The Piano Teacher

I'm not sure I particularly liked this first novel by Janice Y.K. Lee. I initially found it a bit hard to get into - the narrative switches back and forth between 1952/53 and 1941/42, but with most of the same characters. Once I got into the rhythm of the story I found it gripping, but I wouldn't call it enjoyable.

The Piano Teacher of the title is Claire, newly arrived with her civil-servant husband in Hong Kong in 1952. The 1940's part of the story involves British ex-pat Will and his Eurasian girlfriend Trudy, just before and during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during WWII. In 1952, Claire becomes the piano teacher for Locket Chen, daughter of Victor and Melody Chen, who are Will's employers, and Trudy's distant cousins. That is how Claire comes to meet Will, and to become involved in all that has gone on with him, Trudy, the Chens, and others who have been in Hong Kong since before the war.

It's a complicated story, full of intriguing twists and turns. But it's also full of questions: In a time of war, what is courage? What is honor? Is it cowardice to do what you can to keep yourself and others alive, or is it heroism? Is patriotism a valid excuse for treacherous actions? There is rich fodder for discussion here, but I'm still not sure I would call it an enjoyable read.

Day After Night

I really enjoyed this novel by Anita Diamant, which tells the story of four Jewish refugees in an internment camp in Israel just after WWII. These four women, Shayndel, Leonie, Tedi, and Zorah, all survived the Holocaust in different ways, but all are dealing with similar feelings of loss and guilt.

The characters are very real, and very likeable, and I enjoy how they relate with one another and, through their relationship, help each other deal with their feelings in order to start the healing process. Although these are four very different women, they all have their share of courage, and vulnerability, and humor - none of them is one-dimensional. The fact that they are multifaceted makes them real, and makes it that much easier for the reader to become involved in their story.

Aside from being the story of how four women help each other through a difficult time, Day After Night is also the story of the rescue of 200 detainees from the Atlit prison camp. I have to admit my ignorance, I had no idea the Brits detained Jews who immigrated to the newly-created Jewish state as “illegal,” unless they had papers or could prove they had family there. The Brits even tried to prevent non-European Jews from entering Israel: when a group of Iraqi Jews enters the state across the northern border, they are imprisoned separately from the others, with the assumption they will be sent back to Iraq.

This is a beautifully told story, well-written, and hard to put down. I highly recommend it.

The Widow's Season

I really enjoyed this first novel by Laura Brodie. It's the story of Sarah, a 39-year-old woman whose husband, David, is lost in a storm and presumed dead. It seems that David is haunting Sarah... or is he actually alive?

Brodie really takes the reader inside Sarah's head, and I think does a very good job describing the feelings that a widow goes through, coping with the loss of her husband - particularly when no body has been found. The fact that I went back and forth a few times about whether David was actually dead or alive is an indication of how well-written this novel is. She had me going right up until the very end.

This was a quick read, because I wanted to get to the end, and the truth. It was also a good story about interesting characters, and the movement of the action through the seasons of the Shenandoah Valley drew me along as well. I would definitely recommend this novel.