The Barrowfields
by Phillip Lewis
Wonderful writing but overly ambitious (2/5/2017)
The Barrowfields is a wonderfully promising debut novel that loses its way by trying to be too ambitious.
At first, I was entranced by Philip Lewis' majestic and evocative prose, which reads as if it could have easily been penned in the 1940s. Henry Aster, our narrator, relays the tale of his father, also named Henry, who returned to his small Appalachian town with his pregnant wife and eventually purchases a gothic haunted house, where horrendous murders took place.
The house is a red herring and that trail goes nowhere. It appears to serve as the metaphorical embodiment of the senior Henry's haunted mind, as he struggles to write a novel and fit in with often small-minded neighbors. The sense of time and place is truly exquisite.
Had the book pursued this angle – Henry, who is inexplicably drawn to the Barrowfields and his son Henry who also struggles with "you can't go home again" – this book would have been an unqualified winner. The second half of the book, however, focuses on Henry Jr's pursuit of an impossibly beautiful (sigh!) college girl named Story, who is very damaged by her past. In this section, melodrama rules.
I felt as if the first half and the second half didn't naturally coalesce and the way too familiar story of Henry Jr's connection with the exquisite blond and luscious Story didn't engage me anywhere as much as Henry's complicated family relationship. 3.5 stars.
Shelter
by Jung Yun
A writer with promise (12/2/2015)
This debut novel on family life focuses on a poignant theme: what sacrifices are made by the adult child who never received unconditional love and emotional stability in childhood.
The adult child in question is Kyung Cho, a young father and budding professor who is semi-estranged from his affluent and tyrant father and cold mother. But then, one violent day, everything changes. And Kyung must face some of life's most quintessential issues: how can someone be whole if there's a yawning gap in the midst of his life? What does he owe a father who has snatched away the ability to feel safe? How does he give to his own son that which was not given to himself? This is a thought-provoking, well-written novel that needs just a tad more nuance.
Everybody Rise
by Stephanie Clifford
Social Climbing Revisied (3/3/2015)
I've rarely seen such buzz preceding a book's publication and I do believe it will appeal greatly to a certain audience: those who can't get enough of old-money New York society. Not dissimilar to Messud's Emperor's Children, or Macy's Spoiled, the book read like today's answer to a 19th century novel about class with whiffs of Austen and Wharton. It's an ambitious book and an entertaining one, although the "money and ambition" message of inglorious climbers doesn't quite resonate as much today.
The Last Good Paradise
by Tatjana Soli
Not exactly paradise (11/8/2014)
I absolutely loved Tatjana's Soli's previous books -- The Lotus Eaters and The Forgetting Tree. Both were haunting and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. Here, Ms. Soli seems to have traded poignancy and insights for slapstick entertainment (think: Gilligan's Island instead of Lord of the Flies, for example). Although the writing remains strong and the more comic approach may appeal to a different audience, I found myself increasingly not connecting to the characters. Of course, my opinion is subjective and others may like it more.
Accidents of Marriage
by Randy Susan Meyers
Psychologically-astute with real characters (6/15/2014)
So much for expectations: I expected Randy Susan Meyers' latest book to be a run-of-the-bill novel about how an ordinary family is crippled by the father's poor anger management control. In other words, a "lesson" book.
Yes, in the very loosest sense, that's what Accidents of Marriage is about. But I'm pleased to say that it also includes the psychological acuity, beautifully-rendered insights and strong character development that causes it to soar to the top of its genre.
Accidents of Marriage will not win any literary awards. But not every book has to. There's something that's also valuable in books that tell a good story and make the reader want to turn pages well into the night. Accidents of Marriage is that kind of book.
The Headmaster's Wife
by Thomas Christopher Greene
Never felt immersed (12/12/2013)
I tend to gravitate to novels with college settings and this one sounded remarkable: combining a psychological mystery with a close look at a family and events spiraling out of control. However, I found the prose to be somewhat self-conscious and serviceable. I never felt immersed in the story and certain plot twists seemed implausible. Didn't quite make it for me.
Amy Falls Down
by Jincy Willett
A scathingly funny view of publishing (6/9/2013)
Amy Gallup -- Jincy Willettt's fabulous creation -- would be appalled to hear me describe her as "compelling" or "scathingly funny" or "wickedly good." This laugh-out-loud book captures the bathos of the publishing industry as only an insider could, and along the way, has several gleaming insights into the work of a writer as well. It helps to know Ms. Willett's previous book, The Writing Club, since some of the characters are the same, but this one still stands on its own. A great read for would-be writers and readers alike!
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake: A Memoir
by Anna Quindlen
Candid, Insightful and REAL (4/6/2012)
As a Boomer, reading Anne Quindlen’s book reminds me of curling up on the living room couch with a close friend who really “gets” me and listening to her wry observations on life.
And oh wow, DOES Quindlen ever get it! Her essays are insightful, perceptive, poignant and wise as she addresses so much of our shared Boomer experiences: marriage and kids, the importance of girlfriends, expectations and let-downs, aging and premonitions of mortality. The insights into a unique generation of women who grew up with one set of expectations and then lived through a societal bait-and-switch is often pitch perfect. For those who are not Boomers, the book is an excellent guide to the road ahead.
A Partial History of Lost Causes: A Novel
by Jennifer duBois
Hard to believe it's a debut! (11/30/2011)
One narrator is living under the shadow of Huntington's, a degenerative disease that killed her father. The other is a former world chess champion who is in a quixotic quest to unseat Vladimir Putin. Both are searching for answers about how to move forward when they're playing a moving match.
This is one of the freshest and most imaginative debuts I've read lately, approached with grace and thoughtfulness. Jennier DuBois writes with a hard-won maturity as her characters tackle that all-important question of why we keep playing if we know we cannot win. It's an achievement.
The Orphan Master's Son: A Novel
by Adam Johnson
Vividly original and imaginative (10/17/2011)
Part adventure thriller, part real-life dystopia documentary, part imaginative feat, Adam Johnson searingly paints a portrait of a culture where the individual is erased and the collective is all that matters. Filled with twists and turns and exposure of the dark realities of life in North Korea (kidnapping of innocents, repression and propaganda), this is truly an imaginative feat. Fans of writers like David Mitchell and Denis Johnson have another treat in store!
The Leftovers: A Novel
by Tom Perrotta
Into Thin Air (6/28/2011)
What if -- whoosh! -- with no explanation, millions of us simply vanished? And what if there were no rhyme or reason to WHO disappears (John Mellencamp and J.Lo, Vladmir Putin and the Pope). What happens in the aftermath to those who are leftovers?
No one knows and Tom Perrotta doesn't even speculate. He wisely leaves it to the imagination of the reader. His focus is not on the apocalyptic event but on how one particular family zigzags forward. It's an ambitious theme: how diminished we are when something vital is subtracted from our lives. Maybe a little too ambitious. The grandness of the so-called Rapture is always lurking in the background, making the players who strut and fret their last hours on stage seem rather meaningless. But maybe that is, indeed the point. Still, at the end of the day, I wanted to know MORE about "the end of the day."
The Paris Wife: A Novel
by Paula McLain
Mesmerizing Inner Look at Hemingway's First Marriage (11/22/2010)
Before Earnest Hemingway was ERNEST HEMINGWAY -- one of the most revered, studies, analyzed and parodied authors of American literature -- he was a young man with a burning talent, staking his claim to a bright future. And part of this future included Hadley Richardson, his first wife, a woman who was his equal in many ways -- a risk-taker, adventurer, copious drinker. Paula McLain sympathetically captures her voice in this highly addictive, page-turning debut. She pushes deep in to the lives of her characters while remaining true to the facts. I found this to be a fascinating book, which has compelled me to re-read Hemingway's Moveable Feast (which also examines those years). Recommended highly for any Hemingway fan or anyone who is seeking an in-depth look at a complicated marriage in the 1920s.
The Ghost of Milagro Creek
by Melanie Sumner
Haunting, Mystical, Riveting (7/1/2010)
I expected this book to be a somewhat light reading about star-crossed lovers in the barrio of Taos. In reality, it is so much more. The reader is immersed in the mysticism of the Jicarilla Apache barrio of Taos, where Native Americans, Hispanics, and whites live together, and where a tragedy will affect the community. This is not a linear book; the story is narrated by Ignacia, a medicine woman (some would say a witch), before and after her death...and police reports, witness statements, and short-story snippets, and more help advance the plot. The terrain itself -- the ancient myths -- all set a very realistic atmosphere. I loved this highly original book.
The Swimming Pool
by Holly LeCraw
Diving Into 'The Swimming Pool' (2/21/2010)
Each of the characters in The Swimming Pool are constantly treading water in their search to uncover elusive family secrets. One of the biggest mysteries: what happened years ago when Cecil McClatchey, suspected in his wife's murder, dies in a car accident. Fast forward: Cecil's grown son Jed, returns to the Cape with his sister for the first time in years, and decides to confront Marcella, Cecil's one-time lover. The result: Jed and Marcella dive headfirst into an affair that ends up rocking their world with unexpected revelations.
The book is haunting and well-plotted, yet the shifts are often too abrupt and improbable; I wanted to be carried away more than I was. Readers of Jodi Picoult and Anita Shreve may find this book to their tastes. I wanted it to make some deeper waves.
The Wives of Henry Oades: A Novel
by Johanna Moran
When Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction (11/24/2009)
This is a page-turning debut novel that is based on the true story of Henry Oades, a principled man whose first wife is abducted -- along with their children -- by the Maori. After years of grief, he eventually travels to Berkeley, California, where life gives him a second chance through his marriage to an attractive young widow. But then his first wife and children show up...and he is viewed as a bigamist by the narrow-minded Daughters of Decency.
The questions raised by this book focus on the moral dilemma of a decent man torn between two fascinating women and the evolving relationship among the three. At times the emotions of the women are not explored deeply enough, particularly the first Mrs. Oades who has every reason to feel emotionally betrayed. Still, this is an incredible story that will be certain to elicit thought-provoking discussions long after the last page is finished.
The Year of the Flood
by Margaret Atwood
A Roller Coaster Ride Into A Post-Apocalyptic World (7/30/2009)
The Year of the Flood may not be for everyone. It definitely falls into the category of dystopian future lit. But thanks to Margaret Atwood's visionary powers, clever use of words, and inventive plot, the book soars above other books of this nature. The interspersed themes are important ones: a global pandemic, the delicate nature of our ecosystem, the imaginary proliferation of gene-spliced life forms, the melding of science and religion, the nature of survival. And ultimately, Atwood leaves the reader with a glimpse of hope. Recommended!
 (1).gif)
