May Flowers

There There by Tommy Orange, 2018

Beautifully written, There There is set in Oakland and is a comprised of multiple Native American characters who are preparing for a Powwow Event at the Colosseum. The stories are steeped with addiction, poverty and constant repercussions of having Indian land and way of life ripped away.

There is Tony Loneman, who suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome and used to people staring at him. Dene Oxedene is putting together an Indian narrative documentary in memory of his uncle, who drank himself to death. 

Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield who moves from house to house as a child, even living in Alcatraz with her mother and half-sister Jacquie Red Feather. Due to her sister's addiction, Opal becomes the guardian for Jacquie's grandsons Orvil, Loother and Lony.

Edwin Black is a large man who lives behind a computer screen and finds his father Harvey on Facebook. Bill Davis is Edwin's mother's boyfriend who has spent time in prison and now works at the Coliseum. 

Calvin Johnson is bipolar and harassed by his brother Charles, who is inseparable from his friend Carlos. Both Charles and Carlos associate with Octavio Gomez, a criminal who brings tragedy with him; including to the family of Daniel Gonzales, a software engineer who learns to 3D print items to make fast money for his widowed mother.

Blue Vapor of Life was given up for adoption and flees from an abusive husband. Thomas Frank is an alcoholic who finds peace and respite in drumming.

These characters all converge at the Powwow for an explosive ending.

Although I enjoyed Orange's writing and was enthralled with each character, I was disappointed that I could not get more involved with the characters, that each character only appeared in a few chapters.  

The Golden House by Salman Rushdie, 2017

My first Rushdie novel, The Golden House is about a wealthy family who moves to a close-knit New York City neighborhood known as the 'Gardens'. The Golden family consisting of patriarch Nero, and his sons Petronius (Petya) the autistic gaming genius, Apuleius (Apu) the spiritual artist, and Dionysus (D) the step-brother who struggles with his identity.

The family arrives suddenly on Macdougal Street and although they keep a low profile initially, they slowly start to make their impact on New York City. It is unclear how much money the Golden family actually possesses, but their names are soon associated with billion dollar real estate deals.

The story of the family is narrated by neighborhood teenager Rene, who resides with his professorial parents and is an aspiring film maker. He befriends the family, who eventually become a second family to him.

Rene soon discovers that there is friction between the brothers and the father has many secrets and tragedies from his previous life in Bombay. The brothers' lives in NYC unfold throughout the election of a historical black President and then a 'Joker' presidential candidate.

The characters and stories are vivid and gripping. The twists and turns result in tragedies and a violent past that won't be forgotten. Although Nero is not a violent man, decisions he has made in the past come back to haunt. As he is told, life can be like the Hotel California, where people can check out, but never leave.

I thought The Golden House was an engaging read, but the endless references to movies (befitting the narrator) and Greek mythology slowed me down.

Other characters in the story include Somalian artist Ubah Tuur, D's girlfriend Riya Zachariassen who works at the Museum of Identity, rambling homeless veteran Kinski, Russian stepmother Vasilisa (possibly the witch Baba Yaga), the newest Golden son Vespasian (Vespa), and Rene's girlfriend fellow film maker Suchikra.

The following two quotes resonated with me:

"This is how we are: we fall in love with each other's strengths, but love deepens towards permanence when we fall in love with each other's weaknesses." - Rene about his girlfriend Suchikra

"We are icebergs. I don't mean that we are cold, only that we are mostly under the surface, and the part of us that is hidden can sink the Titanic." - Rene about everyone