The main protagonist, Jane Flanagan, had a troubled childhood dominated by a single alcoholic mother, and a sister she doesn’t connect to. But she has seemingly risen above it to become an archivist at the Schlesinger Library at Harvard. Residual behaviors, unacknowledged yet ever present, rear their ugly heads at a time when all should have been well. She engages in behavior that may cost her both her ascending career and marriage.
If ever there was a timely novel, this is the one. Since banning books has become a strategic weapon in our national culture wars, here comes an entertaining satire set in a quintessential southern town. Framed as a battle over books and a free-standing little library, it is about the influence books have in its residents’ lives and the town’s cultural norms.
This book was a surprise. Given the title—Happiness Falls—I expected much less. Or maybe, just different. A more typical mystery perhaps layered with family dynamics. Instead, this was a surprising meditation on what constitutes happiness, the possibilities of non-verbal speech, and acknowledging qualities that make us different be it because of race, language, or basic … Continue reading Happiness Falls: More than a Mystery
This is the fourth Sally Hepworth novel I’ve read. They are all very different but what they have in common are surprising twists as the story unwinds along with firmly grounded, well developed characters. I’m not usually drawn to this particular kind of book but unlike many others in this genre, Hepworth so fully entrenches … Continue reading The Past is Always With Us: Darling Girls
This novel is the second in the Hearts of Glass series that I assume will continue. I did not read the first one, The Artist’s Apprentice, but The Artist's Wife easily stood on its own. World War I is beginning, Britain is wholly unprepared for war and what its threat means, and the fabric of Edwardian society is unraveling. The title reflects women's standing. True, the protagonist Alice was married to an artist with whom she apprenticed, but she was the creative force of the duo.
This book is the culmination of a long journey into the subject of race in America. Through micro memoirs, interviews, stories, and commentary, NPR award winning journalist, Michelle Norris offers us a way forward— not necessarily to reach common ground but as a way towards building bridges. Our Hidden Conversations (Simon & Schuster 2024) has … Continue reading The Race Card Project: An Honest Look into Race and Identity in America
The book’s beginning is somewhat deceiving. As the story opens, we meet an older man, widowed ten years in a semi crisis state. He’s noticing he’s somewhat forgetful. He's a bit panicked because the housekeeper he has relied on since his wife’s death has had a personal emergency and doesn’t know when she’ll be back. A rookie meter reader comes to the house and Baumgartner takes him down the poorly lit basement stairs and has a bad fall and struggles with the injury without help. So starts the story. My impression was that this was a doddering man on his way down.
I am always amazed by what I learn from historical fiction and how it illuminates diverse perspectives and little known events. Given what is going on in the world right now, regardless of your personal viewpoint, fiction and poetry can make us think in a way we can’t get from other sources. Sure, the horrific images shown over and over inform us, but some writers have a way of making us expand our thinking.
The third annual Saratoga Book Festival took place this past weekend. Heartfelt congratulations to the many people who made it happen. Over four days, more than 25 festival events featured big stage interviews, more intimate conversations, and panel discussions. It was hard to choose which events to go to. Many intrigued me. The sessions I attended were varied and I was introduced to some authors I was familiar with and those who were new to me. I want to share with you some of the books and introduce you to some of the writers that were showcased. I plan to read them and hope you'll give them a look.
There is little new to learn about the immigrant experience in Small Worlds. It does not explore unfamiliar, unknown ground. The protagonist has no dreams for his future that isn’t experienced in many coming of age stories. The protagonist, Stephen, born in England to Ghanian parents, articulates a story universal to immigrants everywhere in the world. He wants to find his place in the world where he is accepted and free to be himself. However, what sets it apart from other similar stories is how it is absorbed through the senses. I would describe it as an exquisite meditation on the immigrant experience.For the most part I felt I was like I was in a boat, gently rocked through rich imagery and the distinctive repetition of a ballad.
