Biography & Nonfiction

Raising Hare: A Memoir by Chloe Dalton
Finally, something good to come out of the pandemic! When the world went to lockdown in 2020, Chloe Dalton retreated from her high octane political advisor job to her home in the English countryside. At first, she chafed under the isolation, but when she finds an orphaned leveret (baby hare), she rises to the challenge of keeping this most delicate of babies alive. Not only does 'Hare' live, but she thrives. Because Dalton resists the urge to make a pet of her, the hare remains wild and leaves at maturation -only to come back of her own accord repeatedly over the ensuing years. Hares are an elusive, undomesticated species (nothing like rabbits, despite the similarities in appearance) whose continued existence is thanks to its being the 6th fastest land mammal. Beautiful recounting of how living each moment, embracing home, and connecting with nature are all keys to a happier, healthier life.

Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health by Casey Means
When Dr. Means talks about the science of nuitrition and exercise, and how that leads to better health, better metabolism, and consequently, a better life, this book is a 5 star book. And, to be fair, most of the book is 5 stars. There is such a clear correlation between what we eat and what we do and the impact of those choices on quality of life. Dr. Means also talks at length about our health care system (sick care system?) and how modern medical interventions for chronic illness (the preponderance of health complaints are of a chronic nature) are subpar, at best. The good news is that diet and nuitrition, coupled with an active lifestyle, can elevate much of those diseases -type 2 diabetes, depression, metabolic disorder, dementia (type 3 diabetes), autoimmune issues, etc.
Where she kind of lost me is when she referred to these healthy practices as 'Good Energy', as if she were proselytizing for a new religion. Particularly towards the end of the book, the science got light and the new age recommendations got very, very heavy. Nevertheless, well worth the read if you're hoping to improve your health, life expectancy, and quality of life!

Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future by Gloria Dickie
I had high expectations for this book, but the science was very weak. Some interesting anecdotes about bears (Paddington is a spectaculed bear!), and some fun facts (for example, there are 35 kinds of canines and 41 felines, compared to 8 species of bear). However, I could have found those things out through random googling. The author vacillated between scolding humanity for not doing more to protect bears and wanting to enchant us with how gosh darn lovable bears are. I found Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law to be much more edifying and engaging.

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach
Not quite as captivating as Gulp, but Mary Roach's writing (including footnotes!) continues to be funny and enlightening. Between bears, birds, deer, and big cats (not to mention rodents of all kinds!), it's interesting to hear about how humans have tried to reconcile our lives with animals who don't want to follow our rules. Especially when we read about how often Nature Finds a Way. Adjacent to that: don't think you're ever going to eradicate a species that has a foothold somewhere, it's just not possible.  

Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson
Phew, 600 pages is a lot to take in about one person. But when that one person is Elon Musk, the verbiage is justified. Truly, Musk is the innovative genius of our time -and he's not done yet. Additionally, his personal life and proclivities add details that are enthralling (although I'm not sure they're particularly enlightening). Abrasive, abrupt, domineering, exacting, and inexhaustible, he leaves a trail of bodies in his wake. Is Musk a nice guy? No. Is he a not-nice guy? Sometimes, but that doesn't equate to him being the villain that he is often made out to be.
However, only by reading in depth his list of (ever growing) accomplishments can one truly appreciate the impact Musk has had on the world. And, again -he's not done yet.
Walter Isaacson, a prestigious academic and former CEO of CNN, seems to feel equal parts disdain and grudging admiration for Musk. Should we be able to detect the author's personal feelings for the subject while reading a biography? I guess objectivity, like travel to Mars, remains elusive in 2024.

Impossible Escape: A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe by Steve Sheinkin
This nonfiction Holocaust survival story follows two courageous Slovakian teens through heinous tribulations during WWII. Rudy is a young Jewish man who attempts to slip through the Slovakia border into Hungary in 1942, in the hopes of making his way to the West and joining the British military to fight Nazis. Unfortunately, he has several setbacks before eventually ending up in Auschwitz. But in a stunning display of wiliness and guts, he formulates a plan to escape from the veritably inescapable camp. His mission isn't personal freedom, but a quest to share the full knowledge of the campaign to exterminate the Jews with the Allied forces. Astonishingly, the Vrba-Wetzler Report, one of the earliest descriptions of the gas chambers and concentration camps, comes from the testimony of Rudy and a fellow prisoner-two men barely out of their childhood.
Gerta is a schoolmate of Rudy's, and while she doesn't end up imprisoned, it's an amazing combination of luck, stealth, and wits that allows her to maintain her freedom, and also join up with the resistance.
Fans of Prisoner B-3087 and Alan Gratz's other historical fiction will find this book engrossing, with the added punch that Rudy and Gerta's story is all true. For more information on what they accomplished, see: The Vrba-Wetzler Report (Auschwitz Protocols).


Natural Born Heroes: How a Daring Band of Misfits Mastered the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance by Christopher McDougall
Although this was in many ways an astounding story, I could only give it 3/5 stars as it meandered here and there, interspered with anecdotes about distance runners, dieticians, fitness gurus, Teddy Roosevelt, Natural Movement, etc. Mr. McDougall had the right idea, linking the fabulously fit and resilient Cretan freedom fighters with our modern efforts to attain peak conditioning, but -wow. Fragmented and hard to get back into the initial story of British intelligence officers and Cretan freedom fighters kidnapping a Nazi general and crippling the German pivot point needed to reinforce the war effort in the Soviet Union.
I was gratified by the nuggets of information I picked up about strength and endurance training, but I felt like he was trying to cobble together a book-length historical recounting of something that he really only had enough information about to write a generous article.

Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories That Make Us by Rachel Aviv
 Although Rachel Aviv has found a fascinating assortment of case studies illustrating the pitfalls of modern psychiatry/pharmacology, this is one of those books where the line between fact and opinion is heavily blurred. She starts us with the jaw-dropping account of her psychiatric stay at the age of 7, diagnosed with anorexia. She goes on to include some fascinating statistics (one in 8 Americans is on some kind of psychiatric medication), but the book often feels like a really long article in a pop culture magazine ("Naomi self-identified as a curious person").
The most salient points seemed to be that, despite what might be trending in psychiatric treatment, be it analysis, counseling, or medication, there is not nor has there ever been a cure for mental illness, only a treatment of symptoms. More importantly, what does a 'cure' even look like? Are we all aiming to be shiny, happy people despite what our personality or life circumstances might dictate? Her descriptions of being on Lexapro sound a lot like the rationalizations that alcoholics give for their dependency, too.
Her most important observations seem to be that it's easy, after diagnosis, to become a 'career patient', someone who, even if they were troubled because of a temporary life setback, might see themselves through the lense of a DSM definition in perpetuity.

Running with Sherman by Christopher McDougall
Delightful memoir about a man, a neglected donkey, and an improbable race -and everyone and everything it took to get them there. Chris's narrative calmly sails along, incorporating lessons about the importance of a well-balanced life, appreciating nature and the unique contributions animals give us, and pushing our limits as a way to achieve a healthy and fulfilling life. There are some nuggets in here about Amish life, the Iceman (you'll want to google this guy!), and the beauty of reaching out to those who are struggling with mental or physical challenges. Makes me yearn for trail running, although I think I'll forego the donkey partner!

Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention- and How to Think Deeply Again
by Johann Hari
The first half of this book was excellent as it outlined the factors leading to our present inattentive state, such as device addiction, surveillance capitalism and screen inferiority, and how they have effectively led our society (heck, the world) to a place where the average person doesn't have enough focus to sit down and read a book. The antidote comes in the form of Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychologist who introduces us to the focus state and why that's so important for life satisfaction (and diametrically opposed to social media.) Intriguingly, Hari imagines a future where the wealthier, more educated populace will find the ways and means to regain their focus, leading to a new definition of the haves and have-nots.
Unfortunately, Hari seems to have lost focus, himself, by the second half of the book and meandered into a treatise on socialism that wasn't particularly connected to the points made in the first half. Still, worth the read.

The Reason You Walk by Wab Kinew
Wab Kinew's touching memoir isn't really about him, it's about his father, an eloquent eulogy to the man who shaped his life and purpose. Tobasonakwut was an Anishinaabe child who grew up in an era when that meant he would be separated from his family and banished to residential school ('kill the Indian, save the child'). Horrific abuse resulted in Tobasonakwut becoming a very angry and violent young man. Beautifully, Wab doesn't focus on the damage done but on the journey to wellness and forgiveness that Tobasonakwut took for the rest of his life. Tobasonakwut was a very spiritual man and there are detailed passages about how they practice their religion, such as participating in sundances and sweat lodges, as well as their commitment to the Creator. The tremendous power of forgiveness allows Tobasonakwut to grow close enough to a Catholic archbishop to hold an adoption ceremony for him, a sacred Anishinaabe practice.
Wab explains that the title of his book comes from a ceremonial song, and it's one of the loveliest passages I've ever read about our relationship with God:
"Ndede had explained that there are four layers of meaning to these words. They are from the perspective of the Creator, as though God himself were singing to you. the first meaning of "I am the reason you walk" is "I have created you and therefore you walk." The second meaning is "I am your motivation." The third meaning is "I am that spark inside you call love, which animates you and allows you to live by the Anishinaabe values of kiizhewaatiziwin." The fourth and final meaning is "I am the destination at the end of your life that you are walking toward." On that day, the Creator spoke to us all, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike, and reminded us of the reasons we walk."

The Ghost Garden: Inside the Lives of Schizophrenia's Feared and Forgotten
by Susan Doherty 

Doherty juxtaposes a running narrative on the life of a schizophrenic woman (Caroline is someone she grew up with) with small vignettes of other schizophrenic people she has come to know as a volunteer with the mentally ill community. A few things stand in the way of this flowing well. For one, it feels prurient to be reading the intimate details about someone's unsavory personal habits or violent actions, especially when they're so ill (this might have felt different if Doherty had more of a medical background). For another, it's impossible to make this an intimate look at a schizophrenic's life because, details aside, they are so far removed from the normal spectrum of life that there's a natural disconnect in trying to get inside their heads and understand them. I think the author tries to do too much here, and made the book a little disjointed. Points for obviously being a deeply caring person who gives much time and love to those inflicted with schizophrenia.

This Strange Wilderness: The Life and Art of John James Audubon by Nancy Plain

Don't you love it when a historical figure ends up being more interesting and quirky than you would have suspected? I chose this book because I have an enduring interest in the natural world, particularly birds, and also artistic depictions of the natural world. John James Audobon's seminal book "The Birds of America" has always perfectly represented that intersection, but I never knew much about Audobon himself. I was delighted to read about this self-taught artist, a paradox of cultured, handsome gentleman and buckskin wearing, rifle toting loner. This quick read highlights his revolutionary approach to cataloguing the birds of America (he managed to paint and describe 489 species) as well as his herculian efforts to be recognized as an expert in the scientific and international communities and share his knowledge and art with the world.

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker

This narrative introduces us to the Galvins, a large family of ten boys and two girls in which schizophrenia unveils itself in six of the siblings. Simultaneously, it also chronicles the progress (or lack of progress) made towards identifying, treating, or curing this illness, certainly one of the most damaging diseases inflicting mankind. Kolker does a great job of presenting the family's saga without laying blame or erring on the side of the maudlin. The facts speak for themselves: schizophrenia and other family issues (including some abuse) can arouse nothing but a sense of empathy in the reader, while Kolker also lays out how science has been fluxxoed by the causation and treatment of this devastating mental illness. Although some of the Galvin boys have committed heinous acts, they are also victims. Certainly, we can see that incurable mental illness shreds everything and everyone in its path, from patients to family members to friends and acquaintances. Well written and engrossing account, including the passages outlining the neuroscience of schizophrenia.

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

In this fantastic narrative nonfiction about the 1986 L.A. Public Library conflagration, Susan Orleans also weaves in the background of the library and all of its head librarians, as well as the pursuit of the supposed arsonist, Harry Peak. Jam packed with details about the epic burning of the building, history of the library, history of Los Angeles, and modern issues that the public library system must grapple with, my only gripe is that Orleans puts librarians into this quaint, quirky mold (aren't we precious?) instead of presenting us as educated professionals who work hard to be well-informed, organize herculean amounts of print and non-print materials on a daily basis, and manage a broad and often querulous customer base with unparalleled service.
Nevertheless, Orleans is on par with Erik Larson when it comes to telling fascinating, true stories that blend disparate times and events into an entertaining and seamless whole. If you read and enjoy The Library Book, be sure to pick up The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession

Women of the Dawn by Bunny McBride

A must-read if you reside in or visit Maine, this chronicle of four Wabanaki women draws a detailed picture of the lives of the people we usurped when colonialism hit the state of Maine. McBride is excellent at focusing the reader on the humanity beneath the stereotypes and broader societal misconceptions of American Indian culture. She also carefully reveals the unique role of the women in Wabanaki life, and particularly the effect of their loss of family, lifestyle, and land. If anything, seeing that someone quite different from myself (and the average Mainer) in terms of ethnicity and era, still feels the same urges for love and family, nature and connection, fame and success, as anyone else on the planet is a hopeful connection. And the strength of will and body exhibited by the 4 Mollys (Molly Mathilde, Molly Ockett, Molly Molasses, and Molly Dellis) is awe-inspiring. I was left with one question, however, and that is: how is the Maine educational system fulfilling the 2001 legislature requiring the incorporation of Wabanaki history into the k-12 curriculum?
Consider viewing the documentary Dawnland, addressing the removal of Wabanaki children from their homes by child welfare workers. 


The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays by Esme Weijun Wang

I would stress to anyone picking up this book that 1)it is a collection of essays about Ms. Wang's experiences with schizoaffective disorder, not a memoir and 2)this is one person's perspective about life with mental illness, not the definitive guide to schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. As such, it is a fascinating, although somewhat fragmented accounting of how mental illness has impacted her life, and her successful efforts to lead a life filled with love and creativity despite her disease.
There were times when the essays seemed to sort of peter out without really going anywhere, and lots of sidelines about her battle with other illnesses, such as Lyme disease. Also, a pretty strong tangent about the occult, which she wasn't sure she believed in, but found the rituals to be somewhat soothing. The possibility that her delusions and hallucinations were the result of being thin-skinned and therefore receptive to the spiritual realm is a tentative stab at hoping there is a reason for the collected schizophrenias.
The biggest thing I will take away from reading Ms. Wang's account is that, should you be afflicted with a mental illness, it is better to be wealthy and intelligent with a large safety net than to be (as many poor souls experience) poor, homeless, and intellectually challenged.

Between the World and Me by Ta Nahisi Coates

I'm still not sure how I feel about this book. At times, I thought it was brilliant, a passionate discourse on what it's like to be black in America in the 21st century-not an easy road. Some of Coates' observations are revelatory, "Race is the child of racism, not the father" and some were originally attributed to Baldwin, “people who think they’re white", which fits in perfectly with what Coates is saying. Although race is a meaningless construct, when you have an entire segment of the population whose roots are slavery and oppression because someone deemed them property based on the color of their skin, that's not a wound that heals without thick scars. Whether you believe that there are different races or not, the horror of institutionalized murder, torture, and rape remains. As a Northerner who "believes she is white", neither I nor my family have history with slavery (although there are some abolitionists and Civil War soldiers in the family tree). I never worry about my 18 year old son being the victim of police brutality. But for us, the urban culture is as distant as the rise from slavery; I find my gratitude for our peaceful lives is juxtaposed with guilt and anxiety for all the mothers out there who MUST worry about their sons. And, after reading this book, I find myself feeling defensive: all white culture, it seems, must be cut down to size before the black culture can move past the fear and anger toward a more equal, less violent society. After absorbing Mr. Coates' intense rage at the Dreamers (i.e., the whites), I have no hope of this ever happening. Is this the point he intended to make?

Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman

Although this is billed as young adult nonfiction (and, indeed, it reads as a simplified version of the very complex relationship between Vincent and Theo), I would encourage you not to let that deter you from picking this up. It's almost as if Deborah Heiligman has boiled their brotherly interactions down to essentials, in much the same way that Vincent chose not to paint in a realistic fashion, but by emphasizing color and perspective to heighten the emotion within a scene or portrait. Vincent and Theo were united in their struggle to make the world a more beautiful place, whether through Vincent's artwork or by Theo promoting him and trying to bring the recognition that he thought was his brother's due. Interspersed in their journey are vignettes highlighting Vincent's keen intelligence coupled with mental instability, and Theo's fierce loyalty that was undercut by grim financial reality and burgeoning health problems of his own. Much as yellow was used continually by Vincent (it was his favorite color) to add vitality and freshness to his paintings, Heiligman again and again comes back to the selfless love and support that the brothers shared for one another. After you read this enchanting book, be sure to watch Loving Vincent, an animated film about the year after Vincent's death in which all 65,000 frames are painted in oils imitative of Van Gogh's style. Two beautiful odes to two beautiful souls!

Deep Dark Blue by Polo Tate

Polo Tate recounts her journey from idealistic high school athlete to U.S. Air Force Academy recruit, to traumatized assault survivor. Polo had dreamed from a very young age of joining the Air Force, so it's with excitement and anticipation that she heads to the Academy for basic training and to become a member of their elite volleyball team. She's someone who is used to succeeding, both as a student and as an athlete, so when things start to go wrong, she assumes if she works harder, than things will be better. Unfortunately, harassment and abuse escalate to an assault. Compounding the injury, Polo is not believed by her peers, and a very large upperclassman works hard to break her spirit and prevent her from pursuing justice.
This is a great story of resilience and overcoming adversity. Since this is a book aimed at a younger audience, I wish that Polo had emphasized more how important it is to have people who support you, as nobody makes it through something like this on their own. However, this story will certainly resonate with high school girls, particularly athletes.

You Don't Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie

For 20-odd years, I have been a big Sherman Alexie fan. His particular formula, combining magical realism and humor with stark truths, produced contemplative, entertaining books. His themes of poverty and familial unrest transcend race (more so than I think he realizes) and I was somewhat undeterred by the current controversy surrounding his treatment of women because I think if we only valued artists with unblemished lives, it would be slim pickings, indeed.
Therefore, I was disappointed to read this book and find that Mr. Alexie, in his grief, comes across as a narcissistic grudge-holder, willing to publicly vilify his family for his own ends. Nobody in the book receives more than a crude outlining of their character or personality -except himself. He's angry at the white race who have destroyed his culture, and the Indian culture, which he seems to only reluctantly consider himself a part of. I understand that being relentlessly bullied must have been difficult. If anything, he might use those emotions to understand some of the feelings that his female accusers have expressed. Here's the saddest part: Sherman Alexie reveals himself to be a very unforgiving person, and in that portrait, shows us the value of being able to reconcile and move past old pains; for that we should thank him.

The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel

My attraction to this book wasn't limited to the fact that I'm from western Maine and therefore familiar with the area in which Christopher Knight lived in isolation for 27 years. As an introvert (extreme introvert), I was struck by the concept of withdrawing from society. How does one do that? And what might be the tipping point where one progresses from simply being a quiet homebody to walking away from everything and everyone -including creature comforts. Christopher certainly didn't make an easy decision, and while professionals toy with the idea that he might have some sort of mental disorder, perhaps he just wanted to be alone.
It's fascinating to read how Christopher eluded discovery for so long, despite committing 1000 burglaries. More interesting, still, is the conflict he felt knowing that stealing was wrong, but knew he needed supplies in order to survive. A moral man who is also a notorious felon.
Michael Finkel does a fine job of portraying Knight as he is: not a mystic or sage, but someone finding happiness outside the normal spectrum of social behaviors. I get the feeling that Finkel dances very close to that edge himself-a kindred spirit to Knight and also to me. 

Historical Fiction

The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens
I'm always sceptical of books with the words 'library' or 'librarian' in the title (eyeroll), because it feels a little pandering. However, this EXCELLENT book actually has very little to do with either of those things -other than being a quiet librarian is the perfect way to hide in plain sight. For Hana Babic, this is extremely important, because she has a bounty on her head. And when her best and only friend, Amina, is either tossed/falls/jumps from her balcony, Hana is forced to relive events from 30 years past in a desperate attempt to understand what danger might befall her.
You see, Hana was born in Yugoslavia, and came of age when the Serbian-Bosnian conflict exploded. Initially a victim, Hana becomes a soldier for vengence until she lands in the U.S. under a false name. Chapters alternate between present day and the 1990s, and although this sounds like both a mystery and an adventure story (it is, indeed, both!), it's mostly a story about the impact of war and what we will do for love. Highly recommended!


West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
If you're looking for a sweet and pleasant story to read, West with Giraffes might be the way to go. Set in the Dust Bowl years, it centers on Woody Nickel, an orphaned teen who escapes the Texas panhandle after his last family member dies, and heads to New York. There, he finds the adventure of a lifetime when he somehow gets involved with transporting the San Diego Zoo's first pair of giraffes cross-country on a bumpy journey to their new home.
Some of the characters are based on real people, but the best story centers around the fictional Woody, a female photographer named Augusta, and the beautiful giraffes. To learn more about the actual giraffes this story is based on, Zoo Walks Through History.

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Ariel Lawhon brings us the perfect blend of history, mystery, and Maine locale in The Frozen River. Martha Ballard is a midwife in Hallowell, Maine in the late 1700s, and in her role as medical professional, she gets drawn into two separate, ghastly crimes. An intelligent woman, she knows if she can put all the pieces together, justice might be done. But to just let it lie? A dangerous situation when one of the accused is a local judge who seems to be involved in shady enterprises on more than one front. A true bonus of reading this book in winter while living in Maine is that you can look out your window and easily imagine the unfolding drama that takes place over one very long, very cold season on the Kennebec River. Definitely worth 5 stars, and do be sure to read the Acknowledgements, they're brimming with interesting factoids about Martha, the real midwife whom this character is based on.

James by Percival Everett
I usually don't care for adaptations of classical novels, it feels like cheating and rarely does the second author come close to touching on the genius that made the first author a classical writer in the first place. But Percival Everett's retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the slave Jim's point of view is nothing short of brilliant. In fact, reading both novels together would enhance the humor and dark injustice in both tales.
In Everett's version, Jim puts up a front to reassure the whites that he is harmless and simple minded, such as all slaves must do. His interior dialogue shows him to be erudite and well-read, a dignified man who identifies as James. When he runs away to avoid being sold, he links up with Huck Finn and the adventures begin. While the ensuing shenanigans mirror the action in Twain's book, James's perspective casts a pure light on what life in Mississippi must have really been like at that time. This book could revolutionize teaching American Literature!

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Considered ground-breaking at the time, Solzhenitsyn's fictionalized account of the daily horrors of life in the Soviet gulag opened the world's eyes to what was happening to the Russian people at the hands of their own government. (Solzhenitsyn, himself, was sentenced to 8 years in the gulag for writing a criticism of Stalin in a letter -this after serving with honors during WWII in the Soviet army!) In this novel, we meet Ivan Denisovich on a typical day during an endless sentence at a Siberian prison camp. His matter-of-fact delivery of injustices and depravations is a marvel of human endurance and a testimony to the vigors of the human spirit. Also, though, it's startling to read about the callousness and cruelty that people will dish out to each other -how many times do we need to see this illustrated for us, across the spectrum of human cultures, to understand that we are part of a very flawed race? To learn more about Solzhenistyn, his battle with cancer, his exile, his conversion to Christianity, his awesome 1978 commencement speech at Harvard, and his Nobel prize: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Center

The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian
There's something to be said for maintaining a sense of suspense throughout an entire book. One good way to do it is to be ruthless with your characters -but that rarely happens. I get it. If you go to the trouble of conjuring up this fascinating ensemble of folks to people the pages of your novel, you'd probably feel pretty protective of them. However, Bohjalian suffers no such compunction, which is what elevates this story.
When Katie Barstow, her new husband David, and a host of friends and family decide to go on photographic safari in Africa, it seems exciting, yet safe. The year is 1964, Katie is a wealthy actress, and no expense is spared on hiring the best guides available for the trip of a lifetime. However, when kidnappers descend on the party, there's no limit to how badly things can and do go wrong. And that plethora of challenges -scorching heat, predators, cold-blooded criminals-leave the reader biting their nails as you wonder if anyone will be left alive. And that's not even including a few deadly secrets that some of the members of their party are hiding... A mesmerizing read!

The Snow Hare by Paula Lichtarowicz
I wasn't sure about this being a 5 star book at first, but the story deepened in emotion and meaning as it progressed, until it totally captured my heart. Lena is a Polish girl who only wants to be a doctor, but with the advent of WWII and a series of other tragic events, her dreams go unfulfilled. Misery seems to beget misery, culminating in her family's exile to the harshness of a Siberian workcamp.
But throughout the story, Lichtarowicz has juxtaposed small chapters of Lena's future life, hints about what she has endured and what happiness is yet to come. The pastiche of memories holds the threads of a fairy tale ending, in that through the pain and desolation, there is always something or someone to rejoice about. The Snow Hare gives us a piece of history that is rarely written about, and shows us the importance of tenderness and memory amidst the harshness of life circumstances, and the incredible power of forgiveness and grace.

The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep by Allan Wolf
Allan Wolf is a great historical fiction author, and certainly the story of the Donner Party is compelling, but....BUT. I had to drag myself through the book because putting a humanized face on this cannibalistic tragedy made for a very difficult read. Most particularly, because Wolf used alternating narrators, and many of the voices were children. So. Well written but hard to categorize as 'enjoyable'.

 

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towle
Amor Towles' way of turning a phrase make his books true rare pleasures.  
"Time is that which God uses to separate the idle from the industrious. For time is a mountain and upon seeing its steep incline, the idle will lie down among the lilies of the field and hope that someone passes by with a pitcher of lemonade. What the worthy endeavor requires is planning, effort, attentiveness, and the willingness to clean up."
This story of two brothers (one recently out of juvenile lockup, one only 8 years old) undertaking an arduous trip to find their mother after their father has passed away is certainly on par with all the heroic journeys from antiquity -perils, betrayal, yearning, derring-do.  And like Greek myths of old, the story is less about the destination than it is about all the steps it takes to get there.  Also, as you get to know Emmett, Billy, and their assortment of friends and acquaintances (Woolly, Duchess, Sally, Ulysses, etc), the underlying theme that it's all just about living life resounds in their words and actions.
I would read anything by Towle because I enjoyed this novel and A Gentleman in Moscow so very much.

 

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby
Although the narration of this story, undertaken by a ghost who haunts an orphanage, takes a bit of getting used to, the unfolding drama of Frankie Mazza's life from 1941-1946 is worth the extra effort. Frankie and her two siblings are sent to an orphanage after the death of their mother because their father isn't able to care for them. It's a rough life which grows lonelier when their father remarries and moves away, taking his son but leaving his daughters in the institution. Pearl, the aforementioned ghost, has quite a story of her own to recount as she tries to figure out why she hasn't passed on to the other side yet. Both tales are replete with courage, betrayal, grief, love, and friendship. Best line in the book, "Why does the world want girls to be beautiful, only to punish them for it?'

Lovely War by Julie Berry
If a tale that involves unrequited love, war, death, injury, infidelity, and racism could be called sweet and poignant, than this is the one. In 1942, Hephaestus catches his wife, Aphrodite (goddess of love) cheating with his brother, Ares (god of war) and decides to put them on trial to see what they have to say for themselves. Speaking in her own defense, Aphrodite weaves the story of Hazel and James, a pianist and a soon-to-be soldier who meet in 1917 only two days before he is shipped out to fight in the Great War to show that love and war are often intrinsically linked.
Shifting perspectives between the gods and the very human lives that they are impacting, the reader becomes captivated with the young lovers and some friends they meet along the way. Hazel goes to France to volunteer and meets a young Belgian girl, Colette, who has lost her whole family and village to the Germans. Aubrey is a member of the 369th, an American unit of all Black soldiers who also have the finest military band, led by one of the finest conductors in the U.S. Although all four of them encounter hardships, there is hope and joy in their stories. The trial of Aphrodite and Ares also brings some surprises of its own. I can see why Lovely War was listed in the Teens' Top Ten for 2020!

Deacon King Kong by James McBride
I love James McBride because he always writes about those things that bring us together instead of what separates us. This story, about love, intrigue, crime and passion in a NYC neighborhood circa 1969 is uplifting as well as funny. As President Obama said about the quality and worth of McBride's writing, he "humaniz(es) the complexities of discussing race in America.” 

The titular deacon is a handyman at an apartment complex in a NYC neighborhood, as well as a gardener for a mobster's aging mother, a baseball coach for the kids in the complex (an ex-player whom has chosen to deal drugs), and a pretty ardent drunk. One day, the deacon strolls up to (or drunkenly staggers up to) the dealer and shoots him for wasting his God given baseball talent, a chain of events is set off that involves organized crime, drug pipelines, revenge, and a hidden treasure secreted somewhere in the neighborhood.  The church and its congregation play a pivotal role in this disparate cast, and lots of humor is discovered in what could be a morbid and depressing situation.  Of course, unguessable outcomes are the best, and the twinklings of love that unexpectedly come to pass lend this story heart.



The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
This is a really good piece of historical fiction about a man named Hiram, who is a slave in Virginia in the mid 1800s. Hiram has a photographic memory, but despite this he has managed to block out the last day he saw his mother. This is significant, because the day his mother was sold (when Hi was only 9), left him without family -except for his father, the plantation owner, and his brother, also White. Hi is buffeted by forces much more powerful than himself: a culture of slavery and White superiority/Black subjugation, a robust Underground that he is destined to cross paths with, and the mysterious power of Conduction that lies within him undiscovered.
Coates does an excellent job at tapping the emotions Hiram struggles with, as well as delicately conveying the horribleness that surrounded the practice of slavery. Moreover, he addresses the complications that arise when a slave owner takes advantage of a female slave, resulting in a child. How could anyone look at their son or daughter and consider them property, something from which they could glean financial gain? What kind of relationship could one possibly expect from such beginnings? Well done.


A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Truly one of the best books I've read in a while, a lyrical chronicle of the life of Count Alexander Rostov after he is sentenced to house arrest at the Metropol Hotel by the new Soviet government following the Revolution of 1917.
Erudite and gentlemanly, Count Rostov "masters his circumstances so that they don't master him", showing an elegant adaptability that saves his life as well as his soul. Alexander is reprieved from a death sentence by a pro-Revolution poem he had published in his youth, but he is declared a non-person and is never again to leave the doors of the Metropol, a hotel that has always catered to the rich, powerful, and aristocratic. In his new situation, Rostov lives in the attic and leaves behind the perks of his earlier life, while retaining his decency, charm, and joie de vive. A wonderful and uplifting example of how to survive and even thrive under terrible circumstances, and also a beautiful story of how the love we share with others in any iteration-romantic, paternal, fraternal,etc-is our saving grace.

 The Half-Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker
Oaths and blood feuds, shield walls and raiding, this 12th century depiction of a fledgling Norway is so adventurous and exciting, you'll wonder how anyone survived to tell tales of the Vikings. Ragnvald is a young sailor/raider who barely escapes a murder attempt by his captain, only to find he must fight to regain his lands from his treacherous stepfather, all while the legendary Harold struggles to become the first king of a united Norway. Alliances shift on a dime, and the plight of being a woman is sharply brought into focus by Ragnvald's sister, Svanhild, who refuses to be tucked away safely and ends up in the clutches of Ragnvald's archenemy. A compelling read that reminds me of the excellent show The Last Kingdom about the Dane invasion of the British Isles and Alfred the Great's rise to power.

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum
The juxtaposition of two Palestinian-Americans, a mother and daughter, who are both caught between the old world devaluation of women and their desire for freedom and happiness. In 1990, 17 year old Isra is given in marriage to Adam and finds herself relocating to Brooklyn from Palestine, dispossessed of all that she knows -except for the devout Muslim view that she is to quietly stay at home, serve the men and her mother-in-law, and have (hopefully) male babies. There is no room in Isra's life for love, desire, dreams, or joy.
Moving forward to 2008, Deya at 18 is the oldest of Isra's four girls. Untenably, she is also expected to conform to an arranged marriage, with no possibility of college, career, or romance. Both Adam and Isra died when Deya was only seven, so she is denied the understanding and compassion that her mother would surely have given her. However, Deya is determined to rebel, and thus finds that there is a secret shrouding the circumstances of her parents' deaths.
The lifestyle that Isra and Deya experience would be anathema to most American women; codes of silence and shame, subservience and honor. The missing component is love, which isn't to say that all women in their circumstances are deprived of it; this family is a tangled up knot of obligation and anger. A novel that gives a voice to those who desperately need to be heard.

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
In ancient Greece, women were portrayed by male voices as either beautiful prizes or evil witches, or simply and anonymously as slaves and drudges.  In this retelling of the siege of Troy, the story is flipped to focus strictly on the story through the eyes of a woman -Queen Briseis, who is enslaved to Achilles after her city is overtaken by the Greeks.  The manly heroes might shine gloriously on the battlefield, but as witnessed by the women in the camps, they are beastly, demanding, and self-obsessed.  Many are rapists, and a scant few are worthy of love. Briseis is obedient to Achilles, and even finds some things to admire about him, but refuses to soften to the man who killed her brothers and father.
Achilles does value Briseis, though, and when Agememnon demands her 'company', Achilles refuses to go to battle -with dire consequences.  Though Briseis is a pawn in a man's game, her voice comes through strongly as she struggles to survive.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Imagine a world so cruel that people are arbitrarily forced into labor and tortured, raped, and murdered if they don't comply. That part is (unfortunately) a matter of historical truth. Colson Whitehead intriguingly melds fact with fiction as he explores the pre-Civil War South through the eyes of Cora, a slave escaping from the Georgia plantation where she is in imminent peril from her new master. Where he chooses to weave new fictional details into this terrible time is an underground railroad that is actually underground -hidden tunnels squirreled away and managed by conductors who assist runaways to freedom. The railroad is a saving grace for Cora more than once, as a dogged slave catcher named Ridgeway is obsessed with seizing her and bringing her back to captivity. What he doesn't count on is her truly indomitable spirit -Cora is an epic heroine who bears the souls, hopes, and dreams of many as she makes her way, inch by inch, toward freedom.
(Winner of the Pulitzer Prize 2017, National Book Award 2016)

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
In 1849, Leah Westfall and her gold miner parents reside in a panned-out Georgia when the news comes: prospectors are getting lucky out in California, and a new Gold Rush is about to commence.  Leah possesses a secret ability: she can 'sense' when gold is near.  Before she and her parents can consider what this means for them, tragedy strikes and Leah is on her own.  Forced to flee malevolent forces, Leah becomes Lee and decides to travel out West alone, disguised as a boy, hoping to meet up with her best friend, Jefferson.
At first I was a little put off by the 'girl disguised as boy' trope, and the magical gold-sensing ability.  But this is actually a very well-written and plausible book that captures the pioneering spirit of the mid-1800s.  Leah is a sensible girl who is more likely to rescue someone else than be in need of rescuing. The trek to California is full of pitfalls and threatening situations, especially for a teen-aged girl, which makes for an engrossing read. (Longlisted for the National Book Award)

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
This is a tricky book to describe, but let me start with 'bardo'.  The bardo is a Tibetan Buddhist term for the state the soul enters after death, before rebirth. In Western cultures we might be more familiar with the idea of 'purgatory'.  The death in question is that of Willie Lincoln, who tragically died of Typhoid Fever when he was 11 and his father was President of the United States. There are a plenitude of stories that talk about Lincoln's presidency, and others that touch on the effect his child's untimely death had on him -this is not one of those stories (not exactly).  First we are introduced to the souls currently residing at the cemetery where Willie is laid to rest -conflicted beings who don't understand that they are, in fact, dead.  Their stories are interspersed with chapters that contain snippets from books and historical documents -some of which are real, some of which were concocted by the author.  Put everything together and you get a multiverse of the events surrounding Willie's death: his bewilderment at his new situation, his father's grief, the purgatorial remnants who try to assist Willie on his journey, and a nation caught in a bloodbath of a war that is sure to fill the bardo to the brim.  This story reminded me of The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, another intriguing look at life after death. George Saunders has a unique voice, humorous and kind to his characters, even when they are very flawed. An intriguing look at how Lincoln might have been influenced in some of the choices he made. (Winner of the Man Booker prize)

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Werner is an orphan growing up in German mining country in the '40s. Despite an impressive aptitude for science (radios in particular), his outlook is bleak until he catches the eye of a Nazi officer. Marie-Laure is a girl in France, living with her beloved father, who is the locksmith and key maker for the National Museum of Natural History. Despite going blind at 6, Marie-Laure has a rich life and her father devises ways to circumvent her disability. Primarily, he constructs a miniature version of Paris so that Marie-Laure can feel her way around the model city, learning the routes before venturing out to into the real world. As Werner and Marie-Laure grow into young adulthood, their paths will collide in wholly unexpected ways. 
This book reminded me of "The Book Thief" (another excellent read) in that these children growing up in war-torn Europe are warmly and richly brought to life. Doerr paints so vividly with words that the reader feels as if they themselves have fled to St. Malo, as if they are being conscripted by the Hitler Youth, as if they are charged with saving a 133 carat diamond from the greedy hands of the Nazis. When Marie-Laure cups a shell in her hands, you will feel the cool, smooth curves for yourself. Truly deserving of the Pulitzer.

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
I didn't realize until after I had finished this that the two main characters, Sarah and Angelina Grimke, were actual historical figures. The Grimke sisters were outspoken abolitionists in the 1820s and 30s whose impassioned pleas to end slavery came from the dark reality that they grew up in a prominent South Carolinian home with slaves and were both strongly affected by the cruelty and injustice of the 'peculiar institution'.
In this fictionalized account, the story switches between Sarah's voice and that of a slave, Handful, who is gifted to Sarah on her 11th birthday by her rather coldhearted mother. Sarah rejects the idea of owning another human, but she is told that she will and she'd better accept the situation. Sarah counters by secretly teaching Handful how to read (in real life, Sarah actually did teach her handmaid reading and writing), an unlawful act that brings dreadful retribution on both of them when it is discovered. Sarah never does accept her place in Charleston society, but finds her calling as a Quaker in Philadelphia, and eventually as a voice crying out for freedom.
Although Handful is purely fictional, her unflinching character is brought wholly to life by Ms. Kidd, and it is her story that really touched my heart. Handful endures so much loss, humiliation, pain, and yet she never gives up and never accepts that she is lesser than the whites merely because of the color of her skin. Her devotion to her family and her intelligence highlight the absurdity, the hubris of anyone daring to claim another human being as their property.
I would highly recommend this novel, followed by reading the actual pamphlet Angelina Grimke wrote as a plea to the women of the South to end slavery: An Appeal to Christian Women of the South

Romance Novels

The Ballad of Darcy and Russell by Morgan Matson
There's nothing quite as hopeful as young love, and Darcy has always hoped for that perfect, love-at-first-sight moment. When she's stranded in a bus station in Nevada after attending a music festival, she is delighted to find that very thing with another hapless travelor, Russell. After an exciting and tingle filled night, the two trespass at a hotel pool and suddenly things blow up. Turns out, Russell isn't exactly who he said he was, so does that mean the spark they felt wasn't real, either?
You have to read to find out, but I promise you will find Darcy to be so endearing that you will be rooting for her all the way! 

If He Had Been with Me

by Laura Nowlin
The sweetness and realistic voices in this YA romance took me by surprise, and I ended up binge reading because I fell in love with Autumn. Autumn and Finn are former BFFs and next door neighbors, but they haven't spoken since an awkward kiss in 8th grade. Autumn and Jamie are THAT couple in high school: pretty yet odd girl and charismatic yet odd boy. Finn and Sylvie are the power duo who end up as Prom King and Queen. As the four kids and their very different friend groups make their way through high school, the story flirts with the idea that if things were just a little different, who would end up with whom? Intriguing up to the very last page! 

The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen
A light romance with delightful dialogue, lovable characters, and a historical context that doesn't stretch the bonds of believability. In the late 1800s, Amelie is a young 'independent' woman who writes for her aunt's newspaper, The Marriage Gazette. Amelie believes in romance -only, not for herself. Still, she can't help but fall under the sway of a dashing widower, Harold Radcliffe, who has recently lost his wife.
Michael Baker is a detective who believes that woman he fished out of the river didn't die by natural causes and suspects the very same man who Amelie has a crush on. Imagine Amelie's chagrin when Det. Baker enlists her to help him spy on Harold Radcliffe, and her confusion when sparks start to fly between her and the detective. Very cute and sweet!

Emmy and Oliver by Robin Benway
Emmy and Oliver are best friends and next door neighbors in second grade when the unthinkable happens-Oliver is spirited away by his father, gone without a trace. In the ensuing ten years, Emmy not only witnesses the horrible mental stress that Oliver's mother endures as she pines for her missing child, she is wrapped in an overly protective bubble by her parents, whose residual anxiety permeates every aspect of how they treat their only daughter.
Then, ten years later, Oliver is located across the country and he returns. The homecoming is bittersweet, as the seventeen year old who returns is much changed from the seven year old friend and son who was kidnapped. But Emmy and Oliver still have an essential connection. Will they be able to rekindle their friendship and lend each other the strength to endure the painful changes that come about when Oliver finally comes home? 
Wonderful concept, humorous dialog, and realistic emotional exchanges lend much to this young adult story of love in its many permutations, and how we can cherish -and hurt- the ones we love the most.




Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
This sweet story brings to life two beautiful, tender teens who will make you remember why being young and in love is vaunted so often in literature, poetry, and song.

Eleanor of the flaming red hair and flamboyant wardrobe subsists in a poverty-stricken home that is also devoid of happiness and love. Nevertheless, she seems to understand that her strength lies in never giving up her sense of who she is. Her mother is in an abusive relationship with an emotional vampire of a man who prowls around, looking to siphon all joy from his beleaguered family. Just when you think he can't make their lives any more miserable, he rises to the situation with fresh torment- a situation that will become untenable for Eleanor.

Park is a half Korean, comic book reading, punk music loving, 16 year old guy who doesn't exactly fit in, but he's adept at making his otherness a cool, defining characteristic that deflects harassment or ostracism. His father doesn't understand him and there's a bit of friction there (where isn't there a bit of friction between a father and his teenaged son?) but his home life is pretty good, due in no small way to the fact that his parents really and truly love each other. 

Park and Eleanor meet on the bus when he's the only one who takes pity on the new girl and lets her share his seat. What happens next is a slow unfolding of affectionate yearning, the faint sound of atoms attracting one another and locking into place. Rowell has managed to write a love story that's not smarmy, mostly because the characters are so warmly human, grappling with some real-life, ugly issues, but still drawn to each other in an innocent yet passionate way. It's a delight to see how young people in love can use the experience to champion each other and, ultimately, save themselves.