Fiction Reviews, April 1, 2011
here is a taste of these excellent reviews ---http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/reviewsbook/889528-421/fiction_reviews_april_1_2011.html.csp
Anam, Tahmima. The Good Muslim. Harper: HarperCollins. Aug. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780061478765. $25.99. F
This second novel in a planned trilogy, alternating between 1972 and 1984, focuses on the aftermath of the 1971 war for Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan. Like the first book, A Golden Age, which was set during the war, this one follows the Haque family. But now the focus is on daughter Maya instead of her mother. Maya and her brother, Sohail, reacted to the war’s brutality in different ways, and it is Sohail’s immersion in Islam—and his rejection of all that he once held dear—that creates a rift with his sister. Their different perspectives conflict climactically over what is best for Sohail’s son, Zaid, after the boy’s mother dies. In this engrossing story, the author shows a great understanding of the lingering effects of savagery and wants us to recognize that Islam, despite harsh fundamentalism, has something to offer. Anam effectively uses the personal split between siblings as a metaphor for the country’s polarization. VERDICT While the dramatic conclusion feels somewhat frenetic and out of pace with the rest of the novel, Anam has a gift for tackling complex issues both personal and political. Recommended for fans of the author as well as of, e.g., Kiran Desai and Anita Desai. [See Prepub Alert, 1/31/11.]—Evelyn Beck, Piedmont Technical Coll., Greenwood, SC
Beard, Jo Ann. In Zanesville. Little, Brown. Apr. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780316084475. $23.99. F
The Zanesville of the title is a small factory town in Illinois. While the cover graphics play with the overlap of “in zane” and “insane,” this is not a story about mental illness. Instead, it’s a fresh take on coming into one’s own. At 14, Jo has always been a sidekick, moving happily in the orbit of her friend Felicia. Being a sidekick has its advantages—you get adventures without having to be the instigator. But their partnership is destined to be disrupted by cheerleaders and boys, and Jo, who always preferred Amy to Jo in Little Women, will be pushed from passivity to self-reliance. While the 1970s provides the backdrop, Beard (The Boys of My Youth) in her fiction debut makes the story both authentic and timeless. With clear prose she stacks individual events into a vivid narrative. From the opening scenes of a babysitting disaster through kitten-saving adventures and first passes at being noticed by boys, she captures the self-awareness and confusion of young women. VERDICT An engaging read for those who recall the 1970s and for anyone who remembers the borderlands between childhood and young adulthood.—Jan Blodgett, Davidson Coll. Lib., NC
Bronsky, Alina. The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine. Europa, dist. by Penguin. May 2011. c.272p. tr. from German by Tim Mohr. ISBN 9781609450069. pap. $15. F
“Am I an evil woman?” Rosa Achmetowna asks her long-suffering husband, who immediately begins to choke on a piece of eggplant. Rosa, the matriarch of a Tartar family living in the former Soviet Union, is not exactly evil, but she is a relentlessly interfering and self-centered mother and grandmother and a wildly entertaining (if somewhat unreliable) narrator. Rosa is the star of this second novel by Bronsky (following Broken Glass Park), but it is really the story of three women and the roller-coaster relationship among them before, during, and after an ill-fated move to Germany. Sulfia, the daughter, is a struggling nursing assistant, as selfless as Rosa is selfish; Aminat, the granddaughter, is a temperamental and troubled future reality TV star. The title may scream “chick lit,” but this is both a very funny and a very dark black comedy that takes unexpected and increasingly tragic turns. VERDICT Bronsky instinctively understands that the way to a reader’s heart is through great characters. Rosa and her family are creations that won’t easily be forgotten, and the subtle and complex themes add plenty of flavor. This reviewer is looking forward to whatever she whips up next.—Forest Turner, Suffolk Cty. House of Correction Lib., Boston
Brooks, Albert. 2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America. St. Martin’s. May 2011. c.384p. ISBN 9780312583729. $25.99. F
Well known for his film and television work (e.g., Broadcast News), comedian, actor, and director Brooks has written a first novel, a futuristic story about America in the year 2030. Like many debuts, it has its share of weaknesses, mostly in terms of character development and plotting. Nonetheless, there is much here to engage readers. What is most stimulating is the future Brooks has imagined for America: cancer has been cured, and technology has extended life expectancy in miraculous ways, but America is hopelessly in debt, beset with the ravages of global warming, and dominated politically by AARP and a massive senior population. Bleak economic prospects have turned young people against “the olds” and have inspired acts of domestic terrorism. Some of this is predictable, of course, given current conditions in the United States, but Brooks has built in enough twists and surprises here to keep things interesting. VERDICT Despite some flaws, this is an intriguing vision of America’s future. Recommended for fans of futuristic dystopian fiction. [See Prepub Alert, 11/8/10.]—Patrick Sullivan, Manchester Community Coll., CT
Butler, Robert Olen. A Small Hotel. Grove. Jul. 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9780802119872. $24. F
No stranger to the published word, Pulitzer Prize winner Butler (Hell) here presents a page-turner set in modern-day New Orleans, deftly using the city as a backdrop to a crumbling marriage. The narrative takes place mostly in the titular hotel, where Kelly Hayes has fled on the day of her divorce, and in flashbacks to happier (and not so happy) times for Kelly and husband Michael. After 20 years of marriage, Michael appears to have moved on with a much younger woman, while Kelly remains adrift in a sea of despair. But everything around Michael reminds him of his soon-to-be ex-wife. Caught between these two is their 19-year-old daughter. So Kelly sits in the same hotel where she and Michael first fell in love, trying to understand all that has happened to her and make a decision that will affect them all. VERDICT A quick and easy read, this book should appeal to fans of literary novels as well as romance aficionados; it will see much use in most public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, 1/3/11.]—Leann Restaino, Girard, OH
No comments:
Post a Comment