The synopsis says that this a comic novel, but I found it very dark...almost dystopian. To me it was a comment on the despair of Trump's America out in the so-called "heartland".
The book is set in a failing antiques center in Wichita, Kansas. The last hope of the owner to salvage his finances, his relationships with his wife and daughter, and the disappointments of his life is the possibility of the attention he believes the center will receive when a pair of cable TV antique pickers come to film a segment for their show.
A number of the booth holders are hoping to revive their businesses with the sales they think will follow. Each of these is eccentric in his or her own way, and more than a little sad.
At the same time, a young girl in the community has gone missing, and there is an all-out effort going on to find her.
How this all unfolds is the story told here. I'm not quite sure why I stuck with this tale, as I did not come away with good thoughts. I'll be interested to see what other reviewers say.
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Monday, February 17, 2020
A World Apart: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Wonderful. Lyrical. Haunting. I could hardly put this book down.
A young white girl, barely old enough to go to school, is gradually abandoned by her family members, and is left to fend for herself in an isolated shack outside a tiny town in the marshlands along the the North Carolina coast, circa the early 1950s.
Catherine, called by her nickname, Kya, was the youngest child of a couple whose lives were a struggle. They descended into poverty and despair resulting from what much later became known as PTSD, and alcoholism, violence and depression drove away the older children, their mother, and the next to youngest child, leaving Kya alone with her father, who after some periods of relative calm, eventually disappeared.
Kya had a deep love of her surroundings and the wildlife that resided there. She had learned some skills from her mother, father and Jodie, her last brother to leave, and with her native intelligence and her father's boat, she made her way. She remained reclusive and wild, but over time she formed a close bond with Jumpin', the African-American man who ran a small business selling gas and basic provisions to shrimpers and other boaters, and his wife, Mabel. A few others in the town were aware of her situation and helped her in their quiet way, but never letting on – like the truant officer who brought her to school for one day, but left her alone after she ran away from the taunts of her classmates. They called her Marsh Girl and made cruel comments about her, as children do.
Tate was a young boy who had been a friend of Jodie, became aware of Kya living on her own, and gradually won her trust. He too, had a deep appreciation of marshlands, its birds and water life. As time went on, he taught her to read and brought her small gifts, like a rare feather for her collection, but later her first bakery-made birthday cake after finding out the date through the town records.
Kya grew into a beautiful teenager, and on one of her visits to town for supplies, caught the eye of Chase, the town's golden boy – the richest, most popular and most athletic big fish in a very small pond. It's not hard to guess that this ultimately would not end well...but what follows is not entirely the usual trajectory of events, and this is the story you must read for yourself.
Author Delia Owens is wildlife scientist and the author of non-fiction books in her field, making her well-prepared to present the milieu of her first novel. It is truly an extraordinary book, and the only question I have is what she might produce next. Bravo, Ms. Owens for this amazing fiction debut.
A young white girl, barely old enough to go to school, is gradually abandoned by her family members, and is left to fend for herself in an isolated shack outside a tiny town in the marshlands along the the North Carolina coast, circa the early 1950s.
Catherine, called by her nickname, Kya, was the youngest child of a couple whose lives were a struggle. They descended into poverty and despair resulting from what much later became known as PTSD, and alcoholism, violence and depression drove away the older children, their mother, and the next to youngest child, leaving Kya alone with her father, who after some periods of relative calm, eventually disappeared.
Kya had a deep love of her surroundings and the wildlife that resided there. She had learned some skills from her mother, father and Jodie, her last brother to leave, and with her native intelligence and her father's boat, she made her way. She remained reclusive and wild, but over time she formed a close bond with Jumpin', the African-American man who ran a small business selling gas and basic provisions to shrimpers and other boaters, and his wife, Mabel. A few others in the town were aware of her situation and helped her in their quiet way, but never letting on – like the truant officer who brought her to school for one day, but left her alone after she ran away from the taunts of her classmates. They called her Marsh Girl and made cruel comments about her, as children do.
Tate was a young boy who had been a friend of Jodie, became aware of Kya living on her own, and gradually won her trust. He too, had a deep appreciation of marshlands, its birds and water life. As time went on, he taught her to read and brought her small gifts, like a rare feather for her collection, but later her first bakery-made birthday cake after finding out the date through the town records.
Kya grew into a beautiful teenager, and on one of her visits to town for supplies, caught the eye of Chase, the town's golden boy – the richest, most popular and most athletic big fish in a very small pond. It's not hard to guess that this ultimately would not end well...but what follows is not entirely the usual trajectory of events, and this is the story you must read for yourself.
Author Delia Owens is wildlife scientist and the author of non-fiction books in her field, making her well-prepared to present the milieu of her first novel. It is truly an extraordinary book, and the only question I have is what she might produce next. Bravo, Ms. Owens for this amazing fiction debut.
Not It for Me: The It Girls by Karen Harper
I thought this book would be "right up my alley", as my dad used to say. The two real-life subjects, sisters Lucile Sutherland (later Lady Duff-Gordon), and Elinor Sutherland Glyn, were very interesting women. In the early 20th century, Lucile became a renowned couturier to the rich and famous, and Elinor an early romance novelist and later a Hollywood screenwriter.
There was way too much fanciful-sounding bodice-ripping interspersed into the historical material for my taste. Famous names were tantalizingly dropped everywhere, but they sometimes led nowhere or were not accurate, the most notable being Margaret Brown – "call me Molly". Brown was known as Maggie, not Molly, though she was later heralded as "the unsinkable Molly Brown".
All in all, quite a disappointment.
There was way too much fanciful-sounding bodice-ripping interspersed into the historical material for my taste. Famous names were tantalizingly dropped everywhere, but they sometimes led nowhere or were not accurate, the most notable being Margaret Brown – "call me Molly". Brown was known as Maggie, not Molly, though she was later heralded as "the unsinkable Molly Brown".
All in all, quite a disappointment.
Friday, February 7, 2020
Spoken and Unspoken – The Grammarians by Cathleen Schine
Laurel and Daphne Wolfe are identical twins who are fascinated with words and grammar. Born in the 1950s, they grow up in a comfortable home in suburban Larchmont, NY, and while they are inseparable, and each other's closest friend, they are jealous and competitive.
Their mother, Sally, and father, Arthur, are a bit overwhelmed by their closeness, their secretiveness, and their quirky fixation on language. With Don and Paula, Arthur's brother and his wife, and their son Brian, the family is very insular.
One day Arthur brings home an immense dictionary, Webster's Second, and a special stand to hold it. It becomes a fascination, and much later, a weapon that tears the twins apart.
Laurel and Daphne come of age in the Reagan era, also the age of AIDS, in an un-gentrified New York, with all its grit, full of character, and characters. They share a walk-up apartment in the then-dangerous East Village, find jobs, and then husbands. Their relationship begins to unravel once Laurel and her husband have a child, but it ebbs and flows. Meanwhile, the husbands become the best of friends, despite the tensions between the sisters.
Through it all, Sally serves as the third major voice in the story, and a uniting thread. As the decades pass, and changes in the family occur, her point of view becomes cleverly dominant, which leads to a surprising, but satisfying resolution.
Their mother, Sally, and father, Arthur, are a bit overwhelmed by their closeness, their secretiveness, and their quirky fixation on language. With Don and Paula, Arthur's brother and his wife, and their son Brian, the family is very insular.
One day Arthur brings home an immense dictionary, Webster's Second, and a special stand to hold it. It becomes a fascination, and much later, a weapon that tears the twins apart.
Laurel and Daphne come of age in the Reagan era, also the age of AIDS, in an un-gentrified New York, with all its grit, full of character, and characters. They share a walk-up apartment in the then-dangerous East Village, find jobs, and then husbands. Their relationship begins to unravel once Laurel and her husband have a child, but it ebbs and flows. Meanwhile, the husbands become the best of friends, despite the tensions between the sisters.
Through it all, Sally serves as the third major voice in the story, and a uniting thread. As the decades pass, and changes in the family occur, her point of view becomes cleverly dominant, which leads to a surprising, but satisfying resolution.
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Stars Everywhere: Design for Dying by Renee Patrick
Almost a four-star, but it starts a little slowly for that. This debut mystery novel is set in 1930s Hollywood, and features Edith Head, the famous costume designer as a principal character. Lillian Frost, a transplant from New York, works in the lingerie department of an expensive speciality store, but aspired to a movie career, which she has determined is not for her.
The plot spins around the murder of Ruby Carroll, a beautiful and conniving young woman, whom Lillian knows from her former rooming house, and who was once her best friend...
There are lots of twists and turns, a possible Hungarian princess, a South American polo-playing playboy, a gangster, several detectives, and lots of stars of the time make brief entrances into the story. It's fun. Handled well, it could turn into a light and airy period movie with lots of cameo appearances.
The plot spins around the murder of Ruby Carroll, a beautiful and conniving young woman, whom Lillian knows from her former rooming house, and who was once her best friend...
There are lots of twists and turns, a possible Hungarian princess, a South American polo-playing playboy, a gangster, several detectives, and lots of stars of the time make brief entrances into the story. It's fun. Handled well, it could turn into a light and airy period movie with lots of cameo appearances.
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