If You Want to Make God Laugh by Bianca Marais

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE GOD LAUGH by Bianca Marais deserves a spot in your “to be read” pile. The story takes place in South Africa in the mid-1990s as Mandela is elected president.  There are three narrators: Delilah, a former nun and aid worker; Ruth, her flamboyant, alcoholic sister who is about to get a divorce; and Zodwa, a young Zulu girl struggling with her sexual orientation and an unexpected pregnancy. Originally from South Africa, Marais intertwines the characters’ stories with the changes in that country, its racial conflicts and attitudes, and the growing AIDS epidemic. The white middle-aged sisters, who had been estranged for decades, reunite at their family home and are forced by economics to learn to live together. Delilah carries guilt and regret for past actions, saying “the past wasn’t a place you could just walk away from; it was something you carried with you your entire life, and year upon year as your arms got weaker, the burden just got heavier and harder to bear.” Ruth sees signs in everything and alludes to her “belief that I’ve been having a lifelong conversation with the universe just as profound as the one she’s [Delilah’s] been having with God.” One of those signs is a pair of knitted blue booties and the subsequent abandonment of a newborn baby on their porch. The decision to foster this black child is not an easy one and the story is full of loss and hardship mingled with love and courage. There’s a thread of feminism, too, with comments on “it was a girl’s duty to grin and bear it. No matter what any man did, she absolutely wasn’t to make a fuss. … a dysfunctional way to be raised.” Yet, the sisters and Zodwa persevere and find their way in this well-written second novel.  As Ruth says, “Maybe we’re all born with that piece of us missing and our life’s journey is about finding it. Finding the one thing that makes us whole.”

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

THE GREAT BELIEVERS by local author Rebecca Makkai is one of the most well-written books that I have read this year. Quite a bit of the novel is set in 1980s Chicago with references to Boystown, the gay pride parade, and views on the escalating AIDS “crisis” from those who were directly impacted. Makkai excels at building compassion and empathy for her characters: Yale Tishman works for the fictional Brigg Gallery at Northwestern University and his partner, Charlie Keene, is owner/editor of the gay publication, Out Loud Chicago. Initially readers are drawn to their shared grief for Nico, a friend who has contracted AIDS and died. Nico’s younger sister, Fiona, is very supportive and reappears (with several other characters who have survived) when the story shifts to 2015 Paris. In addition, readers meet Nico’s great aunt Nora and learn about her life as an artist’s muse in WWI era Paris. There are so many themes and avenues to explore – fidelity, mortality, the meaning of family, value of art, ethics, prejudice, loss, love and friendship. THE GREAT BELIEVERS was recommended by the Bookstall as an outstanding book group selection – more on that and book groups in general in an upcoming post – and here is a link to the publisher’s discussion guide.

In reflecting on her work, Makkai said, “It is my great hope that that this book will lead the curious to read direct, personal accounts of the AIDS crisis – and that any places where I’ve gotten the details wrong might inspire people to tell their own stories.” THE GREAT BELIEVERS received well-deserved starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly. Mark your calendars: Rebecca Makkai will be at The Book Stall in Winnetka this Fall (tentative date is Sept. 11). 

The Given World by Marian Palaia

Need a title to suggest to you book group?  Try The Given World by Marian Palaia.

Palaia shares a mostly chronological story with the reader, but we see disjointed pieces and hear from multiple perspectives throughout a roughly 25 year period. The subtle allusions to pop culture like Three Dog Night, concerts at Altamont, and even attitudes towards LBJ all add to the spirit and ambiance of this remarkable first novel. 

We first meet Riley as a child, living in Montana with her parents and older brother, Mick.  Like many big brothers, he means the world to her and she is devastated when he is sent to Vietnam and does not return.  Unable to cope with the loss, Riley looks for solace in drugs and a sexual relationship, eventually moving to California.  There, she is closer to the Pacific Ocean (also the South China Sea), and flounders between various jobs (newspaper delivery, barkeeping) and several relationships. One of Riley’s endearing traits is her attempts to mend others despite being so fragile and in so much pain herself. 

The writing is beautiful and because The Given World deals with Vietnam, I was hoping that it could serve as a main text for Junior Theme, but I think that would only be the case for our most sophisticated high school readers. However, this book will have strong appeal for adults, especially these two generations: (a) those, like Riley, who are struggling to find their place in the world and (b) those with memories of the social upheaval of the 60s and 70s.  Highly recommended.