All Natural

Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau has recently been released by Penguin Publishing in their Classics series. I am embarrassed to admit I had never read this famous book. I think however, its impact would have been lessened had I read it many years ago.

Thoreau sequestered himself in a cabin he built himself in 1845. He remained in the woods for a period of two years and this is an account of his time there. Living off the land, this is an interesting memoir. Thoreau was quite the philosopher and naturalist. A Harvard graduate, one would expect him to be out early a living rather than living like a hermit in a tiny one room cabin. Perhaps he was the ultimate introvert!

Even though I found much of this novel behind my personal comprehension, I have never been a philosophy enthusiast, there is much to be considered and many of the points Thoreau made are valid today. I came away from this book thinking of ways I have simplified my own life. My recent relocation to a small town in some ways mirrors Thoreau’s stay at Walden Pond. Living away from the close- quartered suburban city life has put me in touch with all kinds of nature. I live very near a beautiful river. My house is surrounded with a large amount of land and many trees and shrubs for which I have no names. There are animals and bugs galore! It Is by no means isolated like Walden Pond, but being new to the town I feel isolated. On most days I enjoy the solace. I don’t expect to remain as such over the next two years, however, a quiet life is pleasing to me in ways. It affords me time to reflect and that is a good thing.

I’m glad I decided to read Walden. It is a classic and from a historical perspective I found it enlightening.

Dancing in the Dark

The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth is a fictional novel about a 38-year-old woman named Anna who has early onset Alzheimer’s disease. As soon as she is diagnosed, Anna leaves her husband and moves into an assisted living facility. Having no children of her own, she plans to live what remains of her life somewhere safe.

Due to the subject matter, this is a difficult story to read. In addition, the way the story is told through the perspectives of several characters, I found it even more confusing. The author relates the story via Anna’s thoughts, Eva, a woman who works in the facility where Anna resides whose husband recently committed suicide, and Eva’s little daughter named Clementine. On top of that, this turns into a love story when Anna falls for another dementia patient around her age and Eva, the single parent/widow, falls for the gardener/coworker. The manager of the facility is skimming money.  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in this novel!

There were things I liked about the book; in particular the authors portrayal of someone battling Alzheimer’s. What I didn’t like about the book was that it bounced back and forth between characters too often for me. I thought there were too many things going on which made the basic storyline all too confusing. I kept getting lost myself! Perhaps the author did this purposefully, but kept feeling like I missed something.

I’m unable to recommend this book even though there are some good points, the structure of the novel was too confusing for me.

What Can’t Be Seen

What I didn’t realize until the end of Homer & Langley by E.L. Doctorow, was that it is historical fiction based on the lives of the reclusive Collyer brothers who resided in New York City during the last century. Homer has been blind since his adolescence and Langley suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after being gassed in World War I. Doctorow chose to tell the tragic story through the eyes of the blind brother Homer and he has done it masterfully.

After Langley goes off to war, his parents die one after the other having contracted the Spanish flu. With no knowledge of his parents’ death, Langley returns home with PTSD and lungs badly scared from mustard gas. Ever the dutiful brother, he takes on the care of Homer who is blind. Coming from a wealthy family, the brothers inherit their parents home on 5th Avenue and all of their possessions.

Unfortunately, Langley becomes obsessive compulsive and refuses to pay any of the bills connected with the home with the exception of paying their servants. At his brother’s mercy, Homer carves out an existence concentrating on his piano playing and accepting his brother’s eccentric lifestyle out of love of his brother and no other choices. The question raised is which brother is truly blind.

As the brothers grow older and more reclusive, Doctorow introduces people and events going on in the world around them to signify the passage of time.

I read this book straight through; it was excellent. Discovering it was based on truth made it even more moving. Doctorow is one of my favorite authors. If you have never read his work, please take time to do so. I believe you will admire it.

Just Like Grandma

The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown is the story of an unhappily married woman named Madeleine who is struggling to redefine her life. Her husband is controlling and when Madeleine runs home to her mother, she finds a collection of her grandmother Margie’s journals in the attic. Reading about her grandmother’s time in Paris many years prior, leads Madeline to fight back for her own independence.

The novel flips back and forth between the two women’s lives and frankly, I didn’t enjoy it. It may be I just couldn’t relate to Madeline’s life. She’s the poor-little-rich-girl who’s complaining because she married someone she didn’t truly love thinking that’s what her parents wanted her to do and now she regrets it. Forgive me for saying it but I didn’t feel sorry for her. I’d like to believe contemporary women in general don’t marry the guy their parents want them to.

I’m probably way off base, but I’m not rich! I stuck with this book hoping it would take a turn for the better but it never did.

Your Affectionate Childhood’s Friend

Henrietta’s War by Joyce Dennys is a wonderful collection of fictional letters written from an English woman named Henrietta to her friend Robert serving in the military during World War Two.

Dennys was an artist, writer, doctor’s wife, and mother. In many ways her stories reflect her personal life. Henrietta is married to a doctor and her letters and accompanying drawings to Robert are full of news from the home front. They are funny and designed to bring a bit of cheer and comfort to her friend fighting in France.

This short book was published in 1985. For the life of me I can’t remember what led me to it, but it made for appropriate reading on Memorial Day weekend. It is lighthearted and I enjoyed it immensely. I am grateful for all those who fought and continue to fight for freedom.

Fast Forward

Every Anxious Wave by Mo Daviau was a novel with a new twist for me! It is a story about a former musician named Karl who discovers a wormhole in the closet of his apartment in Chicago. Music lover Karl and his friend decide to use the wormhole to travel back in time to concerts. They also raise some cash by offering trips to others.

As in any time travel scenario, something goes awry when a typographical error sends Karl’s buddy to the year 980 instead of 1980 and Karl needs the aid of an astrophysicist to rescue his marooned pal.

This sci-fi/romance story is cute and reminded of Back to the Future and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. While reading, I reflected on concerts I have attended wondering which I would like the chance to revisit.

The book is unusual, but I enjoyed most of it even though it is not my favorite genre. Quantum physics are fascinating!

Fairy Tales

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Frederik Backman completes my reading of the author’s work. What a joy it has been!

This story is about a precocious almost eight-year-old girl named Elsa who quotes Wikipedia, is bullied in school, and adores her quirky grandmother. Elsa’s parents are divorced and in new relationships. Her mother is expecting a baby. Elsa’s grandmother lives across the hall and she and Elsa share a secret language and a fairy tale world populated with amazing places and creatures. The building in which they reside has its own cast of characters; one of whom is Britt-Marie who figures prominently in Backman’s following novel.

Before Elsa’s grandmother dies,   she imparts a quest upon her granddaughter in true fairy tale fashion. Elsa is to deliver a series of apology letters to their neighbors and tell them her grandmother says she is sorry.

There are many themes and life lessons in this novel. Much of it is humorous based on Backman’s superb ability to create believable, flawed characters dealing with relatable life problems. I could go on and on about the novel, but as my followers know, I don’t think it’s wise to give away an ending! Backman’s imagination continues to amaze me. I will be singing his praises as I await his future novels. I loved this one!