The Paris Wife is a fictionalized account of the marriage between Hadley Richardson and Ernest Hemingway. It was a rocky marriage that lasted only 7 years, but it started with a great romance in Chicago and ended in an affair in Paris. Hadley was the first wife, and although Ernest married several more times, his account of his marriage to Hadley is beautifully treated in his work A Moveable Feast. Perhaps because he was such a louse when he was married to her?

Hadley is often referred to as the Paris Wife as the Hemingway couple spent most of their time together in Paris in the early days of Hemingway’s career. Hadley raised their son, practiced piano and patiently waited upon and tended to Ernest, who in turn ran amok with the European and American literati that included the likes of Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, Ezra Pound and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Although a fictional account, I enjoyed Paula McLain’s rendition of those crazy years in Paris post-WWII when everyone was running about and artists and writers were trying to make a name for themselves.

Hadley was Ernest’s sounding board and credited with making the space available for Hemingway to focus on making it big. The novel portrays this time as volatile. Post war, everyone was finding their place, including women. While many of the Hemingways’ female friends were working on their own careers, Hadley appeared keen to stay in the background in a supporting role to her husband, happily raising their baby boy. But although she is the doting wife, she’s sound of mind and body and a charmer in her own right. McLain certainly doesn’t portray all the females in the novel as so likeable.

Overall, a charming rendition of a heartbreaking relationship.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Published by Bond Street Books (Doubleday Canada)

I mentioned earlier how much I enjoyed reading Louise Penny’s latest Inspector Gamache mystery.

This Canadian author is certainly making the rounds on bestseller lists across North America:

#4 – New York Times bestseller list
#5 – Publishers Weekly
#5 – Chicago Tribune
#6 – Washington Post
#9 – National Independent Bookstores
#7 – Toronto Globe and Mail
#2 – Canadian Bookseller’s Association
#3 – Vancouver sun
#10- Maclean’s
#5 – Entertainment Weekly

Go Louise Penny!

Such success deserves some more attention and I am lucky enough to share an audio clip of A Trick of Light. The audiobook is available from Macmillan Audio and they’ve kindly given me permission to share the clip with you.

Have a listen to this audio clip of A Trick of Light.

The English Patient was one of my favourite novels by Ondaatje. It helped that I studied it in English Lit because the movie adaption is really only one part of the many stories interwoven in that tale. It’s a masterpiece. But I suspect that it’s one of those books that people bought but never read. In the case of The Cat’s Table, we have a novel that is a much more accessible to read and definitely worth picking up.

In the early 1950s, 11-year-old Mynah (or Michael) boards a ship in Colombo bound for England. The Cat’s Table is his adventure on board, the characters who he meets, and later his adult understanding of that childhood time. Ondaatje has crafted a wonderful tale.

Quote: As I got into the car, it was explained to me that after I’d crossed the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, and gone through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean, I would arrive one morning on a small pier in England and my mother would meet me there. It was to the magic or the scale of the journey that was of concern to me, but that detail of how my mother could know when exactly I would arrive in that other country.

And if she would be there.

What he doesn’t know is that he’ll befriend the heart-troubled Ramadhin or the exuberant Cassius. Nor does he know upon boarding about the shackled prisoner, the deaf girl or the circus.

Quote: It was not even eight o’clock when we crossed the border from First Class back to Tourist Class. We pretended to stagger with the roll of the ship. I had by now come to love the slow waltz of our vessel from side to side. And the fact that I was on my own, save for the distant Flavia Prins and Emily, was itself an adventure. I had no family responsibilities. I could go anywhere, do anything. And Ramadhin, Cassius, and I had already established one rule. Each day we had to do at least one thing that was forbidden. The day had barely begun, and we still had hours ahead of us to perform this task.

Whether it’s sneaking down to the boiler rooms, slipping into the life rafts, nabbing treats, or brazenly standing out in a storm, these three boys wreck havoc in the way only boys can. But this story is not just about discovering what they can get into, it’s about discovering who they are and what they mean to each other.

In many ways, it’s a story we all know. It’s one of going to camp for the summer and making friends, meeting people on a trip with whom you promise to stay in touch, or missing classmates who’ve come and gone. It’s about friendships made in a confined space or time. It’s about growing up and moving from childhood to adulthood. That’s what I mean by accessible. We share Mynah’s memories, even if they are not of the exact same space and time.

Watch for Michael Ondaatje at the Writers Festivals happening this fall. He’s worth seeing and the book is worth reading.

The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje
Published by M&S
Available in hardcover, unabridged audio CD, unabridged audiobook download and eBook.
Canadian author

I recommend all sorts of books to my mom. Most she likes and some that I think she’ll really like, she ends up hating. I was a bit worried recommending A Trick of Light by Louise Penny because I really enjoyed it and I wasn’t sure if it would make the cut for my mom.

Well, I can report that she has since purchased all of Louise Penny’s books and is a huge fan of Inspector Gamache.

Author Louise Penny lives outside of a small village south of Montreal, but she hasn’t always been a Quebecer. Penny was born in Toronto and became a journalist and radio host for CBC. She moved to Thunder Bay and Winnipeg, eventually settling in Quebec.

Quote:
Within weeks I’d called Quebecers ‘good pumpkins’, ordered flaming mice in a restaurant, for dessert naturally, and asked a taxi driver to ‘take me to the war, please.’ He turned around and asked ‘Which war exactly, Madame?’ Fortunately elegant and venerable Quebec City has a very tolerant and gentle nature and simply smiled at me. (…more)

Full of courtesy and dignity is our main character, the Inspector. No wonder my mom has a bit of a heart throb for him. Even investigating the murder of Lillian Dyson, he is charming yet firm, worldly yet not pretentious.

Now don’t go worrying about dear Lillian, because she wasn’t much of a dear. Lillian, more times than not, played the stream roller, taking down the careers of many artists and presumed friends in the art world. She was a harsh and caustic critic, in particular of Clara Morrow, in whose garden she found herself murdered.

Now why was she in Clara’s garden the night of Clara’s first solo show at the famed Musee in Montreal? Lillian certainly wasn’t invited to the after-party in the garden. And what was she planning to do in that shocking, red cocktail dress?

A modern-day Agatha Christie, Louise Penny can hold her readers attention. Even the secondary characters have fully realized personas and backstories, which certainly makes it harder to guess the conclusion of this who-dunnit.

If you have never heard of Louise Penny, A Trick of Light is worth the read.

Published by St. Martin’s Press
Hardcover edition
Canadian author

UPDATE:
Audiobook by Macmillan Audio (Listen to a clip.)

The Rebel Sell: Why The Culture Can’t Be Jammed takes aim at Michael Moore, Adbusters magazine, Naomi Klein, the women’s movement, leftists/rightists/centerists, hippies and basically any group that could be considered radical.

The book is an intellectual fistfight and I’m not sure who comes out the winner. Some readers will certainly feel beaten up.

The book is worth reading, but with special caution paid to rhetorical glissades and spin.

In short, Rebel Sell is a long missive advocating peace, order and good government.

Here are my top take-aways:

1. The anti-capitalists are still capitalists, they just don’t know it.
2. Corporate bullying (lobbying and tax exemptions) could be better dealt with by removing certain write-offs or decreasing the exemption percentages.
3. Two wrongs don’t make a right. As in Adbusters’ “Buy Nothing Day” and the sales of Adbusters’ running shoes do not make us a better society.
4. A capitalist society is not about conformity, and advertising is about knowing what’s available to buy.
5. Hipsters and elitests are simply struggling for status, which is no different than teens wanting the new, cool thing.
6. Feminists lost women power in some aspects of life.
7. Free love wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
8. And peace, love and happiness have been, and always will be, distritributed unevenly.
9. Selling out is just realizing that you’re part of capitalism, and it’s not all bad.
10. My problem with the authors’ worldview is that it is presented from a single perspective that manufactures support for their argument.

Again, it is worth reading, but make sure your thinking cap is tightly secured.

The Rebel Sell: Why The Culture Can’t Be Jammed
By Joseph Heath, Andrew Potter (Canadian authors)
Published by HarperCollins
Available in hardcover, paper, ebook

The Woefield Poultry Collective was highly recommended to me by a bookseller at the now defunct Ardea Books. The thing I miss most about having a local bookstore is the staff recommendations. There is something less novel about email newsletters and websites than the in-store chit-chat and recommendations.

The woman, whose name I now forget, was a constant source of good reading material. She recommended YA novels that were brilliant, nonfiction that was stimulating and fiction that I could not pass up. I miss her.

Her last recommendation was The Woefield Poultry Collective. She said, “this novel is terrificly funny. I couldn’t put it down. It is about a woman from New York who inherits a farm and tries to make a go of it.”

The farm name is Woefield, and it is full of woe-betide characters and lousy soil. The only really farming seems to be rock farming. But the new proprietor, named Prudence, is not so prudent.

She, upon a brief introduction, invites the pale-face, homebody from next door to move in. Seth runs a couple of internet sites and doesn’t really leave the house. He does a lot of drinking and fretting about “the thing with the drama teacher.” In fact, he’s on Prudence’s doorstep because his mom just kicked him out.

Where others see a loser, Prudence sees an opportunity.

The novel is told in first person and alternatives between Prudence, the new farm owner, Seth the geek and lay-about, Earl the farm hand, and little Sara, who like Seth is a bit lost in the world.

Unlike Seth, Sara is a go getter. She’s landed at the farm because her family has moved into a subdivision and she can no longer keep her poultry in the yard. Prudence has offered to house the birds.

The book is laugh-out loud funny. Funny in ways that had me reading chapters aloud to James, especially the chapters from Sara or Earl’s perspective. The straight-man nature of these two in comparison to flaky Prudence and Chubnuts (Earl’s pet name for Seth) is hilarious.

Quote: SARA

When my parents told me that I had to move my birds, I didn’t say anything. In Jr. Poultry Fancier’s Club they tell us that leaders are Even Tempered, which means they don’t get mad even when everyone would understand if they were. The other thing leaders do is Take Action. I’m beginning to think I have some leadership qualities because even though I might feel mad, I try not to show it …

When my parents told me I had to move my birds because some neighbors complained, I just got up and went to my room. I didn’t tell them this was what we got for moving to Shady Woods Estates, where the house are all packed together and there are rules about everything. I didn’t tell them that my chickens are the nicest part of Shady Woods, which they are. I didn’t mention that the word Shady is extremely ironic, which I learned about in English last semester, since there is no shade anywhere on our streets. You have to have trees to have shade and there are no trees left here. It’s also kind of ironic that I’m only eleven and a half and even I know this.”

The building of Sara’s chicken coop is as fraught with tension as Sara’s family life, but is also good for a laugh.

Quote: EARL

I’d be the first one to tell you I don’t know a whole hell of a lot about kids. Never had any. Barely even knew any. When you grow up in a musical family, ‘specially a musical country family, there’s a lot of working and playing music. Not too much being a kid. So for all I know, maybe all kids is bossy as hell. But I don’t think any of them could come anywhere near that little Sara Sprout. Good goddamn name for her …

She was not afraid to dictate an order or two. I learned that after she looked at the chicken house …

She told me it looked wrong, and I was about to tell her to go to hell when Prudence comes rushing over and sticks her nose in, trying to smooth things out.

Prudence told the kid I been working on it all day and asked what the problem was. So the kid started to tell her … she pointed to the tar paper poking out here and there and said there were no vents and how chickens need excellent ventilation.

God help me, she had a point there. But I didn’t let on that I agreed. Truth is, I was getting a helluva kick out of her …

Prudence told the kid I’d be happy to fix it and the kid said how at her junior poultry club they are taught that standards are important.

Standards. Can you beat that?

She told us that without standards you have nothing.

She had a point there. That kid’s not much for smiling, but she sure as hell makes up for it on the giving directions side.

Sweet. Delightful. Witty. I don’t think these adjectives do justice to Susan Juby’s novel. Sure it’s these things, but it’s also a good bit of farm humour. Anyone who has some farm experience knows these characters, and knows the style of farm-funny I’m talking about.

If you read and enjoyed The Woefield Poultry Collective then I recommend Outstanding in Their Field.

Bob Collins’ Outstanding in Their Field is a collection of crazy funny farm stories. Self-published and worth the read. Prudence wouldn’t own a copy of this book, but her life could be a farm-yarn in this collection.

Prudence’s big plan is to rake in the dough selling her wares at the farmers market. To that end, I recommend the Foodtree website and app.

Foodtree.com is a way to chart the provenance of your fruits and veg. Snap photos of your purchases at the farmers market, upload to Foodtree and tag with the market, farmer and product. It’s a delicious way to share what’s on your plate. (Available in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Boulder CO.) I’m sure Prudence would be all over this app, although I doubt anyone would be clamoring to snap pics of her spindly radishes–unless it was to make fun.

Check it out.

The Woefield Poultry Collective by Susan Juby (Canadian author)
Available in hardcover, paperback and ebook from Harper Collins

Vaclav & Lena is the love story of two Russian immigrant children who meet at a young age and are separated by events that involve Child & Family Services. Lena is taken away but never forgets Vaclav. Vaclav never forgets Lena. And on her 17th birthday Lena calls Vaclav and they reconnect.

The Russian accented English prose sets the stage for this Brooklyn family who is struggling with the hardships of leaving family in Russia and establishing themselves in America. Vaclav is a bit odd. He’s obsessed with Harry Houdini, becoming a famous magician, and making lists. He finds a perfect companion in Lena, who is another solitary figure in his ESL class.

Lena’s Aunt and Vaclav’s Mom Rasia agree on a playdate for their small children. Rasia will take them to Coney Island for the day. When Vaclav and Lena go off to play on the rides, they discover that the clowns say Lena is too small for every ride they try. They wander mistakenly into the Coney Island Sideshow to watch Fredini and Heather Holliday in her gold bikini, which is the catalyst of their secret, scheming relationship.

Quote: THINGS THAT ARE:
1. One day being a famous magician
2. Lena being lovely assistant
3. Perseverance toward those goals in spite of any and every obstacle

Haley Tanner has written a lovely, lovely first novel. There is something about the perseverance of first novels that leads to perfection. The story isn’t just charming, it’s a balance of light and dark. The maternal watchful eye of Rasia is comforting and terrifying. The relationship between Vaclav and Lena is poignant and bewitching. I really enjoyed this novel. Big recommendation.

Vaclav & Lena
by Haley Tanner
published by Knoff Canada

There is no dispute that John Valliant is an excellent writer, and The Tiger is just another example. This nonfiction story is about a man-eating tiger on the prowl in Russia’s Far East. The main plot is about Yuri Trush, lead tracker, and his work to investigate the killing of Vladimir Markov by a tiger. It is a grizzly affair, and Markov is not the tiger’s last victim.

The background story is of Russia in the 1990s and 1980s, as well as some historical vignettes, that help readers understand Russia, the Far East, the culture of Russians in the Far East, and the poverty of this remote village and what has led many of its residents, including Markov, to become poachers and involved in the illegal trade of tigers with their Chinese neighbours across the border.

The tiger-Markov story is by far the more interesting thread in the book, but the cultural and historical information help the reader gain perspective and a deeper understanding of the characters involved and their motivations. The story begins in December 1997, with Markov making an arduous trip through the heavy snow back to his cabin. Unbeknownst to him, and not detailed in the story until much later, a tiger is waiting for him, not just waiting, but has plotted his demise with a vengeance.

As readers learn through the tale, tigers are incredibly adaptive to their environment and highly intelligent. They have a memory, which makes them master hunters, and are able to operate in stealth mode, making themselves invisible until they pounce. The male amur tigers of this region (aka Siberian tigers) can grow to ten feet long, weighing more than five hundred pounds. They are the world’s largest cats and there’s only about 400 of them left in the wild.

Valliant has a couple lines that are imprinted on my mind. The amur tiger can leap across a residential street in a single bound. And tigers are some of the few animals whose roar is like the thundering of god. He paints an unforgettable portrait of the amur tigers, and his depiction of the native tribes who’ve worshipped tigers for centuries reinforces the tiger’s reputation as the “czar of the forest.”

The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival is about a showdown between Markov and the tiger; the tiger and Yuri Trush who must destroy him, Trush and the poachers he is meant to stop in order to conserve the tiger population in this area, the poachers and the Russian government that has left them destitute, and tiger conservationists against the Chinese, whose appetite for the medicinal and spiritual uses of tiger parts is insatiable.

The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival
by John Valliant
published by Viking Canada

If God was a petulant 18-year-old then his name would be Bob and he would have won rule over Earth in a botched job application process. Bob would have been the only applicant, put forward by his mother who sat on the committee. Well, he wouldn’t have been the only applicant. Mr B would have also applied but the committee would find him very sensible and boring. In this version of Earth’s beginning, a decision by committee–which always works, right?–would have seen Bob and Mr B become the co-rulers of Earth.

In six days, Bob created the heavens and the earth, the beasts in the field and the creatures of the sea (well Mr. B did the whales), and 25 million other species, including lots of pretty girls for Bob to chase.

Quote: And Bob said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Only it wasn’t very good light. Bob created fireworks, sparklers and neon tubes that circled the globe like weird tangled rainbows. He dabbled with bugs that blinked and abstract creatures whose heads lit up and cast long overlapping shadows. There were mile-high candles and mountains of fairy lights. For an hours or so, Earth was lit by enormous crystal chandeliers.
Bob thought his creations were very cool.
They were very cool but they didn’t work.
So Bob tried for an ambient glow (which proved toxic) … And finally, when he curled up in the corner of the nothingness, tired as a child by the harebrainedness of his efforts, Mr B took the opportunity to sort things out.

Congratulations Bob. Six days. No wonder the world is a mess.

Bob is careless, self-obsessed, and rather bored. He spends a lot of time sleeping and sulking, which leaves Mr B to sort out famine, war and floods. On top of that, many of the disasters are directly related to Bob having a bit of a mood as he lusts after mortals. In this century, the apple of his eye is Lucy, a nice zookeeper who has a Renaissance look and is a charming virgin, much to her own chagrin.

Bob could appear to her as a swan, or bull, but he’s thinking this time he’ll just show up and do what mortals do, take her for dinner.

For Earth’s sake, it better work out. And if it doesn’t, I recommend building that ark.

There Is No Dog is a hilarious read. I enjoyed it immensely.

There Is No Dog
by Meg Rosoff
published by Doubleday Canada