The History Book Club discussion

Andrea wrote: "Connie, what a harrowing read! I’ll keep it on my radar.
Regards,
Andrea"

Andrea, I would recommend his non-fiction book, The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between, even more. Bentley made a wonderful glossary for it last year.

by Hisham Matar

Great! Connie, my TBR List thanks you. The read must have occurred before I joined the History Club. I’m pretty much a newbie.
Regards,
Andrea

by Hisham Matar

62. by Peter Mayle
Finish date: July 2020
Genre: Travel, Memoir
Rating: B+
Review: It was fun to experience living vicariously in a stone farmhouse in Provence by reading this delightful book. Stories about good food, great wine, living close to the land, and the spirit of the people of Provence fill the pages. "A Year in Provence" is very entertaining, and I was sorry to see the book end.

63. by Henry James
Finish date: July 2020
Genre: Classic, Novella
Rating: C+
Review: Daisy Miller was a beautiful American girl vacationing in Switzerland and Italy with her mother and brother. Daisy was a flirt, and didn't follow the traditional rules of European society. In some ways she seemed courageous and independent as she continued to act like a relaxed American. But she behaved foolishly in other instances, especially when she visited an area known to be dangerous.

The story seemed to show the collision of two cultures in the 19th Century. Neither Daisy nor the Europeans tried to compromise in their views of each other. Henry James presented the European women as unbending and severe, and American Daisy as innocent, inappropriate, and silly. The portrayal of the women showed people at the extremes of society rather than complex characters.

Oh my, Connie, how I adore Henry James! After a while you no longer notice how long his sentences are! Have you read his “The Europeans?”
Regards,
Andrea

by Henry James

Andrea wrote: "Oh my, Connie, how I adore Henry James! After a while you no longer notice how long his sentences are! Have you read his “The Europeans?”
Regards,
Andrea

by [auth..."

I haven't read it yet. It sounds like it may also have a theme of clash of cultures and traditions.

64. by Azar Nafisi
Finish date: July 2020
Genre: Memoir, Book about books, History
Rating: B+
Review: After Iran was transformed into an Islamic state, literature professor Azar Nafisi secretly met with seven women students weekly to discuss classic Western works. Many of the literary works acted as vehicles for discussion about the oppression of women, the wearing of the veil, the morality police, human rights, and political prisoners.

It will enhance the reading of Nafisi's book if one is familiar with Nabokov's "Lolita," Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," and James' "Daisy Miller" and "Washington Square." Discussions of these and other classics led to tangents about the situation in Iran in the 1980s and 1990s. The repressive regime made changes at the universities which affected both Nafisi and her students. Each woman was agonizing over the decision whether to leave the country or stay in Iran. The author and her family came to the United States to live in 1997. "Reading Lolita in Tehran" is exceptional in many ways--as a memoir, as an experience with great classic literature, and as a window into life in Iran.

My Goodness, Connie, that sounds like an interesting read. Right now I’m reading Iran: A Modern History which would provide the non-fiction background to your novel. Check it out while I do the same with your fiction read.
Regards,
Andrea

by Abbas Amanat (no photo)

I saw Azar Nafisi speak at my university, and I read Reading Lolita later that year. She was a big inspiration to me as I was trying to find my artistic voice as a musician. I had a lot of rebellious energy, and her words helped me find a way to direct that toward music, reading, and learning. I still remember one of my favorite quotes from this book: “Curiosity is insubordination in its purest form.” That became my mantra!

Thanks for the recommendation, Andrea.

Douglass wrote: "I saw Azar Nafisi speak at my university, and I read Reading Lolita later that year. She was a big inspiration to me as I was trying to find my artistic voice as a musician. I had a lot of rebellio..."

That's a wonderful memory, Douglass! Those are great words to live by.

Oh, Douglass! that Quote (“Curiosity is insubordination in its purest form.”) is simply marvelous. The book I’m reading shows how true that is for the poet William Wordsworth. Its title is: Radical Wordsworth: The Poet Who Changed the World. It is unbelievably excellent!!!

Regards,
Andrea

by Jonathan Bate (no photo)

65. by Wendell Berry
Finish date: July 2020
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: A-
Review: "Most people now are looking for 'a better place,'which means that a lot of them will end up in a worse one. I think this is what Nathan learned from his time in the army and the war. He saw a lot of places, and he came home. I think he gave up the idea that there is a better place somewhere else. There is no 'better place' than this, not in 'this' world. And it is by the place we've got, and our love for it and our keeping of it, that this world is joined to Heaven."

"Hannah Coulter" is a delightful book in Wendell Berry's series about the people in the fictional Port William, Kentucky. It's a nostalgic look at rural farm life, good values, and caring neighbors.

Hannah is a twice-widowed elderly narrator looking back at her life in the country. She was raised on a farm, and worked as a secretary for a short time before marrying Virgil. Her happy life was upended when Virgil died in World War II while she was pregnant with his daughter. A few years later she married Nathan, and they raised their children on a farm. Both Hannah and Nathan had a strong love for the land, and hoped to pass the farm on to their children. Like many other young adults of their generation, they were tempted by life in the city during their college years. The loss of small family farms is a theme of this story, although it ends with a note of hope that the Coulter farm might live on.

Hannah is a warm woman who I can imagine spending time with as we savored good coffee and freshly baked biscuits. I often felt misty-eyed as she dealt with losses, and celebrated with her as she found love and contentment. Author Wendell Berry is also a poet which makes his lovely prose a joy to read.

Oh, Connie, I knew you’d really enjoy Hannah Coulter! For me the descriptive adjective that comes to mind is “mellow.”
Regards,
Andrea

Andrea wrote: "Oh, Connie, I knew you’d really enjoy Hannah Coulter! For me the descriptive adjective that comes to mind is “mellow.”
Regards,
Andrea"

It was delightful! You would probably enjoy Jayber Crow if you have not already read it.

by Wendell Berry

66. by Susanna Kearsley
Finish date: July 2020
Genre: Historical fiction, Romance, Paranormal
Rating: C+
Review: Archeologist Verity Grey accepted a position on a dig with hopes to unearth artifacts left by the lost Ninth Roman Legion. They are working in the Scottish Borderlands in a Berwickshire town by the North Sea. A young boy with the gift of a "second sense" has seen a Roman soldier pacing the grounds near the dig. The Roman soldier and a romantic Scottish archeologist are both very protective toward Verity.

"The Shadowy Horses" was a fun combination of historical fiction, romance, and the supernatural set in an interesting location in Scotland. I enjoy an occasional ghost story so this was an enjoyable, light vacation read.

AUGUST

67. by Edith Wharton
Finish date: August 2020
Genre: Short Stories, Supernatural
Rating: A
Review: Most of Edith Wharton's ghost stories have a sense of ambiguity. Is the supernatural at work, or did people misinterpret real events? Wharton writes her works with a Gothic atmosphere--foggy nights, creepy old houses, strange servants, and unreliable narrators. The weight of a guilty conscience leads to supernatural events in some cases. Women are victims of controlling men in a few stories, but women manipulate the men in others. Wharton's writing is elegant, and she exhibits a deep understanding of people's emotions, strengths, and failings. This collection included 11 ghost stories. Great storytelling!

Great review, Connie. I love Edith Wharton's writing but haven't read any of her ghost stories.

Douglass wrote: "Great review, Connie. I love Edith Wharton's writing but haven't read any of her ghost stories."

Thanks, Douglass. This collection is fun to read because the ghosts are subtle and psychological, not the kind that shout "Boo" in the night.

68. by Jonathan Cott (no photo)
Finish date: August 2020
Genre: Biography, Art, Book about Books
Rating: B
Review: Jonathan Cott interviewed Maurice Sendak, children's book author and illustrator, about his work. He concentrated on his trilogy "Where the Wild Things Are," "In the Night Kitchen," and "Outside Over There." Sendak was a poor Jewish boy raised by immigrant parents in New York City. He was a sickly child with a vivid imagination who loved to draw. His mother's poor parenting may be the inspiration of some of the fearful scenes in his books. Sendak was obsessed with news about the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby, and "Outside Over There" features a kidnapping of a baby by goblins.

Sendak illustrated in many styles over the years in his Connecticut studio. An art historian discusses the Northern Romantic style Sendak used in "Outside Over There." A Freudian psychoanalyst, a Jungian analyst, and the playwright Tony Kushner also discuss Sendak's works. The analysts were delving into his books from an adult point of view, and in terms of Sendak's life. But hopefully most young children will think of these picture books as just stories, even if they have scary events in them, and will have reassuring adults reading to them. Some fearful young children may find them frightening.

I've attended an art exhibit of some of Sendak's work, and have admired his talent. It was interesting to read about his life, and the controversy about some of his books. This book was beautifully illustrated with examples of his work.

Connie, my TBR List thanks you!
Regards,
Andrea

Andrea wrote: "Connie, my TBR List thanks you!
Regards,
Andrea"

Both of us have TBR lists that are way too long :-)

Connie, thank goodness for the History Book Club! Not only does it inspire you to read great books about history, but it also guarantees you the longest TBR List on your block!
Regards,
Andrea

69. by Isabel Allende
Finish date: August 2020
Genre: Memoir
Rating: C
Review: Isabel Allende looks back with nostalgia at her beloved Chile. She tells amusing family stories, and the tragic outcome of the military coup of 1973. Allende admits she embellishes her tales about the Chilean people, but her love for the country is evident.

70. by John M. Barry
Finish date: August 2020
Genre: Nonfiction, History, Science, Medicine
Rating: TBD
Review: TBD

71. by Alex Trebek
Finish date: August 2020
Genre: Memoir
Rating: B+
Review: Alex Trebek, the longtime host of the game show "Jeopardy!," reflected on his life in this warm, conversational book. In addition to amusing anecdotes about his career in "Jeopardy!," he tells about his childhood in Canada and his present life in Los Angeles. He's a loving husband, and thinks the world of his two adult children. He has a garage full of tools because he's a down-to-earth guy who loves to make home repairs.

Trebek is also a caring humanitarian who believes in giving back. He's been very involved with World Vision and other charities, and has made many trips to Africa. Trebek has also done work with the USO visiting military bases and entertaining them with a "Jeopardy!" experience.

Trebek was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer last year. He shares his thoughts about dealing with pain, fatigue, and depression as he copes with the disease.

The book is composed of short chapters with many photographs and chapter headings in the form of a question. It's a charming read, sprinkled with humor and emotion, that feels like a chat with a friend. It gives us the answer to the question, "Who is Alex Trebek?"

72. by Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins
Finish date: August 2020
Genre: Short stories, fiction, humor
Rating: B-
Review: Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins collaborated on writing "The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices." It was first published in serial form in "Household Words" after the good friends went on a walking tour together. The book features two characters--the energetic Francis Goodchild (Dickens), and the extremely idle Thomas Idle (Collins) who is sidelined after spraining his ankle climbing a mountain in Cumberland.

Three chapters of the book are amusing and exaggerated tales as the two men poke fun at themselves. Readers familiar with the two authors' lives will especially enjoy the humor. The walking tour also acts as a frame for a mystery story and a ghost story which both have wonderful supernatural Gothic elements. Some of the five chapters were more successful than others, but it was an enjoyable book overall.

73. by Flannery O'Connor
Finish date: August 2020
Genre: Fiction, Southern Lit, Classic
Rating: B
Review: "From the days of John the Baptist until now, The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent bear it away."
Matthew 11:12

Fourteen-year-old Francis Marion Tarwater had been taken by his great-uncle Mason when he was a baby. The old man claimed to be a prophet, and trained the boy to follow in his footsteps. Tarwater was told to baptize the disabled son of his schoolteacher uncle, Rayber. When Mason dies, Tarwater is torn between carrying out his great-uncle's request, and listening to the voice of a stranger in his head representing the Devil, non-belief, and freedom from the old man's teachings.

Rayber had also been kidnapped by Mason when he was a child, baptized, and indoctrinated. Rayber is still struggling with the conflict between his professed rationalism and the remnants of his childhood exposure to religious fanaticism. He's also struggling with his emotions as he deals with the difficult task to trying to love his disabled son, Bishop. When Tarwater lands on Rayber's doorstep, Rayber takes him in. There are ideological struggles as Rayber attempts to save Tarwater from the old prophet's clutches from the grave.

This is a dark story of religious fanaticism, mental illness, and violence. Water is used for both destruction and spiritual redemption. Mason's unhinged ideas have had repercussions into the next three generations. Mason, Tarwater, Rayber, and Bishop are not likable or realistic characters, but Gothic grotesques. Are the characters struggling with a call from the divine, or religious madness? "The Violent Bear It Away" is haunting, dark, and intense.

Wow, Connie, 73 books read! Way to go!

Vicki wrote: "Wow, Connie, 73 books read! Way to go!"

Reading keeps me busy while we're socially isolating!

You are really moving along Connie.

74. by Susan Vreeland
Finish date: August 2020
Genre: Historical fiction, Art, Feminism
Rating: B
Review: Artemisia Gentileschi was an Italian 17th Century painter who was taught by her Roman painter father, Orazio Gentileschi. Many of her works are in the style of Caravaggio who used chiaroscuro (a dark background with light shining on the main figures in the scene.) Artemisia painted strong, assertive women, often from Biblical stories, such as various versions of "Judith Slaying Holofernes."

Author Susan Vreeland opens the book at the trial of artist Agostino Tassi who was accused of raping Artemisia. Tassi got off easier than Artemisia who was subjected to torture during the questioning and public humiliation. Her father was also very insensitive to her feelings during the trial. One wonders if that ordeal contributed to Artemisia choosing to paint strong heroines, rather than delicate submissive women.

Her father arranged a marriage for her with a painter from Florence, Pierantonio Stiattesi. The couple had five children, although only the one surviving daughter is mentioned in Vreeland's novel. Artemisia was honored to be the first woman to be awarded membership in the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno. However, it caused a rift between her and her husband because he had not been admitted yet. When debts piled up, Artemisia and her daughter traveled to Genoa, Venice, Rome, and Naples where she had important patrons.

Vreeland invented two nuns who were Artemisia's childhood teachers in convent school. Her correspondence with the nuns throughout the story gave us insight into Artemisia's concerns, and the sisters wrote back advice and encouragement. There was a modern sensibility that sometimes crept into the letters.

I've seen some of Artemisia Gentileschi's paintings in museums so I enjoyed learning more about this talented artist. The biographical novel shows Artemisia as a person, an artist, and a feminist role model.

75. by Lorraine Hansberry
Finish date: August 2020
Genre: Play
Rating: B+
Review: Lorraine Hansberry's play tells about a Chicago black family who receives a life insurance payment after the death of the father. Walter wants to use the money to invest in a liquor store, and his sister wants to put the money toward medical school tuition in her quest to become a doctor. Walter's wife is pregnant and worries that another child will put more pressure on the struggling family financially. Mama thinks the family should move out of the cramped apartment, and puts money down on a house in a white neighborhood where the prices are cheaper.

Moving to the house, in spite of the danger of discrimination if they live in a white neighborhood, is the start of fulfilling one of their dreams. It's a dream that the whole family can share. By the end of the play, Walter has become a man who puts his family's needs and dreams first.

Although the play premiered on Broadway in 1959, "A Raisin in the Sun" is still relevant today. It's difficult for blacks to obtain well paying jobs since expensive educations and the right connections are often necessary. While there has been some improvement, housing markets often practice discrimination. When she was eight years old, Lorraine Hansberry's father bought a home in a white neighborhood, and fought restrictive laws with the help of the NAACP (Hansberry v. Lee, 1940). The experience of her family was the inspiration for this play.

SEPTEMBER

76. by Charlotte McConaghy
Finish date: September 2020
Genre: Literary fiction, Climate fiction
Rating: A
Review: "The ice spreads wide and dazzling, edged by a black-and-white ocean and a distant gray horizon. Great shards of cerulean ice float languidly by, even now within the heart of summer. And dozens of Arctic terns fill the white of sky and earth. The last of them, perhaps in the world. If I were capable of staying any place, it might be here. But the birds won't stay, and neither will I."

"Migrations" is set in the near future when many of the Earth's creatures are becoming extinct due to changes made by humans. In a fishing boat, Franny Stone follows the Arctic terns as they migrate from Greenland to Antarctica. In return for passage, she convinces the captain that the terns (with their tracking devices) will lead the crew to schools of fish which have greatly diminished in number. Like the birds, Franny has a bit of the "wild creature" in her with a lifelong desire to wander.

Franny narrates her story, moving back and forth in time. She has a dark history full of secrets and terrible loss. Franny is strong, but vulnerable. She also has a deep connection with nature, especially birds. As the fishing boat heads South from Greenland, Franny bonds with the crew who form a sort of family. She writes letter after letter to her husband, but never mails them. The voyage has both beautiful and terrifying moments. The story builds in suspense as Franny reveals pieces of her traumatic past without showing us all the pieces of the puzzle at first.

"Migrations" shows us a damaged world with much remaining beauty which is worth fighting to save. A glimmer of hope exists for both Mother Earth and the story's troubled protagonist. The book is written with lush, gorgeous prose which will be especially appreciated by lovers of literary fiction.

Good progress Connie

Connie, what wonderful progress, and such interesting books. I like your diverse interests as well.

Thanks for your nice comments, Bentley and Lorna.

You are most welcome Connie - how is that for attention? (lol)

77. by Stephanie Wrobel
Finish date: September 2020
Genre: Psychological thriller, mystery
Rating: B-
Review: The doctors couldn't diagnose Rose Gold's illness for eighteen years. She was chronically sick, and spent much of her childhood in the hospital. Rose Gold was home-schooled by her mother, and had no friends. The community held fundraisers to help with the medical bills. Finally the cause of her illness was found--her twisted controlling mother, Patty Watts.

Now Patty is getting out of prison and Rose Gold is taking her into her home. Surprisingly, Rose Gold is also letting Patty babysit for baby Adam without supervision. Their neighbors are shocked!

The story is told by two unreliable narrators. Both Patty and Rose Gold are liars and psychologically damaged people. Patty has not forgiven Rose Gold for testifying at her trial. Her daughter has not recovered from the years of abuse. Will Rose Gold forgive her mother or take revenge? This is a dark psychological thriller that's hard to put down!

78. by Marie Benedict
Finish date: September 2020
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: B-
Review: Set from 1908-1945, "Lady Clementine" is a first-person fictional narrative of the wife of Winston Churchill. In addition to being a sounding board and helpmate to her husband, Clementine was involved in women's suffrage, job initiatives for women during World War II, and improving air-raid shelters during the Blitz. She reached out personally to everyday British people during World War II, similar to how Eleanore Roosevelt helped in the United States. She also entertained diplomats from other countries, smoothing the way for her brusque husband.

The one area of her life where she had regrets was that she spent so little time in the care of her five children. The Churchills' children were mostly brought up by the hired help. Clementine was constantly moving from house to house, and having to entertain on a small budget. She devoted her time to her husband's needs, helping him with speeches and sitting in on political meetings while he was Prime Minister. She also had to deal with Winston's bouts of depression. Although she was a strong woman, there were times when Clementine had to get away from all the demands for months due to nervous exhaustion. In spite of the challenges, there was a strong love between Winston and Clementine.

While Winston Churchill is a historical figure familiar to almost everyone, Clementine has remained more in the background. It was interesting to read about her achievements set against an important time in British history.

Connie, I, too, enjoyed this book. If you would like to know more about her, there is a marvelous biography out by Sonia Purnell.
Regards,
Andrea
by Sonia Purnell (no photo)

Andrea wrote: "Connie, I, too, enjoyed this book. If you would like to know more about her, there is a marvelous biography out by Sonia Purnell.
Regards,
Andrea
[bookcover:Clementine: The Life of Mrs. Winston Ch..."

Thanks for the recommendation, Andrea.

79. by Anne Tyler
Finish date: September 2020
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Rating: B
Review: "He slowed to a walk on the last stretch approaching York Road. He momentarily mistook the hydrant for a redhead and gave his usual shake of the shoulders at how repetitious this thought was, how repetitious all his thoughts were, how they ran in a deep rut and how his entire life ran in a rut, really."

Micah Mortimer does not see clearly without glasses. He also is unable to see clearly when emotional relationships are involved. Micah is exceptionally organized and sticks to the same daily routine. The forty-three year old man runs a computer help service called Tech Hermit, and does odd jobs around his apartment building in return for free rent. Micah, with his OCD tendencies, can't understand how his disorganized older sisters and their loving, boisterous families can live in such chaos. He has a woman friend, Cass, who is a warmhearted teacher. But Micah is forced to reevaluate how he emotionally responds to people when Cass ends the relationship. His routine is also disrupted when he gets a visit from the teenage son of an old college girlfriend.

Anne Tyler's novels always bring a smile to my face because they are heartwarming and humorous. The reader can recognize the strengths and weaknesses humans possess in her quirky characters. Micah may sometimes be emotionally clueless, but Anne Tyler has us pulling for him and hoping for a happy ending.

80. by Kate Greene (no photo)
Finish date: September 2020
Genre: Non-fiction, Essays, Space exploration
Rating: B
Review: Kate Greene, a science journalist and physicist, and five other people spent four months living in a geodesic dome on the red, rocky slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. They were chosen to participate in a NASA-funded 2013 research project which simulated some of the challenges faced by astronauts in a Martian environment. The participants had to wear space suits if they ventured outside the dome. There was limited electricity and water in their tight quarters.

They were surveyed each day about the different types of astronaut food they ate, crew bonding, and their reactions to boredom, isolation, and delayed communication. Each crew member had special jobs to perform, and they all spent time doing chores in the dome. They also tested various types of clothing. Everyone had to exercise daily, although they found it led to increased carbon dioxide in the air.

The author wrote a series of essays with the research project as a jumping off point to information about the space program, and musings about her personal life. Although this book was written before the pandemic, the essays on boredom and isolation certainly had a ring of truth about them. Her disabled brother was confined to a hospital bed for a year which gave another view of the psychological effects of isolation.

Greene also writes about the amount of food needed on a long mission. The largest men need twice as many calories as the smallest women. Perhaps more small women and small men could be chosen for the long Mars mission someday. The human urge for exploration through the ages, private versus public-funded exploration, and space tourism were also interesting topics. She also tells about the emotional reactions of astronauts as they viewed Earth from space, and some dangerous situations they experienced on space walks.

The essays are based on themes, rather than chronological order. It sometimes seemed like the author jumped from one idea to another. However her reflections fit the themes, and provided lots of food for thought about space exploration and everyday life on planet Earth.

81. by Jack Finney
Finish date: September 2020
Genre: Time-travel
Rating: B+
Review: Simon Morley, an artist working for an advertising agency, is bored with his job. When he is approached by a government agency to work on a secret project, he is intrigued by the idea of a new adventure. This project will take him from 1970 back to 1882 in New York City to unravel a mystery. His instructions are to limit interactions with other people to avoid changing the future. But that becomes difficult as he tries to protect Julia, a lovely young woman, from marrying a man who would make her life miserable.

The book takes a nostalgic look at New York City with very detailed descriptions of the buildings, people, entertainment, and the modes of transportation. Photographs and sketched illustrations of the Victorian era are beautiful, especially scenes of horse-drawn sleigh rides in Central Park. The book picks up its pace in the second half as Simon and Julia find themselves in several dangerous situations. The ending had an unexpected twist.

The sketches, supposedly made by Simon, helped transport the reader to another time and place. Simon's musings about history makes us realize that every era has its problems. Modern technology has fixed some problems, but created many new ones.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the publication of this classic. "Time and Again" is an enjoyable book full of adventure, mystery, romance, and history. Simon's sense of excitement and wonder when he was in 1882 New York was infectious, and I always loved picking up the book again.

82. by Lian Dolan
Finish date: September 2020
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Rating: C+
Review: The three redheaded Sweeney sisters-Liza, Maggie, and Tricia-were devastated when their father died. William Sweeney was a complicated man, a well-known author, and a Yale professor. They held a big Irish wake to honor his memory. The next day they met with his lawyer, and the three women were shocked to learn that there was a fourth Sweeney sister who grew up in their neighborhood. On top of that, they cannot find their father's manuscript for his last book and he already spent the advance.

Family secrets, sibling rivalry, and sisterly love are themes in this story. The women are dealing with this new sibling relationship in a small coastal Connecticut town where news travels fast. There have been both pressures and perks associated with being the daughters of a difficult, but brilliant, literary icon with a taste for whiskey. "The Sweeney Sisters" is an entertaining book full of family drama.

83. by Chanel Cleeton
Finish date: September 2020
Genre: Historical fiction, Romance, Suspense
Rating: B
Review: The lives of three women intersect as a deadly hurricane heads toward Key West, Florida in 1935. Mitza Perez's family had great losses during the Cuban Revolution of 1933, and she was on her honeymoon after an arranged marriage to a wealthy man. Times are hard for the families of Americans Helen Berner and Elizabeth Preston during the Great Depression.

As the powerful hurricane approaches the Keys, pregnant Helen has an opportunity to leave her abusive husband. Elizabeth is searching for a World War I veteran who is helping to build a railroad across the Keys, and is living in a flimsy tent in a work camp. Mitza has concerns that her new husband's business ventures involve some dangerous people. The tension builds as the hurricane draws nearer, and each woman has to trust someone she recently met.

Author Chanel Cleeton writes her novels with a good mix of historical events, love, and suspense. Although there were a few unlikely coincidences, the book is a real page-turner as the characters showed strength and courage during one of the worst hurricanes of the 20th Century.

84. by Gail Tsukiyama
Finish date: September 2020
Genre: Historical fiction, Literary fiction
Rating: B+
Review: "Like this island, I'm already remaking myself. Look and you will find me everywhere, in the rocks, in the water, in the color of the air."
-Mariko's Ghost Voice

The 1935 eruption of the Mauna Loa volcano on Hawaii's Big Island is the backdrop for the return of Daniel Abe to the village of Hilo. Daniel had become a physician in Chicago, but he now has doubts about his career. Japanese immigrants came to the island to work on the sugar plantations and fish, and formed a close community where they helped each other like a family.

The author writes beautifully about Hawaii's natural world--the fragrance of ripe mangoes, the lush vegetation, the gorgeous beaches, the sulfurous smell and rumblings of the volcano, and the hot molten lava. But the island also has workers doing backbreaking work cutting cane in the hot sun for little pay, bothered by insects, snakes, and tough bosses.

The story revolves around David, his deceased mother Mariko, his father who left them, and his Uncle Koji. Mariko was the only woman that Koji ever loved, and the kind man acted as a second father to Daniel. When Daniel returns home, secrets are revealed about his family and close friends.

The people of Hilo are hard working and compassionate with every generation helping others in their large community. Flashbacks and the ghost voices of the deceased show us the bonds that were first established in the early 20th Century. "The Color of Air" is a lovely story with characters to care about. Readers will be hoping that the fire goddess Pele spares Hilo from the rivers of lava.

85. by Katherine Anne Porter
Finish date: September 2020
Genre: Novellas
Rating: B+
Review: The three short novels in the book "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" have common themes of mortality and death. The title comes from the Book of Revelation 6:8 where Death was the rider on a pale horse (one of the Four Horsemen of the Apoocalypse.)

The semi-autobiographical title story features a journalist, Miranda, and a soldier, Adam, in the days leading up to his deployment during World War I. The influenza epidemic of 1918 is hitting Denver, and Miranda contracts the disease. She experiences nightmares, fevers, and periods of delirium as she fights the illness. Death, the pale rider, had numerous victims from both the war and influenza at that time.

"Old Mortality" is about the discrepancies between the family legends that are told about a romantic couple, and the reality of the situation. Miranda also appears in this story as an impressionable young girl, and later as a wiser, married, eighteen-year-old woman.

"Noon Wine" is set on a dairy farm in Texas in the 1890s. Royal Earle Thompson's farm is unproductive until he hires a Swede, Olaf Helton. Helton is a responsible man with a strong work ethic who turns the farm around. But he is very odd and silent, and spends his free time playing the same songs repeatedly on his harmonica. Then a stranger comes to the farm looking for Helton, and sets a tragic sequence of events in motion.

All three short novels are very well-written. As I was reading, I was thinking what a great stage play "Noon Wine" could be, and later learned that it was made into a TV film. It was very poignant reading about the influenza epidemic in "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" while we are in the midst of the Covid pandemic.

OCTOBER

86. by Charlotte Armstrong
Finish date: October 2020
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Rating: C
Review: When their sitter backs out at the last minute, a couple hires the niece of the hotel operator for the evening. They were going to attend an important dinner where the husband was to be the speaker and guest of honor. The wife felt uneasy about leaving their nine-year-old daughter with the sitter who seemed a bit strange. However, she felt that she should be with her husband while he was being honored. By the end of the evening, the wife wished she had followed her maternal instincts.

"Mischief" was written in 1950 so it seems rather dated and "cutsie" in the beginning. A visitor comes to the hotel room later, the abnormal actions of the sitter are seen through his eyes, and the suspense builds. The movie "Don't Bother to Knock", starring Marilyn Monroe as the sitter, was based on this book. A modern mystery/thriller might have been more intense, but it was interesting to read a classic for a change of pace.