Island of a Thousand Mirrors

Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera is a novel set in Sri Lanka during the long years of Civil War. It tells the story of two girls, one Tamil, who grew up in the North during the war, the other Sinhalese, whose family fled to LA to escape the war.

This is a beautifully written novel evoking the sights and sounds, smells and tastes of Sri Lanka as well as chronicalling the immigrant experience in the States. It is at times very difficult to read, as Munaweera doesn't shy away from the horrors of War. In this way it reminded me of The Kite Runner, painful at times, but well worth reading. A great debut.

Morning Glory

Morning Glory by Sarah Jio is set in a Seattle houseboat community in the 1950's and present day. It's an interesting story paralleling the lives of two lonely women living in the same houseboat 50 years apart. 

I usually enjoy Jio's books, but I found this one a little too perfectly wrapped up to be believable. Everything came full circle at the end, all loose ends are tied up and the stories converge in a very unrealistic way. An ok, mostly forgettable, slightly disappointing read, by an author who'se written much better books.

To My Dearest Friends

To My Dearest Friends by Patricia Volk is a novel about a woman who dies of cancer and leaves a letter to her two best friends who've never met each other. They are unsure what to do with the secrets contained in the letter, and unsure if they even like each other.

The novel is a love song to New York City and to female friendship. A quick easy read with an unexpected ending, well written, enjoyable, but also forgettable.

Open House

Open House by Elizabeth Berg is a novel about a woman dealing with divorce and raising a child on her own. I usually enjoy Berg's books, but this was not one of my favorites. Samantha, the protagonist played the victim almost the entire book and I found it really tiring.

Berg is a wonderful writer who gets straight to the heart of the emotions of her characters, yet this was not a book with characters I felt I could relate to. Fans of Berg might enjoy it.

Euphoria

Euphoria by Lily King is historic fiction based on the life of Margaret Mead during the 1930's while she was working as an anthropologist in New Guinea. This is a well written novel about Mead and her husband and a fellow anthropologist, who is in love with her, and their differing approaches to learning about the native tribes they are studying while revealing even more about themselves.

It is a fascinating portrayal of human behavior and relationships, of the tribes in New Guinea and the anthropologists themselves. An intelligent, entertaining, great read.

For All the Tea in China

For All the Tea in China, How England Stole the World's Favorite Drink and Changed History by Sarah Rose is a fascinating real life adventure of botanist Robert Fortune sent in the mid 1800's by the British East India Company into the mountains of China, disguised as a Chinese businessman to steal tea plants, seeds, and the secrets of processing tea held for 2000 years by the Chinese.

This is an incredible adventure story full of mystery and intrigue, espionage, danger and near death, made all the more fascinating because it is true. Well written and highly entertaining, a great read.