Gail Tsukiyama is a wonderful and prolific author of such novels as The Samurai's Garden and Women of the Silk, to mention just a couple.
The Street of a Thousand Blossoms tells the story of Kenji and Hiroshi, who are orphaned as young boys and raised by their grandparents in a quiet neighborhood of Tokyo. The story spans almost 3 decades from the late 30's-60's.
Hiroshi has always dreamed of someday becoming a sumo master, while Kenji is fascinated by the masks of the Noh theater and dreams of being an artist. Pearl Harbor, and Japans entrance into the War changes everything.
Tsukiyama is at heart a wonderful storyteller. She takes the reader on a journey into another time and place and creates characters that we care about and teaches us a new way of looking at the world. This is a beautiful, well written, and at times sad novel. It is steeped in Japanese tradition and at the same time moves effortlessly in the modern world. Tsukiyama captures the essence of the fragile beauty of life that is constantly changing, like the title's cherry blossoms.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
The Night Circus
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is the best book I've read in a long time. An incredible debut, I just didn't want it to end.
Morgenstern creates an amazing and magical world inside the travelling circus called Le Cirque des Reves, that only opens from dusk until dawn. No matter how many times you enter that world, there are always more wonders to discover.
The plot circles around a challenge between two young illusionists that are magnetically drawn to one another; a challenge set up by their mentors years ago, bringing all sorts of interesting characters into the mix.
Totally original, totally mesmerizing, a feast for the imagination. This is one not to be missed.
Morgenstern creates an amazing and magical world inside the travelling circus called Le Cirque des Reves, that only opens from dusk until dawn. No matter how many times you enter that world, there are always more wonders to discover.
The plot circles around a challenge between two young illusionists that are magnetically drawn to one another; a challenge set up by their mentors years ago, bringing all sorts of interesting characters into the mix.
Totally original, totally mesmerizing, a feast for the imagination. This is one not to be missed.
Monday, July 23, 2012
The White Garden
The White Garden, A Novel of Virginia Woolf, by Stephanie Barron is a reimagining of Virginia Woolf's last days. There is a three week period between the time Woolf supposedly committed suicide by drowning herself in the river, and her body was found. During this time, Barron's mystery unfolds, in which Woolf is very much alive, yet possibly in grave danger.
The novel centers around American gardener Jo Bellamy, who has come to Sissinghurst Castle in England to view the famous White Garden, and to try to understand her grandfather's recent death. She finds out her grandfather knew Virginia Woolf when she discovers a diary written by Woolf, after the date she supposedly died.
The story unfolds a bit like The Da Vinci Code. There is a chase through grand old buildings in Europe, searching for clues in the form of ancient books and documents, there is a secret society, and one clue leads to the next as Jo tries to unravel the mystery she has stumbled upon.
I enjoyed reading this novel. It is an interesting, fun, historical mystery set in the beautiful English countryside with even a bit of romance thrown in for good measure.
Stephanie Barron aka Francine Mathews, a former intelligence analyst for the CIA, also writes The Jane Austin Mystery Series which might be worth checking out if you like this sort of thing.
The novel centers around American gardener Jo Bellamy, who has come to Sissinghurst Castle in England to view the famous White Garden, and to try to understand her grandfather's recent death. She finds out her grandfather knew Virginia Woolf when she discovers a diary written by Woolf, after the date she supposedly died.
The story unfolds a bit like The Da Vinci Code. There is a chase through grand old buildings in Europe, searching for clues in the form of ancient books and documents, there is a secret society, and one clue leads to the next as Jo tries to unravel the mystery she has stumbled upon.
I enjoyed reading this novel. It is an interesting, fun, historical mystery set in the beautiful English countryside with even a bit of romance thrown in for good measure.
Stephanie Barron aka Francine Mathews, a former intelligence analyst for the CIA, also writes The Jane Austin Mystery Series which might be worth checking out if you like this sort of thing.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Siam
Siam or The Woman Who Shot a Man is a slim, elegant novel by Lily Tuck. It takes place in Thailand in 1967 as the US begins bombing North Vietnam.
Claire, a young newlywed has just moved to Thailand with her husband James, a government contractor. Shortly after arriving, she meets Jim Thompson, an American Millionaire who is the owner of the Thai Silk Company. Within weeks, he disappears in the jungle and Claire becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him.
Tuck captures beautifully the strangeness of being in a foreign place. With little to occupy her days, Claire begins a slow descent into loneliness and even paranoia. The novel moves slowly and not a lot happens, yet I felt transported to a particular time and place in history. A spare yet gripping novel.
Claire, a young newlywed has just moved to Thailand with her husband James, a government contractor. Shortly after arriving, she meets Jim Thompson, an American Millionaire who is the owner of the Thai Silk Company. Within weeks, he disappears in the jungle and Claire becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him.
Tuck captures beautifully the strangeness of being in a foreign place. With little to occupy her days, Claire begins a slow descent into loneliness and even paranoia. The novel moves slowly and not a lot happens, yet I felt transported to a particular time and place in history. A spare yet gripping novel.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Julia's Child
Julia's Child by Sarah Pinneo is an entertaining, contemporary novel about a Mom of two small boys who quits the corporate world to start an organic food company for toddlers, called Julia's Child.
At times it made me laugh, yet I found it somewhat contrived and predictable, with nothing special about the writing or the characters. Some of it was simply hard to believe.
However, Pinneo does capture the feeling of a harried Mom of young children trying to make all the right decisions for their health, while creating an income and finding time to actually spend with her family. This is the part of the novel that rang true.
A passable debut.
At times it made me laugh, yet I found it somewhat contrived and predictable, with nothing special about the writing or the characters. Some of it was simply hard to believe.
However, Pinneo does capture the feeling of a harried Mom of young children trying to make all the right decisions for their health, while creating an income and finding time to actually spend with her family. This is the part of the novel that rang true.
A passable debut.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Luncheon of the Boating Party
I've come to love Susan Vreeland's historical fiction based on famous works of art. Luncheon of the Boating Party is perhaps my favorite. It is based on Renoir's famous painting Le Dejeuner des Canotiers.
In it, the fourteen people captured enjoying lunch along the Seine in 1880's France, come alive. Each modeled for Renoir for eight Sundays over the course of two months in late summer to complete the painting before the light of summer disappeared. Vreeland brings to life the actual people in the painting, who were friends or aquaintances of Renoir, artists, actresses, lovers, mimes, writers, seamstresses etc. All part of la vie moderne that he wanted to capture a fleeting moment of in his painting.
This was at the time when the group of Impressionists he was a part of was breaking apart. It was the biggest, most ambitious project taken on by any of them. Through Vreeland's brilliant storytelling, the painting comes alive, as well as the time and place. It is like taking a stroll through 19th century Paris and hanging out with friends, enjoying delicious food and wine along the Seine. Wonderful!
In it, the fourteen people captured enjoying lunch along the Seine in 1880's France, come alive. Each modeled for Renoir for eight Sundays over the course of two months in late summer to complete the painting before the light of summer disappeared. Vreeland brings to life the actual people in the painting, who were friends or aquaintances of Renoir, artists, actresses, lovers, mimes, writers, seamstresses etc. All part of la vie moderne that he wanted to capture a fleeting moment of in his painting.
This was at the time when the group of Impressionists he was a part of was breaking apart. It was the biggest, most ambitious project taken on by any of them. Through Vreeland's brilliant storytelling, the painting comes alive, as well as the time and place. It is like taking a stroll through 19th century Paris and hanging out with friends, enjoying delicious food and wine along the Seine. Wonderful!
Friday, July 13, 2012
The Sparrow
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell is a futuristic novel about a Jesuit mission to a newly discovered planet and an unknown species. Sounds far fetched? Doria Russell's novels are so well researched and intriguing, I was captivated for most of the novel.
This novel works because it is character driven, by the group of mismatched friends sent on the mission, led by Puerto Rican Priest and linguist Emelio Sanchez.
It was reminiscent of Star Trek, and in fact the author mentions Star Trek several times. Unfortunately, I found Doria Russell's take on first contact with a new species not at all original, and the fact that it devolved into such brutality was entirely unnecessary and in my opinion ruined the book.
We are to believe that Sanchez is something of a mystic or saint who has his faith in God tested to the limit. An interesting idea, badly executed. I think I will skip the sequel Children of God.
This novel works because it is character driven, by the group of mismatched friends sent on the mission, led by Puerto Rican Priest and linguist Emelio Sanchez.
It was reminiscent of Star Trek, and in fact the author mentions Star Trek several times. Unfortunately, I found Doria Russell's take on first contact with a new species not at all original, and the fact that it devolved into such brutality was entirely unnecessary and in my opinion ruined the book.
We are to believe that Sanchez is something of a mystic or saint who has his faith in God tested to the limit. An interesting idea, badly executed. I think I will skip the sequel Children of God.
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