Sing For Your Life, a biography of someone I know.

So, I just finished a biography of a young man I had the great pleasure to know when he was at Hartt, Mr Ryan Speedo Green.

I am amazed at Speedo's resilience and determination.   He is an amazing person.  He always captivated people with his warmth and generosity of spirit when he was at Hartt, but I was a little disappointed with the biography in some ways.

Let me explain.

The biography begins with his audition at the Met, but then flips between that and his childhood in a manner I found disconcerting.  It was too choppy.  I know the author, Daniel Bergner, a white man, intended contrast and showing disconcertion and alienation, but I found the first third of the book VERY difficult to read, and not only because of the difficult family dynamics, but Bergner's tone did not seem to show the Ryan Speedo Green I knew.    

That being said, once Bergner ceased with the flipping from childhood to adulthood, and went into a more linear fashion, the book improved dramatically.  

Speedo is an articulate, intelligent young man, and this is shown clearly through the end of the book.  He has an amazing personality, and is very aware of race and the impact he can have for young men and women as a role model.   I'm a little saddened that Bergner felt the need to compare and contrast Ryan with his brother.  And of course I'm disappointed that there was very little discussion of his time in Connecticut.

I am fascinated by the contrast I 'hear' when Bergner is discussing, as an observer, and when Speedo is discussing, as someone who feels it, things like the problem of race here in the States.  Bergner does state that he can't really 'get it' as a white man, which is something.  I do wonder if the book could have used one more rewrite before going to press.  

That being said, the remaining two thirds of the book really emphasise what an amazing person Speedo is, and how much he overcame to get to where he is now.   I'm already looking forward to the next biography, in thirty years!  

Congrats, Speedo.  I consider it an honor to have known you, however briefly, and to have gotten a glimpse inside your life, and the contrasts within it.  To see your bravery and honor and nobility.

You are an inspiration to us all.

On trying to expand my reading...

So, you may have heard of a challenge, a challenge to read outside of the slate of straight, white, male authors.

http://www.xojane.com/entertainment/reading-challenge-stop-reading-white-straight-cis-male-authors-for-one-year

 Which I think is fantastic.  But is difficult unless you have a really good bookstore near you.  Or your library has been very proactive.  I like to skim a book before I buy it, which makes Amazon somewhat difficult.  I'm on LibraryThing as well, but even their book giveaways are mostly white and male.

Unless you have a specific author in mind, even going to the library can be difficult (and even then...).  The Library, for obvious reasons, even though they want balance to their collections, also want books that people will read.  And books get pulled off the shelf if they are not taken out.  Most libraries will buy a few things if they are new, and if they think the item will circulate.  But for 'older' books, you are often reduced to Interlibrary Loan, which does not factor in to the purchase of new books.

For instance, when I worked in the library, I did outreach.  Which can be a challenge on its own.  Because, for instance, I had one old white dude who liked books by other white dudes, who had to be American, and the books had to be bloody.  (Also preferably with a female corpse, certainly not a female detective!) And those were actually becoming surprisingly difficult to find.   But I also had an elderly homebound black woman who liked audiobooks that were "urban Christian".  One author (with forays out into others) in the whole of CT.  And sometimes the CDs were so scratched up it was heartbreaking.  And that says to me, hey, maybe we need to expand our collection...  but they didn't think they had anyone who would read them, other than this one patron.   

Going to Barnes and Noble is also fraught.  In my last venture out, I was looking for books by "the other", by Nnedi Okorafors for example.  Or Octavia Butler...  I was looking for books that would tell me a different story.  Not just the AngloSaxon fantasy of dragons and fair red haired maidens, or magic...  But something that, perhaps, spoke of an African woman, facing down Anansi.  Not an exoticised Ancient Egyptian princess written by a white man (and yes, I have enjoyed Wilbur Smith's writing in the past, but that isn't the point). The point is to read stories from a different perspective, not the white colonial default.  How many people have their own images of the Number One Ladies Detective Agency?  Written by a white man.  

Now, maybe I just didn't find the "secret stash" where all the "other" authors were hidden...  but to me, that was frustrating.

Now there are things you can do...after the Lammies, I made a list of some interesting sounding books, and asked the Library if they'd buy them...they did buy some of them.   If you ask your library to, they will try out some new authors...  particularly if the book is new, and can't be gotten on ILL.  (Libraries try not to ILL new books from other libraries, just because of transit time...it takes the book out of circulation for too long).  It will actually help your library if you request they buy different books, rather than the same Patricia Cornwell or John Patterson.  Do you know how many copies they have to buy of those books?  Instead of being able to spend the money on new, exciting books?  

It isn't impossible.  And Librarians do want to expand their collections, they don't want fifty copies of Fifty Shades of Grey any more than you do.   So, challenge yourself, challenge your library, challenge Amazon, challenge Barnes and Noble.   Ask for these books.  Go to them, waving Tempest's "manifesto" in your hand and say, I want to read something different.

Reading the early Wild Cards novels...

So I recently started reading the first Wild Cards novels, which are being reissued.  I started this because I have a friend with a storyline in the most recent novel.  Which I read and loved, but then realized I wanted more of the backstory hinted at...  In some ways I am glad I am doing this, in other ways...  The earlier novels are very much a product of their times.  In some ways dated, and not as coherent as the later ones.  It is also obvious that something else big is going to happen at some point, as the jokers and aces start being able to have kids somewhere along the line.  

There is sexism in the earlier books (it seems that all the women get raped/tortured/etc...  There were a couple points where I skipped ahead because I just was squicked out). And some subtle racism (kids with Afros potentially shoplifting).  And less creativity in the superheroes than I necessarily would like.  A pimp who gets his power from sex?  And hints at unexplored issues of incest, etc,  that could have been padded out to create a more interesting dynamic. But, at the same time, I have the luxury of comparing and contrasting with the later, more polished novels.    

I do think it is a good exercise.

ooops.

That's what you get when you don't post often, two posts on the same subject.

Choosing Books for Others.

This is tough.   This is when there are times when I want to bang my head against the wall and give up.

I do Outreach at work, where I pick books for people.  

I sometimes get notes back.  Rarely thanking me (although one woman is very good about thanking me), but usually complaining.

The problem is that they want new books, by their favorite author, and the books are not always available.

So I substitute, or try to come up with something similar that they'd like...

Sometimes I'll find a book that would be great for multiple people, so I just swing it into circulation from one to the other to the other to the other...

But usually, its tough.

They want good biographies, not of actors or celebrities.    (and I am still horrified that the library has a biography of Michael Vick.  Ick! Ick! Ick!)

They usually go very specific, or very general.

So each person has multiple other notes scrawled into their file...

like one gentleman, who only likes things by American male authors.  New books.   Shorter.  What isn't written, but is basically understood, is that they can't have a woman as the hero, women are only good as the corpse.   And they have to be bloody.   When I've sent him books with lots of blood on the cover, he's liked those.  

Or one elderly lady, who likes Danielle Steel... new Danielle Steel, or Nora Roberts.  And even though both of these ladies are prolific, they aren't prolific enough!  And unfortunately, there don't seem to be any creative read-alikes when I search for read-alikes.  

So please, if you are reading this, and are creating a read-alike selection, please please consider doing something besides the obvious, besides the basics.

Who are some new authors who are like Roberts or Steel?    Who are some new historical fiction authors?

New, creative inspiration, please!

Ah, Literatchooor.

Why, hello!  Yes, I have been reading, but I apologize for my absence.    Things have been just a tad bit busy these days.  I got a promotion, which involves outreach.  Outreach is when you get books for people who are homebound or cannot get to the library in some way...

So I have quite a cast of characters:

There's the old lady who calls the day before pickup, and even though the authors you sent last time are on her favorites, she can't get into the books.  And even though the one you are sending her is one she requested, she isn't interested in that one anymore.

There's the gentleman who likes only American male authors, with male protagonists and lots of blood.   I suspect if it is female blood, even better.  (The guy does not like women, he doesn't like authors with foreign names....)

Then there is the lady who likes black Christian fiction on audio CDs.   In CT, in FARMINGTON? that is hard to find.  

Large-print "good stories" with no sex or cussing?  those are tough to find too...   Jeanette Oke is a decent author, but we only seem to have three books by each "good" author in the Large Print....

I've got a couple good ones that are fun to find books for...and so far haven't heard any complaints (or praise), there's one who doesn't like "Women's Books" but seems to read quite a range... and one who likes a variety...  

What would I be like as an old lady in one of these programs?

I think I'd be eclectic.   The same way I am now.  I'm reading book two of Patrick Rothfuss's series, just finished The Rook, (a marvelous supernatural spy story, which I immediately wanted to reread).  I'm reading an anthology on the first year of marriage (sorry Mom, don't get your hopes up...I'm going to die an old maid...I feel like I should dress up as Miss Havisham for Halloween).   I'm reading Bill Bryson's At Home, which is interesting, but seems to skate over things a little lightly for my taste...  but in some ways I'm very scholarly, somehow...

Basically I tend to have at least one sci-fi/fantasy, one biography, one nonfiction (if I can find something good) and one general fiction (probably "foreign") going on.  Usually its at least three books at once (in different parts of the house)

So, what have you read that is interesting? Share in the comments! (or if you have suggestions for authors for my outreach people)

Dilemmas of Life...

So intially I thought that the books I was reviewing today had nothing in common, other than my reading them. But in actuality, this is not the case. They are all (except for the "Dummies" one) people-oriented. They are about lives, feelings, and growth. Only one is fiction.

The first is Salman Rushdie's Luka and the Fire of Life. This was a magical book, in many ways, but will appeal most to people who have an understanding of the Far Eastern/Persian tradition, although lovers of the classics will enjoy it too. What I found truly enjoyable were his little allusions to popular culture within the scope of the novel..as well as some phrases that are obviously meant to be read in a British accent.It is a rich tapestry of a novel, and one I found highly enjoyable.

The second is called The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball. I found this fascinating. This woman went from living in New York City to owning a farm with her husband. Plowing with horses, bringing in the crops, milking, just absolutely fascinating picture of one woman's growth and change.

The third is Dilemma by Father Albert Cutie. This is a unique book. The father is a man who was a Catholic priest, who fell in love. He left the Catholic Church for the Anglican, got married, had a family. His book is, to a certain extent, and understandably so, a little defensive. But it is also a look at the interior workings of the church, from one man's POV. It is also an exploration of celibacy and its role in the church, and a questioning as to if celibacy is necessary. He argues that a lot of the Church's issues would be eased if it allowed priests to marry and to be at ease with their sexuality. Which does, to a certain extent, make some sense. Priests do tend, even in this country, to become priests young, because they are expected to. And it does seem that most people have a story about a priest who left, who got married. Priests in most other traditions are allowed to get married. Many of the Apostles were married. And clergy in the Catholic tradition were allowed, once to get married. He argues that this needs to happen again.... and some points were valid. Some of the book, I felt, was a cry of frustration, and of loss... and some of it felt a little hastily written, not well-edited, perhaps. It could use a rewrite, definitely, but it does bring up some valid points about the church, which does need to forge ahead, into the 21st Century.

And speaking of the 21st Century...bringing me to the final book, iPad for Dummies. Its not that helpful. Get it from the library. Other than a chapter on Apps, it really wasn't that well-written or useful. The iPad is pretty self-explanatory.

Chhaaaaaaarrrrgggge!

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is an interesting book. Its not what I was expecting from the reviews, certainly. And its definitely a story, not only about parenting, but expectations, and 'different strokes for different folks'. Its a great book, not only about where we've gone wrong with our children, but how a lot of people go wrong with their kids... Not only about the issues of "Western parenting" (which she tars with a broad brush), but also some of the issues in so-called Chinese parenting. Its about knowing your limits, your children's limits, but also standing up as a family and as a parent.....

And its about how an approach can succeed with one child, but be wrong with the other. At the same time, its a defense of being a demanding parent....

Bittersweet Book

Ok, initially, I loved this book, until I got about halfway through. I loved it so much I put a hold on it for a library patron whom I thought would appreciate it. I suggested it to my sister as an idea for a fictionalized movie...

And it is a great book, I still love it, but no longer want to own it, reread it... Its called Day of Honey, by a woman named Annia Ciezadlo. Subtitled A memoir of food, love, and war. Its fascinating reading, because its about the Middle East, about Baghdad and Beirut. I recognized some of the foods she mentioned, just because of my own personal history...

Its a wonderful book, showing the human side of the conflicts, the people enmeshed in the conflicts.... the people trapped in war zones, and also showing how war affects people, not only journalists, but everyday citizens who are trying to go about their lives.

She frames the book with food. The foods of her childhood, mostly Midwestern, but with a salting of Greek, the food of her husband's family, the foods of Baghdad, of Beirut... So she talks about kibbe, about tea, about the foods of war and the foods of peace, and how the foods changed with the times and events...

She has recipes at the end. She has a great index as well. And this book is not only a memoir of the external, but you see how much she has grown and changed as a person through the book.... My one issue is that she seemed to get a little long-winded/rambling in the second half of the book. The first half was perfectly framed, then it started to get a little off-kilter...but got back on track again...

I would still highly reccommend this book.

The Distant Hours of My French Table...

Two very dissimilar books, reviewed in one swell foop. The first, a non-fiction, a cookbook, is by the legendary Dorie Greenspan. Around My French Table. This is a fantastic cookbook. I've already gotten some wonderful ideas from it. She has little notes alongside the recipes for: making ahead (which components can be), storage (and reheating), and then something (or sometimes more than one) called a Bonne Idee, or Good Idea, which is either a riff or reimagining of the recipe. I've got this cookbook on my to-buy list (it was a library checkout, already terribly overdue...) My one issue with it is as a celiac. There are a lot of recipes with flour. Things where the meat is dredged, but otherwise its free of flour... or its got 1/2 cup somewhere in it. And, of course, being Dorie, she has a lot of baked goods. But there are also a lot of recipes that can be modified to be completely gluten-free. Again, because the meat is only dredged in flour, one can skip that, or use cornstarch or a gluten-free blend. She also uses bouillion cubes. Other than that, most of the recipes are easily adaptable and sound wonderful! I'm looking forward to Vanilla vegetable salad or crab avocado "ravioli" (am I the only person in the world who ends up with too many avocadoes at once?).. and maybe finish with a citrus-berry terrine. The thing I love about this is not only the personal stories, but also the Bonne idees. Because these give you some different directions in which to play around...

The fiction book here is The Distant Hours, by Kate Morton. Wow. If you have ever read The Forgotten Garden, by the same author, you will also love this book. It is so richly layered, that even if you think you know the answer, it will surprise you by the end. She intersperses eras, people, generations... in a wonderful, satisfying story. I didn't recall any sour notes, although, just to warn you, there is a section, near the end, which was a little stomach-turning. I was completely engrossed in this book, which is a rarity for me these days.

I have actually been reading....just not posting about it.

Sorry, its been a long, strange winter of my discontent... So I thought I'd share a few things that I've been reading, and my thoughts about them...

Right now, I'm reading The Lost Gate, by Orson Scott Card, which is decent. Its a light, escapist read, without much depth to it, but its well-written enough that I don't feel the urge to hurl it across the room, screaming loudly, which is what happens usually when I try to find something escapist.

I'm also reading Jim Butcher's Changes. This is an example of an author where I love one series and detest the other. I love poor Harry Dresden. I love the snippets of modern culture, the one-liners, the build-ups to jokes... but I cannot STAND his Alera series.

I just read the letters of the Mitford sisters to one another. What a fascinating bunch. They were all highly intelligent, strong women. One fell under the shadow of Hitler, another migrated to America, one was a writer, (actually many of them wrote, but one is well-known for writing), they suffered incredible losses, squabbles, etc... and yet you see the family ties in the letters.

Looking back over what I've read, its quite an assortment:
the Blind Contessa's New Machine
The Seasons of Second Chances

I seem to have also read a lot of affirming books and cookbooks...hmmmm

And there were a lot that I picked up and just couldn't finish. They just rubbed me the wrong way... and really, a tremendous amount were like that. Sheesh. It seems to be harder and harder to find a good book....

All About Her? Two biographies of modern women

Recently I read two interesting biographies, Perfectly Imperfect by Lee Woodward, and Dead End Gene Pool by Wendy Burden. Both reflected very different women, but both were fascinating and resonated in different ways with me.

Lee Woodward is the wife of Bob Woodward, and writes incredibly well. Its a mix of humor and seriousness, about raising kids, finding out her daughter is deaf (guess which part was hard for me, personally, to read?), and about the agony of how her life was changed when her husband was injured. She writes about some things that are almost tradition, that you wouldn't even think about until later, like a jewelry box, and how it can show not only who you were at different stages in your life, but how you can pass that on to your children, and how it can create a link, even when its not there. She writes about some of the myths and truths of modern women, and it was just very good, and very uplifting. A portrait of a warm, close-knit family.

Burden's memoir reflects a very different childhood and life, that had some strange echoes of my own, in some ways. While I enjoyed it, I felt she took some cheap shots and was very superficial about the memoir. There were fart jokes in there (which I felt were unnecessary), and I found it very depressing. There is having a sense of humor, and then there is bitterness, and this oozes a caustic bitterness, anger, and loss.

Another Burning, and Second Chances..

The Heretic's Wife, by Brenda Rickman Vantrease, is a fabulous historical novel. She switches between various viewpoints to tell the story, but it is primarily the story of Kate Gough. It is seamless, and very well written, but unfortunately there is, as in so many historical novels, flames. (I have to confess, I'm not through the book, but I can tell foreshadowing when I read it, plus I skipped around when the foreshadowing started smacking me in the face). I loved her previous novel, the Illuminator, which is why I picked this one up... It has a little bit of sex in it, but not graphic, for those to whom it matters (tasteful sex! What a concept!), but the character building is fabulous...

The Season of Second Chances, by Diane Meier. This was an amazing book. For once, it was one where romance did not solve everything, and the heroine was not married off happily by the end of the book. We need more books like this, with a middle-aged heroine discovering herself and putting down roots. I very much saw myself in this, in many ways (I'm a little bit younger, so am still dealing with the biological clock tick-tocking), and it was so refreshing to read something where the heroine discovers herself, make mistakes, and is NOT redeemed by an 11th hour romance. Where she screws up, as so many of us do. (Sorry, this one just resonated particularly poignantly with me because of some personal issues). And yet it ends with the possibility, the hint, of a second chance. The book is just a fabulous summer read.

I wanted to like you.... Part 2 (or 3, or whichever)

Spellwright, by Blake Charlton. It has elements which I usually love in fantasy books, puns, wordplay, magic, but the magic just didn't coalesce for me. It felt labored, trying to read this, as if there had been too much thought put into the book, and perhaps not enough editing. Its a wonderful idea, the premise of the book, that magic is made up of spoken words, and there is one wizard who can't spell...

I think the main problem for me was that the world did not seem fleshed-out enough. Even though it has a lovely map as a frontspiece for the book, one that is not loosely based on Earth's geography, the world could stand with a little more framing, it felt too abrupt.

Its interesting that it seems to have gotten high praise from a number of well-respected fantasy authors, but for me, it was too difficult to plug past the initial hindrance of the first couple of chapters. I did not feel gripped or absorbed by the book. And I wanted to like this story.

Love is in the air...

and so is Wedding Season, by Katie Fforde. This is just a light summer romance. Nothing deep, but very charming, and somewhat predictable. You do know when the appropriate partners are introduced that they will all end up together by the end of the book, but at the same time, Fforde does this in a light-hearted way, with charm, allowing some growth in her characters from the beginning of the book to the end.

A book not to read if you've been in a car crash

The Best of Times: A Novel, by Penny Vincenzi. This was a truly well-written book. It is about an accident and how it affects the people involved. It spans the events leading up to, as well as after, the crash. Vincenzi does a wonderful job tying the threads of different lives together, and creating a vibrant tapestry of a whole. Even following different storylines, of different characters, she does a fantastic job, and does not rely on graphic descriptions of sex or injuries to make her point. She builds tension very well (hence the title of this post), in a very simple manner. You do know who is where at what point without it being spelled out simplistically for you. In other words, its a complex book that appears simple, without hitting you over the head with its complexity. A great summer read.

The Adamantine Palace

Who doesn't like dragons? I love dragons in literature. (Also mermaids, selkies, elves, fairies) I love magic in literature, particularly when it is done WELL. And I love dragons when they are done well... Stephen Deas has done a fabulous job with The Adamantine Palace in creating a new world where dragons exist. Its a completely different world than Pern, which is what most people think of when they think of dragon stories... Its darker, where humans have enslaved the dragons. Its a story of politics, of slavery, of power. And of dragons. Burning fire. (note, there are a couple places in the book that can cause some queasiness, where its a little graphic in describing injuries, although I've read significantly gorier stuff).

But this, on the whole, is a superbly well-crafted novel which hangs together very well, making you anxious to see what eventually happens.....

Two sides to every story.....

The Wars of the Roses seems to be the new mine for historical fiction, since people have been writing about Henry VIII and his various wives for long enough that it is difficult to come up with new material... so they've gone a little further back...

Philippa Gregory has written a powerful novel from the point of view of Elizabeth Woodville, The White Queen. She does a great job of making an unliked queen human and likeable. It was very pleasurable reading, even if it felt like it was somewhat surface-level treatment, and some of the inclusion of the historical information seemed a little odd. Because Woodville wasn't a direct observer of some of the important events, Gregory adds them in, but you never really figure out how Woodville found out. It just jars a little. It did not quite feel like a seamless story. It felt as if Gregory was looking for a new subject, and picked this woman, who essentially founded the Tudor dynasty. The other thing I would have liked was a family tree at the back of the book with the various marriages/children/etc. The family tree at the front is set when the book starts. Those nit-picks aside, it was a pretty decent book. Gregory portrays another strong English queen who is trying to navigate through political minefields... and gives an alternate view of what might have happened to the Princes in the Tower, one that feels realistic. I do prefer Gregory's earlier books, when she wrote from the viewpoint of someone who was more on the fringes of the court, and not a direct 'mover and shaker'.

The second novel, Figures in Silk, by Vanora Bennett, is one I cannot praise more highly. Set in approximately the same time period (and read second, so did not come on it as freshly as I did with Gregory) it is really well-written. Its the story of a young woman in the English silk industry. It is such a true-to-life book, each note really played well, my only issue with the book was that it felt like it finished much too abruptly. Bennett pulls in the historical facts subtly and intelligently, and you feel as if the revelations that happen were true-to-life. The character would have learned things that way, there was no ominous foreshadowing, which Gregory is slightly prone to. Its natural, and the reactions of the characters are very natural. You get a good impression of what life was actually like for a Freewoman of London. (Granted, yes, with an overlay of modernity, but that is always going to be the case for historical fiction). It just is a wonderful novel.

Fitting in: Four books.

ok, so, here we go, four books that deal with some facet of maturity, belonging, and growing up. One is completely fictional, one is historical fiction, and the other two are very different, but set in the modern world.

Lets start with Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld. This is a Teen book, but would give you a lot to talk about with your teen (or any teen). The premise of the book is that, at 16, you get an operation that makes you a 'pretty'. The book is a little simplistic, in many ways, but gives some commentary on what we value. And its about a journey a teen makes, both literally and metaphorically, and how she grows up. Its also about societal demands. I think the one thing that would have made this book really ideal for teens is a series of discussion questions or interview with the author in the back. I know sometimes I find the discussion questions get me thinking a little more about the themes of the book, and there are some themes that kids wouldn't immediately think about. The role of parents and protection in this book (you see two sets of parents, as well as the societal 'authority figures'), you see friendship and promises. You see responsibility and accountability.

The historical fiction, the Wet Nurse's Tale, is a somewhat sanitized historical fiction piece, but it is fascinating to read. Reading it made me wonder why we don't have wet nurses in society so much anymore. It too was a love story, a story about growing up, finding a place in society. I enjoyed it, but just found it a little too simplistic for my taste... I didn't feel that there was a broad enough amount of research, somehow, and the character was a little too complacent about some things that should have provoked a different response. I suppose I did not find it passionate enough. That being said, for historical fiction, its not a bad read. I have read significantly worse, and in the end, it turned out to be just a light, fun read.

Turning to the modern world, and a finishing school upbringing, we have The Finishing Touches, by Hester Browne. This, again was a lighter read, but very very enjoyable. It was also full of lessons that I wish my 'finishing school' education had covered. How to evaluate a man, how to walk in heels, how to balance a checkbook... It really felt as if the author had attended my boarding school. There were many, many things in there that rang very true.

Lastly, a magical modern novel, 'Blue Boy' by Rakesh Satyal. This resonated with me in a different way than the previous book, because its about fitting in, and being part of different groups. And growing up, and finding your own way, and navigating between different cultures... in the hero's case, navigating between his Indian heritage and the Indian circles, and the American society by which he is surrounded, and his attempts to reconcile the two...

A theory of all things

I got an ARC of this book, which I also reviewed on LibraryThing (where I received the ARC). This is due out in March, and is a fabulous book. It is told, in turn, by all five of the Bennett children (now adults), as well as a few other people who figure in the story, eventually. It is a story of a family that had fragmented following two traumatic events, and is now gradually healing. Its the story of reconnecting, refinding, rediscovering and reforging family.

There are few authors who can tell a story from multiple points of view, but Leon manages it, with skill. She shows us the personalities of the various family members, and how their lives have been framed and formed by these two events, and how they all interact with other members, and start healing and coming to terms with their family.