Page 2 of 3
The Clearing by Tim Gautreaux (Knopf). Louisianan Gautreaux's second novel (he's also author of two short story collections) shows maturity without giving up any of the drive and flair of his previous work. His tale of a brutal power struggle between veterans/victims of the Great War, placed amid the bayou's cypress swamps, is suspenseful and riveting. What's new is that Gautreaux evinces a morally complex view of humanity and nature that approaches the likes of Styron or (yes, we have to say it) Faulkner. This is a major work, and a personal milestone, for one of the South's finest writers.
Candy: A Novel by Mian Mian (Back Bay Books). A young Chinese writer who's already an icon in her homeland (even though her work has been banned by the government) wrote this gracefully harrowing novel that gives a revealing look at a segment of the country's population -- China's "lost generation" of apolitical teens and 20somethings who've dropped out of government-controlled society and disappeared into scattered big-city subcultures of prostitution, organized crime and drugs. These disaffected young people with rock & roll hearts and rotting livers spend their days and nights having unfulfilling sex, shooting heroin, and listening to American oldies. This is raw, powerful stuff and worth the effort.
NON-FICTION
Wrapped In Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston by Valerie Boyd (Scribner). This energetic, eloquent biography of one of the cornerstones of the Harlem Renaissance brings to life Hurston's vivid, extraordinary spirit, strength and talent. Her fieldwork in black folklore was a turning point in American lit's view of its own native culture, and remains a model of artistic courage. Boyd is swept up by her subject and does her justice by treating Hurston not as a cultural oddity but an inspiring example of a free spirit creating a remarkable body of work against all odds.
Under The Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer (Doubleday). The chilling, well-told, true story of two Mormon fundamentalist brothers who, in 1984, believing they were obeying orders from God, murdered their sister-in-law and her baby. Krakauer, an excellent reporter who wrote the best-selling Into Thin Air, draws a clear historical line stretching from today's fundamentalist/polygamist subculture back to the early, i.e., polygamous and violent, history of Mormonism. The book enraged mainstream Mormons, who disavow any connection to present-day fundamentalists. Nonetheless, Krakauer's book is a welcome albeit gruesome glimpse into how spirituality can be twisted into its murderous opposite.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (Pantheon). One of the year's most striking surprises was this comics form memoir of growing up in an intellectual, politically liberal family in Tehran during the days of the Shah, his overthrow, the stifling repression of life under the ayatollahs, and the eight-year war against Iraq. Persepolis moves quickly, carried by Satrapi's simple, dynamic style and her focus on how historical events are played out on a personal level. Harrowing, funny and ultimately inspiring, the book makes it clear that there's no real difference between a political system run by religious fundamentalists and any other modern totalitarian state.
Over The Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen (William Morrow). Bergreen brings to life the exhilarating story of what was possibly the ultimate "adventure story," the 16th century journey around the world led by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan. Politics, mystery, greed, mutiny, orgies, suffering and raw courage wind through this story, providing a richness of detail and presence that put Bergreen's book head and shoulders above others in the popular "true tales at sea" genre.
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken (E.P. Dutton). Thanks to rightwing blowhard Bill O'Reilly and his instigation of a failed, bullying lawsuit by FoxNews, this biting (make that "mauling") satire hit the top of the bestseller lists. Franken is a progressive's dream comic and a conservative's nightmare: an intelligent liberal blessed with razor wit, a vivid sense of the absurd, and utter, mocking contempt for the far-right's nonsense.
The Maya of Morganton by Leon Fink (UNC Press). Fink tells the compelling story of a decade-long union struggle at a poultry plant in Morganton, NC, where a coalition of Guatamalan Maya refugees, Mexican immigrants, various supporting progressive groups and other local allies joined forces to fight for better-than-abysmal working conditions and pay. The book provides a fascinating peek at the close cultural ties that sustain immigrant communities. A very revealing look at a struggle that happened nearby, even though 90 percent of Charlotteans have probably never heard of it.
Jarhead by Anthony Swofford (Scribner). The best battle memoir since Michael Herr's Dispatches. Swofford was a Marine sniper in the Gulf War and he makes no bones about the fact that most of the time he and his mates were scared, bored or drunk. Frank prose and a wonderful dark humor permeate Swofford's exuberant narrative. This is a needed, straightforward look at modern combat, those who fight it, and those who are under the impression they're leading the battle, all told with a razor sharp wit and an eye for the telling detail.
