The Year We Left Home

Title:  The Year We Left Home

Author:  Jean Thompson

Publication Information:  Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. 2011. 325 pages

Book Source:  I received this book through the GoodReads First Reads program free of cost in exchange for an honest review. The book came as a paperback copy.

Favorite Quote:  "But he wasn't going to spend any more time thinking about all that [old country past], since what really counted was the life you made for yourself and the person you decided to be."

The Year We Left Home is the story of one family and the story of our country over a span of thirty years as seen through the eyes of these individuals. It is an episodic novel. Each chapter is told through the eyes of a different family member. With each chapter, we move forward in time and gain another perspective into this family and the times. The story starts in 1973 and brings us all the way to 2003.

The story starts in rural Iowa with a family descended from Norwegian settlers. The national/social issues presented through the different voices range from Vietnam and politics to the hippie movement and the women's movement. Within that context, we see personal issues such as the desire to sometimes leave our origins behind, the aging of parents, and a struggle between generations.

I enjoyed reading this book. The history is from a time we can relate to, and the family relationships are familiar as well. The story itself is not a linear progression but snapshots in time. Each snapshot can be viewed independently - almost like a short story - as a commentary on the time period. The continuity comes from the characters and the family story that develop throughout. Not a favorite book for me, but still an interesting one.

Lone Wolf

Title:  Lone Wolf

Author:  Jodi Picoult

Publication Information:  Atria Books, Simon & Schuster Inc. 2012. 421 pages.

Book Source:  I read this book based on how much I enjoyed other books by Jodi Picoult.

Favorite Quote:  "But as it turns out, being a grown-up doesn't mean you're fearless. It just means you fear different things."

Lone Wolf is like reading two books in one. One deals with the human story of Luke Warren and his family - his ex-wife Georgie, his estranged son Edward, and his adoring daughter Cara. The other deals with Luke Warren's experiences as a biologist and environmentalist and his life with the wolves. The family story is the crux of the book. The stories about Luke's experiences with the wolves come across as interludes of educational pieces about wolves as animals, the pack culture, and the lessons we can learn from them.

The family story tells of the man who left (deserted?) his family for two years to pursue a personal passion. It tells of the wife left behind and the choices she made. It tells the story of Edward, his son who learns that you can leave but wherever you go, you bring your thoughts and emotions with you. It tells the story of Cara, the child split apart by a divorce trying to find her place within her family.

As with all Jodi Picoult books, a central key theme exists in this family story. For this book, the theme is that of terminating life support. Luke Warren is in a car accident and not expected to recover. Different family members have different opinions on life support. People take sides. Lawyers get involved. Choices are made. Family history is rehashed. Family secrets are revealed.

Also, as with most Jodi Picoult's books, there is an unexpected twist towards the end. I don't want to give any spoilers. I will just say that I felt that story line was completely unnecessary and did not add to the book at all.

I have honestly not liked some of Jodi Picoult's recent books. They have had twists I did not like or feel necessary. The endings have sometimes gone in a direction that did not mesh with the rest of the story. However, whenever a new one comes out, I feel compelled to read it. Her books deal with such serious human issues. I don't always agree with her take on the issues, but I am glad they are discussed and brought forth in this manner. So, while I did not love this book, I probably will read her next one when it comes out.

House of Sand and Fog

Title:  House of Sand and Fog

Author:  Andre Dubus III

Publication Information:  W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. 1999. 365 pages.

Book Source:  I read this book as this month's selection for my local book club.

Favorite Quote:  "Maybe I didn't deserve the deputy's judgement of me for things I never did, but now I felt even more that I didn't deserve the warmth the nurse showed me, holding my hand like I was a victim in all this. Because I knew that wasn't true. Neither picture of me was true."

House of Sand and Fog is indeed the story of a house and the two sets of people who both feel that it is rightfully theirs. The Behranis are a family displaced from their homeland of Iran due to revolution. To them, this house is a last chance to restore some dignity to their lives. Kathy Lazaro is a recovering alcoholic and addict. To her, this house is her last refuge. The house is confiscated from Kathy Lazaro for tax purposes. The Behranis purchase it at auction. The rest of the book is the story of struggle between the two, leading to a dramatic and sad conclusion.

House of Sand and Fog is one of the most depressing books I have read in a long time. All 365 pages of it. There is the longing of the Behrani family for a life long gone and a homeland no longer open to them. It is their struggle to understand a new place and to create a new life for themselves. It is their sad attempt to maintain appearances of their past successes and position in life.

Then, there is Kathy Lazaro. She struggles with her recovery from alcoholism and addiction. She has left her home and family to build a new life with her husband in California. Her husband deserts her. So, she too struggles with finding a new place and creating a new life. She too attempts to maintain the appearances of her happy, married life to her family back home.

Thrown into this mix is Lester Burton. He is a police officer who gets involved with Kathy Lazaro. He proceeds down a path that leads them all to a catastrophic result.

The characters in this book are realistic. The emotions they feel and the situations they find themselves in also ring true. Unfortunately, the overwhelming sadness of this book makes it very difficult to read. In addition, the writing style is one based on long paragraphs and long descriptions. That too makes the book difficult to read. I found myself reading steadily for a while, then skimming through a portion of the book, and then reading the ending. Even so, I was left with an overwhelming depressing feeling and a need to step away from the story.

Outlaw Heroes

Title: Outlaw Heroes
Author: Deanna Lynn Sletten
Publication Information: Deanna Lynn Sletten. 2011. 141 pages.

Book Source: I received this book through a contest on the author's website. The book was received through Smashwords.

Favorite Quote: "Sometimes you have to love people for who they are, not who you want them to be."

Outlaw Heroes is a children's book that tells a rollicking tale of outlaws and bandits. It is the story of Will and his adventures with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The book is told as a story within a story.

Will is telling his son and friends the story of his childhood. He was raised on a ranch and shared adventures with his father. Unfortunately, his father's untimely death ended that carefree childhood. On a trip with his mother to visit family, Will finds himself transported back in time. He joins up with his heroes Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and for a while lives the outlaw life. Along the way, he learns about lessons about life, himself, and his family.

Outlaw Heroes is a fun story to read. It tells of adventure and of family. In addition, it demystifies the outlaws, describing them as real people. It also removes the glamor from the outlaw life, making clear the point that at the end of the day, these were people who broke the law and as such always lived in the shadow of that. Not a career to aspire to.

At the end, you are left wondering as the kids are. Was it just a tall tale or could it have happened? It is up to your imagination to decide. I look forward to sharing the book with my children and seeing what they think.

The Rules of Inheritance

Title:  The Rules of Inheritance

Author:  Claire Bidwell Smith

Publication Information:  Hudson Street Press, Penguin Group Inc. 2012. 295 pages.

Book Source:  I received this book through the GoodReads First Reads program free of cost in exchange for an honest review. The book came as a paperback uncorrected proof.

Favorite Quote:  "There's something incredibly lonely about grieving. It's like living in a country where no one speaks the same language as you."

The Rules of Inheritance is the memoir of Claire Bidwell Smith. She is a licensed therapist specializing in helping patients through grief. This book tells the story of her very personal journey. She is an only child of loving parents. When she was fourteen, both parents were diagnosed with cancer. She lost both parents to the disease in the following few years. This book tells the story of her journey through tragedy.

The book is not a chronological story of what happened. Rather, it captures moments that depict Claire's passage through the various stages of grief. The five stages of grief are based on a model introduced by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her book, On Death and Dying. The stages are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

The structure of this book works well. The lack of chronology ceases to matter a short while into the book. The book has so few characters, and the story is punctuated by such major events that it is clear where each section is in the chronology of Claire's life.

This is not a pretty story. It is, however, a real one. It tells  the story of regrets - things she wishes she had done or things she wishes she had told her parents while she had the time. An emotion we can all relate to. The book also tells the story of self-destructive behaviors she adopted to get through this time. Again, feelings and actions we can all relate to even if our choice of escape might be different. It tells the story of loneliness even when surrounded by people. Again, sometimes a universal emotional. It finally tells the story of hope and survival. Something we all need to believe in.

This book is not an easy read. But it is a worthwhile one. It provides a window onto this human experience in a captivating and heartfelt book.

The Dressmaker

Title:  The Dressmaker

Author:  Posie Graeme-Evans

Publication Information:  Atria Paperback, Simon and Schuster, Inc. 2010. 443 pages.

Book Source:  I read this book based on reading its description in the Costco Connection magazine.

Favorite Quote:  "Sometimes joy and sadness feel like the same thing."

The Dressmaker is the story of Ellen Gowan set in Victorian England. Her happy childhood ends abruptly, and life brings struggles and successes, joy and sadness. She and her mother are forced to leave their home.

They are helped by relatives, finding love and acceptance, but also abuse and struggle. They travel to London to create a life for themselves. Further life events ensue, including a love affair, a job, a home, a child, and friendship. The story follows an expected course to an expected conclusion.

This book reminded me of A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford. The premise is the same - a woman in trying circumstances who overcomes adversity to reach success and happiness. The situations are different, of course. The Dressmaker covers a much shorter time frame, telling the story of perhaps a decade as opposed to generations. There are fewer characters, and the characters are not developed beyond the one dimension that captures their role in the story.

In other words, The Dressmaker was a pale version of other books of this genre. Not a memorable book. However, an easy, entertaining story in which to lose yourself for a while.