Midwives

Midwives by Chris Bohjalian (1997) 374 pages

Sibyl Danforth is a midwife, living and working in rural Vermont. When something goes terribly wrong during one of her deliveries, on a winter night when the roads have become impassable, she is accused of murder. It's a subject that's fraught with emotion, and is told from the point of view of Sibyl's 14-year-old daughter Connie, with snippets of Sibyl's own voice in journal entries at the beginning of most chapters.

I had never read Chris Bohjalian before, and was directed to this novel as a good place to start. Even though I knew the subject was difficult, when I read a few "test" pages, his writing pulled me in, with no backing away.

The Road to Tender Hearts

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett, 384 pages

PJ Halliday's life has been in a bit of a rut over the last decade. Sure, he won $1.5 million in scratch-off lottery tickets, but he also hasn't processed the grief of losing his eldest daughter 15 years ago or dealt with his wife leaving him for the birder next door, and he got enough DUIs to have his license revoked for 8 years. So when he learns that his high school crush is now a widow, he decides to take a cross-country road trip to try again to woo her. Complicating matters is the fact that he's suddenly become the guardian of his estranged brother's grandkids, but hey, why not take two newly orphaned fourth graders (both of whom are dealing with the shocking loss of their parents in wildly different ways) on a road trip to a the faraway Tender Hearts Retirement Community?

The description of this book sounds like a mess, and yeah, it kind of is, but in the best possible way. I love the way that Hartnett depicts grief at all ages and stages with kindness and occasional (but appropriate) humor, and I love the way this weird family grows both as a group and as individuals. And I think the fact the death-detecting cat doesn't top my list of why this book is fantastic is pretty telling, as in most books, that would be the best part. Highly recommended.

Emily and Einstein

Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee (2011) 356 pages

Emily is just 32 when her husband, Sandy, dies after being struck by a car. After Sandy's death, Emily begins to learn things about him that she didn't know—for one, that he had cheated on her. 

Both of their points of view are told in alternating sections. The story grabbed my interest from the start, but when it was clear that Sandy was now giving his points of view from the body of a dog, I wasn't sure that the author could keep my interest. But she did. Somewhat weird, but the story is otherwise quite believable. I needed to find out what would happen in this fast-paced novel set in New York City.

Life Everlasting

Life Everlasting by Bernd Heinrich (2012) 236pp

Inspired by a dying friend who asks for advice on end-of-life alternatives, naturalist Heinrich describes the life-to-death cycle of nature in a folksy style and answers his friend's query. Supported by a meticulous life of observation of the natural world and using examples of dung beetles, sphinx moths, trees, ravens, etc. he demonstrates the interconnectedness of, well, everything. And by definition, the death of everything. But in his sprawling exercise he primarily emphasizes that the cyclical nature of nature. In addition to the mindful essays, the work is illustrated with the author's intricate line drawings. The final essay answers his friend's query on making informed choices at the end of our cycle.

Here We Go Again

 Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun, 368 pages.

When they were kids Logan and Rosemary were best friends, and the natural way they fit together made them both better. Until a betrayal the summer before high school turned them into bitter rivals, a rivalry that has only gotten more heated now that they're both teachers at the high school they grew up in. But when the former teacher they both love tells them the cancer that has been killing him slowly has decided to kill him quickly instead, and he insists they both take him on a cross-country road trip to Maine, they have no choice but to be trapped together for an extended time. The road trip gets longer and more significant than they planned for (although perhaps not more than Joe planned for) they realize that the feelings between them haven't really faded over the years, and are perhaps even stronger than two adolescent girls who didn't yet realize they were lesbians could have known. 

Alison Cochrun always writes wonderful, sincere romances with neurodivergent characters, and this one is no different. A rom com about death is a unique premise, and this novel does an excellent job balancing grief and joy. I really enjoyed this book.

The Maid

The Maid by Nita Prose (2022) 289 pages

The Maid is narrated by our protagonist, Molly Gray. She's a maid at the top-tier Regency Grand Hotel. She is very particular about cleaning, and derives much satisfaction from a job well-done. She is also apparently "somewhere on the spectrum": She takes words literally and realizes that she misses certain social cues that others understand much better than she does. She knows that others often make fun of her because she is different.

Molly is mourning the recent death of her grandmother who had raised her and who had given feedback on Molly's experiences. Molly tries to find comfort in remembering her grandmother's supportive comments.

A rich hotel guest who often patronizes the hotel with his wife, is dead in his bed, discovered by Molly. When she finds herself arrested for his murder, her first thought is that it didn't feel right to be arrested in her pajamas. But she is also well-versed in watching TV detective shows, and knows that she needs help to get out from under the charges. Who's in her corner now that her grandmother is gone?

Such a fast read; the author did well in convincing me of Molly's unusual way of seeing the world.

Maybe One Day

Maybe One Day by Debbie Johnson (2020) 367 pages

Jess grew up as a sheltered only child in a small city in England. Eventually, she gets her way about studying at a school about an hour's bus ride away from home, meeting Joe there. She eventually moves out of her parents' home and she and Joe have a child. A tragedy ensues and Jess ends up getting care in a mental facility, told by her parents that Joe has moved on from her.

It's seventeen years later. Jess's mother has just died. Her father has already been dead for years. Jess and her cousin Michael poke around in the attic and find a box of letters and postcards to Jess from Joe, that Jess had never been given. She decides to go on a journey to find Joe, enlisting her cousin, along with another friend, Belinda, who knows Joe. Instead of starting with the last place he had written from, Jess wants to follow the cities in order, in order to better understand Joe's own journey.

Will they find Joe? If so, will he have another partner? That's the risk of finding him. By the way, the characterizations of Michael and Belinda are great. The journey takes them to various cities in Ireland, England, and later, across the ocean. The relationships feel true and the uncertainty about whether they'll find Joe keeps one reading; I couldn't put this novel down.

The Unsinkable Greta James

 

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith (2022) 306 pages

Greta James has worked her way up in the music industry. She's now a well-known indie rock guitarist. But her career is at risk because just a week after her mother's sudden death a few months ago, she had an onstage meltdown that has gone viral. She hasn't gone back to perform anywhere since then, although her sophomore album is ready to be released and needs to be hyped.

Meanwhile, her father, whom she has butted heads with since she was in her teens, is set to go on a one-week Alaskan cruise that was supposed to be a 40th anniversary trip with his now-deceased wife. Greta's brother talks her into going on the cruise with their father. There are a lot of emotions that need to be addressed, and their conversations are frustrating for both of them.

When Greta meets a professor on the ship, there's a mutual attraction between them, in spite of him being quite different from anyone else she has dated. Oh, and he's not quite divorced yet, and has two young daughters. 

There's a lot that needs to be unpacked between her personal life and her professional life, but I feel that it is handled realistically.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (2012) 320 pages

Harold is retired with little to do. He and his wife, Maureen, have long ago lost their spark. One day, Harold receives a letter from a former co-worker, Queenie, who had left her job suddenly more than 20 years ago. Queenie has cancer and has written to say goodbye. Harold writes a sentence or two and goes out to mail it. but keeps passing up mailboxes to walk farther before mailing the letter. Somehow the thought arises that he should visit Queenie in her hospice, some 500 miles away, so he just keeps walking.

Once the reader can accept this idea - along with the thought that by walking (not driving), he can keep Queenie alive longer - a new purpose for Harold is set into play. He walks, he thinks, he talks to people. He calls Maureen from time to time. Maureen, by the way, is bewildered by his actions, and actually starts to think back on their relationship's origin and reassess her opinion of Harold. Harold is doing the same - for his relationships with Maureen, their son David, Harold's parents, his old boss, and Queenie.

It's a tough trip, and especially so as Harold picks up disciples along the way.

What seems to be a simple story expands, often injecting surprises. I liked it, and had to see what happened at the end.

The Guncle

The Guncle by Steven Rowley (2021) 324 pages

Patrick, a gay man who'd been a well-known actor, is asked to care for his young niece and nephew after their mother's death. Their father, Patrick's brother, is going into a 3-month-long rehab program for substance abuse that he fell into while his wife was dying of cancer. Patrick lives in Palm Springs where he moved after he couldn't find joy in acting any longer, after his partner died in a car accident. However, you'd never know the world of hurt residing in Patrick: his interactions with the children are quite entertaining. But he's also very cognizant that the children need to grieve for their mother.

I loved this story ‒ reading it was almost like watching a movie because the descriptions and dialogue are so well done. (And sure enough, I found out that a movie is in the works for this book.)

The Book of Love

The Book of Love by Kelly Link, 628 pages

Almost a year after they went missing, teens Daniel, Laura, and Mo turn up in the classroom of their music teacher, Mr. Anabin, with a person none of them know, Bowie. They weren't just missing — they died, and everyone they loved grieved for their loss — but now they're magically back and Mr. Anabin (who is not at all the nerdy teacher he seems) uses his supernatural skills to retcon the entire community into believing that the trio was in Ireland on a music fellowship. Now that they've returned, however, Daniel, Laura, and Mo find themselves intrinsically intertwined with Anabin, a magical shapeshifting creature named Bogomil, and a tempestuous diva named Malo Mogge, all while fighting to stay among the living.

Any description of this book is going to pale in comparison to the complex web of guilt, magic, grief, death, love, and music that Link has woven in her first novel. The characters are compelling, the magical system confusing (but in the best possible way), and the motives of everyone uncertain in a way that propels the plot through all 600+ pages. I absolutely loved this book, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it on awards shortlists later this year.

Pride and Joy

Pride and Joy by Louisa Onomé, 336 pages

Joy is in the midst of setting up for her mother Mary's 70th birthday party when the birthday girl suddenly dies while napping. Already stressed about the party preparations and onslaught of pushy relatives and party guests, Joy's frustrations skyrocket when her aunt declares that a cow has prophesized Mary's resurrection two days hence (on Easter, as it happens). Before Joy knows what's happening, a public access religious program is sending a reporter to interview the family and livestream the resurrection, while hordes of strangers crowd the driveway of the rented home to hold a vigil in anticipation of Mary's return. Throw in a slew of self-centered relatives, an ex-husband Joy still cares for, and a pile of revelations, and it's no wonder Joy is ready to scream.

There's something that I love about dysfunctional family stories, and hoo-boy is this family dysfunctional! The mix of Nigerian culture, religious zeal, and Joy's control-freak nature is a perfect storm of nuttiness, which made the book feel a bit frantic and out of control at times (though, as that could also describe the characters, it's appropriate). If I could change anything, I'd give it a few extra pages of setup at the beginning before the craziness sets in. Otherwise, this was an excellent depiction of grief's many stages in the form of Joy and her relatives.

*This book will be published March 12, 2024.

Six Feet Below Zero

Six Feet Below Zero by Ena Jones 288 pp.

Rosie and Baker are orphaned siblings living with their great-grandmother until their great-grandmother is no longer living. Unfortunately she died just a little too soon after making almost all the preparations to keep the kids safe from their grandmother, Grim Hesper who only wants her mother's money and to send the kids off to boarding schools. Rosie and Baker follow their great-grandmother's instructions, which includes hiding her in a basement freezer but things begin to go wrong and the kids must stop Grim Hesper from taking everything. This is a Mark Twain Award nominee book, but it didn't grab me enough to want to include in my Treehouse Book Club suggestions.

Evvie Drake Starts Over

 Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (2019) 289 pages

Evvie Drake has spent the year since her husband died feeling like a fraud. Her husband, Tim, was a respected doctor in their small city in Maine, but what nobody knew–not even Evvie's best friend Andy–is that Tim didn't treat Evvie well. His unexpected death in a car accident came at the very time she was packing her car to finally leave him.

Meanwhile, Dean–until recently–was a professional baseball pitcher who just can't pitch with accuracy anymore. He comes to Maine to be near his good friend Andy to get away from the New York media's attention.

Dean moves into an apartment inside Evvie's home where the two interact and try to heal emotionally. We might think we know they will get together in the end, but these characters feel like real people who may or may not connect that way. There is a lot of baggage!

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlyn Doughty, 272 pages

In From Here to Eternity, mortician and self described "Death Enthusiast" Caitlyn Doughty travels the world to answer her own questions about funerals and funerary rights. 

In Indonesia, we find families who care for their loved ones for years after their deaths. Spain shows us familiar, but distinctly different funerals where families put walls of glass between themselves and the dead. In America, a graduate student researches how best to return us to the earth from whence we came. From digital Buddhas to candle lit cemeteries, the author continuously challenges the reader to look toward their own mortality and decide for themselves what they consider a "Good Death".

Under the Whispering Door

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune, 376 pages

Wallace is a horrible man and then he dies. Only a handful of people come to his funeral and none of them have anything good to say about him. So when a reaper comes to collect him as he's fuming about his poorly attended funeral, Wallace is angry, confused, and ready to speak to the manager (whoever that may be). His attitude doesn't improve when he arrives at an eclectic tea house where he's supposed to get comfortable with passing to the great beyond. But little by little, the tea shop's owner, the reaper, and the no-longer-alive dog that hangs out there grow on him.

Oh, T.J. Klune... you write such lovely books. This was an absolute joy to read, and I'm happy to recommend it to everyone. Keep writing, Mr. Klune, and I'll keep reading.

Everyone in this room will someday be dead

 

Everyone in this room will someday be dead / Emily Austin, read by Emily Tremaine 243 pgs. 

Gilda is a 20 something lesbian who is fixated on death.  She has a hard time living day-to-day and gets fired from her job.  Obviously she needs some help with this issue but is sometimes too sad to see it.  She answers an ad and gets hired at a Catholic church...oh yea, she is also an atheist so that is a great match.  She is replacing a woman who died.  When questions come up about the circumstances of the death, Gilda is now a depressed, atheist, lesbian who is investigating the death of her predecessor.  Does this all sound depressing to you?  Oddly, it really isn't. It turns out to be kind of fun. The audio was very well done by Emily Tremaine.

A Spindle Splintered

 A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow, 128 pages.

This book, described as "Spiderversing the Sleeping Beauty story" is exactly that and so much more. Zinnia Gray has a genetic disorder caused by an industrial accident that means she won't live past 21. Today is her 21st birthday and her best (and only) friend has thrown her a surprise Sleeping Beauty themed birthday party at the top of an abandoned tower. When Zinnia pricks her finger on the antique spinning wheel spindle that her friend Charm found for her she finds herself falling into a different world, where a different Sleeping Beauty is being taken by her curse. If she can't save herself, maybe she can save this girl with a story that so echoes her own.

This is a fun fairy tale romp, but it's also a somber meditation on death and dying, and a really interesting look at how we construct the narratives of our own lives. It's honestly really hard to believe that this book is just over 100 pages, because thinking about it now it feels like so much more. I would recommend this to anyone (it's so short, it's hardly a huge investment), but especially to fans of Seanan McGuire's Indexing series or The Mechanists "Once Upon a Time (In Space)" album.

Under the Whispering Door

 Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune, 373 pages.

Wallace Price is dead. Luckily, this is only the beginning of the story. Wallace is collected by a Reaper and taken to Charon's Crossing, a tea shop that doubles as a waypoint for souls as they prepare themselves to cross over to the other side. The ferryman who runs the teashop, Hugo, is empathetic and handsome, and Wallace quickly finds himself wishing he had found this place while he was still alive. Actually he finds himself wishing he had done a lot of things while he was still alive. Wallace Price had not been, by any metric, a good man. Now that he's dead he's finally learning how to live, which feels monumentally unfair. But Charon's Crossing is only meant to be a place people stop briefly, not a place where they can say, and sooner or later Wallace will have to move on.

I read The House in the Cerulean Sea earlier this year (before I started blogging, sorry!) and this sounded like the exact same brand of soft, middle-aged queer romance, which I liked the first time and was certainly interested in reading more of. This book was, in a good way, pretty much exactly what I expected. It was wholesome and engaging, and the pacing felt pretty perfect. It would be easy to think a book about death is sad, and it is a little, but it mostly isn't. This is an extremely gentle book about grief, and I would definitely recommend it. 

The Midnight Library

 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (2020) 288 pages

Nora has made a number of decisions in her life that have led her to feeling miserable. By halting her competitive swimming, she disappointed her father who dreamed for her to be in the Olympics. By quitting the band she was in with her brother– just as they were getting very popular–she disgusted her brother. She decided not to marry her fiancé at the last minute. The list goes on. 

Feeling despair after she loses her job and her cat dies, she takes an overdose of medication. However, she unexpectedly finds herself at the Midnight Library, a place between life and death. In the Midnight Library, time stands still and and an infinite number of books give her the opportunity to make a different choice at various junctures in her life.

First Nora fights the idea of trying any of these other lives, but encouraged by the librarian, she eventually makes choices–one after another–to change something in her life to see how her life would have been. It's a fascinating idea, to see what other possibilities are possible if only one had taken a different path here or there. Nora wonders how she will know if any of the alternate lives is the right one for her. Her philosophy degree gets a bit of a workout.

This book has been circulating from our library almost non-stop, and I was so glad to finally get a chance to read it.