Saturday, October 25, 2008

The Hundred Secret Senses


The story is the first person narrative of Olivia Laguni, a San Francisco native, daughter of a Chinese immigrant father and Italian mother. On her father's deathbed he asks Olivia's mother to bring his never-before-spoken-of daughter from China to the US. Kwan becomes Olivia's substitute mother and raises her with stories of the yin world--an afterworld. The ensuing story is about Olivia's struggle to accept and love her half-sister Kwan for who she is, yin eyes and all. The story is also threaded with Olivia's relationship with her soon to be ex-husband Simon. I really liked this story for the very real way Olivia feels about Kwan, even though it feels politically incorrect. I also liked the mystery involved as the reader is struggling to believe Kwan also.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Drowning Ruth


For me, this novel became a mystery that I had to figure out. Author Christina Schwarz tells the story of the drowning of Mattie in 1919 Wisconsin through different voices and views, and some flashbacks. Mattie is the young mother of Ruth, 3 years old, whose husband is away at war. Mattie's older sister, Amanda, is a nurse who gives up her job under questionable circumstances and moves into the family home with Mattie and Ruth. After Mattie drowns, Amanda stays to take care of Ruth, even after her father comes home from Europe. The reader can almost feel the half-buried grief that these characters have through their lives, which makes one want to know even more so what exactly caused it.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

44 Scotland Street


What really interested me in this book is that it was written as a serial novel printed in a daily paper in Scotland. The story is that Alexander McCall Smith was challenged by a colleague to write in this traditional style. The book is set in a fictitious building in Edinburgh and revolves around the tenants. The most interesting character is Domenica Macdonald, a middle aged woman who enjoys a good cup of tea over intelligent conversation. Some of the other characters are a little shallow and not as interesting, but the short chapters (due to the way the book was written) keeps one from becoming too bored with any one person. I recommend this book to those who don't need a lot of "action" in a plot, but instead can enjoy character development.