欧宝娱乐

Although it evidently has been in the works for years and years, I knew nothing about this book (although I had read the author's other works) until a few weeks ago when I saw one of my goodread friends was reading it. Curious I contacted the publisher for an ARC. They told me it wasn't ready yet and they'd send me a manuscript. Now I don't generally like reading manuscripts and so told them I'd wait for the ARC, but they sent it anyway. And am I glad they did.

How to describe it? On the one hand it is a very straightforward work of historical fiction. On the other hand it is also filled with primary sources, collages of them, and nonfiction vignettes. Wiles is calling it a "documentary novel." I loved, loved, loved it.

It is the story of Franny and her family and friends over the brief, but frightening time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Based on her own childhood memories, Wiles'represents the time and place vividly. And her characters are nuanced and complex. Not a one-dimensional one in the lot. There is the beloved older sister who is off to college and activism. And the earnest younger brother who lugs around a beloved book on atoms and wants to be an astronaut. The very-60s mother who plays bridge, bowls, and is rarely without a cigarette. The great uncle who suffers from post-traumatic-stress (not that it is so identified as this is 1962, of course). The very-60s and often absent military dad. Most of all there is our protagonist Franny --- an endearing and complicated eleven-year-old. As happens at this age, Franny's own world is changing as harshly as is the big world. She's facing-off her former best friend even as Kennedy and Khrushchev are on the world stage. On the brink. I enjoyed reading every bit of it.

Now would I have been as wild about it without the documentary stuff? Honestly? I'd definitely enjoyed the story, but this additional material, bricolage, the scrapbook stuff takes it to a really wonderful level. There are posters about duck and cover. About making bomb shelters. There are song lyrics. Photos. And lively small essays about significant figures, say Truman.

I can't wait to see the ARC and then the final book.