Review: Tell Me Everything (by Elizabeth Strout)

My Rating: 4 stars 

I’ve been in a bit of a weird reading slump lately.  I use the word “weird” because even though I’ve actually been reading – quite a bit, to be honest – I’ve been finding it difficult to “get into” what I read.  I guess the best way to put it is that I’ve been finding it hard to focus – essentially, I would read a paragraph, a page even, but then a few seconds later, I would have no idea what I just read, so I would go back and re-read.  The result is that it is taking me way longer than usual to finish a book, which is definitely not good considering the number of books on my list that I still need to get to.  Given that I’ve been super busy with both work and school (and family) the past few months especially, I suspect that I might just be burned out from everything I have going on.  Hopefully, as things start to wind down in the next few months and I am finally able to squeeze in some much-needed vacation time to recharge, I will be able to get my reading life back on track.  In the meantime, I will just need to push through the best I can.

 

One of the books I read during this time is Elizabeth Strout’s newest novel Tell Me Everything.  Strout is one of my favorite authors, so I’ve been looking forward to this one for quite some time.  While I did enjoy this one overall, I will admit to having a hard time getting into it for at least the first third of the novel.  I did eventually find my rhythm however, and I’m glad I did, since two of my favorite characters from the Elizabeth Strout universe – Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton -- finally meet and interact in this novel. Since the previous few Strout novels have been about Lucy, I was honestly beginning to miss Olive, so I was delighted to see that she has a significant presence in this novel (she is now 91 years old and living in a center for seniors, but she is the same old Olive – as sharp and loveably acerbic as ever!).  Lucy is introduced to Olive by Bob Burgess (yes, the same Bob from The Burgess Boys) and the two end up meeting frequently to share stories with each other. Given how opposite the two ladies are from each other personality-wise, of course there would be inevitable clashes (actually, after their first interaction, which, let’s just say didn’t go exceptionally well, I thought the two of them meeting would only be a one-time deal) – luckily for me, they continued to meet throughout the rest of the novel, so I got to enjoy their interactions to the end.  Overall though, this story is actually about Bob, the semi-retired lawyer who takes on the case of Matt Beach, a local man accused of killing his own mother.  At the end of the day though, the “mystery” element takes a back seat to the main goal of the story, which is to catch up with this eclectic community of Crosby and Shirley Falls residents as they go about their normal lives. 

 

I don’t want to give too much away (though, honestly, there really is not much to give away in the first place, since Strout’s novels famously focus on character rather than plot so not a whole lot happens anyway), but one thing I will say is that if you’re a Strout fan who has read all of her novels, then this is definitely a must-read, as she brings back pretty much all of the characters from her previous 9 novels (Oprah’s website has a nifty chart that illustrates which characters show up in which novels – the final count is that 23 of the 25 characters from Strout’s universe are in this new novel, which is wild!). 

 

Personally, since I’ve only read the Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton novels, the scenes with the other characters didn’t have as much meaning for me (which is why I rated this 4 stars instead of the 5 stars that I usually give Strout’s books), but that’s okay, as Strout’s writing is as masterful as ever, so this was still a treat to read.  In one of her author interviews, Strout was asked whether she will revisit these characters again – she responded that it’s hard to say, as it depends on whether the opportunity presents itself again (she said she wasn’t intending on writing another novel with these same characters at first, but she realized after her last novel that all the primary characters – Olive, Lucy and William, Bob and Margaret, etc. -- happened to be living in close proximity to each other now, so it just made sense to have them all interact).  Strout mentioned that the next novel she is working on so far has brand new characters, but it’s still in early stages, so we’ll see.  Whatever the case, I know I will definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever Strout decides to come out with next, regardless of which characters are in it!

 

Received ARC from Random House via NetGalley.

Review: Viewfinder (by Jon M. Chu)

My Rating: 4 stars

I’m not usually much of a fan of celebrity memoirs, but Jon M. Chu’s memoir Viewfinder is one that I’ve been looking forward to since it was announced.  Seeing that “Crazy Rich Asians” was (and still is) one of my favorite movies, plus we share a similar background in that we both came from Chinese immigrant families and grew up/lived/went to school/worked in Southern California, I was really interested in learning more about Chu’s journey (outside of what I was able to glean through interviews during the CRA promos) and his experiences breaking into an industry that has traditionally been less than welcoming to Asians.  Much of what Chu talks about in the book resonated with me deeply, especially his struggle reconciling the two sides of his identity – Asian and American – and the various successes as well as failures that contributed to the person he chose to become:  one who learns to embrace both sides of his identity, in both life and work.

Of course, being a fan of CRA, my favorite part of the memoir was the chapter where Chu goes into detail about his experiences making the movie.  Even though I already knew a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff related to the movie (of course I don’t call myself a “fan” for nothing, lol), what I didn’t know was how much the movie reflected Chu’s personal journey as a Chinese American trying to come to terms with his cultural identity.  As such, there were many details that he added from his own life as well as from the lives of his family members that weren’t in the book – as a purist, I’m usually wary about adaptations that stray too far from the book, but in this case, the many personal touches that Chu added to the movie version worked wonderfully  (to the point that – and you won’t hear me say this often – this was one of those extremely rare cases where the movie was actually better than the book).  What I found most interesting in reading this memoir is that many of my favorite scenes from the movie (“favorite” because those scenes resonated with me the most) were actually the ones that Chu added from his personal background:  for example, the scene where the family gathers together to make dumplings (which he based on his own family’s gatherings and dumpling-making lessons led by his late maternal grandmother); the climactic mahjong showdown scene between Rachel and Eleanor (which was especially fun to read about knowing how the game is played and seeing how my understanding of the symbolism behind that scene aligned with Chu’s intention for it); and the kitchen scene where Nick first introduces Rachel to his mother (the significance of that scene is that Chu indirectly pays homage to his family’s restaurant, Chef Chu’s, which has been a Silicon Valley mainstay for more than 50 years – though the bit about the MSG appearance in that scene and both Michelle Yeoh’s as well as Chu’s father’s reaction to it was hilarious).  There were also some CRA “fun facts” that Chu revealed in his memoir that I had no idea about (for example, Chu’s daughter Willow – who was a newborn at the time -- has a “blink-and-you’ll miss it” cameo in the movie, as does CRA author Kevin Kwan’s family).  Reading all this behind-the-scenes stuff made me want to go re-watch the movie again, this time as someone with more “inside knowledge” that will undoubtedly enhance the experience even further for me.

I wanted to close this review with two quotes from Chu’s memoir that resonated most with me, precisely because they reflect my own struggles as an Asian American constantly trying to reconcile the two sides of my cultural identity. 

The first quote is from the chapter about CRA, where Chu talks about the significance of Rachel’s journey in the movie – he refers specifically to the scene on the staircase where Eleanor (played to wonderful effect by one of my longtime idols Michelle Yeoh) tells Rachel (a role which Constance Wu also embodied perfectly): “You will never be enough.”  Chu explains how this one line of dialogue (and the brilliant way Michelle Yeoh delivered it) had the powerful effect of causing all the Asian Americans on set (including himself) to go silent because of how deeply it cuts to the core of the Asian American experience, in a way that those who’ve never had to navigate those two worlds will never understand.  He writes: “Eleanor’s line and Rachel’s reaction expressed what I hadn’t been willing to express before and had rarely seen expressed by anybody else.  When you grow up the way I did – torn between Asia and America, trying to shed what you are, trying to be what you’re not – the world can make you feel worthless.  You’re not Asian enough.  You’re not American enough.  You’re not smart enough.  You’re not talented enough.  If you’re an Asian man, you’re not attractive enough.  And then, louder than all the rest: You don’t belong here.  You hear that one all the time.  Everywhere.”  I cried when I read this part because of how succinctly it expresses my own lifelong identity struggle. 

The second quote comes later in that same chapter, when Chu talks candidly about some of the criticisms that CRA received – specifically the one where people complained that CRA simplified the complexities of the Asian culture and in presenting the insular world of wealthy Asians, it reflected an “outsider’s version of Asian life” and therefore was inauthentic (notably, the movie was slammed in many of the overseas Asian territories that screened it).  Chu explains that the CRA story is about an Asian American going to Asia for the first time and we are seeing the world through her “newcomer” eyes – the movie was not meant to provide a comprehensive view of Asian culture, but rather an “Asia 101” type of glimpse into one aspect of the culture, with the hope that the opportunity to explore the “deeper layers – the true change that comes from broader awareness” can become more accessible in the future.  Hearing this particular complaint gave Chu insight into what his parents went through with their restaurant, which endured similar criticisms throughout its existence.  This prompted Chu to have a heartfelt conversation with his father, of which he writes: “’This is how you grew up,’ my dad told me.  ‘Respecting two worlds because we are of two worlds.  People who aren’t of those two worlds can’t see that’s what we’re trying to resolve.’ To make a life in this country, they had needed to find a way to integrate Asia and America….After so many years of trying to be like Spielberg and Lucas, I came into my own as a filmmaker only once I started trying to be like my parents – when I started thinking of myself as an ambassador, treating my position between two cultures as something to cherish, not something to hide or resent.  They showed me how to tell stories that would open the door for other stories.”

This was an insightful memoir, one that I enjoyed not just because of the resonance from a cultural perspective, but also because of Chu’s unflinching honesty when recounting his successes and failures (whether in life or work).  Chu’s passion, enthusiasm, and love for filmmaking truly shines through in this memoir -- the way he recounted his movie-making experiences as well as his encounters with various famous people (Steven Spielberg, Steve Jobs, etc.) gave me serious “kid in a candy shop” vibes; this, combined with Chu’s self-deprecating humor (which was on full display throughout the book), made his memoir a lot of fun to read.

Received ARC from Random House via NetGalley

 

**Note:  The quotes above are from the final published copy of the book, which I ended up reading instead of the ARC version.  Also, Chu and his co-writer Jeremy McCarthy did an interview with Ariana Grande (hosted by bookstore Book Passage) where they provide additional insights about the memoir and their experience writing it – I would recommend watching that interview if you have access to it, as it definitely enhances the reading experience!

Review: After Annie (by Anna Quindlen)

My Rating:  4.5 stars

This is a beautifully written story about a young wife and mother, Annie Brown, who collapses on the kitchen floor one night and never gets up again.  In the aftermath, her devastated family, swimming in grief, try to cope with the loss of the person who was the center of their universe — her husband Bill is shellshocked and buries himself in his work; her daughter Ali, only 13 years old, yet as the eldest, takes up the responsibility of caring for her 3 younger brothers as well as her father; Ant, at 11 years old, becomes angry and silent; the two youngest boys, Jamie and Benjy, don't understand what is happening and constantly ask when their mommy will be returning from the hospital, only for their questions to go unanswered; and then there's AnneMarie, the best friend since childhood who was dragged back from the brink of her own drug-fueled self-destruction by Annie, and now is in danger of spiraling out of control again after losing the one person who was her anchor and kept her on solid ground.  

The narrative is divided up based on seasons, starting with the winter day when Annie dies, then follows the family through the subsequent spring, summer, and autumn, at the same time alternating between the perspectives of Bill, Ali, and AnneMarie as they are forced to navigate a world without Annie in it.  The story is so sad and heartbreaking — I especially felt for Ali, who had to take up so much on her own while the adults in her life were adrift and didn't pay her much attention.  All the kids, in fact, I felt so much sympathy for that the entire time I was reading, I just wanted to reach out and hug them, comfort them.

The writing here is so moving and heartfelt — Quindlen captures the nuances of ordinary life so perfectly; at the same time, the way she has her characters navigate grief and loss felt so realistic that, at various points, I found I had tears streaming down my face.

I know Quindlen is a prolific author but this is actually the first time I've read any of her books.  It definitely won't be the last time however and with such a huge backlist, I'm glad that there will be plenty of her books to explore in the future.

Received ARC from Random House via NetGalley.

Review: Supercommunicators (by Charles Duhigg)

My Rating:  4 stars

As I've mentioned in previous reviews, books classified under the "self-help" category can be very much a hit or miss for me. This is partly because overall, it already takes me longer to read nonfiction books and with so many books on my TBR, the time pressure can be quite palpable.  More significantly though, when the book contains a "self-help" element, I feel even more pressure to actually "get" something out of the book in order for me to feel like it was worth my while to read.  This last part depends a lot on how the "self-help" element is presented, which could go in either the "yes, this resonates with me" or "no, most of this doesn't apply to me" direction (of course I always hope for the former).  

In this case, Charles Duhigg's newest book Supercommunicators definitely fell into the "resonant" category for me, even though I will admit that I was a tad hesitant about the subject matter at first. I actually decided to pick up this book not because of the subject (believe me, as an introvert with social anxiety who prefers to be alone rather than be around others, reading about how to better communicate is the last thing I want to do, lol), but rather because I had really enjoyed Duhigg's The Power of Habit (which was massively popular when it first came out in 2012) and so was hoping to find more of the same.  While I have to say that this book turned out to be quite different from the habit book in terms of scope and topic, there were some similarities that made it as enjoyable and interesting a read as that one.  First and foremost, I like that the book is written in a straightforward, easy to understand way, with practical, real world examples that felt both realistic and familiar.  I also like how he formatted the book (similarly to his habit book) where he would structure each chapter around a case study and present details that tied the study to the particular concept he was discussing.  Most of all though, I like the journalistic format where it felt at times that I was reading a series of well-written articles (the type of long-form story-like narratives often found in newsmagazines) — of course this is not surprising given that Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter / journalist (and yes, he writes for newsmagazines in addition to newspapers).

For me, one of the things that can be a "deal-breaker" when I read self-help books is the author's tone, which comes across in their style of writing.  Personally, I can't stand self-help books that make me feel like I'm being lectured or talked down to or that subtly imply that I'm missing out if I don't apply the concepts from the book right then and there. I'm the type of person who needs to let concepts and ideas sink in slowly and gradually before I can derive meaning from them, so I'm not keen on books that feel pushy or overly-preachy.  Duhigg writes in a way where his enthusiasm for the subject shines through, but there's also enough neutrality and restraint where it doesn't feel like he's trying to push me toward one direction or another (at least not overtly anyway, lol).  He also writes with a sense of humor, which I always appreciate, especially in nonfiction books.

Even though some of the concepts covered in this book I felt wouldn't necessarily apply to me, there was plenty that I resonated with…and to me surprise, one of the concepts that Duhigg advocated in the book was something I was already doing for years — I guess I was applying "super communicator" techniques without even knowing it!

This is a book that fans of Duhigg's works will undoubtedly enjoy.  Even if you're not a fan though, there's still plenty to enjoy.  If you've read The Power of Habit , the structure of the book will definitely be recognizable (and if you liked that one, most likely this one will appeal as well).  I just found out that Duhigg also wrote a book on productivity and few years after the habit one — I'm definitely interested in checking that book out at some point!

Received ARC from Random House via NetGalley. 

Review: Lucy by the Sea (by Elizabeth Strout)

My Rating:  5 stars

This was a pandemic novel I didn't know I needed!  With Elizabeth Strout being one of my favorite authors, I will pretty much read anything she writes — so of course I was ecstatic to have been approved for an early copy of her latest novel, Lucy by the Sea,which brings back one of my all time favorite Strout characters, Lucy Barton.  This time around, it is the very early stages of the COVID pandemic and Lucy is whisked away to Maine by her ex-husband William, who, as a scientist, knows a thing or two about the situation going on with the virus.  Lucy agrees to go with him to the isolated house by the sea for what they both think will be "only a few weeks" (one of my favorite scenes was early on in the book when Lucy is in her apartment packing her things and trying to decide what to bring for what she anticipates will be a short stay in Maine — the laptop scene was classic "Lucy and William bantering over the most mundane things" and I loved the familiarity of it!).  As the weeks turn into months, the situation escalates, with Lucy and William eventually going into pandemic lockdown as things around the world become more and more dire. 

Just like with the previous Lucy books, we as readers essentially live inside Lucy's head the entire story as she narrates her day-to-day experiences (whether good or bad), observations, and feelings toward everything that happens.  As Strout does brilliantly with each of her novels, she provides keen insights into the human condition through her characters' astute observations and empathetic, heartfelt emotions that reflect the realities of our everyday lives.  One difference this time though, is that many of Lucy's experiences and sentiments hit extremely close to home, given the timeframe spanning recent events such as the pandemic lockdown, the George Floyd murder and subsequent protests, the January 6th insurrection, etc. — resulting in shared feelings of anxiety, fear, unease, and a sense of feeling unmoored in a country becoming more and more divided. 

I read Oh William! last year and while I did enjoy that one, I felt that focus was more on William's story rather than Lucy herself, and in that sense, it felt a little less relatable than the first book My Name is Lucy Barton did.  This new book, Lucy by the Sea, brought the focus back to Lucy, which I definitely appreciated, as it gave me the same poignant, relatable vibe that the original one did, which made me love this one just as much.

Fans of the Lucy Barton series will no doubt love this newest sequel, though it's definitely recommended to read the previous books before this one (except Anything is Possible, which is part of the series but doesn't focus as much on Lucy herself — I still need to read this one myself).  Also, Elizabeth Strout fans who have read her other books will love the Easter eggs scattered throughout the story, especially the appearances by other characters who featured prominently in some of her other works.  This added a "fun" element to the story that helped to balance out some of the "heaviness" of the subject matter for me. While I'm not sure if there will be another Lucy book after this one, I will absolutely read whatever else Strout comes out with in the future!

Received ARC from Random House via NetGalley.

Review: Joan is Okay (by Weike Wang)


My Rating: 5 stars

We're often told that it's hard to write about a book you love and for me, this was absolutely true with this particular book, as there was so much I loved about this one that I'm actually at a loss as to where I should start in my praise of it.   To me, this was one of those rare books where every single aspect of it came together so perfectly – from the thought-provoking story to the wonderfully rendered characters to the sparse yet beautiful writing, to the carefully chosen prose that flowed so smoothly from page to page – to the point that I wanted this book to go on forever.  When I was only a few pages into the story, I already knew that the main protagonist Joan (whose last name is never revealed to us) would be one of those characters who'll make an indelible mark on my heart – and by the end of the story, she did exactly that and then some!   For me, Joan was more than just a favorite character; she was a kindred spirit whose smart, observant, witty voice expressed thoughts and feelings that I resonated deeply with.  Though certain aspects of Joan's background were similar to mine (Chinese daughter of immigrant parents who came to the U.S. in pursuit of the American dream; has a disillusioned older brother whose values are opposite of her own; grew up in a household where she had to straddle two completely different and opposing cultures, etc.), where we actually had the most in common was in our reclusive personalities, which is significant to me because my personality plays a huge role in my life experiences.  This is partly why I related so well to Joan as a character, since so many of her experiences and struggles are ones I'm familiar with myself.  When Joan talks about immersing herself as deeply into the studious part of her schooling (she "went from library to classroom and only returned to the dorm to sleep") as she could to avoid having to socialize or interact with others, or when her boss praises her work ethic, she cringes and tries to change the subject because she hates drawing attention to herself and is uncomfortable receiving praise, or when she has problems communicating with others, whether friends or family, and therefore gets herself into awkward situations – all of these are deja vu experiences that I've struggled with my entire life.  Most of all, Joan's "relationship" with her work hit the hardest for me, as I struggle with the exact same experience of being defined primarily by my work, often to the detriment of other "relationships" as well as to my own well-being (I both laughed and cried at Joan's "reaction" to being forced to take time off from work – I laughed because it was truly hilarious how that situation unfolded, but then thinking about the implications in my own situation was a bit upsetting).   Reading this book was actually a roller coaster ride for me emotionally – at some parts, I would laugh so hard that I nearly fell out of my chair, but then on the next page, something would happen that would be a gut punch to me and I'd feel like crying.

 

One of the things that this book did exceptionally well was breakdown the aspects of Chinese versus American culture in a way that was succinct and accurate (and funny without deliberately trying to be funny), yet still respectful to both cultures.  My favorite scenes were the ones where Joan would have conversations with her mother, whether by phone or face-to-face, and a few words in, the various clashes of culture (east versus west), generation (older vs younger), values (work vs family), etc. would come out in full force – clashes that I was more than familiar with having experienced most of them myself continuously my entire life.  Most of the conversations were short, but yet, there was so much context there, and covering so much ground.  Being an immigrant myself, I'm of course drawn to immigrant stories and having read my fair share of them, I have to say that this book, more than any of the others I've read, comes the closest to relaying what my personal journey as a Chinese woman growing up in an immigrant family in America truly feels like.

 

As I said from the beginning, there was so much I loved about this book that there's no way I would be able to do justice to it with a simple review. In addition to the "immigrant story" aspect (though those of us who read a lot of immigrant stories will quickly find out that this one is technically not the "typical" immigrant story that we are used to reading), this is also a timely story that, in its short 200+ pages, manages to also explore what it is like being a Chinese American female doctor working at a major hospital in New York at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (having followed the news and the course of events in society over the past 18 months, the significance of this portrayal is not lost on me).  This is a book that I highly, highly recommend and yes, I am definitely going to go back and read this author's debut novel, Chemistry.

 

As a concluding thought, I wanted to share an excerpt of one of my favorite passages from the book (this is one of many – looking back, I probably highlighted close to 80% of the book!).  The lead up to this is that Joan is reflecting on an incident earlier on when she let her neighbor Mark talk her into having a party at her New York apartment – a situation that actually she abhors, since she hates parties:

 

My epiphany. Mark was just like Reese [her colleague at the hospital] —well-meaning in some ways, clueless in others. Neither could imagine having wasted another person's time or consuming every square inch of air in a room. Because Room People were full of themselves. They believed their own perspectives reigned supreme. And whereas I was taught to not stick out or aggravate your surroundings, to not cause any trouble and to be a good guest, someone like Mark was brought up with different rules—yes, push back, provoke, assert yourself, some trouble is good, since the rest of us will always go easy on you and, if anything, reward you for just being you....I chose to not text him back or do what I wanted to do, which was call and lay into him until he could finally see where I was coming from.  Expending more energy on him wasn't the answer.  Why try to explain yourself to someone who had no capacity to listen?

 

This was one of many profound passages from the book that I loved because, through Joan's voice, Wang put into words my sentiments exactly when it comes to interacting with people around me.  It wasn't until I read this passage that I realized I've been surrounded by "Room People" most of my life and, like Joan, I've struggled through numerous "why did I let them talk me into this" situations – but it doesn't have to be this way.  Why continue to expend energy on people or situations that do nothing but bring awkwardness/misery/regret?  Instead, I now understand that others may have been brought up with different rules and I don't have to compromise mine in order to conform to theirs. 

 

Received ARC from Random House via NetGalley.

 

 

Review: Oh William! (by Elizabeth Strout)

My Rating:  4 stars

Lucy Barton is back!  This time around, we are reunited with Lucy during the later years of her life, when she is in her sixties.  Her two daughters Chrissy and Becka are both adults now and married with lives of their own, while her ex-husband William (the father of her daughters) has now moved on to marriage number three.  Despite having separated decades ago, Lucy and William continue to be good friends and are always there for each other during all of life's ups and downs.  This is why, when a dramatic change occurs in William's life at the same time that he discovers a long-buried secret about his mother, the first person he thinks of to call is Lucy. Together, they embark on a "journey" of sorts back to his mother's past — throughout which, in true Lucy Barton form, leads to an introspection on life, love, and family (both her own as well as her husband's).

While I loved this one overall, I have to admit that it did not have as huge of an impact on me that My Name is Lucy Barton did (for me, that book was a 5 star read all the way through!).  It's hard to describe exactly — perhaps because there seemed to be more focus this time around on details about other peoples' lives and less on Lucy reflecting about her own life.  Or perhaps the connected stories format from the first book as well as the shorter chapters that gave glimpses into various aspects of Lucy's life just worked better for getting the message across.

Either way though, this was definitely a worthwhile read and I absolutely enjoyed getting to reunite with Lucy, even if it was only for a short while.  Between the Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge books, Elizabeth Strout has definitely solidified her status as one of my favorite authors.  In addition to reading the rest of her backlist, I'm of course also interested in seeing what else Strout may have in store for us down the road.   I will essentially read anything she writes at this point! 

Received ARC from Random House via NetGalley.

Review: Olive, Again (by Elizabeth Strout)

My Rating: 4 stars

In this sequel to the Pulitzer Prize-winning Olive Kitteridge, we once again get to revisit the town of Crosby, Maine and our old friend Olive, who is now entering her sunset years in what is possibly the last decade or so of her life, with new husband Jack in tow. As fierce and brash as ever, Olive is still insufferable at times and continues to be stubborn to a fault, but yet, she also seems more empathetic this go around, which I attribute to the fact that she has come to a somewhat better understanding of herself (ok, perhaps only slightly, haha).  Of course, Olive being Olive, the usual brutal honesty is expected, but she has also learned to be a bit more aware of other people's feelings and in that regard, understands how to let things go a little when circumstances call for it (though still depends on who she is interacting with).  

Structure-wise, we have the same short story format told from the perspective of different characters, nearly all residents of Crosby (with a few returning characters from the first book), but this time, I felt like more of the stories centered on Olive, and even the stories that were about others seemed to incorporate her presence a bit more directly.  For some one like me who is not a huge fan of short stories, this continuity of course worked better for me, since it made this read less like a series of short stories and more like a continuous novel.   One of the things I appreciate most about the sequel compared to the original is that this time around, we get more humorous moments with Olive — not that she deliberately tries to be funny, it's just that seeing the way she would react to certain situations made me chuckle (such as the entire baby shower segment and also her row with Jack about flying first class).

The original Olive Kitteridge was written in 2008, while this sequel Olive, Again was just published last month (October 2019).  To be very honest,  this book doesn't feel like it was written 11 years after the first one — when I picked it up and started reading, the transition between the 2 books was so seamless that I felt like I was merely continuing on from the first book.  Elizabeth Strout's writing continues to be masterful and despite only having read 2 of her books (so far), she can already be counted amongst my list of favorite authors.

Olive is the type of character who will probably never be "endearing" (she herself would never permit it anyway), but she IS a character who, like those in the most beloved of classics, will live forever in the hearts of readers like me who were lucky enough to have made her acquaintance.  I will most certainly miss Olive, but I am also grateful for the amount of time (the span of two books) that I was able to spend with her.

Received ARC from Random House via NetGalley.

Review: The Madonna of the Mountains (by Elise Valmorbida)

 My Rating:  4 stars

This is the third book I’ve read so far this year that takes place in Italy – this time around, the setting is in the mountains and later in the countryside, during a tumultuous time period starting not long after the end of the Great War and spanning through the Second World War.  It is the story of Maria Vittoria, an ordinary woman who grows up in a respectable, devoutly religious family in the Italian mountains and follows her life through marriage, the birth of her children, and later her struggle for her own survival as well as that of her family during the war.  Maria is a fascinating character, but one that I had mixed feelings toward throughout the story.  I admired and respected Maria’s strength of character and conviction, her fortitude and steadfast devotion to her family, protecting them at all costs and through all means possible, and also her ability to take charge during times of crisis -- yet at times, I could not help feeling frustrated at her stubbornness and strict adherence to oppressive rules and traditions during certain critical moments.  I had to constantly remind myself that this was a different time and place – a time of war in a heavily patriarchal society where women had strictly defined roles and the ultimate goal was survival as well as preservation of family and kin.  Given the circumstances and the time period in which she lived, Maria fulfilled the expectations placed upon her and then some – first as daughter and sister, later as wife and mother.  Of course she was by no means perfect -- she had to make so many tough decisions and though my modern sensibilities made it difficult for me to agree with some of the actions she took, I admired her strength and resolve as well as her unrelenting devotion in making the best of what she had for her family.

At 300+ pages, I wouldn’t consider this a particularly long book, yet it covered so much ground in terms of subject matter.  The story itself I felt was at times quiet and subtle, as we got to dive deep into Maria’s innermost thoughts, especially those projected through the words of the Madonna (the statue she kept devotedly by her side throughout her life).  At the same time though, the tumultuous time period against which this story was set – the backdrop of war, political struggle, societal concerns, kinship and family relationships, etc. – also made the story feel epic, a sweeping family saga as the book’s summary states.  The writing was beautiful and incredibly atmospheric in its description of the mountains and the Italian countryside as well as the various scenes of the family’s everyday life (for instance, the section about Amelia’s silkworms and the entire silk-making process).

In general, I like to read across different genres and have made a personal goal for myself to read widely and diversely (which I am happy to report has been going extremely well) – with that said though, historical fiction has a special place in my heart and this book is definitely a worthwhile read in that category.  I don’t know much about the author Elise Valmorbida nor have I read any of her previous works, but after reading this book, I am inclined to change that soon.  I definitely recommend picking this one up and letting yourself be transported by this well-written family saga!

Received ARC from Spiegel & Grau / Random House via NetGalley.

Review: Educated: A Memoir (by Tara Westover)

My Rating:  4.5 stars

Wow, what a story!  This was one of the most fascinating memoirs I've ever read and one of the most well-written ones too!  From the moment I started reading, I was so engaged and drawn into Tara Westover's story that I found it impossible to put this book down – a first for me with a nonfiction book!   Actually, throughout the entire time I was reading, I had to remind myself constantly that this was not a novel, not some fictional coming-of-age tale about a girl who was able to rise above her circumstances and carve out an existence for herself despite everything that happened, because in all honesty, this absolutely read like a novel.   Tara's story is truly amazing and I'm glad she got the chance to tell it-- the way she was able to get an education for the first time at the age of 17, even being able to study at Cambridge and Harvard and eventually earning her PhD, was absolutely inspiring!  I appreciate the raw honesty with which she relayed her story and am impressed by the tremendous strength and courage that it undoubtedly took for her to lay bare her inner conflicts and struggles so vividly for us, also going to great lengths to clarify the details and events that were part of her own memory versus the ones that were not.  As we were exposed to one harrowing incident after another and bore witness to the destructive behavior and actions of Tara's parents – her religious fanatic survivalist father and meek, subservient mother – there were moments where I wanted this story to be a work of fiction because it was so hard to come to terms with all the cruelty and abuse that went on.  It felt surreal at times, witnessing this family's brutality – more specifically the father and one of the brothers --  spurred by an unwavering, cult-like adherence to an ideology that obviously defied logic as well as all common sense yet was embraced so wholeheartedly and unquestioningly.  Tara never once used the word "cult" in her memoir and it is unclear whether she ever thought of her family as such, but the way she described her parents, especially later on with how powerful they became and all the "employees" who not only worked for them but also admired them and adapted their ideology, it is obvious to any outside observer that's what her family eventually became.   In this regard, I can't help but worry for Tara, with the publication of this memoir, what her future will look like, especially knowing that her journey is far from over and she continues to struggle with reconciling the new life she built for herself against the love and loyalty she still has for her family.

And this is the one area – Tara's continued sense of loyalty to her family – that made me struggle with rating this book and, to a certain extent, writing this review.  I absolutely felt for Tara and it was heartbreaking what she went through, but at the same time, it was very difficult for me to reconcile her constant need to still seek validation from her family even after everything that happened.  She acknowledged herself that her parents were abusive, manipulative, maniacal to the point of delusional, and their lifestyle was one that she no longer wanted to be a part of -- her parents, for their part, also made it clear that her refusal to conform and submit to their ideology meant that she was "no longer welcome" in the family and they wanted nothing to do with her anymore either -- yet despite all this, somehow, Tara is still not able to let go.  The part where she talked about writing to her mother every year and basically "begging for approval" to see her was tough to read and in all honesty, frustrated me to no end.  Even though her family outright rejected her time and time again and she already knew it was "pointless" to continue reaching out to her family and making the trip back to her family's compound every year, she still continued to do it – almost as though, despite knowing the impossibility of it, she was hoping for some divine miracle that her family might one day "come around" and change their ways.  While part of me definitely understands the difficulty of cutting ties with family and empathizes with the conflicting emotions that Tara continues to struggle with, another part of me can't help wondering whether someday, she might succumb and everything she worked so hard to achieve – the education and new life -- may be in vain.  I'm pretty sure there will be more to this story in the future and I can only hope that whatever happens, Tara can continue to find her inner peace and happiness.

Overall, this was a tough read, but a powerful one and so very important!  It opened my eyes to so many things and I know Tara's story will continue to stay with me for a long time to come.  Highly recommended and necessary read!!

Received ARC from Random House via NetGalley