MAIN STREET PUBLIC LIBRARY by Wayne A. Wiegand ✰✰✰

I enjoyed this little tome.  Author Wayne Wiegand spotlights four libraries in the rural mid-west, giving a brief history of each, from about the 1870s through the 1950s.  He then discusses the books which did or did not make it into the collections of these libraries.

The first section of the book can get a bit tedious at times, as it lists by name every founding board member and their political and religious affiliation.  In addition, each and every librarian is discussed.  However, in the later sections of the book, this information does become relevant as the driving forces behind collection choices are discussed.  Despite the rather dry subject litany, Mr. Wiegand portrays a marvelous picture of how libraries were founded and run in rural America in the late 19th and early 20th century, and in the end I enjoyed the section more often than not.

The role of the library as a place within the communities of rural America is also given a fair amount of ink.  Interestingly enough, many activities which still take place today in my local library system had their roots in these first fledgling, small town libraries. 

Collection building is given an interesting perusal.  Wayne Wiegand built a data base to cross reference the collections of the four libraries he profiles, plus one additional library of the era.  He then gives a prose comparison of all the libraries and compares their collections with publications such as Booklist, which were put out by national and state library organizations, to see how the libraries followed the collection building trends recommended by their professional organizations.

I would have happily read twice the given information pertaining to how each of the libraries dealt with the major social issues of their era.  This period in American history saw many pivotal issues, such as the rise of labor unions and socialism, women’s suffrage, and prohibition.  The efforts of various national and local groups to suppress certain specific works of literature and the ongoing battle against fiction in favor of non-fiction is discussed in interesting detail, with special emphasis given to how each of the profiled libraries handled the issues.  This section was definitely the strongest of the book.

There were may titles which I discovered for the first time as I learned about library holdings of this era and which I look forward to reading.  In addition, the book sparked a desire to learn more about Andrew Carnegie, who provided funding to erect the buildings in which three of the profiled libraries were housed.  At about 250 pages, this book is a quick look at a seldom discussed element of American history, which I, as a bibliophile and lover of small, local libraries, found well worth my while.

REMARKABLE CREATURES by Tracy Chevalier ✰✰✰✰✰

This wonderful work of historical fiction held me enthralled from beginning to end!  The novel presents at its center the factual personage of Mary Anning, who became, in the early 1800s, a fossil hunter of great repute.  Mary’s story, as the discoverer of the first ichthyosaur and plesiosaur fossils, among others, would be fascinating enough in its own right, but when you combine it with her station in life and the social issues that swirled through the scientific community of her day, the novel becomes a true tour de force.

It seems as if every factor was working to Mary’s detriment-she was poor, a member of the wrong faith, a member of a disrespected family, and more than anything else, she was a woman.  Men tried to take credit for her discoveries and denied her membership in scientific societies.  Yet when it came to the religious turmoil that her remarkable creatures excited, they were more than willing to let her bear the censure.

As a woman, I was drawn in by Ms. Chevalier’s warm and intelligent portrait of this most grounded of women.  Mary Anning never tried to be more than what she was, a beach comber of incredible instinct who could see in the stone things other people missed.  She wanted credit for her abilities and chafed at the attempts of those better educated and more renowned to claim her findings as their own or attempt to deny the veracity of her creatures.

In addition to Mary’s own story, a good deal of information regarding many famous men of the time, such as the geologist William Buckland, with whom she developed a special friendship, is shared.  Also prominently featured in the novel is Elizabeth Philpot, a local spinster who was frequently known to be in Mary’s company as she hunted along the coast of Lyme Regis, and was herself a competent hunter and collector.  The biographies of these people are solidly placed in the historical context of rapidly evolving scientific thought and discovery and the ensuing upheaval within the religious community as long-held doctrines began to be brought into question.

I listened to the audio, and while the audio was not at all bad, I really wish that I had read this one in print form, so as to fully experience the lovely descriptions of the English coastal area in which it is set.  Whether you choose the audio or the print version you will not be disappointed-this is sure to be one of my top fiction books of the year.

PARROT AND OLIVIER IN AMERICA by Peter Carey ✰✰✰✰✰

Using dual narrators, Peter Carey deftly portrays America, and to a lesser extent France and England, in the time frame following the French Revolution.

Our first narrator, is Olivier de Garmont, who by necessity engendered from his standing as a French aristocrat, must vacate France.  To avoid political censure and create a face-saving reason for running away, it is decided that he will travel to America and write a book, supposedly for the French government, on the prison system in the New World.  Olivier’s character is loosely based on Alexis de Tocqueville and his writing of Democracy in America.

Through various machinations of plot our other narrator, John “Parrot” Larrit, a poor Englishman of humble beginnings, finds himself thrown into the position of servant to Olivier and on his way to America as well.

By turns humorous, enlightening, touching, and gripping, Mr. Carey’s novel is an intricately complex page-turner of the very best sort.  A portrait of the social culture of the America of the age is gently unfolded as the pampered, old world aristocrat and the down-trodden servant begin to equalize in matters of intellect, patriotism, cunning, respect, love and friendship. 

The audio, put out by Blackstone and narrated by Humphrey Bower, will without a doubt be my number one audio for 2011.  Given that this year I have listened to far more books than I have read in print, that is quite high praise.  Mr. Bower so perfectly captures the accent and persona of both characters that I was surprised to realize that the book, which uses the format of alternating chapters being narrated from the viewpoint of each character in turn, did not use two different actors, one for each voice.

I absolutely loved this novel.  It has everything a reader could wish for in a good work of historical fiction in terms of research smoothly intertwined within the plot, compelling characters (both from history and Mr. Carey’s imagination), and vivid prose that drew me in whether the topic was of a personal or societal nature.  Whether you choose to listen to Humphrey Bower’s masterful performance or let Peter Carey’s words speak for themselves, this is an absolute must read.

ROMOLA by George Eliot ✰✰✰

Wow!  Where to start...

Let me first say that there is much to love here.  Truly!  The first fifty or so pages felt interminable, but once past that point the book becomes a veritable page turner.

Eliot crafts a fascinating, first-rate historical fiction plot based in Florence, Italy, from the death of Lorenzo de’ Medici (in 1492), through the time of Savonarola’s influence, and culminating in an epilogue placed in 1509.  In the midst of this tumultuous social situation is placed our heroine, Romola.  The daughter of a scholar, Romola herself is very well educated for a woman of her time.  This novel follows Romola through six complex post-de’Medici years of Florentine politics, further inflamed by the preachings of Savonarola, a Dominican friar.  As the plot swells in complexity, the gentle woman transitions from being her father’s daughter, to her husband’s wife, to a woman meeting life head on with a dignity of her own merit.  Possessed of a fast moving, labyrinthine plot, this novel, despite its length of just over 600 pages, keeps up a taut pace until the very end.

As might be expected in a novel named after a character, this one, despite the enticing plot, is very rooted in its performers.  Romola is a central figure, but by no means the only one.  Eliot pulls some of her players direct from the history books and some from her imagination, but each and every one of them feels so genuine that it is difficult to know which really lived and breathed and which only ever lived within her pages.  This is the type of book that has you googling purely imaginative personages-because they are portrayed with such authenticity.

Florence of the late fifteenth century is very well depicted: the pageantry of her holidays (including a fantastic description of Savonarola’s Bonfire of the Vanities); the dress, habits, and occupations of her various classes; and the architectural details of her stone edifices.  As you wander the streets with the novel’s inhabitants you are drawn into her neighborhoods, with their chaos, aromas, and idiosyncrasies.

So why a relatively low three star rating?   Because the prose is so dense that it left me wallowing somewhere between philosophy text and nineteenth century history tome.  For some reason, I had to work exceptionally hard to remain focused on reading the words themselves and concentrate with that little bit of extra grey matter to wrap my mind around what exactly was being expressed.  Was it worth it?  Well, yes, as my clear admiration for the book’s merits shows; however, I can not say that I “really liked” (four stars) or “loved” (five stars) a book which required so much effort.  So, three stars, a simple “liked” verdict, it is for this work.  This is definitely not a book for someone unused to literature of the Victorian era, as, in my opinion, this novel is some of the least accessible writing from that time frame.

INTO THIN AIR by Jon Krakauer ✰✰✰✰

May 11, 1996 has come to be given the title of the “1996 Mt. Everest Disaster”, because on this day eight people lost their lives in a single afternoon on the world’s tallest peak.  Author Jon Krakauer was attempting the summit that day, and this memoir, written very shortly after his climb, is a riveting account of the lengths to which people will go in order to stand on the apex of the planet.

This book is part history, part culture of climbing, and part adventure journal, but beyond all else it is a tale of the fragility of mankind when measured against the force of a mountain.  Mr. Krakauer bares his soul, opening the door to a world to which only a select few can truly relate and a day that brought nightmares and survivor guilt to those who made it off the mountain.

This audio was riveting.  Usually, the quickest way to have me re-shelving an audiobook is to see that the author does the narrating.  In my experience, authors should stick to writing.  But the intensely personal nature of this particular memoir gave me the feeling that no one could tell this tale quite like Jon Krakauer himself.  I highly recommend listening to this story in the voice of the man who lived through it.

MOTHER TERESA, CEO by Ruma Bose and Lou Faust ✰✰✰

Being neither Catholic nor an executive of any level, this might seem an odd book for me to pick up, but I am glad that I had the simple pleasure and gentle learning experience this book afforded me.

As a young Hindi woman, during a time of aimless confusion in her life, Ruma Bose spent an extended period of time volunteering with Mother Teresa and her Sisters of Charity in India.  Ruma has subsequently gone on to become a successful business woman.  A dinner party conversation during which she sketched out the leadership style of Mother Teresa was the genesis of this book, on which Ms. Bose asked her mentor, Lou Faust to collaborate.

The book’s structure is very simple.  It is divided into eight chapters, each of which correlate with one of eight principles found by Ruma Bose to define the leadership philosophy of Mother Teresa.  These principles are:

Dream it Simple, Say it Strong 

Dealing with the Devil to get to the Angels 

Wait! Then pick your moment 

Embrace the power of doubt 

Discover the joy of discipline 

Communicate in a language people understand 

Pay attention to the janitor 

Use the power of silence 

At the beginning of each chapter Ruma recounts an anecdote from her time with the gentle woman who began and grew one of the world’s largest charity organizations.  These brief snippets let the reader see various sides of Mother Teresa from a CEO standpoint.  Lou Faust and Ruma then draw parallels to real world business situations.

The book left me with mixed feelings.  It is useful in that I do not think you need to be a CEO to apply these principles to your life, and this broadens the scope of those for whom this will be an enjoyable read.  However, the book, at a scant 144 pages, does not provide any concrete suggestions for implementation, neither on a personal nor a business level.  For me, the book was primarily an informative look at Mother Teresa through an alternative lens.  If you are fascinated by this special woman the book is well worth your time.

THEODORA: ACTRESS, EMPRESS, WHORE: A NOVEL by Stella Duffy ✰✰✰

In choosing Theodora of Byzantium for her subject, Stella Duffy picked a definite case of truth trumping fiction.  Duffy fills her novel with richly depictive discourse, transporting the reader into a world of political intrigue and religious turmoil, a world where the worth and potential of an individual was most often pre-determined by birth. 

Born into poverty in a time (mid sixth century) and place (Byzantium) in which women had very few options, Theodora, daughter of a deceased bear trainer, followed a path considered fortunate for one in her situation.  She gained renown on stage as an actress, which sounds innocuous enough to our modern sentiments, but in her day actresses, along with singers and dancers, became prostitutes to their audiences after their onstage work was concluded.  Ms. Duffy uses this early portion of the novel to display for us the strength of Theodora’s resolve to rise above her current status, the culture and chaos of Constantinople, and the squalor from which our heroine succeeds in rising.  To understand why Theodora is such an anomaly, and thus why she is to be so greatly admired, one must understand the situation from whence she came.  

Disclosing too much of the plot would, I feel, rob readers of some of the narrative pull with which the amazing sequence of events of Theodora’s life endows this novel.  Once immersed in her tale, it is a difficult book to put down.  The story concludes with Theodora’s marriage to the emperor Justinian I and her coronation as empress of Byzantium.  Initially I was very annoyed by the ending.  In order to fully appreciate the transformative nature of this woman and understand the complete measure of her intelligence you must explore her role as Justinian’s consort.  I am happy to report that Stella Duffy announces on the book’s Penguin page that she is working on a sequel, to be titled The Purple Shroud.

There is one single element that kept this from being a five star book for me.  The book made liberal use of the “F word”.  It made me approach the first sex scene with some trepidation, as it seemed to indicate that Ms. Duffy’s writing in that area might be a bit raunchy for my taste.  That ended up being not at all the case.  Which left me wondering: who is the intended audience for this book?  It lacks the explicit sex which the more profane reader might expect, and its copious research would lead one to believe it is aimed at serious readers of historical fiction, who generally, in my experience, appreciate better verb selection.  Yes, some might argue that the word is used to show a certain degeneracy of Theodora’s character.  I feel it degraded Stella Duffy’s literary gifts.  Through wonderful, descriptive prose Ms. Duffy makes clear to the reader the gritty nature of Theodora and her unfortunate origins.  If an author does such an admirable job of “showing”, why stoop to the baseness of not only “telling” but doing so with the crassest of four letter words?

Overall, I enjoyed this look at one of history’s oft ignored women of substance.  If the one element mentioned above is not one to put you off, I think that lovers of historical fiction, as well as those who enjoy tales of personal transformation and triumph will find this a satisfying read.