May Read: Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal

 

I can't properly explain my fascination with supper clubs, especially Midwest supper clubs. I recently told my partner I'd love to drive to Wisconsin and Minnesota just to eat at a few classic supper clubs. Woodsy decor, a menu that hasn't changed in years, and a classic cocktail. Sounds perfect to me. 

I grabbed this novel by J. Ryan Stradal and devoured it over the weekend. His first novel Kitchens of the Great Midwest gave me a taste of his writing, so I had an idea of what to expect. I wasn't disappointed. 

Mariel Prager is the third generation of a supper club owning family. Located near Bear Jaw Lake Minnesota, the Lakeside Supper Club was a popular destination for families all year round. Her grandparents have kept it going through hard work and dedication, and now Mariel is going to inherit the supper club. Her mother Florence hates the supper club and wants nothing to do with it. 

Mariel falls in love with Ned, who is the heir to his family's chain of restaurants. Ned's got the dream of making customers happy, but not the drive or desire to run a chain of restaurants and build the business.  Both are at a crossroads in their lives. 

This novel moves back and forth between Florence's younger years (the 1930's) up through Mariel's early years and marriage to Ned in the 1980's. It finishes in present day, but I'm not going to tell you with who!

Lakeside is about generational guilt, expectations, and breaking free of past hurts. Florence is one heck of a character--you see her from early childhood to an elderly woman, and she's by far the most compelling character in the novel. You can't help but love Florence, even when she's at her worst. Mariel is the heart of the novel, with her dedication to the supper club and her love of tradition and Ned. Ned is someone on a journey to realize his own worth, and to become the man he wants to be, not the man he is expected to be. There's tragedy, comedy, and that perfect vibe of the wilds of Minnesota captured perfectly.

This novel took me back to childhood memories of traveling to Minnesota and Wisconsin for summer vacations. I loved those vacations, even if they were full of chaos. We never did visit supper clubs, but spent time boating, fishing, swimming, and staying in cabins. Perfect vacation for kiddos. 

Rating: 4/6 for a family saga that unfolds through the years. Decisions made ripple through each generation, but the supper club stands as a beacon for all. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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May Read: Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal

A Review of The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Summer. It's here. It took me a few months to get back into my reading groove, and I think I'm almost there again, thankfully. 

The world is a hurting place, and I, along with so many others, are self-reflecting on my place in it, and my responsibility towards living a life of peace and love. I have always looked to the stories that books tell-whether they are fiction or non-fiction-to help me understand where the world was, and how we came to be where we are now. How others live; their cultures, the barriers they face, and the ugly and brutal things we do to each other out of fear and just plain ignorance.

 I will continue to read stories, memoirs, and history books that will help me understand the beautiful, magnificent, deeply troubled and damaged world we live in and call our home. And I hope I can, in some way, make it better. I may not be out protesting, but I will vote for change, and donate to causes I feel are important. We all do what we can. 

I saw a quote from Denzel Washington yesterday. He said that "Resistance is NOT a one lane highway. Maybe your lane is protesting, maybe your lane is organizing, maybe your lane is counseling, maybe your lane is art activism, maybe your lane is surviving the day. Do NOT feel guilty for not occupying every lane. We need all of them." 

So, onto The Vanishing Half. I received an advanced copy of this novel from a library conference and it was a great choice to kick off my summer reading. Brit Bennett's the author of The Mothers, which is the  adult All Iowa Read for 2020. I haven't read it, but now it's definitely on my list. 

The Vanishing Half is about two sisters-identical twins. The Vignes sisters: Desiree and Stella. They live in the very small town of Millard, Louisiana. Millard is a black community with a bit of a twist: everyone there is light skinned. They could pass for white people, but they identify as black, and are treated by the white people around them as black. It's the 1960's, and both girls want to escape Millard. Memories of their father being murdered by white men haunt them both, but especially Stella. They run away to New Orleans, and seem happy there for a bit. But Stella decides to try for a 'whites only' job, and gets it. She hides her secret every day, afraid someone will find out she's not white at all. And as she works, she realizes that she wants that kind of life-the white kind. But it means leaving Desiree behind. 

Years later, Desiree returns to Millard with her young daughter, Jude. Desiree did what most folks in Millard consider unforgivable: she married a black man-a very dark black man, and produced a child that did not fit into Millard's light skinned community. Poor Jude. She's shunned by everyone in the town; sits by herself at school, and running track is her only way out. Desiree stays in Millard, reconnecting to an old boyfriend and taking care of her mother. She always says she'll leave, but she never does. Desiree thinks about Stella-where she is, what her life is like, and the depth of her anger, sense of betrayal, and grief never goes away.

You also dive into Stella's life. It's vastly different from Desiree's life. She lives her life as a white woman, and keeps her secret from everyone, including her husband and her daughter, Kennedy-a blonde, violet eyed beauty. She has lived her life as a white woman longer than she ever identified as a black woman. And she lives in a privileged community in L.A., caught in her lies and unable to make peace with all of it. 

The novel moves into the 80's, as Jude and Kennedy grow up--and yes, cross paths. You may think it's just not possible, but Bennett writes the story in such a way that yes, it's very possible and makes perfect sense. How can these two women find any commonality? Will Stella ever return to Millard? Will Desiree ever see her sister again? What do you do when you live a lie for so long that it traps you? 

This was such a powerful novel about sisters, family, race, and identity. Hiding behind masks. Struggling to be seen. Jude--I loved Jude! She is such a powerhouse. Kennedy--a hot mess so lost she doesn't even realize how lost she is, and just keeps spiraling down. Stella so full of guilt; Desiree who tried to escape but finds herself right back where she started. The characters in this novel are worthy of long discussions, and this would make an excellent book group title. 

Rating: 5/6 for a powerful look at how we identify ourselves and people of color, and how society identifies us-the struggles to reconcile dreams with reality, and the sacrifices made on the journey. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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A Review of The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Give a Girl a Knife by Amy Thielen

This memoir had been on my TBR list for quite some time, but I had to be patient and wait my turn at the library.  I had watched Amy's cooking show, Heartland Table on the Food Network years ago, and was intrigued by her kitchen. It looked small, rustic, and not fancy at all.  No high end, shiny, expensive kitchen gadgets; no gleaming countertops. I liked the way she talked about food, and how she used her garden and what she could find at her local grocery store to make amazing meals.  Her Midwest nature appealed to this Midwest woman.  

So with that in mind, I started to read her memoir.  It took me many days (okay, weeks) to get through this memoir, and I'm puzzled as to why.  Amy writes beautifully; if she hadn't made it as a cook, she would find her niche in writing.  Her descriptions of food make your mouth water; her fondness for the food of her Minnesota youth spars with her awakened palate for fine food.  

Amy's story begins in Minnesota, and ends there.  But in between, Amy and her boyfriend, artist Aaron Spangler move to Brooklyn and live there off and on for years.  Aaron is working on his art and Amy attends cooking school, then bounces around some of the most famous restaurants in New York City, learning from the best.  What I found refreshing about Amy is that she was not interested in moving up the ranks to someday be top chef, or even run her own restaurant in New York City.  For her, it was all about learning the skills, and exploring flavors.  Amy and Aaron would sometimes leave Brooklyn and return to Minnesota to spend the summer in Aaron's rustic (no running water, no electricity) little home out in the wilds of Minnesota.  There they would plant a huge vegetable garden, harvest wild rice out of their front yard, and puzzle over their yearning to be home, yet at the same time resenting the pull of home. Two people who never thought they would return to Park Rapids, Minnesota, yet find themselves homesick for the flavors, the quiet, and the freedom from busy city life.  

Amy and Aaron get married, and continue to live in Brooklyn.  Her work as a cook demands 80 plus hours a week, and she's not making much money at all.  Aaron finally gets some well deserved attention for his art, and it looks like Brooklyn is finally paying off.  Until Aaron tells Amy he wants to move back to Minnesota and build a studio next to their rustic little home. Amy, who has been questioning her passion for the high stress world of New York haute cuisine, realizes that what she really wants is to be a home cook.  Armed with her skills and her new palate, she returns to Minnesota with Aaron and creates a life that happily continues to fulfill them both.

Amy's book is a bit different from other cooking memoirs I've read, mostly because of her attitude towards the cooking industry.  She started cooking school after college, and knew her strengths and weaknesses going into her various tenures at restaurants in New York City.  For her it wasn't about rising to the top, or making the big bucks.  She became obsessed with creating flavors, and it almost consumed her.  Her passion for cooking was overwhelming to read; sometimes I had to put the book down and take a break.  Part of me kept thinking, the customer doesn't care about all the heart and soul you put into that one dish! They just want something good to eat, and something worth the money they're spending. I almost felt bad for all the effort she put into dishes, knowing the recipients had no idea, and probably wouldn't have cared to know.  

I did enjoy this book, but it was a bit of an effort to read it.  It made me very aware of just how much food is a part of our memories, our childhood; how it alters the way we look at the world.  I recently had a birthday, and my boyfriend wanted to take me out to dinner.  I didn't want to go to a restaurant.  Instead, I made my favorite birthday dinner.  One that my Mom made for me almost every birthday I had in my youth:  scalloped potatoes and ham, followed by a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  I made it a little different than my Mom's recipe, but that special flavor was there, and it made me very happy to dive into a plate of creamy potatoes dotted with bits of ham and cheese.  For just a few minutes, I was back at home with Mom and Dad and my siblings, eating my favorite meal on a cold November night.  These memories are all the more precious now that my parents are gone. Food, more than anything else, keeps me connected to my very best memories of childhood. 

Rating:  4/6 for a savory, finger licking good memoir about food, home, and memories. Amy reminded me that food is more than just fuel for the body.  

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio.

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Give a Girl a Knife by Amy Thielen

Once in a Blue Moon Lodge by Lorna Landvik

Finding this book in the library was a very happy surprise.  I immediately checked it out and was able to zip through it in a few days.  I read Lorna Landvik's Patty Jane's House of Curl years ago and had enjoyed it but it has been so many years I didn't remember much of the story. I can only remember that it took place in Minnesota and I liked it very much.  Plus, I needed a bit of space after reading A Column of Fire.

In Once in a Blue Moon Lodge, we return to Minnesota,1988.  Patty Jane has decided it's time to close down her House of Curl, etc.  What began as a hair salon morphed into not only a place where you could get a color and a cut, but a salon where the neighbors attended salsa dancing, author visits, music recitals, and all sorts of classes and events.  It was truly an unusual place, and quite popular.  But Patty Jane is ready to travel and enjoy time with her live in partner, Clyde.  Patty's husband, Thor, also lives in the same house.  What I didn't remember from PJHOC was that Patty's husband Thor had left her while she was pregnant with their daughter Nora. Missing for years, he eventually is found and welcomed back into Patty Jane's family. Still legally married to Thor, Patty Jane has an unusual life, for sure--but it all makes sense, and you'll quickly be pulled into the loving, funny, and entertaining Rolvaag family.  

The story moves forward from 1988, with Nora making some life choices that have huge consequences for the whole family.  One of those choices--purchasing a lodge on a lake renamed Ocean by the local townspeople, sets up the rest of the novel. That lodge is named for the blue moon that shines on a significant night in Nora's life.  And I'd like to live at that lodge! 

 As the years go by, you feel like you're part of the Rolvaag family, and it's a pretty sweet family.  The stories of Patty Jane and Clyde, her mother-in-law Ione and her husband Edon (who remind us all that it's never too late for love), and Nora and Thomas are all, at heart, love stories.  All a bit unusual, but steadfast and enduring. As life moves on, and the years go by, the Rolvaag family creates all those precious moments that make up a unique family history.  

While this is a sequel to PJHOC, it can be read as a stand alone.  Lorna Landvik lays enough back story for you to catch up on the family history and not feel like you've missed anything.  But, I can say with certainty that you'll want to read PJHOC because you'll love the writing, the community, and the warmth.  I'd say this reminded me of an American version of a Jenny Colgan novel. Toss in a whole lot of Norwegian culture, Midwest charm, and some delicious baking, and I think you'll find this read as irresistible as I did. Both novels would make an excellent Christmas gift .

Rating:  4/6 for a welcome return to Minnesota.  Landvik's characters are well crafted, charming, and memorable--especially Ione and Edon.   

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Once in a Blue Moon Lodge by Lorna Landvik

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

The cover of this novel gives you an idea of what's in store for you as you begin the delightful journey into Eva Thorvald's beginnings.  Eva is the  daughter of Lars Thorvald, a Midwestern chef, and his wife, Cynthia, a waitress who longs to run away to the vineyards of California and become a sommelier.  I won't tell you more about the cover, except that you'll be flipping this book back and forth every time you begin a new chapter to see how the cover ties into it.  

Eva Thorvald is the center of this book, but it's not told from her point of view.  Rather, each chapter is told by someone in Eva's life as she grows from a  four month old baby with a desire to eat fresh tomatoes at a farmer's market, to an 11 year old growing peppers in her bedroom closet (using her brother's grow light equipment after he ends his weed growing business), to a young woman poised to become a famous chef with an impeccable palate.  Eva's life is filled with tragedy, and adults that just don't know what to do with her.  She's statuesque, smart as a whip, and obsessed with food.  Someone who is destined to make their mark and nothing will stand in their way--the stars will align, connections will be made, and yet another step will be taken on the path to celebrity.  

It took me a few chapters to settle into this novel, but I absolutely loved it.  At first I was laughing over Lars and his desire to feed his baby food she just wasn't old enough to eat; yet as I read along, the pitfalls that liter Eva's life sobered me up a bit.  I guess what I would say about this novel is that it is endearing, as only a Midwesterner can say and understand.  Travels in Minnesota, Chicago, and Iowa all form the backbone to what I consider a love letter to potlucks, lutefisk, small towns, and most importantly, bar desserts.  Cause really, you haven't lived until you've eaten a pan of bar desserts--doesn't matter which kind, just that they are made with real butter and sugar.  

I read a lot of "foodie" books, and I enjoy them all.  Most of them are either about homemade goodness, or new movements in food and how it is presented, processed, and treated as a trend.  This is probably the first book I've read where there's a blend of the two movements.  I believe this is a good thing, because we all crave something new and different, but those small town church recipe potlucks dishes are what remain in our souls, and remind us of where we come from and all those gentle people we loved who just aren't around anymore.  They live on in those jello molds, cream cheese concoctions, and the ever dreadful but required at holidays lutefisk. 

 My family has a recipe that we simply call "the green beans", as well as "the cheese ball".  We all know what these are, and they're only made one way.  They are required at every family Christmas and Thanksgiving.  There are no shortcuts, and there are no healthy versions.  They are simply what keep us connected generation after generation.   

Penguin/Random House generously sent me a copy of this book for review, as well as a wonderful book club guide.   This is the book you need to read for your next book club, and make it a festive occasion by having everyone bring a covered dish to help soak up the wine you'll be serving.  I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of one woman's journey to become the  super star of the pop-up supper club.   It's an interesting way of looking at the main character of a novel--seeing her through everyone else's eyes is a treat and a great discussion for your book club!  The people in this book loop around, pop in and out of each others stories, and it all finally comes together in a wonderful, once in a lifetime memorable feast at the end. 

This book is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook the week of July 28th.  

Rating:  8/10 for a batch of characters that are funny, tragic, sad, and very memorable.  A great treat for anyone from the Midwest.  It will make you homesick even if you still live in the Midwest; it may soon have you in the kitchen to create a family favorite from years gone by. 

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Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

The Vanishing by Wendy Webb

Wendy Webb writes gothicky-ghosty-tales  that are thoroughly enjoyable fun reads for late nights when it's quiet outside and no one but you is awake.   All those little night noises will make you think twice about what's making the noise when you read this novel.

The Vanishing takes place in Minnesota's deep, dark woods.  Julia Bishop finds herself at Havenwood, an immense estate that sits on thousands of acres of woods and is quite isolated.  The original owner, Andrew McCullough built the estate after making his riches in the fur trade in the 1800's.  Julia's been asked to take care of the current owner, Amaris Sinclair--a famous horror writer who's presumed dead.  

Sounds complicated, right?  There's a lot going on in this novel.  Julia is recovering from a horrible scandal in Chicago.  Her husband, known as the Midwest Bernie Madoff, has killed himself and left her to deal with the anger and unending financial mess of his ex-clients.  She's losing everything when Adrian Sinclair knocks on her front door and invites her to leave it all behind and take the job of caretaker to his mother.  Julia takes him up on the offer and quickly finds herself feeling strangely at home at Havenwood.  Something, however, is not right.  In the darkened hallways and library, Julia hears a little girl singing, sees paintings move, and feels something evil in the air.

There is a big mystery here, and you have to read til the very end to find out what it is.  It all involves mediums, seances, and a horrible night 100 years before that changed Havenwood forever.  

Fans of Simone St. James and novels that feature an otherworldly plot will love this!  I've read all three of Wendy Webb's novels and have loved them all.  

Rating:  7/10 for a just-creepy-enough story with elements of local lore and a great gothic feel.  

Available in paperback and ebook.

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The Vanishing by Wendy Webb

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

I've been eagerly awaiting this novel and have decided that everyone in my city needs to read it, and planned accordingly.  My manager has graciously allowed me to plant a table in our cashwrap line, pile this book on it, and sell the hell out of it.  

And it isn't hard to do, because it's a wonderful novel.  I loved it and can't wait to tell my book groups about it.  

This novel is about two young girls, decades apart, who share so much in common:  both have experienced tragedy in their lives; both are left to fend for themselves in a world that doesn't seem to care about them at all; both have been changed by their experiences and fight to keep their true selves alive and well through all of their heartbreak.

Molly is a teenager in the foster system who lives in a small Maine town. She's been in and out of many foster homes, and currently lives with a couple who don't get along with her at all.  She's a Penobscot Indian, and has lost her father to a car crash and her mother to a life of crime and drugs.  She's tough--her exterior Goth look hides someone who is very sensitive and just wants to find a safe place to land.  

Molly has to serve 50 hours of community service and with the help of her boyfriend, Jack, she meets Vivian, a 91 year old widow living in a large home in town.  Vivian has an attic full of trunks, boxes, and a lifetime of "stuff" and needs help cleaning it out.  Molly and Vivian meet, and a tentative bond is formed.

Vivian is a very interesting character, and so much like Molly--when she was a young girl heading West on an orphan train in 1929.  Vivian--actual name Niamh (pronounced Neev)n is an immigrant from Ireland who has lost her family to a fire in their apartment in New York City.  She finds herself on an orphan train with only the claddagh necklace her grandmother gave her to keep her memories of her family alive.  She literally has nothing, and is going to an unknown life.  Vivian's life is told from 1929 to 1943; memories are shared with Molly as they go through the attic--a mustard colored coat, a brown dress, letters from a soldier.  Vivian and Molly slowly begin to connect, as Molly realizes Vivian understands what it is like to be alone in the world, and how it affects a person's ability to be themselves.  Both keep so much inside; both learned to smile and nod, and not share themselves in order to protect themselves from hurt and disappointment.  

Molly and Vivian are great characters.  Your heart just aches for both of them and all they go through when they are so young.  The plight of the orphan train children  is a fascinating tale, and one that is uniquely American.  Orphan trains ran from 1864 to 1929 and sent over 200,000 children away from the East Coast and into the Midwest, to be adopted by families and have a new life.  While many did find happy homes, so many others were treated poorly, worked  like adult laborers, and often ran away.  So many had heartbreak and disappointment, and lost everything connecting them to their original families.  
This novel may very well propel you into reading all you can about the orphan trains.  

I so enjoyed this novel.  Christina Baker Kline wrote a novel that touches your heart while not being maudlin at all.  You find yourself eagerly reading about Vivian's journey. Molly's journey takes her away from anger and disappointment and into the belief that she can be what she wants to be; there are people out there who do care about her.  Her metamorphosis from feeling like a victim to becoming empowered in her decisions is a part of the novel that I so enjoyed--and she pulls Vivian along with her, too.  You are never too old to come to terms with the past and move to a place of acceptance, grace, and peace.  

This was a quick read--I finished it in a day or so  (in between work, exercise, and life!).  I think high school students should read this, as well as anyone in the foster care system.  Book clubs would also find this a great discussion novel.  I would also recommend reading Mercy Train by Rae Meadows if you haven't already!  

Rating:  8/10 for two great characters--Molly and Vivian.  Both have fascinating stories that will grab you and not let go until the last page.  And this book makes you think about who we are, and how our experiences shape us.  

Available in paperback and as an e-book.

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Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline