. These and other bizarre acts of cruelty and psychopathology are linked only by the killer’s use of luxury vehicles and a baffling lack of motive. The ultimate whodunits, these crimes demand the attention of LAPD detective Milo Sturgis and his collaborator on the crime beat, psychologist Alex Delaware.

What begins with a solitary bloodstain in a stolen sedan quickly spirals outward in odd and unexpected directions, leading Delaware and Sturgis from the well-heeled center of L.A. society to its desperate edges; across the paths of commodities brokers and transvestite hookers; and as far away as New York City, where the search thaws out a long-cold case and exposes a grotesque homicidal crusade. The killer proves to be a fleeting shape-shifter, defying identification, leaving behind dazed witnesses and death–and compelling Alex and Milo to confront the true face of murderous madness.

Brilliant storytelling? I’m not sure I’d go that far, but it was a good read. Maybe I would’ve been more impressed if I knew more about Delaware and Sturgis. Kellerman does a tidy job of filling in the backstory details, but I still felt as if I had walked into a party that’d been going on for several hours.

My husband’s read most (if not all) of this series and thought I might enjoy this new release. I liked it, but I prefer Parker, Sandford, and Lehane (particularly Parker and Sandford’s dry humor). However, this was an entertaining mystery that kept me guessing, so I guess I’m hooked. I’m looking forward to the backlist — all 21 titles!

Procession of the Dead by D.B. Shan
The City: Book 1
Pages: 312
First Published: March 3, 2008 (Canada & UK)
Genre: urban fantasy
Rating: 5/5

Comments:
Capac Raimi arrives in the city to join his uncle’s business, that of small time gangster. He quickly learns the ropes but soon finds himself brought to the attention of The Cardinal. The Cardinal is the gangster who runs the entire city and nothing happens in this city without the the knowledge or approval of The Cardinal.

Life is great for Capac; he may just be the heir that the Cardinal has been looking for. But Capac realizes all is not as he thought it was when people start to disappear and no one remembers them. It is as if they had never existed at all. Thus Capac is propelled forward trying to find these missing people, without The Cardinal’s knowledge which is a very dangerous game to play, and at the same time find out just who he is himself.

This is such an intricate plot with twists and turns that kept me reading into the small hours of the night. I found myself gasping out loud at each revelation that the author threw at me. Each turn of the plot left me stunned and eager to read on. This is a wonderful read.

The book is peopled with an eccentric mix of characters. From The Cardinal, who has an almost superhuman rage when angered, to Conchita, an elderly woman with the face of a teenager, to the strange religious cult of blind men who only appear when fog rolls over the city.

This is a dark fantasy, set in a violent world and fortunately, the first in a series. I hope I don’t have to wait too long to read the next one! Highly recommended!

Of note, you may not recognize the author’s name, D.B. Shan, as he is most well-known as Darren Shan, the author of numerous Young Adult books of terror. This is his first adult novel.

Empress of Asia by Adam Lewis Schroeder
Pages: 409
First Published: 2006 CDN edition, 2008 US Edition
Genre: historical fiction, fictional memoir
Rating: 4/5

First Sentence:

A beefy-faced guy was pushing the gurney when they came to get you; he rolled it up the driveway and must’ve caught the corner of the Taurus just above the headlight because now there’s a pretty good gouge in the paint.

Comments: An elderly man, seventy-something, visits his dying wife in the hospital and on her deathbed she gives him a cryptic message that sends him back to Singapore, where they both were Japanese POWs. Then the action transfers to 1940 when our narrator is a young man and joins the merchant navy. Thus begins an epic story that spans from 1940 until the present, through Canada, Singapore and Indonesia. A fascinating insight into one man’s war, a war that shaped the person he would become for the rest of his life.

The book is written in the first person, but as the narrator is writing to his dead wife it occasionally slips into the second person which at first is a bit difficult to read but becomes less noticeable as the reader becomes familiar with the narrative. My main problem with the book is that there are no chapters, instead the book is divided into three parts, with Part 2 being the majority of the book. This made the book feel overly long to me, a problem I think would be easily solved with chapter breaks. The narrator is very well-written, a believable character and a true product of his time. I hesitate to throw names around, yet I felt a distinctive Atwood resonance, but from a male perspective, to the book.

An impressive first novel, I eagerly await to see what Schroeder will offer next.

Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman
Tenth Tess Monaghan Mystery

Pages: 325
Finished: Apr. 17, 2008
First Published: March, 2008
Genre: mystery
Rating: 3.5/5

First Sentence:

There she was.

Reason for Reading: I received this review copy from Harper Collins Canada.

Comments: Tess Monaghan is out rowing on the river when she inadvertently collides with the set of a TV Show. Once they find out she is a private investigator she is hired to work as a body guard for their young star. Seems she has been the target of a stalker in the past and now strange things are happening on the set, small fires and other small but annoying sabotages. Tess soon realizes there is a lot more going on and when someone is murdered her behind-the-scenes investigation starts.

This is the first Laura Lippman book that I have read. Usually I’m pretty particular about starting a series at the beginning so was a little wary about jumping into this tenth entry of the series. I had little to worry about as I was hooked from the prologue. There were a few references to the past here and there but this book was very easy for a newcomer to the series to get into. I also usually don’t read private investigator type mysteries either so I was very pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this. The behind the scenes look at a television show was a lot of fun. The mystery was very good and kept me guessing until near the end. Rather than being a fast-paced plot focused mystery I found this to be a character driven story. The characters were very well developed and much time was spent just getting to know the supporting cast. If you are looking for a page-turner, this is not for you but if you are looking more for an Elizabeth George type mystery where you can get inside the head of the characters this book will surely please.

Black Ships by Jo Graham

Pages: 411
Finished: Mar. 10, 2008
Reason for Reading: Review copy.
First Published: Mar. 10, 2008
Genre: historical fantasy
Rating: 5/5

First Sentence:

You must know that, despite all else I am, I am of the People.

Comments: Set in approximately 1200 BC along the coast of the Mediterranean from Egypt to Italy this tale is a retelling of Virgil’s Aenid from the viewpoint of Gull, a young woman who is the Sybil, oracle of the Lady of the Dead, as she accompanies Aeneas on his journey to find a new home for their People. The first words that come to mind as I think about this book are lyrical and haunting. The writing is lyrical, the tale is woven around the reader as you are drawn into the very fabric of this haunting tale. I just loved everything about this book. Each time I picked up the book it felt magical. I wanted to be there forever. The characters are wonderful and so real. There is nothing more satisfying to a reader than to have characters that tug at your emotions. As I read the closing pages of this book, I wept. My tears flowed and my heart ached. And I’ll tell you, it has been a long time since a book made me cry. A beautiful, wonderful book. Highly recommended.

A Foreign Affair by Caro Peacock

Pages: 331
Finished: Apr. 24, 2008
First Published: Apr. 2008
Genre: historical fiction
Rating: 3/5

First Sentence:

“Would you be kind enough to tell me where they keep people’s bodies,” I said.

Reason for Reading: Received this ARC from Harper Collins Canada

Comments: The year is 1837 and Liberty Lane receives a note informing her that her father has been killed in a duel in France. Libby knows without a doubt that she has not been told the truth. Her father must have been murdered and she will find out what really happened. She meets with adversity almost immediately and is asked to work as a spy while masquerading as a governess. Libby will do anything to find her father’s killer and in the end will discover a plot to usurp the newly crowned Queen Victoria.

This is a quick, light read with an intricate mystery that kept me guessing until the end. While there was plenty of action I didn’t really feel grabbed by the story until Libby stared working in the house as a governess at about the midway mark. At this point I enjoyed the Victorian Gothic atmosphere and the downstairs life of the servants. Libby is a very headstrong heroine but almost too much as she becomes too modern for the setting. All the other characters are portrayed as being of the period while Libby moves among them with none of the restraints of Victorian society. Because of this, at times, I found her dialogue and actions to be unrealistic. However, it’s not hard to forgive these liberties in a lighthearted mystery. The book blurb says this is the first of a series and I will be interested to see where Libby goes in the next book.

Outcast by Sadie Jones 

The novel opens in 1957 with Lewis’ return home after a stay in prison. We quickly flashback to when he was ten and his father was returning from the war, 1945 , to the small village outside London and follow poor Lewis’s life up until his incarceration. The last third of the book rejoins the story after his release after prison. Interestingly, his years in prison seemed the most peaceful and safe.

Lewis and his mother would be described as a little odd, happy with themselves. They lived together while Gilbert was off in the war. His return is quite an upheaval, as returns from war can be. At ten, Lewis and his mother go for a picnic in the woods, but his mother doesn’t return alive. This pivotal event changes Lewis, as in my opinion, no person cared for him or showed any affection. This loss of affection was particularly painful after the closeness to his mother. Gilbert quickly remarries a younger woman, Alice, and the neighbourly Carmichael’s, including daughters Tamsin and Kit are entwined with Lewis and Gilbert, as well as the violent Dickie Carmichael, who is also Gilbert’s boss. Drinking, abuse, and self-mutilation are all pushed under the rug, stiff upper lip, and then the requisite sending ‘difficult’ children away to boarding school.

So much happens here, an intrusive peek into the lives of upper middle class people in England, but also everyone as everyone has secrets and how well we hide them or deal with them can determine how functional our life appears. Lewis is a particularly sad case of a child shown no compassion. I was so frustrated at the way everyone dealt with him as if he were just a bother, or worse. Granted, he makes some bad decisions, but if ever there were a character who was given every bad break, it was him. I got very caught up in the emotions of the book and Lewis, and my heart just ached for him. A scene late in the book, with the village doctor who talks about Lewis’ mother and then simply adds, ‘I always liked you’ was such a touching moment, one of the few people in the village to acknowledge him in any way. I read this very late into the night, because I had to finish it and see how it could end.

There is some buzz about this book; it’s shortlisted  for an Orange Prize and I found it to be an engrossing read. There are some disturbing aspects to the novel, the secrets that are kept, but the overall neglect of Lewis and his emotional growth is what will stay with me.

published March 11, 2008

Paul Quarrington has been in the news lately (in Canada) as the author of the winning Canada Reads book, King Leary. I haven’t read it yet, but when I got the opportunity to read his latest book, released March 11, 2008, I jumped.

And then I laughed my way through this book. Phil McQuigge is a fifty year old alcoholic, who has recently lost his wife and his job. Things aren’t looking so great for Phil. Interestingly, Quarrington describes the book as semi-autobiographical. Phil decides that much of his crappy life relates back to an incident in ‘the ravine’ when he and a friend and his brother met up with some mean teenagers one day. Phil decides to write a novel based on the incident, if only he could remember exactly what happened.

I’m sure this doesn’t sound like a funny book from my description, but Quarrington is very humorous, with irony and black comedy and straight-out funny lines. Phil’s brother Jay, who also made a mess of his life, is around if somewhat estranged, and continually refutes the details of Phil’s memories. I found this a rather timely discussion of memory, as there have been some recent news events with misplaced memories, and it is an area I find very interesting. Phil was also a teevee writer, and his famous television show (famous in Canada for 156 episode, it only played two episode in the States) is based on a movie he saw as a child (memories again.) Then you begin to question the narrator because if he doesn’t remember, how reliable is anything he tells us?

So, the book is a novel being written by the main character about his life, which is semi-autobiographical. If I thought about it I got confused, so instead I just sat back and enjoyed the self-deprecating humour. The ending was a little weird and I’m not exactly sure what to make of it, but it was worth the read to get to the end. I must look for King Leary now.

2008, 291 pages

Rating: 4/5

A priest, an atheist lawyer and a convicted killer walked into a bar…

Okay, not really, but they did take center stage in Jodi Picoult’s latest book, Change of Heart.

In this book, Picoult chose two hot-button issues, religious beliefs and capital punishment, to explore the following scenario: a man on death row wanted to donate his heart to a dying girl. And not just any dying girl – but the daughter of the man he was accused of killing. Should the dying girl’s mom accept this organ donation? If the girl gets this heart, will she take on characteristics of the donor? And why was the man really offering up his heart – to redeem himself, because it was the right thing to do? These questions may not have been answered in Change of Heart, but each perspective was presented and explored, leaving the reader to think hard about it all.

Picoult is a skilled writer, and her character development (again) was flawless in this book. From the convicted killer, Shay Bourne, to his attorney, Maggie Bloom, to his spiritual advisor, Father Michael, you crawled into each character’s head and ponder what they’re pondering, wonder what they’re wondering and believe what they’re believing. Each chapter of the book was told from a different person’s perspective, which made the story flow nicely. All in all, Change of Heart was a real page-turner.

However, one aspect of the story did leave me uncomfortable. With Shaye, Picoult made his character Christ-like. He was a 33-year old carpenter whose appearance on death row caused a stir, from the cell faucets that spewed wine, to the inexplicable remission of an AIDS-stricken inmate, to Shay’s comfort with a fishing pole. Sound familiar? Even his name, Isaiah Matthew Bourne (I.M. Bourne) made my eyebrows go up. None of these miracles or coincidences were subtle, but I am not sure of their relevance to this story. Admittedly, I am still scratching my head about this aspect of Change of Heart, and I will be curious to read what others think about this story.

Despite this, I would recommend Change of Heart to the many Jodi Picoult fans out there. She’s in true form, as always. (4/5)

But the gesture, the smooth cupping of the little girl’s head, the way Suzanne’s hand in one quick motion caressed the fine hair and thin neck, has stayed with Olive. It was like watching some woman dive from a boat and swim easily up to the dock. A reminder how some people could do things others could not. -From Olive Kitteridge, page 64-

Elizabeth Strout has crafted a unique novel - one told in a series of stories linked together by one character: Olive Kitteridge. Olive is a retired school teacher living in the small, coastal town of Crosby, Maine. She is a fully imagined, complex character whose honesty, bitterness, anger and compassion intersect the lives of the townspeople, as well as her family. Married to Henry, the local pharmacist whose kindness and patience is recognized by all, and raising a single child - Christopher - Olive reveals a mixture of compassion and resentment toward the people who pass through her life.

Strout devotes full chapters to Olive and her family, but makes room in other chapters to examine the lives of more minor characters such as Kevin, a boy still grieving for his mother; Angela O’Meara, a talented local piano player who relies more and more on vodka to get through her days; Harmon, a man looking for love and Daisy Foster, a widow with a heart of gold; an anorexic teenager named Nina; Jane and Bob Houlton, growing old together; Marlene Bonney, the grocer’s wife, who discovers a secret beneath her own roof; and the Harwoods who live in the country without a flush toilet. It is through the lives of all the characters, that Strout examines the complexities of Olive’s psyche.

Written with warmth and and insight into the human condition, Olive Kitteridge uncovers what it means to survive day to day in our ordinary yet individual lives. Although there are moments of despair and sadness, Strout also treats the reader to Olive’s wry sense of humor, such as when she is visiting her adult son, Christopher and his wife in New York:

Olive could barely eat her dinner. She had thought Christopher was going to grill hamburgers. but he had grilled tofu hot dogs, and for the grown-ups had, of all things, diced up a can of oysters and poked them into these so-called hot dogs.

“Are you okay, Mom?” It was Ann who asked.

“Fine,” said Olive. “When I travel, I sometimes find I”m not hungry. I think I’ll just eat this hot dog roll.” -From Olive Kitteridge, page 208-

It is moments like this that allow the reader to forgive Olive’s weaknesses - her sudden temper, her cutting remarks, her tendency to lash out at those she loves the most. Olive’s ability to recognize the needs of others is far superior to her insight into her own motivations and fears, and it is this tendency to erect barriers which is Olive’s biggest challenge.

Elizabeth Strout has given readers a finely written novel about what it means to be human and how our every day lives touch others.

Recommended; rated 4/5.

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Contemporary Fiction
Finished on 2/20/08
Rating: 4.75 (Terrific!)
ARC (Book due out on March 4)

Book Description

The acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author presents a spellbinding tale of a mother’s tragic loss and one man’s last chance at gaining salvation.

Can we save ourselves, or do we rely on others to do it? Is what we believe always the truth?

One moment June Nealon was happily looking forward to years full of laughter and adventure with her family, and the next, she was staring into a future that was as empty as her heart. Now her life is a waiting game. Waiting for time to heal her wounds, waiting for justice. In short, waiting for a miracle to happen.

For Shay Bourne, life holds no more surprises. The world has given him nothing, and he has nothing to offer the world. In a heartbeat, though, something happens that changes everything for him. Now, he has one last chance for salvation, and it lies with June’s eleven-year-old daughter, Claire. But between Shay and Claire stretches an ocean of bitter regrets, past crimes, and the rage of a mother who has lost her child.

Would you give up your vengeance against someone you hate if it meant saving someone you love? Would you want your dreams to come true if it meant granting your enemy’s dying wish?

Once again, Jodi Picoult mesmerizes and enthralls readers with this story of redemption, justice, and love.

From the author’s website:

[Change of Heart] features a Death Row inmate who wants to donate his heart to the sister of his victim…which means petitioning the state for a less “humane” form of execution than lethal injection. When he starts performing miracles, the press labels him “Messiah.” After all, people are always finding Jesus in prison… what if he were really there? And what if the things he said didn’t match what you’d been told your whole life…but instead, matched verbatim the text of an ancient gospel that was excluded from the Bible as heresy?

This is a difficult book for me to review. There is the obvious connection to the situation of my family’s terrible loss. And as with most of Jodi Picoult’s novels, it’s almost impossible to discuss the plot without giving away spoilers. Here are some random thoughts and passages that will hopefully give you a sense of what Picoult has tried to achieve with Change of Heart.

I really enjoy reading a book in which the point of view alternates between multiple characters and Picoult is a master when it comes to seamlessly weaving a story between the cast. In Change of Heart we hear from four characters:

June Nealon - mother of Elizabeth and Claire; two-time widow
Maggie - ACLU attorney; single; daughter of a rabbi; atheist
Michael - Catholic priest; spiritual advisor to Shay Bourne; rides a ‘69 Triumph Trophy motorcyle
Lucius - Shay Bourne’s neighboring cell-mate; AIDS victim

My favorite character was Maggie. Her “story” provided witty humor to an otherwise depressing narrative. I would love to see more of her in another book by Picoult!

I love the way the author continued to surprise me, even when I was absolutely certain I knew what was going to happen. Again, Picoult is a master of twists and surprises. My jaw literally dropped at one point and I wound up flipping back through the previous pages, searching for a clue I might’ve missed.

When I first heard the specifics about Change of Heart, my initial thought was that nobody would understand why I would want to read this, of all books! But having read several of the author’s previous novels (understanding that she not only is a phenomenal writer who deftly researches her subject matter, but also presents it it with truth and accuracy), I knew that in less than two months, I would be able to walk into a Virginia Beach courtroom and have some idea of what would ensue. In a sense, I’ve relied on Picoult’s research expertise to prepare myself for the unknown — facing the person who killed my stepdaughter (and two other young adults) on Memorial Day Weekend almost three years ago.

Lots of sticky notes!

Miscellaneous quotes that I marked:

“I wanted to play them the answering machine message that still had their voices on it, the one I couldn’t bear to erase, even though it felt like I was being cut to ribbons every time I heard it.” “I wanted them to live my life, because that was the only way they’d really know what had been lost.”

“…lethal injection might not be as humane as everyone wanted to believe.” [Ah, but neither is murder.]

“…a thirty-three-year-old carpenter with a death sentence on his head, who was performing miracles left and right.”

“What I would like to tell Shay Bourne about the impact this crime had on my family is that it erased my family, period.” “I would like him to come with me to the bank, the day I broke down in front of the teller and told her that I wanted to liquidate the college fund of Elizabeth Nealon.” [or cash out savings bonds in the name of a deceased daughter...]

“If they had to die, I would have loved to have known in advance, so that I could take each second spent with them and know to hold on to it, instead of assuming there would be a million more. If they had to die, I would have loved to have been there, to be the last face they saw, instead of his.”

“…he spoke, words that at the time felt as solid and square as bricks, layered sentence upon sentence to build a wall between life as I’d known it and the one I would now be forced to lead.”

“Some people say that the reason we have a death penalty in this country is because we need to punish certain inmates. It’s said to be a deterrent–but in fact, murder rates are higher in death penalty jurisdictions than in those without it. It’s said to be cheaper to execute a man than keep him in prison for life–but in fact, when you factor in the cost of eleven years of appeals, paid for with public funds, it costs about a third more to execute a prisoner than to sentence him to life in prison. Some people say that the death penalty exists for the sake of the victims’ family–that it offers closure, so that they can deal, finally and completely, with their grief. But does knowing that the death toll has risen above and beyond their family member really offer justice? And how do we explain the fact that a murder in a rural setting is more likely to lead to a death sentence than one that occurs in the city? Or that the murder of a white victim leads to the death penalty three and a half times more often than the murder of a black victim? Or that women are sentenced to death only two-thirds as often as men?”

After studying similar death penalty stats in a sociology course many years ago, I became a firm believer that life in prison (with no chance of parole) was the right course of action to punish the guilty. However, my opinion took a complete 180 on May 28, 2005 after our daughter was violently murdered. And now, after reading Change of Heart, I’m beginning to reconsider my stand once again. Picoult’s books force you to examine your beliefs and opinions about society and the world at large. We all know that life is never simply black and white. There are no absolutes.

One thing I do know for certain — I’m glad I’m not serving on a jury, faced with the decision of whether another individual lives or dies.

“It’s where I live, my lord,” I said. “Not in the Temple, but in the world. And in the world, I learn what the world is and what the world will teach, and I am of the world.” (page 99)

When I started to read Anne Rice’s latest book, Christ The Lord: The Road to Cana, I did so knowing that I have two biases: (1) I love the way Anne Rice writes and (2) I love to read fictional accounts based on the Bible. Having enjoyed Rice’s first Christ book, I had high hopes for The Road To Cana, and all in all, I was not disappointed.

The Road to Cana detailed Jesus’s life in his early thirties when he was a carpenter living with his family in Nazareth. In Rice’s depiction, Jesus (still known as Yeshua) struggled with his identity. In his heart, he knew that he was the Son of God, but he tried to live a “normal life” of peace and worship. However, Jesus knew that he could not live out all aspects of an average Jewish man, including marriage or having children, despite pressures from his family and villagers. In essence, Jesus tried to keep his holy birth a secret while going about his daily life – until events transpired that brought his purpose to light.

In this book, Rice drew out Jesus’s human qualities. For example, Jesus was in love with a young woman, Avigail, and dreamed about her at night. At times, he maintained a cool head, but other times, he bumbled like a clumsy suitor, often making mistakes that jeopardized the social norms of unmarried men and women in Jewish culture. Another example was Jesus’s struggle with his older brother, James. As the oldest child, James was in charge of the household, but living with the Son of God gave James an inferiority complex (and understandably so). James fought with Jesus about getting married, dealing with the Romans and household duties – and Jesus’s patience was tried at many times, which often led to an “exchange of words” between the brothers.

While the first two-thirds of the book was devoted to Jesus’s struggle as a man, the last third of the book dealt with his epiphany of why he was the Son of God and his purpose among humans. This section of the book is classic Anne Rice, full of imagery, allusions and struggles between good and evil. The Devil made an appearance, and I was reminded of Rice’s Memnoch The Devil from the vampire series. In fact, her depiction of The Devil was so true to her earlier character that I believe it to be intentional. Jesus’s epiphany was hard to read as he cried over humans’ flaws, starved himself to death and denied himself water. But he emerged sure of his purpose and more in love with humanity than ever before.

Upon completion of Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana, I felt like I had just finished the second book of a trilogy. It had many “transitional” and “setting up for the big finish” aspects to it. I hope Rice delves into a third book about Christ because I find her storytelling and historical research so compelling. Her Christ books are a great addition to the literary canon of Biblical fiction. If you enjoy religious narratives or are a fan of Anne Rice, this is one book that I recommend for your bookshelf. (4/5)

Dervishes by Beth Helms
Picador, March 2008
Fiction; 314 pgs

Completed: 12/03/2007
Rating: 3 Stars

First Sentence: The telephone chimed as it always did, in the deep, dead middle of the night.

Reason for Reading: One of my places to look for book recommendations is Bookbrowse. Several months ago Bookbrowse began a pre-release program called First Impressions for reading and reviewing soon-to-be-released books. Dervishes caught my eye, and I put my name in for it, not really expecting anything to come of it. Much to my pleasure, I soon received the book in the mail.

From the Publisher: Grace and Canada are the wife and twelve-year-old daughter of an American diplomat stationed in Ankara. While he disappears for long stretches, mother and daughter are forced into a fiercely gossipy, isolated community of Western ladies and wealthy Turks. Fed up with each other during the hot summer months, when the electricity shuts down throughout the city from dusk to dawn, each ventures out beyond the embassy swimming pools and cocktail parties into Ankara. But neither is quite equipped to navigate on her own in Turkey, and they are soon lost in a society they can’t possibly comprehend. Their transgressions threaten to strand them between the safe island of expatriates and a city still hostile to the presence of foreigners.

Comments: Dervishes is a beautifully written novel set in the mid-1970’s, the characters intricately drawn, and the plot raw and yet unassuming. Mother and daughter are much alike, both distant, and difficult to grow close to as a result. Throughout the novel, the characters remain at arm’s length to the reader, which was a distraction not easily overcome. Neither mother nor daughter is particularly likable. Just the same, as the story goes on, it is impossible not to feel for this family whose members are lost and wounded, living together and yet apart.

Grace had hoped for more when she married her husband, a man whose work is drenched in secrecy. By the time the family is relocated to Turkey, Grace has grown tired of the mystery that once intrigued her and weary of the distance that now seems to envelope them. Canada, ever her father’s little girl, is entering her teens, with one foot still in childhood and the other trying to find its footing in the adult world. Having come by her self-efficiency at an early age because of her family’s life of constant change, Canada settles into life in Turkey with ease. Or so it seems in the beginning.

Told from the point of view of both mother and daughter, Dervishes takes the reader on a sensuous and difficult journey that is filled with temptation, petty jealousies and misunderstandings that are not easily resolved. Author Beth Helms makes sure of that every step of the way. The two struggle in their relationships with others, as well as with themselves.

It is almost always easier to learn about history through historical fiction or current world events through memoirs, and this book is no exception. Daoud Hari gives us a harrowing account of his experiences translating for various media outlets in the Darfur region. The violence in Darfur, especially toward women and children, is unspeakable. Though not overly graphic, it is still difficult to read in spots.

Similar to the plight of the Kurds, the people of Darfur have had their lives shattered due to boundaries set by people not of their region. This brief, engaging book will not only enlighten you to the situation in Darfur, but will also make you question the wisdom of meddling in other countries’ affairs at all.

2008, 189 pp.
Rating: 4

Sitting Practice by Caroline Adderson tells the story of Ross and Iliana, a newlywed couple, and how they deal with the aftermath of a car accident that leaves Iliana paralyzed. Ross is a film caterer who has had multiple ex-girlfriends, but he is absolutely in love with Iliana at the time of their marriage, much to the chagrin of his twin, Bonnie. Ross is also ‘in love’ with Bonnie’s son, Bryce, and very much longs to be a father. He and Bonnie of course share a bond that only twins can experience. In contrast, Iliana grew up in a very strict household, and Ross was her first real boyfriend. She meets Ross for the first time as a nurse assigned to him after a minor operation.After the accident, the marriage changes, as do Ross and Iliana. Ross struggles with wanting ‘the real’ Iliana back, while Iliana struggles with desiring independence from others. They do adapt, but not without repercussions.

Themes of love, guilt, forgiveness, religion, and the bonds between twins form the novel. I felt for all the characters in the book as they wrestled with the surprises life brings. I truly cared for them. However, I don’t care for bad language and s*x in the books I read. It would have been just as good (or better) without those elements. On sale in the U.S. on March 11.

2003, 329 pp.
Rating: 3.5

For those of us living in the United States, the suffering that goes on in other parts of the world is unimaginable. Darfur is one of the places where such suffering takes place. Genocide is occurring there and military power is constantly shifting. The reasons for this are complicated. However, this book contains an appendix that helps to explain it.

Daoud Hari is a brave man who risked his life repeatedly to take reporters into dangerous areas so that they could get the story out to the world. I found myself wondering constantly as I read his story if I would have the courage to withstand the things that he did to help his fellow countrymen.

I cannot say that this was a “good” book because it is so difficult to read about the suffering of these people. However, this was a very enlightening book and offers a lot of information about the situation in Darfur. (4.5/5)

It says everything about this land to know that even the mountains are not to be trusted, and that the crunching sound under your camel’s hooves are usually human bones, hidden and revealed as the wind pleases. -From The Translator, page 20-

Daoud Hari’s memoir about the genocide occurring in Darfur is beautifully and simply wrought, and so powerful I found myself choking back tears. Hari decided to write his memoir, focusing on his years as a translator for Western news organizations, because he knows ‘most people want others to have good lives, and, when they understand the situation, they will do what they can to steer the world back toward kindness.‘

Daoud Hari grew up in Darfur - and shows the reader his happy childhood, his close extended family, and the beautiful social network of his people. He then brings the reader up to the present day, where roving packs of Sudanese government supported rebels and militia groups systematically burn villages, rape women and children, and torture and kill tribesmen and their families who are only trying to eek out a simple existence in desert valleys. Hari reveals the thousands of displaced people living in camps without adequate water or food - places where women and children are forced to risk daily rapes as the price of wood for their fires. The stories contained in this slim memoir are horrifying and graphic - stories which once read would simply refuse to leave my consciousness.

The Translator is required reading for those who care about the people of the world. As Hari points out, if we continue to allow genocide to occur in Darfur, we risk it happening in other places as well. For Hari, it is simple: speak out, put pressure on our government and the people positioned to make a difference. Our voices, as Hari’s voice, can make a difference.

For those readers unfamiliar with the political situation in Darfur which has led to the massacre of thousands of indigenous Africans, Hari provides an appendix which helps put the crisis in historical perspective. The situation in Darfur is complex and not easily understood…Hari helps to simplify it.

The Translator is a disturbing and powerful book. It is not a book which I can read, set aside and forget about.

Highly recommended for its lyrical, yet simple prose and its tremendous social significance.

Rating: 5/5

Daoud Hari, as a translator of many languages, knows how important words can be. During his entire life, Hari followed the “pen is mightier than the sword” philosophy by providing translation services to journalists writing about the genocide and the horrible circumstances of his homeland, Darfur, Sudan. His adventures and reflections came to life in his memoir, The Translator: The Tribesman’s Memoir of Darfur.

Let every reader of this little book be warned: Hari’s memoir is powerful, impactful and heart-breaking. He spares nothing when describing how his fellow countrymen and women (including children) are being slaughtered in Darfur. Entire villages are being gunned down by helicopters, men and women are burned alive in their huts, children are killed by the sharp tip of the bayonet. During most of this book, I could only read a couple of chapters at a time because the descriptions were so hard to read. But Hari’s plea to his reader - to read and learn more - echoed in my head , and I pressed on until I finished the last word.

I have no regrets reading this memoir. And I ask that all of you read it too. By talking about this book, I hope to spread the mighty written word of Daoud Hari to you, and together, we can be more aware of the situation in Sudan and Chad. Won’t you join me?

Rating: 5/5

Rating: 4 Stars

First Sentence: I am sure you know how important it can be to get a good phone signal.

Reason for Reading: I was interested in learning more about the current conflict in Darfur. I received this book through the LibraryThing’s Early Review Program.

Comments: Last summer as I immersed myself in books, I spent time in Africa. Through books, I lived life as a child soldier in West Africa; I talked with the killers in Rwanda who murdered their own neighbors and friends, ones they played and dined with just days before; I was taken into South Africa and came face to face with Apartheid; and I lived through a vicious war in what now is called Zimbabwe. The torture and slaughtering of a people is nothing new. The horror of such actions remain fresh always.

As far away and unaffected as we Americans may feel, miles away from the death and danger, that distance is not so great. What goes on across the globe does impact us, whether directly or indirectly. As history repeats itself over and over again, we must not fall into the trap of thinking we are immune. We live in this world too. We are all brothers and sisters. Our basic needs are the same. Our hopes and dreams are not far off from each other. The older I get and the more I learn, the more I realize just how connected we all are. Our choices and decisions have consequences that can have a resounding effect all over the world.

Daoud Hari brings his story to the world in hopes that it will make a difference. He wants his story and the story of those in and from Darfur to be heard. For perhaps in the telling, people will listen and take action.

Daoud Hari, a Zaghawa, was born and raised in a village in Darfur. He had a relatively happy childhood, surrounded by family and a close-knit community. Life had been tranquil, full of the usual every day hardships, playing games with friends and cousins, attending school, and visiting neighbors. Suddenly all that changed. The government has been unstable for quite some time; politics, power, and religion, all creating rifts that would soon come to a head, leading to the slaughter of several thousands of people and displacing millions more, in what would later earn the grim title of genocide. This is still taking place today.

The government under the Sudanese President Omar El Bashir used its military might to attack the every day people and manipulated ethnic groups to turn against their friends and neighbors. Arabs who once lived side by side by their African brothers took up arms against them, and the fighting began. Rebel groups that had begun forming over the years of rising conflict, grew in numbers as the violence escalated and innocent people died. The Sudanese government took advantage of the rebel groups, pitting them against each other, making promises of power and money that were empty at best. For women and girls no matter their ages, rape was a given. Death and violence was everywhere. Is everywhere. The Sudanese government continues to engage in such practices, continues to murder and rape the country. And yet the people, those caught in the middle who have become the targets, struggle to live on as best they can. It is because of people like Daoud Hari that their screams and cries are not falling on deaf ears.

In The Translator, Daoud Hari writes about his life in Darfur, his travels into the great Sahara, Israel and his imprisonment in both Israel and Egypt for entering Israel illegally. He also talks about how he came to be a guide and translator for both the genocide investigators and journalists wanting to visit and speak with people in Darfur. He risked his life time and time again, leading the reporters and investigators into war torn Darfur so the truth could get out.

Mr. Hari’s voice comes through in his writing. He seems genuine and sincere. There is no pretension. His writing is simple and to the point. He maintains his sense of humor even in the direst of moments–at least in the retelling. What else can you do? You have to cope somehow. There were, and continue to be, so many every day people trapped in between the fighting, some fleeing and others trying to survive and hold onto what they still have.

The author describes the horrors he encounters, individualizes the victims and gives them their own voices. He includes the readers, drawing us in pointing out the similarities, however small: the girl you admire, the loss of a baby. These are all things we all can relate to regardless of our borders. While he is careful with names and locations for the safety of those who remain behind, he does not shy away from talking about the rapes, the torture and the murder. He is not overly graphic in his descriptions, but the reader cannot help but visualize it all. Several times throughout the book, my heart ached and tears welled up in my eyes, mothers and fathers watching their children die.

Daoud Hari’s experiences while in Darfur during the war were full of suffering and loss. And yet, he stood his ground and carried on. He had a purpose, always moving forward to help those around him who needed his aid and in helping get the word out about the conditions is which the people of Darfur were forced to contend. He saw the humanity even in those who might cause him the greatest harm. His courage and strength carried him through as much as his friendliness, insight and thoughtfulness.

The Translator is a powerful memoir that needs to be read. It is an important story about the terror that has engulfed Darfur and is spilling over the borders into neighboring countries and regions. Darfur is not the only area that currently is facing such atrocities, and unfortunately it will not likely be the last unless humanity begins to take action and set things right.

Favorite Parts (and on a lighter note): I loved how he described the Sahara desert–beautiful and merciless. It is obvious the author is in awe of this great desert, but then, who wouldn’t be?

The author is a reader! One of his favorite books is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

Miscellaneous: I actually marked several quotes in this book that I would like to go back to at a later time. Unfortunately because this is an Advance Readers Copy, I am unable to post them at this time.

It seemed quite timely that just as soon as I finished reading this book, there was an article about Steven Spielberg in relation to Darfur. He has withdrawn as the artistic adviser for the Beijing Olympics in protest of China’s failure to take a stance against the Sudanese government. China has close ties with the Sudanese government and is one of the main buyers of Sudanese oil.