Fiction Friday (143)

 

I made the choice several weeks ago to dive into a Middle Grade series that had been on my list for some time. I'm quickly learning that it might have been a mistake because I'm totally hooked and will now be spending the foreseeable future living in the pages of the Lost Cities. On second thought, it's no mistake...I'm totally okay with that.

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Exile by Shannon Messenger

(Aladdin, 2013) 

Sophie has safely returned home from her ordeal with the mysterious kidnappers, but that doesn't mean all is well in her new life with the elves. Whoever was behind her abduction is still on the loose, and there are still lots of unanswered questions surrounding the organization that hid her among the humans; The Black Swan. And if that wasn't enough drama for the 13 year old prodigy, she now finds herself saddled with a goblin bodyguard and a newly discovered alicorn who won't stop transmitting her messages. Though these worries trouble Sophie, she soon learns that they pale in comparison to what is to happen next.

The second book in the bestselling series extends nearly 600 pages and is equally as engrossing as the first. It is one of those rare stories that has characters who are as compelling as the ever-expanding and involved story. The questions continue to grow, but thankfully readers are also given enough answers to satisfy their curiosity and leave them eager for more. 

 I can't wait to see Sophie and her friends encounter next.

 

Fiction Friday (141)

 

I'm the kind of person that always has a fairly extensive list of books that I want to read, some of which linger there for years and others that find ways to leapfrog themselves to the top. After having avoided Middle Grade for the better part of a year, I was swept up again with Hollowpox and since a new Nevermoor book is a ways away, I decided to move into a series that I felt I'd been neglecting...a mistake that has now been corrected.

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

(Aladdin , 2012)

Sophie is not like the other kids in school, and not simply because she's 12 years old and a senior in High School. She's always known she's different, but until one fateful field trip that leads to a strange encounter, Sophie has no idea just how different she truly is. And so begins the epic tale that has already spanned nine bestselling novels about a group of friends who inhabit a world that exists within our reach but beyond our understanding.

I had been unaware of this Middle Grade series until rather recently and finally found time to dive in. Though certainly in the Harry Potter realm (a school for talented magical kids, a hidden secret enemy, and a main character of destiny) it doesn't really feel the same, though the same fans are certainly reading it. The key to any great middle grade fantasy is that the characters, while having adventures one could only dream of, still suffer with the same dilemma's that readers can identify with. 

There's a clear reason why these books have been so popular for the last decade and I enjoyed every single one of the 450+ pages of this story...so much so, that I'm moving on to the second book on the same day I finished the first. 

Fiction Friday (140)

 

In my continuing exploration of contemporary literature, I recently read the National Book Award Winner for 2019. This was the last book that I'll be reading for the Book Club I've been hosting at my current job, as I'm moving to another library at the end of the month. I really appreciated the exposure to the so many compelling current fiction over the course of the year, but am certainly looking forward to getting back to reading books of my own choosing.

The Friend by Sigrid Nunez

(Riverhead Books, 2019)

When the unnamed narrator of the story loses her longtime friend to suicide, it begins a journey of grief in which she tries to comes to terms with both the actions in her own life and those in his that may have led to this painful incident. The novel is presented in the form of confessional letter written to her dead friend in which she explores their relationship, his relationships with past lovers, and the experience of writers, both herself and the deceased. 

The books is fragmentary, with no real defined narrative or plot. It reads like a diary in that it's a series of thoughts, sometimes connected, sometimes independent. As a writer, I found the insight on the life of a writer, and the publishing world, to be profound and truthful to my own experiences. It's exploration of deep friendship and how it works in waves of intense closeness and periods of distance, are also exceptional and honest.

Fiction Friday (139)

 

Being the nerd that I am, I'd been waiting anxiously for Hollowpox (the third Nevermoor book) to come out. I'd been waiting since I finished the second book over two years ago. Then, when it finally did come out last October, life got in the way as life will do. I bought the book a few months ago, but had a lot of reading obligations. Also, this was the series that really inspired me to pursue the middle grade novel that I've been working on for two years and I wanted to wait until I was far enough into the manuscript that it wouldn't influence me. Oh, the complications of the reading life of a writer!

Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

(Little Brown, 2020)

Morrigan Crow has just finished her first year at the Wundrous Society and is finally beginning to feel at home, but being the only Wundersmith in a hundred years, things are bound to get complicated. Her instructors have finally agreed to instruct her the Wundrous Arts, using lessons from the past that have been frozen in time using "ghostly hours." For once, Morrigan believes she just might learn to be a true Wundersmith after all...then a mysterious sickness begins to disrupt life in the Free State of Nevermoor. 

As more and more Wunimals are infected, turning them into regular animals, the city is on the verge of panic. Morrigan soon discovers that she is the only one who can fix it...but she will need the help of the villainous Ezra Squall to do it. 

As with the previous two novels, there is such a careful build-up with scenes that engross the reader in Morrigan's world that you secretly hope the story never ends. It is clear why this book was postponed so often, it was because Townsend was busy weaving together a brilliant tale, while also building the bigger story so perfectly. The expectations for this book were through the roof and she rose to the challenge. Bravo!

Fiction Friday (138)

 

I recently picked up a new(ish) YA novel to read, one that seemed to have some positive buzz, and one that had a premise that intrigued me. It was also a debut novel, and I've been trying to read a few more of those these days, attempting to see what this new generation of writers has to say. 

Some Kind of Animal by Maria Romasco-Moore

(Delecorte, 2020)

Fifteen old Jolene lives in a dead mining town in the southern Ohio mountains, just waiting for the day she can escape with her twin sister, a sister nobody knows exists except for her. It turns out there are a lot of things that people in this nowhere town don't know, though it doesn't stop them from believing they do. One night, Jo's sister makes herself known, unraveling the threads of Jo's double life and shattering both of their worlds. 

This debut novel's strength is the ability to pull the reader into the world of it's woods, making something that is very real feel very fantastical. Because the setting and constant threat of danger, the reader is pulled into to the story which, when you step back, is completely implausible. 

I enjoyed reading this, and the imagination of it certainly occupied my thoughts, but I did have problems with it. There was a tendency for the main character to consistently repeat her thoughts on a number of subjects, thoughts that never changed and therefore did not bear repeating. The characters were also pretty unlikable, with the exception of the wild child. There was also no attempt to disguise the hatred of males that weaves throughout the book, which I'm sort of okay with because men are generally horrible. One of the male characters (one who actually does nothing wrong) is actually murdered, a murder that is totally brushed aside. 

This is one of those books that I think the author did their job, but the editor did not.

Fiction Friday (137)

 

 

Having been stuck in a loop of contemporary literature, both adult and young adult, primarily due to my librarian responsibilities, I wanted to take a break from that to read a couple of short books as a way of recharging. This book was one gifted to me recently. I met Alan in a writer's group I co-host at the library and find him to be a gifted writer and was excited to read this.

 

The Wedge by Alan M. Weber

(CreateSpace, 2015)

Even the casual observer of American politics would be able to tell you that the political system has been broken for decades, but the more keen observer would be able to present a laundry list of why that is. One of the biggest destroyers in the past 20 years has been the exploitation of wedge issues. Those wedge issues have been hammered so far into the system that they have done their job in splitting everything into two.

This allegorical novel introduces readers to a political science professor who has has enough and devises a plan to fix this broken system. With the help of his best friend, also a political activist, Steven Wellstone creates a campaign driven only on wedge issues, only to speaking populist soundbites made to appeal to whoever he is speaking to at the moment. In the process, he unites fringe groups to create an agenda that very much predicts what would evolve into Trumpism a year after this book was published. Unlike Trump, Steven's plan is to reveal his entire campaign as a farce as well to teach people of how manipulative the system truly is.

It's an interesting concept to consider, one that any political junky would enjoying puzzling over.

Fiction Friday (136)

 

 

My exploration of contemporary literature continues with the latest book by Pulitzer Prize winning author Jane Smiley's new book which came out in December. This was another Book Club book, and one that I was excited to read. It's been a while since I read any "talking animal" literature, probably too long given me affinity for the sub-genre. It's also been awhile since I read a book that so was joyful...something I do actually enjoy every now and then.

Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley

(Knopf 2020)

When a racehorse named Perestroika (Peres) wanders away from the track one evening after a win, taking with her the purse containing money won on her victory, she is simply following her curiosity and the patches of vegetation that lead her eventually the Champ de Mars in the shadow of the Eiffel tower. The filly's unlikely journey leads to a more unlikely adventure with the unlikeliest of friends; an intelligent stray dog named Frida, a raven, two ducks, and lovable rat named Kurt. 

This delightful novel follows these animal friends over the course of an autumn, winter, and spring as they use the money to purchase food and eventually end up living with an eight year boy and his nearly hundred year great-grandma. Smiley invites into the intimate and fascinating world that exists unnoticed by most, and once you've visited, it's unlikely you'll want to leave.

A novel that has a classic feel, told with unquestionable skill.

Fiction Friday (135)

 

The cultural revolution of the 60s saw many writers examining things that had been left untouched for a long time. There was a wave of fiction that tried to tell the stories of characters who didn't fit the norms. Recently, my library weeded a large number of books that had fallen out of circulation and this is one of the many that I saved from the dumpster. I was attracted by the old style cover, but was soon taken by the story. The last 20 pages are pure beauty.

Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon by Marjorie Kellog

(FSG 1968)

Warren, Arthur, and Junie Moon are three tortured souls who meet in the hospital while recovering from ailments. When these "misfits" make a pact to leave the hospital and live together, no one really believes they will make it. 

Confined to wheelchair after being shot in the back by the only man he ever admitted his love to, Warren is the unofficial leader of the group and the catalyst for almost everything that happens to them. Arthur suffers from a degenerative disease that doctors cannot identify, but perhaps is more plagued by the hurt of abandonment. Junie is a tragic figure who has had her face and hands disfigured by acid burns from a troubled lover. The are individually damaged, but together seek to heal as they move into a rundown house under a large tree that serves as a kind of protector.

Healing is hard, as they soon discover. Healing hurts. But what they find is a sense of belonging with each other, a sense of family which none has ever truly had. They find love and more importantly, acceptance.

Fiction Friday (134)

 

 

My continuing examination of YA books continues with this novel that was released earlier this year. I read as a choice for a Teen Book Club selection after seeing how well-reviewed it was. It was certainly different than most of what I choose to read, and though I didn't love it, I did enjoy it.

The Project by Courtney Summers

(Wednesday Books, 2021)

Lo is lost. At 19, she is alone in the world and angry at the circumstances that have brought her to where she is. After her parents died in a car accident, in which she was severely injured, Lo's sister Bea is drawn into a community known as The Unity Project. The Project calls on members to abandon their lives before in order to live the path of God. For Bea, that means leaving her sister.

The hole left in Lo's life manifests in anger and suspicion of The Project. Working for a respected journalist, Lo wants nothing more than to expose The Project as a fraud. After a curious incident in which a member leaps in front of train before her eyes, Lo is more driven than ever to bring down The Project. However, in order to do that, she has to get closer to it than she ever wished to, and potentially falling under the spell The Project's leader Lev tends to have over his followers. She soon discovers that the seeking answers uncovers more mysteries than truth.

This one took me a little while to get into, but by the last half, it was thoroughly compelling. Though labeled YA, I'm not sure I would call this book YA. With the exception of the main character being 19, there is really nothing that links this book to that label. I'm not even sure the themes would be of particular interest to teens, though certainly appeal to a slightly older audience.

Fiction Friday (133)

 

 

It's the end of the week and I recently finished reading yet another contemporary novel. This was another selection that I read for the library's book club that I lead. I'd heard good things about this one and was excited to read it, whereas many of the others, I am not. Though not a literary tour de force, this novel was well written and quite compelling in the way it dealt with the ideas of racial insensitivity and privilege.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

(Putnam, 2019)

In the past couple of years, the market has been flooded with novels that examine race relations in our country. What makes this one special is the subtleties it employs to deal with the topic which mirrors the subtleties in which it often exists. With the exception of a few characters in the opening confrontation scene, none of the characters are racist in any stereotypical way. In fact, both main white characters, Alix and Kelley, would consider themselves anti-racist. They are both too self-centered and self-involved to actually consider their actions, motives, and consequences...and despite both protesting that they have Emira's best interests at heart, neither ever bothers to have a real conversation with her.

I've read reviews, and spoken with people who really didn't like this book, who thought it wasn't in depth enough, or that it breezed over the subject. I disagree. The fact that it didn't beat the reader over the head with the themes is its strength. The fact that it is filled with humor is also a strength. It is not a book that is there to provide answers, it's a book meant for the reader to examine these characters and their actions and really think about their faults.

It is also not exclusively about race. Emira is not simply "African-American"...she is a 25 year old woman who doesn't know what she wants from life, something that is not a product of ethnicity. The reader sees her as the only true genuine character and as a result, her situation becomes universal and humanizing, something the Alix and Kelley fail to recognize.

I really enjoyed this book, and of course, 3-year-old Briar steals the show with her wonderfully innocent observations. The relationship between her and Emira is the heart of the book, and it's ironic that Alix's company is called "Let Her Speak" when that is exactly what she never allows from her daughter and her daughter's babysitter.

Fiction Friday (132)

 

 

I had meant to take a break from reading YA fiction, but recently the library I work out weeded the Teen collection and I went through the DISCARDs and grabbed a few that looked interesting. I started to read this one, mostly because the cover appealed to me, and because it was named after an Iron and Wine album. It turned out to be a very satisfying read.

Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller

(Tin House Books, 2015)

The world of adults and the world of children are often lived in separate realities that overlap somewhere in the middle like circles on a venn diagram, leaving members of each without a full understanding of how the other half lives. This is very much 8yo Peggy's situation, living on an estate in North London in the mid-70s with her eccentric parents. Her mother is a famous German pianist; her younger father a survivalist dreamer. Both seem to exist outside Peggy's internal world except when their world intrudes into hers.

Peggy's father emerges quickly as an unstable personality, and after a fallout with his wife, begins to fully embrace a split with reality, sweeping his daughter along with her. When the two of them leave their home and hike off into the secluded mountains of Bavaria, Peggy has no idea she will be spending the next nine years of her life alone in a cabin with her father. Terrified of crossing the river, and walled in by mountains, there is nowhere to go. Even if there was, her father has told her that beyond their little section of forest, the rest of the world has vanished.

This is one of those novels the joins the reader to the main character. The reader is the character's only true friend and confidant. As a result, we get to know Punzel, nee Peggy and she becomes someone we care about. She is a very strong character, yet we lament her losses that she cannot fully comprehend. And as her father's mental grasp on begins to falter, we begin to fear for her safety. 

We are never completely fearful for her however, because the novel alternates between her time in the woods and her time home, which is very effective in creating a sense of mystery and providing clues to keep the reader engaged. There are a few open ended questions at the end, deliberately so, that are meant to engage younger readers to consider options. However adult readers are fairly convinced of what happened.

Fiction Friday (131)

 

There are a handful of figures that have shaped my creative pursuits in my lifetime, one of them being Henry Darger. I still remember my first encounter with his artwork, from an ArtForum article in the late '90s and my interest has never waned. I recently have been listening to an album inspired by his words are art, which made me curious to search for books and I came across this 2019 novel which incorporates him as a character. It more than lived up to my expectations.

Curious Toys by Elizabeth Hand

(Mulholland Books, 2019)

Pin is a fourteen year girl living in the dangerous city of Chicago in 1915. The city is a particularly dangerous for girls during that summer. After the murder of Pin's younger sister, her mother insists that Pin disguise herself as a boy for safety while they are living at the Riverview Amusement Park, a bustling Coney Island equivalent. Pin relishes the freedom that comes with being a boy, though lives in constant fear of being discovered. Her fears are exasperated when one day she witnesses a young girl enter the "Hell's Gate" ride with a man, and only the man emerges when the boat comes out. 

She's not the only one to witness this crime. A odd man named Henry Darger (based on the Outsider Artist) also saw the girl enter and not come out. Together, the two characters form an unlikely pair looking to capture the killer and avenge the deaths of his many victims. 

This was a spellbinding novel that really delved into many aspects of psychological disorders. There is care taken in presenting these characters in an understanding and thoughtful way. The "disturbed" are given a humanity, no matter how terrible they may be...and that's the joy of the book for me. And Pin is one of those wonderfully brave characters that you'll never forget.

Fiction Friday (130)

 

The creation of a Teen book club at my library has propelled me into my deepest exploration of YA literature in a couple of years. For the next selection, I chose a contemporary fiction, and one of the more celebrated books of last year. Written in verse, this was a very compelling novel and one I'm glad I read.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

(Haper, 2020)

Camino and Yahaira are sisters. One lives in NYC and the other lives in the Dominican Republic. They are both seventeen and both unaware that the other exists until tragedy strikes at the heart of both of their lives, killing the father they shared.

Though we often like to believe we can take secrets to our grave, life rarely works out that way, and secrets tend to be revealed once a person dies. Papi's secrets are of the later variety. In New York, Yahaira has known of his father's other wife for almost a year, but never said anything. After her father dies in a plane crash, she discovers that everyone else already knew the secret...and that there was more to it. As she grapples with a need to meet the sister she never knew, Camino struggles with how she is going to survive without the finical support her father provided. 

Told in verse from alternating perspectives, this is a novel of family betrayal, healing, and ultimately forgiveness. The language is careful and striking at times, bringing both girls to life as it shares their hopes and dreams and anxieties. One thing that I found interesting and telling was there there are no redeemable male characters in this novel. As a male reader, it was eye opening to see that this is a reality for many women and girls. It was also uplifting to see how the female characters in the story come together to support each other without the need of a male character.

Fiction Friday (129)

 

Technically, this post should be titled Non-Fiction Friday, but as I never real nonfiction (as a general rule), I kept the title because this is my Book Review template. This was a book that the Library Book Club had chosen, and I fully expected to skip this one, but decided to give a chance and see how I felt about a non-fiction book after having not read one for some time. Also, it was narrative non-fiction which is always more appealing to me.

The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

(Harper, 1998)

Though there was an army of people responsible for the daunting task of creating the Oxford English Dictionary in Victorian times, this is the story of two of the most important, and intriguing, figures. The tale begins with a murder committed by an American army doctor in the slums of London and details his unlikely journey to becoming one of the most valuable volunteers to contribute to this monumental undertaking...from his rooms of a hospital for the criminally insane.

This extremely well-written and well-researched story was extremely compelling. Not only does it delve into the fascinating lives of Dr. Minor and Professor James Murry and their unlikely friendship, it also tells the story of trying to quantify and contain an unwieldy language into an authoritative document.

Fiction Friday (128)

 

I've continued my exploration into new YA fiction and picked up this recent debut from the library. This was not the type of book I typically gravitate towards, but I've been trying to expand my horizons. It helps that I'm a sucker for alien invasions.

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

(Inkyard Press, 2020)

Set in the near future, Earth has been conquered by an alien race of beings who look human and run on electricity. Janelle and her family are among the surviving humans, imprisoned in their NYC apartment complex that has been turned into a type of re-education center. But as the aliens prepare a vaccine designed to turn the humans into a shell to be occupied by alien tourists, time is running out. Determined not to loose the stories that make us human, Janelle runs a forbidden library despite the penalty of death if she is caught.

What Janelle doesn't know is that not of the aliens are as cold and unfeeling as they pretend to be, until she meets one named Morris. Brought together by a love of music and stories, the unlikely pair set out on an adventure that might just save humanity.

Told in alternating chapters, this enjoyable debut explores the power of emotions to overcome difficulty and how love can bloom even in the most unusual of circumstances. There were moments when I felt the love story was dragged out a little bit, and moments when I felt it tried too hard to connect the contemporary fiction elements with the sci-fi elements, but overall, I found it quite entertaining and compelling.

Fiction Friday (127)

 

Having avoided contemporary fiction for most of my life, I've taken a keen interest of late. In the past year, I've read no less than four truly remarkable novels that have been published in the past few years. There seems to finally be a movement back to literary fiction after decades of fluff. There are several more novels on my must-read list, but I'm pretty close to convinced that this movement is true. My latest read was phenomenal. 

 

Piranesi by Susanna Clark

(Bloomsbury, 2020)

In the year the Albatross Came to the South-Western Halls, many extraordinary events happen within the labyrinthine halls the House. There are but two occupants of the House, as well as 12 former occupants whose bones are all that remain among the infinite statues and tides that flow through the halls and vestibules. 

Piranesi keeps a record of his days spent collecting fresh water, seaweed to dry, and offerings for the bones. He is the keeper of the labyrinth. He is one blessed by the House with its kindness. He interacts with The Other on two weekly occasions, but The Other is quite different than Piranesi. The Other is search for the Great and Secret Knowledge he believes is contained within the halls of the House. But of the course of the year the Albatross Came to the South-Western Halls, Piranesi discovers The Other is the one truly holding secrets.

There are but a few stories that attempt, and succeed so perfectly, in creating a world completely different than our own. From the opening pages, Susanna Clark fully immerses the reader in a foreign reality. It so carefully constructed that you don't feel yourself being pulled into it, you simply arrive...much like the main character. And that is the true gift of this novel, that the reader shares each discovery with Piranesi without ever knowing more or less than he.

This mesmerizing and unconventional mystery is a true masterpiece.

Fiction Friday (126)

 

After tackling a literary behemoth like Tropic of Cancer, I jumped into a recently published YA fantasy. I'm starting a teen book at my library and decided to choose something new and interesting to start it off. I've also been working on a bit of a fantasy book and figured this would be good research.

Havenfall by Sara Holland

(Bloomsbury, 2020)

Maddie Morrow feels uncomfortable in the world. No matter where she is, she is tortured by the memory of the monster that broke into her house and murdered her older brother. She feels the whispers about her mother who is on death row for the crime she didn't commit. The only place she feels at peace is at the Havenfall Inn, a mysterious mountain resort that has been under the control of her family for generations.

Havenfall is not only a quiet Inn where Maddie spends her summers, it also a place where many worlds intercept in the tunnels hidden in the mountains below. It a place where people from three of those worlds meet every summer; delegates who meet under guidance of Maddie's uncle, the Innkeeper. It's a role that Maddie hopes to inherit one day...however, that day comes all too soon when a series of shocking events propel the teenager into the biggest challenge of her life.

In the nicely crafted fantasy, bestselling author Sara Holland creates a rich world of magic, intrigue, and shifting alliances. At times, it telegraphs plot twists a little too much (I had most of it figured out pretty early on), but still manages to hold a few surprises even for careful readers. The "real world" issues it explores, those of love, betrayal, and not fitting in, do fall a little flat which is always an issue when YA fantasy attempts to be contemporary fiction at the same time. All in all, I found this a fun read.

Fiction Friday (125)

 

There are certain books in everyone's life that it puzzles them that they had not already read it. For my entire adult life, I've explored the catalog of Grove Press, have been inspired by novels that tear away convention, and devoured books that examine the taboo thoughts that we all conceal in our minds. Yet somehow, I'd never read one of the pillars of all three of those criteria....I have now.

Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

(Grove Press, originally published 1934)

There are few works of art that one could call revolutionary. This is one of those. Part autobiographical, part philosophical diatribe, part fiction, and pure brutal honesty, this novel was considered dangerous when it was published in Paris and was banned in the U.S. for nearly 30 years. 

Deemed pornographic, its publication was forbidden in the land of the free. But this is far from pornographic and the real reason was probably due to the way it rips open the idea of America to examine it from the inside out. It is a response to Whitman, a precursor to Ginsburg's "America", a raw description of what it means to be American, what the ideal of freedom means to one man living in Paris between the wars and exploring the underground world of ideas and art that were born from conflict and destruction. 

But it's also about the soul, the darkness that festers there and the beauty that can be illuminated even in that darkness. This novel is the the birth of Post-Modernism, the birth of the Beats, the birth of the French new novel. It is a big bang in the world of literature that spawned ideas and creativity that would dominate the literary world for more than half a century.

In short...it is a masterpiece.

Fiction Friday (124)

 

After reading a few heavier titles, I wanted to take a quick swing through some Middle Grade. Having finished my last book on a Friday, and knew I'd be in the library on Monday, I went through my To-Read shelf and pulled out a book that's been there 17 years. I figured it sort of fit with my Alice readings from last year. I was glad I picked it up.

Alice in Blunderland by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

(Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2003)

Alice is 9 years old, and one thing she knows for sure is that being in fourth grade is very, very hard. Having an older teenage brother that tells you lies because you are gullible and trusting is also very hard. Having lost your mother when you were too young to remember isn't hard, it's just unfair.  If all of that wasn't difficult enough, being prone to making embarrassing mistakes makes being 9 years old practically impossible.

Best known for Shiloh, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has been a fixture in Middle Grade fiction for decades. This book is one of several prequels to her beloved Alice series. I wanted to read it as part of my Alice in Wonderland exploration, though I knew this was related by title only. But like "Alice", Naylor's Alice is an intelligent, curious, and wonderful character. 

For younger readers, this book is an affirmation that the difficult and embarrassing things that happen to you, happen to everyone. For adult readers, especially parents, it's a reminder of how trying it is to grow up and what a struggle it can be to come to terms with life. 

Fiction Friday (123)

 

The first book finished in a New Year is typically a good one for me. It's usually a book that I've wanted to read all year, and I'm counting on those holiday days (especially the 2020 kind) to let me read. Though this wasn't my first choice, this was the book I needed to read for my book club. It was cool though, because I've read some of Erdrich's work and really respect her writing. Love Medicine was a book I had to read in AP English in High School back in '93. It was unlike any book I had read before. I read The Antelope Wife when it came out and loved it. It seemed a more than fitting time to catch up.

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

(Harper, 2020)

 

In 1953, a Reservation and its people were facing termination in the US Senate. It was given names that made it sound like a good thing, calling it emancipation and elevation, trying to cover up what it really was by wrapping it up in shiny paper. This is a document of how they saved their lands from extinction and protected what was rightfully and lawfully theirs.

Through a host of varied characters, the reader is brought into their lives like an observing spirit. You spend time with them, sometimes doing only ordinary things, but things that feel important. The reader feels connected, feels the pain inside each character, and knows they are strong enough to survive. That's what great books do. Great books create shared experiences between the reader and the fiction. This is a great book.