Moloka'i: Alan Brennert

You know how, when someone you respect proclaims the glory of a book, and you are compelled to immediately go out and find a copy? That's how I came across Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. It was my father who read the book after he received the recommendation from someone else...which seems to be the way with this author. I believe that word-of-mouth has garnered him a great amount of fame. His fourth publication, Moloka'i is about the fifth largest of the Hawaiian islands and the strange culture bred there in it's years as a leper colony.

Rachel is just seven years old when she is taken from her family because of wounds that aren't painful, and red splotches on her skin that won't heal. In the late 19th century, Hansen's Disease, or leprosy as it is more commonly known, was a death sentence. It was a misunderstood affliction that remained a mystery for nearly a hundred years; known as the flesh-eating disease, it condemned it's sufferers to physically painless disfigurement but endless emotional anguish. Spitfire Rachel is already more familiar with leprosy than she'd like, having already seen her uncle Pono shipped off the Moloka'i. When her turn comes, her sole comfort is knowing that uncle Pono will be waiting for her. What follows is an intimate exploration of what life on the island of Moloka'i was like during it's years as a leper colony. Rachel is housed  in the school for girls, and then in the home that her uncle shared with his leper wife. While traversing the bureaucratic wilds of a Hawaiian island that has been left to die in the Pacific Ocean, Rachel comes of age and learns a great deal about love and the many ways it appears.

I found myself addicted to this story. Why? Am I secretly fascinated by leprosy? Do I like a good cathartic read? Does the rocky butte known as Moloka'i appeal to me? Maybe all of the above. Here's what I know for sure. I like Rachel. I like her from the very beginning, when she is just a little kid, disobeying her mom, arguing with her siblings, and cherishing the dolls her dad brings back to her from overseas. Rachel is not a complex character--she is actually very simple. She is just a little girl who is ripped away from everything she knows at a young age, and is forced to find good in the new world she finds herself in, or die slowly, miserable with her lot in life. It's not as if she is living in the lush green jungle of Maui or the white sandy beaches of Oahu. Moloka'i was chosen as the leper colony because it was considered undesirable land. Very little could grow on the mountain of rock, and the ocean meets the sand in only a few stretches. I wanted to imagine that Rachel was aging in a beautiful paradise, but the reality is that she was watching her friends die as she aged and became more disfigured. And yet, this isn't a sad story. In fact, it's sort of uplifting! It sounds impossible, but it turns out that Rachel's life serves a purpose and she touches so very many lives. Her resolve never fizzles, as she wakes every day determined to live. Brennert's book is a fictionalized account based on true events that should make any sane person feel at least a little sad at the way so many people were treated. Instead, he has written a story that exposes only a few of the horrors suffered by the afflicted, and turned it into a relatable story of inspiration. I can't help but admire him!

Rating: $$$

Washington Square: Henry James

As a long standing fan of Henry James, I picked up Washington Square expecting the Henry James version of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. Summarized as the tale of docile Catherine Sloper, the daughter of well-to-do Dr. Sloper, Washington Square is a study in "the moral consequences of the callous exploitation of trust and the ruthless manipulation of a tender heart." Moral consequences! Callous exploitation! Ruthless manipulation! AND a tender heart? Sign me up! What I found instead, was a challenging read about a lifestyle so far removed from my own that I struggled to choke it down.

To begin with, try to keep in mind that Washington Square takes place in the 1840's New York. An era when roads were still traversed by carriage, but the electric lamp was on the verge of appearance. Things were changing in many ways, but there were still only a handful of options for a young woman: get married, become a wealthy spinster, or be a governess or house maid. I am generally able to acclimate to this idea fairly quickly, however the harder pill to swallow is the idea that a young woman's worth is based first in her appearance, then in her wealth, and only lastly in her personality. Catherine Sloper is the young, marrying aged daughter of Dr. Sloper, who describes his daughter as one might a dog. She is not clever, but she is very "good", which is fortunate because she is so uncomely. She is loyal, which will favor her in marriage to whomever will settle on her. "Dr. Sloper would have liked to be proud of his daughter; but there was nothing to be proud of in dear Catherine." (7) Catherine is spoken of in such terms that offend me on her behalf! I can only assume that this characterization of the young woman from her own father's mouth is meant to illustrate either her extensive shortcomings, or his attitude of negativity. I am prone to believe in the latter, but here's the draw... this story has no resolution.

It's a short and simple story that goes like this. Catherine meets a man named Morris Townsend. Morris is said to have no money as he lost all of his own on a wild lifestyle of gambling and women. Morris sets his eye on Catherine, which arises suspicion in her father. After all, she is a plain girl, without cleverness. Why on Earth would an attractive play boy like Morris take interest? Obviously it has to do with all of her money. She already receives an annual stipend from her deceased mother's estate, and upon his death, Catherine will inherit the vast majority of Dr. Sloper's fortune. The good doctor takes it upon himself to warn his beloved, loyal daughter of the dangers that come with being courted by someone like Morris. He will woo her for her money, only to spend all of it and leave her destitute, at which point, having no moral fiber at all, Morris will leave poor, dumb Catherine in the gutter. Thinking to outwit the young man, Dr. Sloper forbids Catherine to marry Morris, on penalty of losing her inheritance. Believing that Morris will lose all interest in his daughter once she has been cut off from her impending wealth, Dr. Sloper refuses to bend despite Catherine's emotional pleas to accept her undying love for Morris Townsend. The young woman finds herself torn between her heart and filial obligations. She has spent these years sheltered in the care of her father, who now threatens to remove that care should she marry Morris Townsend, who seems hesitant to make her any promises for the future. To further complicate things, Catherine's meddlesome aunt Lavinia finds the idea of an elopement terribly romantic, and is constantly intruding on the couple, encouraging them first to wait out Dr. Sloper, and when that doesn't work, to rush out and marry in secret. When it becomes obvious that Dr. Sloper will never relent, Morris breaks the engagement. Because he doesn't want to interfere with the loving relationship of father and daughter, as he says? Or because he doesn't want to be the cause of her unhappiness? Or, as Dr. Sloper suspects, because he has no interest in a woman without a fortune. I won't spoil the ending for you, but I can say that there is no happily ever after. For anyone. No one is really satisfied, and our omniscient narrator doesn't provide us with any black and white truths to indicate Morris' motivations.

I can say without a doubt that this is my least favorite Henry James novel. As a debate in morals, I suppose this might be an excellent text to study. Who is the most moral character? Who is the most virtuous? My inclination is of course to tout the honors of Catherine who bravely faces first her father, and then Morris, prepared to do whatever is asked, to take any punishment, in favor of being true to her heart. On the other hand, it is Dr. Sloper who sticks, inflexibly, to his position. We may assume that seeing his daughter broken-hearted would be painful for him, but he refuses to budge, and goes to his grave refusing to honor Catherine with her inheritance. However, I have to wonder just how much he loves his good and loyal daughter, considering the way he speaks about her, and then treats her. Regardless, I think it's fair to say that Morris has little moral fiber. If we are to believe that he takes leave of Catherine for the sake of her relationship with her father, then I suppose he is to be considered honorable. However, if his love was as pure as he says it is, I can't imagine that a little thing like disinheritance would drive him away.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, I didn't much care for it. And I apparently have a really hard time with books that don't end with obvious resolutions.

Rating: $.5

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: Stieg Larsson

I have a tendency to be behind the times. If a book series is a huge hit and sells out everywhere and makes all of the top ten lists...chances are I haven't read it yet. By the time I picked up my mass market paperback copy of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, I think the third book in the series had already been published. And it wasn't until last week when I finally picked up the hefty volume and decided to dive in.

Here's the thing about this book. It's not a story you can love. First of all, it moves achingly slowly through the first half, and then rushes right to the end in a way that left me feeling a little like I had just nearly drowned and come back to life, gasping for air and totally disoriented. It's also incredibly painful. Every character in this book is wounded in one way or another. It is worth noting that the original Swedish title is Men Who Hate Women, which tells you something about the kind of people who populate Larsson's novel.

However, here's the other thing about this book. It is intense and exciting. It is exhilarating and emotional. Not unlike the mafia, once you're in, you're in for life. The characters are so well written and well developed that they become fully dimensional people. This is one of those books which people talk about as if it were a real story, repeating bits of dialogue as if they had heard sound bytes on the evening news. For all it's faults, and certainly every book has one or two, this novel has become a part of our culture.

The story, as I mentioned, starts out slow. Mikael Blomqvist is a newspaper reporter who is being tried for libel against a very large, very powerful company. There are a ton of facts and pieces of history and some lame, limping outlines of a relationship that Mikael has with his editor. Meanwhile, we meet Lisbeth Salander who is under guardianship due to a history of anti-social behavior and general balking at authority. Her most recent and most lenient guardian has just passed away and she has been awarded to a new court-appointed guardian who seems hell-bent on lording his control over her. Lisbeth works for Milton Security, which appears to hire her out as a freelance private investigator. She has this uncanny ability to uncover every minuscule secret of a person's life without their ever knowing. It is this talent of hers that brings her together with Mikael Blomqvist. Mikael is hired by Henrik Vanger to investigate, and hopefully to solve, the 30 year old disappearance of his niece, Harriet. Mikael and Lisbeth become an intimate team in the effort to unravel the many mysteries of the Vanger family and discover what happened to Harriet.

The mystery is meticulously woven and then uncovered, the characters are dimensional and intelligent, the surprises are many, and the heroics are indeed heroic. Lisbeth Salander is both inspiring and pitiful. Mikael is at once brilliant and doltish. The mystery is predictable, and then completely shocking. As a warning to more sensitive readers, I do have to say that there is foul language, violence, and sex. However, it all felt right. Larsson has me hooked and I'm anxious to see what unfolds in the next book.

Rating: $$$

The It Girl: Cecily von Ziegesar

I am pretty far away from high school popularity. I attended high school in a very small town were popularity was incredibly relative. I don't recall any one particular girl whom everyone wanted to be or be with, and if that girl existed, she certainly wasn't me. My high school experience was such a unique one that I'm intrigued by girls who are willing to do and say and wear things outside their comfort zone for the sake of popularity. I suppose that curiousity is what led me to The It Girl.

Jenny --a spin-off character from the Gossip Girl series--has transferred to Waverly Boarding School where she hopes to shed her good-girl image, and earn some popularity with her new risk-taking attitude. Thanks to a series of mishaps and little white lies, Jenny fast becomes the most talked about girl on campus. The best-looking guys are all vying for her attention, and her pretty, popular roommates Brett and Callie are fawning over her. Mission....accomplished?

The It Girl is one of those books that I couldn't put down, but I couldn't tell you why. This isn't a page turner, full of adventure and action, nor is it a breathless romance. Truth be told, it's a droll little tale of drivel about unreal characters. So I suppose that's a testament to von Ziegesar's writing that she can keep my attention even when the subject is as trivial as high school popularity. The characters are flat and uninteresting, the plot is thin at best, and my interest in the outcome steadily waned from the very beginning. And yet, I couldn't put it down!

Rating: $.5

The Heart Specialist: Claire Holden Rothman

By far one of the most engrossing novels I've read this year, The Heart Specialist is a groundbreaking debut by Claire Holden Rothman who is sure to gain notoriety with her eloquent writing and colorful story-telling. Inspired by one of Montreal's first woman doctors, this novel is a beautiful depiction of the battles fought by women to gain entry into the male-dominated medical field.

Agnes White is a strange child who grows up to be a strange adult. Rather than playing with dolls, she prefers to dissect bugs and animals to study their biology. Agnes and her sister Laure are abandoned by their widower father, left to be raised by their stern grandmother who doesn't know what to do with outrageous Agnes. When Miss Georgiana Skerry is hired to be the girls' governess, Agnes expects opposition, but instead finds an ally in her educated governess. With Miss Skerry's encouragement, Agnes attends school and goes on to earn a college degree, which is no small feat at the turn of the 20th century. Her life becomes a battle of wills as Agnes tries to make a place for herself in the medical community, aligning herself with open-minded allies, fighting every day to prove herself worthy of her degree. While earning herself a reputation as an intelligent heart specialist, Agnes is also conducting her own research into the disappearance of her father who was once a well-respected doctor at McGill College, where Agnes now works as museum curator. Focused on her career and father, Agnes watches as so many of the societal norms for women her age pass by: courtship, marriage, children. Though she meets many eligible bachelors along the way, Agnes has fought so hard to be considered one of them that they hardly see her as feminine at all. It is only after she has been able to lay the mystery of her father to rest that Agnes is finally able to open her heart to the man who has been standing before her all along.

This book feels so much like Little Women. It's sort of angsty and the character of Agnes is so much like Jo March that they could easily be friends. Agnes and Jo are both so determined to have a career that they nearly miss out on love. I felt so breathless throughout this novel, hoping desperately that Agnes would finally open her eyes and let herself love the man who has so obviously adored her from day one. At times it was downright frustrating to watch as the pair stood so close to romance, but unable to close the gap because of social standards that kept either party from being too forward.

There are a lot of layers to this book. Honestly, I couldn't possibly give a proper description of this novel without giving away half the story, and yet, it doesn't feel bogged down. Rothman has woven together a lifetime of intricate details and pulled them together into a tight epic novel that exposes the harsh realities of gender roles while also telling a touching love story. She is a superb story-teller and skilled writer you don't want to miss.

Rating: $$$

ARC received courtesy of Soho Press

A Great And Terrible Beauty: Libba Bray

Don't you hate it when you pick up a book and only after getting involved in the story, find out that it's the first in a trilogy? Because now I'm totally hooked and I will not be able to sleep until I find the other two books in this series and devour them.

It's the late 19th century in India and sixteen year old Gemma Doyle has started having visions--visions that quickly become reality. After witnessing her mother's strange death, Gemma is sent to an all girls boarding school in England where she encounters an unusual gypsy named Kartik who warns her against using her new-found powers. As a social parriah, Gemma befriends Ann, "the scholarship girl", who is the victim of ceaseless bullying from the most popular girls. When Gemma finds leader-of-the-pack Felicity in a compromising situation, she enters into a manipulative friendship with Felicity and her cohort, the beautiful Pippa. After Gemma finds the secret diary of Mary Dowd--a former student-- that explains the powers that Gemma has uncovered, life takes a turn for the wonderful. Gemma, Ann, Felicity, and Pippa form a kind of coven in which they wield powers beyond mortal recognition. Gemma acts as a conduit for the "great and terrible" powers, making her very popular while honing her skills. It doesn't take long for the power-hungry Felicity to get carried away, and soon Gemma is forced into making a decision that may cost her everything.

This review is difficult to write because there is SO much happening. The cast is wide and diverse and the story is complicated. I loved it! I'm just not sure how to tell you readers what I loved about it. Gemma is awesome, I like her as a person. I loved the Realms and the possibilities they offered. The scenes of magic are technicolor in their descriptions and creativity. The prose isn't stunning, but Bray is a wonderful storyteller. I don't know what else to tell you about this book except, go get it!

Rating: $$$

The Lake: Banana Yoshimoto, Translated by Michael Emmerich

Oh B, you've done it again! Banana Yoshimoto is such a compelling author that I chose to read The Lake without knowing anything about the book. I now believe that Yoshimoto's real gift is in relaying a story by putting the plot into emotional sequences rather than words.

Here's what I mean. The Lake is told as a story about a young woman, Chihiro, and a young man, Nakajima who begin as neighbors and move through the murky waters of friendship and into relationship. They are both slightly broken people, so their relationship faces challenges and hurdles that not everyone experiences. While reading The Lake I wasn't sure if the story was about Chihiro or Nakajima, and I had no idea to which lake the title refers to. Now that I'm finished reading it, I understand that The Lake isn't about one person; it's a story of healing. So much of what we experience as individuals can't be faced alone--we need a partner to go through life with who can help dissipate the burden of our worst moments and share in the joy of our best.

Since this is such an emotional drama, I can't comment on characterization or plot devices. Yoshimoto's novellas consistently push the boundaries of writing and urge readers to look beyond plot and character to see the deeper underlying philosophies. She is a master of the big picture, evoking emotion with sparse words set against the stark landscape of Japan's countryside.

One of the things I can comment on and will do so freely, is the translation. The Lake was translated by Michael Emmerich, who is either a genius story teller or a master translator. Quite possibly both. It is my understanding that translation can take one of two paths--true to the words, or true to their meaning. Many translations in modern fiction rely heavily on the translation of meaning, giving the translator a bit of creative license with the vocabulary. When I read Banana Yoshimoto's work, I can hear her reading the words aloud. I don't hear the voice of a translator, but the honest and concise narration of a deeply intuitive author. This is a huge props to both the author and the translator.

I doubt this novella will go over with the strictly linear crowd who want to read a story with minutiae, but for anyone who has ever had a trauma in their life and had to continue living the day to day life on their own, this book will be a revelation.

Rating: $$$

ARC received courtesy of Melville House Publishing

The Goddess Test: Aimee Carter

I'm not sure what I expected to find when I chose to read The Goddess Test, but I somehow didn't think I'd be reading about the Greek gods again. However, this is not another Percy Jackson story.

Kate's mother is dying of cancer. Her last wish is that Kate take her to the little town of Eden, where she can end her days peacefully. While trying to care for her ailing mother and spend as much time with her as possible, Kate also has to battle the challenges of being a new student at a new school. Ava, the pretty, popular girl, takes an almost immediate disliking to Kate, making her life in Eden hellish. Kate's one friend is an outcast named James. However, Eden is not what it appears to be, and when Ava plays a sickening trick on Kate, things get really strange. A man appears from out of nowhere to bring Ava back to life and make Kate an offer of immortality. Henry is dark, handsome, and mysterious...oh yeah, and he also happens to be the god of the underworld, Hades. He has the power to offer Kate more time with her dying mother, but only if Kate agrees to spend 6 months of the year with him in Eden, attempting to pass seven tests of character to determine if she is fit to rule the underworld with him. Initially Kate shrugs him off as a crazy person, no more powerful than a rich eccentric. But when her mother falls into a coma and Ava's miracle of life is revoked, Kate is willing to try anything, including moving in to Henry'd home. Life in Eden manor is exquisite, and Kate finds herself falling in love with Henry. The only problem is that Henry is still heartbroken over Persephone--the woman he loved, who loved a mortal, causing her to give up her immortality and leaving Mount Olympus forever. Kate continues to learn her Greek mythology (except in Eden it's history and not mythology), and as she grows more determined to stay with Henry, he softens towards her, anxious to make her his wife and thereby saving his job as god of the underworld. Unfortunately someone is trying to prevent Kate from passing the Goddess Test and if she fails the test, she may lose Henry and her life.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I admit, I was confused at first. Hades appearing in the middle of a small town was so incongruent that I spent the first few chapters trying to wrap my head around the basic idea. But then Henry became a central character and I was so in love with the god of the underworld that I didn't care that the story was implausible. Aimee Carter is a creative writer with new ideas about the Greek gods--fresh ideas about a cast of characters that have nearly become as passé as vampires and werewolves. Carter shifts the focus off of Zeus and Hera, to highlight some of the lesser known gods and their myths. The cast of characters--including the mortals and the undead--is fresh-faced and fascinating. Kate is endearingly flawed and self-conscious, with just enough courage and strength to make her a goddess candidate.

The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it appears to be the first in a series, which means I have to wait to find out what happens next!

Rating: $$$

ARC received courtesy of Harlequin Teen

The Help: Kathryn Stockett

I lost count of how many people recommended this book to me. It was a best-seller and every book blogger was reading it. I bought it, and then let it collect some dust on my bookshelf while I read some other things. I finally decided to pick up The Help and see what all the fuss was about. Now that I've finished reading, I can safely say that it was worth all the hype.

The Help is narrated by three women-- Skeeter, the liberal white woman who doesn't quite fit the conservative mold that her mother is pushing; Aibileen, the backbone of the black maid community who has raised more white children than black; and Minny, the sassy young maid who has had the most trouble with the privileged white ladies of Jackson, Mississippi. Each of the narrators takes their turn moving the story forward, from the beginning when we learn that Aibileen is a servant in the home of Miss Leefolt, through to the publication of Miss Skeeter's controversial book. The Help is the story of Skeeter's efforts to interview working black women to write a book about the servants who create the homes of her friends. She is inspired to write their stories because of her curiosity about the mysterious disappearance of her own maid, Constantine. With the assistance of Aibileen, Skeeter gathers the heartwarming--and sometimes heart-wrenching--stories of black servants in Jackson, Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement. Through the narrations we learn about the women as individuals as well as the culture and society they live in.

To deduce this novel's characters to just three women is misleading. There are dozens of characters in this novel, each with his or her own personality, and a few fantastic one-liners. Each woman that Skeeter interviews is an important individual with an enlightening story to tell. Even the husbands of the affluent women that the maids serve, play an important role to illustrate the make up of the average home. The very servants who were considered less than human, were the people who kept the children dressed and fed, and the house running smoothly.

Writing this review was daunting because there is no easy way to describe it; The Help is harsh, emotional, uplifting, hopeful, frightening, sweet, and politically charged. It is a contemporary novel, but it's also a very important piece of historical fiction, well-suited to any American History classroom. There are things I could nitpick over, but it would be a disservice to this well-crafted debut from Kathryn Stockett.

Rating: $$$