The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

Published by Simon & Schuster Canada

A story of exploitation, broken trust, secrets and changes to come
A very unusual book, told from two main sources. Yes, there is a museum and it is fascinating, but there are dark secrets hidden here. The museum is owned by a refugee who lives alone on Coney Island with his young daughter, who tells one part of the story, and a housekeeper. Both are called monsters, though they are the most caring in the story. The girl is very young at the beginning of her story, and one hundred percent under the control of her father, though she is not aware of it. Nor is she aware of what his plan for her future is.

The second storyteller is an Orthodox Jew, a refugee from the Ukraine who lives with his father and both work in the textile mills in Boston. A young boy on the verge of rebellion at the beginning. He renounces his faith when he believes his father tried to commit suicide.

It is a time in New York when men were in charge and women were treated as possessions, a time when class distinction was not only strongly defined but often corrupt and hidden crime was rampant, a time when 'hired' help was more often than not mistreated. Also a time of workhouses where children and women were forced to work for a pittance and often accidents occurred. Such is the case when a fire breaks out while the workers are locked within. You thought this happened only in other countries? Murders and assaults occur while eyes remain closed. This is New York in the 1800s and early 1900s. Manhattan was not much more than a swamp at certain times of the year. Coney Island was just becoming the famous park and beach it would one day be. For the boy who renounced his faith he has found beauty in nature. For the girl living at the museum, she has found horror. Will the two ever be able to find each other in time?

Through all the brutality of the times, this story is beautiful in many ways. It flows between two sides, much like the Hudson River, featured so often in the story and integral to it in many ways. It is a story of betrayal, but also a love story of two storytellers. There is connection between many of the characters, and the spark of life, love and humanity exists and blooms against all odds. Alice Hoffman has not only captured the essence of early New York, she has integrated two historical events seamlessly, and recreated the crises so vividly you can almost feel the heat. Though the characters are fictional, the events are real. This is a wonderful story of compassion within a nightmare world. This story I will carry with me for a long time.

Havana Lost by Libby Fischer Hellmann

Published by The Red Herrings Press
Reviewed in e-book format
Told in three parts: Part 1 1958 Cuba, Part 2 1989-1992 Angola and Part 3 Present Day Chicago. Three generations of a wealthy Sicilian/Cuban family through the strife and poverty of Cuba during the rule of Batiste, the revolution by Che and Fidel, followed by rule under Fidel Castro.

The daughter of a Mafia boss, Francesca/Frankie is determined to live her life on her own terms. She is about to be sent to America 'for her safety.' What choice does she have but to flee her home? To the background of rebel fighting, Santería and Cuban fire in her blood, she has found the love of her life. On her father's orders, she is torn from the arms of her lover, probably the only man who can or will keep her safe, and she is devastated as she is shipped off to America. From this point the story veers to life after Fidel. An aside to this is sending Cuban troops to Angola, and we are thrown into the life of Luis, Frankie's lover. As one of the Cubans sent to Angola, a new thread is added by way of mining a newly coveted mineral. A map is the key to all that follows.

This book is not only an insight into the Mafia families and their connections to both Soviet and American 'providers' while Cubans starve. It is also a clear and defining history of the country over the past 50-plus years. A well-written, no-holds-barred history which is still happening. What is interesting to me is that often the very thing the Cubans have learned by assimilation to dislike and distrust about 'America,' is at the same time found in Cuba.

This excellent book cuts no corners, but at the same time has a fascinating tale to tell. The reader can not help but become a part of this family, and get a feeling of Cuba itself. Rooting for some, fearing for some, in awe of the acceptance of their plight and their resilience of spirit. Tension builds throughout the book. Superstitious as many Cubans may be, what reason should we have to be non-accepting of their grasp at whatever they feel they can trust? Little enough.

This Canadian reader immersed herself in the book with deep feelings of anger and sorrow, yet with happiness in the love that some found. Libby Hellman has caught my attention and taken me away to a different world...actually more like three different worlds, and I thank her for that. She made me feel the book, a myriad of feelings and touched my soul. I felt the music, saw the poverty, as well as the beauty. Highly recommend.

Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman

Published by Touchstone imprint of Simon & Schuster
Review based on an ARC

Kimberley Freeman has written an excellent presentation of life styles from 1929 to the present time. An interesting and historic journey through three generations of a "family" resettled in Australia from Scotland after the matriarch, as a young pregnant girl, runs away with her married sweetheart and father of her child.

The novel begins in Glasgow, 1929. Innocent Beattie, trying to help support the family as a teen, has been working in a dress-shop and is an excellent seamstress, able to make expensive-looking clothing out of unused, and sometimes used, materials. She also works in a restaurant, or rather she did, until the sons of the owner introduced her to the not-quite-legal gambling club and bar upstairs. Her innocence taken advantage of by the married friend of the brothers, it is not long before Beattie finds herself pregnant by Henry, and not at all sure what she can do about it. Once she is no longer able to hide it, she loses her job at the dress-shop. To this point, she has not even told Henry. When she finally gets up her courage to tell him, he asks her to give him time and to stay away from the club in the meantime. Shortly afterward, her mother disowns her and forbids her to see her father before kicking her out of house and home with nothing but her empty purse and the clothes on her back. Desperate, she seeks out her friend from the club, who tells her of a place in the north where she can go until her baby is born. Thus, the secrets of Beattie's life begin. It is in this home that Henry finds Beattie and they run away together to Tasmania, where a friend of Henry's has promised him a job.

The book is basically told in three parts, but interspersed. When Beattie is a grandmother, she encourages her granddaughter to be what she wants to be, which happens to be a ballet dancer. Through the many years between, so much happens in Beattie's poverty-stricken life. She is ostracized when first it is discovered in Tasmania that she and Henry are not married, yet have a little girl. Henry is unable to provide for the family, and eventually returns to England and his wife, but takes their daughter Lucy with him. In dire straits, and traumatized by her loss, she gets work on a sheep ranch. Many more of the secrets of Beattie come as a result of this move. She has lost her child, her next generation.

Skipping across to her granddaughter, who has a close relationship with her grandmother, but not with her mother, we meet Emma. Emma has followed her heart and become a prima ballerina, but misfortune follows even this famous dancer. A fall marks the end of a fabulous career and Emma feels utterly devastated. She eventually goes home to Sydney, Australia. When her grandmother passes away, she learns that she has inherited a ranch in Tasmania she has never heard of. The stipulation is that she has to live there for a period of time. Beattie knew that there would come a day when Emma would need this.

This book brings so much within its pages. Love, loss, tragedy, poverty and riches. It brings to life the inner strength of women, the strength that comes when required. A rich history of mores, life, changing times, and obstacles overcome. I really enjoyed this book, if enjoy is the word for such tragedy and poverty, but it is so well-written, so historic, so meaningful. Emma's search for the true story of her grandmother's life fills in the rest of the book and opens a new world of wonder to her own life. A strong story, well centred in its various time periods, and very descriptive. A fascinating and powerful read.

Posted in Colombo: A Glance at Toiling Women and the Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka by Shizue Tomoda

Illustrated by Edwin Batawala

In this non-fiction book, part memoir part historic, Shizue Tomoda is working for a United Nations specialized agency. She is assigned to Colombo, Sri Lanka as the director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) for three years beginning late December 1997. Arriving on Christmas Eve, the next day she hears what appears to be an attack with rifle fire not far from her hotel, unnerving at the best of times but particularly in a country with ongoing attacks. However, this time it was fire crackers. She will be living in Colombo through some of the most high-profile assassinations. Indeed, during her stint in Sri Lanka, the assassination of a political leader by suicide bombers will take place very near her home. While she is still in Sri Lanka, a major turning point in the war happens, the fall of Elephant Pass to the LTTE.* She begins the book with a brief history of this civil war-torn country. The early part of "Posted in Colombo" reads somewhat like a text book, but becomes much less formal as it goes along.

One of the first things she must do is locate an apartment that will both allow her to have her two cats Taro and Tomi, and also be a safe home for them. Shizue had not had time to become familiar with the languages of Sri Lanka, Sinhalese and Tamil, which created a problem when hiring someone to do cooking, grocery shopping, and cleaning. The person she will be hiring must speak and understand English fairly well, be prepared at short notice for dinner guests and will also be responsible for taking care of the home when she is away on a project, as well as caring for the two cats. One of these cats, Taro, is a Norwegian Forest cat, and seems unusually aware and intelligent. With his very thick fur bred for northern winters, he will require air conditioning.

As mentioned, some of the book brings some of the history of Sri Lanka, but also a history of the tea plantations and the treatment of the workers, particularly women, many of them working in other countries away from their families in order to support them. Another problem that upsets her is the lack of education for the children on the plantations extending into the 21st century, and the child labour.

The historical background of the country and its people I found interesting and was surprised at what I did not know. She is concise in her descriptions and backs them up with many references and sources as endnotes. As in most governmental positions, and no different in the UN, almost every project and department has a long name, a fertile environment for the use of acronyms. Fortunately for the reader, Shizue has put a glossary of these at the front of her book.

I enjoyed the connection between Shizue and Devi, her housekeeper, an Indian Tamil mother of four, with an unstable alcoholic husband. Devi's family lives and works on the plantation. As a quick study, Shizue offers Devi several opportunities to learn employable skills that will help her ability to obtain work when Shizue's term is up. Devi lives with her and usually goes home once a month.

Through the conversations between the two, we learn even more about the life of a Sri Lankan woman, and what changes are slowly being made. Overall, I enjoyed this vision of Sri Lanka, I feel I have a better understanding of the situations in the constant conflicts between the two main factors, the Sinhalese and the Tamils, the Tamils also split between Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils. I also have an understanding and compassion for the plight of the women and children and am glad to see there are inroads being made to provide proper schools and education, put a stop to child labour, particularly in dangerous jobs, as well as assistance with housing and employability. There appear to be major changes over the past 50 years, but they were, and possibly still are, slow in coming. Devi was very fortunate to work for someone who knew the ropes and which ones to tug on. This was an entertaining and informative book, particularly what is learned from the interactions of Shizue and Devi. The book is also an easy read due to its layout and the author’s narration.
*LTTE - Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

I have previously reviewed “Sachiko”, a book of fiction by Shizue Tomoda

The Glimmer Palace by Beatrice Colin

Originally posted Sept. 29/08

A Rare Glimpse into the Collapse of Berlin between two World Wars

A most in-depth book that takes the reader from the birth of our heroine Lilly Nelly Aphrodite at the very beginning of the 20th century through her years in an orphanage and the poverty of the people of Berlin over the next few decades beginning with WWI. Lilly is orphaned shortly after her birth. The closure of the orphanage leaves the girls vulnerable to all kinds of situations on the streets and in the clubs. Although this book is fiction, it seems so real with an unusual glimpse of a major city’s downfall, it’s wild debauchery, the fight against starvation and finally the fear of being discovered as the wrong ethnic background as WWII begins. The stories are told with the conviction of truth.

Don't get me wrong, the book is not about the wars, they are background, but you will not find battlefield hands on fighting as such; this is very much Lilly's story but one cannot be told without the results of the other.

Lilly attempts to remain aloof from these methods of obtaining money or food, but eventually is discovered as a potential “true” actress. Her history eventually leads her to America but there is an ongoing love story throughout the book that is much of a “star-crossed” lovers story, which brings her back to Germany around 1940. My interest was held as much by the history of Berlin in these terrible times as it was by Lilly’s story. It is not often you will be taken on such a trip through life and I found the book fascinating because of it. I would certainly recommend this book for several reasons and on several levels. The research done is amazingly thorough, and the plot an eye-opener. These were turbulent times in many countries, but we rarely get to see the life on the opposite side. Very well written.