Nevermore: Coal Tattoo, Finding Jake, Children Act, and More!

Report by Meygan

Nevermore opened with the discussion of The Coal Tattoo by Silas House. This book is about two sisters, Easter and Anneth, who live on old Kentucky land. Easter is Pentecostal and is very religious. Anneth, on the other hand, likes to live in the fast lane of life and loves to drink. But when Anneth becomes pregnant, that tends to put a damper in her wild plans. This is a tale of a sisterly bond and whether or not the strongest of bonds can be broken. The Nevermore member says that the book is beautifully written and she didn’t expect the book to end the way it did. 

Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon was discussed next. Simon Connolly is a stay-at-home father who takes care of his two children, Jake and Laney. Simon appears to be a nervous person anyways, but he is especially nervous having two children in today’s world. He is no fool to what kind of messes some kids tend to get themselves into, but what he doesn’t expect to happen is a school shooting at Jake’s school. When more and more parents are reunited with their children, Simon realizes that he still doesn’t see Jake. He discovers that Jake is the only missing child from the shooting. Finding Jake not only focuses on the school shooting and Jake, but also focuses on Simon’s psychological outlook on his life and how well he knows or may not know his son. This book was highly recommended!

Next was Fire Shut Up in My Bones by Charles Blow, a poet and a columnist for the New York Times. This is Blow’s true story of how he grew up in Louisiana, and he does a walkthrough of his life up until his present moments. The Nevermore member enjoyed this book and does recommend it, but she said that it is a downer. Blow was sexually abused by two relatives and at the age of seven, he wanted to commit suicide. Even though the subject matter can be excruciating to read, the reader did enjoy this book very much. 

Ian McEwan’s The Children Act has been almost impossible to keep on our shelves here at the Bristol Public Library! Fiona Maye is a judge who lives in London. To the people of her town, she is a tough, well-respected woman. But Fiona can’t help but to feel anything but disrespected whenever her husband asks her for an open marriage. He wants to be with another woman before he becomes older. To no surprise, Fiona declines his offer and he moves out. Although Fiona is perplexed and hurt, she allows her job instead of her husband’s departure to occupy her mind, especially when a seventeen-year-old boy needs a blood transfusion but he and his family refuse because it goes against their religious beliefs. The Nevermore member appeared to enjoy this book and read one of his favorite paragraphs to us. Another member commented that the paragraph was beautifully written.  

Tawni O’Dell’s One of Us was mentioned next. TV forensic psychologist Dr. Sheridan Doyle returns to his hometown only to find a dead body waiting for him. He teams up with Rafe, a former detective, to find out more about the body found at the Lost Creek gallows. To make matters more interesting, the body found is connected to a wealthy family responsible for the execution of some miners at Lost Creek gallows. The Nevermore member said One of Us is very entertaining and the author is good at bringing everybody’s stories together.

Nevermore: Pecan Man, Yellow Death, Clear Springs, Jo Nesbo, and more!

This week’s Nevermore Book Club started off with a selection of fiction.  Two members recommended The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge Selleck as being a good story set in the South.  One said it reminded her of Kathryn Stockett’s The Help.  The story begins in Florida in 1976, when widow Ora hires a homeless black man named Eddie to do odd jobs around the house, mostly yardwork.  The man is shunned by many, and referred to as “Pecan Man.”  When the son of the police chief is stabbed to death, the Pecan Man is charged with the murder.  Twenty five years later, an elderly Ora decides to look for the truth. This is a first novel by the author.

Next up was a novel by Norwegian author Jo Nesbo, best known for his mysteries starring Harry Hole.  Blood on Snow  is a standalone novel about a hitman who is quite your usual cold killer.  Olav is indeed very good at what he does, but he is also a thoughtful, sensitive man.  Our reader thought it was an excellent book.

The Children Act by Mann Booker Prize winner Ian McEwan takes its title from a British law concerning child welfare.  The lead character is a judge who is tasked with a case concerning a 17 year old boy whose parents’ religious beliefs preclude a medical procedure which might save their son’s life. Meanwhile, the judge’s personal life is also coming unraveled. The Nevermore member had just started the book so no verdict has been reached on this one.

In non-fiction books, the highest praise went to Shocktrauma by Jon Franklin and Alan Doelp describes the origin of the trauma systems still in use today in the U.S.  The authors explain the “Golden Hour,” in which trauma victims are more likely to survive with less lasting damage than if treatment is delayed.  The club had a lively discussion about area trauma centers and how survival rates have gone up because patients don’t have to go to Knoxville or Charlottesville for treatment. Even though the book came out in 1980, our readers felt it was still a good overview of the history and the thinking behind modern trauma centers.

Another medical based book also came in for praise.  The Secret of the Yellow Death by Suzanne Jurmain is a YA book which tells how Walter Reed and a team of doctors unlocked the secret behind the deadly disease known as Yellow Fever.  Our reader said the book was quite the eye-opener for her, and dispelled a number of misconceptions she’d held about both Walter Reed and Yellow Fever.

On the lighter side, the same reader recommended David Sedaris book of essays, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. Sedaris is known for his sharp wit and ability to weave a story both hilarious and poignant at the same time.  The book contains twenty two essays covering Sedaris’ life, with about half devoted to childhood.

Bobbi Ann Mason is best known for her novels such as In Country, but she proves herself just as fine a writer in nonfiction with her memoir Clear Springs.  She presents a vivid picture of growing up in on a farm in Kentucky in the 1940s, along with the trials and anxieties of a small town girl who heads off to the city.