"I was being brought into the fold of the Alibi Club and I knew without question I would find Irina Markova's killer among them. It was like being brought into a den of lions. Luckily for me I was an adrenalin junkie. I wouldn't miss it."
-Elena Estes, from the novel
I have read a few mysteries by Tami Hoag but not for a while. I must admit I didn't technically read this one. I listened to it on CDs in my car so I can't say it was a page-turner but it could have been! In some ways it was even more intense because of the talented reader, Beth McDonald, especially at the climax of the plot. I was quite impressed with her ability to do Spanish, Russian, and other accents and distinctive voices for the characters. I'm rating this one a 5 for sheer enjoyment.
The setting of the story is Wellington, Florida, aka Palm Beach. Main character Elena Estes is a former cop who discovers the body of a murdered acquaintance in the first chapter. She is determined to find the killer among the Alibi Club, a group of wealthy, privileged men including her former fiancé, a charismatic Spanish polo star, and others. In the course of her sleuthing, she trades insults and information with another ex-lover, Detective James Landry, who has official charge of the case. Throw in a Russian mob boss, the lover of victim Irina raging for vengeance, an unethical parking valet and a naïve polo pony groom and you have the makings of a thrilling plot.
I really enjoyed Elena's narration of her parts of the story. She is smart and independent with a very dry wit, irreverent at times, and eliciting laughs. In the novel she is described as sassy. In fact Elena admits she is "overflowing with sass." I am wondering what other Hoag mysteries feature her. I'll be looking for one soon!
Friday, August 21, 2015
South Moon Under by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
" But if the road had been hard, it was also pleasant. If a living was uncertain, and the sustaining of breath precarious, why existence took on an added value and a greater sweetness. The tissues of life were food and danger. These were the warp and woof, and all else was an incidental pattern, picked out with vari-coloured wools. Love and lust, hate and friendship, grief and frolicking, even birthing and dying, were thin grey and scarlet threads across the sun-browned, thick and sturdy stuff that was life itself."
-from the novel
Had I not recently become a Marjorie Rawlings fan in preparation for teaching a class about her and her work and in my reading of The Yearling, I probably would not have chosen to read this book at all. As it turns out, I am glad I did because it reminded me of many things I had learned about this author. First, Rawlings, a relative newcomer to Florida in the early 1930's, had stayed for some months with Piety and Leonard Fiddia in the Big Scrub, what is now part of the Ocala National Forest, researching this book. She modeled her main character Lant and his mother, Piety Jacklin, after the two of them. Just as Leonard and his kinfolk made a living off the land any way they could---hunting, fishing, trapping, timbering, moonshining---both by legal and illegal means, so does Lant in South Moon Under. Second, much of this novel reminded me of The Yearling, written a few years later. For example, a wife filled with bitterness much as Ora Baxter; a hunt for a stock-killing wildcat using dogs, reminiscent of Penny and Jody's hunt for Slewfoot the bear; beautiful descriptions of travel on the river and, of course, the Cracker dialect and culture was similar. Also South Moon Under was a Book of the Month selection and a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, which the author would win with her third novel, The Yearling. A significant difference was the passage of time, several years in this novel, while The Yearling spans only one year.
I was curious about the title. Apparently, these early Florida folk predicted much animal behavior by the movement of the moon, as in Lant's thoughts: "The deer and the rabbits, the fish and the owls, stirred at moon-rise and at moon-down; at south-moon over and at south-moon-under. The moon swung around the earth, or the earth swung around the moon, he was not sure. The moon rose in the east and that was moon-rise. Six hours later it hung at its zenith between east and west, and that was south-moon-over. It set in the west and that was moon-down. Then it passed from sight and swung under the earth, between west and east. And when it was directly under the earth, that was south-moon-under."
I am rating South Moon Under a 4. Hints of romance and some vigilante justice keep the theme of survival from becoming too tedious. Some readers may find too much description in this novel but it does give an accurate picture of life in Florida in the early 20th century before it became a tourist mecca. And one cannot help but admire these people who were bound and determined to eke out a living under extreme circumstances. Just think---August in Florida with no air conditioning!
-from the novel
Had I not recently become a Marjorie Rawlings fan in preparation for teaching a class about her and her work and in my reading of The Yearling, I probably would not have chosen to read this book at all. As it turns out, I am glad I did because it reminded me of many things I had learned about this author. First, Rawlings, a relative newcomer to Florida in the early 1930's, had stayed for some months with Piety and Leonard Fiddia in the Big Scrub, what is now part of the Ocala National Forest, researching this book. She modeled her main character Lant and his mother, Piety Jacklin, after the two of them. Just as Leonard and his kinfolk made a living off the land any way they could---hunting, fishing, trapping, timbering, moonshining---both by legal and illegal means, so does Lant in South Moon Under. Second, much of this novel reminded me of The Yearling, written a few years later. For example, a wife filled with bitterness much as Ora Baxter; a hunt for a stock-killing wildcat using dogs, reminiscent of Penny and Jody's hunt for Slewfoot the bear; beautiful descriptions of travel on the river and, of course, the Cracker dialect and culture was similar. Also South Moon Under was a Book of the Month selection and a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, which the author would win with her third novel, The Yearling. A significant difference was the passage of time, several years in this novel, while The Yearling spans only one year.
I was curious about the title. Apparently, these early Florida folk predicted much animal behavior by the movement of the moon, as in Lant's thoughts: "The deer and the rabbits, the fish and the owls, stirred at moon-rise and at moon-down; at south-moon over and at south-moon-under. The moon swung around the earth, or the earth swung around the moon, he was not sure. The moon rose in the east and that was moon-rise. Six hours later it hung at its zenith between east and west, and that was south-moon-over. It set in the west and that was moon-down. Then it passed from sight and swung under the earth, between west and east. And when it was directly under the earth, that was south-moon-under."
I am rating South Moon Under a 4. Hints of romance and some vigilante justice keep the theme of survival from becoming too tedious. Some readers may find too much description in this novel but it does give an accurate picture of life in Florida in the early 20th century before it became a tourist mecca. And one cannot help but admire these people who were bound and determined to eke out a living under extreme circumstances. Just think---August in Florida with no air conditioning!
Friday, August 14, 2015
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
"For thus hath the Lord said unto me,
Go set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth."
-Isaiah 21:6
If asked the titles of my favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird would be among the first. Perhaps that very high esteem set me up for disappointment in this novel by the same author. I have to agree with The New Yorker critic who wrote that ...Watchman would make barely any sense if the reader didn't already know ...Mockingbird. The magazine review went on to describe Go Set a Watchman as a failure as a novel and further that if ...Mockingbird did not exist, it would never have been published now, as it was not when it was written in the mid-1950's. Amen. Some might say to cut the author some slack; it was her first novel. I would reply that I have read other first novels that were excellent. One could even ask why this one was published and hyped to the max.
When 26-year-old Jean Louise Finch, known as "Scout," returns to visit her hometown of Maycomb, Alabama, she finds many changes that make her uncomfortable, including reactions of the community to the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement and the influence of the NAACP. When Jean Louise sneaks into a Citizen's Council meeting where father Atticus and boyfriend Henry are participants, her world is rocked to its foundation! This part reminded me of Scout sneaking into court in ...Mockingbird. Though the plot of the book was weak, some flashbacks were amusing like when Scout as a child, along with her brother, Jem, and friend, Dill, decide to have a mock revival that involves a baptism. When Jean Louise remembers a high school dance and what happened to her first "falsies," I had to laugh.
I waxed nostalgic at times, as I lived in North Alabama in the early 60's. I remembered Jitney Jungle supermarket and heard my mother use the expression "blue murder." I had never heard of "missionary vanilla" aka whiskey---cute.
I found it difficult to understand how Jean Louise's emotions could turn so dramatically. Perhaps her hard-headedness was a result of her young age and egocentricity. It was difficult for me to identify with her holier-than-thou attitude.
As a fan of To Kill a Mockingbird I felt I had to read this book so I am glad I did but I can rate it no higher than 3. It just had none of the beauty and innocence of Harper Lee's classic. I had thought I might choose this novel for our Page Turners but I have changed my mind.
Go set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth."
-Isaiah 21:6
If asked the titles of my favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird would be among the first. Perhaps that very high esteem set me up for disappointment in this novel by the same author. I have to agree with The New Yorker critic who wrote that ...Watchman would make barely any sense if the reader didn't already know ...Mockingbird. The magazine review went on to describe Go Set a Watchman as a failure as a novel and further that if ...Mockingbird did not exist, it would never have been published now, as it was not when it was written in the mid-1950's. Amen. Some might say to cut the author some slack; it was her first novel. I would reply that I have read other first novels that were excellent. One could even ask why this one was published and hyped to the max.
When 26-year-old Jean Louise Finch, known as "Scout," returns to visit her hometown of Maycomb, Alabama, she finds many changes that make her uncomfortable, including reactions of the community to the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement and the influence of the NAACP. When Jean Louise sneaks into a Citizen's Council meeting where father Atticus and boyfriend Henry are participants, her world is rocked to its foundation! This part reminded me of Scout sneaking into court in ...Mockingbird. Though the plot of the book was weak, some flashbacks were amusing like when Scout as a child, along with her brother, Jem, and friend, Dill, decide to have a mock revival that involves a baptism. When Jean Louise remembers a high school dance and what happened to her first "falsies," I had to laugh.
I waxed nostalgic at times, as I lived in North Alabama in the early 60's. I remembered Jitney Jungle supermarket and heard my mother use the expression "blue murder." I had never heard of "missionary vanilla" aka whiskey---cute.
I found it difficult to understand how Jean Louise's emotions could turn so dramatically. Perhaps her hard-headedness was a result of her young age and egocentricity. It was difficult for me to identify with her holier-than-thou attitude.
As a fan of To Kill a Mockingbird I felt I had to read this book so I am glad I did but I can rate it no higher than 3. It just had none of the beauty and innocence of Harper Lee's classic. I had thought I might choose this novel for our Page Turners but I have changed my mind.
The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
"...and he was no hero. He was just a man who'd loved. A man who'd felt treasured by a beautiful girl that he'd become more than he'd known he could be. A man who'd, yes, gotten loads of acceptance and respect from friends and employers, but---Tell yourself the truth---had never felt that treasured again."
-Homan's thoughts from the novel
The Story of Beautiful Girl is a beautiful story although a grim reminder of the treatment of many disabled people in the past. It begins in1968 with the escape of Beautiful Girl, Lynnie, and Number 42, Homan, from the "Snare," their nickname for the Pennsylvania School for the Incurable and Feeble-minded. The two seek sanctuary with a lonely widow named Martha, whose life is changed forever by their brief stay and the infant they are forced to leave behind in her care. Thus begins a 40-year saga, told alternatingly from their different points of view. This technique made for a real page-turner as the reader was left "hanging" by one character while catching up with the next. As the stories progress, the reader learns the background of Lynnie and Homan and how they came to be at the Snare. Very touching!
Many characters enter the story at various turns, some kind and helpful and some devious or downright evil. A number of the better sort are former students of Martha, who is a retired 5th grade teacher like me. I was touched by her relationship with these students. She had apparently corresponded with them often through the years, and even held regular reunions. I rather envied this bond of hers, something I have experienced rarely and to a minimal degree. Perhaps, it would be more common in a small town like the fictional Well's Bottom.
I was intrigued by the Author's Note and Acknowledgements as she shared how the idea for the novel was conceived and described a real person on whom she based the character of Homan. Ms. Simon is also the author of Riding the Bus with My Sister, a memoir adapted for a TV movie. I know I either read it or saw the movie but can't remember which. I will look for the book one of these days.
I couldn't help but think about the problems today with lack of affordable facilities for the mentally ill. Apparently, we have come a long way since 1968 but still have far to go.
I will rate ...Beautiful Girl a 4. Our book club meets to discuss the book later this month and it will be interesting to see if others agree and to hear everyone's thoughts. I will return to share....
--------------------------
Page Turners met today to discuss The Story of Beautiful Girl. Fifteen attended, more than we have had in the last few months. We used an amazing set of questions from the publisher to direct us (find them at LitLovers.com). There were 20 good questions and we certainly did not cover them all. Our group rating was 3.9, all votes between 5 and 3. I actually went back to my original mark of 5 and changed it to 4 as I realized I liked the book but didn't LOVE it.
Some group members were surprised at just how deplorable the conditions were in the institution mentioned in the story---called "the Snare" by the residents. We wondered aloud if that was the rule back in the late '60s or one of the exceptions. A number of folks spoke of past experiences involving disabled, particularly mentally challenged, people. Some had known them through church or childhood neighbors or friends. It seemed that those who were kept by families were better off by far than Lynnie and Homan in the novel. We agreed that years ago it was much more likely for "abnormal" children to be institutionalized.
Several of our members thought there were parts of the book that seemed contrived, especially the parts that involved Sam, and the ending which I won't go into---I don't want to be a spoiler! Most of us thought Martha was a hero for taking in an infant at her advanced age but that she probably had no idea what she was getting into! I believe we all agreed that the Author's Note and Acknowledgements at the end added a great deal to our understanding of the author's purpose and inspiration. Many expressed an interest in reading Riding the Bus with My Sister by this author. The Story of Beautiful Girl is a worthwhile read at the very least!
-Homan's thoughts from the novel
The Story of Beautiful Girl is a beautiful story although a grim reminder of the treatment of many disabled people in the past. It begins in1968 with the escape of Beautiful Girl, Lynnie, and Number 42, Homan, from the "Snare," their nickname for the Pennsylvania School for the Incurable and Feeble-minded. The two seek sanctuary with a lonely widow named Martha, whose life is changed forever by their brief stay and the infant they are forced to leave behind in her care. Thus begins a 40-year saga, told alternatingly from their different points of view. This technique made for a real page-turner as the reader was left "hanging" by one character while catching up with the next. As the stories progress, the reader learns the background of Lynnie and Homan and how they came to be at the Snare. Very touching!
Many characters enter the story at various turns, some kind and helpful and some devious or downright evil. A number of the better sort are former students of Martha, who is a retired 5th grade teacher like me. I was touched by her relationship with these students. She had apparently corresponded with them often through the years, and even held regular reunions. I rather envied this bond of hers, something I have experienced rarely and to a minimal degree. Perhaps, it would be more common in a small town like the fictional Well's Bottom.
I was intrigued by the Author's Note and Acknowledgements as she shared how the idea for the novel was conceived and described a real person on whom she based the character of Homan. Ms. Simon is also the author of Riding the Bus with My Sister, a memoir adapted for a TV movie. I know I either read it or saw the movie but can't remember which. I will look for the book one of these days.
I couldn't help but think about the problems today with lack of affordable facilities for the mentally ill. Apparently, we have come a long way since 1968 but still have far to go.
I will rate ...Beautiful Girl a 4. Our book club meets to discuss the book later this month and it will be interesting to see if others agree and to hear everyone's thoughts. I will return to share....
--------------------------
Page Turners met today to discuss The Story of Beautiful Girl. Fifteen attended, more than we have had in the last few months. We used an amazing set of questions from the publisher to direct us (find them at LitLovers.com). There were 20 good questions and we certainly did not cover them all. Our group rating was 3.9, all votes between 5 and 3. I actually went back to my original mark of 5 and changed it to 4 as I realized I liked the book but didn't LOVE it.
Some group members were surprised at just how deplorable the conditions were in the institution mentioned in the story---called "the Snare" by the residents. We wondered aloud if that was the rule back in the late '60s or one of the exceptions. A number of folks spoke of past experiences involving disabled, particularly mentally challenged, people. Some had known them through church or childhood neighbors or friends. It seemed that those who were kept by families were better off by far than Lynnie and Homan in the novel. We agreed that years ago it was much more likely for "abnormal" children to be institutionalized.
Several of our members thought there were parts of the book that seemed contrived, especially the parts that involved Sam, and the ending which I won't go into---I don't want to be a spoiler! Most of us thought Martha was a hero for taking in an infant at her advanced age but that she probably had no idea what she was getting into! I believe we all agreed that the Author's Note and Acknowledgements at the end added a great deal to our understanding of the author's purpose and inspiration. Many expressed an interest in reading Riding the Bus with My Sister by this author. The Story of Beautiful Girl is a worthwhile read at the very least!
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