Doc: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell

This was a book from the Vine Program. I freely admit that I had no interest in reading
anything remotely "Western" in flavor. I had no interest in John Henry "Doc" Holiday. I
requested this book because it is my opinion that Mary Doria Russell is not capable
of writing anything but a wonderful book. I was not disappointed.

We have all heard of Doc Holiday and the the gun fight at the OK Corral. For many of us,
that is as much as we know. Gun fight, shooting, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday. For many
of us, that has been enough. Who cares really, what a couple of gunslingers did during
one of their less then stellar moments?

Let me say that I care a lot more now than I did before. Doc is a novel. And of course a
certain amount of license was taken with the materiel available. This is not to say that
this is a work of pure fiction. Russell states that much of her research was based on a
biography that was written by a member of Doc's own family. That biographer was privy to
much family information and many letters and stories that another researcher might not
have available. This explains how the character of Doc Holiday and those around him are
so rich and full and real. This also explains why Doc is portrayed as so much more than
previous movies and novels suggested. We are shown a good, and in fact, sickly man who had some
bad times. He lived during a time when law was often taken lightly, when in fact there were
laws or lawmen to be found.

John Henry Holiday was well educated. He came from a good family, and he loved and was
loved. He left them, and the relative comfort of his family home in order to try to
keep his health. He like his mother before him suffered from tuberculosis. He was
a practicing dentist when he left home, and continued with the practice of dentistry
over the years, although it was not his main source of income. Doc will introduce you
to a much different man than the one you think you know. This is a page turner like all of
Russell's books. You will find yourself caring about the characters and wishing them well.
I found myself wondering how it would end, and sorry when it did.

Recommended

And you might want to find yourself more books by this author, once the last page has been read

Galore by Michael Crummey

 

Newfoundland always has a bit of a magical ring to me. When I had the opportunity to read
this for the Vine program, I was intrigued. It takes place in Newfoundland,in a place called
Paradise Deep. It opens with a beached whale being carved into for oil and food by the starving
inhabitants of this fishing community.

As they all worked for their share, and arugued with the man who said he owned that part
of beach, A woman, known as Devine's Widow, cuts into the belly of the poor whale, and out
came a man. He was an albino. He is a central character to the story, and yet, nary a
word passes his lips. Despite this, a more extraordinary man is seldom found.

The story leads us down through the generations of the family of Devine family. Suffice to say
that few men of the family manage to make much of a name for themselves, and certainly no one
is quite like the albino, who came to be known as Judah. The women of the family are another
story altogether. They are a force to be reckoned with, each and every one.

Although we watch as some leave the community for other ports, including the United States. Eventually,some of the men head for Europe. We follow them through good times and bad. We find characters to loveand other that we can barely tolerate, just as we would in any town. I suspect that some of us would notagree on which was which.

An ongoing theme is poverty, and want. Each generation will face it and tragedies of their own. I
was sorry to see the story end, and would not have minded seeing it continue to the present. I felt
that as much as the story offered, I would gladly have accepted more.

Mama Day by Gloria Naylor

This is a story filled with the magic of full rich characters,

most of them strong and loving women. Much of it takes place

on Willow Island, a barrier island off the shores of Georgia and

South Carolina. The residents of Willow Island live a life similar

to that which their ancestors lived a hundred years before. While they

did have modern conveniences, they certainly didn't depend on

them for happiness. Love, family and tradition ruled their day.

Mama day, Abigail, Cocoa, Ruby and more. They all have their own

story, and they tell it, or have it told in rich mellow voices. I

don't know how anyone can read this book and not love Mama Day and Abigail.

And they have within them a magic all their own. A knowing that has been lost

to most over the generations. I have to believe that they are based on

women known by the author, otherwise how did she make them so real? And

if they are not, all the more kudos to their creator.

Cocoa, a younger woman from their family spends most of her time in New

York City, where she lives, works and falls in love. She too, is quite

a force, but often more negative then she should be. We find out in the

story how life changes her.

Through the Triangle

by C.P. Stewart

Science Fiction was one of my early literary loves. When I was young, I devoured it book after book after book. Robert Heinlein was probably the first Sci-Fi writer that I followed. Of his works, Stranger in a Strange Land was and remains my favorite. Valentine Michael Smith, born and raised on Mars was my first literary crush. I have read several compeis of Stranger to tatters, and given several copies as gifts over the years.

Ray Bradbury. I still love Bradbury. The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated man, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Fahrenheit 451, Dandelion Wine. I love all of his books and stories, and have never really accepted him as a Sci Fi writer, he is so much more. I reread Bradbury with the same affection and expectation of delight that I had the first time.

It has been a while since I have found a Sci Fi writer that I have enjoyed. Don't get me wrong, I know that they are out there, but I haven't found one that speaks to me. Meanwhile I have moved on and fallen in love with other writers, different genres.

I confess to having a special place in my heart (and on my shelves) for books and stories about time travel, Atlantis and Lemuria. Then there are the paranormal-like occurrences of the Bermuda Triangle. Very addictive for me.

Recently, it was my pleasure to receive a copy of Through the Triangle from the author C. P. Stewart.
Admittedly, I requested a review copy due to the fact that the author was somewhat local. I was slightly intrigued by the blurb that came along with the offer of the book, but that alone would not have been enough for me.

All too often I am disappointed by the offers of review copeis by new authors. This was not the case here. I have not been as drawn into a Sci Fi novel for a very long time. The characters were full and three dimensional.

The Oblique View, Captained by Mason Bankowski takes us on an adventure the likes of which I have not enjoyed for a very long time, We have aboard this small fishing vessel Jake and Nathan Myers. A broken father and son team where dad is looking for ways to reconnect. There is Juan, wiser than he should be for his years, and an experienced hand to Mason. The enigma of the journey is Manny. There is something about him...

We are offered so much more than the usual fare of the compass spinning or something vanishing without a trace. We are offered a story. An alternative future of our very own country. The descriptions of the electronic wonders alone were fascinating, but along with them we are shown the many faces of human nature. Could something like this actually happen here? I have to ask, why not?

You have to read this one. This author has a lot to offer and I am left hoping for more from him in the not too distant future.

The Last Will of Moira Leahy

by Therese Walsh
Enough. Just light enough. Just dark enough. Just perfectly balanced and just enough.
Maeve and Moira were twin girls who lived with their family on the Penobscot. They lived
with loving parents, an adventuring grandfather and good friends and neighbors.

Like so many twins they shared a special closeness, and even a language between just the
two of them. For years they had all that they needed in just themselves in the security of their
family. Time passes. Things change. A mothers well meaning choices came back to haunt them all. One
day, a boy came into their lives and things changed forever.

The story of how Maeve lived after the changes, and what happened to this loving family..
is entrancing, magical at times and filled with sorrow and loneliness. Just for a while.. and
then as they do, things changed. They changed because Maeve found a strength in her she didn't know she had.
She was prodded by her father to step out, step forward and to live. A wise man, he was. He set both of his daughters free.

Read this book. Highly recommended.

The Day The Falls Stood Still

by Cathy Marie Buchanan


This story takes place in Niagara Falls beginning in 1915. The main character is Bess Heath.
Bess is a warm and gentle young lady who loves her family, and is especially close with her sister Isabel. She is a student at Loretto Academy for young ladies, and has a pleasant and genteel life.

Things begin to fall apart for her family early on in this book. The end of the school year is being celebrated at Loretto, and Bess finds that her father and sister have not come to participate in the festivities.
As the ceremony ends she begins to learn just why and what that is going to mean to her.

Tom Cole is introduced soon after, but is not fully explained immediately. He is a fascinating and important character in this story.

Interspersed between chapters are newspaper stories about the area both at that time, and stories from the past. They are fictional, of course but add a lot to the story.

We follow the effects that progress, grief, war and depression have on Bess' family. Each of the characters is given enough background to round them out and make them three dimensional and believable. I found myself caring what happened to these good people.

When I first read the blurbs for this book, I thought it sounded interesting, and it was. It was however, so much more, in a way that is difficult to explain. Perhaps the fact that the setting is one that is so familiar to so many is part of that. The authors gift for drawing the reader into the story is no doubt another.

Recommended.

Waiting For Columbus

This was an interesting read. Although it was a long and winding road, the journey
was a good one. Columbus. Who would have guessed that Christopher Columbus would ever
be a controversial figure. Columbus discovered America in 1492. Period.

Not so fast~ that may not be the way it happened. But although this book is called
Waiting for Columbus, it is not that Columbus. Or, is it? Well maybe. It might
be Christopher Columbus, pal of Queen Isabella and Captain of the la Callega. But wait,
isn't that the Santa Maria? Well yes it is! Confusing, isn't it?

Waiting for Columbus is a somewhat confusing book. The man who was gor many years honored
for discovering the Americas flipping channels on tv, and using a phone. How can that be?
Ask Zimmerman, whoever he is. What?

What indeed. Fifteenth century, twenty first century, one overlaid by the other.
Intriguing. Who is this Christopher Columbus anyway? That indeed is the question.
We do find out by the way. With the help of the most intriguing Emile, the earnest Dr Balderas,
and the beautiful Consuala who is a little bit in love with...someone.

I am glad I read this book. It is a mystery, a love story and has a form of time travel tossed in
for good measure. Mental time travel, but it is there, to be sure. It is worth getting through the
occasionally slow and redundant story to get to the answer. Most of the story drew me in and
the characters were likable and interesting.

So, Like I said.. three stars, I am glad I read it, and think you will be too.

Second Sight

by George D Shuman

I was drawn into this story immediately. There are many books with psychic characters out there, but I have never
before run into one where the psychic reads the last moments of a persons life, with a touch of her hand. Interesting concept. I liked it.

Sherry was likable, if a little naive. Perhaps that naivete was meant to come from her blindness, but that is one thing that rang a false chord with me. One who had lived the life Sherry Moore lived, should not have been naive. Vulnerable, maybe, but naive didn't feel right. Regardless, she was a good dependable character with a sens of herself.

Her friend Brigham was a darling man who had taken on a father-like role with her. He became a surprisingly powerful man in the end. Something I had not suspected at all. I liked that too.

The author created many compelling and interesting characters. Along with the good and kind folk, there are some reprehensible characters to balance out the story. They all brought out strong feelings, good or bad.

I thought this was a well told story, with an interesting concept. It held my attention, and I did not feel that the ending was predictable. I recommend this one for anyone who likes a good thriller.

A Gate at the Stairs

by Lorrie Moore

This is the story of families. Two families, that are broken in different ways. The book is told in the voice of Tassie Keltjin, the daughter of one of these families.

Tassie is the daughter of a potato farmer. He is successful in his own way, but has a laid back attitude to pretty much everything. Still, he is a man with heart. Her mother is a little on the vague side, and has some problems of her own that keep her from being fully invested in the lives of her two children.

Tassie goes to college, and in her search for a job as a babysitter, she is drawn into the lives of Edward and Sarah who are in process of adopting a baby. But of course, no one is really as they first appear, and so it is with this couple.

Her unusual job description has Tassie meeting birth mothers and giving some weak and inexperienced support to people she doesn't know. She has a personal life too, of course.
And as a young pretty woman, meets a young pretty man and falls enthusiastically into a relationship that eventually affects her position as a babysitter.

This is a sad story, but not a depressing one. It is really a story of life. Growing, learning, loving and guilt of course. There is always guilt. Do not make the mistake of labeling this one as fluff. It is much more than that. It is a good story, well told. The characters are compelling interesting, down to the ones who appear only for a moment. I recommend this for a good solid relaxing read.

Into The Beautiful North

by Luis Alberto Urrea

I read and loved Urrea's book The Hummingbirds Daughter. Because of this I did not hesitate to buy Beautiful North, without a second thought. I was then a little afraid to read it, thinking it might be disappointing to me. I shouldn't have worried.

Nayeli is a young girl from a Mexican village. One day, she realizes that the men in her village have slowly drifted away. They have nearly all gone north, into the United States. Most of them, including her father, have eventually simply disappeared.

Nayeli is from a family of strong positive women. In fact, the small village has several strong woman, and some of the young ones decide to go on a mission. They are going to go north and find men. They want to bring back seven good, strong, brave men to their village. It isn't safe to live in a place with not enough men, they decide.

This is the story of their mission. The people they meet and the way that they themselves grow and change. They learned a lot along the way and found themselves in some very difficult situations. This is about taking the road from childhood to adulthood, and about loyalty strength and family.

Recommended