The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Patchett (Bel Canto) is the newest novel from this award winning author and advocate for books and reading. Spanning much of the second half of the twentieth century, this story centers around a dysfunctional family and is set primarily in Philadelphia and New York City environs.  Siblings Maeve and Danny depend on each other, even as young children after their mother leaves and their aloof father remarries. His second wife arranges to inherit almost everything including the family home. This changes the course of Danny’s life as he eventually studies to be a doctor and Maeve does her best to support him.  The character development is strong and while that may contribute to a slower pace, readers will be drawn in by a lingering sense of menace – will these two manage to overcome circumstances and realize their dreams?  

THE DUTCH HOUSE is a LibraryReads selection recommended for “fans of Anne Tyler and Anna Quindlen.” I concur with that comment -- this title is my personal favorite from the September list.  Definitely worth considering for book groups, THE DUTCH HOUSE received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus and Publishers Weekly.

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

“She clicks the top of her pen. Then clicks it again. Each one is a moment. The first click, the pause between the clicks, and the second click. The longer you live. The harder it becomes. To grab them. Each little moment as it arrives. To be living in something other than the past or the future. To be actually here."

 

HOW TO STOP TIME by Matt Haig is one of those mind bending books that I have been reading a bit at a time, partly to be able to reflect on Haig’s work and partly to savor the writing and make it last. In this novel, Tom Hazard is four hundred and thirty-nine years old, although he physically ages very slowly and in appearance seems to be in his early forties. His life story alternates back and forth from 16th century rural England where his mother is suspected of being a witch and the London of that time where he first fell in love, to present day London where he teaches school and is attracted to a fellow teacher, Camille.

Readers learn that Tom is looking for his child, Marion, who may age similarly. Plus, he has to deal with potentially being manipulated by an organization (The Albatross Society) which seeks to protect these unique people although its leader, Hendrich, seems threatening and controlling. Throughout, Tom suffers stress headaches and is unable to develop a meaningful, deep relationship with anyone for fear of endangering them. Haig is telling this story on multiple levels, and Tom’s perspective as an outsider from another time provides a vehicle for sharp commentary on current society. Here are a few of my favorite quotes (I have many):

• “You are always living within the parameters of your personality.  No expanse of time or place could change that.”
• “All we can ever be is faithful to our memories of reality, rather than the reality itself, which is something closely related, but never precisely the same thing.”
• “The progress of humanity seemed to be measured in the distance we placed between ourselves and nature.”
• “Places don’t matter to people any more. ... People are only half present where they are these days.  They always have at least one foot in the great digital nowhere.”
• “You understand quite completely that the main lesson of history is: humans don’t learn from history.”

HOW TO STOP TIME received starred reviews from Booklist (“Teens will love this irresistible, crossover work of speculative fiction”) and Publishers Weekly.

So what else have I been reading?  AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN by award-winning author Susan Meissner.  This novel is also a time trip of sorts, taking place in 1918 Pennsylvania where members of the Bright family (Pauline and Thomas with daughters Evelyn, Maggie and Willa) deal with the loss of baby Henry by moving from Quakertown to Philadelphia, leaving behind extended family and their business of rolling cigars to live in a fine house with a bachelor uncle and learn the trade of being an undertaker. When the Spanish flu hits the city, they are forced to confront death on a large scale. 

This historical fiction novel is told from multiple perspectives and each of the Bright women shares her thoughts. With positive blurbs from novelists like Jillian Cantor and Helen Simonson, AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN is apt to appeal to book clubs and received a starred review from Library Journal.  

Both titles appear on the February 2018 LibraryReads List.

East Coast Prowl

Hear of "the bee's knees" and the "cat's meow?" Well, the "cat's pajamas" is also related to the jazz era and similarly refers to something unusual and sought after. In the case of Marie-Helene Bertino's new book, 2am at the Cat's Pajamas, it specifically refers to a nightclub which has seen better days and happier times. To me, the entire book had kind of that melancholy feel and although it was extremely well-written, there were SO many characters and story lines that I found it difficult to keep them all straight.  The youngest person is Madeleine and yes, she is essentially an orphan, who smiles at the good, frowns at the bad and sometimes is very sad ...

Living and breathing bebop in Philadelphia, nine-year old Madeleine's life intertwines with Mrs. Santiago who owns a dog named Pedro (one of the more memorable secondary characters), with a teacher named Sarina Greene who still has a crush on her former high school boyfriend named Ben, and with the owner (Jack Lorca) and musicians (The Cubanistas, plus Lorca's son Alex) from the Cat's Pajamas.  All are lonely and "mis-connected" as Bertino attempts to weave the stories together over a 24 hour period.  It's confusing with plenty of activity, an antique guitar, and even some magical realism occurring on Christmas Eve Eve.

If you do not have the patience or inclination to unravel 2am at the Cat's Pajamas which will be published in early August, I would instead HIGHLY recommend Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home is an outstanding book -- another debut novel with a young girl (14 year-old June) and art (painting, not music, this time) at its center. Set in 1980s New York, the story focuses on the aftermath of Uncle Finn's death from AIDS.  A New York Times bestseller, Tell the Wolves I'm Home has won numerous awards, including the Alex Award, and was recommended to me by two young people. Like them, I found June's efforts to come to terms with her Uncle's death to be extremely moving. Brunt profiles a range of emotions as June struggles with her other family relationships, especially with an older sister. June truly begins to develop her own independence while learning more about her uncle's life and the ability to "see" him through others. Tell the Wolves I'm Home will capture your attention – it's an emotional, engaging read and is certainly hard to forget. I wish that I had found it sooner and can readily see this novel being used for Junior Theme by students who want to write more about AIDS and society's reactions - both compassionate and ignorant - to that disease.

The Blessings by Elise Juska

It is Easter Sunday and I am reflecting on family gatherings and memories of special foods, Easter baskets and fancy hats. For me, it was the perfect day to read a soon-to be published (5/6/14) book called The Blessings by Elise Juska.  Set in Northeast Philadelphia, the novel tells the stories of an Irish-Catholic family over the past 20 or 25 years. Each chapter (almost like inter-connected short stories) is told from a different Blessing family member’s perspective – rebellions teens, newly marrieds, a middle-age man and a Grandmother included.

I loved how the author captures each character’s feelings and the way she explores the idea of being part of a close extended family and how that shapes us; how those closest to us sometimes fail to see us clearly as separate individuals. I especially liked the several sections on going to college, becoming a young adult, and seeing your family from a distance (maybe for the first time).  In addition to love and support, Juska deftly handles universal feelings of fear, sadness and anger in families – whether it has to do with death at a young age, an eating disorder, divorce or growing old. Fans of the TV show Parenthood will enjoy this novel as it has a similar vignette-type feel. I truly cared about members of the Blessing family, felt connected and enjoyed sharing their traditions and memories as they looked back in later chapters.

For our students’ Junior research projects, there has been a shift towards looking at questions of American identity.  Students often focus on the relevance of a chosen book both in terms of the time when it was written or its setting and today.  I honestly cannot wait to add The Blessings by Elise Juska to my booktalk with others like The Joy Luck Club (Amy Tan) and The Namesake (Jhumpa Lahiri) – there will be much for our students to explore and to comment upon with this cultural group, too.