Winter Book Review

Because I spent years studying Early Modern British Literature in graduate school (that’s 1500-1800 for those of you who’d like to get specific), for a long time I had neglected contemporary fiction. What’s more, my undergraduate survey classes really didn’t help me keep up with the most current literature, either, and for that I’ll place slight blame the disconnect and slow-paced nature of the shining ivory tower of academia.

This week I went out to lunch with a friend, Rosi, who I truly admire for her free spirit and unique artistic insights into the world. As we sat in Squatters Brewery eating hummus, between a roaring fire and windows that revealed a raging, blowing snow storm, we talked about the novels that we’ve most recently read that have stayed our psyches since we’ve closed the cover. I came away from that meeting with a new list of must-reads that I feel an urgency to get to.

I thought I’d share with you three contemporary novels I’ve read this winter that have meant a lot to me. All of them have met me with mystery and familiarity, with family and with warmth. I’ve been immersed in them, and I’ve become a part of their stories.

The first is Peace Like a River. Someone lent this to me, but I didn’t pick it up for several months. By the time I started falling in love with this book, I forgot who had introduced me to it. I made calls to family members and friends, all of whom had never heard of it, before I finally asked Rachel, who was the elusive benefactress. Leif Enger, the author, is a writer on NPR, and I’ve enjoyed his short pieces. This novel tells of a family whose son has become an outlaw, but through their bonds and determination, the father and remaining two children experience unexpected miracles and beauty in their journey to find the prodigal son. It’s a relatively clean and benign piece, and I love the narrative told through eleven-year-old Reuben and the enchantment he finds with the American West, even in the 20th century.

The second is The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett. She’s famous for Bel Canto, which is now on my reading list. My father-in-law gave me The Magician’s Assistant for Christmas, and I started reading it that day. It’s a wonderful real-human story of a woman who married her gay stage partner after performing with him for 20 odd years. She then lived with him and his partner, nursing them in their illnesses until both passed away. The story begins with the aftermath of her husband’s death, and her discovery of his past. The tolerance, the forgiveness, and the real human emotion were astounding to me in this unique family drama. In addition, this story drives itself. I thought I was barely into this novel when I realized I was over half way through. The ending left me very satisfied and warm, but I had a hard time shaking the story and preparing myself for something totally new.

The third is my current read, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It’s a great piece that takes place in Barcelona, Spain. So far it’s a bit of a bildungsroman, told from the point of view of an eleven-year-old boy who is enchanted by books, novels, writing, and appreciates their mystery but soon falls prey to typical adolescent fears and desires. It’s sensual, mysterious, and insightful for those of us who find magic in a story each time it’s told. And I love reading something that takes place in Europe, and the closeness that those countries and cultures have to each other. I did all my grading last night for my night class so that I can devote my entire evening to immersing myself back into this novel when I get home today.

What about you? What have been your recent amazing novels?