Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place

 

 

I bought Refuge for a nonfiction class at UVU (same class where I read An Elemental Thing), but it ended up not being read in class, and it took me until now to read it. Refuge is Terry Tempest Williams' female family history told alongside the story of The Great Salt Lake and her migratory birds. 

 

It was really hard for me to get into the novel. Chapters opened with different numbers, water level, number of birds, etc. Numbers are hard for me to comprehend, so the significance of the numbers at the beginning of each chapter was missed by me. It also felt like things weren't exactly in order, which was hard for me to understand. It was unclear when things were happening in the timeline. I also felt that Refuge has a very narrow demographic as to who would be most drawn to it. I know it's not something I would pick up off a shelf and take home myself. I give it 3 stars.

Tangerine

I first read Edward Bloor's Tangerine many years back.  Probably about when it first came out in 1997. I feel like I liked it then, and I liked it again this time around. Paul is our main character and the new kid at school.  He's also been having strange memories and questioning why, in fat, h needs glasses and his eyes are so ad, since he doesn't remember looking directly at the sun as he's been told happened.  But that's not all to the story. Paul's brother, Erik, is a jerk of a football star and their dad is pushing him to be the next big thing, even at his new school.  Likewise, Paul is expected  as always, to sacrifice for the brother's football dream.  But Paul has his own port and his own dream: Soccer. 

Tangerine is a great YA novel and I would especially recommend it to kids who feel different, as well as those who don't always enjoy reading, but might be convinced to give it a go if the book is about soccer. It's a good, enjoyable read. Read on!  

Incantation

Alice Hoffman's Incantation tells the tale of undercover Jews in Spain during the 1500s.  Our main character, Estrella, doesn't even realize her family is Jewish.  She finally puts the pieces together and sees the danger her family is in.  They have been practicing Judaism but masquerading as good Catholics for years. When they are found out . . . well, it won't be good. At one point, Estrella thinks, "Still, I coudln't help but wonder if it was a mistake for people like us to be tied to a place. If we weren't meant to wander.  If everything we needed was tied up in who we were."  Later, she asks her grandfather a similar question.  He answers, "You run once, what makes you think you won't have to run all the rest of your life?" But if you don't run, will there be a "rest of your life"? 

Incantation is a great historical fiction for the young adult reader.  It delves into history, telling a tale we don't come across too often.  I recommend this novel to all YA Historical Fiction fans. Read on! 

Savvy

One of Matthew's books, Savvy by Ingrid Law is a cute idea of a novel for the younger YA reader. It's sort of a fantasy, but not overly so.  it tells the story of Mibs and her siblings as they go on a coming-of-age road trip style adventure to "fix" Mibs's ill father. It's a cute book, but definitely more for the younger reader. It's not quite enough for an adult. I recommend as a read-with-your-child or for a younger YA reader. Read on, friends!

Mayfly Requiem

Lani, a child of time, is the narrator of Courtney M Privett's Mayfly Requiem. It is his apology, his requiem. And in his two thousand plus years on earth, he hurt his sister, Dia. But how? And why? And is his apology enough? 

It took a bit of time to get into the novel, to understand the character, setting, and style. Once I did, I liked the novel, the story, the characters. At times it was very gripping. At other times . . . not so much. It's a harder piece to read. It's not an easy book; you can't dive right in an read it in a sitting or two. Not to discourage you, it's worth the time to read. It's kind of fantasy, but almost mystic, too, I guess, but it's also a whole other world than this one. At first it seems post-apocalyptic or dystopian, maybe it is. I am having a hard time putting this novel into a genre, finding the perfect niche. But that's part of what's so neat about this book, is it's not quite like any other that I have read. But I wanted to know the ending, I wanted to know why Lani had to apologize, what he did. It kept me reading. I don't know if this "review" has done this novel justice, but I sure do think it's worth the read, so give it a shot! 

*I won this novel from Goodreads FirstReads. All opinions expressed are my own. 

To Kill a Mockingbird

I first read To Kill a Mockingbird in ninth grade. We read it as a class, and, despite it being required reading, I loved it from the start. Mostly for May Ella. Is that weird? Probably. Too bad for you. But it's just such a heart-felt, touching story. The characters are so real, probably because they're based on real people. Regardless, they come alive. It's a great coming-of-age story and discusses many important issues. Race. Injustice. Judging others. Secrets. Addiction. Loss. And just plain growing up. To Kill a Mockingbird is an important novel to read, and it's worth every minute. 

I know most ya'll have already read it, so if It's been a while, I encourage you to read it again. And if you never have, go pick it up. 

Now here's some quotes for your enjoyment: 

"Naw, Jem- I think there's just one kinda folks. Folks." -Scout Finch

"Mr Finch, if you was a n----r like me, you'd be scared, too." -Tom Robbins

"A love story pure and simple" -Harper Lee

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox is one of the best books I have ever read. Maggie O'Farrell gives us the story from three points of view: Iris, in the present, as she meets the great-aunt she never knew she had; Esme, in the past and in the present, who has been locked away in an "institution" for more than sixty years; and Kitty, the grandma with Alzheimer's, whose story is done in stream-of-consciousness. Kitty always said she was an only child, but Esme is obviously her sister, and Iris feels obligated to care for her great-aunt.  The institution is closing, so all the patients are labeled as harmless to clear the institution of responsibility.  Esme is clearly damaged, but is it because she's insane? And if she's insane, was she before? Or is she now, only because of how she was treated? 


The family secrets of Esme and Kitty come to the surface as Iris cares for and bonds with Esme.  it's full of hurt, pain, and the feeling of not belonging.  iris's own family secrets are revealed, and she is forced to make hard decisions.  The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox is an  intense read that I couldn't put down until I figured out the secrets.  The ending is somewhat rushed and vaguely written, but it still packs and punch.  This great read shows that even when problems are resolved, that doesn't mean there's a happy ending.  Actions have long consequences.  I really enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it. 

Night

Night is Elie Wiesel's tale of his life and experience surviving the Holocaust at the death camp of Auschwitz. To be completely honest, I didn't really like it. But how can you analytically critique someone's heartfelt story? Is it cruel to dislike a personal memoir of the Holocaust? It's really hard to compare one person's pain to another, but Night is not one of the most touching, shocking, or what-have-you holocaust novel I've read. He didn't come alive to me, as Anne Frank does her diary or the characters in Devil's Arithmetic do. Maybe there was a problem in translation? Night wasn't originally written or published in English. Maybe I've read too many novels about the Holocaust? I've read a ton; maybe that's made me hardened to it? Maybe I'm not a sap anymore? Okay, that's not true, because I almost cried at the middle school while going over the end of Anne Frank. But I just didn't really enjoy Night. It seemed rather disjointed to me. This is not to say it didn't have a good message, because it did. Wiesel teaches peace and equality. He sings his father's praises, as his novel is just as much about his relationship with his father as the camps they were in. Night  has a good message, but is not one of my favorites. Read on!