Veil of Doubt by Sharon Virts

A story of a serial killing? Not my thing!  But I chose to give a new piece of historical fiction a try, and I discovered a fascinating courtroom drama in Sharon Virts' Veil of Doubt (Girl Friday Books, 2023), set in post-Civil War Virginia.  

Based on an actual court case, this new novel really centers on the main defense attorney, Powell Harrison of Leesburg, who is driven both by his innate sense of justice and the tragic suicide of his sister in a state insane asylum, to defend Emily Lloyd, whose fourth and final child dies in questionable circumstances in the spring of 1872.  

One of the most haunting images for me came early in the book when you see Emily Lloyd as a figure alone while the residents of Leesburg find her guilty in the court of public opinion and her attorneys decide immediately for an insanity defense. How harsh is that? How can she grieve in this time? What does she have to say for herself? Isn't she considered innocent until proven guilty?  And how typical it has been through the ages for powerless women to have no voice? 

Each chapter goes day by day in the account, as Powell builds his case in defense of Mrs. Lloyd.  The historical details of the law of the time and the few forensic options open to both attorneys and the police make you aware of how much has changed and how so many legal decisions affected people in unjust or in unusual ways.  In this particular case--and this actually happened--a lawyer that the Harrison law firm used for consultation in the early days of the defense planning switched sides and worked for the prosecutor during the trial.  In addition, the prosecution withheld evidence from the defense and was allowed to do so legally.

The story plays out both methodically and surprisingly, which I will not explain, as there are some major twists in this plot.  But I will say that the story is vastly compelling and has so many mysteries involved and little details about daily life that I couldn't put it down.  There are lovely descriptions about the countryside in late summer, and there are also horrifying scenes of the necessary post-mortem on the darling little Maud Lloyd, just three years old, and the exhumations of her older siblings to gather evidence.  Reading the author's note at the end gave substance to her portrayal of the people involved, and the inclusion of newspaper stories at the time brings immediacy.

We drive through the little town of Lucketts, VA that leads into the bustling outskirts of Leesburg fairly often on our way south to visit family, and I will never look at this place in the same way again.  The strength of historical fiction is that it brings to life days gone by in places that we might hardly know, helps us to realize how much has changed and makes us aware of how our understanding of institutions, other poeple, and science and medicine has evolved.  A meaningful title with a beautiful cover rounds out a substantial piece of historical fiction that I recommend!  It comes out October 10.

Many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for an advance copy.

Now, on to another piece of historical fiction based around a trial--Zadie Smith's The Fraud.

Seething at American Corporations

Anthony Oliver's overnight country sensation, Rich Men North of Richmond, expresses the dissatisfaction of the working man in a protest song about the average American "selling his soul" for "bullsh!t pay." It reminds me of themes in three new-ish books, all very different from each other, but which are linked by the theme of corporations--and the rich men there--that use and use up workers and move on without a care.  Or even worse, they move in to prey upon the desperation of the unemployed who attempt to deal with their wrecked lives by medicating their internal and external pains with drugs, alcohol and with addictive prescriptions especially marketed to them. 

Brian Broome's Punch Me Up to the Gods (Mariner, 2021) is only tangentially about this theme, but this idea is threaded through his memoir as it also inextricably linked to the place that the author came from.  Broome grew up in Rust Belt Ohio, in a town that was white, homophobic and without opportunity, with parents struggling with job loss in the steel mills, with a lack of education, and with the attendant psychological scars that bears.  His memoir is an exploration of leaving home and finding himself in a new city, with new friends, and a new outlook on life.  That completely simplifies the struggle that he went through, though, and while his writing is compelling, it is also raw, gritty, emotional, perceptive, and even cringe-inducing.  Broome is also a wonderful public speaker, and I had a chance to hear him speak about this book and the importance of writing memoirs.  One of his messages was about not only writing about what people did to you, but what you did to other people.

Idra Novey's novel, Take What You Need (Viking, 2023), had me scratching my head, because I wasn't sure that I loved it, but it was fascinating to me.  Telling the story of one family through alternating chapters from the daughter's and the stepmother's points of view, it is about two people who end up escaping the poverty and its accompanying emotional bankruptcy in the southern Allegheny Mountains.  Leah, the daughter, accomplishes that by leaving the area (and even the country), while Jean does it by creating fantastical constructions of used steel and found objects.  These two had formed a tight bond, until it was destroyed by Leah's father and Jean's husband, and the story that follows is an adult Leah discovering who her stepmother really was.

Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead (Harper, 2022) is a masterpiece of a novel based on Charles Dickens' David Copperfield.  It is one of those works that has four extraordinary "frames," meaning that the plot, the characterizations, the tone, and setting are all equally strong and well constructed. In the story, bad things happen to young Demon (as they do to David C), and you know that they are going to get worse, but the character of Demon is so engaging and likable and accepting of his fate, that the reader is cheering him throughout the novel; even more impressive is that the book is incredibly funny, a major feat when writing about an orphan whose living conditions are truly awful.  Set in Appalachia in the 1980s, it is about the devastation brought on by the opioid epidemic and its effect on Demon and the many people around him. One character, a nurse, is fully aware of what is going on with the pharmaceutical company pushing this drug, and the author does a powerful job describing how it all worked with sales reps, doctors, local pharmacies, illicit trade, and so on. While I won't say more about the plot, it is incredibly compelling, and the audio version is especially fine.  This title is on my "everyone should read this book" list, and it makes one think about so many things, including why the Sackler family (of PurduPharma) has gotten off scott free. 

Be prepared to look at the rich and powerful in new ways through these three books that remind us that American citizens are more than cogs in corporate machines while also shining the light on the humanity in each and every person.

The Rumor Game by Thomas Mullen

 

In 2008, debut author Thomas Mullen was our speaker for "A Tale for Three Counties" (one-book program) with his haunting account of the 1918 pandemic in The Last Town on Earth  (2006).  Little did we know that we would live through another such event when reading that book about a Pacific Northwest town that tries to shut itself off from the raging Spanish flu.  His compelling historical novel Darktown (2016) is about the enforced hiring of Black police officers in Atlanta in 1946, with echoes today of discriminatory police practices raised during the Black Lives Matter movement.  

Thomas Mullen's newest historical fiction, which will be out in February 2024, is both highly entertaining and a revealing account of anti-war sentiment,  Fascism and anti-Semitism in the United States during World War II.  Set in Boston, where Irish Catholics ruled, this is also a story about a city tainted by dirty cops.  Main characters Devon Mulvey, FBI agent, and Anne Lemire, investigative reporter and activist, knew each other from childhood, and they run into each other again as they both end up investigating a host of acts of discrimination, crime and sedition in Boston.  Their attraction is challenged by their working at cross-purposes--wanting the same things but needing to get there in different ways.  

 

For those who didn't live through the war years and are not students of that era, some of the events of that time may come as a complete shock, and Mullen's strong suit is that he can thread all these elements through the story in interesting and often suspenseful ways.  Reporters being shut down for revealing information, young men enlisting before their 18th birthdays, employees at munitions factories stealing arms for private militias, Jewish citizens being attacked for their religious beliefs, are some of the plot points.  

It needs to be noted that Mullen puts all this together skillfully and that main characters are neither heroes nor completely flawed and that the police department has members that are not on the take or willing to turn a blind eye to injustices.  He shows how complicated it all is, how family ties sometimes weigh heavily on people, and how doing the right thing has dramatic consequences.

His novel is based loosely on historic events in Boston during the war, and he explains what it true and what is a mixture of things that happened.  A lengthy bibliography is helpful to readers who want more background.

 

A strong contender for book discussion groups, this novel is a reminder that history can and does repeat itself.  

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

Reading this book now--after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine--is a chilling  experience.  In this new piece of historical fiction, the true story of World War II female Ukrainian sniper Lyudmila (Mila) Pavlichenko reveals strong truths about war and presents eerie similarities to the situation of the Ukrainian people 80 years after this took place.  

Mila only wanted to be a historian, was a graduate of Kiev University, and working at the library in Odessa with an eye on finishing her dissertation about the Ukrainian accession to Russia, when the Germans invaded.  Her skill at marksmanship put her life into an entirely different trajectory, and she decided to join the war effort where she became an outstanding sniper.  That this job is difficult for anyone is made clear, and the added challenges for women in the Army was even more so.  War is hell, but the burning desire of Ukrainians to defend their homeland (then Russia) has strong echoes to the present moment, when they were invaded without provocation and with superior forces.  

Author Kate Quinn creates a you-are-there feel in her descriptions of nights out on reconnaissance and patrol, on staying motionless for hours at a time, on living through massive bombings, on being hit by shrapnel, on recuperating at frontline hospitals, on depending on the men in your battalion, on the challenges of being a woman in a man's world, and on watching your comrades die on the battlefield.  Part of this immediacy is developed through Mila's first-person narration that is often contrasted with the words of her actual official biography called Lady Death: The Memoirs of Stalin's Sniper.  In addition, Quinn adds other perspectives to the story, such as Eleanor Roosevelt's notes during Mila's visit to the U.S. in 1942. 

The real Pavlichencko did visit the U.S. with a Russian delegation, trying to explain the eastern front and the war experience of the Russians taking on the superior German Army.   Their goal was to get America to support their cause and enter the war to help them out; Mila's speeches across the U.S. at this time are well-documented.  In the novel, President Franklin Roosevelt, trying to thoroughly understand the Russian fighting force, says to her, 

"Years of war...and our side hasn't succeeded anywhere in resisting their enemies as long as you Russians have done.  Is it your military spirit, your training? The skill of your officers and generals? The unity between army and populace?...What would you say?" 

"It's will," I answered....Because we hold and fight or we die.  But no amount of willpower in the world matter if we have no bullets to shoot or rifles to fire."  (p. 277)

If this doesn't make readers think of Ukraine at the present moment and the stirring speeches of President Volodymyr Zelensky, I don't know what would.  An article in the Washington Post this morning shows the Odessa Opera House (where Mila's friend was a ballerina) protected by the very kind of barricades used during WW II to protect it from the Nazi invasion.  This novel, written just months before the current events, is astonishing in its timeliness. 

Mila's visit to the U.S. also draws out the incredibly patronizing and asinine questions from the American press that focus on her uniform, whether she wears make-up on the frontlines, and the like.  That there is a complete incomprehension of battleground conditions is obvious, which goes along with an utter lack of respect for the abilities of this woman.  One of the things that Quinn points out is that snipers not only face down the enemy at very close range, but they are also highly skilled at physics and mathematics, making calculations in an instant.  

The story stays close to the known account of this woman, but the author has added some dramatic moments that are either imagined or strongly possible based on this woman's life.  In addition, Quinn creates an emotional life for Mila that is totally absent from the official biography.  Notes at the end give details on what was historically based and what was changed slightly for the demands of a novel.  

This would be excellent for discussion in book groups, but at its very basic level, it's an important and compelling read to help understand Ukrainian history.  Don't miss this!  (On sale March 29)

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for an advanced copy.

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

Bravissimo! This wonderful novel by a debut author is rich in themes that make it both an engrossing read and a great candidate for book discussion.  The book drops the reader right into the main problem: concert violinist Ray McMillian, an American contender for the prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition, has his rare and exceptionally valuable Stradivarius violin stolen during a hotel stay in New York City.  Multiple issues surrounding this heist are introduced before the story then flashes back to Ray’s early years as a child deeply interested in music and in the old violin that was handed down through his great-grandfather, whose ancestor was a former slave.

If this isn’t enough to make a story, we see Ray facing all the impossibilities of following his musical dreams by the fact of his color—Black. In addition, his mother is uninterested in supporting his music lessons, his extended family is determined to sell his prized violin once discovering how valuable it is, and descendants of the original owner of the violin start harassing him for its return.  We also see how he’s treated at both his early musical gigs as well as at national and international concerts and competitions.  

The saving graces for Ray are his loving grandmother who encourages him in his musical pursuit and his college mentor who does everything possible to smooth his way in the musical world.  One of the things she provides him is an excellent education at his university, which Ray meets with fiery commitment.  The behind-the-scenes look at the making of a musician is brilliant, both in describing the technical needs of a violinist and the emotional response to various compositions that brings it all to life for the layperson.  

Coincidentally, I read this novel while also reading Caste by Isabel Wilkerson.  In a chapter in that book about how people are compartmentalized into specific boxes (whether by law or by inheritance),  it talks about how people are put onto the wrong shelf.  This very thing happens to Ray constantly throughout the novel, because a Black man is never seen as someone who is—or could be—a classical musician. Some of the most dramatic and tense scenes are where this occurs, and the author describes situations and how Ray manages to work through them.  Amazingly, these also bring out some of the best humor in the novel.  

In addition to the themes of music and racial inequality, there is also the discussion of valuable instruments, their insurance, and their sales on the black market.  When Ray’s violin is stolen and a ransom is demanded for its return, Ray takes things into his own hands to get it back, working alongside the law enforcement, in addition to law enforcement, and even without their knowledge.  This adds to the suspense.

A piece at the end describes how the author was inspired to write this novel, and it reveals why this story rings true.  I highly recommend this multilayered novel and especially to discussion groups.

It will be published by Penguin Random House on Feb. 1.  Thanks to the publisher and to Edelweiss for an advance copy.   

Happy Jolabokaflod! (a little late)

There is a charming tradition from Iceland that my family adopted seven years ago called "Jolabokaflod" (literally Christmas Book Flood), which takes place on Christmas Eve.  Each person receives a book and chocolates that night and spends the rest of the evening reading and eating candy.  There's something really refreshing and calming about this, and despite all the presents waiting under the tree, the red and white-wrapped book may be the present I most look forward to.

Iceland is the most literate nation in the world, and their book publishing is concentrated between September and November.   In addition, they have a strong tradition of giving books as gifts, and reading is enjoyed by a very large portion of the population.  There's more information here: https://www.npr.org/2012/12/25/167537939/literary-iceland-revels-in-its-annual-christmas-book-flood

It helps that two of us in my family are librarians, and we carefully monitor what each is reading and wanting to read for book ideas.  You don't need to be in the book business, though, to pick out thoughtful titles for your family members.  I collect ideas throughout the year, which might come from book reviews, book displays at libraries or book stores, lists of "best books," or publications like BookPage, available free from the library.  (Bookstores have a similar publication.) I also consider personal likes and hobbies and how much time each reader might have.  And if there isn't anyone in your family to select your book, make a suggestion or get your own!

The seven books that I've received are pictured.  I've enjoyed each one and was glad to be introduced to authors Jenny Colgan and now this year to Matt Haig through my Jolabokaflod gifts!  As you can see, there is a strong literary bent here, although each is unique.  

It's a Christmas tradition well worth starting.  Collect your ideas now for 2022.  Then prepare yourself for to leave the hectic rush behind and to dive into a new book--and chocolate--on December 24! 

 

Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

Oh, Yinka! What are you thinking?  Oxford-educated banker Yinka Oladeji goes off the deep end when her mother and one of her many aunties pray for her in public to get a "huzband."  Her response to being called out for what is a traditional expectation in her Nigerian-British family is to try to show her friends and family that she is a success on her own, but which prompts her to act in outrageous ways that often include exaggeration, half-truths, and outright lying.  

Adding to her chaotic life is job loss from redundancy, an ongoing feud with her cousin Ola, jealousy of her younger sister Kemi, and an unrealistic and out-of-character plan to line up a plus-one for her cousin's wedding.  Yinka's impetuous decisions can drive you wild--and yet, that is exactly what helps the reader see the frustration of her friends.  

The cultural aspects of the book are interesting, but there are also many universal truths in the story.  One of the nicest parts of the book was Yinka's decision to see a counselor (I couldn't help but think about Dr. Sharon Fieldstone from "Ted Lasso" who helped her patients so well), and this helped Yinka make some important life changes--and to put her Post-It notes to good use!  

Yinka's friends, including three of her cousins, fellow workers, and people from the past add depth to the story, as they help Yinka (whether intentionally or not) accept her identity and embrace the person she is.   There are many engaging minor themes--of religion, cooking, city living, career choices, and friendships--woven throughout the story.  This is a well-done first novel with a beautiful, eye-catching cover. 

The book reminded me quite a bit of the novel by His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie (Algonquin, 2020), about a Ghanian young woman whose arranged marriage doesn't end her quest for her own personal dreams, and I would recommend each if you liked the other.
 

Thanks to Penguin/Viking and NetGalley for an advance copy of this title to be published in January 2022.