Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

A collection of 13 short, intertwined stories Olive Kitteridge won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Set in Maine the vignettes center around Olive, a former math teacher, her husband Henry, son Christopher, and the people who come in and out of her life. She is an overweight, gruff, and domineering woman. At times the reader can't stand Olive and her manipulative ways. At other times, we have empathy for her, and sometimes we even like her.

The stories progress chronologically as Olive and Henry age. We see her at her son's wedding, helping a young anorexic, surviving an attack, tending to a sick husband, becoming a grandmother and reflecting on life. Most of the secondary characters in the vignettes are people on whom she has had some influence, her family and students. In some of the stories, Olive makes only a brief appearance. Could this be because the stories had been published as stand alone pieces of literature? Or, is it because we need a break from the intense scrutiny that Strout imposes upon Olive.

One of the most dramatic stories, Incoming Tide, is one in which Olive, during a conversation with a former student, Kevin, who sits and contemplates suicide, witnesses a young girl slip off a steep craggy ledge into the ocean. She screams at him to hurry and save the girl from drowning. He dives into the water and tries to bring her ashore. The abrupt end of the narrative leaves the reader pondering whether she was, indeed, saved and also whether the two would be a couple after the incident. The theme of suicide is a frequent one in the book and it is interesting how each character who tenders those thoughts handles it.

Olive Kitteridge is a book that could be revisited again and could be put under a critical lens. Olive is really multidimensional despite her seeming predictability. As she ages she becomes a more lonely old woman whom the reader feels has missed out on the fun in life. At the book's end she feels gratitude and regret, but also a desire to keep living. In a poignant and insightful thought, she reflects,

"What young people didn’t know . . . They did not know that lumpy, aged, and wrinkled bodies were as need as their own young, firm ones, that love was not to be tossed away carelessly, as if it were a tart on a platter with others that got passed around again. No, if love was available, one chose it, or didn’t choose it”

Olive Kitteridge will be a memorable person in the continuum of our literary heritage - a very good read.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

From the inside flap of Ship Breaker, "In America’s Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota–and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it’s worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life. . . ."

Winner of the 2011 Michael L. Printz Award for young adult literature, the novel opens as Nailer Lopez is scavenging in the shipwrecks off the coast of a post apocalyptic world characterized by greed and environmental disasters. He is part of the Crew that must meet quota of scrap copper and metal. Nailer hits the jackpot when he discovers a pocket of oil that could be his ticket out of life on Bright Sands Beach where he lives in a shanty with his abusive and drug-addicted father. But the Fates have a different plan and an horrendous hurricane strikes the area. During the course of the storm, a luxurious clipper ship is beached and Nailer and his friend come upon it. The find that it is filled with treasures that will surely provide a means out of their horrible existence. They will have the leverage to scavenge the wealth and store the food. But in the midst of the wreckage, they find a beautiful girl, "Swank Girl," who presents them with a real dilemma. Barely conscious, she convinces them she can lead them to more wealth when she will be rescued by those who will come looking for her. But then, Nailer and Pima won't be able to take the items from the ship. Add to this picture, Nailer's father who also finds the wreckage and is determined to stand in the way of his son's good fortune.

The journey to escape leads to places beyond the shore and to the city of Orleans. Pursued by half men, masters and patrons, Nailer has one thing on his mind to save himself and his friends. It is a dystopian society that is presented. At times it seems futuristic and at other times, very much in the past. There are technological advances and genetic engineering. Political statements are made. There is the tension of a great science fiction novel and the characters are well developed and dynamic. The ending leaves the reader with the notion that there will be at least one sequel and it will be anxiously awaited.

Young adults will love this book, the excitement, and discovering a world that could be. It comes on the heels of The Hunger Games trilogy and will be as exciting to teens as those books were. It was a good book, and if I really liked this genre, a great book. I am not sure if I was disappointed by the book itself or by the fact that the book has been so hyped.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I had heard so much about this book from my friends that I was so excited to finally read it. It was the February selection for the Flower Memorial Library Book Club. As great a read as this was, it was exceptionally painful to remember the time and place in the history of our country that was so deplorable.

The Help takes place in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s. Miss Skeeter has returned home from Ole Miss to begin a career as a writer/journalist and is one of the narrators of the novel. Aibileen Clark is a black woman, about 50 years old, who works for Elizabeth Leefolt, one of Skeeter's friends. Rounding out the trio of narrators is Minny, a young maid who has been fired from more than her share of jobs and who has a tough time with the self-control filter.

Skeeter lands a job with the local paper as an advice columnist for cleaning help - Dear Miss Myrna. Since she knows so little about the subject she enlists the aid of Aibileen for answering the tough questions. She becomes close to her through this collaboration and when it is suggested by a New York publisher that Skeeter write a longer piece she comes up with the idea of a series of interviews/stories of how the black maids are treated in the town. Aibileen agrees to help Skeeter and recruits some of the other "nigra" women who spend their lives waiting on the white families of the town. Through these interviews and the narration by the three, a picture is painted of a society that embraced bigoted and prejudicial beliefs and actions.

The reader is introduced to a plethora of characters -Celia Foote, a young white woman whose station is not much above the black women, white trash, trying so hard to please her husband and break into the "junior league" clique; Miss Hilly Holbrook, the equivalent of the social bully, who in a moment's notice can ruin anyone's life, but who gets her come-uppance when she is "treated" to Minny's chocolate pie; Stuart Worthington, the young man who would be a good match for Skeeter were it not for his superficiality; Charlotte Phelan, Skeeter's mother, overbearing, but wanting nothing but the best for her daughter; adorable Mae Mobley, the daughter of Elizabeth, who is nurtured by Aibileen and virtually ignored by her mother; and Constantine, Skeeter's beloved nanny who never really appears in the novel, but whose presence is felt dramatically.

In writing each of her narrator's chapters, Stockett captured voice and point of view so that the reader has no confusion who is telling the story. Although there are some anachronisms that detract from the narrative, the history portrayed is credible and real. We witness Medgar Evers murder, Martin Luther King's historic Washington speech and the sit-in at Woolworth's. The treatment of blacks in the novel and in the south was deplorable at the least. It is unbelievable that the white society entrusted the children to the black "help yet could not allow them to use a toilet in the house for fear the family might catch a disease.

Each character grows and changes in the book. Skeeter becomes confident and comfortable with whom she is. Minny channels her feisty nature into taking her life into her own hands. Celia realizes what is really important in life, and Aibileen courageously takes a chance on a new path in her life. This book is a page turner, full of poignant moments, tough situations, and a good dose of humor now and again. It ranks as one of my favorite novels and I would encourage anyone who hasn't read it to do so. I anxiously await Stockett's next novel with the hope that it is as good as her first.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Children's literature has given us a few iconoclastic characters: Fern Templeton from Charlotte's Web, Claudia, From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Karana from Island of the Blue Dolphins, and Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke from Bridge to Terabithia. Add to that list Delphine Clark from One Crazy Summer.

One Crazy Summer has garnished numerous awards: Coretta Scott King Award for Author, Scott O'Dell prize for historical fiction, Newbery Honor Book, and a National Book Award finalist. All are well-deserved and speak to the quality of this book. I liked it much better than Moon over Manifest, the Newbery Medalist for this year.

Delphine (11), Vonetta (9), and Fern (7) Clark are put on a plane in Brooklyn in the summer of 1968 to visit their mother, Cecile, in Oakland, California. They have not seen her since right after Fern was born, seven years previous. On the bumpy plane ride they anticipate the warm welcome and hugs that they will get when they see their mother. But that is not to be. Cecile is not welcoming or affectionate. They are just a nuisance and this is evidenced from the way they are gathered at the airport, taken to her home, and virtually made to tend for themselves. Cecile asks Delphine to hand over the money that their father has given them and then sends them to Mean Lady Ming's Chinese Restaurant, down the block and around the corner, if they want anything to eat. The kitchen is off limits. She will not call Fern by name and makes fun of her clinging to her doll. Shown their bedroom, the sisters will share 2 beds among them. The visit has not had an auspicious beginning. The next morning the girls are sent to the Black Panther Community Center/School if they intend to eat breakfast.

And so the novel is set. Delphine, full of care and compassion for her sisters and a whole lot of common sense for a girl of eleven, is determined to make the best of the month that they visit in California. Cecile is a poet for the Black Panther movement and has taken the name Nzila. She is consumed with the movement and her poetry. The girls go to the center every day and learn about the movement that will forever change the complexion of the U.S and what their contribution to that movement can be. Williams-Garcia so carefully weaves history (Huey Newton, Bobby Hutton, the assassinations of King and Bobby Kennedy) and the culture of the time (Mike Douglas Show, The Monkees, Hogan's Heroes, and Mission Impossible) into everyday situations. One of the most touching scenes of the book is the day that Delphine plans and takes her sister on a tour of San Francisco. She is determined that they feel like they have been on a real vacation and she plans a tour of Chinatown, ride on a cable car, and purchasing just the right souvenirs. She is an amazing little girl.

The novel culminates in the arrest of Cecile and the girls' participation in a Black Panther Rally/Protest. This in turn leads to a real heart-to-heart talk between Cecile and Delphine. I dare anyone not to have teary eyes as the novel comes to its end. I love Delphine and I can't say that enough. Here is an eleven year old who acts as a mother to her two younger sisters, yet at the same time yearns for the protectiveness of her own mother. I love her because she is smart - after all she frequents the library for books to read and for information. She planned the San Francisco tour by doing research at the library. I love her because she knows what is right and what she must do in awkward situations. No, she didn't trash her mother's printing press, but it was right for her to clean it all up. Her character will be a part of me for a long time. I have wrestled with the idea of wanting a sequel to this book or have it a part of a new series much like the Dicey series. But then, part of me would like to just have Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern stay the way they are.

This is an important book book in the collection of children's literature because of the time period it covers and the point of view it gives. It should take its place next to The Watsons Go to Birmingham as one that can be taught in elementary grades. When history is taught in school, it often loses the personal side. One Crazy Summer captures this side in a beautifully and poetically written book. Don't miss it.

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

The Newbery Committee of the American Library Association once again surprised the library community by choosing Clare Vanderpool's debut novel Moon over Manifest as its 2011 winner. Set in Manifest, Kansas, the story takes place in 1936 during the Great Depression with flashbacks to 1918 and World War I.

We meet Abilene Tucker as arrives in Manifest by jumping off the train because it's "best to get a look at a place before it gets a look at you." She's come to stay with Shady Howard, a sometime pastor, salon owner, and bootlegger. Her father, Gideon, has taken a job on the railroad in Iowa and it wasn't appropriate for her to accompany him. Abilene is a spunky girl used to hopping trains and living without too many comforts. She arrives in Manifest the day before school is out for the summer. She meets Lettie and Ruthanne and the 3 become good friends.

Abilene discovers a little tin of momentoes in her room at Shady's. Each has an important significance in the life of the towns' people and indirectly or directly Abilene's life. The stories, told in flashback to 1918, are woven by Miss Sadie, a diviner. She is quite the character who knows the history of the town inside and out. Each time and place has its own story, mystery and excitement. I wondered if the young audience for whom the book was written would be able to follow the switching back and forth. Throughout the novel the parade of memorable characters make appearances from Sister Redempta, nun and teacher to Hattie Mae Harper, journalist and historian. Abilene must sort out the stories as she and Lettie and Ruthanne try to find a spy, understand who Jinx and Ned are, and why Abilene's father has left her. It was helpful to have a listing of the characters at the beginning of the novel.

This novel reminded me so much of others I have read: A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck, The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, Nowhere to Call Home by Cynthia DeFelice, and Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. This is a solid piece of historical fiction, though not groundbreaking. I liked the book, but did not love it. It would appeal to both boys and girls, but I think a hard sell on its own. Perhaps it is best shared by teacher reading it to his or her class.

Lincoln by David Herbert Donald

The course of history of our country is more often than not decided by the person in the leadership role of President. Could it have been different if another individual were in that position? For the Civil War era this would definitely been true. Lincoln by renowned historian David Herbert Donald is a hefty read that begins with Lincoln's birth and ends with his assassination. Donald's purpose in writing the biography was to only cover the events that Lincoln saw and in which he was a prominent figure -" what he knew, when he knew it and why he made his decisions." It was an intimidating read, but also an enlightening one.

The reader is immediately immersed into the life of the Lincoln ancestors and family, from Virginia to Ohio to Kentucky to Illinois. Abraham Lincoln left his father's household in 1831 and arrive at New Salem where he lived for six years. He was encouraged to run for the state legislature based on his hard work ethic, his gift for speech, and the need to position the future of the town within the state. And so began his political career. Becoming a lawyer through self-study and taking a place on the circuit court enabled him to become familiar to much of the Illinois population and in turn gave him a forum for his views.

I found the book absorbing for the insights into Lincoln's personality and psyche. I realize that what is presented in Donald's viewpoint and to make judgments based on that alone would not be true scholarship. However, he does cause the reader to rethink many of the "truths" that have been taught in school. Lincoln was not a leader from the get- go. His stance was to react to a situation rather than head it off. I believe that in today's world he would have had a hard time being elected to public office. He changed his stance on issues, was not particularly good looking, and lacked self-confidence.

The military history presented in the book was quite detailed and painstakingly researched. Again, what stood out was his relationship with General George McClellan and eventually with Ulysses Grant. McClellan outright refused to obey Lincoln's orders and commanded the troops on his agenda and according to his plan. Could it be that by allowing him this freedom that Lincoln prolonged the Civil War? He should have been replaced sooner rather than later. Once McClellan was replaced by Grant, Lincoln managed to, in a passive aggressive way, conduct the war in his way (p. 498.). His leadership grew as he grew in the job of President, but he never completely dismissed the fatalism that characterized many of his decisions, including the disregard for security measures when traveling or leaving the White House. Quoting from Shakespeare's Hamlet, ""There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough hew them how we will."

Lincoln believed that slavery was morally wrong, but wavered among solutions to eradicate or contain it. He thought colonization was an acceptable plan, but instead wrote and issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The process by which he did this was fascinating as he gathered his thoughts and those of the political leaders of the time. His firm belief was to save the union at all costs as he writes to Horace Greeley, "If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that.."

Finally, no biography of Lincoln would be complete without examination of his relationship with his wife and children and their mental states. Mary Lincoln was a strong-willed and extravagant woman. She loved the ability to spend money and did it with abandonment, mounting thousands of dollars of debt. Both in Illinois and Washington, Mary was responsible for family life as Abraham was absent so much of the time. She and Lincoln were both subject to mood swings and times of deep depression. The depression was deepened by the deaths of two of their sons. They were subject to severe headaches and often spent days secluded in their respective rooms. But there was a love and attachment there that often does not get communicated in writing about the President and his wife.

David Donald's portrayal has been subject to criticism by those who think he may be a bit too harsh in his analysis of the Lincoln years. Nonetheless, it remains an account based on primary sources and scholarship and occupies a significant place in the collection of Lincoln treatises.

Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian

So I took a break from Fall of Giants' 985 pages to read the November selection for the Flower Memorial Library Book Club. Chris Bohjalian's Skeletons at the Feast was a quick read, but not an easy one. Taking place at the end of World War II, it is a chronicle of the horrors and atrocities of war. Bohjalian was given a diary that belonged to a friend's East Prussian grandmother, Eva Henatsch, kept from 1920 through 1945. The novel was as absorbing as it was horrific. I was thankful that there were sections that lightheartedly broke through the darkness.

Skeletons at the Feast is a novel with 3 concurrent story lines. Taking place as World War II is drawing to a close, men, women, and children from Prussia are streaming to the west as refugees trying to escape from the Russian army. We first meet the Emmerichs, a well-to-do family who own a beet farm. Mutti and Rolf, parents to Werner, twins Anna and Helmut, and Theo. Their home, Kaminheim, is well-appointed and comfortable. Mutti is a strong supporter of Hitler and has a portrait of him hanging in the parlor. They have received help in working the land from British POWs, one of whom, Callum Finella, has fallen in love with Anna. As the family is poised to leave their beloved home for the west, Helmut and his father join up with the German army to fight in a counteroffensive mission. Werner has already left and with no word of him in months, he is presumed to be dead. Mutti, Theo, and Anna continue on with the carts full of possessions and their horses leading them. Callum goes too, often hidden under the grain and oats.

Uri Singer is a Jew, separated from his family, as the Nazis took Jews as prisoners. He finds himself on a train to Auschwitz and realizes what will happen there, tho most of the transported prisoners have no clue. He throws himself from the train, eludes the guards and eventually assumes the identity of Manfred, a Wehrmacht officer. As time passes and he struggles to reach the west and the American and British lines, he meets with the Emmerichs and joins them in their flight. He searches for his sister Rebekah and is determined to undermine at any point the German army.

The third element of the story is the plight of French refugees, namely Cecile. Cecile is a privileged young woman who show incredible character and resilience. She and others whom she meets are moved from work camp to work camp as the fighting grows closer. Through her and her friends Leah and Jeanne we gain another insight into the atrocities that were committed in this war.

Bohjalian masterfully weaves all these stories together and creates a strong and compelling narrative. His descriptions of the march, the horrendous conditions during the winter months, and the morally corrupt Red Army are vividly portrayed. At times it is painful to read. His strong craft, tho, is his character development. Each person in this novel brings a point of view that allows the reader a glimpse at this war through many different lenses. All together they present a pictures that are disturbing and yet enlightening. The romance and true love between Callum and Anna, the acceptance of Uri (Manfred) by Mutti, her realization of what the Nazis were actually doing, and the sheer courage of all remind us that we are sometimes human beings that cannot always control what goes on around us, but we can, at least, carve some of our own personal destiny. Human beings when allowed to be just that without superficial barriers, can and will find a way to survive even in the most atrocious situations.

This was an inspirational and incredible read.

Mennoninte in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home by Rhoda Janzen

October's selection for the Flower Library Book club is a memoir by Rhoda Janzen. Raised in a Mennonite family in California, she has distanced herself from many of the tenets of her religion and the church, but she does still embrace the spirituality of the life. Her father was the former head of the North American Mennonite Conference for Canada and the U.S. and her mother the glue that kept the family together as she and her sister and two brothers were growing up.

Janzen's return home to the safety of her parents' home is precipitated by a series of unfortunate events: a hysterectomy that went bad, the dissolution of her marriage when her bipolar husband finds true love with a man named Bob from gay.com, and the inability to continue to pay the mortgage on her new lake front home. Add to this a horrendous car accident that leaves her with many broken bones.

The book is really a series of essays that retrace many of the events of her childhood, her career, and the relationship with her husband. The reader is treated to family situations that are humorous and poignant. The recounting of the family camping trip in a van was especially funny as she and her sister tried to escape the wrath of killer mosquitoes. A discussion of typical Mennonite food ensues after Janzen describes the lunches and thermoses that the kids take to school. Cabbage and borscht are stables as is the "Cotletten-and-Ketchup Sandwich."

As Janzen details the relationship with her husband, it is a completely different feeling. Their relationship was on again, off again and quite stormy. She endured the verbal abuse and temper outbursts due to the bipolar disease. She watches him spend money that they don't have and suffers the indignity of losing him to "Bob the guy from Gay.com." These passages are cathartic and are some of the most powerful in the book. It's one thing to lose your husband to another woman, but to find that he is more interested in men is devastating. The fact that she finds some happy times with a man who is seventeen years younger than she is just rewards.

I enjoyed this book, but at times felt disconnected from it. I am glad that Janzen included the history of the Mennonites, but I wanted more. The vignettes and parade of characters seemed perfunctory and formulaic. And where was the black dress?

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The final book in the Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay, is an intense action adventure filled with violence, twists, politics, and propaganda.

“Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.” [Publisher's Summary]

It is especially hard to review this book without giving away most of the plot and characterization. I had a hard time warming up to this book. I loved The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, but I liked Mockingjay.

There is still the tension carried over from the first two novels in the series between Katniss, Peeta and Gale. At times I was in the Gale camp, but really secretly hope that she and Peeta would overcome immense obstacles and become the couple. One thing is for certain, Mockingjay speaks loudly and clearly against war. Kat is a pawn who will do the bidding of those controlling her. The role of the media and its part in creating or compromising reality is fascinating and a reminder to us to look through and beyond what we see and hear bombarding us on television, radio and the Internet.

As in many series, we can expect characters whom we love to die. Mockingjay was not dead and that he would come back to the story. Toward the end of the book, I wasn't sure that I could root for was no exception. I wasn't surprised at these deaths, but they hurt just the same. I did want to believe that CinnaKatniss unequivocally. I was stunned at some of her thoughts and actions. I do think Collins tried to tidy up the ending much too quickly or had prolonged the rebellion too much that the ending seemed hurried. Upon finishing the book, I really didn't know what to think. However, after some pondering, I can understand the reasoning behind her words.

War and its ramifications are despicable. What is real? This trilogy will allow you some insight and definitely a worthwhile read. .

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I finished this book nearly a week ago but have not written my thoughts because I have been nursing a broken ankle and because I am really not sure what I want to write. (Is that the percocet influence?) I was engrossed in this first novel of Larsson's trilogy and often wondered where the next turn was going to take the reader. Although it was a long read, it wasn't onerous.

The novel has a number of plots and subplots. It opens with the delivery of a framed flower to an aging Henrik Vanger which sets the stage for the first of the subplots. Vanger, an industrialist and financier, is uncle to Harriet Vanger who disappeared 36 years ago. Was it a result of an abduction, murder, or an escape on the young girl's part? Mikael Blomkvist, a financial journalist for Millennium Magazine, has recently written an exposé that results in him being charged with libel, convicted to a future prison term. Lisbeth Salander ( why did I keep reading salamander?) is the girl with the dragon tattoo and an incredible computer wizard and investigator. Add her to my list of wannabee likes - Abby from NCIS, and Penelope from Criminal Minds. Salander is hired to do a background check on Blomkvist by Vanger and as a result the paths become intertwined.

The novel is superbly crafted by Larsson. There are just enough hints to allow the reader an insight into the mysteries and investigation and more than enough twist to keep one from feeling comfortable in playing detective. The violence in the book is more than disturbing as are some of the situations in which Salander finds herself. I am not sure that the way she handled the encounters with her guardian was in the best interest for her or the guardian who was completely despicable. I had a hard time picturing the romantic interest between her and Blomkvist. Maybe I am just not as enlightened to the times as I should be. After the mystery has been solved, the revelation of the resolution fills nearly 100 pages. It was shocking and disturbing. Do business interests and "the bottom line" really trump morals and ethics? I am sure they do, but disturbing, none the less.

I look forward to reading the other 2 books in this trilogy. They have certainly maintained sales and readership throughout the summer of 2010.