Mrs. Pollifax on Safari

Mrs. Pollifax on Safari / Dorothy Gilman
read by Barbara Rosenblat
Ashland, OR: Blackstone Publishing, 1992, c1976.

 

Continuing my run of the Mrs. Pollifax series, I've made it to book five. In Mrs. Pollifax on Safari, we find Emily heading to Zambia, assigned to join a safari and take photos of all the others in the group. Carstairs just needs photos so they can try to figure out the identity of a political assassin who has eluded all the intelligence agencies. They think he'll be on this safari to meet his next contact - so no theatrics, just photos to share with the CIA when she returns. But of course things quickly get much more complicated and Mrs. Pollifax finds herself in the centre of a few different imbroglios. 

On the safari, she needs to be suspicious of everyone. Who knows who the assassin really is? But she meets Cyrus, a retired judge and fellow American, who is travelling with his adult daughter. Surely he can't be her target -- thankfully so, as they begin to develop an affinity during the days that follow. 

The set-up, a closed group of suspects that Emily has to carefully examine, gives great opportunity for character development and description. I greatly enjoyed that part and also the descriptions of the Zambian countryside. The Mrs. Pollifax stories are like travelogues and that is one of the delights of them for me. 

The characters in this story are all quite intriguing, ranging from quite ordinary to eccentric to boorish to completely delusional. There are some chilling parts of this story, as Mrs. Pollifax finds herself in darker circumstances than expected. And some startling turns in the story too, to keep you on your toes.

Once again I listened to the audio version read by the delightful Barbara Rosenblat. She rarely makes a misstep but in this one, one of the characters, a doctor from a charity hospital elsewhere in Zambia, is originally Canadian. And I don't know why she gave him an accent but it made me laugh out loud when it started. It had the weirdest tinge of both Maritimes and Mike from Canmore. 

But a good read and the enjoyable return of a character from the first volume in this series made it extra fun. I'm really liking this whole series so far. 

Not At Home

Not At Home / Doris Langley Moore
London: Dean Street Press, 2020, c1948.
300 p.

It's Dean Street December, and I'm pleased to be sharing another read from the Furrowed Middlebrow imprint. I love these books and have found many enjoyable ones over the past few years. I first read Moore's All Done By Kindness last year, and found it a fun read. This one has similarities but it's a bit more focused on one woman and one house. 

Elinor MacFarren is a middle-aged spinster, botanical writer, and collector of prints and objets d’art, but she is finding that post WWII she is finding it hard to afford her home and her collections. After some thought, she decides that she will rent part of her home out, to a congenial person. She will move her bedroom to her study, and give up her parlour to the use of a renter. The spare room will be shared by either's guests. She's planning to be very careful about it, and gets a recommendation from a friend who runs an antique shop. Mrs. Antonia Bankes, an American, wants a home since her husband will be coming back from his war duties and she doesn't want them to live in a hotel. After gushing, sincere promises about what a good, quiet and reliable tenant she will be, Elinor accepts. And that's the beginning of her trials. 

Antonia Bankes is a horror. She says whatever she needs to in the moment to avoid conflict or accountability, but never means a word of it. Elinor begins to learn to her chagrin, that her beautiful objets are being misused, damaged and lost, while Antonia encroaches further and further into her home. There are always giddy friends staying with her, using the spare room, and making a mess for the one servant to deal with, until she finally has enough and leaves. 

When Antonia's husband shows up, he's a decent fellow and Elinor warms to him. And when he's there, Antonia seems to settle down a little. But then they drop the bombshell - they have two children they want to bring over from America and establish in the spare room. This leads Elinor to lengths of subterfuge and trickery she never thought she'd be capable of, as she angles to get rid of the Bankes. With her rival in botanical collecting as an unexpected ally, and her flamboyant nephew who is involved in the movies to help out (along with his amusing lady friend, who's all in) she finagles a few things into going her way. And despite the long war on her own turf, she eventually triumphs. 

This was entertaining, in a way, but also a stressful read, as Elinor is invaded in her own home, essentially. Antonia is immensely selfish and self-absorbed and poor Elinor's manners and ideas of social norms restrict her from fighting back until far too much time has passed. It was an interesting range of characters, all who shed light on the post-war realities of London from different angles. From older Brits like Elinor, to Americans, to young things like her nephew's lady friend, there are many perspectives and portrayals. I found that part satisfying. But I certainly would have liked to see Antonia tossed out on her ear much earlier! 

The joy of reading Moore's books lies in her observations of characters and their interactions. She understands people very well and creates some fascinating studies. All while developing a good story. There are some parts in the book which are very much of their time, like casual references to "red Indians" and some animal cruelty, which are slight asides but do colour it. Still, a pretty good read, although I think I liked All Done By Kindness just a little more. 

The Joy Luck Club

The Joy Luck Club / Amy Tan
NY: Penguin, 2006, c1989.
288 p.

I first read this years ago, when it was new, and saw the film as well. I recently picked it up again and reread it, and found that it was still a compelling read. I'd forgotten a lot about it, but this time around I got more nuance in the mother-daughter relationships, and could understand both sides of all the stories. It's beautifully written, with some memorable characters, and I just love the polyphonic storytelling, where the core of the story is circled by so many voices. 

The story looks at four women who have immigrated from China, who meet regularly at a Mah Jong game. They each have daughters. Each of these characters tell their stories in sixteen short chapters; it's bookended with the voice of the character June Mei. The themes range from the mothers' experiences in China as children themselves, the experiences of first and second generation immigrants and the drive to keep one's culture, and the mother-daughter relationship overall. These three things all meld in this book, each affecting the other; you can't separate them. 

The stories aren't balanced, in the sense that we get a lot more information about some characters than others, and the character voices can be hard to keep apart. But this was Tan's first book, and she was ambitious with this structure - while it isn't perfect, I did find that the overlapping stories and relationships resonated and created a fuller picture than if just one character was narrating. This was groundbreaking when it was published, with a story of Asian immigrants becoming a best-seller and hitting the mainstream. There are many more stories to choose from now, but I still feel a fondness for this one. It digs into the female experience in a way that was fresh at the time of publication, and still valuable to read now. 

If you haven't read it, I think it is worth exploring - it's a classic that is still studied widely and I think there are good reasons for that. It still engaged me on this reread. 

 

Shopgirls

Shopgirls / Jessica Anya Blau
NY: Mariner, c2025.
272 p.

I'm not sure how I heard about this book, but it's a shop novel, and it's set in the 80s. I do love both of those things! So I gave it a try. I thought it was a good read, but not especially striking as a whole. It had the atmosphere of an earnest after-school special in some ways, particularly the conclusion. Maybe that was the 80s influence. But the emotional depth of this novel does feel more YAish to me. 

Zippy is a young woman who wants to go to college but has no guidance as to how to do that. So she gets a job at the San Francisco department store I. Magnin instead. She's in the dress department and has to learn everything on the fly; she's a very young person with little experience of this world (she rotates between her 3 thrift store outfits, saving to buy something from the store eventually). She turns out to be a good salesperson, succeeding wildly which of course stirs up jealousy and someone tries to  sabotage her work. She is cast out for a while, but everything comes out perfectly in the end. That is one of the reasons I felt this was more of a nostalgic fairytale than realism.  

What did I like? The setting was interesting, the time period was my jam - even though some of the cultural references were tucked in a bit clumsily, just to get them in there. I loved the discussion of the actual clothes and the designers, and in parts this reminded me of one of my favourite store reads, Women in Black by Madeleine St John. But. 

What didn't I like? Zippy's name, for starters, it feels so heavy handedly quirky. Her new roommate Rachel, who is older and really into dieting culture, which is just presented as Rachel saying things that are never challenged, like her suggestion to only eat every second day. What? The ridiculousness of some of the things Zippy does at work -- making paper dolls of all her coworkers, for example. And the story arc disappointed me, the easiness of the plot conclusion felt unsatisfying and led to that after-school-special vibe. 

I didn't hate it but I felt it really wasn't as exciting or 80s drenched as I was hoping for. I'd say okay for a quick read when you don't want to be too challenged by anything dark or hopeless. 

Looking for You

Alexander McCall Smith writes so many books and so many series that I can barely keep up with him, just as a reader! But I enjoyed the first volume in this little series so I thought I'd try the second one too. Maybe because I've been in the mood for some gentler reads lately in antidote to all my mystery reading, this one suited. 

Katie Donald is still running her cousin's matchmaking company in Edinburgh, and starting to get the hang of it. Her cousin Ness is still in Canada. And her business neighbour Will is now un-engaged, but their relationship is still undefined, beyond friendship. 

It's told in a series of client stories, in which Katie and William help a range of people find a match, or at least try to. We meet a crashing snob who only wants someone with his level of social caché, which strains Katie's professionalism a bit. And there is a woman who met 'the perfect man' at a supermarket but didn't give him her name or contacts, or get his - and now hopes they can find him again. And there are others, with McCall Smith's trademark musings, asides and philosophical additions. Lots of small observations of the minutia that make up daily life, which enrich the narrative. 

If you're in the mood for a slower paced, charming read that is just easy and gentle, I'd recommend this series as a good pick. Just perfect for a peaceful read. 

The Lightning Bottles

 

The Lightning Bottles / Marisa Stapley 
TO: Simon & Schuster Canada, c2024.
294 p.

This has a little bit of mystery/suspense to it but it's really more about relationships, fame, trust and music. It's a Canadian novel but takes place mainly in the US and Germany - and a bit of the rest of Europe as well. 

Jane Pyre grows up stifled in small town Ontario. She wants to be a musician, a star, and finds a 'soulmate' on an online forum. Elijah Hart lives in Seattle and is there at the beginnings of the grunge movement. When Jane finally decides to leave home (still a teenager), she makes her way to Elijah. His bandmates see her as a bit of a Yoko Ono, but she and Elijah are magic together -- their songs (well, Jane's songs, really) shoot them into the stratosphere. But despite their soul connection, Jane can't keep fame from affecting Elijah in all the worst ways. He starts using, he's unreliable, and eventually he disappears. The fan base turns on Jane, blaming her, of course. 

Much later, Jane retreats to a tiny remote town in Germany. But next door lives Hen, a teenager and superfan of the Lightning Bottles, who recognizes Jane. Hen is convinced that Elijah has been leaving coded messages for Jane through street art across Europe, and somehow convinces Jane to check it out with her. And then the two of them go on a road trip across Germany, France and Iceland to find Elijah, if it is indeed him leaving obscure signs. 

This is a really entertaining read. There are some dark themes, and some sadness and exhaustion that permeates the pages, but it kept me reading. The look at 90s music, the cost of fame, misogyny in the music world, the world of street art, and the drive toward musical life especially in Jane -- it's all intriguing and slots together really smoothly. With this tough, hard world, I would have loved to see Jane more powerful and less forgiving overall. But it's a perfect rock n roll story if you're in the mood for something both nostalgic and edgy. There is a lot to think about, including the ending, and it made for a satisfying read. 

Crafting an Alibi: a Gasper's Cove mystery

 

Crafting an Alibi / Barbara Emodi
Lafayette, CA: C&T, c2025
224 p.

It's the beginning of a new month, and I have lots of Christmas reading planned. But I still have a bunch of reviews to share from my recent mystery binge, so will have to catch up on a few of those before I switch over to holiday fare. 

Starting with one in a series that I've read all of so far -- this is Book 5 in the entertaining Gasper's Cove mystery series. We meet many of the same characters we've seen over the last few books, but see them from new angles. And there are some new characters added too, perhaps ones we will see again. 

As this story begins, Valerie is invited into a big secret held by a group of senior ladies, now resident at the Seaview Manor. She is asked to find some valuable fabric hidden decades ago, but before she can do it, the hiding place is burned to the ground. Unfortunately for Valerie, it was her family cottage and there was a renter in it. 

This set-up leads to some dramatic events -- insurance investigations, attempted murders, further fires -- all while Valerie is trying to puzzle out the clues (missing important steps as usual). She is also in the midst of helping to plan her cousin/best friend's wedding, dealing with her emotions over being an empty nester, and of course losing a family property. 

There is a lot going on here, but it's rooted in the same small town atmosphere as the previous books in the series. It has the hallmarks of a Gasper's Cove story - some Nova Scotia history, some cozy relationships which involve food and tea, and Valerie's crafting knowledge, which always plays a part. I really enjoyed the cabal of old ladies at Seaview Manor in this novel and hope to see their cleverness highlighted again.  

If you've enjoyed this series so far, this is a good addition, with some lovely scenes as well as some heart-pounding ones. Beware, you may be left craving butter tarts after this one!

(first published in slightly different form at FollowingTheThread)