Lady Clementine

Lady Clementine is another novelization of a historical figure by Marie Benedict. This time Benedict takes on the life of Winston Churchill’s indomitable wife, Clementine (which I discovered the British pronounce Clem-en-teen).

I learned a lot about Winston Churchill’s role during this historical time period, but I also found myself wondering if the portrayal of his relationship with his wife was completely accurate. Reading  fictionalized conversations between real-life characters always distracts me from the authenticity of the story.

Foster

When asked about his favorite writers at a talk I attended recently, Andre Dubus III, who wrote The House of Sand and Fog (which I loved) and (the more recent) Kindness, mentioned Irish author Claire Keegan, known for her emotionally penetrating short stories and novellas. Such high praise from Dubus led me to download Foster since Small Things Like These was unavailable. 

Sparse writing that is nonetheless saturated with a profound depth of sentiment and insight, is the hallmark of Keegan’s writing style. The portrayal of a family struggling financially forced to surrender one of their children to live with relatives is powerful and moving subject matter. I empathized with the child who describes her circumstance this way, “I am in a spot where I can neither be what I always am nor turn into what I could be.”

Edit 1/11/26: I just watched a sweet movie on Hulu called The Quiet Girl, based on this book. The film captures all the atmosphere and tension of the book, and the visuals provide even more context to the complex relationships between the characters. Closely following the plot of the book, the tender story’s poignant ending fills the viewer with empathy and melancholy.

 

The Only Woman in the Room

The end of The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict is the best part. After reading the Author’s Note, I was inspired to watch this YouTube video that captures the spirit of Hedy Lamarr better than the book did for me. Reading this book was even more slow-going than usual for me because I felt that the voice was all wrong. Benedict is a lawyer, and I couldn’t help thinking that the tone was too “lawyerly” for the novelization of Hedy Lamar’s story. Benedict’s writing style seems more suited to a nonfiction slant similar to the approach taken by author Nancy Rubin Stuart when writing about the women in Benjamin Franklin’s life.

It’s difficult for me to be too critical though because I met Marie Benedict at a speed-signing at Titcomb’s Book Store this summer, and she is gracious and lovely! Two friends of mine, Deb J and Brenda, loved this book, so clearly Benedict’s style is appealing in ways that other people appreciate. 

I’ll be interested to compare the writing with that of The First Ladies, co-written by Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (who was also present at the signing and coauthored The Personal Librarian with Benedict). I bought that book but have lent it out to Brenda and Lisa while I slog my way through another solo-Benedict selection about Winston Churchill’s wife, Clementine. 

Demon Copperhead

Here’s the thing about Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. I was immediately drawn into the story and became invested in the imperfect lives of the downtrodden characters. Halfway through, for some reason, I started to lose interest in the escapades of the  David Copperfield-esque main character. Now that I’ve finished reading the book, I miss hanging out with Demon, Maggot, Angus, Fast Forward, and all their other larger-than-life associates.

The book shines a light on some thorny societal issues including poverty, foster care and children’s services, and substance abuse. This can sometimes feel preachy and heavy-handed, but by far what kept me reading was the characterization, especially the distinctive voice of the wise-beyond-his-years protagonist, Demon.

The Road

The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a dark, disturbing and compelling vision of a dystopian future. It follows the journey of a father and young son as they navigate a post-apocalyptic America covered in ash. An unspecified cataclysmic event has rendered the country a cold and overcast hell-scape.

Dangers, both environmental and human, lurk at every turn as the pair battles hunger, hopelessness, and despair. Wheeling a shopping cart containing their meager possessions and dwindling stores of food, they use a tattered map to make their way south in search of warmth on a ravaged, rainy planet. 

This terrifying, bleak reality serves as a menacing backdrop to the tender moments between father and son who explore their feelings of compassion, determination, resignation, and grief. Thank you to my dear friend Phil for introducing me to this author’s work.