Fundraiser A: My Fight for Freedom and Justice by Rob Blagojevich

You probably remember the sensational (and sometimes surreal) trial of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who was impeached and tried on a buffet of corruption charges in 2009.  The most scandalous charge was the alleged quid pro quo deal for the freshly vacated senate seat belonging to the new president, Barack Obama, in exchange for... well, whatever the Governor could get, according to the headlines.  A scheme guaranteed to “make Abe Lincoln roll over in his grave” according to Patrick Fitzgerald, the Federal prosecutor who apparently uncovered the biggest crime wave in Chicago since Al Capone decided to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day.

Chicago politics have long been considered a blood sport, and a scandal involving politicians is not all that surprising.  What made this scandal so enticing was that it involved Obama’s senate seat, a very colorful Governor who just couldn’t be made to feel bad, and the apparently brazen nature of the crimes.    The media had a field day.   The Governor became the target (and guest) of the late night comedians, while the prosecutors pouted and preened their way through the daily news cycles.

What this media circus fails to appreciate is that real people were involved.  Real abuses of power did occur, and not necessarily by the defendants.  Lives were shattered.  And most of those responsible have, to this day, escaped justice.

Governor Blagojevich had a co-defendant.  His brother, Robert.    Robert is a private man.  He shuns the spotlight, and so his story was overlooked, or he was confused with his brother, or the assumption was that they were equally guilty.  And the assumption of guilt is a real one for both brothers.  We like to think, we need to think, that our government does not make mistakes.   Surely, if the government brings a case to trial, they have compelling evidence that criminal wrongdoing has occurred.  And even more critically, we need to think that our Government does not abuse the almost-infinite power it holds over its citizens.  We certainly underestimate its ability (and willingness) to manufacture a case from nothing, in order to further its own agenda.  And that is exactly what happened to Rob.

A little background here:  Rob and Rod Blagojevich were brought up in Chicago, by first generation Serbian immigrants.  They were taught to work hard, to be honest, to be honorable, and to revere family.  Rob was the elder:  he followed those dictates to the letter.  He is educated, successful, and serious.  He served as a platoon leader on active duty in the army for over five years, and in the US Army Reserves for another 17 after that, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 2001.  He worked, with great success, first at a bank and later as the head of his own company for real estate investments.  He is active in his community:  he has served on the board of the Red Cross, with the YCAP program, and with Hurricane Katrina survivors.  He gave the commencement speech to the University of Tampa (his Alma Mater) in 2008. He has been married for 30 plus years to an utterly delightful, erudite and discerning woman.  They have raised a son, Alex, who is exactly the son that hard work, committed parenting and some good luck produces.  These are two people who see that their greatest accomplishments lie in what they leave the world, the example they set, and the family and friends they surround themselves with.

The relationship between Rob and Rod has been strained at times.  Rod, the younger brother, is more likely to depend on charm rather than hard work to get ahead.  Rod is ebullient, while Rob is more reserved.  Rod is comfortable wheeling and dealing in political halls.  Rob builds long term relationships.   Rod campaigns.  Rob works.   However, they are the only children of a very small family.  After their parents died, they had only each other, and their own immediate families.  And each of their parents had asked Rob to look after his brother.  They knew Rod was a bit more childish, a bit weaker.

So when Rod asked Rob to be the fundraiser for his re-election bid, telling Rob that he was “the only one (Rod) could trust”, Rob felt he should help.  Rod also told Rob that an investigation by the Federal government was behind him.  After some hesitation, Rob agreed to help his brother, but decided to limit his term in the position.  He would fundraise only until the end of the year, a four-month period.

What Rob had no way of know was that the government had not dropped the investigation.  In fact, the office of Friends of Blagojevich and Robs own calls were being taped almost from the beginning of his involvement.  And also from the beginning were the offers of bribes.  Constituents offering to fundraise for Rob in exchange for certain considerations…a road built, an appointment, and ultimately the senate seat soon to be vacated by Barack Obama.   This offer by Jessie Jackson Jr, through intermediaries, was the catalyst that led to the arrest and indictment of Governor Blagojevich and his brother.  The fact that the hundreds of hours of transcriptions only show Rob denying the “pay for play deal” were meaningless to the Federal prosecutors. 

The most chilling aspect of the book is that Rob shows what can happen when the Federal government decides that a person needs to be “proven” guilty.  Please note, I did not say that the someone is guilty.  In this case, that person is Rob Blagojevich.  Determined to build a case against the Governor, the prosecutors felt that the most expeditious way to provide evidence was to have his friends, staff and family “flip” on Rod.  They would offer reduced charges (usually on other matters), or in some cases immunity, for those who would testify to Rod’s criminality.  For example:  one trusted staffer, Chris Kelly, had a gambling problem.  This resulted in some very serious tax complications when he attempted to resolve his gambling costs with creative accounting on his tax returns.  In exchange for his testimony against Rod, his tax problems were taken care of.  The fact that he later committed suicide was not considered important by his handlers.  Three other friends of the Governor also testified against him in exchange for immunity or very light sentences on charges pending against them.  Quid pro quo (literally “this for that”) deals don’t count if it’s the government offering them.

In Rob’s case, the Federal government felt that, even though Rob was innocent (as the hours and hours and hours of tapes clearly demonstrated), his arrest and indictment would either cause Rod to confess all, or the pressure on Robert would be so great that he would agree to whatever the Feds said about Rod in order to ease his own burden.  A burden that almost anyone would do anything to set down.  In addition to facing years in prison, the case almost bankrupted Rob.  Rod's legal costs were paid for by his campaign war chest, Rob’s came out of his own pocket (although the judge could have relieved Rob of that burden).  The security he and Julie had worked a lifetime to build was completely eroded; his health was compromised; his reputation damaged; and his business undermined because of the time and attention that the trial and preparation took.  Rob lives in Nashville, TN.  He and Julie had to travel to Chicago and stay there for the months of the trial.

The judge, James B. Zagel, did his part to make Rob’s life as difficult as possible, in order to keep the pressure on Rod.  He denied Rob a separate trial.  Given Rod’s propensity for courting the media, Rob felt that he needed to distance his case from Rods.  The confusion over the two brothers (the similarity in first names was enough for most), and the length of time that the trial would take if tried together created real dangers and hardships for Rob.  His personal funds could only stretch so far.  Rob also asked the judge to allow his costs to come from the re-election funds as Rods were doing.    The judge denied both requests.  They needed the pressure to stay on.  A side note on the judge.  He was serially late for his own court.  Sometimes as much as 40 minutes.  Obviously as sign of disrespect.  Rob once calculated that cost him an extra $15, 000 in legal fees.  He paid for his attorneys to wait for the judge.  All part of the pattern of abuses of power.  Judges and prosecutors are elected or appointed.   The politics of the case did not rest solely with the politicians.

Ultimately, the first trial resulted in a hung jury.  The jury could not agree on the guilt or innocence of Rob or Rod.  Fortunately, for Rob, the government, having decided finally that his usefulness in breaking Rod was limited, dropped the charges against him for the retrial.   Importantly, for Rob, the charges having been dropped do not “declare him innocent”.  They were dismissed “without prejudice” which means the government can refile the charges at any time.  How would you like that hanging over your head?  Serves to keep you in line a bit, doesn’t it?  And having the charges dropped doesn’t mean you get the money, or the time, or your reputation back.  Nobody apologizes.  Rob quotes one statistic that is worthy of note:  96% of the cases that the Federal Government brings end in conviction.   In a just world, in a free country, we could assume that is because they do such a great job at demonstrating the guilt of the parties in question.  In fact, it is due to a war of attrition that the government will always win.  They have unlimited resources of time, funds, attorneys and “the system” itself is rigged in favor of the prosecutors.  Any defendant will ultimately break.  Their funds, their health, their ability to withstand the pressure will all fail at some point.  If we have reason to be concerned for the state of our legal system, and the abuses of our government, this is where we should begin.  The disenfranchised can attest to this disparity all too well.

 I urge everyone to read this book.  It was Rob yesterday.  It could be you tomorrow.

In the interest of full disclosure: I have the great good fortune to call Rob and Julie Blagojevich friends.  Rob and my ex-husband are very dear friends, and through him I got to know them both.  I don’t often see them now, but that certainly does not affect my deep respect and admiration for the pair, and for their son, Alex. It would be hard for me to list all their kindnesses to me and to my mother, who worked with Julie.  I have never, at any time, seen either Rob or Julie act in a way that would bring dishonor to them.  They have a code, and they live by it.  They are private, responsible, and dedicated. As well as simply delightful fun.   I know I am not alone in saying that when I heard Rob was in legal jeopardy, on attempted bribery charges, I actually laughed.  I had to assume a joke of the broadest type.  As the months went on, and the trial loomed, I knew without any doubt, that Rob would be vindicated.  Like most people I assumed that the government had made a mistake, and they would correct this mistake, once they realized what a huge error they had made.  And that of course, Robs name and property would be restored to him.   This book chills me to my core.  What it says about our real freedom, our belief in justice and fair play, and our trust in a benevolent government that protects us from the excesses of corruption is devastating.  

Fundraiser A: My Fight for Freedom and Justice by Robert Blagojevich, 2015, Northern Illinois University Press.  ISBN 978-0-87580-488-0

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

I have lived a good long time...longer than I will admit to here, and I have been reading voraciously since before kindergarten.   I have read a lot of books.  Many of them have been good, and a precious few have been great.  The Scorpio Races is as good a book as I have read in many years.   It was so good, in fact, that once I finished it, I mourned for a few minutes and then promptly started re-reading it.

The story is intriguing...the Scorpio Races are races set on a small island (fictional, but it feels a lot like an Irish offshore island) between Cappaill Uisce, the water horses of Celtic folklore.  These are no Disney water horses...they eat meat, drink blood and kill.  Each other, and humans.   But the island, Thisby, and the horses are connected in ways modern man has trouble understanding.  They have ancient blood ties past remembering.   Two of the contenders in this years race are Sean Kendricks, and Puck Connelly.

Sean has been working with the Cappaill Uisce since he was a boy.  Described by the islanders as having "one foot on land, and one in the sea" he has won the races for the past four years on a stallion named Corr.  He  loves Corr deeply, and the horses in his charge love him and his magic.

Puck is an orphaned girl who is riding in the races for the first time, as the first woman to compete.  She is also riding her mundane island horse, Dove, rather than one of the Cappaill Uisce...another first.  She is hindered in her efforts by almost everyone on the island.  Everyone but Sean, who is drawn to her for reasons he cannot explain.

The two face many obstacles.  Chief among them is Mutt Malvern, the cruel son of the richest man on the island (and Sean's employer).   Another hurdle they must face is that each has desperate reasons for needing to win the race, but to do that, they must beat the person they are growing to love.  The love story is awkward and terribly sweet.

I can't really put my finger on what I find so compelling about this book.  The story is unique, and the slight tinge of magic over everything on Thisby adds a delightful air of mystery.  Its written by a YA author, which may be the reason the love story is so muted and delicious.  We don't have sex to rely on making the story interesting.  The writing must carry the story.  

And the writing is superb.  The suspense simply never lets up.  One is completely drawn in by the two immensely likable main characters, and many of the lesser characters deserve their own book:  Finn and George Holly are two I would love to read more about.  The rituals and traditions surrounding the races are unsettling, yet have the feel of ancient rhythms and rites.  Stiefvater has an unswervingly deft hand in her timing and the pace of the story feels just right.  The conclusion is a surprise, albeit one that satisfactorily resolves the dilemma of the two protagonists.

I was rather haunted by the story.  I found myself thinking a lot about the story and the characters during the first read, and even the second.  Sean,  in particular caught my imagination.  He is mysterious and magical and immensely attractive.   Again, Ms Stiefvater reveals just enough of his background to help explain him, but we never fully understand him.

I will definitely read more by the author.  I don't usually read YA novels, but this one is so exceptional that I too will make an exception.

Mr. Write by Lisa Clark O'Neill

Adorable!  Mr. Write is a must for fans of Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Jennifer Crusie.  Light, bright and sizzlin' hot.  The witty repartee, the great cast of characters, and a quirky romance reminds me of each, at her best.   

Sarah Barnwell has recently returned to her hometown of Sweetwater, South Carolina.  She and her childhood friend, Allie Hawbaker, are partners in  The Dust Jacket, a funky new bookstore.  Sarah knows she has to lay some ghosts and come to terms with Sweetwater and her past as the daughter of the town drunk.  Spunky and resilient, she is ready for the challenge.  What she hadn't anticipated is the spectre of an old enemy, an old crime, and the totally new issue of her annoying neighbor: Tucker Pettigrew.

Tucker, scion of the local version of Mr. Potter from It's  A Wonderful Life, has recently returned to Sweetwater as well.  He is battling grief,  the local women, and a growing attraction to the redhead next door.  As a writer, he and the bookstore owner should see eye to eye.  But these two have mysteries to solve, misunderstandings to overcome, and danger to face before they can find their version of harmony.

They are assisted in these endeavors by a likable cast of characters:  Mason, the hunky British actor who is Tucker's best friend;  Alllie: Sarah's best friend and the wounded daughter of a prominent Sweetwater family; assorted family members and friends; and a cat that deserves a book of his own.(Side note:  one of the charms of the book are the myriad ways Ms. O'Neill uses to describe the cat's obesity...you could make a drinking game out of them,)

The fun in the book comes from the snappy dialogue ...particularly between the romantic leads (although Mason, and Allie's brothers have some pretty good lines).  The Southern Gothic charm of the town is a splendid setting for a series. (and that is the good news...a series this is).  I hate saying good bye to characters I've grown fond of, and I do a little happy dance when I find a new series to dive into (The next book is Admit One).

Ms. Neill's writing is fast, funny, and smart.  A typical passage:

" Of course, equally plausible, they could care less about him, and had merely been drawn to the spectacle that was Mason Armitage.
Tucker sighed.
Mason had insisted that no one in this little backwater would possible recognize a British thespian were one to bite the local citizenry on its collective ass, so Tucker had allowed him to tag along.  But now here he was, stupidly giving Mason the opportunity to take his shirt off in a semi-public forum.
Mason - poor, beleaguered creature of beauty that he was - was used to people running into walls when they got their first look at him.  He probably hadn't even noticed that there were now three individuals next door, staring. 
Well, two of them were still staring.  One of them was walking this way."

There is an inherent sweetness to the book that I find refreshing.  The characters may be wounded, but they are not jaded.  All in all, this is the perfect book for the days when you need a little sunshine, a little fun, and a lot of romance.  

The Secret Place by Tana French (Dublin Murder Squad Book 5)

Dublin Detective Stephen Moran was working Cold Cases and waiting for his chance at the Murder Squad when Holly MacKay walked in and handed him the clue to an unsolved murder.  The clue is a picture of 16 year old Chris Harper, who was murdered the year before.  The picture is captioned "I know who killed him" and hung on "The Secret Place", a bulletin board at the prestigious St. Kilda's girls school.  Moran recognizes this as his entree into the Murder Squad...if he plays his cards right. But that means working with the prickly Antoinette Conway: the Murder Squad outcast and the officer originally assigned to the case.  The pair have to maneuver their way through office politics, school politics, and the cliques of both St. Kilda's and the boys school of St. Colms, where Chris was a student.

Tana French's writing is  impeccable.  She adroitly captures the angsty essence of teenage girls, right down to their (slightly irritating) slang.  The girls of Holly's little gang are richly drawn and slightly magical.  There is an otherworldly element to them that adds an additional mystery-within-the-mystery.  The real "Secret Place" is the clearing where the girls meet at night and how it strengthens the powerful bonds of friendship they have formed.  The school holds secrets upon secrets, and its up to the detectives to break through the layers of deception.  I particularly like how Moran and Conway quickly identify each others strengths and use those to resolve the crime. There is a slightly manipulative feel to their handling of the case that echoes the politics, the secrets, and the ambition of everyone involved.. The class distinction between the students and the detectives is superbly drawn: the students are indifferent to it, the detectives are keenly aware.  Conway is bitter, Moran is slightly awed....initially.  Like all of French's characters, Moran has a past, and uses the present to help resolve the issues that haunt him.

Frank MacKay, the protagonist of  French's previous novel Faithful Place, plays a strong part as Holly's protective father.  He is an appealing character, and it's great to see him again, along with Holly. My sole concern with The Secret Place is that the relationship between Moran and the MacKays will be confusing for those who are reading the book as a stand alone.  For that reason, I recommend you read Faithful Place prior to reading The Secret Place.

I actually recommend all of the Dublin Murder Squad series.  I was hooked with In The Woods (as fine a piece of writing as I have seen) and my enthusiasm has not dimmed.  French is to be commended for keeping her series lyrical, fresh and mysterious.

Bliss House by Laura Benedict

I had the good fortune to meet author Laura Benedict at the 2014 Southern Festival of Books.  I was so taken with her charm and easy manner that I resolved to get her book as soon as I got home.  And am I glad I did.  The perfect mood-setter for Halloween,  Bliss House is a chilling, mesmerizing read about a troubled house.   You have no idea how hard that sentence was to write without using the word "haunting".  Screw it.  It is haunting.  The house, the story, the characters.  

Rainey Adams and her daughter, Ariel are the survivors of a freak explosion that left Rainey a widow, and Ariel a very wounded half-orphan.  To help heal emotionally and physically, Rainey moves them to the old family manse in Old Gate, Virginia.  Like any creepy semi-abandoned house, the stories run rampant about murders, hauntings and strange happenings in the lovely old pile. Despite misgivings, Rainey plows ahead revamping the old place and they are soon meeting the locals.  She is concerned about Ariel, for many reasons, but the girl loves the house, and soon shows signs of healing physically.  

Unfortunately, she also shows signs of a paranormal problem.  A murder in the house leaves Rainey and Ariel vulnerable and uneasy.  As well they should be.  Not the house, nor the locals are what they seem to be.  The girls are taken under the broad and manly wing of a local contractor who, like the rest of the neighborhood, realizes that all is Not Well at Bliss House.    

I won't ruin the rest of the story, but I have to commend the author.  The characters are very sympathetic...all are wounded in one way or another, yet very believable and easy to root for.  The tension is superbly kept up right until the end...actually after the end, since we are left open for a sequel concerning the house.  Ms. Benedict has a very deft hand at keeping us spooked and curious.

I am looking forward to the next installment (please tell me it is a series!).  

Highly recommended for that Halloween read! 

The Pride of the Peacock by Victoria Holt

Like many women, I grew up reading Victoria Holt (The Mistress of Mellyn, The Mask of the Enchantress, Lord of the Far Island, etc.) and I was excited to see that that Sourcebooks Casablanca was making them available again on E-Book.

The story is this:  young Jessica Clavering learns the true story of her family and birth when the mysterious old opal miner who bought the family manse befriends her.  Ben is a great character, full of stories and mischief.  When he learns he is dying, he sends for his son, Joss Madden and arranges a marriage between the pair.  Jessica agrees to the marriage as a way out of her family life, and they set out for Australia's opal fields and a home called Peacocks.  Once there, Jessica finds herself beset by danger....physical and emotional.  Will she find out what happened to the magnificent opal called The Green Flash at Sunset?  Will she discover who and what is threatening her?  And is her new husband a thief and a murderer?  In a world where only the strong survive, and morality is defined by necessity, who can she trust?

The first half of the book is filled with lively detail, and Jessica's relationship with Ben unfolds in a believable, and interesting fashion.  Ben's stories of the Australian Outback, opal mining, and his long life are fun and its easy to see why Jessica is so charmed by him.  He brings a strong defiant streak to her stuffy Victorian world, and helps her to break free from her mournful, bitter family.  She discovers that she is the product of a love story, her mother is really her grandmother, and her father supposedly deserted her mother on the eve of their wedding.  Heady stuff.

Ben's engineering of a wedding between Jessica and his natural son, Joss, also seems a logical next step.  Jessica longs to go to Australia and Joss is Ben's heir...if he marries Jessica and takes her back to Australia with him.  Joss is one of the "peacock's" of the title.  Proud, aloof, handsome, and headstrong, he is the perfect Holt hottie.  Jessica is so turned off by the stories Ben tells her about Joss,  that she is  determined their marriage be "in name only", which makes Joss even more aloof and prideful.

The descriptions of a mining town in Australia, and the home called "Peacocks" are fascinating...as are the inner-workings of an opal mining company.  Holt really makes the time and place come alive.  The obsessive search for and possession of opals, in particular one called The Green Flash at Sunset is the current running throughout the book, and from it springs the mystery and danger Jessica finds herself in.  She is both attracted to and deeply suspicious of Joss, and almost loses her life as a result.

What seems to be missing is a real relationship between Joss and Jessica.  Lots of sparring, lots of suspicion,  lots of misunderstandings....all pretty standard fare.  Jessica's sudden understanding of her love for Joss seems abrupt, as does his love for her.  It may be a result of this book having been written in the 1970's,  as well as the author's more delicate handling of sex, but the whole affair seemed  to lack chemistry.

I plan on re-reading other Holt novels, as well as those by Phillipa Carr, another pseudonym for the author, Eleanor Hibbert (see the sidebar).  Like Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt is a  part of cherished  memories of learning about love through books while I was too young to learn about it in real life.  She will always hold a special place in my "library of the heart" as a result.

Available as an E-Book January, 2014 from Sourcebooks Casablanca

• Hardcover: 303 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1st edition (August 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385122810
• ISBN-13: 978-0385122818

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Tuscan Rose by Belinda Alexandra

A baby is anonymously delivered to a convent with a tiny key the only  clue to her identity. These are just the beginnings of the mysteries that surround young Rosa Bellocchi.   As Rosa grows, she realizes that she psychically senses the origins of things.  She touches a piece of furniture and is transported to a hard wood jungle.  Or she eats a piece of bread and feels the sun and the wind on the wheat.  Or...she senses the pain and fear of the chinchilla's used to make a fur coat.   You can imagine what she goes through when she tries to eat meat.

When she is grown, Rosa is sent to  sinister Villa Scarfiotti as the governess to a family with secrets.  The Marchesa Scarfiotti is a rail-thin, meat-eating monster covered in make up.  Her husband is haunted by the loss of his sister, and longing for another woman.  Their child, Clementina, is the sad product of this unhappy couple and Rosa is determined to help this waif any way she can.  The Villa is haunted by witches, say the servants, and Rosa understands this to be true.

The Marchesa is threatened by Rosa, and when the chance arises, she schemes to have Rosa unjustly imprisoned.  Sadly, this is easily done in Mussolini dominated Italy, especially by an avowed Fascist admirer like the Marchesa.  Rosa is kept in prison for years, raped by a guard, and bears a daughter, Sibilla.    She is eventually freed after promising to stay away from the Scarfiotti family, but branded an "enemy of the state".

After her release, Rosa must fend for herself and the baby in an increasingly hostile environment.  Mussolini and his Black Shirts have changed the Italy Rosa loves with their omnipresent threat.  However, next few years are happy for her when she meets Luciano, and falls in with his family troupe of performers.  Eventually, she goes to work for Antonio Pirigi, the owner of an antiques shop she met some years before, and finds security in his world, and love with Luciano.  

But Luciano too, has a secret.  He is an active anti-fascist, as are his whole family.  Rosa, torn between love and her need to protect her baby, must make a choice.  Eventually, she knows she must leave Luciano to save Sibilla.  When Antonio proposes, she chooses a life with him.  She learns to love him, they are happy, have two more sons, and build the shop into a thriving business.

Alas,  the war that Mussolini has been steering Italy towards has finally arrived, and Rosa's life and family are torn apart by tragedy and madness.  Bravely facing the Germans, and the inevitable showdown with the Marchesa, Rosa learns the truth about herself, her past, and the woman she has become.

The author vividly brought Mussolini-Era Italy, and Florence to life.  Her description of the villa, the furniture she sells and the streets of the city are detailed, and skillfully rendered.  My only dissatisfaction with this book is that some of the decisions Rosa makes seem oversimplified, and abrupt.  For example, while in prison, Rosa waits months and months trying to get in touch with the priest from the convent, Father Marzoli, to ask for help in getting out. Once he arrived, however, she let him think she was guilty of assisting in an abortion rather than risk anyone at the convent getting in trouble.  She imagines a complicated scenario in which her favorite nun, Suor Maddalena is raped by the same prison guard who raped her.  None of this is even hinted at before and seems a bit sudden, not to mention far-fetched.  Similarly, the truth of Rosa's parentage feels a bit contrived, as does the sudden loss of her psychic gifts.  The witches of the Villa are always hovering in the background, but neither their presence, the witchcraft story line, or their assistance seems fully developed or resolved.

Having said that, I found Rosa to be a totally likable heroine whose bravery in the face of huge odds is endearing.  I really enjoyed learning more about the war in Italy and the Germans part in it, as well as the rise of Mussolini.  The point of the book is that war begins in our own hearts; that violence, even against the animals we eat, can only engender more violence, and that peace is the best thing we can bring the world.  To that end, the author succeeds admirably. 

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd (April 12, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0857208764
• ISBN-13: 978-0857208767

Life on a grand scale: Lady Catherine, The Earl and the Real Downton Abbey by Countess Carnarvon

Lady Catherine, The Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey, by the current Countess Carnarvon, Fiona, is a must for any Anglophile. Particularly, those who are addicted to Downton Abbey.  This is the second book by Countess Carnarvon.  The first was 2011's   Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey :  The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle.

Both books center around the Countess of the title.  Lady Almina was the chatelaine during the first World War, and was the mother of the titular Earl of the second book.  She was the natural daughter of Alfred de Rothschild and brought an influx of wealth and glamour to life at Highclere Castle. Her husband was the Egyptologist  Earl of Carnarvon, who along with Howard Carter, discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen.    Her daughter-in-law Catherine, is the focus of the second book, set during the 1920's and through World War II.  Catherine and her husband "Porchey" are the grandparents of the current Earl of Carnarvon, (whose wife Fiona is the author of the series).

The real centerpiece of the books of course, is the fabulous Highclere Castle, much like the fictional Downton Abbey is that of the PBS series.  The family sees itself as the stewards of an estate that has offered jobs, focus, and history for the surrounding countryside and England itself.  When so many of the great houses have been lost, especially during the time frame of the two books, one has to admire the persistence and downright cleverness employed by the family in order to maintain and retain the magnificent estate.

But the lifestyle is the most intriguing facet of the story.  Catherine Wendell was the daughter of an upper  class American family living in reduced circumstances in London after World War I.  Popular and pretty, she met and married Lord Porchester ("Porchey" to family and friends) and started her married life as the bride of an army officer stationed in India.  Her father-in-law, the famous Lord Carnarvon (of the "curse of Tut" fame) died soon after, and the young couple took up residence at Highclere Castle, the seat of the Earls since 1679.  They soon establish themselves as a part of  the elegantly aristocratic set that included royalty, politicians, gadabouts and the fabulously rich.  Racing, shooting weekends, and house parties are described in great detail, and vividly come to life.

One strength of the  book is that the lives of the staff are also examined in great detail.  In an age when all of the footman are called "Charles" despite their real names, it is a little touching (and hopeful0 to see how interwoven the lives and fortunes of the family and staff are.  When Highclere Castle's existence is threatened due to the reckless spending of forefathers, and new taxes, the lifestyle and livelihood of the whole county are affected.  The estate is saved, thanks to an influx of money by Almina, the sale of a number of art works,  and the advancement of the racing stud by Porchey.

Of course, being down-on your-luck Highclere style is still pretty darn fabulous. This is not a story of scrimping and saving.  Life at Highclere seems to be full of hunting, parties and trips abroad.  Ultimately, wealth, birth and privilege do not completely protect one from sadness and loss.  Having established himself as a bon vivant, Porchey also established himself as a womanizer, and the marriage with Catherine ended in 1936.  She was devastated, turned to drink for solace, and remained fragile for some years, until a happier (albeit brief) marriage to Geoffrey Grenfell restored her self-esteem. She married  Don Momand ten years after Geoffreys death, again happily.  Porchey remarried Tilly Losch, the dancer, actor and choreographer , but not happily, and remained single thereafter, although not without companions.

Most interesting to me were the famous figures that flitted through the Carnarvon's  life at Highclere.  Prince George, the Duke of Kent was one of Porchey's best friends, as was the Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill-Spencer. Randolph Churchill (the son of Winston Churchill) was an intimate, and the young King Edward VII  was part of their set before abdicating to marry Wallace Simpson.  Evelyn Waugh and the Duff Cooper's were also visitors to the grand house.  Porchey's second wife was Tilley Losch, an actress who brought  a touch of Hollywood to Highclere, as did Catherine's mother who was close friends with Adele Astaire (now Lady Cavendish).  Political figures, royalty, aristocrats and the wealthy are all a part of life at Highclere Castle.

Also interesting were the World War II stories.  The years leading up to the war, the Blitz, and the first years of the War are brought vividly to life by the author.  The effects of the war on Highclere are dramatic...it becomes a sanctuary for children from London who are escaping the bombs of London, a training facility, and farmed as a source of produce  for the countryside.  And the family and staff stepped  right up to the challenges and sacrifices war demands.  One staff member, the valet-turned-butler Robert Taylor,  was a war hero whose romance and war exploits are recorded in detail.

The elements that make the TV Show Downton Abbey so fascinating are the same things that capture us in real life:  the magnificent beauty of the home itself; the privileged lifestyle; the famous (and infamous) characters; the nostalgia for a time that is gone' and the just plain glamour of it all make this a most compelling read.

Paperback, 368 pages

Published October 29th 2013 by Broadway Books

A Haunting ...of sorts

For a number of reasons, I have not posted a new review for a while.  I'm delighted that this one marks my return.  Bellman & Black is the perfect read for Fall and getting into the Halloween spirit.   I think it may be a great read for spring or summer as well.

The story revolves around William Belllman, a man generously gifted by life.  He is handsome, happily married, and the father of a small and loving brood of bright children.  He is particularly gifted at the business of business and devotes most of his prodigious energy to it.  He eventually becomes the successful owner of a cloth mill.

There is a small problem, however.  William, as a lad, killed a rook with his slingshot. He didn't really mean to do it.  He was just testing his prowess.  But kill it he did, and the reader understands that he will have to atone for that one day.

And a time of tragedy ensues...William nearly loses everything he loves.  In a moment of despair, he makes a strange bargain with a mysterious man whom he sees only on his darkest days.  The results seem positive:  a child is saved, and an idea for a very successful business is born.   But both are won at a terrible cost.

And like Poe's Raven, that rook comes rap, rap, rapping....

Bellman & Black is hypnotic...moody, atmospheric, and lyrical.  The author, Diane Setterfield  (The Thirteenth Tale), perfectly evokes both time and place. The elaborate funeral rites of Victorian England are a perfect setting for a mystery.   Setterfield  builds the suspense so finely that I was surprised at the tension in my body once I became aware of it.  Everything seems to be going well, yet the rooks are never far from our thoughts.  The author reminds us of the link between the birds and man through little lessons she provides at the end of the three Parts.  The imagery is superb:  the doleful black of the rooks is echoed everywhere, even in hair color.   And throughout, Williams' surname somberly tolls...

Hardcover, 336 pages

Expected publication: November 5th 2013 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books 

Tigerlily's Orchids

It can be argued, and many people do, that British author Ruth Rendell is one of the most influential writers of mysteries and police procedurals of the past 30 years. She is the creator of the iconic Inspector Wexford, featured in more than 25 novels. Ms. Rendell is famous for her elegant prose, her social conscience, and most importantly, her keen insight into people. It’s been said that she and her friend P.D. James “upgraded the genre of the whodunit into the whydunit”. As a result of her unique blend of skills, she is the recipient of the most coveted awards for mystery writers. She has also been awarded the C.B.E. or Commander of the British Empire for her work.

Tigerlily’s Orchids is a splendid example of Ms. Rendell’s work. The story takes place in a London apartment building. I was reminded a little of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie Rear Window, with the reader as L.B. Jeffries observing his neighbors as their eccentricities are revealed.

This is a story of secrets, as most stories are. Some are heartbreaking: One is Olwen, whose only goal in life is to be able to drink as much gin as she wants until she dies. Some are perverse: the caretaker who desperately hides his unholy longing. Some are mysterious: who is the beautiful Asian girl hidden in the house across the street? We have old lovers who may or may not remember each other, a not-so-secret affair, a young thief, and the sighing of unrequited love. Finally, we have a murder.

Rendell offers us a fascinating, and sometimes humorous glimpse into the minds of her characters. Of course, each thinks that his or her actions, no matter how rotten, are completely justifiable, and the process by which they absolve themselves can be amusing. One example is Sophia, who goes from buying gin for Olwen at a carrying charge of ₤10.00 per trip to steadily emptying her pension account. She begins by blaming Olwen for being out of touch and ends by blaming her roommates for having boyfriends.

Complex, darkly ironic, and elegantly plotted, Tigerlily’s Orchids proves that at 81, Ruth Rendell continues to ensnare us in her spell.

Tigerlily’s Orchids by Ruth Rendell (Scribner $26.00 Hardcover,
9780385668880, June 14, 2011)

Published with permission of Shelf Awareness

MEET EINSTEIN by Mariela Kleiner and Illus. by Viviana Garofoli

Special Children's Edition:  I don't often review children's books, but our friends at JKS Communications were kind enough to send me a copy of MEET EINSTEIN, and I had to share my comments.  Since I'm fortunate to have adorable nieces who enjoy bedtime stories,  I have been stunned at the craftsmanship of a good children's book. And there are a lot of good ones out there.   The breezy wit, the humour, and  the ability to enchant in just a few short pages is a skill I so envy , and it's accompanied by incredible art.  It's a slim little gift every time.  And people like to think children's book writing is easy. Tut tut.

Now I'm the one demanding a new story at bedtime when I visit my girls.
 
                                                                                        ********

hThis book is a success on so many levels; it’s hard to list them all. First, it’s difficult to imagine that the age group targeted (2-4 years) would care who Einstein is, much less want to meet him. But the book explains that everyone is really a scientist. Everyone who asks questions, that is. And have you ever met a child, who, as soon as they could speak, did not begin to ask questions?  "Why” has to be the favorite word in any toddler’s vocabulary.

The story behind this book is charming. This is the debut children’s book publication for the author, Mariela Kleiner. She allowed her 2-year old daughter to choose a “grown up book” for a bedtime story, and Hailey chose Einstein’s Relativity. (Um, wow.) To make the book a little more accessible to her daughter, Ms. Kleiner wrote Meet Einstein.

Mercifully, Meet Einstein stays away from the Theory of Relativity, and focuses on light and gravity. (I can't believe I just wrote that sentence.)  The author talks about the different colors of light, and why things fall to the ground every time. The book ends with some cool questions for parents to ask their budding scientists, which is a great conversation starter. Plus, there are some interesting things to know about Einstein, and ends with some fascinating scientific facts. It’s almost like a baby book club reader’s guide.

And the illustrations are a delight! The illustrator, Viviana Garofoli, has illustrated over 20 children’s books in addition to other projects. And she brings such a sense of fun to the topic of science. Of course, the curiously- coifed Einstein contributes a lot, but Ms. Garofoli adds an adorable dog as a sidekick, and some very helpful frogs. And of course, we see the children all over the world who are learning about light and gravity along with us. I liked the end papers that defined all of the scientific tools and how they are used.

I hope this is the beginning of a series (“Meet Leonardo”, “Meet Madame Curie”, etc.). This is the perfect introduction to science. Not only does it introduce science before it becomes a scary topic, it makes science easy to understand, makes it fun, and makes it accessible. Also, it may present a good point for us grown-ups to keep in mind:  children aren’t really trying to drive us mad with their questions. They are just scientists in training.

Author: Mariela Kleiner
Illustrator: Viviana Garofoli
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Meet Books, LLC (March 1, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-0615389738

At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson

One of the most appealing qualities a person can possess is curiosity, and Bill Bryson has it by the bucketful. Which of course, makes him one of the most delightful and insightful writers around. Not only is Mr. Bryson insatiably curious, but he draws us in through his enthusiasm, his wit, and the pure beauty of his writing. Not since discovering P.G. Wodehouse during my freshman year of high school have I laughed out loud simply at the way a writer rubbed two words together.

In his latest outing, Mr. Bryson has given us the entire history of private life, without ever leaving the 150 year old rectory he calls home located in Norfolk, England. Moving from room to room in his house and discussing the contents, the development of its purpose, the architecture, the servants, the lighting, the furnishings, and the people who used the room, we learn about the development of the heart of a people: the homes of the people who live there.

One of the gifts of the book is its many small segues. One never knows where Bill Bryson will take you, but it’s always an amazing ride. One such example is the Nursery. The discussion of the nursery involves a look at infant mortality, child labor laws, domestic missionary work and the reforms of the Poor Laws, children’s place in society (even the wealthy ones), public schools and Charles Darwin.

And then there is the humor. In a typical passage describing Clergymen who made significant contributions to history, Bryson writes:

"In Dorset, the perkily named Octavius Pickard-Cambridge became the world’s leading authority on spiders while his contemporary the Reverend William Shepherd wrote a history of dirty jokes. John Clayton of Yorkshire gave the first practical demonstration of gas lighting. The Reverend George Garrett, of Manchester, invented the submarine. Adam Buddle, a botanist vicar in Essex, was the eponymous inspiration for the flowering buddleia. The Revered John Mackenzie Bacon of Berkshire was a pioneering hot air balloonist and the father of aerial photography. Sabine Baring-Gould wrote the hymn “Onward, Christian Solders” and, more unexpectedly, the first novel to feature a werewolf. The Revered Robert Stephen Hawker of Cornwall wrote poetry of distinction and was much admired by Longfellow and Tennyson, though he slightly alarmed his parishioners by wearing a pink fez and passing much of his life under the powerfully serene influence of opium."

If The New York Review of Books had a Sexiest Man Alive issue, Bill Bryson would be on the cover every year.

Many readers are familiar with Bill Bryson through his earlier works: A Walk in the Woods, In a Sunburned Country, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. For them, a new book by Bryson is always a cause for celebration. A chance to spend a few hours in the company of this charming guide is an opportunity to be savored.

Publisher: Doubleday (October 5, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0767919388

Buy This Book:  http://doubleday.knopfdoubleday.com/

A Small Death in the Great Glen by A.D. Scott

A Small Death in the Great Glen is the debut title by A.D. Scott, and I am eagerly awaiting the follow up to be released next summer. The story is set in the Highlands of Scotland in 1956. It’s already intriguing from an American point of view: the accents, the atmosphere, and the customs. Then we have a great cast of characters, many of them working at the weekly gazette of the small village all of them live in: Joanne Ross, the battered wife; McAllister, editor and keeper of secrets; Rob Mclean, eager young investigative reporter; Travelers; runaway Polish exiles; expatriate Italians; priests and policemen; gossips; and rogue politicians.

Of equal weight, are time and place. The setting is so beautifully detailed and lovingly drawn that it is a character in itself: the gray stones of the village, the vast sweeps of the glens. And a small village in Scotland in post war 50’s: the missing young men, the damaged ones that returned, the dour conservatism, the importance of music, the sly Celtic charm.

When a small boy is murdered, the staff of the paper becomes involved in an investigation to uncover the murderer, each for his own reasons. Ancient superstitions and modern prejudices as well as greed and corruption all interfere with finding the truth. But along the way, the characters, especially Joanne and McAllister, find out what they are made of, and what is critically important to them. Their pasts, their present, and what they want from the future finally become clear as they work to right the wrong done to a small boy.

Ms. Scott creates a colorful, fascinating world and a suspenseful story. Richly developed characters, and a tautly plotted adventure make this novel hard to put down. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment in the series (and I do hope it’s a series). Ms. Scott is to be congratulated. I find it difficult to believe this is a debut novel. It has the feel of a very seasoned writer. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Publisher: Atria; Original edition (August 3, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1439154937
ISBN-13: 978-1439154939

The Whisperers by John Connolly

Charlie Parker is one of my favorite characters. Mysterious and melancholy, he is surrounded by violence, yet not violent himself. Otherworldly, and haunted by his past, he can be funny and irreverent.  His friends are both lethal and loyal.

For those unfamiliar with Charlie, his back story is this: an ex NYC cop, now a private detective living in Maine. His wife and young daughter were killed some years ago in a gruesome way while he was out getting drunk. Nothing new so far.  Charlie tracked down, and killed the murderer, and discovered a gift for ridding the world of a particular breed of serial killer. Along the way he has acquired the friendship of Angel, a scruffy ex-thief, and Louis, an elegant and deadly hit man, who are partners in crime and in life. The exchanges between Louis and Angel are often hilarious, and occasionally, heartbreakingly sweet. They are unswervingly loyal to Charlie, and their intercession often saves Charlie’s life. Louis’ marksmanship and flair for drama reminds me of Harlan Coben’s Win Lockwood, in the Myron Bolitar series. Recently, Charlie has fallen in love with Rachel, and has had another daughter named Sam. Rachel can’t take the violence that surrounds Charlie and has taken Sam and moved to Vermont, leaving Charlie bereft and alone.

This may seem like typical detective drama so far, but Connolly has added another layer to Charlie’s story. When I say Charlie is haunted by his past, I mean literally haunted. His murdered wife and daughter appear to him and others. And Charlie, through his investigations, comes to understand that he is a little different than other people. We don’t quite know how yet, but the figures he battles aren’t quite human, and he is followed around by characters that aren’t quite human either. One, The Collector, so named because he takes a souvenir from those he rids the world of, sees himself as “ridding the world of evil”, yet one feels as if he will one day be a threat to Charlie, even though they have an uneasy peace for now.

In The Whisperers, Charlie is again battling unseen foes. A group of soldiers has brought antiquities home from Iraq that they are selling to help each other with medical expenses. One of the antiquities is a Pandora-like box that contains a power causing them to commit suicide. "The Collector" ( from a previous  case) makes an appearance, as well as the rather gruesome "Herod". Particularly interesting is the insight into the soldier’s hardships once they returned from Iraq. Tired of empty promises, abandoned by the government they served, the soldiers are forced to band together to survive in a country that has forgotten them, and the promises made to them.  Crimes are committed in the name of compassion, blending the ethcal lines.  iParticularly good was the therapist’s conversation with Charlie about his own Post-Traumatic Stress and the affect it has had on his own life. Connolly  A unique blend of crime fiction and the supernatural, Connolly creates an eerie world and a tormented hero who battles inner and outer demons. 
Publisher: Atria; 1 edition (July 13, 2010)
ISBN-10: 143916519X
ISBN-13: 978-1439165195

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

One of the great pleasures of this year is discovering a few authors I haven’t read before. Tom Franklin is one of these. I can’t believe I somehow overlooked this writer. He is everything one hopes for in a writer, especially a Southern writer: an unerring ear for dialogue, compassion, a poetic sense of the absurd, and courage. Above all courage. The power of this little book just stunned me.

The story is just heartbreaking. An awkward little boy, dorky and friendless, meets a black boy and they become uneasy friends. Later, the boy lands a date with the sexiest girl in high school. He is the last person to see her alive. Her body is never found and the lonely little boy grows into a lonely man, a pariah in his small, southern town. Treated with so much contempt that he is grateful when a creepy little admirer, who is sure he murdered the girl, starts hanging around Not much of a friend, but a friend.

Now it’s twenty years later, and Larry the loner, and Silas the black man, who is now the local constable, cross paths again when another girl goes missing. And Larry is the first person who is suspected. Betrayal, old secrets, friendship and the simple needs of the human heart are all laid bare as the story of what happened twenty years ago emerges. The story is both brutal and unutterably sad, as a sad as a wasted life. Larry has accepted his lot with such stoicism, the same uncritical acceptance of his father’s sadistic cruelty towards him, or the other children’s unthinking mockery, or Silas’ betrayal. The only innocent in the story is the most harshly treated, as is so often the case in Southern literature.

Tom Franklin is one of the few writers I know that can so perfectly capture a true Southern accent (Rick Bragg anyone?). As a Southerner, I know. And he is dead on. It’s not the Scarlett O’Hara Antebellum Southern. This is true redneck cracker-speak. And it’s essential to these narrow-minded; small-town; easily-led; prejudiced; malevolent hicks. And at the same time, there is great poetry in this book. Franklin creates a perfect sense of time and atmosphere.

Beautifully written, cleverly plotted, Mr. Franklin shows us again why writing is an art, not a science. I highly recommend Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. The redemption at the conclusion of the book is all the sweeter for the outrage one feels at the harm done Larry. The book has a lot to say about the way we treat those on the outskirts of life, and our prejudices. The message is a good one, and delivered by a master.

Publisher: William Morrow (October 5, 2010)
IBSN-13: 978-0060594664

Buy This Book http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/19243/Tom_Franklin/index.aspx

FAITHFUL PLACE By Tana French

It’s hard for me to put my finger on one thing that sets Tana French’s novels apart from others of the “police procedural” genre. It’s a combination of a lot of things: less CSI-like detail, and a lot more psychological insight; a moving back story with quirky, touching relationships; flawed protagonists; an exquisite eye for detail; and a fast, punchy writing style that builds suspense quickly and holds there. She gives us superb plotting, and as an American, I’m just knocked out by the dialogue.

Is that enough superlatives for you? It’s honestly hard to get them all in. Tana French burst onto the scene with THE WOODS in 2007 for which she won the Edgar Award. She followed that with THE LIKENESS in 2008. which was selected by Salon.com as the Best Book of the Year. And the list of awards goes on. As it should.

Ms. French’s books are linked by characters working for the Dublin Murder squad. FAITHFUL PLACE focuses on Frank Mackey, who readers will remember as Cassie Maddox’s mentor in THE LIKENESS. Frank works in Undercover, which makes the case more fascinating, because this book is almost all psychological, without any of the forensic elements of most murder investigations. Frank also has to protect his undercover status throughout, so he is the shadow investigator, never having official status on the case. He works behind the scenes for a number of reasons.

Twenty-two years ago Frank was to meet his love, Rosie Daly, to leave Ireland behind and start a new life in England. Rosie did not show up, leaving instead a note, asking him to understand why she needed to go. Frank waited the night, then started walking, and never looked back. Now he gets a call from his sister telling him that Rosie’s suitcase has been found behind the chimney in a derelict house at the top of Faithful Place, the street he grew up on. It looks like Rosie may not have left for England after all. Frank is once again in the middle of the family, the neighborhood, and the life he promised himself never to return to. Even worse, now his daughter is involved, and may be in danger herself.

Frank is a wounded soul…bitter about Rosie’s desertion, ashamed of his origins, furious at his father’s drunken brutality, and at war with his brother Shay. He does care for his other siblings, particularly his sister Jackie, and younger brother Kevin. He has an awkwardly sweet relationship with his ex-wife, and one of the most adorable father-daughter relationships I’ve ever read. He is isolated from his fellow cops by the nature of his job, and well, by his nature. It’s the tangle of all these relationship that are the heart of the story of what happened to Rosie Daly.

FAITHFUL PLACE is one of those books you will not want to put down once you have started in, so schedule your reading for a nice restful weekend. Or better yet, buy all three books and take them to the beach with you. Bring lots and lots of sunscreen.

Publisher: Viking Adult (July 13, 2010)

ISBN-13: 978-0670021871
To Buy This Book

CAPTIVITY by Deborah Noyes

Captivity is one of those books that you find maybe once, or if you are lucky, twice a year. A haunting story, exquisite writing, compelling characters, and a really interesting plot question. In this case, did the Fox sisters have a gift, or was it a hoax?

The story centers around a true incident in western New York in 1848: two sisters, Maggie and Kate Fox claimed that the dead were trying to communicate with them through poltergeist activity and “rapping”. A dig in their basement turns up the body of a peddler who had died years before, as predicted by the girls. A move to Rochester, to their older sister Leah’s home (and management) soon turns them into a sensation, and creates the birth of the American Spiritualist movement. Despite a number of grueling and humiliating tests, the sisters are never revealed as frauds.

The middle sister, Maggie, is bold, fresh, and extremely likable. She strikes up a friendship of sorts with a local recluse, Clara Gill, and through their friendship the story unfolds. The sister’s story is told going forward, Clara’s is told in flashbacks.

Clara was living in London some twenty-odd years ago, illustrating a naturalist catalog with sketches of animals when she fell deeply in love with the “beast keeper” of the London Tower’s Menagerie. Will Cross is absolutely charming, and irresistible for a carefully brought up young Victorian lady: unsuitable, of course, full of poetry, life, and laughter. He is self-educated, and as exotic as the animals he loves. Their love story is as tender and awkward as every first love and every bit as moving. Anyone who has ever loved and lost can understand Clara’s withdrawal from the world when in ends terribly.

Captivity is very much the theme here. The animals of the menagerie are captives, of course. Will is a “beast keeper” and she a naturalist. She asks him “does it pain you? To see them here?” “Here with me” he says cheerily, “They might be here anyway. They might be here without me”……”They’re going to be shut up anyway” he explains. the world runs it’s course.” But it is her uncle and his naturalist friends who serve the exotic animals at a dinner designed to raise money to study and collect them. They gobble up the very thing they claim to prize. A point that is not missed by Clara. The freedom of birds too, echoes throughout the book: Maggie’s love gives her a canary in a golden cage when he asks her to give up her “rapping” to marry him. She frees it, and he sends it back, saying that he had caught it again. An interesting touch of metaphor in that this bird is a bit of a fraud. Clara sketches birds repeatedly. Maggie gives Clara a nest with a girls hair ribbon in it. Will’s mentor is a gypsy seller of “nesties”.

Clara is a captive of her love, and her past. She has barely left her room in 22 years despite her father’s quiet appeals to do so. She only starts going out when Maggie enters her life and she becomes curious again. Maggie is a captive of her “gift”, her mercenary family, and her need to better herself. And of her own love when he comes along.

Woven throughout the story is the question of the Fox sisters “gifts”. Do they really communicate with spirits? Is it a hoax? Noyes slyly teases and provokes without giving too much away. Maggie loves to drop hints, and Katie seems to actually be a mystic, while Leah is openly mercenary. And if they are fraudulent, are they giving hope or doing harm? And how to they make the rapping/poltergeist activity happen? These are questions the reader must answer for him/herself. It’s a fascinating puzzle.

I highly recommend Captivity. I knew any book about the Fox sisters would be interesting. To this day the controversy continues as to whether they were fact or fraud. I did not expect the tender love story at the heart of the book. Clara is such a wonderful combination of fragile and strong that you just can’t help caring deeply for her. Deborah Noyes has the ability to make all of this very real with a delicate, ethereal beauty. She perfectly captures mood, description and the poetry of love. A marvelous writer. A marvelous book.

To Buy This Book

Publisher: Unbridled Books; 1 edition (June 1, 2010)

ISBN-13: 978-1936071630

The Frozen Rabbi by Steve Stern

Rabbi Eliezer Ben Zephyr, the Boibiczer Prodigy, is surely one of the most charming characters ever to grace the pages of a book. And the story line of this novel is as delightfully unexpected as its characters.

The story begins when young Bernie Karp of Memphis, TN comes across the body of a rabbi frozen in a block of ice beneath the pot roasts and chickens in his family freezer.

When he asks his father why they have a dead man in their freezer, his father replies that the dead man is a family heirloom: “Some people got taxidermied pets in the attic, we got a frozen rabbi in the basement. It’s a family tradition,”. Completely intrigued, Bernie is delighted when a power outage frees the old tzaddik, and hides him in the rumpus room for several weeks. These weeks are important for each of them. Bernie quickly learns the mystical Rabbi’s secrets, while the Rabbi obsessively watches TV and learns about the modern world. One observation: “ If a man to other men will sell his wife, is not obliged Reb Springer to cleave open his breast and tear out his farkokte heart?”

Through a series of flashbacks, it emerges that the rabbi, who lived in the village of Boibicz in1889, was in the habit of meditating near a small lake. While meditating, the holy man would leave his body and commune with the angels and God. While out of his body one day, a dreadful flood filled the area, and the body of the Rabbi was lost. A few years later, an ice cutter and his son found the Rabbi sleeping peacefully under the ice. His followers, in a flurry of indecision over his mortality, cut the block of ice from the lake and kept it in the local icehouse, run by Bernie’s ancestors.

While the block of ice and Bernie’s family travel through time, war, pograms and countries, always caring for their icebound charge, the modern story continues. The Rabbi, now thoroughly modernized, creates a New House of Enlightenment and almost overnight becomes a spiritual celebrity. Bernie, on the other hand, embraces the Rabbi’s old Jewish mysticism and starts leaving his body, often at inconvenient times. The kids at his school take advantage of this, and take to stuffing him in lockers, etc. until he is befriended by another loner, Lou Ella. Then his out-of-body experiences become inconvenient for another reason: “If you can’t take me with you, at least bring me something back”. The moral dilemma of the book comes from Bernie’s deepening faith as the Rabbi becomes a spiritual con artist. Yet Bernie believes in the old man, despite appearances. And in the end, they are united in a bizarre twist.

Funny’ absurd, and whimsical: of course. Full of Jewish history and traditions: naturally. Moving and often profound: sometime surprisingly. I loved Bernie’s family, and why each took on the care of the terribly inconvenient frozen charge. This is an absolute charmer of a book, and often asks some hard questions of faith. I haven’t read Steve Stern before, and that is an oversight I intend to rectify immediately

To Buy This Book

Publisher: Algonquin Books (May 11, 2010)

ISBN-13: 978-1565126190

Daughters of the Witching Hill and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe.

Purely by coincidence, (or….was it? insert maniacal laugher here ) I read these two fascinating studies of witchcraft and politics back to back. Although set nearly a century apart, and in different continents, they make terrific companion pieces. Both are works of fiction, set against real events, and ask the question “What if the witches, hanged at Salem and elsewhere, and long presumed innocent victims of hysteria and superstition; what if at least some of them really were witches?”

Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt, is the story of a true incident in Lancashire, England during the 16th century. A family of “cunning women”, or Blessers, is accused of witchcraft in order to further the ambitions of a nobleman. The protagonist of the story is Elizabeth Demdyke, who lives during a time when doctors/barbers bled the humours out of starving patients, midwives put knives under beds to cut the pain of child birth, and life expectancy of a nobleman was about 42 years old. A noblewoman was lucky to make 30 after 10 or so pregnancies.

And Elizabeth and her family were no noblemen. Keeping starvation and homelessness at bay were the task of the entire family, and they did what they had to to survive. Bess discovered early on that she had a gift for blessing animals well, potions, and healing. Aided in this by her spirit friend, Tibb, she keeps strictly to light magicks, and wholesome arts. Until the day she is begged by her dearest and oldest friend, Anne, to help her protect her daughter from the son of the local landlord. With no protection, no rights, and no justice, the women do what they must. But the taste of power goes to Anne’s head, and she and Bess part ways over Anne’s dark path.

Bess’s granddaughter Alizon, is the narrator for the latter half of the book. All her life she has run from her families gift, and she lives in terror that Anne’s malice, or her brother’s lunacy will expose the family to ruin. In a time when practicing Catholicism is a capitol crime, her family’s adherence to the old religion is enough to see them hung, never mind the whispers that hang about the two families like a miasma. When Alizon loses her temper and shouts at a local peddler, resulting in a stroke, the innocent suffer with the guilty when the local landowner steps in to curry favor with the devoutly Protestant King James.

Mary Sharratt brings these characters to life in their flawed, sympathetic, bawdy, rich, colorful detail. I particularly like the names of the familiar spirits of the witches: Tibb, Fancy, Ball. The vivid glimpse of a maypole dance in rural England; the dark, heavy glare from the pulpit of the Reformed Faith, eager for the scent of the old religion’s idolatry and incense. The powerlessness of starvation; when parents feed their children mud so they can sleep with a belly that feels full. Who is guilty in such a world? And who is truly innocent?

Beautifully written, a story of tragedy and misused power, I highly recommend Daughters of the Witching Hill.

Oh, and as an amusing aside…while recovering from a migraine the other night, and channel surfing, I heard the name “Elizabeth Demdyke” coming from the television. I found the station again only to discover that the British Spook Show “Most Haunted” is claiming to be followed around by the “Pendle Witches”, featuring Elizabeth Demdyke. On this episode, she had apparently followed them to Wales. Odd coincidence, that.  The old girl really gets around.

Daughters of the Witching Hill
Mary Sharratt
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN-13: 978-0-547-06967-8

The Physick Book Of Deliverance Dane by
Katherine Howe

Connie Goodman is a graduate student at Harvard working on her thesis in American Colonial History. As she searches for the subject of her thesis, she come across the name Deliverance Dane, and gradually comes to realize that Deliverance is one of the Salem Witches, thus far undocumented in history. As the mystery unravels, Connie finds herself drawn into the past in a very real way through visions. Fascinated, Connie goes on to discover that Deliverance is a distant relation to her. And that Connie herself may have inherited some of the gifts that Deliverance, Connie’s grandmother, and mother share. As Connie’s powers grow, so does her ability to sense those who do not have her best interests at heart. Eventually Connie’s search leads her to the search for the grimoire, or the “Physick Book”, the book of recipes, Deliverance handed down to her family as the key to understand the mystery.

A very sweet and tender love story also develops with the story of Deliverance Dane. A local steeplejack named Sam helps Connie solve the mystery and face down the danger that the search for the Physick Book brings. Connie’s mother, an endless source of irritation for Connie, also becomes a source of inspiration as the pieces fall in place.

An interesting note about the author, Katherine Howe, is that she herself is the descendant of two of the accused Salem Witches: Elizabeth Proctor, who survived the panic, and Elizabeth Howe, who was condemned.. She is a gifted writer who brings the past alive in a way that makes it just as real as the present. The two existed side by side in a natural, although mystical, way. Howe has the historian’s fine eye for detail, and brings the 17th century world of woman alive with wry humor; her characters are bold, fresh, and just plain likeable.

The Physick Book Of Deliverance Dane is Katherine Howe’s debut novel, and I’m already looking forward to the next one. I predict a brilliant literary career ahead.

The Physick Book Of Deliverance Dane

Katherine Howe

Hyperion Books

IBSN: 978-1-4013-4133-6