Cowney Sequoyah lives in Cherokee during the second World War, and since he has a bad foot is unable to fight. He finds work at the Grove Park Inn in Cowney Sequoyah lives in Cherokee during the second World War, and since he has a bad foot is unable to fight. He finds work at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC, which has been pulled into house foreign diplomats who are really more prisoners of war, from Japan and Germany. He drives with a woman named Essie, who also shares in his Cherokee background. He works around the property and she works as a maid.
The author, Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and she weaves in pieces of local history in subtle ways, as well as capturing the life of 20th century rural Appalachia in a region that is not a reservation but a span of land called the Qualla Boundary, purchased by the Cherokee from the government in the 1800s. In the 1930s, some of this same land was being imposed on once again with the building of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which happened before, during, and after the time period of this novel. There is a character that sets fires on purpose to taunt the NPS, and much of Cowney's time at home with his grandmother (who he calls Lishie) is filled with smoke and fire.
Some of the plot is a bit spotty, but the author really captures the realities of navigating as an indigenous person during this time, and really portrays the presence of the time and place. I've been to the Grove Park Inn several times and had no idea of its war history!
Thanks to Kendra for bringing this book for discussion on episode 218 of the Reading Envy Podcast, and I enjoyed reading and discussing it with an Instagram buddy. ...more
I once bought a few mystery poetry bundles from Coffee House and promptly didn't read them, and decided that for this year's National Poetry Month, maI once bought a few mystery poetry bundles from Coffee House and promptly didn't read them, and decided that for this year's National Poetry Month, maybe I could at least read the poetry already on my shelves.
The work of poet Patricia Spears Jones spans several decades, and this is her debut collection. Many of the poems speak to the Black and Southern experience (also San Francisco and New Orleans experience) from the 1960s to the 1980s, a key time of course for civil rights of multiple varieties (AIDS comes up, which is why I say it that way.) She often connects her work to musicians, sometimes artists. Several poems are from the "Billie Holiday Collection."
"Officially Lent" could have been written last month but is about the death of black boys in her community. ...more
This gorgeous edition has been on my shelves since I very first started collecting books for what I called my Around the World challenge in 2012. It'sThis gorgeous edition has been on my shelves since I very first started collecting books for what I called my Around the World challenge in 2012. It's just never stopped. But in my focus on Europe in 2021, I have a shelf of books like this that have been with me an unread for too long.
Set in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, at least in part, the story starts with an architect in search of his father, an officer who vanished in Greece during World War II. This journey takes him to Mount Athos and quickly turns into a lot of italicized portions detailing dreams, stories, myths, fables, etc. I've dropped this book a lot as it drifted me off to sleep.
The second half is based on a crossword with esoteric segments that vary between raunchy and mystical and frankly gave me a huge headache. I can tell this author thinks highly of myself but it took me since January to force my way through it. The conclusion is so ridiculous and annoying, well can you tell what I think of this book....more
From the publisher blurb: A mother and her two teenage children sit at the dinner table. In the middle stands a large pot of cooked mussels. Why has thFrom the publisher blurb: A mother and her two teenage children sit at the dinner table. In the middle stands a large pot of cooked mussels. Why has the father not returned home? As the evening wears on, we glimpse the issues that are tearing this family apart.
'I wrote this book in August 1989, just before the Fall of the Berlin Wall. I wanted to understand how revolutions start. It seemed logical to use the figure of a tyrannical father and turn the story into a German family saga.' Birgit Vanderbeke
Peirene intentionally publishes shorter, read in one sitting, translated works - it would have been hard to take much more of this one in the sense that you really get a sense of the dictator father and how his behavior has controlled the family. It is told from the perspective of the oldest daughter, and at least in the ebook there are no chapter or paragraph breaks. It's like being in the family yourself, oppressed with no end in sight.
I know it's supposed to be a metaphor for East Berlin and the wall coming down or something like this but it's also an uncomfortably accurate depiction of how one tyrannical person can limit the lives of the people he controls (okay, I see it now, this is also what happens in oppressive regimes, got it.)
The novel starts with the mother cleaning mussels for her husband's homecoming - he expects meals to be a certain way and she complies, even though as she has said on multiple occasions, she does not herself care for mussels. Everything must be done his way.
Another point in the novel, it says "...Music, my father said, was pure excess and would never get any engine started. He said this because ever since their escape to the West my mother’s violin had lain in their bedroom wardrobe, and only occasionally." He also refuses to go to the mountains for vacation, criticizes her appearance and wardrobe, and won't let the narrator play the piano.
I loved the ending, and will look for more from this press. I was happy to read this from the books I already had for Women in Translation month; this is translated from the German....more
I'm a huge fan of David Mitchell (I couldn't fit all the books into the picture) and this novel was highly anticipated, *and* I love novels with a musI'm a huge fan of David Mitchell (I couldn't fit all the books into the picture) and this novel was highly anticipated, *and* I love novels with a music theme. This novel is about a band in 1960s UK, and the chapters move between their perspectives as new songs are written and recorded (the sections of the book are grouped by sides.) There are a lot of connections to his other works, because everything is all part of one übernovel - those parts were very fun to discover but I won't spoil them here. My only sadness is that it is over.......more
This strange little book won an award for creative non-fiction and is what happened when the author Marie NDiaye was asked for memoir. Between the floThis strange little book won an award for creative non-fiction and is what happened when the author Marie NDiaye was asked for memoir. Between the floodwaters rising and the mysterious women in green, it reads like anything but reality. It was a quicker read I selected for Women in Translation Month. Translated by Jordan Stump, who must have had a puzzle on his hands.
I wonder about women in relation to specific colors. Yellow wallpaper, women in green... I'm guessing this is important. Sometimes I feel like I read but do not understand (but I'm okay feeling that way.)
I know of, but have not read, other books by Ndiaye. Have you? I'm interested to hear if her fiction falls along similar lines....more
As part of my own summer reading challenge, I finished this trilogy - by reading the middle book! I don't know why I read these out of order but they As part of my own summer reading challenge, I finished this trilogy - by reading the middle book! I don't know why I read these out of order but they work that way too.
These books by Rachel Cusk are such a pleasure to read but difficult to discuss later. The narrator tells the stories of the people she encounters and it feels, at times, profound. I think the final book, Kudos, might be my favorite....more
How can I communicate the darkness of this book? "Sacs gravid with ochre liquid," "tooth-spangled pinwheel of limbs," or how about "meaty exhalations?How can I communicate the darkness of this book? "Sacs gravid with ochre liquid," "tooth-spangled pinwheel of limbs," or how about "meaty exhalations?" I must admit I don't read much horror but I make an exception for this author. He is truly one of the best.
Unlike the author's previous story collection, North American Lake Monsters, which I always thought centered humanity inside of emotional and fantastical horrors, this story collection takes humans where they should not be (turn back!) The stories contain evil depths and hellish landscapes, with creatures who have traded humanity for power or access or knowledge, or worse - the pleasure of death and destruction. I expect to have carrion angel related nightmares.
I previously read two of these stories in other publications (I own a novella of The Visible Filth and a short story collection that includes The Atlas of Hell.) It was very pleasing to discover how the final story in this collection - The Butcher's Table - connects to The Atlas of Hell. . And now I need sunlight, some lemonade, maybe a puppy?
I dragged my feet getting to this book because I couldn't find a copy anywhere in my local library systems, so I finally just used an Audible credit. I dragged my feet getting to this book because I couldn't find a copy anywhere in my local library systems, so I finally just used an Audible credit. I started it this morning and finished it all today, which is also the day it won the 2019 Tournament of Books (kind of a March Madness for books.) But really I wanted to read it more because it is one of the titles on the Womens' Prize longlist and I may get to all of those this year.
This book is about two sisters, one who kills men and the other who is left to clean up her messes. I read an interview with the author where she talks about her obsession with black widow spiders, and how they eat the male spiders they've just mated with "if they're hungry." And Ayoola, the serial killer, is kind of that kind of woman, she isn't being mistreated or anything, she's just done or annoyed or looking for an easy out, and killing seems like as easy of a way as any other way. Her sister Korede, whose perspective the novel focuses on, has had to help her dispose of bodies and cover up other issues. But then Ayoola turns her gaze on the doctor Korede has been flirting with at the hospital....
I think the author is playing with satire and gender roles, for sure, but also the power of ambivalence and lack of guilt as driving forces rather than a moral compass or societal framework.
I wouldn't say this is the best novel of the year, but it's a strong debut, and it kept my attention the whole way through. ...more
I've had this on my Kindle for years, and I think I thought she'd be shallow or full of herself so I didn't crack it open. Instead I found Padma LakshI've had this on my Kindle for years, and I think I thought she'd be shallow or full of herself so I didn't crack it open. Instead I found Padma Lakshmi to be refreshingly open, honest, and direct about her relationships, health issues, career, and her love for food. She starts in 2007 when she moves out of the home she shared with Salman Rushdie, then goes back in time before catching us up to the almost present....more
I had not heard of this book before it was announced as one of the Women's Prize long list. It is a short read told in flash style, like lists and litI had not heard of this book before it was announced as one of the Women's Prize long list. It is a short read told in flash style, like lists and little vignettes, set in Romania during the Ceaușescu era (1970s.)
Alina married a man in a lower class and really starts to regret it when his brother leaves the country without permission, making them a new target for the secret police. Mix that kind of oppression and intrigue with a folksy fantasy element and you end up with a unique read! I loved the ending, at least how I interpret it. If you read it, let me know so we can confer....more
I started reading this at the beginning of the month when I was recording a memoir episode. It didn't make the cut for that episode (which won't be poI started reading this at the beginning of the month when I was recording a memoir episode. It didn't make the cut for that episode (which won't be posted until May) but I feel like I came back to it with a fresh chance and a little more filipino history under my belt. Early on some of the writing was really bothering me (I started marking all the uses of would've and should've, which felt overused and obnoxious at the beginning; when I came back to it I was just paying more attention to the story.) In between I read America Is Not the Heart, which contains a lot of detail about Filipino history and culture, which helped in understanding the time period of this memoir - mostly late 1990s. I still feel like I don't know quite enough about the historical context, but at least... more.
This is Cinelle's story and sometimes I had to remind myself this was real because some of it feels so unbelievable. Her family was rich until they weren't, and as her father's employment ventures collapsed, they were unable to buy food and electricity much less maintain the huge mansion the family lived in. There are vivid descriptions of a debilitating flood early on that certainly doesn't help anything, but then a period of a few years where her father is gone, her mother pairs up with a smooth-talking criminal and brings prostitutes and chickens into the bottom levels of the mansion. All the while, Cinelle is trying to go to school and pretend like everything is okay. She's able to do this for a while but it seems like when her brother leaves, everything becomes much harder.
Reading and writing have a role to play here in giving her something to focus on, but it is really difficult to read about the lack of parenting and care in her life. The stand-in man of the house steals from her and then uses as her as a pawn in a very violent scenario, and her mother has dropped all pretense of playing any role but his shenanigan partner. There is this one moment where Cinelle has to write an essay and she writes about how her mother is the mansion, the land, and the monsoon - almost as if the author had played with including those ideas in the book but decided not to. (I really connected with the imagery and wish she had!)
She does shy away from some details and some events are very vaguely alluded to, but I understand why she might do that. Knowing she was in that situation and then ended up as an MFA student in my state with other college in between is really startling, and I am very glad for her that she is settled into a more stable life....more
I really forced my way through this one and wouldn't have except that it won the Pulitzer Prize. I should have followed my instincts.
I ended up feelinI really forced my way through this one and wouldn't have except that it won the Pulitzer Prize. I should have followed my instincts.
I ended up feeling like the author came up with the joke at the end first, and couldn't let it go, and backtracked as a thought experiment to see if he could write a novel around that joke, and that is why we all ended up reading it in 2018.
A few moments made me chuckle, closer to how I react to British humor, but I'm perplexed as to the award. Perhaps the judges resonated with the mediocre career of the writer named Less. ...more
I've had this on my shelf for what feels like forever, and finally just picked it up and read it overnight when I wanted to knock something off of my I've had this on my shelf for what feels like forever, and finally just picked it up and read it overnight when I wanted to knock something off of my Book of the Month shelf.
The basic premise is three women in their 20s trying to make sense of their lives in rural Arkansas. It is told in rotating viewpoint chapters, which I like. These are women who didn't go to college and don't make the best relationship choices, and they are drawn to the somewhat radical ideas of the boyfriend of one of the women (who has to be the least charismatic cultish leader person I've encountered in a novel, perhaps supposed to be funny) and follow that path, even when it is to their detriment.
I'll talk more about it on an upcoming podcast episode....more
Eliza Waite is a strong female character, someone who trekked to Alaska in the last 1800s and opened a bakery in a gold rush town, after experiencing Eliza Waite is a strong female character, someone who trekked to Alaska in the last 1800s and opened a bakery in a gold rush town, after experiencing family tragedy in the San Juan Islands. Sweeney describes the loneliness of the islands quite well and the kind of people who are drawn to Alaska even now.
I came home from my trip to this area of the world six months ago, and while I was there I bought this at Darvills Bookstore on Orcas Island, the perfect choice to bring me back to the islands and Skagway. I personally experienced many of the places mentioned and like to bake so this was a great read for me, particularly because the day I read it, we had no power due to an ice storm, and I had to read by candle light. I think Eliza would have approved.
There are recipes in this book too, but they use traditional ingredients at times and measurements like teacups. I am likely to try making at least one of them regardless. ...more
I don't know whether to call this short stories or essays. Is it autobiographical fiction or is it true? Opinions seem mixed. The person who ranted abI don't know whether to call this short stories or essays. Is it autobiographical fiction or is it true? Opinions seem mixed. The person who ranted about autobiographical fiction on my Instagram review of another book is going to really hate this one!
This is not quite as shimmering and memorable as Memories: From Moscow to the Black Sea, which I think is a must-read. But there are places in this collection that really shine. The first is the overall humor. I am impressed at the way this has been translated in order to make me, a 21st century American reader, snicker at something intended to be funny at the turn of the last century by a Russian elite! Second is the casual, direct way of writing that makes it feel much more contemporary than the period it comes from.
Some of the smaller pieces are silly at times, serious at others, but to me this entire book is worth it for two pieces - the one about Rasputin (and multiple personal encounters with him! you will not believe that story!) and the one where she knocks on Tolstoy's door to ask him to change the ending of War and Peace, but as a shy teenager can't ever get the words out... (I mean, okay, that doesn't sound real, but Teffi had social access we can't quite fathom... it could be real?)...more
Jenny (Reading Envy)
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