Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob
by Russell Shorto
Mobsters in the Family (2/21/2021)
I enjoyed this book a lot. Shorto begins the story of his grandfather's years as a smalltime racketeer in PA by tracing his family back to their Sicilian roots. The 20th century Italian-American experience is central to this story. Shorto engages the reader by framing the story with his journey of learning about his grandfather, his father, and ultimately, himself. Highly recommended.
Stories from Suffragette City
by M.J. Rose, Fiona Davis
Votes for Women (11/1/2020)
I was drawn to this short story collection because of both the centennial of the 19th amendment and the 2020 presidential election. Stories from Suffragette City did not disappoint!
There are 12 loosely connected, all enjoyable, stories. They are by contemporary fiction writers, half new to me, and half long time favorite authors.
The NYC suffragette march of October 23, 1915 sets the stage as each story centers on a young girl, or older woman responding to the day's events. Some have been working for women's rights for years; others are just awakening to the cause.
Progress towards a more inclusive society has often required prolonged struggle. In these stories we see women with the courage to act and the faith to believe in a better future for all women. They were not perfect..now we can see that women of color should have been included as equals, as we see in, "American Womanhood."
We do well to remember these stories as we face the challenges of our own time. Highly recommended.
Migrations: A Novel
by Charlotte McConaghy
Perilous journeys (4/6/2020)
Migrations is an ambitious novel taking on large themes with a strong main character. Bird and animal extinction caused by climate change is major story line. The protagonist, Franny, is compelled to follow the migration of arctic terns from Greenland to Antarctica. It takes most of the novel for us to understand why she pursues this perilous journey. She needs healing, and undergoes her own migrations to find a way to survive. Some of the plot devices did not seem to me to be consistent with their characters, but overall this is a compelling story, and mystery. We're not told how far into the future the story is set, but the dire consequences of climate change should concern us all.
The Mountains Sing
by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
The Mountains Sing (1/21/2020)
This beautifully written historical novel tells the 20th century Vietnamese history of conflict, famine, and corruption, through the lives of a resilient and loving grandmother, born in 1920, and her granddaughter, born in 1960, who long for a world without war. Their struggles to survive, and stay a family, portray the impact war can have for many generations. For those of us who grew up during the American war in Vietnam, it is powerful that this story is told from the perspective of a family in North View Nam. There are moments of kindness and generosity in the midst of devastation which help sustain the Tran family. Huong, the granddaughter remains hopeful: "Somehow I was sure if people were willing to read each other, and see the light of other cultures, there would be no war on earth." Perhaps this story can inspire us to greater understanding and acceptance of each other.
American Dirt: A Novel
by Jeanine Cummins
The story for our time (12/3/2019)
This is an amazing novel! We all have heard stories, or known people who have made the dangerous journey to cross our southern border. This novel makes us feel for these migrants with such compassion. Cummins humanizes the people who make this terrifying choice in order to save their lives, facing overwhelming danger. This book is compelling, frightening, heartwarming, and unforgettable. The migrants can trust no one and yet they find hope, and the courage to keep living, and to love. Lydia and Luca are beautiful characters.
Mighty Justice: My Life in Civil Rights
by Dovey Johnson Roundtree , Katie McCabe
Dovey Roundtree's fight for justice (9/24/2019)
Dovey Roundtree's memoir, beautifully co written with Katie McCabe, is an amazing story of a woman overcoming racism and sexism throughout the 20th century. She was raised in the Jim Crow south by a grandmother determined to stand up to the injustices around her, and who taught Dovey to stay strong.
Much of the memoir describes Dovey's perseverance to achieve her goals.
The narrative about her case, Keys vs. Carolina Bus Co, and the cases that became known as Brown vs. Board of Education, which ended 'separate but equal' are fascinating.
Her story is full of heart. She conveys her love and gratitude for the people who inspired and mentored her, especially the professor who advised her to 'pass it on.'
Clearly Roundtree lived this all her life.
Her struggle for justice for all continues to inspire us today.
Highly recommended.
The Secrets We Kept: A novel
by Lara Prescott
There are a lot of secrets (7/27/2019)
The Secrets We Kept is a fast paced historical novel about the writing of Dr. Zhivago, by Boris Pasternak, and the complicated and dangerous struggle to get it published internationally and in the USSR during the Cold War. We meet the women typing pool at The Agency, which played a key role in distributing the banned book. These chapters are set in The West. Other chapters are set in The East where we follow Pasternak and his muse/lover Olga, as she suffers for her loyalty to the writer. The story is told from multiple points of view, which is not hard to follow, partly because of the chapter titles which hint at the various roles the women must play to keep their secrets. Prescott succeeds in capturing the sense of the late 1950's, with its societal constraints and expectations. I highly recommend this book! I'm looking forward to re-reading Dr. Zhivago soon.
The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz
by Jack Fairweather
A True Hero (4/16/2019)
This is a very compelling true story of an ordinary Polish citizen who commits to resisting the Nazi, and later Communist, takeover of Poland. The story begins, "Witold Pilecki volunteered to be imprisoned in Auschwitz." We know we are embarking on an extraordinary journey.
From inside the concentration camp, which transitioned to a death camp while he was there, Pilecki devoted himself to helping his fellow prisoners, and to getting the truth of the camps out, through the underground system he organized, to the Allies. He believed that the Allies would then act to end the atrocities. We know from history that it took a long time for the world to understand the reality of the camps. But Pilecki never lost faith in his mission.
Fairweather has written a very readable, suspenseful narrative, including information from many sources, as well as maps and photos of the major characters. While the subject is difficult, Pileck is a true and inspiring hero. Don't we all need more heroes to face the challenges of our generation?
When We Left Cuba
by Chanel Cleeton
A Cuban-American romance novel (1/5/2019)
This is a historical novel set in Florida and Havana in the critical period of the 1960's. Beatriz is a beautiful, strong-willed woman conflicted by her desire to return to Havana and to play a part in the political turmoil around her. It is primarily a romance novel. I thought the character development was too predictable, the dialog inconsistent, and some of the plot just not believable. Cleeton's other romance novels have been popular and this will no doubt be enjoyed by her readers.
Golden Child
by Claire Adam
Family hopes and struggles (10/30/2018)
This is a compelling novel that drew me into the story right from the beginning. A Hindu family, with twin sons, Peter and Paul, is working hard to survive in rural Trinidad. Education is highly valued and one son is considered gifted and the other is considered slow. A crime, and betrayal, force the family to consider heartbreaking choices. There is much to consider in this story- family, trust, safety, the expectations we have of each other. I enjoyed the writing which is from several points of view. The sense of place is well developed. I would highly recommend this novel for book clubs. I hope Claire Adam writes more novels.
Autumn
by Ali Smith
Great for book clubs! (3/10/2018)
This is the first of Smith's books I have read and I enjoyed it immensely. With the background of the isolating vote on Brexit, this is a hopeful story about family and friendship and love, with great characters and beautiful writing. I look forward to the next in this seasonal series!
