Review - City of God by Beverly Swerling

I am still trying to upload images (and do it properly) and failing miserably! The image of the book cover is fine but why do those extra bits come in. Help!!! someone out there who is more savvy than me.

Before I start on this review would like to just say that I was interviewed by Reading through Life (www.readingthroughlife.ca) and you can also find me there. I was quite chuffed really as this was my first interview.

Back to the book. The book was set in the era leading upto the Civil War and is set in New York city at a time when the city was just beginning to develop. The main characters of the story are from the Dewrey and Turner families - but the addition of a mistress from China whom Samuel just cannot bear to let go, the formation of a strong Jewish community in the city and the hypocricy prevalent at the time over the position of women in particular add to the nuances of the book. To this mix add a clash of views and interests between Protestants and Catholics (to this extent I never knew!) and you have a fascinating story of a fascinating family and a city both so very much linked with each other. Also add strong women in the form of Ah Chee the amah of the concubine, Carolina the lovely wife of Samuel who learns to fall out of love with a husband who never ever loved her, and Dr Nicholas Turner a very brave doctor who takes on Bellevue higher ups full on - determined to make something of this hospital which at the time was truly horrific.

If anyone would like to know what 19th century America was about this is a book to read. The book apart from being a family saga and a saga of a well loved city also highlights subjects such as slavery and abolition, the development of trade unions and strikes, new technologies in medicine, religious ideologies conflicting and so much more.

A fascinating book which I borrowed from Carnegie library.

Review - Our Spoons came from Woolworths by Barbara Comyns

I came across this book whilst looking for The Vet's Daughter which had been reviewed by Stuck in a Book. Very often I do get other books by the same author but never the book that is being reviewed. Its a bit frustrating but when one is limited in what one gets to hand, I generally take it and read it and am altogether happy (most of the time).

The writing is simple and straight forward. For me too simplistic and too naive to be absolutely believable! The book deals with a 20 year old in the 1930's who marries in haste and follows the repent at leisure part of the story. I guess for the 1930's and for the period which it depicts the story is plausible - how women were supposed to behave and finally how they did fall in line and give in to the idea that your husband was the sole authority of your life.

The book written in the first person depicts Sophia's life and career as a painters model and a sculptor of sorts speaks of her life as a wife, and a mother (the childbirth experience was horrific) but descriptive of the period and her ultimate escape from marriage. You do want Sophia to experience happiness and have a happily ever after ending after her sad beginning - the unwanted children, the forced abortion, the death of her second child and the inability of her husband to understand her feelings - Fortunately it does end happily for Sophia.

I was not enamoured by this book but it was a pleasant short read of just 260 pages. I will still be looking out for The Vet's Daughter.

Review - Within Arm's Reach - Ann Napolitano

I seem to be going along with my Irish trend with this book as well. Set amongst an Irish American family the story evolves around the emotions which would normally beset a large family.

Catherine the matriarch of the family seems to be the thread holding it together. Unfortunately brought up in an era of where it was considered distasteful and ugly to show your emotions, she is unable to show the love she feels for all of her family and her despair that everyone is growing further and further apart. Her grand daughter Gracie falling pregnant without the blessings of marriage seems to Catherine the only way out to bring this diverse family together.

The other strong character in the story is Kelly Catherine's eldest who is very conscious of her status, her position in life and the fact that she is doing better than all her other siblings. Add to the mix Lila Kelly's other daughter a pre med student who is so confused as to what she wants from her life and seems unable to decide.

A perfectly normal family - under currents running throughout its extended branches. Aunts jealous of nieces and nephews being either academically better or financially better, someone always wanting to be the boss and the best and others who cringe at the spotlight turning on them and husbands who do not know how to challenge strong, demanding women!

A very humane story - again one I can personally identify with. A good read.

Review of two books The Bishop goes to The University by Andrew m. Greeley and An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor

Review of Andrew M. Greeley - The Bishop goes to The University

(pls ignore the click here to buy below the image of this book. I havent a clue how to get rid of it!!!!)

This book was chosen by me mainly for its title. I know it sounds cheesy but I do like nice covers and now nice or rather different titles. It was only on further reading of the book that I discovered that Andrew M. Greeley is himself a Catholic priest and knows exactly what he is talking of.





The story of Bishop John Blackwood alias Blackie tries to solve the murder of a supposedly Russian bishop who has been murdered or rather head blasted away in a locked room. Add to this murder which takes place of course at The University several faculty members who seem a bit light headed and not quite there! As a Catholic reading this book I was not fazed by Greeley's writings of priests cussing, thinking about women and things which might confuse a non Catholic who may have different opinions on how Catholic priests should behave!!! This part was amusing. Greeley also questions whether Jesus should have not left the whole universe in charge of humans but should have taken it entirely on his shoulders and then the mess that we are in today would be not so insurmountable. Nice thought.





The book is amusing and tongue in the cheek humor. It also pokes fun gently at the Catholic church which is very refreshing. This was a first read of this author for me and I liked it.






Review of An Irish Country Village - Patrick Taylor

It was purely coincidence that I chose two books (on consecutive days) from my Carnegie library - both which involved a good dose of Catholicism. One of course an Americanized form in Andrew Greeley's book reviewed above and one an old fashioned dose set in idyllic Ireland.

The story revolves around two doctors O'Reilly and Laverty and the saga of having a medical practice in a quiet Irish village. Laverty starts off wrong footed with a medical diagnosis going wrong and the man eventually dying. Trying to correct his image to being a caring doctor is tough in a village where "outsiders" are viewed with suspicion and old prejudices die hard.

The book was a light read. Refreshingly simple, maybe too simple to be realistic but a pleasant one nevertheless. For someone not from Ireland or from Europe or the Western hemisphere it also gives one a different insight from the fast paced, modern society that is so often depicted as typical of Western society. Here we saw close knit communities and families, with extended families and community support, importance of kinsmen and clans so similar to Asian society! It was a different kind of read.

I enjoyed both books courtesy of Carnegie library.

Review Anna Quindlen Rise and Shine

The book is a story of two sisters Meghan and Bridget orphaned at an early age and brought up by an aunt who loved them dearly. The story looks back at their childhood in small doses but mainly concentrates on their lives as adults.

Meghan becomes a top class broadcaster while Bridget becomes a social worker and the categories of their work defines their own worlds. One where Meghan is completely at home with Presidents, private jets, and the whole gamut of New York Society literally at her feet, whilst Bridget the unknown one works stolidly with junkies, drug addicted mothers, the police and the hospitals trying to save as many mothers and families as she could.

The book also seems to be a commentary on the various stratas of New York society and you get quite a good idea of how the various sections actually operate. For someone who is not American and is unlikely to visit New York, I felt that this was an interesting part of the book though of course it may not appeal to others who are more familiar with the city and with American life. The book opens vistas which otherwise would be unknown to lots of people! Bridgets life with the downtrodden, with those whom she felt had never been given a chance to "rise" from the squalor of their lives is at variance with the general view held in the East that America is a land of opportunity never mind the milk and honey..

The story further evolves into the relationships that develop between the sisters, the tragic accident to Leo - Meghans son, the breakdown of Meghans marriage and the surprising news of Bridget's pregnancy at 43 much to the dismay of her live in lover Irving. All these add to make the story a family saga as well - though overpowering it all is Meghans job and what happens when she falls from grace - but her ultimate rise once again.

I liked the book not just from the NYC angle and Manhattan in particular but also from the family story angle as well. I will go back to this author again to see what else she has in store for me.

The book was from my library at Carnegie and hopefully they will have more of the same author.

Review - Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Having read her other books, I knew I was in for a very pleasant reading time once I started this book. Like before, I had to read right to the finish and this morning can hardly open my eyes to start the day as a result!

The book (a Pulitzer prize winner) a collection of nine short stories, all with Bengali Indians as their main character and all set either in Calcutta or in the United States is a wonderful glimpse into everyday people's lives. The stories are down to earth, very realistic of the issues immigrants face in their search for a new life, how one overcomes these difficulties and gets on.
In the story of Mrs's Sen it also shows how some immigrants actually feel that they are "outsiders" throughout their life and how difficult it is for them to feel at home - ever. On the other hand you get Twinkle and Sanjeev (born and bred in the United States) quite at home and who only consider themselves Indian because they enjoy Indian food! The book covers characters as you would see them in real life - the girl next door, the neighbours who are quiet and well behaved, the single mother whom everyone wonders about. The secret of Lahiri's writing is that she brings them all so very much to life that one identifies oneself with some character of her book - Lahiri throughout the book also shows how cultural backgrounds could influence one's life, the irony mixed with compassion as shown to Boori Ma (a simple sweeper of apartments) the difficulty of being close to a person when one does not have any emotional links as in the arranged marriage of Mala and her husband (something that may be incomprehensible to some minds), but which arranges itself beautifully in the story.

Lahiri writes with simplicity and elegance and I do hope she does not stop! This book was also one I discovered at my library.

Review Informed Consent by Peter Turnbull

After picking up the book I realized that Peter Turnbull is a prolific writer though this is my first read for this author.

The story revolves around an unexpected murder of a middle aged, well dressed man on the streets of York not mugged, or robbed. The police are puzzled and going into the case they discover that a brother of Edwin Hoole died eighteen months previously, apparently of a stroke but the family think the death suspicious. A sister in law also died in the same period apparently a hit and run driver (never found) and though apparently unrelated further questioning and delving by the police discover that there are too many simple coincidences to let matters lie as they are.

It is an unexpected story - how a Company in this case 541, plots and plans to sell plans for equity - in this case purchasing property of individuals but allowing them to live in their property for a very minimal rent - and after a "reasonable" period of time, getting rid of them - hence the hit and run driver, the stroke victim etc and then moving in to sell the properties at enormous profit. Edwin Hoole was too nosy for his own good and that was why he had to be removed from the scene.

The story was a new twist on why people are murdered though as usual it invariably comes down to gain of some kind! It also looked at family and in this case it was an interesting one three brothers, their wives and ex wives as well and how the story evolved also through the anger and jealousy of an ex wife who felt that she was not compensated sufficiently through a divorce.

An interesting book.