The Other Family, Joanna Trollope

I think Joanne Trollope is a wonderful writer and was looking forward to diving into her latest [2010] book, The Other Family.

As always, Joanna finds new ways to explore human characteristics and emotions so well.

It seems that quite a few books I've been reading lately are taking the time to explore both sides of relationships in greater detail. Rather than learning how the "wronged" spouse feels when husband/wife leaves for another, more and more writers are trying to understand how both parties are impacted. And there is also more attention paid to the pivotal character who is leaving one relationship for another. No longer merely a selfish villian, the betwixt/between character is now often portrayed as another frail human being caught in an emotionally fraught situation -- loving two people, not wanting to hurt either party.

Emily Griffin portrayed the complexity and humanity in this now common reality, in her recent release [2010], Matters of the Heart. And, the difference is important. Rather than seeing a situation as simple "good vs. evil" or "moral vs. immoral" writers are portraying all parties as vulnerable human beings capable of both altruistic and selfish behavior. It makes for much more believable characters and a greater sense of realism.

In The Othe Family, we learn how the first wife Margaret -- left behind over two decades ago-- and the second wife Chrissie, left behind by her husband's recent death, cope with the lose of a key husband figure in both their lives - Richie Rossiter.

Richie, a talented piano player and singer whose career was definitely on the wane prior to his sudden death, leaves behind two families who are deeply affected by his lose. More unexpected, if possible, than his death, is his bequest to leave his prized piano and early musical scores to his first wife.

Margaret must come to terms with the lose of hoping that her husband will one day come back to her. Her son Scott has forgiven his father for abandoning his first family and is even willing to befriend his new-found stepsisters. But are they willing to accept his friendship?

Chrissie and her three daughters are bereft, abandoned, stunned by both the loss of a beloved husband and father, and trying to cope with the new reality that their lifestyle must change as their new financial picture is bleak.

Chrissie expects her daughters to rally around her, to staunchly defend themselves against all others, especially her husband's former family.

There are no villians in this story, just people trying to cope with change and loss. I think Joanna has done a wonderful portrayal of six lives affected by the same tragedy, each needing to find their own way through the grieving process.

We are all made of glue, by Marina Lewycka

Marina's newest book (2010), is her third published novel. I enjoyed her first two books, and am happy to report that I believe her third is her best accomplishment.

There are several threads to follow in the book. First, we meet Georgie Sinclair, lately moved to London from Leeds, she is about to experience the end of a rather traditional relationship with her husband, and embark on a very unusual, comic, sad, mysterious relationship with the elderly Naomi Shapiro. Naomi's experiences in the second world war inform her current condition of squalor and decrepitude. But her wit and humour keep her oblivious to the rundown condition of her home, her clothes, even the rotten food she relishes eating at reduced prices.

Georgie's son, Ben, is bewildering her. After watching his parents separate, Ben seems to find religion, and is busy preparing his soul for the End of Time, and is worried that his heathen parents won't make the cut to heaven because of their lack of faith in Jesus.

Add one or two other oddball characters, including a dark-eyed real estate agent bent on seducting Georgie, and an unscrupulous social worker determined to oust Mrs. Shapiro from her home so she can get a commission on the sale of Naomi's historic estate, and it's a wonder Georgie can keep it together enough to focus on her job of writing promotional material for the wonders of glue!

It's an amazing mix of characters, and a fascinating overview of war, politics, the Middle East, Jewish-Arab relations, and friendshop, romance, and lust. A great read.

Fly Away Home, by Jennifer Weiner (2010)

Jennifer Weiner's latest book certainly captures a recent trend in U.S. politics! For all those politicians who get caught cheating on their wives, there is a wife whose life is shattered by the betrayal. Many married men (and women) cheat on their spouses, but not all spouses suffer the consequences on national press and television.

In "Fly Away Home," we are given a wonderful portrayal a family coping with just such a situation. Senator Richard Woodruff gets caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar! His wife, Sylvie, has spent her entire marriage, being the quintessential politician's wife. She organizes her life around his political needs, even at the expense of her daughter's lives.

The Senator's daughters have each coped with an absent father in their own way: the elder, Diana, is a workaholic perfectionist who finds herself in a lustful relationship of adultery with one of her students. The younger daughter, Lizzie, is trying to recover from a decade of alcohol abuse. Both daughters feel neglected by their father for his busy political career and abandoned by their mother who gave all her attention to the needs of the political machine.

But Sylvie and her daughters have to deal with the fallout of a husband and father who has broken the rules. Can Sylvie forgive her husband? Can she reconcile with her daughters? Give this book a read and find out. It will draw you in and the ending may surprise you!

The Last Time I Saw You, by Elizabeth Berg [2010]

There's nothing quite as satfisfying as heading home for the weekend with the newest book by one of my favourite authors, Elizabeth Berg.

I was completely swept away into the narrative the author weaves amongst men and women who are about to embark on that dreaded ritual: The 40th high school reunion.

As always, Elizabeth's characters come alive through her storytelling. As we bear witness to a slice of their lives, we can relish the change to peek into each classmate's psyche as they reconnect to their past selves and the roles they each played back in high school. It is a time to reflect and measure one's life against the expectations of the past. Who has come out ahead, and what does "being a winner" mean anyway 40 years after the fact.

Noah's Compass, by Anne Tyler (2009)

Are we who we are because we can remember our past, or are we who we are despite our recollections? Liam Pennywell, 61, and facing retirement from his school teacher career, is about to deal with the question.

When Liam loses memory of moving into his new apartment, his life is thrown for a turn. In trying to recover his memories, he finds his life, which has been quite solitary from estranged children and wives, is now filling up again as his family reaches out to him. When he meets a professional memory collector, Liam believes he's found a simple way to regain his past. Instead, his life is about to get very complicated!

Very well-written, this slice-of-life story of the singular Liam Pennywell is an easy read with some interesting themes and surprises.

The Family Man, by Elinor Lipman [2009]

Lipman's latest novel is, to put it succintly, a real hoot. The characters are wonderful, the situations original and the writing is beautiful.

Henry Archer's quiet life changes overnight when he decides to do the "right thing" and send a note of condolence to his ex-wife on the loss of her husband. The note brings aforementioned ex, Denise, back into Henry's life and, inadvertently, also brings the stepdaughter he's been mourning for the last fifteen years.

This book is quite quirky and very funny. It's made an instant fan of me and I plan to go back and read Lipman's other books!

Your Sad Eyes and Unfogettable Mouth, by Edeet Ravel

Your Sad Eyes and Unforgettable Mouth, by Edeet Ravel (2008)

I've been a big fan of Edeet Ravel and thoroughly enjoyed her trilogy on Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Her latest book, Your Sad Eyes, is a departure in themes but not a departure in style.

Set in Montreal in modern times, the book follows Maya from her present day struggles with relationships back to her teenage years as she searches for identity. Maya is part of a small circle of friends; the uniting factor is their parents' survival of the concentration camps of World War II. Ravel offers a point of view for the children of survivors, who struggle with guilt at surviving, fear of governments, ill health, and other life long consequences of being over "there" (which is how the parents refer to their war-time experience).

Children of survivors grow up with a lot of unbearable stories and unshared secrets. Some try to be "perfect" children so their parents need never be sad again. Others rebel and distance themselves. How do these children thrive when so much of their lives are tied to the past? When Maya and her best friend Rosie become involved with two older brothers, their world and their futures are irrevocably altered.

Ravel's writing style is beautiful. I often found myself rereading a sentence simply to enjoy her choice of words. While the subject matter is a serious one, Maya's life is full of hope and humour.

Consequences, by Penelope Lively

It's so nice to read a well-written book, and Consequences is a total gem to read. Set in Britain, just prior to World War II, the story follows the relationships of three main characters over a span of forty years. The story begins with Matt and Lorna, two characters who lived in different spheres and classes, but whom chance brings together. Their romance is heightened by the threat of war, and soon Matt must make the choice to stay or become a soldier. The consequences of this decision along with world events shape their lives, the life of their daughter Molly, and eventually Molly's children as well.

Home Safe, by Elizabeth Berg

Home Safe, by Elizabeth Berg (2009)

I am a big fan of Elizabeth Berg's writing. She has a gift for creating believable characters and exploring the psychology of being humanness in a fictional setting. Her latest book is another winner.

The book introduces readers to Helen Ames, a middle-aged woman is in transition, her husband has just died unexpectedly, her daughter is fighting for her own independence, her father's health is failing and she has a severe case of writer's block. When Helen finds out that her husband spent the bulk of their retirement money one week before his death, the last vestige of normalcy and her old way of being is severed. She must try and find a way to embrace all these changes and we, the readers, get to travel this journey with her.

One of the wonderful aspect of this story is that the heroine is portrayed with all her flaws. She is not a one-dimensional figure who is always right, or always wrong, or always the victim. She is complex, as we all are, and she struggles to become more self aware as her friends and family react to her grieving process.

Despite dealing with many serious issues, the book itself is about life, love, and hope, and an excellent read.

Still Alice, by Lisa Genova

For anyone who is curious about or has lived with the consequences of Alzheimer's disease, this book will illuminate the devastation that this illness brings to everyone's lives. When Alice Howland, a Cambridge professor, discovers she has early-onset Alzheimer's, her world, and the world of her husband, children, students, and friends are all effected. As Alice tries to prepare herself and others for the loss of her identity, every relationship is strained and must be transformed.

This beautifully written book, told from Alice's point of view, does not sugarcoat the heartbreak of Alzheimer's, but looks at the essential qualities of what makes us who we are. I highly recommend this book!