High School

-- School Library Journal, 12/1/2005

Fiction | Nonfiction

Fiction

GOLDBERG, Myla. Wickett's Remedy: A Novel. 336p. Doubleday. 2005. Tr $24.95. ISBN 0-385-51324-0. LC 2005048103.

Adult/High School–As America is on the brink of entering the Great War, Lydia Kilkenny, a Boston shopgirl, marries Henry Wickett, a young medical student. Shortly thereafter, he casts his studies aside in favor of developing a remedy to help sufferers from "hypochondriacal illnesses." His mail-order business enjoys some success, but when he contracts influenza, Lydia is suddenly left a widow. Before she has time to grieve, Americans find themselves battling a deadly pandemic. Although she has no nursing experience, Lydia feels compelled to help. She joins on as a research assistant to doctors experimenting on inmates to better understand the spread of the disease. A parallel story develops as her husband's onetime business partner steals the formula for Wickett's Remedy and develops a soft-drink empire. Goldberg's re-creation of this fascinating segment of American history is meticulously researched and well executed. Each chapter ends with period newspaper articles and letters that add to the flavor of the story and give subtle insights into unfolding events. The use of voices in the margins of the pages, however, serves more as a distraction than as an asset to the multiple tales that are woven together. The author's closing comments are powerful in their simplicity: more Americans died in this 10-month pandemic than were killed in all of the 20th-century wars.–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA

LALAMI, Laila. Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits. 208p. Algonquin. 2005. Tr $21.95. ISBN 1-56512-493-6. LC 2005047821.

Adult/High School–This contemporary tale opens with 30 people huddled in an inflatable lifeboat meant to hold 8, attempting illegally to cross the Strait of Gibraltar from Tangier to Spain. Lalami explores the lives of four of these travelers, from the circumstances that led up to their being in that boat, to the lives they make for themselves after their attempted crossing is thwarted by the Spanish border's Guardia Civil. Murad lives with his mother and younger siblings. Although he has a degree in English and speaks fluent Spanish, his life consists of hustling American and British tourists to various points of interest in Morocco. Halima, married with two young sons, works as a janitor to make ends meet while her husband drinks her earnings away and beats her in frustration. She sees the trip as her one chance at escape. Faten, an outspoken university student, crosses paths with an education administrator and finds herself expelled from school. Aziz, tired of seeing his wife go off to work while he cannot find employment, dreams of making a life in Spain and bringing his wife over once he is established. Two of these four characters avoid the Guardia Civil; two of them do not. Each learns that ultimately success has little to do with location and everything to do with smaller, day-to-day decisions. With a softness and lyricism that belie the fact that this is a first novel, the narrative introduces readers to beautifully drawn characters who make for a gem of a tale.–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA

MCCALL SMITH, Alexander. Friends, Lovers, Chocolate: The Sunday Philosophy Club. 272p. Pantheon. 2005. Tr $21.95. ISBN 0-375-42299-4. LC 2005046430.

Adult/High School–Isabel Dalhousie, the charming and well-intentioned editor of the Review of Applied Ethics, is back. She does not actively seek out trouble, but her inability to ignore those in need has a way of drawing her into peculiar situations. Her adventure begins when she meets Ian, who has recently had a heart transplant and is disturbed by a menacing face that keeps appearing in his memories; he and Isabel wonder whether there is any credence to the theory of cellular memory, and whether Ian could be recalling the person who was responsible for his donor's death. In much the same way that "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series opens a door to the dusty roads of Botswana, this one allows readers to experience the long, sunny days of a Scottish summer. The history and charm of Edinburgh are apparent in the detailed descriptions of the cobblestoned streets Isabel walks as she contemplates philosophical questions and attempts to make sense of Ian's issues as well as her own sudden romantic interest in a much younger friend and recent fiancé of her niece. The characters and plots are thoughtful and thought-provoking, and will stay with readers well beyond the final page.–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA

MONETTE, Sarah. Mélusine. 421p. Ace. 2005. Tr $24.95. ISBN 0-441-01286-8. LC 2005045753.

Adult/High School–Mélusine is a city both sordid and splendid, rich in history and layered with corruption. Monette shows readers this fantastical place through the eyes of two characters: Felix, a member of an elite society of wizards, and Mildmay, a thief and former assassin. After his past as a whore is revealed, Felix returns to the man who trained him to pass as a noble. His malicious mentor uses a sexual ritual and Felix's magic to shatter the Virtu, a crystal that stabilizes magic. Felix goes mad, is imprisoned, and is sent to an asylum. Mildmay's precarious existence becomes more and more difficult. When he hits rock bottom, he is hired by another wizard, whose card divination says Mildmay will lead him to Felix. Monette has created an interesting world, leaving enough unexplained to intrigue patient readers. Profane Mildmay and insane Felix have distinctive narrative voices. Side plots and secondary characters are dropped soon after the two meet, so any resolution of the many issues raised will have to wait until the sequel.–Susan Salpini, TASIS–The American School in England

REUBEN, Shelly. Tabula Rasa. 290p. Harcourt. 2005. Tr $24. ISBN 0-15-101079-X. LC 2004025585.

Adult/High School–Meredith Marmalade Bly lives a charmed life in upstate New York with her doting parents until a school project requires her to research her family tree. Suddenly, Annie and Sebastian Bly and her Uncle Billy, a New York City firefighter, are thrown into a perilous situation where they must lie to protect her. As an infant, she was found by Billy in the charred ruins of a house fire that killed her brother and sister. During the investigation, it was discovered that Meredith's biological mother, Edith Tuttle, had murdered six of her children in four separate house fires. After reading about a rash of teen suicides, and unwilling to wreak further emotional havoc on Meredith's life, the three adults decide to create a name and a past for the girl's mother. They find a name on a tombstone and make her a gifted ballerina born in Russia who defected to the West during the Cold War. This news has the predicted and hoped-for effect on Meredith when she becomes a talented dancer. Life for the Blys continues to be blessed until Edith gets out of jail. This exciting suspense story, similar in style to Mary Higgins Clark's early novels, will grab teens from its intriguing beginning and keep them reading until its rather predictable conclusion.–Pat Bender, The Shipley School, Bryn Mawr, PA

RICE, Anne. Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. 336p. Knopf. 2005. Tr $25.95. ISBN 0-375-41201-8. LC 2005044077.

Adult/High School–In crisp, straightforward prose, Rice leaves the gothic behind and explores the mysteries beneath the childhood of Jesus. At age seven, the boy and his family leave Egypt to return to their home. They find themselves caught in a revolution after the death of the first King Herod, ruler of the portion of the Roman Empire that includes Israel. Although the historical and cultural details are authentic and well done, it is the character of Jesus that drives this novel. He feels like a typical seven-year-old, but he's also suddenly discovering abilities that no one else possesses. He brings clay birds to life, makes snow fall, and even resurrects a dead playmate. Stunned by these odd happenings, he turns to Joseph and Mary for answers. When they are not forthcoming, he's forced to hunt out clues through local legends, rumors, and a strange spirit that taunts him in his dreams. The story is told from Jesus's point of view, and the strength of the book weighs heavily on Rice's ability to make him believable both as a child and as the son of God; she does a winning job. The wisdom of all things religious fills Jesus completely, but he's naive about day-to-day events: he can't understand why a young girl he used to play with prefers at age 12 to learn about weaving and rearing children. This new direction for Rice is both bold and reverent, and is bound to please fans and newcomers alike.–Matthew L. Moffett, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale

RUBENSTEIN, Wade. Gullboy: The Inconceivable Life of Franco Pajarito Zanpa, a Novel. illus. by Danny Shanahan. 416p. Counterpoint. 2005. Tr $24.95. ISBN 1-58243-330-5. LC 2005013655.

Adult/High School–"Inconceivable" is truly the word for this treasure of a tale. The infant Franco is discovered in a seagull's nest by Ernesto Zanpa, a shiftless young man who drifts through his days with as little work as possible. Despite the objections of his young wife, a streetwalker with aspirations of Internet porn stardom, Ernesto quickly becomes attached to the boy with feathers on his body and a beak where his mouth should be. As he takes to fatherhood, he finds himself driven to make a good life for Franco and discovers his hidden culinary talent in the greasy kitchen of the neighborhood diner. At the same time that Ernesto is trying to do right by his boy, plenty of people want to capitalize on the child's oddities, and Ernesto is kept busy fending off a crooked lawyer, the Russian mafia, and a doctor who sees Franco's surgical potential as the ticket to medical glory. The wildly improbable twists and turns of the story are grounded in the all-too-real egocentricity of Rubenstein's characters. By turns tragic and hilarious, this story is about what it means to be a family, the fine line between exceptional and bizarre, and the fact that what is grotesque in this life has little to do with outward appearance and everything to do with personal ambition and greed. Shanahan's simple line drawings that precede each chapter accentuate the wacky charm of this first novel.–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA

SIDDONS, Anne Rivers. Sweetwater Creek. 356p. HarperCollins. 2005. Tr $24.95. ISBN 0-06-621335-5. LC 2005046279.

Adult/High School–Siddons's strength is in describing locale, and in Sweetwater Creek she takes readers to the South Carolina Lowcountry, imbuing it with an almost magical aura. The mystical landscape of oak groves and tidal rivers where dolphins play is home to 12-year-old Emily Parmenter, daughter of a struggling plantation owner whose only claim to success is his line of legendary Boykin hunting spaniels. Emily grieves the death of her cherished older brother while also coming to terms with her mother's desertion. She forges a bond with her own spaniel and proceeds to find her place on the plantation when her innate ability to train the hunting dogs is discovered. Life is beginning to settle into a comfortable rhythm when a young debutante, Lulu Foxworth, exhausted from her whirlwind social season, takes up residence at Sweetwater Plantation for a summer of rest and retreat from the pressures of her demanding life. Lulu craves the peace of Sweetwater, and Emily, though curious, is not anxious to let the outside world in. This coming-of-age tale appeals on many levels as it explores loneliness and loss, friendship and betrayal, and the comfort of a beloved pet or favorite place in nature. Despite the sadness that pervades, there is peace, beauty, and escape in Sweetwater Creek.–Gari Plehal, Pohick Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA

Nonfiction

BIGGS, Emma & Tessa Hunkin. The Complete Book of Mosaics: Materials, Techniques, and Step-by-Step Instructions for Over 25 Beautiful Home Accents. 176p. diags. photos. index. Reader's Digest. 2005. Tr $26.95. ISBN 0-7621-0608-5. LC 2004061482.

Adult/High School–Biggs and Hunkin make constructing this art look simple with their clear, step-by-step text and illustrations. The section on techniques describes the basics of designing a mosaic, selecting colors and materials, cutting and fixing the tiles, and finishing the piece. Each of the projects is introduced in double-page format with a brief description and a list of tools and materials needed opposite a stunning photograph of the finished product. Most of the text is presented as captions under a series of photographs depicting the graduated process of making each mosaic. Templates are provided in the back of the book where one can also find a list of suppliers that may sell several of the designs as kits. Although the projects presented are not rated beginner, intermediate, or advanced, it's apparent that the authors intended them to be fun learning experiences. The level of difficulty is limited only by one's own imagination.–Claudia C. Holland, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA

DOLNICK, Edward. Rescue Artist: A True Story of Art, Thieves, and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece. 288p. photos. bibliog. index. HarperCollins. 2005. Tr $25.95. ISBN 0-06-053117-7. LC 2004062060.

Adult/High School–A compelling account of the 1994 theft of one of the world's most famous paintings, The Scream. Dolnick focuses on the hero of the case, Scotland Yard's Art Squad specialist Charley Hill. Because of Hill's earlier success in retrieving stolen art treasures, he was charged with the difficult job of locating the painting and successfully retrieving it in its original condition. While the author keeps readers in suspense as he digresses frequently to tell the story of other notorious art thefts and art thieves, diligent readers will be treated to a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat account of the painting's rescue. Along the way, Dolnick imparts a great deal of information not only about Edvard Munch, but also about the art world's surprisingly lax security measures and the lack of motivation on the part of authorities charged with retrieving art treasures. In spite of the asides, this is a tightly woven, fast-paced story. Teens interested in art and/or investigative journalism will enjoy this real-life whodunit.–Catherine Gilbride, Farifax County Public Library, VA

HEARN, Marcus. The Cinema of George Lucas. 264p. photos. appendix. bibliog. index. notes. Abrams. 2005. pap. $50. ISBN 0-8109-4968-7. LC 2004020411.

Adult/High School–With this impeccably constructed coffee-table book, movie aficionados have the opportunity to explore 20th-century science fiction and American culture through the work of an immensely talented director. Film clips, scripts, and interviews help readers to review his vast output. Hearn describes Lucas's childhood, his college filmmaking career at USC, his work with the American Zoetrope collective of San Francisco, his friendship with director Francis Ford Coppola, the making of the classic coming-of-age film American Graffiti, and more. The volume includes photographs of Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, and Billy Dee Williams; reproductions of film posters and publicity stills; and the action-packed, movie-shooting schedules of Star Wars and the "Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," as well as a history of Lucas's educational foundation. Although the book is highly readable, the author sometimes dips into sentimentality and hero worship, and he only briefly discusses the director's movie-business enterprises (Lucasfilm, Ltd., Skywalker Ranch, Industrial Light Magic, and LucasArts), known as the San Francisco Bay Area's mini Hollywood.–ayo dayo, Chinn Park Regional Library, Prince William, VA

INNES, Brian. Fakes and Forgeries: The True Crime Stories of History's Greatest Deceptions: The Criminals, the Scams, and the Victims. 256p. maps. photos. reprods. index. Reader's Digest. 2005. Tr $26.95. ISBN 0-7621-0625-5. LC 2005046462.

Adult/High School–From forged documents to "funny money" to bogus identities and faux antiquities, Innes captivates readers with tales of intrigue and deception that span the centuries. He offers easy-to-comprehend explanations of scientific investigative techniques such as thermoluminescence, carbon dating, and chemical analysis of ink. The text is richly illustrated with photos, maps, art reproductions, and news clippings, and further supplemented by decorative sidebars (labeled "Forger's Files") with biographical sketches of the scam artists and the outcomes of their hoaxes. Famous incidents include the 1908 "faked prehistory" Piltdown man discovered in Britain, definitively declared a hoax in 1953; the multivolume "Hitler Diaries," forged by an East German dealer in Nazi relics who sold serialization rights to major publishers; and the activities of a respected 19th-century Shakespearean scholar who altered existing historical manuscripts by inserting details he made up himself and subsequently published as "discoveries." A discussion of the Vinland Map, currently valued at more than $20 million if authentic, represents a continuing mystery. Additional chapters address topics as diverse as Botticelli brush strokes, and the role of desktop publishing and laser printers in counterfeiting. The index facilitates searching for specific events or names, but the contents are equally well-suited to browsing or pleasure reading.–Lynn Nutwell, Fairfax City Regional Library, VA

JANS, Nick. The Grizzly Maze: Timothy Treadwell's Fatal Obsession with Alaskan Bears. 274p. photos. bibliog. index. Dutton. 2005. Tr $24.95. ISBN 0-525-94886-4. LC 2004030920.

Adult/High School–A self-appointed guardian of grizzlies, Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, were attacked and eaten in 2003 by the very animals that were his passion. Jans presents a fair and exacting account of the events that led up to the tragedy, and, in doing so, shows readers the different sides of a complex and controversial man. Woven throughout the account are interviews with Treadwell's proponents, who believed that his motive in camping out in a labyrinth of trails in Alaska's Katmai National Park, known as the grizzly maze, was to protect the bears he observed from poachers. Readers also hear from the bear biologists and park service officials who for years criticized his behavior as dangerous and unscientific. It would be easy enough to dismiss Treadwell as a well-meaning but foolish person whose luck simply ran out. Jans gives his audience much to consider and allows them to decide. As to what type of man Treadwell actually was, the author says he arrives at his answer depending on the day or moment. The bigger issues of humans' relationship with nature and the dangers of interacting too closely with wildlife are also discussed.–Peggy Bercher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

LUNDBERG, David. Olympic Wandering: Time Travel through Greece. 189p. illus. maps. Zante. 2005. Tr $19.95. ISBN 0-9763246-4-4. LC 2004098371.

Adult/High School–Part travelogue, part mythological tale, Wandering takes readers on a journey to prove that the Greek people are the modern-day equivalents of the characters in the Iliad and the Odyssey. The first part of the book follows the seldom-told tale of Ulysses's life as a young king in Greece and the events leading up to and following the Trojan War. It reads as both a novella and a history book. There's plenty of adventure, from Ulysses's quest to find Achilles to his 10-year, perilous trip home after the war. The second half focuses on the author's travels to the various Greek islands and other parts of the country, weaving together travel narrative, history, and culture. Lundberg masterfully uses historical references as a framework. Readers need not know much about Greek history or Greece as everything is explained in an easy-to-understand manner. This approach to history and culture shows that the people of Greece embody everything that existed in Ulysses's time. Although the few illustrations serve mainly as decoration, Lundberg's descriptions of the scenery and people provide more than enough information to paint a vivid portrait of the country.–Erin Dennington, Fairfax County Public Library, Chantilly, VA

PSALTIS, Doug & Michael Psaltis. The Seasoning of a Chef: My Journey from Diner to Ducasse and Beyond. 294p. glossary. Broadway. 2005. Tr $24.95. ISBN 0-7679-1968-8. LC 2005046904.

Adult/High School–From his inauspicious beginning as an emergency substitute emptying the garbage and hauling sacks of potatoes from the basement of his grandfather's diner, Doug Psaltis rose to the heights of the gourmet culinary world to become the American protégé of Alain Ducasse and chef of his New York restaurant Mix. He describes each of his jobs in kitchens in bagel bakeries, one-person delis, fine restaurants on Long Island, and three- and four-star restaurants in New York and France. He explains how each type of kitchen is organized and how the arduous work is done. Yet, despite the poor working conditions, poor pay, and poor communications among the restaurant owners and managers and the kitchen staff, Psaltis relishes his work as a chef. The politics of each establishment, the passion to achieve, the anxiety of this high-stress occupation, and Psaltis's almost constant shift from one kitchen to another make this book a suspenseful read. Teens considering such work will gain insight into a potential career.–Jane S. Drabkin, Chinn Park Regional Library, Woodbridge, VA

TRACHTENBERG, Robert, ed. When I Knew. 120p. photos. Regan Bks. 2005. Tr $22.95. ISBN 0-06-057146-2. LC number unavailable.

Adult/High School–A collection of anecdotes by 80 gay men and women about that "moment" when they first knew at some level the truth of their sexual orientation. Each story is accompanied by a photograph or cartoon that helps make the book visually appealing. Some of the selections are comical; others are poignant, like the one about the grandmother who made her grandson cry when she denounced parents who couldn't accept the truth. These people tell their stories with humor, courage, and defiance. There is plenty of food for thought and discussion within these pages.–Peggy Bercher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

WECHT, Chris, Mark Curriden, & Angela Powell. Tales from the Morgue: Forensic Answers to Nine Famous Cases. 300p. photos. notes. Prometheus. 2005. Tr $26. ISBN 1-59102-353-X. LC 2005017805.

Adult/High School–Young people drawn to the broad fields of criminal justice, medicine, or science will be fascinated by the forensic findings presented here. The thought-provoking cases span 40 years of renowned pathologist Wecht's career and are arranged chronologically from most recent (2002) to oldest (1962). They were also selected to uphold or refute the legal-medical decisions made by other professionals. The subjects include John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Chandra Levy, Scott Peterson, and the airliner crash in Gander, Newfoundland. Context provided for each scenario is intertwined with detailed forensic evidence. The conclusions may or may not agree with popular judgments. In three instances, strong arguments are made that subterfuge was used to mask critical forensic evidence, and Wecht challenges authorities to reopen the cases. Readers may view Tales as another collection of his memoirs. Like Grave Secrets (Penguin, 1996) and Mortal Evidence (Prometheus, 2004), this chatty yet analytical book is written to appeal to laypersons, and it does. Its whodunit aspect is magnetic.–Claudia C. Holland, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA