Review of THE FORCING by Paul E. Hardisty

 4 Stars

This dystopian thriller is frightening because it’s believable, given that what is described is already happening to some extent.  Just last month the Doomsday Clock, a symbol that represents the likelihood of a human-made global catastrophe, was moved to 90 seconds to midnight!

Angry at years of denial and inaction to address issues such as climate change which threatened the world, a government of young people has taken control of a unified North America.  All those older than a prescribed age are held responsible for the state of the planet so are punished by having their assets confiscated before they are forcibly relocated to abandoned towns in the southern U.S.  The narrator David, known as Teacher, and his wife May are moved from Calgary to Brownwood, Texas.  There they share an apartment with five other people.  Conditions are harsh in what is really an internment camp, but it’s his witnessing some violent incidents which convince Teacher they must escape. 

There is a split narrative structure.  In the present, David is 78 years old and living in Australia with his family.  He has decided that he must write about his experiences so there is a historical record.  He wants his children and grandchildren to know what happened.  The other part of the narrative is David’s story describing events beginning with his receiving a letter about relocation. 

Conditions on earth are hellish.  David mentions volatile weather patterns, melting icecaps and tundra, droughts, and fires increasing in frequency and intensity.  Islands and coastal cities have been submerged, lakes and rivers have been acidified, agricultural productivity has dropped dramatically, millions of people have been displaced, wars are fought for food, animal species are extinct, and coral reefs have degraded. 

Human responsibility is made clear:  we fill the oceans with plastic waste; we insist on “the continuous cycle of cheap, ever-changing disposable fashion, the permanent upgrade cycle of consumer electronics”; we’ve accumulated debt, thereby burdening future generations, and have done nothing to address economic inequality; “coal-fired power stations and refineries and mines [pump] shit into the atmosphere”; drilling for oil in the ocean has resulted in spills; and forests are cut for profit.  And we do little or nothing to rectify the situation:  “In myriad ways and at an infinite number of junctions, other choices could have been made, and each of those decisions would have ripped out through time and space and across all humanity, and the course of history could have been changed.”

I appreciated the reference to the role of fake news and misinformation.  David mentions people being “manipulated by all of the garbage on the internet and in the media, where any hack or grievant could post whatever rubbish they liked, camouflaging it as official, credible, where everything was exactly the opposite of what it claimed, where every site whose tagline claimed to provide ‘independent objective information’ was guaranteed to be a platform for extremist polemic, where facts and truth were garbled and mashed and cherry-picked to suit agendas.”  The narrator accuses a wealthy industrialist that when some people raised the alarm, he “’bribed governments, financed campaigns designed to cast doubt in the minds of people everywhere, paid celebrities and bogus scientists to confuse the public.’”

The protagonist is a likeable character.  He cares for other people and, like Kwesi and Francoise – two of his housemates, recognizes the need to work together.  He is introspective, wondering whether he could have done more, and living up to his nickname, feels it important to teach the world about the errors made in the past. 

The obvious villain is Derek Argent who epitomizes the worst of humankind.  He is insensitive and arrogant.  Greedy and self-centred, he is willing to manipulate and exploit others. For instance, he willingly takes food from his housemates but doesn’t share what he has.  Even when he purportedly has the interests of others in mind, it is revealed that his motives are always selfish.  His surname, a reference to the metal silver, is perfect because growing his personal wealth is his primary concern.  And he used his money “’to hide the truth by sowing doubt, spreading disinformation, and lies . . . [and] spent millions to make scientific fact look like a debate.’”  The portrayal may not be intentional, but I thought of Donald Trump.

There is tension throughout.  Many people are concerned only with their own survival and will do whatever is necessary to ensure that.  The internment camp has its dangers, but then so does the world outside.   Society has become intolerant so homosexuality is considered a deviancy.  Women are enslaved and treated as breeders.  David and his companions are warned about traveling south:  “’What remains is in control of pirates, miscreants.’” 

Despite the dire state of the planet, there is still hope.  We need to recognize our flaws:  “we lost sight of the natural rhythms of the places around us and began to believe that we were masters of everything we saw and touched, and so we ceased to wonder.”  David’s life in the present suggests that the natural world can recover and people can return to a simpler life more in tune with nature.  And “Every day is an opportunity.”  In the meantime, if we do not act, we are culpable:  “how we decide to use this precious ebb of time is what will determine the fate of the world and of all those we love.”

This is a powerful and thought-provoking story of how our inaction will have devastating implications for future generations who will have to rebuild what we’ve destroyed.  Terrifying in its realism, this is a must-read book.  Anyone not affected by it has not been paying attention to current events.   

Review of THE GREAT SILENCE by Doug Johnstone

 4 Stars

I decided to have another visit with the remarkable Skelf women who operate a funeral home and private investigations business in Edinburgh.

The events described occur a year after The Big Chill.  Dorothy is now in a relationship with Thomas and still housing Abi, a teenager with a turbulent family life.  Jenny has parted from Liam but is still anxious about the whereabouts of her ex-husband Craig who is still a fugitive.  Hannah, in a strong and positive relationship with Indy, graduates and is embarking on a PhD in astrophysics. 

Each of the three becomes involved in investigations.  Dorothy’s dog finds a human foot and, as expected, sets out to find the owner.  Jenny is hired by two adult children to investigate their mother’s caregiver whom they think is scamming her.  A postgraduate student asks Hannah to investigate the authenticity of messages that appear to come from outer space. 

And these are just the beginning.  There is so much going on; for example, there’s a kidnapping, a suicide, unexpected family reunions, a panther attack, and a disinterment.  The pace is perfect, with several surprises.  Suspense ramps up, as more than one of the women ends up in danger. 

For me, much of the interest lies in the women.  They are such authentic personalities, flawed and fragile but with strong, admirable traits.  They are loving, determined, and unstintingly loyal and supportive:  “the Skelfs were the support network, the comfort through all this shit.”  Their compassion is also outstanding; I love how they reach out to help others.  Yet they all possess distinct identities with passions of their own.  Dorothy loves her drums and Hannah is fascinated by science, especially physics. 

The theme could be summarized as connection - the interconnectedness of all things and the human need to connect:  “We are all joined to each other in millions of ways, from the subatomic level to the size of the cosmos” and “’We all need connection in our lives.’”  Near the end, Hannah thinks “about all the other people out there in the universe looking for a connection.”  Even the title, another name for the Fermi paradox, emphasizes this theme.

Anyone looking for a crime fiction that offers more than just a mystery and detective work should certainly pick up this series.  There is family drama, action and suspense, humour, insightful reflections on life, and truly memorable characters. 

I encourage readers to connect with the Skelfs!

Review of MAUREEN by Rachel Joyce (New Release)

 3.5 Stars

This novella is for readers of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy.  The first is about Harold Fry’s journey to see his friend Queenie who is dying, and the second is Queenie’s backstory.  This third book, Maureen, focuses on Harold’s wife.

Ten years after Harold’s pilgrimage, Maureen sets off on her own journey.  After Harold’s encouragement, Maureen decides to drive north to see a garden Queenie had created; it includes a memorial to David, Maureen and Harold’s son who died 30 years earlier.  Like her husband’s before her, her trip becomes a journey of self-discovery.

Prickly and intractable, Maureen is not an immediately likeable person.  In many ways, she is Harold’s foil:  “Maureen was not an easy person.  She knew this.  She was not an easy person to like and she wasn’t good at making friends.”  She tries to control her world by compulsively cleaning.  She is angry and bitter and that comes across in the way she treats people.  She is judgmental and tactless.  For instance, when she has a disagreement with a large woman, she replies “that if the woman ate a better diet, she might not be so unhappy.”  She has closed herself off from the world and people, in essence, closing herself off from living. 

In the course of the novel, the reader gets to understand why she is the way she is.  She was raised to believe that she was someone special and that “the real business of life would begin with Maureen at the center.”  Though she realizes, “she was not so special after all,” a haughtiness remains as demonstrated in her assumption that she will be treated as a special guest when she drops in to see Kate, one of Harold’s friends.  Broken and grieving the loss of her only child, she has no time for anyone else and their problems:  “she did not want to dwell on other people’s sadness” and “there was only so much you could see of another person’s trouble without getting lost yourself.”  Maureen is a broken woman who has become defined by grief.  Disappointed and angry, she lashes out at others.

I love dynamic characters, and Maureen does attain some self-knowledge:  “a person could be trapped in a version of themselves that was from another time, and completely miss the happiness that was staring them in the face.”  She realizes how “She had lived her life as if she was owed something extra because he had been taken away, and other women’s sons had not.”  Circumstances force her to rely on someone else and when she is treated with kindness and compassion, her heart opens and she becomes less self-centred:  others too have “losses that were too terrible to bear.”  She recognizes the importance of being the world’s guest.

One problem I had with the novel is that Maureen’s transformation seems to happen too quickly.  She is an inflexible 72-year-old consumed by grief for 30 years, but a brief journey results in her several epiphanies?  In fact, her change seems to take place overnight.  To be convincing, a character change requires a person be capable of change and be given a credible time span within which to change.

Nonetheless, this novel is a compassionate and thoughtful examination of grief and how it can shape lives.  I was not as charmed as I was with the first of the trilogy, but this is still a worthwhile read.

Note:  I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

Review of WADE IN THE WATER by Nyani Nkrumah

 3.5 Stars

Ella is a preteen Black girl living in segregated Ricksville, Mississippi, in 1982.  Her life is not easy:  in a family of four children, she is the result of her married mother’s infidelity and has the darkest skin colour of anyone in the town.  She is ostracized in the community, neglected and physically abused by her mother, and sexually abused by her stepfather.  Then Katherine St. James, a white woman, rents a house in the black neighbourhood.  A graduate student, she is conducting research for her thesis.  Ella and Katherine become acquainted, but it’s obvious that Katherine, with her upbringing and traumatic personal history, has ulterior motives for befriending Ella.

Ella is a truly engaging character.  She is intelligent and curious.  With a strong belief in God, she remains optimistic regardless of what happens in her life.  Because she is an outcast in both her home and her community, she is desperately looking for love and a sense of belonging.  Fortunately, she has some people in the community like Mr. Macabe, Nate, and Miss Claudia who do support her and serve as a substitute family. 

The book is really Ella’s coming-of-age story.  Her experiences with Katherine result in her losing her innocence.  Desperate for affection, it is understandable that she is drawn to someone who wants to spend time with her.  As a result, she is Katherine’s defender until she gradually realizes that her friendliness is a façade.  She also realizes that she must learn to love herself; Mr. Macabe tells her, “’You have to become proud of who you are.’” 

The novel emphasizes the lasting impact of racism.  Katherine’s father was a Klansman who indoctrinated her into white supremacy.  She has tried to distance herself from him and his views but there are indications that she has not been totally successful.  The scene in Nate’s restaurant is so telling, not to say ironic, especially her reaction:  “’I don’t think he was going to serve me at all.  Can you believe that?’”  Her thesis is purportedly on the impact of the Civil Rights Movement on both Black and white Americans; though she claims she will be balanced in her approach, she actually seems to focus more on the economic impact of the movement on white Southern farmers as if trying to rationalize and justify their actions.  Is her motivation really academic?

This would be a great book for senior high school students.  There is much that they could analyze and discuss.  There are sections that are somewhat didactic, but on the whole the novel deftly examines the complexities of racism and colourism.

Review of STOLEN by Ann-Helén Laestadius (New Release)

 4 Stars

This novel, voted Sweden’s 2021 Book of the Year, has now been translated into English.  It focuses on the Sámi living in northern Sweden. 

When the novel opens in the winter of 2008, Elsa, the daughter of a reindeer herder, is 9 years old when she witnesses the killing of her beloved reindeer Nástegallu by Robert Isaksson.  Because he threatens death if she speaks, she remains silent about his identity.  In the second part, Elsa is 19 and has completed high school.  Reindeer continue to be slaughtered but the police do nothing.  Frustrated with inaction, Elsa speaks to the media but her outspokenness results only in her becoming more of a target for Isaksson so that her life is in danger. 

The Sámi and their way of life are constantly under threat from a number of sources.  Many Swedish people do not value the way of life of its Indigenous Peoples; the government is claiming Sámi lands for mining; and poachers like Isaksson hunt reindeer for sport and to sell the meat on the black market.  In addition, climate change threatens their livelihood. 

As I read, I could not but think of Canada’s First Nations who have also been subjected to systemic racism.  The Sámi are sometimes called Lapps when such a term is considered a slur.  Some people claim that the Sámi collectives steal each other’s reindeer; one man says, “’The Lapps were always going on about how their reindeer were starving, demanding subsidies to feed them.’”  When a temporary ban is placed on snowmobiles in the reindeer pasturage when the cows are pregnant, people complain that the Sámi are unfairly given “extra rights.”  Elsa’s grandmother carries traumatic memories of the nomad school which she was forced to attend.  There is also a high suicide rate amongst the Sámi.

The police do nothing about the many reports of reindeer killings.  Legally, the killing of reindeer is considered theft/property damage and so not a priority.  A policeman argues, “’Reindeer are on par with domesticated animals like dogs or sheep, so it’s not a matter of poaching.  Moose, however-‘”  But reindeer are central to Sámi life, an integral part of their culture and identity, so attacks against them are perceived as attacks against the community.  Elsa explains, “’But to us, it’s not a theft.  It’s murder, it’s a deliberate killing.’”  The Sámi attitude towards reindeer is eloquently expressed in the words whispered into a calf’s ear:  “’I do not own you, you belong to yourself.  You are only mine on loan.’” 

The development of Elsa’s character is exceptional.  We see her as a young girl and also as a young woman.  As a child she is fearful, but she grows into a fighter – a feisty, determined and brave woman who wants justice for herself and her people and their way of life.  Elsa also challenges Sámi patriarchal society with strict gender roles:  “there was no chance that the girl in the family would take over her father’s reindeer lands or become head-of-household.”   But “’what Elsa wanted was the prescribed male role.  Entirely by herself.’” 

Elsa is not the only character developed.  The point of view of other secondary characters connected to Elsa is also included.  The perspectives of Elsa’s neighbour Hanna and Elsa’s brother Mattias draw attention to the plight of young men.  Hanna believes that “Boys can manage” and don’t require emotional support, but Mattias’s thoughts suggest that this belief is false, the latter being confirmed by an article I read:  “Certain subgroups of the Saami – male reindeer herders, for example – are at greater risk of depression and alcoholism than their Saami peers” (https://deeply.thenewhumanitarian.org/arctic/articles/2017/08/15/introducing-a-saami-centered-solution-to-substance-abuse).

I also appreciated that there is an attempt to humanize the villain, Robert Isaksson.  We learn about his background.  His being abandoned by a parent resulted in an upbringing void of kindness so his behaviour as an adult, though inexcusable, is understandable. 

The book touches on some heavy topics:  systemic racism, intergenerational trauma, graphic descriptions of animal torture, and mental health.  There is little humour, though I smiled at Elsa’s comment as a young girl:  hearing about her parents’ wedding, she “was grumpy that Mom couldn’t have waited for her [to be born]” so she could have attended the party. 

The novel begins slowly but tension does ramp up as the danger to Elsa increases.  What I most enjoyed is learning about Sámi culture.  I found myself going online to learn more and to see photos of the clothing and to listen to a joik.  And I learned that the Sámi count eight seasons of the year, each closely linked to the reindeer's natural migration and the reindeer owner's tasks during a year.

Read this book and then watch the Netflix film adaptation when it is released in 2024.

Note:  I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

Review of THE INK BLACK HEART by Robert Galbraith

3 Stars 

This is the sixth book in the Strike Cormoran/Robin Ellacott series.

A troubled young woman, Edie Ledwell, comes to the agency, but Robin sends her elsewhere because they have too many cases and don’t specialize in cybercrime.  Shortly afterwards Edie, the co-creator of a highly successful YouTube animation series, is found murdered.  The main suspect is Anomie, the co-creator of a computer game based on the animation, who has been spewing online hate directed at Edie after her dismissal of the fan-generated game and the sale of the series to Netflix.  Cormoran and Robin are hired to discover Anomie’s identity and determine if he/she is the murderer.

The book is over 1,000 pages so it is not a quick read.  Entire chapters are devoted to gamer online chats, usually more than one occurring simultaneously.  Many characters have both real-world names and online names so it becomes difficult to keep track and remember who is who.  There’s often a case of information overload:  too much information about too many people.  There is not a lot of action or suspense.  Suspects are put under surveillance and interviews are conducted.  Robin spends a lot of time online playing the game as a means of getting information. 

My problems with the novel are the same I had with the previous two books in the series:  “This is a lengthy book with lots of twists and turns and red herrings.  The plot is so complex with so many details that the reader will be at a loss to tie together all the information into a coherent whole” and “There are some predictable elements.  . . .  the women with whom Strike has liaisons cause problems for Strike and confusion for Robin.  And there are the inevitable conversations where Strike and Robin talk at cross purposes and fail to understand each other.”

The see-saw trajectory of the relationship between the protagonists is becoming repetitive and tiresome.  Strike becomes involved with yet another woman who is obviously a stand-in for Robin, the woman he really wants.  Robin, not understanding the situation, then thinks about connecting with another man.  This book does not really advance the romance.

The novel does touch on some serious issues:  toxic fandom, misogyny in gaming, and right-wing extremism.  But it’s much too long.  Some judicious editing would have been helpful.

Review of THE MUSIC OF BEES by Eileen Garvin

 3.5 Stars

This is a charming but predictable story, set in Hood River, Oregon, about three lonely people, each struggling with loss and fears.

Alice Holtzman, 44, is a hobbyist apiarist who wants to be an orchardist but works for the county’s planning department.  Grieving the death of her husband, she seeks solace in looking after her bees.  18-year-old Jake Stevenson is a paraplegic, trying to figure out his life now that he is confined to a wheelchair.  Harry Stokes, 24, lives with a great-uncle in a dilapidated trailer.  His criminal record because of a stupid decision holds him back, as does his debilitating social anxiety.  The three are brought together and, as expected, a bond forms and they are able to overcome fears and sorrow and work towards fulfilling new dreams.

Though of different ages, the three share similarities.  They have all been damaged physically and/or emotionally.  Each is a loner, though sometimes more by choice.  Life has not worked out as they hoped so they feel adrift and lack a sense of belonging and stability.  By the end of the novel, all have experienced some personal growth:  overcome fears, move away from self-imposed isolation, and start over with new dreams to pursue. 

Included in the narrative is social and political commentary.  Pesticide usage is criticized because of its role in the decimation of bees that are crucial in pollination.  The plight of Mexican migrant workers and immigrants is briefly addressed.  In addition, each chapter begins with information about bees in the form of quotations from the writing of L. L. Langstroth, an apiarist often considered the father of American beekeeping.

The book also explores families.  The message is that chosen families, formed outside traditional family structures, can sometimes be more nurturing and supportive.  Jake’s biological father, for instance, provides no encouragement to his son.  It is the bond formed by the trio that helps all of them to find the courage to move on. 

This book is a comfortable, comforting read.  I knew from the beginning that the three would prevail over obstacles, none of which are life-threatening.  Solutions are obvious.  In their working together for the good of the whole, the bees serve as a metaphor for what the three need to do:  rely on each other and work together.  Sometimes problems are solved rather easily.  Just as Alice’s financial concerns are removed, Harry has no worries about the $500 he needs.   Secondary characters appear at convenient times to take care of issues.  The happy ending is predictable. 

This is not a bad novel; it’s just a lighter read than my normal fare.  I prefer something more substantial, but anyone wanting a good lighthearted read will enjoy it.