Bittersweet, Insightful, Powerful Making Toast

Making Toast is poignant and endearing, so much so that I had trouble remembering that it was a true memoir--a story of a father's dedication and love to his deceased daughter.

Written by a grieving father, the story follows the aftermath of a daughter dying unexpectedly, leaving behind a husband and three young children.  The focus is mainly on the family post-death, how the grandparents rearrange their lives to ensure the well being of their grandchildren and son-in-law. 

 Grandpa “Boppo” and Grandma Ginny leave their spacious home to move into a spare bedroom at their son-in-laws after their daughter’s death. Amy has left behind three children--a six year old, a four year old and a one year old. Boppo and Grandma soon take on parental roles as they make lunches, tell bedtime stories, and try to do everyday tasks like making toast. As they take the children to and from school and to their afterschool programs, Boppo and Ginny cannot imagine their previously quiet and retired lives. Boppo and Ginny are the ones attending recitals and rehearsals all the while sitting next to the young parents who were friends with their Amy. The children miss their Mom, the grandparents miss their child, the husband misses his wife, but together they struggle to move forward. Boppo is angry and hurt that his daughter is dead, and yet all around him the rest of the family even the children seem to be adjusting. I love the little moments between Boppo (Grandpa) and Bubbies (the littlest child)—this little boy will only ever know his mother through his Grandparents… Boppo has to look at this endearing baby boy every day—this silly sweet little motherless baby.

I highly recommend this memoir to all reading groups. The beautiful little paragraphs in this story read like fiction and depict humanity and family from the perspective of a father who has outlived his child. 

One Smart Book, The Housekeeper and The Professor

The Housekeeper and the Professor
Poignant, heartwarming, and beautiful, I highly recommend The Housekeeper and the Professor for your next book club.

I adored this fresh and charming novel, which follows a lonely single mother housekeeper as she opens her heart to an unconventional relationship.

The Housekeeper worries when she gets her new assignment as she is the tenth in a long line of housekeepers (this is very bad). The Housekeeper’s new assignment is to clean and cook for the Professor who lives in the cottage out back. The main house does not want to hear of any difficulties or problems that the Housekeeper may have.

The professor answers the door wearing a suit covered with handwritten notes, the most important note being, "my memory lasts only 80 minutes." The Professor always asks numerical questions when the Housekeeper arrives, “what is your shoe size?” and the like. And from her answers he makes numerical comparisons.

The Housekeeper is not bothered by the obtuse and unfriendly Professor who does not like to be disturbed. Her job is to clean and cook and this she does until the day that she tells the Professor she has a son. The Professor, who has not been much of a communicator, insists that she start bringing her son to work, as children should not be left alone! To ensure that the housekeeper brings her son, he writes a note to himself and puts it on his suit.

The Housekeeper respects the professor and knows that he is a brilliant man; she does not want to disappoint him. The next day she brings her son to work with her. The Professor, who was formerly sad and uncommunicative, brightens the minute he sees her son as he pulls the child into his arms for a hug. From then on, there is a warm and welcome relationship between the Professor and the Housekeeper’s son, a kinship despite the fact that each day their relationship must start anew.

This Housekeeper lasts in her job simply because she is fascinated by the Professor and his affinity for numbers. She is the first, in the long line of housekeepers, to listen and appreciate; often trying to solve the mathematical equations and challenges The Professor gives to her. Despite the flaw of having a mere 80 minutes of memory, The Professor is brilliant and interesting to The Housekeeper.

Reading this novel, the reader may not realize that none of the characters are named. There is only the Professor, The Housekeeper, and Root (the nickname given to the Housekeeper’s son by the Professor). And, the novel is filled with math equations, complex numbers that the reader may not understand. Despite those challenges, the reader will want to learn and discover more about the endearing relationships that develop in this wonderfully rendered novel.

 This novel may be hard to find--I found my trade paperback at Half Price Books. The Housekeeper and The Professor by Yoko Ogawa is 180 trade paperback pages.

Downsized for a Year; Living Without

What household items could you live without for a year? I think you’d be surprised. Almost a year ago, I thought we would be in a 700 sq ft apartment for a mere 3 months, totally doable while we waited to move into our 2000 sq ft house. And I let almost all of my household goods from our 1700  sq ft house go into storage while taking a few things that I could squeeze into a tiny apartment.

 Today, almost a year later, I am about to get my household belongings back. What have I missed the most?—the bed-frame. I knew that our bed frame was heavy and I cannot carry heavy items, so I put the frame into storage. Imagine your bed on the floor, constantly pushing away from the wall and hard to get out of in the morning, because it is so low to the ground!

 I don’t even remember how many plates I actually own, but I do know now that 6 dinner plates are not enough for two people. Who knows how many plates a small household goes through in a day? So, I am excited to get back my full set of plates, and glasses and coffee mugs. The little things, right?

 Other things I worry about—I had the movers put some pantry items into storage. Canned goods last a few months, right? Boy, what are we in for when we finally get our items back? I would bet that some food items have expired. Egad!

 And clothes, what about clothes? I would totally redo that. I have wardrobe boxes of clothes in storage, clothes that I cannot remember. Oh and there is major regret at bringing work clothes and interview clothes. When we were moving, I had a job lead and had planned on interviewing—that never came to fruition. So, all of my dress clothes were never really needed.

Books, I know you are asking about books. Yes, I packed a box of "to-read" books. Again, thinking it would only be a few months, I let most books go into storage. My worry now, is that when I am unpacking my books, I will have already re-bought books that I perhaps already owned. A year is a long time, and I do not remember what books I may have in storage.

 In conclusion, I wish I had brought the coffee table, the crock pot, more lamps and a bed frame. I would never have the movers pack pantry items. I am thankful that we packed seasonal clothes from shorts to jeans from tanks to fleece. Yes, I can live without half of my clothes, shoes, dishes, furniture, and most likely you could as well.

I am so thankful and happy to be getting my household items back. Some people have said that it will be like Christmas, but I think we will be asking ourselves if we couldn’t have given more to Goodwill.

Let Us All Eat Cake

In the beginning of Eat Cake Ruth reminisces about life before everything fell apart—back when her mother lived independently in another state, back before her daughter became a sour teenager. Looking back, Ruth would remind herself that those were the good old days. And of course, as life is so unpredictable, the times at Ruth’s house are about to get worse. That very evening, her husband comes home to share with the family that he has been laid off from his job; the family’s sole income is now in jeopardy. All this means that Ruth must bake, making cakes is what she does when she needs to think, to relax.

And, I do like this quote…too true
“Cake has gotten a bad rap. People equate virtue with turning down dessert.”

Of course, when it rains, it pours. With her household in limbo as her husband now has no income and no job, this is the time for Ruth’s estranged father to call from the hospital desperate for help. Of course!

Despite the series of events that lead to the distress and chaos of the household (layoff, both parents moving in, a moody teenager), this book was fresher and sweeter than the lugubrious Olive Kitteridge which was our previous book club read. Somehow this book was much easier to read—I love that Ruth would escape into the kitchen and bake her heart out. She seemed to me as real as Olive, yet much more a person I would want as a neighbor or friend and not just because she gives away cakes. Okay, the cakes would be a major PLUS! Wouldn’t you just love to sit in the kitchen and watch Ruth bake?

I was a teeny-wee bit disappointed to note that every recipe was "a reprint of previously published material." Didn't you just want the author to have been inspired by her grandmother's famous (handwritten recipe) cake? It seemed to me that not one cake was from Jeanne Ray; all were from cookbooks or magazine articles, bummer.

 All in all, the mishaps that occur in Eat Cake are much lighter and simpler than a heavy novel. I needed a simple warm slice of cake novel. And, lucky me it was my birthday month, so I did get a yellow cake with butter cream--oh I craved that cake! Perhaps not the best book if you are on a diet as the delicious cake descriptions will bring out the frosting and sweet cravings.

Eat Cake was written by Jeanne Ray and is available in trade paperback and discount hardback

An Almost Good Recipe; The Cookbook Collector

I’ve been anxiously waiting for The Cookbook Collector to become available in paperback, and wow what interesting timing (the novel covers the September 11, 2001 time period and I read it on the 10^th anniversary of September 11). Straightaway I need to admit disappointment in how long it took for the book to mention the cookbook collection. For the first 150 pages, I had no idea when or how the cookbook collection would appear. The cookbook portion of this story was the most flavorful and interesting portion of this book—I wish the cook book story had been larger; had been THE only story.

 Emily is the eldest sister, the one who has her life together, the IPO CEO; large in charge and busier than ever. Jonathan is her larger than life boyfriend, a determined successful CEO himself. For these two workaholics, togetherness is very rare. The time period in this book is interesting as it occurs in the nineties through 2000s, so IPOs were as common as they have ever been or will ever be. Emily is driven and smart but her personality doesn’t get much deeper than that while Jonathan is attractive and demanding, almost devious. These two were the least interesting characters in the book, although we all know what happened to IPOs in 2001…

 Jess is young, vibrant and whimsical as she flits through her life. She devotes herself to causes and organizations, but has no real sense of who she is or what she wants, and already she is so much more interesting than her sister Emily. George is Jess’s forty-something bookstore employer, he tries to convince himself that he is simply charmed by Jess’s youthful exuberance. Knowing the age difference and societal difference, the independently wealthy George keeps his distance from Jess until the day that he is offered the Cookbook collection. The antique cookbook collection is the collection of his dreams despite there being no catalog or provenance. That day he asks Jess to work exclusively and thoroughly on the documentation of the collection. Through the intimacy of cataloging the collection, Jess and George start an affair and both have difficulty in defining or understanding their relationship as the affair continues. Their story is compelling and I really wanted this novel to be solely their story, the cookbook story. I would have given 4 stars to a smaller book (250 to 300 pages) with just the Cookbook Collector portion--perhaps with more detail on the reasoning behind why the collection is now available for sale...

The Cookbook Collector was written by Allegra Goodman, and is 394 trade paperback pages.

North to Greatness with South of Superior

It is exceptionally rare that I recommend a hardback book to my friends and family, very rare indeed, as South of Superior will be the only hardcover that I recommend this year.  I implore literary critics everywhere to recognize the amazing new voice of Ellen Airgood. South of Superior is far superior to the Pulitzer Prize winning books of Olive Kitteridge and A Visit from the Goon Squad (both attained negative reviews from me).

 Madeline Stone is like many of us, a bit lost in her life, a bit unsure of what she should do with her future. A letter from her estranged grandfather’s girlfriend, with a request for help, gives Madeline the opportunity to make a bold move. Madeline packs her car and heads to the upper peninsula of Michigan to assist in the caretaking of an elderly woman. Challenges abound as Madeline and the townspeople face financial issues, elderly health issues, and the complexities of a depressed town. Madeline slowly starts to discover her talents and her needs as she dedicates herself and her future to the small town way of life.

 Gladys is a strong-willed senior citizen who is getting too old to care for her sickly sister Arbutus. More than anything, Gladys does not want her sister to be put into a nursing home and that is the catalyst that forces Gladys to write to Madeline. Gladys, like many in tough times, has money issues, and has started selling off her antique furniture in order to pay for her sister’s medical bills. Arbutus has one obtuse son who seems to want only whatever inheritance she has, offering nothing in the way of emotional or financial support.

This novel encompasses serious topics like economic depression, abandonment, and poverty along with a bit of hope and tenderness. What I enjoyed most about the novel (aside from the Michigan setting) was the glimpses into the lives of the townspeople. The reader sees how even the most stubborn old lady has passion for her town, her people. I loved it when the cantankerous eighty-something Gladys took a stand against the new grocers when they cancelled the store “credit” line for the poorer townspeople. The motto here is that the townspeople take care of their own, even when they may be imperfect, impoverished and altogether human. If you want a tender and warm “slice of life” northern town story, pick up this book. This is a worthy novel, one that covers small town life without making itself pretentious and obnoxiously literary.

 South of Superior is currently in hardback only, is 370 pages and was written by Ellen Airgood . This book would make a great book club choice.

Life in 1945: Summer At Tiffany

Summer At Tiffany is a memoir which was written by Marjorie Hart, age 80, about the best summer of her life, the summer when she worked at the Tiffany Flagship in New York City.

In the summer of 1945 college student Marjorie Hart decided to leave her Iowa home and go to New York City for the summer, this book is a memoir which reads like historical fiction. Marjorie and her friend Marty are young, beautiful naïve girls from the Midwest. Marjorie packs one suitcase and heads to New York with aspirations of working at Lord and Taylor, or some other fine retail establishment. Marjorie and Marty are shocked when they see scores of young ladies filling out applications in lines ahead of them, alas, they have moved to New York for job opportunities that do not exist. I had to remind myself often that this story happened during World War II, when my grandmother would have been the same age as these young ladies (grandmother, not mother)!

 With zero hope of attaining the positions they assumed they would have, the depressed girls leave Lord and Taylor. But as they drive by Tiffany, Marty makes a snap decision and very bravely drags Marjorie into the Tiffany flagship store. The two friends somehow attain interviews despite the fact that Tiffany has never hired women on the sales floor. Two attractive young blondes with Swedish heritage may in fact be the freshness that the store needs. The ladies are soon hired to work as pages at Tiffany for the summer, their uniforms will be fantastic Tiffany blue shirtwaist dresses from Bonwits and thus the summer has begun.

The items that really stand out to me relate to the 1940s nostalgia...the war rations, the support-the-war-posters, the president (Truman) and the innocence. The rent and electricity is $65 and Marjorie and Marty were making $20 per week. Twenty dollars doesn't go too far these days, it would cover the cost of this book and two Starbucks coffees. Having studied branding and marketing, I thought it interesting that their discretionary funds would cover items like Coca-colas, Lucky Strikes, and Jergen's lotion. And when Marjorie and Marty don their Ester Williams bathing suits—it just brings to mind such an iconic description. There is a wonderful sentiment that runs throughout the book that, "There's a war going on, make do with what you've got." Isn't that something that we can take and apply today in this economy?

 What I liked the best about this novel was the history, the whole perspective of where Marjorie is while important historical events happen around her. Marjorie and Marty were living in an era of REAL history and they were in such a great location for it! They saw movie stars, wore fabulous clothes, went to the theater, celebrated the end of a war and lived a New York dream. These ladies were very lucky not only in gaining employment at Tiffany but also in everything they did, things always worked out for them.

 Author’s insight: I love that after her 80th Marjorie was determined to finish her book! She applied at a local writer’s conference where she and her Summer At Tiffany manuscript were discovered. It just goes to show that there is hope for the rest of us; it is never too late to write that novel. And what about Marjorie’s return to Tiffany sixty years later… I love Marjorie’s sentiment that in her day,” Ladies dressed like ladies and men dressed like men.”

 For me, this would be the perfect summer book which I would recommend as a travel or beach read. Summer at Tiffany is light, airy and easy. There is no pretentious language, it is a simple story told during a time when our country was at war. The main character is somehow brave naïve and innocent as she leaves her Midwest hometown during the war for the first time to work in New York for the summer.

 Summer At Tiffany was written by Marjorie Hart and is 258 Trade paperback pages.