HistoricalCategory Archives

Book Review: The Iron King by Maurice Druon

The Iron King by Maurice Druon

  • Method of Obtaining: I received an advance copy from the publisher.
  • Published by:  HarperCollins
  • Release Date:  3.26.2013
        

The Iron King – Philip the Fair – is as cold and silent, as handsome and unblinking as a statue. He governs his realm with an iron hand, but he cannot rule his own family: his sons are weak and their wives adulterous; while his red-blooded daughter Isabella is unhappily married to an English king who prefers the company of men.

A web of scandal, murder and intrigue is weaving itself around the Iron King; but his downfall will come from an unexpected quarter. Bent on the persecution of the rich and powerful Knights Templar, Philip sentences Grand Master Jacques de Molay to be burned at the stake, thus drawing down upon himself a curse that will destroy his entire dynasty…

I recommend:

  • Here be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman
  • The History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth
My Review:

I love good historic fiction and, when I saw that George R.R. Martin endorsed The Iron King, I figured I’d be in for a good ride. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way.

I don’t know why exactly this story fell short for me. There are several things I can think of that are just small things that got to me, but it is quite possible that all those small things just added up to me not enjoying myself while reading this book.

The first thing was the language. It may have been a translation issue (this was originally written in French), but the story did not flow at all. Sentences were stiff and awkward at times. The transitions did not flow, at all. Moments that were just wrought with angst and horrible scenes that begged for tears, were not just written clinically, but almost glossed over as well. Having just read Geoffrey of Monmouth’s The History of the Kings of Britain this semester, I can say that I’ve read some difficult British history that could run circles around the story in this book.

The second thing I had a hard time with is the jumping from one story to the next. I understand that there were a lot of things that led to the 100 years war. Afterall, what war didn’t start as a result of many little things leading up to a big act? But in a relatively short (340ish pages) book, it’s nearly impossible to cover each thing in a manner that gives credit to where it is due. As a result, as I was bandied back and forth between characters, I felt the story was incredibly rushed.

Finally, the story itself. The first two things quite possibly affected how I interpreted the story, but it just didn’t seem interesting enough to be put down in anything other than a history book. The most exciting moment in the book was during the execution of two men, and even that was only given a cursory paragraph. I’m not bloodthirsty, don’t get me wrong, but I was hoping for a bit of drama to make me want to keep picking up the book.

Overall, I’d say give this one a pass. Pick up Geoffrey of Monmouth’s book, or something by Sharon Kay Penman if you are looking for a bulky, but still interesting historical read. And if you are hoping this will give you your Game of Thrones fix while you wait for the next episode/book, let me just apologize in advance. I wish someone had warned me.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

CaffeinatedLife | Dark Matter

 

 

Lydia
5 May, 2013
Historical, reviews
0 comments
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Book Review: A Half Forgotten Song by Katherine Webb

A Half Forgotten Song by Katherine Webb

  • Method of Obtaining: I received an advance copy from the publisher.
  • Published by:  Orion
  • Release Date:  5.28.2013
        

A spellbinding tale about the power of love, the danger of obsession, and the unfaithful nature of memory. A Half Forgotten Song is by turns haunting, heartbreaking and joyous.

1937. In a village on the Dorset coast, fourteen-year-old Mitzy Hatcher has endured a wild and lonely upbringing, until the arrival of renowned artist Charles Aubrey-along with his exotic mistress and their daughters-changes everything. Over the next three summers, Mitzy sees a future she had never thought possible, and a powerful love is kindled in her. A love that grows from innocence to obsession; from childish infatuation to something far more complex. Years later, a young man in an art gallery looks at a hastily-drawn portrait and wonders at its intensity. The questions he asks lead him to a Dorset village and to the truth about those fevered summers in the 1930s.

I recommend:

My Review:

Finally! My faith in Katherine Webb has finally paid off. When I received an advance copy of A Half Forgotten Song I wondered if this would be the one, the book to finally push me past that “meh” feeling I always get at the end of Webb’s novels and it pushed me… and then some.

I love a good, dark, gothic, love-lost story. The setting in A Half Forgotten Song immediately set the pace for the tale: a rotting cottage on a cliff in the windy, cloudy coastal area of England. The characters: a wrecked father and ex-husband about to lose it all, a somewhat crazy old lady, and an artist long dead. With a skillful touch, Webb weaves the story between the present and the past and slowly reveals bit by bit of the story that had me completely spellbound. And, even as the clues were revealed, I did not know for certain what the end result would be until I reached the end of the story – how I love it when that happens!

This book has haunted me these past few days. I’ve been unable to study, write, or even watch mindless television because each of those things were encroaching on the time spent in this book. I needed a book like that to get me reading again and now that my appetite has been awakened, I cannot wait to dive into the other stories on my shelves.

I just cannot explain how happy I am that my gut feeling about Katherine Webb, and my continued faith in her, has proven to be true. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

The Chronicles of Radiya | More than a Reading Journal 

 

 

Lydia
3 May, 2013
Favorites, Gothic, Historical, Literary Fiction, reviews
0 comments
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Book Review: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

  • Method of Obtaining: I purchased my copy.
  • Published by:  Scribner
  • Release Date:   1925
        

In 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald announced his decision to write “somethingnew–something extraordinary and beautiful and simple and intricately patterned.” That extraordinary, beautiful, intricately patterned, and above all, simple novel became The Great Gatsby, arguably Fitzgerald’s finest work and certainly the book for which he is best known. A portrait of the Jazz Age in all of its decadence and excess, Gatsby captured the spirit of the author’s generation and earned itself a permanent place in American mythology. Self-made, self-invented millionaire Jay Gatsby embodies some of Fitzgerald’s–and his country’s–most abiding obsessions: money, ambition, greed, and the promise of new beginnings. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter–tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…. And one fine morning–” Gatsby’s rise to glory and eventual fall from grace becomes a kind of cautionary tale about the American Dream.

It’s also a love story, of sorts, the narrative of Gatsby’s quixotic passion for Daisy Buchanan. The pair meet five years before the novel begins, when Daisy is a legendary young Louisville beauty and Gatsby an impoverished officer. They fall in love, but while Gatsby serves overseas, Daisy marries the brutal, bullying, but extremely rich Tom Buchanan. After the war, Gatsby devotes himself blindly to the pursuit of wealth by whatever means–and to the pursuit of Daisy, which amounts to the same thing. “Her voice is full of money,” Gatsby says admiringly, in one of the novel’s more famous descriptions. His millions made, Gatsby buys a mansion across Long Island Sound from Daisy’s patrician East Egg address, throws lavish parties, and waits for her to appear. When she does, events unfold with all the tragic inevitability of a Greek drama, with detached, cynical neighbor Nick Carraway acting as chorus throughout. Spare, elegantly plotted, and written in crystalline prose, The Great Gatsby is as perfectly satisfying as the best kind of poem

I recommend:

My Review:

Wow, what a difference a few years makes. In preparation for the upcoming movie, I picked up The Great Gatsby as the first pleasure of the summer. I remember being in a bit of a fog when I read the story back in 2010, and I think I sped through it quickly sometime in late 2011, but this time.. this time there was something special.

I firmly believe that there are times when the right book is picked up for that time in your life. As I look forward to changes, from graduation to a move thousands of miles away, I needed a story that not only had lush imagery, but also heart-breaking tragedy. It wasn’t necessarily that I felt strongly for any of the characters, although I did feel a bit of an affinity for Daisy Buchanan this time around, but instead I felt sorrow for how empty the life of Gatsby was. I think this is also because I have been immersed in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire (and that series first made me aware of the 1919 World Series story, which was mentioned in Gatsby!) and I have been made super-aware of how lavish life isn’t all its cut out to be. Money does not power make, and this story is a prime-example of that. For all of his money, Gatsby never actually achieved or acquired what he wanted, and then when he made that decision to enter his pool in an attempt to actually enjoy a part of his life…well, you know. (Trying to stay away from spoilers – even though this is an older book.)

I cannot wait to see the spin that Leo DiCaprio puts on Gatsby and I think that the descriptions and over-the-top style that makes this book such a beautiful thing will translate well to the screen.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

An Unexpected Book Blog | BookNeedLove | Lara’s Book Club

 

 

Lydia
1 May, 2013
Comedy, Historical, Literary Fiction, reviews
0 comments
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Book Review: The Typewriter Girl by Alison Atlee

The Typewriter Girl by Alison Atlee

  • Method of Obtaining: I received my copy from the publisher.
  • Published by:  Gallery Books
  • Release Date:   1/29/2013
        

In Victorian London, there’s only so far an unmarried woman can go, and Betsey Dobson has relied on her wits and cunning to take herself as far as she can—to a position as a typewriter girl. But still, Betsey yearns for something more…so when she’s offered a position as the excursions manager at a seaside resort, she knows this is her chance for security, for independence, for an identity forged by her own work and not a man’s opinion. Underqualified for the job and on the wrong side of the aristocratic resort owner, Betsey struggles to prove herself and looks to the one person who can support her new venture: Mr. Jones, the ambitious Welshman building the resort’s pleasure fair. As she and Mr. Jones grow ever closer, Betsey begins to dream that she might finally have found her place in the world—but when her past returns to haunt her, she must fight for what she’s worked so hard…or risk losing everything.

I recommend:

My Review:

I had high hopes for The Typewriter Girl by Alison Atlee. I mean, I read that this book would be for lovers of Kate Morton and trust me… I’m right up there in fangirl status when it comes to Morton. So I thought okay – great recommendation, great cover, interesting premise, and feminist leanings! Perfect!

But it wasn’t so perfect. What I expected was to read about a woman who, in spite of the limitations placed on her by the time she was living in, managed to rise above it all and make a life for herself. What I got was a book about a woman who, in a nutshell, needed to be rescued by a male in spite of being broken.

There’s a big difference there between expectation and reality. Were my expectations unfounded? Let’s look, as this is in the books description:

“Underqualified for the job and on the wrong side of the aristocratic resort owner, Betsey struggles to prove herself and looks to the one person who can support her new venture: Mr. Jones, the ambitious Welshman building the resort’s pleasure fair. As she and Mr. Jones grow ever closer, Betsey begins to dream that she might finally have found her place in the world—but when her past returns to haunt her, she must fight for what she’s worked so hard…or risk losing everything.”

So we have an underqualified woman, Betsey, who is struggling to prove herself. We have a Mr. Jones, an ambition man. They grow close, that’s to be expected. Betsey begins to dream she may have found her place but something returns to haunt her so she has to fight for it all or risk everything?

Now that can be taken two ways. The way I read it was that Betsey and this ambitious Welshman had managed to create something together, in spite of Betsey’s underqualification and past history. And that something they managed to create appears as if it might be something connected to the resort – right?

Big disappointment here. What I got instead were sex scenes, some steamy, some not. Crude language (does not equate a forward thinking woman, rather it tore at the character of Betsey). Blame placed on herself, a devaluation of women who are unable to conceive, the need for knights on white horses to come swooping in and fix it all – and then some. I was sincerely disappointed by the character of Betsey and felt as if I’d been duped. As I read I kept thinking.. surely here is where Betsey comes into her own – but what was revealed was that Betsey’s own was simply a desire to be like every other woman of the time.

Unfortunately, this is not a story I can recommend. Instead seek out authors such as Isabelle Allende, Barbara Kingsolver, and Margaret Atwood for strong, forward thinking women.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

 One Little Library 

 

 

Lydia
28 January, 2013
Historical, reviews
0 comments
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Book Review: The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

  • Method of Obtaining: I received my copy from the publisher.
  • Published by: E.P. Dutton
  • Release Date:  1/8/2013
        

In New York Times bestselling author Tracy Chevalier’s newest historical saga, she introduces Honor Bright, a modest English Quaker who moves to Ohio in 1850, only to find herself alienated and alone in a strange land. Sick from the moment she leaves England, and fleeing personal disappointment, she is forced by family tragedy to rely on strangers in a harsh, unfamiliar landscape.

Nineteenth-century America is practical, precarious, and unsentimental, and scarred by the continuing injustice of slavery. In her new home Honor discovers that principles count for little, even within a religious community meant to be committed to human equality.

However, drawn into the clandestine activities of the Underground Railroad, a network helping runaway slaves escape to freedom, Honor befriends two surprising women who embody the remarkable power of defiance. Eventually she must decide if she too can act on what she believes in, whatever the personal costs.

A powerful journey brimming with color and drama, The Last Runaway is Tracy Chevalier’s vivid engagement with an iconic part of American history.

I also recommend:

 

My Review:

I am trying to figure out today what made this book so unputdownable last night (I was up reading it until I finished at 3am) and the only thing I can come up with is the character of Honor Bright. She is such a sympathetic character and I wanted to know what happened to her.

The Last Runaway is the story of Honor Bright, a young Quaker woman who leaves England to escape an unpleasant past that is not of her own doing, and her attempt to fit into the American society in a small town in Ohio. There are a cast of interesting characters in Donovan and Belle, Jack Haymaker, Adam and Abigail, and more and decisions that need to be made by Honor that foreshadow a deeper meaning behind her name.

There were familiar aspects to this novel, anyone who has read Uncle Tom’s Cabin will recognize similarities between the stories – but this is more dealing with the other side, what happens to those who disobey the Fugitive Slave Act. It’s a life filled with secrets and lies in the midst of a people who refuse to lie.

So this ended up being an unputdownable book for me. It moved quickly, had heart and characters that tugged at my heartstrings, and it was a story that was above and beyond interesting. There were little bits of flavor throughout it as well that helped with the story, making it more personable. The difference between English quilting and American, recipes, culture, and more.

This is a great book for fans of historical fiction who are interested in immigration, the underground railroad, Quakers, and the early pioneer midwest.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Nomadreader | Bookworm’s Dinner | The Secret Writer

Lydia
16 January, 2013
Historical, reviews, Social Issues
1 comment
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Book Review: The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan

The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan

  • Method of Obtaining: I received my copy from the publisher.
  • Published by: Riverhead Books
  • Release Date:  1/10/2013
        

Paris. 1878. Following their father’s sudden death, the van Goethem sisters find their lives upended. Without his wages, and with the small amount their laundress mother earns disappearing into the absinthe bottle, eviction from their lodgings seems imminent. With few options for work, Marie is dispatched to the Paris Opéra, where for a scant seventy francs a month, she will be trained to enter the famous ballet. Her older sister, Antoinette, finds work—and the love of a dangerous
young man—as an extra in a stage adaptation of Émile Zola’s naturalist masterpiece L’Assommoir.

Marie throws herself into dance and is soon modelling in the studio of Edgar Degas, where her image will forever be immortalized as Little Dancer
Aged Fourteen. Antoinette, meanwhile, descends lower and lower in society, and must make the choice between a life of honest labor and the more profitable avenues open to a young woman of the Parisian demimonde—that is, unless her love affair derails her completely.

Reason for Reading:
  • There are ballerina’s on the cover!

I also recommend:

 

My Review:

When I was a little girl I craved books about ballet – scouring the shelves of the library, looking through bookstores, garage sales, and flea markets trying to find anything that would have pictures of pointe shoes, references to famous ballerina’s or composers of ballets. I still remember reading a book I found at a garage sale so many times that it literally fell apart in my hands one day (but for some reason I cannot recall the title of it, I just know it was so so good to my nine-year-old self).

I wasn’t a big fan of Cathy Marie Buchanan’s previous novel, so I approached The Painted Girls with some trepidation. I mean, her writing was sound – but the subject matter in her previous book left me a little, well, bored. That did not happen with The Painted Girls.

Told from two viewpoints, sisters Antoinette and Marie, this is the story of a family who has lost its father, the mother is a drunkard, the oldest sister a foolish girl and the younger one struggling to find her footing. There is a third sister, Charlotte, but she does not receive much of a voice in this story.

Also making an appearance in this book is the painter, Degas, and Buchanan references quite a few of his famous pieces of art to give the story setting and context.

I found The Painted Girls to be a heart-breaking, beautiful story and I walked away feeling like I’d read something that wasn’t only interesting, but educational and enriching as well. Buchanan has redeemed herself in my eyes with this subject matter and I’m anxiously awaiting her next project.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Beth Fish Reads | RedRoom | Book Review Blog

Lydia
14 January, 2013
Historical, reviews
0 comments
, , ,

Book Review: Philida by Andre P. Brink

Philida by Andre P. Brink

  • Method of Obtaining: I received my copy from the publisher.
  • Published by: Harvill Secker
  • Release Date:  7/31/2012
        

Soon there must come a day when I can say for myself: This and that I shall do, this and that I shall not.

Philida is the mother of four children by Francois Brink, the son of her master. The year is 1832 and the Cape is rife with rumours about the liberation of the slaves. Philida decides to risk her whole life by lodging a complaint against Francois, who has reneged on his promise to set her free.

His father has ordered him to marry a white woman from a prominent Cape Town family, and Philida will be sold on to owners in the harsh country up north. Unwilling to accept this fate, Philida continues to test the limits of her freedom, and with the Muslim slave Labyn she sets off on a journey across the great wilderness on the banks of the Gariep River, to the far north of Cape Town. Philida is an unforgettable story of one woman’s determination to survive and be free.

Reason for Reading:
  • I was interested in the geography and story.

I also recommend:

 

My Review:

Philida by Andre P. Brink is a novel steeped in historical events that follows the journey of Philida, a slave in Cape Town from the time she decides to make a stand for herself until the year of emancipation of the slaves.

This is not a book for the faint of heart. Philida has no “filter,” she documents everything done to her in a detached way that still manages to infuse the account with deep, painful emotions. She gave birth to four children, two who still live, and struggles to deal with the idea that her master and lover will not hold true to his promise to her.

Brink lays it all out there with this book. From stories of escaped slaves, to those who were caught during an uprising, tales of the auction block to comparisons to kittens being drowned, there is nothing that is left untouched in this book. The brutal, horrible, degrading way in which the slaves were treated is presented to the reader in its raw form and it’s only the beauty of Brink’s writing and the infusion of the culture into the book that keeps it from being too hard to read.

One of the things I love about reading is being taken to places I never knew about. This is one of those cases. This is a part of history I knew nothing about, a place I knew nothing about, and a story that should be remembered as a warning to humankind. The story of Philida is one of strength and determination, a young woman standing up against immense odds to take what is her right – to find strength through her own religious beliefs and to learn to live as a human being and not a possession.

 

Lydia
12 January, 2013
Historical, reviews, Social Issues
0 comments
, , ,

Book Review: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

  • Method of Obtaining: I purchased my copy.
  • Published by: Carefully Crafted Classics
  • Release Date:  11/28/2012 (This edition)
        

In this story of the trials of the peasant Jean Valjean–a man unjustly imprisoned, baffled by destiny, and hounded by his nemesis, the magnificently realized, ambiguously malevolent police detective Javert–Hugo achieves the sort of rare imaginative resonance that allows a work of art to transcend its genre.

Reason for Reading:
  • Preparation for the upcoming movie release.

I also recommend:

My Review:

It’s always a daunting task to write a review of a book not only widely read but also extremely popular. Especially after one read of the primary text (and no knowledge whatsoever of the musical, aside from the minute or so of the previews shown for the upcoming release). So rather than wax poetic about Hugo’s insanely thorough, beautiful writing as many others have done, let me simply give you my impression of Les Misérables.

The first 10% or so of the Kindle edition that I read dealt primarily with a description of Bishop Myriel. About 5% in I was a bit confused, wondering why all this information was necessary for a character that, admitted by Hugo, was not an integral part of the book. However, I managed to fall in love with that sacrificing Bishop and felt I knew him so intimately that by the time Jean Valjean arrived on the scene, I could predict the good Bishops movements. And aside here, the letter and actions of the Bishops sister and housekeeper had me laughing and thoroughly enjoying myself, mostly because I, as an unmarried woman in today’s society, would never have been able to so meekly assist my brother in that way.

Jean Valjean – such a character. 19 years spent in horrific conditions all because he stole some bread. After his run-in with the Bishop, his encounter with Petit Gervais, and his arrival in Montreuil-sur-Mer I began to get an idea of why the Bishop was such an important character to begin the book with. It was a beautiful thing to see the changes being wrought in Valjean.

And then there comes Fantine. Honestly, I think Fantine is my second favorite character of the book (second to Bishop Myriel, I really did love that old man). She is the perfect tragic figure: mother to a beautiful child, abandoned by her lover, trust-worthy to a fault, abused, neglected, self-sacrificing, and all of it unrewarded until she lay on her deathbed… but even then happiness is denied to her. As miserable as Valjeans life was throughout the book, I think Fantine’s situation is what really gives weight to the title that Hugo chose.

And from Fantine there comes Cosette. Although there is plenty in the book about the girl, and then the young woman Cosette, I came away with less of an impression of her than of the other characters. In fact, I felt more connected to Marius than Cosette – although that might have been simply because Cosette comes off as a bit of a wimp, not due to anything that Hugo does, necessarily. It’s just strange to read about her passive behavior from a 21st century perspective.

The only other main character I want to touch on is Javert. Javert was the epitome of fear to me. He had a nasty habit of always showing up in a city filled with people, leaving the correct impression that he and Valjean were connected in a way that could never be broken. I appreciated Hugo’s treatment of the torment that filled Javert at the end of the book and thought that his story ended in a most fitting manner.

Hugo spends time not telling the stories of these main characters by elaborating on everything from an incredibly detailed description of the Battle of Waterloo (of which I now know more information than I know how to deal with), slang, the street urchin or gamin, the sewers of Paris, religious orders, and politics. Of these I found Waterloo, the religious order description, and the information on slang to be the most interesting. I read the Hapgood translation of the book for Kindle, and was rewarded with a lengthy introduction and beautiful illustrations throughout the book that enhanced the reading. I laughed, cried, felt sympathy, and completely immersed myself in this story and came away from it feeling richer – and that feeling is how I know I just read something incredible.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Darwinbookcats | Lines from the Page | Wonderings and Wanderings

Lydia
23 December, 2012
Classics, Historical, reviews, Social Issues
2 comments
, , , , , , , , , , ,

Book Review: City of Women by David Gillham

City of Women by David Gillham

  • Method of Obtaining: I obtained my copy via LibraryThing.
  • Published by: Putnam
  • Release Date:  8/7/2012
        

Whom do you trust, whom do you love, and who can be saved?

It is 1943—the height of the Second World War—and Berlin has essentially become a city of women.
Sigrid Schröder is, for all intents and purposes, the model German soldier’s wife: She goes to work every day, does as much with her rations as she can, and dutifully cares for her meddling mother-in-law, all the while ignoring the horrific immoralities of the regime. But behind this façade is an entirely different Sigrid, a woman who dreams of her former lover, now lost in the chaos of the war. Her lover is a Jew.

But Sigrid is not the only one with secrets.

A high ranking SS officer and his family move down the hall and Sigrid finds herself pulled into their orbit.  A young woman doing her duty-year is out of excuses before Sigrid can even ask her any questions.  And then there’s the blind man selling pencils on the corner, whose eyes Sigrid can feel following her from behind the darkness of his goggles.

Soon Sigrid is embroiled in a world she knew nothing about, and as her eyes open to the reality around her, the carefully constructed fortress of solitude she has built over the years begins to collapse. She must choose to act on what is right and what is wrong, and what falls somewhere in the shadows between the two.

Reason for Reading:
  • The cover caught my eye.

I also recommend:

My Review:

The City of Women by David Gillham follows the journey of Sigrid, a young, German woman whose husband is on the front line during WWII – fighting for Germany. The story this book addresses is not the story that tends to be in the forefront when picking up a book about WWII. Rather, the story here is the other side, how the German women lived while their husbands were away, how they adapted to being the “model Aryan wives,” how they handled subjects like infidelity, infertility, injustice, and how they fought back (passively and aggressively).

City of Women is remarkably well-written and well-paced. I always felt as if I needed to read just a few more pages because the story’s unfolding was so exquisitely painful. However, that said – there were times that I felt a little put off. Sigrid is an incredibly sexual woman and those appetites were described in depth throughout the course of the book. What this did to me was make me wonder what exactly was behind the story – was it that Sigrid got involved in illegal activities because her moral conscience begged her to, or was it because her sexual appetite drove her to do so?

And there’s where the book struggles for me. The description of City of Women talks about Sigrid having a Jewish lover, and I understand that is the whole catalyst for it all – but for a woman who will stop at nothing apparently to do the “right” thing, Sigrid’s version of abuse of her body is completely at odds with what Ericha does, for example.

It’s the complexity of that struggle and the differences between those women that will have me thinking about the story here in the days to come. The biggest question this book poses to the reader (and fails to give the answer to – but I believe that’s intended) is: Just what will you do to save the lives of those who are being treated unjustly? What will remain sacred to you? Your vows, your body, your mind, your soul?

This would be a very interesting book club read, a discussion to go over those very questions could lead to some enlightening and thought-provoking ideas.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Joyfully Retired | S. Krishna’s Books | Rather Be Reading

Lydia
15 December, 2012
Historical, Literary Fiction, reviews, War
0 comments
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Book Review: Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich

  • Method of Obtaining: I purchased my copy.
  • Published by: HarperCollins
  • Release Date:  8/1/2005
        

The stunning first novel in Louise Erdrich’s Native American series, Love Medicine tells the story of two families — the Kashpaws and the Lamartines. Written in Erdrich’s uniquely poetic, powerful style, it is a multigenerational portrait of strong men and women caught in an unforgettable drama of anger, desire, and the healing power that is love medicine.

Reason for Reading:

  • I read Tracks by Louise Erdrich last month.

I also recommend:

  • Tracks by Louise Erdrich
  • The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie
My Review:

Reading a book by Louise Erdrich is like sitting down to enjoy a finely-crafted meal. I’m not talking about comfort food like your mom makes; I’m talking about that insanely expensive meal that you can only afford because it’s a special occasion and you want to create a memory with this meal.

This is the second book I’ve read by Erdrich (I read Tracks before this one), and the marveling at the craftsmanship of her writing continued all the way through it. She mixes fantastical elements with some of the most gut-punching, matter-of-fact observations by characters who just cannot catch a break.

Tracks introduces several characters that appear in Love Medicine, and then Love Medicine takes over and tells what happens to those characters. The major issues of land rights being taken away, language being lost, and religion shifting to something new and foreign are all addressed. In fact, Lipsha Morrisey addresses the issue with this heart-breaking passage:

“Our Gods aren’t perfect, is what I’m saying, but at least they come around. They’ll do a favor if you ask them right. You don’t have ot yell. But you do have to know, like I said, how to ask in the right way. That makes problems, because to ask proper was an art that was lost to the Chippewas once the Catholics gained ground. Even now, I have to wonder if Higher Power turned it back, if we got to yell, or if we just don’t speak its language… Was there any sense on relying on a God whose ears was stopped? Just like the government? (p. 236-237)”

Can you imagine struggling with something like this? Wondering if the God of the Catholics, the one who you have been told is the all-powerful, cannot understand you or worse… simply doesn’t care?

And how did the government treat the Chippewas?

“They gave you worthless land to start with and then they chopped it out from under your feet. They took your kids away and stuffed the English language in their mouth. They sent your brother to hell (War), they shipped him back fried. They sold you booze for furs and then told you not to drink (p.326).”

Talk about a punch in the gut. None of these things were foreign to me – at this point I’ve seen them talked about in several different novels by different authors. But concentrated in that small amount of space… it’s horrifying.

While I recommend Louise Erdrich’s books whole-heartedly, I want to warn those who pick one up. They will pull at your heart-strings, you will struggle to get through the story. There will be tears, but only if you take the time to invest yourself and get to what she is talking about between the lines. Overall, it’s an experience that everyone should have… but one you will only have if you give yourself over to it.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

The Blue Bookcase | Caribousmom | Teen Ink

Lydia
13 December, 2012
Historical, Literary Fiction, Native American Literature, reviews, Social Issues
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