A BEND IN THE STARS by Rachel Barenbaum

A BEND IN THE STARS  by Rachel Barenbaum

Relativity and Russia star in this detailed novel of science and politics.  Siblings Vanya (male, older, trying to prove Einstein’s Theory of Relativity) and Miri (female, a surgeon in a man’s field, following her deserter fiancée) flee across Russia trying to stay alive long enough to prove Vanya’s theory by photographing a solar eclipse as World War I begins.

You do NOT need to understand the Theory of Relativity to enjoy this epic novel while meandering through Russia. A triangular love story ensues when Miri saves a Jewish mystery man who then falls in love with her.  The story is really the love story and the chase for a photo of the eclipsed sun all while being chased by a murderous villain.

The details are all there. The science is understandable, the characters are likeable (or detestable), the country is unmanageable, the climax is heart pounding. An enjoyable, if lengthy, read.

4 of 5 stars

AMERICA FOR BEGINNERS by Leah Franqui

AMERICA FOR BEGINNERS   by Leah Franqui

This was a delightful book.  A conservative Indian lady seeks closure with her son’s death by taking a guided tour of America. 

Pival hires an Indian (she thinks) tour company that is really Bengali.  Her “companion” is an erstwhile actress who is tired of life. Her tour guide has never led a tour before.  These three mismatched characters, each with their own set of opinions and expectations find themselves and America as they travel. Pival’s son, his chosen lifestyle, his companion, and  his life’s work become clear as the tour progresses. 

By turns hilarious and heartrending, America for Beginners presents an America like no other. The characters are interesting and well developed. The story line has great depth and insight. While reading, you might consider a tour of America you might arrange – especially the meals along the way.

5 of 5 stars

AMERICA FOR BEGINNERS by Leah Franqui

AMERICA FOR BEGINNERS   by Leah Franqui

This was a delightful book.  A conservative Indian lady seeks closure with her son’s death by taking a guided tour of America. 

Pival hires an Indian (she thinks) tour company that is really Bengali.  Her “companion” is an erstwhile actress who is tired of life. Her tour guide has never led a tour before.  These three mismatched characters, each with their own set of opinions and expectations find themselves and America as they travel. Pival’s son, his chosen lifestyle, his companion, and  his life’s work become clear as the tour progresses. 

By turns hilarious and heartrending, America for Beginners presents an America like no other. The characters are interesting and well developed. The story line has great depth and insight. While reading, you might consider a tour of America you might arrange – especially the meals along the way.

5 of 5 stars

YOU WERE THERE TOO by Colleen Oakley

YOU WERE THERE TOO  by Colleen Oakley

This was a different kind of love story.  A happily married woman dreams about a man, not her husband, for years. Then she discovers he is a real person who has been dreaming about her!  Love, desire, confusion, humor, guilt, forgiveness, and just plain weirdness ensues.

I liked it. Not the best book ever, but definitely an interesting take on human emotions.  Well written, likeable characters who show real emotions, who grow and change in the development of the story. 

You will wonder while reading where this is all going and you will be surprised. Taken all together, this is a good read. I’m glad I read it.

4 of 5 stars

CHEROKEE AMERICA by Margaret Verble

CHEROKEE AMERICA by Margaret Verble

Verble beautifully creates atmosphere in both culture and land in this prequel to her first (Pulitzer Prize nominated) novel, MAUD’S LINE. Cherokee America, known to all as Check, is the matriarch of a family still remembering the horrors of the Trail of Tears and now facing increasing pressure from Whites to sell, give or abandon their Cherokee Nation land.

Family is paramount to this extended family facing the death of Check’s husband, culture clashes with their white neighbors, disapproval of their employment of a former slave, their friendships across culture lines and family ties and, finally, the betrayal of family members by whites.

The first half of the novel introduces the various family, friends and enemies and establishes the ethnic and “national” background and clash points.  The second half deals with the aftermath of betrayal and reads like an engrossing mystery. The cast of characters at the front is extremely helpful in keeping all of the players in this drama straight. The conflict and resolution are satisfying if unconventional.

My one hesitancy in highly recommending this novel is the emphasis on sexual behavior that pervades the entire book.  

5 of 5 stars

INDIA GRAY by Sujata Massey

INDIA GRAY  by Sujata Massey

This collection consists of two novellas and two short stories. Both novellas, Outnumbered at Oxford and The Ayah’s Tale are peopled by well formed characters and have detailed and nuanced plots with introduction, plot development and conclusion.  Outnumbered at Oxford introduces characters found in the full length novel, THE WIDOWS OF MALABAR HILL. The two short stories are quite brief and include only one incident with little characterization. India Gray is the much more satisfying story for both character and plot. Bitter Tea simply leaves one wanting more.

Outnumbered at Oxford gives the reader of MALABAR HILL the back story of what transpired during Perveen’s banishment to England and introduces Alice, Perveen’s good friend, who has a role in MALABAR HILL.  Both women find themselves bending the strict rules at St. Hilda’s College to solve the disappearance of a mathematical paper and a young man.

The Ayah’s Tale is a treatise on social class, including the vast social differences between Indians (in their own country) and English colonists during a time of growing desire for Indian independence. It leaves the reader wanting another tale to fill in the gap between the story and the epilogue.

The writing and research involved for all four tales is detailed and gives depth and interest to each story.  A good introduction to an excellent writer.

5 of 5 stars   

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

THINGS YOU SAVE IN A FIRE  by Katherine Center

THINGS YOU SAVE IN A FIRE is the first book I have read by Katherine Center.  It wasn’t exactly what I assumed it would be, but was an interesting read even though it turned out to be a romance rather than a firefighter story.  The tension author Center creates around Cassie’s determined “aloneness” is palpable from the very first lines.  Cassie, Diana, the other firefighters and Diana’s friend Josie all speak and act like normal people.  The two “villains” are known pretty quickly.

 

The romantic story line is actually quite interesting (this said by a person who doesn’t usually read romance novels). The pranking escalates rather quickly into real fright producing torment. That resolution is the weakest part of the novel. Cassie turns around socially because of fear for her mother and over a period of time – understandable. The resolution of the out of control pranking is not so understandable, especially on the part of the villain who changes too quickly and too completely to be believable.

(No vulgar language except for a few damns, one sex scene, one alluded to violent sex scene, I received this book free from St Martin’s Press for my honest review)

4 of 5 stars

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