DCL Book Chat

Come on, admit it, didn’t we all have a terrible, wonderful, all-consuming crush on a teen pop sensation sometime during our youth? Author Allison Pearson has taken that premise (a deeply personal one for the author) and turned it into a winning, engaging and sweet novel. In I Think I Love You, we meet Petra, a 13-year-old Welsh teenager. She and her friends are obsessed with David Cassidy, who in 1974 is the teen sensation of the world. Petra and her friends read The Essential David Cassidy fan magazine with religious fervor and take each and every word as the ultimate truth. If only it were true, but no. Unfortunately for recent journalism graduate Bill those pearls of pop wisdom are crafted, much to his unending embarrassment, by him. The story unfolds and each chapter tells us more about these two likeable characters in both 1974 and then in 1998 when Petra, now grown with her own daughter and a troubled marriage is attending her mother’s funeral. She discovers that her mother hid her prize-winning ticket to meet David all those many years ago. Pearson does a great job of capturing the essence of teen self-discovery, and delving into the real meaning of love and relationships. The introspection of the two characters is honest and truthful and the story intertwines into a sweet ending.

Laura J.

Newly divorced, and without custody of her children, Barb Barrett fills her days answering complaint letters for the local dairy. She’s just purchased a house in upstate New York once owned by Vladimir Nabokov and one of the many funny scenes in this surprisingly wry look at pulling your life together has Barb reflecting on her status as dairy-trouble mollifier in the same spot where Nabokov created his iconic Lolita. When Barb happens upon what might be Nabokovian notes on a baseball love story her life begins to take on a whole new shape, including the entrepreneurial leap to day-spa/cum brothel owner. What starts out as a seemingly serious divorce story ends up being a witty and somewhat crazy little romance where Barb meets a hunky carpenter (could he really have been anything else?) and falls in love with “the ex-person’s” dog. Author Leslie Daniels brings a bit of a twisted eye to all that Barb reflects upon, adding sardonic wit to the language and plot of this upbeat and original story.

Laura J.

In Zanesville is a pitch-perfect coming-of-age story that fully captures the aching agony of teen angst, focusing on the alluring pull of peer pressure among the in-crowd and loyalty to the old guard. Author Jo Ann Beard’s fourteen-year-old narrator (whose name, Jo, is only hinted at) considers herself a sidekick, a role she’s happy to play until life begins to force her and her best friend, Flea (Felicia) outside their insular cocoon. “I’d like to be the kind of person who can do something weird and not become weird because of it, but that’s out of reach for me . . .” Beard’s details of life in the 1970’s are fantastic, from the plaid culottes and two-tone Capezio’s to the image of a toaster with a Wonder Bread wrapper melted to its flank. The gripping, comedic and horrific opening scene sets the tone for the remainder of the book as the story flies through a pivotal season of teen-dom with sharp, wry dialog and emotional punch. (Suitable for older teens)

Laura

Covering a span of roughly 100 years Galore tells the many stories of two sparring families in fictional Paradise Deep, (a purposefully ironic name), as they literally weather the abundance and deprivations, both physical and emotional, that life in 19th century Newfoundland affords. This wonderfully cyclical story begins with the emergence of a man from the belly of a beached whale and proceeds through six generations of equally quirky characters.

Award-winning author Michael Crummey wanted to infuse the book with folklore and was even drawn to the title Galore, because of “lore” being in the word. There are stories galore, characters galore and folktales in abundance–a term, the book reminds us, that can be both positive and negative. As the characters scrabble to eke out an existence and fight against the tide of inevitability, they both glory in and suffer from abundances both good and bad. While the story mostly makes a forward progression, the unpredictable jumps in time can be challenging, but also add to the spontaneous and quirky feel of the narrative.

The story does not rely on a central protagonist, so our allegiance is blown from one family member to another like the gale-force winds that come driving in from the sea, but that also means that we have the opportunity to attach ourselves to several powerful characters throughout this family saga.

Crummey says he admires both Jane Smiley’s novel, Greenlanders and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, and he has done a marvelous job of creating a new work that simultaneously captures a culture and unfurls a history of family feuds.

Like the rugged and rocky landscape of Newfoundland, Galore isn’t easy to navigate (thank goodness for the family tree), but the rewards for persistence are breathtaking.

Laura

Mr. Chartwell is on assignment. In fact, he’s got two. He’s lingering in the corner of Winston Churchill’s bedroom and he’s come to rent a room from the still grieving young widow, Esther Hammerhans.

Mr. Chartwell, a hulking, shaggy presence is fierce yet attractive, threatening yet alluring, disgusting in his personal habits yet smoothly seductive. He likes to be called Black Pat and he’s not a welcome guest. He’s come to lure his charges into depression. It’s a battle Churchill has been fighting his whole life but is new and highly attractive to lonely Esther.

The sophisticated (when he’s not gnawing bones and chewing the furniture) Mr. Chartwell can, and will, wage a relentless psychological battle to win over his victims. His black presence will infuse their lives and coax them, literally, into bed with him. It’s been two years since Esther’s husband died and she’s made it so far with the support of her zany friends, but as the two year anniversary approaches and Esther allows Mr. Chartwell to rent a room, it takes more energy than she might have to prevent Black Pat from draping himself across her lap. Enter bumbling Mr. Corkbowl and a chance encounter with Churchill himself, to give Esther the strength she’ll need to make Mr. Chartwell heel.

Debut novelist Rebecca Hunt presents this highly original story in a spare, staccato style with subtle humor that beautifully suits the quirky storyline.

Laura

Thirty years in the making, Matterhorn is a graphic, vivid Vietnam War novel that really gets into the heads and hearts of its many characters as they try to understand the imponderables of war.

The story centers on the character of Marine Lieutenant Mellas, one day a fresh-faced Ivy League grad and the next the commander of a rifle combat platoon who comes to learn the true meaning of camaraderie. But the real story encompasses a vast array of characters who all interpret their role in the war in their own way. Matterhorn itself is the fictional name of one of the story’s Alp-named mountains that are occupied, abandoned and reclaimed during the novel’s relatively brief time span. As with many other war stories, Marlantes captures not only the horror of war and the beauty of heroics, but the annoying every day inconveniences jungle fighting presents. The story is rife with leeches, immersion foot, boot-sucking mud, and relentless fog that inhibits even the most skilled helicopter pilots. Given that the year is 1969, Marlantes adds to the mix some petty in-fighting among the ranks, exacerbated by the burgeoning Black Power movement back home. The strong characterizations, the thoughts in the heads of these boys, the vividly described juxtaposition of mind-numbing boredom and muscle-numbing terror, and the decisions made by commanders from remote locations that devastate the foot soldiers, all make for a very emotional story.

Marlantes, a decorated Vietnam Marine, brings real authenticity to the story. The author has said he didn’t set out to write either a pro- or anti-war story, but rather wanted to tell the everyman story of what it’s like to be an average person thrust into a difficult, often-times unimaginable situation. With his sincere, direct approach to his storytelling, Marlantes has definitely succeeded.

The audio version is excellent, but you might also want to check out the hard copy, as it includes a comprehensive glossary, a map, and a chart that helps to clarify the character hierarchy. Note: This gripping, historically accurate story might not be suitable for those sensitive to strong language.

Laura

On the most basic level The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell is the story of a young Dutch clerk, Jacob de Zoet, newly arrived on the artificially constructed port island of Dejima, off Nagasaki, Japan in 1799 as he tries to earn enough money so that when he returns to Holland he can marry his rich fiancée. But, as is to be expected with the masterful writing of two-time Booker short-list novelist Mitchell, the book is so much more than that. Overflowing with diverse characters and several storylines, this complex and engrossing novel shines with both detail and expanse, with nuance of characterization and universal themes.

Along with the earnest character of young Jacob we meet beautiful but scarred midwife Orito Aibagawa, with whom Jacob has become entranced, witty Dr. Marinus who takes Jacob under his wing after Jacob’s honesty leads to a demotion, and competent translator Uzaemon Ogawa, whose choice to defend honor leads to irreversible consequences. Accompanying this starring cast is a plethora of fully- realized supporting cast members — from devious magistrates to hardened sailors whose voices ring true in colorfully-portrayed characterizations. This novel is particularly hard to summarize as it rambles from historical romance to a critique of cultural clashes to a portrayal of picaresque rogues to a commentary on loyalty, honesty and commitment to a cause. Persist through the graphic first chapter. Don’t’ be swayed by the initial confusion of characters. Stay for the stunning, remarkable ride through a story of love, betrayal and sacrifice.

Laura

Bruce Machart’s debut novel, The Wake of Forgiveness, is a stirring and dramatic tour-de-force. Jumping between several time periods spanning 1895 – 1924, we learn the story of the Skala family. We learn how grief has distorted a father’s ability to love his sons, especially the youngest, Karel, whose birth began the cycle of anger and withdrawal. We learn how Karel resiliently manages to grab affection wherever possible. And we learn how power can mangle a relationship in the span of a midnight horse race. Like All the Pretty Horses meets East of Eden, The Wake of Forgiveness tells a tale of tough westerners living harsh lives of brutal passion. It deals with damaged relationships and heart-stopping emotional turmoil through beautifully written passages of brusque eloquence.

Laura

Eighteen-year-old Contessa Carolina Fantoni is going blind.  It’s happening gradually and no one in her family believes her.  After all, she’s always been slightly dreamy and odd; never preening and directing her attentions to marriage as do the other young women in her Victorian Italian setting.  It’s to everyone’s amazement that Carolina ends up married to Pietro, the most eligible bachelor of their circle.  Carolina’s real soul-mate is the eccentric inventor Turri, her childhood friend who is ten years her senior and now in an arranged marriage.  He’s the only one who believes Carolina and the only one who takes action to free her from her encroaching darkness.

This slim debut novel has a beautiful fairy tale quality to the writing style as well as a gothic tone with things that go bump in the night.  The fully-developed characters are not all black and white, and the fact that it is based on the true invention of the typewriter adds an interesting dimension.

As Carolina sinks into darkness and her freedom is restricted she begins to take flight in her dreams.  Will this be enough to carry her through life?  As Pietro gains more control over her and Turri gets caught up with his new family, will it have to suffice?

Laura J.

Parrot and Olivier in America, double Booker Prize-winning author Peter Carey’s eleventh book, is a rollicking, rambling, rakish look at unexpected friendship, art and burgeoning democracy.

Loosely based on Alexis de Tocqueville (but don’t let that scare you away) Carey has created the character of Olivier de Garmont, a young, effete French noble still reeling from the slaughter of the revolution, and has paired him with Englishman, John Larrit (known at Parrot for his uncanny ability to mimic), a grizzled former printer’s devil, as his unlikely servant. From alternate points of view we discover America from their vastly different perspectives as we also learn about their vastly different histories. Uniting the two in their reluctant partnership is the looming presence of the Marquis de Tilbot, the one-armed tour-de-force who commandeers both characters in sometimes subtle and oftentimes profound ways. Also uniting the two colorful characters is a love of art, as well as the love of feisty portraitist Mathilde. As they negotiate the daunting new country of America, under the guise of Olivier writing a study of America’s prisons, both men discover as much about themselves as they do about this new democracy.