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.”

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín

Spurred on by the announcement that Tóbín would be speaking as part of the Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures series about his sequel to Brooklyn, I decided to read this first. I had thought that I had read it, but must have only seen the movie, which was an Oscar nominate film in 2016. After reading Let Us Descend, it was a pleasure to read this novel that was heartwarming and uplifting. 

Eilis Lacey is a young Irish girl who is having a hard time finding work in her little town of Enniscorthy, Wexford, Ireland. She lives with her older sister, Rose, and her mother. Her father was recently deceased. At the suggestion of Father Flood, a priest who had moved to Brooklyn and the persuasion of Rose, Eilis embarks on a life-changing journey and moves to New York. Father Flood secures a job for her at a department store and lodging at Mrs. Kehoe's boarding house. Mrs. Kehoe, is a stickler for rules and proper compartment and becomes almost a second mother to Eilis because she is always polite and respectful. Eilis has expressed a desire to become an accountant/bookkeeper at the department store and enrolls in classes to become certified. Her social life consist of helping out at Flood's parish and also in attending the parish dances. It is there that she meets Tony Fiorello, a Brooklyn native of Italian descent. Their relationship develops so beautifully with restraint as one might expect in the time of the 1950s. 

When Eilis receives word that her sister has died, the relationship takes on an entirely different course with both Eilis and Tony feeling that they needed to go to confession because of their passion. She feels that she also needs to go back to Ireland to spend some time with her mother and so they make legal the consummation of their love before she leaves. They had talked of a family and building a life together and Tony did not want her to get to Ireland and stay there. 

At that point in the novel, the reader feels the tension that Eilis felt when she returned to her home. With meeting old friends, consoling her mother, and even rekindling an almost romantic relationship with an old suitor, Jim, she is conflicted as to where she belongs. At the culmination of the book, she makes her decision.

Understanding what immigrants endured, prejudice, their hard working contribution to our country, was an added theme to the book and one that we should not forget in today's time. What a wonderful read and now on to Long Island. 
 

Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

Let Us Descend was the final selection for the Pittsburgh Arts and Lecture series in 2023-2024. What a way to end the season. It is always hard to read about enslaved people and their struggles to gain freedom, but this book was probably the most brutal account that has been written. 

The novel begins pre-Civil War North Carolina as Annis, the protagonist, learns from her mother that her father is the owner of the plantation on which they live. Anxious to learn, she listens in to lessons that are being given to her half-sisters. From instruction on Dante's Inferno she hears the phrase that becomes the book's title. Concomitantly, her mother instructs her in self-defense, that she has learned from her mother who was one of the wives of the King of Dahomey. Not too far into the novel Annis' mother is sold. Annis is comforted by Safi, her lover, and the two women enjoy a brief but deep relationship. After Safi runs away, Annis herself is sold and she begins a grueling trek with other men and women to New Orleans. It is on the journey that she is encouraged, comforted, and buoyed by the spirit of Aza, a grandmother-like spirit. 

She is sold to a wealthy man and his wife who own a sugar plantation. Spending her time on inside duties and also harvesting the cane, Annis becomes friends with two others who are enslaved, Mary and Esther. The life that all three must endure tears at the heart and soul of anyone who reads this book. From the harshness of The Lady, to the repulsiveness of her husband, it is hard to read. After a brief tryst with Esther's brother Bastien, she finds her self pregnant and sets to make a different life for herself and the baby. 

As harsh as the action is in this book, the writing is lyrical. Ward is a gifted story teller who can paint a picture with well-chosen words and metaphors. The reader is entranced. This book was written after Ward lost her husband to lung disease. She alludes to this in the acknowledgement and thanks those who have supported her in her grief. The readers are grateful also as it shows the power of hope just as Annis finds in the novel.

Trust by Hernan Diaz

There are reasons that books are awarded prizes - they stand out as exceptional pieces of writing. Trust is a perfect example of this outstanding prose. It is a novel divided into 4 parts that recounts the life of Andrew Bevel from 4 perspectives. It is ironic that contrary to the title, if the reader puts "trust" into the narratives, s/he will be rudely awakened. 

In the first section, Bonds, the life of Benjamin Rask is related. He is a Wall Street tycoon. totally focused on the stock markets and money. As he amasses money during the Roaring Twenties, he shrewdly avoids suffering from the Crash of 1929. He married a woman, Helen, who is a patron of the arts and who eventually is hospitalized in Switzerland for psychiatric and physical maladies. As the reader trusts these biographical portraits, it is revealed that this is a novel by Howard Vanner. 

Despite its veiled attempts to portray Andrew Bevel as Benjamin Rask and its rousing reception by critics, Bevel takes exception to it and Trust continues with Bevel's own recounting of his life in My Life, an autobiography. Bevel begins his book with his lineage back to his great-grandfather, details his college life, and subsequent marriage to Mildred and her philanthropic endeavors. 

The third section is told in the first person by Ida Partenza who revisits the mansion of Bevel that has been turned into a museum. When she was younger she had been his employee who was to help him finish his autobiography. The reader sees that his motive for this is to counter the Vanner's portrayal of Mildred and the ruthlessness of his financial successes. Ida is intrigued by his his desired characterization of her. This section also gives insight into Ida's personal life and her relationship to her father with whom she lives and Jack, her boyfriend and a journalist who becomes very jealous of Ida's relationship with Bevel.

Finally, in Futures, Ida gains access to the diary of Mildred and the reader granted insight into the real Andrew Bevel and her financial acumen that results in his business decisions. It reveals Mildred's personal thoughts and is, therefore, the closest account to the truth in the novel.

What an incredible read that validates Trust as the 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner.

The Collector by Daniel Silva

Finally caught up with the Daniel Silva books on my TBR shelf, although this was read sporadically while I was trying to read my way through the Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures series books as well as the Gables Book Club books. The Collector is the 23rd in the Gabriel Allon series and Silva just keeps getting better in his craft with each of them. 

Despite the fact that Allon is supposed to be in retirement, he is recalled back into service as the master spy and art expert that he has practiced in his past. He needs to track down a painting that had been stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. It seems that within the secret safe of Lukas van Damme, a very rich shipping tycoon, an empty frame was found that would match that painting  - The Concert by Vermeer. Van Damme had been murdered and it was argued that the murderer was also the one who stole the painting. As he investigates, the trail leads to him Denmark and a cybersecurity expert, Ingrid Johansen. She is also a renowned thief and Allon soon recognizes that she could be an ally in resolving the crimes. 

In inimitable Silva fashion the novel takes on a much more serious theme as the investigation leads to a possibility of a nuclear war between the United States and Russia. With the introduction of Ingrid, he has created another strong character who works with him in averting the crisis and the resolution of the crimes. The plot is intricate and one of the best in the series. 

It is amazing how Silva is almost prescient in knowing world events before they happen. In this novel, the Russian war with Ukraine plays a large part in how the events materialize. The tensions between Moscow and the U.S. are also underscored. Silva's books are masterpieces in spy and politics and never fail to entertain. It will be interesting to see how and if he includes Ingrid in his 2024 book which will be published in July!

 

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

In some books there are characters that will either leave you cold or leave you indifferent about what happens to them in the course of a novel. In The Nickel Boys, this is not the case. Elwood Curtis from the outset of the novel stole my heart. The events that affected his life were for the most part not of his doing and tragically show the harsh cruelty that was inflicted on the blacks as late as 1960 in this country. 

Elwood was left by his parents in the care of his grandmother, Harriet, when they set out to find a new life in California. Harriet raises her grandson to respect and learn. She buys an album of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speeches that so inspire Elwood. He is bright and is selected to attend college classes while he is still in high school. At about the same time he is unjustly arrested by a white policeman for being in a stolen car. He is sent to a reform school, Nickel School,  in Eleanor, Florida where he is to spend a year. The school is based on the Dozier School, that was so blatantly involved in the deaths of many black young men. 

Elwood tried to minimize his time there by being docile and observant of the rules. He forms a bond with Jack Turner, who goes by just his last name. Turner seems to know the inner workings of the school and has a beat on those in charge. Elwood witnesses so many acts of cruelty that he feels compelled to write an exposé of the conditions. This leads to his second confinement and according to Turner, the intent to take Curtis "out back" where he will be killed. Turner somehow manages to free Elwood and the two plan to escape. 

The narrative moves back and forth between the early1960s, the time of Elwood's Nickel School days and the late 60s when he is in New York City operating a moving company business. There is a real twist that Whitehead springs on the reader that is like a dagger to the heart.

In 2010 Elwood travels back to Florida to publicly express what transpired at that school. In actuality, much has been exposed about the Dozier school and the cruel abominations that occurred there. Archaeologists have been excavating Boot Hill, the area where bodies of the boys were interred.

Whitehead has created a work of fiction that is a masterpiece in informing and soul searching. It would be an incredible book to teach in high schools in states that are not fearful of having the truth about racism exposed. I will never forget Elwood Curtis and his tragic life.

Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder

In this world there are people who will make a direct difference in peoples' lives and in the lives of those who only know them through the words of those who write about them. Tracy Kidder has written the most incredible book about Dr. Jim O'Connell and his effort to mitigate the homeless situation in Boston. It is an eye-opening account of O'Commell and his almost saintly devotion to helping those who are in desperate need, physically, mentally, and socially - those who make their homes on street corners, ally ways, and door fronts - Rough Sleepers.

O'Connell has led the Boston Health Care for the Homeless since its inception in 1985. Harvard educated, he had completed his residency and was going to take a position in NYC when he was approached to become associated with the BHCFTH. He deferred his appointment at Sloan Kettering for a year. After that year, he realized where his true calling was. He had gone out 2 nights a week on the program's van and saw the wretched conditions under which so many were living. He and his colleagues treated disease, provided blankets, and gave food to those who were on the streets. 

Kidder also immerses himself into the life of O'Connell as he shadowed him for nearly three years. It is through Kidder's eyes that we are swept into the lives of the homeless and their plight. The reader meets those whom the doctor has helped and whose lives were firmly touched by him, especially Tony Colombo, who, despite being charged with attempted rape and being a drug addict, tries to help others in his same predicament. 

At times this is a very tough book to read. However, it is so uplifting to see what a difference one person can make in the lives of others. There is no one solution that will help alleviate the problem of the unhoused. Aa O'Connell and Kidder say it will require the devoted work of many agencies, especially the educational community. Without a well-compensated teacher's corps, there will be no end to it. Beyond that affordable housing, mental health care, and a shift in political focus all need to converge to help the plight of those Rough Sleepers. 

We were delighted to hear both Kidder and O'Connell speak at the Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures 10 Evenings program. Their strong passion as evident from the stage as it is in the book. READ IT.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

The selection for our February book group was the debut novel by Charmaine Wilkerson. It was hard to tell to what the title referred, but at first glance, we anticipated a more culinary offering than what was the actual focus of the novel. 

It is really a story of relationships, self-identity, coincidences, and a bit of mystery. Benny and Byron, sister and brother have been estranged for a number of years. They are brought back together by the death of their mother, Eleanor,  who leaves them a tape that she recorded that shed light on her life and a black cake. It was also a means to illuminate the trouble that begins the book when she was a small girl, Covey grew up on a Caribbean island in the 1950s. Her mother had left her and her father, driven away by his drinking and gambling. Covey and her best friend, Bunny were swimmers and enjoyed the waters together. In order to settle debts, Covey's father, Lin, arranges a marriage between Covey and "Little Man" Henry. From the wedding day on, the book details how Covey escaped and found a new life in London, where she went to meet the real love of her life, Gibbs Grant.  

The first part of the book was rough going for me as I tried to sort out the characters and their relationships to each other. When the tape recording revealed the true identities of the characters, it became much more enjoyable and ended up being a real page-turner. Wilkerson masterfully weaves the characters and their relationships together for the reader. As she does that she also amalgamates the themes of feminism, resilience, racism, homophobia, friendship and family ties. The chapters were short and both time-shifted as well as locality-shifted. Once the characters' true identities were revealed, it was not difficult to follow. The solution to the mystery was revealed slowly, but resolved in the last chapter, as was disposition of the black cake

A good and interesting read. 

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

 The Berry Pickers was an interesting novel in that the reader knew from the second chapter on what the solution to the central problem was. Narrated by the two main characters, Joe and Norma, it is the story of a family torn apart by the disappearance of the young Ruthie as her family is picking blueberries. 

The family would leave their home in Nova Scotia and travel to Maine to pick blueberries. In 1962, 4 year old Ruthie disappeared as she and brother Joe were eating a sandwich on a rock. Joe had taken his eyes off her as he fed scraps of bread to birds. The family was devastated and they spent the rest of the summer looking for her as they continued to work the fields. Joe felt the guilt the most for being the last person to see her. Ruthie's disappearance affects his entire life. 

In the alternate chapters, Norma recounts her life. She lives with her parents, Frank and Lenore who have adopted her with very little documentation as to where they found her. Norma senses that their is something not quite right in her ancestry since she has much darker skin than her parents. She also cannot come to terms about why she dreams about a Ruthie.  

Both stories inform their lives fro the next 50 years. Central to the theme of the novel is how families deal with tragedy, loss, and  reconciliation. Reading the prologue to the novel gives the reader insight into the narrative that follows. The suspense that the reader enjoys is how Peters will come to the likely conclusion. The strength of the book is in the character development of Joe, Norma/Ruthie and her Aunt June, Mae (Joe and Ruthie's sister, and Norma's parents. 

A very good read that sparked a lot of discussion at the Gables Book Club.

Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva

In between book club books gives a good time to try to catch up on the TBR shelf. This always leads me back to whatever Daniel Silva books are there. 

Portrait of an Unknown Woman  is a bit of departure from Silva's general M.O. There are no political stances, no threats of destroying world peace or any of the major nations, nor any international spy missions. What it is is a intriguing look into the world of art dealers, forgery, and some Ponzi schemes. 

Gabriel Allon, former head of Israeli intelligence has retired to Venice with his wife Chiara and his twin children. She has taken a job as the head of the Tiepolo Restoration Company and Gabriel has become the stay at home father while he recovers from the bullet wound that nearly killed him in The Cellist. Of course, if he remained in retirement, there would be no novel. Having received a call from his friend and London art gallery owner, Julian Isherwood, he sets off on the trail of a major art forgery ring that is operating from Berlin to Spain to the United States. After Isherwood receives a letter saying that a painting that he recently sold was a forgery and the woman who sent the letter was killed, there is only one person whom Isherwood would call. 

As the novel intertwines art history, forgery, and danger, Allon sets out a trap by creating forgeries of Grand Masters. Through a complicated series of events, especially sting operations involving Sarah, her husband Chris and some old arch-enemies of Gabriel, the investigation of the murder reaches a climax on the tarmac of a Long Island airport. 

Silva creates intense drama in his books without feeling the necessity of long-winded descriptions. It is interesting that he has shifted the focus of the novel to more of an art perspective and take Allon away from his intelligence job at The Office. This was a fascinating narrative into the real world of Gabriel Allon. It will be interesting to see how his character further evolves in the next novel, The Collector.