The Rebellion of Jane Clarke

The Rebellion of Jane Clarke is my favorite of the trilogy of pre-Revolutionary War novels by Sally Gunning. Jane Clarke is an honest and expressive heroine, and the riveting historical elements — including the Boston Massacre and descent into madness of famous patriot James Otis — add depth to the story.

I heartily agree with this sentiment written by Geraldine Brooks on the jacket cover.

"Beautifully researched and ardently imagined, Gunning's writing is so vivid you can taste the salt in the Cape Cod air . . . Her Satucket novels are destined to become classics."

Bound

Sally Gunning returns to pre-Revolutionary War New England in her second piece of historical fiction, Bound. This book tells the story of Alice Cole, who has been 'bound' into indentured servitude at the age of seven when her family experiences misfortune journeying from London to Boston.

After escaping an abusive master outside of Boston, Alice connects with the characters from Gunning's first book, The Widow's War, and joins them in Satucket on Cape Cod. From there the story follows Alice's quest for freedom and happiness, while also chronicling the historical unrest brewing between the colonies and England.

Alice is a compelling character because she unabashedly shares with the reader her deepest and most brutally honest emotions. She is basically a kind and decent girl who because of unfortunate circumstances is sometimes forced to behave dishonorably. Her frankness and introspection help the reader to empathize with Alice and route for her to find peace and contentment in her life.

The Widow's War

I can't decide if The Widow's War: A Novel by Sally Gunning is carefully crafted historical fiction or a trashy romance novel. I guess I like it because it's a little of both. This is the first book I read on my iPhone, after downloading it onto iBooks for 99 cents—all 1,384 pages of it on that tiny screen! But I've discovered that I love reading on these little electronic devices!

While the morals and values of the story's heroine may be questionable, the author defends the book's carnal elements noting that according to her research, "The Puritans were anything but pure." I appreciate her attention to historical details and her authentic depiction of colonial life on Cape Cod. Interestingly, the book's 18th century characters wrestle with the same emotional demons as many contemporary people. When the Indian Cowett and the widow Lyddie discuss sins such as adultery, he explains that, unlike the English, Indian men and women are free to leave one mate and try another whenever they wish.

"Then where lies the sin?" Lyddie asked.

"When the trying comes before the leaving."

The Help

I miss Connie's Nook! I had a hard time lugging around this hardcover copy of The Help by Kathryn Stockett. And, it took me fooooreverrrr to read this cumbersome book.

The movie premiers on August 10, and I just finished reading last night. I hope the story comes to life for me on the big screen because it certainly put me to sleep every night in written form.

I like the premise of the story, although it did seem vaguely familiar—like I had heard of something with a strikingly similar plot recently. Trouble is, I lost interest in the characters who I felt were very stereotypical.

The author admits in her afterword, "I was scared that I was crossing a terrible line, writing in the voice of a black person." Rightly so, and I also think she was not particularly effective in capturing the nuances of the language. I found myself having to reread passages several times before I identified what the character was trying to say, even though I had no problem deciphering the African-American vernacular in Walter Mosley's book, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.

Overall, I was mostly disappointed by this book that received many rave reviews and recommendations from friends.

UPDATE:

Loved the movie. Saw it with teacher friends Saturday night and thought it presented the perfect combination of humor and reverence for the subject matter. This is very unusual for me, but I believe I identified with the movie's point of view more than the book's.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

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I'm more of a cat-person than a dog-person, and I'm not a huge NASCAR fan, yet I really enjoyed reading The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Go figure.

I was easily drawn into the story about a mechanic/race car driver named Denny which is told through the insightful point of view of his observant and endearing pet dog, Enzo.

So many of life's heart-rending truths are captured in the pages of this strange little book. Enzo's thoughtful commentary on people and society is spot-on, and his philosophical comparisons between life and car-racing are often profound.

“Racing is about discipline and intelligence, not about who has the heavier foot. The one who drives smart will always win in the end.”

“There is no dishonor in losing the race . . . There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose.”

“The race is long. It is better to drive within oneself and finish the race behind the others than it is to drive too hard and crash.”

“One can never be angry at another driver for a track accident. One can only be upset at himself for being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Enzo is a steadfast companion and witness to many of Denny's trials and tribulations, including ongoing financial problems, a family feud, and the death of his wife, Eve. Throughout, Enzo provides gentle support and humor as he passes judgement on everything from hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and the decimation of the rain forest to euthanasia, loneliness, and the self-destructive nature of humans.

Enzo also has a great sense of humor. This is what he has to say about monkeys.

"Monkeys have thumbs. Practically the dumbest species on the planet, next to the duck-billed platypus, who make their dens underwater even though they breathe air. The platypus is horribly stupid, but is only slightly dumber than a monkey. Yet monkeys have thumbs. Those monkey-thumbs were meant for dogs. Give me my thumbs, you f-ing monkeys!"

The ultimate lesson shared by the dog who longs to be human and his devotion to his race-car-driving master is this gem:

"That which we manifest is before us. The visible become the inevitable. Your car goes where your eyes go."

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey

"Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy." —Inspired by an Eskimo Legend

Walter Mosley's The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey has replaced A Prayer for Owen Meany as my all-time favorite book. And I couldn't have read it at a more appropriate time. Its message was comforting to me during a time when I needed comfort.

According to Bookmarks Magazine, "Critics described The Last Days of Ptlomey Grey as a remarkable blend of literary fiction, mystery, and fantasy. Most were moved by the story of a man slowly losing himself to dementia and his friendship with the compassionate and pragmatic Robyn . . . And though Mosley's latest is a pretty big departure from his private detective series featuring Easy Rawlins, the novel stands on its own as an original tale of aging, family, love, and loss."

I fell in love with the characters because of their authenticity, and I was touched by the fortitude of the 91-year-old Ptolemy as he reflects on his substantial life lessons, especially those learned in childhood from his mentor, Coy McCann.

Ptolemy wondered how he could have lived for so long but still the most important moments of his life were back when he was a child with Coy McCann walking at his side. How could the most important moments of his life be Coy’s last dance on fire and Maude’s death in flames? Hadn’t he lived through poverty, war, old age? Didn’t any of that mean anything?

For me, the poignant story inspired patience and tolerance for the experiences my own father was going through. Reading about Ptolemy's perspective gave me strength, as if I was receiving solace from a dear and trusted friend.

There are times in your life when things line up and Fate takes a hand in your future,” Ptolemy remembered Coydog saying. “When that happens, you got to move quick and take advantage of the sitchiation or you’ll never know what might have been.”

“How do I know when it’s time to move quick?” L’il Pea asked.

“When somethin’ big happens and then somethin’ else come up.”

Room

Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue is one psychological train wreck of a book. I almost gave up on it a quarter of the way through because of the awkward, disjointed syntax supposedly representing the speech and thought patterns of the five-year-old boy who narrates the story.

Reading the first half of this book (on my friend Connie's nook), I felt like a voyeur —like it was wrong for me to bear witness to the everyday occurrences being described by the innocent boy. After all, the heroine and her son are being held hostage in an old shed by a psychopath known only as Old Nick.

Maybe I shouldn't have watched the five-part documentary on YouTube about the miserable-excuse-for-a-human-being upon whose true-life story the book's plot is based. Just knowing that such a scenario actually took place definitely added to the 'ick-factor' for me. If you can stand it, you can read about the Josef Fritzl case here.

One Thousand White Women

I think I love historical fiction. Reading One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus reminded me of how I felt when I read The Red Tent. Instead of taking place during Biblical times, however, the setting is the American West during the late 1800s. When the characters are interesting and believable, I become totally caught up in their story and end up learning a great deal about how the time period shaped their feelings and actions.

May Dodd is a fictitious character who participates in a scandalous "Brides for Indians" program secretly concocted between President Ulysses S. Grant and Little Wolf, chief of the Cheyenne nation. The intent is to encourage peaceful relations between the native Americans and the early settlers during westward expansion. The book offers insight into a conflict as old as humankind — how diversity between people can be an enriching experience if we don't allow it to destroy us.

Bossypants

Bossypants by Tina Fey had me laughing out loud. I love her obnoxious, snide sense of humor! But, what ultimately makes her book so readable is her intelligence. She knows how to 'turn a phrase,' and her commentary on equality and contemporary social issues gives her writing substance. Still, it's mostly a funny book—an inside look into the life and career of a smart and quick-witted woman.

PS: I wonder whose arms those are...

Half Broke Horses

It took me a long time to finally get around to reading Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls. Now I might have to reread her sequel, The Glass Castle: A Memoir. Half Broke Horses is actually a prequel even though it was written three years after her best-selling memoir. It recounts a partially fictionalized version of her maternal grandmother's life growing up in west Texas, New Mexico and Arizona during the early part of the 20th century.

Reading about the adventures of the feisty Lily Casey Smith, I couldn't help but to search for clues to help explain the odd lifestyle of Walls mother, Rose Mary Smith Walls.

Walls writes in a smooth authentic style that captures not only the courageous journey of a spirited woman but also the grit of the early American west.

You Can Heal Your Life

This book's heart seems to be in the right place, but there's something insincere about it. While I certainly subscribe to the theory that our thoughts can have a powerful impact on our health and well-being, I can't quite make the jump to this philosophy:

"Whenever I see small children wearing glasses, I know there is stuff going on in their household they do not want to look at. If they can't change the experience, they will diffuse the sight so they don't have to see it so clearly."

Here is a passage about positive affirmations that I connected with.

"Mirror work is very powerful. As children, we received most of our negative messages from others looking us straight in the eye and perhaps shaking a finger at us. Whenever we look into the mirror today, most of us will say something negative to ourselves. We either criticize our looks or berate ourselves for something. To look yourself straight in the eye and make a positive declaration about yourself is, in my opinion, the quickest way to get results with affirmations."

The Shack

The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?

I resisted reading The Shack by William P. Young until it was highly recommended by my friends at a Psychic Party I attended a few weeks ago. As usual, I'm glad I read it, and it is a quick and painless read. But I didn't really LOVE it. It is a little too folksy and preachy for me. The message is simple and inspiring: God is always with each of us, and despite the bad things that happen in life, God IS good.