This week is busy with deadlines looming on an editing and separate marketing project, so this post is a diversion from the November theme, What Our Characters Want. Instead, I’m giving you a peek into my current reading list and would enjoy knowing yours as well.
Fiction:
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. I’ve finished this book last week, but going through it a second time to study it as a writer, more than as a reader.
My first impression:
- First point of view. This author deftly handles narrating through the first-person point of view, following Danny when he’s an adolescent into his middle age especially his co-dependent relationship with his maternal and resilient older sister, Mauve. We watch how the Dutch House sets all the inhabitants on a tailspin that forever defines their lives.
- Like the tightness of the novel. Ann Patchett, like an accountant, efficiently tells the story of this family and their interaction with the Dutch House without any excess. Although it opens in the late ’40’s-early ’50’s, and covers fifty years, you don’t read about the historic backdrop. It’s all centered on Danny and the others who lived at the Dutch House.
- Constant family tension. Each character from the work alcoholic father, the manipulative stepmother, the maternal sister, and the vulnerable stepsisters are deftly created. And their interactions are emotionally moving as the tension increases. I felt like I was reading a memoir since the characters feel authentic.
- Unexpected but convincing plot. Although the action of Andrea, the stepmother, is dramatic, it’s realistic and moving. I got immersed in the plot, wanting to root for the protagonist and the family and wondering what will happen to Danny and Mauve.
The Dream King by Will Ford and Matt Lockett
I had heard the authors’ story on Instagram, and was so moved, I bought their book. In The Dream King, the authors take turns depicting their individual journey of understanding their call, their family line, and their passion for justice and prayer. Although I’ve only read five chapters, the authors condense their intricate journeys efficiently without compromising details. It’s a page turner as their tapestry of family ancestry, social justice activism, and prayer intersect.
Story Trumps Structure by Stephen James.
A craft book that provides practical tips for serious storytellers. Stephen James has a master’s in Storytelling (yes, there’s such a discipline) and delineates how story is more important than rigid formulas. He encourages the writer to allow their story to organically tell itself while adhering to principles of effective storytelling. The book is thorough and practical, giving detailed advice on how to let the organic story unfold, tips to keep your reader’s attention, and principles that all storytellers need to follow.
Beloved by Toni Morrison.
I realized a while back that I needed more diversified authors so I selected this book on Audible. I’m about halfway through. Just listening to Beloved is a rich experience. Toni Morrison narrates her own book, so she gives justice to the characters’ accents and slang, as well as using voice inflection to sound lyrical like a poem.
The book is a tale of life of Sethe, a former slave and her daughter, Denver, and how a ghost called Beloved affects their family. The book dives into the tyranny of slavery that caused Sethe to attempt to kill her children but only successfully killed one daughter. And you’re led to believe Beloved is the manifestation of her deceased daughter. So far, it’s sobering to hear their horrors of slavery, riveting to observe how they interact with each other, and moving to watch how one horrendous decision affects everyone involved way into their future. And I’m enjoying listening to Toni Morrison’s mastery as a storyteller.
Any of these books sound intriguing? And what books are you reading? Please share in Comments below. Thank you.