Dear Great Book Guru,
Sea Cliff is ablaze with Halloween fever- so many beautifully,
ghoulishly decorated homes, so many fun events!
One of my favorites is the Cider Social this Sunday, October 29 from 3
to 4pm at Central Park near the old Harbor Day Care building. Heidi Hunt and
her amazing high school assistants provide crafts, music, and refreshments for the
many costumed Villagers who attend. Afterwards, I would love to have a great book
to read – preferably something short and
current.
A Cider Socialite
Dear Cider Socialite,
One of my favorite authors Alice McDermott just came out with a new
book: THE NINTH HOUR. The story opens with a young Irish immigrant
turning on the gas jets in his Brooklyn tenement apartment, leaving a pregnant wife
to grieve for him and whatever their future might have held. Their grandchildren narrate the story of this
ill-fated couple- going back in time to Civil War Brooklyn where we meet Red
Whelan who for $350 took their great-grandfather’s place in the Union Army. He
remains a vivid part of the family’s history a century after his death. But the most vivid players in the family
narrative are the Little Nursing Sisters of Sick Poor who took Annie the widow
and her baby Sally on as their cause, providing them with material and
spiritual care. There is nothing
saccharine about these women with each of them willing to sacrifice everything-
even eternity- for the present good.
This is a dark but very rich tale and highly recommended.
And a very happy birthday to a great fan of great books….Dan
DiPietro!