January Reads

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.