This is a superb thriller. In 1975, a teenager (Barbara) disappears from her Adirondack summer camp. Eerily, Barbara’s older brother vanished from the same camp in 1961. This is an extraordinary story of both investigations, and of course complicating secrets abound. The characters are richly described, both well-meaning (but flawed) people and some dastardly villains. Highly recommended – very entertaining.
Category: Location / Setting
Landbridge – Y-Dang Troeung
Simply put, this is an exceptional book that is heartbreaking to read. Ms. Troeung was born in a Thailand refugee camp, one of the last Cambodian refugees admitted to Canada in 1980. This is an autobiographical story of her life in Canada and Hong Kong with frequent trips to Cambodia to research the genocidal history. So it is about refugee histories, about refugee survival, to research the lives of the lost during the Cambodian genocide. And it is deeply personal, in part because letters written to her son Kai are included. Tragically, Ms. Troeung died of cancer in 2022. Overall, this is a work of outstanding humanity and honesty, a must-read book.
Welcome To The Hyunam-dong Bookshop – Hwang Bo-reum
This interesting story is set in Korea. Yeongju quits her high-flying career to open an independent bookshop in a quaint neighbourhood in Seoul. This is an introspective and philosophical book. What is the purpose of reading? Should you pursue something you like, or something that you are good at? The characters who frequent the bookshop are all taking (small) steps forward, encouraged by a space that is a refuge, to have meaningful conversations with good people. In short, a heartwarming story about finding acceptance in your life. Thanks Amy, for this recommendation.
Hell And Gone – Sam Weibe
This is a well-crafted thriller that explores Vancouver’s criminal underworld. Dave Wakeland is a PI who witnesses a mass killing in Chinatown. And of course there are many villains: a motorcycle gang, organized crime, and even police corruption. But best of all, the text is riddled with Vancouver references like the Pulpfiction Bookstore. Thanks Amy, for this recommendation.
Prairie Edge – Conor Kerr
This gritty story by Mr. Kerr is reminiscent of Katherena Vermette‘s great writing, and so a trigger warning could have been utilized. Isadore (Ezzy) Desjarlais and Grey Ginther are distant Metis cousins living in and around Edmonton, and candidly they are very flawed characters. Bison are stolen from Elk Island Park and released into Edmonton’s river valley, bison representing the past before colonialism. And there are other criminal acts. Powerful writing provides a biting critique of modern activism. The abysmal foster care system and subsequent substance abuse are also key elements. This is a novel that is both triumphant and tragic, so highly recommended (thanks Amy, for this book).
The Door-To-Door Bookshop – Carsten Henn
Full disclosure: this is a hopelessly sentimental book – blame my age and the obvious reality that I love books. Carl is a 72-year-old German bookseller who delivers books to special customers in the evening. A chance encounter with 9-year-old Schascha changes his life. All is not sweetness and light – the novel contains considerable darkness. But at its core, this is a story about friendships forged through books.
Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade – Janet Skeslien Charles
Anne Morgan, the daughter of the financier J.P. Morgan, established the American Committee for Devastated France (Le Comite americain pour les regions devastees, or CARDs). In January 1918, Jessie Carson leaves her NYPL librarian post to travel to Blerencourt in Northern France to establish children’s libraries, sometimes using bookmobiles from converted ambulances. Her efforts are complicated by ongoing and brutal WWI actions requiring temporary resettlement in France. Ms. Carson’s notable achievements are researched in 1987 by Wendy Peterson also working at the NYPL. This story is a tribute to human resilience.
Ladder Of Years – Anne Tyler
A re-read of a book purchased in 1996! Delia is a 40-year-old married mother of three with a nondescript existence. At a beach vacation, she makes an unplanned and spontaneous decision to leave her family, to just walk away: not so much to leave someone or something but to start over. Her new existence is minimalist; she stares at dust motes in silence in her boarding house room (page 140). This is a compelling relationship story, both old and new: “they spoke without letting their eyes meet, like people in a play, whose words are meant for an audience”. Tyler’s insights into domestic intimacy are profound, unsettling at times, and often miraculous.
James – Percival Everett
In Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck helps Jim escape slavery. Everett’s book provides Jim’s story, and there is much to admire in his writing. First, it is an adventure story of survival. Second, there is some dark humor as Jim utilizes a “correct incorrect grammar” when speaking as a slave, And third, the brutal context of pre-Civil War slavery is shown graphically with ugly cruelty directed to “black property”. What compels people to behave inhumanely?
What David Read 