by Paulette Jiles

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My review:

“This gritty yet heart-warming western follows Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a former civil war soldier who travels across the vast wilderness of Texas to read the news in small, hardscrabble towns, charging a dime per listener. His path crosses with a feral, stubborn young girl who was kidnapped, raised, then abandoned by a Native American tribe, retaining only fragments of the German language and culture of her immigrant birth family. Kidd and Johanna’s journey toward home is tentative and at times harrowing, but it is an endearing story of hard-earned trust and an unflinching picture of the diverse people groups who have shaped America."

by Patrick D. Smith

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My review:

“An easy-to-read character study set in midcentury south Florida, Forever Island tells the tale of Charlie Jumper, an aged Seminole man whose quiet, attentive existence in the dynamic and evergreen swamp is threatened by accelerating land development. Though living remotely, Charlie’s connections are vast, from the alligators and raccoons near his camp to the fisherman, forest ranger and real estate agent who travel the same waters. Some characters are less developed, and the plot is somewhat predictable, but the author’s obvious respect for the native people of Florida and his empathetic angle on the inevitable and continuous clash of cultures make for an important and illuminating story.”

by Pico Iyer

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My review:

“In his compact series of essays, Iyer emphasizes our dire need to slow down, rest and reflect, offering beautiful insight and his first-hand experience as motivation to do so. The poetic language of his arguments builds on the lyrics of Leonard Cohen, the picturesque habitations of monks on California’s coast, the regimented art of Japanese architecture, and the illuminating research of military psychologists. In summary, Iyer offers this wisdom: “in an age of constant movement, nothing is more urgent than sitting still.”

by Joseph O'Neill

My review:

“Set in New York City in the wake of 9/11, this meditative novel portrays an unstable yet exploratory season in the life of Hans, a thirtysomething Dutch banker whose wife and son move overseas in search of stability. The story’s heart is Hans’ unlikely friendship with Chuck, an eccentric and larger-than-life West Indian immigrant who believes his passion for the sport of cricket will lead to a new era in American history. Though the plot meanders between Hans’ estrangement from his family, his pursuit of a driver's license and his musings on cross-cultural heritage, the book offers a profound and complex depiction of the masculine need for connection and mutual understanding.”