Chapter 8: A Memoir

Miracle in the Desert, Eric Milch

Ok, folks, this is going to be a bumpy ride. First, I'm going to tell you about some of the ways this book completely disrupted my expectations. Then I'll get to the actual book discussion and wind it up with my review and recommendations. Please make sure your tray is in the upright and locked position.

I mentioned before that I'm not sure all the books from the list exist. So I've just been reading and deciding which box to check once I've finished it. Within the first few pages of Miracle I just knew that I had found the elusive Book That Makes You Cry. I already knew the overall story, and those first paragraphs captured the panic a parent feels when their child disappears in a crowded, public place. This one was going to make me cry.

Except it didn't. It filled me with a lot of emotions, but never brought me to tears. So, a memoir it is.

Now usually I include a picture of the cover of whatever book I'm discussing. This is a self-published book, so there's not much to show. Plain text, green cover. But I've never really gotten into the self-publishing world. Of course there are tons of e-books available in this format, but an actual paper copy? New experience altogether. It appeals to me on many levels. I am a DIY'er, so the writers on lulu are kindred spirits. There's also a punk-style, zine-producing attitude that I love. And, for me, it tightens my relationship with the artist. One click on "Buy Now" sends a direct message that I want to hear what you have to say. It's definitely opened up an entire new reading source for me.

So, the book itself. Let me start by admitting that I already knew how this story would turn out. I get to spend one glorious week every other summer with these people. So I will also admit that I arrogantly assumed I knew everything. Well, not everything, but enough. Wrong! And while I do know more about the overall arc, Eric chose to just write about a very specific story-within-the-story. And it is beautiful.

Without spoiling too much of the story, I will tell you this. After his son did not return from an oversees trip with his ex-wife, Milch and his new bride went halfway around the world to find him. The odds were very much against them. It was a pint-sized needle in a half-million people haystack- if they were even in the right haystack. Milch relates the story exactly as he would talking to a friend. I heard his voice as I read the words. I heard Stephanie's voice. It's good storytelling, and you know how important that is to me.

I mentioned that I expected to cry but didn't. I was really surprised by this. The anguish of a missing child, the frustration when things don't happen according to plan - I certainly relate to these things. But mostly, I was filled with awe and hope and something I don't have a word for. I believe in miracles. I believe in, not just a generic Being, Energy, or Universe, but God. This story, if you are open to it, is one of people getting out of the way of that Power and impossible things happening. So while on the surface this is the tale of a father searching for his son, it's also one of a man finding things he wasn't looking for.

The book is a quick read. Less than 300 pages and very conversational. The plot moves quickly while still giving details that play a big role. It's a compelling story, hard to find a good stopping place because you want to know what happens next. Even knowing the outcome, I wanted to know exactly how it got to that point. I rarely share passages from what I'm reading, but I both posted a quote on facebook and read entire paragraphs to my husband as he tried to fall asleep. I couldn't hold it all in!

This book is not for true skeptics. There is much discussion of spiritual things that some would write off as a string of coincidences or good luck. But if you are open, just a tiny bit, to the idea that there is something bigger than what we know and understand, you should read it. Milch will take you on a journey that shows just what can happen when we step back and pay attention to what some greater power is trying to tell us. For all the chances that he took- in going to unusual places, trying different tactics, changing plans that were rock solid- you should take a chance on Miracle In the Desert.

Chapter 7: A Funny Book

Where'd You Go, Bernadette, Maria Semple

I love satire. I love comedies of error. I love Arrested Development. I love the first 2/3 of this book.

One of the things I never get tired of reading on the internet is comments on satire pieces. It will never stop being funny that people read outrageous articles about how one ER has started just handing out narcotics to anyone who asks and not only believe it, but react vehemently to it. "I know it's satire, but there are people who actually think that way!" always makes me giggle.

The main story is that an East Coast transplant finds inspiration for her ground-breaking (no pun intended) architecture in sunny, Los Angeles County. Her foolish pride is demolished and she flees to Seattle, the least sunny place on Earth. Here she spirals out. Unlike some other reviewers, I do not have trouble deciding how I feel about Bernadette. She's charming, unusual, and most likely suffering from mental illness. In short, she's a genius with a MacArthur Grant to prove it. I actually prefer my main characters to be at least a little disturbed, and Bernie certainly fits that bill.

So, the first 4 sections of Where'd You Go are like a scrapbook of emails, handwritten notes, magazine articles, et cetera, pieced together with short paragraphs of narration. It works well to keep the story moving without getting bogged down in repetitive or banalities. This is Semple's forte. She switches from one voice to another without confusion. I literally read different missives in different voices in my head. The bumbling Head of School, anxious to not offend anyone, reads so differently than the snooty Christian neighbor or the self-empowered divorcee.

Sections five and six, however, get smacked with an iceberg. The pace shifts to neutral with no warning and the format switches to chick-lit narrative......................... Sorry, I fell asleep just thinking about it. Not only does the format change, the story becomes unbelievable. Up to this point everything that has happened is outrageous and unlikely, but not beyond the realm of possibility. Now it's losing passengers from cruise ships and people stowing away to the South Pole. And yet, if Semple had kept with the epistolary, it would have worked. I would have fallen for it.

A few things I loved about this book- the humor isn't laugh-out-loud, but is quite amusing. The more obvious ironies are just as funny as the more subtle ones. The caricatures are well constructed. I particularly loved Soo-Lin, who attends Victims Against Victimhood meetings and is quick to TORCH her friends with what she has learned in her self-help group. Ollie O, the PR guy for Galer Street School is also a riot. Reading his emails took me back to the days of working for a man who insisted that every publication be full of ALL CAPS and bolds, italics, and underlines and sometimes ALL OF THE ABOVE!!! I also loved the relationship between Bernadette and her daughter. Bee is totally normal and lovable, which makes her strange. The two "share a fascination with what (they) call happy-angry people." And if I couldn't find enough reason to love Bee, her favorite movie is Xanadu, the 1980 Olivia Newton-John-and-Gene-Kelly-on-roller-skates masterpiece.

Besides the abrupt shift in format and pace there were a few places where the writing is clumsy. I had to read a few phrases more than once to find the right emphasis and flow. I only marked it twice, so it wasn't excessive, but it was enough to note. A book this simple should not require multiple passes to make sense. It's a minor complaint, but I'm here to tell you what I really think.

Overall, I liked Bernadette. The hilarity balances the tragedy enough that it is beachworthy. I would not go so far as to declare it uproarious or laugh-out-loud. I never even chuckled. But I can always pop in the Bluth family for that.

Chapter 6: A Book That Was Originally Written In a Different Language

The Seventh Day: A Novel, Yu Hua, translation by Allan H. Barr
I'm going to refrain from revealing much of the plot of this book because I want you to read it. Seriously. It's not long, and it is a really good book.

Yang Fei has died and realizes there is no one to mourn him or give him proper burial. He spends seven days looking over his life and the lives of those around him. He is left to wander a place for the unburied and sees worldly stories from a new perspective. It is a beautiful tale, given to us by a real storyteller.

I don't know much about Chinese culture (cultures? Can over a billion people really just form a singular culture?), so I found myself wondering if I was really grasping the story on a deeper level. Don't let that dissuade you. Yu, with the help of Barr's artful translation, brings outsiders into Yang Fei's world easily. The novel is both absurd and tragic, surreal and very human. It discusses the personal- family and romantic relationships- and broader topics like corruption and greed. In illustrating these things, I felt connected. No matter your politics, religion, or wealth, we are all human and we all die. That doesn't make this a dark, fatalistic tale, though.

My favorite relationships in the story are Yang Fei and his father; the policeman and criminal; and the couple next door. Each illustrates a different form of pure love, even when completely dysfunctional. Their souls are so entwined, yet each comes to a different resolution, and each is fitting. This might be what I enjoyed most- the idea that love is not a cookie-cutter concept. That perfect love for me is not perfect for someone else.

About the translation- Dr. Barr is a professor of Chinese at Pomona College, focusing on Chinese literature. I would love to sit in on one of his classes. The art of translation is not as simple as a one-to-one correspondence, especially when you throw in a completely different alphabet/vocabulary. Among romance languages, for example, an idiom may not translate exactly, but it's close enough to share an idea. Barr translates ideas as much as he translates words. The text flows smoothly and maintains beauty that could easily have been lost.

I'm happy to have a recommendation with no caveats. Happy reading!

Chapter 5: A Book Based on or Turned Into a TV Show

Pretty Little Liars, Sara Shepard

Confession time: PLL is one of my Netflix guilty pleasures. I won't even pretend to feel bad about it. It's a great show for many terrible reasons. But what about the books?

It's hard not to compare the page and screen versions. There's always discussion of time constraints and budgets and casting. So let's not bother. The show is popcorn worthy. If you want to know about the books, here's what I think.

I'd rather watch the show. The first book in the series is not a whole book. It's the beginning of a book. Unlike any other series I've ever read, there is no resolution at all. None. It's all a setup for the next book(s). I feel as ripped off by it as I did that extra season of Arrested Development. I invested my entertainment hours to a really long trailer for something else.

The writing? Not bad. The characters are pretty one-dimensional, which makes them great for a soap opera. There's nothing challenging or thought-provoking happening on the pages. Just chapter after chapter of teenage drama, mystery, and intrigue. It's easy to read, but if I didn't already watch the show, this first segment would not make me want to check out the next title. Still, I will probably read the rest of the series so I can do the aforementioned comparison.

Here's one thing, though. In this fictional elite suburb, the kids seem to be very worldly. Maybe I'm just not in touch with middle school these days (who am I kidding, I'm clearly not), but these kids are doing some pretty adult things. Not just the designer everything, but drinking, seducing older men. They seem to be exploring things at a much younger age than I remember. Maybe that's what makes them popular among the YA crowd- the escape from reality. Or maybe they are an indication of how times have changed. Either way, it doesn't always sit well with my prudish ideas. Most of the unsettling aspects have to do with men. So maybe it's my inner feminist cringing at all the exploitation of minors. I dunno. It won't stop me from reading or watching, but it does give me pause.

Anyway, that's about it. Not much material to think about, so not much to write about.