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Reviews by Catherine M. (Mankato, MN)

In Praise of Hatred
by Khaled Khalifa

In Praise of Hatred (2/17/2014)

Khaled Khalifa, author of In Praise of Hatred contends—in the book's forward written by Robin Yassin-Kassab—that he does not want us to read his book because he is an oppressed writer; rather, he asks that we read it because we are interested in the story and because we …more

Doing Harm
by Kelly Parsons

Doing Harm (10/30/2013)

I may be a poor judge of Kelly Parson's new novel "Doing Harm" since I am not a routine reader of mysteries/thrillers. Overall I thought the story was entertaining and, because the author is a medical doctor who works in a similar environment, his descriptions of a …more

Last Train to Istanbul
by Ayse Kulin

Last Train to Istanbul (9/4/2013)

Ayse Kulin's engaging and illuminating "Last Train to Istanbul" is, throughout its pages, a story of separation and connection. From a broad perspective, Turkey struggles to remain disengaged from the war raging throughout Europe while England, Germany, and Russia seek to …more

Amy Falls Down
by Jincy Willett

Amy Falls Down (6/19/2013)

Jincy Willett's new book, Amy Falls Down, is an interesting read about a random accident that changes the life of a reclusive author. I must admit that I was challenged by Amy's complex, paradoxical nature: she's cloistered, yet gregarious; fearless in her writing, but …more

The Daughters of Mars
by Thomas Keneally

Daughter of Mars (5/19/2013)

Thomas Keneally's book, "The Daughters of Mars" follows the two Durance—"if you put an 'en' in front of it, you have one of the most flattering of words"—sisters, Sally and Naomi. The people of Macleary, the sisters' rural Australian home district, have a difficult time …more keeping the two straight "since both girls were aloof and looked similar—dark and rather tall." This view of the sisters as interchangeable and indistinguishable is an important theme of the story and begins the opening chapter: "It was said around the valley that the two Durance girls went off, but just one bothered to come back." Which one actually comes back might be unclear to the people of Macleary, but this lack of distinction plays a considerable role at the end of the novel.

Keneally presents several interlocking moral dilemmas for the reader to consider as he contemplates the idea of humans "playing God." First, the sisters struggle with their mother's death from cancer, and their possible role in her demise. Later, Charlie Condon, Sally's friend, suggests that killing a soldier who fights for the same side is sometimes necessary and humane, noting: "Imagine this. Imagine a man who went out on a patrol last night and got somehow stuck out there no-man's land, wounded, thirsty beyond belief, in pain without morphine, hanging on the wire and calling to us in our trench. Calling, 'I'm here!' Calling, 'Help me, cobber!'" (page 421). If they try to rescue this man, Charlie argues, then the enemy will shoot them. But they are intolerant of the man's suffering—in much the same way that Sally and Naomi are intolerant of their mother's—so what are they to do?

The character of Ian Kiernan, a "Friend" (Quaker) and Naomi's fiancé, called a "shirker" by military officials and troops, but a "conscientious objector" by the Friends, serves as the voice of non-violence, of uncertainty about the purpose and rightfulness of war. In much the same way, the nurses of the AIF—daughters of Mars, the Roman god of war and son of Juno, the deity, guardian, and counselor of women—question the morality of healing, of succouring soldiers so that they can return to battle to be re-injured or killed.

This is a remarkable book from which I learned a great deal about conflict and suffering, compassion and sacrifice, from a new perspective. When Keneally's book is published I will recommend it to all my bibliophilic friends. (less)

Accidents of Providence
by Stacia Brown

Accidents of Providence (11/28/2011)

Stacia Brown’s "Accidents of Providence" follows two significant storylines. The main narrative details the life of Rachel Lockyer, an unmarried glove maker who finds herself pregnant at a time in history when all women were marginalized and those unmarried and pregnant …more

That Deadman Dance: A Novel
by Kim Scott

That Deadman Dance Review (11/9/2011)

Although I am quite familiar with the history of western expansion in the United States, "That Deadman Dance" by Kim Scott was my first exposure to the history of early contacts between the British (the horizon people) and the indigenous people of southwestern Australia ( …more

Loose Diamonds: ...and other things I've lost (and found) along the way
by Amy Ephron

Loose Diamonds (8/5/2011)

Loose Diamonds by Amy Ephron was a fun read. Like her sisters, Nora and Delia, she has a way of making just about any situation amusing as well as thought provoking. She does, however, give a great deal of white space to describing her expensive possessions--lost and found …more

Turn of Mind
by Alice LaPlante

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante (4/30/2011)

In her novel, Turn of Mind, Alice LaPlante explores themes of contrition, disintegration, and indebtedness. The story concerns Jennifer White, a retired orthopedic surgeon; her husband, James, who is deceased; her two adult children, Mark and Fiona; and her best friend, …more

My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park
by Cindy Jones

My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park by Cindy Jones (1/28/2011)

If you consider yourself a Janite (i.e., Jane Austen aficionado) and love "Mansfield Park," this book may be of interest to you. Through one of her characters—an English teacher, Omar—Cindy Jones readily acknowledges that “Austen’s work doesn’t adapt well or easily” (p. 37). …more

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Real Americans
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From the author of Goodbye, Vitamin, a novel exploring family, identity, and the shaping of destiny.

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The River Knows Your Name
by Kelly Mustian

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Happy Land
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From the New York Times bestselling author, a novel about a family's secret ties to a vanished American Kingdom.

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Reviews by Catherine M. (Mankato, MN)

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