Cartier’s Hope by M.J. Rose

This certainly isn’t the first time I’ve read M.J. Rose and it definitely won’t be my last. Her novels always present opportunities for escaping the mundanity of our everyday lives. With history, mystery and romance Cartier’s Hope doesn’t disappoint.

It’s New York in 1910 where we met Vera Garland, a woman of exceptional means having being raised in New York’s elite society. This socialite, however, has a secret that only her family knows; Vera Garland has an alter ego in that manifest as Vee Swan. “Vee” is a dynamic, feisty reporter who puts safety (and true identity) at risk in order to get “the story”. Vee is determined to expose the injustices that exist in New York at the beginning of the century especially if they include the rights of women and children. One of these stories is uncovering the true history of the Hope diamond. The Hope diamond is both desired and feared and Vera has to live her own truth in order to bring the story to “Vee”. During her quest for the truth, Vera suffers loss, physical pain and a broken heart. Through it all, however, Vera Stays determined to maintain her independence during a time in history when an independent woman is something to be feared. I found myself wanting to be Vera’s friend!

I really enjoyed reading this book. With its easy prose, quick plot and elements of history, it made for a perfect weekend read. 

You can buy Cartier’s Hope first week of December!

 

The last time my Book Club (lovingly named “Authora Bookealis) met we discussed the novel Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman. We had purposely picked this book for October because of Halloween, and if Unbury Carol was going to be even remotely as frightening as Malerman’s Bird Box, then it would be a novel aptly picked. (Bird Box is the only novel that has ever given me nightmares!) . Unbury Carol, however, turned out to be something different altogether. So it was a crime story, a western, and a romance with elements of magical realism and a dash of horror.

Our protagonist Carol visits “Howltown” when she dies. And she visits Howltown often, especially when she is under undue stress. While in Howltown Carol can hear the goings-on outside this reality and unfortunately  “she never misheard anything in Howltown. The opposite in fact. For as long as Carol could remember, the things she’d heard as she fell were beyond even the truth of the words themselves. There was the truth of the person behind them.” (pg 23) In this particular visit, Carol learns the violent truth surrounding her husband. Can Carol escape from her purgatory before being buried alive?  Or will she return finding herself in a coffin buried deep within the ground?

Some of my favourite characters? “Rot” is seen as a character, not the corporeal form but an entity that is always “there” in the corner, threatening, reminding others of their mortality.  Rot is a haunting character, but not as menacing as the Smoke. A literary trope of evil incarnate. Smoke, in my opinion, is deserving of a novel all of his own. I would have loved to have learned more of his backstory and motivation.

 I appreciate Malerman’s writing. In both Bird Box and Unbury Carol, he takes a nightmarish concept and uses strong female characters to stoically accept, strategize and conquer an evil force, be it supernatural or human.

 

 

“Creatures” by Crissy Van Meter

Ok, it’s taken me longer than I thought to write this review. Partly because I had to stop and start and re-read a good portion of it because, well because of life, and partly it is the type of novel I needed to read carefully because I REALLY LOVED it. There were so many layers in time, in style, in character development. I wish I had this novel in hard copy so it would have been easier for me to flip back and forth to reread parts, confirm interpretations, link events etc. This novel, at times, reads like a  fairytale complete with villains and heroes and fantastical ocean creatures. In this instance, however, our protagonist, Evie, is in no need of a handsome prince be it her husband or her father, to save her. No, in fact, she can save herself, thank you very much, be it from a deadly storm coming in over the ocean and wreaking havoc on the island, or from a group of men who know she is carrying the best weed (Winter Wonderland) on the island, in her backpack as she makes her way home 

I can’t wait to see what this book looks like when published. I am intrigued by the way it is organized. Parts read like poetry, parts read like a short-answer exam, parts that read almost as a journal, and parts that are told from an adult Evie before and after her wedding day.

Our protagonist Evie, has to pretty much raise herself. Not quite an orphan because both her parents actually “exist” albeit in varying degrees. Evie’s parents are either literally absent or absent due to the ingestion of substances, controlled and otherwise. Honestly, I was more worried about Evie’s broken friend Rook who seems to be on a road of self-destruction. I’d like to know more about her back story. What is she motivated to do what she does? Why does she seem to have a death wish of sorts? What is it about Evie that she is so attracted to? Is it Evie’s strength and good nature that seems to sustain her no matter the circumstance?

The story is also about the failure of a father trying to convince his daughter/or himself that they are fortunate to live such an adventure (as being homeless and selling drugs for food) because facing reality would be devastating. Why is it always daughters who have to stay behind and keep their fractured fathers together long enough to see themselves into adulthood?

I would seriously consider using this novel in a high school English class. Not only is it a strong study in character and theme, but it is also a great example of HOW a novel can be written. Often we encourage our students to read “mentor texts” so that they can see first hand how impactful creativity in storytelling can be. There are so many beautiful phrases that can generate reflection in their profundity. 

 

Talking to Strangers is one of the most important books of the year. In a time where mass communication, often leads to conflict, it is essential to understand why we often misinterpret another’s behaviour, their words and intentions leading us to judge their character and alter our own actions to respond unjustly.

Malcolm Gladwell is always effective in illustrating his point. In this book he vividly uses five infamous examples to do so: a case of espionage during the cold war, Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, the conviction of Amanda Knox and the Suicide of Sylvia Path. He also bookends his thesis discussing how heartbreakingly needless the unjust conviction of Sandra Bland.

I would want my high school students to read this book. It easily supports curriculums in Religious Studies, Ethics, Social Studies and Social Sciences and would inspire in-depth discussion in the classroom.

Talking to Strangerscomes out September 10, 2019.

 

Love Gladwell!  I was very excited when Little Brown and Co. sent me an advanced copy of Talking to Strangers.  I’ll let you know what I think in a day or two!  In the meanwhile enjoy this from CBC:

https://www.cbc.ca/books/new-malcolm-gladwell-book-titled-talking-to-strangers-coming-in-september-1.5007696

 

Update! (a couple of weeks late) : (

Loved, loved, loved, this novel. I finished reading it in less than 24 hours. EVERYTHING was put on hold until I finished reading it, even sleep!

In this novel, we get to know two women who share their own stories through alternating chapters. Theo, our main narrator, is a young woman with good intentions who attempts to fill her dead mother’s legacy through Christian service. She does this by devoting her time to visiting a woman’s prison and ministering to murderers. Another, more interesting reason (ulterior motive??) why Theo visits this prison is to feed her obsession with phrenology or “reading” the bumps on a person’s head to determine their personality and potential for violence and manipulation.

Our other narrator is Ruth. Ruth is a young seamstress who is imprisoned for murdering her mistress with, as she claims, a needle and thread. At times I was disturbed by Ruth’s monologue concerning the harsh and violent circumstances of her life, but then I remembered that she was a child when all of this trauma is taking place. And yes, Theo predictably asks to “read” the bumps on Ruth’s head.

This is my first novel by Laura Purcell. I am quite taken by her writing style, finding it impossible not to fall deeply into the story she tells. Purcell is becoming one of my favourite authors. Immediately after finishing this one I ordered The Silent Companions and I can’t wait to start it!

P. S

This novel has a “holy crap” ending. So read it and find out what it is!

P.P.S.So far this summer my favourite novels have been “The Poison Thread” and Priory of the Orange Tree”. Review for Priory coming soon!!

……

 

I just started Poison Thread today. It’s been a summer of fantasy/sci fi and psychological thrillers. This one is a mixture of historical fiction and thriller. IT IS SO GOOD and I’m only on page 21.  This was one of those books that jumped out at me whilst I was lurking in the bookstore (that happens!!). I took it off the shelf,turned it over in my hands, then my eyes fell on ” … it is possible to kill with just a needle and thread…” I was hooked.

As well on the back it is written: “For fans of Shirley Jackson, The Poison Thread is a spine-tingling read about the evil that lurks behind the facade of innocence”.  Those that know me know that I am an uber fan of Shirley Jackson.

.Review soon to come!

I love Tana French. I first heard of French listening to Parul Sehgal from theNew York Times Book Review Podcast (fangirl moment when I tweeted out that she was the one who turned me onto Tana French and she tweeted back!!!) Sehgal suggested starting with  the Dublin Murder Squad series, so I did, when I was in Dublin no less(more about that series in another post). Most recently, I’ve read The Witch Elm.

Our narrator Toby is unreliable from the start. We know within the first few pages that Toby will suffer a traumatic brain injury resulting in gaps in his memory. To help in his recovery, Toby venture Ivy House to take care of his ailing and beloved Uncle Hugo, who is suffering from inoperable brain cancer. Both men are experiencing similar symptoms relying on one another. At Ivy House, Toby attempts to piece together the disjointed fragments of memory from his attack. Cousins Susanna and Leon both help and hinder in his recovery as memories of old childhood heartaches and rebellions surface with the discovery of a human skull that had been buried deep within the Witches Elm in Uncle Toby’s backyard.

My affection for Toby ebbed and flowed. Although Toby can be the quintessential ass, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him in his confusion and insecurity. He struggles to differentiate between factual truth and perceived truth created through childhood memories.

French does not take the easy path to resolution in his novel. There are several plot complications in our road to discovering who’s skull ended up in the tree….and how it got there. These complications, however, are never tedious; in fact, they create more intricate character development, especially regarding Toby and Hugo.

The Witch Elm was the sort of book that reminded me of why I love reading mysteries. Our little school library would have a limited selection of authors, so I read EVERYTHING by Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was wonderful to have what seemed to be an endless supply of intrigue sitting on the library shelf. The Witch Elm is a hefty read of over 500 pages that sucked me into the vortex of its story for a good two days. If you are a lover of mystery novels, be sure to check out Tana French as especially be sure to get your hands on a copy of The Witch Elm.