The September Girls by Maureen Lee May 30, 2006

This book reminded me of those family sagas I loved when I was a teenager, which began with a young girl and continued on (and on and on) to tell not only her story, but the stories of her daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters. The September Girls begins with the story of two women in England not long after World War I. One is wealthy and unhappily married, the other is poor and almost destitute (though happily married). They both give birth on the same night, and their families remain connected throughout the years. As the women get older, the focus of the book turns to their daughters, whom they call the September Girls.

So much happens in this novel. So much that it doesn’t even fit into the novel–some things take place “offstage.” Marriages are only mentioned later, children suddenly appear, and flirting couples are making wedding plans in the next sentence. But the characters are interesting and the writing is good.

The novel is especially good when focusing on World War II (which I just cannot seem to stop unintentionally reading/hearing about). The viewpoints of so many different people—soldiers, mothers, children, officers—it was all captivating.

All in all, a good novel and one whose characters I would like to meet again.

An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro May 30, 2006

My unintentional tendency to read World War II books continued with this novel. This one begins in Japan not long after World War II has ended. It’s a fascinating view of the culture of Japan, with its traditions and honor.

The narrator of this book, Ono, was a supporter of the Imperialists during the war, and now lives in some disgrace. How much is not really clear, since Ono himself is not a very reliable narrator. He tells a story and then says, “Well, maybe it wasn’t exactly like that” or “Maybe that’s not really what he said.”

I found myself more than a little confused by this book. I think a book’s having a unreliable narrator means that you will never really get the true story, and when I finished the book, I wished that I could ask someone what the real story was.

The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean May 24, 2006

I keep reading books set in World War II, and I don’t know why. It’s not really a particular interest of mine. This book moves in time from Russia in World War II to present-day life in the United States. Marina, a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, finds her mind going back to the time when she had to live with the people of her city in the cellars of the Hermitage museum. She worked in the museum as a tour guide and helped evacuate the exhibits. Once the art was gone, she recreated it in her mind, remembering the paintings that went into every empty frame, until she could actually see them.

The day-to-day life of the Russians living in the cellar was horrifying. Their city was under attack and they had to suffer through the long, cold winter with barely any food. Many people died of starvation. But there were elements of hopefulness and moments of true humanity, such as when a group of starving women line up to feel the pregnant belly of another survivor, each one thrilled to feel life moving beneath her hands.

The disease of Alzheimer’s is dealt with in great sympathy, as a family watches their wife and mother slip away from them. Marina knows that there is somewhere else where she goes in her mind, and as time passes, she is more and more confused about where she actually is. She always returns to her time in Leningrad, to her life in the Hermitage.

If I had any complaints about this book, it would be that it was too short. It was an unusual story and a good one. It really illustrated the great power of imagination.

Cage of Stars by Jacquelyn Mitchard May 24, 2006

This was an interesting story. I thought at first that it would be more of a mystery. Veronica Swan, the main character, is playing hide-and-go-seek with her sisters, and while she is hiding, her sisters are killed by a schizophrenic man. The man is caught, so there is no “who done it” to the crime. Instead the novel is a story of family, religion, and forgiveness.

The family is Mormon, and I found it interesting to read about their daily lives in rural Utah. Veronica (often called Ronnie in the novel) is fully invested in her religious life, yet she is unable to forgive her sisters’ killer. Her parents find that the only way they can survive is to forgive. Ronnie can’t, however, which drives her apart from her parents and also drives her to seek out her sisters’ killer, always referred to with both his first and last names.

Despite the subject matter, I found this book to be hopeful, as well as thought-provoking. I found it interesting to read how following her religion’s teachings didn’t make Ronnie feel better in her own head and heart, even though doing as instructed would help her get along better with her family and friends. Ronnie had to strike out on her own to find her own salvation.

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters May 15, 2006

Sarah Waters is a great storyteller. I’ve loved every one of her books that I’ve read. Unlike her previous books, which were all set in Victorian times, this book took place during and just after World War II. I found it a fascinating glimpse into a view of London during the war.

The book was unusual in that it began in 1947, continued in 1945, and ended in 1941. Knowing what will happen to characters and relationships changed how I felt about them. Many of the relationships introduced in the novel felt doomed from the start when I knew how they would end. It’s fascinating to be introduced to a shell-shocked character in 1947 and then meet her again in 1941 when she is full of hope and determination. It’s also interesting to learn how characters who don’t seem to have anything to do with each other early on in the book turn out to be vital to each other’s lives in the past.

I find Sarah Waters’ portrayal of lesbian life in different eras fascinating. I can’t imagine how hard it would have been to be a lesbian in the Victorian era or even in the World War II era. Heck, I don’t think I can even imagine what it must be like to be a lesbian in present times. So I find the lives of her characters fascinating—having to hide who they really are and yet finding a way to live that is true to the heart. For some reason, I wasn’t quite as impressed with the portrayal of the one male-female couple in the book. (Though that might be because the male character was a bit of a jerk and a coward.)

All in all, I would recommend this book as an excellent read.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote May 15, 2006

I read this book for a book club. It’s not something I would have chosen to read for fun, and I approached it much like a homework assignment. I kept finding other things to do and other things to read, so it took a while to finish.

The book is about a murder of a family in Kansas in 1959. It was extremely well written and interesting, but it’s just not something I want in my head.