A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny

I just finished reading A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny, the latest (August 30 release) in her Chief Inspector Gamache stories set in the tiny village of Three Pines in Quebec. By chance, I came across some notes and an appropriate quote from Penny’s earlier work, When the Light Gets In:

“Armand Gamache had always held unfashionable beliefs.  He believed that light would banish the shadows. That kindness was more powerful than cruelty, and that goodness existed, even in the most desperate places.  He believed evil had its limits.” A Great Reckoning describes yet another test of those beliefs, as Gamache takes on the responsibility of leadership at Quebec’s Surete Academy, seeking to reform the educational experience of future law enforcement officers.

In the process, he has to solve a murder and protect four young cadets, one of whom seems to despise him and another for whom Gamache seems to have a strong connection.  All four young people spend time with the inhabitants of Three Pines and all struggle to find themselves as adults and professionals. A mysterious map of Three Pines offers insight into the village history and provides additional twists for the reader.

While A Great Reckoning is another terrific story about Armand Gamache, it was made even more special by the author’s note and recognition of the personal difficulties which Louise Penny has faced while continuing to write about her beloved character.  I would recommend this series to mystery fans and since A Great Reckoning is one of my favorites in the series, I am pleased to note that this new title received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus AND Library Journal. 

Mystery fans may also want to mark their calendars since Julia Keller (Sorrow Road) and Elsa Hart (Jade Dragon Mountain) will be appearing locally at the Bookstall next Thursday, August 25 at 6:30pm. 

Although Sorrow Road is one of at least a half dozen novels in the Bell Elkins series, it is the first one I have read. Keller skillfully fills in the background about the characters: prosecutor and Georgetown Law School grad Bell Elkins, her much younger boyfriend Clay Meckling, her daughter Carla and other West Virginia residents.  However, I was disappointed since based on the title’s description, I expected much more about WWII and felt that the pace was a bit slow. Professional reviewer opinions were split:  Kirkus says that Sorrow Road “isn’t the best of Keller’s deeply nuanced, beautifully written examinations of life and death in hardscrabble coal country” while Booklist gave it a starred review.  Jade Dragon Mountain is set in the mountains of China and Tibet in 1708 and features Li Du, a former imperial librarian who works to solve a murder. Hart’s debut novel (a second work about Li Du will be released soon) is on my “to read” list and has received generally positive reviews, including one from Louise Penny.

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue is a debut novel with much promise and tells the story of Jende and Neni Jonga, husband and wife immigrants from Cameroon in West Africa. In 2008, Jende has a work permit (although it is soon to expire) and acts as chauffeur for an executive, Clark Edwards, at Lehman Brothers. Neni has a student visa and is pursuing her dream of becoming a pharmacist at a local community college.  

The Jongas’ life gradually becomes more entwined with the Edwards’ troubles and, despite good intentions, there are plenty of tough choices being made.  The Edwards’ son, Vince, turns down a law internship to “find himself” in India. Meanwhile, both Clark Edwards and his wife Cindy succumb to increasing financial pressures and resort to their own vices, including prostitution, drugs and alcohol. Jende’s legal status, his job, and Neni’s schooling are increasingly in peril.   Behold the Dreamers is very readable; the struggles which these characters face to pursue their dreams, to care for their families, and to act in in a moral way are absorbing. I will be recommending Behold the Dreamers for Junior Theme, especially for those classes who read and study about the immigrant experience.

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue received a starred review from Kirkus. 

Known and Strange Things by Teju Cole

I have also recently explored a collection of essays called Known and Strange Things by Teju Cole, the Nigerian-American author and photographer. His earlier award winning work, Open City, will be part of the readings assigned for a Senior English elective this year and I was curious about this new title.  The over fifty essays in Known and Strange Things – collected over several years - are divided into three sections (Reading Things, Seeing Things, Being There) and are followed by an Epilogue.  There is a great deal of opinion and emotion.  For example, anger and resentment are evidenced by essay titles such as “White Savior Industrial Complex” and his labeling of the micro-aggressions of American racism.  Like Jesmyn Ward in The Fire This Time, Cole refers to the works and life of James Baldwin, quoting him as saying, “People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.” How would other writers that students are required to read, like Ta-Nehisi Coates (Between the World and Me) respond?

Cole also shares some insights about his own writing, noting: “My goal in writing a novel is to leave the reader not knowing what to think.  A good novel shouldn’t have a point.” That alone should prompt some interesting arguments in English this coming school year. Both Booklist and Kirkus gave starred reviews to Known and Strange Things by Teju Cole.