Read Me More, Please

I just finished listening to Sherman Alexie's War Dances on CD. Sherman reads the stories himself--it doesn't get better than that. As his voice came through my speakers, I was reminded of the evening that I had the pleasure of meeting him for the first time. True Confessions had just been published and he read parts of it aloud. He's so remarkable--and you get to see glimpses of that in his writing. Funny, painful, wonderful.

The Unexpected

When young mother Amy dies suddenly from a heart condition, her mother and father move in with her husband and the three children to help out. Roger Rosenblatt ("Boppo") reveals moments of sorrow and delight that result. You'd never want to imagine having to deal with such grief but you envy the closeness that such a tragedy can produce, when you are Making Toast.

That Teen Age

Anne Lamott's latest work examines the difficulties parents face as their children grow and mature much too fast. Rosie is a senior in high school, doing all the things she should be doing (hanging out with friends, learning in class, thinking about boys) and some things she shouldn't (experimenting with drugs, skipping school, flirting with a teacher). Her mother, a recovering alcoholic, tries to do her best to keep tabs on Rosie and prevent the behavior from getting worse. Imperfect Birds captures and adeptly expresses the emotions of both women, leaving you wondering who is suffering the most.