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Reviews by Mel F. (Auburn, MA)

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The Last Russian Doll
by Kristen Loesch

Enthralling historical fiction (10/18/2022)

A thoroughly engaging work of historical fiction that blends characters in two different time periods in Russia. In 1991, Rosie (Raisa), who is of Russian heritage, becomes a research assistant to a famous dissident writer, Alexey Ivanov. His "research" involves Russia, so …more

Jackie & Me
by Louis Bayard

Interesting read on Jackie Bouvier (pre Kennedy) (6/23/2022)

A well written and engaging book about the relationship between Kirk LeMoyne "Lem" Billings (the best friend of John F. Kennedy) and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, before she became the iconic First Lady. Bayard writes in the voice of Lem who developed a friendship with Jack …more

Some of It Was Real
by Nan Fischer

A real page turner that you wouldn't predict (3/27/2022)

Sylvie Young is a psychic-medium who uses glitzy performances before packed audiences to demonstrate her abilities. Her success is burgeoning, and she is aiming for stardom.

Thomas Holmes, a reporter for the L.A. times, is determined to write a front-page expose about Sylvie …more

Activities of Daily Living: A Novel
by Lisa Hsiao Chen

Challenging book with some narrative including impressive literary and artistic references (1/19/2022)

In this book, Ms. Chen takes the reader on a thought provoking journey into diverse paths which involve how two different people - one factual and one fictional - use their lives to illustrate the concepts of life and time.

Her main character, Alice, creates a project (term …more used in the book) to immerse herself in the actual performance art of Tehching Hsieh (referred to as the Artist) whose art consists of a series of year long performances where he is the only actor in a series of unusual activities (which I thought bizarre) where he totally disengages himself from any distractions or activities and faces total isolation. His "Cage Piece" involved him building a cage in his apartment outfitted with only a bed and slop bucket. It is devoid of any distractions like TV, radio, etc. and he engages in no activities. His friend provides him with daily sustenance and empties his slop bucket. No conversation is exchanged and his friend takes random photographs of the Artist during this caged period.

Alice is concurrently acting as primary caregiver to her Taiwanese stepfather (referred to as Father) who is sinking into the abyss of dementia.

I found this a very difficult read. When discussing the Artist, Ms. Chen makes extensive references to various famous artists, authors and philosophers who were unfamiliar to me. I decided to research some of these people so that correlations/parallels to the Artist and Alice's experiences would become clearer. However, it increased my confusion, caused frustration and diverted my reading time. My research did garner my interest in these individuals, particularly the Artist himself.

Ms. Chen's writing style was also difficult since there wasn't any fluidity between chapters, characters were randomly included but not thoroughly introduced and she sporadically used different writing styles. There were elements of the novel that were well done like her experiences with her Father since they are relatable to anyone dealing with the aging process. She also exhibited significant knowledge of her references.

This is not a novel that I would intentionally choose. I think it is better suited to readers who are more familiar with art, particularly performance art, or who have an abstract or philosophical persuasion. (less)

Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History
by Lea Ypi

Free-a memoir of growing up in Albania during a changing political landscape and impacts on ideological beliefs (12/5/2021)

This is a compelling novel in which the author recounts her childhood and maturity in Albania in the late 1980s and extending into the late 1990s when there was an extreme change in Albania's political landscape. The regime changed from communism under the leadership of …more politician, Enver Hoxha (referred to as Uncle Enver), to a parliamentary republic. It was during this period that the author experienced an ideological maturity about the concept of freedom.

Her story poignantly begins when she is a young girl clutching a decapitated statue of Stalin because she learned in school that he was the man who changed the world. She runs to this statue to seek refuge from protestors (her father called them hooligans) who are clamoring for freedom and democracy. That is what triggers her to question the concept of freedom. As the author states later in the novel: "That is the day that I lost my childhood innocence." Her family acts and describes their family history in terms of normalcy; however, she later learns they deceived her. The universities they attended were a ruse for prisons/deportation sites, curriculums were a variety of criminal offenses, and a degree of completion was the end of a prison sentence. The ultimate deception was that her family heritage included a Populist Part Prime Minister she detested.

Her teenage years were also tumultuous because Albania's road to democracy required multiple transitions- political, economic, social, and European integration. The environment was chaotic with violent protests, political corruption, pyramid schemes and widespread bankruptcies which sparked the Albanian Civil War of 1997. This period also resulted in significant ideological shifts in her parents and other Albanians.

This book is a beautifully written memoir reflecting not only the author's emotions but the formation of her strong political beliefs. It is well suited to someone knowledgeable in political science or who is interested in nonfiction with historical and philosophical depth. While I was unfamiliar with this topical area, it expanded my perspective on the impacts of changing political conditions on ideological beliefs. At the novel's conclusion, it caused me to contemplate - Is freedom a concept defined in the eye of the beholder? (less)

The Fields: A Novel
by Erin Young

Review of "The Fields" (10/10/2021)

The setting for this novel is the rural state of Iowa with its landscape of prairies, rolling hills and farmland used for corn production, This is an enthralling crime thriller that morphs into a tale that includes multiple murders, past secrets, deceptions, sexual assault, …more

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Book Jacket — Lessons in Chemistry
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