Kaseys Korner

Into The Wild

** spoiler alert ** I vaguely remember hearing about Chris McCandless and his fatal adventure in Alaska but I missed the movie and quite honestly I'm not sure what triggered me to read the book at this point?? I mean it's been almost 30 years since his death. Maybe curiosity to understand the circumstances finally caught up with me...

After reading it tho, I still can't commit to which of the two camps of thought I fall into about him? I'm straddling the fence, leaning ever so slightly toward the one where he was ill-prepared and kind of an idiot to think he could just hike into the Alaskan wilderness, with no supplies, and walk out to tell the tale. From everything I've read, Alaska is an environment & land unto its own. Not a place for amateurs & definitely not a place to "practice" survival skills. Apparently (according to the book) lots of McCandless minded people find their way there and many end up with a similar fate. Let's give him some credit tho for making it as long as he did. I couldn't make it 10 days but then again, you wouldn't find me even attempting it.  I do keep finding myself wondering if he would have stayed anywhere near as long if that van weren't conveniently there?? Without it for shelter, could he possibly have ended (and lived to tell about) his Alaska adventure much earlier???

I can appreciate his disenchantment with the grind of life. I've had many discussions with friends about the "trappings" of life ~ getting tied down to mortgage payments, car payments and the monotony of repeating the same steps day after day. The security of knowing there's a place to sleep, eat and be safe from the elements usually trumps any call of the wild for me tho. The author tried to associate his unconventional lifestyle, wanderlust, disregard for rules, and quest for spiritual fulfillment with a bad father/son relationship. I couldn't really buy into that, too many people have difficult relationships with their family and aren't inspired to follow a similar path. He did seem to be influenced by his reading material but even that didn't explain his lifestyle choices. The only explanation that makes sense to me is it was something innate that made him different than his peers.

It was a tragedy that he couldn't take the education he received and work to do good for the world, try to change it even instead of spurn it. Maybe he would have if he'd survived?? Sad that but for a few critical errors, he could still be among the living. Had he walked out of that trail tho, the world would never know his name, associate it with that green & white bus or make a martyr out of him. In the end, the choice of how to live was his as it is all of ours.

Extremely sad story. Also ironic that the guy who gave his savings away to a charity that supports wiping out hunger, starved to death (albeit because of eating a poisonous plant but still...) I believe Jon Krakauer recognized a kindred spirit in McCandless and that's why his story touched him so deeply.  I wish he'd included more photos from the 5 rolls of film left behind.  One criticism, the book could have been condensed to a short story. It's a little misleading when you pick it up and discover it's not just about McCandless ~ it's got "filler" material in it about other people who went off grid & disappeared, including a segment about the author himself.

Regardless of how you feel about Chris, the last two years of his life are fascinating reading. He left a trail of "bread crumbs" about his whereabouts in the form of letters & postcards mailed from all over the American West. When his adventure came to a tragic end, it's a really difficult one to shake.

Tidelands

 

In a way, 'Tidelands' is a departure for Philippa Gregory who's most associated with writing novels about ROYAL women. Here is the tale of an ordinary woman (and her family) in the mid 1600's, living in a tiny backwater English village. Truly nothing spectacular about her life at all. In fact it's depressingly bleak. Backbreaking work, to eek out the barest of livings, and no escaping the lot her unprivileged birth status bequeaths her. Her living environment can be summed up with this one sentence:

"She gestured to the open door and the stretches of mud and slowly receding brackish water outside, as the low rumble of the tide mill started up like thunder, and there was a sudden gout of green water in the rife."

Inspires a person to pack their bags & move, right?

Despite pivoting from palaces to a less hospitable place, the book stays true to form in the way Philippa Gregory always serves up the woman's point of view and maintains her feminist roots. It's historically an overlooked perspective but one readers are lucky she champions.

Alinor (the female protagonist) is described as uncommonly beautiful, so despite her low birth position in the eyes of society, she can't escape notice by either sex. The men are interested in sampling her favors and the women are jealous & wary. Her beauty (and that of her daughters) is brought up repeatedly throughout the story. It begs a moment to ponder if beauty is an asset or a liability? Because let's face it, it can be both.

The historical time period is interesting as well. It takes place during the English Civil War, after King Charles was captured and subsequently put on trial. I didn't realize England was without a Monarch for even a short period, I definitely want to read more on that topic.

The author states that in this series the family will start in poverty but rise in fortunes. It will be interesting to follow and see how that's accomplished. How will they overcome the obstacles of a male dominated world?? Womens roles in society have evolved in a lot of ways but sadly stayed remarkably the same in others. We bear the brunt of decisions born of desire and the repercussions change the course of our lives ~ nothing's changed about that. As much as I like to read about nobility, this detour is really fascinating. 'Dark Tides' soon to be downloaded!!!!

The Mystery of Mrs Christie

You did it Mrs. Christie!!! You wrote a truly unsolvable mystery, with you as the starring character and took the secret to your grave!!!! Ms. Benedict offered up a reasonable and totally plausible scenario about what happened those 11 days you were missing. One that I could 100% believe was exactly what happened. Agatha Christie was a brilliant mastermind when it came to conceiving plots, interjecting twists and surprising her readers with an unexpected ending. I can't imagine she'd manipulate her own life story any less superbly.

So glad I read this. I loved Agatha Christie books growing up. I graduated from Nancy Drew to her and this novel reveals so much background about how she became the writing sensation she was. I never knew any of it. Her love of mysteries as a young adult, working with poisons as a nurse during the War, the bet with her older sister that she could write an unprovable detective story, etc., etc.

It also demonstrated, writing phenom or not, that she was totally human as evidenced by her choice of husbands. I couldn't stand Archie Christie from his introduction. He pursued her relentlessly and after he "got" her, he criticized everything about her??? What a vain, shallow, narcissistic man. I couldn't figure out his motives? Many times I wished she'd stayed engaged to Reggie but then at the end, she recognized herself that she may not have become the writer she was if she'd chosen to stick with him. Very likely true ~ a "Midnight Library" moment! I guess I'm glad she married Archie (I can't believe I'm saying that!) since I reaped the benefits of her literature as a result of that toxic relationship.

Really interesting book and totally worth reading, especially if you're a fan of Agatha Christie.

 

 

The Vanishing Half

What a beautiful book. Sad and hopeful at the same time. It covers a couple generations of one family and even tho I finished it last night, I can't get it out of my head this morning.

There are so many topics within it that I would be uncomfortable and unqualified (as a white woman) to critique. "Colorism" or the discrimination between shades of black within the race and the idea of "passing through," as in a black person so light skinned they pass themselves off as white. The last one I understand why ~ it would certainly make life easier in our discriminatory and unequal society ~ but how your own race would feel toward you is another story. The author covers both in a comprehensible and eloquent way.

There's also a loving transgender relationship that is portrayed so beautifully I feel even more empathetic toward those struggling with gender reassignment and identity issues.

These are topics that could be disquieting but they're incorporated in such a way, you can't help but be captivated. Written from multiple points of view, I found Stellas story the saddest and wished hers could have had a different ending. Just because she could, does that mean she should?? Her life certainly wasn't less complicated or happier ~ it seemed a steep price for denying her roots. The fact that she was a twin (and all the connotations we have about their connectedness) took what she did to a whole other level.

Oh Brit Bennett, I see what all the fuss is about!!!! A very poignant novel.

The Women at Hitler's Table

What will stick with me about this book is thinking about the ten women "tasters" who knew any bite of food could be the one that kills them. It would make the very act of bodily nourishment extremely anxiety inducing and maybe affect the way food was perceived for the rest of their lives??
However, in the story the author wove, it didn't seem to phase them overly much. A survival mechanism?? If the risk of their positions was negated, there was the upside of being well fed. Perhaps the best fed people in all of Germany (aside from Hitler) in a time when food was very scarce.

I really wish this could have been a nonfiction book. A retelling of the true life story of Margot Wolk ~ the only surviving real food taster of Hitler's. Now that would have been fascinating. I wonder why no one thought to interview her before she died?? Sadly another story lost to history.

I expected the book to be a bit more dramatic than it was? Maybe some of the girls actually dying from something they ingested?? I also thought Rosa Sauer, the protagonist, was a tough character to like. You'd think she'd elicit sympathy based solely on her job description but somehow I found myself not liking her much.

The concept of the book is an interesting one and I doubt I'll ever look at a member of Royalty or High rank again without wondering if they have a personal "taster" (or two) on retainer.

 

Stranger Things Happen

I dislike giving any book a one star rating. It's already making me cringe a little just seeing that single star sitting by itself at the top of my review.
But, I have to be honest or what's the point of writing one?? Maybe a one star rating shouldn't have a negative connotation but instead just mean "not my cup of tea??" I quite honestly didn't "get" the authors style. I can't figure out what the problem was either ~ am I not a sophisticated enough or intelligent enough reader to understand it?? Is your writing an "acquired taste" or could my imagination be deficient?? I don't know the answers to these questions?? There's 8 or 9 short stories within the covers and I only made it completely thru four. When I started the fifth, I threw up my hands (& perhaps even my kindle?!) in defeat. A truly rare occurrence for me.

The stories seemed very disjointed, it was difficult to figure out what was really happening. Discerning between what was real, what was imaginary, etc., escaped me. Ambiguity abounded ~ a quality I readily confess is not my strong suit. When we discussed it at book club I went so far as to say it might be best enjoyed under the influence ~ whether that be from alcohol or marijuana. Maybe I could have made more sense of it that way? Sorry Kelly Link. I tried. I really did!

The Pull of the Stars

"THE PUBLIC IS URGED TO STAY OUT OF PUBLIC PLACES SUCH AS CAFÉS, THEATRES, CINEMAS, AND PUBLIC HOUSES.
SEE ONLY THOSE PERSONS ONE NEEDS TO SEE.
REFRAIN FROM SHAKING HANDS, LAUGHING, OR CHATTING CLOSELY TOGETHER.
IF ONE MUST KISS, DO SO THROUGH A HANDKERCHIEF.
SPRINKLE SULPHUR IN THE SHOES.
IF IN DOUBT, DON’T STIR OUT."

Sound familiar????

Crazy that many of these same words have circled back around 100 years later! I did chuckle at the notion of kissing thru a handkerchief tho! Despite all the leaps in medicine and technology since 1918, our populations still remain humbled by these influenza viruses. I did not realize until reading 'The Pull of the Stars' that there were no vaccines against the flu until the 1930's. That the Spanish Flu killed 675,000 people in the United States alone was tragic until you fast forward and see the US is on a track to meet or exceed that number with Covid19. Have we really come very far??

In this book, no one realized where the flu originated ~ there was speculation that it arose from the mass casualties of war. Definitely the movement of troops helped spread it. I just kept getting a sense of "deja vu" when so many of the same techniques employed to try and stop it then are also the measures we're advised to use today. It's more than a little freaky to read this book while in the middle of another devastating and historic pandemic.

I knew from the book description that the story took place within a hospital but I guess I missed the part where it was primarily confined to one maternity room? Yes, room, not ward! I almost feel I could deliver a baby myself after reading. The birthing process was repeated several times over, very descriptively, and with varying results. If I were ever to find myself in a midwife situation, I could almost use it as a reference.

Nurse Julia's dedication to her patients and tirelessness in the face of an overly stressed medical environment, (working without supplies, etc.,) ever more significant and impactful because of the identical strains health care workers are under today. Doctors and nurses were the heroes of the day then (and in short supply) and that is also echoed now.

This quote from the book resonated with me because I'm instantly on "high alert" if someone coughs nearby:

"A man’s explosive cough on the bench behind me. Then another. Hack, hack, a tree being axed with too small a blade. The mass of bodies leaned away. That ambiguous sound could be the start of the flu or a convalescent’s lingering symptom; it could signify the harmless common cold or be a nervous tic, caught like a yawn just by thinking about it. But at the moment this whole city was inclined to assume the worst, and no wonder."

Apparently Emma Donoghue starting writing this novel in 2018 ~ I wonder what she thought after doing all the research only to find herself living in similar times??? It had to be an uncanny feeling... What a bleak period in history. The Great War in Europe simultaneously occurring with a pandemic, trying times, to put it lightly ~ and not that dissimilar to today!

 

The Beekeeper of Aleppo

 

"People are not like bees. We do not work together, we have no real sense of a greater good—I’ve come to realize this now."

All the way thru the book I thought the authors inclusion of bees was for a more noble purpose than I actually learned it to be (Ms Lefteri said, in the authors notes, their inclusion might have been inspired by just seeing one.) That was shocking as they were so integral to the story. Knowing the vulnerability of bee colonies and the connection of their health to human health, I assumed the novel was written from the outset with them as a central theme. To serve as symbols of hope ~ for an industrious new life, in an inclusive new country. Whether she stumbled upon the idea or cultivated it deliberately later, the indefatigably of bee colonies promoted that underlying theme throughout the book.

I've never had to emigrate so I honestly can't imagine being uprooted from everything familiar with nothing certain but uncertainty. If reading about it is difficult, living it must be horrendous. The atrocities in Syria are what force these families out of their country. Their experience of PTSD totally believable and understandable. I guessed what the truth was with both Nuri and Afra before it was revealed. What a heartbreaking journey, even as we know they're fictional characters, we can't escape the realization it's very REAL for others right now.

I thought it very commendable that the author volunteered at a refugee camp and that her experience was what inspired her to document some of the situations she encountered. For some reason tho I just couldn't be overly enthusiastic about the result?? Not because of the hard subject matter but rather the writing style felt disjointed and the story just didn't flow as smoothly as I wished. It also seemed more confusing than it needed to be?? I don't know that I could have done better, I just didn't come away powerfully affected...

Arabella

It seemed high time to finally read a Georgette Heyer novel! I mean she is the Mother of the historical romance genre and the Regency romances (in particular) that are currently experiencing such a resurgence in popularity. Thank you 'The Bridgertons!!!"  When the characters in Kate Quinn's 'The Huntress' were reading Heyer novels during their down time, I knew I couldn't put it off any longer!!

I have to say historical romance has come a long way since Ms Heyer conceived the idea! 'Arabella' was a harmless, fun romp thru an era that seems eons ago. As a sometimes reader of this genre, I can see how it's been expounded upon and made "sexier" shall we say??! HR's always serve up a happy ending. That's the particular brand of magical escapism they offer. They appeal to our romantic side. The characters meet, there's a 'moth and flame' dance then a satisfactory conclusion. In that respect, this book fulfills all the criteria. Thank you Georgette Heyer for blazing the way in this category of books.  Some of us would be desolate without you!!

The Book of Lost Friends

Here, my friends, is the perfect example of why I have a hard time giving up on a book. It took more than a few chapters to engage me, especially those about Benny/Miss Silva. If I'd been feeling impatient or churlish, I would have tossed it aside and moved on. Thank goodness neither of those were the case for that would have proved most unfortunate. As slow as the book starts, it finished equivalently strong. Something to keep in mind.

I'll wager that for most people, (myself included) the novel will be an introduction to the "Lost Friends" advertisements and just what exactly those were. It's not a spoiler to say the ads were not about "friends" at all but rather desperate attempts by former slaves to be reunited with family members who were sold off by their owners. Ms. Wingate inserted some of the real advertisements between chapters and as teeny tiny as the print on those are, they're worth the time of retrieving a magnifying glass (or enlarging the font) to read them. They're heartbreaking and exemplify the strength of family bonds ~ no matter what age the separation occurred or how much time passed, it never lessened the yearning to reconnect with a persons biological family. There's a lot in the book that illustrated the negative side of humanity; the treatment of slaves as chattel to separate, abuse, violate, etc., just one example but a singularly repugnant one that remains difficult to read about.

Hannie was a particularly strong character, I admired her tenacity and resourcefulness throughout the book. The old Gossett family plantation another fascinating part of the book. The grand antebellum house & grounds could have been covered more extensively for my liking tho that's my old house & garden fetish peeping thru!  It's library alone worthy of inciting sighs of longing in book lovers worldwide! Oh for a chance to be granted admittance and license to rummage (respectfully of course!) thru the floor to ceiling shelves of double stacked books!  Teachers will also find much to appreciate about Benny's efforts to engage her students.

Until almost the end, I questioned how on earth the author was going to connect the two timelines but she managed it with aplomb. Worthwhile read, especially for historical fiction buffs.