Xpress Reviews—The First Look at New Books
Sep 2, 2010Week ending September 3, 2010
Fiction | Nonfiction
Fiction
Maguire, Gregory. The Next Queen of Heaven. Harper: HarperCollins. Oct. 2010. c.304p. ISBN 9780061997792. pap. $14.99. F
Originally published in 2009 as a limited-edition book by Concord Free Press for charity, Maguire's (Wicked) latest takes on religious life in rural upstate New York. Leontina Scales, thrice-divorced single mother of three teenagers, is a faithful member of the Cliffs of Zion Radiant Radical Pentecostal Fellowship, which shares a parking lot with the Catholic church next door. When she tries to borrow some milk from the church kitchen, she gets hit on the head by a decommissioned statue of the Virgin Mary, and all hell breaks loose for her family. Meanwhile, gay Catholic music director Jeremy Carr ends up befriending a bunch of ancient nuns at Our Lady of the Sorrowful Mysteries cloister. By turns serious and hilarious, this novel is classic Maguire despite its "real-life" setting. His take on the Radiant Radicals is a bit irreverent, but he shows sympathy for the Catholics in the story, particularly the elderly cloistered nuns.
Verdict Recommended for readers interested in religious commentary with a sense of humor and Maguire fans not wedded to the fantasy genre. [The nonprofit Concord Free Press (www.concordfreepress.com) does not sell but gives away its books and encourages purchasers to donate to their favorite charity.—Ed.]—Nancy Fontaine, Dartmouth Coll., Hanover, NH
Pratchett, Terry. I Shall Wear Midnight: A Tiffany Aching Adventure. Harper: HarperCollins. Oct. 2010. c.368p. ISBN 9780061433047. pap. $16.99. FANTASY
Pratchett's fourth—and final—book to feature young witch Tiffany Aching (The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith) is a delight from start to finish. The trademark Pratchett humor is in full force along with the classic elements of a witch, a royal wedding, a royal funeral, a trip to the big city, and an ominous villain. Comic relief comes in the form of frequent appearance by the Nac Mac Feegle (who would not be out of place in a farcical miniproduction of Braveheart) and everyone's favorite randy old hag, Nanny Ogg. A character from early in the "Discworld" series makes a cameo appearance, and we meet a new character, the learned young man Preston. As usual, Pratchett makes wise and wry observations about human behavior, for example, "poison goes where poison's welcome" refers to the mob mentality.
Verdict YA and adult readers who like strong heroines and classic tales will enjoy this volume, which is sure to be in demand by Discworld fans.—Amy Watts, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens
Warren, Susan May. Licensed for Trouble: A PJ Sugar Novel. Tyndale House. 2010. c.400p. ISBN 9781414313146. pap. $13.99. CHRISTIAN FICTION
In Nothing but Trouble, Warren introduces readers to Minnesota amateur sleuth PJ Sugar. In Double Trouble, PJ takes a job as assistant to PI Jeremy Kane. In this latest installment, PJ learns that she has inherited a dilapidated mansion. Strapped for cash, she trades services with handyman Max Smith.
Verdict Snappy dialog, humor, and lots of troublesome situations make this a light, pleasant chick-lit mystery. Make sure your customers have read the first two books, or they may be lost. Warren provides little background on PJ's relationship with Kane.—Nanci Milone Hill, Nevins Memorial Lib., Methuen, MA
Nonfiction
Adams, Amanda. Ladies of the Field: Early Women Archaeologists and Their Search for Adventure. Greystone: Douglas & McIntyre, dist. by PGW. Oct. 2010. c.240p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781553654339. pap. $17.95. archaeol
Adams (A Mermaid's Tale) provides a brief biographical profile of seven Victorian-era archaeologists: Gertrude Bell, Harriet Boyd-Hawes, Agatha Christie, Jane Dieulafoy, Amelia Edwards, Dorothy Garrod, and Zelia Nuttall. Each entry recounts the subject's archaeological achievements but also relates how each woman's passion led her to a field that was unwelcoming. This doesn't claim to fill the gap a useful encyclopedic source might. Adams recommends Breaking Ground, Brown University's web-based database of profiles of women archaeological trailblazers. She focuses on individual women, rather than the issues of women in archaeology, à la Getzel M. Cohen and Martha Sharp Joukowsky's Breaking Ground: Pioneering Women Archaeologists, which inspired the Brown website.
Verdict Adams makes these inspirational women easily accessible to a broader audience than just scholars. Readers desiring a deeper discussion on gender issues in archaeology should seek out Cheryl Claassen's Women in Archaeology, Roberta Gilchrist's Gender and Archaeology, or Magarita Díaz-Andreu and Marie Louise Stig Sorensen's Excavating Women.—Faye A. Chadwell, Oregon State Univ Libs., Corvallis
Blair, Tony. A Journey: My Political Life. Knopf. Sept. 2010. c.800p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780307269836. $35. AUTOBIOG
Blair's memoirs focus, as expected, on his ten years as UK prime minister. What's unexpected, however, is the candor and genuine humor present throughout. In an accessible, conversational style, Blair describes his rise to PM in the New Labour landslide victory in 1997 and the extraordinary challenges that his government faced. He gives credit where it is due, is forthright about mistakes, and shares opinions about world leaders, royalty, and celebrities with whom he has worked. Without delving too deeply into his personal life, he gives the reader a good sense of his role not just as a public figure but also as a son, husband, and father. Major events receive thoughtful but never maudlin treatment, and his descriptions of more prosaic concerns (for example, nervousness during the weekly Prime Minister's Questions sessions) underscore his down-to-earth side. Blair is donating all profits from the book's sales to the Royal British Legion, which serves UK ex-service personnel.
Verdict Particulars of British party politics might elude some American readers, but the narrative keeps flowing. Essential for readers of current British politics. [See Prepub Exploded, 3/4/10.]—Megan Hahn Fraser, UCLA Lib.
Cartwright, Rosalind D. The Twenty-Four Hour Mind: The Role of Sleep and Dreaming in Our Emotional Lives. Oxford Univ. 2010. 224p. ISBN 9780195386837. $27.95. PSYCH
Cartwright, long a leading sleep researcher and author of three previous books (e.g., Night Life) and numerous articles on the topic, argues that one of the main purposes of sleep is to regulate emotions. While this may not seem new when applied to REM sleep (the dreaming part of sleep), the author here concentrates on evidence that our minds are so engaged during other parts of the sleep cycle. She discusses cases where people with sleep disturbances have attacked spouses, committed other antisocial acts, or cooked and eaten disgusting messes while in the deepest sleep states. Furthermore, she presents evidence that the insomnia that typically accompanies clinical depression may be more of a cause than a symptom. Dreams aren't neglected, however; one interesting study shows that people who regularly dreamed of their ex-spouse recovered more quickly from the pain of divorce.
Verdict Not a "how to interpret your dreams" book, this is for the person who Tivos NOVA when they're doing human stuff.—Mary Ann Hughes, Shelton WA
Gottlieb, Robert. Sarah: The Life of Sarah Bernhardt. Yale Univ. (Jewish Lives). Sept. 2010. c.256p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780300141276. $25. THEATER
Mapping out the early personal life of Sarah Bernhardt is not exactly like trying to nail jelly to a wall, but it does come close. The details are hazy, the documentation has vanished, and the primary literature is highly suspect. This is not the first time that Gottlieb, former editor in chief at Simon & Schuster and Knopf, has been involved with a Bernhardt biography: in 1991, he edited Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale's The Divine Sarah, the last full-length English-language biography of the actress. Gottlieb is an engaging and amusing writer. The ten or so pages devoted to a description of Bernhardt's acting style will be instructive to the receptive theater student.
Verdict Taken together, this book and The Divine Sarah represent all that is known about Bernhardt until the next cache of letters is discovered. The best answer to the question, "Why this book?" may be in the stacks: in one particular small university library, the Bernhardt books circulate often. Recommended for college libraries, particularly if the Gold and Fizdale book is absent.—Larry Schwartz, Minnesota State Univ. Lib., Moorhead
Holland, William R. A School in Trouble: A Personal Story of Central Falls High School. Rowman & Littlefield. Sept. 2010. c.106p. ISBN 9781607098737. $55; pap. ISBN 9781607098744. $19.95. ED
Poverty creates myriad problems, including abuse, poor health, and itinerancy. It also contributes to low school performance, although the question of how much this is a result of poor teaching and how much is owing to a school system's failure to provide the proper resources remains unanswered. Holland, a former superintendent, commissioner of education, and professor emeritus in educational leadership at Rhode Island College, focuses here on his final assignment as interim superintendent in Central Falls, RI, a district with a graduation rate below 50 percent and where more than 90 percent of its students received free or reduced lunches. Written primarily to show parents of Central Falls High School (CFHS) students how important their role is in helping their children succeed in school and graduate, Holland highlights four CFHS students who were able to overcome obstacles and graduate with high marks.
Verdict This is an optional purchase for most collections, but educators and other parents in low performing schools may find it of interest.—Terry Christner, Hutchinson P.L., KS
Leiner, Katherine (text) & Andrew Lipton (photogs.). Growing Roots: The New Generation of Sustainable Farmers, Cooks, and Food Activists. Sunrise Lane, dist. by Chelsea Green. Sept. 2010. c.320p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781603582889. pap. $35. COOKING
Writing about sustainable food by interviewing practitioners is a new direction for Leiner, who has authored novels for adults and children, among other works. Her first good decision was to frame the series of interviews within the narrative of her own routes across the country, especially between homes in New York and Colorado. This, rather than a dry organization by food type or practice, draws the reader from section to section effectively. The other significant strength of the book is how well its subjects' voices emerge. The sections are presented not as Q&A but as flowing monologs that permit bursts of personality—even eccentricity—through philosophical and practical ruminations. On the downside, some readers will tire of the earnestness that will appeal to others. The recipes in nearly every section, moreover, are not uniformly interesting and should have been better selected and edited.
Verdict Leiner presents readers with thought-provoking ideas throughout, cloaked in an eminently readable travelog. Inspirational and entertaining reading, though perhaps best suited for those who already subscribe to many of the same tenets.—Peter Hepburn, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago
Norris, Michele. The Grace of Silence. Pantheon. 2010. c.176p. ISBN 9780307378767. $24.95. AUTOBIOG
In examining her personal roots for this memoir, African American Norris (cohost, All Things Considered, NPR) found some skeletons in her family's closet. For example, she discovered that in the early 20th century her grandmother had dressed as Aunt Jemina to pitch pancake flour to the wives of white farmers in the Midwest. Using her skills as an investigative reporter, Norris also pieces together details of an incident in 1946 when her father was shot by a white policeman in Birmingham, AL. These facets of Norris family history were never discussed during her childhood. To a degree, this "graceful silence" shielded Norris from the indignities of race relations in America, enabling her to be raised in a somewhat sheltered environment that championed thrift, education, hard work, and dignity.
Verdict The chronological flow of the book is awkward, but Norris's family history offers Americans of all races a moving and revealing account of the obstacles facing several generations of middle-class African Americans in the pre–Civil Rights era. [See Prepub Exploded, 3/18/10.]—Robert Bruce Slater, Stroudsburg, PA
Pen, Ron. I Wonder as I Wander: The Life of John Jacob Niles. Univ. of Kentucky. Sept. 2010. c.408p. illus. discog. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780813125978. $35. MUSIC
The enigmatic figure of John Jacob Niles, collector, songwriter, composer, and scholar, receives its due in this new biography from Pen (director, John Jacob Niles Ctr. for American Music, Univ. of Kentucky). Few doubt Niles's abilities as a performer and showman, and many of the songs he composed or collected, including that of this biography's title, have become hallmarks of the American songbook. But the blurring of the line between composing and collecting, as well as Niles's propensity for storytelling and embellishment, led to the dismissal of his work as a scholar. Pen's book is not an apologia, but it does set out a case for taking Niles seriously as a collector and student of American music, as well as a performer and songwriter. Pen's attempts to tease apart Niles's adaptive works from their source material are particularly interesting and demonstrate how determining the genesis of a song can be a challenge even with extensive documentation.
Verdict For fans of Niles and of American balladry generally, as well as folk music scholars.—Genevieve Williams, Pacific Lutheran Univ. Lib., Tacoma
Witcover, Jules. Joe Biden: A Life of Trial and Redemption. Morrow. Oct. 2010. c.544p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780061791987. $26.99. BIOG
Veteran political commentator Witcover (Very Strange Bedfellows: The Short and Unhappy Marriage of Nixon & Agnew) chronicles Vice President Joe Biden's growth as a political operative, his personal tragedies and political triumphs, his mistakes, and his disappointments. The biography stretches from his childhood, unlikely 1972 senatorial election, presidential campaigns, and work on the Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations committees, through his first year as Vice President. The book relies heavily on excerpts from speeches, interviews, and books by Biden (notably, Promises To Keep: On Life and Politics), plus family members, friends, and political associates, as it traces Biden's efforts to redeem himself and refute the perception that he is glib, gaffe-prone, ambitious, hotheaded, long-winded, dishonest, and superficial. Witcover repeatedly acknowledges but excuses Biden's shortcomings as both failings as well as assets, presenting him as an independently minded person of integrity, honor, family devotion, and chutzpah; a champion of civil rights, women's issues, and law enforcement; a shrewd foreign affairs expert; and a dedicated, experienced, and vital participant in the Obama administration.
Verdict This first Biden biography will appeal to political enthusiasts. Recommended for public and undergraduate collections. [See Prepub Exploded, 5/20/10.]—Margaret Kappanadze, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY
