April Showers Bring …

Greetings. I hope your spring is going well. Brrr, it’s still cold and windy here. April is considered a shoulder season month, so we await May when the real spring and blooms come.

Meanwhile I see all the pretty azaleas are out at Augusta National for the Masters golf tournament. They remind me of the azaleas I had when I lived in Virginia — pretty in pink. And good luck to Canadian golfer Corey Conners in today’s final round. He had a hole-in-one yesterday at Augusta’s sixth hole. Wow, love that kind of luck.

Meanwhile we finished watching the Ken Burns/ Lynn Novick three-part documentary about “Hemingway” on PBS. Did you see it? It was quite good though the big game hunting they showed Hemingway doing in Africa as well as the bull fighting from Spain were ghastly. The final episode too was quite grim, as he struggled with mental illness. I guess I didn’t remember that Hemingway and wife #4 had miraculously survived two successive plane crashes in Africa in 1954, yikes. He sure endured a lot of head concussions during his life, which they note in the series.

And it appears wife #3, Martha Gellhorn, didn’t cave to him but continued to pursue her own career … which I remembered from Paula McLain’s novel about Gellhorn “Love and Ruin.” All in all, the documentary has some excellent photos and film footage of Hemingway’s life as well as some interesting perspectives about his writing from such authors as Edna O’Brien, Tobias Wolff, Mary Karr, and Abraham Verghese among others. I recommend it if you get a chance. Now we’re on to watching PBS’s drama series “Atlantic Crossing” about the Norwegian Crown Princess Martha and Roosevelt during WWII. So far, so good.  

I have been reading and reviewing but mostly for Publishers Weekly, and recently I switched my category from memoirs to fiction there, yay. I’m told they don’t want me to link to the reviews I did as they are meant to be anonymously reviewed and they can’t be reviewed here either … so I guess I’m out of luck in mentioning the titles, bahhh. But below are reviews (not for them) of two audiobooks I listened to lately. 

The Push by Ashley Audrain / Pamela Dorman Books / 320 pages / 2021

Synopsis: What starts as some kind of dream marriage between Blythe and Fox Connor soon begins to show its holes once they have a baby girl named Violet, and Blythe, who narrates the story, doesn’t take to her as much as she thought she would. Is she having postpartum depression or is something wrong with the child’s behavior? Or is it a bit of both? The husband thinks his wife is making a mountain out of a molehill about the child and doesn’t think anything is wrong, but he seems to feel Blythe is not being the capable mother that he thought she’d be. Uh-oh. 

Then all becomes heightened when Blythe has a second baby Sam whom she loves to the max for a couple years (and who saves their marriage), but later something happens in a freak accident. Was someone at fault and if so who? Their worlds are soon turned upside down and their bonds come unglued. On the story goes … to her husband’s new family … as Blythe recedes into an insular, lonely person. Was she the one? You’ll have to check it out to see. 

My Thoughts: This debut story was fricked up, ha … just the kind that’s creepy, disturbing, manipulative, and provocative. It’s labeled a psychological drama, thriller type and that’s about the level you should prepare for yourself going in. 

As such, I liked how the author keeps you guessing about whether it’s the child, or the mother who’s got something wrong. Though I wasn’t really pulled in to the second interweaved storyline about Blythe’s mother and grandmother … and how they had it rough and weren’t good mothers themselves. So their mothering skills are sort of perceived to be like it’s handed down, which I guess adds more doubt about Blythe into the equation. 

Actress Marin Ireland does a great job once again in reading for the audiobook. I’ve listened to three by her so far. She’s one of my favorites. The novel explores facets of motherhood that seem taboo to even think about …. about a mother inherently having negative feelings for her own child, or a child being born a bad seed. If you’re not turned off by things that provoke that border, then check it out, otherwise stay clear.

Summerwater by Sarah Moss / Farrar, Straus & Giroux / 208 pages / 2021

Synopsis: It takes place over a single summer day in the Scottish Highlands at a woodsy cabin park along a loch, where there’s various tourists and families staying. The chapters follow a handful of different characters (with their inner monologues) as they go about their day, complaining about the torrential rain and each other, especially the “Romanian” partyers and their loud music at night, which is keeping them awake.

There’s a jogging mom meditating on various things while she runs, and her retired husband who thinks about the park’s better days, and a woman’s thoughts during sex with her boyfriend, and a teenage girl sneaking out at night. My favorite chapter was the teenage boy who goes kayaking across the loch in a storm and things get dicey. The writing in that one is particularly transporting and has a lot of atmosphere. 

My Thoughts: If you are looking for a lot of story or plot or action, then this novel will likely not be for you. (I was looking for a bit more story.) But if you like slice of life kind of situational /multi-character based vignettes then check it out. The author writes really well about the inner dialogues people have with themselves … and also is excellent at atmosphere and description. There were times I had to laugh at what these people were thinking and other times I had to cringe at their insensitivity. By the end I felt like I was there in Scotland among these vacationers as they struggled to cope with the rain and the tedium and each other. There’s also brief interludes between chapters of nature and the park that adds a touch of place and buffer. 

The ending takes an interesting and a bit of a dramatic turn amid these strangers. While I didn’t get to know any of these characters well, I got a sense of their troubles, self-absorption, and what was on their mind. The novel’s exploration of isolation and community, kinship and cruelty was thought-provoking. This was my first time sampling a book by British author Sarah Moss, who’s written six other novels besides this one. At one point I almost DNF’d it because I was looking for more story instead of interlocking pieces. But I’m glad I didn’t — Moss is a perceptive, gifted writer and I’ll  stay tuned for whatever she writes next.

That’s all for now. What about you — have you read either of these books or authors?  And if so, what did you think?  And how is your spring going? 

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28 Responses to April Showers Bring …

  1. Diane says:

    I didn’t expect to like The Push as much as I did and actually have the audio of Summer Water by Moss – hope to get to it at the end of April. Didn’t see any of the Hemingway special but I will say I couldn’t take anything to do with big game hunting or any animal cruelty for that matter. Hope your week goes well.

    • Susan says:

      Thanks Diane, yes I agree the big game hunting was disturbing and worth skipping past in the Hemingway doc. I thought The Push was pretty manipulative but made its points pretty well. I hope you like some of the writing in Summer Water. Glad you got to the Vlautin book. Liked your review. Have a good week.

  2. Judy Krueger says:

    Hm, both sound tempting to me. I am always curious about stories of motherhood that don’t follow the expected norm. And good writing, as in the second one, can get a reader through almost anything, don’t you think?
    If you can’t tell us which books you are reviewing for PW, can you tell how often and do you get to pick your books or are they assigned? Have you ever reviewed for a publication before? When I was doing such things, I found some of the restrictions and guidelines cramped my style but it was fun in a way.

    • Susan says:

      Hey Judy, I have not reviewed for a publication before. They have many rules and guidelines. To be fair, I have reviewed 3 memoirs & 1 novel so far … but also critiques (which are different) on about 22 self-published memoirs for them. But now I’m just doing reviews on traditionally published ones. I think they’ll assign novels to me about once every 2 weeks, but we’ll see. It’s easier to do my blog reviews — where I just throw my gut reaction down on paper (with no real organization). But I hope to learn a bit writing for PW and I think I am. Thanks for asking. I can let you know how it goes. I have a new editor now with fiction.
      I wonder if

  3. Heather says:

    The Hemingway documentary is on my list. I’ll have to start it soon. Maybe I’ll fast forward past those animal cruelty spots…

    I’ve the Push is a great psychological thriller. But sometimes the domestic ones aren’t up my alley. I’ll try to listen to it and see.

    Good luck with your reviews! Love seeing the ones you can post. Maybe you can share the other ones after a certain amount of time…

    Have a great week and hope spring hits up there for you guys soon!

    • Susan says:

      Hey thanks Heather. Someday we will get to spring here. Maybe by next weekend! I think the big game hunting in the Hemingway doc are worth skipping through and all the bull fighting scenes. I was more interested in the other stuff. I’ll be curious what you think of The Push. Tell me if it seems real to you etc. I was bummed I couldn’t share or link to the PW reviews. But I guess I need to do to more reading for the blog. Have a great week there.

  4. By May, we will be into summer here. We are enjoying the tiny sliver of spring we get in April.

    Our azaleas are gone now. They only last for a week or so. But they are stunningly beautiful.

    I want to watch Hemingway. He is not a person I admire, but his life was certainly full of adventure and drama.

    I’m writing down Atlantic Crossing, too.

    • Susan says:

      Yeah Deb, one can admire talents of Hemingway though often not the man himself. So I agree there. I think you’ll like Atlantic Crossing as its a new aspect of WWII that’s not heard much about before etc. Your azaleas are done — that seemed quick but they only last 2 or 3 weeks right? So pretty. I loved them in Virginia. You’ll be in hot summer soon. Love to see your tomato plants. Enjoy your week.

  5. I cannot imagine waiting until May for warmer weather and blooming flowers, but Santa Barbara really has about 1.5 seasons. 🙂

    I finished Atlantic Crossing last night and thought it was interesting; a part of WWII that I didn’t know anything about.

    • Susan says:

      Hey Helen, glad to hear you’ve finished Atlantic Crossing. I too am liking it and finding it a new angle to WWII stories. Hooray for Norway. And I know there’s not many seasons in parts of Calif. Redlands (in SoCal) has so many perfect sunny days the same. And Santa Barbara is like heaven so you have it great there. I like how plants & things bloom all year around. It’s gorgeous.

  6. Summer-Water sounds good, thanks!

    • Susan says:

      Hi Emma, thanks for stopping by. Yes I think you will find something enjoyable with Summer-Water. And I loved traveling to Scotland with my reading. Cheers!

  7. We didn’t get to watch the Hemingway series last week, just too much going on. Hoping we can watch it this week… sounds good. We’ll also need to try Atlantic Crossing.

    Marin Ireland is fast becoming a favorite narrator, so I’ll be sure to listen to The Push when I get to it.

    April was always an iffy month for us in central NY. The lake was sometimes frozen until mid-month, snow was still a very real possibility, but there always seemed to at least a day or two in the 70s to keep our spirits up. Overall, I prefer April in FL 😉

    • Susan says:

      Hi JoAnn: yeah you seemed to move right at the right time. You were ready to leave the cold behind! Did you grow up in NY? So pretty many parts of it. We like northern NY State / Sacket’s Harbor & Clayton we have visited from the Canadian side. And I agree about Marin Ireland. I like how she read Leave the World Behind and Nothing to See Here. I’d like to hear her do We Run the Tides. She’s awesome. See what you think of the Hemingway doc … a bit grim by the end but I liked the writer parts. take care.

  8. I don’t think The Push is for me but Summer-Water sounds interesting.

    I suppose I’ll watch the Hemingway documentary eventually. It’s an interesting theory that all of his many head injuries may have led to some of his psychological problems. There seems a certain logic to that. I’ve read a few of his books but I could never really admire them. There is one short story of his that I was assigned to read in high school that made a deep impression on me and has stayed with me all these years. It was called “A Clean, Well-lighted Place.” And that is also how I would describe the writing; it was clean and well-lighted. I admired its simple straightforward structure.

    As for television watching, my husband and I have recently been rewatching some of our old favorites from the past. We just finished “Rumpole of the Bailey” and now we are watching “Foyle’s War.” They are just as good as when we watched them the first time.

    • Susan says:

      Hi Dorothy, thanks for these shows you mention — which I will see if we can get — and for mentioning the Hemingway short story. Very interesting, I will see if I can find that one. I too admire his writing style, just his simple style adds resonance I think. I can reread him over many decades just for the style! I was surprised by how many head concussions he had … but his father also killed himself too … so perhaps genetic problems as well. He had many things working against him (both wars ! and alcoholism too) … Have a great week.

  9. Ti says:

    I recorded the Hemingway thing but I guess I didn’t realize it was in parts. I missed a part. Trying to catch that first one in a rerun so I can watch the entire thing at once.

    The Push sounds like my kind of book. I have requested it from the library but it’s very popular right now. Between the three libraries I requested it from I hope to have it soon. Summer-Water sounds very much like a book I would enjoy. I have that one already.

    I trying to decide what to read next. Perhaps Shuggie Bain or I just got a library copy of Northern Spy which was chosen for Reese’s club recently.

    • Susan says:

      Hi Ti, interesting that Reese chose the Northern Spy novel. I picked that one for my April Preview… I think I’m on the hold list at the Library. Hopefully it’ll be good. I’ll be curious to hear what you think of The Push. It’s a bit provocative. The Hemingway doc was quite good … but the animal hunting parts were a bit icky for me. I hope you get to see it. What will you pick to read next? hmm. Enjoy the week.

  10. Athira says:

    I gave up on The Push at your mention of the freak accident. Nop, can’t read it :eyescoveredshut: That said – I am very curious about the book though and love the cover.

    I completely missed the news about the Hemingway documentary – I’ll need to check it out. Sounds like it is worth the watch.

    Hope you have a good April – I’m loving seeing all the blooms around here and maybe you’ll get to share the flowers there very soon as well.

    • Susan says:

      Hey Athira: good to hear from you. Yeah it’s okay to skip The Push especially since you have small kids. It’s sort of a roller coaster novel and can be too much in some parts! I think PBS will be replaying the Hemingway Doc over the months ahead. It is pretty good. I’m envious of your blooms in Ohio … but we are getting there pretty soon, hooray! Enjoy your week.

  11. Les in OR says:

    I hope you get some warmer weather soon. We finally had a warm-ish day and the sun came out and it felt so nice not to have so many layers on when I went for my walk. If only it could always be sunny and 70 degrees. Probably shouldn’t have moved from San Diego, right?

    We finished season two of Sneaky Pete last night and will probably start in on Atlantic Crossing later this week. It sounds wonderful.

    I loved Marin Ireland’s narration of Nothing to See Here, so I’ll have to see about getting The Push. It sounds pretty intense.

    • Susan says:

      Hey Lesley, yeah Marin Ireland is the go-to narrator for me … though even she can’t change the material in The Push! It’s a bit much at times … fair warning. I need to go back still for Sneaky Pete. We are liking Atlantic Crossing … though my husband seems skeptical about how much of the history is true … I’ll have to check online. And yes, oh how I think about SoCal on cold days here … San Diego sure can be a slice of heaven … we enjoyed a trip there several years ago … bicycling around the harbor, pretty! Luckily we have 4 days of spring weather coming here this week …. so we’ll love it! Enjoy your week.

  12. Tina says:

    I like the sound of the Hemingway program. Will have to look for that.

    • Susan says:

      Thanks Tina for stopping by. Yes the Hemingway program was quite good. I hope you enjoy it. I think they will be replaying it on PBS. take care.

  13. I see the Hemingway documentary everywhere lately, think I need to watch it too. Believe it or not, but I actually haven’t read anything by him.

    The Push is another book that is very popular lately, maybe I’ll read it if it crosses my path, but will I go out and look for it? Probably not. Subject matter is something I prefer to rather steer clear of.

    Hope you will have a good week and some great books to read!

    Elza Reads

    • Susan says:

      Thanks Mareli. I’ll be by to see how your week went & what you’re reading. The Push was a bit intense subject matter. I’ve read 3 or 4 of Hemingway’s mostly while at school / I think I will try something else of his this year. Have a great week.

  14. stargazer says:

    I am glad you didn’t DNF Summerwater and ended up enjoying it. At some point, I will definitely read more of Moss’ books, since I like her writing so much. However, I am still on the fence about The Push – on one hand it sounds intriguing, on the other hand it could be one of these books which ends up annoying me.

    • Susan says:

      Yeah Stargazer … I think The Push annoyed me a bit … but see what you think. I’ll be interested to see what Moss writes next. She’s on my radar now. Her writing seems quite distinctive. She really gets into the thoughts of her protagonists. Thanks for your thoughts on her novel.

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