I came across the first book in this series in a Co Donegal library--a mystery involving Irish sheep was one I had to pick up. I enjoyed it a lot. So I came across the first book in this series in a Co Donegal library--a mystery involving Irish sheep was one I had to pick up. I enjoyed it a lot. So when I saw that there was another book about these sheep, I knew I had to read that one, too.
This time around, the sheep are in France with their shepherdess. As stipulated in her father's will, she has brought them on a long-awaited trip to Europe and she still reads to them every night. So while the sheep still have some of their usual routine, they're in a new meadow with sometimes scary people around. They have much to figure out, some of which they learn from their new goat neighbors. They soon come across some disturbing sights in the forest and it's not long before they have a mystery to solve. Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in the flock--and possibly all of Europe--puts her mind to work. The other sheep, each with his or her own special skills and strengths do their part.
This book is dark, yet quite funny in places. Superficially, the sheep and goats are very amusing as they observe and try to make sense of human behavior. This was the best part of the book for me. I loved that aspect in the first book as well. At the same time, some of the human behavior is disturbing and serious issues, such as mental health, mental health treatment, human cruelty, and more, arise. This is definitely not the usual sort of cozy crime novel--it's darker than that. And I also found it hard to keep track of who was who at times. There are a lot of characters and there are several lists of them at the beginning of the book. I think I would have had a better time had I read a physical copy of this book instead of a digital one on my phone, because it would've been easy to go back and refer to these lists. There are numerous sheep, goats, and humans and although the author does a good job of giving them different sorts of names, I still found myself trying to place a character at various points throughout the book.
In addition to the sheep describing the weirdness of humans, another aspect of the book I enjoyed was not a central plot point, but was part of sheep culture in general. When the sheep go to the water to have a drink, they sometimes see their own reflections, which they don't realize is them. So they've been taught about the sheep from the depths, who they feel comes to offer them courage and support. it's not unlike the way humans create various stories and myths.
In any case, I found the book enjoyable and funny, but also uncomfortable at times. You don't have to have read the first book to enjoy this one, but I do think it'd be best to read them in order if you can.
I thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a DRC....more
We meet Eve on a train platform, which is just where she likes to be. She's thinking about how she'd rather be catching a train in a different locatioWe meet Eve on a train platform, which is just where she likes to be. She's thinking about how she'd rather be catching a train in a different location where it's not the tail end of winter, but maybe this journey will help her get there. She's on her way to meet a publisher so she can embark on a new project. Eve is a ghostwriter of sorts--her current project is all about pork. That is, she trying to make readable an autobiography of a rich guy who made his money from pork. This new project promises to be more interesting and perhaps lucrative enough to pay for a train trip in a sunny, warm location. She's been asked to do finish up a book by an infamous guy, recently deceased, who made his name by spewing his racist, misogynist ideas all over the place. His book--a diatribe against 'woke'-- is nearing the publication date. There's a problem though. The publisher and the literary executor don't actually have the manuscript. They want Eve to find it, polish it up, and get it back to them. Things get weird pretty quickly, though, and nothing is as straightforward as she thought it would be. Where is the manuscript? And did this guy really die of natural causes? Eve won't stop until she gets the answers she's looking for.
When I saw the description of this book, I was intrigued. When I read the book, I was delighted. It's a wonderful, unique, kind of quirky, cozy mystery. Eve is a woman who loves trains, travel, notebooks, and words. She's smart, compassionate, and self-aware. She's a vegetarian who bicycles, walks, and uses public transport instead of owning a car. She's built a life for herself on her own terms. I quite enjoyed spending time with her. The mystery aspect of the book was well done and unusual in the cozy genre in the sense that the primary mystery is about the book and the deceased person and how he met his end is somewhat secondary to that. I enjoyed the literary aspect of the plot and how the various people Eve meets in the course of her investigation fit into into the web of relationships around this odious individual. The setting has a bit of a traditional mystery vibe, but it captures the current moment exceptionally well. I'm so glad I discovered this book. The description mentions that Eve is embarking on her first mystery, so I hope that means there will be a second mystery at some point. If there is, I'll snap it up.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a DRC....more
This is a book bursting with interesting and sometimes surprising information about food. It's structured like an encyclopedia, with short essays abouThis is a book bursting with interesting and sometimes surprising information about food. It's structured like an encyclopedia, with short essays about specific foods and beverages presented in alphabetical order. The essays are written by various people and each ends with suggestions for further reading, where more detail can be found. The essays provide a history of each food/drink as well as the cultural context in which they originated and, if appropriate, the ways in which the food/drink spread to different parts of the world and changed to fit in with new cultures and tastes. The book is extremely well done. It would be excellent to have sitting in a convenient spot, ready to be picked up, opened at random, and enjoyed for a few minutes or longer, depending on how much time you have. I think reading the book in chunks might be the best way to consume it, rather than reading from start to finish, but of course that would be a matter of personal taste. Everyone will have their own preferences for the contents as well and some essays will be of more interest than others. I chose not to read the essay on dog meat, for example. The book is translated from French. It's a fascinating collection of essays which provides excellent summaries of the history and culture of many different kinds of food and drink and also points readers in the direction of more detailed information should they wish to know more. For those interested in food, I wholeheartedly recommend it.
I thank NetGalley and Columbia University Press for a DRC....more
It's Christmas Eve, 1901. The snow is falling. Barrister Gabriel Ward is in his happy place, the Inner Temple Court. This is the place where he works It's Christmas Eve, 1901. The snow is falling. Barrister Gabriel Ward is in his happy place, the Inner Temple Court. This is the place where he works in his chambers, everything organized just the way he likes it. It's also the place where he lives, his rooms filled with piles and towers of books, which make him feel safe. Gabriel is a man who needs his routine--going to bed at exactly half past midnight, walking around the Inner Temple gardens in a clockwise direction, and checking his door three times every time he leaves his rooms, for example. These things clearly give him a sense of control. On this day, he notices that the fallen snow has covered up the cracks in the path and he feels a sense of freedom because he can just walk without having to avoid stepping on them as he usually does. Gabriel is in a very good mood. And then he goes to discuss something with the treasurer of the Inner Temple and things take a turn for the gruesome. He finds the treasurer in quite a state of agitation due to the very unwelcome delivery of a box containing a severed human hand. Always rational Gabriel points out that there's nothing to be done on Christmas Eve. The hand has clearly not come from a newly deceased person and the police don't have jurisdiction in the Temple anyway. Gabriel assures the treasurer that after the festivities are over, he will make further inquiries. But by then, more parcels are delivered and he has more on his plate than he bargained for when a tough case falls in his lap. Fortunately, he has his new friend Constable Wright to help with both problems. And like his previous episode of detective work, Gabriel is forced to move a little bit out of his comfort zone at times as he makes his way towards a solution.
After reading (and loving) the first book in this series, I was so looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint. I loved this one just as much. This is quite a unique mystery series (at least in my experience), partly because of the setting, partly due to the plots, and partly because of the main character. Gabriel has clearly suffered some kind of trauma in the past, which may go some way toward explaining his compulsive behaviors. He is seen as eccentric, but also as extremely smart. He frustrates some people because he doesn't fit into the mold of what a barrister from a 'good family' should be. He's definitely an outsider who takes comfort and joy in books, thinking, learning, and working out the puzzles that are a part of giving his clients the best possible representation. He isn't pushing for career advancement, power, or prestige. He's also kind, gentle, caring, and well liked by many. I enjoy seeing how Gabriel grows as he is gently nudged out of his routine and into new situations.
Another highlight of these books is the Inner Temple itself. It's interesting to read about how the place worked over a century ago (it's still in existence) and how the barristers there interacted with their neighbors outside the Temple walls, such as the journalists in Fleet Street.
Finally, the plots are well crafted and the author, herself a barrister, weaves together the mystery and the court case together quite skillfully to create an immersive narrative. Once I started the book, I didn't want to put it down. When I had to, I was looking forward to picking it back up again. The only drawback to having read this book is that now I have a long wait for the next one. I will happily read on in the series. I'm so glad I discovered it and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes historical mysteries and/or classic mysteries.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a DRC.
This is a book about mathematics. It's a book about art. It's a book about nature. And it's a book about the connections between all three. It may seeThis is a book about mathematics. It's a book about art. It's a book about nature. And it's a book about the connections between all three. It may seem like art and mathematics in particular are very different in terms of inspiration, practice, and outlook, but Marcus du Sautoy argues that they're not different all--in fact, they come from the same place. Maths provides the structures, which he calls 'blueprints' and art provides the expression of those structures. This book sets out to explain his ideas. He states, "In this book, I want to explore some of the most fundamental mathematical structures that underpin human creativity." (p2) He goes on to say that these same structures can be found in nature: "It's as if human creativity and mathematical discovery are two languages with which to navigate and understand the physical universe we live in." (p2) He likens art, maths, and nature to three points on a triangle and sets out to describe the connections he sees between these three points. He refutes the idea that art alone deals with emotion, arguing that emotion is very evident in mathematics and that mathematicians are actually storytellers whose characters are numbers and geometries. The stories he's telling in this book are structured on his blueprints, which are: prime numbers, circles, Fibonacci numbers, golden ratio, fractals, Platonic solids, symmetry, hyperbolic geometry, and randomness. In the end, du Sautoy muses that perhaps art and mathematics has an edge over nature because they can go "beyond what nature allows." Nature is "real," art doesn't have to be, and mathematics is abstract and can "live in the mind." (p 330)
The book was fascinating and provided much to consider. I do think I might have gotten more out of it if I was someone with a background in mathematics, musical composition, or both. The author is a mathematician, a musician and a writer, and has worked in collaboration with various others from these fields. I am neither of the first two and I did get bogged down at times with the equations and long discussions about how music is composed. Much of this was meaningless to me, to be honest. This didn't prevent me from enjoying the book or from learning new things; it's simply that I would have understood more and in a different way if I had more knowledge about those disciplines and practices. However, in his discussions of art practice, he doesn't limit himself to composition alone, so whether you're a maths nerd or not and whether you are into the way music is composed or not, there's much here to think about and enjoy.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a DRC....more
When I moved from the US to Ireland 11 years ago, it was partly because of what I was seeing politically in my country of origin. It was clear that thWhen I moved from the US to Ireland 11 years ago, it was partly because of what I was seeing politically in my country of origin. It was clear that the political right was getting more extreme and the political left didn't understand what was happening in that world and the attitudes held by people with compatible worldviews. Without understanding these things, it's impossible to push back against them. So upon my arrival here, this was something I was paying attention to. There are many differences between the political systems and while there are many similarities, cultural expectations are very different between the two countries as are the national myths and many other things. The politics will reflect and be influenced by all that, of course. It didn't take me long to realize that there was no major organized far right political party in Ireland. To be sure, there was evidence of a few people scattered around spewing their hatred, and a few attempts at creating political parties based on far right ideas, but these never came to fruition. More recently, particularly after the pandemic, such people have become more visible and violent and have managed to form some small parties or have run as independents. A handful of them got elected to local offices, but in the general election later in the year, they had no success.
Since I've been here, I have followed these shifts with interest and have wanted to know more about what underlies these attitudes. Some of it is what you'd expect--immigration, societal upheaval, economic issues. But there was more to it than that. So when I saw this book, I was eager to read it. It did not disappoint. The author skillfully weaves together the different cultural strands that fed into the fascist movement and the opposition to it from the time when Irish independence was just beginning to the present day. He starts with the rise of fascism in Italy, which was picked up by some of the few Italian immigrants in Dublin at the time. He shows how it was spreading in Britain, and what that meant for Ireland, particularly with issues around partition and tensions between those who wanted Ireland--and especially Northern Ireland--to remain a part of the British Empire and those who wanted a united Ireland. The British fascists argued that the fight for Irish independence was part of a Jewish plot to take over the world. This is another important aspect of this book--it illustrates very well the ways in which any societal crisis can be twisted into a nonsensical conspiracy theory that will be believed by some segment of the population and used to cause great harm. One thing this history does is remind us that the underlying methods of mis/disinformation and hate-mongering have been the same in the past, but now we have instant communication so this spreads faster and connects more people. Another common boogeyman was and is socialism--or more accurately, the fear of socialism. All of the rhetoric being spewed out now by far right ideologues worldwide was being spewed out in the past, too, with culturally resonant details tossed in.
In any case, the popularity of far right/fascist groups has waxed and waned through time, sometimes making strange bedfellows.
At the moment, the fascists/far right in Ireland are being advised by more experienced and better organized groups from both the US and UK. I expect we haven't heard the last of them.
This is an excellent book and I am so glad to have read it. It was exactly the book I'd been looking for and had been unable to find until now. It's an important contribution to Irish history, anthropology, and political science as well as for those interested in the rise of far right political movements in general. It was fascinating, informative, and provided much food for thought.
I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a DRC....more
This is a quiet yet lovely book. One the one hand, it can seem like nothing much is happening in these stories, but on the other, everything happens. This is a quiet yet lovely book. One the one hand, it can seem like nothing much is happening in these stories, but on the other, everything happens. There are no cinematic storylines here, but each story is the story of a life or lives--ordinary people moving through days, weeks, months, years. Time passes. There are connections and disconnections between people, people and objects, or people and places. Memories resurface. Things change. People change. Places change. Relationships change. As they do for all of us. The excellent writing is very matter-of-fact. I stopped at times to admire sentences and descriptions. For instance, one character is described as feeling like he was disconnected from his own life and leasing space in a different person's body. The stories are straightforward, but no less powerful for that.
I've not read any of Shibasaki's previous work, but I definitely want to now. In some ways, these stories reminded me a bit of the kinds of short stories Lydia Davis writes, so if you're a fan of hers, or of short stories in general, I can highly recommend this collection. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time and I'm delighted to have read it.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a DRC....more
I had never heard of this author, so when I saw this book, I was intrigued. After reading it, I'm still intrigued and have more books on my TBR pile, I had never heard of this author, so when I saw this book, I was intrigued. After reading it, I'm still intrigued and have more books on my TBR pile, since I'm now curious and want to read at least some of her work. It was a surprise to read about how such a popular and successful author could be almost completely forgotten. Hopefully this book will change that and result in more people reading her work and commenting on it. Many of her titles are available on Project Gutenberg, if nowhere else.
Southworth herself was a fascinating character and although this book is a biography, it read like a novel. It was fascinating to see the parallels with popular writers and influencers of today, as Emma had to carefully curate her public persona, insisting that she only wrote to support her children, which was necessary because she was a 'widow in fate.' She knew how important it was for her to not appear controversial to the public. She was part of a slave-owning family who wrote for an abolitionist magazine, which cost her some friends and created tensions with her family. She was keenly aware of the ways in which patriarchal society harmed women and she wrote about this in her books, along with her many other progressive ideas. Women loved these books and not only was she wildly successful as a result, the people who published her work benefited financially as well. She really was a trailblazer--that and her success irritated some male writers of the time. The book was also interesting in the way that it showed what the literary culture was like at the time.
Rose Neal handled the subject matter well, so one need not be familiar with Southworth's work to enjoy this book. She could very easily fall into the trap of providing long summaries or explanations of each book, which would have really bogged things down, I think. Instead, she skillfully weaves the books through her own narrative, using them to illustrate how Southworth expressed her views. This also means that, because there were no long descriptions of the books, nothing was spoiled and I can look forward to reading them with the background this biography provides in mind. I'm so glad I read this book. I loved it....more
This beautifully written book begins on Easter Sunday in 1938. Ivy is 19 and unsure what comes next in her life. She lives in the family home, CressinThis beautifully written book begins on Easter Sunday in 1938. Ivy is 19 and unsure what comes next in her life. She lives in the family home, Cressingdon, with her mother and her mother's partner, who has other relationships as well. Her father left a long time ago, living with various other women, but is still involved in family life, as is longtime family friend, Bear. There's excitement on this day because Joseph, Ivy's older brother is home from Oxford for the holiday and everyone is looking forward to meeting his girlfriend, Frances, for the first time. On this Easter morning, no one knows that before the day ends, tragedy will strike, changing everyone's lives in profound ways. The book continues from there, telling Ivy's story through the decades, with each chapter a day in her life.
Ivy is clearly a seeker of something, although even she isn't sure what she's looking for other than a place to belong. She is surrounded by artists of one kind or another, but she herself doesn't seem to have any spectacular ability or interest in any artistic pursuits. Her education has been quite poor. She thinks about God and has fond, comforting memories of going to church with her grandmother. She feels most at home outside and indeed, it is outdoors on the family estate where she first 'sees the light' which will be with her for the rest of her life. As we follow Ivy on particular days in the decades to come, seeing the light, whether metaphorically or in reality is a recurring theme(thus the title of the book).
This is a wonderful book. The writing is exquisite. The structure works well as we see Ivy growing into a more secure sense of who she is. We also see the society around her changing. It's a coming of age story of a sort because even though Ivy is 19 when the book opens, she is very naive and acts much younger. This book was my introduction to this author's work and I enjoyed it so much that I'm now reading her previous books. If you enjoy character-driven narratives, books about women's lives, the search for self and a place to belong, and/or historical fiction, I can enthusiastically recommend this book.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a DRC.
The poems in this wonderful collection were a delight to read, varied as they are in structure, tone, and length. Some tell a story, while some capturThe poems in this wonderful collection were a delight to read, varied as they are in structure, tone, and length. Some tell a story, while some capture a moment in time or a short musing on the poet's observation of nature. As I was reading, I often felt as though I was there, observing with her. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and I recommend it to poetry lovers and those who are wary of poetry but would like to explore further.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a DRC....more
In 1967, the satirical Report from Iron Mountain was published. It purported to be a government document laying out the dangers of world peace. War, iIn 1967, the satirical Report from Iron Mountain was published. It purported to be a government document laying out the dangers of world peace. War, it stated, provided many benefits--economic, social, and more. The book was fiction. The author wrote a foreword, but didn't let on that the entire book was a work of his own imagination. There were others involved in the creation of the book--those who first approached the author, as well as the publisher, who categorized it as nonfiction. The book was very popular on the political left. Some were skeptical about the authenticity of the book, but said that even if it was fiction, there were some basic truths within it. Finally, the people involved admitted that the report wasn't real. For a while, this made no difference. People still read it and believed it on various levels. Eventually, interest in the book waned and it went out of print. Then one day the author discovered bootleg copies being sold on a right wing website. Turns out the book became a darling of right wing conspiracy theorists, which continues to this day.
In this timely and important book, Phil Tinline traces the history of the Report from Iron Mountain, situating it in cultural contexts as times and audience change. He's very clear about drawing the line between satire and conspiracy theory. He shows how facts can be manipulated to fit an existing worldview and how difficult it is to break through conspiracy theorists' beliefs. Tinline shows how this work is still an influence today--and the book is current, including the impact of the Report on the most recent US election. Another important aspect of the book for me is the illustration of how far left and far right political movements have much in common. My own observations bear this out. Although the ideological viewpoints aren't the same, there is often a common enemy, even if the solutions each side wants to implement are wildly different. The behavior and rhetoric is often quite similar. As this book shows, the same words get interpreted in different ways and can be used to justify opposing points of view.
This book has much to show us about how conspiracy theories operate and how even work done with the best of intentions can be taken up and twisted by anyone, leading to serious unintended consequences. I am very glad I read this book and I highly recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a DRC.
Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker have been partners for decades, both personally as a couple and professionally as dinner ladies at a local schoolMargery and Clementine Butcher-Baker have been partners for decades, both personally as a couple and professionally as dinner ladies at a local school. Lately, they've formed a new partnership as the Dinner Lady Detectives. In this 6th book of the series, they are drawn in to another mystery when Mr Fitzgerald, friend, owner of an antique/junk shop, and a school governor is found dead at the bottom of his stairs, holding an unusual object. The young police trainee is told to consider it an accident, but things aren't sitting right with him, so he goes to Margery and Clementine for help. Of course, the rest of the school crew jumps in to help.
This is an enjoyable series and this book continues in the same vein. The characters are fun to spend time with and often make me laugh. The setting is fun and the squabbles between teachers are often amusing. In this book, Jack the terrier was a delightful addition to the story. As a crocheter myself, I loved the prominent role that had throughout the book. When I picked this book up I was in the mood for a cozy and I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it. When I had to set it aside for a while to do some pesky household tasks, I looked forward to getting back to it so I could find out what happened. It's a light read with different storylines weaving together to create the story. You don't need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one, although previous cases are referenced. Enough information is given so readers aren't left wondering what is being talked about, but not so much that spoilers are given, so if someone wanted to go back and read ear;lier books, that experience wouldn't be ruined.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a DRC....more
In this book, Emily Callaci tells the story of the Wages for Housework movement, which came about in the 1970s. She structures the book around 5 of thIn this book, Emily Callaci tells the story of the Wages for Housework movement, which came about in the 1970s. She structures the book around 5 of the women who were most instrumental in the movement's founding: Silvia Federici, Selma James, Wilmette Brown, Maria Dalla Costa, and Margaret Prescod. Each of these women came to the movement from different ideological positions, classes, ethnicities, and lifestyles. Some of them became friends. For others, the differences in opinion became too great. Inevitably, some ended up being disillusioned. Nonetheless, aspects of this movement remain to this day, albeit under different names.
The author came to this topic when she herself was struggling to balance her career as a professor with the demands of motherhood after her first child was born. She had the duties of both jobs plus housework, putting in 18-hour workdays. But she'd grown up at a time when the message to women was that their value should be measured by their career path and not by the work they did in the home. Callaci realized that to have a career, she must have childcare and that to pay for childcare, she must have a job that pays well enough for her to afford it. At the same time, she knows that the work she does is more respected and comes with higher pay than that of a child care worker. This led to her realization that, "motherhood had changed my relationship to capitalism" (p xii) because, "motherhood, the work I knew I could never refuse, made me vulnerable to exploitation." (p xii) She points out that Wages for Housework was a political movement that critiqued both women's oppression and capitalism.
Unsurprisingly, there were opposing views about whether wages for housework was a good idea. Some people didn't like the idea that well-off housewives would be getting paid for being housewives. The response to that was to emphasize that it was wages for housework, not wages for housewives. In reality, very few of the members were housewives. Another criticism, which to me carries more weight, was the question of whether or not women really wanted the government to have so much control over women's lives--if they were paying the wage, women would potentially have to answer for their activities and could not refuse to do the work. Given the increasing surveillance women are subject to in many places today, this seems like a valid concern. On the other hand, those who were on board with the movement argued that in a capitalist system, workers are the most important commodity and women giving birth to and raising new generations of workers are contributing to society and should be paid for their labor.
It's a fascinating argument and Callaci does a fine job of not only telling the story of the movement--the good, the bad, and the ugly--but also some of the stories about these women's lives. It's a great way to structure the book because we don't get a dry academic discussion on a theoretical level. The ideas and theories are there, but illustrated in an engaging way through the women themselves. There was much food for thought contained in this book and if you're at all interested in feminism (particularly Marxist feminism), women's history, women's activism, and/or oral history, then I can wholeheartedly recommend this book. I loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a DRC....more
We meet the carousel first. It's 1900 and Gilbert is building it--his masterpiece--for a major exhibition. He is working through the deep grief he feeWe meet the carousel first. It's 1900 and Gilbert is building it--his masterpiece--for a major exhibition. He is working through the deep grief he feels due to the recent deaths of his wife and son. Staying in Paris, but in 1914, there is a series of unsolved missing persons cases that appear to tie together somehow. The police make an arrest. The crimes are solved--or are they? And what does the carousel have to do with all this? Moving a bit back in time, we go to Sussex and a dreadful, abusive foster home where Maisie and Tommy are inseparable and help each other to survive. They spend a lot of time at the water's edge and find many things there, including a bottle with a picture of a beautiful carousel. One day, Maisie's life is changed forever when her aunt comes to take her away and into a new life, which eventually brings her to Chicago. She has no idea that her life will become so intricately intertwined with the carousel, and that there are mysterious and troubling events in the carousel's past and future.
This is an excellent book. The plot is intriguing and handles themes of family, grief, abandonment, love, and substance abuse really well while also telling a great story. The characters were well drawn, for the most part. Many of the 'supporting cast' members were excellent--I loved Mrs. Papadopolous. Maisie's acceptance of the fact that she will always be an outsider for one reason or another gives her a sense of freedom and a firm understanding of her own mind. This can make things more difficult for her at times, especially because most of the story takes place in the 1920s and women's lives were quite circumscribed. She did make some questionable choices, but given her past and her fears, I could understand why she made them.
The last section of the book felt a bit rushed to me. Some things were glossed over, happening suddenly and in a kind of perfunctory manner. It felt like a race to the finish, which was a big contrast to the rest of the book, which went along at just the right pace. However, there were no loose ends and I didn't feel like I was left hanging about anyone or anything. In spite of my quibble about the last section of the book, I'm still glad I read it. I loved it and I definitely recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a DRC....more
This magnificent book takes readers back and forth in time between rural Italy in the 1960s and rural Ireland in the present day as we read about EditThis magnificent book takes readers back and forth in time between rural Italy in the 1960s and rural Ireland in the present day as we read about Edith at different points in her life. Edith is a bookish person who grew up on a farm in England and is excited to have earned a place at Oxford University. Her father and grandmother, with whom she lives on the farm, are supportive even as some of the locals consider her a bit uppity. Her mother comes and goes (for understandable reasons) and is against her going to Oxford without taking a year off first to travel first to Italy, then to France, arguing that this would not only improve her language skills, but also give her a wider experience. She makes arrangements for Edith to stay with some friends in each country. Edith goes along with this plan, which gets derailed when she is sent to a villa to be with her older sister, who is unmarried and pregnant. The sisters are quite different--Edith is into words and books while her sister, Lydia, thinks and responds to things in dance. When the story moves to rural Ireland, we're with the 70-something Edith as she goes about the life she's built there, having moved to Dublin as a married woman and going rural at a later point in her life. The chapters of the book alternate between these two settings and to some extent, two Ediths. It's not that she's completely different, but as with all of us (hopefully) with age comes wisdom, often hard-earned, and we inhabit ourselves differently at different times of our lives. This is illustrated beautifully in this book, both in the characterization of Edith at these points in her life, but also in the structure of the book.
For instance, in the Italian sections, Edith is narrating and uses 'I' a lot. It's clear that she is explaining both the events that occurred and what she felt about them. In the Ireland sections, there's an omniscient narrator telling readers what Edith did, said, and thought about. It was an interesting contrast for me as I read. I felt almost like Edith was observing herself and sharing her observations. It's particularly interesting because of her status as a blow-in to rural Ireland. As she acknowledges, she will never completely fit in, will never truly belong--her interactions are almost all performative in some way. The latter is true for everyone to some degree, but as a blow-in to rural Ireland myself, and having been here for over a decade now, I've had time to see how much more it's the case now for me. I can also say that Sarah Moss captured the dynamics of a village in rural Ireland brilliantly, in my opinion. She was spot-on in her descriptions of the kinds of interactions that occur.
In addition to this being a gripping story, I could relate to so much in the book. Themes of belonging or not, who gets to be part of a community, what it means to be a family, what it means to be an immigrant, gender expectations, generational trauma, finding solace and joy in books, and so much more are woven together throughout this excellent book. I highly recommend it. 5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a DRC...more
In 1895, a diverse group of passengers board the train from Granville to Paris. They find their places in first, second, or third class carriages and In 1895, a diverse group of passengers board the train from Granville to Paris. They find their places in first, second, or third class carriages and settle in, each immersed in their own thoughts and none of them knowing what's going to happen before their journey has ended. We meet some of them in this book and go back and forth between them as the book and the journey continues. Interspersed with their stories are those of some of the crew and even the train herself (as 'she' is referred to throughout the book). I don't want to say too much about each character because part of the enjoyment I got from reading this book was learning their stories as I read on. I will say that there are many of them, and that taken together they represent an interesting cross section of the society of the time and provide a window into what the culture of that time and place was like, particularly in terms of class, the impact of new technology, and gender issues. The train herself is character in the book, with thoughts and feelings sometimes attributed to her.
The book is based on an actual historical event as were many of the characters, although their stories in the book are creations of the author. I did not know about the event depicted in the book, so I read it without knowing at all what was coming. I'm glad about that because it had an element of suspense for me--I wanted to know what would happen to the people on the train. In an afterword, Donoghue tells readers about her research into this event, the people who were on the train and in the book and a few facts about their lives, and the characters she made up completely.
It did take me a little while to sort out some of the characters--particularly the people who worked for the rail service. I'm not sure why that is. In any case, once I settled into the book, I just kept reading because I wanted to know what would happen. It's definitely a book worth spending time with. The writing is beautiful and the story gripping....more
In this fascinating book, Mary Thompson-Jones argues that the US needs to pay more attention to the Arctic, which hasn't been a priority for quite somIn this fascinating book, Mary Thompson-Jones argues that the US needs to pay more attention to the Arctic, which hasn't been a priority for quite some time. However, with the region warming at a rapid rate, attention will be required one way or another. She points out that if the region is ignored, a price will be paid, since other countries are not hesitating to try to claim territory, use it for economic and military purposes, and access resources. She states that, in the US, "Few people are fully aware of all that is happening in the Far North and fewer still understand the multiple ways these changes will affect their lives." (p 19) While the federal government is playing catch-up after years of neglect, some states are proactive and doing what they can on their own. Alaska, of course, being an Arctic state, is an obvious example, but there are others as well. She makes the case that people who haven't lived in the Arctic, do not understand the challenges and ways in which life is different there. Based on my own experience, she does a good job with this.
For me the real strength of the book, and what I found so interesting, was the history of the Arctic regions of each country she includes in the book. She begins with Alaska and moves east into Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden, and Russia, with a chapter devoted to each. She provides a brief history of the people who lived in these regions and their history with the governments that claimed them, before describing the relationships the US has had with each one. She also describes the ways in which US Arctic policy has changed in recent years as there's been a recognition that this is a topic that cannot be ignored.
She strongly advocates for the inclusion of indigenous voices to be heard and needs met as US Arctic policy evolves.
This book--at least the review copy I read--was completed before the recent US election and as I read I was thinking about the ways in which things will deteriorate as a result.
This is a fascinating and highly readable book which I enjoyed very much, learned from, and highly recommend. I thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital review copy....more
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