Love and Ruin

Title:  Love and Ruin

Author:  Paula McLain

Publication Information:  Ballantine Books. 2018. 400 pages.

ISBN:  1101967382 / 978-1101967386

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Near dawn on July 13, 1936, as three assassins scaled a high garden wall in Tenerife hoping to catch the band of armed guards unaware, I was asleep in a tiny room in Stuttgart, waiting for my life to begin."

Favorite Quote:  "Even when other things come in loud, we have to keep choosing each other. That's marriage. You can't only say the words once and think they'll stick. You have to say them over and over, and then live them out with all you've got."

Love and Ruin is the fictionalized account of the relationship and five year marriage between Ernest Hemingway and Martha Ellis Gelhorn. They were married from 1940 to 1945, a tumultuous period in world history. This was also the time in which Ernest Hemingway published For Whom the Bells Toll, written based on his experiences during the Spanish civil war.

Martha Gelhorn was the third of Ernest Hemingway's four wives. They in fact met and began their relationship while Hemingway was still married to Pauline Pfeiffer. Much - fiction and nonfiction - has been written about Hemingway and especially his marriages. Naomi Wood's Mrs. Hemingway was a snapshot of all four marriages. Paula McLain's earlier book The Paris Wife was about his first marriage to Elizabeth Hadley Richardson.

Martha Gelhorn was a renowned journalist in her own right. In fact, a journalism prize established in 1999 is named in her honor. The Martha Gelhorn Prize for Journalism is awarded "for the kind of reporting that distinguished Martha: in her own words 'the view from the ground'. This is essentially a human story that penetrates the established version of events and illuminates an urgent issue buried by prevailing fashions of what makes news. We would expect the winner to tell an unpalatable truth, validated by powerful facts, that exposes establishment conduct and its propaganda, or 'official drivel', as Martha called it."

This book begins in Martha's life before she is an established journalist; it begins when she meets Ernest Hemingway by chance on a trip. That chance meeting, a promise, and Martha's dream land her on the front lines of the Spanish civil war and in close proximity to Ernest Hemingway. So begins the relationship, and so begins Martha's career as a war correspondent.

Beyond that point, their relationship and hence the book follows a cyclic path - periods in a war zone, and periods of peace in an idyllic island haven. Interspersed throughout, of course, is writing for and from both of them. The relationship is depicted with the competition from both being in the same line of work. Ernest Hemingway has achieved his fame; Martha Gelhorn is working on finding her voice. At times, the pendulum of success seems to shift from one to the other.

The focus of this story remains throughout the relationship more so than the woman and her accomplishments. Even the portions set in the middle of war zones center on the two of them; I don't really get a sense of the time and place that were the basis of Martah Gelhorn's career. Her career was about the history she lived through; her writing was about the places and people and events she witnessed. Yet, that history seems not to take a back seat in this book.

I am honestly not sure I get a complete picture of the woman herself. She was twenty-eight when she met Ernest Hemingway. She had had affairs previously. She was willing and able to travel alone into a war zone. She was obviously independent and strong. Yet, somehow, the impression I am left with is of someone younger and more innocent. I don't know enough of the actual history to say which is the more accurate one, but I am left with the question in mind.

I guess in many ways I would rather have read the story of Martha Gelhorn, groundbreaking war correspondent, than Martha Gelhorn, one of the wives of Ernest Hemingway.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

The Little Clan

Title:  The Little Clan

Author:  Iris Martin Cohen

Publication Information:  Park Row. 2018. 320 pages.

ISBN:  0778312828 / 978-0778312826

Book Source:  I received this book as a publisher's galley through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Ava waited, watching the stopped clock."

Favorite Quote:  "I always thought it might be nice to be a type. If  people have a way to place you, it might be nice to be a type. If people have a way to place you, I think you draw less ire, less attention, less bullying. Or at least you'd know why it happened. I feel like I'm always a mystery."

Ava and Stephanie are both in their twenties. Ava is a librarian; Stephanie has tried different careers. Ava lives a quiet life in the middle of Manhattan as if in a previous century; Stephanie is returning from an unexpected year abroad. Ava loves her classic books; Stephanie is about the "in" thing. They are friends, but are they really?

The plot of the book is about the Lazarus Club, the obscure but at one time stately club where Ava works and lives. Stephanie comes in like a whirlwind with grand ideas to create a literary salon. Ava loves the idea, but their ideas of "literary" and "salon" differ greatly. Both are carried forward on the force of their ideas into a somewhat mad escapade in the art and literary world of New York City. The descriptions of an old building being restored to its glory and the commentary on the literary world are perhaps my favorite aspects of the book.

I love books (obviously!), and I love books about readers and books. The idea of recreating a literary salon reminiscent of an older time was intriguing. Unfortunately, the love of books and all things literary only goes so far in this story as a supposed literary salon devolves into more of a disco party.

The characters - Ava and Stephanie - and their relationship is really what this book is about. Interestingly, neither one is particularly likable. I did not expect that. I expected to like one and perhaps dislike one, creating a hero and a villain perhaps. However, the book is surprisingly balanced between the two.

Ava is a bit of a pretentious snob and a doormat at the same time. She lives in the nineteenth century and refuses to acknowledge that anything more modern her precious than literary classics has value. Quill pens, gowns, and candlelight only in modern day Manhattan; really? Stephanie is an opportunistic player. Both of them are also just mean girls - to each other and to others around them.

Simmering under this on again off again college friendship are hints of more. With the introduction of side characters is the possibility of a budding romance, or not. Without a spoiler, let's just say that the ending has certain decisions and actions that seem completely out of character. For the most part, the characters are too self-involved for relationships to even play a major role.

The book description touts this book as "a love letter to classic literature and an illuminating look at new found adulthood." Unfortunately, the literary references are not the memorable aspect of this book. They serves more to highlight Ava's pretentiousness than to pay homage to the literature. As far as "new found adulthood", neither Ava nor Stephanie seem to progress on the journey to adulthood in the course of this book. The book description also sets this up as a coming of age story. However, the story really does not go anywhere in terms of character growth which is unfortunate in a character driven book.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Raising the Dad

Title:  Raising the Dad

Author:  Tom Matthews

Publication Information:  Thomas Dunne Books. 2018. 320 pages.

ISBN:  1250094763 / 978-1250094766

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "They came blinking into their new fluorescent-lit freedom with hollow, dusty stares."

Favorite Quote:  "Robin and John kept an even keel ... enough to make the marriage endure ... the two of them were like comanagers of a successful business:  they understood what their roles were, they came together efficiently when a crisis hit, and they kept their doors open when so many businesses around them failed."

Losing a parent is hard at any age. The process of grief is a long one. In fact, from personal experience, I can say that losing a parent is not something you "get over." It's something you learn to live with. John Husted's father's died years ago. He now deals with age himself, a functional but uninspiring marriage, a rebellious teenage daughter, a musician brother fresh out of jail, and a mother who seems to be facing health issues of her own. John Husted deals, sometimes successfully and sometimes not so successfully. Nevertheless, he deals.

Then, a bombshell upends his life. He discovers that the fate of his father is not what he has believed all these years. Call it a valiant effort, dedication, a conspiracy, or a lie. Call it what you will, but what he believes to be true about his father is not true and has never been true. John Husted is called upon to deal with it again.

Although I did not realize it as first, the title of the book is clearly a play on words. Raising the dad vs. raising the dead. See where this is going. A far fetched premise for a mind boggling question. An odd premise for an odd book.

Let's suspend the disbelief about the premise of the book and just talk about the book itself. The book descriptions and so many of the book clips refer to this book as humorous. Unfortunately, the humor of it escapes me completely. To me, this book is dark and sad. It highlights the dysfunctional family. It highlights the struggles of the sandwich generation - the ones caring both for aging parents and children at home. It highlights a man in the middle of his life wondering what he's doing. It highlights a family's reflection on its history of both love and grievances. It puts all these challenges into the middle of a depressing and sad situation.

The book touches upon but does not delve into the moral questions surrounding the premise of the story. For purposes of this story and for purposes of John Husted's life, the situation is what it is. He is called upon to deal with it. He cannot change it; therefore, this family story focuses on the practical realities of dealing with it not the ethical dilemma that surrounds it. As such, the premise of the book is darker and much more serious than the cover, the description, or the story actually are. It leaves a bit of a disconnect.

For me, the story falls short because the premise is just too far-fetched to be believable. Also, once the shock value of the secret passes, the book drags somewhat. It is more about reflections on the past than events in the present. The ending is to me a forgone conclusion; it's just a matter of getting there.  The saving grace is that family love and caring does find its way through the dysfunction in this family, but the darkness and sadness that looms over this family is the lingering memory from this book.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Horse

Title:  Horse by Talley English

Author:  Talley English

Publication Information:  Knopf. 2018. 336 pages.

ISBN:  1101874333 / 978-1101874332

Book Source:  I received this book through the Penguin First to Read program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Ian was broken English."

Favorite Quote:  "Grief is a dead horse. The body must be buried where it lies. Who can move the weight?"

Many stories have been written about grief, the impact of divorce/loss on children, the bond between a child and an animal, and the healing power of animals. This book brings all these elements together. However, for me, the emotional impact of the story does not come. I think that is primarily for two reasons - one about the plot and the other about the structure and language.

The plot is about an abandoned family. The father Robert French walks out one day. Shortly thereafter, he begins a new relationship. The mother Susanna and the two children are left to pick up the pieces. There is anger, recriminations, loss, and grief. The book is about teenager Teagen. It is her coming of age story in the midst of this loss, and it is about the power of an animal to ease that grief. It sounds like a powerful, emotional story.

Unfortunately, the lingering effect of the story is that Teagen's grief manifests itself in what I might term first world problems. Following her parent's separation, Teagan goes away to boarding school which allows her to bring her horse and train in riding. The horse she takes is her father's prize horse. Ian (the horse's) intensity seems to match Teagan's. Both parents individually remain in Teagan's life. She leaves friends at home and finds friends at school at least at the beginning. When needed, Susannah is able to get professional help to deal with Teagan's emotional well being.

All these signs of the things that are possible in Teagan's life do not undermine the grief or anxiety that a young woman may feel at the dismantling of her family. However, the story becomes more about these elements of her life rather than an expression of that grief. As such, they become harder to get past to get to the emotion of the book.

The other thing that, for me, mitigates the emotional impact of the story is the structure of the story telling. The book is written in very short chapters; the writing clearly reflects the author's background as a poet. The very short chapters change abruptly between different parts of Teagan's life - family life before her parents' separation, the time Teagan spends at the boarding school, and a time when Teagan returns to her childhood home as an adult. The timeline jumps, and the narrative voice changes. At times, I find myself rereading to determine where the story is. The emotional jump from a teenager facing her parent's divorce to an adult reflecting on that experience is also a difficult one. It all gets a bit confused, which creates a distance between reader and story.

Finally, the ending is not one I see coming and not a turn that I truly understand. It seems an abrupt decision of a teenager. Teagan does follow through on it. It is perhaps the emotional distance of the book that prevents me from understanding the bond between Ian and Teagan and Teagan's decision in light of that bond. The overall impact is unfortunately of a melancholy but vague story.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

So Much Life Left Over

Title:  So Much Life Left Over

Author:  Louis de Bernieres

Publication Information:  Pantheon. 2018. 288 pages.

ISBN:  1524747882 / 978-1524747886

Book Source:  I received this book through the Penguin First to Read program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "The crackle of gunshots bounced between the mountainsides, the percussion fading with each return of echo."

Favorite Quote:  "No one is every only one thing. Inside one person there are so many different people, and quite often they're at war with each other, and sometimes one of them is winning, and sometimes another. We're all so hard to understand, aren't we? I don't even understand myself."

It takes a while to settle into this story because it takes a while for me to figure out what the story is actually about and what it is not.

The book description speaks about lives upended by World War I. The book is set in the 1920s and comes forward to World War II. "If you have been embroiled in a war in which you confidently expected to die, what were you supposed to do with so much life unexpectedly left over? There were so many ways of passing the peace, and you would never know what they would have been like, those roads not taken." Yet, the war is not really present in the book. Yes, there are deaths and impacts. However, that does not seem to be the heart of this story. I expected reflections on the trauma of war. The undercurrent of that trauma is there, but this book is more about relationships than the war.

The cover image and the description talk about Ceylon and India. The book opens in Ceylon. It delves into a little bit of the culture and the role of the settlers in the regions. I expect that cultural interchange to be a big part of the book. Again, I am disappointed because that portion of the book ends fairly early on as the story reverts back to Britain never to really return to other parts of the world.

Finally, the book description references this group of childhood friends. That is really what this book is about. It is about the ebbs and flows of the relationships in this group. In particular, it centers around Daniel, whose live seems directed by his interactions with members of this group. Friendship, marriage, moves, fatherhood, love, and despair all come to him through this group.

Once I realize that, I settle into Daniel's story. Daniel is a sad character. So much of his life and actions seem in reaction to others. "He had grown tired of being virtuous when there was not reward for it, and tired of having virtue thrust upon him by force of circumstance. He had, in a fit of pique coloured by a kind of loneliness, finally dropped his principles, and understood that sometimes a married person needs to take a lover if they are going to have any kind of romance or intimacy." I both feel sorry for him and want to shake him into action. I want to tell him that he can decide and make a different choice.

For all that or maybe because of all that, I keep reading and want to know where his story goes. It does not go where I expect it to. All kinds of philosophical and ethical conversations can be had based on his actions. I could see that being a great book club discussion. The ending, however, does not bring a conclusion to his story. It brings a defining moment, but not a conclusion. In fact, the book ends, poised to ask again the question that the story initially poses. It doesn't feel like a prediction of a sequel but rather an indication that the search for an answer is an individual one.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Becoming Belle

Title:  Becoming Belle

Author:  Nuala O'Connor

Publication Information:  G. P. Putnam's Sons. 2018. 384 pages.

ISBN:  0735214409 / 978-0735214408

Book Source:  I received this book through the Penguin First to Read program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Isabel Maude Pernice Bilton. Isabel Bilton. Issy Bilton. Belle Bilton. All she could think to write was her name."

Favorite Quote:  "A home ought to be a shrine, a solid place for all life to happen in, the joys and the sorrows. It should be a shared place for a family, not some temporary stop-off in which to lay her head..."

Isabel Maude Pernice Bilton (1867-1906) was born into a military household. Her mother had a flair for the dramatic in her theatrical pursuits and in her life. "Mothers are queer creatures, are they not? They love us madly until we display the signs of our true selves, until we're no longer malleable. Then they choose whether to love us anymore. Or not." Her father was the grounded one; he loved and supported Isabel. Her dream was to escape the expectations life set for her. She wanted a life in the theater in London. When an opportunity presented itself, her father supported her dream.

So begins the story of Isabel Bilton, who I discovered was an actual historical figure. The trajectory of her life led from her home to a life in the London music halls and to eventually the title of Countess. It went in cycles from poverty to financial comfort and back again. It led from being Isabel to becoming Belle. Along the way came successes and setbacks, friends and detractors. This book tells a fictional account of her story.

This is to a great extent a story of reinvention. With every success and with every setback, Belle reinvents herself to move forward. Sometimes, it means leaving entire parts of her life behind. "You astonish me the way you invent yourself anew for every situation. As if each time something happens, the life your were made for is about to begin." Some of these beginnings are quite astonishing because of the people Belle leaves behind. The book does not explore the emotional ramifications of those life altering decisions. It is startling in that it almost seems as if she moves on and doesn't look back. It makes her a less sympathetic character, but perhaps that is portrayed as the price of ambition or the way to survival.

Based on the setup and description, I expected this book to be about a strong woman, her independence, her career, and her ambition. It is about an independent woman who owns her bohemian lifestyle. However, much of the books becomes about the men in her life and the repercussions of her relationships. That makes senses given the time and place; it was just not what I expected.

Much of the book is about her relationship with Viscount Dunlo, heir to the Earl of Clancarty. This section of the book is fascinating because in telling Belle and William's story, this book relates a look on the social setup of England at the time. It particularly shines a light on the edicts and laws governing marriage. Let's just say that Belle Bilton was clearly not the type of woman that William's family - wealthy and members of the peerage - felt was acceptable in their family.

In this way, the book accomplishes what I love about historical fiction. It introduces me to a historical character, and it set me on a path to read more about her actual marriage and the laws that applied to it.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Auschwitz Lullaby

Title:  Auschwitz Lullaby

Author:  Mario Escobar

Publication Information:  Thomas Nelson. 2018. 304 pages.

ISBN:  0785219951 / 978-0785219958

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "I held my breath during the airplane's steep ascent."

Favorite Quote:  "All human beings are irreplaceable, of infinite value, and nothing can substitute the life that is taken."

A story of love: Helene and Johann meet and fall he in love. She is a nurse; he is a violinist. She is of Aryan descent; he is of Romani Gypsy descent. Society and their families do not approve of their love. Nevertheless, they marry, have five children, and are happy in their lives.

A story of hate and evil:  It is 1943 in Berlin, Germany. The SS arrive at the doorstep of the Hannemann's. All Gypsies are to be sent to camps. History tells us that over 20,000 ethnic gypsies perished at Auschwitz. "I had always wanted to believe that people would wake up and see what Hitler and his followers represented, but no one did. Everyone went right along with his fanatical insanity and turned the world into a starving warring hell."

An impossible choice:  As an Aryan, Helene is exempt from the order. As Gypsy, her husband and children are not. As a wife and even more as a mother, Helene stays with her family. She is arrested and transported along with the children. "I'm a mother ... You all wage your wars for grand ideals, you defend your fanatical beliefs about liberty, country, and race, but mothers have only one homeland, one ideal, one race:  our family."

A story of courage: The family is sent to Auschwitz along with thousands of other Gypsies. History tells us how that ends. This book tells the story of Helene Hannemann. It is the story of a school that was started as a propaganda exercise by the Nazis but that also, through Helene's courage, brought a moment of hope to the children of Auschwitz.

Helene Hannemann is a historical figure. Her story is real and another horrific vision of World War II history. Her courage is inspiring. That is the story the world needs to tell and remember.

Now on to this telling of the story. Some things that leave me thinking...

The lullaby of the title is referenced only twice in the book, and the violin on the cover is not central to the story at all. This does not impact the story, but I expected more given the prominence it's given.

The book begins and ends with a short first person narrative section from an unexpected character; it is also a retrospective on Helene and her impact. History or a literary technique? It is unclear. Either way, to me, it is unnecessary and not needed.

The narrative, with a mother at the heart of such horror, has an emotional distance. The narration tells the story but does not seem to bring it to life. I weep at the idea that the world allowed such atrocities to exist and occur. Yet, it is the history not the narrative that evokes the emotions.

The ending of this book is not entirely true to the history. The author specifies that as a deliberate choice. I think by diluting what actually happened, it does a disservice to this family's history and the history of all those who perished. This history needs to be remembered as it occurred.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

The Late Bloomers' Club

Title:  The Late Bloomers' Club

Author:  Louise Miller

Publication Information:  Pamela Dorman Books. 2018. 336 pages.

ISBN:  1101981237 / 978-1101981238

Book Source:  I received this book through the Penguin First to Read program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Freckles would have smelled the change in Peggy Johnson, but the window on his side had been rolled all the way down and the air out on Pudding Hill Road was thick with the scent of the fresh cow manure the farmer had spread over his kale field just that morning."

Favorite Quote:  "I'm more interested in what a person thinks and feels anyways, but if we have to look like something, which we do, I'd rather look at someone whose face shows they've lived a little. That they've struggled a little."

This book in its setup reminds me of the movie It's a Wonderful Life. There is a small town and a close-knit community. There is a big business looking to take over and change. There are two siblings, one who flies and seeks the world and one who stays and keeps alive the parents' vision. Both siblings feels like the other is the strong one. A crisis precipitates a reckoning. The love and bond of this small community comes together. Admittedly, this book has no angel showing what life would have been like if... However, other things manage to convey the community impact of one person.

At the heart of this story is Nora, the owner and operator of Miss Guthrie's Diner in the small town of Guthrie, Vermont. She and her sister Kit grew up in Guthrie and the diner. Nora kept it going after the death of her mother and her father's decline. Kit left to pursue other dreams. Part of a close-knit community, Nora nevertheless feels alone, particularly after her divorce.

The plot of the book is simple. A town resident passes away, and for reasons unknown leaves her rather large property to Nora and Kit. So, there is the question of why would a relative stranger leave the sisters this legacy? A big business wants to purchase the property to build a large store. A handsome, eligible, and sympathetic representative from this business arrives to survey the potential of the store. The town is divided between the jobs the store may bring to the local economy and the way it will forever alter the small town. Sisters Nora and Kit are divided between the windfall the sale of the property will bring them and the desire to protect this special property and the town. Added in for good measure is the story of a lost dog that brings an entire community together.

Nora, in this case, is the late bloomer. In that respect, many readers may find her a relatable character. Her story of putting, what she feels may have been, her goals on hold for family obligations is a story that frequently occurs in real life. It is the longing for the path not taken even if you eventually discover is that the path you are on is the one you wanted all along. Sometimes, it takes a crisis to remind us of that.

One of the best parts of this book is the relationship between the two sisters. It feels real. There is sibling rivalry, disagreements, at times distance, but ultimately a basis of strong love and respect. This and the lovely small town feel of Guthrie gives this book a nostalgic feel.

Louise Miller's The City Baker's Guide to Country Living is also set in the town of Guthrie. Both books are simple, sweet stories. No shocking twists, no unpredictable turns. Just feel good books perfect for a cozy afternoon. This book, like the first one, also contains a few recipes for cakes which sound delicious. Do not read when hungry.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Clock Dance

Title:  Clock Dance

Author:  Anne Tyler

Publication Information:  Knopf. 2018. 304 pages.

ISBN:  0525521224 / 978-0525521228

Book Source:  I received this book through Penguin First to Read free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Willa Drake and Sonya Bailey were selling candy bars door-to-door."

Favorite Quote:  "Sometimes Willa felt she'd spent half her life apologizing for some man's behavior. More than half her life, actually. First Derek and the Peter, forever charging ahead while Willa trailed behind picking up the pieces and excusing and explaining."

I don't really understand the cover or the title of the book. Is the clock dance the fact that the book synopsis talks about the defining moments of Willa's life? Is the clock dance that Willa finally reaches an age where she decides that she needs to determine her own direction rather than to let it be determined for her? Is the clock dance simply that Willa is older and in the later years of her life?

The cactus and the blue sky on the cover seem to refer to Willa's home place at the beginning of the book. However, that setting has little relevance to the story itself. Most of the story is set in Baltimore, Maryland which has its share of blue skies but is certainly not known for its cacti. It's a good thing that I relied more on the description for the content of the book.

The description sets up a character and a plot that has appeared in many books. A man or a woman reaches - shall we say - a certain mature age. A lot of life has passed. A moment, a family member, an encounter, or some other trigger precipitates a reaction. The reaction leads to a reflection on past decisions and choices. Reflection leads to the possibility of change. The rest of the book becomes about that transition and if and how it occurs. Most of the books rely on creating characters that are sympathetic if not endearing. If we as readers fall in love with the character, then we invest in the story. If we don't, then we read it and move on.

This book is no different. The synopsis presents the defining moments of Willa Drake's life. A phone call leads her to a her son's ex-girlfriend and her daughter. They are complete strangers, but yet were almost family. Complications ensue, yet they fulfill a need in Willa's life, a need perhaps that she did not even acknowledge existed. The story winds to an expected conclusion.

The first part of the book presents, in short glimpses, the points in Willa's life that define her path. These bring her all the way to the age of sixty. The major theme here is the fact that Willa has chosen the path of least resistance and allowed her direction to be determined mostly by the actions and suggestions of others. Then, it seems all of a sudden she finds gumption and is stirred to make different choices - more importantly, to make her own choices.

What makes this book an interesting one, however, is not the main character Willa Drake. The book is her story, but I don't feel like I get to know Willa. As such, I don't feel like I vest in Willa's story. The eccentric cast of characters and relationships she finds in Baltimore don't call for a reader to become involved but rather just provide entertainment value through their daily lives. A precocious child. An independent woman in need of help. An eclectic collection of neighbors. However, then the story seems to come to a rather abrupt end rather than a rounded out conclusion. I am entertained and amused by the characters but find myself somewhat unmoved by Willa's story.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Scandal Above Stairs

Title:  Scandal Above Stairs

Author:  Jennifer Ashley

Publication Information:  Berkley. 2018. 320 pages.

ISBN:  0399585532 / 978-0399585531

Book Source:  I received this book through Penguin First to Read free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "The clatter of crockery on the flagstone floor broke my heart."

Favorite Quote:  "We must help one another in this world, because it is a difficult place. Too difficult for us all to be selfish. It is also fine to ask for help - we should not be too proud to admit when we need it."

Scandal Above Stairs is the second book in the series started in Death Below Stairs. The charm of the characters continues into this book. While it is not absolutely necessary to have read the first book, it is beneficial in this case. Many of the characters from the first book feature in this book. Although the mystery is new, most of the secondary plot lines continue from the first book.

Kat Holloway is still the cook in the same household. This book is once again a little bit of an upstairs downstairs story. The mystery of this book begins with thefts and disappearances of artwork that lead to murder. It is such fun to watch Kat Holloway navigate and solve the mystery while maintaining the upstairs downstairs decorum so central to Victorian English society. Those who know her and appreciate her abilities do not stand on ceremony; to the rest of the world, she is only the cook of the household and hence to be kept in her place.

Besides the mystery itself, what makes this book a charming read is the continuing stories of the characters.

Lady Cynthia is still a woman ahead of her times, living on her own terms rather than conforming to societal expectations. Her family is still trying to marry her off, but she has other plans. A friendship and a romance is perhaps budding.

Tess is a new addition in this book. She comes as a cook's assistant, referred by someone Kat trusts absolutely. Tess is rough around the edges and with a chip on her shoulder. Kat is both manager and mother to this young woman, who has a story of her own. Some of that is revealed through the book; some may emerge.

Daniel McAdam's continues to be the debonair mystery man. He seems to know everyone. He seems able to do anything. A little more of his back story is explored beyond what was in the first book.

Kat herself continues unafraid to speak her mind and takes no nonsense from anyone. Her relationship with her daughter reveals her more vulnerable side. This book takes Daniel and Kat's relationship further as well.

Both books in the series prove to be quick reads with characters about whom I want to learn more. According to the author's website, the third book is titled Death in Kew Gardens and is "coming soon." I can't wait.

If you are interested in the author's other work, note that she writes under three names. As Jennifer Ashley, she writes historical, paranormal, and contemporary romance. As Ashley Gardner, she authors mysteries. Allyson James is the name for the paranormal romance and urban fantasy books. Worth exploring!

I am interested in the fact that Kat Holloway is a cook and apparently a fine one at that. Both books so far have descriptions of ingredients and dishes and the creation of menus that sound tempting. As someone who enjoys cooking, I wonder if a Kat Holloway cookbook will be coming at some point.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

The Billionaire Raj

Title:  The Billionaire Raj:  A Journey Through India's New Gilded Age

Author:  James Crabtree

Publication Information:  Tim Duggan Books. 2018. 416 pages.

ISBN:  1524760064 / 978-1524760069

Book Source:  I received this book through Penguin First to Read free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "It was a sunny December day when I found it, abandoned outside a Mumbai police station and draped in a dirty plastic sheet."

Favorite Quote:  "What was the point of being a tycoon if not to take just the kinds of wild risks that would intimidate more conventionally minded businesses - and perhaps, in the process, bring seismic change to industries or countries? The careers of the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, and Carnegies had invited similar questions more than a century earlier, as they built the canals, railroads and steamships through which America grew. In their own eras all were pilloried as corrupt and avaricious. Over time, all have gradually been rehabilitated as masters of new technology and pioneers of industrial change rather than robber barons..."

What is the "raj"? Literally translated, the word means rule or government. Historically, in India, the Raj refers to the British rule of India; that is, in fact, how the dictionary defines this term. British rules ended decades ago. Linguistically, the term remains. Historically, the connotation remains.

Translate that to the title of this book, and it makes sense. The book defines a culture of wealth and of power defined by wealth. With its huge and growing population and despite its growing economy, the wealth gap in India is growing. The rich in India are wealthy beyond belief, and the poor survive in unimaginable squalor.

The cover image of this book captures the wealth. This is the picture of a private home in the skies of Mumbai. Antilia is a the private home of an Indian businessman. It houses a single family and has space for 600 staff to maintain the property. The home has 27 levels in a space that may contain a 60 floor high rise elsewhere. It has been deemed the most expensive private home in the world with a value of about $2 billion. Yes, $2 billion.

The cover image also represents the major theme of the book. The home towers over all its surroundings, literally and figuratively. Capitalism versus the inequity for those who live far below. The book presents a well-researched, detailed account of this struggle between the motivation of capitalism and the pull of social equity. It also presents the conversations and efforts at balancing the two.

The "gilded age" analogy is an apt one for an American book audience. In US history, the Gilded Age was a time of industrialization, expansion, and economic growth. The counterpoint to that growth was the poverty of certain societal segments, particularly the immigrant communities.

That analogy provides a framework in which the author explains India's current position. The author explains the larger societal constructs. He also grounds the book in specific stories of specific individuals, adding a much more personal and readable bend to the social commentary. In this, at times, the book is little like a social exposé.

The main character, if you will, is Mukesh Ambani, the business tycoon owner of the home depicted on the cover. To give you a sense of wealth, Mukesh Ambani is ranked nineteenth on the 2018 Forbes Magazine billionaire's list, otherwise known as the three comma list. He is also #32 on the 2018 Forbes Magazine's world's most powerful people list. His company is on the Fortune Global 500.

These statistics stipulate Mukesh Ambani's position, but they are also a barometer of India's growth and reach. The book argues that despite the wealth gap, the corruption, and the cultural strife that exists in India, the country is poised to lead the world as a democracy. "As democracy falters in the West, so its future in India has never been more critical." The book educates and ends with thought provoking questions for the ending to this "story" is not known. What happens next remains to be seen.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Call Me American

Title:  Call Me American:  A Memoir

Author:  Abdi Nor Iftin

Publication Information:  Knopf. 2018. 320 pages.

ISBN:  1524732192 / 978-1524732196

Book Source:  I received this book through Penguin First to Read free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "I was born under a neem tree, probably in 1985."

Favorite Quote:  "I hope that my own example reminds people of what is possible. No one gets to choose when or where to be bor, but what happens after that is what you can imagine."

For a book titled Call Me American, very little of this book actually takes place in America. It is, however, completely about the American dream and about America as a the haven for those seeking freedom and a better life.

Abdi Nor Iftir is a young man born and raised in and around Mogadishu, Somalia. Since the 1990s, the country has been torn apart by strife and civil war. In other words, this young man has had no other world but one of poverty, deprivation, and war. His formal education came through religiously based schools, which focus on the rote memorization of holy texts not the understanding of the life principles that underlie the teachings.

His informal education and his escape came from contraband American movies and music. For a short period of time, this dream came from the American military presence in Somalia. However, in the eyes of a child, the soldiers one day simply left, and they left him behind.

He, however, developed a love of all things American. He taught himself English from the movies and began calling himself Abdi American.

In his real life, he watched his father lose all sense of who and what he was. He watched his mother struggle to keep family and home. He watched his brother's attempt to reach for a better life. He watched friends die. He found his own life in jeopardy. In other words, behind this somewhat sweet and innocent vision of a child watching and trying to be like the actors in the movies is a world that required constant vigilance just to survive. To him, America was and is a land of possibilities and a dream of a better life.

In his pursuit, Abdi Nor Iftir became unique. He was an English speaking Somali who was in the middle of all the strife taking place in the county. This brought him to media attention and made him friends in far away places including America. Sheer chance got him the coveted American visa through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery - the green card lottery. His story outlines the challenges and the scrutiny of that process, and how many times, he came close to being rejected even after winning the lottery.

Abdi Nor Iftir is now trying to make his American dream come true. To some extent, it already has with the visa. However, he finds that the dream - though still possible and still safer and better than the life he left behind - is perhaps a little tarnished.

His story serves the purpose of presenting one real life example of a refugee, who followed all the rules and who went through all the right processes and who made it. The story depicts so well the dream of America - the chance for a better life and the chance to work hard and work honestly for that life. Despite all the hardships, Abdi Nor Iftin is perhaps the lucky one. He did win the lottery. The visa was honored. He had friends who helped along the way. What of all the people for whom that is not the case? After reading this amazing story, that is the question I am left with.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

The Darker the Night, The Brighter the Stars

Title:  The Darker the Night, The Brighter the Stars:  A Neuropsychologist's Odyssey Through Consciousness

Author:  Paul Broks

Publication Information:  Crown. 2018. 336 pages.

ISBN:  0307985792 / 978-0307985798

Book Source:  I received this book through Penguin First to Read free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "This wasn't my idea."

Favorite Quote:  "The human brain is a storytelling machine and the self is a yarn it spins."

Paul Broks is a English neuropsychologist. Neuropsychology studies the physical brain (the "neuro") as it relates to a person's behaviors (the "psychology"). Yes, I looked that up. It is considered an experimental field looking at the behavioral and cognitive effects of neurological disorders. Paul Broks practiced the field both as a clinician and as a researcher.

Paul Broks is also a grieving husband, having watched his wife battle cancer and sadly pass away. In her final months of her life, she chose palliative care as opposed to curative or life-extending options. This book is primarily a struggle to come to terms with this loss and this grief. As we all do, he applies what he knows to try and understand.

This book is many things. Personal story. Case studies. Religion. Science. Mythology. Fiction. Philosophy. And sometimes a combination of all of the above. It is a collection of essay like moments more so than a cohesive story. It is certainly more than the memoir it is categorized as. Let's take for example the first four chapters. The Prologue stipulates the organization or lack thereof; it likens the book to a "rambling, ramshackle house." The first chapter is his wife's death. The second is a traumatic childhood moment with his first experience with death. The third is a flight of imagination. So on, the book continues.

The book is composed of three sections - A Grief Observed, A Thousand Red Butterflies, and Into the Labyrinth. I deliberately don't say that the book is "organized" into three sections, for organization is too strict a term for the somewhat scattered collection. Within each section are individual essays or thoughts. It is almost as if the mind considers one, puts it aside, and moves on to a different one. That cycle repeats as the book winds its way from beginning to end. Even beginning to end is a stretch for truly each thought or chapter could be considered individually.

In some ways, this makes the book easy and quick to read even though given Paul Broks' background, the book does have a rather academic tone. Short chapters not always connected lend themselves to quick reading and the ability to pick a book up and put it down. In other ways, this makes the book a challenge because it is difficult to find or follow a continuity. It is a challenge, but then again, perhaps that is the point. That is often the process of grief as the mind drifts from thing to thing to thing attempting to make sense of a situation. I don't know if that is the intent, but that is what I take away from the book for I bring to it myself and my own experiences with grief. That lens allows my own interpretation of these thoughts.

Loss and grief is an individual process. It is unique to every person and to every situation. This book is Paul Borks' journey - not a literal description of the "life" aspects of that journey but rather a mental and emotional journey put on paper. An interesting addition to the books about grief.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

The Intermission

Title:  The Intermission

Author:  Elyssa Friedland

Publication Information:  Berkley. 2018. 368 pages.

ISBN:  0399586865 / 978-0399586866

Book Source:  I received this book through Penguin First to Read free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Jonathan and Cass Coyne watched as the bride opened her mouth to receive the first bit of wedding cake, a four-tiered monstrosity covered in fondant roses and edible pearls."

Favorite Quote:  "Marriage shouldn't mean becoming one person, with each spouse swimming inside the other's private thoughts. No, the best relationship were built like Venn diagrams of two overlapping circles, where the only variable was how big the shared part was and how much remained for the individuals. The real question was how much overlap was enough."

The seven-year itch. Ok, Jonathan and Cass have only been married five years, but the seven-year itch seems to be what is ailing Cass. The term, which has its origins in an actual physical ailment, now refers to the psychological phenomenon that marital happiness declines and divorce rates climb around the seven year mark of a marriage. It seems to be the theme of this book.

Jonathan and Cass have been married five years, seemingly happily so. They have attended many weddings, always competing with each other to guess how long the marriage will last. They actually keep track on these conversations about their friends. They compare who predicted it correctly and who came closer. Of course, of themselves, they say theirs will last forever.

That is, until year five. Cass decides she needs a break. She does not want to separate or divorce; she just wants to take a break and think. Fortunately, there are no children involved as yet. The conversation, in fact, arises because one is ready for that family and the other wants to make absolutely sure that this marriage is the right thing. A custody issue arises, but it relates to the dog.

I find the premise of the book promising. A look at marriage after the honeymoon period wears off can provide a lot of food for thought. Two individuals questioning whether or not they made the right choice should involve thought and self-reflection. The fact that their doubts have roots in childhood experiences has the potential to add further depth to that story. We all bring baggage to relationships, and communications is generally deemed the key. In Jonathan and Cass's case, the key seems be an intermission.

Unfortunately, neither Jonathan nor Cass are particularly likable characters. That can still work in the story because perhaps it will be about overcoming and balancing each other shortcomings. Perhaps, it will be about loving someone despite differences. Unfortunately, Jonathan and Cass's both seem completely self-involved. The book tells the story from both their perspectives. I find Jonathan's perspective to be slightly more sympathetic, but truly find neither likable.

The book covers six months in almost 400 pages. Clearly, the book is character rather than plot driven. The plot, in fact, is somewhat episodic. Unfortunately, the main human characters do not seems to change or evolve significantly in the book. The intermission resolves - I won't say if it ends in divorce or reconciliation. Secrets, some expected and some unexpected, emerge; none of the secrets are truly shocking or climactic. The most interesting character sadly is the dog Puddles.

The consequence of that is that I end up not really caring about the outcome. To some extent, I end up feeling that no matter what happens, they do it to themselves. The premise of the book seems to be about how well you really know your partner; the book goes more in the direction of how well do you really know yourself. The lesson I walk away with is don't judge a book by its cover or a relationship by its outward appearance.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Warlight

Title:  Warlight

Author:  Michael Ondaatje

Publication Information:  Knopf. 2018. 304 pages.

ISBN:  0525521194 / 978-0525521198

Book Source:  I received this book through the Penguin First to Read program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "In 1945 our parents went away and left us in the care of two men who many have been criminals."

Favorite Quote:  "I suppose we choose whatever life we feel safest in."

"Whenever my sister and I recalled this story, it felt like part of a fairy tale we did not quite understand." That, in a nutshell, summarizes how I feel about this book. I had a lot of trouble following the story. I got lost and never really recovered. So, here goes my attempt at an explanation.

The book begins with a story being told of the aftermath of World War II. The opening sentence sets a somber and mysterious tone that matches the cover of the book. I am intrigued by fourteen-year-old Nathaniel, and his sister Rachel. That opening pulls me in. I want to know more. Questions abound. Who are Nathaniel and Rachel? Who are their parents? Why did they leave? Where did they go? Who are the mysterious caretakers of Nathaniel and Rachel?

The rest of the book are in theory the revelations that answer these question except that for me, the history never really gets clarified. The book weaves through multiple time periods - the war, the time when the parents leave Nathaniel and Rachel, and a time years later as Nathaniel tells this story. It is a story within a story within a story. With character names like the Moth and the Pimlico Darter, this book sounds as though it is a children's fantasy adventure. However, it is not. This is a story of war, smuggling, violence and cruelty.

Historically, the term warlight refers to the blackouts during the war. The objective of the blackouts, of course, was to create an opaque, absolute darkness and to let no light through. If the enemy could not see you, then perhaps, they could not attack. To me, the title is literal - this is a book about the war - and metaphorical. Memories are a hazy view, clearly visible to only the one on the inside, the one in whose mind the memories exists.

The metaphor holds because I think this is a story about memory. It is a statement on the fact that memories are viewpoints not the truth, and they should not be taken as the truth. The confusion and the haziness is part and parcel of what a memory is. This story within a story is an adult Nathaniel looking back on his childhood. As such, he brings to his entire life experience, and he brings to it his imagination. As we all do, he paints in the holes in our memories with his imagination to create a complete image. Memories are our truth, but they are not the truth.

The result of this narrative perspective is that Nathaniel and the book tell me, the reader, this story. The "telling" creates a distance that is difficult to overcome; as such, I find myself removed from the story. Viewing the story as a hazy memory further widens that distance. The philosophical premise is intriguing, and I can see spending hours discussing it with friends. However, unfortunately, reading and trying to understanding an entire story based on it was too much of a challenge for me.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Lady be Good

Title:  Lady Be Good

Author:  Amber Brock

Publication Information:  Crown. 2018. 288 pages.

ISBN:  1524760404 / 978-1524760403

Book Source:  I received this book through Penguin First to Read free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Kitty Tessler sat at the long wooden bar in the Palm on a chilly Friday evening, steadily losing confidence that her date deserved the seat next to her."

Favorite Quote:  "She hadn't known her world as well as she'd thought. She saw injustices, small and large, things she never would have noticed before. A certain group prohibited from this building. A muttered word to that person. If those were the things she could see, how much more was hidden? And the penthouses of Manhattan always towered high above it all, far away from the realities on the ground. But as she went out into the city each day, pieces of it began to seep into her. She took bits of her experiences with her, and they began to reshape the map of her home in her mind. She was newly arrived in a different world."

The lady in question is Kitty Tessler. Kitty's father Nicolas Tessler owns and runs numerous hotels; they live in the Penthouse of the hotel in New York. Yet, Kitty feels that she does not fit into New York high society. Her father worked his way to rich and is "new" money. The old money families still rule New York society, and it is definitely a closed group. Kitty's best friend Henrietta Bancroft belongs to such a family and thus has a status that Kitty aspires to.

The "be good" can be interpreted in many different ways depending on your perspective. Be good; in other words, don't rock the boat. Be good as in stick to society's established rules. Be good and follow what your father asks of you. Be good in staying true to yourself. Be good in moral terms.

The theme of this book is prejudice, along all different parameters and in all different directions. Two alternatives exist:

• "Those who couldn't hide being Cuban or Dominican, or Jewish, didn't. They had to live with the restrictions or face consequences. Those who could hide, on the other hand, had to choose to bury part of themselves to be accepted. It was more than pretending to be part of the elite. It was pretending to be someone you weren't. Disowning and disavowing your memories, your home, and your family."
• "I'm proud of who I am, no matter what doors close on me because of it."

The book puts the theme in the 1950s amidst a story of the ultra rich, the "high" society, travel, beautiful people, and a young woman who has led a relatively sheltered life. As Kitty emerges from her sheltered upbringing, she finds that the prejudice she faces, while hurtful, is relatively benign compared to the harsher realities of life. As she meets people in her New York home and as she travels to Miami and to Havana, Cuba, she is exposed for the first time to cultures and thoughts beyond hers.

To a great extent, this book is a journey of self-discovery and almost a coming of age story for Kitty Tessler. However, the plot puts her journey in the context of a romance. Kitty's father has plans to marry her off to protect his business interests and to ensure that Kitty has someone to take care of her; the guy is honest and sincere but not Kitty's choice. Kitty has someone in mind; he is a "catch" who will help her climb the social ladder and gain her the old money acceptability that she covets. Oh, he is also her best friend's fiance and not a nice guy. The best friend Henrietta has ideas of her own. Then, there is the guy who emerges from nowhere. He is not acceptable in any way, but.... Can you see where this is going?

The romance plots in many ways takes over. The statement about equality and prejudice is still made but in the context of the romance, making both less impactful. The end result is a simpler summer beach read, as the cover suggests.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.