Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by
William Kuhn imagines what would happen if Queen Elizabeth II decided to slip out of the castle and go incognito among her subjects. The monarch has been a little blue, thinking about all the things the government has been taking away, how the family firm has had a rough patch, etc. She makes a spur of the moment decision to visit her former yacht, Britannia, which is moored in Edinburgh. How the Queen ends up in a skull and crossbones hoodie in the company of a stable girl and an Indian cheese shop employee while being trailed by a frantic staff makes, according to Jud, for a delightful excursion. The book has been compared to that wonderful
Alan Bennett novel
The Uncommon Reader. It’s highly recommended.
The Life of Pi by
Yann Martel has become a popular book with the release of the movie of the same name. Pi Patel is the son of a zookeeper who sets out on an ocean voyage to transport a number of the zoo animals to a new home in Canada. Along the way the ocean liner sinks, leaving Pi on a life boat with a few of the animals—including a tiger. The book can be read both as a straight adventure story and as a fable/allegory. Some Nevermore members had already seen the movie and recommended it.
Another unusual circumstance is the basis for the inspirational novel
The
Dog That Talked to God by
Jim Kraus. After the death of
her husband and son, Mary adopts a Miniature Schnauzer she names Rufus
as a companion. One evening Mary asks a question aloud and Rufus
answers her. It turns out that Rufus also talks to God and through his
canine nativity offers Mary a different perspective on life. It was
recommended for people who like dog stories, although the reviewer
thought the dog could have been in it a bit more.
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