Neshama’s Choices for November 4

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The Most by Jessica Anthony

At first, I almost dismissed this slim book as “white people’s problems” but glad I stuck with it because it worked surreptitious magic between covers.  Why won’t Jessica come out of the pool she’s been floating in for hours?  Because it’s the only activity in which she can feel in touch with her authentic self. When she was making considerable headway in college tennis competitions, her young Czech coach with whom she had an affair taught her strategies that applied to life as well as to the game. But now, married to Virgil, the hypocrisy of their relationship underneath their smooth exterior has gotten to be too much. Virgil is not doing well professionally but finds solace with a young wild woman with whom he’s having an affair when he isn’t lying on the couch listening to Charlie Parker. Fleshed out with events of ’57 like Sputnik, the book describes domestic dysfunction with a rueful, delicate yet sardonic tone.

West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

This historical novel follows the journey of said giraffes from the East Coast to the San Diego Zoo in 1938. Woody narrates the tale.  He’s a 17-year-old Dust Bowl orphan who crosses paths with the animals during the hurricane that capsized the ship that was bringing them to New York. Their keeper, querulous Charlie, needs a driver, and Woody, who’s desperate and brave, convinces him that he can do the job. It’s a harrowing trip with many crises, complicated by a young photographer nicknamed Red who’s trailing them.  She hopes that by documenting the experience, she’ll get her pictures on the pages of Life Magazine. The story captured the imagination of the American people; it was a heart-lifter, as contrasted with the increasing specter of WWII in the offing. Lots of wild action, some sentimental touches (Charlie refers to the giraffes as his “darlings”), and very entertaining.

The Burning by Linda Castillo

The writer specializes in Amish society which adds a fascinating slant to her mysteries. This most recent one features Police Chief Kate who left that life but can still get answers from them. The Amish close ranks and won’t say anything to the “English” which is how they refer to anyone outside their religion. A dreadful death occurs with heavy symbolic freight: burned alive at the stake. It gets particularly complicated when Kate’s brother, still Amish, becomes a person of interest. Turns out there’s a splinter cult that has decided to take action against a very bad man. Kate does lots of digging, follows clues, and of course, faces considerable risk herself.

Like Love by Maggie Nelson

Subtitled: Essays and Conversations. Nelson is a MacArthur “genius “and much of her work here takes my breath away but sometimes leaves me in the dust. So I have to admit I didn’t read every piece word by word but picked and chose those that spoke to me most directly. I know the work of some of the artists and writers she engages with, and they’re a fascinating, very eclectic bunch like Carolee Schneeman whom I saw in NYC in the ‘60s, doing a piece called Meat Joy while playing the cello naked. Nelson describes other wild performance pieces and art installations so you too can experience them after the fact. She explores a wide range of topics that grapple with aspects of queerness, and feminism. I got lost when she referenced some writers, particularly French, whom I have tried to read and found impenetrable. But all in all, this book gave me the opportunity to connect with a very lively, iconoclastic, brilliant spirit.