Although I’m fond of most of Alice Hoffman’s works, I was all set to dislike The Rules of Magic.  Magical Realism is fine, but the title led me to believe the magic would be so far fetched it would get in the way of the plot.  However, despite the somewhat unrealistic occurrences, Hoffman tells a very fine love story.  Franny, Jet(short for Bridget) and Vincent are witches who can see into the future, cast spells and are instructed to avoid falling in love because it will only cause disastrous results.  Of course, they all fall in love with the perfect mate, and terrible events follow.

If you can go with the flow and not be put off by the unbelievable, you will enjoy this novel.  Hoffman’s characters are well drawn and her settings are superb.  If you’re a romantic, suspend belief and read The Rules of Magic.

Short-listed for The National Book Award, Jennifer Egan’s fifth novel is the story of Anna Kerrigan and the people whose lives she touches.  Manhattan Beach follows Anna from the time she is a young girl in New York City during the depression through her time as a Navy diver in World War II.  In that time period Anna’s father disappears, she has a relationship with a disreputable nightclub owner and she must prove herself more than worthy in an occupation where she is the only female.  Anna is both feisty and thoughtful; a strong female character who is brave, smart and independent.

I enjoyed this novel immensely.  The characters are realistic, not stereotypes, and Egan’s rendering of a slice of New York City in the 30’s and 40’s is interesting and insightful.,

An Irish immigrant named Jim commits suicide in Brooklyn in the early 1900’s.  His death strongly affects his widow as well as their unborn daughter.  The nuns at the  neighborhood convent, provide the widow, Annie, with a job in their laundry.  Her daughter, Sally, learns a lot more than religion from these pious women.

Although very Catholic,  I thoroughly enjoyed The Ninth Hour.  This is not a dramatic tale with a plot that twists and turns; rather it is a slice of life with somewhat predictable characters.  A frequent theme is what is right and what is a sin, making McDermott’s novel good for book group discussions.

 

Eleanor Henderson’s second novel is fabulous.  In 1930 in a rural town in Georgia, a young, unmarried white woman gives birth to twins-one black, one white.  On the same night, a young black man is shot full of bullets and then strung up on a gourd tree because some white folks thought he was the father of the black infant.  Are these newborns twins, who are their parents, and what other secret and lies exist along the twelve mile straight?

Henderson’s plot, character development and prose are terrific.  I will not soon forget Nan, Elma and Jukes as well as many of the other finely drawn characters residing in Florence, Georgia.

John Boyne, author of The Boy in Striped Pajamas, has written a heart-warming, humorous story.  The main character is Cyril Avery, born in 1945 to a sixteen year old unwed mother.  He is adopted by Charles and Maude Avery who lack the parenting gene and continually remind Cyril that he is not a true Avery.  Growing up gay in Catholic Ireland was difficult, and poor Cyril’s life was a sham until he was able to leave his repressive homeland.  Boyne continues to follow Cyril, his fortunes and misfortunes, his travels and his relationships, until he turns seventy.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies is funny, sad and poignant, and Cyril Avery is an individual one will not soon forget.

 

 

 

 

I read this book in two sittings.  The novel takes place in the 1990’s in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a well-to-do, liberal suburb of Cleveland.  It is the story of two families.  The Richardsons are typical of their suburb, father is a lawyer, mother a journalist, oldest daughter beautiful and bright, oldest son handsome and athletic, younger son a sensitive intellectual and youngest daughter a moody loner.  The Richardsons own a duplex on “the other side” of Shaker Heights, and they rent out one floor to Mia Warren and her adolescent daughter, Pearl.  Mia is a vagabond artist with few possessions and a mysterious past.  How these families interact is the crux of the novel.

Little Fires Everywhere is an easy read with a lot of depth to it.  It will grab you on page one.  Also, Celeste Ng not only knows a lot about a lot of things, she knows how to present them in a fascinating way.

Twelve year old Jojo and his baby sister Kayla live in rural Mississippi with their maternal grandparents and their mother, Leonie, who is a meth addict. The grandparents have taken on the parenting role because Leonie is often gone or at home strung out on drugs.  The crux of the plot describes Jojo, Kayla and Leonie’s journey by car to pick up the children’s father, Michael, who has just been released from prison.  Michael and Leonie are not married and his parents do not approve of the relationship because Leonie is black.

Sing, Unburied, Sing was a difficult novel for me from page one-I still don’t understand the significance of the title.  There are three narrators, and one is a dead boy.  This worked for me in William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, but not here.  Finally, there’s a climactic death scene that is so drawn out with flowery, yet awkward, prose that I felt nothing but relief when the character met her end.

Winner of the 2017 Man Booker International Prize, Israeli author David Grossman has written an intriguing novel.  Dov Greenstein, a 57 year old stand-up comic, has invited a childhood acquaintance who happens to be a retired judge to view his performance that takes place in a small town in Israel.  His routine is part jokes, part memoir and part philosophical digressions.  Throughout Dov’s performance, the reader gains insight into his life as well as the judge’s.

A Horse Walks into a Bar is not an easy read.  Greenstein’s monologue takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster.  It is the type of book I don’t enjoy reading, but when I have finished, I am happy I have read it!

 

A quiet, lovely book about an older married, Irish couple on vacation in Amsterdam.  Stella, a devout Catholic, is married to Gerry, a nonbeliever and an alcoholic.  Stella, unbeknown to Gerry, has planned their trip so she can investigate a possible option for her future.  While there, Gerry’s drinking problem is revealed and Stella’s religious fervor becomes more apparent.  Knowing her life is nearing the end, Stella is unsure if she should do what would make her happiest or what would make her spouse happiest.

There are few novels written about long lasting marriages, perhaps because authors feel they are without drama.  Bernard MacLaverty proves them wrong!

Every summer I read a classic that I have never read before, and since I’m planning to visit Southwest England soon, I felt I should read a novel that takes place there.  Descriptively written, with romance and suspense,  Hardy portrays Tess as a beautiful, young woman born in poverty with a title that ends up doing her more harm than good.  Tess, at the start of her tale, is moral, hard-working and loving, and through no fault of her own, she is forced to face hardship and tragedy.   Hardy demonstrates what can happen to an innocent, trusting girl in a man’s world.

If you want a quick, light read, Tess of the d’Urbervilles is not it.  However, if you’re looking for a beautifully written novel that captures life in rural England about 150 years ago, give Tess a try.