First off, some honesty: When I originally picked up Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman’s Sounds Like Titanic, I thought it was fiction. The premise just did not sound like it was something that actually happened, even though we all know many instances where it was discovered that musicians and singers were not in fact playing their instruments or actually singing live on stage during an event. So alas, today’s selection is in fact nonfiction, and it is a hell of a story.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book that mainly focuses on the time in the author’s life when she worked for someone she will only refer to as The Composer. As one of The Composer’s violinists, Hindman will perform on PBS, QVC, in malls and concert venues all across the U.S, and even in China. Of course, saying that she “performed” in all of these places is being extremely generous. There is only one moment during one performance when she played her violin and the microphones were actually on. All of the music Hindman and her fellow musicians played was prerecorded by other musicians, and then blasted from a portable CD player, while musicians mined the act of performing. Hindman grew up in rural Appalachia, dreaming of becoming a professional violin player. While she knew that dream was not going to pan out by the time she began working for the composer, she still did not take the job knowing the performances would be faked. This part of her life would be a larger theme surrounded by the smaller, but also important ones of reconciling growing up upper middle class, while still barely being able to pay for college, and what she referees to as "life in the body." Life in the body is that unfortunate phenomenon that women usually first find out about in their middle school years. Girls suddenly hate their bodies, and in their attempt to beat it into submission, not for themselves, but for others, they end up jeopardizing their physical, mental, and emotional health. The book is a memoir in the true sense, even touching on Hindman’s aspirations to be a war correspondent stationed in the Middle East.
My Verdict: This book turned out to be much more fascinating than I thought it would be. Sure, it was interesting reading about Hindman’s experience of performing in front of dead microphones while music that sounds eerily seminar to the music from the Titanic soundtrack played from a CD player. But I did not expect for the book to touch on the issues encountered by females in their middle and high school years; or the issue of college student loan debt; or the uselessness of a degree in Middle Eastern studies, even in the U.S. immediately after 9/11. What was strange for me is that the book explores these relatable issues, and yet I did not feel as if I could relate that much. It was weird. But still interesting, and incredibly well written. And naturally, there is already much speculation as to who The Composer could be, but Hindman did not write an exposé. She simply focused on a time in her life that was stranger than fiction.
Favorite Moment: It is in the beginning of the book when the reader learns that The Composer cannot identify Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, even by its famous da da da duh opening, possibly the four most easily recognizable notes in music, ever.
Recommended Reading: Tara Westover’s Educated is a different kind of memoir, but is written by a woman who ends up following an unconventional road to college and graduate school.
Initially, I was not sure if I was going to pick up Kate Quinn's The Huntress, even though I did enjoy her 2017 novel, The Alice Network. Any consistent reader of this blog knows that I get squirmy when it comes to books about war. Even so, here I am, ready to talk about yet another novel about World War II. Granted, this one mostly takes place immediately after the war has finished, but there is still plenty of talk about Nazi hunting, and post-war feelings about certain cultures.
The Situation: Three individuals are brought together by the same fleeing war criminal. Nina Markova grew up at what she even describes as the end of the world. In icy Russia, she learned to be (almost) completely fearless, while also cultivating a love for flying. It would only be after she spent most of the war as a pilot for the Russian military that she would meet Ian Graham, the brother of an old friend, and someone who is also interested in finding a woman most commonly known as die Jägerin, or the Huntress. Meanwhile, in Boston, Jordan McBride is ready to begin her adult life. While she dreams of going off to college and eventually becoming a great photographer, her father is hoping she will stay close to home and take over the antiques shop. When Mr. McBride suddenly introduces his daughter to a woman he has been seeing, Jordan cannot help the persistent feeling that Anneliese Weber is not who she says she is. But she decides to let go of her suspicions and see her father happy.
The Problem: After her initial suspicions, Jordan has focused on her step-sister
Ruth, doing her best to provide a stable life for a young girl who has
already experienced too much. And after some fairly touch and go investigative work, Ian and his partner Tony, with Nina's help, manage to track die Jägerin to the U.S, and more specifically to Boston. This brings the trio directly into contact with Jordan and her father's antiques shop. With a handful of names and addresses, Ian and Nina find plenty of people attempting to live peaceful lives in the area, and though they should probably have to stand trial for their own war crimes, none of them are die Jägerin. None of them are the woman both Nina and Ian - each for their own reasons - want to track down. While Ian wants justice, Nina wants revenge, and her memories of the war, her time as a pilot, the friends she flew with, and her struggle to survive on her own only fuel her desire to see the Huntress brought down. But as they follow clues that lead nowhere, they know die Jägerin could be slipping through their fingers, and this time it would be even harder to find her again.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel set in 1940-1950, and across three continents. Nina begins her part of the story slightly before with her history of growing up in Siberia with her father. After discovering a love of planes and flying, she joins the war effort and ultimately becomes one of the Night Witches, an all female group of Russian bombers who worked to push back Hitler's army during World War II. Jordan's story begins in 1946, when her dad has begun dating the beautiful but strange Anneliese Weber, a woman who escaped post-war Germany with her daughter Ruth in tow. Jordan may not trust Anneliese at first, but she soon moves on from her suspicions and the three enjoy a fairly normal domestic life. And then there is Ian, whose entire life, at least since of the end of the war, has been to find die Jägerin and bring her to justice. His partner Tony may describe her as Ian's 'white whale,' the final catch that will given Ian some peace. With the narrators alternating with every chapter, Jordan and Ian's stories are told in a linear fashion, while Nina's gives flashbacks to her time during the war, culminating in her own encounter with the Huntress, and why she is determined to find her. All of the characters may be fictional, but the events and their accomplishments are based on real people, including die Jägerin.
My Verdict: Overall, I enjoyed the book and think it was well-written, thoroughly researched, and a fantastic look at how women are just as valuable (and dangerous) in battle as men. My problem with the book came from realizing very early on how everything was going to unfold, and I was uncomfortable with waiting out 500+ pages while our narrators attempted to find an incredibly dangerous Nazi war criminal, who is more or less right under their noses. I will say that reading about Nina's history, and her journey from cold and harsh Siberia, all the way to Boston with Ian and Tony, was not only interesting, but incredibly entertaining. Her story slowly, but steadily, reveals why she is the way she is by 1950. But often, I had a hard time liking any of the characters, at least for the first two-thirds or so of the book. However, even with my apprehension over the time period, and the focus on war, and my lack of excitement over the focus being a ruthless Nazi, the story culminated in a satisfying ending, and I gained an overall different view of World War II.
Favorite Moment: When Ian becomes hooked on the romance novels that Nina has been reading, though she mostly reads them because they help her with her English...mostly.
Favorite Character: I have a hard time picking anyone from this story as my favorite, and picking Ruth, Jordan's step-sister who escaped Germany with Anneliese, feels like a cheat.
Recommended Reading: I actually enjoyed The Alice Network more, though it is just as stressful. I also recommend Lilac Girls and Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly.
It seems that at least once a year I cover a book about race that makes a fair amount of people uncomfortable, for one reason or another, but mostly the massively obvious one. I believe this year's honor will go to Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom. As a writer, professor, professional thinker, and acclaimed author, Cottom now shifts gears from her previous book about the troubling rise of for-profit universities, to writing about those things that make people uncomfortable, namely issues of race, gender, class, and the always squirm-inducing political climate. You have been warned.
Genre, Themes, History: Included in Thick is a collection of essays that Cottom had written and published previously, but had either revised or added to them for the publication of this book. There are a total of eight essays, with the first one, titled "Thick," mostly serving as an introduction of sorts. What follows are Cottom's thoughts on beauty and who even gets to enjoy that label; the issue of so-called competency; the importance of black people knowing their whites; why being black in America is not enough; the desire to be fabulous; black girlhood; and Cottom's desire to see just one full-time professional black female opinion writer at a major publication. And while Cottom does pull from her own personal experience and history as a black woman who grew up in the south, and even lived for a time in the north, and ultimately earned a Ph.D. and has made a living out of writing about these subjects, the topics in the essays are also well-researched and thoroughly explored.
My Verdict: The book is an easy read in the sense that it is not long and the essays are so engaging that the pages go by quickly. But it is not an easy read because of the subject matter, as well as the almost brutal honesty with which Cottom talks about these issues. What especially stuck with me is the almost (and often) contradictory terms with which the black female is treated. We are expected to be almost superhuman in our strength and our ability to protect, right up until that ability no longer serves the majority, then we are incompetent in our ability to even take care of ourselves. The word beauty is also not to be applied to black women (as far as pop-culture and capitalism are concerned), but that will not stop the beauty industry from attempting to sell us on their version of "attainable" beauty. And black girls can no longer be victims once men have decided they are desirable - if a black girl is desired enough to be sexually assaulted, then she is old enough to be "ready," and somehow cannot possibly be a victim. Read it again, and slowly. It is a problem. And it is heartbreaking. And yet. Cottom is able to proclaim these truths with humor and wit, while still letting you know that she is incredibly serious, and we should be too.
Favorite Quotes: From "In the Name of Beauty" - "When beauty is white and I am dark, it means that I am more likely to be punished in school, to receive higher sentences for crimes, less likely to marry, and less likely to marry someone with equal or higher economic status. Denying these empirical realities is its own kind of violence, even when our intentions are good. They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and ugly is as ugly does. Both are lies. Ugly is everything done to you in the name of beauty. Knowing the difference is part of getting free."
From "Black is Over (or, Special Black)" - "I hate small talk. It is small. Small is for teacups and occasionally for tiny houses. Too much small talk is how a country is given to sociopaths who thrive on shallow chatter to distract their emotional sleight of hand. Talk should be meaningful or kept to a minimum." Testify.
Recommended Reading: Rebecca Traister's Good and Mad would be an excellent follow-up, as would 2016's All the Single Ladies. And there is also last year's squirm-inducer So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo.
Almost every book list, no matter what kind and what types of books are being listed, makes me both nervous and excited. The excited part is easy to grasp, sure. But I also get nervous because I know I will find something else - probably a lot of somethings - that I will want to read and somehow shoehorn into an already full blog schedule. Ultimately, it is a good thing, but it can quickly become overwhelming. One such list led me to We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin. I could not reason my way out of picking up a book by a person of color that can also be categorized as science fiction, and explores a world where black people regularly turn themselves white. And so, the lists win again, as they usually do.
The Situation: The unnamed narrator, in a not-so-distant future, is a black man wanting to desperately receive a promotion at his law firm. Obviously, being able to advance in his career and earn more money would be fantastic, but it is what he plans to do with that money that drives him. His son, Nigel, was born with a birthmark on his face. With a white mother, Nigel does not have skin as dark as his father, but the birthmark on his face has grown and changed over the years, becoming bigger and darker as the boy gets older. One of the newest trends among black people is the process of demelanization, and also the reshaping of distinctly African-American features such as big noses and lips. With a promotion and a bonus from his firm, Nigel's father is hoping to have his son undergo the procedure, but for now he sticks with whitening creams and serums.
The Problem: Getting that promotion and bonus at his firm will be no easy thing. For one, there are currently no black men up on the top floor, and the people that are already there do not have much interest in changing that. The narrator must essentially give the higher-ups what they want, even if that means pretending to believe what he doesn't. Meanwhile, his wife Penny has never been okay with the plan to demelanize their son, and the creams are something she does not know about. It becomes pretty clear that Nigel, even at his young age, is not all that keen on it either. Even so, the narrator is determined, looking to the procedure as a surefire way to save his son and guarantee his success. He has seen enough in his life to know that the only way to survive as a black person in America is to not look like one. But is it always a good thing when parents are willing to do anything for their children?
Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel that takes place at an untold point in the future of the U.S. Though not every book set in the future qualifies as science fiction, I placed this one under that heading more because of the idea of demelanization becoming a normalized thing, as well as a few other details concerning the world that the narrator lives in. What Ruffin presents is a country that has continued to both take away the rights and protections of black people, while simultaneously adding new ones that are somehow just as bad and dangerous. Any area that houses a black family, even just one, receives extra security under the pretense that it is for their protection. And hot topics of today, such as voter registration laws, are taken to the extreme, and no one is even trying to hide what they are really about. The result is people like the narrator: paranoid fathers of young black boys who only want their sons to survive, but somehow end up turning into agents of the enemy. Even Penny, the narrator's wife and Nigel's mother, is against the demelanization of her son. The narrator is a desperate man living in fear, and while I cannot agree with 90% of his logic and reasoning, I certainly understand how he got there. And while I am sure there are literary references I missed, there are some definite moments that point directly to Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, such as the nameless narrator, and the mention of a boiler explosion at a paint factory.
My Verdict: This one is going to be tough for a lot of people, of all colors and ages. The idea of being afraid to live in your own skin is not new of course, and maybe the reality of that is what is so unnerving. The narrator truly believes that his plan is the way to save his son, despite the mounting evidence that he is going in the wrong direction. The novel made me think, made me anxious, and had moments of true horror without actually being scary per se. What took away from all of this was the actual writing, and the moments when I could not tell if the narrator was simply losing it, or if the writing was just that clumsy. It was often hard to tell, and there are whole passages that beg for more explanation without receiving any. I also worry that the book may be vilifying black men who date or marry white women. I will say this though: I do appreciate the book making the point that a life lived in fear is not a life.
Favorite Moment: *spoiler alert* At no point in any one's life should the words "You are my father" need to be used to stop someone from shooting you.
Favorite Character: Both the narrator's mother and his wife Penny are no fools. Neither approved of what the narrator was trying to do and saw the situation for what it was.
Recommended Reading: This book was compared to The Sellout by Paul Beatty, which in my mind is a masterpiece of a book that deals with racism with both satire and humor. I also recommend Shelter by Jung Yun, or The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.
The decision to read Stephanie Land's Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive was mostly made due to the book being available at the UTSA library. I was not quite willing to believe the description on Goodreads that compared it to Evicted by Matthew Desmond (which is a fantastic book by the way); however, I was interested to see in what direction the book would go and how Land's experience would translate to the page.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book, more appropriately categorized as a memoir, that begins before Land became pregnant with her daughter Mia, and ends after Mia is about five years old, though most of the narrative explores the years when the girl is between 2-4 years old. Opening when Mia is taking her first steps in a homeless shelter, Land describes her struggles to secure adequate housing, keep herself and her daughter fed, and of course, secure enough work to stay above water. At one point, Land speaks in detail about the seven different agencies she must make use of simply for her and her daughter to survive. As if being poor and almost constantly near-homeless was not enough, it was incredibly difficult for Land to hold onto/make effective use of the few small benefits she could get, such as the grant for Mia's childcare. Eventually, she would find work as a maid, at first cleaning for companies, but also finding clients on her own. With most of the chapters given titles from the nicknames she gave some of the houses she cleaned, Land talks about each one - what made it a difficult or disgusting job - as well as the people who lived in them. Some she came to know well, others she never met at all, but was able to gather a few clues by what she saw. The book is framed around the experiences she had cleaning these houses, but it is the frustrating red tape that helps keep poor people in poverty that is a constant theme in this book, as well as how other people view them and treat them.
My Verdict: This book is going to be a problem for a lot of readers. When I first saw the book, I imagined an unflinching view of someone who works as a maid in the hotel industry in the U.S, and the struggles they endure to survive and make a life for themselves and their family. With its comparison to Evicted, I was hoping for the same type of personal investigation and research into what it is like to be a maid in this country and clean up after people, while also holding your own life together. Instead, Maid is more of an account of a singular, though relevant, experience. Writer Roxanne Gay said it best: "This is a tightly-focused, well-written memoir, a good book, but it is not a deeply researched book about poverty. This is a book about temporary poverty and it is part of a canon where the goal is to reach the middle-class." Gay also mentions something that many readers will take issue with, and that is the lack of acknowledgement of the white privilege that allows Land to have some of the advantages she does have. There is some mention of the struggles of immigrants and people of color who are in similar situations, but honestly, those are the stories I would rather read.
Favorite Moment: I appreciated any moment when one of Stephanie's clients made an attempt, even a small one, to connect with her and treat her as more than a cleaning service.
Recommended Reading: I recommend Desmond's Evicted, an incredibly, almost painstakingly researched look at how evictions have become big money for some landlords in the U.S, and the people they effect and exploit the most.
Martha Hall Kelly follows up her 2016 debut, Lilac Girls, with a novel that takes place a generation before. Lost Roses starts just before World War I, and follows three women across three continents as they attempt to navigate the new realities of war.
The Situation: Eliza Ferriday and her dear friend from Russia, Sofya Streshnayva, are both young wives and mothers, each with their own societal pressures as the beginning of the Great War comes suddenly and unexpectedly. It is when Eliza is visiting Sofya in Russia that she begins to fear for her friend and her safety, though Sofya, a cousin of the Romanov's, is not as concerned. It is only after Eliza has safely returned to the U.S. that the peasants do rise up, and what Sofya would not allow herself to imagine has finally happened. She, her father, stepmother, and younger sister, Luba, are kept captive in their own home, with Sofya's son Max being spared the worst of the brutality only because he is being tended to by the young but troubled Varinka. For Eliza and Sofya, days that used to be filled with planning the next trip and keeping up with the latest fashions are now filled with fear of the worst. But for Varinka, it means a chance at a life she had previously only dreamed of, though she is still haunted by a danger she has known for her entire life.
The Problem: When communication from Sofya suddenly stops, Eliza must assume the worst has happened. And after enduring her own tragedy, Eliza finds the most comfort in working tirelessly to assist the Russians who have turned up in the U.S. in their own efforts to escape a terrible fate. With the information she is able to gather she makes small steps towards finding her friend. Meanwhile, Sofya must struggle to survive and avoid those who would rather see her hang. As she makes her way to Paris, the former royal is brought low as she masters skills that she previously had no need for. But it is her determination to find her son, whom she believes has been taken by Varinka to Paris, that keeps her going and keeps her alert. The war has been difficult for all three women in three different ways, but each have their own reasons for enduring to the end.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel set around Word War I, and more specifically the conflict in Russia when the peasants and working class revolted against the Tsar. Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanov's, is directly affected as her family becomes targets of those that wish to see the royals eliminated. Meanwhile, in the U.S, Eliza (based on the real Eliza Mitchell Ferriday) must fight local suspicion and anti-foreign attitudes in her attempt to house and care for those that are looking for asylum. And while Sofya represents the royals of Russia who previously enjoyed a life that the peasants and working class could only dream of, Varinka is one of the country peasants that daily lived with the reality of food scarcity and over zealous tax collectors. In alternating chapters where they take turns telling their story, the three women must employ a resilience and determination, not only to survive, but to also get what they want out of post-war Europe and America. Friendship and family are certainly assets, but they must also use their own wits to find their own way and decide for themselves what type of life they wish to lead.
My Verdict: No doubt this novel is going to be compared to The Huntress by Kate Quinn, which also came out earlier this year. They are similar in that they each follow three people and use alternating chapters to tell three different stories and how those lives intersect. They also each deal with war, with The Huntress taking place in the years just after World War II. However, I won't simply compare the two as they are each their own story. For me, Lost Roses achieved that always difficult maneuver of having flawed characters that are still likeable. And even though the novel deals with war, and war is almost always ugly and full of terrible moments, few parts were unbearably uncomfortable, while still showing the horrors of what people go through when a revolution is occurring on their front door. I will say that the device of having different narrators with their own chapters can be tiresome, mostly because it seems so many books use it. Understandably, it would be a different story if the reader were allowed to only follow Sofya, or only Eliza, and it would certainly be different with only Varinka. As it stands, I enjoyed exploring World War I for once, and also focusing on Russia instead of Germany. Any lover of historical fiction will find this book to be a wonderful adventure.
Favorite Moment: When Eliza's mother takes on the high society women that wish to be rid of her new Russian friends.
Favorite Character: Varinka's mother has her flaws, and while she certainly has reason to not be sympathetic to any royal, she still admonishes her daughter for taking a child that is not hers. Despite seeing how much it pains Varinka, she insists on her daughter doing the right thing, even acting against her daughter's wishes in hopes that Sofya is able to locate little Max.
Recommended Reading: If you have not read Lilac Girls, it certainly works to read it after Lost Roses. I read it before, which also works fine.
I enjoyed 2017’s One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus, so it felt natural to pick up her newest novel, Two Can Keep a Secret. Once again, McManus offers up a riveting whodunit filled with very real danger for everyone involved. Murder mysteries can be difficult to pull off, but I hoped McManus would deliver again with interesting characters, and enough turns to keep the reader guessing.
The Situation: Ellery and Ezra are twins who have just moved to the tiny town of Echo Ridge before they are to begin their senior year of high school. While their mother, Sadie, was never the most attentive, only now has an opioid addiction landed her in rehab, which means the twins must now move in with a grandmother they do not know, and to a town they have never visited. From what Sadie has said, and what Ellery has been able to research on her own, Echo Ridge is a town of secrets. Not only was a Homecoming Queen found dead five years ago in the terribly named Murderland amusement park located in town, but Ellery’s aunt and Sadie’s sister, Sarah, disappeared their senior year 19 years ago. Ellery has always been a bit of a true crime nut, and she has always had questions about Sarah’s disappearance, but Sadie never wanted to talk about it. This move to Echo Ridge might be her chance to get some answers to her questions, while also exploring this town’s less than stellar history.
The Problem: School has not even started, and already the trouble begins when an ominous sign appears in town, claiming that Murderland the sequel is coming soon. Naturally, everyone in town thinks of the girl that was found dead five years ago, which also leads them to think of Declan Kelly, the prime suspect in the murder. Though he was never charged, many in town believe he did it, which is problematic for his little brother, Malcolm. He and Ellery strike up a fast friendship, and while he is interested in keeping himself and his family out of the spotlight, she is interested in getting to the bottom of everything that happened, and what is currently happening. The thing is, everyone in Echo Ridge seems to be holding onto a secret, and some are willing to do whatever it takes to keep those secrets buried. But the signs keep showing up, and then another girl goes missing.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in the fictional small town of Echo Ridge, which is situated somewhere in the northeastern part of the U.S. Ellery and Ezra are 17 year-old twins, but the story is told from Ellery and Malcom’s point of view, with Ezra remaining as an important side character. With Ellery, we get the story from someone who did not grow up in Echo Ridge, but has heard stories and has some knowledge thanks to her mother and grandmother. With Malcolm, we get the perspective from someone who watched a close family member become a local pariah since most believe his brother was responsible for the murder that took place five years ago. The book highlights how dangerous and poisonous small-town gossip can be, as well as just how quickly news and information can spread when everyone knows everyone else. Being guilty by association is a real thing, even if no one was officially charged. Also, some people will kill to keep information hidden, while others will do whatever it takes to protect the people they love.
My Verdict: I am happy to report that this book is just as engaging and engrossing as One of Us Is Lying, if not more so. For me, the characters are more thought out, especially Ellery and Malcolm, but even some of the side characters are more complex than I expected them to be. The book does what any suspense or murder mystery is supposed to do, and that is keep the reader guessing while also not being overly complicated. If I had one bone to pick it would be about how many characters are thrown at the reader at the beginning. Granted, Ellery and Ezra have just moved to Echo Ridge, a close-knit community where everyone knows each other, and they all remember their mother, Sadie. Even so, it was difficult keeping everyone straight, as well as their roles in past events, who they are related to, and how they could end up being important later. But all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this roller coaster ride and am excited to see what McManus comes up with next.
Favorite Moment: When Malcolm has to acknowledge that Ellery is terrible at solving crimes. I am glad the author put that in as there are major clues and connections that Ellery managed to miss, which is surprising for someone as into true crime as she is supposed to be.
Favorite Character: Both Ellery and Malcolm made too many mistakes, so I choose Nana, Ellery's grandmother. Or even Ryan Rodriguez, the cop who lives next door and may be more connected to some of the events than anyone initially believed.
Recommended Reading: Other than One of Us Is Lying, I also suggest picking up Sadie or All the Rage, both by Courtney Summers.
First off, some honesty: When I originally picked up Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman’s Sounds Like Titanic, I thought it was fiction. The premise just did not sound like it was something that actually happened, even though we all know many instances where it was discovered that musicians and singers were not in fact playing their instruments or actually singing live on stage during an event. So alas, today’s selection is in fact nonfiction, and it is a hell of a story.
