What You Wish For by Katherine Center

Reviewed by Laura

          This book is by the author of the popular novel, Things You Save in a Fire, and is one of my new favorite books. As I’ve said before, some titles just beg to be added to my personal collection and this is definitely one of them. I was intrigued from the first moment I opened the book. I had chosen it for less than stellar reasons; it had flowers on the cover and it was blue. Weird reasons to pick up a book, but they were both spots that I could use on my Book Bingo card!

 The story centers around an elementary school librarian, which also grabbed my attention since I’m a retired elementary teacher who now works in a library. The perfect choice for me, right? And oh, it really was! This book has heart and joy in the midst of pain, overcoming obstacles, redefining yourself, miracles and wonder. My kind of book, especially in a world that isn’t very heartwarming for any of us at the moment.

          Samantha (Sam) Casey used to be a drab wallflower who never spoke up for herself or fought for anything. At her old school, she fell madly in love with another teacher, a special man always ready with a laugh or absurd suggestion. His riotous clothes were a direct contrast to her buttoned down appearance. But she never had the courage or confidence to reach out to him. When it looked like he was becoming serious about a colleague, she decided to quit her job and move away rather than having to face them every day. She landed at a wonderful, creative, independent school run by Max and Babette Kempner, a husband and wife team who took her under their wing and allowed her to move into their carriage house. Under their tutelage, she thrived and became a believer in seeking joy in each day. Max’s motto was never miss a chance to celebrate and Sam began to ascribe to that theory. She now wears bright fun colors and has even colored her bangs pink! In short, she has blossomed and loves every minute of sharing her love of books with her students in a free and welcoming atmosphere. But then the unthinkable happens. At his 60^th birthday party, Max collapses and dies. Their small closely knit community is heartbroken and floundering.

 With trepidation, the teachers await the new principal, who is none other than her unrequited love, Duncan Carpenter. Only this Duncan is not the fun-loving teacher she remembers. This Duncan wears stiff, drab suits and never smiles. This Duncan is trying to suck the color, freedom, and joy right out of the school. What happened to the man she once loved? How could he have changed so desperately?

This story will make you laugh and cry as you root for both sides in spite of yourself. If ever a book was written for the popular phrase, Choose Joy (and yes, I DO have a t-shirt with that sentiment on it), this book is it. There is heartbreak and despair, but also joy and hope. I highly recommend this book and plan to read all the rest of the books Ms. Center has written. I don’t know about you, but I need uplifting right now. If you do, too, then this is the book for you!

About Alice by Calvin Trillin

Reviewed by Jeanne

I had been reading and enjoying Calvin Trillin’s essays for years before his wife, Alice, passed away.  It came as a shock, in that odd way that happens when you “know” someone through television or writing, that strange intimacy that creates a false relationship.  It was as if a friend had died.  Apparently others felt the same way, as Mr. Trillin writes of the notes that started “I never knew Alice but…”  He said Alice would certainly have agreed with the first part, as she felt his portrayals made her seem like “a dietician in sensible shoes.”  The Alice in his writing is his view of Alice, the woman with whom he fell in love at first sight and pursued until, to his astonishment, she agreed to be his wife. 

In this slim volume of essays, Trillin tells us of that meeting, of their marriage, and of Alice’s illnesses. A non-smoker, she was diagnosed with lung cancer when her daughters were small.  She endured the treatments because she was determined to see her girls grow up.  Along the way, she made a difference by her writing, her teaching, and her example. Theirs was an extraordinary relationship.  Early on, Trillin is warned by a fellow writer to never let Alice read any of his manuscripts because she would give him an honest opinion.  Trillin told him it was too late for that: if he could write without Alice, he would. 

As always, Trillin’s writing is graceful and gently humorous. Alice does have her faults—for example, if there is a subject to be avoided in a conversation, she will hone in on it immediately and bring it up—but mostly this is a wistful, admiring remembrance of a woman I didn’t know, but wish I had. It’s a sweet, funny, loving tribute to a beautiful woman, and a generous gift to readers.

The Girl from the Other Side by Nagabe

 Reviewed by Ambrea

The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún, a new manga series from Nagabe, tells the story of Shiva, a little girl who lives in the woods with a creature—a man touched by a curse—known only as Teacher.  In a world split between the Inside and the Outside, those living inside the safety of the city walls versus those cursed to live beyond its protective borders, Shiva and Teacher exist in a sort of twilight that neither the Insiders nor the Outsiders can touch.  But when Shiva unexpectedly leaves Teacher’s care in search of her auntie, her life may be put in peril by the Outsiders who still lurk in the woods—and the Insiders that distrust all who inhabit it.

I picked up The Girl from the Other Side on a whim.  It had an intriguing cover and, as I flipped through the pages, I decided I liked the fairy tale quality of the story.  As I was reading, I learned about the Insiders and the Outsiders and the strange curse which could be transmitted by a single touch.  The story is full of hints of magic, but it’s not overt—no magic wants, no spells, no flashy displays—and it’s easy to forget.  Like Shiva, I simply took it for granted that it existed.

While the ongoing battle between the Insiders and the Outsiders—the Insiders attempting to eradicate the curse, killing Outsiders (or perceived Outsiders) indiscriminately; the Outsiders lurking on the periphery of the Inside, actively cursing those who are not wary—is an important aspect of the story, it’s not the focal point of it.  Shiva and Teacher’s relationship is the core of The Girl from the Other Side and, personally, I found it to be one of the sweetest aspects of the tale.

Teacher is cursed, so he can’t touch Shiva:  he can’t help her to her feet if she stumbles and falls; he can’t hold her hand as they’re walking in the forest; he can’t tuck her in at night; he can’t comfort her if she cries.  He can only protect her and help her in quiet ways, while Shiva explores her new world and eagerly awaits the return of her aunt.  Their relationship is pure and lovely and warm.  Teacher is kind in unexpected ways, like trying to bake Shiva an apple pie when he clearly can’t cook; while Shiva is young, bright, and vibrant, like sunshine bursting into Teacher’s dark world.  She’s the only person who doesn’t see a monster when she looks at him.

Honestly, I loved The Girl from the Other Side.  I loved every minute of this moving, dark story about magic and curses; I loved the innocent relationship developing between Shiva and Teacher, as they survive in an eerie forest haunted by other Outsiders.  I even loved the cliffhanger ending—and I hate cliffhangers.

I also loved the art.  Although the manga is only printed in black and white, I absolutely adored the illustrations of Teacher and the other Outsiders.  I loved the texture that the author/illustrator seems to bring out and I loved the unique qualities of the Outsiders, specifically how their individual curse shaped them.  The art work really fits the tone of the story, creating a wonderfully vivid and darkly poignant tale.