Reported by Kristin
Maisie Dobbs is a
favorite character of a few Nevermore readers, and this time she showed up in An
Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear. This series takes place after
the Great War in England, as Maisie undertakes criminal investigations with a
psychological bent. This outing has her researching a small village in Kent,
and is full of the historical detail that readers of the series enjoy. Our
reader recommends starting at the beginning with the first book, simply titled Maisie
Dobbs.
Returning to
non-fiction, another Nevermore member read and enjoyed The Possibility Dogs:
What I Learned from Second-Chance Rescues about Service, Hope, and Healing
by Susannah Charleston. The author was involved in search-and-rescue operations
and began to find shelter dogs who had the potential to be of service to people
with disabilities. Our reader found that she was amazed at how much the dogs
have to learn to do, and found their capabilities heartwarming.
Graphic novels pop
up in the group once in a while, and today it was Angel CatBird by
Margaret Atwood. The author of the well-known The Handmaid's Tale and
the more recent sequel The Testaments, Atwood wrote this fantasy novel
of genetic engineer Strig Feleedus who ends up as part of his own science
experiment based on cat and owl DNA. Strig becomes a superhero in this first
part of a trilogy. Our reader noted that Atwood wrote this book as a bit of an
apology to birds as she realized that her indoor-outdoor cats over the years
had been stalking and killing avian prey. This book comes recommended if you
would like something just a little different.
Fair and Tender
Ladies by Lee Smith has
been passed around to several book club members, and is usually praised highly.
Ivy Rowe was born in the Virginia mountains and never ventures far, but tells
her tale of Appalachia through a series of letters. Written using local
dialogue, this novel is touching and very identifiable to those who live in
this region.
Finally, a reader
discussed Thunderstruck by Erik Larson. With two interwoven stories of
Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the telegraph, and Hawley Crippen, a man who
probably would have gotten away with murder if he just hadn't chopped up his
wife. As news was able to be communicated more quickly due to the telegraph,
the murder investigation travelled across the Atlantic faster than the sailing
ships could. This strange juxtaposition of stories sounds odd, but it works as
Larson is skilled at telling the tales of quirky people.
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