DCL Book Chat

Henry House’s upbringing is very unusual. He serves as a practice baby borrowed from a local orphanage to train home economics students. The young women in the program take turns acting as Henry’s primary mother under the watchful eye of Martha, the program’s no-nonsense director. Not surprisingly, as he grows up, Henry finds it difficult to have a fulfilling relationship with a woman. Confused by his circumstances, Henry retreats into muteness and is sent to a special school where he develops his artistic skills and his ability to seduce women. Next he heads west and finds a job suited to his artistic ability at the Disney studios. Henry is a complex character. While it is impossible not to feel some sympathy for him, his thoughtless treatment of the many women who seem helplessly attracted to him is appalling.

A unique story full of interesting characters, this novel also provides an entertaining and thought provoking look at the 50s and 60s in America and London.

-Marsha

On her ninth birthday Rose Edelstein’s mother makes her a luscious lemon cake with chocolate icing. Rose can’t resist and, still warm from the oven, she steals a golden corner and pops it into her mouth. To her amazement she is overwhelmed with a sense of unfulfilled longing – her mother’s emotions baked into the cake. The ability to taste people’s emotions in food is at first a curiosity, but quickly becomes a burden that Rose must learn to control simply to make it through each day. It turns out that several members of the Edelstein family have particular “skills,” and through this sensitive story we learn that Rose’s might be more manageable than some.

Like the best magical realism authors, Aimee Bender has the talent to take a somewhat bizarre premise and, with depth of feeling and touching characters, craft it into, if not an exactly plausible premise, a premise we are willing to embrace wholeheartedly.

Laura

When Jane Merkel steps off the train in Flagstaff Arizona in 1951 she has no idea that her quiet life is about to take a passionate turn. Introduced to the world of butterfly collecting, Jane quickly shows a talent for catching the insects and quickly becomes devoted to the hobby. Married to a much older man, Jane also finds unexpected feelings arise when she meets young park ranger Euell Wigglesworth. Arriving in Flagstaff with Jane are respected botanist, Elzada Clover and her former protégée Lois who have been summoned by the park superintendent to help solve a 13 year old murder mystery.

This cast of unique characters provides an entertaining story full of humor, mystery and self-discovery. The setting is an added bonus as Erhart, using her knowledge as river and hiking guide, makes us keenly aware of the beauty and wonder of the Grand Canyon.

-Marsha

Twenty-something Van Leone, fresh from serving as maid of honor at the wedding of her childhood best friend and the man Van’s been in love with since college, impulsively buys a German shepherd puppy on the Internet while drowning her sorrows in vodka and KoolAid during a late-night Rin Tin Tin marathon. The pocket-size puppy Van is expecting turns out to be a clumsy, hundred-pound beast who only responds to commands in Slovak, and Van is at the end of her rope… until she realizes that this quirky giant may be the only living being who will always be loyal to her, no matter what.

Dedra

From the author of Eat Pray Love (film due out Aug 2010), this book describes Gilbert’s unplanned, soul-searching journey into the question of committed relationships and marriage. After finding post-divorce love, the globetrotting couples lives are altered with an incident with US border officials.

Initially skeptical, Gilbert goes on information seeking quest about marriage. Her research includes looking into some historical, legal, and social aspects of the institution. During her world travels, she asks strangers, friends, family about their experiences, in order to arrive at her decision of whether to marry or not.

Kyra

On the run in 1871 with her late sister’s children, Molly McFarlane is desperate. Her vicious brother in law has sent trackers after her, and she’s nearly out of money. After a train derailment en route to Texas puts a passenger in extremely critical condition and Molly learns widows receive $500 from the railroad, she marries the unconscious man. But when he doesn’t die, everything changes for Molly.

Dedra