Palaces of the Crow

Palaces of the Crow by Ray Nayler, 384 pages

As the Nazis and Red Army converge in eastern Europe, four children band together in their attempt to survive the frozen Lithuanian woods: a Jewish girl and aspiring biologist Neriya, who hopes that her doctor parents are still alive after being torn from her; underage Polish soldier Czeslaw, who didn't so much abandon the army as the army abandoned him, when the rest of his unit died; Roma daughter of horse traders Kezia; and a nameless and silent abandoned young boy. As they learn from and lean on one another, they befriend an insightful and intelligent murder of crows, who end up offering protections that none of the children could have dreamed.

Nayler has a knack for writing about intelligent animals and making it feel both real and surreal (see: The Mountain in the Sea and The Tusks of Extinction), and this book is no exception. While the others are firmly seated in science fiction, however, this one is much closer to historical fiction with just a hint of magical realism. But it's still full of intelligence, meticulous detail, and a sharp understanding of the world in which the book is set. I've read everything that Nayler has published, and I have yet to be disappointed. This was excellent, and I highly recommend it. I will also be much more reverent toward crows going forward.

The Morningside

 The Morningside by Téa Obreht, 304 pages.

Fleeing from their disintegrating (at times literally) homeland, Silvia and her mother are placed by the Repopulation Program into The Morningside, a crumbling building that was once a luxury tower on an island being swallowed by the sea in a world profoundly impacted by climate change. Sil's Aunt Ena also lives in the tower as its super, and she teaches Sil all of the folklore of their homeland that her own mother won't. Silvia becomes convinced that the mysterious woman with her three huge dogs living on the top floor is really a malevolent entity, and her search to prove it will have dire consequences for her family.

This was such a weird, interesting book. It builds very slowly, and never really tells the reader what's real and what isn't. I found it very compelling, although hard to describe.

The Peach Keeper

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen (2011) 273 pages

Willa's family used to be rich a couple generations ago. They had a lumber company in the North Carolina town of Walls of Water. When the business went south, her grandmother, Georgie, went from living in a huge mansion to being a maid for another family. Willa's only family member now is Georgie, who has dementia and lives in a nursing facility. Willa makes her living running a niche sporting goods shop/coffee house.

Paxton, thirty years old, is somehow stuck living in the pool house at her parents' home, the farthest she could get away without her mother throwing a fit. Paxton is involved in a flurry of civic activities for her rich, philanthropic family, including the renovation of the mansion that Willa's grandmother used to live in until her family went broke. Paxton is also in love with Sebastian, a high school classmate who has recently returned to set up a dental practice in Walls of Water. She believes that their relationship cannot go further, which makes her sad.

Colin is Paxton's twin brother, a landscaper based in New York City.  He  is back to help finish the plantings at the renovated estate. Although not interested in him, Willa has attracted his attention.

Paxton and Colin's grandmother is the cantankerous Agatha, who is now mostly blind.

A skeleton is unearthed at the estate, along with the contents of a suitcase which includes a newspaper from 1936, back from when Georgie and Agatha were young women. Who was this dead person, and could the grandmothers know anything about his death?

This novel stirs the younger people, tweaks the older folks, and adds mystery, confusion, and a touch of magic. The result is a fast-reading book that I found really satisfying.

Sharks in the time of saviors

 

Sharks in the time of Saviors / Kawai Strong Washburn, 376 pgs. read by a cast

A struggling but loving family takes a vacation and the seven year old son falls overboard. Sharks churn the water and the worst is expected but instead the boy is returned to his mother in the jaws of the natural predator.  How is this possible?  What other gifts are in store for the family?  For that particular son?  The two other siblings feel like the focus is never on them but they manage to become accomplished in their respective areas while feeling somewhat neglected.  The family dynamics change as everyone struggles and the chosen son experiences heartbreaking failure.  The setting in Hawaii is almost a character in this book that includes some magical realism but remains focused on the strong relationships of the family.

The audio book is well done with a cast bringing each distinct voice to life.