Events in Isabel Allende’s latest novel,
IN THE MIDST OF WINTER,
span more than sixty years and two continents. The story begins with a massive
snowstorm in Brooklyn in 2016, with Lucia Maraz, an academic from Chile, trying
to stay warm in the apartment she rents in the brownstone belonging to Richard
Bowmaster, an NYU professor in his 60’s. Due to an emergency, he has been out
driving and skidded into the car of Evelyn Ortega, a young, undocumented immigrant
for Guatemala. Having taken the car without permission, she is petrified of her
violent boss and turns to Lucia and Richard for help.
As there adventures continue, these three
learn to build trust and share the stories of their lives, including the losses
of family members due to military takeovers in Chile, drug and alcohol abuse in
Brazil, and gang activity in Central America. Throughout, Allende evokes
empathy for the plight of immigrants and refugees, from Richard’s father who
fled the Nazis to those who (roughly a decade ago) protected Evelyn on her own
journey North. At times, the stories were violent, heartbreaking, and difficult
to read, but seemed especially poignant given recent debates about DACA and
news of the sanctuary offered by
more churches opening their doors to undocumented immigrants facing deportation.
Allende is an award winning author who is not afraid to write of political
injustice and masterfully incorporates historical events into this moving (and yet
sometimes humorous) novel.
IN THE MIDST OF WINTER received starred
reviews from Booklist and
Publishers Weekly.
DANGEROUS CROSSING by Rachel Rhys is not the “cozy, closed door” mystery novel that
I had been anticipating. It is certainly
suspenseful, though, and offers an opportunity to discuss assumptions and
prejudices about class, religion and gender. Told over several weeks in 1939, this
historical fiction describes the ocean voyage of Lily Shepherd, a young girl
traveling to Australia on an assisted passage program in order to take up a
domestic service position. Onboard she meets Maria, a Jewish refugee, Edward,
recovering from tuberculosis and his sister, Helena, as well as George, a
bigoted fascist, and Eliza and Max, wealthy socialites. I had difficulty
feeling much affection for any of the characters, but Lily has numerous
adventures, even sees the pyramids, and experiences dramatic revelations. By
the time the journey ends, two people are dead and the reader learns the
surprising identity of the suspect police detained in the prologue.
