Tamarack County by William Kent Krueger

 

"Anger blinds, Corcoran O'Connor. To hunt, if that is what is in your heart, you will need a clear eye. For that you will need a clear mind. The animal you hunt does not act out of anger. It acts in the way it does because that is its nature.... Your nature is different."

        -Henry Meloux's sage advice

Wow! I practically inhaled this one. Hard to put down! Definitely a 5 rating.

Tamarack County is Number 13 in the Cork O'Connor series and I have enjoyed them all on my Kindle. The next one is Windigo Island which I have in hard copy purchased at a used bookstore months ago and awaiting its turn. 

This one was timely, set at Christmas time in Tamarack County, and I was reading it a few days before that holiday. It involved a missing elderly woman, a brutally murdered pet dog, an innocent man falsely imprisoned, someone set on vigilante justice and a grave danger to Cork's family.

The novel held a gripping plot, characters I've become very fond of and even a bit of romantic intrigue. I look forward to #14!

Dinners with Ruth by Nina Totenberg

 

"A Jewish teaching says those who die just before the Jewish new year are the ones God has held back until the last moment because they were needed most and were the most righteous. And so it was that #RBG died as the sun was setting last night marking the beginning of Rosh Hashanah."

           -Nina Totenberg, after the death of her dear friend, Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Not having been an NPR listener, I hadn't heard of Nina Totenberg. This book, subtitled A Memoir on the Power of Friendships, highlights her friendship with Ruth Bader Ginsberg and others in high places. I selected the book because of my great admiration for the "notorious RBG" as Justice Ginsberg came to be affectionately called.

Nina and Ruth shared a near 50-year friendship, helping each other through some extremely difficult times in their lives, including the deaths of each of their husbands and Ruth's own monumental battles with cancer.

I learned so much about RBG's early career and her efforts to break the glass ceiling. I was so impressed with her devoted husband Marty who in many ways was the "wind beneath her wings." It was so interesting to know about other Supreme Court Justices who had only been names in the news, like Justice Scalia---highly respected but seemingly the life of any party, as well.

Totenberg also writes of her friendship with Cokie Roberts, a coworker at NPR. Hers was a name I was familiar with having read her nonfiction Founding Mothers a few years ago.

I am glad I read Dinners with Ruth; it was both educational and entertaining. My rating is 4.

A Castle in Brooklyn: A Novel by Shirley Russak Wachtel

 

"All in all, it was a sweet little home that was always, it seemed, filled with laughter and warmth and light. Not a big ostentatious home with ornate crystal bowls and fancy engravings, and, in fact, not really very big at all. But for Jacob, it was everything----a castle."

            -Jacob's vision, from the Prologue

This Amazon First Reads selection was a disappointment. I normally enjoy historical fiction and I thought this one was centered around the Holocaust. I almost always find such survival stories compelling and inspiring. Although a part of the background of this novel is 1944 Poland, very little involves that setting; it is used more in a few flashbacks. Main character Jacob, a Jew, escapes the Nazis as a young man and helps a fellow refugee, Zalman, to make it out, as well. The two become very close friends, almost like brothers. They end up in Brooklyn where Jacob enlists Zalman's design expertise to build his "castle." (See quote.)

Jacob marries Esther who, even in the face of tragedy, is a rock.

I have rated A Castle in Brooklyn a 3 but was thinking more like a 2+ or 3-. The story was a lot of talk and not much action and the last part left me wondering if the author just needed extra pages to satisfy the publisher. After Jacob's death, Esther moves to Florida (I don't remember why) and leaves her friend and neighbor Florrie to handle the rental of Jacob's "castle." Two rentals work out poorly and the final potential tenant is connected to Zalman. The ending was interesting but the other two rentals seemed pointless.

This one I would not recommend.

The Boy in the Photo by Nicole Trope

 

"She realizes that such a physically close relationship must fade as a child grows, but she has missed the slow raising of boundaries that she is sure happens in every family. Instead she has lost an affectionate little boy and found a skittish, rigid adolescent in his place."

            -Megan's thoughts, from the novel

This novel was an Amazon First Reads selection and it was a good one. One description added as a subtitle in a couple of places was "An absolutely gripping and emotional page turner." And indeed, it was all of that!

Single mother, Megan, is still grieving the loss of her young son who was kidnapped by her ex-husband Greg 6 years previous. The two have seemingly fallen off the face of the earth. Just when she is close to giving up hope, son Daniel, now 12 years old is found. He is almost unrecognizable to Megan, as the quote above might reveal. Daniel has obviously had his mind poisoned against his mother by Greg. The difficulty of this situation can hardly be overstated. It makes me wonder how many families have been torn apart by such a situation in real life.

The novel goes from the kidnapping to present day in which Megan has finally remarried--- Michael, a detective working on Daniel's case, and they have a baby girl, Evie. Interspersed there are narratives telling Daniel's story. There are many BIG surprises along the way.

I have never read this author's work until now, but I would definitely read more. I found the plot of The Boy in the Photo compelling and quite intense. I am rating it a 4+. 

Trickster's Point by William Kent Krueger

 

"All life is one weaving, one design by the hand of the Creator, the Great Mystery. All life is connected, thread by thread. When one thread is cut, the others weaken."

                -Henry Meloux, from the novel

Trickster's Point is book #12 in this series. I have enjoyed them all and intend to read on to the end. I count Krueger as one of my very favorite authors.

In this installment, Cork O'Connor is suspected of killing his old friend and gubernatorial candidate, Jubal Little. When Cork comes upon another dead body, some law enforcement folks are ready to accuse him of a second murder.

As a former sheriff and private investigator, Cork must find the real killer(s) in order to exonerate himself. He has a short list of suspects which he must rule out one by one. As the plot thickens, taking different twists and turns, Cork is in some danger and must protect himself and his family.

I am glad Cork has a new love, Rainy, the niece of Henry Meloux, one of my favorite non-O'Connor family characters. Henry is the old and very wise "medicine man" quoted in most of my Cork blog posts. I was amused that the Native American casinos are sometimes called "the new buffalo." Being a Fleetwood Mac fan, I liked the references to the hit song "Rhiannon." Also, I enjoyed Krueger's flashbacks describing some events of Cork's youth. All in all, I loved Trickster's Point. Rating: 5!

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

 

"Not just Horse...The horse. What you have here is the greatest racing stallion in American turf history."

-Dr. Catherine Morgan, from the novel

I had seen this novel on the NYT Bestseller List for some time and I have enjoyed others by this author, so I waited to get it from the library. With its 416 pages, it was a satisfying read compared to the last two I struggled through with over 600 pages each! Also, it took me back to my youth when I read every horse story I could get my hands on. 

In Horse, the author weaves a mixture of fact and fiction, past and present. In 2019 Theo is a graduate student in art history who finds a painting of a horse discarded by a neighbor which he takes to the Smithsonian to be refurbished and evaluated. He meets Jess, a scientist at the Smithsonian and they connect over a common interest in the horse featured in the painting. They learn the horse is called Lexington and the quote above tells you much of what you need to know.

In 1850 Jarret is an enslaved horse groom in Kentucky who forms a special bond with the colt who will become the illustrious Lexington. Jarret connects with Thomas J. Scott, an itinerant equestrian painter commissioned to do a portrait of the horse.

I learned much I did not know about the history of thoroughbred racing in America, the impact of the Civil War on African American jockeys and American equestrian art. The author's note is quite intriguing as she discusses how she came to write the book and what is fact and fiction in the story. I found the writing first-rate, the plot compelling and most characters likeable. I am giving Horse a rating of 3; I liked it, didn't love it.

Page Turners Book Rankings for 2022

 

Page Turners 

Book Rankings of 2022

January         The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett                                                      4.3

July               Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman                    4.3

August          Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe                                             4.2

February       The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee                                     4.1

June              The Good Earth by Pearl Buck                                                             4.0

October         This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger                                        4.0

May               The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis                                3.9

April              Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang                                                3.8

March            Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz                                               3.4

September      State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny                          3.4

November      Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr                                               2.8

 

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

 

"Repository....you know this word? A resting place. A text---a book---is a resting place for the memories of people who have lived before. A way for the memory to stay fixed after the soul has traveled on."

       -Licinius to Anna, from the novel

If I were not going to be the leader of the discussion of this book, I likely would not have finished it. In fact, I probably wouldn't have lasted through the first several sections. It is amazing to me that it has a 4.3/5 rating on Good Reads and close to the same on Amazon and was on the NYT Bestseller List for 20 weeks. 

First of all, I had just labored through a 600+ page novel only to find this one was about the same length. I really prefer 450 or under. I couldn't even tell you what genre it is---it's like a mashup of mythology, sci-fi, historical fiction and fantasy. (At least two of those are my least favorites.) I stayed pretty confused through the first half, at least. Finally, I got to know the main characters, but it was the final 100 pages or so where I saw how the settings and characters intertwined and I liked it a bit better.

This novel starts with Konstance aboard the interstellar ship Argos in the future. Then alternating through the book, the reader learns separately of Omeir and Anna in 15th century Constantinople and Zeno and Seymour at a library in present day Idaho. Interspersed one finds excerpts of the almost indecipherable text of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Antonios Diogenes of ancient Greece. Maybe my favorite parts were the ones in libraries and having to do with the importance of books. I loved the sign on the Lakeport Public Library: "'OWL' YOU NEED ARE BOOKS!" (The book drop box is painted to resemble an owl.)

Good Reads calls Cloud Cuckoo Land "historically speculative and wildly inventive." I just think it's rather cuckoo! I really liked All the Light We Cannot See by Doerr so I haven't given up on him, but my rating for this novel is 2.

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The Page Turners met this week to discuss this book. Thirteen were in attendance. There were 5 ratings of 1 or 2, a rare occurrence. A few members DID like the book and the average was 2.8, lowest of the year. We could agree that the author is adept with words but many of us were confused with the multiple settings, both time and place. And some of us found the characters hard to like. One person said she read it twice and would likely read it again. A couple of members had NOT read the book and, after listening to the discussion. admitted they would NOT be reading it!

The Winners by Fredrik Backman

 "We hate Hed and Hed hates us. If we win every other hockey game throughout the season but lose just one game against, it feels like a failed season. It isn't enough for things to go well for us, things also need to go to hell for them, only then can we be properly happy."      -from the novel, a Beartown Bears fan

The quote above reminded me of football rivalries in the US such as Alabama-Auburn and Florida-FSU! You are qualified as a fan if you HATE the other team and always root for their opponent. (That coming from an Auburn fan who knows!)

I have really liked the few Backman novels I have read but not this one. I will rate it a 3 only because the writing is excellent---often humorous, sometimes profound. This one just had too much writing---over 600 pages---and the topic was hockey, a sport I know next to nothing about. I finished it only because I read far enough to want to know what happened to the characters. And there are many characters---some violent and some victims of violence, adding to the suspense. Backman is generous with his foreshadowing, as well.

I recommend this one to hockey fans! 

Excuse Me While I Disappear: Tales of Midlife Mayhem by Laurie Notaro

 

"I'm still alive! I've seen more than half a century of events. I've seen so much stuff that I had to purge 90 percent of my childhood memories from my brain in order to make room for passwords and PINs."

       -from the memoir

This book was laugh-out-loud hilarious! It may not have a great literary value, but I give it a 5 rating for pure entertainment! So much of what the author experiences in her 50's is familiar to me, one who is a couple of decades past that age but can still remember menopause, weight gains and diets, first colonoscopy, mammograms, insomnia and many other indignities of middle age. 

After several mysteries, historical fictions and other dramatic pieces, Excuse Me... was a breath of fresh air. I may have to look for another by this author.

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

From August 11, 2021

"Everything's hard work, Buck. You don't wrap your thinking around that, life'll kill you for sure. Me, I love this land, the work. Never was a churchgoer. God all penned up under a roof? I don't think so. Ask me, God's right here. In the dirt, the rain, the sky, the trees, the apples, the stars in the cottonwoods. In you and me, too. It's all connected and it's all God. Sure this is hard work, but it's good work because it's a part of what connects us to this land, Buck. This beautiful, tender land."

               -One-eyed Jack aka pig-scarer, from the novel

It seems I may have a new favorite author! This is only the second novel I have read from this author (Ordinary Grace) and I've loved them both! Apparently, he has written many novels; I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to discover him. I may start working my way through the list!

Odie O'Banion is a storyteller, and we find this out in the Prologue. At last, the Epilogue tells us he is in his 80's as he recalls events starting when he was only 8 years old. The first setting of the novel is the Lincoln Indian Training School in Fremont County, Minnesota, 1932. Orphans Odie and his older brother Albert are residents of the school, almost all of whom are Native Americans. The school is run by Thelma and Clyde Brickman, aided by their evil henchman DiMarco. Think Mrs. Hannigan, from "Annie," on steroids---that would be Thelma Brickman! The children called her the "Black Witch." I was appalled at the cruelty meted out as punishment and especially angered to read that the philosophy of Indian schools at the time was "Kill the Indian, Save the Man," meaning do not allow any of their native cultures to be shown---clothing, language, names, etc. I have recently sent a donation to an institution called St. Joseph's Indian School. This makes me reluctant to lend any more support to such a place.

Eventually, after a frightening event, the two boys decide to run away, along with their best friend, Mose, and a sad little girl who has recently lost her mother. They take a canoe and start out on the Gilead River, hoping to make it to the Mississippi and St. Louis, where Odie and Albert have an Aunt Julia. Perhaps she will offer them a stable home.

Odie narrates as the four, calling themselves The Vagabonds, undertake an adventure-filled, often perilous journey, being stalked relentlessly by the Brickmans. One might compare the story to Huckleberry Finn, The Odyssey (Odie's given name is actually Odysseus) or, at times, The Grapes of Wrath. On their journey, they meet fascinating characters---the quoted One-eyed Jack, an Indian called Forrest, a charismatic itinerant faith healer, farmers who have lost their land and are living in tent cities called Hoovervilles. Some are helpful and compassionate, others are abusive.

This Tender Land is absolutely a page-turner! An exciting plot, short chapters and frequent foreshadowing help to make it so. Plus, I found myself emotionally involved with the 4 kids, perhaps because of my teaching background. The writing is beautiful, often lyrical, sometimes profound. I found the novel captivating. My rating: 5+ Highly recommend!

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Updated October 27, 2022

This Tender Land was the October selection for Page Turners. We met lakeside which was appropriate since much of the story took place in the outdoors. Another draw was a delicious covered dish brunch. Fourteen members gathered plus 5 guest husbands. Who doesn't like a potluck meal, right?

The average rating for the book was 4.0 with no votes below 3 so the book was enjoyed to some extent by everyone. Some interesting comments came from former English teachers who labeled the book picareseque. Definition: relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero. That was a new literary term for me. I can mostly agree the definition fits the novel, but I didn't really see the protagonist Odie as rough and dishonest although he did steal a few things they really needed. I did see him as very appealing.

One former middle school teacher said she read the book as if she was a 12-year-old boy and thoroughly enjoyed it. Another male member said it made him recall events of his youth. Everyone agreed the writer is skilled and his descriptions are vivid.

Sparring Partners by John Grisham

 

"My point was that big words do not always convey big emotions, and a fancy vocabulary can get in the way of good writing."

     -Iris Vanderkamp, from "Strawberry Moon"

I waited several weeks for this eBook to be delivered to my Kindle from the library. I wish I could say it was worth the wait. I have read many of Grisham's novels over the years and loved them. This one---not so much. I am rating it a 3.

Apparently, this is Grisham's first collection of novellas---3 to be exact. "Homecoming" involves Jake Brigance, a small-town Mississippi attorney with whom Grisham fans are quite familiar. Instead of a court case, Jake is asked to help an old friend who has been in hiding for years under suspicious circumstances to return home.

"Strawberry Moon" has Cody Wallace on death row and facing execution within hours. The best part of this story is when he is visited by Iris Vanderkamp, an elderly lady and former high school English teacher, who has supplied Cody with numerous books during his years in prison. Iris was my favorite character of all 3 novellas because she had been a teacher and loved books---much like me. She seemed very kind and caring, as well.

The title story was "Sparring Partners" which refers to the Malloy brothers, partners in a law firm. Rusty and Kirk are like oil and water and avoid each other as much as possible. Diantha Bradshaw, the unofficial partner, is forced to keep the peace.

The senior Malloy, disbarred and in prison, still tries to control the firm and is hiding BIG money from a past settlement. When the brothers, along with Diantha and their accountant start to make plans that would keep the patriarch from getting the early release he desires and to put their hands on some of his millions, things get dicey. Diantha is forced to make an important decision.

I found all 3 story endings unsatisfying and most of the characters hard to like (except Iris and Jake Brigance who's been a favorite of mine since A Time to Kill). I am being generous with my rating of 3.

The Fire and the Ore by Olivia Hawker

 

"She had come to the end of a long, sorrowful trail and found herself in a land of order and simplicity, of growth, of joy. A place with a future, where love could flourish."

       -Tamar, upon arriving in Salt Lake Valley

This was a selection I made from Amazon First Reads. It was an historical fiction about the Mormon migration of the mid-19th century. The story is told from the perspective of Tamar Loader whose family travels from London, eventually to Utah and the place the Mormons call Zion. Alternating with Tamar's story is that of young Jane Shupe, whose family is bound for California. Both Jane and Tamar survive tragic struggles and losses before they meet in a very shocking way---as they are about to exchange marriage vows with the same man! When it turns out Thomas Ricks already has another wife, the reader knows there will surely be some conflict before these sister wives learn to coexist!

I learned a good bit about Mormon history---that the "Principle" or "Blessing of Jacob," that is the privilege of having multiple wives, was only offered to select men. And apparently President Buchanan found it such an outrage, he threatened an army to attack Brigham Young and his people. The culture of polygamy did not end until 1890.

In the Author's Note, it was revealed that Thomas and the 3 wives I mentioned were actual people and that much of the novel was based on records kept by Tamar's sister, Patience.

I rated this book a 3. I found it tedious and pretty depressing through the first half but after reading the Prologue where this surprise wedding takes place, I had to know how the novel would end!

State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

 

"Given a choice between bedlam and a dictatorship, what do you think the American people will choose? Driven by fear of another attack, in a state of terror, they'll do the terrorists' work for them."

                 -Bashir Shah, from the novel

September 7, 2022

I am not sure which of our Page Turners suggested this novel---it could have been me. I had read a thriller co-written by Bill Clinton and James Patterson some time ago, so I was curious about this one co-authored by Hillary. Also, I know several of our group are fans of Louise Penny.

Ellen Adams has been appointed Secretary of State by a political rival, newly elected President Douglas Williams. No one quite understands the selection, but it turns out to be a smart move on his part.

A series of bombs are detonated, killing many innocents plus a few nuclear scientists letting the Williams' administration know they have an international incident on their hands. An intricate conspiracy is revealed bit by bit, involving Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Russia but also domestic terrorists, even HLI---high level informants---in the U.S. government.

I rated this novel a 3. It was a page turner at times but confusing in parts. I had no idea when I put this on our reading list how politically partisan---to put it nicely---the book was going to be. I can only hope our discussion can be civil.

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October 6, 2022

Page Turners met to discuss this September book----finally! Changes due to a health issue and Hurricane Ian! The ratings ran the gamut---from a few 5's down to a 1. The average was 3.4. People who liked the book enjoyed the suspense and those who gave lower ratings found it confusing and hard to believe in parts. I would guess those of us who vote a certain way liked it better than others. We agreed that it is frightening to think that some events in the book are not far from reality.

Northwest Angle by Wiliam Kent Krueger

"I believe no one belongs to anyone else. You, me, Waaboozoons, we are all dust, borrowed for a little while from Grandmother Earth. And even that dust does not belong to her. She has borrowed it from all creation, which is the Great Mystery, which is Kitchimanidoo. And it you ask this old man, I would say that another way to think about Kitchimanidoo is as a great gift. Kitchimanidoo is not about keeping. Nothing belongs to anyone. All of creation is meant as giving."

               -Henry Meloux, Ojibwe Mide, from the novel

Eleven Cork O'Connor novels down and 8 to go! Northwest Angle was one of my favorites; I could hardly put it down. Definitely a 5.

I have mentioned before that I feel I know O'Connor and his family pretty well by now. Maybe that is part of what draws me into this series. That, and the fact that Krueger weaves a suspenseful story and has amazing powers of description. I am such a fan of all his writing!

In this novel, Cork has arranged a vacation in Lake of the Woods aboard a houseboat for the family---daughters Anne and Jenny, son Stephen, sister-in-law Rose and her husband, Mal. The danger and excitement begin right away with a unique storm called a derecho. ("A bow-shaped formation of towering black clouds that generate straight-line winds of hurricane force.") [Ironically, I began reading this book as Hurricane Ian was hitting my home state of Florida!]

Cork and Jenny had left the others and taken the dinghy out on a father-daughter side trip, meant to be short. As (bad) luck would have it the derecho hit causing great challenges for both groups. While Jenny and Cork are separated and searching for each other, she discovers a rustic, isolated cabin. As she explores, she finds a young native woman dead, obviously a victim of foul play. When she hears whimpering outside the cabin, Jenny discovers a baby hidden under some branches and realizes she is the child's savior.

After Cork finds Jenny, they both have to worry about escaping the possible return of the murderer. Later while Jenny is seriously bonding with the baby, later called Waaboozoons, Cork will work with locals to try to find the killer of the young woman, Lily Littledog, and unravel nefarious activities by a religious cult in the area.

A few novels into this series, I found Henry Meloux, one we might call a medicine man, and an old friend of Cork's, to be one of my favorite characters. I especially appreciated his words of wisdom and decided I would start each blog post with a quote from Henry. Although Henry is in his 90's and not in great health, I surely hope he lives on!

In a few weeks, I will order Trickster's Point, #12. I'd love to ask the author when/how he decided each novel would have a 2-word title.

A Harvest of Secrets: A Novel by Roland Merullo

 

"This life is a dream, my son. For each of us. But, within that dream, we still must act in a way that pleases the Lord, so that, when we awaken beyond the river of death, we shall be rewarded with the peace of His presence. Let the light of goodness guide you in everything you do."

                -Father Ascoltini to Carlo, from the novel

This is a compelling story of the Italian resistance in WWII. I have read several novels involving the French resistance but perhaps only one other set in Italy. 

The author narrates the experiences, thoughts and emotions of three protagonists, all connected to the celebrated Vineyard SanAntonio. They are Vittoria SanAntonio, daughter of Umberto and Celeste, owners of the estate, the latter recently deceased; Carlo Conte, a vineyard worker and Vittoria's lover who has been called to fight in the war; and Old Paolo, the vineyard foreman who has been recruited to work in the resistance, called Partigiani, and in turn, has involved Vittoria.

Carlo has been injured in battle and tries to make his way back to Vittoria, encountering many dangerous obstacles. Vittoria tries to heed her mother's wisdom: "You can surrender to the evil or you can find a way to push back against it, that's the choice, Vita." Paolo fights his demons of guilt as he tries to protect Vittoria and her mentally challenged brother, Enrico.

One has to feel great sympathy for the Italian people of this time who not only had to deal with Mussolini's threat but also with the Nazi occupation. So difficult to know who to trust! And how brave these Partigiani were! 

A Harvest of Secrets was definitely a page-turner. It gets a rating of 4 from me.

A Couple of Blaguards by Malachy and Frank McCourt

 

"Come here, come here till I comb that hair. Look at that mop, it won't lie down. You didn't get that hair from my side of the family. That's that North of Ireland hair you got from your father. That's the kind of hair you see on Presbyterians. If your mother had married a decent Limerickman you wouldn't have that standing up, north of Ireland Presbyterian hair."

             -Grandmother's lament over Frank's hair

I have had this book for some time. I purchased it after reading---and loving---Angela's Ashes and 'Tis by Frank McCourt. This book, more like a booklet with just over 50 pages, is written as a play. I wish I could have seen this performed by the two brothers. It must have been hilarious as they play themselves as well as many characters in their childhood in Limerick, including the grandmother quoted above. Since I am a Presbyterian that story about Frank's first communion made me laugh aloud.

I did learn what blaguards are. It is Celtic form of black guard, a dockworker specializing in unloading coal from ships in Dublin's harbor.

I am not sure what took me so long to read this book. It surely was a quick read with much humor. I will rate it a 4 for enjoyment. Here is an example of the humor from an Introduction by Malachy: "Very loosely, it [the play] is meant to convey a bit of drama, a lot of comedy, and a few tears but, most importantly, it is intended for people who want to lose weight because we have high hopes that you will laugh your arse off and finish reading with a smile on your lips and a song in your heart."

Never Meant to Meet You by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans

 

"Marjette, it's always easier to be the victim than it is to forgive. People make whole lives out of playing the wronged person, and you know where it gets them? Nowhere."

                 -Judy Oliphant, from the novel

This was an Amazon First Reads selection and I hit upon a winner! I found it very entertaining, especially after the last couple of books I have read that were rather intense.

Main character Marjette Lewis never meant to meet her neighbor, Noa Abrams, but when she notices Noa sitting outside her home looking devastated, her compassion (with a touch of nosiness) kicks in. 

Marjette is a black divorcee, mother of a teenaged son and veteran kindergarten teacher. Noa is a white Jewish widow, mother of Esther, who will be in Marjette's kindergarten class. An unlikely friendship develops centered on grieving---Noa's husband has recently passed and Marjette is still grieving the failure of her marriage, not her ex-husband so much as the broken dreams of a bright future. The two women end up helping each other to get through a difficult time.

I was very amused by certain scenarios in the novel. Having taught elementary school for many years, I could relate to preparing for the first day of a new school year and dealing with overbearing parents.

When Marjette and Judy Oliphant, her friend, mentor and former boss attend weekly Weight Watchers meetings, I was reminded of meetings I attended. I so enjoyed the banter between these two women. From the "About the Authors" it appears the relationship of Marjette and Noa is somewhat based on that of Frank and Youmans.

A lot of humor and a little romance made this novel a fun read. I rate it a 5.

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson

 "I have loved you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”                  -Malachi 1:2-3

Katherine Paterson was one of my favorite authors when I was teaching 5th grade. When my adult Sunday school class was discussing a lesson from Genesis 25:19-34 (the story of Jacob and Esau) last week, I was reminded of this youth novel. I couldn't remember much of the plot although I believe I read it back in the day. I just recalled that the twins in the novel were girls. I reread the book in a couple of days and found it quite engaging.

Protagonist Sara Louise Bradshaw and her twin sister Caroline live on Rass Island on Chesapeake Bay. Their father makes his living as a "waterman" as do most others in the community. He fishes oysters and crab in their seasons and many of those descriptions were not well understood or greatly appreciated by this reader. However, the relationship between the two sisters was more intriguing. Very reminiscent of the Bible story in which one twin is favored. Caroline is pretty, talented and popular, seemingly favored by the parents. Louise, nicknamed Wheeze by her sister and friend, Call Purnell, struggles with poor self-esteem, jealousy and resentment toward her twin.

There are many Biblical references in the book, often quoted by the curmudgeonly grandmother, but also some humor, especially when Louise tells jokes that Call doesn't get and later, he tells jokes that she doesn't find funny.

This is one of Paterson's Newberry Award winners from 1981, a very high honor. I am rating the book a 4. I enjoyed it even though the last couple of chapters felt rushed. Since the book is written for young people, it is an easy read but worthwhile.

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

 

"I've spent two years wanting nobody to trust me, wanting not to be depended on. But now I have seen a transport, and I have seen a deportation center, and I have seen the hopeful handwriting of a frightened girl, and I have seen brave people forced to hide, and mean people become secretly brave, so when I open my mouth, I say to Willem: 'You can [trust me]. I'll do my best, Willem.'"

                     -from the novel

I am not sure how this book arrived in my house. It is likely someone loaned it to me; no idea who. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and this one did not disappoint. One could possibly call this novel a "history mystery."

Hanneke Bakker is a young woman in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam who is a self-proclaimed "finder." That is, she works the black-market supplying hard-to-find goods to paying customers. When a customer, Mrs. Janssen, asks her to find a missing Jewish girl who she has been hiding, Hanneke does not want to get involved in such a dangerous mission at first. When she finally decides she will take on the search, she soon becomes even more involved with the Dutch resistance movement, which includes many young people of Hanneke's age. 

I learned that some in the resistance, like Mina in the story, took photographs in hopes of documenting the disturbing events for history.

My husband and I were fortunate to visit Amsterdam several years ago and what a fascinating city! There were several things mentioned in this novel that took me back. Hanneke and her friends ride bicycles and we saw many, many bicycles everywhere. Also, we took the ferry into town along with many cyclists. We visited Westerkerk, the church Hanneke mentions. Of course, there are references to canals and Amsterdam Centraal, the transportation hub that we walked through many times. We got to sample stroopwafels while we were there, too.

Although this book is labeled Young Adult Fiction, I found it compelling; my rating is 4. The writing is lovely, in parts quite profound. It seems thoroughly researched and the plot and characters are well developed. I really liked "A Note on Historical Accuracy" at the end and the Acknowledgments which included this: "And finally: So much of what the world knows about the war, the city, and the human experience is because of one particular book, written from an attic, in the middle of the occupation. I am most profoundly grateful to Anne." Aren't we all grateful to Anne Frank!

Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone

 

"This reporting is why the very First Amendment of the US Constitution enshrines freedom of the press. This is something Americans have always known, even if sometimes we neglect it: Nothing is more important to democracy than holding the powerful accountable for their transgressions."

         -from the novel, journalist Pete Wagstaff's thinking

I saw a review of this book somewhere a while back and put it on my to-read list. I was in Lisbon a few years ago---for 2 days, as a matter of fact---and I was hoping to be reminded of our tour. Sadly, there was very little---a mention of the lovely blue tile work all around and that Portugal is the number one cork producer in the world.

In this international thriller, Ariel Pryce wakes up in a hotel in Lisbon and finds her husband, John Wright, is missing. He left no message and is not answering his phone. She is sure something bad has happened to him. She takes her concern to hotel security then to the local police and finally to the American embassy. In each case she is met with skepticism and faces many questions. Eventually, it becomes clear that the only person who can help her is the one she least wants to ask.

I enjoyed this novel. The foreshadowing and twists and turns of the plot kept me guessing. Numerous flashbacks to 14 years prior were sometimes confusing but overall, it was a compelling story. And the ending? A BIG surprise to me! My rating is 4.

Vermilion Drift by William Kent Krueger

 "Like the beads of that bracelet, all things are connected. The past, the present, the future. One long, beautiful work from the hand of Kitchimanidoo. You, me, those who have gone before us, and those who come after, we are all connected in that creation. No one is ever truly lost to us."

              -Henry Meloux, from the novel

Number 10 and counting down in the Cork O'Connor series by this author! I'm definitely a fan. Pretty much inhaled this one---it was quite a page turner. A five rating, for sure.

I have become very fond of Cork O'Connor but my second favorite character is Henry Meloux, member of the Grand Medicine Society, one of the Midewiwin, one we might call a medicine man, of the Ojibwe nation. At 90+ years, he is very wise and so quotable (see above). 

In this installment, the Department of Energy is considering the storage of nuclear waste in the Ladyslipper Mine, a large iron ore excavation. This causes quite an uproar in the community---the Iron Lake Reservation natives and other residents of Tamarack County, Minnesota. Cork is hired as a security consultant.

Cork soon discovers a secret area of the mine containing 6 murder victims, five dating back to 1964 while his father was sheriff and investigating a mystery called "The Vanishings." The 6th body has been added quite recently. Immediately, Cork becomes involved in the investigation. When a life-long friend confesses to one of the murders and the gunshot wounds of two victims match Cork's own handgun passed down from his father, the mission becomes very personal and more desperate. 

O'Connor has been having frequent nightmares about the death of his father. During the murder investigation, mysteries are revealed about his father, and it will take Meloux to help him recover long-buried memories.

Krueger is very adept at both character and plot development, but his writing style sets him apart from many mystery writers. I found this review from another author which expresses my opinion, as well:

"There's a reason why William Kent Krueger is known as a writer's writer. His stories are works of art, literary wonders that beautifully capture a sense of place while they deliver a powerful emotional punch." --Tess Gerritsen

I look forward to #11, Northwest Angle.

Rough Draft by Katy Tur

 "Our lives are one long rough draft and none of us will know how we've done until many years from now, long after the memories have gone cold, and maybe not even then. All we can do is try."

       -Katy Tur, from the memoir

Apparently, this is Katy Tur's second memoir but the first I have read. I learned about its publication while watching MSNBC. While the title may be a bit obscure, the subtitle is compelling: Motherhood and Journalism in a World Gone Mad. It's a short book, less than 300 pages, easy to read and pretty interesting. I will rate it 3+.

Katy Tur is the daughter of helicopter parents, literally.  Bob and Marika Tur covered breaking news over the skies of California including the O.J.-in-white-Bronco chase. The Turs were the creators of Los Angeles News Service. Ms. Tur lets us know that while her high-profile father may have predisposed her to a career in journalism, he was verbally and physically abusive to her mother, brother and herself.

The author describes her rise through the ranks of broadcast journalism from storm chaser to featured reporter following Trump's 2016 campaign to something of a pinnacle---hosting her own show on MSNBC, "Katy Tur Reports." Her campaign experience was particularly interesting; I only vaguely remembered it. I have learned that her first memoir is titled Unbelievable: My Front Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History. I may have to read that one!

When Tur reveals that her father Bob is now a woman called Zoey, the reading gets pretty intriguing but also a bit confusing when the author is writing of her dad and using feminine pronouns. It seems they have quite a complicated relationship.

Ms. Tur shares a bit about her marriage to Tony Dokoupil, an anchor on "CBS This Morning," (I never watch daytime CBS so I had no idea.) their 2 children and her efforts to balance her passion for covering BIG events with family life.

Empire of Pain The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe

 "As they sought to hide from a historic crisis of their own creation, the Sacklers could sometimes seem like Pandora, gazing slack-jawed, at the momentous downstream consequences of their own decisions. They told the world, and themselves, that the jar was full of blessings, that it was a gift from the gods. Then they opened it, and they were wrong."

            

Wow! When this book was suggested for our Page Turners list, I had no clue about the title never having heard the name Sackler. I surely know it now! I was intimidated at first by the size---just over 450 pages plus nearly 100 pages of notes but this narrative nonfiction read like fiction and had me turning pages like crazy! I discovered I had read another by this author, Say Nothing about "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland, and found it fascinating, as well. This one rates a 5 in my opinion.

Although I didn't know the significance of the title to start with, I certainly was familiar with the devastating opioid crisis, the focus of Keefe's reporting. He was studying Mexican drug cartels in 2016 when he came across information that would involve him in this expose. He began with an article in the New Yorker about the Sacklers' involvement in "pushing" these addictive drugs which led to the eventual follow up of this book, begun in 2019.

It would be very difficult to summarize this book, which is so dense with facts, figures, people (some famous names), quotes and descriptions. I will just say this much: Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler are/were three brothers who became doctors and got into the business of pharmaceuticals, making loads of money. When they developed OxyContin, the troubles began. 

Read Empire of Pain to find out more!

Page Turners meet in a week. Wonder what they will think....

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Post Page Turners' meeting 8/25/2022

Our group voted an average rating of 4.2 for this book although several members admitted not having read the entire book and so abstained from rating it. Almost all of us were impressed with the amount of research and the way in which it was presented. Some thought it was just too much information to get through. I believe we all were glad we were exposed to the topic; we learned a lot!

Our discussion was especially engaging since a few ladies present had backgrounds in the medical fields and so had first-hand knowledge of the techniques of pharmaceutical sales reps. A few had personal knowledge of the danger of pain medication---either themselves or others. One member had actually watched the Sackler trial.

Even though this book is certainly not a fun read and, in many places made us angry, it is important to know the origins of the opioid crisis and how adversely it has affected our country.

The Girl with No Name by Diney Costeloe

 "Don't let the loss of your loved ones destroy the rest of your life. Mourn them, remember them with love and then gradually, gently, ease them into a secret compartment of your mind and move one."

              -advice to Charlotte, from the novel

I have read many historical fictions of WWII era but this one highlighted children sent by their parents to London to keep them safe. Sadly, they do not escape Hitler's war as London becomes a target. I was not familiar with this aspect of the war, but the author is quite descriptive of the horrors and destruction of the British capitol and its effect on the citizens and refugees.

Lisa Beck is only 13 years old when she is sent by Kindertransport from Hanau, Germany to London in 1938. She is adopted by a childless couple, and they become very fond of each other. During a Blitz of Luftwaffe bombers, Lisa is injured and ends up in a hospital badly injured and with amnesia. Since she doesn't know who she is, she is given a new name, Charlotte Smith, and sent to a home for displaced children.

This would be her third home but there would end up being at least 2 more. I would say Lisa/Charlotte was a very lucky girl because in every change of residence she finds very caring people.

I found the title a bit strange since this young woman has TWO names in the course of the novel...so why would she be "the girl with no name"? It is interesting that our Page Turners read The Girl with Seven Names, a memoir of a woman raised in North Korea, earlier this year.

I rate the novel a 4. I found it a page turner but with too many pages to my liking (almost 500)!

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

"I was fine, perfectly fine on my own, but I needed to keep Mummy happy, keep her calm so she would leave me in peace. A boyfriend---a husband?---might just do the trick. It wasn't that I needed anyone. I was, as I previously stated, perfectly fine."    -Eleanor, from the novel

An ironic title---Eleanor Oliphant is NOT completely fine! In fact, she is a 29-year-old accountant with very poor self-esteem who is also socially inept. When she discovers a handsome singer at a distance, she develops a crush---maybe more like an obsession---and plans a relationship with him even though they have never met. This does not end well.

The beginning of the novel reminded me of Bridget Jones's Diary and although it was definitely humorous, I didn't like the stream of consciousness and was hoping for some dialogue. That would happen when Eleanor met the new office tech guy, Raymond. She has a bad first impression of Raymond but when the two of them helped an elderly gentleman who had fallen, a bond was formed that would eventually rescue Eleanor emotionally. 

Raymond, I felt, was a jewel. His support of Eleanor reminded me of the Diana Ross song "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" and also this past Sunday's sermon about standing with others in need and sharing their burdens.

Eleanor's story was also reminiscent of A Man Called Ove. Although I wasn't thrilled with the book in the beginning pages, I came to love it, rating it a 5. This British author has an amazing vocabulary and turns a phrase brilliantly!

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August 4, 2022         Postponed July meeting of Page Turners

During our meeting a couple of questions came up about the novel and we wondered if there could be an interview with the author which would answer them. Here are two YouTube videos I found, one with the author talking about her inspiration and intention in the book. The other is a brief Q and A with the author---not nearly long enough, I thought.

https://youtu.be/pv6la7JfidY

https://youtu.be/32NjWbDDm40

Our group really liked Eleanor Oliphant.... and rated it 4.3. We had some 19 questions to discuss from two different sources. Some folks knew the literary term "unreliable narrator" and had recognized Eleanor as one right off the bat. Others of us were introduced to that point of view technique. We agreed that the references to British culture were charming as was Eleanor's humorous take on things. Some thought the ending was rather abrupt. The novel provided a rousing discussion.

The Last Lie Told by Debra Webb

"I believe anyone could be capable of murder if the circumstances were just right. But to deliberately set out to take a life---to plan it just so---is something else altogether."

     -Detective Richard Montrose, from the nove

Finley O'Sulllivan is a former attorney, having lost that position due to a meltdown in court, which was understandable considering she had suffered an unspeakable personal trauma. She is now working as an investigator with Jack Finnegan, an attorney who happens to be her godfather.

When a convicted killer recants his confession, he points to the daughter of the victim, Lance Legard, a country music mogul in Music City (Nashville). Although Jack has a personal connection to the widow, Sophia, he takes on the defense of her twin daughters which of course, involves Finley's investigative powers. She has her work cut out for her as she sifts through countless lies (I'm not sure what the LAST lie told was!)  from almost everyone involved. At the same time, Finley is consumed with bringing the murderers of her husband to justice. On top of that, she discovers her much-loved husband may have lied to her.

I was pretty much gripped by the plot until the end which I found very confusing. Because of that, my rating is a 3.

The Fallen Stones: Chasing Butterflies, Discovering Mayan Secrets and Looking for Hope Along the Way by Diana Marcum

 

"This climate anxiety, now, was a mirror of my personal grief on a global scale. But, why butterflies?

They are both ephemeral and eternal. Through time, across cultures, they have been symbols of hope, rebirth, resurrection, transitions, the human soul."

       -the author explaining her fascination with butterflies

While on vacation in Belize this Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist became infatuated with butterflies when she was able to visit the Fallen Stones Butterfly Farm, one of the largest butterfly breeders and exporters in the world. Later in England she met Clive Farrell, a wealthy Brit, sometimes called "Lord of the Butterflies," who developed several butterfly farms, including Stratford-upon-Avon, one the of largest in England, and the Fallen Stones in Belize, specializing in the startlingly beautiful blue morpho.

My curiosity was piqued by Marcum's attendance at the International Association of Butterfly Exhibitors, the IABE, conference in Orlando, Florida, the city where I live. She was there with @100 other "butterfly people" from around the globe. They took a field trip to Gainesville to visit the Florida Museum of Natural History which holds the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera, one of the largest exhibits in the world, with over 10 million species, many of them dead from a time when that was the accepted way to collect them. Sad to think! I have been there, and they also have a live enclosure---much, much more satisfying. The conferees also went to Butterfly Dan's in Kissimmee, right down the road from Orlando. I had never heard of Dan's but there's another idea for a field trip for a group I know!

After these three encounters, Marcum was convinced to relocate to Belize for a time, with partner Jack Moody, to learn more about the live butterfly trade and later, during COVID lockdowns, she would end up sharing her experiences in this book.

She and Jack had many exciting (some scary) adventures involving bats, scorpions, toucans, iguanas, howler monkeys, ants and snakes (Marcum's anathema). They had learning opportunities, as well---tons about butterflies but also Mayan culture since Fallen Stones was very near the ruins of Lubaantun in San Pedro Columbia, Belize.

I almost always like fiction over nonfiction. In reading this book, which one could call a travel memoir, I was disappointed until I met some of the very likeable and environmentally passionate characters like Sebastian Shol, the Fallen Stones farm manager and Manuel "Sammy" Cal, a dedicated and ambitious employee. Also, I started to enjoy the author's humor. I am a fan of butterflies and have always enjoyed visits to butterfly gardens, but this book may have taught me more than I wanted to know. The last part "How to Plant a Butterfly Garden" by Janet Sluis was interesting but does me no good since I live in a small condo.

In the end, I rated Fallen Stones... a 3 but in reviewing my highlights I appreciated it more and more. I think I'll go with 4 instead. If you're a nature lover, you'll like this one.

l.

Help Thanks Wow The Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott

 "Amazing things appear in our lives, almost out of nowhere---landscapes, seascapes forgiveness---they keep happening; so many vistas and so much healing to give thanks foe. Even when we don't cooperate, blessings return to our lives, even in the aftermath of tragedy."

          -Anne Lamott

This is a small book of barely 100 pages, but pretty inspiring. It reminded me of a devotional book just not divided with day-by-day selections. Author Anne Lamott's style is what I would call unconventional, almost more poetry than prose. She feels that most prayers, if not all, include Thanks, Wow, Help or a combination. Lamott elaborates on those 3 in as many parts plus a 4th part---Amen. 

The book was interesting, thought-provoking, even entertaining. My rating is 4.