The All-American: A Novel
by Joe Milan Jr.
Bad Korean trip (2/22/2023)
In Korea, a child, "Bucky," is born to an American expat woman and Korean father.
After being brought to the US for a better life, the Korean-American youth experiences the alienation and isolation of Asian-ness in rural America. This is exacerbated by adult guidance which propels him on a path to a likely unachievable goal in football. A variety of unfortunate missteps leads to his deportation back to Korea, where he knows no one and does not speak the language, cannot even pronounce his own Korean name. Coming with difficulty to some acceptance of his circumstances, with few leads and no money, teen-aged Bucky embarks on a quest for family and identity.
The many diabolical roadblocks of this tale bring to mind Kafka's The Trial; there is never any (justifiable) reason for the maladies which befall him. We experience along with Bucky the ignominy of arrest and incarceration; we share his sense of entrapment in military service. This was not a particularly pleasant read, but the denouement was satisfying.
The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill
by Brad Meltzer, Josh Mensch
Like a spy novel (12/27/2022)
This is an engrossing read, about a chapter of history of which I knew little. Unlike many nonfiction books, this one is well-paced, and moves along at a good clip. Much like a spy novel, the story details intrigue and subplots at a crucial time of WWII. We gain insights into the relationship of the Allied leaders, as well as their individual political situations. I think only history buffs will be disappointed by the relating of one of the great dramas of the war. For the average reader, with modest knowledge of WWII, this is informative and very entertaining. Recommended.
Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History
by Lea Ypi
Almost 5 stars (11/9/2021)
This book almost had me ready to give a 5 Star review – for the first 90. I found so many parallels to present times, so much relevance. The various characters exhibited truisms (or seeming ones, from the perspective of the uninitiated) about authoritarianism which makes one think of the United States now. I almost felt it was fiction, rather than memoir. So moving and inspiring. Unfortunately, the author lost her voice at the end; the passion was gone. That said, I believe it is still a worthwhile read.
How to Find Your Way Home
by Katy Regan
Poor choices, painful results (10/27/2021)
How does eden become hades? How does seemingly idyllic childhood transfigure into nightmare? A youth and his sister are inseparable in rural England, observing and learning bird lore. In time-shifting retelling, the reader is gradually entered into the mystery of the transition from youth to ex-convict. Why prison? What drove him to alcoholism and addiction? What is the conflict between siblings? The tragedy of our poor life choices leads son - and mother - to situations which dramatically alter the family landscape, resulting in life-altering situations.
I truly enjoyed the development of the story, and the gradual reveal of the mysteries. The character development kept me turning the pages, and the individual mistakes each made are so believable, as well as the key incidents of the story. I came away with a great deal of empathy for all the characters, except the one obvious one.
The Fortunate Ones
by Ed Tarkington
Sad, with redeeming qualities (11/17/2020)
In the late 60s, a teen living in the South becomes pregnant by a soon-to-be drafted local boy. Unwilling to abort the child, as her parents wished, she chooses to become a runaway.
This is a tale of unrequited love and searching for meaning in life. I came to love the stepfather, the erstwhile villain of the story, and very much dislike the "good guy." Who and what make us happy? What are we willing to do to be happy? What is loyalty? A bittersweet ending. Overall, a pretty good read.
Ruthie Fear: A Novel
by Maxim Loskutoff
A puzzlement (6/1/2020)
I have read books that make me laugh, make me cry, bore me, amaze me with its prose, give me insight into another's world. This is the first book which made me angry! I was sad about the depiction of the protagonist's Montana world, and her difficulty finding her place in it. The reader is not lead to expect a fairy tale ending. That said, I found the conclusion jarring, and only barely traceable to antecedents in the tale, not a denouement, but an altered trajectory. I did not like the story.
Fallen Land
by Taylor Brown
A good coming-of-age novel (11/18/2015)
There are many ways to develop a coming of age tale. Taylor Brown's Fallen Land takes young Callum on a frightening journey through war-torn southern states in the late War Between the States. We come to recognize him as a lost soul, looking for some normalcy amid chaos. Though not as dark as Cormac McCarthy's The Road, this story is chilling enough. We share Callum's fear; we sense the pursuers hot on his trail; we feel the chill in his bones after another night on the trail. The author is adept at establishing mood, and descriptive passages are quite poetic. I think this book has appeal for the general audience, from mature teens on up. Violence is graphic throughout, and there are some sexual references. This is an easy read, which I enjoyed.
The Venetian Bargain
by Marina Fiorato
Historical Venice (1/10/2014)
The clash of cultures – East versus West; the clash of religions – Christianity and early Islam; the clash of nascent philosophy of modern scientific rationalist Western medicine and traditional holistic Eastern medicine; all of this wrapped into an agonist-antagonist romance between the lead character, Feyra, and her counterpart, Dr. Annibale Cason, makes this novel a sweeping and interesting entry into Venice of the mid 1400s. I found the deus-ex-machina ending not terribly credible, but, overall, enjoyed the story.
The Headmaster's Wager: A Novel
by Vincent Lam
A worthy read (8/12/2012)
It took me well into the middle of the book to come to care for Headmaster Chen. He is a very flawed, though not actually evil, character, whose bad life choices are instrumental in his undoing. That said, I came to like him more, when he fell unintentionally in love. As outside forces, in the form of Vietnam war sequelae, destroyed his status quo, the Headmaster became one of the many whose lives ware turned upside down, resulting in difficult choices in order to survive. Ultimately, I liked the book and story, though I would hardly call it a "must" read.
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