Nevermore: Full Tilt, A Carnival of Snackery, Melungeon Winter, Great Irish Potato Famine

 

Reported by Garry

Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle by Dervla Murphy tells the 1963 story of the author taking her bicycle (which she named Roz) on a solitary international journey from Ireland, through Europe, into Afghanistan and Pakistan, ending in New Delhi. Murphy kept a diary, which has been transcribed into this book, recording her interactions with locals, the weather, treacherous mountain roads, and the beauty of the raw landscapes she traveled through. More just a pure travelogue, Murphy has deep insights into the cultures and writes passionately and empathetically about the different peoples that she came across. Our reader loves travelogues, and was nearly overwhelmed by the risky situations in which Murphy found herself. (She did carry a pistol, and actually had to use it a couple of times.) Our reader loved this book and recommends not only this title, but another book by Murphy The Island that Dared - a recounting of her travels in Cuba in 2006 and 2007. CD

A Carnival of Snackery by David Sedaris is a collection of diary entries from 2003-2020. In his inimitable writing style, Sedaris records the quirky, bizarre, and mundane with a sharp eye and even sharper wit. Sedaris speaks at venues worldwide, so this book covers his experiences in France, England, the UK, Japan, and many other locations around the world – all with their own unusual and hilarious customs and mores – which Sedaris weaves into a mesmerizing, riotous series of thoughtful, caustic yarns. Our reader is a fan of Sedaris’ work and highly recommends this latest work by the prolific essayist.  MH

 

A Melungeon Winter by Patrick Bone was a fortuitous find at the recent Friends of the Library Book Sale. Bone is a Tennessee-based author of multiple books including this historical fiction set in the 1950s in the Appalachian Mountains, recounting the story of Jubalee and Robert, two young men (one white, one black) whose friendship runs afoul of the racial tensions of the time. Jubalee’s father is wrongly convicted of murder, and Jubalee and Robert set out to uncover the truth with the help of an assortment of odd characters, including the feared Melungeon hermit, Denny Mullins. Our reader was thrilled with this find that she picked up, and thought this who-dun-it set in the local mountains was a delightful read. She also read and recommends Aliens of Transylvania County by the same author.  KN

 

The Great Irish Potato Famine by James Donnelly is an account of the late 1840s famine which resulted in the death of about one million people and was also largely responsible, in conjunction with British government policies, for one of the greatest international human migrations of British history. Between the years of 1845 and 1855, nearly one million people died, and close to two million (20% – 25% of the entire population) left Ireland, most for North America. This book combines narrative, analysis, historiography, and scores of contemporary illustrations. Our reader found this to be a fascinating, harrowing look at one of the greatest exoduses from a single island in recorded history. KN

Also mentioned:

Onion John by Joseph Krumgold

The Coal Tattoo by Silas House

Every Patient Tells A Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis by Lisa Sanders

Rules for Aging by Roger Rosenblatt

The Truth About COVID-19: Exposing the Great Reset, Lockdowns, Vaccine Passports, and the New Normal by Joseph Mercola and Ronnie Cummins

Dune by Frank Herbert

The Second-Worst Restaurant in France by Alexander McCall Smith

Roots by Alex Haley

The African Americans – Many Rivers to Cross by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder

Between Certain Death and a Possible Future: Queer Writing on Growing Up with the AIDS Crisis edited by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

The Wrath of Angels by John Connolly

Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Seeking the Swan: A Selection of Winning Entries from the Annual Writing Competition of West Virginia Writes, Inc. 1996 – 2006 (West Virginia Writers Anthology)

Heart in the Right Place by Carolyn Jourdan

As You Wish:  Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes

Auntie Poldi and the Lost Madonna by Mario Giordano

Nevermore: Homes, A Goddess, Lady First, Biden, Mama's Last Hug

Reported by Christy

First up, we had Homes: A Refugee Story by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah with Winnie Yeung.  Homes tells the story of the al Rabeeah family and their journey to Syria from Iraq for a safer life – just before the Syrian civil war broke out. Though our reader thought it was a little biased in favor of Sunnis, she also found it intriguing and the descriptions of hearing a war advancing “block by block” memorable.

Our next reader picked up Norman Lewis’ A Goddess in the Stones: Travels in India. Lewis traveled to India and hoped to record as much as he could about the tribal colonies there. Our reader admired the beauty of the writing and Lewis’ sympathy for the native people.

Lady First: The World of First Lady Sarah Polk by Amy S. Greenberg is a biography of the wife of President James K. Polk. Sarah Polk, unlike other women of her time, was raised to discuss politics and business. She was also a trusted confidant and advisor to her husband during his presidency. Polk lived for many years after her husband died, and devoted her life as a widow to being a hostess. However, our reader wasn’t entirely sure her story was worth a biography.

Joe Biden’s Promise Me, Dad is a memoir of the months leading up to and following the death of his son Beau from brain cancer. Though our reader had not finished it yet, she admired the family values espoused in the book and called it a “must read."

In Mama’s Last Hug by Frans de Waal, de Waal explores the rich emotional complexity of animals by discussing facial expressions and animal sentience among other topics. Our reader found it moving and “really interesting.”

The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star by Vaseem Khan

Reviewed by Jeanne

Police Inspector Chopra (retired) is enjoying his new job as a private investigator.  He named his business "The Baby Ganesh Agency" after his sidekick, a baby elephant inherited from his uncle. Ganesh certainly seems to have a flare for detective work, or so thinks Chopra-- or maybe he just enjoys having the energetic little elephant around.

In this third entry in the series, Chopra receives a call from a legendary Bollywood star who is searching for her missing son, Vikram.  The boy was starting to make a name for himself as an actor, but had the reputation of being difficult.  Now he’s starring in one of the biggest productions ever, but has inexplicably vanished.   He’s disappeared before, so it’s possible that he’s off partying somewhere but Chopra is troubled by some of the messages the young man had received.

Meanwhile, Chopra’s associate Rangwalla has been summoned before the Queen of Mysore, a formidable person who rules the eunuchs of the Red Fort.  She has been supplying entertainers for a mysterious patron who never appears.  He pays well, the girls aren’t harmed, but the Queen suspects there may be some malicious intent behind it. She wants to know exactly what is going on and the only way to find out is for Rangwalla to go undercover—as a eunuch.

I have enjoyed the previous books in the series, in part because I like the exotic (to me, anyway) setting and I am fond of the characters.  In some ways the books remind me of Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies Detective series:  not only is there a warmth to the books, but the characters have strong moral beliefs in things like justice and mercy and are able to recognize their own limitations. Chopra was a bit of a thorn in the side of authority when he was a policeman because he stood above the corruption: he didn’t take bribes and he didn’t turn a blind eye to crimes committed by the wealthy and/or powerful but did a thorough investigation no matter where it led him. There’s a well-developed supporting cast, too:  Poppy, Chopra’s devoted but independent wife; Irfan, a street urchin who they have befriended; Rangwalla, the more conventional but ever loyal assistant; and, of course, the baby elephant Ganesh, who steals every scene he is in.

The Indian setting was especially vivid in Bollywood Star.  The movie industry is incredibly popular, and everyone knows about the private lives of the actors.  Productions are lush and expensive, and many are based on Indian literature, history, or religion.

More than the film industry aspect—which reminded me of the American film industry in the 30s-50s, with the carefully crafted images of the actors—I was fascinated with the culture of the eunuchs.  They occupy an odd niche in Indian society where they are both reviled and feared.  They refer to themselves as female, hence the Queen. 

I am looking forward to the next in the series!

The books are:

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown

The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star

Murder at the Grand Raj Palace

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani

Reviewed by Christy H.

            Priyanka is a first generation Indian American girl living with her single mother. Though Priyanka (who routinely asks to be called Pri) is a typical American teen she also dreams of one day visiting her mother’s homeland of India. She wants to know all about it, as well as her father, but Pri’s mom refuses to discuss Pri’s father or anything relating to India. 

Pri is on the verge of giving up when she stumbles across an old suitcase tucked away in a closet. Inside is a pashmina that Pri has never seen before. When she wraps it around herself she is immediately transported to the colorful and stunning land of India. She tries new foods she’s never heard of (as well as old favorites like her beloved samosas) and dresses in vibrant saris that make her feel beautiful. All the while a shadow lurks in the background. When Pri catches glimpses of it and questions her guides (a talking elephant and blue bird), they chase away the shadow and refuse to provide any answers. This convinces Pri that she must travel to India for real to better understand her heritage, her mother, and herself.

Pashmina is a delightful and heart-warming graphic novel. Chanani’s art is very charming, adorable, and though I do not read graphic novels extensively it is one of the best of the ones I have read. Her decision to switch to color during the imagined India sections gives it an extra punch as well. Though anyone can relate to Pri’s bumpy school life and her tension with her mother, it’s nice to get a different perspective within these common themes. I really loved this little book and its advocating for discovering oneself and choosing one’s own destiny.

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan

Reviewed by Jeanne

Periodically, I will find a collection of first lines from novels that a compiler has found to be especially interesting or effective.  I have never done such a list myself, because I try not to judge a book on its first line any more than I try to judge it by its cover.  But if I do ever create such a list, the first line of The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra might be a contender:

“On the day that he was due to retire, Inspector Ashwin Chopra discovered he had inherited an elephant.”

Inspector Chopra is a reluctant retiree, handing in his resignation on doctor’s orders.  He enjoys his job; moreover, he believes in his job.  He knows corruption is widespread, that class and wealth grants privilege and too often immunity from punishment, but he loves his city of Mumbai and his country and he wants to make it a better place.

On this last day of work, he finds a poor woman crying over her dead son.  The official verdict is that the young man died after passing out drunk in a creek but the mother is insistent that he was murdered but “for a poor woman and her poor son, there will be no justice!”

There is some truth to her words, Chopra knows, but he is determined that the matter will be investigated—even if it has to be done unofficially.

I actually read the second book in this series first, just because it was handy.  It was good and I enjoyed it, but this one was a real delight.  The plot was well constructed, and the conclusion surprised me.  Chopra is a thoroughly likeable character: honorable, intelligent, kind, and persistent.  The supporting characters are also well developed, especially his wife Poppy, and his . . . um. . . opinionated mother-in-law, Poornima Devi. Khan makes excellent use of the setting, describing the sights, smells, and rhythms of Mumbai.

And of course, there’s the elephant, a doleful young calf later dubbed Ganesh.  He seems so sad and frail when he’s delivered to the apartment that the Inspector’s heart goes out to him. Chopra is determined to do what is best for him, though that might mean sending him away.  (Even small elephants do not make good apartment dwellers, and having an elephant in the courtyard draws complaints—from Poornima Devi.)   I gave this book to an elephant-loving friend and she was as charmed as I was. 

If you’re in the market for a solid mystery with an exotic setting, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra might be just the ticket.