Away is the story of Lillian Leyb, a young Jewish woman who flees to America in 1924 after her husband and parents are killed in a Russian pogrom. Once in America Lillian learns that the daughter she thought she lost may be alive, and she embarks on any number of adventures, including involvement with one of the most powerful men in the Yiddish theater and an African American prostitute in Seattle.
This is one of those books that I can't really say I loved, but I really wanted to see what happened to Lillian next, and how she survived it. It's not a pretty novel, and it doesn't make you feel very good about the human experience. That Lillian survives her adventures is truly a miracle. I would compare it to Winter's Bone for its stark and brutal portrayal of people and their lives.
Amy Bloom is an interesting writer, and I enjoyed her style once I got used to it. She uses language beautifully, and I enjoyed her humor and lack of sentimentality. And Lillian is a very interesting character, both strong and vulnerable; you really hope that everything works out for her in the end.
Away
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Alias Grace
Sometimes (usually) with the Nook, library books that I want aren't readily available, I have to put holds on them because they only have 1 or 2 electronic copies. So I will search for ebooks that are available. That's how I came upon this Margaret Atwood novel that I never read, and I am really glad I did.
Atwood bases her novel on the very real Grace Marks, a 16-year-old servant girl convicted of murder in Canada in 1843 and sentenced to life in prison. It was a sensational story at the time, and Grace served nearly 30 years before being released from prison. Atwood turns Grace from a picture in an old newspaper to a living person, with all the complications most of us have (and some that are just strange enough that they could be true). She uses her formidable talent to create a character who is both sympathetic and untrustworthy, and altogether likeable.
Atwood also uses the novel as a commentary on the plight of women in the 19th century, and on the penal/asylum/service establishments they were often victimized by.
This was a really great read - as always, Atwood drew me in and kept me turning pages until the very end.
Alias Grace
Atwood bases her novel on the very real Grace Marks, a 16-year-old servant girl convicted of murder in Canada in 1843 and sentenced to life in prison. It was a sensational story at the time, and Grace served nearly 30 years before being released from prison. Atwood turns Grace from a picture in an old newspaper to a living person, with all the complications most of us have (and some that are just strange enough that they could be true). She uses her formidable talent to create a character who is both sympathetic and untrustworthy, and altogether likeable.
Atwood also uses the novel as a commentary on the plight of women in the 19th century, and on the penal/asylum/service establishments they were often victimized by.
This was a really great read - as always, Atwood drew me in and kept me turning pages until the very end.
Alias Grace
Friday, March 2, 2012
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
I probably would not have picked up this novel if it hadn't been recommended by my friend Rita. I've never read anything by Tom Franklin, and I tend to read novels by women. But this story of the lives of two men in small-town Mississippi drew me in, and I just couldn't put it down until I learned what happened.
In 1982 Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones were boyhood friends, despite their differences: Larry a poor, shy, outcast white boy; and Silas, a very poor, baseball star, black boy. But they had a connection, and enjoyed spending time together, until their parents found them out. Then Larry takes a girl out on a date and she never comes home, and he's branded a rapist and murderer, despite there being no evidence and him never serving any time. Silas, meanwhile, leaves to play baseball at Ole Miss.
Fast-forward 25 years, and Larry is the town outcast, labeled "Scary Larry" and living a life with no friends and very little human interaction. Silas has returned as the town constable. They both pretty much keep to themselves, until a local rich girl goes missing, a drug dealer is murdered, and Larry's past makes him once more a suspect.
Yes, the book is a murder mystery, but it's much more than that. It's about coming to terms with your past, and about being honest with yourself about who you are. It's about forgiveness, and redemption. And it's just a really good story about some really interesting characters. I definitely recommend it.
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
In 1982 Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones were boyhood friends, despite their differences: Larry a poor, shy, outcast white boy; and Silas, a very poor, baseball star, black boy. But they had a connection, and enjoyed spending time together, until their parents found them out. Then Larry takes a girl out on a date and she never comes home, and he's branded a rapist and murderer, despite there being no evidence and him never serving any time. Silas, meanwhile, leaves to play baseball at Ole Miss.
Fast-forward 25 years, and Larry is the town outcast, labeled "Scary Larry" and living a life with no friends and very little human interaction. Silas has returned as the town constable. They both pretty much keep to themselves, until a local rich girl goes missing, a drug dealer is murdered, and Larry's past makes him once more a suspect.
Yes, the book is a murder mystery, but it's much more than that. It's about coming to terms with your past, and about being honest with yourself about who you are. It's about forgiveness, and redemption. And it's just a really good story about some really interesting characters. I definitely recommend it.
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
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