UNSHELTERED by Barbara Kingsolver

UNSHELTERED

by

Barbara Kingsolver

            In Unsheltered, by Barbara Kingsolver, we are introduced to Willa, a journalist, and her husband Iano, a college professor. They have moved to an inherited, historic home in Vineland, N.J. and live there with, at various times, four generations: their kids, Zeke and Tig (Antigone), their grandson, and Iano’s father. Willa is a freelance journalist without work, Iona is unable to find a tenured position, and the house is literally falling down around them; they cannot afford the repairs or the escalating health care costs of their extended family.

We also learn about Thatcher, a science teacher who had lived in the historic house in the nineteen century with his wife, Rose, and her mother and younger sister. They, too, have difficulty maintaining the crumbling historic home. Thatcher befriends their neighbor, Mary Treat, a scientist who is conducting numerous experiments, as well as corresponding with Darwin and other great scientists of her time. Meanwhile, Thatcher, who loves science and simply wants to share that love, encounters difficulty with the Creationists running the school and the town.

            Unsheltered moves back and forth between these nineteenth century and twenty-first century residents of the house. Mary and Thatcher were ahead of their time. But, Willa and Iano portray a new reality. They are overeducated, overqualified, and underemployed. They are unable to “make it” – i.e., they are unable to cover their basic needs for shelter and medical care. Despite their years of hard work and “doing everything right,” they have not accrued the security needed and expected at their stage of life. As Tig tells her mother:

[Y]ou prepped for the wrong future. It’s not just you. Everybody your age is, like, crouching inside this box made out of what they already believe. You think it’s a fallout shelter or something but it’s a piece of shitbox, Mom. It’s cardboard, drowning in the rain, going all floppy. And you’re saying, “This is all there is, it will hold up fine. This box will keep me safe!”

Unsheltered, p. 308.

Kingsolver presents a harsh reality, but, unfortunately, it is a reality that more well-educated people of Willa’s generation are facing. You can do everything right – do everything the way that you are “supposed” to – and still not attain the elusive security that is needed later in life.

There is a change occurring in our society. Once again, Kingsolver has uncovered the nub of the matter in this poignant, wonderful work.

            This latest Kingsolver work is so well written. Although the chapters are long, I thought it very cool how the end of the last line of each chapter is the title of the next chapter. In typical Kingsolver fashion, Unsheltered is melodic and insightful.

Unsheltered is one of the best books of 2018. Highly recommended.

EMPIRE OF THE SUMMER MOON by S. C. Gwynne

EMPIRE OF THE SUMMER MOON

by

S. C. Gwynne

            Nine-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker was kidnapped by the Comanche Indians, from the Parker Fort settlement in Texas. Her “mixed blood” son, Quanah Parker, is the primary subject of Empire of the Summer Moon, a Pulitzer Prize finalist by S. C. Gwynne (subtitled “Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe In American History”).

            But, Empire of the Summer Moon is much more than Quanah Parker’s story. The book details the settlement of Texas. It explains the slaughter of the Indians. It tells of slaughter by the Indians. It mentions the slaughter of the buffalo (according to Gwynne, 31 million buffalo were slaughtered between 1868 and 1881). And, it portrays the failure of the treaties and the reservations. In the midst of this, we learn about the Comanches – some of the best horsemen amongst the Indians and who changed military engagement – and about the “last and greatest” of the Comanche chiefs, Quanah Parker.

            Gwynne does a wonderful job not just of telling the story about the clashes between the Indians and the white settlors at this time in our country’s history, but also in capturing many of the deep seated cultural differences that lead to much of this dark time. Empire of the Summer Moon is well-written, informative, captivating, and engaging. I recommend it.

A SEPARATION by Katie Kitamura

A SEPARATION

by

Katie Kitamura

            She is married to Christopher, but they have been separated for six months. Christopher made her promise not to tell anyone, so when his mother, Isabella, called and asked, she simply told her that she did not know where Christopher was. As Isabella was worried about Christopher, she bought the wife a ticket to Greece and booked her a room at the hotel where Christopher was staying. And, she went – ostensibly to find her husband to ask him for a divorce.

            I did not like A Separation. The unending use of commas rather than periods, and the resultant run-on sentences, drove me crazy. The failure to use quotation marks to delineate dialogue was confusing. Perhaps this shows that I do not appreciate the nuances of contemporary “artistic writing,” but I found them to be distracting. In addition, I did not enjoy the plot. Although I was initially engaged with the wife, as the book progressed and she made what appeared to be unjustified leaps and presumptions, I became increasingly alienated. Not only did I not enjoy this book, but my antipathy toward A Separation continued to grow long after I finished reading.

THE FRIEND by Sigrid Nunez

THE FRIEND

by

Sigrid Nunez

            The Friend, by Sigrid Nunez, is the winner of the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction. And, in the case of this lovely, little book, the honor is well deserved.

            Her best friend and mentor, a writer, committed suicide. He left behind wife number three, a dog, and the friend (who ended up with the dog). Apollo, a huge Great Dane who was rescued, is also grieving – and is unwanted. The surviving friend ends up with Apollo, despite the fact that her lease prohibits her from having a dog in her apartment. The Friend is a glimpse into their lives. It is about suicide and dogs; grief and love; writing and teaching. This is a book without names – except for the dog (although the surviving wife might be considered to have a name – “wife number three” – it is more a distinguishing label than a name). Apollo is the only “real” name. I am not quite sure why there is a dearth of names; perhaps Nunez believes this will help focus the reader on the raw feelings associated with the friend’s loss and the subsequent bond she develops with Apollo. Whatever the motivation, it has an interesting effect.

            I generally love books about writers and writing and about dogs. But, The Friend is a little different. I didn’t just love the book – I fell in love with it. This was an evolving process. And, that process continued, and my love continued to grow, long after I finished reading.

            The Friend is not a large work, but a great deal is encapsulated within its small structure. It is a powerful reading experience, and I highly recommend it.

LETHAL WHITE by Robert Galbraith

LETHAL WHITE

by

Robert Galbraith

            Lethal White is the fourth Cormoran Strike novel by J.K. Rowling, written under the Robert Galbraith pseudonym. Strike, a private investigator, and his junior partner, Robin Ellacott, are extremely busy after Strike was instrumental in catching the Shacklewell Ripper. In the midst of this, Billy, a mentally ill young man, ends up in Strike’s office claiming that he had witnessed the murder of a child. Shortly after, Strike is hired by Jasper Chiswell, the Minister For Culture. The Minister is being blackmailed by two men, the husband of the Minister For Sport and Billy’s older brother. Is this one case or two? Who is behind the various crimes and why?

            Rowling is the queen of character development, and Lethal White does not disappoint. From the upper-crust member of Parliament to poor, downtrodden mentally ill Billy, Rowling delivers a full panoply of interesting characters, replete with the complexities we have come to expect from her. But, the most interesting characters in the book are Strike and Robin. We are treated to the continued development of each character, as well as development in their personal and professional relationships.

In addition to the signature character development, Lethal White again delivers a wonderful, old-fashioned mystery that we have come to expect from the plots of the Cormoran Strike novels. And, this is a particularly complex, convoluted plot.

            It was wonderful to be back in Strike’s world. But, even after almost 650 pages, I hated to see it end and continued to think about the book long after I reached the end.