Nevermore: Waking Up White, Alexander Hamilton, Before She Disappeared, An Elderly Lady Must Not be Crossed

 

Reported by Garry

The books brought to Nevermore this week ran the gamut from historical fiction to farce and romance to murder mystery. We always have a great selection of books to discuss!

Waking Up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race by Debby Irving was the first book discussed this week. The author grew up privileged in a wealthy suburb of Boston.  Sheltered and rather oblivious to the social inequalities around her, it took Irving years to realize why her efforts at inclusion and diversity were failing. In 2009, she had a life-altering moment that changed how she saw herself and her relationships. Our reader found this a well thought out, insightful book and recommends it to anyone who would like to reexamine their own position of privilege.

Alexander Hamilton’s Guide to Life by Jeff Wilser was the next book reviewed. This light-hearted but well researched biography of one of the most important figures in American history is laid out chronologically and discusses Hamilton’s approach to life with wit and heart, while still being historically accurate. Our reader is a big fan of Alexander Hamilton, and credits him with shaping the United States into the country that it is today. She says that this 336 page book is an easy read that examines and elucidates the life-approach of this influential Founding Father, and highly recommends it.

 

Our next reader took on the classic Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. This novel, first published in 1818 (and one of the first examples of science-fiction), tells the story of the young Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who creates a sentient creature from harvested body parts. The book varies distinctly from the now iconic 1931 film starring Boris Karloff. Shelley’s literary “Creature” is intelligent, sentient and capable of discussions and existential reasoning. The story also takes place in a wider variety of locations than depicted in the film. Ostensibly about a scientist and the creature he creates, this novel raises questions about the nature of sentience, the responsibility of scientists for their creations, and the rights of self-determination of “created” life-forms; questions that, more than 200 years later, are becoming ever-more relevant. Our reader highly recommends this eerily prescient, immensely influential book.

 

The latest Frankie Elkin mystery, Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner is a thrilling read that our reader particularly liked because it was not “all wrapped up in a bow” at the end. Frankie Elkin is a recovering alcoholic who tries to solve missing person cold-cases. Her new case brings her to a rough Boston neighborhood, where she is searching for a Haitian teenager by the name of Angelique Badeau. Running into resistance from both Angelique’s family and the local Boston police, Frankie puts her own life on the line in order to solve the disappearance. Tightly written with an intriguing female protagonist, our reader quite enjoyed this modern day mystery.

An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed is the second in the Elderly Lady series by Helene Tursten that picks up immediately after An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good. Maud is an 88 year old living in Gothenburg, Sweden, who knows what she wants and will achieve it at all costs. This clever book intertwines six short stories about Maud’s earlier life helping to explain how she came to be the ruthless yet caring person that she is. Doddering when she wishes to be, and cunning and spry when it suits her needs, Maud is far more than meets the eye - a character that will devilishly stick with you for years to come.

Also mentioned:

The Ballad of Laurel Springs by Janet Beard

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich

Trust Me by Hank Phillipi Ryan

Two Graves by Preston and Child

The Survivors by Alex Schulman

On Animals by Susan Orlean

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Bloodline by Jess Lourey

There is Nothing For You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century by Fiona Hill

America’s First Western Frontier: East Tennessee: A Story of the Early Settlers and Indians of East Tennessee by Brenda Calloway

Seedtime on the Cumberland by Harriette Simpson Arnow

Blood and Treasure:  Daniel Boone and the Fight for America’s First Frontier by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

Along a Storied Trail by Anne Gabhart

I Take My Coffee Black: Reflections on Tupac, Musical Theater, Faith, and Being Black in America by Tyler Merritt

I’m Possible: A Story of Survival, a Tube, and the Small Miracle of a Big Dream by Richard Antoine White

The Heroine with 1001 Faces by Maria Tatar

The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin

The House Girl by Tara Conklin

Nevermore: Everybody Behaves Badly, Taking of Jemima Boone, Before She Disappeared, Pickles Tails

 

In the summer of 1925, Ernest Hemingway wrote his first best-selling novel, The Sun Also Rises.  He based the characters on some of his friends and companions at the time, a decision which ended a lot of friendships.  Author Lesley Blume in her book Everybody Behaves Badly examines some of the real people behind these characters and how Hemingway began to create his own legend.  Our reviewer said it was aptly named, as everyone did behave badly and while she had never been a Hemingway fan, she certainly wasn’t one now. 

 

The Taking of Jemima Boone by Matthew Pearl was praised by our next Nevermore member.  The author is both a novelist and a historian, and she very much enjoyed learning about Daniel Boone and his family.  She noted that the book covered much more than just thirteen year old Jemima’s capture by Cherokee and Shawnee warriors, but how the settlers and natives interacted as the American War for Independence begins. She recommends the book.

 

Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner features Frankie Elkin, a detective who specializes in finding missing persons.  She is especially drawn to those cases where there seem to be no leads, which is how she finds herself in Boston, tending bar while she looks for missing teenager Angelique Badeau.  It turns out that Angelique wasn’t the only girl in the neighborhood who is missing, and Frankie may be getting into more than she bargained for with this case.  The reader said she usually enjoys Lisa Gardner’s books because the author tells a gripping story.  Recommended for anyone who likes thrillers and page turners. 

 

Finally, Pickles Tails:  The Hijinks of Muffin and Roscoe by Brian Crane is a collection of Pickles comic strips featuring Muffin the cat and Roscoe the dog as well as their owners Earl and Opal, a long-time married couple who know just how to push each other’s buttons.  Our reviewer said it was a delight and brightened her day.  Anyone who needs a laugh should give it a try.

Other titles mentioned:

The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen

Next Year in Havana by Chantel Cleeton

Golden Age by Jane Smiley

On Animals by Susan Orlean

Lake Crescent: A Creature X Mystery by J.J. Dupuis