October 2.0

 Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout

“But who really knows the experience of another?” As a teacher, I spent decades trying to figure out students - what baggage they carried with them into my classroom, how their past influenced their present, how their prejudices, biases, passion impacted their behavior and interests. Elizabeth Strout has that same curiosity and has spent three books exploring these ideas through the character of Lucy Barton and the peripheral people in her life. In this finale of her Amgash series, we meet Lucy’s husband William in all his complexities and sorrows embedded in his past. We see how this relationship, both when they are married and once they are divorced, affects both their lives. This is not a plot driven book so if you’re looking for a hard driving thriller, this isn’t it. For me, it is a gorgeous study of humanity in all its messiness. It is authentic and real, and it struck me deep into my core. Do you need to read all three books in the series? IMO, yes, you do. Without My Name is Lucy Barton, I would not have understood the depth of poverty from which Lucy rose. Without Anything is Possible, I would not have seen the broad connections in Amgash, of the friends and family that tie Lucy to her past. Both of these books shine the light of brilliance even brighter on Oh William!

Voices From the Pandemic A Year of Crisis and Courage in the Time of Covid-19 by Eli Zaslow

I believe, to the bottom of my heart, that all adults in America should read this book. For the same reasons we visit the Anne Frank house, or the Holocaust museum, or the Vietnam War Memorial - to honor the dead, to honor the suffering, to honor the heroes. This book contains forty interviews from Americans who experienced 2020; it is an amalgam of society, pulling people from every walk of life, to see how they experienced this modern day pandemic. At just 200 pages, I read it in less than 24 hours, my heart and emotions gripped relentlessly. If you thought you knew Covid, think again - I was shocked, enlightened, horrified, saddened, inspired. The whole "It's too soon" just doesn't work - I believe we must listen, learn, and yes, HONOR, what we have all experienced. 

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi, Yusef Salaam

Written in verse, this audio is not to be missed. It is the story of a young black man, falsely accused of assault, found guilty in a juvenile court, and sent to a facility for teenage boys. Amal is an artist so his story is told through poetry, through his painting, through his interactions with his teachers, his friends, his foes. It is the story of so many young Black men, as evidenced by the co-writer, Yusef Salaam, who spent seven years falsely imprisoned as one of the Central Park Five. This book broke my heart, yet also inspired me. It is the perfect companion book to many of the powerful YA books used in classrooms today - do not miss it.

The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock

Do you like a dark Scandinavian tale? If so, you might want to check this book out but be prepared - it was a bit stomach churning for me. The premise got me from the start: Heloise, a Danish reporter, is contacted by a young woman who was video-taped leaving a murder victim's apartment and yes, she looked a tad guilty (covered in blood, taunting the camera). So what is this murderer's story? Did she do it? If so, why? And what the heck does Heloise and her own past have to do with it? I found this mystery to be well-plotted / a secondary plot of government corruption was extraneous and unnecessary for me. Be aware tho - there is child abuse, child pornography, and other truly vile crimes committed. So yeah, it is DARK.

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

Brain Candy - sometimes we just need to be entertained. I did not need a cerebral read, one that made my brain hurt, just a book to thoroughly enjoy. Lisa Jewell always fits the bill and her latest book was perfection for my mood. She strings together two time lines flawlessly: a cozy mystery writer comes to live at a school with her head-teacher boyfriend and discovers a real-life mystery / a year ago, two teen parents disappear, leaving behind their one year old son and a grieving parent. Tons of different rabbit holes to go down, some twists and turns (not always plausible but I could've cared less), and a thoroughly satisfying finale. Solid thriller that yes, actually thrilled me. 

The Five Wounds by Kirsten Valdez Quade

A pregnant fifteen year old granddaughter, a thirty-something year old alcoholic unemployed son, and a mother dying of brain cancer - this Hispanic family, living in a small New Mexico town, is in crisis. Yet it has been for generations so how does one dig out of a hole when the shit just keeps piling in? This was an engrossing story that really shines a spotlight on at-risk teens, and why they are at-risk. As a former teacher, I found it mesmerizing to be the fly on the wall, watching bad decisions by the characters, and then realizing how judge-y I was being. This book doesn't give you any pat answers, but it sure makes you mull over what is wrong in our country and to wonder how the heck we got here. (I also could not helping thinking what the pandemic did to families already teetering on the edge - catastrophe, is my guess). Provocative story line and compelling characters all wrapped up in beautiful writing - highly recommend. 

My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

A collection of short stories plus the titular novella, this is one of the best audio books I have listened to in a long while. It begins with a bravura performance by Levar Burton; if I hadn't been in my car, I would have given him a standing ovation. Each story revolves around the idea of belonging and the questions inherent in that idea, particularly in American for people of color. The finale, My Monticello, is just jaw-dropping in its intensity as a small group of people finding refuge from violent white supremacists in Jefferson's famous home. I felt at times like I was listening to Amanda Gorman read me a poetically written tale. What a stunning debut - highly recommend the audio.