Homestead by Rosina Lippi

Homestead is a collection of short stories about different intertwined characters in the town of Rosenau, a village high in the mountains of western Austria. The stories are told by different characters from 1909 to 1977 -- each story adds layers of undertanding to the whole. Through their eyes, I watched the gradual transformation of Rosenau from an isolated village to one that is connected to the world. I thoroughly enjoyed the characterizations -- sometimes sparse, sometimes detailed and complex, but always providing a window into another world where strong and gentle women and men work hard to maintain lives of honor, quality, courage...and love. There are mysteries and secrets not unlike those in today's world: a hidden pregnancy, a secret lover, a wish to leave small-town life, a naive betrayal, silent courage...and more. This is a must read!

Homestead is the first of Lippi's novels. It won the PEN/Hemingway award. On her website, Lippi states, "Homestead grew out of my conviction that the quiet lives of women in an unfamiliar corner of the Alps were stories that I could not keep them to myself. These women lead hard lives, but they have such rich inner resources, and in the most important ways they are like women everywhere. And so I started with Laura’s story and the novel grew organically out of her broken wedding ring."

The author, Rosina Lippi also writes under the pseudonym Sara Donati. She maintains a website with blog: http://rosinalippi.com/weblog/

Salem Falls

I'm starting my first post with a confession...
I like reading Jodi Picoult.
Like, a lot.
Yesterday, I went to the library and picked up all these great books, and the first one I grabbed, over the historical novel and the selected short stories, was Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult.
And I read it already.

I think I like reading her so much because she's a good, solid, easy read. Her writing flows nicely, and she creates wonderful word pictures. Plus she tackles some really interesting subjects in her novels--school shootings, infidelity, teen pregnancy, kidnapping--and she weaves characters skillfully. There's no black & white, no complete protagonist, which I find refreshing.

Salem Falls centers on a man who has been convicted of sex with an underage girl, his student, in fact. He plea-bargained his way into an 8-month sentence and the novel begins with him leaving the prison and trying to begin again in the small town of Salem Falls. He begins work as a dishwasher in a small diner and finds a true friend in the owner of the diner. Unfortunately, his good looks also spark the teenage passion of one of the town's most lovely--and troubled--girls.

It's a fascinating read, and it's obvious that Picoult does her research. Except in her Spanish phrases, which are grammatically incorrect. Sorry, but that just bugs me. (And I find it somewhat fitting that I initially misspelled the word "grammatically")

So, on to more challenging reads. Until I find a Picoult novel I haven't yet read. :)

Pope Joan : a novel

There was a 9th-century Pope who ruled for 2 years who was not a man, but a woman...but the facts have been changed and hidden for over 1000 years. Could this be true, or is it only legend??? It's this intriguing idea that author Donna Woolfolk Cross turns into an excellent historical novel centered on Joan, an unforgettable woman. Pope Joan tells of a young girl who has an insatiable desire for learning. After her brother dies in a Viking attack, she assumes his identity and enters a Benedictine monastery. Joan becomes Brother John Anglicus--scholar and healer. As a Benedictine, with its rules that foster privacy and solitude, her secret is safe, and she is free to read and learn to her heart's content. Except that she isn't exactly content. Joan/John keeps looking for ways to make people's lives better-- often going against tradition. Joan/John makes her way to Rome and finds herself in the middle of politics...and passion. I found the ending sequence a bit abrupt and a bit too inconceivable, but nonetheless, it was a page turner. Thanks to Kim for sending this my direction. Anyone else want to read it?

More info: http://www.popejoan.com/author.htm