Novels Now

Sligo made me and Sligo undid me, but then I should have given up much sooner than I did being made or undone by human towns, and looked to myself alone. The terror and hurt in my story happened because when I was young I thought others were the authors of my fortune or misfortune; I did not know that a person could hold up a wall made of imaginary bricks and mortar against the horrors and cruel, dark tricks of time that assail us, and be the author therefore of themselves. - from The Secret Scripture, page 3-4 -

Sebastian Barry’s fourth novel opens in an Irish mental hospital with the voice of Roseanne McNulty who, in the 100th year of her life, has decided to write her memoir and hide it beneath the floorboards of her room. As Roseanne revisits the past, the Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital is being dismantled due to safety concerns. Roseanne’s psychiatrist Dr. Grene is attempting to evaluate the patients to determine if they can be set free, or must be re-committed in the new hospital. The story alternates between Roseanne’s memories of her past and Dr. Grene’s written thoughts in the present. As the novel progresses, the mystery of Roseanne’s life unfolds and Dr. Grene uncovers a secret in his own life.

Barry’s novel covers the period of the Irish Civil War (1922-23), as well as WWII and is steeped in the history of the Catholic Church and the politics of Ireland. There is a magical quality to the novel with rich and mysterious characters (including a priest who plays a large role in Roseanne’s life).

Early on, the reader becomes aware of discrepancies in Roseanne’s memories and part of the tension in the novel is one of separating the truth from fantasy. What is real and what is false?

For history as far as I can see is not the arrangement of what happens, in sequence and in truth, but a fabulous arrangement of surmises and guesses held up as a banner against the assault of withering truth. - from The Secret Scripture, page 55 -

But I am beginning to wonder strongly what is the nature of history. Is it only memory in decent sentences, and if so, how reliable is it? I would suggest, not very. And that therefore most truth and fact offered by these syntactical means is treacherous and unreliable. - from The Secret Scripture, page 293 -

Barry’s writing is simply gorgeous. Lyrical and descriptive, the reader can hear the lilt of the Irish voices and see the desolate countryside of Ireland.

Always the deluge of rain falling on Sligo, falling on the streets big and little, making the houses shiver and huddle like people at a football match. Falling fantastically, in enormous amounts, the contents of a hundred rivers. And the river itself, the Garravoge, swelling up, the beautiful swans taken by surprise, riding the torrent, being swept down under the bridge and reappearing the other side like unsuccessful suicides, their mysterious eyes shocked and black, their mysterious grace unassailed. How savage swans are even in their famous beauty. And the rain falling also on the pavements outside the Cafe Cairo, as I tugged at the boilers and the machines, and gazed out through the fuggy windows with burning eyes. - from The Secret Scripture, page 125 -

The Secret Scripture is a novel about love and betrayal, truth and fantasy, sin and redemption … an intimate look at the history and religious politics of Ireland as it collides with one woman’s life. Barry is the consummate story-teller, weaving his fantastical account beautifully and creating a truly memorable character for literary fiction lovers.

Highly recommended.

Click for info

Did you know it was Jewish Book Month? I didn’t, but when I found out, I wanted to read a title from a Jewish author. Lara Vapnyar won the 2004 Goldberg Prize for Jewish Fiction by Emerging Writers for There Are Jews in my House. She emigrated from Russia in 1994 when she was in her early twenties and now lives in New York.

Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love would be perfect for someone participating in the Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge. There are six short stories in the book, and they all have to do with food. There are even recipes for some Russian dishes in the back.

“A Bunch of Broccoli on the Third Shelf” tells the story of Nina, a Russian immigrant who loves to shop for vegetables but rarely cooks them.

“Borscht” is a sad story about two people who come to the States to earn money for their families, but then their loved ones are indifferent to them going back home to Russia.

“Puffed Rice and Meatballs” is about Katya’s memory of a childhood incident that she refuses to share with her American boyfriend.

In “Salad Olivier,” a mother tries to find her daughter a boyfriend — but he must be Russian.

“Luda and Milena” was my favorite story. Two older women fighting over an older man with their cooking.

In “Slicing Sauteed Spinach,” Ruzena lets her lover choose her food for her. Until…

I really enjoyed this collection, but especially “Luda and Milena.” It was a pure gem. I now plan on reading There Are Jews in My House for the Jewish Literature Challenge.

2008, 148 pp.
(4/5)

For about 2 years, I was a very prolific reader of “Chick Lit”. My favorites were always the Brit Chick Lit. Although Marian Keyes is from Ireland, I have always lumped her in this category. That being said, I have never actually READ a book by Marian Keyes. I’ve always meant to, but it just never happened. Maybe that is why I was so surprised when I read This Charming Man (576 pgs, William Morrow). A special thanks to Michael Barrs from William Morrow for sending this one my way! I’m using this one for another check on my Pub 08 Challenge list.

The worst day of my life. When the first wave of shock released me from a fiendish grip, I couldn’t help but notice that Paddy hadn’t called me. Ominous. I was his girlfriend, the media was going wild that he was getting married to another woman, and he hadn’t called me. Bad sign.

This story is told in alternating chapters by the women in the life of Paddy de Courcy, the head of the New Ireland political part. Smart, handsome and debonair, Paddy de Courcy has charmed the entire country of Ireland….and quite a few women to boot. From each woman’s perspective, we can see how knowing Paddy has shaped their lives.

Lola is a stylist with an amazing fashion sense and purple hair. Excuse me. That would be molichino hair. She considered herself Paddy’s girlfriend, even though there were very few times he actually took her out in public. After the news broke, Lola spent a week stalking Paddy trying to get answers. The best he could do was that his fiancee was going to be the perfect politician’s wife…something Lola would never be. With her business taking a series nose-dive because of her obsession with Paddy, she decided to take a break and stay at a friend’s cabin in a little remote village across the country from Dublin.

Grace is a reporter for The Spokesman. She is tough, breezy and full of spunk. And she knew Paddy when she was younger. The worked together in a bar right out of high school. And just when Grace had decided to make her move, Paddy met her twin sister, Marnie. Marnie was as opposite from Grace as could be: she is tiny, fragile and super-emotive, in a Sylvia Plath sort of way. Paddy and Marnie dated for a long time, before he broke her heart and moved on. Today Marnie is married and has 2 beautiful daughters, lives in a beautiful house, and has the perfect life. But she’s hiding a horrible secret that could ruin everything.

Alicia is the fiance in question. Not a beauty, like most of Paddy’s women, Alicia is a widow that is definitely the conservative, dependable type to be a politician’s wife.

As I stated earlier, when I started this book I expected a light, breezy book that would cute and funny. While there certainly were some cute parts (mostly all from Lola…..Tranny Night is utterly hilarious!), this book hits on some extremely serious and complex topics, such as domestic violence and alcoholism. I loved the way the book was laid out, with each character’s own voice telling how the suave Paddy de Courcy changed her life. (although I have to admit, Lola’s chapters slightly annoyed me. As much as I loved her character, he “voice” was written in almost a short-hand sort of way. Made it a bit difficult to read sometimes.)

I’m always a fan of a strong female heroine, which is the reason both Grace and Lola appealed to me so much. Marnie played the victim too well, and it bothered me on some level. But her growth through the book was definitely the most dramatic. Paddy himself is only written through the eyes of the women, and Keyes has done an excellent job of taking him, making him this fantastic man, then peeling back the layers to see what is really inside.

There is so much more to this book, but I’d hate to give anything away. So, I’ll leave you with this: although this certainly isn’t a book for everyone, it was an exceptionally good tale of love, friendship, family, and heartbreak. And I am extremely glad I read it!!

4.5/5

The Impostor by Damon Galgut

Pages: 249
Finished: Oct. 28, 2008
First Published: Aug. 5, 2008 (6/1/08 in USA)
Genre: literary fiction
Rating: 3.5/5
Reason for Reading: Received a Review Copy from Random House Canada.

First sentence:

The journey was almost over; they were nearly at their destination.

Comments: Adam Napier lives in South Africa just after the abolition of Apartheid. He has always been against Apartheid and now ironically he has lost his job to make way for race equality in the work place, losing his job to the black man he had been training. One time poet, he decides it is time to start writing again and he moves out to the Karoo, the empty countryside where he lives in a rundown shack of a house that his brother had once bought with the idea of fixing it up as a summer home. After only a few days he meets a man who once was a school chum of his as a boy, the man says he has always been his hero, but Adam cannot for the life of him remember him at all. He plays along and eventually starts going to the man’s ranch to visit him and his wife on the weekends. Many more things happen, but then I would be giving away too much to say just what.

This is a very difficult book to describe. It is the story of friendship and betrayal, of nature vs. man, of race relations and finding out just how far one will go to get what they want. The book starts off very slowly and really feels to be about nothing at all, at first. But by the second page I knew I was going to enjoy the book, I just wondered what it was going to be about and often found myself wondering that as the book progressed. The title. The Impostor, comes into play many times, and once one realizes what ‘impostor’ implies one is later again shown a different ‘impostor’ and it evolves throughout the book.

This is not the book for you if you want non stop action or a plot driven book. The book is more a character driven story where the characters are more important than what is happening. This is one of those books you read and think you like, then wonder if you really do, but in the end the story grew on me and I think the characters will stay in mind for some time. This book has definitely made me interested in reading some of the author’s other work. Perhaps I’ll next read The Good Doctor which was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize.

The Secret Scripture
by Sebastian Barry

2008, 300 pp.
Booker Prize Shortlist

I’d be happy if this book won the Booker Prize. Yeah, I would, and I haven’t read any of the other contenders yet! Sebastian Barry is a magnificent writer, and I will definitely be reading more of his work.

Roseanne McNulty is almost 100 years old, and Dr. Grene is the psychiatrist attending her at Roscommon Mental Hospital. The story slowly unfolds by giving alternating accounts of Roseanne and Dr. Grene. As he seeks to understand her and her tragic past, he must also deal with some tragedy of his own. As everyone knows, ‘grief lasts two years.’

With Ireland as a backdrop and themes of religion, mental illness, and family loyalty and betrayal, The Secret Scripture is superbly crafted and is definitely worthy of the Booker Prize.

What can I tell you further? I once lived among humankind, and found them in their generality to be cruel and cold, and yet could mention the names of three or four that were like angels.

Rich Details and Decadence of 17th-Century Court

This is the story of real life Louise de la Vallière, mistress to France’s King Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King. At a young age, Louise, lovingly nicknamed Petite by her father, uses bone magic to tame a wild stallion.

Though of minor nobility, her family doesn’t have enough money for her dowry to marry, let along to get into a convent. Thus she starts a new chapter in her life, that of maid in waiting to a princess of a bit higher nobility than herself. After the princess moves away, Louise moves to the court of the Sun King and is maid of honour to a high nobility princess. Soon after she becomes mistress to the king.

Set against the breathtaking background of France, this enchanting piece of historical fiction displays the extravagant opulence of the time of King Louis XIV’s reign.

Sandra Gulland has made me crave more of King Louis XIV. She must have suspected that this would be the case with some readers, as she suggests a book to learn more ‘Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King’ by Antonia Fraser. I have added this to my TBR (to be read).

This is the first book I have read by Sandra Gulland but it won’t be the last! I look forward, with great anticipation to reading her Josephine B. trilogy.

4/5

For more information on Sandra Gulland and her work including this book and her Josphine B Trilogy, see her Official Website.

The Loveliest Woman in America: A Tragic Actress, Her Lost Diaries, and her Granddaughter’s Search for Home by Bibi Gaston

Pages: 335
First Published: June 10, 2008
Genre: nonfiction, memoir, biography
Rating: 3/5

First sentence:

For forty-three years, all I knew was that Rosamond was beautiful and that she had killed herself.

Comments: This is the story of Rosamond Pinchot told through the eyes of her granddaughter and Rosamond’s own diaries which she kept for many years. Rosamond was a stage actress in the 1920’s who garnered great fame and later tried to get into film, and while she did appear in a few movies, she never reached any fame or satisfaction through that venue. She killed herself at age 33 leaving behind two sons from a very rocky marriage to Big Bill Gaston.

Not only is this the story of Rosamond, it is also the story of the two Manhattan society families the Pinchots and the Gastons. It also is the story of Rosamond’s descendants, her first born son William (Billy) and his youngest daughter Bibi (the author). Part memoir and part biography the book presents how suicide affects future generations and how feuding within a family creates a rift in one generation that continues on through the ages.

I enjoyed this book on some levels but not very much on others. I loved the story of the 20’s and 30’s. The tale of Manhattan, the theatre and Hollywood in this era was enjoyable as was the tale of Rosamond’s sad life. The personal diary entries brought this all to life and the woman led both a fairy tale and traumatic life. The story of her son, William, held no interest for me. He was a man who felt he was cheated by his brother and devoted his life to legal endeavours against both his ex-wife and brother. As well, the author’s own story is implanted into the biographies and the biography within a memoir doesn’t do the trick for me personally. The author tries to relate how her life was affected by Rosamond’s suicide and how family patterns continue through the generations. She succeeds on this point but I, personally, am not interested in that type of memoir. A non-biased portrait of Rosamond’s life or the publication of her diaries themselves would have made a more interesting and enjoyable read for me.

558 Pages

Michael Grant

Sam Temple is sort of reserved but he is cool in a crisis. Two years ago, when his school bus driver had a heart attack, Sam’s quick thinking and a quiet calm helped him to save everyone on the bus. Ever since then, other kids have looked up to him.
While sitting in history class one day, Sam’s teacher and everyone else over the age of fourteen *poofs* out of existence. What follows next is a study in how different people react in times of trouble. For some it brings out the best in them…for some the worst.
Gone is a sort of the best of both worlds kind of story. On one hand, you have every kid’s dream. Running things with no adults to spoil the fun. On the other hand, you have horror and facing your nightmares in the real world.
Gone is fast-paced with new plot revelations coming along plenty fast enough to keep you interested and a writing style that is easy to follow.

My son read this book in about a day and a half. He couldn’t put it down. I wasn’t as bowled over as he was but I thought it was a fun read. There were a lot of things left open for a sequel, which I would be happy to read when it comes out.(3.5/5)

321 pages

Susan Beth Pfeffer

The Dead and the Gone is the companion book to Life As We Knew It which I read earlier this year.

The disaster in this book is the same as in Life As We Knew It. An asteroid has hit the moon and knocked it closer to earth which affects the tides, volcanoes, rainfall and various other things. The neat thing about these two books is that while Life tells the perspective from a female protagonist situated in a more rural area, The Dead and the Gone tells the story from the perspective of a male protagonist in New York City. At first, I was skeptical that the two experiences could be different enough for the characters that a second story to be interesting. Happily, I was wrong.

When the story begins Alex is working in a pizza parlor, thinking about school rivalries and getting into Georgetown. During the course of the story he is forced to step in and take care of his sisters and discover how life can change in an instant, how the unlikeliest people can become our allies in times of need and ultimately the things in life that are truly important.

I enjoyed The Dead and the Gone every bit as much as Life As We Knew It and I recommend it if you enjoy disaster or dystopian stories. (4/5)

Queen of the Road: The True Tale of 47 States, 22 000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband, and a Bus with a Will of Its Own by Doreen Orion

Pages: 289
First Published: June 10, 2008
Genre: Travelogue, Memoirs
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

When my long-dreaded thirtieth birthday arrived, I really wasn’t as upset as I imagined I’d be, for I had achieved a much more important milestone: my sartorial centennial.

Comments: Doreen and her husband, Tim, are both psychiatrists in their mid-forties. Tim is a dedicated workaholic with a demanding practice. Doreen has given up practice and works filing insurance claims from the comfort of her bed in her pajamas and is proud of the fact the she hardly ever leaves the house. Out of the blue, Tim convinces her that they will take a year off and drive around the United States in a converted bus. This book details that journey.

At first I wasn’t sure whether I would like Doreen’s narrative as her rich, material world lifestyle is the exact opposite of my own lifestyle but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I found myself relating to her throughout the whole book. Doreen is simply hilarious, an outspoken person who will say just about anything. I was chuckling joyously chapter after chapter and even found myself reading parts aloud to my husband quite often, which rarely happens around here as he is a non-reader.

Humour aside, the journey they take was very interesting and informative to me. As a Canadian my knowledge of US geography is middling but even those who are experts on the topic will find Ms. Orion’s journey of interest. While they do go to some famous tourist spots, Doreen chooses mostly to talk about lesser known tourist attractions, RV parks, the automotive challenges they experienced and the people they met on the way.

This is the type of book one can pick up and read a chapter at a time and pick up again later and not loose the flow of the narrative. Highly recommended, especially for summer beach reading or winter armchair travelling.

I slept with close to forty boys and men before I figured out doing so was not serving me well. [pg 1]

Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity by Kerry Cohen
Hyperion, 2008
Nonfiction (Memoir); 210 pgs

Kerry Cohen was nothing like me; or was she? While she was vying for men’s affections and slipping under the covers with boys and men she barely knew, I kept to myself, lost myself in my studies, and sought approval and attention in other ways. Sex, drugs and alcohol were never a part of my scene like they were for Kerry. Despite our different approaches to achieve a similar goal, I was really no different than the author of Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity.

Kerry Cohen came to realize early in her life that as a woman, she had a power over men. With a certain tilt of her head, the widening of her eyes, and a swing of her hip, men would take notice. Amidst her parents’ divorce, her mother’s favoritism of her sister and eventual abandonment, and her father’s easy going and unrestrictive mode of parenting where he sought to be more friend than parent figure, Kerry was left feeling invisible and hungry for attention most of her young life. Each of her parents harbored their own insecurities, which influenced Kerry and her sister, Tyler, both in different and yet similar ways.

Kerry wanted to be noticed. She wanted to be loved. She thought she could find what she was looking for by latching onto men. She thought she could not live without them—that they were the answer to her loneliness and lack of control over her life. And for a short while, it may have seemed satisfying to her—enough to keep her going back for more. She lost herself in the process, forgetting who she was, striving only to please the many men in her life, wanting them to want her. And yet, her constant need and wanting, even when she had what she had sought after, was never enough because she never quite felt secure in herself.

She eventually came to realize that the dangerous path she was traveling down would not give her what she truly needed most. Her life was spiraling out of control and like the alcoholic or drug addict, Kerry needed to hit rock bottom before she would be able to turn her life around. She did not like who she had become and realized that she had to do something to change that. She started to take back her life. She discovered her love for writing, which gave her a direction to go, and began to accept that she did not need a man to survive. Only then was she able to develop a healthy relationship with someone, and even then, it was not always so easy.

While I did not turn to sex and men the way Kerry did, I had my own vices, my own way of filling that void in my life. I too have felt what it is like to want to be noticed, to be needed and wanted. I could relate to Kerry on that deeper level even having never shared her life experiences. I think most of us can relate to her story in that way. We all at some point feel like the outsider, like we do not fit in. We may feel invisible or alone in this world. We seek approval. We want to be loved and feel needed.

Kerry Cohen’s Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity was a moving and heartfelt story of one girl’s struggle with her own desires and needs. She sought to be loved not really understanding what love was, mistaking it for sex. The more she gave of herself physically, the more of herself she held back, unable to truly let herself be loved and to love fully. The author’s writing style flows smoothly, and I found it impossible not to form an attachment to the author the more of her story I read. She writes from the perspective of where she was at the time the story was taking place, with occasional bits of hindsight added on. I felt this was an effective manner of telling her story.

The author offers no “cure” or big “aha!” moment in the end. She is not looking to offer anyone a boiler plate solution because there is none. Kerry’s own story and struggles are ongoing. There is no quick fix. I liked that about this book. It is real and honest. After finishing the book, I rushed to her website to see what she is doing now, to see if her story had a happy ending.

Rating: (Very Good)

The visions conjured from the old woman’s tale - the evocation of a Havana filled with music and life - had left her with an odd sensation of dislocation. She felt like one of those saints that can be in two places at the same time. -from The Island of Eternal Love, page 10-

And that is exactly how I felt reading Daina Chaviano’s novel The Island of Eternal Love - dislocated. The novel is set in Miami and its protagonist is a young woman named Cecelia. Cecelia meets an old woman in a bar who begins to tell her strange tales about Cuba. Night after night, Cecelia returns to the bar to hear more of the woman’s stories. In between nights at the bar, Cecelia (who is a writer) also begins to track a mysterious tale about a ghost house.

I read to page 110 of this 313 page novel before setting it aside. The book did not capture me at all - instead it floated from one image to the next, never connecting the dots. The chapters can only be described as ephemeral - fleeting and strangely unsatisfying. In fairness to Chaviano, this novel is a translation and the stilted language (especially the dialogue) seemed to be related to translation difficulties. I have a feeling that I would have enjoyed the writing more had I been able to read the book in its original Spanish language.

M.E. Collins in a Chicago Sun Times review wrote:

[The book] … weaves a sometimes disjointed but finally gratifying tale of loss and love across more than a century of Cuba’s past. Chaviano tenders intriguing love stories that illuminate “the symbolic union of the three ethnicities that make up the Cuban nation” through her passionate recreation of a Havana of yesterday and a Miami of today.

Unfortunately I couldn’t stick with the story for its duration, so I don’t know if it would have been ultimately gratifying. But, perhaps it is a book you might enjoy.

I received this Advance Reader’s Edition from Riverhead Books. It was published in June.

Unrated (since I didn’t finish the book).

Mr. Fooster Traveling on a Whim: A Visual Novel by Tom Corwin
Illustrated by Craig Frazier

Pages: 101
Finished: July 18, 2008
First Published: June, 2008
Genre: graphic novel, fantasy, magical realism
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

Mr. Fooster has a long list of things he likes to do.

Comments: Rather than starting this review with a summary of the plot I will be starting with a summary of the physical book itself. This is a small hardcover book, dimensionally just a bit smaller than the size of a trade paperback. The cover has a matte finish yet the bubble is raised and glossy. I found myself touching the bubble on the cover numerous times. Also on the cover we see the words “A Visual Novel” and after looking at the copyright page I see the LCC have catalogued it as a “graphic novel”. Upon browsing through the book I would say it looks like a child’s picture book with text on one side and an illustration on the other for each two page spread. This is not a children’s book, though. It is a book for adults and I think the publishing industry is going to have to come up with some new names for this emerging genre of books that are for adult readers and yet combine text and illustration though not in the typical comic format of a graphic novel.

The story is about Mr. Fooster who likes to go for walks. In his pocket he carries a bottle of children’s bubbles. As he walks around he always asks himself questions such as “Who figured out how to eat artichokes?” and “How come we never see baby pigeons?”. It is hard to describe the story but at first magical realism surrounds the events, then the story takes on a fairy tale aspect and finally becomes a fable. The pen and ink drawings are superb. They add a magical, whimsical feel that the text alone could not purvey. This is a tale full of whimsy with a clear message for adults to never loose their imagination, not to let their lives stand still rooting themselves to one spot and not to forget that the little things in life do matter. A very sweet story and yet, slightly Kafkaesque as reality becomes blurred and Mr. Fooster comes to an unfortunate situation. But, in the end, all ends well and I can see this as a perfect gift book for those who enjoy fantasy and/or fairy tales.

Made in the U.S.A. by Billie Letts
Contemporary Fiction
2008 Grand Central Publishing
Finished on 6/29/08
Rating: 2.5/5 (Fair)

Fate sometimes thought that God was looking out for him and Lutie. The notes left for them, and the food they found on the hood of the car and in the library. All of that came from someone. And if it didn’t come from God, then maybe Fate’s mother was watching over them or maybe even Floy. But he felt pretty certain that it wasn’t his daddy because he didn’t figure Jim McFee had the status of an angel.

Product Description

The bestselling author of Where the Heart Is returns with a heartrending tale of two children in search of a place to call home.

Lutie McFee’s history has taught her to avoid attachments…to people, to places, and to almost everything. With her mother long dead and her father long gone to find his fortune in Las Vegas, 15-year-old Lutie lives in the god-forsaken town of Spearfish, South Dakota with her twelve-year-old brother, Fate, and Floy Satterfield, the 300-pound ex-girlfriend of her father. While Lutie shoplifts for kicks, Fate spends most of his time reading, watching weird TV shows and worrying about global warming and the endangerment of pandas. As if their life is not dismal enough, one day, while shopping in their local Wal-Mart, Floy keels over and the two motherless kids are suddenly faced with the choice of becoming wards of the state or hightailing it out of town in Floy’s old Pontiac. Choosing the latter, they head off to Las Vegas in search of a father who has no known address, no phone number and, clearly, no interest in the kids he left behind.

Made in the U.S.A. is the alternately heartbreaking and life-affirming story of two gutsy children who must discover how cruel, unfair and frightening the world is before they come to a place they can finally call home.

I had such high hopes for this new release by Billie Letts. I loved all three of her previous books (The Honk and Holler Opening Soon, Where the Heart Is and Shoot the Moon), each peopled with quirky memorable characters and situations. Unfortunately, Letts fails to deliver with Made in the U.S.A., which was nothing but a lot of simplistic plotting and one-dimensional characters. And, if the thin (and ultimately sappy) storyline wasn’t bad enough, the depressing situations Lutie brought upon herself (shoplifting, fake ids, drugs, prostitution and pornography) were almost enough to make me give up on the book before I’d reached the halfway mark. I desperately wanted to root for these pathetic, homeless runaways, but found it more and more difficult to work up any sympathy. The only reason I finished was to see how it all turned out. I needn’t have bothered, as it was pretty much how I guessed.

Early reviews have claimed Made In the U.S.A. is a heartbreaking, yet uplifting story. Maybe I have a cold heart, but I didn’t feel anything other than annoyance and a sense of deep disappointment in this mediocre effort by Letts, especially in view of her previous literary accomplishments.

And despite my best attempts to be rational, I was afraid. I could feel the house’s atmosphere, that eerie swirling in the corners of the room and the folds of the curtains and behind the furniture. It wasn’t explicit; there was no sudden breathless rush, sucking the air out and dragging the walls in on me, but there was a feeling of underlying menace, a flexing of muscle. I kept my eyes pressed tightly shut all night, childishly afraid of what might be standing at the end of the bed if I were to open them. -From The House At Midnight, page 193-

Lucas Heathfield’s Uncle Patrick commits suicide and leaves Lucas a rambling country house in England along with his accumulated wealth. Lucas invites his collegiate friends to escape their lives in London and party on the weekends at his new digs. But what begins as sheer abandon from responsibility soon becomes a dark, psychological mystery. Joanna, Lucas’ best friend, narrates the novel and slowly reveals the throbbing sexual undercurrents and malevolent forces hidden between the walls of the house. The novel is full of buried secrets and uneasy parallels between generations. Nothing is as it seems; and beneath it all is a tension which builds to a shocking conclusion.

Lucie Whitehouse knows how to structure a novel of suspense, but her writing was sometimes uneven and the end leaves the reader wondering at the future of its characters. There is a lot of heavy drinking and a strong sexual theme to the book which may offend some readers - although I actually thought the sexual tension was the strongest part of the narrative.

The House At Midnight is a story of growing up in the shadow of family secrets, and about betrayal and fear. The strongest character in the book is non human - the monolithic house which Lucas inherits and the ghosts which inhabit it. Whitehouse lends a gothic feel to her writing which drives the story.

The House at Midnight is Whitehouse’s first novel - and it is a well-written debut that reads like a ghost story. Readers who enjoy gothic novels and are not put off by sexual themes and moral excesses will find this to be a compelling read.

For me, this is the essence of life: Accepting the situation for the reality of what it truly is ad accomplishing what needs to be done to advance oneself for the greater good of all, no matter cost or sacrifice. [excerpt from the book]

Moving Forward: Taking The Lead in Your Life by Dave Pelzer
Center Street, June 2008 (ARE)
Nonfiction (Self-Help); 192 pgs

I haven’t a clue how to review a book like this. Self-help books cater to the individual on a very personal level, often times requiring deep thought and inner reflection. The questions we ask ourselves and the thoughts we ponder as we read a book like this are not always easy ones to face—some we may not even come to consider until long after finishing a book, particularly if we decide to apply it to our lives.

There’s also the problem that not everyone will hear the message the author is trying to convey. There could be a lot of reasons for that. Perhaps the person is not ready yet or maybe the message is not one the reader needs to learn. It could be, too, that the author’s method and style do not connect with the person trying to take in the information. That is no one’s fault, of course, just a fact of life.

Quite frankly, I do not often read self-help books. Rarely, actually. I could count on one hand the number of self-help books I have read. I guess it says something that I remember them though, doesn’t it? It is just not a book category that I gravitate towards in general. I do love to read inspirational stories, but usually those come in the form of a novel or memoir.

Whenever I begin a self-help book, my hackles automatically go up. Who is this person and why does he or she think they can tell me something about myself that I don’t already know? I know me best, after all. Eventually, the writer wins me over though and I start to pay closer attention. I may not always learn something I did not know, but I do find validation, inspiration, and sometimes even get a kick in the pants to motivate me to change or do whatever it is I need to do.

When I was offered the chance to read and review Dave Pelzer’s latest book, Moving Forward: Taking the Lead in Your Life, I was a little hesitant. Did I really want to read a self-help book right now? Would I gain anything from the experience or would it be a waste of my time? After careful consideration, I decided to give it a chance. I admit the identity of the author played a huge part in my final decision to give it a try. Dave Pelzer is a man I admire and respect, and I was interested in hearing what he had to say.

I first came across Dave Pelzer years ago when I was encouraged to read his first book, A Child Called It, the author’s account of his abusive childhood. I went on to read two more of this books, The Lost Boy, about the author’s time in the foster care system, and A Man Named Dave, the author’s entry into adulthood and in coming to terms with his past.

A Child Called It and The Lost Boy are staples in my office. The books make the rounds every other year or so, new people encountering them, reveling in the author’s story—not because of the terrible childhood Dave Pelzer had to endure, but more so because of what an inspiration Dave Pelzer became. Despite all odds, he rose above a terrible past to make something of himself and to give back to society. He served in the United Air Force and has worked with at risk youth much of his life. He offers hope to abused and neglected children—and hope to those of us who are trying to work with and help those kids. He doesn’t reach out to just those kids or people who have been abused, however. Dave Pelzer speaks to all of us.

In his book, Moving Forward, Mr. Pelzer makes a point of saying that he is not just the “child-abuse” guy. His life story is not so much about what happened to him as it is about his journey to move forward in life. It is all of our stories, really. We all have made mistakes, been through difficult times, and felt helpless at one point or another. It is what we do in these situations, how we react to the baggage we collect throughout our lives, that either will land us in a rut or help us achieve our goals in life.

Mr. Pelzer’s ideas and philosophies are not too different from my own. I decided long ago not to be a victim. I would not let my past hold me back nor would I let it get the better of me. That isn’t to say that there haven’t been difficult times, times when I wanted the world to go on without me or felt like nothing I could say or do was right. There are times when it is easier to just take things as they come instead of taking the reins and being an active player in my own life.

There were two parts of Mr. Pelzer’s book that spoke to me the loudest. One part was about being a good leader, a mentor and a hero. As a supervisor who doesn’t always feel up to the task, I am striving constantly to be a better leader—to be fair and just. The other had to do with standing up for what you believe, not always falling into people-pleaser mode, something I am guilty of doing all too often.

The author is rather blunt in manner, taking the say-it-is approach, and uses humor as a tool for connecting with his readers. He shares his own life experiences, offering them as examples where he has failed or succeeded at doing the right thing. He is not afraid to admit his mistakes. He learns from them and moves on, a message he repeats throughout his book.

Moving Forward will not appeal to everyone, but it certainly will motivate and inspire many. Much of what the author writes about is common sense. Dave Pelzer encourages readers to take charge of their lives and strive to be the best they can be. He acknowledges that this is not something that can be done overnight; but, with time and effort, it is a goal everyone can strive for with the right mindset. When all is said and done, I am glad I took the time to read Mr. Pelzer’s Moving Forward.

Rating: (Good)

The Vows of Silence by Susan Hill
Fourth Simon Serrailler Crime Novel
Pages: 328
First Published: June 17, 2008 (Canada)
Genre: Crime/Mystery
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

They had climbed for two hours.

Comments: Simon Serrailler is a Detective Chief Superintendent in a small town in England and a gunman is on the loose. He appears to be randomly shooting young women all over town and Serrailler is stumped. Simon’s personal life is also in upheaval. A past flame has come to town, his father has a girlfriend and his sister’s life is falling apart.

This is the first book in this series that I have read and wow! am I impressed. This is a detailed plot with many threads and a large cast of fabulously developed characters. As a first time reader of the series I was able to jump in easily and I really found Simon a fascinating character. The narrative expertly switches back and forth between characters and plot threads making this a fast-paced and exciting read. I love the way Hill made several characters appear to be possible suspects to the reader and my mind was in a whir trying to figure out who it really was before the final reveal. I really enjoyed this book, the side plots make it much more than just a murder mystery and it won’t be long till I get myself the first three books in this series so I can catch up with Simon Serrailler.

It had to do with knowing we were opening ourselves up, cutting ourselves open at our guts and letting the others see inside us in ways we couldn’t even see ourselves. It had to do with beginning to imagine opening ourselves up not only to each other, but also to the whole world. Because wasn’t that what we were hoping? That someday the things we’d squirreled away behind our little white gloves would be right out there on the bookshelves for anyone to see, our souls so pitifully disguised by our tortured prose? -From The Wednesday Sisters, page 82-

Frankie, Linda, Kath, Brett and Ally meet each Wednesday in a park near Ally and Frankie’s home. It is there they talk about raising children and being married, until one day, Linda - honest and direct - pushes them to write, and thus begins the Wednesday Sister’s writing group…a place where each woman will discover exactly who she is and what she wants.

The Wednesday Sisters is set in the late 60’s - on the cusp of the woman’s movement, in the middle of the civil rights movement, and during a time when traditional values began to be challenged. Meg Waite Clayton has given us five women, all different and yet similar…women with their own dreams, aspirations, doubts, and fears. Together they demonstrate what is best about women’s friendships - gentle support, cutting honesty, and fierce loyalty. It is a time of growth, not only for the country, but for these women who have set aside their own dreams to support the dreams of their husbands, but who now want something for themselves. Along their journey the reader witnesses their struggles and sadnesses, along with their joy.

I found myself unable to stop reading this engaging novel. So much about The Wednesday Sisters rang true to me. I loved how Clayton captured the frustration and exhilaration of writing, the fear and desire to share what one has written, and the joy of being part of a writer’s group. I could relate to Ally’s fears of never having a child, Linda’s drive to change the world, Frankie’s fear of rejection, Kath’s pain of a failed relationship, and Brett’s secrets which she covers with her white gloves. Clayton has done something amazing with her cast of characters - she has encapsulated women at their best and worst, with all their shortcomings and strengths…and has given us a novel with which women will identify. At the end of this novel, I did something I rarely do - I sobbed. Not because of sadness, but because I felt touched by the lives of these women.

The Wednesday Sisters is a must read for women. Highly recommended.

America America
By Ethan Canin
Completed June 8, 2008

Corey Sifter was an average boy, living with his working-class parents in New York, when the wealthy, well-connected Metarey family employed him to work on their estate. Liam Metarey, the family’s patriarch, took a shining to Corey and gave him important jobs at the mansion as well as paid for his education at a prestigious boarding school. While working on the estate, Corey was exposed to the presidential campaign of New York Senator Henry Bonwiller, who Metarey supported despite Bonwiller’s flaws. In turn, Corey witnessed numerous scandals, politics and events, which eventually shaped Corey into the man he became.

America America by Ethan Canin was, in effect, the story of the have’s and have not’s, 1970’s political scandals, family and friendships, and the power of the almighty American dollar. And this book’s main character saw it all.

This book was a slow-starter, slowly building momentum until the reader reaches the mid-point. Canin’s writing style reminded me of Richard Russo – quaint, meandering and illustrative. It takes patience to read a Russo book, and I needed the same patience to finish this Canin novel too.

I also have to comment about the characterization. While the reader gets to know Corey well enough, the other characters were flat to me. The wealthy Metareys seemed plastic and unbelievable. I felt no rapport for Corey’s parents, who were more like bystanders than parents during Corey’s employment with the Metareys. Even Senator Bonwiller, who had the potential for interest with his drinking and womanizing, was boring and lifeless. Perhaps the passivity of the characters was intentional, but for this reader, it cast a long shadow over this long book.

Critics are already raving about this novel, and I suspect that America America will make notable and prize lists this year. For me, the novel’s story was a good one, but I have a personal distaste for books that take awhile to build into a crescendo of a story. If you like books about politics and are a more patient reader than me, then I would recommend America America to you. ( )