So Far Away

"Natalie had no answer to this question.  It was all too much to bear; the fainting, the laughing, her inadvertent insulting of Taylor. This too she would have to pay for--she would have to pay for all of it, and the price would be high."
~So Far Away, Meg Mitchell Moore

I suppose you'd call So Far Away "chick lit" (which is not my favorite term), because it's a story about girls and women, and relationships, some broken, and some just beginning.  But it's chick lit with a serious focus.  Published in 2012 by Reagan Arthur Books, this new novel by Meg Mitchell Moore centers around two main characters, Kathleen Lynch, an archivist at a library in Massachusetts, and Natalie Gallagher, a thirteen-year-old who's intrigued by the discovery of a diary of a domestic servant, Bridget O'Connell Callaghan, from County Kerry, Ireland.  When Natalie visits the library to research the life of this Irish immigrant, Kathleen and Natalie begin a friendship, slowly and tentatively.  Kathleen, a widow, is estranged from her only child, Susannah, and sees bits of her daughter in Natalie.  Natalie is the target of cyber bullying in the form of nasty, threatening text messages sent to her phone by her former best friend, Hannah, and a "popular" girl, Taylor. 

So Far Away held my attention firmly, although the cyberbullying provoked my anger and frustration. The  behavior of Hannah and Taylor disgusted me; I wondered why some girls become "mean girls" at the age of thirteen or fourteen.  (I guess it's hormonal, but why does it become intense and dangerous, in some cases?) This aspect of the story is a main focus, which upset me and made me want to hug my own teenage daughters. 

Overall, I found the book quite compelling and plausible.  Bridget's diary, read to Natalie by Kathleen's friend and co-worker, Neil, is fascinating, and was a welcome relief from the relentless cyberbullying.  I enjoyed reading about the gradually developing friendship between Kathleen and Natalie (I sensed that they would have a special connection early in my reading), and I hoped that they'd be able to help each other.  Meg Mitchell Moore is a terrifically skilled writer, and I read the novel eagerly, hoping (of course) that things would work out well for both Kathleen and Natalie. The ending of this story is excellent; matters are not tied up too neatly, but are instead resolved in a more realistic manner (this book could even have a sequel).  I'd definitely read more books by this author, such as The Arrivals (which came out in paperback in May), or future works.  

This is the second book I've read for The Reagan Arthur Books Challenge, a reading challenge I've revisited after a hiatus, hosted by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog and Julie from Booking Mama.  Special thanks to Lisa for sending me an advanced copy of this book.  I took a small liberty and quoted from this novel; the final version of the book may be different from the one I read.  Your comments are welcomed, as always.

13 rue Thérèse

"La vie est la fleur dont l'amour est le miel."
~Jean Baptiste Alphonse Karr

I had high hopes for 13 rue Thérèse by Elena Mauli Shapiro. This eye-catching, antique-looking book arrived gift wrapped in matching checkered paper, along with a small tin of candy and a personal note. While I did enjoy it, I can't say that I was wowed by it. I found it clever, but I didn't truly love it.

13 rue Thérèse is mostly narrated by a character who's a scholar of French literature, Trevor Stratton. In letters addressed to "Sir", he tells a story within the story about Louise Brunet, a Frenchwoman who lived through both World Wars, based on a box full of artifacts, which his secretary, Josianne Noireau, has placed in a cabinet for him to surreptitiously find, open, and examine.

Perhaps I'm too old-fashioned or "old school", but overall it felt too much like traditional male fantasy to me, because it includes a bold sexual proposition from Louise to someone she has just met, adultery, lying "inappropriately" in confession, and a bit of lesbianism. I'm sure Louise was supposed to seem ahead of her time, especially sexually, but it just didn't seem all that believable to me. In this Parisian story, passions don't simmer but ignite instantly, without much thought about repercussions. But, I guess the story is male fantasy after all, given that Trevor is the one telling the story.

For me, the most successful aspect of the book is the design, the imaginative and unique layout. Many of the chapters have French titles, and sprinkled throughout the book are lovely, old style photos, letters, postcards, and miscellaneous illustrations--contents of the box Trevor has discovered--along with vibrant prose, and copious footnotes. Visually it's quite nice, although some of the footnotes were long and it was a strain for me to read the tiny print. I didn't love love love 13 rue Therese, but if you are looking for a light, amusing book, saturated with sex, then this might be the book for you. It will be available to the public in February of 2011.

Special thanks to Reagan Arthur for sending me this book, my first (and hopefully not last) one for The Reagan Arthur Books Challenge.