Dear Great Book Guru,  I was at the victory party last week for Village Trustees Kevin McGilloway and Elena Villafane and Justice John Reali at the McGilloways’ beautiful home when conversation turned to – what else ?- books!  Carol Vogt,  a great student of history, reminded us that 2014 is the hundredth anniversary of the start of World War I, a subject I am very interested in.  I wonder if you have a book to recommend about that “war to end all wars”?   History Buff

Dear History Buff,  I just finished a short novel (118 pages): 1914 by Jean Echenoz. This is a story of five young men from a small village in the Loire Valley of west central France whose lives are forever changed when their  village  bells  begin to toll on a lovely  summer Saturday afternoon, calling them to war.  Anthime is bicycling through the village on his way to a picnic, Charles is experimenting  with his new Reve Ideal camera, while Padioleau, Bossis, and Arcenel, three friends, are enjoying the afternoon at a local café.  While all realize the war has begun for them, they believe  it will end quickly, perhaps in two weeks or so. Their concerns at first are of attractive uniforms and romantic farewells. Of course, all of this changes .   Echenoz relates, almost dispassionately, the horrors these five Frenchmen endure, but this only underscores his fury at the absurd savagery of war.   There is no beauty, no grace, no redemption in this account of- as it was called- the Great War.

Dear Great Book Guru,  We were at Still Partners the other night with the Marcheses and the Abbenda/Hughes listening to that great band “Kingfisher” when someone mentioned that the annual Barbara Pym Society conference in Cambridge is scheduled for this coming weekend. While only a few members from Sea Cliff will be able to attend  ( it was sold out months ago), those lucky few promised to report back all the exciting comings and goings. Do you know what book will be featured since I want to be able to discuss it with the returning Pymites?   A Devoted Pymophile

Dear Devoted Pymophile,  The book chosen for this year’s conference is a favorite of mine: EXCELLENT WOMEN.  It was one of Pym’s early novels and is a perfect example of her distinctive style.  Written from the perspective of Mildred Lathbury, a thirtyish woman living alone in 1950’s London, the novel is all about- well, nothing … or perhaps I should say all those wonderful little things that we cling to so that our lives will have meaning. Sensitive and self-deprecating,   Mildred is a keen observer of others, who finds herself called upon to play many different roles in the lives of her friends whether they be the colorful Napiers- anthropologist Helena and her dashing naval officer husband Rockingham- or the ever so slightly shabby Malory siblings- cleric Julian and his devoted sister Winifred. This is not an epic novel filled with great ideas, but rather a great novel filled with small delights.  Highly recommended!

Dear Great Book Guru, I will be celebrating St Patrick’s Day at K.C. Gallagher’s here in Sea Cliff, but I heard that Heneghan’s Tavern in Point Lookout is the place to be if you are willing to leave our lovely Village.  But before I go anywhere this weekend, I want to have a good book in hand.  Someone told me there is an interesting first novel set in Brooklyn about writers. Sound familiar and, if so, would you recommend it?  St Patrick’s Day Celebrant

Dear Celebrant, I applaud your choice of venues and yes, I have heard of THE LOVE AFFAIRS OF NATHANIEL P. by Adelle Waldman.  Waldman writes about a thirtyish author  who finds love and happiness in Brooklyn- well, maybe not love and possibly not happiness.  Set in the present time, the novel traces Nate Piven as his first novel is about to be published and, to his surprise, finds his magazines articles and book reviews suddenly in great demand. His relationships with various women are recounted and we begin to see a pattern of smart man, too many choices.  Nate is bright, articulate, but ultimately superficial and the reader begins to tire of his many romantic missteps. The beauty of this book lies not in Nate’s portrayal,  but rather  in Waldman’s carefully crafted depiction of  social and literary sites in Brooklyn and Manhattan. From cozy taxi rides over the Brooklyn Bridge to antique lit backyard restaurants, the author offers us a glimpse into a visually attractive but socially chaotic world.

Dear Great Book Guru,  Last weekend Sea Cliff lost a beloved friend and esteemed scholar John Moyne. A man of great literary, linguistic, and technological accomplishments, John was remembered by his many friends and family members at a gathering on Sunday at the Moyne family home. While there, one of my friends mentioned having just finished a novel about a small village in Haiti and recommended I read it. Are you familiar with it? Reflective Reader

Dear Reflective,  John Moyne was indeed an extraordinary man and there will be another opportunity to honor his memory this Saturday, March 8 at 11am at St. Luke’s Church here in Sea Cliff. Edwidge Danticat’s CLAIRE  OF THE SEA LIGHT is the book your friend recommended. Set in Ville Rose, a small village a few miles from the capital Port au Prince, the novel opens with the disappearance of seven-year old Claire and the death at sea of an elderly fisherman.  It is Claire’s birthday and from the beginning,  death has shadowed her.  We are introduced to neighbors, friends, politicians who all play roles in Claire’s young life - from her impoverished widowed father who wants desperately for Claire to have a “good life”- to the hostess of a local radio show “Tell Me” where residents have the opportunity to tell stories of betrayal and gain retribution- to the headmaster who will do anything to protect a troubled son. Throughout, the lives of rich and poor intersect in profoundly disturbing ways. A beautifully written book!


Reminder : Meet the Candidates Night - Kevin McGilloway, Elena Villafane and John Reali will present their positions and answer questions from the community Thursday, March 6 at 8pm in Sea Cliff Village Hall. This annual event is sponsored by the Sea Cliff Civic Association.

Dear Great Book Guru, This Friday, February 28, I will be at one of Sea Cliff's iconic events: the Beach Committee’s 7^th Annual Pub Crawl. As an added attraction this year, we will get to check out the Woodpecker’s Lodge (311 Sea Cliff Avenue) where tickets, and mugs, and shirts will  be sold.  The rest of my weekend is free so I would love to have a good book to read when I get home from the Crawl. I think a mystery would be just right.  Any ideas?  Enthusiastic Pub Crawler

Dear Enthusiastic,  I love this event too- the best part for me is seeing all of Sea Cliff out and about after the numbing isolation of winter.   I have an interesting book that is a quirky sort of mystery, character, historical and geographical study: THE LAST ANNIVERSARY by Liane Moriarty.  Set in Australia and in particular on a picturesque island a short ferry ride from the mainland, the novel is told from varying perspectives and over a number of years starting with the 1930’s up until 2010. The novel’s focal point is “The Baby Munro Mystery”- Alice and Jack Munro disappeared over seventy years ago from a small cottage on the island- the couple left with a marble cake cooling, a pot of tea ready to be poured, a trail of blood, and, oh yes, an infant daughter lying happily in her pram. As a result of the “mystery” and the entrepreneurial skills of the young sisters who raised the baby, the island has become an enormously profitable tourist destination with food concessions, souvenir shops and guided tours. This is a quick, enjoyable read with some rich character development and, of course, a clever mystery waiting to be solved.

Dear Great Book Guru,  I attended a fabulous Presidents’ Day brunch over the weekend, and one of the fun things we did was choose our favorite president.  Many of us, myself included voted for Theodore Roosevelt. I have visited Roosevelt’s homes in Oyster Bay and Manhattan, read a number of his biographies, but I would like to learn still more about this fascinating man.  Any thoughts?      A Fan  of T.R.  

Dear T.R. Fan.   I too have always been fascinated by our 26^th president. I just finished a great book by a favorite author of mine- Doris Kearns Goodwin:  THE BULLY PULPIT.  This is more than a standard biography of a president- it delves into Roosevelt’s relationship with his handpicked successor William Howard Taft and also the role journalists played in creating the narrative of Roosevelt’s life before and after his election. In fact the subtitle of the book is “Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and the Golden Age of Journalism.  Taft and Roosevelt make for such a wonderful contrast- the sickly child who devoted his life to becoming healthy, athletic, and fit and Taft, robust as a child ,  who went on to spend his adult life unsuccessfully fighting severe obesity.  Both progressives, Roosevelt was the consummate politician and friend of journalists while Taft had little political acumen, shunning interviews and photo ops.   Despite these differences, they had an intense friendship which came to a devastating end when Roosevelt decided to run against Taft for reelection with Democrat Woodrow Wilson ultimately winning the election. It was only years later, shortly before Roosevelt’s death, that the two men were to reconcile.   A very long book (900 pages), BULLY PULPIT gives us an interesting look into a time when the presidency, politics, and the media were all reconfiguring.    A very worthwhile and enjoyable read!

 

Dear Great Book Guru,  Valentine’s Day is a lovely respite from the snow and cold of February and I plan on celebrating with friends at a local restaurant, but I also would like something good to read this holiday weekend. My friend Jim Doherty mentioned Elmore Leonard as an author I might enjoy.  Any thoughts?  Be My Valentine

Dear Valentine,  I had never read any Elmore Leonard until recently and I do think you might find him a good choice. Known as the Dickens of Detroit for his colorful characters and conversational flavor, Leonard has written over thirty novels, many that have been made into movies and television series (“Get Shorty”, “Justified”, “Out of Sight” among others}. His early books were Westerns but later he concentrated on contemporary Detroit and its surroundings- always with desperate but decent heroes who show little respect for the  conventional mores of   law and order.  PAGAN BABIES is a  favorite of mine.  It opens with Father Terry Dunn hearing the confessions of his parishioners in modern day Rwanda. Soon however Terry and the reader are back on the streets of Detroit with aging mobsters, fugitive felons, attractive ex-convicts, bumbling assassins, all in pursuit of the American dream or at least a great deal of cash. Everyone has a secret, everyone has a mission- and Leonard brings  them all together in a humorous- at times poignant- fast-moving conclusion.

Happy birthday this week to Joseph Anzalone, Shannon Doherty, Victor Ambrose,  and Lousie Voccoli- readers  who always find time for a good book!