Connections: Les Parisiennes by Anne Sebba

Les Parisiennes by Anne Sebba

Publisher / Year: St. Martin's Press - October 2016

Genre: Nonfiction/ History

Source: Review copy from NetGalley

Goodreads | Amazon

 
Anne Sebba explores what the life was life for Parisian women during World War II. The book is both narrow and broad in its scope. I really love when this is the case in nonfiction history books, and what I mean by this statement is this: Ms. Sebba selected a specific place and a specific time, but she does such a wonderful job detailing the connectivity of events that occurred. I think so often when we study history we come at it hoping to investigate a particular event, and it is easy to forget that in the past, as in the present, there are so many factors at play.

As such, Ms. Sebba discusses the life of the upper classes and the lower classes. She writes about women who fled Paris and women who stayed. The Vichy Government is infamous for its cooperation with and adoption of Nazi mandates, and Ms. Sebba writes of women who were involved with the Vichy government and the Nazis. I especially liked the chapters about women who defied Nazi rule and worked with the resistance as spies. And, as an art historian, I appreciated that Sebba wrote about the careful (and very dangerous) preservation of France's countless irreplaceable art works as well as the artists and patrons who were complicit with the Nazis. Sebba writes about women who were wives and lovers of political figures, women who were taken to concentration camps, women who worked for the Nazis, and women who resisted in any way they could. One running theme in the book is French fashion, and it was fascinating to learn about the different roles that fashion played in the war. I also appreciated that Ms. Sebba guides the readers through the postwar years as well, discussing the presence of the U.S. Servicemen and France's efforts to rebuild.

I've read a lot of fiction that is set in France during World War II, and reading Les Parisiennes made those books so much richer for me.

The Velvet Hours: Surprisingly, it was actually the Belle Epoque portions of this book that I found to be most enriched by Les Parisiennes. As Anne Sebba sets the stage for World War II, she contrasts it with the earlier era. (featured here)

The Nightingale: The story of two sisters who cope with the war in very different ways. One sister joins the Resistance and the other is forced to house Nazis in her home. This book is definitely enriched by the true tales in Anne Sebba's book.

Lilac Girls: This book was one of my favorite books of last year. One of the central figures is based on a real woman who worked with French orphans. I thought of this novel as I read the true stories of separated families. (featured here)

Code Name Verity: Anne Sebba writes about the transfer pilots in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force who flew in and out France during the war and the spies who sent information back to Britain from France--women who had jobs like Verity and Maddie. (featured here)

All the Light We Cannot See: A young French girl and her father flee Nazi-occupied Paris with the Museum of Natural History's famous jewel. The Nazis' insatiable appetite for famous art and artifacts and the Parisians' attempts to safeguard them were some of my favorite parts in Les Parisiennes.

Rose Under Fire: When Rose is imprisoned in Ravensbruck, one of the first friends she makes is a French woman. Anne Sebba writes about the many women who were sent to Ravensbruck and the brave things and terrible things they did there. (featured here)


P.S. More World War II Wednesdays.

Blog Tour: The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

 The Smell of Other People's Houses

by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

Publisher/ Year: Wendy Lamb Books - February 2016

Source: Review copy from NetGalley

Amazon | Goodreads

I'm thrilled to be part of the blog tour for The Smell of Other People's houses, Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock's impressive debut that came out yesterday, February 23, 2016.

My best friend from high school went to graduate school at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. When she would visit we would pepper her with questions about living in Alaska. Her answers made Alaska truly seem like a whole other world. One that I was excited to read more about.

The Smell of Other People's Houses takes place in that whole other world. In 1970 four Alaskan teenagers' lives will slowly become entwined. The novel is told through the perspectives of  these four seemingly unrelated characters. Ruth and her younger sister live with her grandmother, and she's drawn to less-repressive homes. Alyce's dreams of dancing conflict with her time with her father on his fishing boat. Dora is trying to escape the nightmare of her past. Hank and his brothers stow away on the ferry.

It is difficult to express in words the simple elegance of Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock's novel. I love books like this that create a quiet, contemplative mood and that only comes with superb writing. The language in this book is exquisite. The reading experience is beautiful both in content and in execution.

As would be expected in a book like this, the setting is a huge part of the book. There are plenty of Alaska-specific traditions and customs that add to the overall feel of the book. (I especially enjoyed my time with Alyce on her father's fishing boat.) Yet the characters themselves are never overwhelmed by the setting.

Every character in this book is dealing with some big issue. Truly, many of them are in heart-wrenching situations. Despite those issues the book remains very character driven. With the combination of tough issues, lovely writing, and heartfelt characters it should be no surprise that this book delivers some powerful emotions. I'm glad that I read it.

Here are some connections that The Smell of Other People's Houses shares with other great novels:

Drowning is Inevitable and The Smell of Other People's Houses: The local flavor of the deep south and the far north. These books feature girls who live with their grandmothers, runaways, difficult lives, and bad choices.

Okay for Now and The Smell of Other People's Houses: These two books take place in 1968/9 and 1970 respectively and the feel of that era is conveyed so well in each.

The Snow Child and The Smell of Other People's Houses: Both books are set in the Alaskan past, 1920s and 1970s, respectively.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and The Smell of Other People's Houses: Native American traditions, culture, and interactions with white Americans.

How to Save a Life and The Smell of Other People's Houses: Teen pregnancy and adoption.

Up to this Pointe and The Smell of Other People's Houses: A ballet dancer on the ice of Antarctica and a ballet dancer in the fishing waters of Alaska.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock was born and raised in Alaska. She worked many years fishing commercially with her family and as a reporter for Alaska Public Radio stations around the state. She was also the host and producer of “Independent Native News,” a daily newscast produced in Fairbanks, focusing on Alaska Natives, American Indians, and Canada’s First Nations. Her writing is inspired by her family’s four generations in Alaska.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Connections: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

                                                                                                                                      Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Publisher/Year: Del Ray - May 2015
Genres: Fantasy

 Source: My local library
Amazon • Goodreads

This week is all about fairy tales here at Intellectual Recreation.

I read quite a few glowing reviews of Naomi Novik's Uprooted. Angie at Angieville, for instance, rarely steers me wrong, so I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. I got in line over at the library, and pretty soon I was downloading the digital audiobook. (I love Overdrive.)

Agnieszka loves her quiet village, but it is threatened by the corrupted Wood on the border. The people of her valley rely on the wizard known as the Dragon to protect them from the malevolent Wood. In payment, the Dragon selects a village girl to take to his tower every ten years. Agnieszka never thought he would pick her.

Uprooted is a gorgeous original fairy tale that contains many common fairy tale motifs. I'm impressed with how Novik is able to make the story feel so familiar and yet utterly new at the same time. The setting, for instance, is very Russian or Slavic in feel. Names, like Agnieszka and Kasia are just one of the tip offs to this inspiration. (It didn't hurt that the reader of the audiobook has a Russian accent, either.) A threatening, wild, dangerous forest is certainly a familiar element in fairy tales, and Novik creates a Woods that is worthy of the capital W and really is a character in its own right. I love how moody and evocative the forays into the Wood's domain are. Plus, the Woods are scary. It becomes a villain on par with any fairy tale villain, and yet, it's both scarier due to its intangibility and more easily disregarded because they are just trees, after all.


Here are some of the other connections I noticed:

Beauty and Uprooted: I've seen lots of comparisons between Robin Mckinley's work and Uprooted. I've also seen Uprooted described as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It's a very loose retelling, but the wizard is known as the Dragon, after all. Also, the rose!

Howl's Moving Castle and Uprooted: Both books feature a notoriously reclusive and cantankerous wizard in a secluded castle/ tower.

Crimson Bound and Uprooted: Ever encroaching, malevolent, terrifying woods and a main character who is determine to beat them back.

The Paper Magician and Uprooted: A reluctant magician in training falls in love with her teacher.

Enchantment and Uprooted: Both books have ties to Slavic fairy tales. Baba Yaga is a presence in each.

The False Princess and Uprooted: A member of the royal family has been missing for over a decade. When she is found the plot thickens.


For me, the setting really made the story, but I also loved the characters. Agnieszka just does not take no for an answer. She's headstrong and feisty and willing to try new things. She's a breath of fresh air among all the stodgy ancient wizards. I also liked that her magic was different than the other wizards, less stiff and scholarly and more tied to intuition and an almost forgotten ancient tradition. I liked the Dragon too. He's frightening and misunderstood. Honestly, I wish there were more a him in the story. Although I appreciated how Agnieszka's time in the capital city helped her come into her own, I missed the Dragon. The magic those two can do together is truly astounding.


The book's finale really took my breath away. The climax and conclusion brings story full circle and yet was also so unexpected.

Connections: Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

I feel like I've been waiting forever for a new book from Heather Dixon. I so adored her first novel, Entwined, a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses story. Now, four years later, we have a new book. Illusionarium is set in an alternate nineteenth-century Britain, known as Arthurise. A deadly illness that only strikes down women is devastating the nation. Jonathan, a medical student, serves as an apprentice to his father, the country's second-best surgeon. Seeking his father's help, the king reunites Jonathan's father with his mentor, the renowned Lady Florel Knight, but she isn't what she seems.

I started this book a few nights ago thinking, "I'll just read this for a few minutes." Famous last words, right? When I finally put it down and turned off the light, I was a quarter of the way through the book. I'd say Illusionarium was worth the wait.

I love the richness of detail in this book. I can picture the setting laid out in all its steampunk glory--from the floating city of Fata Morgana, to the ruins of Nod'ol, the ghastly masks of its inhabitants, and the Illusionarium arena. Illusionarium is a very visual book, which I'm certain can be connected to the fact that Heather Dixon is a visual artist (she's a storyboard artist for Disney Interactive) as well as an author.

I've read several young adult books this year that feature a young man as the main character, and I've found them all quite refreshing. In some ways Jonathan is a stereotypical YA protagonist in that he thinks he's nothing special, but then he ends up with some incredible and rare ability. This trope can get old, and I've been known to sigh over it, but it didn't bother me in the slightest in Illusionarium because Jonathan is also genuine and not at all infallible. Also, I quite liked that family, rather than romance, is at the heart of this novel. Jonathan's relationship with Anna and his friendship with Lockwood were definitely high points.

I'm really loving parallel realities right now, and Illusionarium combines the steampunk genre with the parallel reality set-up. And, in this case, two steampunk "Londons" are definitely better than one. I think I'd go so far to say that these alternate worlds share a connection to our own past. Lady Florel Knight must be linked to Florence Nightingale. Not only do they share similar names, but they both have the Crimean War and their medical professions in common.

Illusionarium is a steampunk, parallel reality tale with a little bit of horror thrown into the mix. It's creepy, fascinating, and other-worldly but not without innocence and hope, as well.

Here are a few other connections:

Cinder and Illusionarium: A devastating plague, a sick sister, and a desperate bargain to secure a cure.

The Fog Diver and Illusionarium: High-altitude cities, floating airships, and danger on the ground.

Illusions of Fate and Illusionarium: Besides the titles, both feature an alternate 19th-century Britain. Kiersten White's is called Albion.

A Thousand Pieces of You and Illusionarium: In both books, the main characters hop between parallel realities where they meet other versions of their friends and family members.

The Night Circus and Illusionarium: Each is centered around (and titled for) its high-stakes competition of magical illusions. (This comparison has been getting a lot of ink. It's even in the blurb.)

The Adventure of Pinocchio and Illusionarium: I see parallels between the Rivens and the donkeys in Collodi's classic tale. The more I think about this the more it rings true for me.


It's always lovely when great first novel is followed by a great second novel.

Illusionarium is out May 19th, 2015. Review copy from Edelweiss.

Connections: Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Let's talk about Laura Ruby's new book, Bone Gap, and how exquisitely lovely it is. Oh my, I just can hardly even handle this book. The whole time I was reading it I was thinking, "This is so, so beautiful." The writing is glorious. Read it.

In some ways I think that it's best to go into Bone Gap knowing very little. The power of the tale and its beauty were more overwhelming for me because I didn't know what to expect. That said, I almost didn't pick it up because the blurb sounds pretty standard. So, if this write-up convinces anyone to read Bone Gap that was going to pass it by due to its perhaps less-than-inspiring blurb, I will consider my job done.  And, if I've already convinced you, wait to read what follows until after you've finished the book. If you aren't yet convinced, keep reading.

Bone Gap takes place in a small town in Illinois. It's about two brothers who have been abandoned by their mother. It's about a girl who is kidnapped. It's about the boy who saw her taken but can't describe her kidnapper. It's about how no one believes him. It's about how abandoned these boys feel. It's about a boy and girl and how they see each other.

Bone Gap made me feel that swelling, tingling sensation that you get when you are reading something truly amazing. I loved the characters. I loved the mystery. I loved the strangeness. I loved the atmosphere and the mood of the book. And, most of all, I loved the writing.

The best way that I can think to describe Bone Gap is that it's as if someone melted together The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, The Vanishing Season, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane stirred them up and then poured out a glittering, new work of art. The language in Laura Ruby's book is every bit as lovely as those novels. And, as with those books, Bone Gap teeters between reality and the otherworldly. There's just a hint, just a glimpse, of magic to these tales, and it's that slight otherworldliness that makes them so utterly captivating.

Although those three books were really the closest to Bone Gap in terms of feel and style, for me, I also came up with a few other connections:

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender and Bone Gap: Family, magic realism, a tight-knit community, and a criminal.

Say What You Will and Bone Gap: A boy with an undiagnosed condition and an "unattractive" girl.

Homecoming and Bone Gap: Children abandoned by their mother.

The Vanishing Season and Bone Gap: A small town, a blooming friendship, a deep devotion, first love, missing girls.

The Secret Life of Bees and Bone Gap: Bees and their keepers.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane and Bone Gap: The slippage from one world to another.

 
I'm so glad that I gave Bone Gap a chance. I think it has a good chance of being one of my top reads of the year.

Bone Gap is out March 3rd. Review copy from Edelweiss.

Connections: Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

What if Sleeping Beauty didn't live happily ever after? What if she died leaving two young children and a usurper on the throne? Stacey Jay's Princess of Thorns is the story of what comes after Sleeping Beauty's unhappy end. It's the tale of Sleeping Beauty's daughter, a fierce and resolute warrior, who will do what she must to protect her younger brother and regain her kingdom.

Ms. Jay's story uses Charles Perrault's tale as its jumping off point. In Perrault's story, Sleeping Beauty's mother-in-law is an ogress who enjoys eating children, the prince keeps his bride a secret, and Sleeping Beauty's children are named Dawn and Day. Princess of Thorns features an ogress queen who eats human souls, a king who  hides a second family, and siblings Aurora and Jor.

Aurora's somewhat reluctant ally on her quest is a prince of a neighboring kingdom, Prince Niklaas. He is searching for a way to break the curse that will turn him into a swan on his eighteenth birthday.

I really enjoyed this novel. It started a little slow for me, but as it picked up, I found myself thinking about it more and more. Aurora is feisty and headstrong. Niklaas starts out seeming overly arrogant, but it doesn't take long to realize that it's all bluster. I love when magic has consequences, and that is certainly the case with this tale. Aurora's fairy blessing was one of the most interesting parts of this tale, for me. Sure Niklaas and Aurora should be more honest with each other, but, all things considered, I can't be too hard on them. And really, I quite liked them together.

Princess of Thorns is a so many things. It's a fairytale, an epic fantasy, a love story, and an adventure. No wonder it has so many connections to other books:

While Beauty Slept and Princess of Thorns: These Sleeping Beauty spin-offs take another character's perspective--the servant and the daughter.

Daughter of the Forest and Princess of Thorns: Contain elements of The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Anderson, in which eleven princes are turned into swans by their wicked stepmother.

The Song of the Lioness and Princess of Thorns: Girls masquerading as boys!

Defy and Princess of Thorns: Warrior girls with fighting magic.

Ella Enchanted and Princess of Thorns: Is it a fairy blessing or a curse?

The Raven Cycle and Princess of Thorns:  A girl whose kisses are cursed.
 
Stacey Jay takes all these well-known elements, gives them a twist, and transforms them into some fresh and new. 

Princess of Thorns is out December 9th, 2014. Review copy from NetGalley.

Connections: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Scott Westerfeld's new book Afterworlds is the story of Darcy Patel, who at 17, sells a young adult book to a major publishing company. After high school Darcy moves to New York to become a full-time author. Interspersed with Darcy's story are chapters from Darcy's book about a girl named Lizzie who crosses over into the afterworld during a terrorist attack and is changed forever.

Westerfeld's book is this crazy work of metafiction. It was strange (and sometimes wonderful) to be reading a book about publishing a book. To read a novel is to be taken to a new world, even when that world is based on our own. In Afterworlds the reader is reading about the creation of those fictional worlds and all the writing and rewriting, touring, editing, the agents, the editors, and the camaraderie and competition between authors that goes on behind the scenes. It was particularly surreal to read about Darcy's time at BookExpo America (which I have been to) and hear how many galleys of her book had already been downloaded (which is how I got a copy of this book). In a lovely little pairing, Westerfeld's Afterworlds comes out the same day that Darcy's Afterworlds comes out in the story, September 23rd, 2014, so, in some ways, Afterworlds feels like a book about writing the very book you are reading. It kind of makes my head hurt. And that comment that Kiralee makes about whitefellas plundering other cultures-that's at least somewhat directed at Westerfeld himself.

As a work of metafiction, Afterworlds pulls from many different literary tropes. It is kind of a melding of aspects from all of these books (and more):

Fangirl and Afterworlds:  College-age girls with literary aspirations writing paranormal fiction. Cath's and Darcy's writing is interspersed with the story of their daily lives.

Born Confused and Afterworlds: Daughters of Indian immigrants. Darcy Patel and Dimple Lala grapple with their cultural traditions.

Empress of the World and Afterworlds: Two smart, creative girls fall in love. One is sure of her sexuality. One has never been in love before and didn't know she was interested in girls.

The Memory of After and Afterworlds: The afterlife has multiple levels. It is closely tied to memory.

Tiger's Curse and Afterworlds: Indian mythology mixed with the modern world. Yama is an Hindu death god.

The Name of the Star and Afterworlds: Lizzie and Rory both have a near death experience and come out of it with the ability to see and talk to ghosts.


The metafiction was probably my very favorite thing about the book. I much preferred Darcy's story. Because this is a book about publishing a book, Darcy's problems--her inability to maintain her budget, her conflicting feelings about her cultural heritage and its manifestation in her book, even her relationship with Imogen (which is her very first relationship and Darcy didn't even know she was interested in girls)--all takes a second seat to Darcy's constant worry that she is a fraud and that writing the book was a fluke. Honestly, it would have been nice to have more of all the other issues and less writer-related worries.

Darcy's story is shared with Lizzie's, and Lizzie's story is a stereotypical paranormal. The first chapter is awesome with the terrorist attack and Lizzie's crossover to the afterworld (which is why her book got picked up in the first place). I think it's important to remember that Westerfeld's writing is not Darcy's writing, and Darcy's Afterworlds is a first novel by a talented but inexperienced author. It is somewhat satiric of the paranormal young adult genre and falls into the stereotypes that plague much of the genre--instalove, flat romantic male lead, cultural appropriation,etc.--while hinting at Darcy's potential. The best thing about Lizzie's story was seeing how Darcy's life experiences influenced her writing. I loved when Afterworlds was mentioned in the Darcy section and then I got to see how Darcy changed what she had originally written. As Darcy grew, so did the story.

At times Afterworlds feels long. It is basically two books in one. However, I don't think it could be any shorter and still do all that it does.

Afterworlds is out September 23rd, 2014. Review copy from Edelweiss.

Connections: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows and Ava Lavender

 Leslye Walton's debut novel The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender has inspired me to talk about books featuring girls with wings. Walton's book is an eerily beautiful work of magical realism. It tells the story of three generations of women, Ava, her mother Viviane, and her grandmother Emmaline Roux. The Roux family is strange, and the strangeness is passed down from generation to generation until Ava is born with wings. 
 
Magical realism tends to put me in a certain kind quiet kind of mood, and I really enjoyed the beautiful prose and lovely bizarreness of this book until the introduction of Nathaniel Sorrows, and then the whole thing soured a bit for me. I tire of psychotic religious characters, especially when the psychotic religious character is the only religious character in the novel. It was all too clear where the novel was headed once Nathaniel Sorrows entered the scene.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is being marketed as a young adult book, but it doesn't feel like a young adult book to me. Yes, there are three coming of age stories in this book, but it is as much, if not more so, about love in old age as it is about youth. Ava's life and experiences, if anything, open her mother and grandmother's eyes to the love they have been blind to for so many years.   

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is out March 25th, 2014. Review copy from NetGalley.

The Connections:

Laurel Winter's Growing Wings is a book in the same vein written for a middle-grade audience. When eleven-year-old Linnet begins to grow feathery wings, secrets about Linnet's family are revealed. Like, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, Growing Wings involves several generations of women in Linnet's family. I read this book several years ago, and it's one that has stuck with me over time.

Aprilynne Pike's Wings fits squarely in the young adult genre. It offers a new interpretation of faeries. Laurel was left in a basket on her parent's doorstep at the age of 3. She's always been different from other kids--unable to digest anything but fresh vegetables, fruits, and Sprite, and she can't stand to have too many clothes covering her skin. At 16 the differences get even more pronounced when she discovers a bump on her back that leads Laurel to a whole new world that explains her origins. 

Connections: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Publisher / Year: Del Ray - January 2014

Genre: Science Fiction

Source: Review copy from NetGalley 

Amazon | Goodreads

Pierce's Brown's debut novel Red Rising has the potential to become something big. Darrow lives underground mining the material that will one day make the surface of Mars habitable for humans. But, the truth is, Mars has been habitable for hundreds of years. The Golds, the highest of the social classes, have kept this knowledge from the Reds. Darrow is chosen by a rebel Red force, transformed into a Gold, and trained to infiltrate the highest levels of government. To do so he must first survive the command school that trains the most elite Golds.

Red Rising starts out swinging but stalls a bit in the middle; however, the last half of the book more than makes up for it. Command school is packed with twists (so many that I did not see coming), high stakes (be prepared for violence), and fabulous world-building. The vast cast of characters doesn't disappoint either, and the writing itself is impressive. What I love most is that the series is shaping up to be very complex. Darrow's mission starts out fairly black and white, but what's right and wrong gets increasingly more muddled as Darrow gets to know his Gold classmates.

Red Rising is one of those rare books that contains many classic literary themes and is simultaneously unlike anything you've ever read. Some of my connections: 

Shades of Grey and Red Rising: Class systems structured by color. I never thought I'd read about another Colortocracy. 

The Hunger Games and Red Rising: A heavy Roman influence. Red Risings is more Olympian based than Empire based.

The Lord of the Flies and Red Rising: Kids must survive on their own in the wild. Sure Red Rising has proctors, but for the first half of command school they do basically nothing.

The City of Ember and Red Rising: Underground civilization unaware that people live above them on the surface.

Ender's Game and Red Rising: War Games. The students are manipulated by the adults. The students outwit the adults.

The Man with the Iron Mask and Red Rising: Extensive training (and in Darrow's case serious surgery) to prepare the recruit to infiltrate the ruling class.

Red Rising is out now. Review copy from NetGalley.