Book Review: “Lincoln in the Bardo“ by George Saunders

Lincoln in the Bardo

By George Saunders

Confusing. Interesting. Strange point of view. When my colleague, Vicki, suggested this book, this is not what I was expecting. George Saunders’ historical fiction is a “mind bender.” I wasn’t even sure I wanted to finish the book. However, after looking up the definition of bardo,I felt better equipped to continue. When Abraham Lincoln’s son, Willie, is laid to rest, Lincoln’s grief has him questioning his role as president of the United States. Empathy, that perhaps he didn't have, is clear to him after the loss of his son. In his mind the Civil War must reach a conclusion, unfortunately Lincoln “...must end suffering by causing more suffering…” (306) There is no logic to any of this. The characters interacting with one another in the bardo. These same characters interact with the living. Social constraints, for both blacks and whites, still exist in the bardo. Maybe I missed something...the format is odd - at times quoting from primary sources to historically move the storyline along - at other times it’s the characters in the bardo that move the plot forward. I was left wondering how it all fit together.

Book Review: "Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine" by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine

by Gail Honeyman 

Where to begin...when I started reading I was a little put-off by Eleanor Oliphant. I came to realize that her autistic qualities reminded me of tv’s “Big BangTheory” character, Sheldon Cooper. However, Gail Honeyman’s character is dealing with abuse, guilt, and loneliness. As Eleanor sorted out her life, I was left wondering; how many people do we encounter in our daily lives that we don’t really see? Since we don't know what goes on behind closed doors, why are we so quick to judge? How do we know when to reach out and when to leave things alone? What constitutes normal? On the flip side; how do we show friendship? What might those caring, loving relationships look like? Eleanor’s story tugged at my heartstrings. In the end, I was left with a sense of hope.

Review: “The Covid Catastrophe” by Jeff McMullen

"The Covid Catastrophe"

by Jeff McMullen

This short story had me glued to my seat. I wasn't sure how it was all going to end, so I sat reading on "pins and needles." I did find some of author Jeff McMullen's description of his daily routine, a bit fictionalized. (I believe he has been wearing the same robe everyday for four weeks.) However, the story did give a lot of insight into the life of a sixth grader stuck at home. Some of the underlying themes of family and boredom ring true with all of us affected by Covid-19. McMullen's openness about the struggles of setting up a schedule, doing school work, and then finding something to occupy his time, all the while not driving his parents crazy, is mesmerizing. Chapter Seven brought me to tears, and I appreciated his appeal to his readers "...it only starts with you and all the rest of us to stay home..." I hope McMullen continues to write about his time while sheltering-at-home. I'm a big fan.

Book Review: "The Dollhouse" by Fiona Davis

The Dollhouse
by Fiona Davis


Dual narrative. 1952 vs. 2016. Career women. Relationships. Barbizon Hotel for Women. Society. New York City. Fiona Davis takes a piece of New York history and expertly weaves two storylines into one. The two protagonists are both idealistic and naive. The 1952 mentality of what it meant to be a woman was challenged by Darby; and the 2016 thinking of Rose was more akin to Darby’s era. This book made me think about my own mother, who worked for a short time after high school before getting married and having children. As the story melded together both women struggled with their decisions about career and love. I suppose challenging societal norms is never easy (Darby) - nor is finding yourself chasing after something that handcuffs your future (Rose). Of course with all this rich history, I’m gonna have to read more about the Barbizon Hotel for Women...

Book Review: "Wind Chime Cafe" by Sophie Moss

Wind Chime Cafe
By Sophie Moss


I suppose there are always two sides to every event in our lives...oftentimes we only see one side of a story on the news. Tragedy always has two sides. Sophie Moss made me more aware of how we each handle tragic events differently. Some of us are fighters. Some of us relive the event in our nightmares. And some of us have to hang onto a broom and just keep moving. PTSD comes in all shapes and sizes. Moss’s characters were flawed, broken, fighters. I wasn’t even sure I liked the protagonist until I was half way through the book. The antagonist, on the other hand, was an ass from the “get-go.” I was glad that this story had the “happily-ever-after” ending I was hoping for. There are more books in this series...I might need to visit Heron Island again.