Right minded

The word “syndrome” in the title of this book should serve to red-flag contents. Because the author views left handedness as a “pathological” aberration from the norm, his approach is to analyze it accordingly, which he does with painstaking attention to the science and statistics of neuropsychology. Much of what he presents as fact is interesting, and may be correct. The connection with birth trauma is particularly valuable. Coren does not, however, devote much time to addressing the opposite phenomenom, that of the gifted left-hander. My concern with this unbalanced approach is that it creates the impression that most, if not all, lefties are somehow seriously hampered in their abilities to lead “normal” lives. In truth, southpaws are disproportionately represented among athletes, artists, and intellectuals. Regarding life span, a study conducted in 1993 by the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University found no significant difference among death rates for right or left hand dominance.
All human characteristics have their good and bad features, so why should left-handedness be any different? Just something to keep in mind….

Fancy meeting you here…..

There’s nothing deep or literary about Lost in Austen. It’s a time travel tale that incorporates all the standard glitches, as 21st century Amanda tries to navigate her way around the style and conventions of the 19th century. Because she curls up with Austen every time she feels stressed, Amanda knows what should be happening in this strange new (old) world, but somehow, the characters simply won’t behave as planned.

If not taken too seriously, this foray into Pride and Prejudice is delightful. It’s genuinely entertaining to watch well known and loved characters adopt wills of their own. Jemima Rooper as Amanda is spot on, as she struggles to speak and conduct herself in accordance with Regency mores. Elliot Cowan makes a fine Mr. Darcy, although at times he seems to be channeling Heathcliff instead, and Tom Mison as Mr. Bingley threatens to upstage Darcy at several points. Supporting cast members are equally true to form. The scenery is stunning, and costumes reflect proper period detail, despite their rather muted colors.

Lost in Austen is a sweet, frothy romance that pays tribute to the original while providing a throughly modern twist. A pleasant way to while away a rainy afternoon.

**** The Letter

On the eve of America’s entry into the second World War, three women struggle with the changes that will inevitably alter their lives. The eponymous postmistress, middle aged Iris, has reason to hope that love will at long last be hers. Emma is a young, naive bride, whose husband, an MD, suddenly decides that he is meant to cross the Atlantic to help the victims of the Blitz, leaving behind a pregnant Emma to cope as best she can. Frankie is a brilliant young reporter posted in London, assistant to none other than Edward R. Murrow. Her evening radio broadcasts have a profound effect on some listeners, but far fewer than she hopes. As the situation in Europe, these women must grapple with the emotional chaos that war visits on those at home, little dreaming how intertwined their fates will be.

Author Blake handles words beautifully, writing in a straightforward, sometimes metaphoric style. Although this plot is reliant upon unlikely coincidence, it is dramatic and poignant without descending into sentimentality. The chapters on the plight of refugees are particularly affecting.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy well researched, intelligent historical fiction.

Many thanks to Barnes & Noble and Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam for providing this advanced reader copy.

 Bar-B-Q

Janet Evanovich  said in an interview that Stephanie and crew will never age during the course of this series. Big mistake, because Stephanie never learns, never makes life-enhancing choices, never grows. Kind of like Ground Hog Day. In this 15th episode, the plot, such as it is, descends into slapstick. Once an author resorts to fat and fart humor to serve as the central mechanism to moving along the story, you know she’s running out of ideas. This outing revolves loosely around Lula, who, having witnessed a murder, is in constant danger from the perps. A secondary thread concerns a string of robberies in establishments protected by Rangeman Securities. Not one, but at least four vehicles are bombed to smithereens. And formerly beloved characters are reduced to caricature. Narrator Lorelei King does her usual professional best, but not even she can save this farce. Here’s hoping Ms. Evanovich breaks her own rule and brings about some much needed change in Steph’s life.

photo by Marshall J. Becker

Stories of American witch trials have been very much in the forefront of my mind this month, as I have done several programs on the topic at both of the museums at which I work. So it was especially interesting when  I came across an article written in 1980, but posted by  Archaeology.org today, about a witch bottle found in Essington, Pennsylvania. This is not a frequent occurrence in the U.S., though a number of these charms have been discovered in Europe. A witch bottle is a protective talisman with two purposes: to serve as protection during the building of a house, or to serve as countermeasures against specific acts of witchcraft. The Pennsylvania example is particularly intriguing because it is believed to have been deposited in the ground in the 18th century, a time when belief in witchcraft was waning.

The American bottle is dark green, covered with a bright gold patina, a result of its age and decomposition of the glass surface. It also has a large, smooth “push-up” or indentation in its base. The shape of the bottle and the smooth surface of the push-up help date the bottle as having been made some time between 1730 and 1750, a period when manufacturing techniques were becoming more sophisticated. It was buried upside down in a hole next to a house. The article here explains the context and folklore associated with witch bottles much more succinctly than I could, so for more information, hop on over to the site.

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Blue eyed girl

As 2009 is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe, it’s fitting that the interests of several novelists have turned to him. Louis Bayard chose to depict Poe in a little known segment of his life, his tenure as a cadet at West Point. The mystery revolves around the death by hanging of one of Poe’s classmates. Retired NYC detective Gus Landor is brought in by the Superintendent to solve the crime, and he enlists the aid of silver-tongued Cadet Poe as his inside informer. As the story unfolds, other murders occur, family secrets emerge, secret crypts are discovered, and it is not until the final chapter that it becomes apparent that we have actually been reading a mystery within a mystery, one that Poe must solve himself. Author Bayard is a gifted writer, equally adept at creating plot, character, and atmosphere; in this case, the ambience is as Gothic as one of Poe’s own. The Pale Blue Eye is a tour de force, not to be missed by readers who enjoy nothing better than an expertly crafted, engrossing mystery.

by Edwin Arlington Robinson

Here was a place where none would ever come
For shelter, save as we did from the rain.
We saw no ghost, yet once outside again
Each wondered why the other should be so dumb;
And ruin, and to our vision it was plain
Where thrift, outshivering fear, had let remain
Some chairs that were like skeletons of home.

There were no trackless footsteps on the floor
Above us, and there were no sounds elsewhere.
But there was more than sound; and there was more
Than just an axe that once was in the air
Between us and the chimney, long before
Our time. So townsmen said who found her there.

Miss Van Arsdale Goes Undercover

A forerunner of the classic English mystery genre, The Woman in the Alcove was written by an American in 1905. Miss Van Arsdale, short and plain, is a member of the lower echelon of New York’s high society, and has recently resigned her self to a life as a spinster nurse. As the story opens, she is attending a grand party at the Ramsdells’ mansion, and is swept off her feet by Anson Durand, who proposes marriage. But the star of the evening is not a person; it is the spectacular diamond worn by the elegant Mrs. Fairbrother.

During the course of the evening, Mr. Durand and Miss Van Arsdale are often separated, and she notices some decidedly odd goings-on in the curtained alcove at the end of one of the large salons. It comes to pass that Mrs. Fairbrother is murdered there, ostensibly for her diamond, and Mr. Durand, alas, is the prime suspect. But Miss Van Arsdale is certain that her one true love is innocent. Could this be a set-up? She determines to discover who is the real perpetrator, and manages to convince Inspector Dalzell to assist her in quest to identify that true villain. This book is a delight to read if only for its illustrations. The plot is an intriguing one, but it is narrated in the first person, which by necessity makes it a “talky” sort of mystery, with only brief episodes of action. The vocabulary and speech patterns of the day contribute to that quality. Also, it was rather difficult to believe that Miss Van Arsdale could fall so instantly and completely in love with a man with whom she had never spoken to prior this meeting. Finally, Inspector Dalzell comes across as a rather blinkered detective, having made up his mind that first night that Durand had to be guilty. Miss Van Arsdale is a true Edwardian heroine. The Woman in the Alcove, despite its naivete, is a very proper yet very enjoyable little mystery that deserves a modern readership.

Lately there’s been a huge increase in opportunities for readers who write reviews to obtain complimentary copies of  about-to-be released books. This afternoon I ran across the following caviat on the Guardian.co.uk Book Blog:

The US Government is after me – and you, if you’re a book blogger.

If you get a free book, and don’t disclose this “vested interest” if you blog about it, you are now liable to five-figure fines.

Further on:

The FTC claims it is seeking to protect consumers from being gulled by “paid shills” masquerading as objective or independent commentators. That is a reasonably aim. Alas, as the legislation stands, it is maddeningly vague and confused but also insanely ambitious in its apparent aim to police hundreds of thousands of independent voices.

Well, I often review books that have been sent to me by publishers, but I resent being considered a “paid shill.” By the time I’ve read and reviewed any book, my “pay” amounts to about 20 cents an hour, if that. But from now on, in goes the disclaimer.
Read more.