A Golden Debut: Golden Boy

Have you heard of Abigail Tarttelin? If not, chances are that will change. Abigail Tarttelin is a twenty-five year old literary genius that released her first novel, Golden Boy, in May 2013. The book has received rave reviews from the media and by readers, and Abigail is being considered one of the finest up-and-coming young authors to enter the literary scene in the past year.

Explaining the story is difficult without giving away too much. The story is told in alternating narratives by members of the Walker family, as well as few important non-family relations. Max, the golden boy, is an intersex teenager that has been able to grow up without ridicule or personal struggle—actually, he’s very popular at school and especially with the ladies. The problem is no one but Max’s family and a few close family friends know about his condition. Max has grown up identifying as a boy and feels secure in his sexuality. When he becomes the victim of a violent act his whole world turns upside down and he is forced to deal with personal issues that he had held at arm’s length. In turn, his parents must learn to stop ignoring the fact that Max is no longer a child and must be involved in the decisions that impact his life and personal identity.

Coming-of-age and family crisis are common themes in debut novels, but very rarely is intersexuality handled anywhere in literature. The book is very well-paced and easy to read—with the exception of some emotionally uncomfortable parts, which are difficult for their own reasons. Overall, the book has a lot to offer and Tarttelin masterfully handled the subject matter.

Those We Lost in 2013--Part 2

This week we will highlight some more of the great talents in literature that passed away in 2013.  Honor their memories by trying one of their books or re-reading one of your favorites.

Seamus Heaney--(1939-2013)--Human Chain, Opened Ground
He was an Irish poet, playwright, translator, and lecturer.  He won the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.  According to his son, Heaney's last words were "Noli timere" (Latin for: "do not be afraid").  His wife Marie received these words in a text a few minutes before he died.

Oscar Hijuelos--(1951-2013)--Beautiful Maria of My Soul
He was a New York City-born novelist of Cuban descent.  His The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love won the 1990 Pulitzer prize--making him the first Hispanic to win that award.  He died of a heart attack at age 62.

Elmore Leonard--(1925-2013)--Get Shorty, Hombre, and "Justified"(TV series)
He was a New Orleans-born American novelist and screenwriter known for his gritty realism and strong dialogue.  26 of his novels and stories have been adopted for the screen--19 films and 7 TV shows.

Doris Lessing--(1919-2013)--The Golden Notebook, The Good Terrorist
She was a novelist, short story writer, and poet who was born in Persia (Iran) to British parents.  She won the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature.  She died in London at the age of 94.

Richard Matheson--(1926-2013)--I Am Legend
He was a New Jersey-born author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction.  He won the World Fantasy Award and Bram Stoker Award--both for Life Achievement and he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2010.  He was 87.

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala--(1927-2013)--Heat and Dust, Howard's End (screenplay)
She was a Jewish, German-born British and later American author and screenwriter.  She is the only person to have won both a Booker Prize (1975) and an Academy Award (2). She also wrote the screenplays for The Remains of the Day and A Room With a View.  She died in New York at age 85.

Ned Vizzini--(1981-2013)--It's Kind of a Funny Story
He was a Brooklyn, New York author of four books.  He suffered from depression and wrote several books for young adults about the illness.  Sadly, he committed suicide on December 19th.  He was only 32 years old.

Those We Lost in 2013--Part 1

We lost a lot of great people in the literary world in 2013.  Over the next few weeks we will highlight some of these authors and their works.  Hopefully, we will introduce you to a new favorite or help you celebrate the lives of those you already love.

Chinua Achebe--(1930-2013)--Collected Poems
He was a Nigerian novelist and poet whose novel Things Fall Apart is the most widely-read book in modern African literature.  It sold 8 million copies and was translated into 50 languages--making him the most translated African writer of all time.  He was 82.

Iain M. Banks--(1954-2013)--Consider Phlebas
He was a Scottish fiction and science fiction author. He published 26 novels and his 27th The Quarry, was released after his death. The asteroid "5099--Iainbanks" was named for him posthumously.  He died two months after being diagnosed with cancer at the age of 59.

"If you've never read any of his books, read one of his books.
Then read another."
Neil Gaiman

Tom Clancy--(1947-2013)--The Hunt for Red October
He was an American author and historian born and raised in Baltimore, MD.  He is best known for his technically detailed spy and military thrillers.  More than 100 million copies of his books are in print.  He died on October 1st at the age of 66.

Janet Dailey--(1944-2013)--This Calder Range
She was an American romance author who was born in Iowa but made her home in Branson, Missouri.  Over 325 million copies of her books are in print and sold in 98 countries.  She was 69.

Vince Flynn--(1966-2013)--American Assassin
He was an author of political thrillers who hailed from St. Paul, Minnesota. His books were loved by presidents and were so realistic that the government had to make sure no national secrets were leaked.  He died at the too-young-age of 47 and leaves behind a wife and three children.

Margaret Frazer--(1946-2013)--The Novice's Tale
She was a fiction author who wrote over twenty historical mysteries.  She was born in Illinois but she lived and worked in Minnesota.  She died at the age of 66 after a twenty year fight with breast cancer.

Jack Vance--(1916-2013)--Songs of the Dying Earth
He was an American mystery, science fiction, and fantasy author. His books won multiple awards including both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award.  He was 96.

In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods by Matt Bell

In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods by Matt Bell

      According to the book blurb, this is a story of what happens when a man and his wife desire a child, but one is not forthcoming. It is supposedly about love and parenthood and loss and dreams.

      A man and wife move to a lakeshore far away from civilization. They make most everything by hand and attempt to build a family. Each attempt is failed and the man actually eats the first stillborn baby in the first chapter. This son continues to exist inside the man and talks with him frequently and tries to take over his body at some points. There is a terrifying, rotting-alive bear in the woods which nightly resurrects the animals the man traps and kills. There is a ghost squid that lives in the lake. It used to be married to the zombie bear and it also gives the man the power to transform into a squid when in the lake. The wife can sing things into existence and pull the stars down from the sky with her voice. She takes the zombie bear’s cub and sings it into a human child, an act that causes friction between the couple. The house also seems alive, producing a seemingly infinite number of rooms that the wife populates, using her songs, with memories, scenes, objects, and emotions.

      I will admit that this book does allow me to use the phrases “zombie bear” and “ghost squid” which are two phrases that I never expected to use in a discussion of a literary fiction novel. This aside, a detailed summation of the plot reads more like some sort of mad-libs exercise that the plot of the novel. Stylistically, Bell does some very unique and interesting things with the story. Had they been located within a short or even a novella, it might have worked or at least been less tiresome. Yet, the frequency that these devices and phrases are used over the course of 300+ pages; one begins to tire of seeing “upon the dirt”.

      Truly in a shorter format, I would find Bell’s style, and possible even this story, to be interesting, unique, and engaging. Despite my reservations, I will look for Bell’s work in the future to see if he is has fully adapted his style to the novel format.

In the Queue

This year begins with several new novels. Find a fantastic novel sure to be just what you need to kick off the New Year! 

The Ascendent: A Novel by Drew Chapman is an explosive debut novel. The setting ranges from the offices of Wall Street to the casinos of Vegas to the back roads of the Chinese countryside. We discover a new kind of action hero, one who is uniquely skilled to fight a new kind of war. 


Under the Wide and Starry Sky : A Novel by Nancy Horan
This beautiful novel is Nancy's second story. She recreates the love story of Robert Louis Stevenson and American Divorcee Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne. This beautiful novel will hold you spell bound with the unique passion and powerful love story.  

Your Life Calling : Reimagining the Rest of Your Life by Jane Pauley
"Your Life Calling" is a fresh look at ideas that have been simmering since baby boomers first entered midlife with a different perspective on the future than any generation before. She tells us there is more to come--and perhaps it's the best of all.  Jane is not an advice giver but a story teller. She tells her own story and introduces readers to fascinating people she has featured on her award winning "Today" show segment. 

The Death of Bees

Today is Christmas Eve. Today is my birthday. Today I am fifteen. Today I buried my parents in the backyard…

This is only the beginning of The Death of Bees by Lisa O’Donnell.

Marnie and Nelly are two sisters scratching out a life in Scotland without the support of loving parents, a reliable food source, or sound moral guidance. The girls are not necessarily surprised or devastated by the death of their parents, but the absence of adults raises issues of concern. The constant mode of survival that drives the girls’ lives takes on a bit more urgency because they know foster care will separate the two. The goal is to hide the deaths until Marnie is sixteen and can be considered a legal adult in Scotland. Once this occurs, she can take responsibility for Nelly without fear of interference. However, nothing can ever be this simple, and the adventure that unfolds is tragically odd and funny.

The Death of Bees is narrated in alternating chapters by Marnie, Nelly, and Lennie (a kindly neighbor). For those of you daunted by multiple narrators, rest assured the transitions are clearly marked by chapters. The idea of two young girls pulling off this stunt for any length of time, in addition to some other occurrences in the story, can test your limits of belief. Stranger stories show up in the newspapers, so maybe the situation isn't completely implausible. In addition, the author only allows you to know what the narrators want to tell, so the reader can sometimes be left hungering for details. Be prepared, because the book is humorous at some parts, but is weighed down with the seriousness of drug, alcohol, and child abuse. Situations that leave the girls neglected and used create intense bubbles of discomfort for the reader. The book does a decent job showing the effects of forced adulthood on children and the confusion that abounds from certain situations.

This is an easy, satisfying debut novel. Again, you have suppress disbelief at certain points, but some of that suspended disbelief will help create a sunny ending where one might otherwise not have existed.