The Wildes; A Novel in Five Acts

 Louis Bayard has created an interesting novel about the life of Oscar Wilde and of course written it in five acts in The Wildes; A Novel in Five Acts.

Each act is written from a different person's point of view about the life of Oscar Wilde and his family. Starting with his wife, Constance we see how the life they lived together with their two small sons is blown open when Oscar is accused of the outrageous act of homosexuality.  It is in the fall of 1892 when Constance, Oscar and their son, Cyril are staying in a country house in the Norfolk countryside for a holiday.  Oscar invites young poets to come visit and finally when aristocratic young wannabe poet named Lord Alfred Douglas, arrives Constance begins to see what has been hiding in plain site.  Her husband's affections are revealed and their world begins to crumble.When Oscar is brought up on trial and sent to prison for homosexual relations, Constance moves her family away and changes their last name. B ut the damage is done and the two boys, Cyril and Vyvyan lives are turned upside down.  

In the next acts we learn the extent of how the adults choices have affected these tow boys lives hearing their stories and how their lives turned out.  

It is a well written account of life and the scandal of the time.  In act five the reader will see that maybe if there things were handled a little differently there could have been a different outcome. It is a fabulous story and the reader may wish that people then were as open minded as we wish to be now.

The Lost Baker of Vienna

 Today I went to a book talk by Sharon Kurtzman, author of The Lost Baker of Vienna.  It was a wonderful addition to my enjoyment in reading the novel.

Kurtzman talked about how she was able to sit down with her mother years ago in college and hear about her mother's childhood as a Holocaust survivor. It took her many years to finally reach the moment when she could create a novel out of her mother's lived experience.  The Lost Baker of Vienna is that book.

The book is based on her mother's story but the baker and some other facts are changed to create the novel. This is a well researched plot though and the facts are real even the delicious pastries mentioned were researched in Vienna by the author.

This novel is the story of a mother and her two young adult children who have managed to live through the atrocities of the war and finally escape a DP camp to be smuggled into Vienna.  They are trying to get to family in America but the quotas are making it difficult. 

Now in Vienna with nothing they get work in a hotel kitchen and a room in a boarding house.  But life here is also still dangerous for Jews. 

Alongside this plot is the current day story of a young woman, Zoe Rosenzweig, who is working to make a career as a journalist.  When her grandfather dies and leaves her some information about her past she is determined to find out the family history.  She follows a lead to Vienna and members of the family who were connected to her grandfather and the great aunt she never knew. \

A story of love, hardship and perseverance both through the Holocaust and to learn about family history.  A willingness to take chances and work for what you believe in. 

Under the Stars

 Beatriz Williams one of the authors who work never disappoints has another historical novel out titled, Under the Stars.

Tying the plot to the historical event of the sinking of the SS Atlantic of the coast of Nova Scotia in 1873 Williams has created a delightful novel of relationships.  Husbands and wives and parents and children and the truths that are both hidden and revealed.

Meredith is a famous Hollywood actress who needs to dry out before her next picture contract.  Her daughter, Audrey is getting over the desertion of her husband and the loss of her restaurant. Audrey steps up and takes on the responsibility of bringing her mother home to Winthrop Island for a quiet somber summer before reporting to the set of her new movie. Meredith grew up on the Island and left her boyfriend Mike when she went off across the country wit their baby daughter, Audrey to California many years ago.

A third narrative of the story of Prudence Dare. How she came to be aboard the ill fated ship but escaped when it went down off the coast and came ashore on Winthrop Island.

Now back on the Winthrop Island secrets will be revealed and memories will be remembered.  Audrey will have to make some hard choices with her life.

An entertaining mystery with a little suspense but also a wonderful story of love between a mother and daughter, and maybe even some lessons learned about the importance of family and trust.

The Correspondent

 The Correspondent is a fabulous novel.  It is getting all kinds of publicity which usually keeps me from reading the book, not wanting to give into the hype... but this time it is almost worth it.

The plot is a woman writing letters to her friends, family and work partners over many years. It is through reading her letters the reader learns the story of her life.

She is older now, though she keeps talking about end of life and she is only in her seventies.  Now that I am in my sixties, that does not seem young and I am alittle resentful of the her negative attitude about her age.  Though she is suffering from a condition where she is slowly loosing her eyesight.

She is somewhat of a recluse and letter writing keeps her connected to those in her life.  Her children are living at a distance, her best friend also states away.  But she also corresponds with her neighbor through letters.

She writes to sales people, authors a variety of people.  She strikes up conversations though letter writing that other people would do in person or on the telephone.

It is a great story to dive into and watch unfold as the secrets of her past are slowly revealed through her correspondence.

War Games

Gathered together in a fast paced action novel for middle school readers, War Games is a history lesson about the 1936 Olympic Games and the terror of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party.  Author, Alan Gratz interweaves real people and events from the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin with fictional characters who help round out the suspenseful story.  

Evie Harris has won a seat on the US Olympic team.  It is the start to her dream come true, to win gold and become a movie actress.  She is hoping to make enough money to give her family a new start after being forced to leave Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl and move to California.

On the surface everything looks magical , Berlin is clean and new, the stadium is brightly lit and alive with the excitement of the teams competing.  Black American, Jesse Owens wins gold and German Jewish fencer, Helen Mayer competes but is it all just for show? Behind the scenes Evie’s new friend Heinz, a Honorary Youth Services Host, shows her the darker side of Germany and how they are trying to fool the world about their intentions to go to war again with Europe and create a master Aryan race.

Evie has to decide if she is comfortable just thinking of herself, winning gold, or getting involved in a scheme to steal Nazi gold.  As she learns more about how Jewish people and others are being treated by the Nazis, Evie realizes that even if she and her family are poor in America they are at least not being threatened with death.  This is a story that shows the history of Hitler and the Nazi party and how one young girl learned a lesson in friendship and helping others.

This is not a book about Jewish people directly.  They are a part of the larger story of what was happening in Germany.  How they were targeted and how families had to leave to go into hiding.

A Storm Unleached

 

Carol Matas has given a wonderful gift to middle grade readers and anyone else who is interested in the history of Germany leading up to the Holocaust.  Her book, A Storm Unleashed, shows how one man with a small group of followers can gather momentum and create a community of hate toward another group of the society.

Mia and her father live in an apartment building in Berlin with their Jewish neighbors.  Her friend Frieda also lives with her family in the building.  They have grown up here with the freedom to walk to the park and to school. Her father is a veterinarian and Mia has a beautiful German shepherd named Max. Freida attends a Jewish school, Mia goes to the local public school.

Now as Hitler comes to power, Mia is aware of her life changing as the country moves from a democracy to fascist regime, antisemitism is rising as the Jews become the enemy. In school friends start to ignore her, other students bully her.  The teacher is teaching fascist doctrine and uses Mia as an example of negative lessons about Jewish people. 

Mia is unique because her mother, who died years earlier, was not Jewish and her father is Jewish.  She has an aunt and grandparents who are Aryian and live in the country.  Mia wrestles with her feelings of the unfairness of the world she is caught up in.  Why must she be treated cruelly when she is only half Jewish.  Her father has found a way for them to stay safe for a while by helping to train the Nazis army of dogs. Her grandparents offer some safety in the country.

As the pressure builds and it becomes too dangerous,  Jews begin to leave Germany. As some of the neighbors are leaving the country,  Mia and Freida make a plan for their families to also stay safe.  The plan is risky and Mia struggles with the choices she has to make.  

This book shows the unexpected realities that faced the citizens of Germany, making them choose between being friends with their neighbors or following the propaganda and turning against their neighbors.  It gives a realistic view of how even non-religious Jewish citizens were in danger. There were also people who assisted Jews in hiding and escaping the Nazi evil.

The reader will be on the edge of their seat,  concerned about Mia and her family and their safety. This is an enthralling and all consuming novel that exposes how a dictator can come to power.  

The Frozen River

 The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon was a powerful book.  The plot follows the life of Martha Ballard, a midwife, wife and mother in Hallowell, Maine during the 18th century.

Though the town is a small rural town in upstate Maine, the houses of the wealthy are incredibly built.  The government is in its early stages and the court sits in Massachusetts.  Historically this is a fascinating story.  A difficult time to be a woman.  Very few rights and very little protection.  Martha fights to solve a murder and save the reputation of a woman who has been raped. 

Martha is also fighting a new doctor who has arrived with schooling from Harvard, but all of the births he has attended have been still born.  Martha is trying to push him out before more births are in danger.  

She is a change maker and her journals are invaluable for historical memory of life in America