Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win by Jo Piazza

Are you a political junkie? Looking for an entertaining and timely novel to finish off your summer reading? Consider CHARLOTTE WALSH LIKES TO WIN by Jo Piazza. This novel chronicles the US Senate campaign by Charlotte Walsh, a 40-something Silicon Valley titan who moves her young family back to Northeast Pennsylvania to compete against Ted “Tug” Slaughter, an aging, bigoted incumbent and philanderer.  The combination of Charlotte’s dysfunctional childhood and successes in the technology field means that she strives for approval. It is painful to observe her transformation during the campaign as actions, although often rational, become increasing self-serving and engineered to up her odds of winning.

I loved the rural PA setting and reference to life there, including details like this: “‘Nice of you to get your doopa out of bed in time for dinner.’ Charlotte muffled a laugh at the local slang word for backside.  It had been years since she’d heard anyone use the word doopa.”  The snarky comments about politics are both sad and amusing: “Tell people one true thing before you tell them a lie.  Then it will be easier for them to believe the lie.” OR “But you’re not lying. You’re just telling people what they want to hear. There’s a difference.”  OR “Each day on the campaign trail was like a scene from Groundhog Day – the same stock speeches, the same requests for cash, the same smile for every photo op.”

Charlotte does seem to change and so does her marriage to Max. He takes a leave of absence in order to care for their three daughters who are five and under. Issues of trust, partnership and purpose abound.  Leila, Charlotte’s long-time executive assistant, also faces some tough choices. Piazza, an award-winning journalist, weaves contemporary issues both big (abortion and gun reform) and small (e.g., type of shoes being worn) along with rumors, sound bites and candid photographs to create an intense, complex campaign story.
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy in order to write this honest review; you can read an excerpt here.

When the English Fall by David Williams

I enjoyed WHEN THE ENGLISH FALL by David Williams even though this is a novel about truly hard times due to a solar storm and resulting disruption in power sources and modern life. Williams’ debut novel is extremely well-written, taking the unique perspective of an Amish farmer, Jacob. In his diary, Jacob describes seeing planes fall from the sky and subsequent fires.  He details the work of the farm, the hardships and food shortages faced by the English (his “modern” neighbors) and his own crisis of faith about the amount of aid and to whom it should be given.  His comments are often peaceful and reflective: “I could see, here and there, a whisper of yellow in the leaves of the big oak near the gate.  Not much yet, just a hint, like the first speckle of pepper gray in a man’s beard.” 

Jacob chronicles events as the situation worsens, food becomes even more scarce and violence increases. A National Guardsman tells him, “It’s like the world just came to an end. … Only we’re all still here.” WHEN THE ENGLISH FALL also offers insight on the relationships between Jacob and his family (his father, his wife Hannah and children Sadie and Jacob) and his friends – both Amish and English. Clearly, Jacob is a thoughtful, hard-working man who is looked upon for wisdom and leadership, which he accepts reluctantly: “This is part of the greatest danger to our souls, a pride that can come when we set ourselves apart to be servants, but then assume that our servanthood makes us better.”  

WHEN THE ENGLISH FALL received well-deserved starred reviews from Kirkus and Library Journal.

Miller's Valley by Anna Quindlen

Anna Quindlen has been a favorite author of mine since the days when I would eagerly await her opinion pieces in The New York Times.  She has been a prolific writer in the last twenty-five years, turning to longer works of non-fiction and novels, such as her latest: Miller’s Valley. It, too, is filled with those all too astute observations: “It’s so easy to be wrong about the things you’re close to.  I know that now.  I learned that then.”  So Mimi Miller tells readers as she reflects on her family (parents, Miriam and Bud; her Aunt Ruth, and brothers, Edward and Tommy who heads to Vietnam) and their life in rural Pennsylvania beginning in the 1960’s.

The entire community is threatened by a proposed dam which would flood Miller’s Valley. Although, as Quindlen discloses, no one quite believes it could happen,  “You could tell by their last names that people who lived in the area were originally from Germany or Poland or some of the Slavic countries, but they’d been American long enough to have flat vowels and made-up minds.”  In this coming of age novel, Quindlen warmly and empathetically transports readers to an earlier time, to a more rural, small town America which is disappearing. Miller’s Valley is a story that questions progress, love and loyalty; it received a starred review from Library Journal.

I have a student who is writing a Junior Theme on social work based on reading Quindlen’s Rise and Shine, another title to place on my “to read” list.  Do you have a favorite Quindlen title? Let us know. So many books, so little time ……