Mud Season by Ellen Stimson
New England is a beautiful but often harsh place to live. Husband and I met and married there, but when grad school and a job offer whisked us off to gentler climes, we never looked back.
My sister and her husband are made of sturdier stuff. They live in the New Hampshire woods by a creek. As native New Englanders, they flourish through all the seasons; the crisp autumn days, the long snow-bound winters, the clouds of black flies in the spring, the hot sticky summers, and even the muddy inbetween season. During the long winters, they often loose power (which means no pump, so no running water), so they bring in buckets of water from the creek for flushing and to heat on their wood stove for washing. They don extra layers of clothing, bring in firewood, light candles and wear headlamps –calmly making do until power is restored — in other words — They Forge On.
Forging on is just what Ms. Stimson does in Mud Season — (aptly subtitled How One Woman’s Dream of Moving to Vermont, Raising Children, Chickens and Sheep, and Running the Old Country Store Pretty Much Led to One Calamity After Another).
This memoir, which the author admits is only 78% true, tells the story of a St. Louis family who move to Vermont, after falling in love with it on a vacation. Ah yes, you may be thinking, another one of those How-to-move-to-the-country-and-have-an-idyllic-life stories.
Well, not really — actually, not at all.
Ms. Stimson is snarky, sarcastic, and very, very funny. With her family in tow, she doesn’t so much as move into the small town of Dorset, she invades it … and colossal failures ensue.
They spend an outrageous amount of money renovating their old farmhouse using out of state contractors. They go on to purchase chickens and goats – knowing nothing about their care. Their son is acting out in the local school and after a run in with the administration, they take on home schooling which doesn’t go well. (A science lesson results in a red-dyed pond and a subsequent police investigation.)
Ms. Stimson decides to open what she calls a “quaint country store” and caters to the tourist’s Disney version of Vermont – even charging $4 each for peaches from New York (gasp!). When the tourists leave, so do their store sales.
You’ll simultaneously laugh and cringe at Ms. Stimson’s cavalier attitude and misguided good intentions. This is no gentle, “let’s take things slowly and get to know the locals” approach — this is forging on with misguided plans of making a living in the Republic of Vermont with profoundly ill-advised decisions.
The book is smattered with wisecracking footnotes which reflect the author’s wry self-depreciation – her afterthoughts on how she could have done things differently, but she just can’t seem to learn. Her irresponsible optimism blinds her judgement and she just keeps forging ahead.
When Ms. Stimson does try to fit in, it results in yet more mishaps. She dresses up with scarf and heels for local festival and later reflects on the standard Vermont uniform…
…khakis and sensible shoes with a blue chambray linen blouse and some version of fleece on top. No lipstick. LLBean. Steady and reliable.
She gamely agrees to open her house for the spring home tour, forgets the date and is found out back mucking out the chicken shed — with a very messy house.
So I did the only real thing that I ever could do. I walked up the hill, took off my poopy gloves, offered my cold, chapped hand, and said “Hello, won’t you please come in?”
A beautiful waterfall only a 10 minute walk from her house brings her quiet joy and she lovingly describes the smell of each season. And so you begin to believe she’s going to make it — one can only hope she’ll start to get it. Then, during the often freezing mud season, the unpredictable, bighearted Ms. Stimson adopts two orphaned lambs and keeping them warm indoors, seems surprised when they destroy their beautiful renovated house. It seems they won’t be house trained.
Mud Season is an outlandish, funny read until the last few chapters, when the family’s dreams and reality collide into bankruptcy, the closing of the (now called) “horrible” quaint country store, and having to take jobs out of state with long commutes.
Mud Season may have been written more for humor than accuracy but if even half of it is true, here’s a cautionary tale. A tale of how not to barge into a small Vermont town, how not to become friends with the locals, how not to to be part-time farmer, home schooler or a quaint country store proprietor. But it’s a journey that will have you laughing the whole way.
Ms. Stimson has written a follow up book called Good Grief – Life in a Tiny Vermont Village – not sure I can take any more of her foolish antics, no matter how funny.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Last night, I closed All the Light I Cannot See and asked myself, what the heck happened to this beautiful novel? (OK I didn’t say heck, just trying to keep it clean here at Book Barmy.)
This WWII blockbuster opens with two riveting story lines. Werner, an orphan German teen is recruited by the Nazi’s for his invaluable radio engineering skills, and Marie-Laure, a blind French girl – separated from her adoring father in war-torn France. Right from the beginning, the reader knows that the lives of these two potentially fascinating characters will intersect.
The novel also has some captivating scenes, all beautifully written. There’s Marie-Laure reading aloud from her braille edition of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, there’s the ominous agenda inside Werner’s exclusive Nazi training school, and then, if you’re like me, you’ll hold your breath as messages are passed along, hidden in freshly baked bread, and then secretly broadcast from a short-wave radio hidden in the attic of a crumbling house perched on the edge of the sea. Everything is there — all the elements of a well-written and exciting WWII adventure.
And so you settle in, cup of tea in hand and eagerly start reading…and reading…and reading — through 178 chapters. Yes, you read that right — 178 chapters!
Therein lies the first problem — 178 short chapters, many only a few pages, which jerk the reader back in forth in time, often with no clue to the year. The choppy chapters and abrupt time jumps are not only confusing, they actually prevented me from really sinking into the story. One reviewer, knowing that Mr. Doerr is a much better writer than this, surmised his editors insisted on shuffling the timeline. The format did feel gimmicky and like an afterthought. I’d go even further, I think those same editors also insisted on chopping the novel into short chapters to cater to today’s 140-character-tweet-text-snapchat-attention-span readers (That just wrote itself in the throes of my rant – like it?).
Now we come to the second problem, All the Light We Cannot See starts out beautifully written and compelling, but then it just seems to fall apart — rather it just never comes together. Werner’s and Marie-Laure’s paths, while coming teasingly close, never really converge. And when they do finally intertwine, they are only together for 10 pages towards the end. Then fast forward 30 years and the book ends not with a bang but with a whimper (my apologies to T. S. Eliot).
The novel won Pulitzer Prize, earned many glowing reviews and many weeks on the bestseller lists. Perhaps I missed something magical in my reading of this book. Maybe it was my mood. Whatever the reason, I was underwhelmed and sadly disappointed upon finishing this novel.
A digital review copy was provided by Scribner via NetGalley.
Louise Penny is back
I just received an advanced readers copy of this – so excited.
Thanks to Netgalley and the St. Martin’s Press.
I know you’re all extremely jealous, but in the meantime, please enjoy Ms. Penny being interviewed by her long-time friend at the CBC.
I have two other books going, but I may have to throw them aside for this… stay tuned …
Dinner with Edward by Isabel Vincent
Mini-Review
Okay, I thought, another Tuesday’s with Morrie-type book, but I opened it anyway the other night – needing a little break from my current WWII read. And yes, Dinner with Edward is very much in the same genre. The age-old story of a friendship between a young troubled character and an much wiser, older person.
Only this time, the older Edward is a gourmet cook and prepares delicious dinners for the younger, having-trouble-with-her-marriage Isabel. Edward has just lost his wife and Isabel’s friend (who lives out of state) asks her to check in on him by letting him prepare her dinner a few nights a week. Together, they plot, this will keep Edward happy and busy, while giving Isabel a much-needed break from her failing marriage.
Each chapter starts with a menu of the glorious meal he prepares for Isabel and the drinks enjoyed before dinner — old fashioneds, martinis – grown up drinks. It is over these drinks and delicious food that the conversations, reminisces, and problems unfold.
I had trouble finishing this book, and found it dull and predictable — same old problems — same old trite wisdom’s from an elderly man. Slow down, enjoy life as if every day is your last, and even this quote from the book:
He knew that paradise was not a place, but the people in your life. (groan)
I never felt that “paradise” connection between Isabel and Edward, as each chapter reads like a disconnected short story. Edwards memories and past experiences never really connect with Isabel’s current day problems. Stories are told, advice is given, and food is eaten.
And what food! Each chapter only comes alive with the descriptions of the wonderful meals prepared by Edward. You look over his shoulder as he gently stirs sauces and grills perfect steaks with herb butter. So I carried on, largely skimming the boring bits and reading for the food. But, in the end (get this!) no recipes – none – I felt bereft, cheated somehow
One reviewer said Dinner with Edward combined the best of Tuesdays with Morrie with Julie and Julia – since I didn’t like either of those books, I should have had fair warning.
One saving grace, Edward describes, in detail, a method for perfect scrambled eggs. It’s on page 9 if you wish to avoid reading the rest of the book.
A digital review copy was provided by Algonquin Books via NetGalley
The Stopped Heart by Julie Myerson
As a dedicated book maniac reviewer, I try and keep up with the cutting edge UK literary press. I’ve been intrigued by an emerging genre which I’ll call the ‘creepy yet quaint British village ghost story*’.
The Stopped Heart has been touted as such — a haunted house story set in the English countryside, with edge-of-your-seat suspense. Given its many stellar reviews and an enticing cover –I leapt in.
I know it’s been overdone, but The Stopped Heart is, at first, boringly set in two time periods, and (yawn) has two narratives – one in the present with Mary and Graham Coles – and the other, over 150 years ago with the farm family who once lived in the Cole’s cottage.
Delving further into what seems to be a predictable haunted tale, it’s not only the Coles’ cottage which is haunted — so are Mary and Graham. They have escaped to this countryside retreat to recover from a tragic loss. In the same cottage, 150 years in the past, Eliza narrates her large family’s hardscrabble farm story. Her sister, Lottie, strangely speaks of the present day family as if she knows them — and even names her kitten “Merricoles”, a version of the name “Mary Coles”. Ghosts, spirits, a haunted cottage — so far – so good, right? Get me another cup of tea and I’ll keep reading.
Except it all starts to go very, very wrong when the mysterious red-haired James Dix enters the circle of Eliza’s family. Thus begins the disturbing spiral involving both time periods and parallel stories of betrayal, underage lust and ultimately, grisly violence. And like an ill-advised roller coaster ride, you know, with dread, whats coming — but there is nothing you can do to get off. You’re strapped into the ride and you just gotta hang on and keep reading.
Ms. Myerson gives no indication when her narrative switches from one time period to another. I realized midway through the novel, that the author does this deliberately to enhance the fluidity of her past and present story-lines. The Coles’ modern-day cottage still harbors the violence of the past and Eliza and Lottie can sense the tragedy in the future. This can get confusing if you’re not paying attention. But, pay attention you will, because while creepy and often violent — The Stopped Heart is a compelling page turner. (Fair warning to any parents of young children out there, this book contains violence with young children as the victims.)
The modern day Coles struggle with their broken relationship, a surly teenage step-daughter and a sad flirtation with a neighbor. In the past, Eliza discovers her own budding sexuality, while simultaneously demanding her own (often funny and spunky) feminist beliefs. Meanwhile, the mysterious red-headed man disrupts everyone in both time periods. Some of the most intriguing writing involves Mary Coles “seeing” her kitchen and garden morph into the past. The smells, the dirt, the old furnishings all come alive through her eyes.
At the end of this gripping read, Ms. Myerson purposefully leaves many things unanswered – you won’t arrive a pat ending – creepily, you’ll continue to dwell on the events long after you’ve closed the book.
The Stopped Heart lead me to the edge of horror fiction, another blogger aptly labeled it “horror light”. I resolutely avoid horror fiction, I’m still recovering from my one (and only) Stephen King novel many years ago.
So why did I keep on reading well out of the limits of my comfort zone?
I kept turning the pages because of the writing. This is an intensely dark reading experience interspersed with beautifully captured characters coping with loss and unspeakable tragedies — the suffering of a stopped heart.
I recommend The Stopped Heart with caution and warnings (see above) and it had everything stacked against it for me (i.e., horror light). Yet, I had to keep reading and never once looked back. Which says a great deal about the appeal of this book – a scary roller coaster ride — you want to get off — but you can’t stop enjoying the thrill.
*Others in the same genre include Susan Hill, The Woman in Black and Sarah Waters, The Little Stranger…both on my TBR list — maybe, once I recover.
Everything is Copy
If you’ve been following Book Barmy, you know of my admiration for Nora Ephron. I professed my devotion to her in this POST.
Last night I watched a wonderful award winning documentary about her life called Everything is Copy – trailer HERE.
This quiet but powerful film, had me glued to the screen, an extended visit with this beloved author, journalist, and screenwriter. The film was written, directed and is narrated by her son Jacob Bernstein (her son from her marriage to the infamous Carl Bernstein).
Everything is Copy celebrates her writings, films, family, marriages and her many many friends. Nora is portrayed as smart, funny, urbane and sometimes insensitive and controlling (“she always had a razor in her back pocket”).
Her ex-husband (Carl Bernstein) speaks of her with guarded warmth and sisters Delia and Amy (also authors) speak of Nora with cautionary admiration.
It seems her friends and colleagues were her true family — her true admirers. Nora was everyone’s favorite party host and dinner guest (I knew it!)— she purposely surrounded herself with smart, influential literary and Hollywood notables.
There are cameo appearances by literary icons such as Gay Talese, Victor Navasky, Liz Smith and Marie Brenner (Marie is deliciously filmed in front of her personal library). Nora was schoolmates with Barry Diller and close friends with Mike Nichols and Bob Gottlieb.
Nora’s essays are read by a range of celebrities including Meryl Streep, Resse Witherspoon and a odd looking Meg Ryan (she’s had work done – badly, in my opinion.)
There are snippets of Nora’s interviews from an early talk with Dick Cavett to a more recent interview with Charlie Rose. Old color film of New York City brings to life her early, exciting days at The Post.
Her illness and death are given much import to this documentary. The fact that Nora had openly shared her life (and sometimes others’ lives) but kept her illness a secret for years, was a shock to her circle of close friends and colleagues. They express their bewilderment, and sometimes anger, that Nora kept this information from them. But in the end, the film draws the conclusion that her illness was her personal business and her choice to keep it a secret, was perhaps because it was the one thing she couldn’t control.
The film ends with a reading of her essay Things I Will Miss , written in her final years. Have some tissues handy.
If you have HBO or Netflicks and, like me, you are a fan of Nora Ephron, put Everything is Copy on your must watch list.
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