Small Blessings by Martha Woodroof

Do you want to feel good? Laugh out loud? Experience well-written prose? Share in the formation of an unconventional family? Then read Small Blessings by Martha Woodroof.

Set on a small Virginia college campus, this debut novel introduces us to the college's students, administrators and a small number of central characters:

• Tom Putnam, a kind English professor who is married to
• Marjory, who is often anxious and has trouble relating to others
• Agnes, Marjory's mother, a lawyer and surprisingly fond of
• Henry, 6 years old and Tom’s newly discovered "son"
• Russell Jacobs and Iris Benson, Tom's colleagues with their own issues, including alcohol dependence, and
• Rose Callahan, new employee at the Book Store whose presence seems to set the novel in motion.

As these characters struggle with society's expectations, some are more successful than others and all face fears and loneliness as they take risks, seek to redefine themselves, and deal with unexpected events. Small Blessings starts pretty slowly and sadly -like a grey, rainy day – and then Rose and later Henry arrive – it seems like sunshine peaking through clouds.  I raced through the last half of this book with a smile on my face and in my heart.

Look for Small Blessings, especially if you are a fan of the caring and community building in Jan Karon’s Mitford series or enjoyed the slowly building charm and self-discovery of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  I predict that Small Blessings will soon be a movie itself and reading this book will make you smile, too.

PS – Martha Woodruff is a producer for NPR (hence her references to pbs shows like Inspector Morse); more of her interviews and writing about first novels can be found here.

The Taste of Many Mountains by Bruce Wydick

I simply can’t decide what this book, The Taste of Many Mountains by Bruce Wydick, about poverty and globalization, wants to be:

- A fiction story  - like when it tells about the young woman in 1980’s Guatemala; OR

- A “semi-fiction” work – when it focuses on 4 grad students in 2007; OR

- A non-fiction text when it educates about randomized sampling, the varieties of coffee and fair trade statistics.

I do think this was an admirable attempt to focus attention on an important and complex problem, but, sadly, I kept getting pulled out of the story every time the author switched focus. Most annoying were the four graduate students who, frankly, seemed clueless at times.  How could they be so concerned about exploitation and then (blissfully ignorant?) simply sit down to eat a poor family’s lunch?

Here is my suggestion:  publish a companion piece which visually tells the story of the coffee growers and makes readers truly care about them and their situation.  Some great role models for this would be Material World by Peter Menzel; possibly What Matters by David Elliot Cohen or even the format used in the newer Chuck Close: FaceBook.  Consider contrasting the living situation in Guatemala with that of coffee drinkers in Seattle and elsewhere ... Inviting students around the country to send photos and stories ... Be creative and encourage participation.

Also, to be more effective and to raise discussion, keep this as a work of non-fiction or as a type of memoir.  See, for example, titles like Kids of Kabul by Ellis (which my students love); or I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai or Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder (also used in our curriculum) or possibly Little Princes by Conor Grennan.  Somewhat text heavy, Travels of a T-shirt in the Global Economy by Rivoli is another example of tackling these trade issues for a wider audience. [image source]

If it is not possible to re-shape the story, then please add more extensive and accessible footnotes like Rivoli did. Here, in Taste of Many Mountains, the author lists references by chapter, but it would have been helpful to have an bibliography (annotated, if possible) for future student work.  For example, Wydick refers to Black Gold by Antony Wild, but I do not think he mentions the DVD by the same name; he includes Uncommon Grounds by Pendergast, but does not seem to include the more recent Coffee: a Comprehensive Guide edited by Thurston and others.  And where are the website links?  I saw a very few, but several more about fair trade (even World Bank, IMF? WTO?) and sustainability/biodiversity (Rainforest Alliance?) could certainly have been included. There are literally millions of websites which discuss fair trade and coffee. Overall, this is a book with potential that is based on an amazing amount of work and I hope that the author and his team continue to produce material which will help us all learn more.

The Selection and other Abe Lincoln Book award nominees

I have not yet decided on my favorite Abe Lincoln Award book, but I was surprised at how much I liked The Selection by Kiera Cass. I originally picked it up because another librarian was rapidly reading book 2 of 3 and said that several students were quite excited about the series. Yes, it is basically “Hunger Games meets The Bachelor,” but readers definitely want to know what happens to Maxon, the prince; to America Singer, the young woman with the possibility of becoming a princess; and to Aspen, now a palace guard and America’s first love.   It’s a light, fun, quick read, and I don’t know anyone who has read book 1 (The Selection) and not immediately looked for book 2 (The Elite) - in fact, the public library has over 30 people on a waiting list!

There are plenty of other fun and great quality reads on the Abe Lincoln list – look for more info here:

•  Libguide with promotional trailers and links to author websites;

•  iBook which opens on iOS devices (click here for pdf version) with summaries and cover images.  Enjoy!  

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

Reflecting this age of extreme weather events, Jennifer Brown has written a gripping novel, Torn Away, which explores the impact of a tornado on one Missouri community and in particular on a sixteen-year-old girl named Jersey. The descriptions of sights and sounds are vivid and readers will sense the horror which Jersey experiences both during and after the storm.

The story is an emotional roller-coaster as Jersey struggles to deal with the grief and sadness due to losing family members and being forced to live in unfamiliar surroundings. At the beginning of the book, Jersey seems like a strong, if typically self-centered, teenager.  It's a stretch towards the middle of the story to believe that she wouldn't more quickly be utilizing her anger and desire for self-preservation to escape a situation where she is totally mistreated, hardly offered any comfort, and not even addressed by name. I wanted to give Jersey that much-needed hug as she dealt with being frightened and with feelings of depression; I also wanted to confront the step-parent who sent her away to complete strangers and separated her from friends at such a heart-breaking time. Still emotionally numb, she is later sent to yet more extended family and lashes out cruelly.  Fortunately, those adults – mellowed by their own regrets – try to be more caring and patient with her. Like Brown's Hate List, expect to see Torn Away on the Abe Lincoln Award list in the near future.  

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.

All We Had by Annie Weatherwax

The main characters of All We Had by Annie Weatherwax are a young girl, 13 year-old Ruthie, and her Mom, Rita who struggle against extreme poverty.  In this powerful debut novel, they move around with garbage bags for suitcases; rely mainly on men for help and housing and do not eat well (favoring Diet Cokes and donuts). The Mom is almost always smoking and reaching for reassurance from the lipstick which she keeps in her oversized handbag.

As the novel opens, they head East from California; the road trip aspects of this novel help to propel it along and Ruthie's voice drew me in. The duo eventually finds jobs in Fat River, a town in middle America which comes upon hard times with the 2008 recession. Weatherwax vividly describes life in poverty (dead squirrel in the leaky ceiling, mice, bugs), sub-prime loans, and the threat of homelessness ….  Yet, as small town America is wont to do, Fat River is a caring community, especially Peter Pam (transgender waitress at the local diner), Miss Frankfurt, the high school principal, and the Hansons, elderly owners of the local hardware store.

What were my immediate connections as I read All We Had? One is this week’s Economist article, "Choose Your Parents Wisely" and its graph about effective parenting which appears in this posting. I think Weatherwax would ask, "How much do circumstances dictate our choices?" Another connection was today's Wall Street Journal on "Start Early to Raise Money Savvy Kids" by Beth Kobliner who writes about the website MoneyAsYouGrow.org  (a site also recommended by the American Library Association).  The lessons on financial literacy such as "want is not the same as need" definitely apply to Ruthie and Rita's choices, especially their trip to the local Wal-Mart, a simultaneously sad and amusing Weatherwax observation on their economic situation and survival. 

Although there are a few mature scenes involving the Mom and her male friends and plenty of profanity, Ruthie's coming of age story and the mother-daughter relationship issues in All We Had will appeal to mature teens. A relatively quick and provocative read,  All We Had by award-winning Annie Weatherwax is an important commentary on today's American society which seems to be increasingly fragmented by class.

Expected publication date: August 5, 2014.