Homestead is Rosini Lippi’s PEN/Hemingway Award winning book. It is the story of life in the fictional Austrian town of Rosenau, from 1909-1977. Rosenau is small, and isolated high in the Alps. Most of the people who are born there never leave, and few outsiders come to stay.
The story of Rosenau is told through a chronological series of linked stories. Each chapter focuses on one woman from each of three of the local clans. Their stories are intertwined with world events. The first motorized vehicles reach the village in the 1930’s, and the people of Rosenau are changed forever.
This book is quite good. It took me a while to get into it, as the names and relationships can be confusing. Lippi does include clan charts, naming conventions, a pronunciation guide and a glossary at the end of the book. Read it before you start, and keep referring to it.
Each of the chapters is relatively short. Although there are often many years between the stories, they do flow together well. The end of one woman’s story is often contained in the beginning of the next. Lippi spent much time in western Austria, and the people of the fictional town of Rosenau are based on real people she met and interviewed. This is an interesting and effective way to tell a story. I’d recommend this if you are looking for a different kind of reading experience.
In USA:
Published in hardcover-Delphinium Books-1998
Softcover edition-Mariner Books-1999
Homestead
Duplicity, starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, is a fun look at corporate espionage. Julia Roberts is ex-CIA operative Claire Stenwick and Clive Owen is ex-MI6 agent Ray Koval. They scheme to make $40 million through the use of the skills they acquired on the job. And of course they are romantically involved.
Their plan is to steal a product formula from of two rival corporations, and sell it to the highest bidder. Of course there are complications along the way. Can Claire and Ray trust each other? Is one of them playing the other? Which company is Claire really working for?
Adding to the fireworks is the personal rivalry between the the CEO’s of the two corporations, played by Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson. The funniest scene in Duplicity occurs during the opening credits when the two unexpectedly attack each other. They meet on the tarmac of an airport, each with his corporate jet and staff in the background.
Generally, I enjoyed this movie. There are the expected twists and turns in the plot, with a few surprises. I’ve always thought that Julia Roberts was overrated as an actress, and I still think so. Clive Owen is a bit more convincing in his role. So-enjoy it; just don’t expect any earth shattering dramatics or rolling in the aisles comedy.
DUPLICITY ORIGINAL MOVIE POSTER
I chose this first novel by Zoe Ferraris as part of the Book Awards Reading Challenge. It is a winner of the Alex Award, which is given by the American Library Association to books that are written for adults but have some special appeal to young adults.
Finding Nouf is set in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is an unusual detective story. A 16 year old woman from a wealthy family disappears, and her body is found in the desert. Did she run away, or was she abducted? There was no ransom demand, and the official cause of death was drowning. Nouf was found in a wadi by Bedouins after an infrequent desert rainstorm. But why would Nouf run away? She was planning her upcoming wedding, and seemed happy.
Nouf’s brother, Othman, contacts his old friend and desert guide, Nayir ash-Sharqi, to find Nouf. After the body is found, Nayir begins to investigate Nouf’s disappearance and death with the help of Katya, Othman’s fiancee who, conveniently, works for the medical examiner.
This quest for the truth is complicated by the simple facts of life in Saudi society. How could a young woman disappear, when women are not allowed to appear unescorted in public? This is especially true for young women in wealthy families, who have full-time escorts/drivers. How could Nouf have taken a family’s truck, when women are forbidden by law to drive? And how can Katya and Nayir work together on this case, when they are not allowed to be seen together?
Finding Nouf gives us a glimpse of Saudi life, and how the structure of society and the laws of the land keep women undereducated, housebound and, often, miserable. This book was very well written. It is a good mystery, with plenty of red herrings. It will take you a while to figure out who done it. I highly recommend this book.
In USA:
Published in hardcover-Houghton Mifflin-2008
Softcover edition-Mariner Books-May 2009 (not yet available)
Finding Nouf: A Novel
Get a Life is a relatively new book by the South African Nobel Prize winning author Nadine Gordimer. Gordimer is known for her spare, yet descriptive and lyrical prose. This novel is no exception. Get a Life tells the story of Paul Bannerman, a 35 year old father of a young son who is diagnosed with thyroid cancer. As part of his treatment regimen, Paul is left temporarily radioactive, and unable to be around his young son. So Paul decamps to his childhood home, to be cared for by his parents and Primrose, the faithful family servant.
This novel follows Paul and his family through his recovery, as well as his parents’ journey towards their upcoming retirement. As in real life, the family’s journey takes unexpected turns; some happy, others less so.
Like other novels by South African writers, the shadow of apartheid, now abolished, underlays much that the family experiences.The book is also peppered with typical South African phrases, based on native languages. Fortunately, there is also a brief glossary.
Gordimer’s writing style requires a bit of adjusting. She appears to skip through events but if read carefully, it is possible to follow the plot. If you’ve never read Gordimer before, keep plugging away. Get a Life is worth the difficulties involved.
In USA:
Published in hardcover-Farrar, Straus & Giroux-2005
Softcover edition-Penguin-2006
Get a Life
