March Madness

Behind You Is The Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj, 2024

An exciting new voice, Darraj's collection of stories of three Arab American families in Baltimore make for compelling reading. I only wished that there were deeper dives into each of these character's stories.

The collection starts with Reema Baladi, a teen whose mom is catatonic after the death of her husband, Reema's husband. She finds love with a Mexican boy named Torrey.

Marcus Salameh is a family friend, who is a cop, and trying to bridge the gap between his sister Amal, who has a child out of wedlock, and father, who has cut his daughter out of his life after having an abortion.

Marcus's aunt is Nadya Ammar, who has married the wealthy Palestinian Walid Ammar. Ammar owns various properties in Baltimore and despite his weath, struggles with how spoiled and Americanized his children have become.

Rania Mahfouz struggles with her distant husband and raising an ADA child. Her husband returns from a trip home to the Palestines where he is embroiled in a #Justice4Rasha contraversy that has started spreading globally.

Rania engages the service of Samira Awadah, a stellar education attorney who is looked down upon by some in the Arab community because she is divorced. Even though her ex-husband was abusive, she still suffers from judgement (with her treatment justified by the fact that she did not become pregnant...) and is tolerated by her family because of her checkbook.

As Rania's father's health and memory disintegrates and he needs to be put in a home, Rania learns the truth of why even her mother criticizes her decision to divorce her husband.

Maysoon Baladi is Reema's little sister, who is a cleaner and ends up working with Dalia Ammar, married to the philandering Demetri, son of Walid. Dalia's three children are even more spoiled and despite their wealth, Reema's son Gabriel is the one who scores the perfect score on the AP exam.

Layla Marwan is cousins to Hiba Anway, one of Dalia's three children. Dedicated to the theater community and building sets for school plays, she struggles when her high school decides to put on Aladdin. 

She attempts to discuss her unease with the stereotypes built into Aladdin with the theater director, who dismisses her concerns.

We then follow Hiba Ammar in college, where she takes a semester off to deal with her eating disorder. She lives with her loving and humble grandparents connecting to her heritage while her parents continue to live in their materialistic ways. 

Samira and Marcus's story continue with Samira finding her voice and love with Logan; and Marcus returning to his father's village to bury his remains. In Palestine, Marcus discovers another side of the bitter man he knew growing up in Baltimore with his father.

Short-listed for the Pen-Faulkner Award, Behind You Is the Sea brings characters to life with its honesty and authenticity.

You'll Never Believe Me: A Life of Lies, Second Tries, And Things I Should Only Tell My Therapist by Kari Ferrell, 2024

Seeringly honest, Kari Farrell writes about her struggles growing up adopted from South Korea to white parents who become Mormoms and move to Utah. 

Growing up in the 80s with limited understanding and dialogue about other cultures and sexual orientation, Ferrell used humor to deflect her pain.

She then started using lies and realized that her charisma was able to get people to trust her. She started scamming friends and then men she would meet out. 

Eventually her infamy spread and she made the Salt Lake City Most Wanted List and fled to New York City after serving a brief stint in jail.

Farrell's deceit eventually caught up with her and she was outed as the Hipster Grifter. This led to her arrest again where she was incarcerated for almost a year before being released.

Criminals are charming. Despite her scams and lies, people stood by her. Her honesty and self-hatred are so raw. She starts therapy, visits Korea on a work trip and starts to piece her real self together. 

Some of the truths are painful to read and I suppose that's the appeal of the book. The work it took for Farrell to get to a good place.

February Fun

Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire by Simon Baker, 2006

Planning a possible trip to Rome later this year, I realized how little I know about the Roman Empire. From the finding of Rome (whether the tale of twins Romulus and Remus raised by wolves or ancestors of Aeneas of Troy) to how Rome fractured into the Western and Eastern empire, Ancient Rome provides a thorough overview of the Empire.

The violence and little regard for human life (whether plebians or slaves) is ruled over by the ruling class of the Senates and emporeror. 

As the empire of Rome expands through military domination starting with Julius Caesar, military rule continues to drive the leadership of Rome.

I learned the history of terms like Pyrric victory, as well as learning about Hadrian's wall in the UK. 

The empire fell apart as rule was dispersed through four rulers instead of a single emporer. The emporer Diocletian created a tetrarchy to prevent too much power in one man. He set up a system where there would be two Augusti (main rulers) and two Caesares (ruler in waiting), one assigned to the East and West.  

Instead of balancing power though, the system resulted in ruthless power grabs where whole families would be assisntated to ensure uncontested power.

Eventually, the Western empire falls while the Eastern empire ruled out of Constantinople becomes the Bizantine empire.

An informative read, I was happy to finish the book. The names and characters became a bit too complex near the end, with too many people to keep track of.

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, 2021

A fictionalized account of J.P. Morgan's librarian who built up the Pierpont Morgan Library and its leading collection of literary items, The Personal Librarian was a gift from a friend whom I met up with in NYC.

Belle Marion Greener is a black woman, whose light skin allows her and her family to 'pass' as white people. 

During the 1900s, being white accorded Belle and her family opportunities that would not be allowed to them if they were Black.

The sacrifice the family makes to live as a white family in New York City include the loss of their father Richard Theodore Greener, the first black graduate of Harvard in 1870 and a black activist who refuses to live as a white family.

Belle also sacrifices her family name Greener, a well-respected and powerful family in Washington, D.C. 

She becomes Belle da Costa Greene, a name is referencing her fabricated Portuguese heritage to explain Belle's darker skin tone and curlier hair. 

Despite the oppressive secret that Belle must maintain at work, she thrives as Morgan's personal librarian. Her knowledge and cunningness in acquiring rare works impress both Morgan and historian collectors in both American and London.

She becomes a celebrated example of a career woman, rising to the top of her industry while befriending New York City's elite social circle, including the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. 

She is also feted by the city's creative elites, including Aurthur Stieglitz. Her paths cross with Bernard Berenson, an Italian Renaissance expert who authored a book that Belle would read with her father growing up. 

Berenson is also the buyer for Isabelle Stewart Gardiner. He is also in an open marriage with his wife Mary, and despite the secrets that Berenson keeps and his questionable character, Belle is drawn to him and begins an affair with him.

There is a hint of attraction between Belle and Morgan in the novel, a rumor during the time, but not anything substantiated.  

It is an incredible story of what Belle was able to achieve in business, not only as a women when women were faced so many discriminatory behaviors, but in constant fear of being outed for who she really was.

In the story, Belle's light skin is referenced as the a reminder of the violence her ancestors endured. I am embarrassed to admit that I had never realized the origin of light skinned blacks... 

I am also embarrassed to admit that when my husband visited the Morgan Library a few years ago with his father and noted how magnificent the library was, I was unimpressed.

Now, I can't wait to visit the libary and see what Belle was able to build. 

January Reads

The Champagne Letters by Kate MacIntosh, 2024

It was nice to read something lighter after Fleishman Is In Trouble. It was also nice to read a story where a 50-year-old woman is the protagonist. 

Natalie Taylor is from Chicago and in the midst of divorcing her philandering husband. She takaes a trip to Paris on a whim to escape her current situation.

While in Paris, she stumbles across a fictional book of letters by Barbe-Nicole Clicquot, who orchestrated the success of her champagne Veuvo (Widow) Clicquot after her husband's death.

Seeking parallels and lessons from Veuvo Clicquot's life from the 1800s, Natalie is inspired to brush aside the person she has become after decades in insurance risk actuary and a marriage where she realizes she was never the central figure.

With hotel worker Sophie to help her navigate the city, Natalie is swept of her feet by French wine dealer Gabriel. 

Veuvo Clicquot's transformation centers around her desire to run her Champagne company independently, and not remarry as her parents wish. She struggles to establish authority where women are accounted few opportunities. 

She must preserve her reputation and that of her household, including her daughter Clementine. With the help of her cellarman Pharaoh and trusted salesman Louis, they manage to survive the Russian invasion and grow the Clicquot brand outside of France, which has been salvaged due to war.

There are twists in the story (one that I foresaw, but not the other) and a perfect beach read type of book.

Some of the lessons, although trite, are good reminders that I flagged to share with my daugther:

"Those who are smart are the first to admit what they do not know. It is the foolish who insist they know it all."

"It is natural for you to feel overwhelmed... Do not be harsh on yourself by saying that others have much more to contend with - there is no winning by comparison. We all must fight our own batthles; knowing others' wars changes nothing."

"Strength isn't a fixed state. It is a series of choices in between moemnts of weakness. I would not choose to lie down and give up, which meant even though I had no idea howI would weather the storm ahead, I had to stand up and at least try."

"There are people in this life whom we do not wish to spend time. Words we do not want to hear. Things we do not wish to do. However, to hide from them will not make them disappear and only makes us look the weaker for the avoidance."

And flagged for myself...

"And what had the widow talked about - that someone who is our mother always wants us to be more like them than ourselves?"

Fleishman Is In Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, 2019

I had seen the mini-series based on this book, and could not not picture Jesse Eisenburg as Toby and Claire Daines as Rachel. The actors did a phenomenal job and the script was true to the book.

The book was a birthday gift from my husband as we were traveling to New York City for the Christmas season. I wasn't interested in reading it at first since I had seen the mini-series, but am glad that I read it.

New York is just so extra. With everything, not just financial. The relationship and falling apart of Toby and Rachel's marriage is so real and raw. Toby fights for a divorce when he realizes he and Rachel no longer have the same values.

Once she agrees to a divorce, he is set adrift. A hematologist, he is not respected by his wife, who owns her own agency, nor their Upper East Side friends, where the men are in Finance and the women 'work' as mothers who have nannies and house managers to manage the servants.

Toby navigates the summer as his children Hannah and Solly are dispatched to his dingy apartment as Rachel disappears. He reaches out to his former college friends Libby, a former magazine writer who lives in New Jersey with her family, and Seth, a finance bro who has remained single into his 40s.

The narrator is Libby, who is languishing in suburbia. When Toby reaches out, she gleefully hops on the train to the city, starts smoking cigarettes again and spends time with Toby and Seth. She feels like herself again, and not the boring generic mother in the Jersey suburbs.

We hear Rachel's view and the twists and parallels with Toby's version and Libby's experiences make for thoughtful commentary on family, gender roles, expectations on women, and marriages.

The commentary is true regardless of where people live, but magnified because of New York City.

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah, 2008

I had tried reading this novel earlier, but could not get into it. After reading Kristin Hannah's The Women though, I picked this book up again. 

Hannan writes emotions so well, and the story of Tully and Kate's friendship from teenagers to middle age reflects the dynamics of friendships as lives diverge.

Tully and Kate are children of the 70s and 80s - it was enjoyable to relate to the details of these decades: From the big hair of the 80s to the talk show mania and makeovers of the 2000s. 

Tully is the charismatic force of nature, who works non-stop and wills her way to the top of her career as a news broadcaster. 

Kate can get frustrated and feel drab next to Tully, but she is content to be a stay-at-home mom and wife.

The relationship between Kate and her teenage daughter Marah is fraught, compounded by Marah's idolization of Tully, who supports Marah's desires to go to a concert with upper classmen on a school night, something her parents forbid.

I can relate to the struggle between mother-daughter as I sometimes experience the same thing. The importance of boundaries but devastation of seeing your daughter crushed.

A great beach read, Firefly Lane showcases Hannah's ability to write flawed relatable characters whom are so relatable.

Good Company by Cynthia D'Apprix Sweeney, 2021

I love the characters that Sweeney write. Their emotions, honesty and vulnerability are so complex. After reading The Nest last year, I have become a Sweeney fan.

Good Company describes the New York City theater world, centering around Flora Mancini and her husband Julian, who is co-owner of a theater company. They have a daughter Ruby, with the theater company as Julian's other baby.

After years of struggling to raise their daughter in a one bedroom apartment, cobbling together income from Flora's voiceover work (haven given up theater acting after having Ruby) and Julian's (minimal) theater revenue, the couple decide to take a leap of faith and move to Los Angeles where Julian is offered a television role.

In LA, they join best friends Margot, also a theater actor turned television actor, and her husband David, a physician. With Margot's successful run as a doctor in a hit show, Flora feels the financial disparity when the couples travel together.

When Flora discovers Julian's previous lost wedding ring in the garage, secrets come out and Flora realizes her marriage to Julian may not be as perfect as others believe it to be.

With chapters from Ruby's point of view as she graduates high school and travels to Spain with her boyfriend Ivan's family, Good Company is an enjoyable read.

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks, 2020

My daughter tore through From the Desk of Zoe Washington, tearing up at the end of the book. She insisted that I read the book since it was soooo good, so here we are...!

Targeted towards late elementary/middle school readers, From the Desk of Zoe Washington is an enjoyable 'mature' story that breaks down complex issues into lessons without being condescending.

Friendship and peer pressure issues that Zoe and her neighbor Trevor experience are nicely written; as are 12-year-old Zoe's frustrations when she is not treated like an adult by either her parents or family friend who hires her to work at her bakery.

The deeper issues of racism and unfairly incarcerated black men are also handled well. Zoe connects with her father Marcus, who is in prison, and starts to think more about racism and why organizations like the Innocence Project exist. 

The story also takes place around Boston with scenes in neighborhoods like Beacon Hill, Davis Square and Harvard. The references are accurate and fun to read. A baker like Zoe, my daughter also related to Zoe's passion for baking. 

It is also heart warming to see the diversity in lead characters in children's books. That despite being Black or Asian or Hispanic, kids deal with the same issues at the core (navigating friendships, wanting independence, etc.) while also having a unique identity.

Since this is a middle school book, I will count this as half a book read...

 

Love Medicine: New and Expanded Version by Louise Erdrich, 1984

A great way to start off the New Year, Love Medicine is beautifully written. Erdrich just writes beautiful sentences and enthralling characters. The prose is haunting yet uplifting.

Taking place through multiple generations of families on a Chippewa reservation, we meet characters including June Kashpaw, whose Morrisey father deserted the family and was raised by her uncle Eli. 

She has a son King with her husband Gordie Kashpaw.

Marie Lazarre, from a family of ill-repute, was left with and raised by the nuns of Sacred Heart Convent, including the heartless Sister Leopolda. 

She marries Nector Kashpaw, from a reputable family, and ends up taking in children who are left with her, including Lipsha Morrissey.

Lulu Nanapush is the daughter of Margaret Kashpaw, Rushes Bear, who is the matriarch of the Kashpaw family and mother to brothers Nector and Eli. 

Her first love is Nector, but he is captivated by and marries Marie. Lulu marries Henry Lamartine, brother to Beverly, who participates in an Indian relocation program and lives in Minneapolis.

Lulu's sons include Lyman Lamartine and Henry Junior, who is no longer the same after returning from Vietnam.

Gerry Nanapush has also left the reservation, ending in Chicago and then prison.

Fierce love, loss, alcoholism and spiritualism run through these generations of people searching for a way to carve out a life when everything has been taken away from them by the US Government.