Love Letter to Charleston

To read South of Broad by Pat Conroy is to inhale the moist salty air of the Charleston's lowcountry. Although it has been 14 years since his last novel, this is the Conroy I know and love: a savvy storyteller whose command of language and ability connect with readers is a thing of beauty. And, of course, there is all the familial dysfunction that we have come to expect. But, I think that dysfunction is with out the anger that was often just seething beneath the surface in his other books -okay, sometimes on the surface! I was afraid that this might his swan song, so I'm happy to hear that he is planning more novels including one set in Atlanta.

So, get a copy, curl up on a porch or sofa, and lose yourself in this great Southern city.

Somebody Know My Name by Lawrence Hill

Just as his character, Aminata Diallo is a storyteller, so is Lawrence Hill. Although Aminata is telling her story, it is a history of the slave trade in North America. It starts in Africa with her capture and ends in London where as a freed slave she tells her story to abolitionist audiences. Hill not only illuminates the babarity of the slave trade, but gives the reader an understandingof the indigo and rice trade in the South Carolina, the role of slaves in the Revolutionary War, and the consequential freedom and resettling of some slaves in Nova Scotia. It is powerfully written, hard to put down, and would make an excellent book group choice.

January 2008 NYT review by Nancy Kline

Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead

It's the cover review in this week NYT Book Review and well deserved. It's the first time that I have read Colson Whitehead but it won't be the last. For his novel, Whitehead has drawn heavily from his experiences coming of age in the mid-80's. Like his character, his family owned a house in the Long Island summer community of Sag harbor: an enclave of African-American professionals. It's about the 80's, it's about being a teenage boy, and it's about identity. I think this quote from the book sums it all up: “According to the world we were the definition of paradox: black boys with beach houses. A paradox to the outside, but it never occurred to us that there was anything strange about it. It was simply who we were,” Whitehead writes. “What you call paradox, I call myself.”

Click on Sag Harbor to view a video clip of Whitehead talking about the novel.

Given Day

This is old Boston - angry, fierce, and corrupt. It's 1919 and the city is beset with influenza, labor unrest, racial tensions, and corrupt politicians. Author Dennis Lehane, the bard of Irish Boston, has moved out of the realm of mysteries to create a riveting novel that brings that era brutally alive. Lehane's website has some great photos of the historical events depicted in his book.

Second Time Around

When I have loved an author's first novel, I'm very hesitant to read their next one. I fear I will be disappointed and it will tarnish the memories of the first. Not so with Sonata for Miriam by Linda Olsson. All the things I loved about her first novel, Astrid & Veronika, are here: beautiful, spare writing and a subtle hand with characters. But, I'm happy to say that I think her second novel is even better with stronger character development and more complexity. Spanning two generations, it explores impossible life choices and ultimately finding acceptance and forgiveness for them.

Jazz in the Lowcountry

Although I'm still searching for connections to and in the book community here in the lowcountry, I have found a vibrant and wonderful jazz community. Last Saturday, for the small coverage charge of $5, we were able to list to 2 sets by the Robert Lewis Trio: Robert Lewis, Frank Duvall ( both faculty members of the College of Charleston), and Stuart White. Much like "Indie" bookstores, the local jazz artists here have formed their own organization to connect and promote themselves: Jazz Artists of Charleston. All this great music....lucky me!

Color of Lightning

I admit it - I love good historical fiction. My latest read comes from Paulette Jiles, author of Enemy Women and Stormy Weather. Historical fiction, done well, gives life to a person or event forgotten in history. In the Color of Lightning, Jiles gives voice to Britt Johnson, a freed black man in Texas at the end of the Civil War. Settlers, looking for a new start, have moved in and encroached on Indian Territory. Jiles does a fine job of illustrating the clash of cultures and the resulting violence in this dark part of U.S. history.