TSS: Completion of Southern Reading Challenge Three!

As most of us are aware, Maggie of Maggie reads is hosting Southern Reading Challenge 3 from May 15th to August 15th. One has to finish three books.

This is one of the two challenges I join and try to complete. This year I finished the challenge much ahead of schedule.

I read the following books. Just click on the title to read my reviews.

1) A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

2) Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

3) Mirror Blue by Thomma Lyn Grindstaff

4) Angel's Advocate by Mary Stanton

5) The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson

6) The Texicans by Nina Vida

I had started The Known World by Edward P. Jones but just couldn't concentrate on it. Hope to finish it soon though.

The Texicans by Nina Vida

Oscar Ruiz, born in Mexico, came to Texas when he was fourteen.

Title: The Texicans
Author: Nina Vida
ISBN: 9781569474778
Publisher: Soho Press/2006
Pages: 296

What led you to pick up this book?

The Author, Nina Vida contacted me and asked me if I would like to read and review The Texicans. When I said yes, she sent a copy to me. I am very glad I said yes!

Plot summary:

The novel is based Texas in 1843 and spans 12 years. Joseph Kimmel's brother dies in Texas. Joseph, A Polish-Jewish school teacher, has to go there to settle the financial issues of his brother. On his way to Texas, he marries the orphaned Katrin to save her from an Indian chief. Although he does not want to, he ends up with two slaves and also Aurelia, a Mexican woman who is supposed to be a witch. He becomes obssessed with her. He becomes a very rich rancher with the help of the two runaway slaves, and also with the help of Comanches, Tonkaways, and Vacqueros.

What did you like most about the book?

First of all I liked Aurelia, who is supposed to be a witch. She has some healing powers and it is assumed she can cure many diseases. Joseph is a rightous man, who believes in the equality of men and woman irrespective of colour of the skin. He has no plans of marrying anyone but still he marries Katrin to rescue her from an Indian chief. I also liked the narration. My interest didn't waver and I finished it at one go.

What did you think of the writing style?

Nina Vida does know how to keep her readers interested. Her writing style totally takes one in. It might be fiction but depicts that period very well.

Which of your readers are most likely to enjoy this book? Why?

Those who like Historicals and also wish to read about colonisation will like this book. With strong characters and the undaunted human spirit being intact, this ought to interest those who like good reading.

What did you think of the main character?

Joseph is a good man. He knows what he has to do. Aurelia is no witch. She can cure people but thats about it. Katrin, emerges to be a strong woman. She knows Joseph doesn't love her yet her world surrounds around him. She has good business acumen too.

What is the central character’s biggest problem?

Joseph is obssessed with Aurelia and he neglects Katrin for her. To give her credit, Aurelia does not encourage Joseph.

How do you think he feels?

Joseph feels torn between his duty and obssession.

What effect do the people in the book have on one another?

Joseph loves the so called slaves. When Xenophobic rangers destroy everything, he has to hunt them down to take revenge.

What did you think of the ending?

It has a befitting ending. Nina Vida does not gloss over it. She has been very rational about it. It is a book about initial colonisation. Joseph cares for the people. He may have acquired land and built a town, but he knows that people need schools, hospitals, markets and builds those for them. He has a sense of justice and is a good man. Despite his obssession for Aurelia.

The novel speaks of trials and tribulations of men and women and emerging from the shadows and how to become a part of the mainstream. Yes, I am going to check out more books by Nina Vida! One of my friends swears by her books.

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson

"Until the drowned girl came to Laurel's bedroom, ghosts had never walked in Victorianna."

Title: The Girl Who Stopped Swimming
Author: Joshilyn Jackson
ISBN: 9780446697828
Publisher: Grand Central/2008
Pages: 308

This is one of those novels which totally takes you in from the first line. With magical realism along with a murder mystery it has all those elements which sustains the interest till the end. The ghost part of it felt more like vision to me, which works well too.

Laurel is happy enough in Victorianna, Florida along with her daughter Shelby and husband David, who is into developing codes for PC games. Laurel too is into quilting which gets her good money. One August night she finds Molly, her daughter's best friend, standing beside her bed, who leads her to the swimming pool. Molly is floating lifeless in there and no amount of revival works. Laurel's main concern are her daughter and another girl Bet, she has almost adopted from a lower strata neighbourhood.

Laurel needs her sister Thalia, with whom she had not spoken for two years. Now Laurel and Thalia have a past, which threatens to spill over the Hawthorne household. Laurel's perfect life goes haywire and she doesn't know what to do. Shelby and Bet too have a secret about Molly which they aren't willing to share. Molly's death is closed as accidental but Laurel knows it is a murder. In the midst of all this, there is supposedly a pedophile roaming about. And he is a suspect in Laurel's eyes. In their journey towards unravelling the truth, Laurel has to face a lot of unpleasantness and the explosive ending leaves us shattered.

Whatever differences Laurel and Thalia have, it doesn't affect their strong bonding. Laurel knows Thalia would stand by her always. David is not too fond of Thalia but he too realises that Thalia can go to any length to keep Laurel and Shelby safe. The ghost part too works well and as a mystery it manages to keep that alive too. With beautiful prose, it was a pleasure to read it. Thanks Joshilyn, for sending me a copy!

Angel's Advocate by Mary Stanton

Title: Angel's Advocate
Author: Mary Stanton
ISBN: 9780425228753
Publisher: Berkeley Prime Crime/2009
Pages: 292

It is what is called paranormal cozy mystery. I had liked the premise and asked for it from the author and she was kind enough to send it to me.

Bree is trying to make both ends meet in order to run the law firm Beaufort and Company. As she takes up cases for those who are already dead, there isn't any cash flow. So she takes up the case of a spoilt rich girl who has snatched mioney from a girl scout selling cookies. Everyone is outraged by it and Bree knows her name is going to be mud.

Then she is confronted by the ghost of that millionaire who needs her help to clear his name. According to him, he did not commit suicide but was murdered. Now Bree is doubly determined to find out the secrets carefully hidden by all. Lindsay is made out to be the troublesome teenager with no love lost for her. She is disliked by her family and friends. Bree thinks everyone needs a second chance and so does Lindsay.

With spirits as her aids, she goes about her work, digging into the deeply buried secrets in order to save Lindsay and her dad's from burning in hell for eternity. Bree is fair and she knows what to do even when confronted by spooky ghosts. Angel's Advocate is a breezy read. Comfortable and with a good ending. For that inbetween read, it works very well.

Mirror Blue by Thomma Lyn Grindstaff

Title: Mirror Blue
Author: Thomma Lyn Grindstaff
ISBN: 97819349121644
Publisher: Black Lyon/2009
Pages: 177

Book blurb:

He’s her first chance at love.

She’s his last.

Free spirit Aphra Porter never thought Isaac Lightfoot would remember the letter she wrote to him years before. But by some miracle, he does. Now a successful Web site designer in her thirties, Aphra meets the man whose writing talents she’s always idolized — an encounter that leaves her spinning. No longer is Isaac a distant image, but a flesh and blood man who looks at her like no one has looked at her before.

A critically acclaimed author and Vietnam war hero, Isaac is one tough bear of a man. Faced with the physical and emotional scars of war, a relationship with a daunting age difference, and an ex-wife bent on tearing Aphra from his life, he’s about to learn that leaving the past behind and building a new life can be the toughest battle of all.

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

Aphra Porter meets Isaac Lightfoot in a book signing event. She is one of his avid fans so much so that she has a secret crush on him. She wrote him a letter when she was 15 years old. She is surprised to know he still remembers that letter. Isaac lets Aphra design his very drab website and while discussing it, they get personal in their emails. Aphra has always been in love with Isaac and now Isaac returns that feeling. It doesn't matter that he is twenty years her senior and has a twenty five year old son. Problem is his ex-wife, who wants to be back in his life.

Aphra finds it tough to cope with the situation. She has had no part in his past and she feels the pressure mounting. Isaac tries to overcome her fears but it is not easy for him to get away from his past. This factor tears them apart.

Aphra is a very successful woman. She rides a Harley and is very confident of herself. Isaac is a succesful writer but his past doesn't let up. He has been in the Vietnam war and still has nightmares of it. He has a pet snake and also rides a Harley. Both share love of words too and hence start writing a book together. If only writing about life was easy. I felt Aphra dwells too much on the reactions of Isaac's ex-wife.

It is love story with its share of trials and tribulations. Makes a fast read but it has nothing new to offer. The characters don't really evolve. It's like any other love story which ends happily.

Thanks Thomma Lyn Grindstaff, for this book.

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

Henry and I dug the hole seven feet deep. Any shallower and the corpse was liable to come rising up during the next big flood: Howdy boys! Remember me?

Title: Mudbound
Author: Hillary Jordan
ISBN: 9781655126770
Publisher: Algonquin Books/2008
Pages: 324

The novel opens with a grave being dug by Henry and Jamie for their father in the farm that Henry owns. There is an atmospheric feel to it because of impending rains. Both want to finish the burial before it pours.

It is 1939 and Laura a Memphis school teacher, at thirty one years is resigned to the fate of spinster whn she meets Henry. After courtship of some months, they get married and live in Memphis where they have two daughters. But Henry McAllan buys a cotton farm in remote Mississippi without telling her and she is forced to move there. And circumstances makes them stay in a house which has no running water, no electricity and no bathroom, other than an outhouse. And come rains, the ramshackle farm is cut of from civililzation, and they are bound only with mud. Although Laura isn't vocal about it, but she doesn't like her situation one bit. She also hates the fact that Pappy, Henry's father comes to live with them.

Intermingled to their lives are the Jacksons, the black sharecroppers working on Henry's land. Florence is hired by Henry to help Laura at the house. She does it happily enough as she needs the money. Florence is a midwife too, who is much sought after. Hap, along with working on Henry's land also acts as preacher of sorts for the blacks and coloured people in that remote place.

It was that time when white people and black people were not friends, and did not socialise together. Although the whites let the blacks work on their fields but hated to socialise with them.

When World War II ends, Henry's brother Jamie comes to the farm and also Ronsel, Jackson's son to returns from the very same war. Both have their own demons to kill. An unlikely friendship develops between the two, which brings forth racial tensions in that place, which brings about the inevitable tragedy. This brings more sorrow for both the families.

Told in the voices of Jamie, Laura, Henry, Ronsel, Florence and Hap, it gives us glimpses into everyone thoughts and the interactions between the families. Of all the character, Pappy has not been given a voice but that only enhances his evil persona. The racial tensions are felt by us all throughout the book. Right from the beginning, there is a sense of doom, which concludes in tragedy. And redemption comes from unexpectedly and from the unlikeliest source. Jordan's descriptions are very vivid too. People and places come out alive right in front of us.

The questions asked by Ronsel are very disturbing. A novel that grips right from the first page. And does not leave the mind long after finishing it. What I really liked is that she has given voices to blacks too. A very important aspect.

Jordan's descriptions are very vivid too. People and places come out alive right in front of us.

Also reviewed by

Maggie
Scrapgirl
Jill
Teddyrose
Luanne
Marie
Pam
Ruth
Jackie
Simon S
Kim

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

Title: A Streetcar Named Desire
Author: Tennessee Williams
ISBN: 0451167783
Publisher: A Signet Book/1974
Pages: 142

This play opens in two storey corner building on a street in New Orleans. Stella is married to Stanley Kowalski, who is loud and considered a barbarian. He keeps similar company. Blanche Dubois arrives thereas if on a short visit to her younger sister Stella. Stella had not told Stanley about Blanche's visit. Stanley is not to happy to see her. They are living in a very small house with only one bedroom and a single bathroom. So Blanche's arrival is a bit of an inconveience for them. IT affects their relationship.

Blanche pretends to be a school teacher and says she is younger than Stella even she is five years older at thirty. She looks down upon Stanley, who she considers is a crude person with no manners. STanley senses that and he tries to find out about her past. And he does discover that she had a dubious past and is hiding from everyone including his friend Mitch, who is keen on marrying Blanche. Stanley tells him the truth and Mitch is now reluctant to marry Blanche. Blanche is devastated as she had hoped to leave her past behind and settle down into domesticity with Mitch. Stanley is not at all sorry and one dayhe comes out strongly on Blanche..and Blanche's loses her sanity.

This is short play which mainly which takes place mostly in the house. Mitch does love Blanche but cannot accept her past. Blanche is keen on settling down but she is also scared of her past catching up with her which is does and she is doomed. Stanley despises Blanche because she looks down upon him. And he becomes the instrument of her destruction. Stella is a good sister and she too loves Stanley despite all his failings.

The Streetcar Named Desire as the title suggests tells us about our innermost wants, needs and desires. Some we get and some we don't. And past will catch up no matter what. Especially that past which we want to keep hidden.

Do check out The Glass Menagerie too. Well worth reading.

Southern Reading Challenge Three!

Like the previous years, Maggie of Maggie reads is hosting Southern Reading Challenge from May 15th to August 15th. Here, In her own words:

You may choose to read any style of Southern book such as Appalachian tales, Civil War sagas, Gothic myths, Grit lit, and heart-wrenching biographies. Click here for ideas. Just as long as you read three (fiction or nonfiction) between May 15th and August 15th.

To get started, sign on Mister Linky with a url specific address back to your 3 books post and join me on the porch!

Last year I had fun reading for this challenge. This year too, I am joining in.

I wouldn't mind good recommendations. Here is my tentative list:

1) The Known World by Edward P. Jones
2) Thirteen Stories by Eudora Welty
3) The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
4) A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
5) Mudbound by Hillary Jordan