Every Tom, Dick And Harry

 Eleanor Lipman is the author of the comedic novel called Every Tom, Dick, And Harry. In this story a young adult named Emma is taking over her parent's business so they can retire on the Atlantic coast, several hours away. Her parents helped clear out estates. They sold antiques and valuable pieces of art for a 40% commission. Now this is Emma's job. Plus she moved into their house. Her father was a teacher at the local school. He mentions that another teacher from the same school, a guy named Frank, needs a place to live after his wife died so Emma takes him in too.  Her new boarder turns out to be a super helpful house mate. He cooks. He cleans. He gives good advice.  Frank is great at advertising. Together Emma and Frank are succeeding at estate sales. In the book we learn about the other main characters in town such as the mayor, the chief of police, the chief of police's mother, Franks wife and step-daughters, and the owner of a large estate in a tony neighborhood. This large estate was a bed and breakfast on one level and a brothel on another letter. This book was very funny but slightly unbelievable.

 

 

 

 

Roof Walker

Susan Power is an author living in Saint Paul, Minnesota. A couple of years ago I read her book The Grass Dancer. Now I read another book called Roof Walker. This book is about Native Americans living in Chicago for work because their reservation in North Dakota did not have many opportunities for employment. Many of the stories included native spiritual beliefs. Most of the stories mentioned the conflict between living in Chicago and living the native way. I liked the book because each story had a strong (get it done!) female character.

 

 

 

 

The Red House

 Mark Haddon is the author of the great novel called The Curious Of The Dog In The Night-Time. I loved that book. He also wrote The Red House which I just finished reading and I liked that one too. This book takes place in current time. Two semi-estranged siblings get together for a week at a house in the countryside. The older brother, Richard, a wealthy doctor invites his sister, Angela. Richard is newly married and has a step-daughter. Angela has her husband and her three children. The story is told  by all eight characters. We learn about grudges, resentments, hopes and problems. Plus we learn about the red house and who cooks what for dinner each night. After reading this delightful book I felt like I had been on vacation in the red house too.

 

 

Not Something I Would Do

Today the weather was warm and sunny. This is the third day in a row where we had temperatures over 50 degrees Fahrenheit. As I walked along the shore I saw a group of four seven year old boys standing on the ice next to the shore having the times of their lives. They had sticks and were pushing into the ice but staying within 5 feet of shore. I suppose the danger added to their fun. Their joy made me smile. Walking further along the lake I saw four groups of anglers sitting out on the ice fishing. To the top left you can see sugar loaf bluff. To the right of that are the ice cliffs. Over the past few days the ice has looked darker and darker. They were really far out there. How can they relax in such danger? I circled their locations. This is not something I would do. 

 

 

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle And Flying Club

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle And Flying Club is an historical fiction novel written by Helen Simonson. I have read one other book by her called The Summer Before the War. This book takes place in the fictional town of Hazelbourne which is on the coast. The book starts at Armistice Day (ending of World War One) and for a year after that. Constance is a main character. She grew up on a farm. Her father died when she was young. Her mother recently passed away from the flu. Now she works as a farm manager. Her brother was the sole inheritor of the farm. Constance needs to make money. She has a degree in accounting but employers are expected to save those jobs for men. With the help of her mother's friend, she gets a job helping an older lady recover from the flu. Together they travel to a hotel in Hazelbourne to take in the sea air and recuperate. Another guest at the hotel asks Constance for help. This guest, Poppy, grew up wealthy and she is something of a maverick. She likes to wear pants and to drive motorcycles. As the year progresses Poppy and Candace become close friends. What struck me about this book is the cultural restrictions placed on certain segments of society at that time. Some filling stations would not sell gas to young women on motorcycles. A German waiter at the hotel is discriminated against because of his heritage. He was put in a concentration camp on the Isle of Mann during the war. Even a year after the war has ended certain people in town treat him very badly. I enjoyed this story much more than I thought I would. There was an abundance of drama and intrigue.

 

 

Above The Line

I read Shirley MacLaine's book called Above The Line, My "Wild Oats" Adventure. The story is partly about a movie she made on the Canary Islands with Jessica Lange. The movie was called My Wild Oats. The other part of the book is some stream of consciousness rambling about the lost island of Atlantis. She is a much better actress than author. 

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day