Historical Fiction: Red Clay by Charles B. Fancher

It was understood when picking up Red Clay by Charles B. Fancher that difficult scenarios would be encountered, as the bulk of the book takes place in the late 19th century in Alabama, and on a slave plantation. But the premise of an older woman visiting the descendants of a man whose family her own family used to own was too intriguing to pass up.

The Situation: It is 1943, and well-known local Red Clay resident Felix H. Parker has died. While at the funeral, his granddaughter notices an older white woman she does not recognize, and no one else seems to know either. When that same woman shows up at the house, she introduces herself as Adelaide Parker, and simply states "my family owned yours." What follows is a story of both families, one that begins just as the Civil War is nearing its end, and into Reconstruction, and the tumultuous time that was the Jim Crow era. Adelaide talks about her family, and Felix's life with them at the Road's End plantation, right there in Red Clay, Alabama.

The Problem: There are more than a few gaps in Adelaide's knowledge of Felix's story, and while Eileen and her family would love to have had all of the answers, there are simply some things that Felix did not like to talk about. Of course, being a slave at Road's End came with the expected hardships and complications, but the end of the Civil War brings with it a different era of uncertainty, apprehension, and also outright resentment and betrayal. Discerning between friends and enemies is not easy, and when secrets become currency, everyone must do what they have to for the ones they love. 

Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel that opens in 1943, after Felix Parker has died, though most of the story details his life growing up in the late 19th century. The son of two slaves, Felix will grow up on the Road's End plantation, and remains to work there once the Civil War ends and the slaves are officially freed. Felix's family are not quite sure what to think of Adelaide when she comes to tell her story, but they invite the older woman into their home anyway. In the Afterword, Fancher speaks of his own experience of listening to stories about his great-grandfather, and finding inspiration for this book about a resilient young Black man finding his way after the Civil War.

My Verdict: This book is indeed a journey, and due to its setting near the end of the Civil War and into early Jim Crow, tensions remain high even during moments or relative joy and peace. There is always something that is about to go wrong, and always someone ready to take action against those they believe are, or at least should be, beneath them. With that in mind, there is also this deep sense of resilience and hope, even during the darkest of times and when things appear to be at their most impossible. I appreciate the attempt to explore the nebulous moment when the slaves were declared free, but no one really knew what to do exactly. And if anything, what came through to me was the importance of stories and storytelling. As someone who recently lost a nonagenarian relative, this truth probably hit home harder than it normally would have. Readers who love a good family saga will enjoy this book, and maybe become more curious about their own family's history.

Favorite Moment: Closer to the end of the book, an antagonist from Felix's early life makes a surprising and redemptive return.

Favorite Character: Jimmy becomes a long-time friend of Felix's, beginning when they are children helping to bring water to the slaves in the field. He will remain a loyal friend as the two boys grow older and learn their respective trades. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer. 

Young Adult Fiction: The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor

Emily J. Taylor's Hotel Magnifique, published in 2022, introduced readers to a traveling hotel that is as magical as it is dangerous. In The Otherwhere Post, Taylor brings readers into a strange land where travel between worlds is possible, or it used to be, and the written word is powerful enough to bring joy, as well as cause untold catastrophe.

The Situation: Maeve Abenthy does not dare speak her own name. For seven years she has been using aliases, and refuses to stay in one place for too long should someone figure her out. She knows from experience that if anyone were to know her true identity, she would once again be shunned, a punishment that comes from not any crime she committed, but her father's. Because of Jonathan Abenthy, travel between the three worlds of Inverly, Barrow, and Leyland is no longer possible, at least not for the general public. And due to a devastating event, Inverly is blocked off completely and deemed too dangerous to enter. While Maeve is preparing to once again pack up and move somewhere else in Leyland, she receives a letter that was supposed to have reached her years ago, claiming her father's innocence. Finding out the truth will require her to travel to Barrow, an impossibility for everyone who is not a courier.

The Problem: Couriers are trained in the dangerous magic of scriptomancy, which is what allows them to travel to other worlds and deliver letters. But apprenticeships are highly coveted, and to gain access to one, Maeve must once again hide her true identity. Unfortunately, her new mentor is aware that she is not who she claims to be, and it seems someone else knows of her plan, and has begun to send threatening letters, encouraging her to stop looking into the past. If the mentor or this other mystery person do not stop her, the actual art of scriptomancy might, as some mistakes can be fatal. Maeve must draw on the knowledge she received from her father's instruction if she hopes to clear his name, but there is not much time, and it is near impossible to know who to trust.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fantasy novel set mostly in Leyland, a fictional world with two near-identical mirrors, Barrow and Inverly. Due to a terrible event that took place seven years ago, Inverly is no longer accessible, and travel between Barrow and Leyland is limited. Readers follow young Maeve as she must lie about her identity and essentially hide in plain sight, though it proves difficult, nearing on impossible. With no family, and an aversion to making close friends, Maeve must make decisions that serve only herself. And this is a world where words and letters hold incredible power, and being adept at any one of the five types of scribing - sense, memory, form, tracking, and travel - is a fast track to being a courier. 

My Verdict: For readers craving a fast-paced adventure in a world that has two other mirror worlds, and where the people who work for what is essentially the postal service are revered and have incredible abilities, this is the book for them. There is danger, and intrigue, and a handsome mentor, and of course, magic. If there was any one detail about this book that was irritating to me, it would be some of Maeve's actions, in particular the ones that have severe consequences for others. But desperation can be a wild motivator, and Taylor's protagonist never claims to be perfect. Despite being nearly 400 pages, this is a quick read that kept me engaged, though something about it did not leave me quite as enchanted as Taylor's previous book did. 

Favorite Moment: Because I am who I am, I enjoyed the brief description of the different libraries, and the fact that there is a 'Second Library,' but not a 'First Library,' is just so delightful. 

Favorite Character: Maeve's roommate Nan is immediately a lot to deal with, but she is determined to be helpful, as well as be Maeve's friend. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend Taylor's first novel, Hotel Magnifique. 

Contemporary Fiction: Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

To be completely honest, I totally judged today's book by its cover, because it is so incredibly beautiful and well done. Also, there is a fun surprise on the inside of the cover of the hardback, but I will not ruin it here. Samantha Sotto Yambao's Water Moon is a fantasy book that takes readers on a journey through a different world, where the night sky has to be prepared, and there is a bridge between midnight and morning.

The Situation: Hana Ishikawa knew that this day would come, but now that it is here, it appears events have taken a dramatic turn she was not expecting. With the retirement of her father the day before, Hana is now the owner and operator of a pawn shop in Tokyo, though to most on the outside, it looks like a popular ramen restaurant. The pawn shop does not trade in the usual goods such as jewelry and antiques, but instead the trades in choices and regrets. When Hana wakes up the morning of her first day as owner, it looks like the shop has ransacked. Even more alarming, Hana cannot find her father, and one of the shop's most precious items is missing.

The Problem: It is Hana's duty to run the pawn shop just as her father had, but she cannot ignore the fact that her father is missing, despite the danger she knows will come with attempting to find him. When a kind stranger, a scientist named Keishin, shows up at the shop and offers his help, Hana accepts it, and the two of them embark on a journey to find Hana's father. But the Shiikuin who uphold the rules of Hana's world, mostly by exacting the most brutal of punishments should the rules be broken, are always close behind the pair as they jump into puddles as a means of quick travel; ride in paper cranes; and wait for trains that sometimes take years to come, but the people wait anyway. As a scientist, Keishin is having a hard time believing what he is seeing, but the biggest surprise may still come from Hana herself, and it could ruin everything.

Genre, Themes, History: This book is a work of fiction that is set in both modern-day Tokyo, and in Hana's world where choices and regrets can be traded in, and a night market exists in the clouds. When she goes on a journey to find her missing father, Keishin goes with her. But as a scientist not of Hana's world, everything he experiences with her is new and strange, but beautiful, while simultaneously being dangerous and more than a little scary. Nearly every step in the journey introduces a new element that Keishin struggles to fit into his own understanding of how things are supposed to work. There is regret, and grief, and the anguish over even the small everyday choices we make that can decided our future.

My Verdict: This is a work of fantasy that may be a refreshing change for fantasy readers looking for something other than dragons, or wizards, or embattled royalty. The magic present in this book is different from the magic that usually springs to mind when the word comes up. I enjoyed the fast pace of this book, which allowed for the book to rarely be boring, though sometimes hard to follow and understand. Explanations come quick, but are not drawn out, and while the general plot was sometimes lost because of everything going on, that narrative was quick to re-orient itself and the reader back to the central point, which is to find Hana's father and elude the Shiikuin. It is an interesting journey, and very different from any other I have encountered in a book before.

Favorite Moment: There are moments when Keishin retreats to a place in his mind where he will confer with his now deceased mentor. These were moments of quiet, usually in the midst of a difficult moment or decision.

Favorite Character: It is understandable that Keishin would struggle to understand the journey he has found himself on, but he stays focused and determined to see it through.

Recommended Reading: I recommend The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez.

Nonfiction: Black in Blues by Imani Perry

National Book Award-winning author Imani Perry's latest book, Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People, is an exploration of how the color blue has an interesting presence in the history of Black people. After enjoying 2022's South to America, I was excited to pick this up book, especially with its interesting premise and description.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book in which Perry gives special focus to the color blue, along with its various iterations (indigo, cobalt, lapis, azure, etc.), and its connection to Black people. From the blue in her grandmother's bedroom, to the blue she continues to encounter in her research, and the blue that can simply be found everywhere in nature, Perry links it to commonly known, and also not-so commonly known, points in history. There are the more obvious connections such as rhythm and blues music, Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, Miles Davis's Kind of Blue, and even the skin tone commonly referred to as 'blue-black.' But Perry reaches back in time to the indigo cloths of West Africa, moving through history, and includes much of her own personal history with the color.

My Verdict: This book is undoubtedly about the color blue and its link to blackness, but what comes out of it is an in-depth look at the black experience that weaves both history and Perry's personal experience into something that is educational, and interesting, and often eye-opening. I was not entirely sure what to expect when I first picked up the book, or just how Perry was going to organically bring the color into her explorations of the slave trade, politics, art, history, and the overall long history of the fight for freedom. But her examples are clear and specific, thoroughly researched, and certainly enlightening.

Favorite Moment: The book includes a variety of pictures that are mostly pieces of art, but my favorite is of a man dying cloth in the indigo dye pits of Nigeria.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. But be warned, it is heavy and heartbreaking. 

Historical Fiction: The English Problem by Beena Kamlani

The title of this week's DSN is what initially made me curious, and after discovering that it was set during the Indian independence movement, I decided I needed to know more. Beena Kamlani's The English Problem chronicles a tumultuous period in a young man's life as he is given the honorable but difficult task of leaving his home in India to become a lawyer and help his country win independence from the English.

The Situation: Shiv Advani is a young man with an incredibly promising future, which is evidenced by the fact that he has been chosen by Mahatma Ghandi himself to help lead India in its fight to win independence from the British. To achieve this, the plan is to have Shiv leave his home of Sind, India and travel to live and study in London. He is to learn the British laws, become a lawyer, and then help in the fight to have the British leave India. Naturally, being away from home will be hard, especially since shortly before his departure, Shiv's parents insist he get married and leave behind a pregnant wife, therefore ensuring he will return as soon as he can. But there is also the uphill battle he is supposed to be helping with, as well as the difficulty of being a dark-skinned man in 1930s London.

The Problem: The seemingly straightforward directive that Shiv has been given of entering English society, learning its laws, and then returning home turns out to be not so simple. And the longer that Shiv is away from India, the easier he finds it to stay away, even with a wife and son waiting for him. On the surface, he is doing exactly what has been expected of him, becoming a brilliant lawyer and making many important connections. But every step towards progress is not without its dangers, and every suspicious glance and tense confrontation adds a touch of anger and resentment. With his parents, his superiors, even Ghandi making it clear what they want him to do, Shiv struggles to find his own path that will hopefully be in service to his home country, and also make him happy.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel that is mostly set between the years of 1931 and 1941 in London, England, but also aboard a ship bound for India in the latter part of 1941. Shiv has been selected by Ghandi to help India win its independence from Britain, and the story details his initial arrival in the new country, his education, his expanding social circle, and the conflict he feels regarding his duty to the cause, his duty to his parents and wife back home, and his duty to himself. There is much discussion of the pull Shiv feels to be the perfect Indian son and fulfill his parent's wishes, while also wanting to find his own path, and knowing he is disappointing his father and mother by doing so. And while India fights for independence, World Ward II is also on the horizon.

My Verdict: This novel is complicated and has several layers, as does the different conflicts and issues that are discussed within it. Shiv is a young man who has been put in a near impossible position, and is asked to make the most difficult of decisions, while also carrying the burden of being a key piece in his country's search for independence. Unfortunately, the complexity of the narrative does not quite make up for the slow pace, especially in the beginning and end, and while sympathizing with Shiv is easy, liking him and cheering him on is not. The book is certainly informative, but not exactly interesting, and the ending feels incomplete, as well as a copout. 

Favorite Moment: Although they made up for a small percentage of the book, I most enjoyed the moments on the ship in 1941 as Shiv is making his way back to India.

Favorite Character: Mairi is Shiv's nurse onboard The Empress of Scotland and has her own story that may merit a novel of its own.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Babel by R.F. Kuang.

Young Adult Fiction: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Picking up Suzanne Collins' fifth Hunger Games book was an easy decision to make, and I knew I would want to talk about Sunrise on the Reaping as soon as it came out. The background and history of Haymitch Abernathy, the only living victor from District 12 at the beginning of the series, is something readers have wanted since the first book came out. While a short explanation of his situation was offered by Katniss, readers have always wanted the full story, so here it is.

The Situation: It is the day of the reaping. The 50th Hunger Games is fast approaching, and it is time for the tributes to be chosen from each of the 12 districts. But it is also Haymitch Abernathy's 16th birthday. It is unfortunate that his birthday and reaping day are one and the same, but Haymitch gets up, gets ready, and heads out with all of the children. He can only hope that the event will pass, and he will be able to resume life as usual, and best of all, hang out with his girlfriend, Lenore Dove. But this year's reaping will be a little different as this year is the Quarter Quell, which means twice as many tributes will be selected: Four girls and four boys will represent each district in this annual fight to the death. The odds are not in his favor, and Haymitch knows it.

The Problem: When Haymitch ends up as a tribute, he and his three fellow District 12 tributes make their way to the Capitol, each one knowing full well that they have little chance of making it back home. It becomes clear to Haymitch that everyone, from the other tributes to the Capitol team that has been put in charge of them, view District 12 as a joke at worst, and an afterthought at best. But almost immediately, Haymitch manages to draw President Snow's attention in the worst way possible, putting himself in danger, as well as anyone he gets close to. And even with the knowledge that the Capitol is always watching, Haymitch decides he wants to fight, not only in this games, but in a way that affects the future of the games. With everything against him, it will be an uphill battle.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in the dystopian country of Panem, which is made up of 12 districts, and the Capitol that controls them. This book takes place 24 years before the first book in the series, which first debuted back in 2008, and 40 years after 2020's The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Completely from Haymitch's point of view, readers learn about him, his family, and the family of his girlfriend, Lenore Dove. There is some discussion regarding the past games and what the arenas were like, as well as how this story links up with some of the history and events from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. This book, much likes is predecessors, explores themes of oppression, the effects of war, and government manipulation. 

My Verdict: It is a daunting task to write a book where the readers of the original series already know how it ends. But as I said before, this is the story many readers have been wanting since the first book came out in 2008. And it contains the same heaviness, and darkness, and tension, but with the slightest and slimmest threads of hope and defiance, even though many know what is going to happen. Readers get to see Haymitch before his own experience in the games, before he becomes the ornery man so many of us love, while also getting yet more background and more answers about Panem, as the book brings together details from the previous four books. And once again, Collins does not shy away from the grim and gruesome stuff, but she does not wallow in it either. 

Favorite Moment: The moments when Haymitch is getting used to the arena he has been thrown into and attempting to get his bearings are not only entertaining, but also informative as to just how sinister these games are. 

Favorite Character: Maysilee is one of the female tributes from District 12, and while she was previously known to be privileged and stuck-up, her actions in the arena prove there is more to her than Haymitch had previously thought. 

Recommended Reading: George Orwell's 1984 is a great book for an introduction into dystopian fiction. 

Contemporary Fiction: Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson

Back in 2022 (which was three years ago if you can believe it), Black Cake was one of those books that was on all the lists, and has even been adapted into a drama series on Hulu. Now, Charmaine Wilkerson has released her second novel, Good Dirt, which follows a woman whose life has been defined by one childhood tragedy, though there is much more to her and her family's story.

The Situation: Ebony "Ebby" Freeman is used to being in the spotlight, unfortunately. In 2000, when she was only ten years old, her 15 year-old brother Baz was shot and killed in their home during a robbery gone wrong. The crime was never solved, the murderers never caught, and the media continues to run stories about it, always ready to point out that Ebby's family is one of the few Black family's in the neighborhood, and that the area is usually not prone to this kind of crime. Now, at 29 years old, Ebby is ready to start a new chapter in her life, only to be stood up on her wedding day. This will most certainly kick off another round of media attention as Ebby figures out what to do next.

The Problem: What comes next for Ebby is a trip to France, mostly in an effort to get away from everything, but possibly as the beginning of a new start. Turns out running from the past is not that easy, even with an ocean between the Connecticut community where everything happened and where she is now. When Ebby remains committed to what she is doing in France, despite any unwanted guests, she also turns her focus to something else her family lost when Baz was killed, and that was an over 100 year-old handmade jar passed down in her family for generations. Handcrafted by an enslaved ancestor, the jar's history could be what helps Ebby move forward, in more ways than she even imagined.

Genre, Themes, History: This novel is a work of fiction that many have placed in the historical fiction category since some of the story takes place in the 1800s, detailing the creation of the old stoneware jar and Ebby's family history. With Ebby as the main focus, the book has many narrators, and jumps back and forth through time, telling the story from as far back in history as the 1820s, to as recent as the lockdown of the pandemic that kept many people at home. Ebby's story is an exploration of how one major event can define the rest of someone's life, despite many efforts to move beyond it, and how different members of the same family attempt to handle a tragedy. 

My Verdict: This novel offers a lot to chew on and think about. There is the defining tragedy of Ebby's life, which is the death of her brother and the loss of the jar. But then there is the wedding that never happened. Adding the history of the jar as well as Ebby's family would have been plenty for one book, but more characters keep entering the picture as other details emerge, and I had to wonder just how far down this rabbit hole could the book possibly go in less than 350 pages. Wilkerson does manage to pull everything together, and the myriad of voices and details does make for a story that is almost never boring.

Favorite Moment: There is a moment when Ebby's mother does something to another character that is completely unexpected, given how she is normally both composed and gracious. But even her husband has to laugh when it happens, though it does scare him a little. 

Favorite Character: Granny Freeman does not have a large role in the book, be she offers a reality check to Ebby that may seem harsh, but Ebby cannot argue against it. One of Ebby's father's friends, Harris, also does not have a large role, but his few appearances are memorable and refreshing.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Wilkerson's Black Cake, naturally, but I also recommend Deacon King Kong by James McBride.