The GodMOTHER- The Company She Keeps

The Company She Keeps-- Georgia Durante

Something about the mafia has always interested me.  I'm obviously not alone or The Godfather, Goodfellas or The Sopranos would never have become such massive hits.  But, as much as I may joke about my grandmother's connections to the Chicago mafia, I'd never actually want to be associated or friendly with anyone who was in the mob.

Georgia Durante obviously didn't have the same conviction.  From a young age, the former model was considered a staple in the Rochester Mafia scene.  If her story is to be believed, and I do believe her only because there are too many names in this book for her not to have written the absolute truth, then she's led a hell of a life.

We all make choices we sometimes regret, but Durante's created a life built upon regrets.  From Rochester, she moved to New York and California, all with her wife-beating, cheating, mafia-connected husband in tow.  She surrounded herself with bad people, acted as the get-away driver for various mob-related hits, and found herself in relationship after relationship with some really screwed up men.

In an effort to straighten out her life, Durante created a professional stunt-driving business and now does much of the stunt work we see in commercials and film.  Though not without obstacles, her business has become successful and she is reputed to be among the best female stunt-drivers in the world.

Durante's story is really interesting!  Many a time, I wanted to climb into the book, sit her down and say "listen, girlfriend, you don't need to go back to him." Or "He's LYING you idiot!!" But, it was fascinating to read about her choices from the perspective that age has given her.  Like The Sopranos gave us insight into the life of a mafia boss, so, too, does The Company She Keeps give us a window into the life of a beauty queen, a battered wife, and a successful businesswoman.  It's an interesting view and one worth peeping into.  Just don't let the cops know you're watching...

Wowza!!!!-- ROOM

Holy guacamole, what a story!!  Sometimes I wonder where these authors come up with the concepts for their books.  Emma Donaghue's novel, Room, takes the reader into an incredibly disturbing world but makes her feel completely at home in this world.  Donaghue tells a story from the perspective of a 5 year-old boy, Jack.  In doing so, we come to view the events that unfold with the same innocence that he does.

Without giving away much of the plot, I can tell you that Jack's world is very small.  He knows two people but his universe has many characters.  Jack's imagination brings him so far beyond his physical limits that I'd venture to say that he's seen more than I have.  His Ma has created for him such a lovely life.

When we discover why Jack's world is so compact, it's hard to maintain a comparable level of optimism and joy for his lifestyle as Jack.  But here is the brilliance of Donaghue's writing-- she helps us see clearly; through Jack's eyes, we understand that it's not what but who we have that matters in life.

This novel isn't one in which it's easy to find the bright side.  It's a difficult story and doesn't get any easier as circumstances change for Jack and his Ma.  But, I think that's necessary-- we live in a 24-hour news cycle culture.  We give attention to people's lives only when they're sensational, over the top and dramatic.  But, once we've deemed another bit of news more interesting, we move on, we forget, we ignore.  But, the original story continues, even without the news coverage.  And, sadly, just because the paparazzi have moved on doesn't mean that the drama has ended.  Readjusting, rebuilding, renewing one's life is a challenging and difficult task.  Unfortunately, it's one that doesn't often allow for much imagination.

Jack's story is powerful and heart-wrenching.  It's one that will draw you in and keep you on the edge of your seat until you finish.  There was actually a moment when I gasped out loud.  (Unfortunately, Andrew was asleep at the time and I woke him up.  That's a true sign of a good book!!)  Read it.  And tell me you don't close the cover and say "wowza..."

Exceptionally Good Book-- Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants -- Sara Gruen

It happens once every few years- the planets align just so and the result is that I err.  I know, I know, you're shocked.  But, rest assured, it really is a rare occurrence.  Some examples of my errors are as follows: "John Edwards seems like a really great family guy."  Or, "Facebook is stupid- only 16 year old high school girls use it."  Or, my personal favorite "this dog is so sweet.  I'm sure it won't disrupt our lives too much to give Copper a little sister..."  What makes this particular case rare is that it was a double whammy-- on one single day I made TWO mistakes:  I decided that I really HAD to have a bologna sandwich, even though I had a really bad stomach flu, and I thought that I'd not be at all interested in a book about the circus.  On the bright side, at least when I'm wrong, I'm really wrong!!  


Water For Elephants  is Jacob's story as he tells it from his nursing home seventy years later.  It's a love story, but not a traditional one.  Jacob loves Marlena, yes, but also Rosie, Bobo, Camel, Queenie, Silver Star, and so many others.  Suddenly thrust into the role of veterinarian of a second-rate circus during the Depression, Jacob finds himself learning about life in a very unusual manner.  Like many of us, Jacob finished college not at all certain of who he was or what he wanted.  Unlike most of us, though, he stowed away on a train car and changed the track of his future (pun fully intended.)  During his summer with the Benzini Brothers circus, Jacob discovers the depth of his character, learns what makes a person strong, and, most importantly, what makes someone good.  Perhaps the best lesson Jacob learns, though, is that words matter but not nearly as much as actions.  My mother always said that pretty is as pretty does-- Jacob learns about true beauty.

Jacob's 90 (or 93, he doesn't know for sure) year-old self yearns for the days of his youth.  Yet, he doesn't seek to return to legs that can sprint or to delicious steak dinners, though he misses both.  He wants to relive the joy that comes from surrounding himself with love.  As I sit here with Copper to my right, Ramona to my left and Andrew on the couch across from me, I can understand his desire.  There is nothing more special than the love of family, regardless of what species make up that family.  I may not ever eat bologna again, but about this, I am certain I'm not wrong.

Death by Disease and Indecision: NEMESIS- Philip Roth

NEMESIS -- Philip Roth

I get a flu shot every year and I'm addicted to hand sanitizer.  I never share drinks or eat off someone else's plate and I keep my house clean.  But, what if that weren't enough?  What if I could get sick just by walking outside?  What if I didn't know where the threats were and how to avoid them?  Can you imagine how terrifying life would be if we weren't able to protect ourselves from invisible, microbiotic killers?

Philip Roth could.  In his latest novel, he imagines what would have happened if there had been a Polio outbreak in Newark during the Summer of 1944.  Roth has an interesting set of writing habits.  He often writes from the perspective of the same omniscient protagonist, Nathan Zuckerman, and always writes about Jewish communities, typically in New Jersey.  Though Zuckerman doesn't make an appearance in this book, the Jewish section of Newark is the epicenter of the story.  This time, the protagonist is a student at the Weequahic Middle School who, along with many of his playmates, contracts polio.

The story focuses on the gym teacher, Mr. Cantor, and his experiences that summer.  Mr. Cantor has terrible vision and, therefore, wasn't able to head off to the war.  He berates himself for his imperfections and feels considerable guilt at not joining his peers in fighting for his country.  He's further tormented by the polio outbreak and his inability to save his students.

To me, the book's title reflects not only the polio virus, but also our own internal enemies.  We all have visions for ourselves, goals, expectations that are sometimes too high to achieve.  We can put such pressure on ourselves that we lose sight of reality and of who we are.  We become so bogged down in evaluating our past decisions that we can lose sight of what's ahead.  In fact, our whole future can be redirected because we lose the ability to distinguish right from wrong.

There are some inevitable facts in life.  There will be diseases.  People will get sick.  Good people will be taken from us much too soon.  But, we cannot allow our fear of sickness to prevent us from living our lives to the fullest.  We cannot spend more time reviewing our past than living in our present.  We all make choices that we regret later.  But, if we don't accept our mistakes and move forward, we will ruin ourselves.  We will become our own nemesis.

A Book For Fa To Read: Indignation- Philip Roth

INDIGNATION -- Philip Roth

Many years ago, I read Philip Roth's delicious novel, The Human Stain.  I loved everything about it, the premise, the writing, the characters, the twists, everything.  Since then, I've found myself diving head first into multiple Roth novels, only to discover the water too shallow for me to immerse myself completely.  That is- no other Roth novel has captured me like The Human Stain.

My Fa says that I don't write about books that appeal to him, so I decided to give Roth another try.  This time, I chose Indignation.  Marcus is a kosher butcher's son from Jersey who leaves home for a small midwest college.  The story chronicles his year at the school.

All Roth books deal with some heavy concepts.  This one studied the fears an American young man faced during the Korean war.  It was a fairly simple choice-- go to college or go to war.  But, for Marcus, there were other issues at play.  Like all of us, Marcus was learning about himself through his interactions with others.  Like all of us, Marcus found college to be an awakening; the world was so much more than he'd ever imagined in his Newark neighborhood.

Of course, discovering the world can be a bit daunting and, sadly, can often be quite disappointing.  The crux of the novel focuses on that disappointment.  I won't give away details, but suffice it to say the novel doesn't end happily.

I can't say I loved this book.  I can't even say I liked it.  It was one of those books that leaves a feeling of discomfort in the pit of your stomach.  It's heavy and challenging and more realistic in its evaluation of life and personality.  But, I think sometimes its good to read a book that will push me out of my comfort zone.  Such novels make me question myself-- do I have as much conviction as someone like Marcus?  Do I want to have as much passion, however misguided Marcus may be, for certain issues?   I honestly don't know.  But, that's why I keep reading Roth's books.

Little Bee

LITTLE BEE: A Novel -- Chris Cleave

I had a bad day on Wednesday.  Someone was mean to me and it hurt my feelings.  I wanted to wallow in self-pity and self-doubt and lament over how terrible life was.  I climbed into bed early that evening and picked up my new book, Little Bee.  I decided a story about a Nigerian girl and the British couple she met on the beach would be a nice escape for the misery that was my life.


Two days later, I am ashamed at how selfish and self-centered I am.  After reading Little Bee's story, I am reminded about the real horrors of life and, more importantly, the true heros whose stories we may never know.  We've been taught to believe that a hero must be larger than life; he must save the world in some outrageous gesture that lands him on the cover of People Magazine.  To us, heros are people who end up with book deals, Dateline specials and a reality show (not to mention a Lifetime movie...)  We reward heros, we laud their moment of action and grace, we place them on pedestals as an example of what we all should aspire to be.

Little Bee will never be a cover model.  She will never be the Emcee of an awards show, she'll never walk the Red Carpet at the Espys.  (I should probably point out that, yes, I realize that she is a fictional character.  But, she represents so many nameless refugees whose stories have yet to be discovered.)  Yet, Little Bee is a heroine.  I don't want to give you any details of the story because I really want you to read the book with an open mind, as I did.  But, I will say this- there are those who look at their situation and become overwhelmed.  They turn in on themselves and allow whatever hardships face them to defeat them.  Then there are those who accept the challenge their struggles present, who rise to face them head on, who survive.  Little Bee survives.

If Little Bee and I were to trade places, I know I would not survive.  And, I know, too, that Little Bee would look at my Wednesday and be grateful for all that she has- a wonderful husband who loves her, great friends, the world's best dog.  It's so easy to look at all the negative in life, to focus on the mean people and the rainy weather.  Little Bee doesn't ignore these facets of life, she simply chooses to accept them for what they are and to move on.  Her strength comes from this acceptance and from her ability to make her own choices.  Little Bee creates her fate instead of allowing others to do so.  In that way, she teaches us what it truly means to live.

Island of Strength-- THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society -- Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

"Be Satisfied With What You Already Have." -- Chinese Fortune Cookie

It's easy to forget just how lucky we are.  We have so much that we take for granted.  I sometimes get caught up in minute details that seem so important, though later it seems silly that I even cared.  Did I really need to have a Carolina Herrara wedding dress?  Was it really that important?  (Ok, well, that's a bad example because that really was a great dress...)  The point is, I often forget how truly blessed I am and how fortunate I am to have a home, a wonderful husband, the bestest dog in the world, and family and friends whom I love.  Not everyone is so lucky.

The characters in the wonderful novel The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society have far less than I.  Guernsey,  a small British island dividing the channel between France and England, was occupied by the Germans during WWII. The book brings us the stories of residents of both London and Guernsey in the aftermath of the war.  

What makes the novel so delightful is the style in which it was written.  Rather than prose, the book is a series of letters written between the characters.  It's such a personal way to tell a story; we learn about each character in an intimate setting, in their own words, and in their own voice.  These letters remove the facade that can sometimes accompany stories told in the third person.  We're offered many perspectives with one common thread-- we, as the reader, are invited to be a part of personal conversations that we'd normally never hear.  As a result, we're involved in the story.  We begin to look forward to the next letter almost as much as the characters seem to.

I won't give away details of the story, but I will reveal a bit about the book's title.  The Germans instituted a nightly curfew for island residents during the war.  A group of residents was caught out past curfew and stated that they were part of the Guernsey Literary Society.  To prove that such a group existed, the residents held another meeting and invited the Germans along.  As a desert, Potato Peel Pie was served.

I'll admit, I was leery of reading the book because it had such a strange title and I was initially off-put by the letters.  But, the Guernsey residents taught me something about the values of life.  They showed me that it is possible to be satisfied in the face of monotony, rations and occupations.  They showed me that life isn't about who has the latest Iphone or big tv, but rather about making the most of what you already have.  I learned that creativity goes a long way-- it turns mundane potato skins into pie.  And, most of all, I learned that nothing is more important than friendship.  

When I think about the Guernsey residents from WWII, I think first about the occupation and the hardships.  I think "there but for the grace of God go I."  But, the truth is, even with all their hardships, it's clear that they were blessed.

Unbroken Bonds-- SARAH'S KEY

SARAH'S KEY by Tatiana De Ronsay

My husband teases me because he says I'm always reading books that make me cry. I told him that some stories are just too powerful; it's impossible not to have a visceral reaction. Sarah's Key is so immensely moving that I am still affected by the story, more than two months after finishing the book.

I don't like to give much away when I review a book, especially if I didn't know the story ahead of time. But, I'll give you a basic premise- Sarah and her brother live with their family in Paris during World War Two. They are Jewish and the story follows Sarah throughout the war. We learn about Sarah's family through an American reporter living in present-day Paris. While I typically get frustrated when stories flip back and forth from past to present, I appreciated de Rosnay's use of this technique here. Sarah's story is so heavy that readers need the breaks provided by Modern Paris. At the same time, it's fascinating to learn about the context in which today's Paris looks back upon the Paris of 1940. It's obvious that memory can be manipulated.

In my last post, I mentioned that the characters in good books stay with you long after the final page. After reading her story, I've chosen to lay Sarah to rest in my mind. I needed to say a proper goodbye to her because her story is so moving. At the same time, I carry with me the knowledge that Sarah represents so many real people who suffered during the war. I can only be grateful that de Rosnay created such a moving tribute to the victims.