The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

When a group of readers decided to head to Strasbourg for a canal barge cruise adventure, it was only natural that we would try to find a book that was pertinent to the area and its history. We cane up with a perfect book that fit that bill. In 1518 in Strasbourg, there was a frenzy among women that was called the Dancing Plague. The Dance Tree takes place in that year and has as a major plot subject the plague. However, it goes beyond just describing the time, events, and place and focuses on the social mores and the characters that play such a role in the novel. 

Lisbet lives with her husband Henne on the outskirts of the city. She has suffered 12 miscarriages and is pregnant again. She has memorialized those pregnancies by tying ribbons to a try in the midst of a forest. Lisbet is a an apiarist with hundreds of skeps on their property. As a result of a vicious and vindictive neighbor, Plater<  who is a member of the Twenty-One,  Henne must travel to Heidelberg to defend their livelihood against the desire of the church to appropriate the land. Lisbet is left alone with Agnethe, her sister-in-law who has just returned from seven years serving out a sentence for committing a crime that appears to be some sort of immorality. She also lives with her mother-in-law, Sophie. Her best friend, Ida is married to Plater and has a strong connection with Ida. 

 When the town brings in musicians to help tame the frenetic dancing, Plater orders two of them to stay with Lisbet. She becomes friends with Eren, who is determined to protect her. 

As the plot develops, the reader learns the secret of Agnethe and connection between the two best friends and their husbands. Not only is this a fascinating novel, but Hargrave exposes many of the same struggles and situations that women face today - 

• motherhood and loss
• marriage and obedience to men
• female friendship
• religious authority
• sexuality and forbidden love
• superstition
• women's limited power 

In the end there is some resolution, but the one concept that has changed is the way Lisbet will lead her life. She sees it through a different lens because of what has happened to her family and friends. It will be an interesting book to discuss. 

Land by Maggie O'Farrell

Maggie O'Frarrell never ceases to enkindle awe in her lyrical writing.  Page after page leaves the reader with so many memorable sentences that beg to be read over and over again. It is one of the reasons that it takes me so long to finish one of her books. 

Set in Ireland after the Famine, Land is a saga of a family headed by Tomás, a cartographer working for the British Ordinance Survey agency. He is incredibly fastidious and is intent on passing down his expertise to his sone Liam, whom he takes on his expeditions as his apprentice. The opening scenes of the novel set the stage as Tomás drinks from a holy well and suffers an altering of his personality that nears the state of madness.

Through a series of flashbacks that weigh on the present scenes, the reader is informed of Tomás' past, his meeting Phina, his wife, and his passion for the land, which in effect is the main character in the book. As he recovers his senses, he is perplexed and displeased by Liam's desire to enter the priesthood, It seems that Liam was mesmerized by Father Joseph, the priest who attempted an exorcism on Tomás. The other members of the family are introduced - Enda, the indpendent violinist, Rose, the younger daughter who is caregiver and ultimately the one to keep the household going, and Eugene, the son who shows signs of autism.

As the layers of terrain are multifaceted, so is Land. From the story of Brith, an ancient young girl whose story is woven through the fabric of the story to the family's relationship to the peninsula where Tomás builds his cottage, the reader realizes that a map does not accurately reflect the history of the place. The importance of family and how they embody tragedy and resilience are so important to reflect on and contemplate.

O'Farrell's books are not to be read quickly, but rather savored. The readers knows the characters as if they were neighbors and will ultimately shed a tear or two or a hundred.

 

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson

 There are not too many books that we have read about society following World War I.The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club gives an interesting perspective into that time with its focus on women in a small seashore town in England. Poppy Wirrall is the owner of a motorcycle courier service who is staying at the Palm Court Hotel and accidentally meets Constance who is also at the hotel aiding Mrs. Fog who is recovering from influenza. Constance rescues Poppy from a serious faux pas (wearing trousers) and the two become friends, 

The novel introduces the reader to a plethora of characters, many of whom are members of the motorcyle club and also to the families of Poppy and her mother, the venerable Mrs. Wirrall. Poppy's brother, Harris, has returned home from the war in which he lost a leg. Constance grew up a farmer's daughter, but she is educated and would love to move on from being an elderly woman's companion. As such she has followed the social norms and acts with propriety and good taste. Poppy, on the other hand, is free wheeling and throughout the course of the novel tries to bring Constance out of her set ways. 

There are so many themes that permeate the book - racism, the thwarted role of women, disrespect for the disabled, and growth after grief. Mrs. Fog rekindles a romance with a man of mixed race and is virtually ostracized from her family by her daughter, Lady Mercer who has married a baron. Klaus, a waiter at the hotel is a naturalized citizen, but fears for his life because he is originally from Germany. The women fight desperately to maintain their business or get a job, but are stymied by the fact that jobs need to go to men. Harris is denied employment opportunities because he is disabled and remarks that his brain and hand are in full working order, despite his one leg. Harris' friend Jock, struggles to overcome the loss of his family to the flu epidemic and relies on his friends. 

The novel was hard to get into and seemed slow in spots, but the insight into the mores of the times and watching Constance's growth were worth it and make it a rewarding read.  

The Frozen River byAriel Lawhon

Based on an actual event, The Frozen River, takes place in Hallowell, Maine, a small village on the Kennebec River in the winter of 1789. The body of Josh Burgess is pulled from the nearly frozen river and Martha Ballard, the town's midwife, is called to exam it and give a cause of death. She notices that there are ligature marks around his neck, leading her to believe that he was hanged. However, no rope was found near or on the body. For a small town, Hallowell had it fair share of scandals and villainous men who thought they could have their way with any woman they desired. Burgess was named by the parson's wife, Rebecca Foster,  as one of two men who raped her. The other, a judge on the local court council was Joseph North. She is pregnant as a result of that rape. 

Martha's findings were disputed by Dr. Page, a new physician from Harvard, whose opinion carried more weight than hers and the judge, one of the rapists, wh dismisses the charge of murder. Martha is a strong woman and she will not be quieted. Her position as midwife for the town's women is being usurped by Page, who is stealing her patients and who has delivered a number of still births because of his practice of treating the women with laudanum.

As the novel unfolds, a trial at a higher court ensues with the same result in the failure to convict North of rape and holds Rebecca for the crime of fornication. The number of characters who come in and out of the book were confusing at time, especially since Martha and Ephraim had so many children who also had many suitors. Lawhorn weaves the story convincingly as she leaves breadcrumbs for the reader to discover exactly what has happened. At times the reader may feel that s/he is reading a chapter out of Call the Midwife, or a mystery. 

There are two themes that came across so strongly - the power of a woman and a devoted love between husband and wife.  Martha is a force to be reckoned with. She knows right from wrong and isn't afraid to fight for the right. Through flashbacks to the beginnings of her marriage to Ephraim, she is seen as a woman who learns to read and write and to become a gifted and caring midwife. She is an advocate for justice and for her family as their involvement in the crime emerges. She fights for women who have been taken advantage of and who in the Puritanical culture face shame. 

Through the flashbacks and the relationship of Martha and Ephraim, it is hard to think of another couple in literature who are so devoted to each other. Their love is evidenced in the way they care for each other, challenging the other to be their best. Ephraim expresses extreme disappointment in a decision that Martha makes about providing medication, and it causes her to be remorseful. 
 

The Frozen River is a multilayered novel that will provide readers a wonderful way to spend some hours.  

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

I have followed Marie Benedict since her first novel. She is a native Yinzer and often speaks at events here in the 'burgh. In February she spoke about her latest book, The Queens of Crime. It was a fascinating lecture about how she became interested in the real life disappearance of an English nurse, May Daniels. With maps, photographs, and newspaper clippings, she detailed how she became invested in using the real life mystery as the basis of her fictional one. 

Set in 1931, the novel features the 5 Queens of Mystery writers from the Golden Age: Dorothy and Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy. They are a part of a London group known as the Detection Club, made up mostly of men. They feel that they are just as able to write and solve mysteries as their male counterparts and so embark on solving a real life one. The actual disappearance and investigation was actually reported by Sayers and her journalist husband. Nurse May Daniels and her friend Cecelia traveled to Bourgoune, France. They traveled by ferry from Brighton England, intending to take advantage of French shops and food. However, Daniels mysteriously disappears, after seemingly having an upset stomach, and being approached by an unknown man while sitting on a park bench. She does not return with her friend. Her body is found months later in a pool of blood.

The five queens of crime travel to France to retrace her journey and interview those who might have come into contact with Daniels. The police seem reluctant to pursue the case that they believe is one of a drug addict. In their investigation the women began to piece together another woman's disappearance that is connected with London men, the Williams father and son, and a theatre producer, Alfred Chapman. When they establish an hypothesis as to what actually happened, they concoct a plan to entrap the murderer. 

With a cavalcade of characters, the mystery unfolds to its conclusion, complete with red herrings. I had to keep myself from finding newspaper articles about the real mystery so that I didn't spoil the end of this tome.  This was a delightful read that combined mystery and historical fiction. The personalities of the mystery writers shines through as they each have a different tack to solve the case. I have not read any of Marsh, Allingham, or Sayers' works previously, but the novel has given me a new set of detectives to read. 
 

The Women by Kristin Hannah

It was surprising to me that I was able to get both a hardbound and Kindle copy of The Women so easily. They hype around this book for months was so omnipresent that it seemed unlikely that a copy would be available to read. Among my friends, who have read the novel, there were very diverse reactions. Some loved it and others couldn't finish it. I am probably right in the middle of those reactions. 

The main character, Frances Gracie McGrath, aka Frankie, decides to enlist in the armed forces as a nurse to join her brother, Fin, who was a graduate of the Naval Academy and was sent to Viet Nam. She lived with her parents on Coronado Island, CA where they enjoyed a very comfortable, if not lavish, lifestyle. Her father, a staunch male chauvinist, was quite supportive of his son's service. However, with the mantra, "Women can be heroes, too" stuck in her mind, he vehemently opposed his daughter going off to war. The depiction of what the nurses and all the men serving in-country was heart-wrenching, considering what the reaction back in the States was during their service and upon their home-coming. Frankie is thought of as an excellent nurse who becomes a major part of the surgical teams. The trauma that rockets, napalm, and close calls gives the reader pause as to what conditions were like in the jungle. 

As a major component of the novel, Frankie's romantic life is a roller coaster for sure. She has very strong feelings for Jaimie Callahan, a surgeon, who is severely wounded in an enemy attack. Then she falls head over heels in love with Rye Walsh, a friend of her brother's who was also serving. When Jamie and Rye are reported KIA, she is heartbroken and devastated. She is becomes engaged to Dr. Henry Avevedo, a psychiatrist who is working to help those Vets with PTSD, The relationships are filled with pain, trauma, and betrayal. 

When Frankie returns after her two years of active duty, she must deal with the realization that her service was not respected by those who spat at her in the airport or her parents who firmly believed that she should not have enlisted. Her life spirals into one of PTSD, addiction, and depression. The reader shoulders most of that tragedy with her as Hannah describes it in detail. 

Throughout the novel, there is one constant and that is the strong bond between two other nurses, Barbara and Ethel, who are there for Frankie in every crisis. This friendship was so deep and really the theme that impressed this reader the most. Women friends are the most faithful, dependable, devoted. They picked her up, tried  to give advice, but were nonjudgmental. They were in stark contrast to her parents who were so about show and acceptance with their country club friends.

With all the depicted horrors of war and personal crises, The Women really is not what one would call an enjoyable read, but it was enlightening, as far as the "behind the scenes" in Viet Nam. I empathized with Frankie in her PTSD, but not so much in her romantic choices. In some ways, there was the feeling that Hannah was checking off all the boxes to see how many crises a woman could endure. Unfortunately, Frankie McGrath, suffered them all.  

The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar

Chosen for the July Gables Book Club, I had a bit of time to get ahead on some reading. The basis of this novel were the letters and diaries of Johanna Bonger, the sister-in-law of Vincent Van Gogh. It was a fascinating interplay between her life and the life of Emsley Wilson, whose grandmother gives her a box containing the memorabilia. 

Wilson is an auctioneer who arranges political auctions for the rich and famous. She owns the company with Trey, a boyfriend with whom she has broken up. This complicates her life as she also deals with the hospitalization and death of her grandmother, Violet. Violet was a well-known New York City socialite and artist. After Violet's death Emsley is charged by her mother to clean out Violet's Greenwich home to make sure there is nothing that would tatter Violet's name. During this process she learns that Trey is plotting to dissolve the business and requires that Emsley come up with the million dollars to buy him out to save it. 

During this time she becomes further engrossed in the diaries in which Johanna, after the death of her husband Theo, makes it her goal to establish Vincent as an accomplished artist. Johanna finds herself a young widow with a little son and refuses to take a back seat to no one. She is an independent woman, much like Emsley strives to become. 

There are some additional, well drawn characters in the book, especially the chicken that is given to her by Violet's neighbor, Mrs. Yang. Johanna's brother, Dries, is well articulated and provides support for his sister as she deals with Theo's illness. Emsley begins to see a real genealogical connection between her grandmother and Johanna and goes to great ends to establish that relationship.  

This was an incredibly well researched book and an entertaining one. There are a number of quotes that resonate with the reader. It was especially ironic that Johanna remarked that Monet had moved to Giverny to paint water lilies and that it will be “will be the end of him in the profession.”

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

A sweeping novel of 3 generations of an Indian family, The Covenant of Water,  is one of the best books that have been written in the last years. At 765 pages, it is definitely not a fast read, but a read that will provide the reader one of the most pleasurable hours that can be spent with a book. Verghese is a masterful storyteller and possesses the gift of understanding how to craft words into a literary masterpiece. 

The novel opens a young 12 year-old girl, who will be known as Big Ammachi marries a man over 20 years her senior. She leaves her home and travels with him to Kerala and his estate, Parambil. He had been married before and has a son, JoJo. After about 7 years she delivers a baby girl, Baby Mol, who is developmentally challenged. Her husband's family has been afflicted with The Condition, a predisposition to a fear of water that is borne out by the drowning of a member of the family in each generation. Through the birth of her son, Philipose, and then, the granddaughter, Mariamma, the Big Ammachi establishes herself as the patriarch of the family. Through her eyes, the reader feels her joys and pains and is privileged to her wisdom as she guides the family.  

Part Two of The Covenant of Water introduces Digby Kilpour from Glasgow, Scotland. He has been raised by his mother, Gwendolyn, after his father disappeared when he was very young. She suffers from depression, which causes her to take her own life. Digby decides to leave Scotland and join the Indian Medical Service, where he studies to be a gifted surgeon. His story is told parallel to that of Big Ammachi's and the reader knows that their families' lives will cross paths at some point in the novel. 

To detail the intricate story lines would take about as many pages as the book itself. No character is exempt from grief and loss, one of the major themes of the novel. It is the way each character deals with tragedy that gives insight into all aspects of the human condition. In many books, the reader feels disconnect from the people about whom the story is centered. This is not the case in Verghese's book. There is joy as new babies are born and good deeds are accomplished and tears are shed as death invades the families. But Verghese also gives glimmers of hope as the characters evolve and grow.  

Added to this theme is the glimpse into the world of India from 1907 through 1977 and how it has grown from moved from primitive to modern with the advances made in home amenities, sanitation, and medical breakthroughs. It is fascinating and compelling. Not only is the reader engrossed, but s/he is also educated and enlightened. The Covenant of Water should be on everyone's To Read List. 

On 13 November 2023 we were so lucky to hear Abraham Verghese speak on his book. Without a note and in front of the podium. What a treat!

The Fraud by Zadie Smith

There are some books that beg to be reread and The Fraud by Zadie Smith is one of those books. Based on historical events surrounding the Tichborne trial of 1873, the novel is meticulously researched and craftily written.  Eliza Touchet is one of the central figures of the story and is a cousin of William Ainsworth, a nearly obscure writer of the 19th century, and also his housekeeper. In flashback and concurrent narration, it is also the story of Andrew Bogle, a Jamaican who was taken to England by Edward Tichborne. 

Throughout the novel as the events of the trial unfold, Eliza becomes the readers' eyes and ears to 19th century literary society where she entertains for her cousing, the likes of Dickens and Thackeray. Her dinner parties are renowned and anticipated. She knows, however, how dreadful her cousin's works of literature are and it is the one part of his life she does not manage. She even manages his wedding to Sarah Wells, his maid, with whom he has fathered a child. 

Although not a courtroom drama, the scenes at the trial are fascinating and show how Sarah, who is obsessed with the man who has claimed to be the the rightful heir of Sir Roger Tichborne and Eliza are on opposite sides. The Claimant has a very weak case in that he couldn't remember classmates, know how to speak French, and the presence of a tattoo, or absence of one. Eliza befriends Andrew Bogle and through him is able to decry her abhorrence of slavery and how the Americans vs. the English are handling that institution.

 Written in a serialized style, as Dickens would have,  The Fraud moves backward and forward through Eliza's life and also that of Andrew Bogle. The many locations in England often time necessitated having a map by my side to understand the travel and journeys made by the characters. It is a masterpiece of writing. Zadie Smith whom we were privileged to hear speak in September, 2023.

The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis

The Magnolia Palace falls into that genre that is historical fiction based on some semblance of fact. These novels are enjoyable to read as long as one can discern fact from fiction. For me as a reader, I tend to fact check as I read, which leads me deep into rabbit warrens!

Davis has centered her book around the Frick family, especially Miss Helen Clay Frick, whose story is well known in Pittsburgh because of their home here, Clayton,  that is here and open to the public as a museum. Henry Clay Frick was a steel magnate whose relationship with Andrew Carnegie has been well-documented. The family moved from Pittsburgh to New York where he opened the Frick Collection to display his love and penchant for collecting masterpieces. 

The novel is another that blends two stories from two different time periods into a conclusion that merges the characters together. In 1919, a young model, Miss Lilly,  is hired by Helen Frick to be her personal assistant/secretary. She lives and works at the Frick home that is tied to the Frick Collection. Her past is a bit sordid, but she manages to keep that knowledge from the family by dodging their questions, all the while knowing that at some time her gig may be up. Fast forward to 1966 when Veronica, another model from England travels to New York City for a photo shoot that is being held at the Frick Collection. 

Miss Lilly's story evolves as she is promised a sum of money by Henry Clay Frick if she can arrange a marriage for Miss Helen. Richard Danforth is proclaimed a suitable beau and Lilly sets the stage. Along the way her plans are derailed and she finds herself in a sticky situation that involves Richard. Upon the death of Henry, Helen places in his casket a cameo broach with a hidden compartment that houses a magnolia colored diamond. The cameo is a silhouette of Martha, the youngest Frick child who died at age 5.  Before his funeral, it is discovered missing.

Veronica arrives at The Frick Collection ready for the Vogue photo shoot only to discover the sexist attitude of those involved.  She is about ready to flee when the electricity goes off and she finds herself locked in the mansion due to a horrific snow storm. She is discovered by Joshua Lawrence, an intern there. The two of them embark on following clues that Helen had made up for a scavenger hunt for Richard. 

As the two stories converge the reader becomes a witness to the greed, animosity, and wealth that aristocratic Americans held as well as the mystery of the cameo. Davis reveals the tragedy of the death of Martha and the impudence of Childs Frick.  The novel conveys the devotion of Helen, not only to her father, but to philanthropy. She established the Frick Art Reference Library that provides public access to materials and programs focused on the study of fine and decorative arts, the fine arts department at the University of Pittsburgh, and the Frick Art Museum on the grounds of Clayton.

Definitely an enjoyable read with much background on an American family of note.

West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

It would seem that the Gables Book Club is heavily animal themed for 2023. Previously, it was an octopus and for this month it is giraffes. 

West With Giraffes is a novel that is based on a true historical facts and is captivating from the very first page. It opens with an aide at a VA home cleaning out the room of a recently deceased 105 year old resident, Woodrow Wilson Nickel, whom the reader learns is Woody Nickel. For the most part the novel is told in the first person by Woody both as he recounts his life as well as the events of the fall of 1938 as they are happening. 

Woody survives the dust bowl of Oklahoma and makes his way to New York to live with his Cuz, who unfortunately is killed in a devastating hurricane. 

Belle Benchley, the ground setting director of the San Diego Zoo has managed to procure a rhino and 2 giraffes from Africa. On the journey the ship on which they were being transported is is shipwrecked in the same hurricane during which Cuz is killed. The rhino is lost, but the giraffes survive. Riley Jones (referred to in the novel as "Old Man." was hired by Benchley to supervise the journey  from the dock to San Diego. He discover the girl giraffe has a wounded leg and calls in a vet to treat her. Woody sees the giraffes and is determined to follow them to California. At the same time Woody steals a motorcycle to follow them. In a turn of events, the driver hired by "Old Man" turns out to be a drunk and Woody convinces him that he, even as a 17 year old, can handle the driving of the rig and the huge crate that is carrying Boy and Girl. Enter Augusta Lowe knownas "Red", young woman who is photographing the trek for Life Magazine, or so she says. 

 

The novel moves quickly even as the journey moves slowly from New Jersey to Washington, D.C. over Skyline Drive and into Tennessee. "Old Man's" intention is to replace Woody with another driver, but circumstances create a bit of chaos and Woody convinces him to allow him to drive the entire journey. Red follows the rig in her green Packard, but there is something strange about her story that is confirmed by an encounter with the police and a man known as "The Big Reporter."

 The journey is precarious at best with detours, low clearance tunnels and challenges presented by nature and nefarious travelers they meet along the way. Because it is a novel based on historical truth, the reader knows that the giraffes arrive safely in in San Diego. The novel shifts as Woody recalls his life to his post World War II life and his return to civilian life. He is haunted by the giraffes and the journey and sets out to find Riley and Augusta. 

The journal focuses on Jones, Woody and Augusta, but it is really the giraffes that steal the readers' hearts. They seem so lovable except when it is necessary to protect their humans.  Rutledge has given them their own personalities and they take over story as the go coast to coast. Throughout the writing, Rutledge stays true to language of the late 1930s. We read words like pipsqueak, Tin Lizzie, 2-bit, and dunderheaded. 

A great selection for the book club and enjoyable read. On to Horse.

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

Ever since its publication in the fall 0f 2022, The Marriage Portrait has been at the top of my "free read" list, those books that can be read between books for book club and Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures. I absolutely adored O"Farrell's Hamnet  and was excited to delve into her take of Renaissance Italy. The novel is the very fictionalized story of Lucrezia de Medici, who at the age of 15 is married to Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara. 

The premise for the novel is attributed to Robert Browning's poem, My Last Duchess. as the Duke of Ferrara contemplates a portrait of his late wife and how her portrait is painted. The poem further intimates that the wife was poisoned, and more than likely by himself. 

Lucrezia is a bit of a hellion, full of spirit and independent beyond what was every expected of a woman of her time. This is attributed to the manor in which she is conceived, according to her mother, Eleanora, who had been inattentive the night her daughter was conceived. As a young girl, Lucrezia was fascinated with her father's menagerie, including a tiger that absolutely fascinates Lucrezia. 

The intended bride for the Duke was actually Maria, Lucrezia's older sister. However, when she dies, the honor is passed to the younger Medici. After their marriage the Duke whisks his new bride away to a villa where he intends to bide some time while he manages affairs of others in his family. The marriage is finally consummated in a scene that shows his lack of tenderness and power that he wields over his wife. She, being so young, has no idea of what to expect. O'Farrell is a master of steamy sex (reminiscent of the Apple shed in Hamnet), without going into details of the act. The style of writing by going back and forth in time is another hallmark of her writing. The reader sees the fear of Lucrezia as she suspects that she will be murdered and then back in time to witness how she got to that point. 

With the desire to have a portrait of his wife completed, the novel brings in 2 painters, Jacopo and Il Bastianino. They spend more time with her than Alfonso and Jacopo plays a very special role in her life. After years with out producing an heir, Alfonso takes her to Stellata, a fortress, without any of the servants. It is there that Lucrezia feels that Alfonso means to murder her. But considering that Alfonso has not produce even a bastard child, it would seem that the lack of an heir falls fully on his shoulders. 

O'Farrell had taken many liberties in writing this novel with it not being as historically accurate as it could have been. Her writing, tho, makes up for some of that. She is a master of the metaphor and descriptive passages. She endows Lucrezia with the power for women to be themselves and maintain power over their lives as she defies Alfonso's authority in the way she paints and her moves to outwit him. The novel was not as captivating as Hamnet, but it was a joy to appreciate O'Farrell's style of writing.  

River of the Gods by Candice Millard

 Candice Millard takes history and makes it entertaining, informative, and illuminating. She is a master of the obscure happenings in our world and has an incredible gift of researching and then revealing to the reader what she has discovered in a very approachable way. 

River of the Gods is the account of Richard Burton and John Speke, friends who would eventually become adversaries, and their quest to discover the origin of the White Nile. Until their adventure in the mid-1850s the mapping of Africa was void of the where the While Nile's headwaters were. Consequently, the answer to the puzzle was on the agenda of many of the geographers of the time. The two men's talents would seemingly complement each others. Burton, as Millard relates was the first Englishman to travel to Mecca. He was a natural linguist and pulled off the feat disguised as a Muslim. He was courageous, adventurous, and dedicated to finding the source of the river. Speke, on the other hand, was more of the typical aristocratic Englishman, who had served in the military and was distracted by his love of large game hunting. However, the two eventually became at odds with each other and tried to undercut each other's successes and discoveries.

In the book, the reader is immersed in the pains and agonies of the exploration of the African land. Millard describes in depth the illnesses and pains that the two and their caravans of hundreds suffer. Many times one thinks that no one will survive the expeditions. There is also the side story of Burton and the woman who loves him with all her might, Isabel Arundell. There is brief mention of Stanley and Livingston, but Millard stays singularly focused on the quest of Burton and Speke. Each had his own opinion, and were to debate it in Bath, but Speke died the day before. For the most part Speke was correct in identifying Lake Nyanza, a.k.a Lake Victoria as the source. 

In her lecture to the Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures group , Millard emphasizes that she really wanted to tell the story of the formerly enslaved guide,  Sidi Mubarak Bombay. He is seldom given credit for all that he did to enable Speke's journey, as are most of the enslaved Africans who make up the expedition party. Millard brings to the forefront how the men were grossly mistreated and how slavery and mistreatment were so prevalent. 

 

To conclude the book, much of Burton's later life in consulates and as a writer and husband was recounted.  For an historic person about whom I had so little knowledge, this was a great read and so informative. Millard has a gift for making history come alive and writing in a way that the reader is immersed in that history. 

The Engineer's Wife by Tracey Enerson Wood

Selected for the September Gables Book Club, The Engineer'sWife is an historical novel based on the life of Emily Warren Roebiling, wife of the chief engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge, Washington Roebling. She has been looked over by historians for her contribution to the construction of the bridge, a definite engineering feat.

The novel begins during the Civil War when Emily's brother introduces her to Washington and the two begin a long distance relationship until the end of the conflict. They seem madly in love and write, even if it is sporadically to each other. 

After their marriage in January, 1865 they, according to the book, moved to Cincinnati while Washington's father was working on the bridge across the Ohio to Covington, Kentucky. She showed her spunk by visiting the job site and taking food to the workers, but also learning about the bridge construction. 

They travel to Europe while Emily is pregnant in order to study the use of caissons in bridge construction. While there she delivers their only child, a son, John. Her delivery was complicated and resulted in the outcome of never being able to carry a baby again. The couple return to the United States and Washington, with his father, commence the building of the bridge. After a freak accident with a ferry, his father dies from a tetanus infection. Washington carries on the project until he developed decompression sickness, otherwise known as caisson disease. From that point on he became a virtual recluse. It was then that Emily took over the supervision of the bridge construction with a bit of Washington's guidance and a lot of studying from the books in his library. Her work came to fruition in 1883 when the bridge was dedicated. 

Throughout the book other characters are introduced, including some of Emily's family, the bridge workers and P.T. Barnum. It is this interaction that caused some consternation. In the afterword, Wood declares that relationship was fictional. Perhaps that statement should come in a foreword instead of the afterword. When an historical fiction author takes that much liberty, it becomes impossible to separate fact from fiction in other areas of the book. 

The  building of the bridge and Emily's role in it are documented and were the interesting parts of the book. Insights into the social and cultural styles of the times are also fascinating. Overall, I just wished the novel was less sensationalized and over-dramatized and I could have spent more time enjoying it rather than fact-checking.

Matrix by Lauren Groff

It is 1158 and Marie de France, seventeen and orphaned, arrives at an abbey where she has been sent to live. Matrix is the recounting of her life and that of the 12th century poet.  

She is a remarkable character and the reader marvels at the fact that she has been orphaned in France since the age of 12 and has managed her estate before being discovered. At that point she was sent to Westminister where she lived for 3 years. Believed to be the illegitimate half sister of King Henry II, she is totally enamored of Eleanor, the queen based on the real-life Eleanor of Aquitaine. She is sent to the abbey because she is most likely unmarriageable due to her largeness of frame and "no godly avocation."

Set in a remote part of the English countryside, the abbey is impoverished despite the large amount of land that it encompasses. Marie discovers this is because the tenants living on the abbey's land have not been paying rent. She makes an example of one family and after that the others fall in line. 

With Eleanor as a model of a powerful woman, the novel recounts how Marie brings order to the abbey and even the countryside. Having taken the veil, she uses her strong character and sense of right to lead the nuns as she works her way up the chains or command from subprioress to prioress to abbess. Groff begins most sections of the book with Marie's age so the reader knows how Marie is aging and becoming more powerful. 

Along the way new women come into the fold of the abbey and Marie's interaction with them and their stories add to the mature person into which Marie has developed and grown. Especially poignant is the tragedy of Avice de Chair, a novice who is sent to the abbey for having sex. She was or becomes pregnant and the description of her labor is heart-wrenching. 

Groff interweaves so many characters in and out of Marie's life and it serves to illustrate the power of a woman as well as one who is compassionate and ambitious at the same time. She makes improvements to the abbey and tends to those who are sick and troubled. The author does not shy away from descriptions and situations that may make a reader uneasy: the queer life in the abbey and the Christian tenet of women being inferior.

Matrix is a fascinating novel and demonstrates the command of prose that Groff possesses. Because of having COVID, I was not able to attend the Gables Book Club discussion of the book, but understood that I was probably the only one who liked it. It is worth a read to not only understand 12th  century life of women in a patriarchal society, but also to witness the development of a woman who can overcome life's strife with determination and ingenuity.

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

 The Nature of Fragile Things engages the reader from the very first page and continues that straight through the last page. Set in 1906 in San Francisco it combines well-researched history with mysterious relationships and endearing characters.

Sophia Whalen, an Irish immigrant living in New York City answers an mail-order bride advertisement and makes her way to San Francisco. She is met at the train by Martin Hocking, who whisks her off to city hall where they get married. He explains that his young daughter, Kat,  was still recovering from his first wife, Candace's death. It is so traumatic to lose your mother at such a young age. They go to the caregiver's home to pick up Kat and then to the new home that Martin has bought for the family. Although a bit surprised at the sleeping arrangements, Sophia understands that it may take a while before an amorous relationship can develop. 

As the months pass Sophie and Kat begin to develop a bond and Kat begins to emerge from her silence. Sophie is puzzled by the mysterious comings and goings of Martin and his reticence to share his work details with her. She meets Libby, a neighbor across the street, and the two share some play-dates with their children. Libby has become used to an aristocratic lifestyle and seems to lord this over Sophie. 

And then one day a very pregnant Belinda appears at the door, looking for a man by the name of James. She reels at the sight of Sophie and Martin's wedding picture and recognizes Martin as her husband, James. The two begin comparing stories and plan what to do. Martin returns home to find the two of them and tragic events ensue - an accident in the house and the April 18th San Francisco earthquake. With detail that leaves the reader truly understanding the dire results of the earthquake and fire and feeling compassion for all those who had to flee their homes, the days in Golden Gate park come vividly alive.

In page-turning fashion, Meissner unfolds the story of all the relationships that soon embraces the third woman, Candace. It is a novel that accentuates the power and bravery of women, the love for their children, and the consequences of one's actions as innocent or harmful as they may be. There are twists to be sure and a very revealing and shocking ending to the book. It is a very enjoyable read, many times extremely emotional with much attention paid to the setting and events of the day. 

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

There are so few books that a person reads in a lifetime that leaves such a lasting impression and are candidates for a re-read. Hamnet is one of those books. What a joy Maggie O'Farrell's account of the son of William Shakespeare was to savor. Although not much is known about the life of William in Stafford-on-Avon, Farrell bases her novel on those facts of which we are sure and creates as accurate an historical account as an author can with liberty taken to fill in the missing details.

The title of the novel gives only a hint of the scope of the book. It is much more than chronicling the short life of Hamnet. Rather it is a depiction of the relationships within the Shakespeare family. The beginning chapter of the novel sets a stage of panic as a young Hamnet searches for help for his sister, Judith, who has been come seriously ill with what seems to be the plague. He looks for any adult, especially, his mother, to come to her aid. He races furiously around the house on Henley Street and in the town and is the target of his grandfather John's abuse.

Shakespeare's Birthplace, Henley Street

 Abruptly, the next chapter transitions to fifteen years or so before the first and gives the reader the background information necessary to establish the relationships of the characters and it is in this next part that William Shakespeare is introduced. Throughout the book Shakespeare is never named, but only referred to as the Latin tutor, the husband, or the father.  Farrell has chosen to identify his wife as Agnes, rather than the Anne that many more will recognize. In her father, Richard's will she is named Agnes and it is from that document she is identified. A young Latin tutor comes to her house in the Hewlands for educating young boys as a repayment of some debt owed to the tutor's father. In the apple shed, the two kiss, eventually fall in love and plot to circumvent their families' disapproval of their union. 

Agnes' home in Hewlands

Agnes' home in Hewlands

 

In what was probably one of the most sensual scenes of lovemaking without portraying it graphically they consummate their union which results in Agnes' pregnancy. They are married and six months later, their first child, Susannah is born. Following her birth is the arrival of the the twins, Judith and Hamnet.

In alternating flashback and present timelines, the novel becomes a fascinating depiction of the life of Agnes, her children, and the effect that the death of Hamnet at age 11 has upon her and the family.

It is hard for all of them to understand and deal with his death. The Father and Husband leaves the household to seemingly help his father set up a market for his gloves. Predictably, this fails and the Father pursues his love of writing and the theatre. When word reaches Agnes that the Husband has written a play, Hamlet, she and her brother Bartholomew take off for London to glean an explanation. The last chapter of the book is poignant, tear-inducing, and heart rending. It leaves the reader to pause and consider how Agnes and the Husband will go on. 

Maggie O'Farrell's writing is so lyrical and emotional at every turn. Many times she eschewed dialogue for description, which led to an even more rhapsodic writing. A sheer gem of a book and one that bears reading again and again. It will be interesting to hear O'Farrell's talk on 22 November 2021 when she addresses the Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures 10 Literary Evenings program.

 

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate

In The Book of Lost Friends, Wingate weaves the stories of seemingly unconnected characters, one set in 1875 and another in 1987. The stories, in alternating chapters, are narrated by Hannie Gossett and Benedetta (Benny) Silva. Hannie is a slave who was cruelly separated from her mother and Benny a teacher, who goes to Augustine, Lousiana to teach in a rural and poverty stricken area in order to help pay off student loans. Although at times confusing, the novel speaks to the racism that has existed throughout the history of our country.

 The premise in Hannie's narration is a long and arduous journey to find her half-sister, Juneau Jane's father. It is a perilous trip in 1875  that involves kidnapping, stowaways, murder, and illness. Along the journey Hannie and Juneau Jane collect names of people who are searching for family members. These names come from a church newspaper that publishes letters. Before her mother, Mittie, was taken and sold as a slave she gave Hannie a necklace of blue beads that came from her grandmother. Each family member had been given a strand so that if they ever were to meet again, they would know each other as a family member. The inheiritance of the Gossett plantation - Goswood Grove is central to the plot and the journey. 

Fast forward to 1987 and Benny's story. As an unwelcome outsider to the small town of Augustine, she tries to win over her classes who have a distrust of their teacher by interesting them in the stories of their town and heritage. She knows that many come to class hungry and she tries to win them over with cookies and treats. She notices that one of her students, LaJuna is interested in reading and learning and the two find themselves bonding as they organize the books in the old plantation home next to the cottage that Benny is renting. The story comes full circle as the owner of the plantation, Goswood Grove, Nathan becomes involved with their project of discovering the names of the slaves buried on the property. Through research the group discover the Book of Lost Friends hidden in a chest outside the town's library. In a newspaper article, Hannie and Juneau Jane were identified as the two women who played a significant role in the establishment of the library. As a culmination to this discovery and project, the school staged a pageant celebrating the history of the plantation in which LaJuna plays Hattie. Nathan, once disinterested in his family's history, is won over and establishes the plantation as a genealogy and history center. 

Wingate's writing is rich, descriptive, and elegant even when describing the hardships of Hannie's journey. She introduces a copious amount of characters that at times can be difficult to place in the context of the novel. However, all play a vital role in Hannie's odyssey. The premise of knowing one's history comes through so many of the stories that are critical to the plot. One quote resonates loudly even today: 

"Just because we’re not always happy with what’s true doesn’t mean we shouldn’t know it. It’s how we learn. It’s how we do better in the future. Hopefully, anyway.”

Wingate, Lisa. The Book of Lost Friends (p. 221). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

 
 

Oil and Marble by Stephanie Storey

 

Chosen by the Gables Book Club for our April 2021 discussion was the historical fiction novel Oil and Marble.  It is a recounting of the rivalry between Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo in the first years of the 16th century. Each was working on a piece of art that would eventually define them through the centuries. Most of the members liked, but did not love the book. 

The novel is told in alternating chapters focusing on each of the artists. Michelangelo returned to Florence from Rome where his emotional sculpture, The Pieta, had recently been unveiled. It was not a triumphant return to his family, which was not enamored of his work as an artist. At the same time Leonardo had been commissioned to work on a mural, The Battle of Anghiari in Florence, while working on a dam and way to prevent the flooding of the Arno from washing out the city. The rivalry between the two artists started over the commission of a piece of stone, destined to eventually be sculpted into a piece of art. Leonardo lost that battle when Michelangelo created drawings that more impressed the city and church leaders. At the same time Leonardo meets Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a silk merchant. He is smitten with her and desires to paint her, a proposition he makes to her husband. 

Throughout the novel the reader is  privy to the hardships and struggles of both men to complete their projects. The physical pain and suffering of Michelangelo as he carves and polishes David, is intense and can almost be felt by the reader. The emotional battles of Leonardo as he falls in love with his Mona Lisa are almost as painful. As a backdrop to their hardships is the flooding of Florence, the burning of the Michelangelo home, and the conflicts of the Medicis, Borgias and the influence of Machiavelli. 

In her notes, Storey describes the liberties that she took in retelling this historical account. It was that liberty that many of the book club could not fully condone. However, for this reader, with that understanding, it was not unacceptable. Oil and Marble is an interesting read about the two men whose art is so important and well known over 500 years from its creation. The history of Florence as a city state is quite interesting and gives a perspective of life in that time frame. At the conclusion of the novel, Michelangelo meets a budding artist and encourages him. It is a direct tie-in to Storey's next novel, Raphael, which I will put on my "to be read list" for future considerations.

 

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

It is always wonderful to read a book that gives you an insight into events or people that you only know on the surface. Such was my knowledge of Hedy Lamarr - she was a glamorous movie star and that was the extent of it. I am appreciative of this fictionalized biography by Benedict to give much more appreciation of the life of a complex and intelligent woman. 

Born Hedwig Kiesler in Vienna, Austria in 1914 to a Jewish father and Catholic mother, she was always intrigued by the theatre and acting. when The Only Woman in the Room, opens, Hedy is finishing a performance of Sissy, a play about Empress Elisabeth of Austria. In the audience was Fritz Mandl who for one reason or another became enamored of her. He asks for her hand in marriage, an action which her father cautiously approves. 

The marriage in which Hedy found herself was a nightmare. Although Mandl was a rich and powerful person in Austria and he lavished gifts and gowns on her and they lived in stately homes and castles, he kept her as a prisoner. She was privy to confidential meetings with the likes of Mussolini and Hitler and at once realized the political leanings of Mandl. She methodically planned an escape, which failed. But she was not easily defeated and eventually managed to flee to London and then the United States. A fortuitous meeting with Louis B. Mayer brings her a contract with MGM and to the movie star with whom we are all familiar. 

As tensions in Europe grow and World War II ensues, she feels for the people that she left behind. Reading of the sinking of the SS City of Benares, she vowed that she needed to make a difference in the world. The steamship was used to evacuate children from Germany to Canada and was sunk by a German torpedo. Remembering the discussions from her days with Fritz Mandl she and pianist, George Antheil developed a device that could potentially jam the radio frequencies that controlled the torpedoes. They were granted the patent, but the Navy refused to adopt it, mainly because of its invention by a woman. It is interesting to note that it was adopted and eventually used during the cold war on U.S. ships. 

The fact that Lamarr was such an inventive and scientifically minded person has been so overlooked is deplorable. Benedict's novel will do a lot to rectify that and also bring to the fore that women can be both beautiful and bright. The ending of the novel brings home the dilemma which she faced

Had I, in the end, become who they already thought I was? To everyone else, I was Hedy Lamarr, only a beautiful face and lissome body. I was never Hedy Kiesler, aspiring inventor, curious thinker, and Jew. Never the self I really was underneath the many roles I’d played on- and off-screen. Or had I used the world’s perception of me as a disguise, a sort of smoke screen to distract them while I achieved my ends? Had I taken the persona to which I’d been relegated and made myself into a weapon against the Third Reich after all, just not the instrument of destruction I’d intended? I wondered if it even mattered what—or who—they thought I was, if I’d gotten my revenge against the European suppressors by funding the Allies tonight and perhaps, along with it, the redemption I’d sought. I had always been alone under my mask, the only woman in the room.

A thoroughly enjoyable read and an appreciation of a woman whose place in history should be recognized for her contributions beyond the acting world.