An un-named narrator tells a story that alternates between two times: childhood in NW London in the 1980s, and adulthood in the 2000s. All the important relationships in the narrator’s life are with women: her mother, her friend Tracey, and her employer Aimee, a Madonna-like rock star. A sub-plot in Africa is especially rewarding. Smith’s prose is insightful, she is an acute observer of the narrator’s world. This is sensational writing, the best of Smith’s books so far.
Category: Contemporary
The Hidden Keys – Andre Alexis
I, like many others, was conflicted over Alexis’ previous book 15 Dogs, despite all the awards. In contrast, this new book is a delight – a mystery and a heist caper. The characters are a treasure, each vivid and unique. And like De Wit’s Sisters Brothers, there is some philosophizing over good and evil, so overall, a very entertaining book.
The Piano Maker – Kurt Palka
This is a wonderful example of superb story telling: France up to WWI, then Quebec and New Brunswick. Both piano making and piano playing, and a compelling adventure story in an Alberta winter and finally a criminal trial. And best of all, there is a strong female character, Helene.
The Blue Guitar – John Banville
Banville is a fine writer (Man Booker award for his previous novel, The Sea): his writing is elegant with words that sparkle (a dictionary is also useful). This latest novel is about the complex relationships between two couples. The main character, Oliver, is fascinating: annoyingly self-absorbed, a thief of small and large objects, and a coward. And he is a painter.
Stranger – David Bergen
Iso is a young Guatemalan woman who has an affair with an American doctor in Guatemala. Iso become pregnant and at birth, her newborn daughter is taken away to America. So much of this book is about her travel to America as an undocumented person, to attempt to recover her daughter; the risks, acts of kindness and treachery, and the over-arching powerlessness. Given the world’s situation, understanding the plight of undocumented individuals is important. Lawrence Hill’s book The Illegal is better but Bergen’s novel is a worthwhile read.
Harmless Like You – Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
There is much to love about literary festivals, but one distinct pleasure is the chance encounter with a new author. Buchanan is such a bonus from the Calgary Wordfest. This is a remarkable first novel with two parallel time lines: NY from 1968-83 and contemporary 2016. Profound sadness pervades Yuki’s story in NY as an abandoned 16 year-old and her subsequent struggle to do art. She then abandons her son when he is 2 years old to live in Berlin as a struggling performance artist. The contemporary story line is about her adult son Jay who has remarkable insecurities. Mother and son are finally reunited and the confrontation/reconciliation is both beautiful and painful. This is an excellent read, exploring the thin line between attachment and abandonment, love and pain, sacrifice and selfishness, with an impressive maturity. This is an author to follow in the future.
The Best Kind of People – Zoe Whittall
This powerful book is about rape culture. George, a revered high school teacher, is accused of sexual misconduct and attempted rape; the complainants are 12-14 year-old school girls. George then recedes into the background as the book vividly details the collateral damage to his family who want to be supportive of a good husband/father but powerful emotions like guilt over suspicion, anger and confusion are inevitably present. Feelings of powerlessness are described evocatively. The consequences of living in a small judgemental town with attendant lies and betrayal is another vivid characteristic in this fine novel (Giller nominee). In fact, the verdict delivered by the end of the book is inconsequential: lives have been changed irrevocably.
Winner of the National Book Award – Jincy Willett
A story of two fraternal twin sisters, both remarkably similar and dissimilar, and a misogynistic psychopath whose relationships with both sisters are both bizarre and sinister. This is an excellent read, some really funny parts, and some creepy parts.
Purity – Jonathan Franzen
Franzen writes about dysfunctional relationships (The Corrections) and this new book is no exception, the most dysfunctional being the marriage of Tom and Annabel. Indeed, there are NO normal simple relationships which becomes somewhat tiring. On the plus side, the story has more depth than his previous novels in part because of multiple locations. So not a must read but a challenging and interesting read. In fact, this is my favourite Franzen book but this recommendation is almost reluctant.
What David Read 