February 2012:

The Postmistress: 02/22/12

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake is a World War Two novel set in both Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and London, England. The book opens with Postmistress Iris James pocketing a letter. The rest of the book is the dramatization of what that letter contains and the aftermath of Iris not delivering it.

Although Iris is the titular character, her position in the novel is mostly that of bookends. The main protagonist is actually reporter Frankie Bard, a woman sent throughout Europe to report on the war. She is working for Edward R. Murrow. But there so many stories of brave men and women doing things on the front line and so few stories of the people left stateside that I was hoping to hear more of Iris.

It takes half of the book for the narrative to sort itself and find its rhythm. Besides Iris and Frankie, there is also a doctor. For the longest time I couldn't place where he fit into the story. While Frankie is traveling by train throughout Europe, the crux of the story isn't her journey, it's the fate of that doctor. The Postmistress should made that fact clearer through tighter editing in the first half.

Once the letter has been played out as an extended flashback with multiple points of view, the novel settles into the final act — the aftermath of the letter not being delivered.

Frankie, as an eyewitness, feels compelled to deliver a handwritten note, thus undoing the subterfuge of Iris. Her journey to Cape Cod both as a bearer of news as well as a radio celebrity and war hero creates a palpable tension. This section of the novel is how the whole thing should have been like.

Three stars.

Home: 02/21/12

Home by Marilynne Robinson won the Orange Prize in 2009. It's a follow up, or parallel telling of Gilead (2004). Glory and Jack Boughton have returned home to Gilead to live in their father's home. Glory is there to take care of their father and avoid the pain of a broken wedding engagement. Jack is there for reasons unclear to either Glory or their father. Jack's reasons are the crux of the novel.

As with Housekeeping (1981), Robinson builds her characters and her story by the ebb and flow of mundane routine. It's a quiet style that might not be for everyone, but I found it the perfect read over a few breakfasts.

Through the quiet scenes of family meals, the family history is revealed. We learn about Jack's past, his rebellious youth and a tragic loss. Whether or not Jack has grown from his mistakes ends up being the big question of the book.

I now plan to go back and read Gilead to see the other half of the story.

Four stars.

February 2012:

The Postmistress: 02/22/12

Other posts and reviews:

Home: 02/21/12

Other posts and reviews:

Recent posts