Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Owl Island by Randy Sue Coburn

Owl Island is a novel set on a made-up island in the San Juan Islands. If you have ever been to these islands, northwest of Seattle, you know how beautiful they are. A ferry ride during the summer to any of the islands might result in views of bald eagles, seals, or maybe even orcas, and on a clear day you will definitely see snow-capped mountains in the distance. Owl Island captures the island lifestyle with the small towns where everyone knows your business and the idea that being on an island intrudes into every aspect of your life.

I enjoyed reading this novel simply for the setting, but the story was also intriguing. Phoebe Allen makes a living making and fixing fishing nets on Owl Island. The author makes what must be tedious work sound fascinating: “But there was a lot about her work that couldn’t be duplicated. Crews counted on the strength of her knots, the precision of her measurements. When a trawl net came back to her torn, she would ponder the damage like a puzzle until she figured out how to make an improvement along with the repair.” (pg 56) The story focuses on Phoebe’s life now and her past life. Phoebe’s mother, Pearl, died when she was relatively young and Phoebe has had a hard time with some of the secrets Pearl kept until the very end of her life. It was around the time that Pearl died that Phoebe became involved with a radio DJ, Whitney Traynor. It is Whit’s move to Owl Island that triggers a number of events in the present.

Phoebe also has a twenty-year-old daughter, Laurienne, who works in high tech in Seattle and only occasionally visits. It is an interesting juxtaposition of the island life and high tech life. Laurienne and Phoebe’s relationship, Phoebe’s relationships with her parents, and their relationships with current lovers are all in the mix. A great summer read especially if you are planning a trip to the San Juans!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Friends, Lovers, Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith

Isabel Dalhousie is the editor of a journal called the Review of Applied Ethics. Her training as a philosopher allows her to ponder professional issues as well as everyday dilemmas. For example, she discusses a paper she has received with her housekeeper: “ ‘I believe he’s serious,’ she said, passing the letter to Grace. ‘An offer of a paper on the ethics of the buffet bar.’” (pg 203) This leads to an interesting discussion about whether it is alright to raid your hotel breakfast bar for later on.

Friends, Lovers, Chocolate is billed as a mystery, but most of the action takes place in Isabel’s head. That’s okay. It is an interesting mystery and a calm, relaxing read. Isabel is quite ethical and spends a lot of time debating what will be her next step. Here she is trying to decide whether to be involved in a rather strange instance. “ ‘But you may recall that I said something about obligation earlier on. One of the consequences of being a philosopher is that you get involved. You ask yourself whether you need to do something and so often the answer comes up yes, you do.’ ” (pg 153) She is speaking to a man who has had a heart transplant and believes he is seeing something that the former owner of the heart saw.

This series is set in Scotland and the city of Edinburgh plays a significant role. Alexander McCall Smith is also the author of the very popular series beginning with the book The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. I recommend Friends, Lovers, Chocolate if you are looking for an interesting, thoughtful read with just a hint of a mystery.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The Sisters Mortland by Sally Beauman

This novel is set in England in the late 1960’s and early 90’s. It is primarily a tale of three sisters, their companions, and a tragedy that occurs in the summer of 1967. From three points-of-view the story is told over three different time periods. Maisie, the youngest sister at thirteen in 1967, introduces us to the complex household in an old convent. Maisie’s life revolves around her sisters, her mom, her grandfather, Dan – a local boy with gypsy blood, Nick – the doctor’s son, and Lucas – a painter living on the grounds.

The second part of the story is told from Dan’s point-of-view. It is the early 90’s and the painting Lucas made of the three sisters has become quite well-known. Dan has always been in love with Finn, the middle sister, and wonders how they ever grew apart. I found the story told from his perspective the most interesting part of the book. An example of the author’s writing from Dan’s perspective when he goes to the gallery to see the famous picture: “Slowly, reluctantly, I raise my eyes to the portrait. I know it so well, yet every time I look at it, it morphs. It will not remain stable; it retains a nasty capacity to alarm, puzzle, perturb, delight, arouse, blind, and illuminate.”

Dan also records the story of that summer allowing the narrative to continue from Julia, the oldest sister. At the end of the book I still had some questions, especially about the younger two sisters, that were left unanswered. Possibly that is meant to be like real life, where you can never really know all you want about a person. This is a hefty book, and a good one to take on a trip. I read a lot of it on the train back to Oregon from the Bay Area.

Monday, July 7, 2008

fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski

This novel is set mainly in Thailand. A young freelance writer is living there with his girlfriend and hears a small part of a story about a woman, Martiya van der Leun, from the United States who is in a Thai jail for murder. He is involved in her life in a relatively insignificant way and then becomes obsessed with finding out how she got there.

The story explores Martiya’s life from her birth to a Dutch father and a Malaysian mother through her death. Her father is a renowned linguist and ends up at Berkeley where Martiya later studies anthropology. Thus, the title of the novel as Martiya goes to Thailand as part of her degree to study the Dyalo of northern Thailand, a seemingly random choice suggested by her advisor. Here is where Martiya is at after living in a Dyalo village for five months: “Martiya arrived in Dan Loi believing that because of her childhood in a Pipikoro village, because she had been a curious and excited traveler, and because of her sensitivities to indigenous people as a student, she would find anthropological fieldwork easy; or if not easy, than compellingly interesting. She was wrong. It was not easy and only intermittently interesting. This discovery was a crushing blow to her ego: her father had warned her in his mild way before leaving that she might not find fieldwork wholly to her liking.”

In order to understand how Martiya goes from fieldwork to jail for murder, the freelance journalist investigates the story of her victim as well. David Walker is also considered a foreigner in Thailand, although he lived there for all but five years of his life. The sojourn of his family from his grandparents as missionaries in China to his days converting Dyalo to Christianity is a significant and interesting part of the novel. And, no less interesting is David Walker’s brief rebellion as a young man and return to the United States where he follows the Grateful Dead for a few years.

The story of the Dyalo is told from outside points-of-view, like in the letters from Martiya to her friend or the stories of David’s parents. Martiya ends up violating a Dyalo tradition having to do with rice planting and is faced with isolation in her village. She turns to her translator from years ago for help, Khun Vinai. Vinai tells her, “I will not live with Rice. Do not bring the anger of Rice into the hut of our children. For I fear Rice, as I fear Lightning, and I fear Death.” I wish there had been more of the story told from the Dyalo point-of-view.

I enjoyed the book and was caught up in the characters’ lives. If I had known it was a story involving missionaries, I might not have read it. I have a hard time with the concept that people living without knowledge of Christianity are fine, but once they are told about it and do not convert are then condemned. This book gave me a slightly different view into the lives of missionaries as well as anthropologists.