A-Z Wednesday: Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell

Title: Under This Unbroken Sky
Author: Shandi Mitchell
ISBN: 9780297856580
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson/2009
Pages: 256

Book Blurb

Spring 1938. After nearly two years in prison for the crime of stealing his own grain, Ukrainian immigrant Teodor Mykolayenko is a free man. While he was gone, his wife, Maria; their five children; and his sister, Anna, struggled to survive on the harsh northern Canadian prairie, but now Teodor—a man who has overcome drought, starvation, and Stalin's purges—is determined to make a better life for them. As he tirelessly clears the untamed land, Teodor begins to heal himself and his children. But the family's hopes and newfound happiness are short-lived. Anna's rogue husband, the arrogant and scheming Stefan, unexpectedly returns, stirring up rancor and discord that will end in violence and tragedy.

My views:

Teodor Mykolayenko is a good man. He is a victim of circumstances. It is his brother in law, Stefan, who is solely responsible in destroying him. Teodor's wife wife is a woman of great inner strength and has kept her family intact by that only. Her determination on the face of adversity is admirable. Her eldest son, too is a source of strength for her. One man's greed can stop at nothing. Anna too knows that and yet is somehow compelled to stay with Stefan. Her relationship with the howling coyotes too is very disturbing, very vivid. The family can overcome nature, fire, other adversities but what can it do that comes within from home?

The descriptions of the Canadian prairie and of the rough, desolate farming conditions are as beautiful as they are striking. Each and every character is very well developed despite the complexities. Sophie, Ivan and the younger children are all so endearing. And we also love Anna. And her children. This is a book which is heart-breaking at times yet we are unable to put it down. More so because of the beautiful writing. It is so poetic at places. It also speaks of facing tribulations and/or giving in to it.

The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny

"All of them? Even the children?" The fireplace stuttered and cackled and swallowed his gasp. Slaughtered?"

"Worse."

Title: The Brutal Telling
Author: Louise Penny
ISBN: 9780312377038
Publisher: Minotaur Books/2009
Pages: 372

The opening lines set the mood and tone of this novel. How can one wish not to know more? In the village of Three Pines near Montreal, with no crime ratings, a murder is committed. The body is found in a bistro and antique store. The victim is a total stranger and the motive of the murder is almost impossible to find out. And Chief Inspector Gamache arrives with his team to investigate. Even he is flabbergasted.

The villagers are rather closely knit. The Bistro is owned by Oliver and his gay partner Gabri along with B & B next door. Gamache's investigations lead him to a small hut in the deep woods. Now this hut contains priceless antiques. Who owns it and how has he come about the antiques? When Gamache gets into the bottom of it along with his team, Jean Guy Beauvoir and Isabelle Lacoste, he finds the identity of the victim, , the motive, the weapon and the original place of murder. However, the mystery of the murderer doesn't get to be resolved any time soon.

When Gamache gets into the bottom of it, layer by layer, he is just as astounded as as to find the identity of the killer. Although this is not the nail-biting, seating on the edge of the chair kind of mystery, yet it has that cozy feel to it. We do wish to know more. Chief Inspector Gamache is a likeable character, maybe genial at times but has a keen sense of observation and is a force to reckon with for those who are on the wrong side of the law.

What appealed to me most was the eccentric poet, Ruth. She speaks in riddles, yet she has great understanding and depth. Her presence in the book makes it mystical.

Louise Penny is worth checking out. Thanks to Staci of Life in the thumb, for the ARC. She was kind enough to send it all the way to Delhi!

Also reviewed by:

rhapsodyinbooks
Michelle's Masterful Musings
Kittling Books
Ms. Bookish
Jen's Book Thoughts

Hoodoo Sea by Rolf Hitzer

Title: Hoodoo Sea
Author: Rolf Hitzer
ISBN: 978-1604520262
Publisher: BluewaterPress LLC/2009
Pages: 260

Product Description

The government of the United States of America is on the verge of startling the world. Billions of dollars had been invested in its space program . And now, the moment of truth had arrived… Scott Reed is the man for the historic mission. He is the Wing Commander chosen by the elite brass at NASA. The assignment to test flight the first speed of light craft, held top secret, was about to shock the world. The risk? Utter and complete failure. The reward? Being a part of the greatest human accomplishment ever known to mankind. Major James Harrow, second in command of the four person crew, despised his Wing Commander. Harrow was a proud and patriotic American. What was NASA thinking when they selected a Canadian to pilot the voyage? There was no comparison as to who was the better skilled aviator. This was his time, his moment. Major James Harrow was about to prove to everybody they were wrong to bypass him as Commander. The weather conditions were perfect and lift-off for the test flight was text book. The triumphant cheers from Mission Control in Houston were echoed all the way to Cape Canaveral. The silent fear of the first hurdle of the flight had been succumbed. All systems were go! That is, until the crew and SOLT-X1 entered the Bermuda Triangle…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Bermuda Triangle has many names: the Devil's Triangle, the Limbo of the Lost, the Twilight Zone. Or, Hoodoo Sea.

And here is where SOLT-X1 supposedly gets lost. Its crew members, which consist of Commander Scott Reed, Second-in Command James Harrow, Flight Engineer Captain Deedee Poulson and the flight doctor Captain John Heintz, first observe that their craft is surrounded by a dense fog, instruments go wonky, with flashes of bright light. And when they finally land, they find themselves in the midst of somewhat primitive people and giant-sized wolves with shiny eyes. Only then the adventure of their lives begins.

Each one of them has the same dream but they don't discuss it with each other. They know they have to find a wayout o of it but can't fathom how. They depend on NASA to find them but NASA has completely lost them. It is novel about survival, adventure and has flashes of paranormal elements. None of the characters are weak. Infact no one shows their fear although all are afraid to be stuck in nowhere land. The place they land is known as LAND.

Evil lurks and tries to take over each one of them. And who succumbs to it is to be seen. With a strong Canadian character Scott Reed and his rival Harrow, the arguments are interesting but never go out of hand. Deedee is one calming influence on all of them.

Anyone who wants to read something different, it has the right amount of scifi, adventure, paranormal and characterization. I also liked the natives of LAND, who have their own compulsions to save the place they live. Well, the ending felt a bit odd and abrupt but for a first novel, Hitzer did quite well.

Thanks to Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours for my copy.

A Bird in the House by Margaret Laurence

That house in Manawaka is the one which, more than any other, I carry with me. Known to the rest of the town as "the old Connor place" and to the family as the Brick House, it was plain as the winter turnips in its root cellar, sparsely windowed as some crusader's embattled fortress in a heathen wilderness, its rooms in a perpetual gloom except in the brief height of summer.

Title: A Bird in the House
Author: Margaret Laurence
ISBN: 0771099851
Publisher: M&S/1970
Pages: 191


A Bird in the House can be read both as short story collection or a novel as the short stories are interconnected and yet stand alone. The stories speak of childhood, and girlhood very beautifully, depicting, pathos, wonder and also the joys of growing up.

The protagonist Vanessa MacLeod, is a keen observer and she is attuned to everything that is connected to her. This books speaks of family love, duty and the pain of death too. The conflict too is shown in a very fine way. When Vanessa's father dies suddenly due to flu, she misses him terribly and doesn't know how to cope with her grief. Her relationship with her Grandfather Connor is interesting. He is forceful, dominating yet a steady force. No one expects him to die all of a sudden although he is ninety-four.

With plenty of interesting observations, Vanessa manages to tell us so much about Manakawa. Despite liking the book, I find it hard to review it. Each and every character has a place in the book and are necessary for Vanessa's growing up phase. This book starts when she is 9 years old and finishes when she is around 40 years of age. Vanessa's narration is filled with interesting snippets and beautuful poignant emotions.

Book 1 of The Canadian Book Challenge 3

The Canadian Book Challenge 3

This year too I am joining in The Canadian Book Challenge hosted by John Mutford.This is one of two challenges, I join and try to complete.

I do have few books lined up for it. Out of 13 books to be read, I have those book ready in hand as of now:

1) Claudia's Shadow by Charlotte Vale Allen
2) Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro
3) A Bird in the House by Margaret Laurence...more than halfway through
4) Blasted by Kate Story...read 1/3
5) The Wolf's Head by Peter Unwin....already started
6) Hoodoo Sea by Rolf Hietzer
7) The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny