An imaginative look at time travel using 5 ancient machines of unknown origin, one of which in Flin Flon, Manitoba. Travellers can go back in time only; most of the action in this story takes place in 2022, 1992-93 and 1893-94. The goal is to alter the timeline, to reduce future misogyny and prevent the loss of female reproductive rights (think Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments).This is a very entertaining blend of historical and speculative writing; highly recommended.
Category: Genre
The Old Drift – Namwali Serpell
This delightful novel resents a sweeping saga of Africa (Zambia) from 1903 to the future (2024), covering three generations (the grandmothers, mothers and children) of black, brown and white individuals. The challenges of life in Zambia’s transition from colonialism to independence are highlighted graphically: the conflict of wealth and privilege versus poverty, the HIV catastrophe, revolutionary actions, hair, high-tech drones…. In fact, you should be wondering how these diverse topics can be inter-related!. This is a wonderful blend of historical and speculative writing with some great phrases; a married couple is described precisely – “their marriage has ceased to be conjugal; his body did not conjugate hers; there was no grammar between them”.
Middle England – Jonathan Coe
A contemporary novel of the last decade in England, a time of profound societal change: the rise of populism, rage against change, the chaos of Brexit and much middle-aged angst. A quirky set of characters undertake some brilliantly funny actions. Thanks Mary & Mike, for this enjoyable recommendation.
Akin – Emma Donoghue
An odd couple makes a trip to Nice France. Noah is a 79-year-old recently-widowed childless retired University professor; Michael is his 11-year-old great-nephew who Noah has never met. Their wildly disparate backgrounds create both considerable conflict and humour as they investigate a series of World War II photographs from Noah’s mother. This is a wondrously written story of love, loss and family.
Evolution: Selected Letters of Charles Darwin (1860-70)
– Edited by F. Burkhardt, S. Evans and A.M. Pearn.
Darwin was chronically ill and thus confined to his home in Kent. Consequently, letter writing in the decade following the publication of The Origin of Species was his almost exclusive means of communication: the exchange of opinions and information with suggestions for experimentation. Darwin’s breadth of knowledge is most impressive and the literary style of letter writing is delightful. These collected letters provide incredible insight into one of the great scientists of all time. Thanks Erin, for this recommendation.
Paris Echo – Sebastian Faulks
Faulks is a superb writer (A Week in December) and this latest novel continues his tradition of literary excellence. Above all, the story is a love letter to Paris, with two interesting and vastly dissimilar characters. Hannah is a 31-year-old American historian researching the experiences of Parisienne women during World War II. Tariq is a 19-year-old from Morocco looking for … something. There are echoes of the past in the present that are fascinating. This is a thought-provoking story with two memorable characters: highly recommended.
In Search of the Perfect Singing Flamingo – Claire Tacon
This delightful novel is about complicated family relationships. Henry and Kath have two grown daughters; Starr is the oldest and is special-needs (Williams Syndrome). Part of the story recounts a disastrous road trip by Henry, Starr and Darren (Henry’s co-worker) to a ComicCon convention in Chicago. How can a father get the correct balance between being protective, to hold on tighter, to hold off the future, with the absolute need to let go? In parts the story is hilarious but also poignant and at times heart-breaking. Henry can be frustratingly hapless at times, full of contradictions. All the characters have rich complex personalities, proving that life is messy and complicated: a very fine read. Thanks Amy, for this recommendation.
Autopsy of a Boring Wife – Marie-Renee Lavoie
Simply put, this is a marvellous read. Diane is a married mother of three grown children whose life is over-turned when her husband leaves her for a younger woman. What is brilliant in the story-telling is the raw emotions, the biting anger displayed by Diane in encounters with her mother-in-law and her husbands new partner are priceless.
Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens
This is an emotional book, a coming-of-age story with an inevitable loss of innocence. Kya is progressively abandoned by her family, so by age 10 she lives alone in a North Carolina marsh. Really this is about the psychology of solitude. Her affinity for the natural environment, the sea, sand and marsh life (birds, insects, animals), is remarkable. But her eventual need for human companionship and love produces a tragic outcome that leads to a murder trial. This book is both a fierce and hauntingly beautiful story of challenges and resilience. Highly recommended.
What David Read 