Travelling Light

Finished June 23
Travelling Light by Peter Behrens

This collection of stories is grouped into three: Boy's Life, Away, and Coming Home.
The seven stories in the Boy's Life section all involve young people and defining events in their lives, from first loves, to leaving home. The nine stories in Away are all people on the move, away from the place they grew up, coming of age or trying to find their way. The seven stories in Coming Home are all people who have returned, briefly or permanently to their past, a childhood home, the country of their birth, a person they once had a relationship with, and how they fit in, or don't, to that past that may have changed some while they were away. I was struck by the very different feel from one story to another and by the different voices in the stories. Some stories are written in first person, some in third, some flowing easily, some clipped and abrupt. A wide-ranging collection of stories, some of them related to each other in subtle ways. A great collection.

Black Irish

Finished June 22
Black Irish by Stephan Talty

This mystery novel is set in Buffalo, but some of the plot takes place on the Canadian side of the Falls too. Absalom Kearney has come home to Buffalo to look after her father, the legendary cop John Kearney, who is suffering from Alzheimer's. She has become a cop too, one every bit as good as her adoptive father. Kearney adopted her when she was just a toddler and even though she has tried to find out more about the mother who gave her up, she hasn't been able to discover anything except for the neighborhood she lived in, the East Side. She grew up in the County, the bastion of Irish Catholicism in the city. But now something is going on in the County, men are being killed, tortured in horrible ways, and no one is talking. Abby learns of a secret Gaelic Clan, the Clan na Gael, that she thinks is running a parallel investigation to her own and warning people against talking to her. But Abby is smart, quick to make connections, and determined to get to the bottom of things in this case. With a trail leading back to the unrest in Ireland, this case has a deep past and lots of twists and turns. This looks to be the first in a continuing series, and I look forward to seeing more of Abby.

Mount Pleasant

Finished June 22
Mount Pleasant by Don Gillmor

This novel centers around the middle-aged Harry Salter, a non-tenured university professor with a mountain of debt. Harry has been expecting to inherit from his wealthy father, but when his father dies most of the money is gone and Harry gets only $4200. Harry is desperate enough that he can't accept this, and he tries to figure out what happened to the money.
Besides this more revelations await Harry and he begins to realize how disengaged his life is, that his marriage is in trouble and he barely talks to his son. He connects his own situation and his family history with his class at university. This is a story about money and debt and the place we give them in our lives. A story of expectations and entitlement, and the scheming that goes on behind the scenes.

The Sky Beneath My Feet

Finished June 20
The Sky Beneath My Feet by Lisa Samson, read by Rebecca Gallagher

This novel centers around Beth, a pastor's wife. Her husband Rick is the men's pastor at the evangelical megachurch called The Community in Baltimore. Rick didn't seek out this position and it isn't what he wants to be doing. When old friends of the couple who've moved away visit, they surprise them by offering Rick a job as lead pastor at their current church. Rick is about to start a month's sabbatical, and Beth was hoping to use the time to reconnect with him, particularly since a friend from church has offered up a beach house in Florida. But this sudden offer has Rick retreating from everything and everyone into the backyard shed to hope for divine guidance. Beth is frustrated and angry, and she finds herself taking risks and finding herself in new experiences. From a protest rally in Washington DC to the inner city of Baltimore, to a Florida beach in a storm, Beth finds her life taking her in a new direction, but struggles to figure out what she should do. She is   left dealing with issues in the lives of their teenage sons without Rick beside her for support and she isn't sure where to look for help.
This is a story about faith, about looking closer to home for those needing help, and about taking that first step.

Children of the Jacaranda Tree

Finished June 15
Children of the Jacaranda Tree by Sahar Delijani

This is the first novel by Sahar Delijani and draws from her own family history.
Azar and Ismael are taken to Evin prison when Azar is pregnant with their daughter. Neda is born while her mother is in prison. Parisa and her husband were eating dinner with their son Omid when the police came for them. Later, Parisa's sister Leila came for him, finding Omid sitting at the table surrounded by the violence of a search of the apartment. Omid's sister Sara was also born while Parisa was in prison. Their cousin Forugh also came to life with Leila and her parents after her birth. Her parents, Simin and Behrouz, Ismael's younger brother, were also in prison. There are many other children whose parents were imprisoned following the revolution; some were reunited, and other' parents never came out of Evin.
This is a novel not just of those times, the young people who felt betrayed after the revolution and were imprisoned for their passionate and dedicated belief in their country's future, but also of their children. Children who lost those early years with their parents; children who lost one or both parents entirely. Children who knew the truth of their history; children who were protected from the secrets of their parents' youth. Children who grew up in Iran; children whose parents took them out of their country in hopes of a better future. Children who now find themselves either participating in or observing another rebellion against the government. This is a story of Iran, its history, and its people.
I was able to meet Sahar Delijani and learn from her the makings of this story. Her own parents were imprisoned and she drew on the facts of their experiences and the experiences of other relatives and friends, but chose to tell her own story of the inner lives of those imprisoned. This is a story of two generations that love their country passionately, but don't always feel that their country is seen by the rest of the world as they see it.

Gold Digger

Finished June 16
Gold Digger by Frances Fyfield

This book totally grabbed me. I couldn't put it down, but I was scared of what came next. A great psychological thriller.The main character Di, had a rough childhood and ten years ago was the small one who was sent in to houses to burgle and gather valuables. When she went into Thomas Porteous' house, she could sense that she wasn't alone. She was arrested that night, but something else happened too, something pretty bad. When Di is released from jail, she makes her way back to Thomas, finding that they have much more in common than one would think. Like Thomas, Di has an unerring eye for art and she helps Thomas with his art collection and then with making a happy life.
When he dies, his children are ready to move in and get whatever they can, but Thomas had a plan and now Di has a plan, and she is waiting for them. With lots of twists and turns, emotional outbursts and wise analysis, the players take their roles. Great read.

Son of a Gun

Finished June 15
Son of a Gun byAnne de Graaf

This is a children's novel about child soldiers in Africa. The main characters here are a brother and sister, Lucky and Nopi, 8 and 10 respectively as the trouble in their lives begins. Their story is told in alternating voices and for part of the story they are together, but for much of it, they are separated. Their story is in Liberia, but it is representative of many in Africa in recent years.
The author provides a brief introduction, and a lot of factual information at the end of the book, including maps, facts about Liberia and its history, copies of posters and newspaper articles, facts about child soldiers and writings and drawings by these children.
This is a good introduction to the subject, but I would still encourage parents to discuss the book with their child before and after reading.