Above the Salt - Katherine Vaz

Genre: Literary/Historical Fiction
Sometimes a book leaves me wordless. I’ve been trying to think of how to write an engaging hook and am failing. Katherine Vaz’s epic tale Above the Salt that spans countries and decades is a delight for me. She tells the story of Mary and John beginning at their first meeting in their native Portugal. Though young, they feel a connection immediately. Both victims of religious persecution, they travel to the United States with their families. Years later, they meet again and the angst of their relationship begins. Vaz follows their separations, reunions, and marriages through decades - including the Civil War, reconstruction, and the gilded age. Folks, this summary is a terrible one. I can’t adequately describe the spiritual and magical aspects. I can’t give enough attention to the impact of the secondary characters. The attention to the science of hearing and botany aren’t properly noted. The scope of the novel (I listened to the beautiful narration by Gisela Chipe - 23 hours) cannot be summarized in a fair way. 

The language of the novel is absolutely poetic. Sometimes I had to rewind and listen again - because I just loved the music of the words - and thanks Gisela for the interpretation.  I loved the albeit sad reminder that religious conflict and prejudice has existed for as long as humans have. I am often overwhelmed by what feels like historical division when in fact division has existed throughout history. Such a reminder provides hope for the future! I love the allusion to Emily Dickinson who is one of my favorite poets - would love to have lived in a world in which she is alive. I like the meetings between Mary and John at Abraham Lincoln’s house - Just a friend you know? I loved the complexity of the characters. I wanted to find easy categories to put them in, particularly, Edward, but their behaviors were honest and human and defied easy classification.The book spanned decades, and Vaz allowed her characters to develop and change in expected and unexpected ways. I like learning that sitting above the salt can indicate a change in social status - which of course is more acceptable for some than others. I love the idea of magic berries and a tablecloth beautifully embroidered with a lifetime of memories. 

Perhaps most importantly - I admired and learned from these folks. We have a pretty easy life in 2023 in many ways in terms of transportation and communication and generally just knowing what is going on in the world and with the people we love. In fact, I often bemoan constant texting and worry about the damage it can cause in relationships. However, Mary and John are plagued with delays and miscommunication often to heartbreaking results. What I admire is that they simply forge on. They live with the results of their decisions and their mistakes and while devastated, they live with honor and with hope. I admire their fortitude. I have much to learn from it. 

Please read Above the Salt by Katherine Vaz. Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Keep Your Friends Close - Leah Konen

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

What does it mean to be friends? How do we know we can really trust? Leah Konen explores this in her upcoming novel Keep Your Friends Close. Mary is in a dark place. She is in the process of divorcing her very wealthy husband George and is desperate to keep custody of their son. She plans to leave New York and move to Woodstock to be closer to her mom and her sister. Imagine her surprise, when she spots Willa, a friend who betrayed her in the worst possible way back in New York, with a brand new family. Even more surprising is the presence of her almost ex brother-in-law and husband in her rented home. After a particularly upsetting incident with George, she attempts a visit to find George brutally murdered. Who can she trust when she finds herself the prime suspect? Anyone?

I enjoyed this book. I like to think I’m a bit of a sleuth, and I often think I am one step ahead of an author. I found here that when I thought I had things figured out, Konen would surprise me. The twists and turns were believable and kept me engaged until the very end. Interestingly, I didn’t like Mary all that much. While I didn’t wish her harm, I sure was frustrated by what I thought were obviously thoughtless, perhaps even dumb, decisions. I suppose that makes her human, not thinking clearly in a very difficult situation, but I’d have advised her differently numerous times. As with Rachel Hawkins’ The Heiress: a Novel, I am amazed by the lengths that the very wealthy will go to protect that wealth. Konen provided an interesting glimpse into their world. 

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this book.

The Evolution of Annabel Craig - Lisa Grunwald

The Evolution of Annabel Craig - Lisa Grunwald

Genre: Historical Fiction

My favorite history teacher was so because she taught us history through the telling of stories. I love historical fiction for that very reason. I had a cursory knowledge of the Scopes Trial, but experiencing it through the eyes of Annabel Craig in Grunewald’s novel The Evolution of Annabel Craig was a much deeper look into this historic event. Annabel Craig is forced to mature quickly when she is orphaned as a teenage girl. She moves into a boarding home, gets a job, and with the help of her community grows into adulthood. She meets and marries a local lawyer and is looking forward to a better future. A group of local residents decide to draft a young teacher to be charged with teaching evolution in his biology classroom leading to the historical Scopes trial featuring Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryant. Their goal is to bring attention to their small town of Dayton, Tennessee. Annabel’s world is upended again as the trial challenges everything from her faith, to her notions of friendship, to her understanding of her husband and what being married means.

I didn’t know as much as I should about this trial, so I welcomed learning more through this work of fiction. I have done some reading since and appreciate how well Grunewald captures the spirit of the town, the trial, and many of the participants. She really does make history come alive. The town, the cast of supporting characters, are exceptionally developed given their large number. So, too are the trial guests - the reporters and the lawyers. My favorite part though is the development of Annabel. Grunewald does a remarkable job of presenting the extremists from both sides of the trial while exploring Annabel who remains a devout Christian who comes to understand and accept more fully the science of evolution. Grunewald’s thoughtful exploration of Annabel’s conversations with friends and family who have different ideas provides nuance that is often missing in political and religious discourse. Of course Annabel struggles - losing the love and respect of some closest to her, but she emerges strong, and we are given hints of what her future life might hold. I’d read about this life to be sure. 

I can easily become discouraged if I focus too closely on issues of politics and religion. I am a person of faith who has moved position from most of the people with whom I currently worship. I am of a political party that is not exceptionally popular where I live (I consider myself moderate and independent.) I often feel like I'm living in the gray. The gray can be an exhausting place for a people pleaser like me. I guess I can find hope in the notion that division is deep  in our American culture. I can hear folks talk about how “awful” things are just now. While they probably are, history reminds us that it has been “awful” before. 

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this title.

Absolution: A Novel - Alice McDermott

Genre: Historical, Literary Fiction
Audiobook

I was thrilled to learn that this Absolution: A Novel by Alice McDermott  was set in 1962. I have recently become fascinated by 1962 with the discovery of my mom’s nursing cape awarded on her graduation from nursing school in 1962. I have longed to hear the stories that I didn’t know I needed about 1962. What was it like - attending school? dating my dad? starting a first job looking sharply professional in that cape?

Told in the forms of letters - we are first introduced to Patricia who is living in Saigon in the early 60s while her husband is working there. We are immediately immersed into the life of a woman in the 60s from the hairdo, to the girdle, to the role of a lovely and helpful wife. A simple garden party is presented as a bit of a battle for Patricia who here meets Charlene and her daughter Rainey (who is the recipient of Patricia’s letters and who responds back later in the novel). Our journey through Vietnam culture (through the experiences of white women) begins. 

Cringey moments abound as Patricia works with Charlene to “help” the Vietnamese people. In spite of the fact that she is painfully honest about her mistakes, we at least have the privilege of hearing the story after Patricia has some time to reflect. I’m not sure if she has achieved or even needed absolution. 

Since it has been the summer of Barbie, the inclusion of the Saigon Barbie element seems timely. Through her we get a sense of how Charlene works, get to know Li, and get a throughline to the end of the novel. She quickly becomes a symbol of Charlene’s thoughtlessness and Patricia’s confusion. And then she shows up in a plastic container in a closet. (Oh the things we keep!) I appreciate how well McDermott creates an innocent/unreliable narrator, highlighting the complexity of her transformation further. The setting here is so fully alive as well. From the oppressive heat to the horrific nature of the asylum for lepers, I felt very immersed in the landscape and time era of the novel. I read the audio version read by Jesse Vilinski - she does a superb job of bringing the content to life. 

I have just recently also completed Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake. As with Tom Lake, I value how the author explores the realization and impact of slices of one’s life. I am fascinated by how Charlene enters her time in Vietnam, what she learns there, and how she reflects on it much later on in her life. That’s what makes McDermott’s writing so good for me. I am challenged not only by the content of the novel - which is difficult - difficult time in history, for women, for the US, for the Vietnamese, but also by what she makes me see in my own life during the current time. This book challenges me to reckon with my own preconceived notions. So the cool thing here is that the reader gets insight into history, insight into relationships, and/or insight into themselves - wherever the novel takes him or her. Reminds me why reading is so cool.

The Heiress: A Novel - Rachel Hawkins

For years I wanted to tour the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina. Most people, like me, I think, are fascinated with the lives of the extremely wealthy. When I finally got there, I was stunned by both the beauty and the opulence - oh to have a library with a ladder! But I think I was also a bit overwhelmed. Rachel Hawkins digs deep into the overwhelming lives of the extremely wealthy in her upcoming work The Heiress: A Novel. Like the Biltmore housed the Vanderbilts, Ashby House (located just outside Asheville) houses most of the wealthy McTavishes and to a large extent the house controls them. 

We meet Camden and his wife Jules as he is being called back to his family  home in North Carolina. He hasn’t been back in 12 years since the death of his adoptive mother (the heiress) Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore - 5 names, 4 husbands- all who died under very mysterious circumstances. He very clearly dreads the return. The story further develops through flashbacks, letters presumably written by the deceased Ruby, news clips and stories, and chapters from the points of view of both Camden and Jules. All these elements are combined masterfully to create a fascinating and suspenseful look at the extended McTavish family. Secrets abound - The McTavish’s,the furthest thing from a warm and fuzzy family, are clearly driven by the house and their inheritances. When is enough enough?

As well as giving us a remarkable setting - the house felt like a character to me because of its influence, Hawkins does a remarkable job of creating human characters who are multilayered. In spite of being somewhat unlikeable, I was kind of rooting for Camden and Jules. I should clarify that they became more difficult to like for me as the novel developed - which was part of the beauty of this work.  The twists and turns subtly added in with the variety of narrators and methods created a lovely suspense and levels of mystery that were unexpected. I loved the tricky uncomfortable ending the most. Avoiding spoilers, but I was questioning my own judgment because of the complexity of these characters. The last page rendered me speechless for a moment. 

I have been trying to reflect on the impact of a novel on my own life as part of my blog posts. Part of me wants to say I am not wealthy; I am not evil; treat this book as a wonderful suspenseful escape. While that is true, I can’t help but reflect on the complexity of Hawkins’ characters. The older I get, the more I can appreciate that people are seldom as simple as I’d like them to be. When I was younger, my tendency toward black and white likely cheated me out of some friendships and experiences from people that I didn’t necessarily try to understand at the time. As I age, I can perhaps also be more aware of my own complexity and try to offer the grace that others offer me. Does that mean I’d be besties with all of the characters in this book. Ummm…no, but I do appreciate very much the care that Hawkins put into their development. The Heiress: A Novel  is definitely a must read.  

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy to review.