Review: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Author:  Paula McLaine
Publisher Format: Ballantine Books (2011), Hardcover, 336 pages 
Subject: Hadley Richardson Hemingway
Setting: Midwest US, Paris, Spain, various Europe
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Public Library
Meet a goal? Yes- Read General Fiction

A nicely written book, nothing special. Written as historical fiction, it tells the story of Ernest Hemingway and his first (he had four!) wife, Hadley Richardson and their five year marriage. It appears to be well-researched and accurate, but the whole story left me depressed, not just about the failed marriage but about the entire life-style.

While Hemingway was gathering "life experiences" for his writing, his wife is often left to her own devices in Paris, with little money, little ambition, and few resources except their group of high-rolling, heavy drinking, party throwing and going friends. The story unfolds mostly through Hadley's eyes and voice, although every once in a while (three or four times total) the reader is suddenly shifted to Ernest's point of view but in the third person. It was a bit scattered, as they rambled over Europe staying in a series of small apartments unless they could find rich friends to put them up. At times, they seemed the ultimate moochers. 

There were skiing, fishing, hiking, drinking, and bull-fighting scenes to do justice to Ernest's well-known life style.  But there were also scenes of incredible insensitivity to spouses, children, and friends.   I did appreciate the author's epilogue which allowed us to see how Hadley's life progressed after her marriage to Hemingway ended. 

Definitely worth reading, but probably not a re-read.  Had I not known before I started reading it, I would never have said this was on several lists of "best of 2011."  IMHO, it was good, but not that good.

Review: Theodora : Actress, Empress and Whore by Stella Duffy

Author: Stella Duffy
Publisher Format: e-galley ; 352 pgs
Year of publication
Subject: early life of Theodora, wife of Emperor Justinian
Setting: Constantinople, Antioch, Syrian dessert, Alexandria
Genre: historical fiction/biography
Source: Net Galley

A fascinating read.  I knew very little about any of the politics or personages of this period of history (6th century Byzantium).  While I knew about the schism between the Eastern (Constantinople) and Western (Rome) branches of Catholicism, and the reason for the rift, this well-written novel brought the vibrance of the era to life.  Framing the story around the life of Theodora, the daughter of an animal trainer who was "given" to a eunuch master to train on the stage at the age of 5, we follow her tortuous life from acrobat, to poetic declaimer, to that of a highly prized prostitute when she reached the age of 13.

We learn of laws that forbade women who had performed on the stage to marry, although many were highly coveted as courtesans, mistresses or concubines.  Theodora herself, became the mistress of a regional governor in one of the north Africa provinces of the empire; then after being "dumped", she began a journey back to her home (Constantinople).  Along the way, she experiences a religious conversion in the desert, and is eventually recruited and sent back as the emissary of one of the battling religious factions.

The exciting page turning continues as she eventually meets and marries Justinian (only after the law was changed to allow the repentant former actress to do so) and becomes the adored and adoring Empress upon his ascending the throne.  It was a fascinating read, giving us glimpses of lives we'd only heard about.  I understand HBO is going to make this a series, but I'd not wait for that.  Pub date is Sept 27, 2011, and I'll be lined up to get a permanent copy for my library.  It's colorful, well-written, and keeps the reader up late to see what happens next.

Duffy indicates that she is writing fiction, and makes no claims for the historical accuracy of the story, but her research is evident and the basics are factual enough that it makes an exceptional introduction to the period.  She also gives us an excellent bibliography for future reading.  I'm going to be sure to take a look at several of them.  It's definitely a time-frame I want to learn more about.

Many thanks to Penguin Publishing for making this review copy available through Net Galley.

Review: Doc by Mary

Author: Mary Doria Russell
Publisher/Format: Random House audio 12 discs; 16 1/2 hrs
Narrator: Mark Bramhall
Year of publication: 2011
Subject: John Henry "Doc" Holliday
Setting: Dodge City Kansas
Genre: Fictional biography
Source: Public library download

I've never been a big fan of "Shoot 'em ups" but I grew up during the era of westerns on TV, watching Bat Masterson, Wyatt and Morgan Earp, and Doc Holliday in weekly episodes.  I knew they were actual historic figures, but never had much need to figure out the who, why, when, where of each of their claims to fame.  But when I kept seeing very positive reviews and conversations about this book from people who usually don't lead me to poor books, I decided to take a look at this one.

Even if you don't think you'd like westerns, even if you don't like biographies, try this one.  Mary Doria Russell, and narrator Mark Bramhall have given us a very fresh, unadorned look at Doc, his lady friend Kate, the Earp brothers, and the bustling, smelly, muddy, smoked filled saloons and bawdy houses of Dodge City.  Her research into the symptoms and effects of tuberculosis and her descriptions of the hard life of cattle rustling, early dental procedures,  and law enforcement in "the wild west" give us a picture we didn't get on TV.  Mark Bramhall's ability to give us a distinct voice for each character, a coquettish European accent for Kate, a guttural German for the Augustinian priest, a gentle Georgian drawl for Doc, Irish brogues for several of the women, and western twangs for the Earps was incredibly powerful and kept me riveted for the full  sixteen hours.

Doc's long slow losing battle with TB was something I had been vaguely aware of, but the personalities of each of the others was new and interesting.  It was an eye-opener for those of us steeped in whatever version of the shoot-out at the OK Corral we have inherited. Russell has done a wonderful job in setting the record back onto a more historically accurate track in a very enjoyable read along the way.

Review: The Day the Falls Stood Still

Author: Cathy Marie Buchanan
Format: Voice (2009), Hardcover, 320 pages; also in audio - 11.5 hours
Narrator: Karen White
Characters: Bess Heath, Isabel Heath, Tom Cole
Subject: Niagara Falls, hydroelectric power, dressmaking
Setting: Ontario Canada
Genre: historical fiction
Source:print- review copy from the publisher; audio - public library download

I'm almost ashamed at how long it has taken me to get to this well-written, exciting and educational book.  The author, who grew up in the town depicted in the book- the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, has done her research, and gives us a work of historical fiction in which she takes real characters, re-names them, and then gives us a beautiful love story woven into historical narrative about the early harnessing of the power of the Falls for hydroelectric power.

The main character Bess Heath, had a very privileged upbringing but finds herself deprived of many creature comforts when her father is fired from his job, the servants are let go, she is unable to continue to attend her private girls; boarding school, and her mother is forced to take in sewing to support them.

Set during World War I, with flashbacks to earlier headlines from the Falls (late 1800's) Buchanan  gives us fully fleshed out characters who endure the hardships of separation, suicide, unemployment, and class discrimination.  Married on her 18th birthday against the wishes of her parents, Bess watches as her husband Tom Cole goes off to fight the Great War.  He is gone for more than three years, and returns to meet the son who would follow his father as  "the river man", amid a post-war economy with few available jobs.  This could have become a trite 'love at first site' story but instead we get a powerful tale of young love, early environmental concerns, some interesting sidebars on dressmaking and historically based episodes of the life of the river men. 

In addition to a great story the book is illustrated with actual photographs of the period.  For a reader who has not been to the Falls, the pictures are a great addition to understanding the story.  A first-rate read.

Review: Falling Angels

Author: Tracy Chevalier
Format:   7 audio discs; 416 pgs equivalent
Narrator: Anne Toomey
Characters: The Coleman Family, The Waterhouse Family, Jenny Whitby, Simon Field
Subject: women's roles 
Setting: Edwardian England
Genre: fiction
Source: public library
Challenge: Support Your local library; Audio books

This novel (a New York Times Bestseller in 2001) is a sweeping period piece of the stratified society of London in the early 1900's, just as Queen Victoria dies, and the Edwardian age is ushered in.  Set against a backdrop of the Women's Suffrage movement, it is essentially the story of two young girls (in today's parlance they'd be BFFs) who live next door to each other. The story is eloquently told from the voices of nine different characters, with additional ample views of three others.  Ordinarily, that would be about 8 points of view too many, but Chevalier makes it work in a glorious way. We watch as time goes by for:

Maud Coleman - the only child of Kitty and Richard, serious, intelligent, and subconsciously understanding that many of the rules of Victorian England are essentially meaningless and best left behind. She longs for a friend and finds one in

Lavinia (Vinnie) Waterhouse - the devil may care (but only if carefully acted out within the rules of proper society) oldest child of Gertrude and Albert. Lavinia even writes a 'book' about the proper way for a lady to get through formal mourning. That section alone is a treasure. She also longs for a friend (while trying desperately to shed herself of her hanging on younger--but much wiser--sister Ivy May.) Maud and Lavinia meet in the cemetery where they discover their family graves are next to each other. Together Maud and Vinnie spend many an afternoon scampering through the graveyard where they make the acquaintance of

Simon Field - the young gravedigger who, with his father, spends his life watching the comings and going of all levels of society and gains the wisdom to see that in the end, everybody ends up under the ground. Simon gives us (and the girls) a grounding in reality, and is able to go where the 'proper ladies' can't. He sees much, hears much, knows much, and manages to keep most of it to himself, until secrets need to be shared.

Kitty Coleman - the restless and disenchanted wife of Richard, mother of Maud. She was traumatized by childbirth, and further shocked to the core of her being when, during a New Year's house party, her husband engages in, and insists that she does also, what is today known as 'wife swapping'. Her withdrawal from him (and from life in general) is brutal and substantial. Only later will she recover and join the Women's Suffrage movement, risking all to play out her desire for personal freedom.

Richard Coleman - a proper English gentleman of the era. He knows nothing about anything going on in his household (that is a woman's domain) and cares only for cricket, star-gazing at the local observatory, and doing exactly what he is told to do by his mother...

Edith Coleman - a grand dame of staggering (and perhaps swaggering?) mien....she causes her son, her daughter-in-law, and her granddaughter to kow-tow to whatever she says is 'proper' and refuses to hear of any other way of doing things. Even the Coleman's cook threatens to quit whenever Edith appears on the doorstep. Her most egregious act comes when she decides (over the objections of Kitty and Maud and Mrs. Baker the cook) to dismiss

Jenny Whitby - the maid. Jenny's story gives us the other side of the coin. Young girl with no education, no dowry, no prospects, living in poverty who comes to the big city to go 'into service' in exchange for room, board, and a few coins to send home to her starving family. No SPOILERS, but her story is central.

Gertrude and Arthur Waterhouse - the gentle couple who live next door to the Colemans. Their financial circumstances are not as good as (nor would Edith Coleman allow that their blood lines are either) their neighbors. Gertrude tries to follow society's dictates, tries to keep a rein on Vinnie - but can't help spoiling her--and secretly detests the Colemans and what they stand for. Arthur is simply grateful to be able to play cricket with Richard on Sunday afternoon, and happy that his wife and daughters have suitable family companions in the ladies next door.

When all these stories are spun together in the setting of the cemetery with the Suffrage Movement providing drama and excitement, and the Cemetery "Guvner" John Jackson providing a humanizing and humane persona, it is a riveting and poignant story. What happens to these women and how their actions influence and impact one another is in many ways the universal story of sisterhood, in other ways the never-ending story of sin and a chance for redemption. Whether redemption occurs is left to the reader to discover.

Review: Wolf Hall

Author: Hilary Mantel
Format: 560 pages , audio 18 discs (approx 24 hrs)
Characters: Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII, Ann Boleyn, Cardinal Woolsey
Subject: Thomas Cromwell
Setting: England 1529-1534
Genre: historical fiction
Source: public library
Challenge: Support your public library, Audio books

The title of this Man Booker Prize book is a bit misleading. Wolf Hall is the home of the Seymour family, and while they were quite influential in Henry VIII's reign, I don't remember even one scene being set there. Nor was the book about the Seymours. This is the story of Thomas Cromwell, beginning with his abused childhood, through his vagabond but experience-rich youth when he traveled far from England throughout Europe, fighting for the French, learning several languages, and honing his intellectual and accounting skills. It concentrates on the years 1529 through 1534 (about the end of the Boleyn reign.)

After his return to England, Cromwell lands a position in the employ of Cardinal Woolsey. Although he remained loyal and grateful to Woolsey, he managed to distance himself from Woolsey's troubles with Henry by keeping his religious convictions very private--in fact, one is left somewhat unsure even at the end as to what were Cromwell's true beliefs about organized religion. In the meantime, he (Cromwell) is diligent about employing and training young, bright, under-advantaged youths to carry on his work.

Before reading this, I did not have many preconceptions of what made Thomas Cromwell tick. Mantel does a superb job of providing us background for his actions, his motivations and his relationships with some of the most powerful people of the era. His relationship with Thomas More is presented as sympathetic, although I felt an almost repugnance for the More portrayed here. Ann Boleyn also comes off rather negatively, but it is fascinating to see Mantel showing us Ann B and Cromwell using each other to get where they wanted to go. And of course, there is his relationship with Henry himself. Mantel's Cromwell seems to be able to tell H the VIII the blunt truth with considerable impunity, and thus is often recruited by other nobles to be the bearer of not good tidings.

Finally, I was enthralled by the portrayal of Ann's sister Mary Boleyn. Was she gullible, vulnerable and used? Or conniving, sly, and manipulating?

This book is long, but written to move right along. I listened to the audio version which was exceptionally well done by Simon Slater. It is a book where it is sometimes difficult to tell who is actually speaking, and Slater's intonation certainly helps sort that out. The descriptions of living conditions, dress, manners, and customs are all richly elaborated, and Mantel uses just enough vernacular to make it truly authentic without making it difficult to follow. 5 Stars.

Review: The Gods of Newport by John Jakes

John Jakes is a touted master of American historical fiction. He presents stories of various communities and cultures in North America, mixing real and fictitious persons and relying on well done research to set scenes of authentic lifestyles.

Jakes tells the story of a self-made wealthy man, Sam Driver, and his daughter Jenny as they try to break into the very structured and snobby summer society of Newport Rhode Island. The summer set is 'ruled' by grande dames such as the famous Mrs. Astor, Mrs. Vanderbuilt, and others who kowtow to Mrs. A's rules about what is proper, what is forbidden, who is acceptable and who is not.

By introducing a love interest from the wrong class, Prince Molloy, an Irishman who works at the tennis Casino, and who falls for Jenny, we are exposed to life at all levels of society.

As Jenny and Sam try to ingratiate themselves with this group, Prince tries to win Jenny. There are many scenes of violence, back-stabbing, cheating, bribing, whoring, sailing, horse racing, and other instances of life in the late 1800's that paint a clear picture of what Newport was like both for the very rich, and those whose life was to serve the very rich.

NO spoilers, but there is a rather corny ending that will disappoint some, and be enchanting for others. All in all it was a pleasant read. Having lived several years in Newport, (my first apartment was actually on Bellevue Ave!) I found the descriptions of the town and the opulent 'cottages' a wonderful stroll down memory lane

Review: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

Normally, I don't have a great interest in witches, witchcraft, or even the Salem history about them.  But this book is so well written that it really has whetted my interest to find out more.  While not exclusively historical fiction, it is fictional and does have as its central theme witchcraft and the question of whether it was responsible for the events that occurred in Salem Massachusetts in the late 1600's.

Connie Goodwin, a PhD candidate at Harvard, is trying to define the topic she will develop for her dissertation. As summer opens, her mother, living in the Southwest, phones to ask Connie to please spend the summer cleaning out her dead grandmother's vacant but furnished house in Marblehead.  Urged on by an academic advisor whose motives become more suspect as the story unfolds, she begins her dissertation research at the same time she moves to the house. While there, Connie discovers that the house has no electricity, no phone, a mountain of grime encrusted furniture, a collection of filthy bottles, and a jungle-like yard, completely hiding the house from the road. 

The principle discovery on her grandmother's shelves is a Bible and key.  Inside the key, there is a tiny curled piece of paper with the name Deliverance Dane.  Connie's search for information about "Livvy" Dane leads her to various libraries, archives, auction houses, as she becomes more and more anxious to find Dane's missing 'receipt' book.  In the process, she meets Sam the steeple climber who is an old house restoration expert. 

Howe skillfully interweaves the story of Deliverance and her decendants -- and the story of her book-- with the present day story of Connie and her immediate antecedants -- and the story of her search for the book in alternating chapters.  We are lead inexorably to a climax where evil, romance, reconciliation, and historical conformation all meet. We are also lead to the ultimate question "Is Connie a witch? Does she possess certain mysterious powers she's only now discovering?"  We are left to decide on our own.  This  was a powerful, emminently readable, and exciting book: one I highly recommend.

Howe gives us a short but interesting list of sources to get us started on our own quest to find out more. 
This was an ARC I swapped with another blogger friend who highly recommended it.  Thanks to her (I can't remember who sent it to me) and to Hyperion Books who originally made it available. 

Sunday Salon

Sundays are supposed to be the day we relax, enjoy friends and family, take stock of what's been accomplished in the past week, and plan what's coming this week.  I don't even usually do a SS post because I'm generally too wrapped up doing whatever you're supposed to post about.  HOWEVER.........

This Sunday finds me trying to take a breath after a rather busy book week, and trying to get my mental arms around an upcoming ROAD TRIP this week.  So here's a quick splash of what's been happening and what's planned.

In the past two weeks I've gotten 8  books in my mailbox (either ARCs or contest winnings):

When Everything Changed by Gail Collins
Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim
Secrets of a Christmas Box by S. Hornby
The Gift of Murder (A Holiday Crime Anthology I bought to benefit Toys 4 Tots)
The Recipe Club by  Andrea Israel and Nancy Garkinkel
Who Turned out the Lights by Scott Biddle and Jean Johnson
The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katherine Kenison


I'm trying to decide what to take with me on this trip.  How much reading can I realistically expect to get done while visiting my Mom in Baltimore  (none--it's a fix the computer visit!),  my children (not much--too much food and catching up to do) and my granddaughter (none-girls are supposed to go shopping!).  So much for the first 5 days...

Then there's a week in Florida attending a Navy reunion (reading??? I don't think so) seeing old friends ("excuse me, I know we haven't seen each other in over 20 years, but there's a cozy mystery I need to read!!"), and then more friends on the way back north from FL to Maine.  We even have a planned stop in NJ to have lunch with hubbie's agent for his book (keep your fingers crossed!), so my only reading time will probably be early AM, late evening and in the car. Since there are a total of almost 60 hours in the car, I should be able to knock a couple off the TBR pile.

I'm trying to finish up my 2nd 999 Challenge over on LT, and decided at the last minute to re-arrange my categories to include a Christmas category.  So between now and Dec 31, I have 4 food books, 2 historical fiction, and 7 more Christmas books to finish up.

I think my New Year's Resolution is going to be NOT to add any more challenges to the two I have already for 2010: to read 75 books (that's a no-brainer), and to get at least bios read toward the US President Challenge.  So...here's what going with me when we leave town

• Calligrapher's Daughter and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane for the historical fiction category.
• Irish Country Christmas (audio), for the Christmas category
• The Recipe Club for the food category
• Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon and The Dead Cat Bounce for a feature I've been working on about amateur female cozy sleuths
• If You Need Me-- just because I want to read it.

Also my MP3 has 11 mysteries, 9 novels including The Shadow of the Wind which is my current 'ear-read', and 5 non-fictions loaded up, so I'll be able to dip into whatever floats my boat along the drive.  Hubbie and I have similar tastes so we often listen to either a non-fiction or a mystery in the car. In any case, there will be plenty of reviews coming in late November.

So it's going to be a busy week....I know I'll get at least 4-5 hours of listening in while I pack, and run errands around town, so stay tuned.  The laptop is going with me, and we'll be sending back a few pictures of our adventures.  In the meantime, enjoy the crisp autumn air, the beautiful colored foliage, and the smell of wood burning in the fireplace or woodstove. 

I think it's time for a walk ---where's my MP3?

Review: Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Having never read any of Lisa See's books, I wasn't sure what to expect.  I finished this one earlier this week, but had to let it settle before I could decide how I felt about it.  I have purposely not read other reviews, although one of my online books buds at LT said she hadn't read the book yet because the reviews had been mixed.

Normally I try to describe the characters, the setting, enough of the plot to spark an interest and then comment on how I liked (or didn't like the book).

The characters: May and Pearl are sisters born in Shanghai who were raised by parents much more liberal and open-minded about the role of women than their ancestors.  Although their mother suffers from having had her feet bound as an infant, the girls are able to wear high heels, work as models, go to nightclubs, keep the money they earned (they gave it to their father to 'invest' for them) and generally enjoy the good life.  However, the father turns out to have gambled the family's money away, and to pay off his debts to the Chinese mafia, he arranges marriages for his daughters to Chinese living in America, something their mother had promised would never happen.

The setting: We are treated to a very realistic description of Shanghai (I've seen it described as the Paris of the Orient) in the 1930's.  Then once the Japanese invade China, we see the Chinese countryside with all its poverty and desperation and we must endure the horrors visited upon the Chinese by their invaders. Then we are transported to Angel's Island off the coast of California, where the sisters are incarcerated for almost a year waiting to be believed that they are in fact married to American citizens.  The Angel's Island scenes are evokative of a combination of Ellis Island and concentration camps, and while they can be depressing, they are enobling in the scenes of women taking care of each other. After their release from Angel's Island, the sisters settle with their husbands' family (they married brothers) in the Chinatown section of Los Angeles.

From here the book is devoted to a description of the Chinese immigrants who live in America and who are divided into the group who longs to return to 'the old country' and those who want to assimilate into American life and wants their children to have a better life (AKA The american Dream).  As the anti-communist campaign in American heats up in the 1950's, we see the results of secrets kept, lies told, papers lost, and dreams shattered.  The constant conflict between the old and the new, the wish to honor one's past and one's ancestors, and still belong to the present makes this a compelling story.

I enjoyed this book, I learned a lot about many subjects where I knew very little, and I developed an appreciation for the trials of all immigrants- legal and illegal.  I wish the ending had been different, (can't say anymore without a spoiler) but I was left with the thought that there may be room for a sequel.  That way one could see the ending here as the precursor to a new beginning and that's what immigration and settlement in a new country are all about.

I 'read' this book as an audio- it was a download from the public library's Overdrive database.

Calling Historical Fiction Fans

The first ever Historical Fiction Round Table begins tomorrow. I've always been a fan of HF, and haven't done as much this year as previously because I've been trying to branch out into other areas. But I'm sure going to be peeking at this all week long. There are giveaways, chats with authors, and several just plain fun activities. Participating blogs include some of my favorites: Marie at The Burton Review Lucy at Enchanted by Josephine Arleigh at Historical-fiction.com Amy at Passages To The Past Allie at Hist-Fic Chick Lizzy at Historically Obsessed Heather at The Maiden's Court They all have posts about their schedules, so pick what fits yours best. Let's dust off those pomanders, send for our stately steeds (or coaches) and get to the party! See you there.