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.

The Secret Diary of Hendrick Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old by Hendrik Goen

"Mr. Hoogdalen has been driving a mobility scooter for a few months. Three days ago, his son, who owns a garage, took it home, and he returned it this morning. All pimped out. Spoilers, extra-wide tires, GPS, sound system with speakers, horn, and the cherry on top, an airbag. All quite unnecessary but no less brilliant for that. Hoogdalen, proud as a peacock, drove his Lamborghini-scooter round and round the home."

     -from the diary

Hendrik Groen, the author/main character calls himself an "ever the civil, ingratiating, courteous, polite, and helpful guy." He says he is going "to give the world an uncensored expose: a year in the life of the inmates of a care home in North Amsterdam." 

This book was a breath of fresh air, so funny and endearing...and relatable, now that I live in a continuing care retirement community. I am not so sure that folks still living in single-family homes would enjoy it as much. I highlighted so many parts that I dare not share them all. I've already quoted Hendrik 3 times!

He describes the Conversation Lounge in the home as the GGG Suite---Gossip, Grousing and Gibberish and mentions that sometimes the residents have "organ recitals." (Get it?) He says the 3 R's for old folks are rest, recreation and routine, with recreation being optional and the others mandatory in the home. He adds that the exercise sessions are mostly sitting down and indeed they are where my husband and I live. What we call walkers (and there are loads of them at our residence) he calls rollators. Our place doesn' t have many motorized scooters but I loved the description quoted above.

Hendrik and his friends form a small group they call the Old But Not Dead Club. The members take turns planning outings for the group. 

So much of the book is humorous but there are poignant parts with one dear friend of Hendrik facing dementia and another trying to recover from a debilitating stroke. This is the downside of living in a such a home, seeing the suffering of friends.

This book gets a very solid 5 from me! It was just what I needed after reading The Bluest Eye. I will likely read another by this author.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

 

"The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a story of two ordinary people in an extraordinary time, deprived not only of their freedom but also their dignity, their names, and their identities. It is Lale's account of what they needed to do to survive. Lale lived his life by the motto: 'If you wake up in the morning, it is a good day.' On the morning of his funeral, I woke up knowing it was not a good day for me, but that it would have been for him. He was now with Gita."

                   -from the Author's Note

This book is a both an incredible story of survival and a beautiful love story. Although described as a novel, it is based on the true story of Lale Sokolov who spent years in concentration camps as the tattooist of other prisoners. I was fascinated by the Author's Note where Morris shares an early meeting with Lale. How exciting to be able to interview the person who experienced such horrific events and lived to tell about it! What a privilege to actually get to know one's main character! As a bonus Lale's son, Gary adds an Afterword to share memories of his parents.

Lale Sokolov was taken to the camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1942. The speaker of multiple languages, he was assigned the role of tattooist, a job he hated but which likely kept him alive. He met the future love of his life, Gita, when he inked the number 34902 on her arm. He was very resourceful in making connections to help other prisoners, even at a great risk to himself. The book was not a comfortable one to read, since Lale witnessed many atrocities which are described. 

I am rating the book a 5; it is well-written and compelling.