I managed to get through 11 of the 20 books which, when combined with the 4 books I had read earlier this year means that I *almost* completed this category.
Full disclaimer: I have fully established, for myself, that since I made this challenge completely for myself, that if I am not vibing with a book, I can DNF. Out of the 11 books that I mentioned above, I read 9 of them and DNF’d the other two.
A lot of this book contains deep, horrific trauma telling a World War II story that many know little to nothing about. Set in colonial Malaya (today known as Malaysia) this novel rotates between three women – a mother and her two daughters – as well as a few chapters told from the perspective of her son. The mother’s perspective takes place 8-10 years prior to the final months of the war when the bulk of the narrative occurs when the bulk of
the narrative takes place as the mother finds herself swept up in spying for the Japanese while the British still held Malay as a colony. The oldest daughter struggles to take care of the family as the father’s health worsens from forced labor, the mother seems to have fallen apart after the abduction of the son to work in a labor camp and the youngest daughter must constantly hide so that she won’t be abducted and forced to be a “comfort woman.” That’s a lot. At times, I wondered if each chapter would continue to bring more trauma but thankfully it did not reach that point. I also struggled to understand the mother’s motivation and connect to her as a character although I did appreciate how the author continued to develop her character in the other perspectives as she had to live with the consequences of her earlier actions. Ultimately, I feel ambivalent about the book which is a bit disappointing.
I never purchase or start reading a book expecting to DNF. The prologue of this book was beautiful and heartbreaking but then the first chapter started and I felt like it kept me at arms length. On top of that, this first section had so many f-bombs. I do not mind swearing in books but it grates on me when it comes so often and does not need to. This caused me to think about DNF-ing. When I looked up reviews, I discovered that not only
is Anita de Montes based on a real artist whose name did not appear once in the first printing but also that her family explicitly did not approve after being approached for their approval. Nope. I will not continue to read that. Hence, a really early DNF.
This book has a stark divide between two vastly different perspectives and timelines united only by location, somewhere in Oklahoma. One timeline, set in 1909, focuses on Olive, a spunky 12 year old girl who has run away form home to protect Nessa, a girl she considers a sister but is actually a Native American (I have forgotten the name of the tribe although I believe it is the Choctaw) taking in only o obtain the oil inheritance she
will receive. The other timeline, set in 1990, focuses on a young widow (whose name I have forgotten) who works as a ranger (the law enforcement kind) in a newly established fictional national park which has its own controversies include the discovery of three skeletons of children along with customary funerary rites of the same tribe as the aforementioned Nessa, a newly discovered body in a car washed out by the river, and a dangerous rockslide rumored to have been the work of logging companies attempting to operate illegally. Each of these timelines and perspectives has their own unique voice, voice completely different from each other. As I read, I appreciated Wingate’s technical skill yet I could not get over this vast difference along with the fact that for over 90% of the book I could not figure out how the timelines would connect. My one guess about how they would connect proved to be incorrect. I did not dislike this book, not do I have any idea what changes I would suggest to alleviate my issues with the narrative. I think that Wingate did a decent job but the novel came up just a little short for me.
Having read the memoir that made Ruth Reichl famous, I knew how well she can describe food. Once again, Reichl made my mouth water for dishes I know that I would not like in the slightest in real life. In this novel, Reichl extends this ability to other types of art like painting and literature. The main character of the novel finds herself in Paris after the sudden death of her estranged mother due to a stipulation in the will.
Although Reichl includes an incredibly traumatic scene of unwanted (and undepicted on page) advances from a much older man when she was a child, a time which left lasting impressions on the main character, the remainder of the novel reads like a lush fairy tale, a perfect kind of novel to indulge in on a chilly winter evening snuggled in a blanket with a warm cup of coffee. Is most of the novel realistic? With that level of serendipity? Definitely not. Did I mind? Also no. I really enjoyed my read.
I started reading without looking at the synopsis which is usually fine. About 50 pages or so into the book I still could not bring myself to care about either of the perspectives. I kept trying but was definitely not engaged. I turned to Storygraph to look at the synopsis and reviews. Unbeknownst to me, I had picked up a sequel of sorts, a book that can stand on its own but stars a main character from an earlier novel of the author.
This could have still been a good book but I had no motivation to continue, thus I DNF’d it.
Wow. I did not know what to expect from my first Silvia Moreno-Garcia book and now I want to read more from her. This book has three perspectives and two timelines. The first is that of the titular Salome, daughter of Herodias, wife of Herod Antipas. I really appreciated Moreno-Garcia’s approach to this character as well as her historicity. With my background, I find it easy to poke holes in retellings of famous characters from this
time period. Moreno-Garcia’s narrative had no holes. The other two perspectives share a timeline, 1950s Hollywood and its transition from the earliest height of the era with Elizabeth Taylor, Gregory Peck and the like. This timeline revolves around an attempt to create another grand Biblical epic with massive sets and excessive numbers of cast members. We first meet Nancy, a woman trying to break back into Hollywood stardom after becoming disillusioned with her father’s attempt to turn her into the the next Shirley Temple and moving away to live with her mother. Things have not been going Nancy’s way so as she struggles she makes questionable choices and becomes involved with unsavory characters. She becomes involved in the movie as one of the excessive number of extras while stewing on the fact that she believes she was robbed of the part of Salome by the upstart newcomer, Vera, a Mexican woman with no other credits to her name. Vera, our third perspective, was plucked out of Mexico by a producer of the movie and thrust into the world of Hollywood. She struggles with an intense lack of self-confidence, constantly comparing herself to her lighter skinned younger sister who her mother always obviously favors. Moreno-Garcia weaves these perspectives together seamlessly and beautifully. The way she describes Nancy’s tragic downward spiral creates such empathy from the reader. Moreno-Garcia also wrote such a beautiful final chapter that seamlessly weaves through all three perspectives. I have no words for how amazing this chapter was. Out of all the books I read in this section, I loved this one the most; it even surpassed The Frozen River.
Of course, no long list of historical fiction books would be complete without a World War II novel set on the home front in Britain. This one centers a young widow single mother who manages to obtain a job at the Boots Department Store Lending Library. The narrative deals with her struggle to manage life as a single mother in a country that legally prevented married women from working as well as widows with children
along with her attempts to keep her daughter safe in a world subject to aerial bombardment. The author does a decent job exploring these issues and showing how this affects the main character as a person. Unfortunately, the author chooses to throw in every possible happy ending for all the wartime difficulties she included in the narrative. That always leaves a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.
I really enjoyed this narrative which focused on the lives and friendship of two women from different social circles in mid-century Iran, a time of significant change to the country. One character (of course I have forgotten the names) finds herself in a much economically diminished place following the death of her father. She knows no better and even makes a lifelong friend that her mother, a woman who holds onto her prejudice does
not approve of. The other perspective, one that comes into the narrative much later, is the one of this friend. Soon after the earlier move, the main character’s mother marries her late husband’s brother to bring them back into richer circles. Years later, the two girls reenter each other’s orbits at yet another time of social upheaval. This novel beautifully tells the story of friendship, of injustice, and of the struggle to form one’s identity.
This book was an absolute delight to read. Told in two timelines, past and present, the titular character learns how to move through love and loss with a touch of magical realism. The present timeline finds Augusta retiring from her hospital pharmacy job and moving to a retirement community in Florida where she runs into her first love, a boy who worked as a delivery boy for her father many decades before. The past timeline begins shortly after
the death of her mother from complications of diabetes and the introduction to their lives of her father’s aunt, a woman skilled in healing even though she was prevented from getting an education due to her gender. I loved how the author developed the characters in these alternating timelines as well as the comedy of errors that ensued and ultimately brought her together with her love. I really enjoyed this heartwarming story.
Do not read the synopsis if you want an accurate idea of what you’re in for when you read this book. This is not a heist book as the synopsis would have you believe. Instead, it’s more of the story of life for various women in San Francisco at the turn of the century just prior to the Great Earthquake of 1909. Although the cast expands to four women by the final section, the majority of the book features two women (whose names I do not
remember). One of these women is a woman with a beautiful voice, an opera singer who also suffers from debilitating migraines. The other is a Chinese American woman with exquisite embroidery skills working to save money quickly to escape an unwanted man, a marriage arranged by her uncle to stave off his gambling debts. These women’s lives become intertwined because of two people: one, Reggie, the best friend of the opera singer and love of the seamstress who has gone missing (Reggie, not the seamstress) and two, a rich man eager to make his name and wealth in some not so reputable ways. The book comes to a climax with the Great Earthquake and even has a decent sized resolution far before the book ends with the quasi-heist that the synopsis focuses on. I would have rated the first portion 4 stars but the weird decision with the plot ultimately brought it down and made it fairly forgettable.
This book is the shortest of the ones that I read for this category but one of the best written as can be seen by countless reviews (of which mine is only one) and the many, many long lists and awards this book has won. Everett crafts a fascinating, tightly woven story of James, a retelling of sorts of the character Jim from Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. As a novel of its time Huckleberry Finn has its problems, one of
them definitely being the portrayal of Jim. Everett turns this on its head, fully expanding the character and giving him the depth he deserves. Everett’s brevity with the narrative serves to leave the reader reeling with the impact of its profundity. More words on my part would do a disservice.
That brings to a complete all the books that I managed to read or DNF before the reveal of the winners. Of the five books left that I did not get to, I plan to get to only one more of them, There are Rivers in the Sky.
I enjoyed this break from the heavy diet of fantasy that I’ve been consuming recently. I also loved the fact that I discovered a potential new favorite author with Silvia Moreno-Garcia and potentially Percival Everett as well.
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