Small Great Things (Jodi Picoult)

Because she's one of my favorite authors, receiving a new Jodi Picoult book is like Christmas, Halloween, and my birthday all wrapped up into one.  I devour each and every one, and Small Great Things was no exception.  This time, Picoult taps into the always-prevalent issue of racism, one that writers seldom do except in the area of historical fiction.  Reading her reasons for delving into the issue, along with how she accomplished her research, is just as interesting as the actual book.

Ruth is a highly respected delivery nurse in a hospital when one day, she finds herself assisting Davis, the newly born son of white supremacists.  They want nothing to do with Ruth and promptly ask her supervisor not to let any African Americans touch their son.  One night, every other nurse is in some type of emergency, and Ruth is the only one available to watch over Davis after a routine procedure.  When he codes, she's left with the choice of whether to follow her orders or help the infant. 

As in every Picoult book, Small Great Things is told with multiple narrators -- Ruth, Turk (Davis's father), and Kennedy (Ruth's lawyer).  The trial is emotional and really makes readers think about how they act with people who are different from them.  While the ending is slightly unrealistic and wrapped up in too neatly of a bow, that doesn't deter from the profound lessons the book teaches.

MY RATING - 4

India's War (Srinath Raghavan)

Srinath Raghavan's comprehensive work India's War delves deeply into the role that India played in World War II. India in the 1930's and 1940's was still under British rule, and its geographic position in South Asia put it on the edge of two theatres of battle - Japan in Southeast and East Asia and the African battles that raged as close as Ethiopia.

Raghavan's book is well-researched and detailed, talking about the recruitment of India's armed forces and the "rogue" army that was raised and sought out Japanese and German support.  All of this amid the specter of political drama that was playing out as the leading factions in India's dueling nationalist movements quarrelled with the British colonial government as the nationalists sought further self-control and power.

The author focuses significant time on World War II, but very little deals with the consequences of war with regard to the political turmoil that overtook India and Pakistan in the late 1940's and continues to this day. While the seeds for division and partition were being sewn during World War II, and the author does talk about this, it feels like the immediate aftermath of the war and how India's military shaped some of the civil strife during the India-Pakistan partition was only given brief consideration. More information on this would have been beneficial.

This is a solid but unspectacular work that misses the mark in a few areas but properly mentions the contributions of India's armies to the British war effort.

MY RATING - 3

The Long Weekend (Adrian Tinniswood)

Adrian Tinniswood’s The Long Weekend is a brilliantly paced read on the golden era of the English country house between the two world wars.  Tinniswood’s historical work touches on all facets of life in the 1920’s and 1930’s for Britain’s political class, nobility, and socialites -- from the architectural look of the country house to the lifestyle of those who resided in it. Details about the lives of the Astors, Windsors, and Churchills and their estates are given proper coverage…and of course, Edward VIII’s many, many ladies.

The era and lifestyle of many of those who resided in these homes would closely resemble that of the popular British show Downton Abbey, and Tinniswood’s well-researched work closely overlaps the time of the show, extending beyond its ending to cover the golden era’s decline and the fate that many of these homes faced in later years.  Unlike the Granthams of Downton fame, however, many of the residents of these country homes were not there full time, living primarily in London or in some cases even the United States, utilizing these properties for weekend or holiday use.

The author crafts together a fast-paced but intellectual read (290 pages can be trotted through with ease), full of detail of both sophistication of the elite and the sophistry of affairs, double lives, and of lifestyles that were frowned upon in an earlier time.  It’s arguably one of the finer books on the subject of English 20^th Century life and certainly well worth your time to read over a long weekend…or a short vacation!

MY RATING - 5

Alfred Hitchcock (Peter Ackroyd)

Fans of the world-renowned director won’t necessarily find anything new in Peter Ackroyd’s Alfred Hitchcock.  There is obviously a slew of biographies written about Hitch, so to discover some fresh tidbits is often difficult.  However, Ackroyd does add flavor to the book by adding new insight into Hitchcock's quirky personality (some would say).

From his childhood in England to his huge movie career in the States, Hitchcock was a unique character. His constantly nervous ways made his early years be spent in fearful isolation, so it’s interesting that he became one of the most famous directors who ever lived. Ackroyd really plays up Hitchcock’s quirks in all their glory, like the fact that he smashed a tea cup every single day to remind him how frail life was. It is also interesting to read how superstars like Grace Kelly and Cary Grant became very insecure over his seemingly nonchalant directing style.

So while there’s nothing really new here, Ackroyd puts together a thorough, well-written look into Hitchcock’s life that will keep fans quite engrossed.

MY RATING - 3

Where'd You Go, Bernadette (Maria Semple)

To author Maria Semple’s credit, the reader never quite knows the direction that Where’d You Go, Bernadette is taking.  The novel was popular and continues to be so for a reason, as it’s highly original and probably like nothing you’ve ever read before.

Even though she used to be a gifted architect, Bernadette Fox is now a recluse, preferring to keep to herself in the Seattle that she despises. Her daughter, Bea, attends a hoity-toity private school, and all the other mothers there just don’t understand why Bernadette won’t get involved more.  Elgie is Bernadette’s husband and world renowned at Microsoft for his revolutionary TED Talk and invention.  Per Bea’s request, the family plans a trip to Antarctica, but Bernadette disappears before they can make it there together. 

Rather than write a straight narrative, Semple chooses to tell the story of Bernadette through Bea’s eyes, as well as through a series of e-mails, letters, and the like.  In this fashion, she manages to create a dynamic book that’s filled with black comedy and “I can’t believe she just said/did that” moments.  It shouldn’t work, but it does, so just read it! You won’t be disappointed in this very unique book.

MY RATING - 4

First Comes Love (Emily Giffin)

Emily Giffin's First Comes Love starts out sweetly enough, with an ordinary family home for the holidays.  Giffin lulls her readers into this Normal Rockwell type painting for only a little while before suddenly pulling the rug out from under them in a heart-wrenching way.  And so begins the story of a broken family who are still trying to heal from a tragedy even years down the road.

Sisters Josie and Meredith could not be more opposite, in careers, in temperaments, in beliefs.  First-grade teacher Josie is widely seen as the irresponsible one, but even though Meredith seems to have it all (a husband, a daughter, a high-powered career), she is restless and unhappy.  The siblings never seem to see eye-to-eye, and things are made even worse when they finally deal with what really happened on that tragic night fifteen years before.

What works so well in First Comes Love is its emotional honesty.  Josie and Meredith may think they don't need each other, but when they finally confront all that's happened and analyze their own life choices, they come to find that sisters really have one of the greatest bonds.

MY RATING - 4

Shared Prosperity in America's Communities (Edited by Susan M. Wachter and Lei Ding)

Shared Prosperity in America's Communities is not a light, breezy read by any means.  This series of case studies and essays discusses the impact of increasing income inequality in America over the last thirty years, highlighting the impacts of poverty, its geographic reach, and the successes of a few metropolitan areas in addressing the issue.

Susan Wachter of the University of Pennsylvania and Lei Ding of the Federal Reserve have assembled essays from various contributors that go into depth on one of the bigger economic issues that Americans are facing.  These essays offer some suggestions about how to level the playing field by going beyond the usual talking point rhetoric you hear on cable news, bringing some concrete suggestions and less hot air to an issue that impacts millions of Americans.

Simply because Shared Prosperity in America's Communities is a collection of essays, it's more difficult to review than other books would be.  The essays require time and thought to work through given the subject matter and content, so I would recommend reading no more than one at a time due to the depth of the content involved.  However, the content is well-organized and sequential, the essay layout makes sense, and the research and data behind the surveys is logical and fits the narrative that Wachter and Ding are promoting.  Those who are in the economic, community development, financial, or government realms especially should read it, as the target of this collection is geared toward those fields.

MY RATING - 4