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.