World Class by Teru Clavel

WORLD CLASS by Teru Clavel describes “One Mother's Journey Halfway Around the Globe in Search of the Best Education for Her Children” since they attended school in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo before moving back to the United States. This is definitely a topic of high interest to our students, especially those whose parents may have been educated in other countries. There are certainly cultural differences and attitudes which are fascinating and Clavel describes many of them.  However, she is extremely negative about the Palo Alto school district, one of our sister schools. Frankly, this caused me to wonder how reasonable it was to try to generalize her children’s experience(s) as describing an entire nation’s (or region’s) school system? As other reviewers have noted, I do believe that her intentions were good, but I felt that she often made sweeping statements which were rather simplistic and sometimes repetitive, as she herself says, “One of the hard truths I came around to in California was that I’d been a little naïve about the US education system in general. … I had downplayed in my own mind how deeply rooted and systemic the problems are.”  To her credit, she includes extensive notes and references, plus a glossary and index. Also, Clavel, draws a number of parallels, noting, for example that in 2017 the OECD found that globally teachers make an average of 88 percent of the salary of those in other professions with the same level of education (in US middle schools, that figure is 60 percent) – if we want the best teachers (and reduced turnover) for our children, we should reflect that in our compensation and provide better financial incentives. I also liked how she tried to steer the conversation to learning, rather than schools, although I believe there is much more that could have been written about innovation in American schools relative to Asian ones. Overall, her suggestions about dealing with administrators or encouraging your child to read the classics seemed unrealistic for many parents. She says, “I’ve always believed that you assess your child’s education every day and then support them as best you can” which is certainly important, but at what point should those students be taking increased responsibility for their own intellectual and emotional growth? If you are interested in education, I would suggest beginning by shadowing a high school student at your local school as well as reading other titles, such as these recent ones.

Newcomer by Higashino and some debut mysteries

What could be better than to enjoy the holiday break by reading several new mystery stories? 

My favorite so far is NEWCOMER by Keigo Higashino, a new author to me, but a best-selling novelist in Japan and Asia. His earlier work, The Devotion of Suspect X was an Edgar Award finalist.  This more recent title, translated by Giles Murray, was a LibraryReads selection for November and can be read as a stand alone.  The main character in NEWCOMER is Detective Kyochiro Kaga, recently transferred to a new precinct in the Tokyo Police Department. In order to solve the murder of a recently divorced woman, Kaga interviews the victim’s family and their associates. But the story begins with inquiries at a rice cracker shop in Tokyo’s traditional shopping district of Nihonbashi, where the victim, another newcomer, had recently moved. Kaga, a Columbo-like figure, later also visits a traditional restaurant, plus stores selling china, clocks, pastries, and handicrafts. What makes this mystery especially memorable are the small mysteries within the larger one since Higashino cleverly develops the characters and their own secrets at each locale. In fact, over two dozen characters are included in a helpful cast list.  Although I initially picked-up this book and found the translation to be a bit jarring, particularly when Murray chooses phrases for dialogue like “got you” and “my old man,” I kept reading – the story was compelling and allowed for ignoring those discordant notes. NEWCOMER received a starred review from Kirkus. 

 
I also felt transported by the setting, a fictional Indian reservation in New Mexico, for HEARTS OF THE MISSING by Carol Potenza. Sergeant Nicky Matthews of the Tsiba’ashi D’yini (Fire-Sky Pueblo) reservation police deals with a misogynistic boss and undercover FBI activity while trying to solve the murder of Sandra Deering, an undergraduate who was investigating “lost” members of the tribe. Nicky obviously cares about the people she has sworn to protect and has gradually overcome biases on the reservation against outsiders while also trying to understand more about her own disconcerting visions of the Wind Mother. There is quite a bit for readers to process in this fast moving story, including a potential serial killer, tribal customs and ritual sacrifice, but it is an engrossing read worth the effort.  

This debut mystery won the Tony Hillerman Prize for Potenza, an assistant professor in chemistry and biochemistry at New Mexico State University. I am looking forward to more in this series; HEARTS OF THE MISSING received starred reviews from both Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. 

MURDER AT THE MILL by M.B. Shaw is more of a traditional cozy mystery, set in a small English village where portrait artist Iris Grey is coming to terms with the end of her marriage. There, she finds purpose in agreeing to create a birthday portrait of The Mill’s owner, Dominic Wetherby. Soon, the holidays arrive and Iris is drawn into some local celebrations. Of course, it is not long until Wetherby’s body is found and Iris sets out with his suspicious daughter-in-law to disprove the ruling of suicide and find a culprit.   

Overall, I thought the solution (in terms of perpetrator if not motive) was fairly obvious, but this is still a diverting read with plenty of family members as possible suspects and even a bit of romance. MURDER AT THE MILL received a starred review from Kirkus and is a mystery debut under a pseudonym used by established author Tilly Bagshawe.

The Storm by Arif Anwar

THE STORM by Arif Anwar is a fascinating book to read for all kinds of reasons. First, it offers an opportunity to explore different regions of the world and different points in time.  Anwar tells three interconnected stories: one is set in 1970’s India and what comes to be called Bangladesh; another occurs during the 1940’s in the Pacific Theater of WWII, initially near Rangoon in Burma; and the third is set in Washington DC in the early 2000’s.

In addition, the structure of Anwar’s novel mirrors the bands or concentric circles that form around the eye of a cyclone, (also called hurricane or typhoon depending on its location).  I appreciated the “gathering” section where characters were introduced, including a poor, young wife and mother named Honufa and her fisherman husband Jamir.  There lives are linked to and contrasted with another couple: Zahira and Rahim who are much wealthier and well-connected, but therefore a target at a time filled with unrest and religious strife. During the war years, Anwar shares perspective from Claire, a British army doctor married to a high ranking officer and from Ichiro, an injured Japanese pilot. In the most contemporary period, readers meet Shahryar and Val, former lovers and parents to Anna as he struggles to extend a student visa and remain in the United States close to his daughter. A range of emotions is involved and as with a real storm, there is a sense of foreboding and suspense which also kept me reading.

THE STORM made me question and think about moments in history such as the Indian partition, about religion and beliefs spanning Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist faiths, and about social customs and practices.  Throughout, I was definitely interested in all of the characters and the varied ways in which they exhibited love, honor and sacrifice. This is a great debut which will be popular with book groups – here is a link to the discussion guide from the publisher. Thank you to Atria Books for an advanced reader copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Arif Anwar’s THE STORM received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal.