Be transported with ‘Gateway to the Moon’

  • Gateway to the Moon by Mary Morris (Nan A. Talese, Doubleday) April 2018
  • In 40 words or less: Brilliant storytelling and character development propel the reader from the Spanish Inquisition/Expulsion and Columbus’s exploration to the desert of New Mexico five centuries later. Morris weaves together history, astronomy, human frailty, and the strength of family bonds across generations.
  • Genre: Literary fiction/Historical fiction
  • Locale: Spain, Portugal, New World, and New Mexico
  • Time: 1492-1500 and 1992
  • A rare novel combining two periods of discovery. Historical figures are carefully researched and noted as such in the listing of characters and families. Gateway to the Moon is also a coming of age story for a teen whose connection to the stars is his solace and path to the future.

As long as I’ve been in book groups I’ve searched for an engrossing novel that brings to life the conflicted period of Spain’s ascendancy as a world power and the injustices and horrors of the Inquisition and the Jews expulsion from Spain. Even less common are writings about those along on Columbus’s first expedition and what may have transpired with those left behind as the ships returned to Spain. Finally, there is a book that fills this void.

Mary Morris has the special hand required to mix history and historical figures with fictional characters with due respect to both. Even before Chapter 1 begins, Morris provides a framework for navigating the pathway from fact to fiction and back.

Miguel Torres has his feet in the dust of Entrada de la Luna and his eyes in the stars. A loner, he is fascinated by space and his thirst is recognized by his science teacher who works to keep him on the straight and narrow. Poverty and boredom are often the ticket to “juvie”, a brief trip Miguel has already taken. A chance sighting of an ad for someone to help with two small boys after school may be the way for Miguel to afford a better telescope and car money. Respectful of his elders, but in large measure raising himself, he’s dutiful about heading home Friday nights where his mother prepares the trailer for candle lighting.

The story shifts 500 years to 1492. Among those on Columbus’s ships as they left Spain in 1492 were linguists, navigators, and cartographers from the crypto-Jewish community who lives would have been at risk as the Inquisition and Expulsion pressures increased. Separated from their families, these men and boys held out hope they’d find a new home for themselves and their families at the end of their voyage. Through Luis de Torres, Columbus’s scribe, others on the ships and those left behind, Morris richly describes the fragmenting of families even as Columbus anticipates riches and glory.

This is a book filled with beautiful language. Descriptions provide just enough detail to conjure up pictures without detracting from the characters or plot. While Columbus and Miguel look to the stars for orientation, each of the other characters must adapt to the unexpected and does so in a fitting and natural way which isn’t easy to pull off.  Chapter titles provide orientation in time and place, and the character lists and genealogy at the front of the book are there in the event the reader is momentarily distracted from the story’s flow.

The Jazz Palace, Mary Morris’s previous book set in Chicago during the early years of the 20th century, took on history, the development of jazz, discrimination, and families. While that was a big undertaking, Gateway to the Moon takes on a bigger challenge and brings it home. Whether your taste runs to coming of age stories, hidden communities or history brought to life, you will find it in Gateway to the Moon. This is an ideal book for book groups and will quickly push its way to the top of your to-be-read pile.

 

 

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‘Waking Lions’ is a contemporary thriller and morality tale

  • Waking Lions by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen (Little, Brown and Company) 2017. Translated by Sondra Silverston.
  • In 40 words or less: After a long night at work, Dr. Eitan Green decides to run his car in the desert. In the darkness, he hits an Eritrean man, leaving him to die. The repercussions go far beyond one man, his family or community.
  • Genre: Fiction
  • Locale: Beer Sheva, Israel
  • Time: Contemporary
  • Gundar-Goshen’s novel pushes the boundaries of genre and could take place in many countries where refugees illegally cross borders in desperation.

“A writer is like a pickpocket: they want what belongs to others and make it their own. But by doing that they are inevitably caught, not by the police, but by their own story.” Ayelet Gundar-Goshen in a guest post for the blog The ProsenPeople

Ayelet Gundar-Goshen grabs the reader from page one and never lets go. Eitan Green is a rising star neurosurgeon in Tel Aviv when he gets on the wrong side of his mentor and is “exiled” to Beer Sheva, a far less prestigious placement. After a rough night, he decides to take his new SUV for a drive in the desert before going home to his wife Liat, a police detective, and his two sons. The road is dark, empty and wide open – until it’s not. Eitan hits a man, stops and realizes the injuries will be fatal. Recognizing that the man is Eritrean, and likely a refugee, Eitan makes a split second decision that nothing can be done for the man but his life likely will be destroyed if he stays.

Come morning there is a knock at the door. An Eritrean woman is holding Eitan’s wallet, dropped at the scene. Eitan is prepared to pay to keep the secret from the authorities and his wife. The price of silence is far more than money, his medical expertise and time. And so the coverup begins.

Gundar-Goshen’s training in psychology serves her well as she reveals the inner voices of Eitan, Liat, and Sirkit, the victim’s widow, each at different points in the novel. Eitan’s relocation to the desert was due to trying to maintain the moral high ground. Now, he is perpetually juggling, lying to his wife, lying to his colleagues, trying to keep up with the demands of a double life.

Liat, very accomplished but still a woman in a man’s world has to keep proving herself at work. At the same time, she is shouldering almost all the burden at home.  Eitan and Liat have always stood strong together and the changes are very unsettling.

Sirkit is an enigma. Seemingly untouched by grief, she redirects her energy into securing medical help for other refugees under cover of night.  Her story, both past and present, is far more complex.

Waking Lions is built layer upon layer. With each layer, more people and more questions of right and wrong, good and evil, are involved. Intricately interwoven are the deceptions that can destroy a marriage, the vulnerability of refugees, and the exploitative exercise of power. A New York Times notable book in 2017 and recipient of other accolades, this is an ideal read for individuals or groups who wrestle with issues of so prevalent today.

 

 

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Ginny Moon is no ordinary 14 year old girl

  • Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig (Park Row Books) 2017
  • In 40 words or less: Day by day, Ginny reveals the challenges of an autistic teen trying to become a part of a Forever Family after years in foster care. It’s far from easy and her loyalties and her past stand in the way.
  • Genre: Fiction
  • Locale: United States
  • Time: Contemporary
  • Benjamin Ludwig brings first-hand experience to telling Ginny’s story as the adoptive parent of an autistic young woman. Seeing the story through Ginny’s eyes gives the reader a rare view into the daily life of a teen on the autistic spectrum and the demands placed on parents, teachers, and all involved in helping her navigate the world.

I am standing in front of the refrigerator listening. I hear nothing. In the refrigerator there are grapes and milk. There are a lot of other things too but grapes and milk are what I need. I need to have nine grapes to start my breakfast and a glass of human milk but it’s a rule that We do not open the refrigerator. And We ask for food when we’re hungry.

Until she was nine, Ginny lived with her Birth Mother Gloria and Donald in an apartment. When Donald would get angry, Ginny would hide and take Baby Doll with her to be safe. And then the police came and took Ginny away, leaving Baby Doll in a suitcase under the bed. Ginny has been desperate to reunite with Baby Doll ever since.

Ginny is literal, methodical, persistent, and sometimes sneaky. Despite being forbidden to use the internet, she plots ways to search for Gloria so she can find Baby Doll. Being a teenager and someone who processes information differently, Ginny doesn’t always understand the repercussions of her actions. Dealing with the consequences of Ginny’s choices puts serious strains on her Forever Parents while they are also preparing for the birth of a baby.

A wonderful look into Ginny’s world is her involvement in Special Olympics basketball. Seeing the experience through Ginny’s eyes reveals the community involvement, the commitment of her Forever Dad, peer volunteer mentorship and the pride that comes from participating on a team.

I knew little about Ginny Moon before I dug into it. I had heard it was very different, and it is that. I found myself rooting for the Moon family, hoping that Ginny can find her place before her actions inflict damage beyond repair.

Ginny Moon is far more than an engaging novel. Ludwig is so careful and loving in “speaking” Ginny’s thoughts that a reader with little exposure to people on the autism spectrum can get a peek into that world. By including Ginny’s classmates and Special Olympics teammates he also points out that each person with disabilities or special needs is different, just like everyone else. In the same way people shouldn’t be pigeonholed, this book should be read for the unique creation it is.

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Ending the book review hiatus

hiatus (noun) hī-ā-tus

According to Merriam Webster, a hiatus is “an interruption in time or continuity breakespecially a period when something (such as a program or activity) is suspended or interrupted “

Well, my reviewing hiatus is coming to an end.

If you’ve been following my posts and reviews, you may have noticed the silence over the last few months. It’s not that I haven’t been reading, but I’ve been reading differently. The political and social storms of the last year have taken over the conversation – at the dinner table and wherever people gather. The book groups I work with have been similarly affected by political overload.

Living just outside the beltway, the past year hasn’t been measured from January 1, 2017, to January 1, 2018, rather from the inauguration/women’s march to the government shutdown. The events of the year have led to new involvement and activism, and the expectation of daily upheavals of one variety or another.

Not surprisingly, in the book world, some of the emerging themes dovetail with current events. Harrowing stories of immigration and survival appear weekly as memoirs and fiction. Each has the power to put a human face on very difficult issues, particularly for readers who may have little contact with immigrant communities. Racism, assimilation, and America’s economic and cultural divide are also common topics. While I have added a number of these to my to-be-read lists, reading them while absorbing the news is often just too hard.

So what have I been reading? In addition to books for group discussions, I’ve upped my reading of “comfort books”. For me, it’s a combination of historical mysteries and new books that are getting buzz in newspapers and online, though I’m steering clear of “ripped from the headlines” themes. Look for posts on the following titles over the next few weeks as I start reducing the backlog:

  • Waking Lions by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen
  • Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig
  • Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance – a view one year later
  • Y is for Yesterday, an appreciation of Sue Grafton

Out of gratitude for your patience as I worked through this, I’m including a link to end of the year top book picks from a variety of sources. Bookreporter.com is one of my go-to sources for future book group choices. Here is  Bookreporter.com’s compilation of 2017 Best Books lists.

So when next we’re in touch, please let me know what you are reading. I’ll happily share what I’m carrying in my bag!

 

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When fiction bleeds into real life

  • Glass Houses by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books); August 2017
  • In 40 words or less: The latest Three Pines mystery deals with a classic vision of conscience and the strangling effects of opioids on familial life and civil society. Chief Superintendent Gamache will go to any length to break the Quebec-based drug cartel.
  • Genre: Mystery
  • Locale: Quebec
  • Time: Now
  • Fans love Louise Penny’s novels for the strength of the characters she creates. Once again, the human frailties of the principals deepen the storyline.

When I finished Glass Houses yesterday morning I was struck by the timeliness of the storyline – a very small, carefully chosen group within the Sûreté plot to bring down the cartel controlling the distribution of opioids in Quebec and across the US border. And then I listened to CBS 60 Minutes exposé prepared with  The Washington Post on the pharmaceutical industry working with the Congress to diminish the DEA’s authority and resources to combat the proliferation of opioid abuse.

Louise Penny’s Three Pines is isolated and idyllic. Every reader I know would love to spend time in the bistro and the bookstore. But as in every mystery, it’s not all it seems. The day after Halloween a hooded specter appears on the green, a cobrador, a moral debt collector, silently terrorizing all in view. When an occasional visitor is found dead in the cobrador‘s costume, the questions grow.

This story covers the period of approximately a year, bouncing between the murder in the fall and the trial in the heat of the summer. Stifling heat in the courtroom reinforces the discomfort for Gamache and the prosecutor during the trial. Early on, it is clear that neither is fond of the other and that this case is outside the norm.

The drug abuse and the opioid crisis clearly weigh heavy on Louise Penny. Key characters have struggled with abuse and their pasts are woven in as reality. Gamache has a reputation for ferreting out corruption within the ranks, often at a high personal price. The potential for corruption, particularly when dealing with the vast monies associated with drug trafficking are part of the story.

If you are unfamiliar with Louise Penny, I urge you to give it a try. Be aware that there is an arc through all the titles and reading later books will provide spoilers about the lives of the ongoing characters. Having said that, each may also be read and enjoyed as a standalone novel.

It may seem odd that I often choose this genre as a getaway read. Despite the violence, justice generally prevails albeit at a high price. When you look at it that way, it is a much pleasanter experience than keeping up with the news.

 

 

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