Karen’s Blog

All the Fishes Come Home to Roost: An American Misfit in Indiaby Rachel Manija Brown

I picked this book up at the BEA just because of the title, figuring anything with fishes “roosting” had to at least be interesting. I hadn’t noticed the subtitle at the time, which gives much more of an indication as to what the book is about. This is a memoir of an American child whose parents decided, when she was seven, to move to an ashram in Ahmednagar, India. As a seven-year-old, who was already reading at college level, she was a bright child, so knew what she would be missing. Her parents were followers of “Beloved Baba,” and her mother’s seemingly never-ending quest for happiness prompts the move.


“Mani,” as her parents call her, writes a very interesting memoir of her life from that point forward. If you ever had any daydreams about how wonderful and simple life would be in rural India, this will disabuse you of that notion pretty quickly. The authors is a sharp observer of everything around her, and as the only child in the ashram, is even more of a misfit than even her parents.


And if she left the compound, the local children would throw rocks at her, so her only solace was the Catholic school she attended, but even there, as the daughter of a mother who constantly chanted to “Baba, Baba, Baba will help us,” she found the mandatory religion class puzzling. She struggles as all kids do, figuring out her place in the community and the world, even as her parents’ marriage falls apart, and she and her father (and, it turns out, her future step-mother and her father’s business partner) move back to America when she is 12. She spends enough of her life in both places to never feel quite at home in either. As an adult she returns to India, and tries to figure things out.


All in all, it is a fascinating book, though one is glad not to have lived her life, though it is not as horrifying as I may have made it seem, more confusing and frustrating. And there are no “fishes” in the book at all, the title comes from something her step-mother says, and the step-mother doesn’t even “get” her protest that “fishes don’t roost!” or care.


The last paragraph of the book is really the best, and why I gave a copy of the book to my journalism/communications major niece. If people interest you, you might enjoy this memoir as well.

Hot Blooded by Lisa Jackson

You know an author has made it, when before you even see the “New York Times Bestselling Author” on the cover, you notice her name is set in a (much) bigger typeface than the actual title of the book. So it is with Lisa Jackson. She’s a mystery writer, and I have read, and enjoyed, her work before.


This is a mystery in the classic sense. Strong woman main character, but with a “past,” male villian who is completely evil, and other targets to lead up to the inevitable confrontation. As is often the case in such novels, the other murders before the main character is threatened are prostitutes, and the main character, Dr. Sam, A.k.a. Samantha, is not only wealthy but beautiful, and a celebrity - a radio talk show host and psychologist. And single, of course, so there is the requisite tension between the love interest, the villian and the reader getting to figure out which is which, and how they all fit into the equation.


All in all, a quick read. Fun if you like murder-mystery books, and it will keep you guessing. It is also set in Lousiana, so there is plenty of “local color,” and we all, because of Hurricane Katrina, even have heard of Lake Ponchetrain, not just New Orleans. Plenty of R-rated stuff, so not for the kiddies, and Jackson does sustain the tension until the very last chapter, and the reveal.


If you like mysteries, you’ll like this!

Confessions of a Deathmaiden by Ruth Francisco

The book starts out seeming science-fictionish, as the whole “deathmaiden term is the job description for the main character. A deathmaiden is the opposite of a midwife - instead of ushering a new person into life, the deathmaiden helps them “cross over” and have a peaceful death. And while this is important to the telling of the story, the it doesn’t veer into a mystical otherworld. And in fact it gets more interesting as it becomes a murder-mystery, very much grounded in the real, contemporary world.


I do love fiction that teaches me something in the process of telling me a story, and while reading this book, I learned more of Mayan and central American history than I had known before. And I also appreciate when an author describes a place, a real place, well. Because I have been to the Getty Museum, and her descriptions of it rang true, it was easy to buy into her descriptions of places I’ve never been, and pieces of art I’ve never seen.


A good story, well-written, I’d recommend it more to mystery/detective story lovers than science fiction or speculative science fiction readers, though it does contain quite a bit of information about genetics, only some of it ‘tweaked’ for the story.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

A really cool novel, a well-done mystery, this not one of those formulaic who-done-its. The heart of the story is based around storytellers, writers and books, so it was easy to jump right it. The narrator, Margaret, is a single woman who lives above the London bookshop she and her father run. Their primary business is in antique or rare books, and she has grown up reading more than socializing. Her mother’s illness kept her from ever making many friends, and books have been her companions.

She is summoned to interview - and write a biography for - a popular, famous and famously reclusive novelist, one whose works she has never read. She is surprised to see books by Vida Winter on the shelves of the store, and her father owns one of the rarest copies, a set of 12 short stories that are labelled The Thirteen Tales. The book is rare because it was supposed to have been recalled and destroyed, with a “12 Tales” cover on it instead. Because of the popularity of Ms. Winter’s other books, endless speculation has gone on over the years as to what the 13th tale was meant to be. She has kept silent, until, facing the end of her life, she summons Margaret for her final story - her own.

As the tale unfolds, set early last century with murder, sex, insanity, unrequited love and incest at its heart, Margaret learns more than she thought she would both about the prickly, demanding and reclusive author, and herself. It’s really a fascinating story, and zips right along. And I didn’t even guess the mystery at the core of the piece until it was revealed, so that was a pleasant - though not cheerful - surprise.

I highly recommend it, it’s an unusual, dark little tale with a redemptive ending.

The Vampire Within, The Beginning by Drew Silver




This is the “first book” in a trilogy, and it sure seems like it. As this was a book that I got at the Book Expo, I was surprised to realize it is the actual book, not a galley or a review copy, as it is set in typewriter-like font, which is okay to read, but makes it seem less serious than a traditional font. That’s just one of the reasons it seems less than serious.


But it isn’t meant to be campy, from what I can tell. Everyone in it is a sincerely drawn character, even if they are all characters you would recognize. They are all college students, so we have the studious ones, the “jerky jocks,” the “devoted couple,” the “party girl,” the “lesbian,” “poor little rich girl,” - you get the picture. And of course the Evil Professor.


I normally like vampire tales, but this one kind of bugs me, as it strains credulity a bit too much. The Evil Professor is turning people into vampires to increase their abilities - strength, intelligence, curing illnesses like asthma, diabetes, acne, etc. This is how he lures students into signing up - that and a paycheck. Oh, and he uses a serum to turn them, it isn’t initially a neck bite, and they are not told they’re going to be vampires. But he’s been doing this for years and no one has noticed? Do none of these people have parents or families? Hello?


So our plucky band of heroes decides to try to infiltrate and take down this Evil Plan, but of course gets caught up in a battle, some get infected, others volunteer, and then the book ends. Sure, usually the first book of a trilogy has some leading questions, but this one just stops like it hit a brick wall.


I guess I’d rea the next chapter - I mean book - if I was given it for free, but it seems more like a cheesy made-for-TV horror movie than a book. In fact, with little effort I could mentally cast current TV personalities to fill each role. Don’t bother with this one!

Fatima’s Good Fortune
a novel by Joanne and Gerry Dyansky

Okay, there are no fairies or magic involved, but this is just a very sweet story with a nice happy ending. That’s why I say it is like a fairy tale, as it actually has an ending, and certain individuals do live happily ever after, and some events stretch credulity a little, but don’t let this dissuade you. I still smile seeing this book in my pile.

The Fatima of the title is a plain, ordinary Tunisian woman who comes to Paris, France to replace her much more slender and fashionable sister Rachida, who died suddenly (falling skylight on the head) while working for an elderly French countess. See, fairy tale-like, right? But Fatima is niether slender nor fashionable, and while her own habit of listening to her neighbor’s troubles and quietly advising them brings them comfort and happiness, she is not happy herself. She had been married, not very happily, but her husband has moved to America years before, and recently sent divorce papers so he can marry an American woman. So she is known as an unlucky woman in her Tunisian village.


The Parisian Countess is demanding and exacting in her ideas, even regarding her elderly poodle, but she is not the evil witch she first appears to be cast. She and the normally calm Fatima have a rough time at first, but the way their relationship evolves is at the heart of the story. Fatima’s gentle presence helps many she encounters, and lives are changed. We discover Paris through Fatima’s eyes, and it is obvious the authors love the city, and its neighborhoods and eccentricities. And though she misses her warm, beautiful home country, Fatima finds a new life for herself, and an unexpected romance and dare we say good fortune for her and her newfound friends ensues.


It is a sweet little book, with completely lovable characters, and it just made me smile. I recommend it!

Coldwater Revival by Nancy Jo Jenkins

A lovely story, set in the early part of the last century, Coldwater Revival is the story of Emma Grace Fallin, a young woman from a large Irish family in rural Texas. A sympathetic main character, and colorful characters lighten the heavy story of a family’s tragedy and how the family copes - or doesn’t - with the aftermath, and how it affects their faith. At times it is a little obvious in evangelizing the reader, but it isn’t too distracting overall. A sweet little romance, with a stubborn, willful young woman at the center, and it stays G-rated in content as well.



It is published by Cook Communications Ministries, so makes no bones about being Christian in tone, but it isn’t very “preachy,” so don’t let that keep you away from a nice story.

Edison & the Electric Chair by Mark Essig


 


This was an unexpectedly fascinating book. I had no idea that Thomas Edison had anything to do with the invention of the electric chair, but as soon as one reads the title, it is obvious that he would. As a disclaimer, by the way, I am the daughter, sibling and aunt of different kinds of engineers, and while I am not an engineer, it does interest me. Dad is a retired stationary engineer - that’s what they call the folks who run power plants, so I was always taught - from earliest memories - to respect electricity, not play with it, and to conserve it.


Thomas Edison we all know as the Master Inventor, light bulb creator, proponent of electricity, and pioneer in many varied fields. An all-around amazing guy, if not necessarily the nicest person in the room, certainly the smartest.


The book traces the whole history of electricity in the New York area - I had no idea what chaos existed in the early years, with competing providers running overlapping and dangerous wires overhead in the city. One of the photographs contemporary from the period is a horrifying maze of wires criss-crossing the sky, and it is no wonder that people regularly died when working on them.


Combine this with the controversial subject of the death penalty, which was before this time usually in a public spectacle by hanging. Add in the politics of New York City, rivalries both in scientific and business pursuits, corporate espionage and accusations, the legal system and patent law disputes, the extra-large personalities of Edison, George Westinghouse and their contemporaries and rivals, and those concerned about how the best, most painless and swift method of executing a person, and you have a truly fascinating book.


I heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in the death penalty, American history, engineering, business or politics. Or even just anyone interested in a good, true story! It is not for the sqeamish, though, as there is obviously discussion of the particulars of killing animals and then people with electric current, and it was not always an instant success.

I pulled these two books out of a box on the same day, and because I didn’t post yesterday, figured I’d give you a two-for-one today. The books sound so similar by their titles, yet are very, very different.

How To Meet Cute Boys by Deanna Kizis

This one is exactly what it seems from the title. It is Chick-Lit in every sense. A fun little entirely predictable story, good for reading on a day when you don’t particularly want to think. The main character is, of course a single, thin, attractive young woman in a “fun” job - she’s an advice columnist for a “girls” magazine. So various excerpts of her “articles” and quizzes are included, all the sort of stuff no one over the age of 14 really takes seriously, you know the kind I mean. Not very deep, but at least it’s a quick read.

******

The Great Husband Hunt by Laurie Graham

So I figured from the title this would be another piece of chick-lit fluff. Don’t get me wrong, I am female, and some days enjoy a bit of fluff. This, however, was not that. This actually counts as a novel. Rather than being just a “girl meets boy, girl pursues boy, girl wins boy” that you might expect, this is a wide-ranging tale of a rather interesting, if not terribly likeable, woman, from girlhood through adult.

Poppy Minkel is a willful child growing up in a wealthy family in New York City, being carefully schooled to wear bands to flatten her ears, spend torturous times trying to tame her wild hair and do other thinks so that she will be able to catch a good husband. She doesn’t attend school, and while she does have an older, about-to-be married sister, Poppy’s world revolves around herself, and her own ideas. Her father is killed when the Titantic sinks, and Poppy’s carefully planned existence - a plan she never intended to follow anyway - is turned upside down a bit.

She goes merrily through life, marries whom she wants without a whole lot of thought, gets pregnancies “taken care of” with little care, and basically does what she wants when she wants, through two World Wars, a couple of husbands - one married then discarded, the second killed in a car accident, and gives birth to two daughters, whom she doesn’t seems to care an awful lot about either. She sends them off to her sister, then takes them back when other people assume she must be missing them. No surprise they grow up pretty miserable.

She lives an enviable sort of existence, I suppose, learning to fly a plane because it seems fun, travelling abroad, going to France, settling in England, tracing her connection to the British Royal family through her second husband, and basically having a good time. But all-in-all, she seems too completely self-absorbed for example even be aware that, because she is ethnically Jewish, though never bothered to learn or practice Judaism, her life is in danger as Germany invades France during World War Two. In that instance, and others, those around her are always more aware, and more careful, and keep her out of harm’s way, without her ever realizing that she was in danger, never mind expressing gratitude for their help. She just seems to live without a moral compass, or morals, and doesn;t even know she’s not normal.

A decent book, but I just didn’t like the main character, or even hate her. So read the book if you want, but it’s like coming away from a decent meal with a lingering unpleasant aftertaste … I can’t really recommend it.

The Glory Walk by Cathryn E. Smith

Sounds depressing from the title I gave this post, doesn’t it? I expected it to be horribly sad and frankly didn’t really want to read it, but I make myself at least try to read whatever I pull out of a box. I have been through watching elderly loved ones die, as I grew up surrounded by a host of Great Aunts and Great Uncles from all sides of the family. And I have seen Alzheimer’s take someone from us, piece by piece, bit by bit.

But this book was very well done. The author’s father is the one with Alzheimer’s disease, and she does a good job interspersing childhood memories with daily reality as his illness progresses, through his death and the aftermath. She gives us her sister and her mother’s viewpoints as well, as they deal with her great tall father becoming less and less capable and less predictable day by day. The love they share for him clearly sustains all three woman, and even though the book has its sad times, and we witness the frustration and anger both her father and family go through, it never becomes bogged down. Poetry, news articles and even music are included to both help the reader understand, and shift the mood of the piece. What is well done is that different voices are set in different fonts, but it is all subtly done, so your brain picks up - “Ah, childhood memory” without a hammer blow telling you. So kudos to the typesetter and designer as well.

The book is honest, clear, and a decent read, especially if you like memoirs. Don’t let the subject matter keep you away, as it almost did me.