We came, we read, we gushed.
In France Profound: The Long History of a House, a Mountain Town, and a People by T.D. Allman (Atlantic Monthly Press). Reviewed by Thomas H. Peebles. “The hidden gem in Allman’s story is the Lauzerte town charter of 1241, the work of Eleanor’s grandson Raymond VII (1197-1249), count of Toulouse, whom Allman describes as one of history’s ‘almost-forgotten protagonists.’ The charter, itself one of history’s almost-forgotten instruments, bears similarities to the Magna Carta, executed in Runnymede a quarter-century prior. In an irony of history, that earlier document was forced on Raymond’s uncle and Eleanor’s youngest son, King John Lackland — described by Allman as a ‘middle-aged incompetent’ who remains England’s ‘most detested king’ — by unruly British barons unhappy with John’s efforts to squeeze additional money from them to fight his wars in France.”
A Question of Belonging: Crónicas by Hebe Uhart; translated by Anna Vilner (Archipelago). Reviewed by Karl Straub. “A Question of Belonging collects 24 of these crónicas, along with three uncharacteristically autobiographical essays. The book might be shelved with travel writing, but anyone approaching it from that angle is apt to find it richer than expected. These 27 short works, taken as a group, have more literature in them than most novels. Uhart’s tone can shift from amusing to poignant and comic to tragic all within the same piece, and all delivered with the kind of charming understatement that disguises how hard a writer is working.”
Willie, Waylon, and the Boys: How Nashville Outsiders Changed Country Music Forever by Brian Fairbanks (Hachette Books). Reviewed by Michael Causey. “Music books like this one are a funny subspecies because the author’s personality factors heavily in the reading experience. In other words, you could read an outstanding history of, say, World War II and not necessarily want to hang with its author. But for a book about musicians — especially beloved ones like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings — to be great, it’s kind of important to be able to imagine having a beer with the author and talking tunes. I’d be psyched to hoist a few beers with Brian Fairbanks anytime.”
Bear: A Novel by Julia Phillips (Hogarth). Reviewed by Bob Duffy. “Some readers may find their engagement wearing thin about halfway in, giving way to a dawning sense of predictability that puts suspended disbelief to the test. But make no mistake: This is an artful novel, a virtuosa depiction of two sisters struggling for stability in the face of looming peril. But the mixed tone as the book nears its climactic moments — its dismal neo-naturalism versus its figurative claims on reader credulity — may present a challenge for some. It’s fair to say Bear is not, strictly speaking, an ‘uplifting’ novel. Even so, Phillips has crafted a beguiling world peopled by characters who stir the heart with their longing for something better than what they have.”
The Way That Leads Among the Lost: Life, Death, and Hope in Mexico City’s Anexos by Angela Garcia (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). Reviewed by Gregg Jones. “Thousands of families in Mexico (and in the United States, the author reveals) have turned to these underground clinics in desperate efforts to save loved ones struggling with drug or alcohol addiction. The everyday people whose stories she shares view the clinics as havens from cartel violence. But the facilities are notorious for their own aggressive methods. The ‘fusion of care and violence reflects the burden families and communities shoulder in the contexts of poverty and institutional neglect,’ Garcia writes.”
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak (Knopf). Reviewed by Martha Anne Toll. “Shafak has adopted W.G. Sebald’s style of placing choice photographs throughout her narrative. These photos illustrate ancient artifacts and overland explorers, giving the book its lovely gauzy quality of hovering in a multiverse that spans fiction and nonfiction. I quickly sank into Shafak’s lush language and felt connected to her characters. Though spinning a yarn, she stays close to the political morass of the present. Iraq figures prominently both as a home to vast civilizations and as a cauldron of ongoing conflict. Narin’s father reminds her that whether they are categorized as Kurdish or Yaziki, ‘We are the memory tribe.’”
That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones (Bloomsbury Publishing). Reviewed by Sarah Trembath. “Amanda Jones is a badass. She’s not on stage in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans like Beyoncé. She didn’t eliminate the national debt. I don’t think she jumps out of planes. Still, she’s a badass, but not just because the teenage friends of her teenage daughter said, ‘Your mom is a badass,’ which is a major life accomplishment, as anyone with teens knows. Amanda Jones is a badass because she’s holding down the fort while the fort is under attack. She advocates for social justice and the democratic right to exchange ideas and information.”
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