An Incantation of Cats: A Witch Cats of Cambridge Mystery by Clea Simon

Reviewed by Jeanne

Becca Colwin is slowly adjusting to her new chosen profession as a witch detective—that is, someone who investigates mysteries that have a connection to her witch community. The trouble is that business is very slow and she needs to earn some money sooner rather than later so she is hopeful when a young woman turns up with a problem:  she thinks someone is trying to use magic against her.  Becca promises to find out what she can, hoping that her nascent powers are up to the task. Becca has been diligently studying the Craft, but her spells just haven’t produced much in the way of results, except for the thrilling time that she somehow managed to conjure up a pillow. Problem is, she’s not sure how or even why she produced the pillow. She’s been waiting for another real breakthrough, but it seems to be very slow in coming.

Fortunately, unknown to Becca, help is at hand in the form of her three sister cats: chubby orange Harriet, always on the lookout for treats and comfort; critical Siamese Laurel who thinks Becca needs a boyfriend; and plump little calico Clara, who adores her person and tries to look out for her, despite the lack of encouragement from her sisters.  The three felines come from a long line of witches’ cats and have powers of their own—in fact, it wasn’t Becca who conjured the pillow but Harriet. Becca is young and can be rather naïve, so Clara is worried that her beloved human may be getting herself in too deep, especially when a person connected with the case turns up dead. 

This is the second in the Witch Cats of Cambridge series, but you don’t have to have read the first one in order to enjoy this one.  Most of the story is told from Clara’s point of view as she determinedly follows along on Becca’s investigations, hoping to keep the young woman out of trouble—something Laurel would probably characterize as the blind leading the blind.  There’s also an intriguing subplot about Becca’s heritage which may hold part of the key to her relationship with her cats.

Becca is very new to the investigation business but what she lacks in experience she makes up with determination.  She quickly realizes that the hardest part is figuring out who she can trust and that truth is not as easy to come by as it should be.

While the mystery was well done, it was the cats I loved—but then I am often more impressed by characters than plot in whatever I read.  There’s an interesting dynamic among the three whiskered sisters, all of whom have strong and distinct personalities. Sweet Clara is especially appealing because of her spunk and devotion.  Laurel and Harriet are more interested in their own comforts and pleasures, and tend to pick on Clara. Cat servants will certainly recognize the wiles employed to get Becca to do as her cats please, and may suspect their own felines of having some supernatural powers.

Becca, while oblivious to the machinations of her cats, is becoming a bit more secure and self-assured in her own life.  She is struggling to make ends meet, but she is certain that she’s found her calling.  I like the way that she is taking control of her own life, and not dependent on the approval of others.  She is currently single (a state Laurel wants to change) and while she’s open to a relationship, she doesn’t define herself by it. I find this refreshing in a cozy series.  I like a bit of romance, don’t get me wrong; but I weary of heroines who whine and pine over a guy.

The ending was extremely satisfactory, leaving me wanting more. (It’s not a cliff-hanger, per se; more an opening up to possibilities.)  I am quite intrigued by the introduction of one particular character who may have a larger role to play in the series.  I do hope Ms. Simon has another story available soon.

The first book in the series is A Spell of Murder.  You can read the review here. 

Note:  I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of the book as a gift, with no expectation of a review, favorable or otherwise.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Reviewed by Laura

          This book is told through the eyes of Alice Wright, a young English woman who impulsively marries a handsome, rich American named Bennett Van Cleve. She is more than ready to be through with the tedium of English society and imagines a beautiful new life when she follows Bennett to his hometown in Kentucky. Only Baileyville, Kentucky  is a small coal mining town with not a city in sight, and from the first night in her new home, nothing is as she dreamed. Instead of a romantic existence with a dashing husband, she is forced to live in the house of her father-in-law, a selfish owner of the local mine who puts profit above all else. Having the majority of the town’s livelihood, and in fact, their very lives in his hands, he feels he can dictate what is and isn’t acceptable. This includes those in his own household as well as the people of Baileyville. Alice is appalled that her husband lives under his father’s thumb and that the romance she envisioned doesn’t exist.

When a call is made for riders for Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice is happy to oblige. She can’t stand the thought of spending the rest of her days in the stifling, loveless environment of the Van Cleve household. Being able to move freely in the fresh air of the beautiful Kentucky mountains sounds like heaven. It turns out that it is and it isn’t. The work is hard and dangerous, yet the scenery is breathtaking, and Alice makes true friends among the other members of the packhorse librarians while being taken under the wing of their leader, Margery O’Hare. Ms. O’Hare is a true character in every sense of the word (In fact, she reminds me of my paternal grandmother!). She has never allowed anyone, men included, to tell her what to do. This is virtually unheard of during the depression era in a small Appalachian mountain town. Refusing to follow the mainstream, she still works for the good of the town and is the first to take Alice into her home when life goes awry. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished, and due to a series of events, the packhorse librarians find themselves at odds with the townspeople.

This is a wonderful book filled with suspense, romance, and the unique and incredible power of books. There have been rumors of plagiarism from Kim Michele Richardson’s The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek; but having read both, I found no real evidence of it. Certainly, there are a few similarities, as they are both about the wonderfully brave librarians of Eastern Kentucky, but the stories focus on decidedly differing elements of their legacy. I enjoyed both of these books tremendously. Being from Southeastern Kentucky, I love reading anything set in those beautiful mountains, but for me, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek captured the essence of the mountains and its people in a truer and much more enthralling manner. My advice is to read and enjoy them both, and if you get a chance, let me know which one you preferred!

(Special side note—this book is in development as a major motion picture.)

Nevermore: Judy Collins, Gloria Steinem, Jose Andres, Rajia Hassib, Elizabeth Strout, Stephanie Ladd, Carol Shields, Clare Revell

 Reported by Laura

            The first book reviewed this week was Sweet Judy Blue Eyes by Judy Collins. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment to the reader. Though she acknowledged the many talents of Ms. Collins, she felt the book missed the mark. There was a lot of name-dropping of famous folk singers, but the stories were not well developed, and a lot of the book focused on the excessive drinking she did during her life. The reviewer would not recommend this one.

            The next book reviewed was very, very good. Doing Sixty and Seventy by Gloria Steinem is a beautiful book that really made sense to the reader. Ms. Steinem is an American feminist and social/political activist. In the book, she speaks to the way aging has changed her, “The older I get, the more intensely I feel the world around me…” The reviewer loved the book and would read it again. She felt it was something that all would enjoy.

            We Fed an Island by Jose Andres was an amazing Who’s Who of Chefs in the world. After Hurricane Marie decimated Puerto Rico, Andres got some of his chef friends together and proceeded to feed hundreds of thousands of people. The reader found Andres to be very caring, kind, and resourceful. He knew exactly where to go and what to do to get things done. Besides telling this wonderful true story, the book also offers suggestions for how to address a crisis like this in the future. A cool side note is that a portion of proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Chef Relief Network of World Central Kitchen!

            A Pure Heart by Rajia Hassib was a beautifully written book about two Muslim sisters: Gameela, who stays in Egypt, and Rose, who immigrates to America. It is a brilliant portrait of how the decisions these women make in work and love determine their destinies. The reviewer learned a lot about Muslim and Egyptian thinking and beliefs and loved the book! She felt it was picturesque and enlightening. While reading, she felt she was right there in the story and it helped her to remember to meet people where you meet them and take them as they are right now without regard to their past. Highly recommended!

            The next book was a down-to-earth parody of Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Written with tongue-in-cheek, Tidy the F*ck Up by Messie Condo was very funny and had some good ideas. The reviewer thoroughly enjoyed it.

            My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout concentrates on a woman with three siblings who grew up in poverty. She manages to get away and attend college, but finds that you really can’t escape your past or family ties. The reviewer loves this writer, who also writes the Olive Kitteridge series.

            Maid by Stephanie Land is a memoir that chronicles the life of a single mother who works hard scrubbing the toilets of the rich to keep a roof over her daughter’s head. Our reviewer found nothing to admire in the heroine of this book. She felt her life was the result of a string of bad decisions and that the child was just dragged along at the mercy of those choices. She would not recommend it.

            The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields was the winner of the 1995 Pulitzer Prize. It is the story of Daisy Goodwill, an ordinary woman trying to figure out her place in the world. She was an orphan who came from a poor background, yet she lived a good life. This book spans nearly 90 years, from her birth on a kitchen floor in Canada to her death in a nursing home in Florida. The reviewer felt that it was a very good book.

            Dark Lake is a romantic suspense novel by Clare Revell. The reviewer felt there was a lot going on, but she enjoyed the book. Dr. Lou Fitzgerald, the central character, is an archeologist who is used to overcoming obstacles, having lost her leg at the age of 11. Unexpected happenings rarely faze her, but Dark Lake is more than she bargained for. Expecting to find an ordinary dig, what she encounters is beyond her wildest imagination with dark forces appearing to be at work.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek By Kim Michele Richardson

Reviewed by Laura

  

            Cussy Marie Carter is a young woman growing up in the 1930’s in the hollers of Troublesome Creek, Kentucky. Her parents are some of the few mountain people in the area who are the proud owners of a handful of precious books. They pass these and their love of reading on to their only child.  Books are her joy, and consequently, she becomes one of the new Packhorse Librarians, an initiative from Eleanor Roosevelt to increase literacy and get books in the hands of those who would otherwise have none. Cussy rides her mule in and out of the hollers taking reading material to the people of Kentucky. Many are joyous to receive the items, while others are dead set against the idea, and opposition to the program is great. The days are long and hard and the dark mountains can be extremely dangerous for a young woman alone, but Cussy is a strong, determined woman dedicated to her mission and her patrons. She forms lasting relationships with those she serves and becomes a valuable part of their everyday lives.

On the home front, Cussy’s father, having lost his wife, is trying desperately to find a man to take care of his daughter when he’s gone. Trouble is, she’s not sure she wants a man and not too many are interested in a blue woman who might corrupt the family line with blue babies. Cussy is one of the legendary Kentucky Blue People, who share a genetic disorder causing the color of their skin to appear bluish. Pa keeps lighting the courting lamp to let suitors know there is an eligible woman available in the cabin, but there are very few takers, until she meets a handsome stranger on her route, and romance becomes a tantalizing possibility.

The Blue People are outcasts and face discrimination on a daily basis. As throughout history, anyone with a different color of skin is viewed as inferior and suspicious. Cussy is never accepted in polite society and the isolation hurts. When a doctor from Lexington asks her to join his study researching the cause of the blue pigmentation, she is hesitant to agree.  But after having met someone she feels she could care about, she reluctantly consents. However, the medication prescribed has such debilitating side effects, she struggles with the decision of whether or not to continue the treatments.

This is a fabulous book that showcases a young woman’s resilient spirit as she overcomes prejudice and changes her corner of the world with the power of books. I loved this story so much that I plan to add it to my personal collection. Some books just capture your heart and this was definitely one of them. Being a Kentuckian, I have always enjoyed reading anything to do with my beloved home state. Being an avid reader, I have always been fascinated with the Packhorse Librarians, as well as the Blue People of Kentucky. This book is an authentic representation of both. The language and heritage of Appalachia is well-represented and the story is told with heartfelt realism. Read this book as soon as you possibly can—it is extremely powerful and destined to become a classic of Appalachian literature.