My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

I was excited to read Elizabeth Strout's new book, especially because I really enjoyed her earlier novel Olive Kitteridge and remember some lively debates involving that title at our book group.  Strout’s new work, My Name is Lucy Barton, is a very introspective work.  It focuses on the inner life of a young woman who initially is in hospital trying to recover from an operation. 

As the novel progresses, we learn about Lucy’s relationships with her family (husband, children and mother) as well as with her medical care-givers. My Name is Lucy Barton is short – just 208 pages – so it is a quick read. One of the characters is a writer who said, “… that her job as a writer of fiction was to report on the human condition, to tell us who we are and what we think and what we do.” Later, that character says, “You’ll write your one story many ways.” I enjoyed the contemplative feel of the novel, but wish that Elizabeth Strout had added more – maybe instead this is one story that I need to go back and read many ways.  The Pulitzer Prize winner’s exquisite prose (“Lonely was the first flavor I had tasted in my life, and it was there, hidden inside the crevices of my mouth, reminding me.”) deserves that attention.

My Name is Lucy Barton received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Library Journal as well as being named an Amazon Best Book of January 2016.

Carrying Albert Home by Homer Hickam

Who can resist a book like Carrying Albert Home with the subtitle: “The Somewhat True Story of a Man, His Wife, and Her Alligator?”   This is a marvelous yarn written with much affection by Homer Hickam, award-winning author of Rocket Boys (October Sky).

Set in the 1930’s, this novel exaggerates the events that may have transpired when Hickam’s parents, Elsie and Homer, returned Albert (the alligator) from Coalwood, West Virginia to Orlando, Florida.  Passing through the Carolinas and Georgia, the Hickams and Albert encounter famous writers, pirates, bank robbers, and natural disasters – to name just a few.  Readers will definitely be entertained, although the circumstances and coincidences are a bit absurd at times. The story is told as a series of (tall) tales with charm, humor and heart by a gifted writer.

Carrying Albert Home is full of madcap adventures, but also has a serious underlying story as the relationship between Elsie and Homer matures. There is some introspection, too: “Elsie had always felt her life was like a jigsaw puzzle with no picture on the box to show her how the puzzle pieces should fit together” or “Time is really the only gift we receive from God that we can give to others.”  Kismet is mentioned a dozen times in Hickam’s new novel and if you are interested in the fate/fortune/destiny of a man, his wife and her alligator, do look for the very enjoyable Carrying Albert Home.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

The newly US-published The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by debut Swedish author Katarina Bivald is a gentle read focusing on Sara Lindqvist who has come to small town Iowa from Sweden to visit Amy Harris, her pen pal. Things don’t go quite as planned and, instead, Sara is “adopted” by the town (population 637) and a strong, mutual warmth and friendliness develops as the story progresses.

With numerous references to book titles, authors and literary characters, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend will be a favorite for bibliophiles.  Referring to her attempts to promote reading and books, Sara says, “If someone else takes them, then at least they’ll be appreciated. And if you love a book, you want to share it with others.”

I found the opening third of this novel to be rather slow even though it was important to take time to develop the characters of the town’s somewhat unconventional inhabitants. These include: Grace, a feisty, strong women who runs the diner and Caroline, with a strong practical streak who organizes the town activities, or Andy, who manages the local bar with his partner, Carl.   The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend more actively grabbed my interest once the scheming began about how Sara might be able to stay longer and hints of romance were introduced. That’s when one character mused: “let people laugh [at you]. It just means we are living more interesting lives than they are.” The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend will likely have strong appeal for book groups and includes a series of discussion questions.

Called touching, quaint, and charming in various professional reviews, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend received a starred review from Library Journal and was named an Amazon Best Book of the Month for January 2016.