| Book
Reviews by Lindsey K. Meyer
A Fictional History
of the United States With Huge Chunks Missing
Edited by T Cooper and Adam Mansbach
This collection of stories gleefully turns
history on its ear, beginning with eleven possible alternate
discoveries of America that have nothing to do with Columbus.
From Darin Strauss’ story about the Russian revolution
in America to Thomas O’Malley’s down-to-earth
story of the lunar landing, this is “history”
as you never heard it in school.
Brothers: A Novel
By Da Chen
Two half-brothers are born in China to the
same father but raised in vastly different surroundings.
Tan grows up in luxury, idolizing his military general father,
while Shento, who lives in poverty, vows revenge. The brothers
cross paths throughout the book, even falling in love with
the same woman. Set during the Cultural Revolution and the
rise of the pro-democracy movement, their intertwined stories
finally collide at Tiananmen Square in an explosive finale.
American Cookery
By Laura Kalpakian
This tasty family saga follows Eden Douglass
as she leaves her strict Mormon family to strike out on
her own, finding gastronomic pleasure wherever she goes.
Her adventures take her to England and Belgium before she
finds love and plenty of food in California. Kalapian uses
“snapshot” vignettes throughout the novel to
develop Eden’s story as well as recipes to bring out
the flavors of the book’s distinctive characters.
When Madeline Was
Young
By Jane Hamilton
In this unusual family saga, Aaron Maciver,
his wife, and their children take care of Aaron’s
first wife, Madeline, who has been left with the mental
capacity of a child following a bicycle accident. Son Mac
tells the tale of his parents’ patience and kindness
toward Madeline within the complex relationships of their
extended family, set against the background of the Viet
Nam War. It’s a story about the best of the human
spirit and how love and compassion can transcend disability
and loss.
|
