Sold On Monday by Kristina McMorris

If you have ever read or heard of  the book The Orphan Train or your children read one of the series books in elementary school, you understand the premise of Sold On Monday by Kristina McMorris.  The twist in this novel is that the children who are shown in a newspaper article dramatizing the extreme plight of many families during the Depression were not really for sale.  They just happened to be in wrong place at the right time and were used by a young reporter determined to get his byline into his newspaper.  The story was well received and the reporter was moving up in the news business when he discovered that his picture had unintentionally caused the “sale” of two children.  The reporter’s guilt over using a “fake” picture for his article propels him into a search for the brother and sister in order to return them to their mother and to correct his egregious mistake. At first glance upon finding the two children, the reporter feels relieved because their new home is obviously with a wealthy, upclass family and their lives appear to be much improved.  Fortunately, a friend working at the newspaper badgers the reporter into further investigation of the family because she refuses to leave the kids knowing their mother wants them back.  It was at this point in the narrative that the twists and turns become very melodramatic and cliche.  Knowing that there are true stories of depression era “orphans” who suffered through painful “adoptions,” made this book seem a bit soap operalike and contrived to me. However, if you enjoy stories of moral redemption with a love story added in and then a happy ending, this book is one you will like. A true to history book would have been more satisfying personally (even though I was relieved to have a happy ending!) but this book has been heralded by many critics as one of the new books of 2019 that readers will not want to miss.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing is a difficult book to pin down in terms of the main storyline at least in my estimation.  The main character, Kya, is abandoned by her whole family as well as the small town people who openly call her swamp trash and do little to help her either as a child or adult.  Kya’s family includes a father who is a dangerous drunk, her mother who is battered and driven to mental illness, and her older brothers and sisters who can only think of their own survival and escape.  Unbelievably, by the age of 10 Kya is living alone in the swamp, surviving by selling mussels and salted fish.  This plot line could well have been the story, but there is so much more.  Nature and all that we can learn from it is a huge part of the novel.  Kya’s innate connection to the swamp and all of nature became the underpinning to Kya’s life and the only thing that never harmed her.  Teaching herself to paint, Kya begins collecting specimens (feathers, nests, grasses) and then creating beautiful pictures detailing little known insects and plants of the marshy terrain.  This too could well have served as the central theme, but again there is much more.  The cruelty of humans to other humans and the cold reality that most people will do anything to foster their own desires is perhaps the most disturbing element of this narrative. The reader observes the harsh reality of the treatment people receive  if they are different or deemed untouchable.  Living as a wild, feral girl Kya’s interactions with society are few but in many cases painful. Likewise, her fear of abandonment heightens her “flight’ reaction when people try to draw near to her.  The few times that Kya makes a connection to other people seem to prove to her that most people cannot be trusted.  In the end, Kya survives and thrives despite the obstacles the world throws at her.  This is another book that shows us the people are so easily harmed by others, but that resilience of spirit triumphs much like in nature.  The strong survive.

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

I read an article about the release of Meg Wolitzer’s newest book, The Female Persuasion, which described the publishers release party and the near jubilant atmosphere of the women in attendance.  The timing of the release could not have been better;  Harvey Weinstein and the “Me Too” movement were at the center of every news story. Women were proclaiming loudly and ferociously that enough was enough.  Men were called out for their outrageous treatment of women in all parts of society.  Wolitzer had clearly written her book about a subject that the world was finally ready to accept as reality.  The storyline of The Female Persuasion centers around a young woman who has always felt out of sync with the world.  Her parents were not typical and did not even try to guide Greer as she grew.  Greer’s drive and determination to make a difference in the world came totally from her own desires.  Going to what she felt was a second rate college because of her parents in attention to filling out financial aid forms only added to Greer’s determination to succeed.  It was while at college that this young woman suffered a sexual assault and this incident galvanized her plans to work for women and to fight the injustice of the male dominated world.  Coinciding with this decision, Greer and her best friend Zoey had an encounter with one of the most influential feminist leaders of the time, Faith Frank.  This chance encounter catapulted Greer into the feminist movement where she developed a following of her own. Perhaps this all seems like a description of a “rah rah, women are the best” kind of book, but that is really not the case.  Through Greer and her friends we observe the slippery slop of manuvering feminism in a corporate world.  The biggest question always seem to come back to “do the ends justify the means” in all situation.  Greer is crushed by her idol, Faith, who sells out to the money men and then turns on Greer herself calling her out about her own faults and self centeredness and willingness to put her own interests ahead of even her best friend.  Faith argues that women are not willing to completely move away from the “game” that men play when they undermine competitors, out maneuver partners and spend their time trying to figure out how to win.  Greer, even though she says otherwise, cannot completely divorce herself from the world and the roles that have been meted out for centuries.  This was a thought provoking novel that offers many plot lines that underscore the differences between men and women and the perceptions that people have and how they are influenced by experiences, gender and generation.  Wolitzer puts it best when she says.....

as long as women are separate from one another, organized around competition … then it will be the rare woman who is not in the end narrowed and limited by our society’s idea of what a woman should be.

The Address by Fiona Davis

The city of New York is iconic in the history of the United States.  The Big Apple has been the crown jewel of locations for the rich and famous to live for centuries.  The Rockefeller’s, The Astors, The Vanderbilts were the gentry of New York and lived in luxury in the 1800s. Luckily, the American dream was not limited to the super wealthy.  In 1879 Edward Clark began his dream building project, a place where wealthy upper middle class people could live in a communal setting where each individual family would have their own apartment, but all would share the amenities of an onsite chef, barber, cleaners, tailor and maid services.  This building was known as The Dakota. Each owner designed their apartment and added any and all features that they deemed necessary.  The apartments ranged from four rooms to twenty; there were no two alike. The Dakota was located across from a park we now know as Central Park, but it was at that time quite a distance from what was considered the heart of the city.  Never the less, the building was occupied immediately and had a waiting list of those eager to move in.  Fiona Davis in her historical fiction novel, The Address, used the Dakota as the setting around which she built her story.  In the novel, Davis wove together lives of characters who lived hundreds of years apart, but who were mysteriously connected.  The author spent a great deal of time addressing the emotional termoil that people create when they constantly seek to live up to the life of the “Jones.”  Davis also showed the destructive nature of people in dealing with others of different social class, ethnicity, and wealth status as well as the almost inherent need to maintain control and dominance over those we deem lesser or inferior.  The Dakota became the symbol of the divide between the haves and the have nots.  This book revealed much about the plight of women, children, servants and misfits during the 1880s but it also demonstrated that even though things have changed and improved for those groups, there is still a chasm that separates us.  The history of The Dakota and the people who lived in it made this book a unique peek into their lives that in so many ways mirror our own.  As readers, we are able to see the struggles of all people, then and now, as they try to find their place in the world.

One in a Million Boy by Monica Wood

Unlikely friendships, misunderstood emotions, and unexpected relationships were the central core of Monica Wood’s book One in a Million Boy.  Told through flashback,  the story is centered around a socially awkward 11 year old boy and his relationship with 104 year old Ona.  We meet these two eccentric characters when the boy arrives to fulfill his Boy Scout service requirements.  What he finds is a persnickety old woman who is known for finding fault in all the helpers who come to her house to pitch in.  However, this boy with his pention for making lists and counting everything soon becomes her friend.   The story heartbreakingly turns when the boy (whose name we are never told) dies suddenly and unexpectedly.  Once this bright, engaging child is gone,  the redemptive story of the boy’s father, Quinn, whose guilty conscious forces his decision to take over the boy’s weekly treks to Ona’s to fulfill the promise made by his son takes over.  We soon see the father had not been connected to his son emotionally or in many cases physically because he just did not “get” his son and he was selfishly chasing his dream of rock stardom and therefore was on the road.  But because of the son’s death, Quinn begins to reevaluate his life and the life of his son.  Because of the boy and his connection to their lives, the relationship between Quinn and Ona solidifies.  Because of the boy, these people find purpose and fulfillment.  This was a warm, satisfying book that gave us wonderful characters to live with and love.  Enjoy!

Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig

Ivan Doig’s prolific writing career was firmly grounded in the working class life of post war western USA.  Montana specifically was central to much of Doig’s writing.  Last Bus to Wisdom is the last novel written by this author at the age of 75 and it has been widely received as one of his best.  Filled with relatable characters, this novel centers around the orphan boy, Donal, who is sent on the journey of his life on a Greyhound bus (the “dog” bus) when his grandmother, who was raising him, falls ill and has to send him to a relative in Manitowoc.  The storyline is divided into two separate bus trips:  the first is the trip to his aunt and uncle’s and the second is his escape from the mean spirited aunt who never wanted him to come in the first place.  Each trip is filled with interesting characters who show the best and worst of human nature.  Donal’s adventures give the reader an eye witness view of this clever and mischievous young boy.  We are charmed by is imaginative stories used to entertain and rescue him throughout the novel.  There is danger at every turn it seems, but Donal manages to elude most troubles with his sharp mind and engaging personality.  Thankfully, the boy’s story is uplifting and comes to a satisfying conclusion when he is reunited with his loving grandmother in a stable environment.  If you read and enjoyed Hucklebery Finn, you will love Last Bus to Wisdom.  Donal and Huck share many of the same personality traits.  The adventures of Donal mirror Huck:  he rescues a man who will surely pay a high price for his “crimes” if he is not saved; he encounters scalliwags who take advantage of his naïveté; and he comes to realize that the world is not easy, but that if you look, you will always find good people even in the most unlikely places.  Good choice for heart warming read.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Frederik Backman

Growing up I never knew my grandparents. They all died rather young, so I never had the pleasure of listening to my grandparents' stories. I have often wondered about the stories they would have told:  crossing the ocean from Germany; the hardships of the depression and scrabbling to succeed as a small farmer in Kentucky.  They surely would have had adventures to tell too and I think I would have loved those stories best because all children appreciate quests and heroes and monsters and beasts.  In Frederik Backman's, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, we are once again introduced to wonderful characters but most importantly seven year old Elsa and her "paint ball firing" grandmother.  Elsa is a precocious, almost adult-like child who has no friends her own age and is bullied relentlessly at school.  But at home, with her granny, she travels to their magical land of the "Land of Almost Awake", speaking their own private language and enjoying and joining into adventures in each of the seven lands.  Sadly, Elsa's grandmother is sick and she dies leaving Elsa alone and heartbroken but also with a "quest" of her own.  She is instructed to deliver letters to the people she does not realize are connected to her grandmother and to herself.  Through her connections to the special people who live in her building, Elsa come to know her grandmother better; she learns to accept herself and those she thought were weird and different and unloveable; plus, she realizes her life is blessed by the "family" her grandmother created and introduced her to through her magical stories.  Granny's musings are life lessons for all of us.  Granny explained that "the real trick of life is to see that almost no one is enriely a sh#t, and almost no one is entirely not a sh#t".  and most importantly,"only different people change the world."  Words of wisdom to be sure.