2021 Books in Review - Part 3

 

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

Synopsis: When Ruthie’s mother disappears from their rural Vermont home, she and her younger sister, Alice, confront the tragic and dark history of the home that includes the disappearance of another woman almost one hundred years earlier.

My thoughts: This is a well told horror story, the strength of which benefits from various storytelling methods including flashbacks told through the diary of the woman lost nearly one hundred years earlier. The shifting in time and style helps build the suspense.

Pilgrims by Garrison Keillor

Synopsis: Mr. Keillor takes some of his Lake Wobegon characters and sets them on the task of decorating a native war hero’s grave in Italy. The main character, Marjorie Krebsbach spearheads the trip in an attempt to save her flailing marriage.

My thoughts: Keillor has an authentic Midwestern voice, which appeals to me. His characters are mirrors of those I’ve grown up around, people with interesting stories who seldom want any sort of attention drawn to them.

I’ve also read by Garrison Keillor: Lake Wobegon Days, Pontoon, Lake Wobegon Summer of 1956, Wobegon Boy

Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingslover

Synopsis: Codi Noline returns home to tend to her dying father and confront the ghosts of her past. She winds up falling for an Apache trainman and discovering an environmental catastrophe that is quickly eroding the town’s way of life.

My thoughts: Kingslover is an intimidating read as a writer, her stories are well-weaved with threads of plot, symbolism, theme, and heart. Her books are explorations of humans, the world, and life.

I’ve also read by Barbara Kingslover: The Bean Trees, Pigs in Heaven, The Poisonwood Bible, Prodigal Summer, The Lacuna, Flight Behavior, High Tide in Tuscon

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

Synopsis: This is Krakauer’s retelling of his ill-fated ascent of Mount Everest in May of 1996. A sudden storm plus some questionable decisions made by guides cost numerous lives and left those remaining guilt-ridden and pointing fingers at what went wrong.

My thoughts: Krakauer’s other books have been in-depth investigations of others, while this one put Krakauer right into the middle of the story. While this book received criticism from some on the ascent, most have accepted he portrayed things as accurately as possible, considering he also was delirious from the altitude and exhaustion for parts.

I’ve also read by Jon Krakauer: Into the Wild, Under the Banner of Heaven

Rainwater by Sandra Brown

Synopsis: David Rainwater checks into Ella Barron’s boarding house in Depression Era Texas, and soon the strain of the times explodes in the small town as racial and economic tensions boil over. The independent Ella also becomes drawn to Rainwater, who takes an interest in her autistic son.

My thoughts: This hit all the points for a historical fiction romance. I got the sense it was a departure from straight romance for the author, and probably could have been further developed for an even deeper story about the times and how those times apply to today’s world.