Reported by Jeanne
This week’s Nevermore opened with Nomadland by
Jessica Bruder. There are a number of
Americans, usually older people, who travel the country in search of temporary
jobs. Some are formerly affluent, but
shrinking incomes or financial setbacks have made it difficult (if not
impossible) to eke out a living. So they
set out in RVs or converted vans to follow the seasonal jobs. They come from a variety of backgrounds--police,
wait staff, teachers—but now they work as campground custodians, warehouse
personnel for Amazon, or harvesting produce.
Bruder interviews a number of those folks, exploring the culture they
have created. Our reader found it both eye-opening
and fascinating.
White Chrysanthemum by
Mary Lynn Bracht is a novel built around two sisters, Hana and Emi, whose lives
are forever changed one day in 1943 when Japanese soldiers appear on their Korean
island. Hana sacrifices herself to allow
her younger sister to escape and is taken to be a “comfort woman”—that is, a
sex slave to the Japanese soldiers. The
book alternates points of view between Emi and Hana. Our reviewer thought it was an excellent
book, but was also frustrated that so much shame was attached to the girls when
it wasn’t their fault. She felt it that
they were seen as having no value and she found that very sad.
In 2001, American journalist Peter Hessler acquired a
Chinese driver’s license and set out to explore the country by car. It took him seven years, but resulted in Country
Driving, an intriguing book that examines modern Chinese culture during a
period of rapid change. Hessler spent
time in several small towns and villages, places that are now disappearing as
people move to the cities for work. He
also examines the upheavals created by the growing number of automobiles and increasing
industrialization. It’s a wonderful book and comes highly recommended.
Jeffrey Eugenides’ Fresh Complaint is a collection of
short fiction enhanced by Eugenides’ strong characterization and fresh
approaches to the human condition. Our
reader said that the writing is “different” and that sometimes the stories stop,
leaving the reader to supply the ending.
The question is, do you envision the way it should end or the way you wish it would end? No matter the answer,
he felt it was a book everyone could enjoy. However, if you read only one story
in the collection, then read the final one.
The Gods of Howl Mountain by
Taylor Brown was enjoyed by our next Nevermore member. The year is 1952, and Rory Cocherty has
returned to North Carolina from Korea with injuries to both body and
spirit. He finds employment running
moonshine while living with his grandmother, the unforgettable Granny May. There’s humor as well as drama, and it all
ends “as well as it could.” Our reader
was impressed with the strong sense of place, and said the writer knows the
area. This is Brown’s fourth novel, and
one reviewer recommended it for readers who enjoy reading Wiley Cash and Ron
Rash.
With the new PBS season of “Queen Victoria” airing, our next
member decided to read more about the monarch.
She picked up the new book Queen Victoria’s Matchmaking by
Deborah Cadbury. She found it to be a most
interesting book, with tidbits of gossip along with fascinating history. Prince
Albert had advocated using marriage to strengthen ties and promote peace
between the countries of Europe, and his wife took the advice to heart. Through a series of calculated political
marriages, she had descendants in many Royal Houses, and five of her
grandchildren were crowned heads of countries.
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