The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Publisher: HarperAudio
Publication Date: September 24, 2019
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves.
The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.
Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives, they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.
The Dutch House is the story of Danny and his older sister Maeve. They grew up in the Dutch House, a huge mansion that their father surprised their mother with after he made his fortune in real estate. Unfortunately, their mother suffers from some sort of imposter syndrome and doesn’t feel deserving of their new wealthy lifestyle. She abandons the family to serve the poor in India when Danny is just three years old. Danny and Maeve’s father is cold and distant. He doesn’t quite know what to do with children so they are raised primarily by the housekeepers Sandy and Jocelyn.
The Dutch House spans several decades. It’s interesting that while it’s told from Danny’s point of view, Maeve is just as much of a central character as he is. At one point, someone refers to them as being like Hansel and Gretel and I think that’s true. The Dutch House is very much like a fairytale. One day Danny and Maeve’s father brings home Andrea, who becomes the evil stepmother in this fairytale. Her presence brings Danny and Maeve even closer than they already are. The Dutch House is also just as much a character as any human in the book and continues to cause Danny and Maeve pain long after their mother leaves them.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Dutch House. I liked that it was told to the reader by present-day Danny, who remembers how he felt in his childhood but can also see the things that happened back then from a different perspective as an adult. Danny and Maeve had a truly special relationship that I appreciated. The Dutch House was the July selection for one of my book clubs and it gave us a lot to talk about. One of the best discussions was about whether or not it’s possible to make a mother who abandons her children a sympathetic character. It’s been done successfully with fathers but not with any mothers that we could think of. Ann Patchett said in an interview that she tried and failed to make the mother in The Dutch House sympathetic:
“I wrote this book, got all the way to the end, read it, hated it, threw it away and started over. And I mean completely. What I realized in having it bomb so completely is that you cannot write a sympathetic character who leaves her children for ethical reasons. There is definitely a different standard for men and women, and I wanted to take that on. And I realized that I couldn’t. We sing songs about Odysseus, and we pray to the Buddha [both of whom left home], and nobody thinks about their sons. I sat down on the carpet in the middle of my office. I imagined every mother on my street who has young children, and her leaving her children to go and do important work for the poor. And I was angry at all of them.”
I listened to the audiobook of The Dutch House because it’s narrated by Tom Hanks. He does an excellent job, of course. Highly recommended.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
July 23rd, 2021 in
Books |
1 Comment
The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart by Alicia Garza
Publisher: One World
Publication Date: October 20, 2020
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
In 2013, Alicia Garza wrote what she called “a love letter to Black people” on Facebook, in the aftermath of the acquittal of the man who murdered seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin. Garza wrote:
Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.
With the speed and networking capacities of social media, #BlackLivesMatter became the hashtag heard ’round the world. But Garza knew even then that hashtags don’t start movements—people do.
Long before #BlackLivesMatter became a rallying cry for this generation, Garza had spent the better part of two decades learning and unlearning some hard lessons about organizing. The lessons she offers are different from the “rules for radicals” that animated earlier generations of activists, and diverge from the charismatic, patriarchal model of the American civil rights movement. She reflects instead on how making room amongst the woke for those who are still awakening can inspire and activate more people to fight for the world we all deserve.
This is the story of one woman’s lessons through years of bringing people together to create change. Most of all, it is a new paradigm for change for a new generation of changemakers, from the mind and heart behind one of the most important movements of our time.
Alicia Garza is one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter Global Network but she worked as a community organizer for a long time before that. The Purpose of Power is multi-faceted – it’s both her personal story and the story behind #BlackLivesMatter. It’s also about community organizing in general and how to go beyond hashtags to make real and lasting change.
I learned a lot from this book. It starts with a brief history of movements and leadership within the Black community to give context to where things stand with it today. Then she weaves in her personal story, including her work as a community organizer. I first heard the term “community organizer” when Barack Obama ran for president but I didn’t know what it really meant. Garza has a wealth of experience that she details in this book and I feel like I understand what a community organizer does a lot better now.
The last section of the book is about the Black Lives Matter movement – how it started and where it is today. I appreciated this information because I didn’t know the specifics before reading this book. Now, I feel like I have a wealth of knowledge that I can use to educate others. There is a lot of misinformation about Black Lives Matter out there and I’m glad I feel like I can speak out now.
The focus of The Purpose of Power is the Black Lives Matter movement but what Garza shares about organizing can be applied to any movement. If you’ve ever felt like you wanted to do something beyond posting a hashtag, this is a great book for you.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
July 20th, 2021 in
Books |
No Comments
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
Publisher: MIRA
Publication Date: March 3, 2020
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
Escaping from an abusive marriage, 17-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist – and confidante – to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own….
Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips who could ruin her reputation and her livelihood. As she pursues her dream of an independent life, she is startled one day when she is confronted by her husband, who has tracked her down these many years later with a high-spirited young girl in tow – a sister Lakshmi never knew she had. Suddenly the caution that she has carefully cultivated as protection is threatened. Still she perseveres, applying her talents and lifting up those that surround her as she does.
Lakshmi left an abusive marriage years ago and has spent her time away becoming the most sought-after henna artist in Jaipur. It’s the 1950s so divorce for an Indian woman is unheard of – Lakshmi must present herself as a widow. This is all well and good until her husband shows up out of the blue with a 13-year-old girl who he says is her younger sister. Keeping him a secret has deep repercussions on her reputation and way of life.
The Henna Artist shows how pervasive the caste system was in India in the 1950s and how little control women of any caste had over their own lives. Even Lakshmi, a supposed widow, isn’t fully independent. Lakshmi has to tread very carefully in her interactions with the wealthy women she hennas – it must be mentally exhausting. Every conversation is filled with innuendo and hidden meaning. Words must be carefully chosen. This becomes even more apparent when Lakshmi takes in her sister, who has been raised in abject poverty and has no social graces whatsoever.
The Henna Artist was right up my alley – we know by now that I love books about the social mores of India. My favorite character was Maharani Indira Man Singh. She and her parrot provided just the right amount of comic relief in what was otherwise a pretty heavy book. I enjoyed reading it but it was not a feel-good book by any means. From what I understand, The Henna Artist is the first book in a planned trilogy. The second book, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur, came out in June. Its focus is Malik, Lakshmi’s young assistant. I plan to read it soon before I forget the details of The Henna Artist. I’ll keep you posted!
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
July 16th, 2021 in
Books |
1 Comment
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: February 28, 2017
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
I’ve been meaning to read The Hate U Give for a while now but other books kept getting in the way. When my son said that he had to read it for school, I decided to read it too. He loved it so much that he finished it in record time and then read it again right away. I can see why – it may be the best young adult book I’ve read.
Starr Carter is a sixteen-year-old who lives in a poor neighborhood. She attends an elite prep school where she is one of two Black kids in her grade. She keeps her two worlds very separate until one day when she is with her neighborhood friend Khalil and he is fatally shot by a police officer. Starr was the only witness but she’s not sure she wants to get involved – it could be too dangerous.
It’s sad and a little eerie that this book was published in 2017 but pretty much mirrors the events of the summer of 2020 after George Floyd was murdered. Some things never change, unfortunately. Thomas does a beautiful job of showing how the frustration of a community over the murder of an unarmed Black man by police could lead to rioting. I would love to gift this book to people who say they can’t understand why the protests aren’t all peaceful.
She also does a fantastic job of showing the effort that it takes for Starr to navigate between her two worlds. Starr has to be ever mindful when she’s at school that she doesn’t come across as an “angry Black girl”. She doesn’t speak about her home life because she doesn’t want people to think she lives in the ghetto. That’s why she is hesitant to speak up about having been with Khalil. It gets harder and harder to keep quiet as she watches the media turn him into a criminal and she hears her classmates calling him a thug.
I don’t know how someone could read this book and not walk away with a deep sense of empathy and understanding for what it’s like to be a Black teenager in today’s world. I think it should be required reading for high school – I’m so glad that my son read it. Incidentally, he watched the movie and said that it was very different from the book and he didn’t like it. I’m probably still going to watch it just to see for myself – I’ll report back after I do. In the meantime, I give the book The Hate U Give my highest recommendation.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
July 2nd, 2021 in
Books |
1 Comment
The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives by Brian Moylan
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: May 25, 2021
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
From Brian Moylan, the writer of Vulture’s legendary Real Housewives recaps, a table-flipping, finger-pointing, halter-topping VIP journey through reality TV’s greatest saga…
In the spring of 2006, a new kind of show premiered on Bravo: The Real Housewives of Orange County. Its stars were tanned, taut, and bedazzled; their homes were echoey California villas; and their drama was gossip-fueled, wine-drenched, and absolutely exquisite. Fifteen seasons on, RHOC is an institution, along with The Real Housewives of New York, Atlanta, New Jersey, Miami, Potomac, and more. Over the years these ladies have done a lot more than lunch, launching thirty-one books, a cocktail line, two jail sentences, a couple supermodel daughters, Andy Cohen’s talk show career, thirty-six divorces, fourteen albums, a White House party crash, and approximately one million memes.
Brian Moylan has been there through it all, in front of the screen and behind the scenes. The writer of Vulture’s beloved series recaps, he’s here to tell us the full story, from the inside scoop on every classic throwdown to the questions we’ve always wanted to know, like―what are the housewives really like off-camera? (The same.) How much money do they make? (Lots.) He has a lot to say about the legacy and fandom of a franchise that’s near and dear to his heart, and inextricable from pop culture today.
The Housewives is a must-read for any die-hard Real Housewives fan – even if you don’t watch all of the cities. I “only” watch Orange County, Beverly Hills and Salt Lake City. And my summer project is binging RHONY – I just started season six so I have a long way to go. I’m powering through though! Anyway, even though I haven’t watched all of the cities, I still enjoyed this book a lot.
It’s important to know that The Housewives is a behind-the-scenes look at the franchises themselves and to some extent Bravo as a network. There is not much scoop on individual housewives’ personal lives off-camera. However, that didn’t bother me at all. Sure, I love dirt but I’m also fascinated by the inner workings of the shows. Especially since Bravo is notoriously secretive about how Housewives works. This book finally answers everyone’s number one question, “Who pays for the trips??”
Bravo’s extreme concern about keeping everything confidential is one of the reasons this book doesn’t have more scoop on the housewives themselves. The author says that when he told them he was writing this book, instead of helping him like he was hoping, Bravo told all current and past housewives not to talk to him under any circumstances. Luckily, not everyone followed instructions. Also, Brian got plenty of former production staffers to talk to him and they provided some great stories.
I listened to the audiobook, which is read by the author. His delivery is a little stilted but once I got used to his style, I was hooked. He is a super-fan and clearly loves the shows, but he is delightfully snarky about them at the same time. I especially loved the chapter about when he went on a retreat that Vickie Gunvalson (of RHOC) put on in Puerto Vallarta. He whooped it up with Vickie!
Towards the end, he discusses some of the academic research that has been done about the Real Housewives phenomenon. Yes, academics are studying the show and writing serious papers about it! It turns out some benefits of watching it have been found. If you feel at all guilty about being a fan, this book will make you feel better about it. Recommended for Real Housewives fans everywhere.
(I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook for review.)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
June 29th, 2021 in
Books |
No Comments
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
Publisher: Lee Boudreaux Books
Publication Date: July 18, 2017
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
Who says you can’t run away from your problems? You are a failed novelist about to turn fifty. A wedding invitation arrives in the mail: your boyfriend of the past nine years is engaged to someone else. You can’t say yes–it would be too awkward–and you can’t say no–it would look like defeat. On your desk are a series of invitations to half-baked literary events around the world.
QUESTION: How do you arrange to skip town?
ANSWER: You accept them all.
What would possibly go wrong? Arthur Less will almost fall in love in Paris, almost fall to his death in Berlin, barely escape to a Moroccan ski chalet from a Saharan sandstorm, accidentally book himself as the (only) writer-in-residence at a Christian Retreat Center in Southern India, and encounter, on a desert island in the Arabian Sea, the last person on Earth he wants to face. Somewhere in there: he will turn fifty. Through it all, there is his first love. And there is his last.
Because, despite all these mishaps, missteps, misunderstandings and mistakes, Less is, above all, a love story.
When Arthur Less is invited to his former boyfriend’s wedding, he doesn’t want to go. In order to have an excuse not to go, he accepts a variety of invitations to other events around the world. He’s an author and all of the events have something to do with writing or literature. While traveling, he reflects back on his life because he is about to turn fifty. He remembers his first love, who was an older poet, and his time with the boyfriend who is getting married.
Less won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and I have to say, I’m a bit baffled as to why. It’s touted as being a really funny book but I only found it to be mildly amusing in parts. It does satirize the publishing industry and literary world so I imagine that people in those worlds might find it funnier than most. It brought to mind when LaLa Land won all sorts of awards even though it wasn’t that great of a movie because Hollywood types love movies about Hollywood and will vote for them to win awards.
My book club read Less for our May meeting and most of us were “meh” about it. Have you read it – what did you think?
June 25th, 2021 in
Books |
1 Comment
I attempted to attend a Barnes & Noble virtual author event last night to celebrate the release of Taylor Jenkin Reid’s new book Malibu Rising. There were technical difficulties on Eventbrite’s end and most everyone wasn’t able to join until about halfway through the event. Luckily, B&N recorded it and posted it to YouTube this morning. I’m glad I got to watch it all – it was a fantastic conversation.
I haven’t read any of Taylor’s previous books or Malibu Rising. One of my book clubs is reading Malibu Rising for our July meeting so I’ll be reading it soon. After listening to Taylor and V.E. talk about it, I’m looking forward to reading it. I’ll most likely have to buy it since I’m still 174 on my library’s hold list but I think it’ll be worth it. I have so many books that lately I’m trying to be selective about what I actually purchase. I’m running out of room!
Some highlights from the convo:
- V.E. asked Taylor what the ingredients were that she wanted to make sure and use when she was thinking about writing Malibu Rising. She said Malibu, a non-traditional family of surfers, and a party where a bunch of made-up famous people wreaks havoc. Taylor worked in casting in Hollywood before becoming an author so she knows how Hollywood really works. We know I love Hollywood so right off the bat, I’m thinking this is my kind of book.
- There are a few Easter Eggs in Malibu Rising from her previous books. Those should be really fun for superfans to discover!
- Daisy Jones and the Six is being made into a TV series that will be released on Amazon. Taylor said watching the process of her book come to life is like having a 3D printer in her brain, which I thought was a great analogy. She also said that she thinks it will be as good as the book. Sounds promising!
- Taylor revealed that Daisy Jones and the Six (set in the 1970s) and Malibu Rising (set in the 1980s) are the first two books of a quartet, each being set in a different decade. The final two will be set in the 1990s and the 2000s. It sounds like the next one is well underway.
- V.E. and Taylor talked quite a bit about how famous, straight, white men get a pass for almost anything they do but famous women and people of color are held to almost impossible standards. They are expected to be grateful for whatever success they’ve achieved and to not make any waves. It sounds like this is a major theme of Malibu Rising.
That about sums it up. I will report back after I have actually read Malibu Rising and let you know what I thought. If you’ve read it, let me know your thoughts!
June 22nd, 2021 in
Books |
1 Comment
I got back from a family vacation to Colorado a few days ago. It was a great trip! I was dreading the eleven-hour car ride with four kids – especially since my two-year-old had never been in the car for more than 30 minutes up until this point. But they all did great on the way out and on the way home. While there, we went horseback riding, hiking, pontooning, to the Children’s Museum in Denver and more.
One of the highlights for me was checking out a used book store in Breckenridge called Ole Man Berkins Books. While there, I told the very friendly bookseller that I read everything and asked him if he had a recommendation for a book that he loved that I probably hadn’t heard of before. He recommended A Monk Swimming by Malachy McCourt, Frank McCourt’s brother. He said it’s an unexpectedly funny memoir that made him laugh out loud. So not like Angela’s Ashes at all, I’m guessing. The other book he recommended was Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan. He liked it because it’s not just about Bob Dylan, it’s about the overall music scene at the time. We all know I love a good celebrity memoir so it was an easy sell. Also, my mom loved Bob Dylan and would be happy that I’m reading his book.
I came very close to buying the Welcome Back Kotter book that I spotted in the young adult section but decided that I would save my $2.50 and just take a picture for posterity. Up your nose with a rubber hose! Just kidding – I love you guys!
June 18th, 2021 in
Books |
1 Comment
There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 14, 2019
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so…sucky. After being dumped by his ex-girlfriend, his mojo goes AWOL. Even worse, his parents are annoyingly, smugly confident they could find him a better match. So, in a moment of weakness, Ash challenges them to set him up.
The Patels insist Ashish date an Indian-American girl – under contract. Per subclause 1(a), he’ll be taking his date on “fun” excursions like visiting the Hindu temple and his eccentric Gita Auntie. Kill him now. How is this ever going to work?
Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete who can outrun most people in California, a loyal friend, a shower-singing champion. Oh, and she’s also fat. To Sweetie’s traditional parents, this last detail is the kiss of death.
Sweetie loves her parents, but she’s so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. She decides it’s time to kick off the Sassy Sweetie Project, where she’ll show the world (and herself) what she’s really made of.
Ashish and Sweetie both have something to prove. But with each date they realize there’s an unexpected magic growing between them. Can they find their true selves without losing each other?
There’s Something About Sweetie is a companion novel to When Dimple Met Rishi. It totally stands alone – Dimple and Rishi only make a very brief appearance. There’s Something About Sweetie is about Rishi’s little brother Ashish and a girl named Sweetie Nair. Sweetie is a great student and star of her school’s track team. That’s not good enough for her Indian mother because she also happens to be fat. Sweetie’s mother worries that she’ll never find a suitable boy if she doesn’t lose weight.
Ashish is recovering from a break-up and decides to do something he never thought he’d do…Ask his parents to set him up with an Indian girl. They choose Sweetie but Sweetie’s mother won’t allow it. She thinks that because Sweetie is fat, she’s not good enough for Ashish or his family. His parents are filthy rich after all. Sweetie and Ashish decide that they want to date anyway. Ashish’s parents make them sign a dating contract outlining the specific dates he and Sweetie are allowed to go on. Hopefully, Sweetie’s mother won’t find out.
I appreciated that this book showed that just because someone is overweight, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t worthy of love or can’t be happy. And that it’s possible to be overweight and an athlete. I think Sweetie is a great role model – she’s very body positive, which is quite a feat considering how horrible her mother is to her about her weight. However, There’s Something About Sweetie crosses the line into After-School Special territory. I found it to be preachy at times. The dialogue between Sweetie, Ashish and their friends was not how typical teenagers talk. The author definitely had an objective – she wrote that she herself was fat as a child – but I think she was heavy-handed in trying to achieve it. I’d be interested to find out if teen readers feel the same way.
May 26th, 2021 in
Books |
No Comments
Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty by Lauren Weisberger
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: May 18, 2021
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
A seat at the anchor desk of the most-watched morning show. Recognized by millions across the country, thanks in part to her flawless blond highlights and Botox-smoothed skin. An adoring husband and a Princeton-bound daughter. Peyton is that woman. She has it all.
Until . . .
Skye, her sister, is a stay-at-home mom living in a glitzy suburb of New York. She has degrees from all the right schools and can helicopter-parent with the best of them. But Skye is different from the rest. She’s looking for something real and dreams of a life beyond the PTA and pickup.
Until . . .
Max, Peyton’s bright and quirky seventeen-year-old daughter, is poised to kiss her fancy private school goodbye and head off to pursue her dreams in film. She’s waited her entire life for this opportunity.
Until . . .
One little lie. That’s all it takes. For the illusions to crack. For resentments to surface. Suddenly the grass doesn’t look so green. And they’re left wondering: will they have what it takes to survive the truth?
Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty is a ripped from the headlines story about a college admissions scandal very similar to the Varsity Blues scandal from a couple of years ago. Peyton and her husband Isaac really want their daughter Max to go to Princeton, even though she’d rather go to film school. They might have gone a little too far in doing whatever they could to ensure Max’s acceptance. Peyton’s sister, Skye, is a stay-at-home mom in the suburbs. She’s also starting a residence home for underprivileged girls but still feels unsatisfied with her life.
I didn’t like Where the Grass is Green as much as I liked When Life Gives You Lululemons (read my review here). Where the Grass is Green seems a little too much like a Lifetime movie for my taste. I know it’s a beach read so I wasn’t expecting a masterpiece but even still, I was left wanting a little more substance. There are too many clichés and also some continuity errors and a wonky timeline that I had trouble following.
I also had a really hard time feeling any sort of empathy for Peyton even though I was supposed to. Just like I feel zero empathy for Lori Laughlin and her husband. Yes, what she did was partly out of love but we all love our kids and we don’t all do illegal things to help them out. None of the characters seemed very well developed except for Max. I felt a lot of empathy for her. I thought the ending was a little too convenient for some of the characters and left some of the characters hanging. We never find out if Skye told her husband about her secret.
Judging from the other reviews, I’m in the minority of not loving this book so make sure you read other reviews too before you make up your mind about reading it yourself.
(I received a complimentary copy of this book for review.)
May 18th, 2021 in
Books |
1 Comment
