This year I read the least number of books that I’ve read in any year for the last 10 years. Like everyone here, I love reading and I wasn’t happy thaThis year I read the least number of books that I’ve read in any year for the last 10 years. Like everyone here, I love reading and I wasn’t happy that I didn’t read more . Life happens so early in the year I decided that the best thing I could do was to focus on new books written by my favorite authors as well as books that I was reasonably sure would be for me. I’ve always been attracted to new releases so I continued to take advantage of my good fortune with obtaining advanced copies through NetGalley and Edelweiss and found many there that fit the bill. I read some wonderful books from those sources as well as a few of my own. One of the joys of Goodreads is connecting with some wonderful people who share a love of reading. It’s a lovely bonus when some of those people become friends in the true sense of the word . A heartfelt thanks to you.
My favorites of the year in order of date read are listed here. The Queen of Dirt Island Beautiful prose and characters who you want so much for. Once We Were Home Characters to remember in this stunning story of the Holocaust. The Paper Man I loved everything about this book as I have about every one of Billy O’Callahan’s books . Tom Lake Ann Patchett is versatile writer who never disappoints. Hello Beautiful The depth of love in this family will help ease your heartbreak in this sad family story. Absolution Nothing more to say than Alice McDermott has been one of my favorite writers for years . The Light Pirate Intense, intimate and deeply moving with unforgettable characters. The Dance Tree Fine historical fiction that is eerily relevant. Return to Valetto Italy, history, family secrets, fabulous characters - my kind of book. No Two Persons About so much more than the fact that readers are impacted differently by the books they read. Go as a River This writing. Touched my heart. Somebody's Fool Sully and of course Richard Russo, let me count the ways. A master of small town life and human nature . The Bird Hotel An all encompassing story, a journey of the heart and soul from the depths of grief to healing. Lady Tan's Circle of Women My favorite of the seven novels I’ve read by Lisa See. Chenneville John Chennrville, a worthy literary crush. Descriptive without being flowery. Great historical fiction. A Council of Dolls Difficult story to read , but imperative to acknowledge this history of the Native American history. A Month in the Country A quiet story where seemingly nothing happens, yet the ordinary moments become extraordinary. We Must Not Think of Ourselves: A Novel I was amazed at the resilience I found here . A worthy addition to Holocaust literature. Clear This felt like a story that might have been written many decades ago, one that reflects a profound truth and human nature and our need to connect. The Women A fitting tribute to the military nurses who worked tirelessly under horrific conditions to save so many during the Vietnam war . The Book of Fire A story within a story , with a gut wrenching message, yet beautifully written as are Lefteri’s other novels.
It’s difficult to read Holocaust stories, but that doesn’t keep me from reading them. It’s always for me so important to remember those who were killeIt’s difficult to read Holocaust stories, but that doesn’t keep me from reading them. It’s always for me so important to remember those who were killed or those who survived the unimaginable. Everyone should remember, so it doesn’t happen again. That’s exactly what this book is about - creating a way to remember. Adam Paskow, an English teacher in the Polish ghetto keeps a diary of people’s stories, their life before, their dreams, to preserve the memories so they are not forgotten. We meet a variety of characters in Adam’s circle who he interviews.
Eleven year old Filip, fascinated by dinosaurs can no longer go to the library to read about them, so he carves them out of wood and stays on the rooftop of the apartment to be away from everyone. He played football until they kicked him off the team to be “cautious” because he’s Jewish. This and the other interviews of children and others that Adam records are heartbreaking. It’s so important to see these people in the light of who they are , the lives they led to get a grasp of what was lost. And of course, it’s gut wrenching, as we learn what happens to Szifra, a young woman who does what she needs to do to protect her family, to feed her brothers. There are other horrific scenes that Adam reflects on as be encounters them in his daily life .
“I felt myself grow itchier as we walked south, toward their house; there were corpses on the street, covered with newspapers that fluttered in the wind. We pretended not to see them. A withered arm, a leg. On the sidewalk, children begged for scraps of food. “
“This morning. as I walked through the ghetto for my pail of soup, I saw the Nazis cordoning off a building on Chlodna Street. On my way back, they were removing its inhabitants at gunpoint, forcing their hands behind their necks. Even the children. The ones who stumbled were shot. The mothers who wailed were shot.”
I’m amazed at the resilience that I found here in spite of all that happened. The novel is based on true archives and some of these diary entries can be found today in the Oneg Shabbat Archive in Warsaw. A worthy addition to Holocaust literature. Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book from Algonquin through NetGalley....more
This felt like the kind of story that might have been written many decades ago, one that might have been read in school, one that reflects a profound This felt like the kind of story that might have been written many decades ago, one that might have been read in school, one that reflects a profound truth about human nature and our need to connect to each other, one that has a classic feel, one with a stunning ending that encourages faith in humanity. Two historical events in 1840’s Scotland set this quiet, introspective novel in motion - the split in the Scottish Church and the Clearances as the author describes in her notes where “whole communities of the rural poor were removed from their homes by landowners in a relentless program of coercive and systematic dispossession to make way for crops, cattle and increasingly as time went on - sheep.” I knew nothing about either of these. The beauty of learning through well written historical fiction. It’s a short novel, so I’m not going to go into detail of the plot. The book description tells much of it.
I wanted to read this because I loved West by Davies. While very different stories, I found the beautiful atmospheric writing and a deep reflection of what loneliness feels like. This is worth reading for the writing, the thought provoking and touching ending and characters who will stay with me.
I received a copy of this book from Scribner through NetGalley....more
One of the things I love to discover when reading an author’s note at the end of a novel is the inspiration for the story I have just read. In this caOne of the things I love to discover when reading an author’s note at the end of a novel is the inspiration for the story I have just read. In this case Christy Lefteri, while in Athens saw a wildfire in a village nearby, where hundreds of people had to flee their homes. Several years later it was another fire on the island of Evia, Greece that prompted this novel. “Woods and meadows, pine forests, olive groves, beehives and livestock and houses — all gone.” That place was where her research began, listening to people tell their stories as she saw the devastation, and tried to imagine “the forest that existed before the fire.”
It is in this context that Lefteri stunningly brings that experience to the reader . Through the character of Irini, we try to imagine the forest as it was before the fire in this story, life as it was in this idyllic place for the people who live there. The writing is exquisite as in Lefteri’s other novels . There’s a story within the story, a telling of what happened when the fire began, a cathartic telling in a fairy tale like way, within the story of the present which is the aftermath of the fire. Gut wrenching and heartbreaking losses of family, of homes , of people’s identities are vividly portrayed. She has a way of allowing the reader to feel the pain and the loss her artist husband experiences, a way of letting us see through the eyes of her little girl what this was like.
This is certainly a warning message, not an in your face one, but a a story that definitely is thought provoking. Beautifully written.
I received a copy of this book from Ballantine Books through NetGalley and Edelweiss....more
I was I high school when the Vietnam War started and I have to admit that I didn’t pay much attention until several years later i4.5 stars rounded up.
I was I high school when the Vietnam War started and I have to admit that I didn’t pay much attention until several years later in college when I found myself in a protest march on campus. I was more aware then or at least I thought I was. I had learned that a high school friend was killed there. The focus then was on the young men killed, the innocents of the region bombed, the insanity of the war. I never gave a thought about the women who served in the military as nurses, who saved so many, who experienced the trauma of seeing mutilated bodies, held the hands of those who wouldn’t come home. I never thought of the nurses who worked tirelessly under horrible conditions, who through their stamina and skill made it possible for so many to come home. Had I thought about them I never would have imagined that they would not be considered veterans. Kristin Hannah in this novel though the character of Frankie McGrath and her two best friends brings light and honor to the women who served.
It’s a stunning read, not for the faint of heart, with vivid descriptions of the wounds and loss of limbs and loss of life. It portrays the grueling days and nights of these women as well as the doctors vividly. Their physical and emotional exhaustion and how they cope with sometimes heartbreaking effect. Frankie’s life after she returned home is heart wrenching. Highly recommend for those who remember the times and for those who don’t. It’s an eye opener that will punch you in the gut, but it’s worth it.
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley....more
I was drawn to Paulette Jiles’ writing style and storytelling from the first book I read by her, News of the World. She has a way of pulling the readeI was drawn to Paulette Jiles’ writing style and storytelling from the first book I read by her, News of the World. She has a way of pulling the reader into her novels right from the beginning and taking them to the place and time. She brings her characters to life in such a way it’s as if you knew them. This is historical fiction at its best as she depicts the lawlessness and chaos of the post Civil War through the story of a Union soldier. John Chenneville returns home to St. Louis and he finds that a horrific act of violence has struck his beloved sister and her family at the hands of a vile man, named Dodd. He becomes obsessed, determined to hunt Dodd down seeking revenge. His journey takes him on a tough road to Texas, meeting and connecting with good people, with bad people as well, along the way.
With each leg of the trek, we learn more about him as the story is told in such an intimate way. With each page I liked John more, such a decent man in how he treats the people he meets. Definitely worthy of a literary crush. I rooted for him the whole way, wanting him to catch Dodd who deserved what was coming to him . Yet , I didn’t want John to have to bear the burden of committing murder, to give up his life and what it could be, wanting him to find solace and a good life moving forward. This is how good a storyteller Jiles is, making you care about her characters so much. It’s beautifully written, so descriptive, but you won’t find any flowery language here, just stunning prose and characters to remember. John Chenneville is one who will remain with me, as did Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd in News of the World and Adair Randolph Colley in Enemy Women. I have a few more to get to because I want to read them all.
I read this with Diane as our monthly read together and we continue to be on a roll. I received an advanced copy of this book from William Morrow/HarperCollins through Edelweiss....more
The author in a note at the end of this book says ” It is difficult for contemporary readers to understand the absolute role of religion in medieval lThe author in a note at the end of this book says ” It is difficult for contemporary readers to understand the absolute role of religion in medieval life, how fully it informed everything from medicine to punishment, tax to sex.” But I found this beautifully written, impactful novel to be a stunning presentation of that iron fisted influence during that time and place, in particular on women. It is brilliantly depicted through the strength and courage of three women held down by cultural and religious beliefs. In the face of punishment they defy the cruelty of men and the church (no difference really between the two here ) for the right to love, to be and show who they are. These women, Lisbet, Ida and Agnethe - marginalized, with no power or freedom, embody the strength and courage that women today will need as men try to control their health, their bodies, their choices. It’s eerily relevant and while historical fiction, it oddly felt dystopian. I was fascinated to learn of this historic event known as the Dancing Plague of 1518 and taken by the story of these women who in their own way dance to their own music.
This was a monthly read with Diane and as always , we make good buddy readers.
I received a copy of this book from HarperVia through Edelweiss.
This is such a beautiful story, one of those all encompassing stories that draws you in from the beginning, taking you through the depths of grief andThis is such a beautiful story, one of those all encompassing stories that draws you in from the beginning, taking you through the depths of grief and loss on a journey to healing . It’s not just a journey of the heart and soul , but it takes the reader to a place of beauty and wonder where nature can be as cruel as it is breathtakingly beautiful. Irene is alone and lost, in the depths of despair, having suffered unimaginable losses, desiring to escape from her life. She chooses to live and wanders until she finds herself in a lovely little village called La Esperanza in central Central America at a hotel called La Llorona. It is here that she discovers her lost self as she becomes immersed in this place - a place that’s a character in its own right, with it’s beautiful lake, and calming gorgeous landscape, exotic birds, a volcano looming with beauty, power and danger.
This novel has a wonderful cast of characters - friends who become family, hotel guests who become friends and as life goes people she thought were friends who are really enemies. This place among these people who help her on her journey to healing as she discovers her lost self, hers art, her motherly instincts, the person who could love again, is full of hope as the village name implies. I was immersed into this lovely place, the culture and the customs of indigenous Mayan people here and would like to have been there a while longer. I can’t say why I’ve never read a book by Joyce Maynard, although I have a few on my to read list. I’ll have to take a look.
I received a copy of this book from Arcade through Edelweiss....more
Right from the beginning I was in Saigon in the early 1960’s, a different place than I imagine when thinking of Vietnam. Tricia, a young newlywed findRight from the beginning I was in Saigon in the early 1960’s, a different place than I imagine when thinking of Vietnam. Tricia, a young newlywed finds herself within a clique of women who want to believe they were living a charmed life in this exotic place with servants galore and garden parties. This life, however is juxtaposed against the starving children in the streets, children in excruciating pain in the hospital from napalm burns, the disfigured lepers, the ominous sound of artillery in the distance, a precursor of what was to come, the place I think of when I think of Vietnam.
Tricia sees them for who they are, yet desires to be a part of them believing it would be good for her husband’s success. She is taken under the wing of Charlene, a cunning and manipulative, corporate wife. “I want to do good,” she says with baskets of toys, books, clothes and helping in ways that are questionable. Tricia stays by Charlene’s side, until she doesn’t and makes her own choice in a scene which makes the reader question as she does - is it really “inconsequential good”.
The story is mainly told by Tricia in her older years to Rainey, Charlene’s daughter. She seamlessly goes back to her years growing up in New York, as well as telling Rainey about the time they were in Vietnam. We also get Rainey’s perspective, mostly on her relationship with her mother. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my very favorite character, Dom, who as a young soldier is seen in the hospital cradling and calming the suffering young children. I was moved to know this kind young man, full of heart and care turns out to be the same in his later life.
At times, I thought this felt different from her other stories filled with ordinary, yet extraordinary characters, Irish Catholics in Brooklyn, or Long Island. I was wrong. What I found here once again was McDermott’s keen sense of time and place in which characters, realistic with their flaws reflect a humanity that we connect with. They were just in another place for a while. Don’t expect to find a lot of action, just quiet, beautiful story telling about a not so quiet time. Alice McDermott has long been a favorite writer of mine and with this one, I’ve read all nine of her novels I’ve loved them all and I highly recommend any of them as well as her non fiction book on writing. It’s not a surprise her books have won multiple literary awards.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Farrar, Strauss and Giroux through Edelweiss....more
A cardboard shoe box “bearded in dust and probably decades hidden, tucked away on top of a wardrobe” just screaming that there are old letters inside,A cardboard shoe box “bearded in dust and probably decades hidden, tucked away on top of a wardrobe” just screaming that there are old letters inside, love letters, no doubt. Perhaps holding the missing parts of Jack’s life , the story his mother who never told her nine year old when she died.
This novel is multi- layered, about war, about the Holocaust, the desire to know who one’s father is, what secrets a mother’s past holds. It’s about love in the deepest sense, and yes, it’s about what soccer has meant to European countries for decades. It’s an imagined story blended with the real life events in the life a famous soccer player. In alternating chapters, between Kraumberg and Vienna in the 1930’s and Cork in 1980, it’s not just Matthias Sindelar’s story, but of two imagined characters in his life who touched me. A beautifully, sad love story, as beautiful and sad in its own way as O’Callaghan’s My Coney Island Baby, quiet, moving and full of O’Callaghan’s always stunning prose. I loved everything about this book, especially the ending. I love a story that makes me cry for sadness and joy at the same time.
I received a copy of this from David R. Godine Publisher through Edelweiss ....more
The main reason I chose to read this book was Dominic Smith’s beautiful writing and intriguing novel The Last Painting of Sara de Vos. I also love stoThe main reason I chose to read this book was Dominic Smith’s beautiful writing and intriguing novel The Last Painting of Sara de Vos. I also love stories that take place in Italy . All of my grandparents were born there and when I traveled there a number of years ago, I loved everything about it. As it turned out, I loved everything about this novel, too - the easy to connect with characters, a moving story line linking the past with the present, writing that transported me to Italy again.
Historian Hugh Fisher returns to the near deserted village of his boyhood summers, representative of some small Italian villages and towns today. It’s his mother’s birthplace and the location of the villa where his grandmother and widowed aunts still live. There are few people left in Valetto, but it’s a place full of life, secrets and things unknown from the days of WWII. I found it to be a captivating read as Hugh discovers the secrets, resolves unanswered questions, and seeks an acknowledgment of the wrongs done to his family even after decades. There are some difficult passages when he discovers the lengths to which a Fascist from the village went to to obtain information about resistors. Heartbreaking and cruel.
Ultimately, it’s a story of grief, of carrying the burdens of that past, about the love of family, and moving forward in spite of the past or maybe because of it. Italy, history, family secrets, fabulous characters - my kind of book.
I received a copy of this from Farrar, Straus and Giroux through Edelweiss....more
In each of the seven novels I have read by Lisa See, I always find it enlightening to learn so much about Chinese culture, families, history . While tIn each of the seven novels I have read by Lisa See, I always find it enlightening to learn so much about Chinese culture, families, history . While that focus pays tribute to her heritage and especially to strong women, she’s a versatile writer, telling stories of women in various times and places in varied circumstances. This one begins in 1469 during the Ming dynasty, in the time of bound feet, arranged marriages and concubines. The story is inspired by a real life woman doctor, Yunxian Tan, whose books today are “still used today in traditional Chinese Medicine “
The book opens when Yunxian Tan is eight, learning from her mother what her place in the future as a dutiful wife will be . The descriptions of the foot binding, while fascinating are brutal seeing what young girls endured to make them desirable and for the sake of proving one’s love for her husband. There’s more for her to learn, though. Yunxian is from a family of privilege and scholars, and when she comes to live in the elegant mansion of her loving grandparents, she becomes a part of the family legacy of practicing medicine. She learns more from her grandmother more than how to treat women. “You must speak if you wish to be heard.” The story continues through her life as a wife and mother and doctor.
There’s so much substance to this story. The history of the times where power, riches, land are dependent on having sons puts a focus on women giving birth and concubines. The power of friendship, of women caring for each other is portrayed in wonderful ways. The writing is lovely. The descriptions of the residences “The Garden of Fragrant Delights” , “The Courtyard of Whispering Willows”, and her use of actual phrasing of the times - “a resident is dwelling in her child palace” for being pregnant.
While this is a work of fiction, it’s obvious from the acknowledgements that the novel is impeccably researched, and if you are inclined to know more, go to LisaSee.com where she provides us all the background one might want on the culture, customs, traditional Chinese medicine and more that are portrayed in the novel . This is my favorite of hers yet.
I received a copy of this book from Scribner through Edelweiss....more
This writing . I almost ended this review right there.
If I had, I wouldn’t have said how deeply affecting the narrative tone is. Nor would I have saidThis writing . I almost ended this review right there.
If I had, I wouldn’t have said how deeply affecting the narrative tone is. Nor would I have said how beautifully immersive the setting is with the descriptions of this peach farm in Colorado, the nearby river, the forest . I would have been remiss if I hadn’t said more about this extraordinary character, Victoria Nash, who from age 12 gracefully bears the burdens of loss and grief while dutifully carrying out the responsibilities expected from such a young age . I wouldn’t have said how emotionally evocative the young love, though a “forbidden” love between two lonely characters grasped my heart . I wouldn’t have said how beautifully and skillfully Read has woven together all of the things reflected here - the ugliness of racism, perfect love, the depth of friendship, the perseverance to preserve the family legacy when it seemed impossible, and that a mother’s love knew no bounds . I wouldn’t have said what an impressive debut novel this is . It wouldn’t have been fair to Read not to say how affecting this story is so I had to say more than this writing. One of my favorites of the year.
I received a copy of this book from Spiegel & Grau through Edelweiss....more
4.5 stars, but I have to round up. I thought this was going to be an obvious book telling me what I already know - that people are impacted differentl4.5 stars, but I have to round up. I thought this was going to be an obvious book telling me what I already know - that people are impacted differently by the books they read. However, I found this to be more . It’s about not just the impact of fictional stories, but about the inspiration for writing them, about how who we are as readers and how our life experiences influence how we feel about a novel.
Erica Bauermeister takes us into the lives of nine characters and it’s their life experiences that are front and center - emotional and heartbreaking in most of the cases. The common thread is the novel “Theo “ as it comes into their hands in various ways. Sometimes they connect with the novel because they can totally empathize and connect with Theo knowing his pain as their own , as does “The Diver”. Sometimes it’s the astute understanding that life’s “complicated” by a homeless young girl in “The Teenager”. These were my favorites along with “The Caretaker” about a grieving widower, who doesn’t read fiction, but is given the gift of seeing the book through his wife’s eyes.
The writer of the book within this book touched me with her inspiration, the love she had for her brother, the heartbreaking sadness of her dysfunctional family. I love knowing the author’s inspiration for a story. It makes it in many ways more meaningful to me. So of course, I was hoping to learn Bauermeister’s inspiration for this book. I was pleased that she reveals some of that in the Acknowledgments.
It’s easy to know and say that books affect people in different ways. But the reviews we write and the ratings we give don’t always reveal our deep connection as is reflected in these individual stories. This novel will make me wonder when I read a review what there might have been in someone’s life that made them love a story or not love a story or what about me that makes me love a story or not. I can’t quite give it a full 5 stars as with many collections, not every story is equal in impact, but I have to round up. I did appreciate that it’s the novel that is the thread that connects these characters, but also enjoyed the crossover of characters in a few of them, including the author of “Theo.”
I saw myself in these quotes and wanted to share them because I’m guessing many readers will see themselves as well:
“She had to know what happened. She had to know that the boy on the page, a young man now would be okay,”
“Something was coming. Nola could feel it. She wanted to stop reading, but she couldn’t, because she could tell that this was the moment that would rip the boy’s life into before and after….And Nola couldn’t stop reading because she couldn’t leave him there alone.”
“His life had no particular parallels to Theo’s; there was no someone else sees what I’ve been through moment and yet he couldn’t stop reading. He cared about this boy. He wanted him to get free.”
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through Edelweiss and NetGalley....more
While I reading this book, it was nominated for the National Book Award . I can see why. I’ve been thinking about this so much the last two days, I upWhile I reading this book, it was nominated for the National Book Award . I can see why. I’ve been thinking about this so much the last two days, I upped my rating. 4.5 stars rounded up.
“There is no true healing without remembering…”
A legacy of trauma as a result of brutality, abuse, loss, war, prejudice. A reflection of the Native American experience through three generations of Dakhota women and their dolls who are their companions and confidants who see and sense and speak . A child’s imagination or spirits? There are other spirit encounters with ancestors. There are visions. I just accepted them as part of the story.
Through six year old Sissy in 1960’s and Ethel, her black Thumbelina doll, through her mother Lillian in the 1930’s and her Shirley Temple doll named Mae and through Cora, her grandmother and her Native doll Winona, Power tells a haunting, powerful and important story. The Indian boarding school experience seems to have come to light more and more recently and it’s imperative that we not just remember, but bear witness to what happened to so many Native American children.The last part of this novel with stories of the three dolls was gutting, stunning actually. This is difficult to read, but it’s imperative to acknowledge this history.
The author in her note: “While this book is a work of fiction and it characters a product of my imagination, some of the experiences depicted in these pages are inspired by stories my mother shared with me about what it was like growing up on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation…”
“From earliest memory I've been familiar with the history of the devastating Indiar Boarding School experience. Both grandparents on my mother's side of the family attended the Carlisle Indian Industrial School.”
You might say this is Lara’s story of one summer in her early twenties when she played summer stock and was in love with an actor who later becomes a You might say this is Lara’s story of one summer in her early twenties when she played summer stock and was in love with an actor who later becomes a famous movie star. You might say it’s her three daughters’ stories who are home to help pick cherries on the family farm, since the workers can’t come during the pandemic. It’s not, though a story about the pandemic, for which I was thankful. It’s a story of family, of relationships, a story of the past and present and perhaps where the future will take these young women . About the future, perhaps because Lara’s story is really about realizing the only life she ever really wanted and that’s the story she tells them. The daughters beg Lara to tell them about that summer and they hang on her every word telling of the actor and then how Lara later fell in love with their father, who by the way stole my heart . I also hung on her every word and every word that Patchett wrote. I very much appreciated that the reader becomes privy to a few parts of the story that she doesn’t tell her daughters choosing to keep some things to herself and of course the reader . The writing is flawless , moving seamlessly back and forth between past and present even within chapters .
To say that I was excited that Ann Patchett had a new novel is an understatement. To say that I was thrilled to be fortunate to get an advanced copy of it is a huge understatement. I fell in love with her writing from the first book of hers that I read, Bel Canto. Since then I’ve read all of her novels and a book of her essays These Precious Days: Essays. She’s a versatile writer and I’m never disappointed no matter what the novel is about because she just has such a talent for creating relatable characters and relationships. This novel is just one more reason why I’ll read anything she writes. I loved everything about it.
I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins through Edelweiss....more
Dear Sully, You’re my favorite Russo character and knowing you from the first two books of this series, you probably won’t give a damn, but maybe you wDear Sully, You’re my favorite Russo character and knowing you from the first two books of this series, you probably won’t give a damn, but maybe you will when I tell you why . I’ve read pretty much all of Russo’s fiction (as well as his memoir), so since I had a lot of characters to choose from, I think it’s quite an honor. At first I missed you in this one, so I’m glad that some of those left in North Bath remember you - most times fondly, even though you were not perfect . The truth is though, that while flawed, you are perfectly irresistible because even though you come across as a miserable s.o.b. , you’re really a good man . Your loss is felt. I discovered that this novel really is in so many ways about your legacy and you really were here throughout.
None of these characters are perfect either, but Russo has a way of endearing them all to me, well maybe not all . We get to know so much about them, both head and heart as we did about you and like in any good novel, they seem so real. That’s just one of the strengths of his writing. He has an incredible way of connecting us with his characters, making us care about what happens to them. I can’t imagine what you’d be thinking now that you’re gone and North Bath is being taken over by Schuyler Springs, but I think you’d be really pissed off. I’ve been on the edge of my seat wondering how the town’s people will be impacted. I’m sure you would be on the edge of your bar stool at the Horse, too, because you cared about them. Even after you’re gone, you’re still looking out for them having asked them to check in on each other. You’d be proud of your son Peter as he does good by you and watches out for those you asked him to. You’d be proud of your old sad sack friend Rub who probably misses you the most because with a little luck and his remembering the gems of wisdom you imparted to him, he’s come a long way.
There’s a lot happening in North Bath these days. There are complicated relationship issues galore between father and sons , mothers and daughters and lovers . You know all about complicated relationships with your son, with your ex-wife, with the married woman you had an affair with for years . There are some really ugly things here as in life like blatant racism as well as the inconspicuous kind, and oh they find a dead body. It’s also a true to life reflection of what we see in the news - there are good cops and bad cops, one really bad cop in particular who would have had your wrath as he did mine.
This is crazy, I know, writing a letter to a fictional character and a dead one at that. I blame Richard Russo. There’s something extraordinary about that man’s writing that took me right back to North Bath for a third visit making me feel as if I never left . He is a master at creating these small towns, a wonderful story teller of their inhabitants. He has such a keen sense of awareness of who we are as human beings - flawed and vulnerable and many times resilient. It’s like you said when things aren’t working, “Try something. And if that doesn’t work, we’ll try something else.” It’s no wonder that I connect as if I really knew you.
Fondly, Angela
I read this with Diane as one of our monthly reads. Another good one ! We’re on a roll.
I received a copy of this from Knopf through NetGalley....more
“What is wrong with this family?” asks one of the characters close to the end of this affecting and emotional family drama. I could give my thoughts o“What is wrong with this family?” asks one of the characters close to the end of this affecting and emotional family drama. I could give my thoughts on that perhaps, now that I’ve read it. But this is a family you need to discover and come to know for yourself, so that like me, at the very end of it, you might cry a little and think about all that was so very right about this family.
William Waters is alone, shunned by his parents after a tragedy, and as a child lives as an outcast in his own home until in college when he falls in love with Julia Padavano . The course of his life is forever changed as he becomes part of her very close family. He thinks they are perfect, the loving family that he never had as he sees the seemingly unbreakable bonds between Julia and her three sisters. The story is realistic, though. Families aren’t perfect no matter how much love there is. People are flawed. Life can get messy and sad and complicated and heartbreaking when these characters struggle with loss, grief, mental illness. Napolitano does such an extraordinary job of letting us know who these characters are through their own narrative and through how they see each other.
There is a lot of sadness here and there were times when I thought this is just way too sad . I never thought of putting it down, though, as I was so into the lives of these characters and had to find out whether there could be healing and forgiveness. I won’t spoil it by giving more details, but suffice it say that the depth of love in this family eased a little of my heartbreak.
I’m happy that Diane and I are back reading together again. It’s doing wonders getting me out of my reading slump.
I received a copy of this book from Random House through NetGalley. ...more
Good Morning, Midnight, a debut novel is a beautiful story by Lily Brooks-Dalton and is the reason I wanted to read this one. I’m always a little apprGood Morning, Midnight, a debut novel is a beautiful story by Lily Brooks-Dalton and is the reason I wanted to read this one. I’m always a little apprehensive about reading the second novel, afraid I won’t love it as much as the first. There was nothing to worry about. This one is as intense and intimate and deeply moving with characters who will stay with me. It’s an important story for our time. Both of these stories are about our relationships and the decisions we make.
There’s an ominous feel of the early chapters, laden with dread, with fear for what is to come , but little do we know … The sadness of loss is overwhelming, tempered only by the deep in the heart bonds of family born into and family made out of necessity and caring and generosity. The urgent will to survive in spite of or maybe because of the disasters, in this case the hurricanes that devastate and demolish Florida is incredibly powerful. Kirby, at first not always perfect dad, filled me with admiration for his desire to restore power to help people survive. His wife Frida filled me with awe in her perception of what was happening . Lucas filled me with sadness and admiration for him, too, in making extremely difficult decisions. Phyllis filled my mind with the idea that science and thoughtful planning are imperative for our future. Wanda lit up my heart and gave me hope.
Imagining that this could happen is too real to ignore, but there is no preaching here . There are characters, whose fates are not what you hope for them and by extension for yourself and your family, for mankind. The writing is stunningly beautiful....more
Donal Ryan’s writing appealed to me from the first book I read by him The Thing About December. His beautiful prose, moving stories and characters whoDonal Ryan’s writing appealed to me from the first book I read by him The Thing About December. His beautiful prose, moving stories and characters who you want so much for are reflected in the three I have read. I know for sure now that I want to read everything he’s written. I’m happy I have a few more to go.
This is a short novel comprised of short chapters, days in the lives, moments in time, over years in the lives of four generations of women. Eileen, her mother-in-law Nana, her daughter Saoirse, Saoirse’s daughter Pearl live together a house in Ireland in a small village . They spend their days dealing with the stuff of life - births and deaths, the past and their present, happiness and adversity. Two of them cursing each other and yelling one minute, holding hands and caring for each other the next. Yet , this is a house filled with so much love ; there’s nothing these women wouldn’t do for each other. It’s a story of relationships, but not only with each other, but with fathers, dead or estranged , with lovers, with other family members, with friends from this small rural place. It’s about the power of women, their strength and their love. It’s multi layered with a nod to writing and why not from such a fantastic writer? When I finished this I gave it four stars, but think about it further as I wrote this, it’s deserving of 5 stars.
I received a copy of this from Viking/Penguin Random House through Edelweiss....more
Angela M is taking a little summer break
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