Shanghai Girls by Lisa See is a novel about two sisters, Pearl and May growning up in Shanghai ‘the Paris of Asia’ in the 30’s, and how their lives dramatically change as war comes to China and they are forced to flee to the United States. They endure many, many hardships through the years, at home and abroad, yet always manage to keep their bond. I read this novel 2 years ago when it first came out, but wanted to re-read…
After reading Pearl of China about the life of Pearl S. Buck, I felt compelled to re-read Buck’s classic The Good Earth. Understanding this book in the context of when it was written and by whom, it is truly remarkable. This novel, published in 1931, was written by a white American woman, in the first person voice of a Chinese male peasant. Nobody was writing or reading about the lives of Chinese peasants then, or for many decades to come. The fact…
Pearl of China by Anchee Min is historical fiction about the life of Pearl S. Buck. I knew very little about Pearl S. Buck before reading this novel, and I found it fascinating. It is the fictionalized account of Pearl’s life, growing up in a small Chinese village with her best friend Willow. Willow’s character is created by Min from many different freindships Pearl had throughout her life. I found the first half of the novel superb, especially the relationship between the…
Aside from the silly name, I actually quite liked Cathleen Schine’s novel The Three Weissmans of Westport. Once I stopped trying to compare it to Jane Austin’s Sense and Sensibility, I realized I was enjoying it as a clever, insightful and well written novel in it’s own right. A 75 year old divorcee (who refers to herself as a widow) and her 2 grown daughters, all without men, share a run down cottage in Westport together, in their newly reduced…
Alexander McCall Smith’s books keep finding their way into my hands, so I read them. Tea Time for the Tradtionally Built is the latest in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series (at least I think it is-there are so many I can’t keep up.) What’s not to love about Precious Ramotswe, the protagonist of these books? Set in Botswana, and full of insight and good-hearted advice, it is a rare joy to read McCall Smith’s simple, unhurried and often humorous dialogue….
Redemption in Indigo by Barbadian writer Karen Lord is a rare and wonderful find! The story is based in part on a Senegalese folktale, but it comes wholly alive through the brilliant writing and imagination of Karen Lord. We meet Paama, an ordinary woman who is led on an extraordinary journey that attracts the attention of spirits called djombi, especially one in particular, the Indigo Lord. There are many other tricksters and lesser spirits throughout the book, and the line between the…
I have just finished reading Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage by Hazel Rowley. This is quite an extraordinary book! If you thought you knew everything there is to know about the Roosevelts, you should read this book. Rowley goes in depth into their relationship that lasted 4 decades, until Franklin’s death. She brings to life all the people that made up their community of acquaintances, companions, family, friends, lovers?, dedicated staff members, etc. The Roosevelts were never alone and…
29 by Adena Halpern is a sort of silly, lighthearted read, about a 75 year old grandmother who wishes she could be 29 again for a day and gets her wish. It’s not the best writing, but it’s light fun summer reading, with lots of insights about aging.
In the Lap of the Gods by Li Miao Lovett is a book set in the Yangtze River Valley in China, as an old way of life for villagers there ends, and modernization takes over. Many poor peasants loose their homes as a dam rises on the Yangtze and the river floods their villages. They are promised money from the government to move to higher ground, but this never comes, and their farming way of life is lost. The central charcater…
I loved Christie Hodgen’s new novel Elegies for the Brokenhearted. I wasn’t sure I would. Why would I want to read 5 pieces about people who I know were each going to die? It sounded a bit too depressing for my mood. And indeed there are many dark moments in this book, but Hodgen’s writing is a revelation. She is the kind of writer I always hope to find, one that makes me want to go back and read all…