Homegoing
Yaa Gyasi

This is a beautifully written historical novel about two sisters, unknown to each other, with very different lives despite living in the same castle. One lives upstairs in comfort, the other in the dungeons with the slaves. The narrative follows the sister’s descendants from Africa to America through eight generations. Themes of family, loyalty, slavery, and societal norms run through the book. I'm looking forward to discussing it with the Sister Wolf Book Group on August 2nd.

Listen to Yaa Gyasi discuss the book.

Al Franken, Giant of the Senate
Al Franken

I'm listening to Al Franken's memoir, Al Franken, Giant of the Senate, on libro.fm. Franken reads the book himself and I'm really enjoying it. The book is organized chronologically, from Franken's comedy career to his political career. While there's a lot of humor in the book, mostly at Franken's own expense, there also are topics, such as addiction of those in the inner circle of Franken’s life, that I didn't expect. It seems almost laughable, given the current news, that Franken was once frowned on for his colorful use of language.

Hillbilly Elegy
J.D. Vance

Hillbilly Elegy is J.D. Vance's memoir and so much more. The story begins in the impoverished Appalachian region of Kentucky. The family, including Vance's mother, sister, and grandparents, moves to the industrial "rust belt" of Ohio, in search of a better life. Vance's childhood is one of dysfunction and instability including alcoholism, abuse, and poverty. His grandparents and sister provide a degree of security and safety which helps to get him through. Vance beats the odds as he achieves success as a Marine and graduates from Yale Law School. Hillbilly Elegy is a memoir, but leaves much to reflect on regarding the long and short term effects of adverse childhood experiences in general and the struggles of families in poverty. It is an honest account which will leave readers with much to think about and book groups with much to discuss.

Here's an interview with J.D. Vance, the author of Hillbilly Elegy.

32 Yolks: From my Mother's Table to Working the Line
Eric Rippert

Eric Rippert is chef and co-owner of the New York restaurant LeBernadin. He was born in France and this is his story of overcoming a sad growing up. Food was his pleasure so he entered the tough life of working his way up to becoming a chef. There seems to be a lot of books out now about chefs and cooking so I thought I'd try one. I was pleasantly surprised. Eric is not only a chef but has his own TV series. He also has written five cookbooks. This was an entertaining and inspirational book about a young Frenchman who ends up with a 3-star restaurant. I think there will be a sequel.

America the Anxious: How our Pursuit of Happiness is Creating a Nation of Nervous Wrecks
Ruth Whippman

The pursuit of happiness has become a billion dollar industry triggered by the best-seller "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. Author Whippman takes on industry, family life, religion and even facebook. She says that finding happiness is not by looking inward to oneself but looking outward to others. With lots of humor and common sense this book gives you a different view of finding happiness in America.

Note: the paperback will be out in October.

The Mermaid Chair
Sue Monk Kidd

Jessie Sullivan is called home to take care of her mother on Egret Island. Suddenly her ordinary life is turned upside down when she meets Brother Thomas, a monk who is about to take his final vows. There is a mysterious chair in the abbey that Jessie's mother says has special powers, or is it just a myth?

The author has won national acclaim with her books The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings. An enjoyable read for summer at the lake.

Antiques Maul: A Trash ‘n’ Treasure Mystery
Barbara Allan

Brandy's mother lost her bid to be director of the local theater. Fearing her mother would go into a deep depression, she suggests they rent a booth at the antique mall to sell antiques and collectibles. When they check on their booth they discover a body! The title intrigued me as I love to watch Antique Road Show. Barbara Allan is actually a husband-wife team of writers. They live in Iowa in a house filled with trash and treasures. Each chapter closes with hints for antique buyers and sellers. The story is a light-hearted mystery filled with humor.

One L
Scott Turow

Turow wrote this non-fiction book after his first year in Harvard Law School and it's been in print ever since. His first novels couldn't find a publisher, so he determined to try the law. He found being a first year law student (1L) traumatic, exhilarating, exhausting, fascinating, and boring. He kept a journal, and wrote about his experience in a way that has terrified and encouraged many incoming law students. It also launched Turow as an author, because the book manages to pull in and beguile those of us who have no intention of studying law.

Presumed Innocent
Scott Turow

This book cemented Turow as a best selling novelist. It was written on trains as he commuted to his job as a prosecuting attorney in Chicago. He learned from One L that it's dangerous to write about a real place in a way that allows characters to recognize themselves, even if you change their names. He therefore invented Kindle County, a place that's sort of a cross between Chicago and Milwaukee and some other Midwestern city. He's written exciting novel after novel set in this place that's so real he has a physical map he consults as needed. The plot twists are sure to surprise you, but it's his characters that are my favorite part of his writing.

Testimony
Scott Turow

And now Turow's latest novel! Successful attorney Bill ten Boom is 50, he's divorced, his sons are settled adults, and he feels restless. He leaves Kindle County to prosecute a case in The Hague. The book opens with the testimony of a Roma (aka, offensively, "Gypsy") man describing the massacre of 400 of his friends and family. One of the judges seems to indicate a bias toward Americans as the perpetrators. Furrow spent time in the Netherlands and Bosnia researching this book, so the reader gets a feel for these locations. Note: the book is not based on an actual incident, Turrow made it up.

Here's a PBS interview with Scott Turrow about the book.

Esther
Rebecca Kanner

Kanner has given the classic Bible story of Esther a literary face lift. One of my favorite parts is the interaction with one of the king's soldiers during the year long period of beauty treatments. Esther puts her life on the line as she tries to save her people. This book drew me into the world of the king's court and the treachery encased in the beautiful palace.

Midnight in St. Petersburg
Vanora Rennet

Recently, the novels I've been reading all seem to have be set in the war years, and maybe a little after, 1937–1947. A rich mine of human drama and history; but perhaps I have been spending too much time there. You see, I found myself at the grocery, thinking a little too seriously about food rationing, while shopping for dinner, although my diet may have skewed my thinking just a bit.

Vanora Rennet's Midnight in St. Petersburg, swept me back to pre-revolution Russia, a welcome change of period and place. Rennet's gift of description has you feeling the cold of Petersburg's winter streets at dusk, just as she's able to wrench your heart with the anguish of passionate attachment and loyalty. All true, but I found myself recognizing the common thread of other themes: love, ethics, self-expression and the rock bottom question of why 'power' is made so uneasy by "difference"? It's a mystery!