The Names - Florence Knapp

Genre - Contemporary literary fiction

Nearly everyone has heard that "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, Act II, Scene 2. Florence Knapp does an effective job of refuting that notion in her debut novel The Names. Cora must register her newborn son’s name. Her abusive husband demands he be named after his father just as he was. She would prefer something much different. Knapp creates three separate timelines exploring how Cora’s choice on this day impacts the rest of the lives of her, her children, and her husband. 

I was spellbound. Knapp created each of the scenarios in such a compelling way that I found myself drawn equally to each iteration of the family. The characters are the same, and yet they are not. I am fascinated by how their stories are so remarkably different and yet many of their core personality traits remain the same. I am often drawn to characterization - reflected in my love of literary fiction. Knapp is next level. How does one create the same set of characters and develop them the way that she does? In doing so, Knapp creates a kind of suspense that was unexpected to me. Beyond characterization, Knapp explores domestic violence, feminine independence, family relationships, breaking, and healing.

In what I am commonly coming to refer to as my reflective stage in life, Knapp’s exploration of choice is very appealing to me. I am indecisive at best. And when I do decide - I revisit the decision ad nauseum. While I don’t particularly remember any regret in naming my children, I am grateful that I hadn’t read this book in advance of the decision. And it’s not just names, right? The decision to stay at a job rather than endure a change (I relive that on often.)... The decision to nurture some friendships as others fade away…The decision to try and hold onto my faith in spite of doubts and fears…The list for me goes on and on. I guess in a way, Knapp offers positives and negatives with the narratives she creates. And in every case life does, in fact, go on. I am undecided yet as to how the reading of this will change me - likely not at all. But I will reflect now in a different way. Maybe. Please read Florence Knapp’s The Names. Boy, I’d like to discuss it with some others. 

My Friends - Fredrik Backman

Genre: Literary Fiction

I  loved My Friends by Fredrik Backman. As advertised by the title, the novel is about friendship  - the kind of friendship forged in childhood, in tragedy. The novel is also about art and its power to impact people even to change the world. The novel is about God - what God is and what God means. He weaves these very big motifs into a surprising and delightful fabric. 

Summaries by this time are easy to find. I have decided to try and intrigue you with quotes from the work. I love great quotes from a great novel. Indulge me and let me just celebrate a wordsmith. 

P 212 You’re an artist if you create something! You’re an artist if you don’t see the world the way it is, if you hate white walls! No one else decides what art is, no one can stop you loving whatever you like, the cynics and critics can have control of all the other crap on the planet…but they can’t decide how hard your heart beats… 

P 306 In a library. You don’t have to put up with reality there. It’s as if thousands of strangers have given away their imaginary friends, they’re sitting on the shelves and calling you as you walk past. There’s an author called Donna Tartt who describes why a person falls in love with art:’It’s a secret whisper from an alleyway. Psst, you. Hey kid. Yes, you.’ That’s what libraries feel like to me.

P 381 …”I don’t even think all the people who go to church every Sunday believe in God. I think they just need company. To feel that they belong in a group.” Kimkim nodded gently and replied: “But I don’t think that means that God doesn’t exist, Joar. I think maybe that’s what God is.”

P 417 It’s art that helps me cope. Because art is a fragile magic, just like love, and that’s humanity’s only defense against death. That we create and paint and dance and fall in love, that’s our rebellion against eternity. Everything beautiful is a shield. Vincent van Gogh wrote: ‘I always think that the best way to know God is to love many things.

My Friends by Fredrick Backman reminds me how much I love to read a Fredrick Backman novel. Join me in meeting Louisa and her new friend Ted on their journey - literal and figurative. 

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave - Elle Cosimano

Genre: Murder Mystery, Suspense, Humor

Is it enough of a review for me to say, Finlay Donovan never disappoints? Elle Cosimano brings all of the murder, suspense, and humor that we have come to expect to her newest Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave. Finlay and Vera really feel they’ve earned a break when their nosy neighbor Mrs. Higginson brings a murder mystery right to their door step. And could Finlay’s ex husband be a suspect? Mrs. Higginson moves in, and while she brings unexpected order to the children and the household, the ladies would love to move her on. 

I just enjoy these books. While they aren’t quite believable, I love every second of Cosimano’s well crafted plots. While I am reading, I am all in. My life is often slow, some might consider it boring (not me), but Finlay Donovan’s is not. She is the fully grown up Nancy Drew - with an edge to be sure - that I once thought I might be. She is messy and often frustrated, but I love her anyway. I also enjoy all of the through lines. Her romantic life continues to move forward - with a policeman of course. Come on :-). Vera, too, has a personal life that continues to grow. I so enjoy Cosimano’s slow build in many of the story lines within all four books. I hope to see Finlay’s kids grow into adulthood. Seriously. 

I have read and enjoyed them all. I have a couple more reviewed here: Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun and Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice. Join me on the journey - Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan Digs her Own Grave is a top notch reading experience.

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) - Jesse Q. Sutanto

Genre - Mystery

If you already know and love Vera Wong (I did) from Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders, you will want to follow up with Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Once again, because of her compulsive yet lovable nosiness, Vera finds herself smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation. And because, after all, she’s already “solved” one murder, who better than she to find out what happened to influencer Xander Lin? Though she drives her friends and family crazy and finds out more about the world of social influencing than she would (once again, very quickly she is an expert), Vera persists in finding answers.

Sutanto demonstrates the ability to balance very serious subject matters with lightness and humor. The young kids in this novel have been unspeakably abused. The character development is strong and such that I felt overwhelming sorrow for their pain and disdain that such crimes can and do happen. She builds the story in such a way that the reality she presents creeps up on us with a bit of gentleness that maybe we don’t deserve. We are encouraged to take societal horrors very seriously. Through Vera and her involvement we are encouraged to take ourselves a little less seriously.

I love Vera’s indomitable spirit. She has been lonely and has felt unproductive. She has no desire to return to that life. She revels in her new found friends and self made family. But she can’t resist when a new mystery presents itself in spite of the concerns of those very same people.  Of course she wants to help, but also she wants to feel useful and prove her worth. People, especially women since that is my area of experience, can get lost in the shuffle around middle age fairly easily. If you’ve built your life around your children and your spouse as did Vera- empty nesting and widowhood can be even more difficult. Vera refuses to give up and settle down. She is driven to help others. I admire that and fully understand how her…perceptions of danger and appropriateness…can drive her loved ones quite nuts. I wish you’d read Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man).

The Art Thief - Michael Finkel

Genre: Nonfiction - True Crime?

True Crime is certainly having a moment. A couple of teacher friends recommended Michael Finkel’s The Art Thief to me, and it takes true crime to an altogether different place for me. Finkel narrates the story of Stéphane Breitwieser’s theft of art worth an estimated $20 billion dollars. Along with his girlfriend Anne-Catherine Kleinklass he stole from more than 200 museums and galleries in Europe. The thing is - he didn’t sell this art for money. He displayed it in his home - the attic of his mother’s house - to enjoy. 

Finkel details many of Breitwieser's thefts in this account. I don’t know enough about art to fully appreciate what he is focusing on, but the means by which he acquires art seems impossible. He and Kleinklass have their process down to an art (pun intended). I can’t really believe that stealing priceless works of art is easy, but these two sure made it look that way. I suppose museums and galleries, largely underfunded and understaffed, couldn’t quite imagine the audacity of these two. They walk in. They walked out with art - again and again and again. Even more fascinating is the look into the mind of Breitwieser Finkel gives us - primarily because of his opportunity to interview him in prison. In spite of being in prison, Breittwieser is extraordinarily arrogant. He is arrogant about his taste in art, his capacity to steal it, his thoughts about the purpose of art. He lived for a very long time, a life I can’t imagine - surrounded by art in an attic - punctuated by trips to steal it. He was passionate about the quest. So probably it was this passion - dare I say obsession - that led to his being caught. He returned to a place where he had almost been stopped before. Arrogance. Kleinklass’s role and response to it is equally fascinating. Life just goes on for her. I guess she’ll have a story to tell her grandkids.

Michael Finkel’s The Art Thief took me into a world largely unfamiliar to me - and engaged me in its intimate look at the life of Stéphane Breitwieser. I could ask the questions about what is art for? Should it be confined in museums and galleries? For whom was it created? The thief absolutely inspires these thoughts. But honestly - I was most fascinated by the thief himself - his motives? His lack of remorse? What a character study! In terms of true crime where I started, I find myself grateful that his obsession was with art and not something more dangerous to humans. I recommend this as a fascinating read - different for me, but quite well done. 

Cover of Michael Finkel’s The Art Thief

Great Big Beautiful Life - Emily Henry

Genre: Romance

Emily Henry did not disappoint me in her newest novel Great Big Beautiful Life. Alice Scott has worked hard to track down Margaret Ives - a starlet who had effectively disappeared. Alice is hoping to be chosen to write her official biography. The optimist is stunned at first when she finds she must compete with Pulitzer Prize winning biographer Hayden Anderson. Alice doesn’t give up and agrees to work with Ives every other day until a biographer is chosen. 

For me this book was a bit of a departure for Henry, and I was here for it. Of course romantic feelings develop between Hayden and Alice. Given the nature of the competition between them, such a romance seems all kinds of impossible. And yet, they are the only two who are getting a glimpse into Ives’ life, and they have questions. And, of course, they bump into each other here, there, and everywhere. Henry creates all of the romcom moments that her readers (me!) love.  The story is deeper. Margaret Ives, who glitters on the surface, has a difficult story to tell. We learn of the difficult pressures of life in a wealthy family - expectations and secrets. Her history is complex, and she has had much loss and grief. As she shares her story - mystery and suspense are created. 

I wonder if that is why I am drawn to the old Hollywood books like Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life. At some level I have always dreamed of being a glittery star (without the talent to pull it off). Life - especially in “old” Hollywood looks so glamorous. These novels remind me that “the grass is not always greener” and that wealth comes with some pretty strong strings attached. Even more importantly I can never be reminded too many times that change is always a possibility. If I can read about someone else’s redemption - I can see my own. My history is not nearly as colorful and fraught as that of Ives, but who doesn’t reflect on life and wonder if they could have done things differently here and there? While I can’t go back and change the past, I can move forward in new ways. Ives is not perfectly courageous in moving forward - but in doing so she builds connections and makes amends. Perhaps that is all we can do - and for many that will be enough. 

The Woman They Could Not Silence - Kate Moore

Genre: Narrative Nonfiction; Historical

Kate Moore’s The Woman They Could Not Silence is a powerful reminder of how little agency women used to have over their lives. Elizabeth Packard is wrongfully committed to an insane asylum on the word of her husband. She is wrenched away from her home and her children. While she initially has some freedoms in the asylum, she fights for her release so passionately that she is ultimately moved to a ward for much more “difficult” women. Even there she works nearly tirelessly to restore dignity to the women with whom she is confined. While her story ends with her release, and she is able to tell her story freely, the loss is extensive. Her story is important and powerful and compelling.

Narrative nonfiction is a powerful education tool for a reader like me. Like with her previous Radium Girls, Moore creates an engaging narrative here. I came to care for Elizabeth very quickly and longed for her to find a better and more free life. I found myself on occasion frustrated with the decisions she made that seemed so - foolish to this 21st century woman who was never forced to defend her sanity to a hateful husband and delusional doctor. The layers here are endless. I am always surprised by the lack of rights held by women at the time. I am always, then, appalled. I am glad we have progressed. I am then also worried that we seem to have moved little in the right direction in terms of mental health care. We don’t have enough professionals. We don’t have enough places. We don’t have access. Misperceptions abound. The religious overtones are disturbing and scary.  The ties between religion, misogyny, and mental illness are stunning. 

And again, I am left grateful for the strength of the women who fought for the rights that I am often in danger of taking for granted. And again, I am uncomfortable with the directions we are heading right now both with women’s rights and with the treatment of the mentally ill. Reading matters. Understanding history matters. I suppose that if you’re reading something like this then I am preaching to the choir.  I am grateful for authors like Kate Moore and books like The Woman They Could Not Silence for their work. She is a woman who, it seems, is still fighting. 

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books - Kirsten Miller

Contemporary Fiction

This librarian was happy to have read Kirsten Millers’ Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books. In a painfully true to life way Lula Dean has fought successfully to ban all sorts of books from her little Georgia town’s public library. Using fear of the lgbtq+, of people of other races, of feminine mystique and power to win community members to her side. She creates her own little library and fills it with titles she considers appropriate. Beverly is devastated and stores the removed books in her basement hoping for the day they will be returned to the library. On a visit home, Beverly’s daughter Lindsey covertly places these books - disguised in the jackets of Lula’s “acceptable” books right in Lula’s library. 

A lovely type of chaos ensues as reader after reader is surprised by a book they have chosen from Lula Dean’s little library. A meek wife learns to tap into her own power. The mother of a neo nazi reads about Anne Frank. A young man who is gay finds a book to which he can relate. In a relatively short amount of time the community undergoes rather a large change - almost unbelievably. Structurally, each chapter focuses on a specific book - real or imagined along with a character or family. I love the short story feel of it. This structure also allows the reader to get to know several people quite well. Even as I wonder at the possibility that so many kinds of problems exist in a small town, my experience as a teacher in just such a place tells me probably so. Miller expertly balances very serious topics with satire making a difficult book a bit easier to read.

My whole career  and much of my volunteer hours speak to the importance that I give to the reading of good books. In a time when challenges increase and bans are resulting more often this book speaks well to the power of reading to educate and support. Kirsten Miller tackles a series of very serious subjects effectively n Lula Dean’s Little Library Of Banned Books. 

Book cover of Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books

The World's Fair Quilt - Jennifer Chiaverini

Genre - Contemporary/Historical Fiction

If you are already a fan of Jennifer Chiaverini’s Elm Creek Quilts series, her newest installment The World’s Fair Quilt is one for you. If not, this title is a lovely place to start. Sylvia is staring down some changes at Elm Creek Quilts - in part because the camp is in a very difficult financial place. She is also reflecting back on her childhood relationship with her sister Claudia and their experience in working on a quilt for a 1933 contest sponsored by the Chicago World’s Fair. Elm Creek is one of my favorite places to visit.

I have long admired Sylvia, the owner of Elm Creek Quilts. She has creatively saved her family’s home and created a thriving business. She has created a new family, surrounded by friends who care deeply about her. She feels the pressure of honoring them all while staring down increasing financial pressure. Sylvia struggles with the changes that may be necessary in spite of the expert advice of Sarah and Matthew - whom she considers her very own children. Meanwhile, Summer has asked to display the quilt she created with her sister for a world’s fair contest. Searching for the quilt and the memorabilia she’s kept opens a flood of memories. These memories cause her to reevaluate her perceptions of her sister as well as the decisions she’s made. 

The family relationships are what really spoke to me. How often I reflect and reflect again on my history with my family. I hope that I have the insight that Sylvia has to grow and change over time as I gain new information. The book is encouragement to look at both sides when we feel at odds with someone. I always love the quilting talk. I am not a quilter, but perhaps wish I were. In any case, I am one vicariously when I read Chiverini’s books. The historical sections here were fascinating to me as well. I loved the insight into the Bergstrom family struggles and to the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. The World’s Fair Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini offers a number of avenues to get the reader's attention. You will enjoy it!

Book cover of The World’s Fair Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini

The Third Gilmore Girl - Kelly Bishop

Memoir

Listening to Kelly Bishop voice her book The Third Gilmore Girl was pure reading magic for me. I had the privilege of watching The Gilmore Girls live as it aired on TV the very first time with my daughter. We very quickly became fans of all three of the Gilmore ladies. How could I not spend some time with Bishop’s memoir? 

I always enjoy a glimpse into the ways of Broadway and Hollywood. I appreciated Bishop’s detailed look at her six decade career. She gave me an engaging and insightful look into that world. I had this vague notion of her involvement in A Chorus Line, but I had no sense of how inextricably she was a part of the musical’s origin story. I read articles; I watched videos. What a fun trail she sent me on. And as someone who has completed The Gilmore Girls in its entirety more times than I could count or should EVER admit, I absolutely drank in the tea about the show. Her insight and perspective are delightful. Bishop also shares about her personal life and the people she loves. She graciously shares the lessons she has learned over the years and is open about both joy and loss. I thank  her. 

I loved the rollercoaster that Bishop took me on with the character of Emily. I loved her. I hated her. I almost always respected her. I loved her memoir as well. After completing The Third Gilmore Girl I found myself respecting Bishop even more than the fictional character she created whom I know so well. Even if you’re not a Gilmore girl fan (what??), please read this anyway. Kelly Bishop’s story will delight and inspire. 

Book cover of The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop

When We Were Innocent-Ella Berman / The Lying Game-Ruth Ware

Contemporary Fiction/Mystery

Both of these rather modern mysteries explore the notions of friendship. How loyal must a friend be? How might we test the limits of a friendship? Ella Berman’s Before We Were Innocent and Ruth Ware’s The Lying Game explore these questions - in the context of secrets, death, and lies. In each novel - the friendships develop in a rather entitled sort of atmosphere (there is definitely a boarding school - love a boarding school book!) - these girls forge friendship as young ladies, and their secrets tie them together for a lifetime. 

Ten years after a college trip to Greece ends in tragedy - Joni needs Bess for an alibi. Bess finds herself unable to say no. They are inextricably tied together because of the tragic death of their friend Evangeline. They are both forced to relive and reflect on this trip. Bess begins to wonder about most of the choices she’s made. So begins When We Were Innocent. Similarly, in The Lying Game, when Kate reaches out with an “I need you,” her girlfriends come, immediately. Isa, a new mother with baby in tow, Fatima, and Thea arrive at the beach house where they spent countless vacations and weekends while in boarding school together. Their friendships are also forged in a shared secret in just one academic year. They, too, begin to question what they’ve believed for over a decade. In both cases suspense builds and long held perceptions are challenged -as are the friendships themselves.

I’m not sure what it says about me that in both books I found myself increasingly frustrated by the…loyalty of these ladies. Like most, I have not always made the wisest decisions regarding friends. However, time and again I wanted to shake these characters into some sort of sense. (You know these people are NOT real, my students would consistently remind me when I got emotional.) I was particularly frustrated when Isa continually put her baby in danger. While I value friendships, some of them the lifetime kind, I suppose I can count myself lucky that I don’t fully understand the bonds formed in the kinds of tragedies they faced. And yet, both authors created suspense in a way that kept me fully engaged. I love to try and figure out the puzzle pieces of a good mystery, and both of these were good mysteries. Nothing makes me happier than thinking I have a mystery figured out, only to find out that I am not quite there yet. Both Ware and Berman write this kind of mystery/thriller for me here. In the hazy days of summer in both cases tragedy happens. As grown women reflect, we get to look back on the events of their lives with them. Maybe we can see something that they did not.

I have often thought about how I was shaped by my childhood and youth - perhaps a little less so after some good counseling and being solidly in middle + age. In any case, I appreciate how these thirty-forty something protagonists look back and try to figure out a good way to move forward - to be unstuck in the tragedy of youth. Berman especially leaves me slightly uncomfortable with the choice made by Bess, but the discomfort is something I like as well. I have never found it particularly easy to wrap things up in a nice, neat bow, and I like some of my books to end that way as well. Please read The Lying Game by Ruth Ware and Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman - entertaining, suspenseful and thoughtful!

Book cover the The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

Book cover Before We Were Innocent Ella Berman

Beautyland - Marie-Helene Bertino

Genre: Science Fiction (Historical??? to say that makes me feel old!)

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino was a mindbender for me - in a good way. Adina who was born in 1977 becomes “activated” through a family trauma at age 4. From that point on, she believes she is an alien whose job it is to report on humans back to her home planet. She uses a fax machine to issue her reports. 

Adina struggles to fit in with the humans surrounding her. She is somewhat isolated because of her social and economic standing. She is being raised by a single mother, and they struggle. She is a scholarship student at her high school and feels set apart because of that. She often misinterprets what others say. She tends toward the literal - people seldom cooperate.  I was absolutely fascinated by her perspective of the people around her. She is painfully objective and is able to cut through to the foibles of the human race quite effectively. The people who surround Adina are flawed mostly, loving sometimes, and painfully real. Her young life is the 80s, and, of course, so was mine. Bertino captures the spirit of the times well - the good and the not so good.  The actual Beautyland from the novel reminds me well of the Jamesway and Kmart of my youth. The satisfaction that Adina and her mother can find there evokes memories of time spent searching for the perfect 45 record on a Friday night - quite a treat. 

In many respects I felt like I didn’t fully understand this book. I am typically not science fiction or fantasy oriented. I tended to think that Adina was neurodivergent. The internet would have me believe she was, in fact, an alien. Kudos to Bertino for crafting a novel so carefully that I can be comfortable in the uncertainty. And. I appreciate the incisive look at society and the people in it through Adina’s eyes either way.  I recommend Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino - you will be more thoughtful for the read. 

Looking for Jane - Heather Marshall

Genre: Historical Fiction

In Looking for Jane, Heather Marshall creates a compelling look at the history of the autonomy of women through multiple timelines. A mysterious letter that Angela finds in 2017 sends her on a quest that allows her to discover much about the Jane network of the 1970s. Eileen, who was forced to give up her own baby in a Catholic home, is one of the doctors in the Jane network. In the 80s, Nancy joins Eileen there after experiencing her own difficulties. Based on the Jane Collective in Chicago - Marshall’s impeccably researched books explores women, motherhood, reproductive rights, and family.

Marshall’s characters are fully developed and represent the eras in which she places them excellently. She introduces the horror of young girls being forced to relinquish their babies - the absolute cruelty surrounding their “care.” She explores the extensive means by which women attempt to gain control of their bodies and reproductive rights. She does so with these women - for whom I have much empathy. These women are inextricably bound by their histories and experiences. 

As always I find myself stunned by the lack of rights held by women - my mother’s age - in my lifetime. Books like All You Have to Do is Call by Kerri Maher and The Girls We Sent Away by Meagan Church have also contributed to my awareness of how much I take for granted. I consider it my responsibility to continue to learn and acquire as much information as I can. The perspectives provided by history are invaluable to me in this process. Morris is sensitive, thoughtful, and thorough. I was led to Heather Marshall’s Looking for Jane after I read her novel, The Secret History of Audrey James. While the topic differs, the insight into the strength of women remains. Heather Marshall is good! Listen; I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I take much of my freedoms for granted. No matter where you land in terms of your own beliefs and perspectives, education is always good. 

Completely unrelated to the topic of the book and the strength of the writing, the cover is top notch. The rotary dial phone is just the touch for a woman of a certain era. 

Sandwich - Catherine Newman

Sandwich - Catherine Newman

In Catherine Newman’s novel Sandwich, Rocky has what seems to this empty nester the best week ever ahead - a week at the beach with her children and those special to them. To this woman who’s lost her mom that she is even going to get some time with both of her parents seems delightful. As is the case, the week is much more complex than a vacation. Life is seldom simple. Newman creates a humorous and thoughtful look at what is like to be sandwiched between parenting your children and your parents. Catherine Newman speaks to me in her novel in a way that I love.

My experience is that the time during and after menopause has been a time of much reflection. For Rocky it is as well. She is anticipating the idea that her son may have a child. She is remembering her own youth and pregnancies. She is dealing with the illness of her mother. She is as are most mothers trying to be all things to all of her family. Her concerns are real. The conflicts abound. I love character development in a Catherine Newman novel. Like the real people who populate my world, these folks are sometimes likable and sometimes not. They are confused; they struggle with their decisions. But they rely on each other and sometimes have the difficult conversations. Through it all, Newman gives us a family who ultimately love each other. They have histories and traditions - like my own family trips to the beach that include doughnuts and ice cream - and a seafood restaurant. 

In part because of this setting, I related to Rocky perhaps a bit too well. While our experiences are not the same, our struggles are similar. I would love to be able to, right now, simultaneously be able to care for my grandson and my father. I struggle to find the balance that I seek. I question decisions that I made as a parent and work through what has been a tough history with my dad. Perhaps a week at the beach is just what I need. I most highly recommend Sandwich by Catherine Newman. Also check out Newman’s We All Want Impossible Things, reviewed here.

Dinner for Vampires - Bethany Joy Lenz

Genre: Memoir

What a fascinating look inside the world of a cult- the Big House Family - is Dinner For Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz. Bethany details her journey as an actress, as a person of faith, as a cult member, and as a survivor. I listened to the audiobook, narrated excellently by Lenz herself. 

So I am not a member of the One Tree Hill generation - the show just didn’t hit the airwaves at the right time for me. In that sense I only had a general idea of Bethany Joy Lenz. But after hearing her interviewed on a couple of podcasts, I was very much drawn to her work. 

I love memoirs, and Lenz is very vulnerable and thoughtful in this one. Of course I love a Hollywood adjacent story. I have been fascinated by the “stars” since my Tiger Beat years. I was drawn to her story of her life as an actress and singer. But the narrative of her involvement in the Big House Family was fascinating, sad, scary, almost unbelievable. But, believable in her detail and development. I am and have been a person of faith since childhood. Much of what Lenz details feels so akin to how I felt as a child and a young woman. The grooming of the group was careful and slow. And here’s the thing - I understood her choices for a good long while. I have become very thoughtful about how we live in and share our faith as women particularly. Her book challenges me even more. The idea that raising our children as people of faith, can make them vulnerable to groups like this also sticks with me. Like Lenz, I have my own history of … ordering my life according to Christian expectations that are not necessarily Biblical. They were, however, and still are in many spaces accepted. I imposed similar expectations on my own kids - who thankfully challenged me. I’m not 100% sure what to do with my thoughts, but we must be aware of stories like Lenz’s and be thinking of how to protect others. What kind of disturbs me is that in spite of her story and others in the group, members of the group have not been held accountable. I guess I don’t understand the laws here.

Again, I am grateful that Bethany Joy Lenz shared her story in Dinner for Vampires. She has a hopeful ending, but leaves this reader with much to contemplate. 

Dinner For Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz Book Cover

A Week in Winter - Maeve Binchy

Genre - Women’s Fiction, Cozy

Narrator: Rosalyn Landor

A week spent in Ireland - at a newly renovated inn - I don’t mind if I do.  If it is Maeve Binchy creating the time for me - I’m definitely in. Maeve Binchy’s A Week in Winter is a delightfully cozy read for any time of the year. After a not so romantic elopement to America, Chicky returns home after weeks of hard work to convert an old mansion Stone House into an Inn. Binchy introduces us to her friends, her staff, and her guests through the first week of Stone House’s opening through a series of vignettes. She captures Stoneybridge and the people who live there with great care. Each and every guest is fully fleshed out in their chapter. This novel is a delightful read and thanks to the excellent narration a delightful listen as well.

I have read most of Meave Binchy’s books over the years - some more than once (which is unusual for me). I was late getting to this her final novel. But in the chaos of our nation and the world right now I’m choosing to believe it came to me at just the right time. Benchy creates delightful characters. Starry is a strong woman who does not allow misfortune to keep her down for long. She is working hard to find herself. Through the vignettes we come to know Rigger and Orla - who become instrumental to Stone House, also seeking to find themselves. I feel like I’m just listing characters, but seriously, I got to know the principal, the contest winners, the doctors… and I came to care about them all - this is what Binchy can do! I always enjoy Binchy’s Irish settings. She brings the villages and the folks in them to life. 

I have always wanted to be Irish. I am not, and I may never get to Ireland, but I feel like I have been there through reading. If you find yourself in need of a book-cation, Maeve Binchy’s books are quite simply delightful. I’ve been gathering up as many copies as I can to keep in my personal library. I will be adding A Week in Winter so that I may revisit the Stone House every once in a while.

Flying Solo - Linda Holmes

Genre: Romantic Fiction

Loss and grief don’t necessarily call romance to mind, but, as she does, Linda Holmes makes it all work in Flying Solo. Laurie returns to her hometown in Maine as the family representative to clean out her Aunt Dot’s house after her death. Aunt Dot found a place for Laurie when she was overwhelmed with her brothers and her chaotic home. She wants to honor her and her independent spirit after her passing. As she works through piles and piles of pictures, she discovers a wooden duck, they may have ties to a local artisan. Laurie has a mystery to solve. She also reunites with her best friend June and her first love Nick, the local librarian. Laurie is left with much to figure out.

I have learned to love Holmes’ female protagonists. Aunt Dot - who exists only in Laurie’s memories - is a force. She is independent, artistic - a free spirit who lived life on her own terms. She inspires Laurie, who has sought the same kind of independence, moving across the country and creating the kind of quiet life she longed for as a child. But she is unable to see any kind of compromise that might allow for love in her life though Nick tries to offer it. These complex ladies are the kind I’ve come to expect in Holmes’ work. The plot has twists and turns that make the read a fun one. I didn’t expect a quest to determine the price point of a wooden duck that would end up in a discovery (no spoilers) that would cause Laurie to reevaluate her life and decisions. This subplot really contributes to the humor factor too, keeping the book light hearted even with all of the seriousness. Entertainment at its finest!

My big life decisions feel long ago - in terms of marriage and family that is. But I appreciate very much Laurie’s thoughtful approach to her own life. I admire her desire for autonomy, but admit to feeling a bit relieved as she evolved near the end. I just wrote about Holmes’ new release Back After this, and I’m going to just repeat myself here : I love a woman learning to consider what she wants - and learning to trust herself - and acting for her own best interests. I also appreciate that there are no easy answers here. Holmes offers a bit more complexity and a little less ease in her happily ever after. Flying Solo is excellent - I’ll be waiting for Linda Holmes’ next novel!

Let Us Descend - Jesmyn Ward

Genre: Historical Fiction with a bit of magic…

In Let Us Descend, Jesmyn Ward weaves the horrifying and harsh realities of southern slave life with spiritual and magical fantasy elements to share the story of Annis. Annis and her mother are forced to separate by Annis’ evil owner who is also her sire. Separated by a year, he forces both mother and daughter from his plantation in the Carolinas on a march to the slave auction in New Orleans. Annis senses the presence of a spirit - who claims to have engaged with both her grandmother and mother in dark and difficult times. 

I am not as familiar with Ward’s work as I will become. I needed to “sit” with this book and let the horror of history sink in. Ward is not particularly graphic or overly emotional, but the profound torture and loss experienced by these enslaved characters is captured. I can’t imagine the horror of having no female body autonomy. I can’t imagine a forced separation from those I love, most especially my children. I can’t imagine experiencing the cruel punishments devised by slave owners. Oh, I could go on and on, but Ward’s work in this novel makes all of these real. When I reckon with the fact that Annis is a child whose whole life has been made up of these things - I can almost struggle to continue reading. Somehow, Ward weaves in a fantastical, spiritual element throughout the text.  I had to do some reading to wrap my head more fully around Annis’ visions as she descends deeper into the south, loneliness, and hellishness. In his article  “The Spirits of Let Us Descend, Explained” (https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/books/a46029503/the-spirits-of-let-us-descend-explained/) Charley Burlock details Ward’s development of this spiritual component. He reminds us that a spiritual component is historically attached to the enslaved Africans in America. He notes that Ward wasn’t comfortable ascribing her Catholic faith (with which she is no longer a fit for her) or West African gods to her characters. Instead she develops her own goddess Aza who accompanies Annis on this journey, just as she claims to have accompanied Annis’ mother and grandmother. Annis is very much a product of the life Annis lives. She is a bit selfish and manipulative  - and seems fitting for the life Annis must survive in. She brings some hope and connection to the women in her life, however, leaving Annis less bereft in the hellishness suggested by the novel’s title an allusion to Dante. As she must, Annis incorporates Aza into her life in the way that works for her. She must be practical and independent in order to survive and approaches this spirit realm in the same way. But ultimately the spirit helps her escape and have a hope of building a free life of her own. The writing here is just superb - from character and setting building to the lyrical supernatural elements  - this difficult and often horrific content is delivered with the reverence it deserves.

I was inspired to read about Jesamyn Ward and her writing after having read this book. I needed more context about the spiritual elements and was fascinated by her recounting of how she created them in the above article. Through that I read descriptions of her earlier memoir work and learned that she lost her partner to a respiratory illness in the very beginnings of the Covid epidemic while she was crafting this novel. In an interview recounted in “Novelist Jesmyn Ward: ‘Losing my partner almost made me stop writing,’” Emma Brockes notes this from Ward, “When everything in the world changes, these questions remain. ‘How do I live with this? Not in spite of it. How do I live with this?’”(https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/21/novelist-jesmyn-ward-losing-my-partner-almost-made-me-stop-writing).

And here’s this thing - the questions of modern day novelist Jesmyn Ward reflect nearly perfectly the questions of enslaved Annis in the 1860s. And if we are honest with ourselves, often the question of the readers’ lives as well. Gosh, I appreciate her transparency. She humanizes Annis - and while I can’t relate to her experiences AT ALL, I can relate to her questions. What that does for me is make the slavery experience much more personal. Does that matter? I think it does. So many folks are trying to create this narrative of “That” was so long ago (slavery),” and try to remove themselves from our nation’s history. What that does (I’m afraid is doing) is slide us as a culture toward removing the attitudes, the legislation, the policies we’ve put in place to try and create a more equal nation. I just completed Doris Kearns Goodwin’s An Unfinished Love Story where I learned a great deal about the passage of the Civil Rights Act which led me to documentaries and podcasts where I learned even more. I feel so passionate that we can’t go backwards when so much forward work still needs to be completed. Ward’s Let Us Descend inspires me at so many levels. I recommend you read it and see. 

An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s - Doris Kearns Goodwin

Genre - Nonfiction: Historical, Memoir

I had been on the waiting list for An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s by Doris Kearns Goodwin. My nonfiction brain needed to warm up a bit, but boy what an excellent read for me. Doris and her husband Dick make a project out of working through his boxes (and boxes and boxes) of memorabilia from his early working days. They planned to write a book about those experiences. Doris, using Dick’s own speeches and journals, crafts an intimate look at the presidential years of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson. As their speech writer, Dick was in the middle of it all. For example, he was integral in Johnson’s passing of the Civil Rights Bill - written as JFK intended. Doris also captures their lives - their meeting, their love, their political differences, and the beauty of their day to day living. 

This book was a challenge for me. I had to slow down my normal pace and also look up a fair amount of words (Thanks, Ereader!). Doris Kearns is a masterful writer and an expert in her field of history. She uses her knowledge and combined with her own experiences and those of her husband to provide new insight into the tumultuous political landscape of the 1960s. I am not politically and historically gifted enough to evaluate her work from this perspective. But as someone who loves to get her history through narrative nonfiction and memoir, Goodwin had me in the palm of her writing hand. I am fascinated by this period in history and am appreciative of her frontline perspective of it. As tends to happen with me, the book sent me into a flurry of googling, documentary watching, podcast listening, and book buying. I had little idea of the personalities of these historical figures and the weight of their legislation and political landscape.  Kearns also, through this book, explores the relationship that she and her husband share. The unfinished part is especially poignant as she embarks on life without him - without being able to complete this project with him. The blending of history and memoir is beautifully wrought. 

Doris Kearns Goodwin’s An Unfinished Love Story spoke to me in the current moment in two ways. One, it is, for me, a comfort to know that division and difficulty has a long and storied history in these United States.  Perhaps we are exposed to it more now with the 24 hour news cycle and social media, but I needed the refresher that this battle has long existed. Less positively, I worry about the “Great Society” being systematically chipped away at in our current political times. I am unsettled at the reminder of the lack of civil rights in my lifetime and the prejudice that still exists and seems to be pushing us backwards. I love a novel like that stretches me and  makes me think - even one that makes me uncomfortable or empowers me to act. 

A book cover of An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Another Brooklyn - Jacqueline Woodson

Genre: Literary Fiction

I have long loved Jacqueline Woodson novels, but had lost track of her just a bit when I retired from being a high school librarian. As I was looking for books to read - Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson appeared. I’m not sure how I missed it before, and what an easy choice! Focusing primarily on August, this short, lovely, lyrical book follows the growth of her and her girls: Sylvia, Angela, and Gigi. August moves to Brooklyn with her dad and brother after the death of her mother. She is left largely on her own, trying to find her way in her new urban home, believing for a long time that her mom is not really dead. She doesn’t truly begin to blossom until she becomes a part of her foursome. These girls navigate creepy old men, coming of age moments, first love, death, poverty always supporting each other. 

August is such a multidimensional character. Through retrospect, we are given insight into her childhood. We learn of her mother and the probable mental illness that contributed to her death. Somehow Woodson paints this extraordinarily difficult childhood with an almost magical brush. She captures the innocence of August’s childhood in an almost painful way. She captures much of her growing up in Brooklyn the same way - young girls who become accustomed to men offering them money to “see their panties” at a very young age. August  - who is fully grown and mourning the loss of her father reflects back on her life in Brooklyn in a very objective way. She threads together the good, the bad, all of the experiences in a very thoughtful way (I find I want to say that she has had excellent counseling and can’t find the one word to encompass that). The friendships these girls create are also beautiful to read about  - in spite of their differences, losses, and difficult environments. Though they are extremely close, the friendships do not transfer into adulthood. That fact of life makes me a little sad, but also reflects much of my experience. I’ve had different friendships that define different times in my life. Dramatic events don’t always break up a friendship; sometimes time, distance, and growth in different directions do the same. I have been known to duck out of an aisle at the store to avoid contact with someone from my past - for no real notable reason. Woodson captures the spirit of the 70s. She weaves in Vietnam and music and other cultural allusions seamlessly. We feel the 70s for certain, but also get the sense that what these girls experience is timeless. 

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson is a poetic and thoughtful slice of life that captures the coming of age of August and her friends. I have to say that the book reminded me in some ways of Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street. The juxtaposition of innocence and very adult experiences are part of both. And both end with hope, with a processing that suggests a good future for these girls as adults. 

A book cover for Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson