Category Archive

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

I have been pleased with the renewed enthusiasm for everything C.S. Lewis these days. Most of it is undoubtedly connected to the Narnia movies, (which I did not particularly enjoy) but are still better than typical fare served to our young people.

A much harder sell to a mainstream audience is the staggering novel Till We Have Faces, widely regarded by scholars as Lewis’s best novel. It had a profound impact on me when I first read it, and with each re-reading I see new insights that further convince me this book is a masterpiece.

The setting is a fictional barbarian kingdom somewhere in the Mediterranean. The time period is roughly 400 B.C., so the spiritual references are entirely devoid of Jesus, although the philosophical principles are there. It is a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth, although told from the point of view from one of the jealous sisters, Orual. In this version, Orual is an intensely sympathetic narrator. She is the ugly, disfigured daughter of a cruel barbarian king, and the only light in her life is her Greek tutor and her beautiful sister Psyche, upon whom she dotes. Orual despises the pagan gods and all the associated superstition and ignorance.

An intelligent woman, she refuses to accept anything she cannot see and experience. She grows up to become a great warrior Queen, but her hideous face (which she hides behind veils) and her position as Queen mean no one will ever love her. Fear her? Respect her? These she has, but she is also an intensely isolated person. The reader will watch Orual’s journey into old age as she wrestles with questions of duty, mercy, and the battle between faith and reason.

It is a magnificent book. The writing is raw and primitive, a perfect reflection of its barbarian setting. Themes of spirituality and redemption are heavily woven into the text, but so is despair, uncertainty, and the struggles that come along with faith. It has none of the magic or fireworks of the Narnia books, so people hoping for a retread of Narnia might be disappointed, but I found it to be a brilliant combination of a unique plot mingled with profound human questions.

Till We Have Faces also explores the odd combination of joy mingled with longing, which I have written about here.

Bridget Jones: Say it Isn’t So!

For those who want no clue about the third installment of the Bridget Jones diaries, click away from the screen now. Although I’m afraid there will be no hiding this spoiler. Helen Fielding has been very upfront about it, and this news is burning up the web in England as shocked and outraged fans voice their opinions.

Really…. this is a spoiler, so look away now if you don’t want a major, big-time spoiling.

SPOILER ALERT

SPOILER ALERT

SPOILER ALERT

SPOILER ALERT

Mark Darcy is going to die in the third book of the trilogy, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.

You mean no more Colin Firth? How will I ever watch those two movies again with the same unabashed delight I’ve always had?

Helen Fielding said there was no way for her to write a third book if Mark was still in the picture. She writes that the bittersweet humor inherent in the books is rooted in Bridget’s obstacles and confusion as she moves through life. Here is a link with more info.

Grrrrrrr.

There is a reason I write romance novels, and a big one is that I can guarantee I will NEVER KILL OFF MY HERO. Never. Won’t do it. Carve it in stone, get it notarized, and take a photograph.

Helen Fielding is a very brave woman. Or a foolish one. Or both? Time will tell…..

Into the Whirlwind: A Novel of the Chicago Fire.

When I told my husband my plans for writing this book, he asked, “No offense, but why would anyone want to read a book about such a dreary topic?”

Dreary!  Not at all!  The race to rebuild Chicago in the months following the fire is one of the most dramatic stories in American history, but surprisingly, there are almost no adult novels about the fire.

There are few stories as dramatic as what happened to Chicago in 1871. In the space of a single day, one-third of the city was rendered homeless and 17,000 buildings were destroyed. In many ways Chicago has always been the quintessential American city, a combination of ethnic enclaves, rugged ambition, and raw, brash talent. I wanted to show all those qualities rise to the surface in the months following the fire.

I wanted to write a love story set against this dramatic backdrop. At its heart, it is about a man who has always adored a woman from afar, and sees the fire as the chance to finally swoop in and sweep her off her feet.

So….. without further ado, here is a short blurb about Into the Whirlwind:

Mollie Knox is a woman whose comfortable world is shattered the night she loses everything in the legendary Chicago fire of 1871. As she struggles in the aftermath of the fire, two powerful men vie for her affection. One has always loved her, but the other has the power to save her. Into the Whirlwind is a turbulent love story set amidst the rubble of Chicago as Mollie endures the challenge of survival and the triumph of rebuilding the city.

It is available everywhere, so snap it up while its hot!

Can you be inspired by a novel?

People read fiction for numerous reasons: escapism, to learn more about an era or topic, to be thrilled by a dramatic story. All perfectly valid motivations, but one of the reasons I love to read novels is to draw inspiration from the characters.

Which sounds completely insane…I mean, Frodo and Sam never existed, so how on earth can they inspire me to keep trudging forward even when my body, soul, and mind are running on empty?

They just do.

One of the things I aimed for when I wrote Into the Whirlwind (due out August 1) was to create those kind of inspiring characters who tough it out through the worst of circumstances. The book is set during and immediately after the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871. As in any crisis, the fire brought out the best and worst in people. Mollie thinks of the months following the fire as a “wonderful, terrible time.” I am not the first person to suggest it is the hardest things in life that make us great, but I wanted this to be a major theme of the novel.

I explore the exhilaration that comes from surviving a crisis, and then Mollie’s triumph in remaking her life into something even better than it was before. This is an uplifting novel about the power of community and the bonds that can be formed during a shared crisis.

Some of the other novels I’ve loved because of watching the inspiring characters battle the odds are Redeeming Love (Francine Rivers) The Bronze Horseman (Paullina Simons) and Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett). What about you? Any novels you’d care to recommend that puts a character through the wringer but still gives you that thrilling jolt of inspiration?

I love historical novels of all sorts, be they romance, adventure, or suspense (I’ve written in all three subgenres!) One category I especially like is the historical novel tightly linked to a major historical event…. and these are surprisingly rare in the field.

Such novels provide fantastic drama as they plunge fictional characters into a dramatic facet of history. Here are my favorite such books (Bonus points if a good romance included):

Race to Splendor, by Ciji Ware. This one features the drama of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. First the buildings crumbled, and then they burned in the devastating fire that raged for days following the quake. The heroine is an architect who is given the rare opportunity to help re-build a hotel. There is a terrific romance as she falls in love with the ne’er do-well hotel owner.

A Fierce Radiance, by Lauren Belfer. This one features the race to develop penicillin. What a fantastic topic for a novel! It’s hard to underestimate how our lives have been improved by the miracle of penicillin and other antibiotics. The crucial years of development coincided with World War II when the American government was desperate to get these drugs developed, mass-produced, and distributed to the troops who were dying on the front. The hero is a doctor and the heroine is a photographer for Life magazine, so there is plenty of dramatic plot twists taking place all over the world. The romance in this book was not terrific, but it was an unusual take on a fascinating topic.

The Bronze Horseman, by Paulina Simmons. Another World War II novel, this one features the siege of Leningrad. The heroine is a Russian girl, stranded and starving behind the Nazi blockade of the city. The hero is the dashing soldier who repeatedly risks his life smuggle food into the city. Sound grim? It is! The Bronze Horseman has achieved cult status as one of the best romance books of all time. It is a novel of staggering beauty and heart-breaking despair. (Warning: the romance doesn’t end so happily in this one….but thank goodness for the sequel that tied up that loose end!)

Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell. An obvious choice, but I had to add it!

Into the Whirlwind, by yours truly. Is it too early to begin promoting my next book? This is my first historical novel that is tightly linked to an actual historical event, in this case, the Chicago fire of 1871. It is a turbulent love story set amidst the rubble of Chicago as Mollie endures the challenge of survival and the triumph of rebuilding the city. There is a smashingly dramatic romance with lots of storm and stress, but I aimed for a wildly optimistic and uplifting story. Look for it August 1st!

I don’t usually review nonfiction books, but this one was simply too marvelous to ignore. Alan Crawford writes a terrifically engaging book about Nancy Randolph (1774-1837), a woman who was reviled in her own time, but managed to comport herself with a quiet dignity despite the traumas of her life. I suppose the review below contains spoilers, but much of this information is given in the blurb of the book. The real fascination of the book is not “what happens next” so much as the fabulous character study written by historian Alan Crawford.

Nancy was born into the famous Randolph family, one of the first families of Virginia. When she was seventeen years old, Nancy made the mistake that would haunt her for the rest of her life. It appears that she became pregnant by her brother-in-law, Richard, and tried to conceal the pregnancy. She became listless, ill, withdrawn, and some noted that she appeared to be gaining weight. One night in particular she was taken violently ill, and she allowed only Richard into her room to tend her. Several days later, the body of a newborn baby boy was found on the property.

Nancy and Richard were both put on trial for murder. They hired the best lawyer in the country, Patrick Henry, who mounted a successful defense and the pair were found “not guilty.” Despite the court’s verdict, both Nancy and Richard were ostracized by society, as the pair were widely assumed to be guilty. In all likelihood, the child was indeed Nancy’s baby, and whether he was born dead or died from exposure will never be known. Richard Randolph died of natural causes a few years later, but rumor once again lashed out to strike Nancy, who was accused of poisoning her brother-in-law and partner in crime.

The next decades were fraught with more tragedy, as Nancy’s list of relatives who were willing to take her in dwindled and then she disappears from the historical record. Rumors abounded, including life as a thief and prostitute.

Nancy returns to the historical record when she became a housekeeper for Gouverneur Morris, a man who helped draft the Constitution of the United States and was also one of the wealthiest men in America. She eventually married Morris, and finally found physical safety, although she remained secluded on his estate rather than face a society which still scorned her.

The book is an interesting read, with all the makings of a modern day soap opera, but it is a thought-provoking morality tale. Would Gouverneur Morris, a member of congress and a founding father of the young nation, stoop to marrying a woman of no honor? What does Nancy’s life tell us about the role of forgiveness, redemption, and salvation?

There are no real answers to those questions in the book, but it makes for thought-provoking reading. I truly admire Alan Crawford’s ability to breathe life into history.

Some people love to prepare recipes full of numerous steps with exotic ingredients and complicated flavors.  Nothing thrills them more when they see a long list of ingredients and procedures that might require them to clarify butter, make a reduction, or run out to a specialty market.

This is not me.  I confess to being a pretty basic cook.  Not only do I lack the time and skill, I am inclined toward basic recipes I can throw together in ten or twenty minutes…preferably in one pot.  My only requirement is that they be healthy and not have a list of ingredients as long as my arm.

I adore the cookbooks of Brother Victor.  He is a resident monk and the cook for a monastic order near the Hudson Valley in New York.  The order is vegetarian, but his recipes include fish, dairy, and eggs.  These recipes are very simple, calling on basic staples any healthy vegetable garden will feature (carrots, spinach, celery, etc.)  Throw in a starch, some beans, a handful of seasoning, and you are done.

These recipes aren’t for everyone.  My husband thinks them bland and boring, but I adore the simplicity.  This is “peasant” cooking.  Nothing fancy, but somehow it harkens back to a simpler time when there were fewer demands on a cook to produce a spectacular array of flavors.  And the fact that Brother Victor’s cookbooks have all been best sellers gives me tacit permission to revert back to these simpler recipes.  If you wish to check out his other titles and look over the recipes, you can click HERE

What a treat this book was!

Kate Donavan needs a break from a job that is burning her out in Dallas, and flees to a small town in Pennsylvania to spend a few months renovating a rambling old Victorian house that has been in her family for generations.  Into the mix comes a haunted, lonely widower who she hires to do most of the heavy lifting.

Matt Jarreau is a former NHL star who quit his all-star career to nurse his dying wife through the final stages of cancer.  A few years after her death he is still wounded, solitary, and moody, and everything in Kate’s soul screams out for her to pull this man out of the quagmire of despondency he has fallen into.

Sound like a heavy read?  Not really.  The book is sprinkled with humor, joy, and a few dashes of aching poignancy that leap out to add heft to this wonderful summer read.  Kate is compassionate, but no Pollyanna.  She sees what she wants and goes after it with both hands.  Matt doesn’t make it easy on her.  He has found a way to numb his pain by burying himself in solitary manual labor, and resents Kate’s efforts to drag him out of the hole where he has finally found a measure of equilibrium.

Although the contemporary romance market is saturated with books that have the “small town good, big city bad” mantra, My Stubborn Heart did not slip into this trap.  I don’t want to include any spoilers, but I was surprised (and delighted!) by the last third of the book.

This book was a wonderful blend of understated humor and emotion, with intelligent characters wrestling with realistic struggles.  Despite the weighty topic, it was a breezy, fresh read.   Becky Wade is a new author on the scene, so sadly, there is no backlist for me to run out and scoop up……but I will look forward to other books with her lively, original voice.  Two thumbs up!

Part of the fun of reading historical novels is the opportunity to experience a different era and way of life, all from the comforts of your favorite chair.  A good historical novel not only captures the details of a particular time, but must also explore the different mindsets and attitudes of the era.

The Gilded Age was progressive in so many ways, but the notorious Madame X scandal underscores the rigidity of the era in regards to sexuality.

John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) was the rising star of the Gilded Age.  His splendid portraits had vaulted him to the pinnacle of the artistic world, and he was sought after by aristocrats and robber barons to be immortalized in paint.  In 1884 he was commissioned to paint Madame Gatreau, an American woman married to a Parisian banker.  A famed beauty known for her provocative wardrobe, she allowed herself to be painted in a sexually suggestive manner, with one strap of her plunging gown brazenly slipping from her shoulder.

When the portrait was unveiled at the Academie des Beaux-Arts it caused an uproar on both sides of the Atlantic, destroying Gatreau’s reputation and knocking Sargent off his exalted pedestal.  In an attempt to repair the damage, Sargent renamed the portrait Madame X and re-painted the dangling strap into its proper position, but the damage had been done.  Commissions dried up and Sargent left France for friendlier climate in London. 

Looking at the portrait today, it is hard to see what caused the uproar, but apparently the mere suggestion of sensuality was enough to ruin Sargent’s ability to earn a living in France.  David McCullough recently wrote about the scandal in his book The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris.  The scandal of Madame X is an intriguing glimpse into the attitudes of the gilded age, so different from our own.