December 21, 2016

The German Girl - Armando Lucas Correa

Atria Books, October 18, 2016.



Five Stars



In 1939, 12-year-old Hannah Rosenthal and her parents are attempting to flee Nazi-occupied Germany in any way possible. As part of a privileged, upper-class Jewish family, young Hannah is shocked by the sudden change of political climate in Hamburg, although her Aryan appearance gives her some protection. Blonde-haired, blue-eyed Hannah is safe to wander the city, but her father has lost his job and her mother shuts herself away in their glamorous apartment, afraid to go outside.


The Rosenthals’ chance for escape eventually comes in the form of an ocean liner travelling to Havana, Cuba – the S.S. St Louis offers Jewish Germans safe passage in exchange for an exorbitant fee. Fortunately, the Rosenthals are able to pay, and they bring along a family friend and his son, Leo. Hannah and Leo already have a strong friendship, and they make a pact to always be together. Their time on the ship is a magical interlude of masquerade balls and gourmet meals – but it all comes to a sudden end when the Jewish passengers are denied entry at the port of Havana.


The salvation of the St. Louis becomes a death trap as the passengers are forced to return to Europe. Only a few wealthy people are permitted to disembark, including Hannah and her mother – but their companions, including Leo, are left behind. The fates of the remaining passengers of the St. Louis are tragic and each deserve to have their story told – however, in this novel, we follow the lives of Hannah and her mother as they attempt to immigrate to isolationist America, and eventually settle into life in Cuba.


The novel picks up again in present day New York, when 11-year-old Anna Rosen receives a letter from her great-aunt Hannah in Cuba. Hannah raised Anna’s father, who was later killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Their shared history brings them together, as well as the parallels of their historical circumstances – the U.S. isolationism after 9/11 mirrors their rejection of Jewish refugees at the start of WWII. It also bears a disturbing resemblance to today’s political circumstances, and the fear of Syrian refugees.


When Anna and her mother travel to Havana to visit Hannah, we learn how the Rosenthals survived after their journey on the St. Louis. The novel carries them through Cuban history, including Hannah’s younger brother’s participation in Castro’s revolution. It shows the movement of history, and how none of these events happened in a static situation – every choice made in the past is continually and perpetually affecting future generations.


Even though The German Girl focuses on a weighty, heartbreaking period of our recent history, it is easy to forget that this is historical fiction. Every scene is described in a vivid and heartbreaking way, with no dry recitation of facts. The story of the over 900 passengers on the St. Louis who drifted from country to country during WWII, searching for a safe harbor, is haunting and meticulously researched, and yet it is written with ease and grace. This is a beautiful novel with a powerful message that is incredibly applicable to world events today.


I received this book from Atria Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

December 18, 2016

The Book of the Unnamed Midwife - Meg Elison

47North, October 11, 2016.



Five Stars



In San Francisco, an obstetric nurse notices an alarming trend – an increase in women becoming dangerously ill and dying during childbirth, along with their newborn babies. At the same time, more and more people of both genders begin to succumb to this fatal fever, and the unnamed nurse is one of them. When she wakes up in the hospital, everyone around her is dead and the world has changed forever.


We learn from various sources that the fever has killed approximately 99% of the earth’s population – and only about 1% of the survivors are women. Live childbirth is now nonexistent, leaving the world with no future and no hope of salvation. For the unnamed protagonist, this new world is threatening and violent – the surviving men are dangerous and wish to control the few women who remain. The midwife ventures from the hospital to her home – where she narrowly survives a vicious attack – to the now unpopulated city of San Francisco, and eventually into the wider world. She wanders aimlessly, uncertain of the purpose of her existence, and as she explores our decimated planet, we witness the atrocities of humanity alongside her.


With the end of civilization as we know it comes a new structure of power – gangs of men who capture the rare surviving women and keep them enslaved. They are raped and often tortured, as these men act out their urges to control and subjugate women. The misogyny in this new world mirrors that of our own, except it can be enacted without repercussions. To avoid this fate, the unnamed midwife hides her femininity by binding her breasts and wearing masculine clothing. She gives out fake names and identifying details, so that we only slowly learn the truth about her life before the fever.


Most of the midwife’s journey is explored through her journal entries, which are rambling and emotional, and always feel authentic. In this way, we gradually get to know who she really is, and who she is becoming in this new world. She eventually discovers a greater role for herself in defense of women and their fertility options – she collects and distributes birth control, and guides women who have already conceived through the process, which often ends badly. It is not until the end that she finds a glimmer of hope for the progression of humankind.


The midwife’s journal entries are alternated with passages told by an omniscient narrator, whose words are clinical, detached and heartbreaking as they describe the fates of the people that the midwife meets along her journey. In particular, we learn the fate of the midwife’s boyfriend, who disappeared after she was presumed dead from the fever. Recalling their life together keeps the midwife grounded, yet she doesn’t learn how close they were to each other until it is much too late. Although she refers often to this heterosexual relationship, the midwife’s own sexuality is fluid, and it affects her interactions with the men and women she meets in unexpected ways.

This novel inevitably invites comparison to other books and movies in the post-apocalyptic genre. For me, it was especially similar to the first few moments of awakening in The Walking Dead – but instead of zombies, the threat is human, as men turn on women with violence and disrespect. In an overdone genre, this novel is fresh and exciting. It moves at a slower pace than we are used to, but it is filled with real moments that are dark, gritty and all too possible.


I received this book from 47North and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

December 14, 2016

Hag-Seed - Margaret Atwood

Hogarth, October 11, 2016.

 
 

Four Stars


 

Hag-Seed is the latest installment of the Hogarth Shakespeare series, in which authors rewrite the stories of Shakespeare, with a contemporary twist. This series started out strong, with Jeanette Winterson’s The Gap of Time, but I wasn’t as excited by the next two books. However, Atwood’s quirky sense of humour is the perfect match for a retelling of The Tempest, making this book unexpected, clever and fun.  

 

Felix is the artistic director at the Makeshiweg Theatre Festival, and he is looking forward to starring as Prospero in his version of The Tempest, when he is suddenly deposed by his devious assistant, who has gradually been taking over Felix’s job. Like Prospero, Felix goes into exile with his young daughter Miranda – but unlike Prospero, Felix’s exile is self-imposed in rural Ontario, and his daughter in fact died as a young child, although her spirit becomes his constant companion.

 

As Felix takes on Prospero’s persona, he also comes up with a complex plan for retribution. He takes a job teaching theatre to prisoners at the Burgess Correctional Institution, showing them how to act, create costumes and sets, and learn digital effects – the year-end plays are recorded and shown to the other convicts on video, to prevent any violent uprisings during a live show. After many years, the stars align for Felix like they did for Prospero when a violent storm brought his enemies to the island – Felix learns that his former assistant and his political allies will be attending the screening of this year’s play. Naturally, Felix decides to stage his own version of The Tempest to enact his revenge.

 

The convicts who participate in Felix’s theatre program feel strongly about their roles in the play, and they truly empathize with the characters they are playing – especially the actors and their supporting teams who play Caliban and Ariel, Prospero’s faithful servants. The prisoners come up with relatable, modern motivations for their actions in the play, and they even make up a ridiculous rap about Caliban and the various insults he is subjected to, which is where the title of the novel comes from. Their dialogue is unlikely to be realistic for hardened criminals, but it is funny and it humanizes them in an entertaining way.

 

As Felix adds new twists to the play to incorporate the politicians, he creates illusions and adds hallucinations to the experience – and he is also influenced by the ghost of his daughter Miranda, whose participation in the play is unexpected. This is the first book in the Hogarth Shakespeare series in which the characters are aware of the original text – Felix is acting out The Tempest, and yet he is a part of a larger retelling of the same play, creating complex and metafictional layers to the novel.

 

Hag-Seed is classic Margaret Atwood, witty and smart – she even manages to bring a healthy dose of Canadiana to Shakespeare’s classic play. Although the plot is often silly, it still made me laugh out loud, and I think Shakespeare would have approved. This novel stands on its own, but it is so much better if you know the story of the original Tempest. Is Hag-Seed an improvement on the original? Probably not, but it adds something new and fresh, and I think that’s the whole point.

 

I received this book from Hogarth and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

December 11, 2016

Away from the Dark - Aleatha Romig


Thomas & Mercer, October 18, 2016.

 

Four Stars


 

Away from the Dark is the highly anticipated sequel to the first novel in the series, Into the Light. When we last saw Sara and Jacob, they were happy and in love, living in a tight-knit religious community - rediscovering the joys of married life after the accident in which Sara lost her memory. In fact, Sara is so happy, that she decides to stop taking her birth control pills, without telling Jacob. What she doesn’t realize is that the pills also act as a memory suppressant, given to her by her supposed husband – and as her memories return, she also realizes that she is not actually Sara.

 

Sara is shocked as her previous identity comes flooding back to her, and she thinks she now knows everything there is to know about her imposter husband, Jacob. In fact, Jacob has a secret identity of his own – he is actually an FBI agent who has devoted years of work to infiltrating the cult known as “The Light”. When Sara finds out the truth, she decides she will remain with Jacob so they can work together to expose the cult leader, Father Gabriel. Although Sara has been assaulted and lied to, she is willing to sacrifice herself to prevent more women from being hurt.

 

This second novel started slowly, backtracking into the first book to revisit previous events. Technically, you could read this novel without the first, but the anticipation from Into the Light is what made this one so exciting. It is a well-developed, complex plot, but most of the development happened in book one, so this book was more about answering the questions set out in the first book. However, there were still plenty of unexpected twists. The romance elements were also more authentic in this, because Sara and Jacob could finally express their real personalities and get to know one another, as they struggled to come to terms with their new identities and salvage what was real in their fake marriage.

 

Once again, it was fascinating to explore the extent that people can be brainwashed to follow a charismatic individual such as Father Gabriel. Literature exploring cults and the indoctrination of their followers seems to be a common theme this year – we enjoy witnessing it from a distance, thinking we would never fall for it ourselves, but in fact it happens quite frequently. Romig does an excellent job of writing an exciting thriller with just a touch of romance, appealing to a wide audience. The novel ended with another shocking epilogue, leaving the series open for a possible third book, which I will certainly read if/when it is published.

 

I received this book from Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

December 07, 2016

The Angel of History - Rabih Alameddine

Grove Atlantic, October 4, 2016.



Four Stars


The Angel of History takes place over the course of one night, as a writer named Jacob commits himself to a psychiatric ward. He has been hearing voices, specifically the voices of Satan and his companion, Death. As the night passes, Jacob recalls various incidents in his life, from his birth in Yemen, his upbringing in an Egyptian whorehouse, and his survival of the AIDS crisis as a gay man in San Francisco.


This novel is profoundly spiritual and philosophical, yet it is often funny and always touching. Jacob’s life has been filled with circumstances that would drive anyone to hear the voice of Satan, and yet he greets this new scenario with a quirky sense of humour. The story moves around the globe, addressing the struggle between memory and oblivion as Jacob recalls his past.


While Jacob sits in the waiting room of the psych ward, Satan and Death debate the state of Jacob’s soul – the structure of their conversation is often gimmicky, but it does frame Jacob’s story nicely. As in Alameddine’s other novels, he uses history and fable interchangeably to add depth to the present. His use of language is astounding as always, poetic yet accessible. The novel is heavy on religious symbolism, but it reads naturally and does not detract from the story.


Jacob lost six close friends to the 1980s AIDS epidemic, including his partner, and he nursed them all to the end. Devastated by these loses, Jacob is unable to write, although we see small pieces of his writing throughout the novel – the story he tells of his imagination as a small boy locked away is particularly heartbreaking. Jacob’s imagery is unforgettable, such as the party he attends in which the hosts have a “pet” Arab that they keep in a cage. These images are shocking, topical and darkly humorous.


The Angel of History encompasses so many subtle themes, each worthy of consideration. Alameddine questions the accuracy and fluidity of memory, as Jacob recreates his past. It is difficult to tell what is real and what is imagined, as is often the case with the hallucinatory nature of memory. Although many elements of the novel are very modern, it has a timeless feel, as Jacob is watched by fourteen saints who bear witness to the past. Jacob’s life is the intimate story of loss, contrasted with the epic scale of a battle with Satan. It is a portrait of a man who has lived one crisis after another, and come out on the other side.


I received this book from Grove Atlantic and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

December 04, 2016

The Guineveres - Sarah Domet


Flatiron Books, October 4, 2016.

 

Four Stars


 

Four young girls named Guinevere – Vere, Gwen, Ginny and Win – have all been abandoned by their parents to be raised by nuns in a convent called The Sisters of Supreme Adoration. The girls share everything, not just their name, and their consciousness is so intertwined that they even refer to themselves as “we” when acting alone. It doesn’t occur to the girls that their all-encompassing connection could ever be severed – until they receive unexpected guests at the convent.

 

Outside of the protective walls of the convent, the world is at war. The conflict is unnamed in the novel, although it is likely World War II, based on other historical clues such as clothing and technology. Because we are never told conclusively where and when the novel takes place, the events have a sense of timelessness, and the girls’ coming of age becomes universal. The girls are isolated from the atrocities of war, until several unidentified soldiers arrive – injured and unconscious, the young men are sent to the convent to be taken care of until they can be identified by their families. The girls think that nursing the boys might be their way out of the convent – in the meantime, each of the Guineveres becomes attached to their own boy, as they practice falling in love.

 

The novel covers the events of one year, in which the girls’ feelings for the boys grow stronger, leading to almost fairytale-like scenes in which they share kisses with the sleeping boys. They analyze the soldiers’ possessions, hoping to get to know them, but in fact they are growing and learning about themselves. In between these scenes of convent life, we gradually learn the story of how each of the Guineveres ended up at the convent – they are tragic events that led to damaged and untrusting girls. The Guineveres intentionally isolate themselves from the other girls at the convent, and even the nuns hesitate to intrude on their special bond. The girls are fragile on their own, but as the Guineveres, they are powerful and strong.

 

The story is written from Vere’s first person perspective, although she speaks interchangeably for all four of the girls – in fact, Vere is surprised to realize that in fact they are distinct people who do unexpected things. Because the Guineveres were abandoned by their families in often horrific ways, their only concept of home is each other. It is not until they begin to develop romantic feelings for “their boys” that they begin to separate, as Domet authentically explores the wonder and confusion of girls becoming women. And when their innocent crushes on the soldiers are contrasted with a shocking sexual act, the girls’ bond is truly tested.

 

The Guineveres is a contemplative novel, written in moody and elegant prose – it takes the ordinary and finds the beautiful and magical elements within it. The convent setting and church doctrine are heavy but always interesting, especially as it affects the girls’ upbringing. The religious figures are multifaceted and realistic, with no clear demarcation between good and evil. It is of course strange that these girls share the same unusual name, but the strangeness adds an otherworldly quality to the story, enhancing the contrasting themes of The Guineveres.

 

I received this book from Flatiron Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

December 01, 2016

Cruel, Beautiful World - Caroline Leavitt

Algonquin Books, October 4, 2016.

 

Four Stars


 

In 1969, a time of peace protests and free love, sixteen-year-old Lucy has run away from home with her older, charismatic highschool English teacher. William makes Lucy feel special in a way she hasn’t felt before, and when they move to a rural cottage to start a new life together, she thinks everything will be perfect – but William is not exactly what he seems. He keeps her hidden at home, trapped in their off-the-grid farmhouse while he starts his new job and meets new people. When Lucy decides to set out on her own, her dreams are destroyed in a shocking and dramatic fashion.

 

Meanwhile, Lucy’s sister Charlotte was left behind. As the slightly older sister, Charlotte was always the responsible child who took care of both herself and Lucy after the death of their parents. She reluctantly starts college shortly after Lucy disappears, even though she would rather be searching for her little sister. We get to see Charlotte develop into a shaky yet strong young adult as she faces serious challenges and copes with the aftermath of Lucy’s adventure.

 

The strongest and most fascinating character in the novel is Iris, especially after we learn the details of her intriguing backstory. Widowed in her sixties, Iris was about to start her life over again – taking classes and booking trans-Atlantic plane tickets – when she was suddenly tasked with taking care of young Charlotte and Lucy. There is a surprising reason that seemingly distant relative Iris is given guardianship of the girls, one which she does not explain until the end of the novel. Throughout the novel, it is enough to witness the great care that she gives to the young sisters, as she sacrifices her best years to make them feel happy and loved.

 

The novel is developed in the shadow of world events, including the Vietnam War and the Manson Family murders. Lucy is especially frightened by these issues, and they bring an ominous feeling of threat to her idyllic life in the country. There are big events here, but the focus is truly on the smaller moments, so we feel that we know each character intimately. It is an exploration of unconventional families that must overcome unusual obstacles – and yet, tragedy will still strike unexpectedly, tearing apart the family unit.

 

Leavitt writes with deceptively simple prose, yet it disguises a great depth of character, plot and emotion – the author has an easy talent that is as straightforward as it is unforgettable. Because of its simplicity, the story is haunting, with no clear line between good and evil. With a somewhat open ending, nothing is clearly resolved, and that’s what makes this novel so realistic. These three women – Lucy, Charlotte and Iris – jump off the page and really come to life, leaving a legacy of a true to life family in all its complexities and love.

 

I received this book from Algonquin Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

November 28, 2016

Here I Am - Jonathan Safran Foer

Penguin Random House, September 6, 2016.

Four Stars



Here I Am is a spiritual, contemplative novel disguised as a family drama. Jacob, the main character, explores issues of fatherhood – the title is taken from the biblical story of Abraham and his son Isaac – as well as the complexities of marriage and how familial bonds affect one’s practice of spirituality. Jacob struggles to define what it means to be Jewish today in America – is it about simple belief, committed practice, or the extreme of sacrificing himself for Israel’s freedom?


The novel covers the events of one month in the life of Jacob Bloch and his wife Julia, in present day Washington, D.C. The Blochs are facing problems in their marriage that have been building for a long time, and they have reached a point where even minor issues cause major conflict. They are still deeply connected to each other but they are disconnected and lacking passion. Their three sons are clever and precocious – sometimes too much so for their age, but their dialogue was definitely the most fun part of the novel. Even when Jacob and Julia discuss divorce, their bond is strong and their communication is clever and respectful.


The Blochs’ family drama is interrupted by visiting Israeli relatives, in town for Jacob’s oldest son Sam’s bar mitzvah. Their trip to D.C. coincides with a catastrophic earthquake in the Middle East that has far reaching effects on political policy. Jacob sees his visiting cousin as an alternate version of himself, had he chosen to live in Israel and focus more on his Jewish heritage – he is inspired by his nephew, a soldier in the Israeli army, to contemplate relocating to Israel in order to defend the country in the war that seems to be coming. The international conflict echoes Jacob’s internal one, as he struggles with his concept of religious identity.


Foer’s new novel makes many surprising observations about spirituality, love and life – but I think there is just too much going on here. It felt like Foer just had so many ideas for this book, and he was unable to edit out any of them for the greater good. Although the dialogue between the Bloch family members is the strongest part of the novel – the conversations are so authentic yet so entertaining – many of the situations felt like parts of short stories that were thrown in because they share a common theme. It does seem like Here I Am may be autobiographical to some extent, as Foer has recently split with his wife, author Nicole Krauss, and the emotional complexities of the novel feel like they were perhaps a cathartic process.


Like Foer’s other works, this novel is full of irreverent yet mature humour, referencing topical current events. It is a more mature version of Foer’s earlier novels, in which his usual thoughts and ideas are grounded in realism yet made broader at the same time. The strength of Here I Am is in speech – not only the dialogue, but the speeches that define events such as Sam’s bar mitzvah – and even Abraham’s speech to Isaac and, more importantly, to God. Even though the threads of this novel get tangled halfway through, it is not only entertaining but also intellectually stimulating. Fans of Foer will once again love this book.


I received this book from Penguin Random House and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

November 23, 2016

A Change of Heart - Sonali Dev


Kensington Books, September 27, 2016.



Four Stars



Nikhil works as a doctor on a cruise ship, drowning his sorrows in alcohol after the death of his wife two years before. Jen, Nik’s wife, was working for Doctors Without Borders in Mumbai when she discovered a black market organ transplant right – her knowledge of this criminal element likely led to her murder. Instead of trying to discover the truth about Jen’s death, Nikhil hides his feelings in a bottle, until another woman appears and challenges his views on life.


When Jess first meets Nikhil, she seems to know secrets about his life with Jen that she couldn’t possibly have access to – she claims that she was the recipient of Jen’s heart, and that Jen is speaking to her, not only about her life with Nik but also about the circumstances surrounding her death. The gaps in the story are filled in by quotes from Jen’s diary at the beginning of each chapter, and they give hints of what is to come. Jess convinces Nikhil that they need to return to his hometown of Chicago to search for clues and find out the truth – meanwhile, we find out the truth about Jess, and she has an ulterior motive in recruiting Nikhil.


The perspective alternates between Nikhil and Jess, so we know right away that she isn’t who she seems to be. Her abusive childhood led her to a career in a Bollywood dance troupe, and she trusts no one, with the exception of her young son, Joy. Everything she does is for Joy, although we don’t learn the full extent of Joy’s involvement in Jess’s actions until much later. Meanwhile, we also see inside Nikhil’s head as he slowly but passionately begins to fall in love with Jess.


A complicated bond forms between the two, and although their relationship often felt emotionally manipulative, it was always riveting. It felt like a new adult romance with a touch of melodrama – two damaged people trying to save each other while sacrificing themselves. On a deeper level, the novel also explores the darkness under the surface of modern Indian-American life – and I liked the references to Indian culture that were made without dumbing them down for a white audience. Nikhil’s family features strongly in the story, and they are also characters in Dev’s other novels.


A Change of Heart combines romance and intrigue with a thrilling mystery. It is about tortured, broken people struggling to reach a happy ending, but it never sinks into cliché – at the last second, Dev surprises us with fresh and new twists. The ending is happy, but not perfect, as the soap opera melodrama comes on a bit strong. Although the story wasn’t the most believable, it still gets a solid four stars for emotional impact.


I received this book from Kensington Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

November 20, 2016

The Strays - Emily Bitto


Legend Press, August 15, 2016.



Five Stars



In the 1980s, Lily receives an invitation to an art retrospective from a childhood friend, and it brings back all of her conflicting memories of growing up in 1930s Melbourne. Lily’s passionate friendship with Eva Trentham allowed her entrance into the family’s bohemian lifestyle, led by Eva’s father. The infamous modernist painter, Evan, his wife and their three daughters, live in a rambling old farmhouse with several other artists, building their dream of a creative utopian commune. Lily becomes wrapped up in their world, but it is a fantasy that cannot last.


Young Lily fell in love with the entire Trentham family and their eccentric lifestyle, and she wants to completely immerse herself in it. When her own family experiences tragedy, Lily gets her wish to stay temporarily with the Trenthams. She is a part of their alcohol and drug fueled parties, as well as the intimate moments between members of the commune. The adults around her are making careless and even dangerous decisions, but it is Lily and the other girls who will pay the price.


This is a story about the compromise between creative ambition and family life, in which conflicted loyalties will be exposed and difficult choices must be made. The young girls are treated with a level of maturity that they are not mentally prepared for, and it leads them to make adult decisions that their young minds cannot handle. The older Lily, a wife and mother herself, still regrets the decisions she made as a child – she was expected to know better, but she was much too young to understand the far-reaching consequences of her choices.


The setting of the Trentham house is pastoral and nostalgic – it has a youthful simplicity that Lily wishes she could return to, but beneath the façade lay obsessions and secrets. The bohemian idyll, seen especially through the passionate intensity of childhood, is unsustainable. The mystery behind Lily’s story is compelling, but it is also somewhat comfortable because we know that Lily survives her past as she looks back to tell us her story. It felt like a Kate Morton novel, a passive mystery, that of an outsider looking in on events that are no longer a threat to her.


The language used to describe Lily’s past is lovely – flowing and atmospheric. However, the flow was sometimes interrupted by a particularly jarring metaphor or unnecessary adjectives. This is Bitto’s debut novel, but she also has a Ph.D. in creative writing – the writing is almost perfect in a technical sense, but there is a lack of experience. I was impressed that each and every character felt so real and complex, pulling us into their story. This novel wasn’t suspenseful, but its mysterious, leisurely pace was completely enjoyable and I look forward to Bitto’s next novel.


I received this book from Legend Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

November 17, 2016

To the Bright Edge of the World - Eowyn Ivey


Little, Brown & Company, August 2, 2016.

Four Stars



The stark beauty of the Alaskan landscape is brought brilliantly to life in Ivey’s latest novel. As the 19th century comes to a close, exploration of the northern land is still going strong, and the vast setting is filled with mysteries. Colonel Allen Forrester is given the task of navigating Alaska’s remote Wolverine River with a small group of men – the American government wants to use the river to open up trade routes and access gold reserves, but the traditional people and spirits of Alaska may not allow him to succeed.


Forrester has recently been married to Sophie, but he must leave his young bride behind almost immediately, in order to explore the wilderness. Sophie soon realizes she is pregnant, and she begins to feel trapped in the Oregon army barracks – she craves adventure too, at a time when women were expected to stay safely at home. To compensate for her homebound life, she takes up hobbies such as birdwatching and photography, and she manages to expand her own horizons in surprising ways.


The story is told through the letters that pass between Forrester and Sophie, and they are supplemented by maps, illustrations and newspaper articles that bring a real sense of the time. Alternating with the story set in 1885 are sections set in the present day – these also take the form of letters, between Walter, a descendent of Forrester, and Joshua, an Alaskan museum curator. They are planning to exhibit Forrester and Sophie’s various historical ephemera in the tiny museum, to preserve a part of Alaskan history. Although their sections act as a framing device, they are just as strong as the other parts – they are fully developed characters in their own right.


Walter’s descriptions of the historical documents add context to Forrester’s adventures, which are often surreal. The intervention by white explorers led to the disappearance of the spiritual and even supernatural elements that were present in Forrester’s time, and he describes his surprising interactions with them in his letters. He speaks of shapeshifters, shamans, and crossing the boundaries between the living and the dead. However, even though Forrester’s discoveries were interesting in a larger way, it was Sophie’s domestic exploration of her small, intimate world that I enjoyed most.


This is a lengthy novel, but it held my attention for the most part by jumping through time, place and perspective. The beautiful setting and strong sense of place add a magical element to the characters’ lives, although they are deeply rooted in the earth. Considering the poetic title and stunning book cover, this novel definitely lived up to my expectations as a beautiful, complex and timeless story.


I received this book from Little, Brown & Company and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

November 13, 2016

Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye - Marius Gabriel


Lake Union Publishing, August 4, 2015.




Three Stars



Gabriel’s novel follows the three Redcliffe sisters in the years leading up to World War II. Beginning during the Spanish Civil War, two of the sisters are trapped in rural Spain, while one remains in England. Isobel is the oldest, separated from her wealthy Spanish husband after the death of their child. Her youngest sister Felicity is only nineteen, and she has recently decided to join a convent back in England as a nun. When Isobel’s mansion is requisitioned by the Republican army, one of their soldiers decides to escort the women across the country so they can find safe passage back to England.


The soldier, William Willoughby, features throughout the sisters’ lives for many years to come. Although Felicity has a crush on him, his rejection solidifies her decision to become a nun. Isobel travels from Spain to Germany in a show of support for the Fascist cause, but when she reverses her politics after witnessing the persecution of Jewish citizens during Kristallnacht, she ends up in the arms of Willoughby. Isobel is strong and domineering, but even loving sister Felicity is shocked by the ensuing events.


Meanwhile, middle sister Chiara is relatively safe in London, living a fun and carefree life at dances and on dates, until she meets a much older man who refuses to commit to her. At the same time, London becomes more dangerous for everyone as bombs drop with increased frequency. Each sister grows up under the shadow of WWII, and it brings them together and drives them apart in shocking ways.


The novel is episodic, broken into long chapters that almost stand on their own – in fact, they were originally released individually as separate short stories. Each chapter does enhance the others, as we see overlapping events through the eyes of another sister. Although they care deeply for each other, they are just as likely to cause each other pain when they make difficult decisions.


I found the historical aspects very interesting, especially Isobel’s uneducated support of Hitler’s Nazi regime and her shock and disappointment when she learns the truth about the government’s agenda. I liked that none of the sisters were all good or evil – they were well-rounded, complicated individuals. What I did not enjoy was the stiff, unrealistic and often silly dialogue. The sisters’ emotional responses seemed real, but their ability to realistically express themselves was lacking. There was also an issue with the unresolved ending, which may be leaving room for a sequel. There were plenty of loose ends for the Redcliffe sisters to resolve in the future.


I received this novel from Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

November 09, 2016

The Girl from the Sea - Shalini Boland


Adrenalin Books, September 16, 2016.



Three Stars



The Girl from the Sea is yet another novel that is being compared to Gone Girl, and once again it doesn’t quite stand up to the original. I’m looking forward to the day when every thriller with a female character isn’t being compared to Gillian Flynn’s famous novel, because it does a disservice to both. Boland’s novel is very different from Flynn’s – it is not quite as strong, but it explores a very interesting idea and it manages suspenseful elements quite well.


A woman is found washed up on the beach in England, with no memories of who she is or what her life was like. After several days of being unable to even recognize her own reflection, the woman is claimed by her apparent boyfriend Piers, who tells her that her name is Mia James. She learns that she is very wealthy, with a beautiful waterfront townhouse, glamorous friends, and a wonderful lifestyle. However, Mia immediately feels uncomfortable in her own life, and she is certain that Piers is keeping secrets from her. The only think she truly knows about herself is that she loves to row, and she is drawn to the rowing club and one of its charismatic instructors, Jack.


Mia has no idea how she ended up on that beach, but investigators assume it was a rowing accident – she must have gone out alone at night and fallen into the sea. Mia doesn’t remember anything from her past, and she is shocked to learn that her father is dead and she is estranged from her sister and mother. However, as the secrets surrounding her are gradually exposed, Mia realizes there may have been a more sinister explanation for her accident – and the person she trusts the most may be the most dangerous.


This novel had an exciting start and it moved quickly in many different directions, but then many of these loose ends were just abandoned with no explanation. The concept of Mia’s accident is an original idea, although I didn’t feel like the suspense followed through to the end. I did figure out much of the ending – although there was a twist I didn’t see coming – but it wasn’t surprising or thrilling enough to really get excited about. This novel was a great escape for a few hours, but not powerful enough to put it in line as the next Gone Girl.


I received this novel from Adrenalin Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.