A Feast of Books

It seems that for the last several months, when it comes to great books, it’s either feast or famine. And right now I’ve been enjoying the most amazing feast. In the last month or so I’ve read 4 terrific books. Since I’m behind on writing reviews, I’m just going to do mini reviews of all four of them in one post.

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier – Chevalier has written quite a few books, most famously The Girl with the Pearl Earring. She is one of my favorite authors and I’m always interested to check out her latest book. I must admit that when I read the summary of Remarkable Creatures, I was not all that interested and had decided not to read it. But then Peggy, one of my co-workers whose opinion I value, said it was a great story and would make a good book club choice. And she was right. The story takes place in the early decades of the 1800s during a time of great scientific discovery. Remarkable Creatures tells the story of Elizabeth Philpot and Mary Anning, two unlikely friends who live on the coast of England in an area rich in fossils. The two women are both fossil hunters – but for very different reasons. When Mary makes an important discovery, she is thrust into the world of academia, for which she is ill equipped and which is also closed off to her because she is a woman. But Remarkable Creatures is about so much more than fossil hunting. It’s about social class, the roles of the sexes in the early 19^th century and most importantly about female friendship in all its incarnations. This is a great read and it generated a wonderful book discussion – all the more so since it is based on real people and actual events! 4 stars – I really liked it.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy – After watching the wonderful movie, The Last Station, about the last years of Tolstoy’s life, I found myself wanting to learn more about this intriguing and mystifying man. I did a little research which led me to want to immediately pick up one of his books and read it. I have always wanted to read Anna Karenina (and I will someday), but I decided I wasn’t ready to make such a big commitment. During my research, I learned that Tolstoy was fascinated with religion and death and that he was quite a philosopher. His novella, The Death of Ivan Ilyich was mentioned as being “one of the world’s supreme masterpieces on the subject of death and dying”. I decided it would be the perfect book to scratch my Tolstoy itch. Not only is it short , it deals with a topic that is pure Tolstoy and it was written in the latter part of his life – which fit in nicely with the fact that my interest was generated by the movie. In addition, I remember having read it in college in my Russian Literature course and I still have my copy. It was so much fun to see the passages that I highlighted as a 20 year old all those years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this classic piece of literature, which deals with a middle aged man, who has followed all the rules in his life and now finds himself suddenly faced with his own death. A matter he has never spent a moment considering. The Death of Ivan Ilyich follows Ivan’s journey as he comes to terms with his imminent demise. I noticed as I was reading that my long ago self had not highlighted any of the 34 page introduction. Which is not all that surprising. But it is a shame, because I got so much more out of this story by having first read the introduction. I can’t say that I came to any great epiphany after reading Ivan’s story. I have a feeling I’m still too far removed from my own death (at least I hope I am), but it I did enjoy the wonderful writing and I certainly can appreciate Tolstoy’s message about death. I’m pretty sure the whole point of the story was lost on me as college student. I’m so glad I made the time to revisit this “supreme masterpiece”. 4 stars – I really liked it.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro – I LOVED this book! I can not say it enough. I listened to the audio version of this one in my car and I’m not sure I would have loved it quite so much if I had read it, but I can’t be sure. The book is written in a very conversational style, which might have seemed a little sleepy on the written page. Never Let Me Go takes place in England in the 1990s (my best guess). It is narrated by Kathy, a 31 year old woman, who is reminiscing about her time at a Hailsham, a boarding school, with her two closest friends Tommy and Ruth. The students at Hailsham were sheltered from the outside world and made to feel special and separate from it. Kathy left Hailsham, Tommy and Ruth behind long ago, but when they are reunited she begins to allow herself to think about her time there and to explore the dark secrets of who they really are. I don’t want to give too much away, but Ishiguro masterfully reveals the plot in small crumbs that kept me questioning and rapt. I couldn’t wait to get into my car to run errands or drive to work. I simply had to find out how this story would fully reveal itself. Never Let Me Go would make a fabulous book club book since it not only deals with issues that lend themselves well to discussion, but Ishiguro also leaves the reader pondering some big questions. Fabulous! (Note: I have heard from a friend that her book club read this one and people either loved it or hated it, but I think it’s worth giving it a try. Because if you’re in the love it camp, you will be so happy to have read it). 5 stars – I LOVED it!

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand – Unbroken tells the remarkable true story of the record breaking Olympic runner and WWII veteran and POW Louis Zamperini. The book covers Zamperini’s life from his years as a delinquent teenager all way up to the present day as a still vibrant 93 year old. But the majority of the book focuses on Zamperini’s time as a bombardier and POW in the Pacific theater during WWII. Zamperini’s plane was shot down over the Pacific and he and 2 other men survived over 40 days on a leaky life raft in the shark infested waters. That alone is hard to fathom. However, when the survivors finally wash ashore it is on a Japanese controlled island and the men are taken as POWs. The majority of the book chronicles Zamperini’s time in various POW camps . What Zamperini and the other POWs were subjected to defies explanation. There were many parts of the book that I found how to believe. And while many of the atrocities are related in the book, they are handled with great sensitivity. But this is not a story of torture, it is a story of survival and the strength of the human spirit and the incredible will to live. But most of all it is the story of human dignity. But I learned so much more by reading this book. I’m embarrassed to admit that aside from Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima and Nagaski, I knew nothing at all about the war in the Pacific. Seems all I ever learned about was the Germans, Hitler and the Holocaust. I know have a much fuller understanding of Japan’s role in the war. Unbroken is non-fiction at its best. 4 stars – I really like it.

It’s been a really good few weeks of reading for me. I hope it continues. How about you? Read any good books lately?

Book Review: The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton

Finally! It's been a really long time since I've read a book that I truly love. A book that I am excited to recommend to my friends. After months (and I do mean months) of lamenting my dearth of good books, I've finally read a book that I'm excited to review - The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton. I have no recollection of how I heard of The Moonflower Vine, but I'm so glad that I did.

The Moonflower Vine was written in 1962 and it was Carelton's first and only book. After reading the forward, written by Jane Smiley, I came to understand that like many books, The Moonflower Vine had become all but forgotten over time. Then in 2005, Smiley wrote a book called 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel, in which she discusses 100 novels (among other things), which led to the reissue of The Moonflower Vine in 2009.

The story takes place in rural Missouri in the first half of the 20th century and tells the story of Matthew and Callie Soames and their 4 daughters. It reminded me in style of To Kill a Mockingbird, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and So Big. It's a very good story, simply told. The characters are all rich and complex, yet they are simple, moral people trying to live good lives. The story could have been told in a sensationalistic way, but instead Carleton chose to tell the story in a more realistic and subtle way. It's the story of regular people, who see themselves as being essentially good, yet they all struggle with secrets and flaws. What makes it so authentic is that they know they are flawed and they wrestle with the that knowledge and the fact that it doesn't fit in with their own or society's view of them. It's a great story. I couldn't wait to see how the story would play out, yet I didn't want it to end. 5 stars - It was amazing.

Book Review: The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake takes place during WWII and tells the story of three different women and how their lives interconnect due to their personal experiences of the war. Two of these women live at the very tip of Cape Cod. Iris is the middle aged postmistress of tiny Franklin, MA and she takes her job as postmistress very seriously. She believes in the importance of her job - especially during war time. Sweet, fragile, Emma is a new bride and new to Franklin. She has recently arrived in Franklin as the wife of Will, the town's young doctor. The third woman is Frankie Bard, a young American woman living in London and working as a radio broadcaster bringing the war home to Americans. Like Iris, Frankie believes strongly in the importance of her job. She is determined to transmit the real face of war home to America, where she feels everyone is very insulated from the truth.

The Postmistress is a good, if not great, book. I enjoyed the characters and the story. Frankie's story was especially compelling as she is concerned about the fact that Americans living stateside do not truly understand the effects of the war on the ordinary citizens of London and the rest of Europe. And it is true, that most of the residents of Franklin are not at all concerned about the war reaching America's shores or effecting them in any personal way. Frankie must censor what she says in her broadcasts due to regulations and she finds herself frustrated by this. She decides to travel to France in an attempt to gather more data on the lives of civilians. This aspect of the story is especially relevant now with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As much as I enjoyed The Postmistress the absolute best part of the story was the author's essay, "The Story Behind the Story", at the end of the book. In this essay Blake explains how she came to write The Postmistress and how the characters came into being. And further how she connected them into a story. Many books have author's notes that talk about their research and what inspired them to write that particular story. But Blake's essay is more than that. I can't really explain how, but she goes beyond merely stating the genesis of her ideas and her essay provides a clear and precise insight into the creation of this story and these characters. If you are a writer of fiction or a bibliophile, I think you will find this 4 page essay illuminating. Whether you read the book or not.

I would give The Postmistress 3 STARS - I liked it.

I would give "The Story Behind the Story" 5 STARS - I loved it.

Book Review: People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

Pulitzer Prize winning author Geraldine Brooks’ newest novel, People of the Book, is the captivating story of an ancient and rare illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in 15th century Spain and rediscovered in war-torn Sarajevo in 1996.

Hanna Heath, an Australian rare book conservator, has been called to Sarajevo to analyze and conserve a mysterious codex. When Hanna discovers some tiny artifacts in the book’s binding, she begins to unravel the mysteries of the book’s tumultuous past. In alternating chapters, Brooks tells the story of the book’s journey through Seville, Tarragona, Venice, Vienna and finally to Sarajevo. Throughout the centuries the book is saved numerous times from the destructive forces of Anti-Semitism. Brooks weaves a tale of courage, strength and faith in each chapter as she tells the story of the book’s treacherous journey through time and the brave people who risked their lives to save it from destruction.

In People of the Book, Brooks has created an intriguing and thought-provoking story. Each chapter is populated with well-developed characters and each time period in history is vividly rendered. In this way, each chapter becomes a story in and of itself. It is a testament to Brooks' skill as a writer that she is able to tell these individual stories - from different periods of history, all populated with different characters - and still be able to give each time period, character and storyline an authentic and varied feel.

People of the Book was inspired by the true story of a Hebrew codex known as the Sarajevo Haggadah. While working as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in Bosnia, Geraldine Brooks learned the remarkable story of survival of this ancient text. I was drawn to this book not only because of my interest in reading and books, but because of my fascination for illuminated texts. The fact that the story is inspired by a real book and real people only served to further pique my interest. I was not disappointed.

I would give People of the Book 5/5 stars (It was amazing).

Image from Google Images

Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Friday night I finished an amazing book. The Help by Kathryn Stockett is one of those books you fall in love with right away and it never disappoints. I have been hearing a lot of buzz about this book over the past couple months. I first heard about it from an online newsletter I get from the public library in my town. Then I read about it on a couple of blogs (I can't remember which ones or I would link them here. If it was your blog, I apologize for that). And then last week it was featured on The Today Show segment - Spring into a Good Book. As you can imagine, my anticipation and excitement to read this book just kept growing as I heard more and more great things about it. Sometimes when that happens I end up very disappointed (The Art of Racing in the Rain), but not this time. This book definitely lived up to its reputation. If any of you are in a book club and need a good title, I recommend The Help.

The Help, which is Kathryn Stockett's debut novel (!), takes place in the early 1960's in Mississippi. This is during the time of the Jim Crow laws regarding segregation of the races. The novel is told from the view points of three women - 2 black maids (Aibiliene and Minny) and one young, wealthy, white woman. Skeeter Phelan has just graduated from Ole Miss and much to her mother's dismay did not find a husband while a student there. She is now back living at home in Jackson, Mississippi and hoping to become a writer. Upon the advice of a New York editor, she sets out to write something that "really matters to her" and that hasn't already been written by someone else. She decides to write a collection of stories of the black maids of Jackson - in their own words. She wants to write the "true stories about maids and their experiences waiting on white families." As you can imagine the black maids are at first petrified to tell their stories to Skeeter. If they are caught, losing their jobs would be the least of their worries. Blacks are commonly beaten in Jackson for using the "white" toilet (even in error) or sitting at the wrong lunch counter. Eventually, 13 maids consent to tell Skeeter their stories for her book. These tales give the reader a personal view into the minds and lives of these maids that is heartwarming, tender and also filled with fear, humiliation and self-sacrifice. Through the telling of these stories, the reader is transported to a time before the Civil Rights Movement and is witness to the maids' and Skeeter's attempt to make a change in society - however small. The Help is a terrific book. One of the best I've read so far this year!