Girl surrounded by stacks of books

More Books for Summer Reading

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Here are notes about two books: one a memoir by their niece about an accomplished pair of Chinese sisters and the other the Elizabeth George mystery I just finished reading. In addition, there are a few more recommended titles.

CHINESE FAMILY MEMOIR

Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden: Two Sisters Separated by China’s Civil War by Zhuqing Li

Author Li (wwnorton.com)

This is a heartfelt family saga of determination, dedication, and resilience.  Sisters Jun and Hong, born into a formerly wealthy Chinese family, end up on opposite sides of the political divide and physically separated by the waters between mainland China and the island of Jinmen (now Quemoy). Their career ambitions (medicine and teaching) and their personal lives are impacted by the civil war and later, the hardships of the Cultural Revolution.  

Through extensive family conversations and research, author Li has crafted a marvelous account of how these two very different women, her aunts, accommodated themselves to their respective political climates, raised children, and still managed to forge a path ahead.  

Li’s perceptive rendering of their different approaches to life provides added depth. I was immersed in this book from the moment I began reading and give it a 5-star rating!  I received an advance copy of this book from BookBrowse. Publication date is later in June.

COMPLEX MURDER MYSTERY

Something to Hide by Elizabeth George

(elizabethgeorgeonline.com)

Elizabeth George’s Lynley mysteries are character studies as much as they are mysteries which, for me, is a large part of their appeal.  Something to Hide has a range of characters from the usual detectives Thomas Lynley, Barbara Havers, and Winston Nkata, to the family and friends of the murder victim and two Nigerian families.  

George has taken on the delicate subject of genital cutting or infibulation which is still practiced in Nigeria and, in this novel, also in London.  How the murder victim, herself a police officer, and one Nigerian family indirectly intersect makes for a complex mix of protest, race, class, and love.  

Not only does the reader experience an abusive marriage in one Nigerian family, but Lynley grapples with the nuances of his love for Daidre and his expectations of her.  Yes, it’s very long, but I found it a most satisfying read.  

MORE RECOMMENDED TITLES

Here are a few titles recommended by my sister-in-law.  I was pleased to see that two of these titles my book group will read this year.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

French Braid by Anne Tyler

Memphis by Tara Stringfellow

Miss Aldridge Regrets by Louise Hare

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper 

Summer Fare: Watching & Reading

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QUIRKY SCOTTISH DETECTIVE

Annika (PBS Passport)

Annika & daughter Morgan (imdb.com)

The Chief Penguin and I were big fans of Unforgotten and Nicola Walker who played one of the two detectives researching cold crime cases.  We were sorry to see that series end and delighted that Walker is starring in a new series.  This one, based in Glasgow, features Walker as Annika, the head of a marine homicide team dealing with drownings and other suspicious deaths.  This season has 6 episodes.  

The first episode gave us pause as Annika talks to the screen and is often quoting from Norse legends or other literature.  In addition to her professional duties, she also has a rebellious 15-year-old daughter.  Between her ragtag team of colleagues and the challenges of parenting, it’s a series that grew on us and by the end of the second episode we were hooked.  

A different Nicola Walker, but, ultimately, an engaging one!  We binge watched all the episodes on PBS Passport, but the series will also be shown on Masterpiece later this year.

ROMANTIC CORNWALL

Four Seasons (Acorn)

Julia & Charles enjoying a seaside picnic (crew-united.com)

This 4-part series made in 2008-2009 is based on several novels by British author Rosamunde Pilcher.  She won world-wide popularity with her family saga, The Shell Seekers, published in 1987.  Many years ago, I read a bunch of her novels.  They were perfect bonbons for summer.  

Julia, divorced wife of Stephen, returns to Endellion, the family estate which will one day become Stephen’s.  Julia and Stephen’s daughter Charlotte died twenty years ago.  Granddaughter Abby, who was raised by Stephen, is keen to learn more about her mother and her death.  Add in the gentle patriarch Alex, Stephen’s warm and more laid-back younger brother Charles, Abby’s slick boyfriend Jamie, and you have the makings of conflict mixed with romance.  

Filmed in Cornwall, the mansion and the scenery are stunning.  The initial pacing is somewhat languorous, the background music heavy, and the dialogue pedestrian.  It picks up in successive episodes as conflicts erupt.  What happens is mostly predictable, but I’ve stayed with it as it’s good enough to keep me on the treadmill.

SUMMER READING

(123rf.com)

Every June, I start to take stock of which books I want to read over the summer and which ones I’ll pack or download for our Maine sojourn.  This group of titles is mostly lighter fare, perfect for lazy afternoons.

MYSTERY

Something to Hide by Elizabeth George

I’m reading this now and it’s the latest Thomas Lynley and Elizabeth Havers mystery.  At more than 600 pages, it’s a tome and not one for reading in bed!

***

NOVELS

The American Fiancée by Eric Dupont

A family saga of the 20th century translated from the French.

The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed

A Booker Prize finalist recommended by my favorite local bookseller, it’s a historical novel about a Somali man in Wales accused of a crime he didn’t commit.  

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

Libraries and librarians are very popular in fiction now.  This historical novel is about a librarian at the American Library in Paris in 1939.

The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray

A historical novel about a real French castle through the years and wars from the 18th century to the 20thcentury.

Vigil Harbor by Julia Glass

The latest novel by one of my favorite authors, this one is set in the future around characters dealing with climate change.  I’ve seen no review or publicity about it, so it’s a gamble.

***

NONFICTION

The Gilded Edge by Catherine Prendergast

A 20th century love story laced with cyanide set in Monterey and San Francisco.

The Women I Think about at Night: Traveling the Paths of My Heroes by Mia Kankimaki

I received this title through a book exchange.  Translated from the Finnish, it’s the account of one woman’s worldwide journey to the places where artists and explorers she admires have lived.

Note: Header photo of book stack ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).

Manhattan: American Art & Fashion

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Winslow Homer:  Crosscurrents (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

We made two visits to the Met Museum this month.  The first was to see the very large and comprehensive exhibit of Winslow Homer’s work.  A New Englander by birth, Homer (1836-1910) lived in Boston and then in 1859 moved to New York.  Although associated rightfully with his portrayals of the sea, his work was much more than that.  He captured returning soldiers from the Civil War, both Black and white, and showed women at work or enjoying a day at the beach.  Added to that are his luminous watercolors depicting scenes from his trips to the Bahamas, Florida, and other islands.  It’s a wonderful exhibit!

Here are a few examples.

Early Morning after a Storm at Sea, 1900-1903
Eagle Head, Manchester Massachusetts, 1870
Old Mill (The Morning Bell), 1871

In America:  An Anthology of Fashion (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

On our second visit, the Chief Penguin re-visited the Homer exhibit and spent time in the Annenberg Wing admiring the simply marvelous collection of Impressionist paintings.  I missed seeing the first part of the Costume Institute’s fashion exhibit for 2021 but decided to tour this year’s part two which is housed in the American Wing.  

I had never spent any time in this section, but it consists of a series of period rooms from the early 19th century to the 1950’s.  For this exhibit, various curators have dressed manikins in fashions related to the rooms’ furnishings from Shaker Retiring Room to Richmond parlor to 20th century ballroom.  This is not as showy exhibit as some of those of previous years, but interesting, nonetheless.  With the right inclination, one could spend a fair bit of time reading all the information about the setting of the room itself and then the fashion-related labels. 

Shaker Woman, early 1800’s
High style in the 1950’s

Note: Header photo is Winslow Homer’s Oranges on a Branch, 1885. Photos by JWFarrington.

Manhattan Moments: Screen, Page & Plate

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DC SOCIAL SCENE ON SCREEN

Georgetown (Amazon Prime)

Elsa and Mot (nytimes.com)

Georgetown, a movie offering from Prime, is inspired by shocking real events.  Mot, an immigrant to the U.S., aspires to grand adventures and a role in the diplomatic world.  Charming and debonair, he meets a grand dame socialite and former journalist, invites her to lunch and flatters her.  When Elsa’s husband dies, he re-establishes contact and then marries her.  She is several decades his senior, but he is not above using her connections to host Washington notables at elegant dinner parties.  

From there, with her smarts, he parlays his way into advising and counseling heads of state and other eminent individuals.  When Elsa dies, the manner of her death raises questions, and Mot’s behavior gets a thorough examination.  

The narrative arc is shallow and the ending predictable but watching Mot maneuver makes for good entertainment.  And the cast includes notables Vanessa Redgrave and Annette Bening.

RISING TO THE TOP IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT

Lessons from the Edge by Marie Yovanovitch

Former ambassador Yovanovitch (theguardian.com)

Foreign Service Officer Yovanovitch gained fame and notoriety when then President Trump fired her from her position as ambassador to Ukraine.  Her testimony during Trump’s first impeachment trial was riveting.  Her memoir is a fascinating account of the political climate after the Cold War and the end of the communist state in the USSR.  Of Russian heritage and an immigrant to the United States herself, Yovanovitch was very interested in serving in Moscow and the former Soviet countries.  

During the 1980’s and early 90’s, the Foreign Service Office was a male bastion; the very few women there were routinely either ignored or discriminated against.  Ms. Yovanovitch details both her professional struggles and her personal insecurities in her climb up the diplomatic ladder.  

I’m about a third of the way into her memoir and find it an informative look at the U.S. diplomatic efforts in Somalia, Moscow, and Ukraine.  She is candid to the point of rawness and does not stint on criticism of herself and some of her superiors, while praising those who listened to her and gave her opportunities.  

ETHIC DINING

One of the pleasures of being in Manhattan is the wide range of ethnic restaurants.  As has been the case for a while, Italian cuisine predominates, but there are good Chinese, Indian, and Turkish restaurants too.  Here are a couple we enjoyed recently.

Wa Jeal

Chicken broccoli and Shrimp with peppers

This Upper East Side Sichuan restaurant interior is light and attractive.  We had lunch here and were delighted with the warm welcome from our waitress and with the clean flavors of the dishes we ordered.  The scallion pan cakes and the Sichuan pork dumplings were excellent.  Sliced chicken with broccoli and the sauteed shrimp and green peppers in a hot pepper sauce were equally delicious.  Pair those offerings with white rice and a Tsing Tao beer, and you have a fortifying meal!  Take out and several delivery options are also available.

Agora Turkish Restaurant

Interior of Agora

We like A La Turka restaurant on 2nd Avenue but decided to venture farther up that avenue to Agora for lunch.  Paintings adorning the walls and Turkish oil lamps on each table give this restaurant a charming Old-World feel.  We liked our waiter and ordered hummus to start followed by chicken shish and lamb adana.  Each entrée was accompanied by rice, onion salad, red cabbage, and tomatoes and green pepper.  

The chicken seemed a bit dry, but the Chief Penguin found the lamb very tasty.  Another place to add to our list of regulars!

Note: Unattributed photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).