the bookshelf

BOOK REVIEWS FROM THE OWNERS & STAFF OF BRIDGTON BOOKS

JUSTIN’S LIST

We are planning a trip to historic Salem, Massachusetts, this fall partly because we enjoyed Chris Bojalian’s new novel Hour of the Witch. Set in Boston in 1662, Mary Deerfield is the second wife to a much older Thomas from an arranged marriage. He proves to be abusive, both verbally and physically, especially when he tips the bottle. Mary wishes to escape from her husband, but there is little recourse for a woman in her situation. She decides to do the unthinkable, setting a plan in motion which results in startling repercussions, for Thomas is not Mary’s only adversary. Bojalian’s Salem Witch trial story with a feminist twist is not to be missed.

Fast forward a little more than two hundred years to Wyoming’s Powder River Valley for Michael Punke’s new novel, Ridgeline. Gold is discovered in the heart of the Lakota Sioux territory and prospectors are flocking to the area illegally. Colonel Carrington and 300 men are sent to build a fort to protect them. Red Cloud and Crazy Horse know they have to stand and fight, but they don’t have the firepower. A chess match begins between the two groups culminating in what is referred to as the Fetterman Massacre. Having read other accounts of The Powder River War, I can honestly say this is a wonderful depiction of the actual events and very entertaining to read.

“Ill-fated” is an almost universal adjective when it comes to early polar exploration, and the voyage of the Belgica in 1897 is no exception. Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton chronicles this quest for the Magnetic South Pole, making it vividly come alive. Leader and organizer Adrien de Gerlache wished to have an all-Belgian crew for his undertaking, but without enough skilled Belgian seamen to choose from, he is forced to pick men from other nationalities, and their bickering and fighting starts the trip off on the wrong foot. When Gerlache decides to push on instead of retreat, and the ship gets trapped in ice, things look especially bleak. Fortunately, two of the crew, a young Roald Amundsen of polar fame yet to come, and Dr. Frederick Cook, an American, would help immensely.

World War II novels continue to be churned out by publishers at an almost exponential rate. Not everything is worthy, but these two novels shine! In The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristen Harmel, Yona is kidnapped as a baby from her German parents by Jerusza, a shamanic woman who raises her in the forest and teaches her to live and thrive off the land. Yona longs for human company outside of her mentor, and when Jerusza finally succumbs to old age, Yona seeks out others. But unbeknownst to her, World War II is raging, and Jews begin escaping from the Polish ghettos into her forest world, badly in need of her skills. The Bileski Brothers were the true inspiration behind this novel, and Peter Duffy has written a non-fiction history about them if you want to study the subject further.

Mark Sullivan, author of the well loved Beneath the Scarlet Sky has penned another sweeping World War II saga, this time set on the Eastern front entitled The Last Green Valley. The Martel family have farmed the Ukraine for generations since they emigrated from Germany in the 18th century along with many other Germans to cultivate the “Breadbasket” of Europe under Catherine the Great. They prospered until the Bolsheviks took power and collectivized the farms, taking away all they had worked for. Many were persecuted solely because they were successful, and lost their land, or were sent to Siberia, or killed. When the conquering German soldiers took Ukraine, many Ukrainian Germans helped them or were forced to help. The Martels have tried to keep a low profile with the Nazis, but now the Soviets are advancing and the Nazis retreating. The story begins with the Martel family caught in the middle, having to decide whether to retreat with the murderous Nazis or face the vengeful returning Soviets.

Action Park by Andy Mulvihill details the also named notorious amusement park in New Jersey his father created in the 1980s. Gene Mulvihill, the founder, had a laissez-faire attitude when it came to risk, and safety precautions were not a priority. It was all about personal responsibility. In its heyday, over a million people a year visited the park looking for thrills, and many got more than they bargained for. Andy, who worked at the park along with his siblings, recounts many hilarious and entertaining stories of his father’s quest to become the Walt Disney of New Jersey. Go behind the scenes at the park and prepare to be astounded at what went on! Unfortunately there were also tragedies.

I have never been a big fan of “books about books,” but The Reading List, a novel by Sara Nisha Adams, provided nourishment for my soul during these strange times. Mukesh, a recent, elderly widower, whose wife was a lifelong reader, decides to take up reading to combat depression and maybe connect with his bookworm teenaged granddaughter. Aleisha is also going through a rough stretch in her life. When she takes a job at the local library, she discovers a list of books with the heading “Just in case you need it.” Aleisha decides to read the books on the list and also suggests them to Mukesh who has begun to patronize the library. Soon, a relationship is forged between the two through shared books, and they help each other overcome their grief and disappointments. This novel is a love letter to libraries that is not overly mushy or sentimental.

“Sometimes the answer is not a solution but just presence or an attempt at understanding.” —Jory Fleming

Jory Fleming was diagnosed as autistic when he was five years old. In addition to suffering from several physical ailments, he couldn’t tolerate other people and threw uncontrollable tantrums. It was impossible for him to attend a regular school and doubtful that he would graduate high school but thanks to his mother’s dedication and home schooling, he ultimately attended college and was awarded both the prestigious Truman and Rhodes Scholarships. How to

Be Human: An Autistic Man’s Guide to

Life, is a series of conversations between Jory and interviewer Lyric Winik exploring his perspective on the world, his abiding faith in a Creator, and trying to explain the way he thinks and processes information. This “memoir of Jory’s mind” allows us the privilege of engaging with a fascinating, unique intellect sometimes confused by so-called “normal” people but often more humane and insightful than those who label him “different.”

War sucks. It doesn’t matter what side you’re on, what cause you believe you’re fighting for, or which nations are involved in the conflict—lives are shattered, families are torn apart, and landscapes are laid to waste. It’s stupid. In The Mountains Sing, Nguyen Phan Que Mai explores how wars and conflicts affect average people who just want to get on with their lives. Her poignant coming of age tale, inspired by her own family’s history, begins in the early 1970s in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, with young Huong living with her grandmother, Tran Dieu Lan. They are waiting for news of her mother and father, both doctors who left years before to help with the war effort. Dieu Lan gradually reveals the story of her life to her granddaughter, covering Viet Nam’s defeat of the French in the 1950s, the devastating Great Famine, and the horrors of the Communist land reforms (aspects of Vietnamese history unfamiliar to most Americans), while engaging in risky business to provide a better life for her family and community. As poetic and beautifully written as it is enlightening and true, The Mountains Sing offers a perspective on strength and survival along the lines of Bao Ninh’s The Sorrow of War and Andrew Pham’s The Eaves of Heaven.

One Night Two Souls Went Walking, by Maine author Ellen Cooney, follows a young female interfaith hospital chaplain on a night’s rounds tending to a wide range of patients’ needs. Some just want to chat, one needs a final hand to hold, while another talks of the holiness of waves. At the core of the story is the chaplain’s search for the meaning of a soul. What is a soul? Where does it reside? What happens to it when a person dies? At times Cooney wanders into the realms of magic realism with a quirky, mysterious dog as a companion, which makes sense in the context of this book. The patients’ and the chaplain’s stories flow together in an introspective and mildly perplexing narrative that concludes with a gently reassuring normality. A peculiar yet gentle and soothing read for these very confusing times.

So, who is The Woman in the Purple Skirt in Natsuko Inamura’s novel? The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan REALLY wants to know. The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan notes that The Woman in the Purple Skirt eats cream buns on the same bench in the same park at around the same time each day. The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan knows where The Woman in the Purple Skirt lives. The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan also manages to get The Woman in the Purple Skirt a job as a housekeeper in a large hotel, leading to a series of odd events and a disappearance. The Woman in the Purple Skirt reminds me of one of my recent favorites, Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, as interesting studies of single women living in a society that finds them perplexing, if not downright threatening.

In After the Fall: Being American in the World We’ve Made, Obama speechwriter and aide Ben Rhodes travels around the globe to talk with politicians, activists, and people on the streets to discover how the U.S. has impacted their countries and their lives. They talk about the rise of nationalism and authoritarianism that is sweeping across the world and undoing the quest for democracy ostensibly promoted by America. But Rhodes finds America’s embrace of unchecked capitalism, obsession with technology and social media, and post-9/11 nationalism has actually counteracted what the U.S. is supposed to be. Now more than ever, our country must take a serious look at itself and decide how to move toward a safer and more equitable global future.

And if everything is getting to be a bit too much for you, please look to poetry. Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, Richard Blanco, Pablo Neruda, and the classic haiku masters will certainly soothe your soul in the upcoming chilly season.

BOOK REVIEWS FROM THE OWNERS & STAFF OF BRIDGTON BOOKS

PAM’S PICKS FOR KIDS & YOUNG ADULTS

Kitty & Dragon

By Meika Hashimoto Ages 1+ Fans of Frog and Toad will enjoy this threepart story of two best friends.

Kitty lives in a barn full of very noisy animals. All that squawking, mooing and oinking is too loud, so Kitty moves out in search of a quieter place to reside. During her search, warnings of a silent dragon resonate throughout the forest, but fearless Kitty pushes on and finds herself at the front doorstep of a cave high on a mountain. Find out who Kitty discovers in this heartwarming tale of two unlikely companions.

There’s Something About a Rock

By Linda Kranz Ages 4+ No matter where you go, rocks grace our beautiful planet. Their abundance of colors, textures, abstract veins and variety of shapes and sizes, from a small river pebble to an enormous glacial erratic, makes them so much fun to collect and study.

Each rock has a story to tell that explains our Earth’s history. Whether you collect rocks to study them or keep a smooth one in your pocket for good luck, journey through the pages to reveal all the ways rocks can keep you entertained.

Twig & Turtle: Big Move to a Tiny House

By Jennifer Richard Jacobson Ages 5+ Sisters Twig and Turtle are excited and anxious for their first day of school in Happy Trails, Colorado. They recently moved from their large Boston house to a new tiny economy home. Their parents’ goal is to reduce their carbon imprint on the planet, but squeezing two grown adults, two kids and their massive Great Dane into a one bedroom house has its challenges. Follow Twig and Turtle on their journey navigating a new school, making friends and adjusting to downsizing.

Rescue at Lake Wild

By Terry Lynn Johnson Ages 8+ Madison’s grandmother has a special way of communicating with animals. You could call her an animal whisperer. Her passion is passed down to Madison, who also houses and nurtures injured animals back to health. With a house full of recovering animals, Madison’s mother forbids her to adopt any more.

But something strange is going on in her hometown. Madison and her best friends, Jack and Aaron, discover two abandoned baby kits (beavers) that will not survive unless Madison takes them home and tends to them, though she understands the risk of her mother finding out.

You Brought Me the Ocean

By Alex Sanchez Ages 12+ Reviewed by Ruth Tooey, Age 10 Superheroes like Aquaman and Superman are real! Kenny must learn how to use his powers. When he realizes he is gay, he has to tell his best friend (a girl who maybe thinks they are a couple) without hurting her! Meanwhile, Jake has to deal with drunk bullies and prove himself to his friends and mom, and master his powers along the way.

The Adventure is Now

By Jess Redman Ages 10+ Milton P. Greene is obsessed with his computer game, “Isle of Wild,” and its hero and naturalist, Sea Hawk. His family and school life are falling apart so Milton feels powerful when pretending to explore and conquer dangerous situations in his virtual world.

Milton is sent to spend the summer with his uncle on a remote island with an ecological mystery. With no electricity and computer to empower him, Milton takes on Sea Hawk’s identity and makes new friends that join him on the adventure of his life.

Small Favors

By Erin A. Craig Ages 12+ Reviewed by Bekah Plummer, Age 13 What starts as a warm and promising summer quickly descends into trouble. Ellerie Downing, an innocent teen, is confronted with responsibilities she has to deal with completely alone. Her tiny town is encircled by steep mountains that guard the valley from the outside world. Scheduled supply runs provide food and materials—and another one needs to happen soon. Many went, only one came back. Something is going increasingly wrong and deformed animals start appearing. Ellerie must keep the farm safe and guard her siblings amidst the unfolding chaos.

This is a story for people who like endless possibilities. This mesmerizing story haunted me for days.

In the Same Boat

By Holly Green Ages 14+ The 265-mile Texas River Odyssey race has been a long-running tradition in Sadie’s family. Even her grandmother has bragging rights for completing this grueling marathon of a paddle.

The river is unforgiving and racers face perilous situations around each bend; deadly water moccasins, rapids, blue mosquitoes and downed trees. Sadie has trained all year and has to prove to her dad that not only can she complete the race, but come in the top five. This debut novel made me feel like I was in Texas sitting on the riverbank swatting mosquitoes and cheering Sadie on.

The Project

By Courtney Summers Ages 15+ Tires screech followed by the sound of metal twisting and crunching. Lo awakes to bright hospital lights and a new reality of life without her parents. Bea, her younger sister, needs Lo to survive so she puts her faith in Lev Warren, the spiritual leader of The Unity Project, who claims to have saved Lo.

While outsiders consider The Project a cult, it is hard to prove due to their secretive ways. Lo, a struggling writer with a headstrong boss, is determined to save her sister and her career by writing a never-published paper that reveals the cult’s deepest secrets.

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