Book Review: Nora Webster

Nora Webster, by Colm Toibin

I like Toibin as an author. He's a great writer, and usually has a good story to tell about ordinary people. I enjoyed some of his previous books, such as The Blackwater Lightship, The Testament of Mary, and Brooklyn.

I will confess though, that I disliked some of his books. The Master comes to mind. I found it particularly dull, and put it aside before finishing it, something I rarely do.

This book is kind of in the middle. It's certainly readable, and kept me going to the end. The writing was excellent. But, it wasn't a book that held my interest, and I never felt much more than frustration with the characters and setting.

The book is set in County Wexford, Ireland, in the 1970s. It's a time of great change in the country, and the stirrings of violence in the North, which will affect several generations. But it seems those changes and violence are mentioned only to set a time and place, and have little impact on the characters.

Also, I found the title character to be, quite frankly, unlikeable. Nora, you see, is trying to recover after the unexpected -- and unexplained -- illness and death of her beloved husband. She's dealing with family, friends who insist on pitying her, and children who are having their own worries and problems.

But Nora seems preoccupied with concerns about how people are judging her, thus questioning every moves she makes or wants to make. That causes her to fear standing up for herself, to tell people what she wants and needs, or to make decisions she thinks are in hers and her children's best interests. She is the very image of an Irish Catholic mother, seeming to prefer being a martyr. She's also afraid of new things, or things she doesn't understand. She wants problems to go away.

One of her sons, for instance, developed a stutter after his father's death. He also has discovered a love of photography. But I was irked because Nora neither tried to solve her son's speech problem -- instead hoping that ignoring it would make it go away -- or encourage his newfound skills because she found them confusing.

But she does grown some during the book, and starts taking stock of and moving on with her life.

It's worth a read. But I'd recommend several other books before picking up this one.

Running to explore

The thing I like best about running is not the races.

It's certainly not the training, what with the hill repeats, speed intervals, and fartleks. (Yes, it's a funny word. I didn't make it up. Google it.)

No, the thing I enjoy most about running is it's the easiest, best way to explore a city -- especially a small town, such as Henderson, Ky. This week, I had the chance to do just that.

A railroad bridge crossing the Ohio River at Henderson, Ky.

Henderson is tiny. Although the seat of Henderson County, the town along the Ohio River has a mere 28,000 people. And while I didn't run around the entire city, I did have the chance to discover the historic downtown. It was perfect for a late afternoon run, even if it was 88 degrees.

Downtown is small -- about four blocks long and four blocks wide, bordered by the Ohio River on one side, and state route 41 on the other. Railroad tracks are on the eastern border, while Central Park -- the oldest municipal park east of the Allegheny Mountains -- marks the western edge.

Children playing at Central Park

It was fun and easy to run around. The streets are wide, long and flat. I pretty much ran up or down each street and around the border, getting in nearly four miles. I watched children play in the water park along the river, and even wade into the muddy Ohio. I passed by City Hall, the fire department, the police station, and the old and new courthouses. People having drinks at a cafe overlooking the river waved at me as I ran by -- and yes, I waved back. I even saw other runners.

At the Downtown Diner, which appeared to be closed for good

Along the northern border, I even found a Walgreen's, the perfect spot for relieving myself and refilling my water bottle. So I was happy, content, and ready to resume.

Book Review: Woman Hollering Creek

Woman Hollering Creek, by Sandra Cisneros

What a beautifully written book of short stories about Mexicans and women and their cultures.

Cisneros has a way with the English language. Her similes and metaphors are original and unique. Her descriptions are vivid yet simple. In a short paragraph, she can paint a person's eyes, the color of his skin, the soft tufts of hair on his chest, and the stumpiness of his legs, so you can imagine him standing there. You know the person, and you understand him intimately.

In this book, Cisneros writes about what she knows: Mexican women, their hopes and dreams, and their realities. She can transport an old white guy into the world of bodegas, telenovelas, and the Virgen de Guadalupe. Cisneros introduces us to Mexicans from Chicago to Los Angeles to San Antonio, with several stops in the small villages of their ancestors' country. She writes about love and family and loneliness.

But while her writing is admirable, her story-telling skills can be best described as confusing. The stories seldom have linear narratives. Instead her short stories are more like poetry -- written beautifully, with the writing and descriptions and words more important than the story being told.

Still, I would recommend this book highly, if only for the sheer delight of reading it.

Book Review: Twisted River

Twisted River, by Siobhan Macdonald

I must confess, I bought this novel while wandering through my local used bookstore because I liked the author's name. I read the blurb on the back and found nothing that dissuaded me from buying it. So I did.

That being said, I was confused when I started reading the novel because the book's summary gave a false impression of the story. In fact, one of the key pieces of information it gave about the story was either blatantly misleading or flat out wrong.

And that confusion continued throughout the book. Often, I had to go back to check on things -- because some details changed significantly enough that it had to be an error rather than a change of perspective. In other places, lots of extraneous details were brought up -- some seemingly important at the time -- but not explored further. Actions of some of the characters took an abrupt turn without explanation.  While the start of the book placed equal emphasis on the two families profiled, one turned out to get far more attention.  In several places, I thought a careful editor could have tightened the story and cleaned up minor problems.

Still, I liked the book. It tells the story of two families -- both with a husband, wife, and two moody children -- who are having difficulties and need a break. They sign up for a home swap, and the Irish family takes a vacation in Manhattan, while the New Yorkers ship off to visit mom's birthplace of Limerick.

The novel's format is to tell the tale from the perspectives of the four adults -- how they got into the mess they are in, provide some expository details, along with their thoughts and backgrounds. For the most part, this works. It tries to get a little thillerish near the end, but not enough to get annoying.

But it really has an unsatisfying ending, as it leaves one hanging. I found myself asking "Why?" and "What happened to ...?"

But please, don't take this as a negative review. Except for the niggling details, it's a fine book, well written, and a good story. I recommend it.