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: Clock Dance (by Anne Tyler)

 My Rating:  4 stars

This is my first time reading Anne Tyler and it certainly won’t be my last!  I like this author’s style – the way she is able to take everyday, mundane events and turn them into an interesting story, yet still keep the overall tone low-key, subtle, and rooted in reality.    The story is divided into 4 major segments that highlight 4 particular “defining moments” in the life of the main character Willa Drake -- starting in 1967 when she is 11 years old, we get a glimpse of what her childhood was like and how her family environment helped shape the kind of person she would become; then the story jumps to 1977, when Willa is in college and faces a major life decision in the form of a marriage proposal; then it jumps to 20 years later, in 1997, when Willa is faced with yet another life-changing event, widowhood at the young age of 41 and having to figure out how to move forward with her 2 teenage sons; and finally, 2017 when Willa is 61 years old, remarried (to a man whose personality is similar to her first husband in so many ways), retired and contemplating her lot in life when she gets a phone call about her son’s ex-girlfriend and impulsively flies to Baltimore.  Through these vignette-like “observations” into her life at various stages, we get to know Willa on a deeper level and by the end of the book, she has become like a dear friend whom we just finished spending quality time with.  Granted, I didn’t always agree with Willa’s decisions and honestly, at times her passiveness and tolerance for things she shouldn’t have tolerated really frustrated me, but I still liked her as a character and enjoyed being in her company, even if only for a short few days (the amount of time it took me to read the book).  The character development is definitely well-done in here, and not just with Willa but also with the other characters, even some of the ones who only make a brief appearance.  I enjoy reading about characters that are relatable, which many times means that they also have to be realistic and yes, sometimes even “ordinary,” – a character that may not necessarily have much excitement going on in their lives, but yet encounter interesting enough moments where a story like this never once comes across as boring. 

As other reviewers have said, the story here is simple as well as subtle and not much goes on outside of normal, everyday stuff, yet at no point did I feel the story drag.  In the beginning, when I found out this would be a “slice of life” type of story, I was a little worried, as I usually don’t take to these types of stories too well – I prefer a continuous story where I am able to see the main character’s growth and gradual development.  This book was very different from other “slice of life” books I’ve read in that this one went deeper in terms of characterization as well as emotional depth and to me at least, the transitions from one time period to another were seamless.  I’ve heard that Anne Tyler is a masterful writer and I can definitely see why.  I’m sure that the next time I am in the mood for a quiet, yet meaningful read with characters that are relatable and easy to connect with, I will be picking up one of Tyler’s other novels to enjoy!

Received ARC from Knopf Publishing via Penguin First to Read program.

Review: The Lost For Words Bookshop (by Stephanie Butland)

My Rating: 4 stars

What an enjoyable read!  When I first read the summary and found out this story is about a bibliophile and takes place in a bookshop, I was immediately interested in reading it.  I love "books about books" and with this one taking place in a bookshop, I anticipated that there would likely be plenty of references to various literary works.  For me, as a book lover, part of the fun in reading these types of books is being able to recognize the literary references sprinkled throughout the story – of course, this one had plenty of references to books, but what set this apart from other "books about books" for me was the unique way in which some of these references were incorporated into the story:  the main character Loveday Cardew, who works at the Lost for Words Bookshop, has some of her favorite quotes from books she has read tattooed on various parts of her body.  It was interesting to see which quotes Loveday chose and the significance those words had for her. 

Loveday is a wonderfully drawn character – flawed and broken after having endured unspeakable tragedy as a child, she was a loner who didn't like interacting with people and instead, found comfort in the world she created for herself through books and a love of reading cultivated since childhood.  She is quirky, sarcastic, unapologetic, and has a negative outlook on life due to what she endured many years ago, yet it was precisely these traits that made her such a realistic and endearing character.  Having the entire narrative told from Loveday's first person point of view worked really well with this book, as we got the chance to dive deep into her mindset and personality firsthand, which for me, also made it easier to connect with this character on an emotional level.  

The other character I adored in this book was Archie, the owner of the bookshop who was eccentric and charming and larger-than-life in many ways, yet genuinely cared for Loveday and as a mentor as well as father figure, always had her best interests at heart.   I loved the special bond that Archie and Loveday shared – their interactions and the way they bantered back and forth with each other always managed to put a smile on my face (which of course should come as no surprise that I cried real tears over the ending).  The other supporting characters in the story (Nathan, Melodie, Rob, etc.) were also well-drawn – this is definitely a cast of characters that I won't soon forget.

The character of Loveday reminded me of Eleanor in Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine while the bookshop setting, Archie, as well as the events that occur around the bookshop remind me of Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.  Both books were ones I read last year and absolutely adored!  For me, this book was a worthwhile read that went deeper than I expected in terms of exploring important issues such as domestic violence, mental illness, love, resilience, social convention, childhood trauma, etc. yet managed to remain lighthearted and even uplifting.   This is a well-written story, one that can be simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking (and will likely make you shed a few tears or two), but definitely highly recommended!

Received ARC from Thomas Dunne Books / St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

Review: High-Speed Empire: Chinese Expansion and the Future of Southeast Asia (by Will Doig)

 My Rating: 4 stars

I came across this book when I was browsing through NetGalley awhile back ago and when I found out it was about China’s One Belt One Road initiative, I was instantly curious.  Being from Hong Kong, l try to keep a close pulse on current events unfolding in the region and over the past year, one of the most talked about subjects in the city (aside from the raging debates over education, housing, sovereignty, etc.) has been China’s super-ambitious One Belt One Road project and what its impact would be on not just China and HK, but also Southeast Asia as a whole.  Prior to reading this book, I had only a very basic concept of what One Belt One Road was – essentially a high-speed railway from China to various countries in Southeast Asia.  Even though I had read many of the news reports about the project, the information was too scattered, which made it  difficult for me to wrap my mind around the scope and magnitude of the project.  It wasn’t until I read this book that I was truly able to understand what the One Belt One Road project entailed and more importantly, the implications the project has as it relates to China’s ambitions and expansion plans in Asia (and, to some extent, the rest of the world).

This book was amazingly well-written in a way that was engaging and easy to understand.  I appreciate the amount of detail that the author Will Doig used in the book, providing for us not just a simple definition of what One Belt One Road is, but also delves into its background and inception from historical, cultural, financial, political perspectives and beyond.  One of the things I liked most about this book is that it didn’t just look at the project from China’s perspective, but also explored the role of some of the “key players” in the project – specifically Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.  This is a perspective that is rarely brought up in the reports from mainstream media so for me, learning about the relationship these countries have with the project as well as its impact on them was a real eye-opener.  I learned a lot from reading this book and it helped me put a lot of the articles I had read previously into better perspective.  I also appreciate that the author kept the narrative objective, with plenty of examples and factual information, yet relayed in a way that didn’t feel like I was simply reading a news report – definitely no easy feat considering the various perspectives explored here.

For those who are interested in understanding more about China affairs and why the One Belt One Road initiative – however ambitious and superfluous of a project it might seem on the surface – is so important to China and its long-range expansion goals, this book is the perfect read.  It is very short (a little shy of 100 pages) yet is tremendously informative and written in a way that makes the otherwise drab subject matter interesting.  I found this to be a fascinating read that is definitely recommended!

Received ARC from Columbia Global Reports via NetGalley