One Death at a Time
by Abbi Waxman
A fun twisty mystery novel (12/29/2024)
In the detective-mystery genre, the "Odd Couple" pairing is tried and true, but Abby Waxman uses it well in her newest novel "One Death at a Time". Natasha Mason is three-years-sober and twenty-something; Julia Mann is a fabulously famous, perennially gorgeous seventy-something ex-actress who has fallen off the wagon and is accused of murder (again). Naturally, they meet at an AA meeting in Los Angeles and instantly dislike each other.
However, Mason needs a job and Julia needs help finding the actual murderer. As with most fiction, a certain suspension of reality is required to enjoy the story. On top of all her other amazing traits, Julia is brilliant enough to have obtained a law degree while she was serving a lengthy prison sentence. She has also been able to keep her immense fortune intact, and her high-level Hollywood contacts current. Mason has ninja-level fighting skills from some unknown background. Both have attitude to spare, and grudgingly accept each other, and find that they work well together.
The remainder of the cast of characters, including a housekeeper who is also an incredible chef, a personal assistant with a photographic memory, and a new, young and very attractive attorney who makes Mason's life complicated add to the fun. Waxman certainly has familiarity with Hollywood in general, and Hollywood players specifically. Any reader will enjoy the wild ride through the hills with this crew.
There are laugh out loud moments and plenty of action throughout the novel as the plot winds its way to the big reveal of the actual murderers. This is a perfect, fun escapist book to curl up with. So many plot lines were left open at the end that I highly suspect a sequel is in the works, which I look forward to.
The Bog Wife
by Kay Chronister
A haunting family story (9/10/2024)
The Bog Wife is a haunting, twisted, modern-day Gothic novel set in a cranberry bog in West Virginia, owned by the Haddesly family. The five siblings, now adults, have been indoctrinated by their father with the legend of their patriarchal family which has owned the bog for longer than memory. Each generation must end the life of the patriarch to generate a "bog wife" from the land for the eldest surviving son to marry and create the next generation of Haddeslys. The novel opens as this ritual is about to take place.
Kay Chronister masterfully reveals, bit by bit, the dreadful toll this mania has had on the sibling's lives. As the book opens, it seems as if the narrative takes place sometime in the mid-nineteenth century. Only the sons are educated beyond simple basics and three of the adult children have never been beyond the family property line. They all wear clothing that "have been worn and re-worn by countless Haddesly's before them". Chronister subtly reveals that the family owns a car and subsists on canned soups during lean times purchased by oldest son Charlie on his infrequent trips to a very modern town. Suddenly everything the reader has begun to piece together is upended, as is everything the siblings think they know about themselves and their family history.
The book is disturbing at times as the childhoods of the five siblings is gradually revealed. Middle daughter Wenna escaped from the family ten years earlier but can barely exist in society. She is called back for the death of their father, but finds a crumbling and barely habitable house, a physically damaged oldest brother, and close ties to her siblings that she thought she had escaped. A sudden twist involving their long-lost mother throws the story spinning in a completely new direction.
I often have high praise for authors whose characters are "fully developed". This is not the case with this book—and it works perfectly. Like an ancient mosaic, Chronister reveals just information about each family member for the reader to piece the story together. I have been thinking about this novel for weeks after finishing. Recommended for anyone who likes subtle, twisty well-written mysteries featuring families with ties that cannot be unbroken.
The Fertile Earth: A Novel
by Ruthvika Rao
An incredible talent for description! (7/5/2024)
Ruthvika Rao's debut novel, "The Fertile Earth", opens with a shocking scene of political murders, then quickly backtracks fifteen years to the childhood of the four intertwined main characters. This is a story of the toxic history of a class-divided society, told through the lives and loves of fascinating characters.
Vijaya and Sree are pampered daughters of the extremely wealthy and all-powerful upper caste Deshmukh family that rules the local village and surrounding farmland in southern India. Krishna and Ranga are brothers, sons of a lowly servant to the family. Vijaya and Krishna develop an innocent, but forbidden, childhood friendship. The lives of all four children are shattered by an accident in the jungle that leaves younger sister Sree alive but permanently disabled. Ranga is blamed, and is brutally punished.
It is a rare feat to start a book by giving the reader the ending, but Rao accomplishes this perfectly as she lays the foundation for the Naxalite uprising in the late 1960s through the lives of the four main characters and their families. Rao has an amazing talent for description, of both characters and setting. The mental images stayed with me for weeks after I finished the book. The descriptions of a face, the crease in a shirt, the raised bump of a vicious scar were so vivid that her characters seemed real. With just a few sentences, Rao paints a full picture.
As well as a historical novel, it is also a beautiful love story, full of twists and turns, of lives that shaped by the political upheavals in India in the latter half of the twentieth century. I loved this book not only for the beautiful storytelling, but also because I learned about part of India's history that I was not aware of. I highly recommend this book to any reader, and I am looking forward to Rao's next novel.
The Funeral Cryer: A Novel
by Wenyan Lu
This book unfortunately falls flat (3/16/2024)
The Funeral Cryer is about a subject that I had never heard of—professional funeral mourners. According to Wikipedia, this is an occupation for mostly women that has been around in China since 756. As described in this book, the unnamed and main character is paid to dress in specific clothing, come to funerals of people she doesn't know and perform as a mourner.
I initially anticipated that this would be a historical novel, but the story takes place in a small town in rural China sometime recently (the characters have cell phones, although reception is sketchy). The narrator is a middle-aged woman, stuck in an unhappy marriage with an unemployed husband and a daughter who fled the village and rarely visits. All the characters are unnamed in the book, and are referred to as the butcher, the daughter, the husband, etc. Nothing much happens and no problems are resolved.
Unfortunately, there is no dimensionality in any of the characters. They all seemed flat, like paper cutouts that drift through life, asking questions without expecting or working toward any answers. The narrator often maintains a monologue that is nothing but questions, which is difficult to read. Halfway through the book I realized that I really didn't care what happened to any of characters (this is the point where I would normally give up on a book, but I kept reading to finish for this review). By the end, I had a question of my own: what was the point of this book? I did not come up with an answer.
I cannot in good faith recommend this book.
The Adversary: A Novel
by Michael Crummey
One of Michael Crummey's best efforts (1/14/2024)
Michael Crummey's sixth historical novel is set in the isolated port town of Mockbeggar, Newfoundland, sometime in the late nineteenth century. Two sworn enemies, siblings Abe Strapp and the Widow Caines, are pitted against each other in a ruthless battle over commerce and resources, and innocent lives are ultimately drawn into the battle. Mockbeggar is populated with hard working and resourceful folk, who persist in life and love despite plague, pirates and devastating storms. As with most of his novels, the bleak and unforgiving landscape shapes the characters and moves the plot forward.
The most outstanding feature of the book is his use of language. Crummey is the rare author who can completely let the characters tell the story, perhaps because he is also an accomplished poet, (he has published seven books of poetry). Every character, no matter how minor, is fully formed on the page. His prose is dark, but absolutely compelling. I was several chapters into the book when I realized that I had no idea what was happening in the story, but I was mesmerized by the writing and could not put the book down until I found out. However, by the end, it all comes together.
I personally think this is one of his best books. In spite of the dark themes and shocking finale, The Adversary is amazing. Crummey shows how against seemingly impossible odds, the human spirit perseveres. I strongly recommend this book.
Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung
A gripping novel of mid-twentieth century China (11/26/2023)
Daughters of Shandong is a gripping, and at times heartbreaking debut novel, based on the true story of author Eve Chung's grandmother during the years of the Chinese civil war. While readers may be aware of Chinese culture's historical misogyny, Chung brings to life the daily horrors of being a girl—"just another mouth to feed'—in a society that overwhelming favored male children. The book begins in 1948, just after the end of World War Two, as the Communist Revolution sweeps through the country.
Hai is the eldest child of the eldest male son in a prosperous family, and unfortunately, she is a girl. She lives with her parents and three younger sisters in her paternal grandparent's home, ruled with emotional cruelty by her vicious grandmother, who blames Hai's mother for failing to produce a male heir. The Angs have been landowners for several generations, and as the Communists move in, the family flees, leaving behind Hai's mother and the four girls. As the only representative of the Ang family they can find, the Communists publicly beat the eleven-year-old Hai to within an inch of her life. As soon as they are able, Hai's mother takes the girls, and everything they can carry, to try to reunite with the rest of the family. The bulk of the novel describes in crushing detail the two years they spent crossing the country, impoverished and starving, along with hundreds of thousands of refugees like themselves.
What shines through in this book is the resilience of Hai, her mother, and her sisters. No spoilers here, but there is a happier ending in store for the women of this family. I highly recommend Daughters of Shandong to all readers, not just those who love historical fiction.
This Is Salvaged: Stories
by Vauhini Vara
Excellent second publication by this very talented author (8/6/2023)
"This Is Salvaged" is Vauhini Vara's first book since the award-winning, bestselling novel "The Immortal King Rao". This collection is ten short stories, all of them perfectly polished, stand-alone creations (in other words, these are not stories that are linked together by theme or characters). She explains at the end of this book that she first started writing these in an introductory writing class, which makes me believe that several of them pre-date her debut novel. I had the unexpected good fortune of being very busy at the time I started the book, so I could only read one—maybe two—stories a day. This is how I recommend future readers approach this book. It will give you time to absorb and fully appreciate her writing.
Several stories offer a real gut punch. "The Irates" is the tale of two teenage friends, one of whom has just lost her beloved brother to cancer. The girls find themselves hired for the summer by a newly established and very sketchy telemarketing firm, located above a Chinese takeout restaurant. They deal with their grief by trying to sell things to strangers. The saddest story (in my opinion) is "I, Buffalo", narrated in the first person, about a struggling alcoholic who is completely failing in every aspect of her life and is unexpectedly visited by her successful sister and beloved niece. "What Next" is told from the point of view of a single mother, whose teen-age daughter is meeting her father for the first time, with predictably heartbreaking results. The title story, "This Is Salvaged", takes place over a three-year period in which an artist builds an arc according to the directions in the bible. The ending seems to be surprising, until you have time to consider the story as a whole.
Vara is an excellent writer, and this slender book will not disappoint you.
Digging Stars: A Novel
by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma
Beautiful coming of age story--and so much more (7/23/2023)
Digging Stars is a beautifully written novel about a girl leaving her childhood in Zimbabwe, and moving to the United States, following the steps of her father. Frank was a genius in ethno-astrology, and Rosa has inherited his intelligence and his love of the stars. Frank is mysteriously killed when Rosa is young, and a mysterious friend of his stays in touch with Rosa throughout her childhood. Frank was part of what Rosa knows as "The Program", and Rosa is accepted into this world after college. She tumbles into friendships with a number of other incredibly talented people, also in The Program, including the son of her father's girlfriend from New York. All of the characters are well written, and at times laugh out loud funny. Rosa struggles but perseveres as she tries to assimilate into her new life. I highly recommend this book.
The passages about how Rosa feels when she is looking at the stars are absolutely poetic and breathtaking. I read each of these passages several times over. I also spent several hours researching the stars and constellations Tshuma refers to in the book, and reading up on ethno-astrology (which was completely new to me).
I wish the book was a bit longer, since Tshuma left several major questions unanswered, and I would love to know how Rosa and her friends turn out. This is Tshuma's second novel—the first, House of Stone, is currently sitting on my TBR pile.
Panther Gap: A Novel
by James A. McLaughlin
A gripping story by a talented author (3/16/2023)
I generally try not to judge a book by how quickly it draws me in—some books just build slowly—but within the first 20 pages of Panther Gap I knew I would have a hard time putting this down. Full disclaimer: this is not my normal genre of reading, but I sincerely hope that James McLaughlin is working on another book.
Panther Gap revolves around the lives of siblings Bowman and Summer, who, for reasons that unspool throughout the story, were raised by their father and two uncles on an isolated property in Colorado. McLaughlin moves back and forth in time to explain how and why each of them react to the immediate threat to their existence: an unknown and unexplained inheritance from their grandfather. Bowman is the more mystical of the siblings, able to commune with animals and overwhelmed by the modern world outside of their ranch. Summer is the more practical, but needs her brother to keep the ranch and themselves safe. At one point a seemingly random passerby, Sam, is thrown into the mix, but McLaughlin blends him into the story well.
The book is a skillful blend of mysticism, mystery, international drug dealing, family and survivalism, and McLaughlin pulls it all together so well, with compelling characters, that it's hard to put down. The reader is compelled at the end of each chapter to simply keep reading--and them McLaughlin goes back into the past to help explain the present. At times this seemed a bit convoluted, and then it all becomes clear and drives toward the dramatic ending.
My only complaint is that I felt I had picked up the third book in a trilogy, and missed out on a lot of the backstory. McLaughlin just gives hints at the fascinating lives of Leo, the father of the sibs, their long-deceased grandfather and mother, and their uncles Darwin and Jeremy (who play major roles in the present day dilemma). Note to Mr. McLaughlin's editor—please, give us at least one prequel to Panther Gap!! These characters—especially the older family members--are so rich and engaging that they deserve their own story. Fingers crossed!!
Iron Curtain: A Love Story
by Vesna Goldsworthy
An authentic narrative voice (1/21/2023)
What struck me most about "Iron Curtain", Vesna Goldworthy's newest novel, is how authentic the narrative voice sounded. Written in the first person of Milena, the daughter of a powerful official in a Soviet-satellite country, the book describes her two-part story—her life previous to meeting and falling in love with Jason, a struggling British poet visiting Milena's country as part of an international poetry showcase—and afterwards. I was intrigued throughout the book at Milena's preternatural steely calm describing her privileged, although highly controlled life and family, and the completely opposite situation she then finds herself in with Jason in a new and very foreign country. In spite of this tone, the reader can really feel Milena as a sympathetic and fully formed person; this is no dry documentary of Soviet-style life and the evils of the west. Goldworthy is a talented writer, and packed a lot of descriptive narrative into a slightly offbeat, opposites-attract-and-it-doesn't-work-out love story. I've already purchased one of her previous novels, because I really enjoy discovering good novelists that are "new to me".
Ghost Season: A Novel
by Fatin Abbas
A beautiful debut (12/2/2022)
In her first novel, Fatin Abbas pulls together the lives of five very different people against the backdrop of the Sudanese civil war. It is a slim book and a quick read, because the story is so engaging. Abbas's knowledge of the politics of Sudan, the horrors of violent conflict, and the bureaucratic workings of an NGO are impressive, which makes her novel heartfelt and very real.
As the book opens, the five main characters are living and working together at the NGO. Alex, a white American aid worker seems to be the "odd man out" of the five, at times seeming to refuse to understand the customs of the country in which has has been assigned. His impatience is a hindrance and embarrassment to his translator William, who his trying to guide Alex through the bureaucracy of the Sudanese government. William is discovering that he is deeply in love with the compound cook Layla, and Dena, a Sudanese American filmmaker, struggles with the homeland she barely remembers and the identity she is trying to forge for herself. Intertwined among them is Mustafa, a ingenious and sometimes infuriating twelve year old, who is working to support his widowed mother and younger brother. As the reader comes to know these five people, a tragic turn of events accelerates the story toward the end (no spoilers here!).
As I thought about this story in the weeks after I finished it, I was amazed at how well I felt I knew each of the characters--in a book of only about 300 pages. I am looking forward to reading more of Abbas's work in the future.
The Empire of Dirt: A Novel
by Francesca Manfredi
A striking coming of age story (6/12/2022)
In the beautifully written (and translated) “The Empire of Dirt”, now-adult Valentina looks back on a pivotal summer of 1996, when she was twelve and growing up in a small town in Italy. Valentina is the fifth generation to live in the house on the family farm, with her mother and grandmother who both also grew up in this house. Events both totally natural and supernatural occur during this summer. As Valentina states near the end of the book: “the way you were raised defines who you are…the place where you were born is something you carry inside you”. Author Francesca Manfredi weaves a tale of family, women and coming of age, and how this Empire of Dirt (as her mother calls it) shaped all three.
Valentina’s early maturity and budding sexuality happen at the same time as sometimes biblical evens (for example, bleeding walls, plagues of frogs and locusts), leading her to believe that she is the cause of these unusual problems. Her deeply religious and superstitious grandmother, on the other hand, seems to believe that there is a curse on the family and insists on continuous prayer. Valentina’s mother, who became pregnant accidently as a teenager herself, feels the scorn of her own mother, and is unequipped to deal with her own daughter. However, there is no question of the love between this close family.
I wish this book were longer, and included more of what eventually happened to Valentina and her mother after this summer. Manfredi does a wonderful job of fully fleshing out each of the main characters in a short novel, and I would love to read more about them. I found myself not only enjoying the story as I was reading, but also thinking about the book and characters well after I finished.
The Immortal King Rao: A Novel
by Vauhini Vara
Outstanding Debut! (4/18/2022)
The Immortal King Rao by Vauhini Vara manages to incorporate at least half dozen popular fiction topics, including post-colonialism India, fraught family relationships, immigration, income disparity, politically divided society and technology over-reach, in a powerful and engaging story. This is no small feat for an experienced writer, but is extraordinary to discover in a debut novel.
The story covers the one-hundred-year plus life of King Rao (his name, not a title) as told from the perspective of his eighteen year old daughter. Through her father's technology, Athena is able to access her fathers' memories about his impoverished childhood as a lower-caste Dalit, his immigration to, and university education in, the United States, and his rise to become the co-founder of one of the most influential computer and social media companies in the world. Vara smoothly moves back and forth between two centuries, between King's past and Athena's present life, to weave the story of how quickly and how far the world has moved forward in a short amount of time—with a warning for us as she looks to the future.
Vara's characters come alive on the page, from a dusty family compound outside a small Indian village to a utopian compound in the future. She is able to take an advanced technological concept and make it realistic, understandable and fascinating. I am NOT a "sci-fi" fan in the least, but I found myself unable to put this book down at times. I'm already looking forward to Vara's next endeavor.
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