The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee

This was our book club pick for January and it was another great find. The Piano Teacher is set in two separate time periods that are intertwined and trade off the narrative as the story progresses. The title character is Claire Pendleton, a newly married Englishwoman who relocates with her husband, Martin, to Hong Kong in 1952. There, after taking a job as a piano teacher to a wealthy Chinese family, the Chen’s, she meets Will Truesdale, their chauffer. As she and Will become closer, parts of Will’s past start to come out and it becomes evident that there is more to Will than meets the eye. It is Will who is the focus of the story told in 1941. There, also fresh off the boat to Hong Kong, he meets Trudy Liang, a beautiful and wealthy girl of mixed race, she’s half Portuguese and half Chinese. These two characters make for an interesting juxtaposition; mixed race people are usually looked down upon and slighted, however Trudy’s wealth allows her entrance into many places she would not otherwise be welcome. This was a tumultuous time, World War 2 was underway and everyone was impacted, especially Hong Kong, which came under Japanese rule. I love historical fiction in general, so I really enjoyed this book. It moves at a good clip and the stories, while not perfect, are intertwined nicely.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help was our book club selection for January and was definitely one of the best books we’ve picked since we’ve started. It’s really a story about writing a story; about the guilt southern whites have for exploiting the black people who made their lives so much simpler. Specifically, this is the story of Skeeter Phelan, an Ole Miss graduate who moves back in with her parents. She and her friends spend their days playing bridge, and joining the Junior League. When one of her friends, Hilly, makes a huge to-do over the ‘help’ using the same toilets as their employers, Skeeter is suddenly struck by the unfairness of life for a black person in Mississippi in 1962. She decides to write a book, with the help of the maids of Jackson, Mississippi, talking about their experiences. But these are dangerous times for anyone to challenge the status quo, black or white, and while Skeeter is able to get one maid to help out, Aibileen, she is at first unable to convince any others to tell their tales. It finally takes the death of some high profile civil rights figures to get the rest of the maids to agree. While some of the tales are disheartening, some are also uplifting, and Skeeter ends up knowing so much about the people who make up her community. This book tackles some heavy topics but doesn’t leave you feeling down. It’s also a definite page turner and I have a feeling if you pick it up, you’ll have a hard time putting it down.

The Lost Hours by Karen White

This was my book club’s choice for October and while it was entertaining, it definitely wasn’t a great book club choice, in my opinion. In The Lost Hours we meet Piper Mills, an ex-equestrian champion who is nursing her near fatal injuries at her grandparent’s house. Her grandfather has recently died and her grandmother is living in a home and suffering from Alzheimer’s. As she pokes around the home she’s inherited, she discovers a key to a room that doesn’t exist. That leads her to discover a hidden room in the attic and she remembers watching her grandfather bury a box in the backyard when she was 12. When she digs up the box, she finds pages from a scrapbook, a charm necklace and a newspaper article from 1939. The scrapbook tells the story of three friends growing up in the 1930’s and each charm on the necklace has its own story. After Piper’s grandmother dies, she struggles to understand her story and she reaches out to the only one of the three friends who is still living. But Piper is afraid to ask questions as herself and instead goes to Asphodel Meadows under her “real” name, which is unknown and gets to know the family. There she finds more answers than she knew she was looking for and finally begins to heal, both in body and in spirit. This is a decent book and worth a few hours of your time.

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

This book certainly packs a punch and if you read it, you’ll be quickly drawn into the story and will have a hard time putting it down. The Weight of Silence takes place in Willow Creek, Iowa, where one morning, 7-year-old Calli and her best friend Petra both go missing on the same morning. The challenge is that Calli hasn’t spoken a word in over three years, ever since the day her mother miscarried. A manhunt is quickly launched and Calli’s brother, Ben is pulled into the search, which focuses on the woods behind Calli’s house. The stories of the missing girls is interwoven with the story of the search, which is being led by the local sherrif, Loras Louis, who is still in love with Calli’s mother. This isn’t a happy novel and covers some serious topics but would be a great book club pick, as it offers you a lot to discuss. And even though the subject matter is heavy, the author does a good job of keeping things from becoming overly emotional.

The Street by Ann Petry

The Street was my book club’s pick for September; the host had decided on a New York theme and had given us several options to choose from and this one won. After finishing this book, I can’t decide if I liked it or not. I definitely liked it up until the end, but found the end vastly unsatisfying. But that may have been Petry’s point; and it’s definitely a good choice for a book club pick since there is a lot to discuss here. Since this book was published in 1946, and is set in 1944, I assume that it speaks the truth about the conditions in Harlem and life for African Americans during that time period. And while I shouldn’t be surprised by some of it, I still kind of was. This is the story of Lutie, a single African American woman struggling to raise her son in Harlem. She is separated from her husband because he cheated on her and the only jobs she can get are menial and pay just enough for her to support her son but with no padding; they can barely save enough to go to the movies occasionally. And Lutie wants more for herself and more importantly, for her son and she’s fighting against a system that is bound and determined to not let her succeed. As I said before, the ending left me cold, it didn’t feel true to the rest of the story, although I won’t spoil it here. That said, it’s a powerful novel and will definitely make you think about injustices that still exist in America today.

May Bookclub Pick: Leeway Cottage by Beth Gutcheon

Our book club pick for May was Leeway Cottage, a story of a family before, during and after World War 2. Annabelle Sydney Brant grew up summering in Dundee, Maine and was a privileged child. When her father dies, she is left with only her mother, a woman who is overbearing and impossible to please. When she turns 18, Sydney runs away to Manhattan to pursue a singing career and it is there that she meets the famous Danish pianist, Laurus Moss. The two fall in love and are married but before they can settle too completely into married life, the world is upended by WW2. Feeling impotent and fearing for his family, Laurus leaves the US to help lead the Danish resistance from London. During the separation, Sydney gives birth to their first child, Eleanor, and continues to live her life, partying with friends, summering in Dundee and increasingly indifferent to the war, while in Europe, Laurus’ family escapes Denmark for Sweden. Despite their differences, the time apart doesn’t seem to estrange Laurus and Sydney; their relationship survives and even flourishes. Post war, their lives pick back up where they left off – wintering in Manhattan and summering in Dundee. I enjoyed seeing the progression of Sydney’s character throughout the book; she matures from the young, pampered Annabee, to the hippie Sydney, to the young mother; and all the while, clashing with her mother, Candice. Yet, perhaps not surprisingly, as Sydney ages, she becomes more and more like her mother and seems unable to stop herself. This novel also explores deeply the Danish resitstance to the Nazi occupation and I, for one, was amazed at what they were able to accomplish; due to their actions, the Danish people were able to save all but 500 of the Jews living in Denmark during the war.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why is VERY good but kind of disturbing since it’s mostly narrated by Hannah Baker, a girl who recently committed suicide. We listen along with Clay Jensen, one of thirteen people who will receive Hannah’s story, told in 13 cassette tapes, detailing what drove her to kill herself. Along with Clay, we follow the map to the places Hannah highlights and listen as she tells of the betrayals, the lies, the secrets that show just how big of an impact a small action can have. It’s a short novel, and should be required reading for all middle and high schoolers, as well as the parents of anyone that age. It really demonstrates how important it is to treat each person with respect and how the littlest things can snowball out of control. Pick it up when you have time to read because you’ll have a hard time putting it down.

 

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

I really, really like Jodi Picoult as an author; it probably stems from the frist book of hers I ever read, My Sister’s Keeper, but every novel of hers is so well researched and well written that I can’t help but be drawn in. Handle with Care is no different – it is the story of Willow O’Keefe, a girl born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as Brittle Bone Disease. When Willow is born she has 7 healing fractures, and breaks 4 more bones just during the process of the C-Section. She can break a bone by turning over in bed wrong, being hugged too hard by her sister, Amelia, or any manner of similar, simple things. And over the course of her life, she will break hundreds of bones. Because her disease keeps her from doing anything remotely physical (despite her desire to ice skate like her sister), she throws herself into books and becomes a walking encyclopedia; her sister even nicknames her Wiki. But the heart of this novel is when Charlotte, Willow’s mother, decides to file a Wrongful Birth suit against her OBGYN, Piper, who incidentally, is also her best friend. A Wrongful Birth suit is exactly what it sounds like – Charlotte is saying that if she had known about Willow’s illness earlier, she would have terminated the pregnancy and Willow would have never been born. How can a mother say that, in court, in front of an extremely bright child, who can understand exactly what you are saying? And is this the truth? That’s one of the things Charlotte wrestles with throughout this novel and I have to give credit to the author here – you really feel for Charlotte. Even as someone who isn’t a parent, I felt her struggles to do what was best for Willow. Because if she won, she would have enough money to care for Willow for the rest of her life, whether Charlotte and Sean are there to take care of her or not. And while money can't buy happiness, it could solve a lot of the problems in this family - it's expensive having a child with Brittle Bone Disease and insurance only covers so much. Sean O’Keefe, Willow’s father, rejects his wife’s lawsuit and the ensuing familial struggle made my heart ache for this family. Willow, who perhaps can understand, but maybe not comprehend why her mother is doing this. Amelia, who has always felt second rate to Willow and finds her own ways to self soothe. And Sean and Charlotte, who love Willow, more than anything, and can’t imagine life without their funny, engaging, bright, wonderful daughter. Definitely a must read – for me, this ranks high on my Jodi list, up there with My Sister’s Keeper and Nineteen Minutes.

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

I started, and finished, Those Who Save Us in one day because I couldn’t put it down. The subject matter was so compelling and also touching. I am a huge fan of WW2 historical novels to begin with, which was the primary reason for requesting it from the library to begin with. This book alternates with between Trudy, in present day Minnesota, and Anna in 1940’s Weimar, Germany. Trudy, a history professor, is working to collect the oral histories of WW2 survivors, but with a twist. While her partner Ruth, is focused on Jewish survivors, Trudy wants to talk to the Germans who survived and find out how and why they did what they did. Surprisingly, many of these immigrants display blatant anti-Semitism, which shakes Trudy’s belief in what she’s doing; yet she is driven by her own history as a child born in Germany during the war. Her mother, Anna, is strangely drawn to Trudy’s project, but refuses to divulge her own history to her daughter. Anna is a young woman during the start of the war who must hide her love affair with an older Jewish doctor, Max Stern. When Max is arrested and interned in Buchenwald, a pregnant Anna flees her father and moves in what a baker who is aiding the resistance. Anna helps smuggle food to the prisoners until Mathilde, the baker, is found and executed. Anna manages to escape punishment for herself and Trudy by catching the eye of the Obersturmführer, a high ranking officer at Buchenwald. He coerces her into an affair that is often abusive, yet she maintains the relationship to ensure her survival. The past and present flash back and forth and the story is so compelling; you feel rage, sadness, compassion, the whole gamut of emotions as you live through this horrible point in history. Definitely a must read if you like historical fiction. Also, on a side note, I discovered after the fact that Blum actually worked for Shoah Foundation, which probably inspired Trudy’s project in the novel. 

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Burrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a fabulous novel and a quick read. It’s completely told in letters between several of the main characters and delves into the history of the Guernsey Islands during WW2 while they were occupied by the Germans. The primary letter writer is Juliet Ashton (pen name Izzy Bickerstaff), a writer who quickly tires of covering the war, even in her uniquely upbeat manner. She tells Sidney, her editor, that she wants to write something of importance. When Dawsey Adams of Guernsey finds Juliet’s name in a used book and begins a correspondence about a mutual favorite author, he intrigues her with the name of his literary society and their correspondence flourishes from there. Juliet is drawn into the stories from Guernsey and encourages the entire society to write to her with their observations on literature and life. The sudden jumps in narration can be a little confusing at times, but overall the story holds up well and is very touching. Despite it’s somber subject matter, this is an uplifting story and should not be missed.

Book Club Pick - The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

The Elegance of the Hedgehog was our book club pick for this month and it was a nice change from our previous book club pick, which was a bad chick-lit novel. This one was definitely more serious and book-clubby but still wasn’t one of my favorites. This story is told by two narrators, Madame Michel, a 50-something concierge of an upscale apartment building in Paris, and Paloma, a 12 year old genius who lives in one of the apartments in the building. Madame Michel is a contradiction – outwardly to the residents of the building, she is slovenly and dull. But the “real” her reads Marx and Kant, loves Mozart and Opera and can perform a Japanese Tea Ceremony. Paloma, intelligent beyond her years, is disgusted with her coddled existence, her spoiled sister and family and thus decides to kill herself on her 13^th birthday. The book alternates between the two narrators and I have to say, I enjoyed the pieces narrated by Paloma more. She was fresh, authentic, witty, etc. all the things you want to read in a novel. Madame Michel, on the other hand, really started to annoy me with her attitude. She assumed that no one in her building could comprehend that a woman who is “only a concierge” could appreciate art, literature or philosophy and because of it, spends her entire life hiding who she truly is for fear of being discovered. And she is so condescending about it – she is more of a reverse snob than anyone in her building could ever seem to be. Overall, I enjoyed the novel and the peripheral characters were quite entertaining. I would recommend it, especially as a book club pick, since there are so many things to discuss. 

The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb

I really enjoy reading Wally Lamb, from his first, She's Come Undone, to his most recent, The Hour I First Believed. They're always so well written and despite the length, I always finish them quickly, probably because they're hard to put down. The Hour I First Believed is the story of Caelum and Maureen Quirk, who have recently relocated from Connecticut to Colorado to start over after Maureen's infidelity. Although they both get jobs at the same school, their struggles have only just begun; in April of 1999, Caelum returns to Connecticut after his aunt has a stroke only to just miss the Columbine shootings. While Maureen somehow survives the massacre, she is unable to recover from the traumatic experience and suffers from PTSD. This time they flee Colorado for the safety of the Quirk family farm in Connecticut. A change of scenery, however, can't undo the damage that has been done and more is on the way. While Maureen struggles to come to grips with the event, Caelum discovers boxes full of old diaries, letters and newspaper clippings throughout the house. Not only do these reveal the Quirk family history, but they also unearth some secrets, long buried. And Caelum struggles to come to terms with this past while struggling with his future. This book is extraordinary - the way he interweaves actual fact with fiction makes you feel that every word could be true. I highly recommend that everyone read this book. If you like this, please try some of his other books, especially I Know This Much Is True. 

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

The Salem witch trials are a subject we've all heard about, read about, learned about but this story gives us a new twist. The Heretic's Daughter is the story of Sarah Carrier, a 10-year old growing up in Andover, Massachusetts before, and during the hysteria that became the Salem witch trials. After her brother comes down with smallpox, Sarah and her younger sister, Hannah, are shuttled off to her mother's sister in the hopes that they will avoid the disease. While there, Sarah and her cousin Margaret become best friends and Sarah hopes that she can stay with her aunt and uncle forever. But of course the day comes when she must be reunited with her family and once back, becomes aware of the dispute between her mother and her uncle about their land. The fight blossoms into something much more terrifying when the hysteria around the "supernatural" activity in Salem turns into mass chaos and her uncle claims her mother, Martha, is a witch. When Martha refuses to confess, her children, including young Sarah, are imprisoned with the hopes of breaking her. Sarah's narrative provides some much needed insight into these sham trials, forced confessions and ridiculous sentencing rules and restrictions. Overall, I enjoyed this book, although I will say that although I felt the sub-story about Sarah's father's history before coming to Massachusetts was a bit ridiculous, I still think it's worth a read. On a side note, the author's grand mother nine generations back, was hanged as a witch in 1692 which really emphasizes the point that history is something that happens to all of us.

Belong to Me by Marissa De Los Santos

This book is told from three points of view; the first is Cornelia Brown, an urbanite who surprises everyone when she and her husband, Teo, up and move to the suburbs. The second is Dev, an extremely bright teenager whose missing father occupies most of his thoughts, and whose mother, Lake, has befriended Cornelia. And the third is Piper, Cornelia's neighbor and reigning queen bee of the neighborhood. Cornelia, struggling with her own fertility issues, finds it difficult to acclimate to the domestic dramas of suburban life and struggles to find her place in a community that emphasizes children. Teo seems blissfully unaware, happily bumbling through his life. The burgeoning
friendships between Cornelia and Lake, Cornelia and Piper, The Browns and Dev, etc. make for an intriguing read. The three story lines work well individually but don't always overlap as neatly as they should. Also, the plot was predictable, especially toward the end, however, Belong to Me is well written and worth a few hours of your time.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will suck you in from the first page - which of course starts with a decades old murder mystery. Mikael Blomkvist is hired to investigate the murder of Harriet Vanger, after his career takes a downward spiral after being convicted of libel. He is hired for one year to investigate exactly what happened the day Harriet disappeared and determine which member of the Vanger family killed her. In the course of his investigation, he hires the girl with the dragon tattoo, Lisbeth Salander, a world class hacker, as a research assistant. Lisbeth is a 24 year old who is still a guardian of the state and is perceived to have mental issues, despite the fact that she's a near genius when it comes to technology. But years of mistreatment by the state have made Lisbeth someone you do NOT mess with. I really enjoyed this story and couldn't put it down - I read it in one day. I wasn't too thrilled with the very end, but I just discovered that this is the first book in a trilogy, so hopefully the second one, The Girl Who Played with Fire, will pick up where this left off.

Novels set in Iran

My previous post covered Afghanistan, so I thought this one could cover Iran.

The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer
Isaac Amin, a gem trader, is arrested at work by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards one day in September. His crime? Being Jewish in a country that is becoming more and more fanatically muslim. As Isaac languishes in jail, worried about his family and forced to watch the torture and murder of his fellow prisoners, his wife, Farnaz, struggles to keep their family from going under. Shirin, their young daughter, steals files from a friends home to keep other men out of prison, while in Brooklyn, their sond Parviz struggles to make ends meet and falls in love with the daughter of his Hasidic landlord. The dialogue is a little wooden but the story is nicely told. The end was a little too neatly wrapped up for me, but it didn't take away from the overall plot.

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi.
Azar Nafisi is a brave woman - after resigning from her position as University of Tehran professor, she invited seven of her brightest students to attend a weekly lecture on Western Literature at her home. Only women were invited and since the books they were reading had been banned by the oppressive Iranian government, they were forced to keep their meetings secret and often had to share photocopied pages of the banned books. Through Azar, we come to know her students, not revealed by name so as not to face punishment under Islamic rule. For two years this group met and debated the implications and realities of living under Islamic rule as well as the daily struggle to avoid harassment by the "morality guards." And we also learn a little about each of the novels they chose to read. Some of these are old favorites and you will
enjoy the refresher, others will prompt you to go out and get the book for yourself.

Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner
I don't know if there is anyone who hasn't read this book at this point but I'm going to review it, and recommend it, anyway. The Kite Runner is about Amir, the son of a wealthy businessman, and Hassan, the son of their servant. When they two boys are young, they are inseparable; they
spend their time running kites, spinning stories and being children. Until one day when their bond is broken forever by a horrific act. As Afghanistan becomes more and more unstable, Amir and his father flee to America, but Amir is still haunted by his old friend. It is his quest for forgiveness that causes him to seek out his friend, years later, and return to an Afghanistan that is now under Taliban rule. This book is so compelling and the characters so richly developed, that it is sometimes hard to remember that this is not a memoir. It will probably make you cry and will most definitely stay with you.

A Thousand Splendid Suns
From the author of The Kite Runner comes A Thousand Splendid Suns, also set in Afghanistan but this is the story of two women, Mariam and Laila, the wives of Rasheed. Mariam is forced to marry the 40-year old Rasheed when she is only 15 years old; always a cruel man, he becomes more and more vicious as the years pass and she fails to produce an heir. Eighteen years later, he brings home and marries 14-year old Laila, whose parents have been killed by rocket fire. Forced together, Mariam and Laila join forces against Rasheed, whose systematic beatings were
condoned and blessed by Islamic Law. The novel really gives you insight into such an extremely patriarchal society, where women are completely dependent on their fathers, husbands and sons. The story is so sad but also so powerful and while it wont leave you with the most positive view
of Afghanistan, it will help you realize how strong and resilient the Afghani people are.

The Lace Reader

I'm not exactly sure how best to describe The Lace Reader - there is so much going on and while I really enjoyed it, I'm not sure I completely understood it! Brunonia Barry's debut novel is about Towner Whitney, who leaves her self-imposed exile in California to return to her hometown of Salem, Massachussets when her favorite aunt Eva is found dead. Generations of Whitney women have a gift for seeing the future in the lace they make, and Eva was one of the best, but her shocking death is just another trauma in Towner's life. Once back in Salem, she is quickly swept up in the disappearance of a young woman who had joined a local cult whose leader was well known for his history of violence against the Whitney women. As they search for the young woman, Towner becomes wrapped up in the investigation and the cop leading it, John Rafferty. And as the story unfolds, we learn more and more about Towner's past and begin to question everything we've read so far. The ending will have you looking back throughout the book and re-reading it with a different frame of mind but whether you understand it completely or not, you'll enjoy every page.

Overcoming Adversity

Here are a few books that have strong female characters who are struggling to overcome the adversity in their lives. They don't all have happy endings but should all have an impact on you.

The Breakdown Lane by Jacqueline Mitchard
This is the story of Julieanne Gillis, a wife and mother whose seemingly idyllic life is turned upside down almost overnight. First, her husband Leo, decides to take early retirement and move to upstate New York to live in a commune. He essentially disappears and she is left explaining things to her three children and struggling to make ends meet on her meager salary. Second, she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and has to deal with everything that entails. And as if that weren't enough, her kids take off over spring break to try to find their "lost" father. The
story alternates points of view between the characters in the book which is a storytelling technique I personally like. The story is very emotionally moving and while slightly over the top, it will still make you think about your own life and relationship, in a sort of "could this happen to me?" kind of way.

You're Not You by Michelle Wildgen
Wildgen's debut novel will pull you in from page one with the relationship between Bec, a college student drifting through school, and Kate, a young married woman suffering from final stages of ALS. Becca is hired as a caretaker for Kate and over time takes on more and more responsibilities for Kate's care from her husband, Evan. Despite her paralysis and limitations, Kate is spunky, sarcastic and at peace with her life; much more so than Becca who is floating through life, having random affairs with her professors and with no clear idea of where she wants to end up in life. Over their time together, Kate teaches Bec how to cook fancy meals and gets her involved in raising money for ALS research. Bec is forced to move into the house when Kate kicks out her husband after she learns that he's cheating on her. This is almost a taboo subject - what are the moral and ethical responsibilities of family members of the terminally ill. While Wildgen strikes a hard line, and whether or not you agree with her, at the very least it will get you talking.

The Thirteenth Tale

If you enjoy British authors, you should enjoy The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, a prototypical English novel where a plain, bookish girl finds herself in a haunted house where she must uncover the salacious family secrets hidden there. Margaret Lea is a biographer and the daughter of a bookseller. She is contacted, rather out of the blue, by the elusive Vida Winter, an aging author who has decided that it is finally time to tell her life story. A life story which no one has yet uncovered, for Vida has given 19 different versions of her life story to journalists over just the past two years! Margaret agrees and moves to Angelfied to interview the dying author. There is a hint of Jane Eyre to this novel but there are also enough differences that you aren't thinking, 'haven't I already read this?' It will keep you entranced and you will want to know the mystery behind the Thirteenth Tale.