Nevermore: No One Ever Asked, A God in Ruins, Queen Victoria, This Narrow Space, How Democracies Die, The Brightest Sun

Reported by Kristin

No One Ever Asked by Katie Ganshert began this week’s book club discussion.  As a wealthy school district is forced to open their doors to students from a neighboring poorer district, racial issues bloom.  A young black woman is hired at the more affluent (and formerly primarily white) school, her narration providing the perspective of the black community.  Another white woman whose desire for a child leads her to an interracial adoption adds yet another view of the situation.  The PTA chairwoman who has worked so hard for her “perfect” school is disturbed by the potential trouble which might come with these less privileged students.  Our reader found this new book very socially relevant.

Another fiction entry came from Leon Uris:  A God in Ruins.  Known as a master storyteller, Uris tells the tale of Quinn Patrick O’Connell, a man in the running for the 2008 presidency.  Published in 1999, this book examines how personal history can affect political candidates who are so often in a very bright spotlight.  Our reader found this a very interesting story which spanned the years between World War II and the early years of the twenty-first century.

 Switching gears to non-fiction British royalty, another book club member read Queen Victoria’s Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages that Shaped Europe by Deborah Cadbury.  A timely book as we approach Prince Harry’s 2018 wedding, Cadbury examines how Queen Victoria manipulated her children, grandchildren, and other world leaders during her reign from 1837 to 1901.  Our reader explained that the writing is very well researched and easy to read if you keep track of the family tree (whereupon she whipped out a very detailed sketch of the lineages!)

A very moving book, This Narrow Space: A Pediatric Oncologist, His Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Patients, and a Hospital in Jerusalem by Elisha Waldman captured the next reader’s attention.  American Dr. Waldman lived and worked in Jerusalem from 2007 to 2014, learning to navigate the cultural complexities in that part of the world while working to save some of the most vulnerable children with cancer.  Our reader was impressed by the compassion shown by the doctor in this embattled area.

Returning to the United States, our next reader laid out the theories proposed by two Harvard professors in How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt.  With more than twenty years studying changes in world politics, the authors’ conclusion is that modern democracies most often die as a result of internal corruption and rot, rather than by military force.  Levitsky and Ziblatt foresee three possible futures for the United States in this time of polarized public opinion.  Our reader appreciated the theories laid out, but was disappointed by the lack of footnotes which would have provided more detailed support in each section.

Finally in fiction, The Brightest Sun by Adrienne Benson begins with Leona, an American anthropologist studying the Maasai people in Kenya.  When Leona unexpectedly becomes pregnant and gives birth to a baby girl, she chooses to place the child with an African woman who desires a child.  The striking landscape as well as the complex characters make this debut novel a pleasurable read.

Nevermore: Nomadland, White Chrysanthemum, Country Driving, Fresh Complaint, Gods of Howl Mountain, Queen Victoria's Matchmaking

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.