How We Disappear from Tara Lynn Masih is a collection of stories and one novella joined loosely around the concept of disappearance in its various posHow We Disappear from Tara Lynn Masih is a collection of stories and one novella joined loosely around the concept of disappearance in its various possibilities: physical loss or removal, emotional distancing, the effects of time on our place in our world, illness, so many states of body or mind that can disrupt life.
We experience some of these stories through the minds or eyes of those “disappeared” while in others, we feel the grief or longing of those left behind.
I have a some favorites, of course. My first (and the book’s), “What You Can’t See in the Picture”, is a story of what is termed a super recognizer, a person who can pick out one face in a crowd of others. It’s a story on purpose, identity, true sight, insight, the meaning of vision and wisdom with some irony thrown in for good measure as a woman works in this role with the police. Another is “Fleeing Gravity”, the story of a man from nowhere, with nothing who finds a place to disappear. In “Delight “, I found affirmation. Loved this story of Delight who has felt “disappeared” her entire life. “Agatha: a Life in Unauthorized Fragments” is an unexpected look into Agatha Christie’s life. “Notes to The World” is a long story of two young people out of their element, with no good place in the world, a diary linking them in Siberian cold. Lastly is the novella “An Aura Surrounds that Night”, the story of a farm family.
As I finish my review I realize there are more stories I could include, but then I would be listing the contents of the book. My purpose is to highlight and there are many, many highlights here to savor.
I received a copy of this book from Press 53 through NetGalley....more
Everyone should read Clint Smith’s How the Word is Passed. Certainly every American, but probably every European too. The information and insights herEveryone should read Clint Smith’s How the Word is Passed. Certainly every American, but probably every European too. The information and insights here are eye opening and mind-widening, even for one predisposed to want to learn about the Black experience. I am white, with no apparent ties to the American South, but, as Smith so carefully clarifies, I am not excluded from the audience for this book.
In part of his excellent summary, Smith provides the following:
The history of slavery is the history of the United States. It was not peripheral to our founding; it was central to it. It is not irrelevant to our contemporary society; it created it. This history is in our soil, it is in our policies, and it must, too, be in our memories. (loc 4325)
The material of the book is centered on Smith’s visits to six sites related to slavery in America: Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson writer of The Declaration of Independence but also keeper and father of slaves; The Whitney Plantation, where a new owner is attempting to create a true record of what plantation life and slavery actually were; Angola Prison, which has a long history of “lending” out prisoners for free labor and for cruelty; Blandford Cemetery and the Sons of Confederate Veterans, where festive Confederate Memorial Day events celebrate the heroes of the South to this day, and the Daughters of Confederacy see to the upkeep of monuments and cemeteries to this day; Galveston, Texas and Juneteenth, and the history of slavery in Texas; New York City and its ties to the slavery market long before the Underground Railroad. Lastly, there is a visit to Goree Island, Senegal, Africa and its famous House of Slaves, and the beginning of the slavery industry.
I guarantee that most, if not all, readers will learn something new from this book, something that will cause you to look at history differently and to hope for a better future of more understanding.
Obviously I recommend this book for everyone I know and everyone I don’t know too. It’s that important and that well done.
A copy of this book was provided by Little, Brown and Company, Hachette Book Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Without a doubt, one of the best, most authentic-feeling novels of the American west I have ever read. And the 900+ pages don’t seem enough. I still wWithout a doubt, one of the best, most authentic-feeling novels of the American west I have ever read. And the 900+ pages don’t seem enough. I still want more, more stories, more answers for Newt and the other cowboys, more for July, something for Lorena and Clara.
The feelings of sadness and emptiness that intermingle with joking and camaraderie among all of these characters seems very real. They were living in a new part of the land where even life itself wasn’t a given from one day to the next. They found friends where they could, among those they could trust if they were lucky. Among those they could tolerate if not.
I don’t believe I would have done well in those times but I’m glad others did the hard work before us.
Very highly recommended though I think most people I know have already read this....more
What to say about Olive, Again, and what to say about Olive herself and the town of Crosby, Maine and all the locals and summer people we have come toWhat to say about Olive, Again, and what to say about Olive herself and the town of Crosby, Maine and all the locals and summer people we have come to know through the pen of Elizabeth Strout. Well, they are real and individual; most, but not all, evolve over the course of the two Olive books (if they are indeed included in both). They surprise me! Yes they do, and frequently, with their struggles, needs, loves, hates, memories, insights (and lack of same).
And for Olive, yes, this is the book that needed to be written even though I didn’t know it needed to exist at all. It completes so much, not only for the reader, but for Olive herself. I believe that Olive has become real for me in a way, so this book, these stories of her town, her acquaintances, her life, was important. And Olive is the same woman, yet also becoming somehow different. Slightly more open perhaps. Occasionally listening longer or better. Even she wonders about herself. I leave this for you to discover. Is it the result of her getting older, cumulative life experiences; who really knows.
As in the original book, Olive is not present in every story and is on the periphery of a few. But in OK2, Olive is a commanding presence in several stories which leads to our observing insights about her life, feelings, family and relationships.
I encourage everyone who loved Olive Kitteridge to read Olive, Again soon. You will be very glad you did. And those who haven’t read Olive Kitteridge should read it before reading Olive, Again. The books and stories are deeply connected.
5*
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
This is why I read historical fiction. To be taken back to a time that I don’t truly understand and to learn about the people and events. This can onlThis is why I read historical fiction. To be taken back to a time that I don’t truly understand and to learn about the people and events. This can only happen when the author combines excellent research with an ability to tell a story in a lucid, interesting and inspiring way. Mary Doria Russell has certainly accomplished this and The Women of the Copper Country is definitely one of my favorite books of the year.
The setting for this novel is the company town of Calumet Michigan, site of a major copper mine. What happens during this novel is the butting of heads of a fledgling union and entrenched management. We see all that happens through multiple participants, miners, their families, union organizers, company men, management, newsmen.
Through information provided in the afterword, we learn how much of this book is, or is very close to, fact. And that is a lot. I was unfamiliar with this particular history and wondered a bit as I read, but there is such an air of authenticity and authority that I felt comfortable. And most of us of a certain age have heard something of Mother Jones! I had never heard of Annie Clements before. I now would like to know as much as possible about the real woman. This would be an excellent novel for high school students, perhaps, to excite them about the past and how it influences our present and the future. For issues of workers’ rights vs owners’ overwhelming wealth continue.
A definite 5* and highly recommended.
A copy of this book was provided by Atria Books through NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
This book is such a combination of moments of terrible sadness and tragedy countered by episodes of such beauty of characters and the natural world. TThis book is such a combination of moments of terrible sadness and tragedy countered by episodes of such beauty of characters and the natural world. The yin and yang of life and love are here from the first page to the last. I have rarely found a book that has actually surpassed the expectations I had built up after reading others’ reviews. Tin Man did that with the quality of its prose, its almost poetic presentation of thought, description, and simple declarative sentences. Where else have I ever read a character express to his inner self how safe/happy/secure/at home/wanted he feels than with this phrase : In my chest, the sound of an exhausted swallow falling gently to earth. (p 206) This spoken to himself when another character greets him warmly after a long absence.
I had marked several selections to include in this review, but it would be far better for you to learn about Ellis, Michael and Annie and their close and deep friendship for yourself. This is a short book but filled with emotion that I found beautifully earned. Highly recommended....more
While I have enjoyed all I have read of the Dark Iceland series, Snowblind and Nightblind, Blackout is now my favorite. The combination of a complex, While I have enjoyed all I have read of the Dark Iceland series, Snowblind and Nightblind, Blackout is now my favorite. The combination of a complex, multilayered plot with a wide cast of new characters, all of whom seem to be hiding or outrunning something in the past that won’t stay behind them worked well for me and kept me glued to the book the last two days. Even Tomas and Ari Thor, the well known local police, have other things on their minds along with their duties. Is all of this because they are now living in summer with near 24 hours of light? Or is it somehow related to ash from the recent volcano eruption falling increasingly over Reykjavík, clouding that city and worrying even those who live at a distance? Many, if not most, people who live in this small island nation have heard tales of past volcano eruptions, of life being turned upside down by ashy blackouts.
Here in northern Iceland the blackouts are more metaphoric, where the sun may be bright almost continuously but there are lies and half truths and unspoken thoughts interfering with a murder investigation; a man has been found outside of a home he has been helping to build, beaten to death.
There are many strands to this story but I urge patience. You will be rewarded. There are several moments in this book where I felt truly satisfied with what Jonasson had accomplished. And I highly recommend this book.
One note on this series. This is listed as book three in the Dark Iceland series. It is the third to be translated into English. The action of this story actually takes place before that of Nightblind, listed as D.I. #2. I have read these books in the order of the English translation. This may lead to some temporary confusion as you begin Blackout, since you are moving backward in time, but I had no major difficulty with it. Some are reading these two books in reverse order. I would have to investigate further to find how they were published originally in Iceland but I will leave that for another. I recommend all of the books I have read and I plan to read the rest of the Dark Iceland series when they are available.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
I have been reading F.G. Cottam for some time now and have recommended his work to others who enjoy this genre: paranormal fiction sometimes with an hI have been reading F.G. Cottam for some time now and have recommended his work to others who enjoy this genre: paranormal fiction sometimes with an historical fiction bent. The Lucifer Chord continues in that form, involving Ruthie Gillespie, met in prior Cottam work, in the investigation into the life of a 1970s rock legend, one Martin Mears, and his band. The hitch...Mears died in 1975 and all other band members have long since died also. A retrospective is planned and Ruthie will be paid handsomely for a 20,000 word essay to accompany a new boxed set of albums.
As is true in all of Cottam’s novels, there is a gradual scene building, development of characters and situations with slow introduction of tensions and events of questionable authorship. Eventually, it becomes clear that nothing human has produced some of the things Ruthie experiences.
And the tension continues to build as she moves in different directions with her search for information. How far will she go? Is she safe in what she is doing? Thankfully she has good friends to offset the evil that seems to lurk behind this project. There are links to earlier novels both in Ruthie ‘s character and in an organization that is discussed frequently in the novel, one with a dark past.
I once again recommend Cottam to those who enjoy this genre. He provides excellent writing without unnecessary gore, a fact I appreciate in this area. A sense of fear and unease can rise in a reader without a lot of blood and violence. Subtlety is appreciated. This book has the added plus of throwback memories to the 1970s for those of us who enjoyed the rock of the time.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
This may be the best so far in an excellent series! In this episode, Faye has traveled to Memphis to work on a job commissioned by local government: sThis may be the best so far in an excellent series! In this episode, Faye has traveled to Memphis to work on a job commissioned by local government: she and her team are to clear unused city park land before it is developed for use as campgrounds and for other needs. Faye is hoping for evidence of a woolly mammoth(!) and more specifically, for evidence of a black CCC group that worked in this park in the 1930s. Instead, before her dig fully begins, she discovers a woman buried nearby. On this dig, her husband is home in Florida. It's just her and a local crew of students to manage the situation. In other words--it's Faye who must deal with the authorities, manage her team, etc.
Evans maintains a high level of tension throughout the book, interweaving the killer's thoughts with the narrative, keeping him anonymous but still very present. Also, Evans works the black community's issues with policing into her story in a very effective way. I feel that I have a better handle on some of the communication problems and issues of trust for having read this novel.
All in all, this is an excellent episode in what is a consistently good series. Evans frequently addresses what is happening in the world around her in her books, making them good and relevant. Recommended. If you want to know Faye's background and how her husband, Joe, fits into the picture, you should begin earlier in the series. Otherwise, this reads well as a standalone.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
My Real Name is Hanna is a book that has come at the right time, a time when we all, young and old, need to be reminded of the cost of evil on and in My Real Name is Hanna is a book that has come at the right time, a time when we all, young and old, need to be reminded of the cost of evil on and in society. We meet Hanna in her small Ukrainian village in 1941. Anti-semitism is rising, with taunting and school yard cruelty. Soon this will be replaced with more lethal threats but, for now, the Russians have taken control and have “only” limited all religious observances. If the Germans gain control of Ukraine, everything will change. Most of the children are too young to understand or care about such things but Hanna, turning 14, understands enough to worry for herself, her family, friends, and all of the Jews who are threatened. She is human enough to worry for her good neighbors of all faiths.
Ultimately, the German war machine does push the Russian army out of the country and begin its program of “freeing” towns of Jews. First they are identified, then labeled with the infamous star, then rounded up, then shipped off or killed where they stand. This story may be old to some but forgotten or unknown by many. Here we see some variations on this theme of extermination but the cruelty is the same.
Hanna’s story, based on that of a real family similarly threatened, takes a different, often terrifying path. Before the Slivka family can be taken, they plan and, with others, leave carefully to hide as long as necessary in the forest or wherever else they must go in order to live. This hiding will last for many, many months in the forest, followed by many more underground.
Masih has provided many cultural and religious insights within her story, fitting them seamlessly into the narrative of family events, adding to the value of the text as a young adult novel. There is also reference made to a readers guide in the afterword; this would be a helpful study guide. As I indicated above, I do believe that My Name is Hanna is a valuable book for our time. In a time where values and beliefs seem to be confused, it is helpful to read a beautiful book celebrating resilience and familial bonds and survival. This is a book adults can read with children. Both will benefit.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
After having read and enjoyed Fagles' translation not too long ago, I decided to join with a group reading a new translation by Emily Wilson, the firsAfter having read and enjoyed Fagles' translation not too long ago, I decided to join with a group reading a new translation by Emily Wilson, the first woman to take on this task in English. This has proved to be an excellent decision. While I have always had respect for those who translate literature, I now realize even more fully how seemingly small, insignificant details can radically alter one’s perception of a classic or at least cause you to reconsider long-held beliefs about characters or events (be they historic or mythical). Wilson’s translation has done that for me by its lean style which, for me, serves to emphasize more of the humanity of the humans and the human-like behavior of the gods who influence the action.
There is so much here but I believe my response largely stems from Wilson’s chosen style and word choice. While I love Fagles’ translation for its poetry and imagery, I love Wilson’s for where it has led me and my thoughts. For that credit must also go to our wonderful group.
Atkinson is one of my favorite authors and, with Transcription, she has moved her star even higher. The tale is set in England, primarily London, in 1Atkinson is one of my favorite authors and, with Transcription, she has moved her star even higher. The tale is set in England, primarily London, in 1940, 1950 and 1981. The pivotal events occur in 1940, when Juliet Armstrong at 18, is recruited for the war effort. But not for any battle-related job, no. She is to file and type. Soon she is recruited further as a transcriptionist for an MI5 developed cause, to reel in and control English Fifth Column citizens, those who sympathize with the Nazis.
While the outline of the story may appear relatively simple, in Atkinson’s hands and with her wonderful verbal skills, the tale becomes one of identity in a much-changed world, reality vs multiple other possible realities, issues of truth or whether there is truth, and the ever present layers of deception in Juliet’s new world. As in other of her novels, there are questions of self and reality along the way, though tackled in a more concrete way than the last two novels.
These are just some of my favorite lines/quotes scattered throughout the book.
Come now, quite enough of exposition and explanation. We’re not approaching the end of a novel, Miss Armstrong. ( loc 4836 )
In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies. —-WINSTON CHURCHILLL ( loc 60)
Older men of a certain type were drawn to her. They seemed to want to improve her in some way. Juliet was almost thirty and didn’t feel she needed much more Improvement. The war had seen to that. (loc 152)
It was a terrible place really, but she was predisposed towards it. It was a thread in the labyrinth, one that she could follow back to the world before the war, to her self before the war. Innocence and experience butting up against each other in the greasy fug of Moretti’s. (loc 242)
That is me, she thought, I am crushed by loss. “Don’t seek out elaborate metaphors,” her English teacher had said of her school essays, but her mother’s death had revealed that there was no metaphor too ostentatious for grief. It was a terrible thing and demanded embellishment. (loc 277)
And one final quote.
Juliet felt rather ashamed, as her mind had been on what dress to wear this evening rather than bottomless pits of evil. The war still seemed like a matter of inconvenience rather than a threat. (loc 945)
I believe these samples give an idea of the spark behind the prose of this novel.
Atkinson provides an interesting Author’s Note outlining the inspirations and sources used before imagination and artistic license took over. She also provides a bibliography relevant to the war years, MI5, etc.
I wholeheartedly recommend this novel.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
Points North is one of those story collections that began slowly and comfortably, if quietly, then grew and grew until I knew it would be one of my faPoints North is one of those story collections that began slowly and comfortably, if quietly, then grew and grew until I knew it would be one of my favorites of this year. This is my first experience reading Mosher so I had no idea what to expect. Perhaps that is a good way to enter this collection of inter-related tales of the vast Kinneson family and Kingdom Common Vermont. The stories are not told in any particular order; you might encounter a man in one story and meet him in another as a boy with his grandfather.
It seems as if each tale is as good or better than the last, or perhaps it's the fact of spending more time in The Kingdom, with these very individualistic people, in a beautiful, if remote, setting, with a completely new situation in each outing. Mosher has a wonderful, understated sense of humor running through many of his stories and his writing is superb. You will see and feel this often difficult land as you read his words. And you will also come to see why the descendants of the original settlers so often choose to stay.
"Family, she thought as she headed into the village. Fishing, hunting, baseball, the newspaper, the farm now growing back to woods--all came down to family. In the Kingdom, family was everything." This quote from the final story, The Songbirds of Vermont, seems to sum up the "philosophy" of the Kingdom (if there is such a thing. As a side note, every time I write or say the town's name, I say Kingdom Come! I wonder what the citizens would say about that?)
Kingdom Common and its inhabitants are both treasures I will savor and I will most definitely be looking at more of Mosher's work. I'm only sorry that I discovered him after his death.
A definite 5 that I highly recommend.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
Sing, Unburied, Sing is a difficult, powerful, sad, heart-rending book with moments of beautiful affirmation. The title grabs me now that I've finisheSing, Unburied, Sing is a difficult, powerful, sad, heart-rending book with moments of beautiful affirmation. The title grabs me now that I've finished, leaving me with first one thought about its meaning, then another. This is my first experience reading a work from Ward and it will not be the last.
This story is set in Mississippi, as we meet 13 year old Jojo, his little sister Kayla, and his grandparents, Pop and Mam. Mam is slowly dying from cancer. Leonie, the children's mother, is a "sometimes" event in their lives. And their father is about to finish a prison term at Parchman. This is the lay of the land but there is so much more: the cost of drugs on people and families, continuing racial disparities and hatred, poverty, even the notorious Mississippi prison system, and the new nuclear families and old traditions.
It is such a powerful story, and what characters! I can feel the heat, see the animals in the yard, see not-Given looking at his sister in disappointment, or is it anger? The desperation is palpable. I wonder what will happen to these people I am becoming fond of in spite of their problems (Leonie), their absence from much of the story so far (Michael), and their occasional lack of reality (not-Given).
There is some hope in the end, but it is so complicated and confused with sadness, anger, guilt, an entire web of emotions wrapped around the family--living and dead. Ward's use of "second sight" for some of her characters made this story soar by further revealing old hurts, wounds, needs and an avenue of resolution for some. This introduction of second sight made the element of ghostly figures an honest move in the narrative. There is a streak of the other in this family from old times, now perhaps accentuated in Leonie by drugs, but Jojo, who has no part of drugs, still "sees." This novel exists in more than the here and now. It lives in the past, the now and some hoped for future. And they, the unburied, do indeed sing, as you will learn if you read this book.
Perhaps my favorite of 2018 so far. Highly recommended.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
Having read and heard so many positive things about this book from fellow GR members whose taste I trust, I decided to look for a used copy of ElkhornHaving read and heard so many positive things about this book from fellow GR members whose taste I trust, I decided to look for a used copy of Elkhorn Tavern online and found a copy in time to synchronize with On the Southern Literary Trail's group reading. And I am so glad I did. Those rave reviews were correct. This portrait of a quiet Arkansas valley and the farmers' lives disrupted or lost to marauding nightriders or to battles between Confederate and Union troops, with their infantry, cavalry and artillery, is powerful and has the ring of reality to it. It also reminds me very much of another Civil War historical fiction that I also admired, The Black Flower: A Novel of the Civil War by Howard Bahr, the first of his trilogy, which was written more from the point of view of the soldiers in battle.
Elkhorn Tavern presents the Hasford family as "salt of the earth" farmers, people who work hard and live by their work. The father, Martin, has gone to war, fighting for the South, which is where most, though not all, of the sympathies in the area lie. His wife Ora is at home with daughter Calpurnia and son Roman. Much of the story is told from their viewpoints as part of the war was fought in the area around their home. How often do we even consider these families who lived in the places where the Civil War battles were fought. There were families there, lives being lived, not all of whom could just up and move away with no real warning and no resources. (It happens in our world today and international charities try to help!) Instead, these people stayed.
Douglas Jones combines evocative prose used to describe the changes in nature over the many months that pass during the course of the novel with descriptions of action in battle and terrible carnage that drained me. He is such a skilled writer. He also knows the small tics and signs that reflect human thoughts and feelings, all those unspoken messages that others might see and he can capture on the page.
Along with many other readers, I highly recommend reading Elkhorn Tavern....more
When I saw the title of this book, I was immediately drawn to it. I felt the need to find what this doctor has learned, what there is that is cause foWhen I saw the title of this book, I was immediately drawn to it. I felt the need to find what this doctor has learned, what there is that is cause for optimism in her approach to Alzheimer's and other dementias. What I've learned does give me hope and a measure of optimism. Within the Alzheimer's classifications of rapid vs slowly progressive, Dr. Devi has broken down the disease into further levels, and evaluates major cognitive areas and current level of function. Using multiple case studies, she makes the case for various forms of intervention and how they can markedly affect the speed of progression of the disease. As a former Occupational Therapist who worked in home care for many years, I wish I'd had this resource for patients and families. Of course, most of the people I saw were further along the spectrum by the time I met them, but there is valuable information for those families here too.
The book provides information on the diagnostic process, the various aspects of the treatment process recommended by Dr. Devi along with results seen in case studies (and some of patients who opted not to participate). There is also a nice section on the difference between memory and intelligence, very useful for anyone who has had a patient or family member say "How did I get so stupid?" There is a chapter on the genetics of Alzheimer's and also the use of diet, physical activity and social engagement as means of prevention. Other chapters deal with such common problems as fear of bathing, depression, apathy. Also--when is it time to hire private help. And each of these are shown through multiple case studies, each from a slightly different perspective. And there is much more.
One of the major public mis-perceptions is that ALL of Alzheimer's IS the most severe cases. In truth, there are very likely many undiagnosed people functioning well in society around you every day, working, driving, socialising without any perceptible problem. Their symptoms are so sub-clinical that they and their significant others don't notice them. Many of Dr. Devi's patients continue to work, with some adaptation, for years, some in very high level positions. Of course, as the doctor emphasizes, no two people are alike and no two cases of Alzheimer's are alike.
I hope that, should I develop the tell-tale symptoms of Alzheimer's, I am fortunate enough to find a physician as intelligent, as humane, and as caring as Dr. Devi who obviously has acted with her whole and best self as much as possible on behalf of her patients and their families.
I recommend this as a resource for libraries, for individuals in health care and for those with interest in this area, be they patients or family members.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
This is my first experience reading Michael Chabon. It won't be the last. This work has captivated me for the past week as I moved from story to storyThis is my first experience reading Michael Chabon. It won't be the last. This work has captivated me for the past week as I moved from story to story with "Mike" as his grandfather related the experiences of his lifetime. The whole notion of a fictionalized autobiography left me rather cold before reading Moonglow. Now I'm a convert...I believe that a truly skilled writer can inspire me, thrill me, using unexpected literary combinations....especially when they are filled with the obvious love that Chabon brings to this work.
What is "real" and what is not is probably beside the point here. One point is the importance of the stories we tell in our families, how we create our lore and sense of who we are. This can rise or fall on problems of trust but can be saved by love. You may detect my avoiding certain specifics about the book, such as who is at the center, etc., well I guess I am. A young man named Mike is narrating this book based on the conversations he had with his maternal grandfather shortly before his grandfather died. Or did he. What stories have come from within the author's mind vs from within his family.
There was an afterword in my edition (and hopefully in all) wherein Chabon talks more about what is at play in this book, the family stories, his grandfather, grandmother, his mother, "real" memories vs family lore vs the type of memories that children retain based partly on reality and partly on confused recollection. Then there is the mind of the author who uses his creativity to bring his family together in a story which combines everything. Understand, this is me the reader speaking here. I am not paraphrasing the author. I am trying to put some form on this book for myself.
BUT it doesn't need it. It is something to be enjoyed for itself and I recommend that you do....more
This has been a profound and moving reading experience. I felt as if I was reliving major moments of my life as I read this documentary on the VietnamThis has been a profound and moving reading experience. I felt as if I was reliving major moments of my life as I read this documentary on the Vietnam War, the companion piece to Ken Burns' visual piece aired so recently on PBS. I have not yet seen any of that, saving it for my completion of this book.
I was a teenager when John Kennedy was elected president and when he was assassinated, not really very aware yet of Vietnam or the place it would have in everyone's life so soon. By the time I graduated high school in 1966, the reality of the draft and being shipped to Vietnam to fight was all too real for every male I knew, and every male of draft age in the country. Some managed to find repeated deferments (!!) but as the war and years progressed, most deferments didn't last either. More and more men were needed to fill the expanding need for boots on the ground.
One of the truly exciting aspects of this book is the fact that it provides input from all sides, and from many views on each side. There are memoir-like statements from men who served with the ARVN, the forces of South Vietnam - both supporters and despisers of the government. There are the same from the men and women of the army of the North, and from the communist forces in the South. There are multiple first-hand reports from American servicemen, reporters and some nurses--the only women who were near combat in this war. These first-hand stories are interspersed with historical sections throughout the book, timed to coincide with events on the ground.
There are also photographs throughout the text, some that were, and still are, famous and were seen throughout the world and on American television in the 1960s and 70s, but many that are new. Some of war, some of anti-war demonstrations, some political, some personal. They still have power.
There is much to be learned from reading this book. One of the major quotes I took from this is spoken by Haldeman, of all people, on the impact of the release of the Pentagon Papers: out of the gobbledygook comes a very clear thing, which is: you can't trust the government...can't believe what they say...can't rely on their judgment. And..the infallibility of presidents, which has been an accepted thing in America, is badly hurt by this, because it shows that people do things the president wants..even when it's wrong. And the president can be wrong.
This, sadly, is a lesson the the United States has learned in spades since. But Vietnam and various political and military leaders responses to it began a slide. I do strongly recommend this book to people of all generations. Even if you think you know all of the details, I think there are likely more than a few new ones that will make it worth your while. And along side the ignominious actions of some, there are many heroes, some who lived, some who did not. For younger readers, there is the old adage of those who do not learn from history being condemned to repeat it.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
With this amazing novel, Miller provides a portrait of 20th century Jamaican history through conversations, retelling of folk stories and witnessed evWith this amazing novel, Miller provides a portrait of 20th century Jamaican history through conversations, retelling of folk stories and witnessed events (with mythic interpretation). We see attempts of the darkest-skin people to break free spiritually in a culture where skin tone defines class. All of this happens in Augustown, the poor section of Kingston.
Ma Taffy has raised three girls and now the child of the last, a six year old boy, Kaia. He is being raised Rastafarian by his mother, Gina, and one day his teacher becomes enraged with his appearance. On his return home, sobbing, Ma Taffy tells him the story of the Flying Preacherman, Master Bedward, whom Ma had seen levitating toward the heavens when she was a child.
Ah magical realism vs the power of stories and memory. Miller has much to say about this throughout the book. These people live on their stories which repeat and repeat through generations. Those who attempt to alter or rise above their history seem to risk everything. There is a feeling of darkness behind the words that speaks of brutality, racial and class divides, a long history. Myth and the gift of stories can be a trap to hold one inside this history or a ladder with a way out. I may have to read this again to better understand Miller's views.
Miller is a poet as well as a prose writer, and it shows in his work. I recommend this book highly with the caveat that it is not a straightforward, linear novel. Thanks to The World's Literature group for leading me to this book....more
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