Heft; Liz Moore

 

Title: Heft

Author:  Liz Moore

Publication Year: 2012

Publisher: W. W. Norton

Edition: eGalley

Source: Net Galley 
Setting: New York

Date Completed: 1/9/2012

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: yes

Heft is a wonderful story that will make you want to rethink what the word "family" really means.

Arthur Opps once was a college professor, but that was 18 years ago.  Now, Arthur is a 58 year-old shut in who weighs in excess of 500 lbs. His best friend, who lived next door, passed away in 1997, and the last time Arthur has left his house in Brooklyn was in September 2001.  The internet has made his reclusive life easy, since food and anything else he needs is delivered right to his front door.  He has no family, no friends, no job, and no one to talk to, so over the years, his only comfort has come from the food he consumes, and occasional letters from a former student named Charlene Turner, who was 20 years younger than him.

Charlene and Arthur were two lost souls.  Both were sad and lonely people, who spent hours talking over the course of the semester.  When the class was finished, Charlene never took another course, but began to write Arthur letters.  First he was rather shocked, but when he lost his job soon after, to him she seemed like the only friend he had.

(Arthur)...."And partly it was that I recognized myself in her---in her awkwardness, her loneliness, her being very out of place, an outsider in a roomful of compatriots.  These feelings I recognized as my own.  She spoke differently than her classmates.  She had that accent, which I came to love, and that hopefulness that won me completely.  One of the things I loved most about her, what I valued, was her lack of awareness."

Then abruptly the letters stopped, until one day many years later she contacts Arthur to reveal a little more about her life, and to ask him a favor.  Her son Kel Keller, who is in high school is in need of some guidance, and since Arthur was the smartest man she had ever known, she asks that he help point her son in the right direction.  On the surface, Kel seems to have a lot going for him, but he is dealing with some difficult issues which he tries to conceal from others.

Suddenly, Arthur's spirits seem brighter at the possibility of seeing Charlene again after almost 20 years.  He hires a cleaning service to get his house in shape, and when 19 year-old Yolanda shows up, he finds himself looking forward to the days she cleans and their conversations which follow.  Little by little life seems a bit brighter for Arthur.

The way in which the story unfolds is not perfect, but I cared so much about the characters that I was able to overlook any flaws in the story structure.  The story alternates between Arthur's story, and Kel Keller's story. Both stories are heartbreaking at times.  Heft, was one of my favorite kinds of novels, complete with dysfunctional, but well developed characters that I was cheering on all the way.  It's a story that made me rethink what a "family" really is, and a story that left me feeling at least somewhat hopeful.  It's a page-turner.

The Sense of an Ending; Julian Barnes

Title: The Sense of an Ending
Author:  Julian Barnes
Publication Year: 2011
Publisher: Knopf
Edition: Kindle
Source: Library
Setting: England
Date Completed: 1/2/2012  
Rating: 5/5
Recommend: yes

In this story, the protagonist is an average guy; he's Tony Webster. Sixty-something, divorced, retired, and living a comfortable and somewhat unremarkable life near London..  The story covers two periods of Tony's life. One period was 40 years earlier (1960s) when he was attending a private school outside of London. At that time, he briefly dated a girl named Veronica Ford, who was clearly out of his league. At school, he was also part of a circle of young men, which included the enigmatic Adrian Finn.  When Tony and Veronica split up, Adian and Veronica become an item. School ends and the group goes their separate ways, and for the next 40 years Tony really hadn't thought about any of them.

Flash forward to the present and Tony learns that Veronica's mother has died and has made him an unusual bequest: money and the diary of his dead friend. It is this that causes Tony's mind to travel back to his younger days.  He tracks down old  friends, and before soon uncovers secrets to the past that makes him reevaluate his life and his relationships with others.

Some of the passages that resonated with me:

"remembering isn't always the same as what you have witnessed"

"It strikes me that this maybe one of the differences between youth and age: when you are young, we invent different futures for ourselves; when we are old, when invent different pasts for others."

"How often do we tell our own life story? How often do we adjust, embellish, make sly cuts? and the longer life goes on, the fewer are those around us to challenge our account, to remind us that our life is not our life, merely the story we have told about our life. Told to others, but --mainly -- to ourselves."

" Sometimes I think that the purpose of life is to reconcile us to its eventual loss by wearing us down, by proving, however, long it takes, that life isn't all that its cracked up to be."

The Sense of an Ending, winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize, is a short novel (fewer than 160 pages) that packs a punch.  The writing is simply gorgeous, and it tackles one of my favorite themes and plot techniques, the human condition and the reliability of our distant memory.  This is one of those stories that after you turn the final page, you may have several unanswered questions.  It may even cause you to reread some of the sections a second time -- it did me, but in the end, I felt it was well worth it. It's thought-provoking and literary fiction at its finest. I loved this one.

Three Bedrooms in Manhattan; Georges Simenon

Title: Three Bedrooms in Manhattan
Author:  Georges Simenon
Publication Year: 1946 (this ed 2003)
Publisher: NYRB Classics
Edition: trade
Source: Purchased
Setting: New York
Date Completed: 12/20/2011 
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommend: yes

Three Bedrooms in Manhattan, first published in 1946, and is a short, introspective novel about two lonely people.

Francios Combe is a 48-year old French actor. After seventeen years of marriage, he's newly divorced, -- his wife left him for an actor half his age. He's a sad sap, living in a rundown place in New York,  a man looking for human connection.

"On this chilly October morning, he was a man who had cut all threads, a man approaching fifty, without ties to anything--not to family, profession, country, himself, and definitely not to home.  His only connection was to a complete stranger, a woman sleeping in his room in a seedy hotel."

Kay Miller is another lonely, lost soul who had spent a few years in Swiss sanatorium.  She was married to a Hungarian Ambassador, and has since been around the block a few times. She has a daughter that lives with an aunt.

"She wasn't beautiful or irresistible, as she thought she was. Her body, like her face was marked by life."

Francios and Kay meet in a diner, two lonely people starved for some human connection.  " Two wandering creatures, set apart on the surface of the globe, lost in the thousand identical streets of a city like New York."

The story is narrated by Francios, and it follows him and Kay as they wander the streets of New York, observing the world around them. They wander to and from various bars, stop for food, and end most evenings with a hop in the sack.  He is highly critical of her and at times even abusive, yet when the two are apart, they find they need to be together.  The writing is straight forward, yet manages to carry some punches.  The novel is only about 170 pages, was easy to read, by in the end it left me with a somewhat empty feeling.

This Belgium born author has written some 200 stories, many of which have served as inspiration for various movies and television shows. This is my first read by this author, and I most likely will try another one by him in the future.

The Cat's Table; Michael Ondaatje

Title: The Cat's Table
Author:  Michael Ondaatje
Publication Year: 2011 
Publisher: Random House Audio
Edition: audio
Reader: author
Source: Library
Date Completed: 12/6/2011 
Rating: 4/5
Recommend: yes

The Cat's Table led me on an enjoyable voyage from Columbo (Sri Lanka) to England, aboard the Oronsay.  The story unfolds as a man thinks back on a 21-day voyage he took as a young boy. A voyage that shaped his life. Since the author himself took a similar voyage when he was a young boy, this story is believed to be in part somewhat autobiographical.

In this story, Michael, is an 11-year old boy aboard the ship who is traveling to see his mother in England; he hasn't seen her in a number of years.  He and several other colorful, underprivileged characters are delegated to a portion of the ship referred to as "The Cat's Table", at mealtime.  The area is located as far away from the "captain's table" as possible. Michael is also referred to as Mynah, because he likes to go around and spread gossip about what he learns from other travelers aboard the ship. He is not to be pitied, for he and two other boys, Cassius and Ramadhin, go from one exciting adventure to another. With such antics as sneaking to the first-class deck to swim in the pool and to eat better food, the boys are always up to something.

The most impressive thing about this story for me was that while I thought I might feel sorry for these boys, I did not.  What happens to them on the journey, shapes their future lives, exposing them to individuals and experiences which teach them a lot about life and human nature. Literature, jazz, performers, a prisoner in chains, and the alluring power of women are just some of the experiences that occupied their time and opened up their minds.  It was interesting to see that even though the boys go their separate ways, what they experienced together, played a part in the men that they become.

While the beginning of the story seemed somewhat choppy and disjointed, a patient reader, or listener in my case, will be rewarded with beautiful writing, at times poetic, fully developed characters and a story that comes together in the end.  There were several beautiful passage which I can no longer recall since I was listening to the audiobook, which was read by the author who did a terrific job. The scenes were easy to visualize and a good listening experience overall.

The Language of Flowers; Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Title: The Language of Flowers
Author: Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Publication Year: 2011

Publisher: Random House

Edition: eBook and Audio Book

Source: Net Galley and Library Audio

Reader: Tara Sands (very good)

Date Completed: 11/7/2011 

Rating: 4/5

Recommend: yes

 The Language of Flowers tells the story of  Victoria Jones, who by the age of nine had lived in over thirty different foster homes.  She's described as "detached and quick-tempered", but because of her experiences within the foster care system, she is just mistrustful of everyone she meets and thus prefers to be alone.  At the age of eighteen she is "emancipated", (pushed out) of the foster care system to fend for herself.  With no place to go, she sleeps in parks at night and even plants a small garden for herself there. By day she lives, lives on the streets and finishes the leftover food left by people in restaurants.

She manages to find a job in a local flower shop where her talent quickly really shines through. She is perfect selected just the right flower for the customers depending on various situations, and her ability has the capacity of changing lives for some. One vendor of the flower shop, gets Victoria to confront the painful experiences of her past. The Victorian language of flowers is used to convey meaning of various flowers, and through flowers Victoria is able to communicate her feelings and what others are feeling as well.

The Language of Flowers was a very good debut novel. Victoria was one of those characters that you couldn't help rooting for. I found myself hoping her adult life would make up for her lousy childhood. I liked the short chapters which alternated from the past to the present.  It was easy to get wrapped up in her story, and it was easy to see why she was so afraid to trust and experience love for the fear of being abandoned or hurt once again.  I did find parts of the story to be a bit contrived and after a while all on the constant references to flowers and their meanings became a bit much for me.

Readers who enjoy stories with the power to transform lives and stories of second chances will most likely enjoy this novel. I read both the eBook and the audio version, which was read by Tara Sands who did a great job.

Those Across the River; Christopher Buehlman

 

Title: Those Across the River
Author: Christopher Buehlman

Publication Year: 2011

Publisher: Ace

Edition: ARC

Source: Amazon Vine

Location: Georgia

Date Completed: 9/19/2011 

Rating: 4/5

Recommend: yes

1935 was not the best year for former university history professor, Frank Nichols. Frank loses his teaching job after his indiscreet affair with Eudora (Dora), the wife of an influential professor is made public. Eudora, who is only 20 years old was married to a much older man, and is in the process of a divorce so that she and Frank together.  Frank is also older than Dora by 12 years.  After Frank is unable to find work around Ann Arbor, where jobs are scarce in the mid-1930s, he learns that he has inherited some property in rural Whitbrow, Georgia, from an aunt he had never even met, Frank convinces Dora that moving to Georgia may just be the fresh start the couple needs, in a place where no one knows anything about them. 

Frank decides to ignore his aunt's specific instructions in her will warning him he should not live in the house he inherited. She states instead that he should sell the property as soon as possible.  The couple, however, thinks the house seems perfect for them. Dora gets a teaching job at the local school, and Frank hopes to pursue his dream of doing some research about his ancestors in the hopes of writing a book. Frank's grandfather, Lucien Savoyard was reported to be a cruel, confederate plantation owner, who refused to free his slaves after the emancipation.

As the couple tries to settle into small town life, things begin to take an unpleasant turn for the couple.  Frank, who had served in World War 1 is plagued by flashbacks of the war.  In addition, rumors about a massacre that occurred years ago around the plantation "across the river", further intensify the bad dreams and flashbacks he is experiencing. The townspeople friendly but, a suspicious lot who believe evil lurks in the woods nearby which leads to the river. They perform a monthly ritual to coincide with the new moon to keep the evil spirits a way.

The suspense and tension build at a steady pace in this story. The reader knows something big will most likely happen, but when and what?  There is an interesting blend of history and horror in this novel which made this a somewhat unusual, but yet addictive read. I thought the first person POV intensified the reading experience for me, and although some may be unhappy with the resolution, I thought, Those Across the River, was a pretty good debut novel overall. I'm hoping I will see more from this author in the future.

The Night Circus; Erin Morgenstern

Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern

Publication Year: Sept - 2011

Publisher: Doubleday

Edition: ARC

Source: publisher

Date Completed: 9/ 12/2011 

Rating: 5/5

Recommend: yes

Le Cirque des Reves, the Circus of Dreams, is not like any ordinary circus you've ever seen.  It's magical - full of illusions and everything mystical, and it happens only at night.  The story has a bit of mystery and a non-traditional romance mixed in with all of the magic, which makes for an unusual yet memorable read.

The story jumps around in time a bit, but for the most part takes place in the late 1800s early 1900s. It's a pretty simple story actually. Celia, was left at the age of 5 at the home of her biological father Prospero (the Enchanter), along with a suicide note from the girl's mother.  Prospero, early on notices his daughter's special magical qualities and begins grooming her with hours and hours of training, believing that some day she will be able to compete and win the circus competitions.  Alexander (the Man in the Gray Suit) is Prospero's nemesis. He goes to the orphanage and adopts young, Marco who he believes, for his own selfish interest,  is the perfect child to groom for competitions as well.

When Celia and Marco begin to compete, they are fabulous and the crowds love them. As the competitions continue they begin to fall in love, and magical and beautiful symbols of their love begin to appear. Yet despite the new beauty there is sadness. Little do either know that they are pawns in a game designed by the men who taught them. When one finally wins, the other must die. To say more would be to spoil the story for prospective readers.

Although I rarely read novels in the fantasy genre, I found this story amazing. It's so well written: very visual, very atmospheric and very magical.  I was amazed that this was a debut novel for Ms. Morgenstern; she will certainly be an author I plan to follow.  It was great to learn how the circus came to be, and I loved the way this novel made me feel after the final page was turned. The Night Circus is one novel that I will be talking about to those who love something just a tad different. Try it!

Maine; J. Courtney Sullivan

Title: Maine

Author:  J. Courtney Sullivan

Publication Year: 2011

Publisher: Random House Audio

Edition: audio book and ARC

Reader: Ann Marie Lee (very good)

Source: Library and publisher

Date Completed: 8/23/2011 

Setting: Maine

Rating: 4.5/5

Recommend: yes

As I'm sure you guessed, Maine, is the setting for J. Courtney Sullivan's latest book. Once a litle beach cottage, but now a  spectacular beach front home. The land was won by Daniel, the late husband of the novel's matriarch, Alice Kelliher, back in the 1940's.  Over a 60 year period the family shared both happy and sad times together at the beach house. However, after too many summers filled with family friction, the family started booking separate times for each to enjoy the summer home.

The story follows three generations of strong-willed women.  Alice, now 83, is packing up boxes at the summer home, with very specific plans in mind. Alice lives in Massachusetts most of the year. Her daughter Kathleen, lives in California. She's a worm farmer (yes that's right), and she moved clear across the country in the hopes of having fewer run-ins with her mother Alice.  There is also Maggie, daughter of Kathleen, granddaughter of Alice. She's a writer from New York.  The other woman is Anne-Marie, daughter-in-law of Alice, who is married to Alice's son Patrick.

Alice has a blunt and abrasive personality -- always calling things as she sees it. She's has some issues and secrets of her own, that she isn't anxious for her family to find out about.  But, Alice isn't the only one with issues, and secrets.  Kathleen is a former alcoholic, who doesn't get along with her sister-in-law Anne Marie.  Kathleen's daughter, Maggie is also harboring a secrets.  Anne-Marie is the family perfectionist, obsessed with everything about doll houses. She also is the family peace keeper, or at least tries to be. She tries to do everything well, but yet, she harbors secrets of her own.

This was a  very good audio book, with the great reader.  The characters were everyday people, with all their imperfections, each carrying a decent share of emotional baggage. Their issues were real as well: alcoholism, single parenthood, divorce, widowhood, loneliness, dating issues and even Catholic guilt.  The women in this book brought out the best and the worst in each other.  The chapters alternate between the perspectives of each woman, covering memories from as far back as 60 years to the present -- all over the course of one single summer.

This is a great book to read on the beach or one to pack in your suitcase for a warm-weather vacation.  I think many women will enjoy this one.

Child Wonder; Roy Jacobson

Title: Child Wonder
Author: Roy Jacobson

Publication Year: 2011

Publisher: Graywolf Press

Edition: ARC

Source: Amazon Vine

Location: Norway

Date Completed: 8/25/2011 

Rating: 4.5/5

Recommend: yes

It's the 1960's, and Little Finn is an 8 year-old boy who lives with his mother Gerd, in a working class area of Oslo. It's been just he and his mother for a while, since his parents divorced, and his father later died in an industrial accident. Finances were a problem, so his mother went to work part-time in a shoe store to help out. She later decides to take in a lodger for extra money and places an advertisement. One of individuals who sees the ad is Ingrid, a drug-addict, former wife to Finn's father. She has a 6 year-old daughter named Linda who seems, initially to have some sort of psychological or medical issues.

"Nothing was any use. Linda would just hold a pencil and write letters and draw, the tip of her tongue hanging out of the left corner of her mouth and her cheek pressed against the paper, so concentrated that there could be no doubt that she was on a journey into a world where either a Norwegian primary school nor bewildered half-brother or step-mothers could pursue her. Linda was not of this world, one day I would come to understand this --she was a Martian come down to earth to speak in tongues to heathens, to speak french to Norwegians and Russian to Americans. She was destiny, beauty and catastrophe. A bit of everything. Mother's mirror and Mother's childhood. All over again. The last remaining fragment of that which will never vanish. God must have had a purpose with her, a secret plan --but what?

Before long, not only will Finn and his mother have a lodger living with them -- a man named Kristian, who has a fascination with words and numbers. His half-sister Linda also moves in with them as well. Finn is intrigued by the new lodger who spends a lot of time alone in his room. He brought along a television when he moved in, which is a big deal for Finn and his mother. With Kristian and little Linda suddenly a part of their lives, everything changes dramatically for each of them. Gerd sees much of her own sad life as a child through Linda. She begins to give more and more attention to Linda who has issues of her own. Despite his mother pulling away from him and to Linda, Finn is extremely protective of his half-sister. When others tease and try to bully the girl Finn intervenes. Over the course of a summer, in Finn's world he becomes witness to some real issues of adulthood.

Child Wonder, is a wonderful story; it is both sad and uplifting all in one. Little Finn as narrator worked beautifully. He was extremely bright and keenly observant. I found it extremely heartfelt when he tried to take on the role of a protective, older brother. Initially, I had a bit of trouble with the translation, which slowed down the speed at which I would normally read, but after a while, I was so into the story, that I was happy for my slower pace. This is a story to savor.

The Lost Daughter; Elena Ferrante

Title: The Lost Daughter
Author: Elena Ferrante

Publication Year: 2008

Publisher: Europa Editions

Edition: trade softcover

Source: personal collection

Location: Italy 

Date Completed: 8/20/2011 

Rating: 4.5/5

Recommend: yes
 
When I posted the intro to this book on Tuesday, several bloggers mentioned that the cover seemed creepy. Well let me just say, now that I've completed this book, the doll on the cover image is significant to the story, which is somewhat creepy as well.  That being said, I enjoyed this very different book, and think many of you might as well.

Leda is a 47 year-old divorced woman, and mother to daughters, Bianca and Marta, now 22 and 24. The girls have recently moved from Italy to Toronto, Canada to live with their father.  Leda is well educated and teaches at the university in Florence, Italy.  Leda was not upset when her daughters moved away, in fact it was quite the opposite:

"When my daughters moved to Toronto, where their father had lived and worked for years, I was embarrassed and amazed to discover that I wasn't upset; rather, I felt light, as if only then had I definitively brought them into the world. For the first time in almost twenty-five years I was not aware of the anxiety of having to take care of them. The house was neat, as if no one lived there, I no longer had the constant bother of shopping and doing the laundry, the woman who for years had helped with the household chores found a better paying job, and I felt no need to replace her."

It's summer and since she is feeling happy about her new freedom, Leda decides to rent a beach house for six weeks, on the Ionian coast, near Naples.  She packs her books and lesson plans for the coming school year and is planning to relax by lounging on the beach by day.

Early on she becomes fascinated by the interactions of an attractive young mother named Nina, and her young daughter, Elena. She also intently watches little Elena's interactions with her doll, which the girl calls by several different names.  Several other family members visit the family on the beach as well. One day Leda notices the child by the waters edge,  so she returns her to her mother who was lying on the beach blanket and hadn't noticed the child  had wandered to the water.  Another day when the family leaves the beach for the day, Leda notices that Elena's beloved doll was left buried in the sand. This incident upsets Leda, and suddenly this event, along with the interactions of mother and child, opens a floodgate of memories for Leda of her own days as a young mother.  Some of the incidents which she recalls of things she did, and ways she reacted to her own daughters --were cringe-worthy.

This brief novella, just 124 pages, is sure to evoke emotions among readers, especially mothers. Narrated in the first person, this deep journey into a mother's psyche, gives the reader plenty to think about. Marriage,  motherhood, personal freedom, sacrifice and career fulfillment are some of the conflicting issues that surface in this work.

Initially, I thought I might have a problem with the flow of the story due to the translation, but that was not the case. Once I got into the rhythm and into what was going on in Leda's head, I was hooked. I liked this one a lot, and would definitely recommend it.

A Good Hard Look; Ann Napolitano

Title: A Good Hard Look
Author: Ann Napolitano

Publication Year: 2011

Publisher: Penguin

Edition: ARC

Source: Amazon Vine

Location: Georgia

Date Completed: 8/14/2011 

Rating: 5/5

Recommend: yes - Don't Miss it!

A Good Hard Look is an amazing story that just might be my favorite book of 2011.  The novel is a work of fiction, with author Flannery O'Connor as a main character during the last few years of her life.  A life cut short at 39, from complication of Lupus.

The story opens in the 1960's, to the sounds of many screeching peacocks, which belonged to Flannery O'Connor.  The author lives with her mother Regina on their farm Andalusia - Milledgeville, Georgia.  It is the evening before the wedding of Cookie Himmel, a southern belle, and Melvin Whiteson, a wealthy New Yorker.  The two met in New York, Melvin  had recently lost his parents, and Cookie was never comfortable in the big city. In fact, Melvin was the only person who ever noticed her she claimed. The couple moving to Georgia, Cookie's hometown.  The night before the wedding, and they are staying at Cookie's parent's home are they, along with most of the townspeople, are awakened in the middle of the night to the screaming peacocks.  The peacocks are a foreshadowing of the bad things to come for some of the people in the novel.

 "Flannery spent her afternoons motionless in her porch chair, watching the peacocks stalk the lawn. The birds soothed her; their bright colors and disdainful expressions were precisely what she wished to see.  Flannery held her breath when a peacock opened his feathers into a blistering rainbow. She exhaled only when he shut it back down.  A fierce blue fan was revealed, then an auburn one.  The long feathers were decorated with moons and suns and peering eyes.  These displays were more frequent than usual.  The birds were generous with Flannery, seeming to sense her need for beauty.  She dreamed about the night --they crowed and bullied and flaunted their coats across her consciousness."

Flannery and Cookie grew up together, their mothers were friends. Cookie is not fond of Flannery ever since Flannery made one of her Wise Blood characters out to resemble her.  After the wedding, while Cookie keeps her distance from Flannery, and busies herself with ladies groups and community events, Melvin stops over at Flannery and Regina's house to pick up a wedding gift (she offers them a peacock). He begins to find her intriguing.  Although Flannery is pretty ill at this point and sometimes has difficultly walking, she is determined and focused on the writing of her second novel. Melvin notices she seems to enjoy life more than anyone he has met. So very different from his wife Cookie, he finds reason to spend time with her, like teaching her to drive. Although the friendship is innocent, he keeps his visits secret from his wife, and when Cookie becomes pregnant, he tries to work on his relationship with his wife.

I loved the contrast between Cook and Flannery. Flannery is so open, blunt and honest, and very matter of fact -- "she is who she is". She tells Melvin that he is wasting his life and needs to learn how to live, and not just pass the hours each day.  Cookie, is all about outward appearances, and as a result she feels very insecure around Flannery who she thinks is judging her.  There are a few terrible things that happen is this novel, and this is where the title: A Good Hard Look, seems just perfect.  It is at these times of crisis that each of the characters involved, (and there are a few more I haven't mentioned), must take " a good hard look" at what and why something sad has happened to them or a loved one. Each must search their souls to decide what is really important in life.

The author did a fantastic job of creating memorable characters and giving the reader a feel for what small town life is like --a place where everyone seems to know everything about everyone, and where secrets don't stay secrets forever.  As a reader, I was able to feel empathy for the situations that occurred as a result of choices people made.  The writing is beautiful, the novel is heartbreaking at times, but the characters are so very human. This book is a keeper - Highly recommended.

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros

Every Tuesday, I'll be posting the opening paragraph (maybe two) of a book I decided to read based on the opening paragraph (s). This week's selection has been chose for my Europa Challenge, and the first paragraph in someway spoke to me.

The Lost Daughter; Elena Ferrante

Europa Editions, 2008 

"I had been driving for less than an hour when I began to feel ill.  The burning in my side came back, but at first I decided not to give it any importance.  I became worried only when I realized that I no longer had the strength to hold onto the steering wheel.  In the space of a few minutes my head became heavy, the headlights grew dimmer;  soon I even forgot that I was driving.  I had the impression, rather, of being at the sea, in the middle of the day.  The beach was empty, the water calm, but on a pole a few meters from the shore a red flag was waving.  When I was a child, my mother had frightened me, saying, Leda, you must never go swimming if you see a red flag: it means the sea is rough and you might drown. That fear had endured through the years, and even now, although the water was a sheet of translucent paper stretching to the horizon, I did not dare go in: I was anxious, I said to myself, go on, swim: they must have forgotten the flag, and meanwhile I stayed on the shore, cautiously testing the water with the tip of my toe.  Only at intervals my mother appeared at the top of the dunes and shouted to me as if I were still a child: Leda, what are you doing, don't you see the red flag?"

 What are your thoughts about this opening paragraph?

Alice Bliss; Laura Harrington

Title: Alice Bliss

Author: Laura Harrington

Publication Year: 2011 

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Edition: hardcover

Source: publisher

Location: Upstate New York

Date Completed: 8/6/2011 

Rating: 4.5/5

Recommend: yes

Matt Bliss and his family live in upstate New York. He is totally devoted to his wife Angie, and daughters Ellie and Alice (the apple of Matt's eye).  He is also in the National Guard, and he feels a strong sense of duty to his country. When his unit is called out for active duty and deployed to Iraq, Matt is torn.  His wife is upset and angry that he is leaving his family and putting his family in a stressful situation, and himself in a dangerous situation as well.

His oldest daughter Alice, just 15, is heartbroken.  She and her dad have always had an extra special relationship because only the two of them enjoyed all outdoor activities.  Their time together was quality time, and together they've shared many happy times.  When Matt gets his orders, he has a long talk with Alice which even includes a discussion where he keeps all of his important papers should the family ever need them.  Once her dad leaves, Alice finds a shirt of his that he had recently worn and takes possession of it. Unwashed, it still smells like her dad. Although the shirt brings her some comfort, and she busies herself trying to keep up all the farming activities she once helped her dad with, she still  misses him terribly.  She must also still deal with all the other issues that face teens today. Soon tension builds between Alice and her mother, and it seems on more and more occasions lately, they just don't see eye to eye.

Fortunately, Alice has her best friend Henry who she has known since she was a toddler. Henry is there for Alice as a shoulder to cry on, and soon their relationship is evolving to something more than just friends.  Uncle Eddie and Gram, are not replacements for dad by any means, but they do what they can to provide emotional support.

The story seems to accurately portray what many families are facing today when they are separated due military deployment.  The novel is a first for the author who have previously been a screenwriter.  She did an amazing job fleshing out the characters, so I found it easy to feel the emotions each person was going through as I read.  It is a sad story but an important story. This story would appeal to adults who enjoy coming of age themes, as well as teens, especially those who have a parent who is away with the military.

I'm happy that I read this touching story, and even though Alice's voice seemed authentic, I found the writing style a bit difficult.  The book did not have chapters, and the story was written more like a diary and dialogue of what transpired over the course of a year, consisting of communications from Matt early on, and what was happening on the home front.  Despite this, the book it still a solid read.

The Curse of the Holy Pail; Sue Ann Jaffarian

Title: The Curse of the Holy Pail

Author: Sue Ann Jaffarian

Publication Year: 2007 

Publisher: Midnight Ink

Edition: eBook

Source: Kindle

Date Completed: 7/23/2011 

Setting: California

Rating: 5/5

Recommend: yes

Odelia Grey is a plus-sized, 40-something year old, corporate paralegal.  Her specialty at the law firm is research, and although she is no PI, she has been known to get herself involved in some sticky situations. Odelia just can't resist the opportunity to solve a mystery. Her younger boyfriend Greg has just proposed to her, and she's feeling like she needs time to think it over. When she is nervous or stressed she overeats.

In this cozy mystery, the second in a series, Odelia is sent over to the offices of Sterling Homes to notarize some documents for the company CEO, Sterling Price.  While she is there Mr. Price shows her his lunch pail collection, which includes the rare and most valuable pail, the "holy pail" is the first one made, the Chappy Wheeler. Chappy Wheeler was a television cowboy from the late 1940s who was murdered.  Every owner of this lunch pail has ended up dead, and so the pail is said to be "cursed".

Although Odelia is impressed by the "holy pail" and intrigued by its legend, she only has eyes for the Zorro lunch pail which is part of the collection.  Later that day a package arrives at the office --the Zorro lunch pail, a gift to Odelia from Sterling Price.  Unfortunately, shortly after, Mr. Price turns up dead. He was poisoned, and the valuable Chappy Wheeler lunch pail is missing.

"A gigantic Oreo cookie hung on the front entrance of the Sterling Homes corporate headquarters. I shook my head, removed my sunglasses, and did a double take.  This time, I saw a huge black funeral wreath. I made a mental note to call for an eye appointment. Soon."

"A blond, petite, and very chic woman sat on the sofa next to where Jackson Blake stood. She was very pretty, with the sort of fashion magazine looks that money and a good surgeon could maintain for years."

Odelia cannot resist delving into Price's death by asking innocent questions and doing a little snooping on the side.  She puts herself in several unsafe situations in the process. There are no shortage of suspects: Stella, Prices fiancee, his unscrupulous adult children, his son-in-law, and even someone from the old Chappy W show.

I loved this cozy mystery. The writing is laugh-out-loud funny, and even when Odelia is in the midst of a dangerous situation there are humorous elements that catch you off guard.  The story is centered around everyday life: Odelia's boyfriend, pets, family, and job, with a mystery thrown in making this just a delightful, laughable treat.  I highly recommend this light and fun book. I just ordered the first book in the series: Too Big to Miss. There are  5 books in the Odelia Grey mystery series.

Game of Secrets; Dawn Tripp

Title:  Game of Secrets

Author: Dawn Tripp

Publication Year: 2011 

Publisher: Random House

Edition: Hardcover

Source: sent by publisher

Date Completed: 7/4/2011 

Setting: New England

Rating: 5/5

Recommend: yes

In Game of Secrets, the lives of two women, two families are tied forever by a unsolved crime and secrets of the past.  In 1957, Luce Weld, father to (12) year old Jane disappeared.  Luce was a womanizer who had been having an affair with Ada Varick. Ada was married to Silas at that time, but left her husband the year her son Ray was born.  What exactly happened to Luce, is unknown, however in the 1960's a skull with bullet hole in it was found, and it townspeople suspected it could have been Luce.

Now in 2004, Jane still has never really gotten over the disappearance of her father.  Her relationship with her own adult daughter, Marne, who has just returned back to New England from California, has suffered as well.  Marne, soon begins a relationship with Asa's son Ray.  Jane, now 60, and Asa, 80, meet for weekly Scrabble games. Initially, not much is discussed about the past, or the affair between Asa and Jane's father, but little by little a power play with words over a weekly board game brings the details of the past to the forefront.

This novel has it all, a mystery with an addictive plot and plot twists, complex characters, a scandalous affair, complete with details of clandestine meetings. Literary thriller fans will enjoy this creative work.  I was hooked from the very beginning, and I was able to read this book in just one afternoon. It is certainly one of the best literary thrillers, that I've read in a while.

The Heart Specialist; Claire Holden Rothman

Title:  The Heart Specialist

Author: Claire Holden Rothman

Publication Year: 2011 

Publisher: Soho Press

Edition: ARC

Source: Amazon Vine

Date Completed: 6/19/2011 

Setting: Canada

Rating: 4/5

Recommend: yes

The Heart Specialist was an interesting read that caught my eye , and hooked me early on. I recently featured this book for one of my First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesday Intros. In case you missed it, here was the how this book started out:

January 1882, St. Andrews East, Quebec.

" All morning I had been waiting for death, even though when I finally came the change was so incremental I nearly missed it. I had laid the squirrel out on a crate and covered it with a rag to keep it from freezing. Blood no longer flowed from the wound on its head, although it still looked red and angry. A dog or some other animal must have clamped its jaws around the skull, but somehow it had managed to escape, dragging itself through the snow to Grandmother's property, where I had discovered it that morning near the barn door. It had been breathing then, the body still trembling and warm. "

Although this book is a work of fiction, it is based on the life of Maude Abbott, one of Canada's first female physicians.  As the story begins, Agnes is only five years old when her father Honore Bourret, a famous doctor with a specialty in morbid anatomy (study of diseases) mysteriously disappears.  He was the center of a scandal in which his sister died. With their mother dead and their father gone, Agnes and her sister Laure are left to be raised by their grandmother, an aloof and woman, who did nothing to nurture the girls. Their last name is also changed from Bourret to White.

Even though Agnes was very young, she often watched with fascination as her father performed dissections in a special room in their home. Her biggest supporter of her interest in science and medicine is Miss Skerry, the governess, who told the grandmother that she has been watching Agnes, and she has "considerable gifts ."  At the age of fifteen, Agnes is sent to Smith's School in Montreal to study, and hopes to continue on to McGill to study medicine.  

The year, however, is 1898 and McGill's doors are closed to women. Even when supporters of hers help to raise large sums of money, for separate facilities to educate women at McGill, she is denied entrance. She ends up pursuing her medical degree at Bishop University, a competitor of McGill. After graduating Agnes is offered a job with pay at McGill's Medical Museum. Still faced with discrimination, her colleagues seem annoyed by her presence, because she is getting paid, but not teaching or doing research.

Even though Agnes made huge advances for a woman at that time, her life seemed unhappy because of her father's disappearance early in her life. One day that mystery begins to unravel when she discovers a misshapen heart, and other specimens have ties to her father's research.

There was a lot to like about this book. Although it was heartbreaking at times to see the struggles Agnes had to endure early on with both parents gone from her life. Those struggles didn't end with childhood. Because of the time period and society's view of women and their perceived roles, Agnes had to work twice as hard as most men to be taken seriously.  The writing held my interest pretty well, but at times the writing seemed dry and, for at least (50) pages I struggled a bit. Despite this, I am very happy I read this book, and think that many other readers will find it a inspiring read as well.

The Uncoupling; Meg Wolitzer

Title: The Uncoupling

Author: Meg Wolitzer

Publication Year: 2011 

Publisher: AudioGo

Edition: audio book 

Reader: Angela Brazil (good)

Source: Library

Date Completed: 6/17/2011 

Setting: New Jersey

Rating: 3/5

Recommend: probably not

In search of light read, The Uncoupling, by Meg Wolitzer seemed like a good choice.

Dory and Robby Lang, English teachers from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Stellar Plains, New Jersey. They seem like the couple who has everything going for them.  In their 40's, married fifteen years, and they are happy with their life, until one night when Robby's amorous advances send ice cold chills trough Dory's once responsive body.  When this happens again and again, she doesn't understand what is happening to make her feel this way.  She finds herself apologizing to Robby for the way she has been acting.

It's not long before Dory realizes that she is not alone.  Her lack of interest in sex has hit other staff members at the school as well.  It seems that this sudden disinterest in sex all began around the time students at the school began practicing for the school play, Lysistrata.

The book is an off shoot to the Greek play Lysistrata, where Greek woman had withheld sex in the hopes of ending the Peloponnesian War. I liked the way the author made this not just Dory and Robby's problem, but one that affected other staff members as well. To me this added interest to the sometimes funny, but other times flat writing. And, while I liked the message the novel drove home, about the importance of nurturing relationships, the ending, without giving spoilers, just didn't work for me, and in the end this novel fell short.

Did you read this one? What did you think?

A Wild Surge of Guilty Passion; Ron Hansen

Title:  A Wild Surge of Guilty Passion

Author: Ron Hansen

Publication Year: 2011 

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Edition: ARC

Source: publisher

Date Completed: 6/6/2011 

Setting: New York

Rating: 5/5

Recommend: yes

Based on a true story from the late 1920s, Ruth Snyder was a blond, blue-eyed beauty when she married her husband Albert in 1915. Everywhere she went heads turned. Albert was thirteen years older than Ruth, and together the couple had one daughter. They lived in Queens Village, New York.  

Albert was often demeaning to his wife, sometimes drinking too much, and when he had free time, he chose to spend it doing things that he alone enjoyed. Initially, Ruth tried to please her husband, but it wasn't long before, she grew tired of being ignored by her husband. Flirtatious, and aware of the effect her beauty had on men, she got pleasure seeing their reaction to her teasing ways.  Judd Gray was one of these men.

Ruth met Judd Gray, a corset salesman in a diner, and the two hit it off. Ruth was ripe for a little excitement in her life, and it wasn't long before the two began a torrid love affair.  Judd, like Albert had a drinking problem.  He was also unhappy in his own marriage.  He finds Ruth totally irresistible. Once Ruth is sure she has Judd under her spell, she begins to plot a way to kill her husband, and the execution of that plan includes Judd.  Judd admits, later that he felt, " hypnotized and helplessly dominated by her. "

This novel was addictive. It begins with a bumbled crime scene, and investigation. Along the way the reader learns of Ruth and Arthur's passionless marriage, and more about their life together, followed by the intimate details of Ruth and Judd....A.K.A. "lover boy " and their intense, reckless affair.

The author does a fabulous job of plotting out the the details of their heated affair, as well as the details surrounding the planning and execution of Albert's murder, and the dual murder trials which drew crowds numbering somewhere around 1,500 spectators.  The trial and outcomes were riveting. This is one of those rare books, that made me anxious to read on, and almost a little afraid to find out what wound happen next.

Highly Recommended

The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary: A True Story of Resilience and Recovery; Andrew Westoll

 

Title:  The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary: A True Story of Resilience and Recovery

Author: Andrew Westoll

Publication Year: 2011 

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Edition: review copy

Source: Amazon Vine

Date Completed: 6/5/2011 

Setting: Canada

Rating: 5/5

Recommend: yes

A true story, The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary, serves as permanent retirement home for chimps which were used in biomedical research and experimentation.  The sanctuary,founded in 1997,  is located on a 240 acre farm outside of Montreal. It's founder Gloria Grow originally used a portion of the property as a dog rescue refuge for puppy mill dogs.

The author Andrew Westoll, hoping to gain more knowledge about how the chimps transitioned from the research labs, and often cruel experimentation, to life at the sanctuary, volunteered to help out there.  A few of the heartbreaking things he discovered were: baby chimps were removed from their mothers right after birth; chimps were injected with deadly viruses; chimps were subjected to unnecessary surgeries and forced to live without socialization. Would the chimps ever be able to trust humans once again, after all they had been through?

The stories about the chimps told of their lives before and after medical experimentation. They were sometimes difficult to read, yet they were told in a sensitive manner.  It was amazing to me that despite what some of these chimps had been though, some were able to recognize and respond to the kindness of their human caregivers, and were able to show compassion toward other chimps as well.

The US is the only remaining country to allow biomedical research on chimpanzees, and attempts have been made to pass The Great Ape Protection Act, to end this cruelty.

I was happy to have read this eye opening book, and I now have much respect for both the sanctuary's founded and the author, for giving this issue more much needed attention.  Their auctions were clearly a labor of love and a commitment to a cause. 

This book is a must read for individuals who are concerned about animal welfare and animal rights.  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book, will be given to Fauna Sanctuary.

The Pumpkin Eater; Penelope Mortimer

Title:  The Pumpkin Eater

Author: Penelope Mortimer 

Publication Year: 1962 / 2011 (NYRB)

Publisher: New York Review Book Classics

Edition: softcover

Source: My Stacks

Date Completed: 5/22/2011 

Setting: London

Rating: 4/5

Recommend: yes

The Pumpkin Eater is an interesting story, which takes place in London, and is reported to be somewhat autobiographical. The story begins with an unnamed woman talking with her therapist Mr Simpkin. We learn the woman is Mrs. Armitage. She's been married (4) times, she hates dust and messes, and has (8) children from her previous marriages. She seems to be her own worst enemy. Her current husband Jake and she have been married (13) years and, she wants to have a baby with him, but Jake does not. Jake's a womanizer, and he has a bit of a temper as well. The last thing he wants is another child in the house, in fact he wants to send his wife's (3) oldest boys off to boarding school.  Mrs A seems only to know how to reproduce. Her whole identify has been tied to having babies.  She has servants, so she need not worry about caring for the babies once she has them. When she does become pregnant once again, abortion is discussed, decisions need to be made. Mrs A is forced to examine her marriage and her life.

There was a lot to think about in this book. It covered the age old topics of marriage, motherhood and fidelity in oftentimes humorous fashion. I was a little surprised that abortion was raised in this story, since this book was originally published in 1962 London. While I liked the book enough to recommend it, for a 222 page book, it took me a while to complete it. It was one of those books that I read at lunch on a few workdays, but wasn't obsessed about finishing it when I got home in  the evening.

I couldn't stop thinking about the nursery rhyme by a similar name throughout this read......"Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater had a wife and couldn't keep her  ". I was curious about the origin of this rhyme (according to Wikki). While in the nursery rhyme, Peter .... "put her (his wife) in a pumpkin shell ", in this story, although the Armitages' live in the city, Jack builds a glass tower in the country, for their "happy years", and his wife escapes to the tower for much needed quiet contemplation about her life.  

This book is a bit different, but I can see many of my readers enjoying it.