Miles Off Course is the third installment in the Rowland Sinclair mystery series. What a fun series of mystery novels written by Sulari Gentill. Though referring to these novels as mysteries is misleading. Each of these books is based on some historical facts and characters, then a story of Rowland Sinclair, a wealthy country gentleman who is uncomfortable with his family's wealth and position has found a group of flamboyant friends who are living in the family home with him. Milton, a frustrated poet, Clyde, starving artist and Edna the sculptor, with whom Rowland is in love, go on adventures to solve murders and expose the underbelly of crime in Australia. Rowland and his friends are on the political left and Wilfred Sinclair, Rowland's brother is on the right. There is always a dust up between the two brothers that creates some intrigue.
This time one of the Sinclair's favorite employees has disappeared and Rowley volunteers at the urging of his brother to look into the situation. taking along his companions they set off into the mountains outside Sydney and get into all kinds of trouble. While it looks like they are just stumbling along, in the end all the discounted pieces fall in place and they always get their man. That is what makes these mystery plots unique. There is never a formula plot of the mystery to these novels. Rowley and his friends just seem to be living their everyday extraordinary lives when things go wrong and suddenly there is a mystery to solve. But it is not always a body, at least not int he beginning.
This time though there is a missing person and they think it could be a corpse they are looking for, when they find their employee, it leads to another mystery and even when they come across a dead body and it looks like that wraps up the case, it is not the end. In the end it all is neatly packaged in a financial dilemma.
I still really enjoy the descriptions of Australian countryside and the colorful characters The writing style and the wonderful way the author sets the scene for the 1930s time period brings the story to life for me. I am getting attached to the characters with each new narrative.
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Monday, June 5, 2017
The Course of Love
Alain De Botton writes what seems to be both a novel and a self help book here, in The Course of Love. We are drawn in by the story of Rabih and Kirstein as they negotiate their meeting, courtship and eventual marriage and family. But as we read about their relationship, in all its intimate details, there is also a running commentary interspersed throughout the storyline. This could almost be the voice of a therapist interjecting a narrative of how each person is contributing to the interactions. How their personal interpretations of each action feed both the good and bad parts of the relationship.
As you read this book you cannot help but put yourself into each situation. You will see yourself siding with or recognizing similarities with one of the two, Rabih or Kerstein. Then you will read the italic commentary and see how if one of the two or both had said what was really going through their minds at the time the conversation could take a different direction or tone. You will wonder if that is possible in your personal relationships. Does this theory work in real life. Can each partner open up and trust their partner with such honesty? Can you even really know yourself to understand what experiences from your past have led you to this moment and reaction in this situation?
Rabih and Kerstein enter into this established practice we call marriage. You meet someone that is attractive to you and you don't want to loose them or be alone anymore so you propose marriage. Botton tells us that marriage is, "a hopeful, generous, infinitely kind gamble taken by two people who don't know yet who they are or who the other might be, binding themselves to a future they cannot conceive of and have carefully omitted to investigate."
While reading the book the reader can relate to the thoughts and feelings this couple expounds while dating and then entering marriage. They have disagreements over the temperature in the bedroom at night. Whether the window should be open or closed. Then they go to IKEA to pick out drinking glasses and cannot agree on the style. At each of these turns the narrator/therapist examines the words not said, the feelings not explored and explains how the discussions would be different if each partner trusted the other enough to be able to share their real feelings and thoughts. The conversations would have a different outcome, the relationship would change.
So in reading The Course of Love, you are reading a novel about two people living life, with all the ups and downs that every marriage with children goes through. You can also read the commentary about love and marriage as if you are in a "course on love", trying to take home the positive lessons to improve your own personal relationship.
As you read this book you cannot help but put yourself into each situation. You will see yourself siding with or recognizing similarities with one of the two, Rabih or Kerstein. Then you will read the italic commentary and see how if one of the two or both had said what was really going through their minds at the time the conversation could take a different direction or tone. You will wonder if that is possible in your personal relationships. Does this theory work in real life. Can each partner open up and trust their partner with such honesty? Can you even really know yourself to understand what experiences from your past have led you to this moment and reaction in this situation?
Rabih and Kerstein enter into this established practice we call marriage. You meet someone that is attractive to you and you don't want to loose them or be alone anymore so you propose marriage. Botton tells us that marriage is, "a hopeful, generous, infinitely kind gamble taken by two people who don't know yet who they are or who the other might be, binding themselves to a future they cannot conceive of and have carefully omitted to investigate."
While reading the book the reader can relate to the thoughts and feelings this couple expounds while dating and then entering marriage. They have disagreements over the temperature in the bedroom at night. Whether the window should be open or closed. Then they go to IKEA to pick out drinking glasses and cannot agree on the style. At each of these turns the narrator/therapist examines the words not said, the feelings not explored and explains how the discussions would be different if each partner trusted the other enough to be able to share their real feelings and thoughts. The conversations would have a different outcome, the relationship would change.
So in reading The Course of Love, you are reading a novel about two people living life, with all the ups and downs that every marriage with children goes through. You can also read the commentary about love and marriage as if you are in a "course on love", trying to take home the positive lessons to improve your own personal relationship.
Friday, June 2, 2017
All Grown Up
"Growing up is hard to do." When do you recognize that you are a grown up? Is it when you move out and get your own apartment, when you get your first job and start supporting yourself? In this novel,
All Grown Up, by Jami Attenberg wrestles with this very problem. Andrea Bern is the protagonist in this novel about growing up. She is a 39 year old, single woman living alone in an apartment in New York City. She dropped out of art school years ago and took a job to pay the rent. She has a series of roommates, lovers and friends who at different times in her life, marry, have children and move on.
She is the child of a feminist mother who works as an activist and a father who died of a drug overdose. Her brother gets married and has a child and moves to New Hampshire. Her mother follows her brother to Vermont to help out with the baby and Andrea feels deserted.
Attenberg writes this book in what seem like connected short stories. It is hard at times to see how they are interconnected. This is a book for the Gen X generation. Maybe a chance for young women to see that the idea of equality between the sexes, sleeping around without commitment does not really work out in the end. Andrea never really seem to find happiness. She is an an example of all the worst behaviors of the youth. Drinking, drugs and free love. Taking a mediocre job to pay the bills and never trying to make a career with her art. She is also very self centered, not being there for her brother and sister-in-law when they need her, and bemoaning the fact that her mother has moved out of the city to New Hampshire.
In the end this reader thinks the message not to be self centered. Being single is different than being unattached. You need other people in your life, you cannot live a happy life all on your own. you also need to extend yourself to others, it cannot be all about you. Andrea is an example of all that can go wrong with a self centered attitude and that is not being grown up.
All Grown Up, by Jami Attenberg wrestles with this very problem. Andrea Bern is the protagonist in this novel about growing up. She is a 39 year old, single woman living alone in an apartment in New York City. She dropped out of art school years ago and took a job to pay the rent. She has a series of roommates, lovers and friends who at different times in her life, marry, have children and move on.
She is the child of a feminist mother who works as an activist and a father who died of a drug overdose. Her brother gets married and has a child and moves to New Hampshire. Her mother follows her brother to Vermont to help out with the baby and Andrea feels deserted.
Attenberg writes this book in what seem like connected short stories. It is hard at times to see how they are interconnected. This is a book for the Gen X generation. Maybe a chance for young women to see that the idea of equality between the sexes, sleeping around without commitment does not really work out in the end. Andrea never really seem to find happiness. She is an an example of all the worst behaviors of the youth. Drinking, drugs and free love. Taking a mediocre job to pay the bills and never trying to make a career with her art. She is also very self centered, not being there for her brother and sister-in-law when they need her, and bemoaning the fact that her mother has moved out of the city to New Hampshire.
In the end this reader thinks the message not to be self centered. Being single is different than being unattached. You need other people in your life, you cannot live a happy life all on your own. you also need to extend yourself to others, it cannot be all about you. Andrea is an example of all that can go wrong with a self centered attitude and that is not being grown up.
The Weight of Ink
The Weight of Ink, written by Rachel Kadish is a story within a story. Though the book itself is weighty the plot moves along at a quick pace so the reader never feels dragged down by the volume.
The story is test of love and the ability to understand yourself knowing when and how to accept love otherwise you are left with loneliness. There are many messages in this novel, of understanding yourself, being able to give yourself to someone and not feel you have forsaken your individuality and of being able to accept love.
The story is written across centuries. Helen Watts is a senior professor at the local college in London when she receives a phone call from an former student. He and his wife are renovating an old house and come across some ancient documents that seem to be written in Hebrew and Aramaic. The University Library purchases the papers and as the librarians work to preserve the precious parchment and ink, Helen and her assistant Aaron Levy, an American graduate student begin to translate the letters and other papers. They are working to uncover information about the author and time period of the work. Their discoveries are incredible and they can hardly believe what they have found. They are translating the writings of a 17th century woman, who is recording the Jewish diaspora from the horrific Spanish Inquisition to the Jews in the city of Amsterdam, who escape to the safety of London. We follow the thoughts and correspondence of Ester Velasquez, as she writes about her life in the 17th century, being a woman and a scholar. She has been orphaned and rescued by elderly Rabbi Moseh HaCohen Mendes. He was blinded during the Inquisition and has also escaped to London, where Ester is his scribe, a position unheard of in this time period, who to engage with the brilliant men of her time writes under an assumed pen name. She tries to communicate with the scholars and the shunned including Baruch de Spinoza.
The novel takes the reader back and forth between Helen and Aaron translating the letters and working to figure out who is writing them and what their positions were. They also are working through their own awkward relationship with each other and their individual interpersonal relationships. Both Helen and Aaron are unlucky at love. Helen let the love of her life get away many years ago. Aaron is at risk of loosing at love because he is unsure of his feelings. Across the century, Ester and her friend Mary are also struggling with feelings of love and marriage. Ester has sworn never to fall in love, Mary is anxious to find true love. Mary asks Ester whether she thinks love is real, "I mean", Mary continued slowly, ignoring Ester;s laughter, "do you think love can be made to happen with whichever man our minds choose - so it's a thing a lady may direct as she pleases?" Ester replies, "Outside control, and so folly to seek." Mary disagrees and says that though it is our of her control, love is not folly but good. Ester says, "It's a danger to a woman even to feel love."
Kadish delivers a weighty novel full of intrigue, historical references and a love story with parallels because relationships have so much in common even centuries apart. Following all the characters and conversations can be complicated, but the reward is sweet.
The story is test of love and the ability to understand yourself knowing when and how to accept love otherwise you are left with loneliness. There are many messages in this novel, of understanding yourself, being able to give yourself to someone and not feel you have forsaken your individuality and of being able to accept love.
The story is written across centuries. Helen Watts is a senior professor at the local college in London when she receives a phone call from an former student. He and his wife are renovating an old house and come across some ancient documents that seem to be written in Hebrew and Aramaic. The University Library purchases the papers and as the librarians work to preserve the precious parchment and ink, Helen and her assistant Aaron Levy, an American graduate student begin to translate the letters and other papers. They are working to uncover information about the author and time period of the work. Their discoveries are incredible and they can hardly believe what they have found. They are translating the writings of a 17th century woman, who is recording the Jewish diaspora from the horrific Spanish Inquisition to the Jews in the city of Amsterdam, who escape to the safety of London. We follow the thoughts and correspondence of Ester Velasquez, as she writes about her life in the 17th century, being a woman and a scholar. She has been orphaned and rescued by elderly Rabbi Moseh HaCohen Mendes. He was blinded during the Inquisition and has also escaped to London, where Ester is his scribe, a position unheard of in this time period, who to engage with the brilliant men of her time writes under an assumed pen name. She tries to communicate with the scholars and the shunned including Baruch de Spinoza.
The novel takes the reader back and forth between Helen and Aaron translating the letters and working to figure out who is writing them and what their positions were. They also are working through their own awkward relationship with each other and their individual interpersonal relationships. Both Helen and Aaron are unlucky at love. Helen let the love of her life get away many years ago. Aaron is at risk of loosing at love because he is unsure of his feelings. Across the century, Ester and her friend Mary are also struggling with feelings of love and marriage. Ester has sworn never to fall in love, Mary is anxious to find true love. Mary asks Ester whether she thinks love is real, "I mean", Mary continued slowly, ignoring Ester;s laughter, "do you think love can be made to happen with whichever man our minds choose - so it's a thing a lady may direct as she pleases?" Ester replies, "Outside control, and so folly to seek." Mary disagrees and says that though it is our of her control, love is not folly but good. Ester says, "It's a danger to a woman even to feel love."
Kadish delivers a weighty novel full of intrigue, historical references and a love story with parallels because relationships have so much in common even centuries apart. Following all the characters and conversations can be complicated, but the reward is sweet.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
The German Girl
The German Girl written by Armando Lucas Correa is the story of the privileged life of young Hannah Rosenthal, growing up in Berlin. She is twelve years old in 1939. She has lived a charmed life, going to school and meeting with her friend Leo Martin. As the restrictions imposed on the Jewish citizens of Berlin her world is closing in on her. Her parents are secretive and her mother stops leaving the house. She sneaks out to hear their parents plans from her friend Leo.
Finally plans are made to leave Germany on the last ship sailing, the SS St Louis, a transatlantic journey to Cuba. Everything has been sold to obtain passage on this ship for Hannah, Leo and many other families. As history has recorded while the ship is our at sea, rumors start to circulate that Cuba will not be receiving the passengers, or the costs will increase to be able to land there. Though life on the ship has all the trappings of a luxury crossing, the refugees future is uncertain.
Juxtaposed with this story is the life of Anna Rosen, living in New York City, who on her twelfth birthday receives a package of photographs of people she has never met. Finally, after years of not having any connection to extended family, Anna is about to meet up with her father's past. Anna and her mother fly to Havana, Cuba to meet Aunt Hannah and find out about the mysterious past of her father's family.
Tying together Hannah's story of leaving Berlin during World War Two, with her life growing up in Cuba at the time of its revolution, until Anna Rosen comes to hear the story of her family's history in New York City, after the September 11th tragedy. All these events pulled together by the generations of one family, based on a true story.
Well written from the perspective of two young voices, really giving the reader the feelings of how young pre teen girls would interpret the deprivation they were experiencing and how it would affect their personal lives.
Finally plans are made to leave Germany on the last ship sailing, the SS St Louis, a transatlantic journey to Cuba. Everything has been sold to obtain passage on this ship for Hannah, Leo and many other families. As history has recorded while the ship is our at sea, rumors start to circulate that Cuba will not be receiving the passengers, or the costs will increase to be able to land there. Though life on the ship has all the trappings of a luxury crossing, the refugees future is uncertain.
Juxtaposed with this story is the life of Anna Rosen, living in New York City, who on her twelfth birthday receives a package of photographs of people she has never met. Finally, after years of not having any connection to extended family, Anna is about to meet up with her father's past. Anna and her mother fly to Havana, Cuba to meet Aunt Hannah and find out about the mysterious past of her father's family.
Tying together Hannah's story of leaving Berlin during World War Two, with her life growing up in Cuba at the time of its revolution, until Anna Rosen comes to hear the story of her family's history in New York City, after the September 11th tragedy. All these events pulled together by the generations of one family, based on a true story.
Well written from the perspective of two young voices, really giving the reader the feelings of how young pre teen girls would interpret the deprivation they were experiencing and how it would affect their personal lives.
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Fever
Mary Beth Keane has published her first novel, Fever to critical acclaim. She won awards for it and it is recommended as an important book to read and she was named as one of the 5 under 35 special authors to watch for 2013.
All of this leads to the recommendation of this book by this blogger also. It is a fascinating story that tells the story of Mary Mallon, better known as Typhoid Mary. It is written as a novel, but it reads in a dry no nonsense style that to me read almost like a non fiction account of the facts and experiences of Mary. There is no added dialog to stir up emotions. This is a strict bare bones account of Mary and her relationship with Alfred, who she is in a relationship with for over 20 years. They never marry but live together for most of those years. Mary came to America from Ireland when she was 17 years old. She starts off living with her aunt and uncle and her first job is in a laundry.
After her aunt passes away, she moves in with Alfred and starts looking for jobs in kitchens. She enjoys cooking and is able to find various positions working in wealthy New Yorker's homes cooking for the family and for their dinner parties. Her reputation builds and she is always a well sort after cook.
But the unusual part is that in every household eventually someone gets sick with the fever. Mary is a great help to the family during the time the illness is int he home. She is there to help nurse people back to health. She always seems to know what to do. Most of the people recover, but the children are the ones who are most susceptible and some die. Eventually Mr Soper, the city sanitation supervisor starts to see the pattern emerging. He comes to take Mary into quarantine. Medicine is not very advanced yet at that time, they are working on a vaccine and cures. They realize that Mary is a carrier, even though she has never shown signs of the disease herself. They are not sure how to handle her situation. She is sent away to an island off New York where they are treating TB patients and they build her a cottage there. Though she lives out the end of her life there, there are some mishaps along the way as she gets a chance to go back to her old life, promising never to cook for anyone again, but not being able to keep that promise for long.
Keane sets the scene well describing New York City of the early 1900s. Also putting Typhoid Mary's life in perspective with the other tragedies of the time period, including the Triangle Factory fire and the use of the drug morphine for pain treatment and the discovery of its addictive qualities.
Mary's a strong character, who is ignorant of the science and confused by her stubborn attitude and caught up in her own heartbreaking life. In the end I do think she recognizes her moral responsibility to society e3ven though it is almost too late.
All of this leads to the recommendation of this book by this blogger also. It is a fascinating story that tells the story of Mary Mallon, better known as Typhoid Mary. It is written as a novel, but it reads in a dry no nonsense style that to me read almost like a non fiction account of the facts and experiences of Mary. There is no added dialog to stir up emotions. This is a strict bare bones account of Mary and her relationship with Alfred, who she is in a relationship with for over 20 years. They never marry but live together for most of those years. Mary came to America from Ireland when she was 17 years old. She starts off living with her aunt and uncle and her first job is in a laundry.
After her aunt passes away, she moves in with Alfred and starts looking for jobs in kitchens. She enjoys cooking and is able to find various positions working in wealthy New Yorker's homes cooking for the family and for their dinner parties. Her reputation builds and she is always a well sort after cook.
But the unusual part is that in every household eventually someone gets sick with the fever. Mary is a great help to the family during the time the illness is int he home. She is there to help nurse people back to health. She always seems to know what to do. Most of the people recover, but the children are the ones who are most susceptible and some die. Eventually Mr Soper, the city sanitation supervisor starts to see the pattern emerging. He comes to take Mary into quarantine. Medicine is not very advanced yet at that time, they are working on a vaccine and cures. They realize that Mary is a carrier, even though she has never shown signs of the disease herself. They are not sure how to handle her situation. She is sent away to an island off New York where they are treating TB patients and they build her a cottage there. Though she lives out the end of her life there, there are some mishaps along the way as she gets a chance to go back to her old life, promising never to cook for anyone again, but not being able to keep that promise for long.
Keane sets the scene well describing New York City of the early 1900s. Also putting Typhoid Mary's life in perspective with the other tragedies of the time period, including the Triangle Factory fire and the use of the drug morphine for pain treatment and the discovery of its addictive qualities.
Mary's a strong character, who is ignorant of the science and confused by her stubborn attitude and caught up in her own heartbreaking life. In the end I do think she recognizes her moral responsibility to society e3ven though it is almost too late.
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
The Chilbury Ladies' Choir
This is one of those books that has gotten an incredible amount of publicity. I started reading it thinking that I was not going to like it and "what was all the fuss about anyway". But now I am one of the many admirers. What a fabulous plot. Author Jennifer Ryan has captured the personalities of her characters so well. She has created a wonderful closeness of the small village that I can just imagine the people walking around from house to house visiting each other. I can imagine the women gathering for choir practice.
World War II has begun to involve Britain. The men of this small village have been drafted to serve. The women ban together to support those who are losing husbands and sons. As the war progresses and begins to encompass their world more and more they continue to lend strength to each other.
In this novel we follow the diary entries and personal correspondence of four women. Kitty Winthrop, a young girl writing in her diary, Venetia is her older sister writing to a friend who has gone off to London to work for the war effort. Mrs Tilling writes in her journal and Edwina Paltry writes letters to her sister, Clara. So in this way we get varying perspectives of the same events, which keeps the plot moving forward with different viewpoints of the gossip and happenings that are the everyday life of a small village.
There is an accepted way of life in a small British village. Kitty Winthrop writes in her diary about the idea of life in the countryside of England, "...I suddenly began to doubt if she really knew the countryside, how attached everyone is to tradition around here. There is something called conventional wisdom, which means we have to carry on doing things the same way, even when it doesn't make sense. that's what countryside's about."
Then along comes Miss Primrose Trent, known throughout the novel as Prim. She comes to live in Chilbury and is the music teacher at the Litchfield University. She starts the Chilbury Ladies' Choir and forces the women to come out of their comfort zone. They create the Ladies' Choir to help themselves and others keep their spirits up. Mrs Tilling writes in her journal, "Funny how a bit of singing brings us together. There we were in our own little worlds, with our own problems, and then suddenly they seemed to dissolve, and we realized that it's us here now, living through this, supporting each other. That's what counts."
Among the choir members there is the widow who lost her husband in the first war and now has to send her only son off to the army. There is the young girl, Kitty with a unrequited crush on a soldier. Her older sister, Venetia who feels trapped in the small village and is dreaming of a more exotic life. She gets romantically involved with a dashing stranger who comes to town. Silvie, a small child, who is a Jewish refugee from Czechoslovakia living with the Winthrop family, hiding a family secret. Edwina, a conniving midwife, running from her seedy past. Along the way other characters come to town to stir up the mix of villagers. The colonel who is billeted to live in the home of Mrs. Tilling. The mysterious handsome stranger who has come to the village to paint. The wounded solider who comes home to get on with his life.
All these characters help build the drama that creates so much of the intrigue, heartbreak and life and death matters this small village to deal with. Twists and turns keep the reader's curiosity piqued until the very end of the novel.
World War II has begun to involve Britain. The men of this small village have been drafted to serve. The women ban together to support those who are losing husbands and sons. As the war progresses and begins to encompass their world more and more they continue to lend strength to each other.
In this novel we follow the diary entries and personal correspondence of four women. Kitty Winthrop, a young girl writing in her diary, Venetia is her older sister writing to a friend who has gone off to London to work for the war effort. Mrs Tilling writes in her journal and Edwina Paltry writes letters to her sister, Clara. So in this way we get varying perspectives of the same events, which keeps the plot moving forward with different viewpoints of the gossip and happenings that are the everyday life of a small village.
There is an accepted way of life in a small British village. Kitty Winthrop writes in her diary about the idea of life in the countryside of England, "...I suddenly began to doubt if she really knew the countryside, how attached everyone is to tradition around here. There is something called conventional wisdom, which means we have to carry on doing things the same way, even when it doesn't make sense. that's what countryside's about."
Then along comes Miss Primrose Trent, known throughout the novel as Prim. She comes to live in Chilbury and is the music teacher at the Litchfield University. She starts the Chilbury Ladies' Choir and forces the women to come out of their comfort zone. They create the Ladies' Choir to help themselves and others keep their spirits up. Mrs Tilling writes in her journal, "Funny how a bit of singing brings us together. There we were in our own little worlds, with our own problems, and then suddenly they seemed to dissolve, and we realized that it's us here now, living through this, supporting each other. That's what counts."
Among the choir members there is the widow who lost her husband in the first war and now has to send her only son off to the army. There is the young girl, Kitty with a unrequited crush on a soldier. Her older sister, Venetia who feels trapped in the small village and is dreaming of a more exotic life. She gets romantically involved with a dashing stranger who comes to town. Silvie, a small child, who is a Jewish refugee from Czechoslovakia living with the Winthrop family, hiding a family secret. Edwina, a conniving midwife, running from her seedy past. Along the way other characters come to town to stir up the mix of villagers. The colonel who is billeted to live in the home of Mrs. Tilling. The mysterious handsome stranger who has come to the village to paint. The wounded solider who comes home to get on with his life.
All these characters help build the drama that creates so much of the intrigue, heartbreak and life and death matters this small village to deal with. Twists and turns keep the reader's curiosity piqued until the very end of the novel.
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