The Bastard (Kent
Family Chronicles Book 1), by John Jakes. I liked this book and will probably go on with
the series – especially since Paddy has gone on to the next one. Since we have it I might as well read it. Anyway, this one is about a young man whose
father is a member of British nobility, and his mother is insistent that he be
recognized by the father’s family. Well,
the family are truly awful to him, so he finally decides to go to America (this
is in the early 1770s) and prove himself.
Yes, I recommend this one.
The Group: A Novel (Open Road),
by Mary McCarthy. I thought I had read
this book back in the 1960s when it came out, but apparently not, as nothing in
it was familiar. There were so many
characters in the group of young women that I had great difficulty keeping them
straight. I’m not sure why it was such a
big hit; must have had something to do with the times. I remember the early 1960s very well. I was very young then and not so sure of
myself; maybe I would have enjoyed it more then.
Long Summer Day (A Horseman Riding By
Book 1), by R. F.
Delderfield. This is the first book of a
Trilogy, but I don’t expect to be reading the others. It is about a British man who, upon his
return to England after WWI, finds that he has inherited a significant amount
of money from his father. He uses the
money to buy an estate and become a country squire with several families as
tenants. The story follows his learning
curve about running the enterprise and the lives of the families on the estate.
There is also some bit of the story
given over to the cause of Women’s Suffrage in England. It is an interesting book but, because of the
inclusion of lots of detail, is longer and slower-moving than it needs to
be.
This Side of Glory
(Plantation Trilogy, Book Three), by Gwen Bristow. I
enjoyed the first book of this trilogy the most, the second a bit less, and
this third book least of all. It is
narrowed down to just following one family, mostly in the voice of the
woman. The other books had a broader
cast of characters, which may be why I enjoyed them more.
The Elephant Keeper, by Christopher Nicholson. A boy takes over the care of two elephants
brought to England in the 1700s. One
elephant is sent away, and the boy continues on to take care of the other
elephant through several moves and changes in circumstances for the rest of his
life. The jacket cover compares it to Water for Elephants, but there is not
much similarity, and this book does not come near to being as good as the other
one. Interesting, but not great.
Some Luck, by Jane Smiley. The first book of a trilogy about a farming
family in Iowa. It follows the lives of
a young couple from their marriage through raising a family, 1920 to 1953, with
the chapters divided into each individual year.
The story unfolds from the point of view of the parents and each of
their children at different points in their lives. It is okay, but I’m not planning to read the
others.
Now You Know, by Susan Kelly. Two women who meet as freshmen in college
become closest friends despite their many differences in background,
temperament, and personality. Their
friendship runs through the remainder of their lives but is not understood by
the daughters of one of the women. I
gave it three stars out of five.
The Mermaid Chair, by Sue Monk Kidd. This book was recommended to me because I
enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees. With this one, not so much. A woman cuts off her finger and her married
daughter comes home to be with her and try to find out why she would do such an
outrageous thing. The story takes place
on a barrier island along the South Carolina coast and is populated with a few
quirky characters. But the story itself
is abysmal. I just could not begin to
care about the daughter, who turned out to be the main character and
narrator. She seemed shallow beyond
belief. The mother’s story was finally
somewhat developed at the end, and it was interesting but not good enough to
make up for the rest of the book. Two
stars – however, I reserve the right to upgrade it after I have a chance to
discuss it with my friend who recommended it.
Other People’s Houses, by Lore Segal. This novel is written as though it were a very
real memoir, beginning in 1938 when a Jewish family living in Austria sends
their 10-year-old daughter on a train to England. It is written from the point-of-view of the
daughter, and follows her life in England and later being reunited with family
in the Dominican Republic and finally reaching America. It is a very compelling story of some of the
struggles and hardships of refugees in that era and made me mindful of the
struggles and hardships of today’s refugees throughout the world. I recommend it.
Commonwealth, by Ann Patchett. This book has been on the Best Seller List for
several months, but I am not sure why.
It is okay, but not great.
Reviews tell about a great family secret revealed at the end, which
turns out to be not such a big deal. Oh well, it is an okay story about how two
families fall apart after the father of one family leaves to marry the mother
of the other family, and how the kids are all forced to grow up with no
responsible adults to guide them or ground them. Very sad.
Letter from Peking, by Pearl S. Buck. As with all of Pearl Buck’s books, this one is
nearly perfect -- slow paced, deliberate and well-crafted. A woman lives her lonely life in Vermont with
her son after leaving her half-Chinese husband in China at the Communist
takeover. She lives for her husband’s letters and never
gives up hope of their being reunited. Excellent.
Three Daughters, by Consuelo Saah Baehr. I liked this novel, even though it had a
couple of love-making scenes that made me uncomfortable. It tells the stories of three Arab-Christian women
of successive generations: grandmother,
mother and daughter during their coming-of-age years in the area around
Jerusalem. Interesting to follow the
changes that history imposed on their respective lives. Recommend.
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