TransAtlantic by Colum McCann

As I looked through the book prior to beginning and wondered how a book that takes place in three distinctly different time periods could be connected.  We have read other books where time jumped from period to period but none where the characters seemed as disparate as two 1919 pilots, a modern photo journalist, a real political representative of the US and Frederick Douglas. I am pleased to say that the parts all fit together nicely. This is an immigration story. It includes immigration from Ireland to the US, from the US back to Ireland, from Lebanon to the US and other transatlantic travels by both wealthy, influential people and the poorest of the poor. In many ways, it is a global story that shows just how small the world really is.

 I had to look up the history behind the fiction of the book. Many authors seem to take great liberty with facts when writing historical fiction. McCann takes little.  He adds personality to his characters without changing much.  Alcock and Brown were the first two to fly across the Atlantic travelling from England to Ireland and ahead to America.  Frederick Douglas did travel and speak in Ireland during the 1840s. George Mitchell was the US Envoy to Ireland during the resolution of the “troubles”.

 
McCann weaves a detailed story and manages to do so in a way that keeps your attention but does not give away each story until you are caught up in its plot.  I never thought when I began the book that each section would be brought to its meaningful conclusion at the end of the book.  Somehow I imagined each story would end where the next began and the connections from one century to the next would be fleeting.  Not so with TransAtlantic!  Every character and every action has a purpose and contributes to making this a pleasurable read.

 I liked reading about early aviation.  Those were some very brave people.  I liked the details of the plane, the conditions, how they prepared for the trip, its dangers and the exhilaration they felt when things went well. Alcock and Brown were brave. Lily Duggan was brave.  She left her home to seek a better life.  That was the plight of so many Irish and still more folks today from other parts of the world. I thought the method used by McCann to show the destitute nature of the Irish poor as compared with that of a freed slave was very well done.  She made it out and her family returned. The circle of life is odd.

Throughout this is the letter given to Alcock and Brown. Such a minor thing but had such great importance by the end of the book!  Maybe I was a bit slow on the uptake but the letter did not connect the dots for me until the end of the book. When Hannah Carson comes into the story and I was able to thread all the people together, it seemed so fitting to end as it did.

The book is an easy read; well written, detailed where needed and brief where needed.  Using real people made it not only believable but added to the veracity of the story.  I am glad we chose this book.

Sherlockian by Graham Moore

I wondered if the time shift between the 1890s and the present would present a challenge in both keeping my interest and following transition in the story. I was needlessly worried as the story flowed smoothly and had no difficulty keeping people “time straight”.  We all have our favorite characters and get frustrated when their creator kills them off or fails to produce another installation in a timely manner.  What would happen if Mitch Rapp or Gabriel Allon ceased to exist?  This is exactly the problem followers of A Conan Doyle’s writings had to deal with when, frustrated and probably jealous of the attention Sherlock Holmes was getting at the expense of his creator, Doyle kills Holmes!

Fast forward to 2010. A convention of individuals who are intrigued with Sherlock Holmes convenes. One member has announced he has found the lost diary of Doyle which mysteriously disappeared in the late 1890s. The member is found dead and the newest initiate into the Sherlockian club is left trying to solve the mystery.  What ensues is a fast paced look at the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a diary written by Arthur Conan Doyle and the death of the person who claims to have found the same diary a hundred years later.

The novel keeps the interest of the reader in ways previous ones switching from time to time have failed to do. It seems like the story is one and not two separate accounts, or mysteries.  I appreciate the way Moore has enabled the reader to switch back and forth without ruining any of the continuity of the story or the mystery within.  While many shifts and twists help maintain interest in the book, the reader is not left out in the cold.  Clues are provided, intrigue abounds and a conclusion is provided that leaves the reader wondering but fulfilled.

I personally believe the book gives some insight into the lives of both Doyle and the 21^st Century sleuths.  Doyle was a known addict. How did that impact his ability to create and maintain the character of Holmes?  Was the addiction the source of his jealousy of Holmes? The role of Harold is the modern day Watson. He does a great job with it and even manages to overcome a bit of his own naivety. Is this good or bad?

What will Harold do after the mystery has been solved? We know how he reacted to the “solving” in the book but how would he react after he is back home and thinking things over?  Does he keep the girlfriend?  Does he go back to being a Holmes nerd wearing the hat to hide his insecurities?  I must say the book gave more than I expected and I am happy it did!

Dollbaby by Laura Land McNeal

I enjoyed The Help both as a book and a movie and enjoyed watching The Secret Life of Bees even though I did not read the book. When the cover of this one said it was of the same genre I went for it. It did not disappoint.  Miss Ibby is the main character. Had to smile at her name-Liberty Alice Bell. Only in the south would they come up with names like Vidrine and Ibby!

While the book is overall a coming of age novel about a dysfunctional family, these characters are rich; some literally, others figuratively! Fannie, Queenie and Doll are as full of life as Ibby. They love, fight, and cherish each other. They also are a bit unique within their own lives. 

Fannie—a young woman who does not trust banks, married a boat captain, was a stripper and now is a leading lady of New Orleans society.  Was not happy when her own son married beneath him and is now raising her granddaughter after the widowed Vidrine drops Ibby off and never returns. She loves Ibby and wants her to be very happy.  The dolls she gives her on each birthday will ensure that.

Vidrine—a woman who marries above herself and when widowed does the only thing she can for her daughter—gives her to her detested mother-in-law.  Was that an act of selfishness so she could go off and lead her own life or of selfless love because she realized she lacked the many skills necessary to provide for her daughter?

Queenie-she came with the house.  She is the true glue in the book. She takes everything ins stride, counsels everyone in the house and always has their backs regardless of the mess they may be making of things.  Ibby learns so much from her.

Doll—sassy, loving, smart.  Given the ending of the book, it is no wonder!  I will not say more for fear of ruining the book for those who haven’t read it yet. 

Ibby—shy, resilient, daring and cautious.  She is growing into a strong southern woman!  She stands up to Annabelle, the neighborhood bully.  She does not see the color of a person’s skin but the character of their soul—something that was part of coming of age in the Civil Rights Movement.

The book provided many more twists than I had imagined.  Who would have thought of a nun who used to be a stripper!  I must say I was engaged until the very last page and happily so!

The Girls of the Atomic City by Denise Kiernan

Our first foray into non-fiction finds us looking into the lives of nine young women who went to work on the Atom bomb project during WWII.  They were a varied group of young ladies who were venturing into the unknown world of work and even more so the mysterious world of the super-secret government project that led the US to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The reader is introduced to each young lady prior to their leaving for the city being created outside Knoxville, Tennessee.  Their reasons for going were many. They were from small towns, big cities and the poor South.  Some left families behind with relatives while others had to convince families they could go.  Some arrived with skills, others learned them on site. 

The book is full of poignant stories of women forced to leave their own children in able to provide for them.  Ingenuity took over when one used her abilities as a cook to earn extra money to help her family.  I was particularly taken by the young woman whose priest brother convinced her parents this was a good idea for her to go. I laughed when one arrived in her best clothes only to find there were no paved streets and her dress shoes sunk into ankle deep mud!

It is difficult to imagine leaving home and going to a place that didn’t really exist!  When I went into Peace Corps, I could at least find Zaire on a map!  Today it is the Democratic Republic of the Congo and probably less real than the Atomic City!  Keeping the secrets would have been difficult.  These ladies never knew to whom they could speak and share with.  That would have been very difficult for them as folks like to make friends and share one’s day with them.

Some also had to overcome prejudice both racial and sexual.  One young woman wanted to be recognized for her scientific skills and education but had to struggle to achieve acceptance.  Still each grew and moved forward with life. 

Today everyone knows where to find Oak Ridge TN and not just through the Oak Ridge Boys of country music!  These women are truly part of our unique history and I am thrilled to have read this. Thanks to Ken for picking it up and sharing with the rest of us!

 

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

This book made me laugh out loud. I can’t remember that last time I enjoyed a book so much and read it rapidly.  Don could be any number of my former students who have a scientific bent to their personalities.  I have one whose spice cupboard is in alphabetical order. I could definitely see him having such a list for finding a wife. 

From the very beginning I assumed that Don would fail with the questionnaire.  Who is going to find someone based on predetermined ideals. A former (female) colleague was determined to marry a handsome, wealthy man. She was at the point of almost asking salary before name. Of course, she met her husband and fell in love. He had an average job and average looks, not at all like she had intended!

I looked at the discussion questions at the end of the book. They too are intended to extend the joy  found in the book.  Don’s assessment that “Humans often fail to see what is close to them and obvious to others.” is perfect for him and his relationship with Rosie. He is obviously attracted, thinks she is stunning but still thinks she is a barmaid.  He has fun around her but considers her non-wife material!  Claudia and even Gene know better!

Claudia and Gene are something else.  Gene, who is trying to have sexual encounters with women from every nation even keeps a map with pins of his conquests on his wall in his office. I wondered what will happen once he has covered the globe from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. I don’t even begin to understand why Claudia stays with him but that is their choice, not mine.  At least he was starting to work on a more monogamous relationship by books end.

I enjoyed the way both Rosie and Don jumped into the Father Project.  The outcome was somewhat surprising but not totally so. I did like the way we did not find out until the very end!

While Don had Asperger’s he managed very well to maintain a normal life. Yes, he was obsessive about details, oversimplification of daily routines and other things but he was open to new things. He learned to make drinks, dance and even several sexual positions so he would have an idea what to do in any circumstance.  I loved the way he practiced with the skeleton and without actually listening to music! 

Loved the book and I look forward to our discussion of it!

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

When I first read the blurb about the book I thought it would be a much different story.  I imagined a person seeing something horrible from the train windows and dealing with it as a witness, but a detached one.  What I got was must more involved!

This book has more than one murder, several twists in the plot and a surprising ending.  Our discussion of it thought that it reminded some of Gone Girl with the twists. That is not far off!  However, I like the ending of this one better as the perpetrator does not go free.

This is the third or fourth book we have read where the main female character has a serious alcohol problem.  Can’t a woman overcome difficulty without being a black out drunk?  That aside, Rachel has many redeeming qualities.  She knows what she saw and is determined to get to the bottom of it even though it is not what she thinks she saw.  Her own attachment to the situation seems to make it more difficult to clearly determine what she saw, even more so that the gin and tonics that clouded her mind.  While she tries to do the correct thing, even going to the police, her drinking gets in the way of anyone believing her.

The central question in the book is how well do you know anyone, even those you are supposed to love and in many cases, marry?  Scott and Meghan were married. He thought he knew her. After all, she had told him a bit about her past. But, Meghan was a party girl who had flings. She also had a daughter that Scott did not know about. Since she was dead, there was no reason to bring it up I guess!

Rachel had been married to Tom who was now married to Anna.  This triangle is complicated and key to the book.  Tom and Rachel wanted children, at least Rachel did. Tom and Anna have a child.  Tom has issues to say the least and he and Meghan get along too well. 

Meghan is dead and Scott is suspect number one. Rachel tries to help but is not believed by the police or Scott but he does sleep with her anyway and suffers from great remorse the following day.  He feels he has betrayed Meghan without knowing that she had betrayed him.  If this is sounding like the 21^st Century version of Peyton Place, it is because that seems to be exactly what it is! 

Anna and Rachel were typical in the role of wife and ex-wife until the very end.  Anna felt threatened by Rachel and for a while I thought Anna was the one who committed the murders.  I thought is a real irony how they came together in the end, allowing each to start anew and deal with the fact that neither had really known Tom! 

The Blackhouse: The Lewis Trilogy by Peter May

I’m going to do this a bit differently than previous posts. I will choose some of my favorite passages and then describe how they made the book interesting.

 “It’s odd how people can get locked into a kind of time warp.  There’s a time in their lives that defines them, and they hang on to it for all the subsequent decades; the same hair, the same style of clothes, the same music, even though the world around has changed beyond recognition.”

This passage set the premise for the entire book.  He had moved on but was called back to Lewis and had to deal with folks there whom he had not seen in many years.  Most were doing the same thing they had done when he left.  This could have been my hometown—without the rain and wind!

“A sepia world. I grew up in the sixties and seventies, and my childhood was purple.”

I liked the idea that the main character, Fin Macleod, referenced colors  and also included music to go with much that occurs in the story.  I would have added that in this case he might also have added in Bon Jovi’s You Can Go Home Again as that was exactly how he managed to solve his life’s mixtures of pain, grief and living.  Purple could have been Hendrix’s Purple haze but in this case I think it meant more than the color of the house he grew up in. I think it refers to the deep underlying issues that had remained unresolved from his past. What might have appeared pretty, even a royal color was actually years of hurt.

“Life went past you in a flash, like a bus on a rainy night in the Ness. You had to be sure it saw you and stopped to let you on, otherwise it was gone without you, and you would be left with a miserable walk home in the wind and the wet.”

Too many of the characters in the book forgot to get on the bus.  They harbored resentment, carried secrets and spent their lives amidst the wind and the wet.

It was no good looking backward, even if you had no notion of where it was you were going.

When Fin left the island he did not look back.  He had no idea where he was going and even when he returned as a policeman, he was still undecided where he wanted to end up in life.  He was taking classes to give him more options.

“The trouble with jealous revenge is that while you might inflict hurt on the other party, it does not lessen the effect of the hurt you are feeling.”

Artair, Marsaili, Angel—so many did things to others because they wanted revenge. In the end it did none of them any good. It led to death, destruction and both emotional and physical harm to those who did not deserve such treatment.

The world is like the weather, Marsaili. You can’t change it. And you can’t shape it. But it’ll shape you.

Weather was such an integral part of the book.  Wind, rain, wet, high seas and storms were everywhere.  If I lived there I would probably be in a bad mood most days.  Bad things happened in bad weather and each event definitely shaped the lives of all involved.

I liked the book but was happy when it ended.  It held many surprises that I look forward to discussing with you.  What were your favorite passages? What surprised you most?

Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde

This book was an interesting read almost from the first page.  I thought the story of a man, August, taking the trip he had planned with his son who died in an auto accident was poignant to say the least.  As if life hadn’t thrown him enough, his RV breaks down.  As he worries about how the cost of the repairs might impact the rest of his trip, he runs into an interesting situation.  The mechanic will not charge him for the repairs if he takes his two young sons along on the trip with him!

As I questioned the mechanics motives for wanting his sons to go with a stranger, I also questioned a man who would take two strange boys with him.  Maybe if I had read a bit more about the author or even read a review of the book prior to beginning my skepticism might not been so questioning!  Once I learned that the father was going to jail and didn’t want his kids going to a home while he was “away” it made more sense.  It did not take me long to see what was in it for August.

I liked August from the beginning. Maybe it was the fact that he was a teacher who loved to travel during the summer.  Having spent many years enjoying just that very thing, I could relate.  Taking the boys along would give him company and enable him to experience the trip through the eyes of young boys as his original purpose for the trip had been to share with his own son.  The boys would get to see things they would not otherwise and would not be in home for the summer.  I liked the way he clued in on things that were important to Seth and how he got Henry to talk.  The dog was an integral part of the relationship between August and the boys.  When he realized Seth wanted to document every stop and interesting thing, he bought each a disposable camera and then let Seth use his own digital camera.  When he realized henry had blisters on his feet from hiking, he bought them proper socks.

As the story develops we learn that August attends AA meeting regularly. Seth asks to go and we learn that his dad, Wes, is not in jail for one offense but repeated offenses for DUIs.  It surprised me that August went to AA but I understand his reasons.  Wes did not surprise me.

Through his act of generosity, August gave the boys their lives.  Seth developed into a great climber, Henry found his voice, albeit a bit late than one imagined!  I more than half expected the boys to go to live with August in San Diego but they did not.

Every story has multiple parts and this book is no different. August saved the boys and they would return to save him.  He becomes ill, has to sell the RV and Seth says he wants to buy it.  He and Henry come to pick it up and drag August along for “on last trip” or so August thinks.  Their final destination for the trip is no surprise to anyone but August.  Nor is the end of the book.  He allowed the young men to grow into who they are despite an alcoholic father. They appreciated his efforts and would reciprocate as long as it was necessary before taking one last trip—to spread August’s ashes along the way.  Definitely a feel good book!

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

This is an interesting book based on the simple, yet very complex lives of two children during WWII.  At first you assume they are leading separate lives with no possible connection.  However as the novel progresses one begins to see how intertwined their lives are.

Marie-Laure LeBlanc lives in France.  Paris to begin with and then as the Nazis approach she relocates to Saint Malo, which upon investigation is found in Brittany.  She begins the story with sight but rapidly loses it due to illness.  Her fascination with everything is enchanting.  She is particularly interested in snails, shells, pine cones, etc.  I imagine it is due to the distinctive nature of each object.  Like many who lose one ability or another, she is afraid to try new things until her father builds her a replica of her community.  For each birthday he would build her something miniature with a surprise inside.  This becomes very important as the story develops.  As she learns to maneuver the streets like she does her birthday presents her confidence increases.  This preparation will not only enable her to survive when she is transplanted to Saint Malo but will help her to avoid the perils of war as many could not.

In Germany is Werner Pfenning, a young boy of a similar age living in an orphanage with his sister Jutta.  He is as fascinated with mechanical things as Marie-Laure is with snails and shells.  He is especially gifted when it comes to radios.  This love of getting radios to work and listening to broadcasts with is sister is the connection between Werner and Marie-Laure. Werner and Jutta are listening to broadcasts from Marie-Laure’s grandfather.  The broadcasts include a science lesson and classical music.  It is all in French which Werner also speaks and so does the Frau who runs the orphanage.

Their two lives will coincide again when Werner, a German soldier, encounters Marie-Laure and realizes the connection between the broadcasts he listened to as a child and the young girl he meets while looking to find illegal radios.  His decisions have a lasting impact on both their lives as they exchange something of value to survive.  The true nature of this is seen in the final chapters of the book.

The story has plenty of everything—drama, war, espionage, disaster and horrific events.  It is a story that could be true of just about any two children growing into adulthood during WWII.  While Doerr does not dwell on the horrors of war it is easy to experience them without having to go into each terrible detail.  Sometimes less is more and he uses this perfectly. 

This book is a story within a story within a story.  In the end it simply a story!

Little Bitty Lies by Mary Kay Andrews

I am not certain why this book intrigued me from the very beginning. Several of our more recent selections have taken a while to get into but not this one.  Maybe it was because it is a little bit Desperate Housewives or Hart of Dixie and even a touch of Peyton Place.  Maybe it is because while it is a novel, I can see women having to determine what to do when the life they know disappears in a second.  For whatever the reason, I enjoyed this book.

Mary Bliss is the proper Southern woman.  She does her job, even makes homemade food to take to her nursing home bound mother-in-law whom she realizes can’t stand her. She does everything correctly because that is how she was raised.  Then the bottom drops out of her life. Her husband abandons her, taking everything except their daughter.  Faced with losing the house, unable to pay her daughter’s tuition and wondering where her next meal would come from, she does what any woman would do.  She got a job.

Mary Bliss working in the store handing out samples proved just how far she had fallen.  No society woman in Atlanta would take such a job.  I laughed that she showed up in heels and thought she would make $22.00 per hour handing out samples.  This only adds to her naiveté and makes her more endearing.  Still she is a principled person and does not let the job get her down.  She will be the best at whatever she determines.  One line in the book sums it all up —Nobody lets that girl do anything! She will do what she puts her mind to.

Katherine is another story. She too sets out to get her way any way she can. When her husband leaves her for another woman she sets out for revenge. In the meantime she remains a true friend to Mary Bliss. She helps her figure out finances, plan a death and stands by her the entire time. She connives to regain her own husband—successfully, I must say. 

Erin is the abandoned daughter. Her story is far too common these days.  Taken advantage of by a coach, abandoned by her father and then by the coach, blaming her mother for all that is wrong in her life.  While her behavior is not ideal, it is understandable.

Synopsis of other characters:  Or just an assessment of them!

Matt-good guy who saw something he wanted and found a way to make it happen.  Good man, promising that the future will be brighter for both Mary Bliss and Erin even though they may not realize it now.

Charlie-even though he did leave Katherine for a younger woman, he did come back. He was willing to overlook the faked death and help Mary Bliss get everything in order by book’s end.

Parker—horse’s ass. Couldn’t take his own life so decided to ruin everyone else’s.  Was he in a relationship with Russell?  My guess is yes given the fact that he was living in the Keys and everything was in his name—just my two cents worth.

Randy—good guy who lets others take advantage.  He has twice gone back to his less than faithful wife.  Did she really make that much more money than him that is was better to stay with her cheating self than to go out on his own and raise his kids in a good, stable home? He was a good neighbor, was trying to raise his sons correctly and deserves better than Nancye who slept with everyone.

Eula/Meemaw—reminds me of my Granny without the two million. Ornery as the day is long, strong as an ox and stubborn.  Still when it came down to it she realized that Mary Bliss was the rock in the family and her son was not the sunshine in the sky every morning.

Mary Bliss is a strong woman or as is the southern was a GRITS girl.  She stood up for herself, did what she wanted even in the face of public ridicule in the community and put her family first.  Most people would have let Eula wither away at the nursing home due to her own spitefulness. Mary Bliss did not. She took her responsibilities seriously and helped those she could.  She held on to her confidence, her sense of right and wrong and tried not to judge others unduly.

Shocking moments include the renewal of relationships in “Split City” everyone who was spilt got back together and her marriage, which she considered the only stable one around, was the one that ended.  Poetic justice or just the way life works out?