This wonderful and very unique novel, with its many themes and wonderful characters, amazed me on so many levels it is hard to know where to begin witThis wonderful and very unique novel, with its many themes and wonderful characters, amazed me on so many levels it is hard to know where to begin with my review. The setting is Uz, Nebraska during the Dust Bowl. There are four main characters. Asphodel Oletsky is a teenage girl who has come to live on her uncle’s farm in Oz after the death of her mother. Asphodel’s happiness comes from basketball – at which she is quite skilled. The Anitdote (or Antonina) is a Prairie Witch, who receives “deposits” of people’s memories. These memories are almost always things that people wish to forget, and after a person makes a “deposit” with the Antidote, they are completely free of their bad memories (and quite happy as a result). Customers can also make “withdrawals” and get their memories back. Harp Oletsky is Asphodel’s uncle and a farmer in Oz during the Dust Bowl. Cleo is a photographer for the Resettlement Administration (a New Deal program), who has been sent to Uz to photographically bring the life of Nebraskans to the rest of the nation. The setting in Nebraska during the Dust Bowl is extremely powerful. The novel starts on Black Sunday and major, devastating dust storms continue throughout the story. The descriptions of the power of nature are breathtaking. Even more importantly, the reader experiences the drought and dust through the eyes and hearts of the citizens of Uz as their farms blow away, their crops are lost and they are unable to pay their debts. Set into dusty Oz are the four characters described above as well as a truly evil sheriff. Forces of good and evil are pitted against each other. The pace of the novel is quick. One of the overwhelming themes is the nature of memory. What is memory? If you can’t remember something bad, did it not happen? How can memories be altered? What if someone alters a memory in its retelling to make the acceptance of it better for the receiver? Has our government altered memories? These issues are raised beautifully and powerfully when people make “deposits” with the Antidote, when Asphodel helps the Antidote with her “withdrawals” and when Cleo’s camera’s prints reflect the scene she photographed (in the story’s present) in past times past as well as future times. Trauma is another issue which runs deeply through the novel. Asphodel has lost her mother, who she misses constantly while trying to be an adult. As a teenager, the Antidote spent a year of utter horror in a home for unwed mothers. Those scenes (which are based upon real events) will linger with me for a long time. The novel also deals with the brutal displacement of Native Americans so that European settlers could take their land. This is a story which has been told many times, but Russell did it in a unique and highly impactful way. She used the story of Harp’s father (Tomasz), a Polish Catholic who had been displaced and reduced in every way by Germany. Based on unsubstantiated promises, Tomasz and his wife left their family in Poland and suffered terribly to come to Nebraska to find that not only was the land not as they had been led to believe – but that by taking this government offered land, they had displaced Native Americans just has they themselves had been displaced in Poland. Very well done! This novel achieves a lot of its beauty and impact through magical realism. In order to enjoy it, you must be willing to suspend your belief in only reality and go with the flow of the story. If you do, you will be richly rewarded. ...more
Well I needed to read something light, and this somewhat fit that need. I read it because I have very much enjoyed Kate Quinn. Unfortunately, the combWell I needed to read something light, and this somewhat fit that need. I read it because I have very much enjoyed Kate Quinn. Unfortunately, the combined efforts of Quinn and Chan did not (in my opinion) create a memorable novel. Four women: a young opera singer, a Chinese seamstress, a painter and a botanist come together through the orbit of an evil man. The San Francisco earthquake happens in the middle of the novel. Just because a novel is “light” doesn’t mean I automatically think that it has no merit or that I can’t enjoy it. This one just didn’t measure up for me. ...more
This is the story of two Russian Jewish sisters who flee the brutality against Jews (from the Reds, White and others) occurring in their small hometowThis is the story of two Russian Jewish sisters who flee the brutality against Jews (from the Reds, White and others) occurring in their small hometown after the Soviet revolution. Their plan is to go to the United States, where the young man the younger, dreamier sister has already moved. However, the US has recently closed its borders to Russian Jews and others – so the two sisters decide to go to Cuba. Their trip across the Atlantic is harrowing. When they arrive in Prohibition Era Cuba, they feel as if they have come to another planet! The author so well describes every aspect of life – from food, to drink, to dress, to dance, to culture in general – that is so different from the small Russian village of their youth. The older sister, Pearl, is an accomplished seamstress, and finds work. The younger sister, Freida, floats through life hoping to get to the US and her boyfriend. Of course, they are both taken advantage of and helped as they meet a wonderful variety of characters. Their life is extremely difficult and challenging. I really enjoyed the clarity and variety with which the author portrayed Cuba and its inhabitants at that time. The sisters are finally (separately) smuggled into the US, reunited and find peace. I thought the character of Pearl was very well done. The reader sees her burdens, her caution, her fear and her learning as she adapts to her new life. I particularly enjoyed the way her unspoken thoughts were frequently related in the novel – the reader was able to better experience her mental and emotional reaction to all the challenges she faced. ...more
This novel exemplifies literature as art. The novel consists of four “books” by different authors all about the same stock market magnate and his wifeThis novel exemplifies literature as art. The novel consists of four “books” by different authors all about the same stock market magnate and his wife during the 1920’s (and all, of course, written by Hernan Diaz). The first is a novel of the life of the main characters, the second is a self-serving autobiography written by the main male character, the third is a memoir written by the biographer of the family and the fourth (most wonderful for me) is the diary of the wife. Each of these “books” presents a different perspective on the family and its actions – but this is so much more creatively done that a novel that just has different characters’ points of view. Each of these “books” is its own, unique work, with its own, unique voice – and more importantly, its own, unique telling of the same story. Of course the facts are different, depending on which author is narrating - - so the novel raises the questions of “what is truth?” and “can you change truth (and memory) to fit your desires?”. The main male character is despicable, self-serving and arrogant (I’m trying to use acceptable words!) – but so incredibly well drawn. The main female character is highly intelligent, a victim(?), a schemer(?), a feminist (in her own world) – to say the least, she is complicated, interesting and wonderful. The writing is incredible in all respects. There are a lot of references related to financial and stock market matters and manipulations, and I know this has put some readers off. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am in awe of Mr. Diaz’s writing and creative abilities....more
Edited: This is a novel about the United States - then (1800"s) and now. I enjoyed the story lines and the characters in the two time periods, and I fEdited: This is a novel about the United States - then (1800"s) and now. I enjoyed the story lines and the characters in the two time periods, and I felt that Jonathan Evison did a good job portraying the historical and physical settings. This book is not extremely deep or complex, but it paints an entertaining and tragic picture of the development of the western United States (immigrants from Ireland and China, slaves, Native Americans and the importance of the railroad) as well as a cross section of Americans today (a railroad worker on the day of his retirement, a Native American woman looking for her future, a teenage Black basketball player and his mother, an Asian American professional wife/mother and her family). The "today" characters are all descendants of the 1800's characters. It was a "good read"....more
As others have said - this is not my favorite TC Boyle; however, it paints a very clear picture of psychiatric treatment about 100 years ago. This novAs others have said - this is not my favorite TC Boyle; however, it paints a very clear picture of psychiatric treatment about 100 years ago. This novel made me so extremely grateful for psychotherapy of today! It covers the mental illness of a very wealthy American man and the reactions of his wife to his illness including his mandated seclusion - particularly from women. Boyle also created an excellent character in Eddie O'Kane one of the patient's long time nurses. Interesting, but not a favorite....more
4.5 stars. This novel is about an early woman aviator as well as the actress who plays her in a film many years later. However it is about much, much 4.5 stars. This novel is about an early woman aviator as well as the actress who plays her in a film many years later. However it is about much, much more. It is about abandonment, growing up hard, sibling relationships, romantic relationships (including harmful ones and unrequited ones), flying, treatment of women in the early and mid 1900's, being part of Hollywood in our time, fear, war and death. I'm sure there are more......! The writing is very nice. I liked the benefits and comparisons provided by the two time lines, although I know a number of comments stated that they thought the current timeline story was unnecessary. I know it is a long novel - that did not bother me. I started reading and couldn't put it down. As I said to someone else, this novel won't depress you overload you with heaviness - it is just a good story well told....more
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