The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry is an interesting novel set in Salem, MA. Towner Whitney is the center of the story as she returns to her home town after 15 years in California when her step-grandmother goes missing. She has always been close to Eva and only something so extreme would bring her back to the home and memories she has been running from for years.
The story is complex with characters (an eccentric mother, an aunt who is crippled from years of physical abuse), history (the Salem witches, lace readers and other fortune tellers) and sides stories, but like the Ipswich lace, Barry weaves it together into a very readable story.
Some parts of the story feel a little forced, like Towner's romance with a local detective, John Rafferty, but overall it is a light, enjoyable read.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Silver Sparrow
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones begins with the statement "My father, James Witherspoon, is a bigamist" and we are taken into the world of Dana Lynn and her mother Gwendolyn (James' "second" family) and Chaurisse Witherspoon and her mother, Laverne (James' legitimate family).
Dana and Gwen know about James' other family and Dana spends her life wondering what it is like to be his legitimate daughter, Chaurisse. Eventually, the lives of these two girls cross which is inevitable as they are the same age and both live in Atlanta.
It is hard not to be mad at James who continues this charade for years, but I was more disappointed by his "brother" and best friend, Randolph. He seems to be in love with Gwen and cares for both girls, but continues to aid his brother's deception.
It was easy to get pulled along in this story and worry for the girls who were innocent victims of the actions of their father. But there were little mistakes that took away from the work and made me question the veracity of other information.
Dana and Gwen know about James' other family and Dana spends her life wondering what it is like to be his legitimate daughter, Chaurisse. Eventually, the lives of these two girls cross which is inevitable as they are the same age and both live in Atlanta.
It is hard not to be mad at James who continues this charade for years, but I was more disappointed by his "brother" and best friend, Randolph. He seems to be in love with Gwen and cares for both girls, but continues to aid his brother's deception.
It was easy to get pulled along in this story and worry for the girls who were innocent victims of the actions of their father. But there were little mistakes that took away from the work and made me question the veracity of other information.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship
Let's Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell is the story of friendship, love and loss and we feel all of it as Caldwell takes us along in this well written memoir.
We know early on that Caldwell loses her best friend, Catherine Knapp, to cancer, but first we must learn about the tenor of their friendship to understand what comes at the end - the loss of a most important friendship, the person who just "got" her.
Two introverted writers, Caldwell and Knapp met and built a friendship because of their dogs. Taking long walks lead to deep conversations and mutual reliance. Throughout the first half of the book, Caldwell sets out to explain how they became friends, what that meant and how their similarities, including both of their struggles with alcoholism, bonded them together.
In the middle I found myself a little bored with Caldwell's recount of her struggles with alcoholism. Knapp had written about hers in Drinking: A Love Story, so I thought that maybe Caldwell felt the need to share her own experience. But later, I realized it was to show how deeply these two women were able to understand and accept each other.
By the end of the book, as Caroline is diagnosed with cancer, begins treatment and a willful battle, I was in tears. Caldwell reminds us all what a precious gift friendship is and how terrible it is to imagine (and read about someone else) losing it.
We know early on that Caldwell loses her best friend, Catherine Knapp, to cancer, but first we must learn about the tenor of their friendship to understand what comes at the end - the loss of a most important friendship, the person who just "got" her.
Two introverted writers, Caldwell and Knapp met and built a friendship because of their dogs. Taking long walks lead to deep conversations and mutual reliance. Throughout the first half of the book, Caldwell sets out to explain how they became friends, what that meant and how their similarities, including both of their struggles with alcoholism, bonded them together.
In the middle I found myself a little bored with Caldwell's recount of her struggles with alcoholism. Knapp had written about hers in Drinking: A Love Story, so I thought that maybe Caldwell felt the need to share her own experience. But later, I realized it was to show how deeply these two women were able to understand and accept each other.
By the end of the book, as Caroline is diagnosed with cancer, begins treatment and a willful battle, I was in tears. Caldwell reminds us all what a precious gift friendship is and how terrible it is to imagine (and read about someone else) losing it.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Sister: A Novel
As you've gathered by now, I have a penchant for good mysteries and heard a lot recently about a new author, Rosamund Lupton, and her book Sister: A Novel.
I picked it up on my way to Charlotte for a week off and started it right before I drove back to PA, which was terrible timing! It was such a good book, I had to resist pulling into every rest area to read a chapter.
The story is told through a long narrative from Bee to her sister, Tess, who is missing and then is found dead. The police rule it a suicide, but Bee is convinced that the sister she knew so well would never kill herself. She relentlessly pursues leads and the truth and the reader is taken on a roller coaster as Bee considers and dismisses various suspects.
What was so compelling for me about Sister, is that Lupton combines the art of a great mystery with a story about the misunderstandings and unconditional love among sisters.
I picked it up on my way to Charlotte for a week off and started it right before I drove back to PA, which was terrible timing! It was such a good book, I had to resist pulling into every rest area to read a chapter.
The story is told through a long narrative from Bee to her sister, Tess, who is missing and then is found dead. The police rule it a suicide, but Bee is convinced that the sister she knew so well would never kill herself. She relentlessly pursues leads and the truth and the reader is taken on a roller coaster as Bee considers and dismisses various suspects.
What was so compelling for me about Sister, is that Lupton combines the art of a great mystery with a story about the misunderstandings and unconditional love among sisters.
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