Still Life By Louise Penny

 

Several weeks ago, I read a detective novel I liked and found it relaxing for lack of a better word. Not until I had finished the novel did I realize it was part of a series, it is in fact the twelfth book of a series of twenty-one. I decided to backtrack to volume one.

Still Life by Louise Penny, is the opening novel of what would become her Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. Gamache at the beginning of the series is an investigator in the Sûreté du Québec in Montreal – the provincial police département. He is sent from Montreal to the small rural town of Three Pines to investigate what is thought to be a hunting accident. The novel’s opening paragraph is a perfect example of Penny’s writing:

Miss Jane Neal met her maker in the early morning mist of Thanksgiving Sunday. It was pretty much a surprise all round. Miss Neal’s was not a natural death, unless you’re of the belief everything happens as it’s supposed to. If so, for her seventy-six years Jane Neal had been walking toward this final moment when death met her in the brilliant maple woods on the verge of the village of Three Pines. She’d fallen spread-eagled, as though making angels in the bright and brittle leaves.

When Gamache arrives to investigate, as often happens in detective novels, the evidence just did not add up. Yet, it is all he had to go on, except for one odd thing. Neal had just entered a painting in the local juried art show. Although an avid artist she had never before allowed anyone to see her paintings, or even so much as invited them into her home beyond the kitchen. And no, I’m not going to tell you a spoiler here.

A Great Reckoning

As Gamache and his wife were frequent visitors to the town during this investigation, they meet all of the eclectic people in the village who will become regular characters in Penny’s future novels in the series. Armand and his wife are so taken by Three Pines they will purchase a home there when the investigation is complete.

Recommendation: Yes, and I suspect futures novels from the series will be on my reading list.

Still Life (2005) By Louise Penny

Several weeks ago, I read a detective novel I liked and found it relaxing for lack of a better word. Not until I had finished the novel did I realize it was part of a series, it is in fact the twelfth book of a series of twenty-one. I decided to backtrack to volume one.

Still Life by Louise Penny, is the opening novel of what would become her Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. Gamache at the beginning of the series is an investigator in the Sûreté du Québec in Montreal – the provincial police département. He is sent from Montreal to the small rural town of Three Pines to investigate what is thought to be a hunting accident. The novel’s opening paragraph is a perfect example of Penny’s writing:

Miss Jane Neal met her maker in the early morning mist of Thanksgiving Sunday. It was pretty much a surprise all round. Miss Neal’s was not a natural death, unless you’re of the belief everything happens as it’s supposed to. If so, for her seventy-six years Jane Neal had been walking toward this final moment when death met her in the brilliant maple woods on the verge of the village of Three Pines. She’d fallen spread-eagled, as though making angels in the bright and brittle leaves.

When Gamache arrives to investigate, as often happens in detective novels, the evidence just did not add up. Yet, it is all he had to go on, except for one odd thing. Neal had just entered a painting in the local juried art show. Although an avid artist she had never before allowed anyone to see her paintings, or even so much as invited them into her home beyond the kitchen. And no, I’m not going to tell you a spoiler here.

A Great Reckoning

As Gamache and his wife were frequent visitors to the town during this investigation, they meet all of the eclectic people in the village who will become regular characters in Penny’s future novels in the series. Armand and his wife are so taken by Three Pines they will purchase a home there when the investigation is complete.

Recommendation: Yes, and I suspect futures novels from the series will be on my reading list.

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell (2018) By Robert Dugoni

 

Bullying seems to be a universal theme of much literature, both fiction and nonfiction … not to mention real life. In Robert Dugoni's novel The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, the title character as a child was meanly tagged as the “Devil Boy,” real name Sam Hill. The irony in the novel is that he is not the bully in the book, he is a victim.

He has been taunted by the Devil Boy nickname from the moment he entered school. It was an understandable, though mean, immediate reaction to what his mother would refer to as extraordinary: his eyes were the color red. His eyes scared people, children, and adults, even the nurse in the delivery room. His eye color was an extremely rare medical condition known as ocular albinism. People did not know what it was, or if it was contagious. Its association with the devil made his life tough. His family was devotedly Catholic, a condition that meant the highest calling for your son would be that he’d grow up to be a Priest. They realized right away that wasn’t going to happen – who wants to confess to a Priest with penetrating red eyes?

That reality did not however mean that he’d escape Catholic Schools, where the taunting by classmates and Nuns was a problem. He survived childhood by befriending two other misfit kids, one the only Black kid in the school, the other a rebellious girl who truly would not grow up to be a Nun. These two would become lifelong friends.

Another student, however, was/is a bully, not only verbally, but physically as well. His subplot is interesting. He is a text book example of what happens when “the system” fails to punish bullies. Bullies grow up to be bullies and then choose situations and occupations where they can continue to be bullies.

Skipping ahead, Sam will grow up to be an Ophthalmologist.

Sam's family situation is major; this would be a great Mothers Day, or Fathers Day read. Additionally, there are some significant and fascinating theology digressions in this book, including a late in the novel trip when Sam takes both of his health failing parents to Lourdes.

As is often the case in professionally written books, there is a more than adequate humor to be found throughout the book to cancel out the bad.

Recommendation: Highly.

The Man in the High Castle (1962) By Philip K. Dick

 

Alternative History is a distinct genre in literature. Perhaps the best known of the novels in its canon is Philip Dick’s The Man in the High Castle. Written in 1962, the novel supposed a “what if” take on World War II, one where the Axis forces were victorious over the Allied armies.

Another novel in this genre is Shattered Nation by Jeffrey Brooks which presents a different ending to the American Civil War. While these novels are works of fiction, they cause one to realize that current events have consequences, it’s best to pay attention to them. Never is that warning more dire than now, 2026.

Dick’s novel begins by massively undoing American history with a very big “what if.”  What if Franklin D. Roosevelt died by assassination in 1933, shortly after being sworn in to the first of what was four terms as President. How would that impact the Great Depression, the implementation of the New Deal, the entry and outcome of World War II, and a myriad of other events?

This alternative history changes the dynamics of many major events – starting with an economically crippling task of rebuilding a U.S. Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The aftermath of appeasement of Hitler and Mussolini by European powers and a continued isolationist policy by the United States government.

To imagine the results of this changed history, the west coast of America has become a Japanese ruled colony, the east coast becomes a German ruled colony, and the Rocky Mountain States of the former US have been basically ignored, becoming of a no man’s land, ostensibly governed by German appointees. Churchill is portrayed as a doddering old man, the Soviet leaders of the era are neutered, and Africa is being razed for farm land. Tensions remain however because while Germany and Japan are victorious allies, Germany is the undisputed technical and military heavy weight, with missions to Mars taking place; while Japan plays the cooperative junior partner, though is clearly resentful, playing the long game.

Hitler had died soon after the end of the war, now his heir Martin Bormann has also died. As this story begins, the battle of succession takes place.

Dick tells his complicated story through a few rebellious characters operating in the San Francisco and Denver areas, outnumbered but growing. These rebels are fans of a banned book titled The Grass Hopper Lies Heavy, written by Hawthorne Abendsen, a professor and author safely hiding away in the High Castle in the Rocky Mountains. Abendsen’s book tells an alternative history, one where the Allies won the war, and the Axis lost.

There are lots of subtracts in this book about the practices of I Ching, the Book of Changes, which was trendy when Dick authored the book.

Recommendation: Yes. 

The Great Railway Bazaar (1975) By Paul Theroux

 

One needs to read the wikipedia biography of author Paul Theroux prior to attempting his well-known book The Great Railway Bazaar. It is not just a book about trains, or even necessarily a travelogue. It is more like a time capsule; a sociological observation of the world as perceived in the early 1970s.

His journal begins as Theroux leaves London to travel across Europe and Asia and back, on a rather epic train trip which will take nearly four months. He will give lectures on English and American literature in cities along the way.

He left a Great Britain that at the time was in decline, its Empire days long over, its economy struggling. The train will go to the coast of England on rail, but since the English Chunnel is still decades away, he will have to take a boat to the shore in France before his train ride will really begin. Once in Paris, he will board the famed Orient Express, or should I say its remnants as it too has declined with the times and the aftermath of two world wars. Still, it remains somewhat good traveling, though no longer an Express – while one stays on the train, one changes countries, operators, and quality, as it makes its way to the outskirts of Istanbul.

He clearly liked the multi-cultural and urbane aspects of Istanbul, one foot in Europe, the other in Asia. And he clearly did not like the trip segments in the rest of Turkey and northern Iran, with nothing good to say about Afghanistan or Pakistan. His experiences in India, just twenty some years after Independence is a mix of highs and lows. Urban environments left over from the British occupation of Delhi, and extreme poverty throughout the rest of the country. He will again have to resort to boat trips to cross to Sri Lanka and on to what was then called Burma. Travels in Thailand and on the Malay peninsula down to Singapore were better and somewhat unified. Cambodia does not have a well-developed rail system. His trips in Vietnam from Saigon up to Danang are greatly limited because the country was still a war zone in the early seventies.

From Vietnam he will again travel by ship, this time to Japan, which he covers extensively from bottom to top, before transferring across to Vladivostok at the western edge of Russia, where he boards another famous rail line, the Trans-Siberian Express, to Moscow, then trains to Berlin and back to London.

While that is the geography of the trip, his interactions with other passengers, from luxury class to cars that bordered on freight cars is of equal importance in the book. His commentary is biting at times, in fact most of the time. My initial reaction to this was that it was routine American arrogance, but then I had to stop and ask myself: why is this man even associating with poor people, and doing it well? Turns out he wasn’t just “slumming” as a rich tourist, his background was as a journalist, with a history as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1960s in Mali and Angola before moving on to Singapore. His interests and abilities to connect with people were real, as were even his harsh commentaries, not only on the populace but also of the so-called “developed” world.

Recommendation: Yes, though it is not always a pleasant read, it is definitely an interesting one.

Over Yonder (2025) By Sean Dietrich

 

After reading and liking Sean Dietrich’s novel Kinfolk several weeks ago, I decided to try another of his novels, Over Yonder. I immediately became concerned that it was a boiler plate of Kinfolk. I was wrong.

My concern was because many of the main characters have a familiar ring to them. Both books feature men who could be called misfits; both have smart, young teenage girls from what we’d call the “poor side of town;” both have storylines featuring men who served time in prison. And importantly, both are set in Alabama and have memorable openings. The plot of Over Yonder however is sufficiently different to overcome all of that. 

Kinfolk

In Over Yonder, the first paragraph of the prologue begins with: “The girl was dead before she ever got to the hospital. Melinda could tell she was dead because the EMTs were unloading her slowly. They don’t move slowly when you are alive.” 

The main character is Woody Barker. He’s introduced in Chapter 1 as he is being released from prison with heart issues that would likely kill him in the short run. Outside he was known as Reverend Woodrow Barker. His father Amos Barker (known as the Major) picked him up outside the prison gate and takes him to a houseboat named “Ship Happens” where Woody plans to live until his heart gives out.

Elizabeth is Woody’s second wife, actually we should say his second ex-wife. She had continued writing to him while he was incarcerated and is now, by default, sort of his caretaker. But she divorced Woody so she could remarry. They have a young daughter named Rachel.

His first ex-wife, Melinda, had drug and alcohol abuse issues, as a user and a supplier. She moved far away long ago. After her move she had a daughter named Caroline – but she never told Woody they had a daughter. On Melinda’s death bed, she told Caroline who her father is, and about a USB-C flash drive -- it will become the focus of the story.

Over Yonder is great, light, reading. With a lot of heart-wrenching and heart-warming subplots.

Recommendation: Yes

The Spanish Civil War (1986, revisions 1996, 2006) By Paul Preston

 

It is often commented that the Felon (a.k.a. Donald Trump) has never read a history book. While that is probably the case, it is clear others in his orbit, most likely Stephen Miller, his deputy Chief of Staff, and political advisor Steve Bannon, have and are using history as a playbook.

Many books have been written about the Spanish Civil War which gave rise to power to Francisco Franco (1892-1975) the fascist dictator of Spain, known to history as Caudillo, or Generalissimo. Most of the English language books have a narrow focus, usually the International Brigades, particularly Ernest Hemingway. Paul Preston’s nonfiction The Spanish Civil War, and its expanded versions, is comprehensive however covering the causes, military and diplomatic battles, and the consequences. Preston’s book can be used as a warning sign for today’s protect democracy forces, or as a how-to manual for fascist governments in the making.

My Gross Oversimplification

After the downfall of the Spanish Monarchy in 1931, the population experimented with democracy. This experiment was chaotic as the country split into warring factions (students of world history could compare it with post-dynastic China, or post-revolution Russia, or even the more recent Iraq experience. Instead of uniting to build a better and modern country, these factions competed for power, undercutting every attempt at political stability.

These factions eventually morphed into two general groups: Republicans (as in supporters of the Republic); and Nationalists (as in armed rebels). The components of these two factions changed repeatedly, usually through alliances of convenience.

As difficult as the internal politics, were the external ones. Most of the world was trying to recover from the Great Depression. The establishment governments in Britan, France, and the United States, were terrified all of Europe would follow the path of Russia where Communism was beginning its own experiment in the new Soviet Union. Because of this fear, western governments secretly were supportive of fascism as a way to prevent Communism – hence they appeased the rise of Hitler in Germany, and Mussolini in Italy. By the time the western allies realized that fascism was the bigger threat, they were surrounded.

Mussolini and Hitler had no qualms about helping the Nationalists in Spain, picking Franco as the most likely winner. Until the war broke out, Franco had been an aspiring leader in the official Spanish military. Fearing his ambitions the hierarchy transferred him to Spanish Morrocco to get him out of the way. There Franco built the “Africa corps” and when ready moved back across the Mediterranean Sea to begin his long march to Madrid (proving that the Spanish never read history either, never heard of Napolean).

With that over simplification done, there is a much bigger story in Preston’s book, and that is how Franco was able to unite the various factions and take over what would become the Nationalist campaign. The use of brute military force, the acts of violence, fear campaigns, inciting civilians against each other, deportations, tactics patented by other fascist governments were all incorporated in Franco’s rise to power.

I’ll close by relating this to what is being attempted in the United States today. The Felon and his allies are dividing America, rounding up people into concentration camps to deport them (by plane this time, not box cars), routinely violating constitutional norms, saber rattling abroad and robbing taxpayers to reward their billionaire underwriters. With the biggest tactic being fear – there is a reason he is building his own private militia, masking it, and arming it to the teeth – and that reason is their own failure on January 6, 2021.

Recommendation: Yes, and urgently so.