Fredrik Backman's new story within a story

I liked A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, so I looked forward to the author’s new book, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, which starts out in an intriguing manner due to the character of Granny.  Unfortunately for 7 year-old Elsa, Granny is not able to stay and protect her for the rest of the book.  Elsa fights bullies again and again at school and the bureaucrats (as in A Man Called Ove) and her Mum seem particularly clueless and ineffectual.

This novel deals with superheroes (something all 7 year-olds need), divorce, remarriage, half siblings and the impossibility of staying invisible in the school cafeteria. I do find Elsa’s ruminations to be charming and heartfelt, but the fairy tale Land of Almost-Awake is, for me, less interesting than real life and the rather dysfunctional characters who live in Elsa’s apartment building. The writing is unique and the story complex. There are many characters and the distortion of 7 year-old perspective, while cleverly created, made reading and interpreting difficult for me. Do pick up this book if you have tons of patience and time for reflection; it received a starred review from Booklist.  The best part of My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry? Its message: “if a sufficient number of people are different, no one has to be normal.” 

Pirate Hunters by Robert Kurson

Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship by Robert Kurson will be published on Tuesday, June 16 and Kurson will be attending two local events (details below) on the following Tuesday, June 23^rd. Make sure that “X” marks the spot/dates on your calendar!

Roughly a decade ago, Robert Kurson wrote Shadow Divers about the recovery of a WWII submarine and I have been recommending it ever since with much positive feedback from student and faculty readers. His new book, Pirate Hunters, aptly tells the tale of two divers and their hunt for The Golden Fleece, a pirate ship lost in 1686 near the coast of the Dominican Republic.  Kurson devotes chapters to their bravery, ingenuity and life experiences. John Chatterton served as a medic in Vietnam, was a commercial diver working near the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, and co-hosted Deep Sea Detectives on the History Channel. The other partner, John Mattera, is a former security consultant, runs a diving resort, and loves history, visiting libraries in Europe and the US to research this project.

Kurson combines their stories with those of their crew and with the mystery surrounding Joseph Bannister, a merchant captain turned pirate during The Golden Age of Piracy. He offers one hypothesis about Bannister’s motives, but with an admittedly 21^st century perspective, I think there could be others: was he thwarted in love? bored or disgruntled with more routine trade runs?   This book is a quick read and I could truly feel the divers’ frustration at being repeatedly stymied in their own search. I marveled at their persistence – both in terms of time (the search took years) and money invested.  Hear them tell about their obsessive quest on this trailer.

It took years of interviews and reading to research this book and Kurson provides an extensive list of sources in his author’s notes.  One of the most fascinating is The Buccaneers of America, originally published in 1678, extensively illustrated and freely available online (requires Flash) in Dutch from the Library of Congress. Kurson, who is a local writer, will be speaking at a noon luncheon at the University Club of Chicago on Tuesday, June 23^rd.  Call the Bookstall (847.446.8880) for ticket information. Another event that evening is free and open to the public – it begins at 6:30pm and will be held at Sheridan Shore Yacht Club, 20 Harbor Drive, Wilmette.