Carol's Comments June 2018

Carol’s Comments June 2018

Hello Everyone! Welcome to another issue of Carol’s Comments. From 2001 through 2015, I actively participated in the St. Joseph County Public Library’s “One Book, One Michiana" festivities. After a two year hiatus,  I thought I might read this year’s event’s featured selection, Reyna Grande’s memoir The Distance Between Us. But after browsing through the brochure listing upcoming programs, events and suggested counterpart readings, I chose The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros instead.

Originally published in 1984, Cisneros’ remarkable novel told in a series of vignettes centers around Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina who lives with her parents and three siblings in Chicago. Using a first person narrative, this very heartbreaking and poignant coming of age story skillfully describes how Esperanza tries to discover her own identity.

Only 60 pages long, the book is interspersed with tales about Esperanza’s neighbors, friends and relatives that creates a brilliant and realistic portrait of contemporary Latino life in a gritty urban setting. Cisneros’ novel was so enthralling I read it in one evening.

Furthermore, Cisneros’ introduction to the 25^th anniversary edition is especially informative because it gives the reader an exceptionally insightful semi-autobiographical slant to her novel by revealing the author’s motivation for writing this marvelous modern Latino classic.  

With its memorable characters and unique writing style, The House on Mango Street should be required reading for both teenagers and adults. I highly recommend it.

I love reading and watching science fiction, particularly when it involves time travel with a sprinkle of magical realism. So when I skimmed through a positive review of Matt Haig’s new novel , How to Stop Time in Entertainment Weekly, I couldn’t wait to read it especially when the article mentioned that Benedict Cumberbatch would be playing the central character in the upcoming movie adaptation.

Haig’s imaginative book focuses on Tom Hazard who looks 40 but is actually 437 years old. He suffers from a rare condition that slowed down his normal aging process considerably at adolescence. Born March 3, 1581, Tom has assumed numerous identities and experienced incredible adventures throughout the centuries including working for William Shakespeare as a musician at the Globe Theater, sipping martinis with F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1920s Paris, exploring the New World with Captain Cook  in 1772 and fighting fascists in the Spanish Civil War.

Tom’s life irrevocably changes in 1891 when he meets his mentor Henrich Pietersen, founder of the Albatross Society. This organization protects people like Tom who have this affliction known as anageria from outside threats. The Society has only one rule the “Albas” must follow: Never fall in love. Unfortunately, Tom has already broken this directive when he fell in love with Rose Claybrooke in early 17^th century London. When the couple married in 1623, they had a daughter Marion who also suffers from the same condition. By joining the Albatross Society, Tom desperately hopes Henrich can help him finally locate her.

By 2018, Tom only wants to lead an ordinary life. He begs Hendrich to send him back to London where he starts working as a history teacher at Oakfield Secondary School. Regrettably for Tom, unexpected complications arise threatening him and his long-lost daughter.

How to Stop Time is an extremely fast paced and absorbing adventure story that alternates between various time periods, locales and the present day, I highly recommend Haig’s captivating book to everyone despite its very non-linear plot.

On April 24, I started watching Season 2 of Genius on the National Geographic Channel. This year the series brilliantly chronicled Pablo Picasso’s passionate and tumultuous personal life and artistic career amazingly portrayed by Antonio Banderas. I knew I wanted to read a companion book that would enhance my enjoyment of this miniseries. 

After browsing through a subject search on the public library’s online catalog, I found the perfect choice – Cooking for Picasso by Camille Aubray. 

Set primarily in the French Riviera. Aubray’s fanciful novel contains two distinct narratives. The first revolves around 17 year old Ondine Belange who works at Café Paradis, her parents’ bistro. Her life changes forever when Pablo Picasso, who is living in Juan-les-Pins on the Cote d’Azur in 1936, patronizes the restaurant. Her mother has Ondine deliver his lunch every day to his private villa.

After Ondine prepares a special luncheon for Picasso’s friends Henri Matisse and Jean Cocteau at his home before the Easter holidays, the artist tells her mother that he now wants Ondine to prepare all his lunches there. Essentially, Ondine becomes his personal chef and very soon afterward, his model and lover!

The chapters focusing on Ondine’s special relationship with Picasso exude lots of romanticism, sensuality and eroticism without being overly graphic or risqué.

The book then fast-forwards to the second storyline set in 2013 where the reader meets Celine, Ondine’s 30 year old granddaughter who works as a Hollywood makeup artist. At Christmas, Celine’s mother Julie gives Celine her grandmother’s most treasured possession: the notebook filled with all the recipes she cooked for Picasso in 1936. Her mother also reveals that Picasso supposedly had given Ondine a painting which was never found. 

After her mother suffers a stroke, Celine decides to travel with her Aunt Matilda to Southern France and explore her Grandmother Ondine’s world determined to find the lost Picasso painting. 

I’m glad the author spent less time on this less intriguing, somewhat pedestrian part of the novel and instead concentrated more on Ondine’s exuberant adventures with Picasso.  In fact, Ondine’s story contains a very cleverly ironic plot twist which profoundly affects her granddaughter’s future. Ultimately, Cooking for Picasso is a luscious summer literary treat that will absolutely delight most readers.

The books reviewed in this blog can be found in most local public libraries. My readers in St. Joseph County, Indiana can visit the St. Joseph County Public Library’s web site at sjcpl.lib.in.us for additional information. Thanks for reading! Have a great summer and see you all next time.