Les Parisiennes: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved, and Died Under Nazi Occupation
by Anne Sebba
Fact Filled (7/11/2016)
Beginning in 1939 this nonfiction book chronicles events that impacted Paris through the next ten years. The focus is how the war changed the lives of the women of Paris and how they adjusted to loss, occupation, fear, and hunger. No woman gets an in-depth treatment. Fashion and jewelry get a lot of attention. The book is obviously well-researched and documented. I am much more a fan of historical fiction, and my reaction to the book is thus clouded. I wanted to "know" the women and feel their experiences. This didn't happen for me. The pure history buff will enjoy a good review of the period presented from a different viewpoint.
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things: A Novel
by Bryn Greenwood
Slightly Disturbing (4/25/2016)
Told through alternating voices, the flow of the plot is often hard to follow. It's easy to get confused about which sister is narrating the story. The action is mostly "ugly," and the relationship between Wavy and Killen borders on the uncomfortable. I'm not sure this story needed to be told. It is not an appropriate selection for any of my seven book groups.
The War Reporter
by Martin Fletcher
Love in the Time of War (8/18/2015)
While "The War Reporter" is a novel, the fiction reads like factual war reporting. The plot captures moments of exciting action set against the tedium of daily existence in a war-torn country, both for the citizens and the reporters. Against the brutality there are threads of human kindness and a touching, believable love story. Mostly the reader is reminded of just how pointless these ethnic/religious conflicts are. There are no winners, and often the perpetrators go unpunished. I recommend this war thriller to book groups. Yes, my sister readers, you will like this book. The discussion will, no doubt, be thoughtful.
The House We Grew Up In
by Lisa Jewell
A Collection of "isms" (3/15/2014)
You absolutely do not want the Bird family to move in next door to you. It is best to meet them in Lisa Jewell's entertaining novel. Meg has a crazy mother who hoards, a passive father who has inappropriate relationships, a troubled brother who leaves the country, and a too nice sister. It is both interesting and sad to observe this family fall apart while cheering them on as they re-build their lives. It would be a good selection for book groups as there are many topics to discuss.
The Cairo Affair
by Olen Steinhauer
Interesting but Tedious (12/12/2013)
The plot is interesting and timely, but it plods along while various characters repeat the story. I experienced reader fatigue and feel the book needs a good edit to share off at least 50-75 pages. Having a female character emerge from a supporting "wife" role to main character is interesting. The timeline is hard to follow. A map of the area would improve reader comprehension.
Letters from Skye
by Jessica Brockmole
Perfect for a Summer Read (6/13/2013)
If you are looking for a pleasant view of the experiences of two everyday people in wartime, then this is your book. It is written in a "letters" format and covers the timeframe of WWI and WWII. I found the writing style to be charming, and the author's ability to describe her characters, their emotions, and their surroundings brought the two time periods alive. I particularly enjoyed the parts describing life on the Isle of Skye. There are complex morale issues that will make for an interesting discussion if the books is selected for a book group. It's a good, solid debut novel.
The Daughters of Mars
by Thomas Keneally
Tedious but Somewhat Worth the Effort (5/26/2013)
My problem with this book is that I couldn't determine what it wanted to be: the story of two sisters and their difficult relationship, an insight into nursing conditions in WWI, or a summary of Australia's contributions in the war. The book would benefit from the use of quotation marks to designate conversations and chapters marked with dates and the character involved. Much of the time I couldn't determine which sister was in the action. And the ending is a real cop out. After patiently reading 500 pages, I'm not sure how it ended. This is my first book to read from Keneally, and I won't read another one. A good author owes us better construction and explanation. He assumes too much. The book would benefit from maps of Australia and the war movements. Also a timeline of the war would help. I did enjoy the parts about the nurses and what they had to endure.
The Painted Girls
by Cathy Marie Buchanan
Paris, Dancers and Art (3/7/2013)
I read an AVC and this is my favorite book of 2013. The dark side of Paris comes alive with vivid descriptions of slum living and how exploited the young dancers at the Paris Opera are. We get glimpses of Degas and his work. We feel the physical pain of the young girls as their are forced to dance on empty stomachs and poise for their patrons in the hope of getting enough money to help feed their families. I couldn't put this book down and recommend it for book groups.
Indiscretion
by Charles Dubow
Romance in the Hamptons (10/31/2012)
This debut novel features a plot that is populated with characters of questionable morality. Their actions seem to spring from purely selfish motives that slowly enfold over the course of the book. The story is narrated by a biased Walter who is not identified until page 25, resulting in a confused voice. The pretend happy ending seems to be unnecessary and merely a page-filler. The actual ending is realistic if not expected. This book is about people who are able to deal with death and disappointment because money is not an issue. The story centers around the complex relationship of young Claire who takes shortcuts to love and success, Maddy whose privileged background has left her ill-equipped to deal with loss, and Harry whose early popularity and literary success have resulted in the belief that he could take whatever he wanted. I didn't like these people, but I did enjoy Dubow's use of language, character development, and style of writing. The book should appeal to readers who are seeking light entertainment. I don't intend to recommend it to my book groups.
A Hundred Flowers: A Novel
by Gail Tsukiyama
Fails to Deliver (7/4/2012)
Having enjoyed "Women of the Silk" and being a frequent traveler to China, I was eager to read Tsukiyama's latest. However, the two-dimensional characters failed to engage me, and I really didn't care about the outcome. The book did fulfill my expectations in portraying how devastating the late 1950s were for the people of China. The flow of the plot was awkward due to the short chapters and constant switching of character focus. Fortunately each chapter was designated with the character's name. At times I felt as if I were reading a journalistic account rather than a novel. The book should appeal to readers who enjoy an overview of modern China. It is an appropriate choice for book group discussions as there are many insightful comments about life in China.
All the Flowers in Shanghai: A Novel
by Duncan Jepson
Shanghai's Multiple Stories (10/11/2011)
In his author's insight, Jepson states that in writing this book he wanted "to explore Chinese attitudes toward motherhood, children, and family." It is a story with multiple intentions. It can be viewed as a book about hatred, an expose of the Chinese opinion that women and children are replaceable, or as a story of cowardice.
The city of Shanghai features as a dominate character. The storyline begins with a traditional Shanghai in 1932, and presents a diverse city with traditional Chinese values encountering European influences to the extent that locals cannot even take rooms in the luxury hotels. Shanghai moves from a city of elegance to a city busy with new hostilities after the Revolution.
Running through the plot is a unifying reference to flowers. Feng's story begins in a garden with her beloved grandfather teaching her the Latin names of flowers. Throughout the book we encounter phrases such as "First Wife's breath was like a stale flower."
As a debut novel Jepson does an admirable job of telling the story through the voice of a woman. Along with her story we get bits of wisdom suitable for framing, such as "You must live because someone wants you to live" and "Change becomes acceptable once you are accustomed to change itself."
Unlike so many descriptions of Mao's China that cover the punishments dealt to intellectuals, the focus here is on the poor peasants. In this case it is a group of older women who become a full production unit charged with sewing trousers and shirts for the new order. They are told that there must be more enthusiasm for scarves as they are a unifying symbol of the movement. They take Feng in when she flees Shanghai, and they must all unlearn everything they had ever known: traditions, supersititions, and old philosophies. They become consumed by productivity.
The book begins with Feng addressing someone. "I still know your face. I see it clearly as it was at the very beginning, not how it was left after I had hurt you." The reader does not get information about the identity of this face until the last third of the book.
All in all, it is a good read albeit a bit ambitious in its scope.
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