Posted in August, 2018:  

"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while...People everywhere brag and whimper about the woes of their early years, but nothing can compare with the Irish version: the poverty; the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire; pompous priests; bullying schoolmasters; the English and the terrible things they did to us for eight hundred long years."                        -Frank McCourt

Anticipating a visit to Ireland I wanted to read something with the flavor of the Emerald Isle. I began one novel titled Ireland,

 but it started out slow and I gave it up. For some reason I thought of Angela's Ashes, an older book but one that I had heard of and thought to be set in Ireland. When I checked the library, no print copy was available but there was a recorded version on CDs. The library clerk suggested ordering the print copy to be delivered when available and, in the meantime, listen to the recording. What a wonderful surprise this turned out to be! The book is narrated by the author, with his delightful Irish brogue. He changes his voice for different characters and even sings. Listening was a pure delight!

When the print copy came in the mail, I began reading and was several chapters in before I realized there are NO quotation marks and often no dialog tags like "he said" and such. In the narrated version, the dialog was obvious and, apparently, I was so used to the style, I had no confusion with the print copy.

Angela's Ashes is a memoir taking Frank McCourt from around four years old, when his family left New York for Ireland, to his late teens, when he finally achieves his dream to return to America. This reader's emotions ran the gamut---from profound sympathy for the abject poverty to anger focused on the alcoholic father to sadness over deaths in the family to the humorous perceptions of a child, especially regarding the Catholic faith and sex. One of my favorite laugh-aloud parts is Chapter IV in which Frank receives First Communion. The quote above, from the very first page, is illustrative of Frank's youth.

I was quite amused by the references to Presbyterians, seen by the Limerick folk as lower than low. I am Presbyterian and not used to being treated with scorn. An example is when Grandma is trying to get Frankie ready for First Communion, complains about this hair and says, "If your mother had married a proper decent Limerickman you wouldn't have this standing up, North of Ireland, Presbyterian hair." Seemingly, Presbyterians, North of Irelanders, the English and Americans are all seen in a very bad light.

It tickled me that each time Uncle Pat is mentioned, the reader is reminded he was dropped on his head as a child. I am going to borrow the expression "I don't give a fiddler's fart" from the novel though I don't remember which character used it.

I am sure I don't have to tell you I am rating this one a 5. It has me really looking forward to visiting Ireland. I enjoyed Angela's Ashes immensely and can't wait to read another by Frank McCourt. 'Tis has been recommended.

Updated in May, 2024

I loved this story so much when I read it the first time 6 years ago---listened to and read it, actually. It may not have been quite so enjoyable this time, since I did not have the audio version. I would still rate it a 5 though. I can't think of much to add to my first post. Just this: What an amazing life Frank McCourt lived! I am so thankful he survived to tell about it. In fact, in 2018 I quickly followed up by reading the two sequels: 'Tis and Teacher Man. Now I will decide whether to reread one or both of those.

Aloha Alibi by Jasmine Webb

 

"In the last few minutes, I'd seen a grown man try to kill an old lady, had two geriatric women tell me they were going to beat me to the reward money, and gone full WWE on that grown man myself. And it wasn't even seven o'clock yet."

      -Charlie, from the novel

What an amusing romp this novel was! I have to admit the title caught my attention because I have a great love for Hawaii. 

Charlotte "Charlie" Gibson returns to her childhood home on Maui from Seattle when she finds herself a target of revenge for killing a man in self-defense. She is pretty broke and can fortunately live with her mother but needs a job right away. She is hired by Leslie at Aloha Ice Cream and soon after, she serves ice cream to a businessman who ends up stabbed to death. It turns out there is a very large cash reward for identification of the murderer and Charlie WANTS that money. As she begins her sleuthing, she meets Dot and Rosie, the two seventy-something women referred to in the quote. At first, they seem to be rivals but then decide to join forces and share the reward.

I so enjoyed the humor in the book especially Charlie's run-in with a hotel housekeeper who is a conspiracy theorist; she believes there is no such thing as Australia! I found myself laughing aloud several times. It is a perfect beach read, or in my case, a cruise read. A solid 4 rating for this one which is Charlotte Gibson Mystery #1. One of these days I will look for #2.

I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg

 

"Dear God, how perfectly sad. She had not progressed since the sixth grade. Lately, she had begun to suspect that underneath that pleasant exterior was just another pleasant exterior. She had gotten older, but not wiser. She'd always thought she would be so much smarter by now, but she wasn't. If anything, she was losing ground."           -Maggie, from the novel

I have read and enjoyed several of Fannie Flagg's novels over the years, none more than Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. This one was great fun, as well.

Former Miss Alabama Maggie Fortenberry is a real estate agent in Birmingham, hired by the founder Hazel Whisenknott, a woman of small stature and very large spirit. Coworker and friend Brenda Peoples fights a weight problem and aspires to be the first black female mayor of Birmingham. Agency head Ethel Clipp has her own eccentricities. All three women have been trying to keep Red Mountain Realty afloat after the death of the beloved Hazel including an intense rivalry with Babs Bingington whom they call "The Beast."

Though it appears to others Maggie has everything going for her---beauty and charm, she is depressed that her life is so disappointing and is making elaborate plans to end it. Somewhat predictably her plans are interrupted.

Having lived in North Alabama through high school and college, I found the references to Birmingham interesting---facts about the founding and its infamous part in the Civil Rights Movement. I did not remember ever hearing it called "the Magic City."

The plot of I Still Dream... reminded me of A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman since Ove had also lost the will to live and surprising new acquaintances interfered with his plans.

A little romance, some mystery and a good dose of Southern humor enhanced the story. I give it a 4 rating.

The Frozen Girl of Spirit Lake by Meg Lelvis

 

"There above in that cloudless sky, eagles fly..., like the people's spirit and strength...There, in my dream, I am one with my ancestors, The only sound is the wind that moves fluttering feathers."

          -Roland's recitation of an Ojibwe poem

The Frozen Girl of Spirit Lake reminded me so much of the work of William Kent Krueger, one of my favorite authors. The setting is Minnesota, a main character is Native American and there is a suspicious death, all very common in Krueger's novels, particularly his Cork O'Connor series. This added to my enjoyment of Frozen Girl..

Primary storyteller Nancy Borg is a student at Eklund State Teacher's College. She and her friends, Judy and Peggy, become emotionally involved in the mysterious death of a classmate, Barbara Gruen who, as the title indicates, is found frozen to death. A worker at the college, Roland Nightbird, is an Ojibwe native who will predictably be accused of foul play. I say predictable because the book overview says as much, and more than one character shows racist tendencies. However, Nancy who is acquainted with Roland believes he is innocent.

When she is helping Barbara's family clear out her dorm room, Nancy finds Barbara's diary and keeps it to herself. Will she read it? If she does, will she learn anything important?

I liked the short chapters and the author's alternating points of view with Nancy's parts in first person and those of Roland and Loreen, Judy's self-centered, prejudiced mother told in third. These aspects made the novel a page-turner and I rate it a 4. 

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

"The plaque states other facts: my size, preferred diet, and where I might live were I not a prisoner here. It mentions my intellectual prowess and penchant for cleverness, which for some reason seems a surprise to humans: Octopuses are remarkably bright creatures, it says."              -Marcellus, from the novel

Have you ever read a story narrated partly by an octopus? Marcellus is a giant Pacific octopus and a remarkably bright creature for sure!

When a friend recommended this novel and said it involved a relationship between an octopus and an older woman who does after-hours cleaning at an aquarium, it sounded pretty unbelievable. It took a while to get it from the library but I'm so glad I gave it a shot.

Still grieving the loss of her husband and son, seventy-year-old Tova Sullivan keeps busy with her housekeeping job at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. She is particularly drawn to the octopus named Marcellus and realizes that he is a Houdini when it comes to getting out of his tank after closing time and then back in. She knows he is smart, but it takes a while for her to know just how smart and perceptive.

When a young man named Cameron, down on his luck, comes to town and takes Tova's job while she recovers from an accident, the two find a mutual respect and affection. Cameron who had been abandoned by his mother as a child had never known his father. When he finds a ring and photo among some keepsakes, he thinks he's identified his father and sets out to find him. What he discovers is not what he expects but leads into a nice ending. (No spoiler here!) It is fascinating how Marcellus aids in Cameron's revelation.

This is the debut novel for this author. Someone described it as a charming story and I totally agree. A page-turner, too! Five is my rating. I hope Ms. Van Pelt keeps up the good work.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

 "...when the kids moved into the mansion with Jasper and Madison and Timothy, no one would ever think that they were really a part of that immaculate family. They would always, kind of, belong to me. I had never wanted kids, because I had never wanted a man to give me a kid. The thought of it, gross; the expectation of it. But if a hole in the sky opened up and two weird children fell to Earth, smashing into the ground like meteorites, then that was something I could care for. If it gleamed like it was radiating danger, I'd hold it. I would."

            -Lillian's thoughts, from the novel

One of our Page Turners recommended this book for our group to read and discuss. I must say it is challenging to "suspend one's disbelief" in this piece of fiction!

Lillian is surprised when her estranged friend, Madison, from boarding school days contacts her about a job opportunity. Madison is married to a wealthy, ambitious politician, Jasper, whose reputation must be protected. The mother of Jasper's children has died, and he must take on the care of his twins who, by the way, spontaneously combust when they are agitated. Did you get that? They catch fire when they're upset! 

Lillian is not in a good place in her life, so she says yes to being caretaker/nanny for the twins, Bessie and Roland, about 10 years old. Turns out, the three would have to live in a house separate from the mansion and everything regarding the children's "disability" must be kept hush-hush. Although Lillian wonders what on earth she has gotten herself into at first, she starts to have protective and affectionate feelings for the kids. They probably end up teaching her as much about life as she teaches them. 

I must tell you I was curious enough to Google "Can people spontaneously combust?" It seems to be pretty controversial but mostly thought a myth. I surely had never heard of it. I will rate the book a 3. Though it was far-fetched, it had some humorous touches and was overall light reading. Wonder what the Page Turners will think when we discuss it in April? More then....

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Fifteen Page Turners attended the meeting and had mixed reviews for Nothing to See Here--ratings from 5 to 1! An average of 3.5. The discussion was worthy of a 5 as we discussed relationships, complicated families and character changes. Several attendees enjoyed the humor in the novel, and two who listened to the audio version liked the book all the more for the talent of the narrator. 

 

WRITTEN ON 6/15/2011

"A few miles north of Homestead, Jared thought he recognized the spot beside the highway where they had stopped to let the radiator cool on the day they arrived in Homestead. He remembered the lunch of sausage and crackers and hot Coke, and the conversations about the fruit stand and the ocean and fishing and bathing suits and things to come. He knew now that all those dreams they had talked about were only dreams, and they had been washed away like a sandcastle in a mountain stream."

                                  -from the novel

This novel was very much a page turner, mostly because of the emotional intensity. I am giving it a 5 but not really because I enjoyed it. If you read it, you will know exactly why I say that!

To begin the novel Jared Teeter and family must sell their failing farm in West Virginia and they plan to try their luck in Florida. By a terrible twist of fate, they end up near Homestead, Florida, picking tomatoes and living in a labor camp called Angel City, a misnomer if ever there was one! Though wife Cloma is very pregnant and cannot work, Jared, daughter Kristy and son Benny put in brutal hours in the fields. The boss is Silas Creedy, a character reminiscent of Simon Legree. Jared tries to stand up for himself and his family only to be defeated at every turn, often violently. He cannot seem to find any way out of the situation; they are prisoners by another name.

I felt such sympathy for the characters---Jared, with his self-proclaimed mountain-man integrity, and his sweet family, and also Cy, a black man and fellow worker who shows himself to be a wonderful and faithful friend.

The book reminded me of a mission trip I took with our church youth group several years ago. Part of our time was in Immokalee, Florida, cleaning a building that would become a community center and learning about the plight of the migrant workers who lived there. They were tomato pickers working so very hard for so little. Their lives were likely better than the workers in Angel City but far from comfortable. Perhaps the memory of that made the theme of this novel even more personal.

I understand the author lived as a migrant for a time to get a true picture of life in such a camp. Later "Angel City," a CBS Movie of the Week starring Ralph Waite, further publicized the evils of such labor camps and forced some positive changes in laws and policies. What a blessing for an author to feel his writing has made a positive difference in people's lives!

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WRITTEN IN MARCH

This is our March Page Turners selection. I reread it and the story was no easier to stomach than it was the first time. It will be interesting to see the reactions of our group.

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Unfortunately, I could not attend the meeting when Angel City came up for discussion. One of our dedicated members took notes and recorded ratings. The group average rating was 3.5 with a few 2's due mostly to the disturbing emotional intensity of the story. I am told our people appreciated Smith's writing, especially his ability to portray Jared's feelings. Discussion of the book led to talk of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in Florida and their fight for fair wages and safe working conditions---a very real situation and an ongoing crusade.