Review of BROTHERLESS NIGHT by V. V. Ganeshananthan

 4 Stars

The author won the 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction for this book; I certainly understand why.

The novel is set in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. It focuses on 1981 to 1989, the earlier years of the Sri Lankan civil war between the Sinhalese-dominated government and Tamil separatist groups. The narrator is Sashi Kulenthiren, a Tamil, and the only daughter in a family with four sons. When the novel opens, she is sixteen and an aspiring doctor. One brother is killed in anti-Tamil riots and then two others join the militant Tamil Tigers. Once in medical school, Sashi’s friendship with K, a high-ranking member of the Tigers, leads her to become a medic in a Tigers’ field hospital, but she starts to question her role in the war.

I knew little about the Sri Lankan civil war, though I did know that the Tamil Tigers have been designated a terrorist group by several countries, including Canada. The book opens with Sashi addressing this issue; her opening sentence is “I recently sent a letter to a terrorist I used to know” and the first paragraph ends with her admission that she was once “what you would call a terrorist.” Her goal is to tell the story behind that label, to show that terrorists are made, not born. She emphasizes that in war people’s choices are often dictated by outside forces.

The minority Tamils are discriminated against and persecuted under majority Sinhalese rule so the emergence of groups like the Tigers fighting for a separate Tamil homeland is understandable. But then the Tigers, in order to establish their prominence, turn on other militant groups and civilians who for any reason are seen as a threat or disloyal. The killing of a respected teacher because he organized a cricket match between the boys of his school and the army team illustrates the extremism. The novel clearly shows that atrocities are committed by all involved in the war. Sashi embarks on documenting human rights violations committed not just by the Tamil Tigers, but by the Sri Lankan army and the Indian peacekeepers as well.

No side emerges as heroic. What is emphasized is the effects of war on ordinary people and families. Sashi’s family is torn apart, and she loses more than one loved one. As a medic, she sees how civilians suffer; her description of the rape of one young woman is horrific and heart-breaking. By recording the intimate and personal lives of people caught up in the war, the novel emphasizes the impact of war. Including the perspective of women adds to the novel’s effectiveness.

Several times, the narrator directly addresses the reader: “Imagine the places you grew up, the places you studied, places that belonged to your people, burned.” I see these direct pleas as challenging readers to have compassion for those caught in the middle of a war and to look for the truth behind the “official” stories told by the opposing sides of a conflict. Though the book is about the Sri Lankan civil war, the reader will clearly see parallels with what is currently happening in Ukraine and Gaza.

This is a coming-of-age tale, but it’s not just Sashi who learns and matures. The reader learns about the Sri Lankan civil war and is left pondering the answer to Sashi’s final questions: “Whose stories will you believe? For how long will you listen?”

Review of DARK AS NIGHT by Lilja Sigurðardóttir

 3.5 Stars

This is the fourth installment in the Áróra Investigations series. Besides crime investigation, this book has some spy thriller and speculative fiction elements.

As in the previous books, there’s more than one case to investigate. Áróra receives a phone call from a woman who claims her 3-year-old daughter Ester Lóa is the reincarnation of Ísafold, Áróra’s sister who disappeared three years earlier. Ísafold is presumed dead though no body has ever been found, but now Ester Lóa seems to have more information. While Áróra and her boyfriend Daníel set out to check the veracity of Ester Lóa’s claims, Lady Gúgúlú, Daníel’s drag queen tenant, leaves a goodbye note stating she is leaving the country. Daníel questions this sudden leave-taking and becomes convinced something is wrong when three threatening men pay him a visit.

I was once again totally drawn into the book so I found it difficult to put down. I enjoyed encountering Áróra and Daníel who behave consistently. Intelligent and determined but flawed Áróra remains as likeable as before. But I also enjoyed revisiting with other characters like Helena, Sirra, and Bisi from the earlier books and learning what has happened to them in the interim. Lady Gúgúlú is a favourite character and it was interesting to learn about his background which explains something mentioned in previous books that always bothered me.

There is a great deal of suspense that will definitely keep readers turning pages. Lady Gúgúlú is in obvious danger: “He didn’t doubt they would kill him if they got hold of him. . . . His biggest fear, however, was that they might try to torture him first.” Anyone who tries to find him is also in danger. Then there’s the mystery surrounding Ester Lóa: how can she possibly know what she knows? In the end, some mysteries are solved, but a new puzzle emerges.

What impressed me again is the author’s intricate plotting. Alternating points of view are presented (e.g. Áróra, Daníel, Lady Gúgúlú, Helena). This narrative structure creates suspense through dramatic irony: the reader knows where Lady Gúgúlú is, but will friend or foe find him first? I like how one chapter often elaborates on what is learned in the previous chapter.

Some of the James Bond elements bothered me since I find them unrealistic, and though I know it’s a tenet of several religions, I’m not a fan of paranormal elements like transmigration. Nonetheless I tried to be less skeptical and “to go with the flow”. And I admit to liking Lady Gúgúlú’s final comment to Daníel: “’If you believe what your senses consider to be reality is in fact reality then you haven’t understood a word I’ve said to you about the inner life of the atom.’”

This is an enjoyable and quick read. The reader’s interest is maintained throughout, and the short, snappy chapters add to the quick pace.  

Review of DEATH AND OTHER INCONVENIENCES by Lesley Crewe

 4  Stars

Despite what its title might imply, this book is a fun, cozy read.

Margo Sterling is left a widow when her second husband Dick dies suddenly. She is left floundering, especially when she learns that Dick was a real dick and left her homeless and virtually penniless. The appearance of Dick’s ex-wife Carole and daughter Velma who hate Margo adds to Margo’s problems. Fortunately, she has a supportive family: her son Mike and daughter Julia and their partners, her ex-husband Monty, and her sister Eunie and brother Hazen.

This is very much a late-in-life coming-of-age story. Margo, 62, is meek and mild, insecure and indecisive; because of her lack of focus, she comes across as a bit of an airhead. Her sister Eunie knows her sister well. As a child, she had been spoiled by her parents; as an adult “Margo felt things very deeply and was always afraid of making a mistake. She could never make up her mind and people would get impatient with her.” Margo is always touching up her makeup so it’s obvious that “’Makeup is her protection. A mask she hides behind.’”

Though naive, Margo has a heart of gold so it’s understandable why others stand by her side to support her. It’s heart-warming to see her gradually gain confidence and become more independent. She comes to enjoy living alone for the first time, and she stands up for herself.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of. Besides the immediate family, there’s the partners: Julia’s husband Andre, Mike’s girlfriend Olenka, Velma’s girlfriend Joanne, and Monty’s husband Byron. Other relevant characters are Holly, Eunie and Hazen’s lodger; Gerda, Olenka’s mother; Hazel and Posy, Margo’s granddaughters; and Harman, Margo’s best friend. And then there are the animals: Stan and Mr. Magoo and Fred and Ginger and Wilf. Fortunately, each character is distinct in some way so I did not find it difficult to remember who is who. Some of these other characters also grow and change.

There is a lot of humour. Olenka always compares human behaviour to that found among animals so we learn that “’Eighteen percent of first-time [spotted hyena] mothers die when their penis-like genitalia rips open’” and “’[Giraffes’] calves fall six feet to the ground when they’re born. That breaks the umbilical cord and gives them the incentive to take a breath.’” The young granddaughters make unintentionally humourous comments. For example, when Margo stops using a lot of makeup, Hazel asks her, “’Did you lose your crayons?’”

Reading Lesley Crewe’s books has been compared to receiving hugs. I love that description. This is a heart-warming book that touches on relatable events happening to relatable people. My favourite line is from the last page: “’Older females are the world’s most adaptable creatures.’”

Review of A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA by Christina Dodd

 3 Stars

This retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a romantic comedy/mystery.

The narrator is Rosaline Montague, eldest daughter of Romeo and Juliet. In this version, the star-crossed lovers survived their suicide attempt and are now parents to seven children; theirs is a “loud, exuberant, contentious, laughing, singing, loving and passionate family.” Though nineteen years of age, Rosaline is uninterested in marriage and has avoided romantic entanglements, but now she is betrothed to Duke Leir Stephano whose last three wives died under mysterious circumstances.

At the betrothal party, she meets Lysander Marcketti and experiences love at first sight just before stumbling across the body of her husband-to-be who has a dagger in his heart. Suspicion falls on Rosie since everyone knows she was a reluctant bride-to-be, but Prince Escalus tries to protect her. Knowing she will continue to be suspected and may herself be in danger, she hopes to identify the killer. When there are more deaths, revealing the killer(s) becomes even more important.

At times Rosaline reminded me of Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew. She is intelligent, witty, sarcastic, outspoken, and independent. Her parents’ “true and impetuous love” is legendary but she hates poetry and scoffs at romance, and has manipulated her way out of several possible betrothals. With men she doesn’t behave meekly as is expected; even with the prince of Verona, she is sassy. She is Friar Laurence’s apprentice and she has even learned swordplay.

There are several references to Shakespeare. Rosaline even speaks lines similar to her mother’s: “’Lysander, why must you be of the house of Marcketti, and my enemy?’” Romeo and Juliet even attend a play, Two Gentlemen of Verona which Rosaline does not like because “’Silly men don’t interest me.’” Shakespearean phrasing is used but so is modern slang so there are sentences like “’”Anon, good Nurse” was my mother’s line when she was fooling around with Papà.’”

There has been some attempt by the author to have characters remain consistent with their personalities in Shakespeare’s play. The Nurse continues to be talkative and raunchy: “’perhaps a woman is like wine and the longer her cork remains intact, the more intoxicating she becomes.’” Romeo and Juliet are as in love as ever. Though he is 36, women still fall in love with the handsome Romeo, but Juliet is the only woman for him. Rosaline is embarrassed by the passion that still exists between her parents. And interestingly, Romeo remains rash; he tends to lose his temper quickly and engage in fights, though his skill with the sword is unmatched.

The ending suggests this is the first of a series and the author’s note at the end confirms this. I’m not certain I’ll follow the series. I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the book, but it’s really just fluff like most romantic comedies.

Review of GRANITE HARBOR by Peter Nichols

 3 Stars

Alex Brangwen, a Booker-nominated British novelist, is now a police detective in Granite Harbor, a coastal community in Maine. A teenager is brutally murdered and his body left at the Settlement, a local archaeological site where locals work as historic enactors. Fear in the community ramps up when a second teenager disappears. To complicate matters for Alex, his daughter Sophie is friends of both teenagers, and she and another friend fear they may be the next victims as it seems a serial killer is on the prowl.

I listened to an audio version and I think my feelings about the book were influenced by the audio narrator. He used an unidentifiable accent for Alex and had him speak in a monotone that really bothered me. Alex ends up sounding like a stereotypical villain in a bad movie. Actually, the narrator uses a flat, unmodulated voice for the entire novel.

This is supposed to be character-driven crime fiction, but it doesn’t work as such for me. Alex is not a compelling character. Most of the time he doesn’t seem to know what to do and in fact ends up doing very little. He doesn’t know about tracking apps on cellphones? Were it not for the assistance of Isabel and her psychic visions, Alex would get nowhere. Don’t get me started on how the use of paranormal elements is just a cop-out!

The perspective of the killer is included. Though he remains unnamed until late in the book, we learn about his difficult childhood. I appreciated that the villain is not portrayed as totally evil, but his motivation becomes weak. His first killing has a strong personal element, but the more recent attacks are less convincing in terms of motive.

Then a lot of random characters are added to serve as potential suspects. Ah yes, here’s another Settlement enactor. Though considerable background information is given about these secondary characters, I found little to differentiate them in terms of personality. It was difficult to keep track of who was who, though the person who first becomes a suspect is so obviously a red herring as to be laughable. Some of the characters, like the insufferably obnoxious ex-wife and the arrogant FBI agent, are just stereotypes.

There are many scenes which, for lack of a better word, I’d call fillers. They give a lot of information that has little to no relevance to the investigation. It almost seemed like the author needed to make the book longer and so bogged it down with extraneous details. This approach adds to the slow pace but certainly does not add suspense. Only its climactic “will the next victims be rescued in time” scene has any real suspense.

This novel just felt flat. Its plot is unremarkable, though the graphic violence seems to be intended to add a gruesomely creative aspect to the ritualistic killings.  For me, the book just seems scattered and unfocused, its thin plot padded with irrelevant details which serve only to distract.

Review of THE MORTAL AND IMMORTAL LIFE OF THE GIRL FROM MILAN by Domenico Starnone (New Release)

 3.5 Stars

This is a quiet, reflective novel; although it’s a genre I usually enjoy, I sometimes found myself losing interest while reading this book, a translation from Italian.

An elderly man looks back at his youth, beginning with a pivotal event when he is 8 years old in the early 1950s in Naples. He sees a black-haired girl dancing on a balcony across from his and falls in love. An imaginative child, he daydreams about being her hero, fighting duels and even rescuing her from death. Only later does he realize that what he remembers may not truly reflect the reality of what happened to his first love.

I appreciated the novel’s portrayal of the thoughts and emotions of a young boy. It feels so authentic. He longs for a dramatic life and death so romanticizes everything. He dreams of “perishing heroically” but “if I got a scratch or felt pain or saw blood, then life was intolerable, and even worse if accompanied by a few humiliating sniffles and tears.” His infatuation for the girl is not an ordinary infatuation but a life-or-death infatuation. Even in early adulthood, his aspirations are not just about succeeding in life: he aspires to acquire immortality through his writing.

What the book emphasizes is the difference between his romanticized love for the girl and the very real, unconditional love of his grandmother. The girl is beautiful and speaks proper Italian whereas his grandmother is ugly and speaks a rough Neapolitan dialect. He focuses on loving the distant and idealized love object instead of the ever-present, tender and attentive grandmother. He sometimes appreciates what his grandmother does for him but, “To tell the truth, underneath it all, I don’t think I even loved her that much.”

A university exam on glottology, the history of language, forces the protagonist to pay attention to his grandmother’s dialect. He realizes that language constantly changes and can never truly capture what one is trying to express: “marks and signs are constitutionally inadequate, fluctuating merely between what you try to say and pure dismay.” He decides to write “without ever caring about approval, or truth, or lies, or raising issues or sowing the seeds of hope, or how long something might endure, or immortality or any of the rest of it.”

Of course it is not just language that changes. Nothing lasts forever. Eventually, the narrator confronts his childish delusions and prejudices. His grandmother changed from a beautiful young woman to an old, stooped woman, but we are all a “mass of living and decaying matter.” A favourite quotation from the book is the comment, “’We spend half of our life studying the mortal remains of others and the other half creating mortal remains of our own.’”

At 144 pages, this is a short novel but it gets bogged down occasionally with long paragraphs about linguistics. While describing his first-year university studies, the narrator goes on and on about topics such as toponyms, changes in spellings of words, phonetic writing, and “how phonemes are classified.” This book was written in Italian and its intended audience is Italians who have some familiarity with different regional dialects and how they differ from standard Italian. Not being one of those people, my interest waned. What am I to make of this: cchitaratoperméss, eh, mestaifacènnascípazz, taggiocercatadapertútt, macómm, tujescecàsasènzadicereniént, moverímmoquannetòrnanomammepapà, moverímm?

This book contrasts reality and fantasy, familial anomd rantic love, and old age and youth. Much of it resonates. However, the information dumps become tedious.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Review of BLUE LIGHT HOURS by Bruna Dantas Lobato (New Release)

 3.5 Stars

This is a quiet novel about the bond between mother and daughter.

An unnamed young woman is attending a liberal arts college in Vermont as an international student. Her mother remains in northeastern Brazil. In the blue light of their computers, the two communicate, and as absence disrupts their usual routines, they develop new rituals to maintain their bond.

The book examines the immigrant experience. The young woman has to adjust to a new country with a different climate, culture and language. As one would expect, she makes friends mostly with other international students who can understand her feelings of not fitting in and her homesickness and loneliness. Because she is a scholarship student, she doesn’t have the money other students have to return home for periodic visits.

But the book’s focus is on the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship as it inevitably changes because of the distance that separates them and because the daughter’s experiences are so alien to the mother. The daughter, though she often feels isolated and adrift, is grateful for the opportunities she has and wants independence, but at the same time as she enjoys her life, she loves her mother and feels guilty about leaving her alone. The mother’s health issues add to the daughter’s concerns. The mother realizes she has more freedom and fewer responsibilities but loves and misses her daughter very much. She wants her daughter to have opportunities, “to have the ocean,” but has to come to terms with changes in her daughter, including hearing her speak a language she herself doesn’t understand. Both want to maintain a connection while having to find new identities and purposes and learn “how to live alone, and to keep going.”

Three-quarters of the book is from the daughter’s perspective in first person. This section covers her first year in the U.S. Then there’s a shift to the mother’s perspective but her section is in the third person. Though very short, the mother’s chapter covers years. The final chapter entitled “Reunion” takes place five years after the daughter’s leaving for her education. I found the large time jumps to be awkward, and the switch to third person has a distancing effect.

Actually, there’s a feeling of detachment throughout. The style contributes to this because it feels detached and emotionless. There were many times when I wanted more feeling. The plot is also minimalist so parts felt incomplete; not much happens. For instance, the daughter’s life is described vaguely; it’s an impressionistic approach. I understand that the author wanted to focus on theme, but I would have appreciated more depth.

This is not a book for readers wanting lots of action since it describes only the mundane daily activities of the young woman and her mother. I sometimes found the book repetitive and its slow pace frustrating. However, it will appeal to readers interested in a realistic portrayal of a mother and daughter relationship as the two learn to let go and move forward while still maintaining a close bond.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.