Book Review: Divorcing by Susan Taubes

´It was strange, slightly embarassing, to have Ezra speak for her and about her in her presence as if she were in a trance or absent´.

Out of the many fantastic books I had the chance to read this year, Divorcing, Susan Taubes´ only novel stayed with me for a very long time. It took me some 2-3 months to write this review, as I needed to figure out over and over again the many details of the novel.

Taubes was born in Hungary, Budapest, as Judith Zsuzsanna Feldmann. Her father was a psychoanalist, her grandfather a rabbi. She left Hungary to America with his father in 1939. Two weeks after she published this novel, in 1969, she committed suicide. Susan Sontag, whose son David Rieff signs the introduction of the last edition of Divorcing, was called to identify her body. The novel was republished in 2021 by NYRB Classics which also recently published her novella.

Sofie Blind, born Landsmann, the storyteller of Divorcing, is death. She was decapited by a taxi while crossing a street in Paris. We will find out relatively late into the story and it may come as a shock. Somehow, from somewhere up, she is telling her story with her own voice. A violent episode, as strong as the protagonist´s desire to get freed from her marriage - thus, the book is not titled Divorce, as a given fact the outcome of a process, but Divorcing, a present continous - , and the chains of a misogynistic society. The severed head though, may be also read - my reading, anyway - in a quasi psychoanalitical key, as a symbol of freedom.

After noticing her own funerals, she is back and forth in her native Hungary and retraces episodes from the past. The modernist key of remembrance and spontaneous references is another part of the book which is important to notice, an innovative take to both memory and writing about memory. 

If there is one New Year´s Resolution I want to make this time, it would be to discover more extraordinary writings like Taubes. I know that my mind is often unfocused and tempted to take all the newly published books onto my shelves, by classical writings with a philosophical touch, especially by women authors, may be a priority as well. 

Rating: 5 stars

Coping Mechanisms with Books

´No, I needed to read a book a day. I needed to sit down and sit still and read. I had spent the last three years running and racing, filing my life and the lives of everyone in my family with activity and plans and movement, constant movements. But no matter how much I crammed with living, and no matter how fast I ran, I couldn´t get away from the grief and from the pain´.

With all the good and not-bad things that happened to me this year, I experienced in 2023 the hardest amount of grief as an adult in my entire life. Indeed, I lost people very dear to me years before, but this time, the frequency of loss was appalling. From January onwards until the mid-June, unexpected or probably death reached me. Some years ago, it was in a way easier to survive the pain, with limited communication and without social media connections. Nowadays though, you can always once in a while stumble over an Instagram post of someone no longer here, or a voice message from another happier times. I actually had to delete those departed persons from my agenda, part of my progressive coping mechanism: The memories left are in my heart. Also, do not miss any opportunity of calling those loved ones, sometimes tomorrow never comes.

As usual in such life threatening situations, books were my companion. Except the books for my brilliant book tours, I´ve read relatively less from my TBR, and it seems that my Proust Project - re-reading Proust after almost two decades - has to wait for 2024 - hopefully. I still have a big library pile of books I am committed to finish in the first half of the year, plus some old galleys neededing my urgent review. But at a certain extent, the books I´ve read - a lot of short stories, poetry too - guided my mind through the pain of separation. Another part of my time was spent delving into language learning, and at a certain extent I am proud of my progress in acquiring some very difficult languages in the last 12 months.

Three years after the death of her sister following a short chronical illness, author and academic Nina Sankovitch started a very bold project: reading one book a day, for a full year, and writing about them. It should be only one book per author. The plan sounds very difficult, even for a fast reader as me. A book for under 200 pages needs around 3-4 hours of intensive reading, therefore it is not practically impossible to do it, in addition to house chores and various family responsibilities. 

Through the books, on her purple chair - featured on the cover of Tolstoy and the Purple Chair. My Year of Magical Reading - a reference to another memoir written to deal with sudden departure of a a dear one, by Joan Didion -, a favorite of her cat too hence a special smell which comes with feline bodily odours, she connected with her sister - some of the books were shared by her or mentioned by her, an acknowledged art expert - but also with her immigrant family past and family histories, with her past and most important life stages, from childhood to adulthood. 

There are good titles shared, an inspiration for forthcoming TBR, but I also loved the very direct and slow paced voice of this bookish memoir. It shows comfort and inspiration and will help anyone to (re)discover the power of stories. No matter if you are mourning or not (yet), this book will help you understand that no matter what, there will always be a good book waiting for you, ready to help. The utterly unbearable thing will be the disappearance of books themselves.

Rating: 5 stars

Entries to Paradise

´´Morale de Tartuffes!´´

 

Inspired by real facts, the so-called Spider killings in the Iranian city of Mashhad - my latest read by the French-based Iranian author Chahdortt Djavann is probably the most factual books I´ve read by her. 

With empathy and humour when needed, she is revealing small stories about women forced to prostitute, killed either by the serial killer of Mashhad or by the state machine of the Islamic Republic. Both sides are inspired by the same monomanic mindset: playing the Gd against women. Imaginary or real, those stories are human testimonies about how precious life is. 

A religious person theoretically may not need literature to acknowledge a basic fact. Fanatics do, because for people whose minds are perverted by religion, there is no place left for humanity.

I´ve read the book in the original French language - not aware if this book or any other books by Chahdortt Djavann were translated into English - and I recommend it to anyone interested in reading more women-related histories, particularly about women´s oppression in religious dictatorships.

Rating: 5 stars

Book Review: Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

I love debut novels with a touch of contemporary millenials. As a much expected, very much praised debut novel of 2023, Pineapple Street by succcessful publishing executive director of Alfred A. Knopf Jenny Jackson was a humorous, ironic and class-critically read.

The books features the young inheritors of a family of old (white) American money, the Stocktons. The trust funds of the grandparents was invested into real estate and other profitable businesses, so the youngsters can enjoy a priviledged life. The three women featured - out of each one, Sasha, called the ´gold digger´ by the other two, is married with Cord Stockton, the only son of the family, while the other two Georgiana and Darley are born into the family. Sasha comes from a middle class family, using to spent her vacation time in school working, nevertheless having enough money to graduate debt-free from university and having set her own business - do share their fragments of glamorous life, which involves taking part to oligarch chic parties (Georgiana) or trying to hide to her parents that her husband is unemployed. 

Pineapple Street, situated in Brooklyn Heights, NYC, is an address for the rich and glamorous.

The debate about what the 1% is spending their time and their money was relatively well translated into the literary language. From outside, one can understand the manners and habits, as well as the daily schedule. Rich millenials are also working, women do have careers although seem to be completely uninterested in increasing their wealth - as the world will end with them, by the way. 

There is no surprising revelation about the characters, extraordinary things that are happening to them - except the fire in the end that partially destroys the family house. The story mostly develops horizontally, and although there is an extensive development of the characters, there is nothing to expect in terms of the plot. 

If you may be interested in the transfer of wealth within the realm of 1%, I bet there are enough non-fiction books on the topic. 

Pineapple Street is a good try at getting into the 1% and their world, but relatively uninteresting from the literary point of view. The writing is enjoyable though and hopefully Jenny Jackson will keep writing.

Rating: 3 stars

French Book Review: Golem by Pierre Assouline

 

Probably one of my least favorite to date by Pierre Assouline, Golem is a thriller enfolding in the two-pace of the chess game, about an international chess master Gustave Meyer, running from Paris to London and Oxford and Central Europe, escaping an accusation of murder.

The prime suspect in the murder of his ex-wife, who died in unclear conditions, Gustave is set to figure out the crime himself, but meanwhile he has to clean his traces and run against the clock for saving his freedom. Alongside with him, there are two women looking for him: one is his daughter who wants to help him, another one is a policewoman who wants to catch him.

Gustave is an international chessmaster, a solitary man, caught into a game that seems to go beyond his complex capacity of grasping things. He is on the run, forced to find ways to keep his freedom, using his mind and knowledge.

I may confess that I was expecting a better balance between the thriller part and what is predictably coming along when you are calling your novel Golem - I have read the book in the original French version and I am not aware if there is any translation of the book into English. In the second part of the book, as he is ending up in the region where the story of the Golem started, the discussion is becoming more and more philosophical, with mystical accents. Although I usually appreciate such an intermezzo, I may rather be catch by a real story which is integrating high-end ideas through the interactions and dialogues of the characters.

But, as usual, when the books is beautifully written, there is always an advantage of keeping reading a book that until the end may not be completely at the highest level of literary expectations. 

Golem may be my last book by Assouline in 2023, but I am sure that would be delighted to keep exploring more of his writings, as I promised myself after Sigmaringen.

Rating: 3 stars

Random Things Tours: Murder All Inclusive by Alastair Puddick

 

An anti-social character with limited social skills, author Freddie Winters tries to find out inspiration for his incoming menu by accepting a lavish all inclusive trip to Spain, for taking part to a literary festival. A festival that may save his literary career...But in life, plans are rarely coming along perfectly well as we may dream about.

His misantropy couldn´t get unnoticed and when someone he got an argument with is found dead, all eyes turn to him. He looks like the perfect pawn in such a game: resentful, unable to properly control his feelings, especially the negative ones. Plus, he is a crime writer therefore, he may know some tricks how to actually cover his murderous traces and offer the right alibi. Under this threat, he is starting his own investigation which may change his way of looking at things as well, not only his manners.

Murder All Inclusive by Alastair Puddick is hilarious, indeed, but has a good plot and some good crime story development. What I really loved about this book - except loving to hate Mr. Winters - was how various possible solutions were suggested. The intrepid reader may jump too high to a conclusion, but in reality the twists were leading to a completely different direction. 

Similarly, the hip warm and beautiful Spanish setting may be entincing, and suggesting a paradise, but the facts may suggest the opposite. Puddick plays very well the game of appearances, in addition to creating an unique character - Mr. Winters, again - and a special ambiance, not necessarily what one may expect from a crime novel.

If you are longing for a different kind of crime novel, Murder All Inclusive may not only trigger your mind but may also invite the reader to dream of the beautiful Spain, especially if you are set for a month-long dark winter. As I really enjoyed the writer´s style, I would most probably check some other books by him as well.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

French Book Review: The Blonde and the Bunker by Jakuta Alikavazovic

A triangle relationship with an uncertain geometry, a furious quest for a hidden art collection, a mysterious presence and disappearance of a photography and its negatives. La blonde et le bunker by French author and translator Jakuta Alikavazovic is intriguing, multi-textual and playful, as it involves at times the reader him/herself in the story. 

The story has the visual precision of a photographic alternance of gros plans: Anna, a mysterious cold-blooded blonde woman brought her lover Gray - an American injured in an accident - to live with her in a bunker, her home. At the ground level lives her soon to be ex husband, John Volstead, also American, an erudite, the author of one famous book. In Anna´s absence, the two of them are trying together to put some order into John´s extensive library. 

For John, Anna is an obsession, but an obsession stuck in time, as the photography of her testimony. Gray is in love with her, hardly able to figure out the variations of her moods and the lack of the expected emotional involvement on her behalf. While John simplified and reduced her to an image, Gray is seeing her through their interactions and everyday moves, as long as she allows him to see and meet her.

The search for Castiglioni collection through is trying to actively involve the reader as well, and balances rationally the relatively highly emotional encounters of the love triangle. The author however, has a complete control over the narrative brought together by a beautiful writing that sometimes makes forget the irrascible nature of the characters.

I am definitely interested in reading more by Alikavazovic, as I´ve already checked some other titles and topics she wrote about. La blonde et le bunker counts as one of those important literary meetings of the year. 

Rating: 3.5 stars

Random Things Tours: Yule Island by Johana Gustawsson translated by David Warriner

 

In less than six months, I am back with a new book by Johana Gustawsson: Yule Island, translated by David Warriner published by the one and only Orenda Books, a frequent quality presence on my blog. 

As in the case of Bleeding, Yule Island is not for the faint of heart, but has a story smoothly built, which generously integrated all the many surprising events occurring during the events. From the very beginning until the unexpected end, there are so many twists and changes forcing the reader to leave everything and dedicate the entirety of his or her time to this book. 

A successful art expert, Emma Lindhal is requested to assess the art collection of one of Sweden´s richest families. The process takes places at the residence situated on a remote island, where years ago, a young woman was murdered. And as she was delving into classifying the artifacts, there is another crime taking place, also of a young woman. As detective Karl Rosen enters the scene, Emma is joinging forces and minds aiming to discover the culprit. 

This members of this unusual task force may look very different at the first sight, but in fact, both do have so many secrets and triggers of the past that make them alike and help at a certain extent to investigate the crimes. The Gothic part of the novel, involving old Norse mythology and rituals is the most unexpected part and makes this crime story unique and tremendously thrilling. It is another layer of reality unfolding, nevertheless a very creative way to write crime stories, that definitely may have correspondents into the everyday reality of crime events.

Yule Islands is a recommended read if you are looking for a different take on crime novels, well written and hard to predict until the very end. The characters do have a dark complexity but good people rarely make a brilliant thriller, anyway.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour butthe opinions are, as usual, my own

Book Review: Double Vie by Pierre Assouline

 

One of the too many to count literary encounters I experienced this year was the discovery of Pierre Assouline. While looking at the French library for Le Nageur, I stumbeled upon another of his books, Sigmaringen and it was enough to add him on the list of authors to follow. 

Although I still haven´t read Le Nageur, I took my time to discover other of his titles, read in the original French language - which I, of course, love. 

Double Vie is at the first sight a history of an illicit relationship. Rémi Laredo, a Jew of Sephardic origin, a specialist in cave art, caught in an unhappy marriage with his successful catholic wife and lawyer, Marie Rabaut-Pelletier. His escape is an illicit relationship with Victoria, whom he meets in inconventional places, based on a secret discrete code set between the two but mostly controlled by her. He is a dreamer, obsessed about images of certain women. If not Victoria, there would be another women, there is the image who nurtures his fantasy. Most of the book is in fact a long monologue describing his connections with women, told by him, 

But there is also a part which enfolds as a mystery: after the airbags where Victoria and Rémi were enjoying their illicit relationship dangerouls popped up, Victoria disappeared without a trace. Rémi is desperately trying to find her. He even pays a visit as a patient to her husband´s medical office, but there is not too much to find out. Mysteriously again, his wife starts to talk with him about a diary of a woman whose husband want to use it as a proof for asking for a divorce. Rémi criticizes her for doing it, but illicitly also tries to have a look at it.

The search for Victoria continues until the end of the book, creating confusion or sending the curious reader on a fake pathway. 

Double Vie is a book of many topics - arts being also one of them - which intertwin and spread into the story as the shreds of a coloruful caleidoscope. Sometimes they are just this, shreds, but often they are share information about unfolding events or characters. 

Rating: 4 stars

Random Things Tours: Murder On the Menu by Alex Coombs

 

Food and crime can be really deadly combinations, and so is the search for a killer in the kitchen. Bestseller author Alex Coombs is offering it all, in the smart debut of The Old Forge Café Mysteries inaugurated by Murder On the Menu. 

Chef Charlie Hunter, the main character of the book moved to Chilterns in order to create her dream restaurant. As she was intensively thinking about creative tasty dishes, a crime is about to put in jeopardy the tasty bright future. Thus, chef Charlie will put into motion her high skills acquired in the kitchen, trying together with other members of the community to figure out who and especially why murdered the famous local builder found death.

One important part of the book I really loved was the focus on the local alliances and the ways in which small communities can be built under pressure. Those interactions add a very authentic touch to the local spirit of Chilterns, the author´s city of residence, thus the very realistic descriptions and heartwarm ambiance.

Murder On the Menu may look at the first sight as a cosy mystery but it´s nothing cosy about the writing. Coombs build up characters that I can´t wait to hopefully meat again and situations that aren´t easy to solve. It´s hard to leave the book until a solution is in sight. Your mind moves along the solutions and possible suspects, in an exercise of investigation. Bonus if you are really into foodie stories and smart women chefs characters.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own 

Book Review: Victory City by Salman Rushdie

 

One needs to be on a certain lengthwave to enter the ambiance of a historical/fantastical novel. You have to leave behind everything connects you to the surrounding reality and switch completely to the fantastic worlds you are invited to discover.

I may confess that most part of the time I avoid such escapes. On one hand, my imagination is mostly rooted into everyday life and fantasy needs a very special setting to manifest. On the other hand, my life is sometimes so busy that I hardly have time to breath the fresh air of creative freedom. My mind need to follow a schedule, accomplish tasks and deliver results. 

However, every time I have the chance to read something by Salman Rushdie, I will always put aside some extra time. He´s one of the best writers of our times, with a beautiful language and always an array of topics opening up your mind and soul. Yes, his novels are usually difficult journeys through the maze of imagination, but it nurtures the soul and the mind.

It took me a couple of good months until I´ve found that magic time to read his latest, Victory City. As in other novels, he introduces elements of history and geopolitical considerations: the action of the book takes place during the raise of the Vijayanayara Empire, in the South of India, between the 15th and the 16th century. During this time, globalisation expands through the various trade interactions between different worlds set apart by geography such as China, Venetian Republic, Portuguese traders. 

And there is the mythical figure of the goddess Pampa Kampana, whose written chronicle found in a pot is brought to life by the anonymous chronicle - Jayaparajaya, which includes both the words Victory and Defeat - reader of the book. She spent most of her 247-year long life at the forefronts of history, including by sharing the seeds - of okra and beans - that created the Victory City itself. A teller of truth with a taste of getting involved in palace intrigues and fancing women warriors and in position of power. 

But she will end up being a victim of her own circumstances, in a war where there are no winners or losers. After all, she was only half-goddess. 

The writing doesn´t let you think about anything else, completely absorbed into the story. The complexity of thoughts shared do require a high attention and dedication to it: women self-empowerment, women and power, illusions of power. In the vein of old chronicles, there are no character judgement, only facts and their consequences, samples of life and its illusions.

Rating: 5 stars  

Random Things Tours: Do Pengiuns Like the Cold? by Huw Levis Jones illustrated by Sam Caldwell

 

As a mother of a curious little boy and an educator, I am always interested in ways in which science - with big S and lots of challenging theoretical researches - can be taught in an attractive way, without diminishing at all the quality of the information. Thus, children books in all languages written by scientists interest me due to the guarantee of the data translated for the consumption of a young audience.

Do Penguins Like the Cold by expedition leader, naturalist and award-winning author Huw Levis Jones, interestingly illustrated by Glasgow-based wild life artist Sam Caldwell, seemed to check all the intellectual boxes of my current projects. And I was right to have high expectations, all answered graciously by this small yet highly interested book.

A good written children book - in this case addressing mostly pre-teens, facing for the first time the science requirements in the classroom - should interest both the adults reading with them and the little reader. And honestly, what a lesson this book was! I got to know a lot of information about penguins, their habitat and behavior and I may even conquer my horror of travelling to cold places for the sake of understanding with my own eyes why actually Do Penguins Like the Cold. 

The book is informative, indeed, as I was expected it to be, but at the same time it also involves the reader, invited to actively follow the author in an adventure in the cold, getting to know the penguins. It shows a good example of how such a topic can be tackled in a very intelligent and engaging way. Personally, I will be more than interested in getting to read more books by Huw Levis Jones and books in general written in such a generous informative and engaging way.

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Random Things Tours: Dead Sweet by Katrín Júlíusdóttir translated by Quentin Bates

 

When I was thinking that Icelandic Noir can´t get any better, I am offer again the chance of an even more eventful thrilling crime made in Iceland: Dead Sweet by Katrín Júlíusdóttir translated fron Icelandic by Quentin Bates and published by Orenda Books, one of my favorites publishers of high-quality crime novels in English.

The book was published in 2020 and was Katrín Júlíusdóttir´s debut novel. A former politician, an MP between 2003 and 2016, it seems she used her everyday political experience by getting the best inspiration for writing this unexpected political novel.

Óttar Karlsson, the politician whose death is the main trigger of the story in Dead Sweet, didn´t get to take part at his birthday party. Once his corpse is discovered, the police is aware that this crime would be much discussed about in the next weeks and months. However, as the investigation to catch the culprit advances, the police, particularly the smart investigator Sígurdis - another interesting and elaborated character although secondary at a a certain extent - , are getting into the darkest secrets of a popular politician. 

Karlsson, although dead, is the main character of the book, developed carefully. However, Dead Sweet is more than a book built around a person, as at the same time when we are lead through the secrets of the Icelandic politician, the action of the book itself is advancing as well, with the persistence of the spider´s web. I particularly loved the complexity of both the story and the character, leading through a spectacular, mostly unexpected ending.

Dead Sweet is a great read for anyone passionate about politics, with all its shortcomings and dark sides. But dark sides of life are always most attractive and definitely make into the best thrillers. Iceland seems to offer a neverending source of inspiration, and writers like Júlíusdóttir do have access to both the source of the inspiration and the writing talent to offer just another excellent sample of Icelandic Noir. 

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Rachel´s Random Resources: How Not to Murder Your Ex by Katie Marsh

 

Some exes are more despicable than the others and when left pennyless, some fantasies involving murder may be involved. But fantasies are different from the actual murder...unless you are the charming 45-year old Clion, having to live since her divorce in a caravan. Because...her ex Gary took care of her wellbeing so well...Then, suddenly, she´s discovering his corpse at her doorstep. On the top of that, she cannot remember exactly what she did and/or where last night, because she had one too many cocktails. 

How Not to Murder Your Ex by Katie Marsh is an adorable cosy murder mystery. Besides the humour and the funnily criminal twists, the book also has the merit of introducing women characters of a certain age - besides Clio, there is also Amber and also Jeanie, both of them one of a kind. A better hint of age diversity is always welcomed...

I´ve read this book in one long sitting and couldn´t recommend it enough, especially if you are looking for a cosy smart winter read - while at home after a holiday meal or just while on vacation, in the mountains or elsewhere. It has interesting psychological insights of relationships and betrayal after a certain age, but also a crime related ambiance that, at least in this case, works together very well. I just hope there will be a continuation of any kind of this book, as those women characters do feel so real that I may want to meet in real life too. 

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

From the Library with Love: Podcast Tour

 

Like in the case of audiobooks, it took me a longer time to come along with podcasts. But exactly as it happened with the audiobooks, once I got into the spirit, it was really hard to live without it. However, I am still at the beginning of the journey and always looking to update my list of podcasts that may help me to better hear and understand the world. 

As a bookish person, podcasts with authors about books - theirs and others - are very important to learn more about writing processes and authors, as well as about characters and the inspiration behind them. I am still looking to expand my list, therefore, it is my big pleasure to introduce my readers to a podcast with a name aimed to attract bookish people like me - and you: From the Library with Love by award-winning journalist, ghostwriter and novelist Kate Thompson. 

Regularly, Thompson publish interviews with authors and persons who inspired her writing. The episode I want to talk more about is an interview with Shannon Kyle, prolific ghostwriter and author. In her episode, she is explaining about her experience and her writing process, but also about the ways in which the ghostwriter connects with the story and its sources. Thompson is a very intelligent interviewer, with a pleasant voice that keeps the audience awake. Kyle is also involved in supporting ghostwriters as well, and she recently created The Ghostwriters Agency with Teena Lyons, aimed at connecting authors with ´ghosts´. 

As I am planning to take some days off in the next weeks, Thompson´s podcast would be for sure a pleasant and intelligent companion, because there is never enough when it comes to knowledge and quality inspiration about the bookish life.

Thank you, Anne Cater for the opportunity of discovering and reviewing this podcast.

Random Things Tours: If I had a Polar Bear by Gabby Dawnay illustrated by Alex Barrow

 Brought to their young audience by the successful duo behind the good night children books ´If I Had a...´ - writer and poet Gabby Dawney and illustrator Alex Barrow - If I Had a Polar Bear explores the possibilities of what does it mean to have a polar bear as a pet. An unconventional choice, of course, but children do always put us in impossible to refuse situations.

Aimed at 3+ children, it also helps the little ones to develop their animals-based vocabulary, with some visual riddles they are challenged to solve at the very beginning of the book. Just the best way to keep them interested until the end of the book. The vocabulary is also well aimed at offering not only an adventure in the world of imagination, but equally the chance to learn new words at the end of the journey.

Both the illustrations and texts are catchy, and my son remained focused until the very end. You can read it as a bedtime story or during the day in the Kindergarten, or use it as an English learning material. 

An enjoyable read - with colourful beautiful illustrations as well - both for children and their grandparents and parents, If I Had a Polar Bear was published just in time for the winter season. Outdoors or indoors, one - no matter the age - can easily dream about how life with a polar bear would be. I am definitely in for such a sweet procrastination!

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Memoir: Forager. Field Notes from Surviving a Family Cult

 

The world of cults, especially in North America, may take different forms. Some of them do tend to reach to a larger follower, some are just created around some family figure. Many families may have such iconic figure in their midst, especially an old grandfather, but they are not necessarily turning into a cult. 

Journalist Michelle Dowd spent her formative years in a family cult created around her grandfather, roaming through the fields and hills, learning to trust animals and nature, but being taught to despise the outsiders. The apocalyptic religious cult founded in the 1930s by her grandfather, with assigned prophetic qualities. 

Life is limited by various rules and especially restrictions, denying everything that has to do with civilization - including hospitals and medical services in general. Her life is marked by lack of attention, proper food - most of it is provided by own foraging - and clothing. She knows everything around the mountain in California she grew up but hardly about normal healthy human relationships and family attachment.

Each chapter is initiated by a reference to a specific plant and is built around an experience in the mountain reflected into her own life and relationship. Despite the hardships and the estranged family relationship, the tone of the memoir is empathic and simple, without any over emotional confessions and outbursts against her traumatic childhood. Such an approach is usually the sign of a noble spirit that makes peace with life as it is, a rare quality, particularly among people who left behind cults or strict religious groups. 

I had access to the book in audiobook format, read by the author herself, and her warm curious voice also confirms this impression.

Rating: 3.5 stars