Here are two books I read recently. One is literary fiction by an author I know from previous works. The other is a romance which is clever, humorous, and just fun. The Chief Penguin and I also made our second visit to the botanical garden this week, so I offer a few comments on it and their new sculptures.
WAR’S AFTERMATH: GRITTY, TRAUMATIC, ISOLATING
Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips (my summer list)
Jayne Anne Phillips won the Pulitzer Prize for Night Watch, a post Civil War novel set in West Virginia. The events take place in 1864 and 1874 as various chapters focus on different characters. Principals are 12-year-old ConaLee who ministers to her catatonic mother, Eliza; Dearbhla, their older neighbor and sometime protector; and Night Watch, a partially sighted employee of an insane institution. Earlier chapters depict The Sharpshooter midst the horror and gruesomeness of battle in 1864.
Abused and controlled by Papa, a drifter who moved in them and took over, ConaLee and Eliza are deposited at an insane asylum where they beg shelter. Here, Eliza masquerades as Miss Janet and ConaLee as her maid. Gradually, they adapt and know and become known by Night Watch, Weed, a boy who hangs around, and Dr. Story, head of the asylum.
This graphic complex novel, based in part at a historical institution, deals with poverty, the trauma of war, and loss, the loss of tangible property, the loss of loved ones, and the loss of personal identity. Who am I really? Or if I know my name, what is my role or place in this now war-ravaged world?
Initially, I found this novel challenging. The battle in the wilderness section was especially hard reading and, for me, lacking in enough concrete details. I set the book aside for a few days, and then, re-engaging, found it to be found it rewarding and hopeful. Phillips also wrote Quiet Dell and Lark and Termite, novels I read for book group discussions. Recommended! (~JWFarrington)
MEETING YOUR PERFECT MATCH
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
Romance novels are big sellers these days; it’s a hot genre. Even the once staid New York Times Book Review now has a monthly romance column.
While browsing fiction in one of my favorite independent bookstores, I kept encountering tags protruding from various shelves. Each read something like, “Looking for Romance, try [name of an author.]” Being curious, I followed a few of the leads and ended up near Christina Lauren’s books, an author unknown to me. It turns out Lauren is the pen name of two women, one named Christina and the other Lauren, and they have published several highly praised titles.
The Soulmate Equation is funny and fun. On a whim, statistician Jessica Davis submits a DNA sample to a new firm, GeneticAlly. They claim to find and match you with the best person based on certain of your genetic characteristics. A single parent of 7-year-old Juno, Jess is mainly focused on being a good mother and staying financially solvent. When her test results show she has a 98 percent compatibility match with Dr. River Pena, the company founder, an aloof and arrogant man, she is decidedly not interested. How their story unfolds despite their seemingly disparate personalities and lifestyles is witty, swoon worthy, and heartwarming. This is one for the beach!
GORGEOUS BLOOMS
COASTAL MAINE BOTANICAL GARDENS
Our time in Maine would not be complete without several visits to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. Opened in 2007 and now in its 18th season, the gardens cover 300 acres with some shoreline along Back River. It’s the largest garden complex in New England and a top attraction in Maine. Each year, there are new flowers to see, new areas have been planted, and this year, new signs enhance wayfinding. This week, the dahlias were especially lovely.
The gardens also feature works of sculpture, some on loan and others more permanent installations. Besides the giant wood trolls installed several years ago, two fiddlehead fern metal sculptures adorn one area. These were created by Shane Perley-Dutcher. Perley-Dutcher is a mixed media artist from the First Tobique Nation in New Brunswick. Copper in color, with the metal partly woven like a basket (echoing the work of Wabanaki weavers), these pieces are a great addition. They stick up above the greenery to be viewed from a distance (see header photo) and can be seen up close. You can also sit inside the fern!
Note: All unattributed photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)
