Catherine Coles
Coles’ Notes
The staff of the County of L&A Libraries are avid readers and always eager to share their favourite books. Here we bring you a list of some of the reads we’ve recently enjoyed. This month you’ll find character-driven Can-Lit, some interesting non-fiction choices, a charming rom-com, and a novel of historical fiction.
Jennifer suggests Five Wives by Joan Thomas
“Based on true events, Five Wives tells the story of Canadian missionaries who attempt to convert Ecuador Indians to Christianity in the 1950s. As per the title, this character-driven novel is largely concerned with presenting the men who undertake the mission through their wives’ perspectives. A shifting narrative offers reflections on sexism, colonialism, indigeneity and faith. Its multifaceted nature is both circumspect and immersive. While it gives voice to particular mentalities, it also lends a buffer of reflective space like an ongoing conversation between the reader and the characters. This book challenges the reader to put the pieces of the past together and glean insight into the characters’ motivations. In a way, in a time of deep divisions, it resembles a journey into the heart of darkness.”
Andree suggests American Sherlock by Kate Winkler
“American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI is written by documentary producer and author of Death in The Air, Kate Winkler Dawson. In the prologue the author describes her research at the University of California at Berkeley Archives into the files, evidence boxes, letters and personal diaries of one of America’s first forensic scientists, Edward Oscar Heinrich. In the following chapters Dawson provides in-depth information on the people, evidence and trials of several of the more infamous cases Heinrich investigated. The author uses these cases to highlight Heinrich’s use/development of new forensic techniques such as the study of blood splatter patterns, fingerprint identification, and ballistics evidence. She also uses current scientific knowledge to show that some of Heinrich techniques like handwriting analysis were based on faulty assumptions. This thoroughly fascinating and entertaining portrait of Heinrich, his friends, colleagues and competitors would interest readers of true crime books and anyone curious about the start of modern forensics.”
Karen N suggests How to Catch a Mole: Wisdom from a Life Lived in Nature by Marc Hamer
“At once a reflective memoir and an ode to the outdoors, this collection of descriptive and engaging essays by English gardener and poet Marc Hamer narrates how this mole-catcher found his strange career: from sleeping among hedges as a homeless teen to toiling on the railway, to weeding windswept gardens in Wales. It reveals not only how to catch a mole—a craft long kept secret by its masters—but also the seldom-seen and unusual lives of the author’s muses.”
Patricia suggests Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
“Evvie is a recently widowed woman who lives in a small town where her husband was worshiped as a doctor. To avoid attention and gossip Evvie rarely leaves her home unless going to her weekly breakfast with her best friend Andy, a divorced dad of two. Dean is a former pitching sensation who can no longer throw a pitch and childhood friend of Andy. To avoid all of the negative attention of his failed career he accepts an invitation from Andy to escape to the small town and rent the apartment attached to Evvie’s house.
As Dean settles in to his apartment he and Evvie quickly become friends and make a pact: Dean will not ask about her marriage and Evvie will not ask about his baseball career. This friendship slowly turns into something more and sometimes rules must be broken. Readers are sure to enjoy a romance about people who genuinely like each other, the friendships they have, and the complicated family dynamics that play out. You might just enjoy this book if you liked Honey and Leonard by Mark Paul Smith, A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman, or The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg.”
Karen S suggest Home for Erring and Outcast Girls by Julie Kibler
Looking for a well-researched historical novel based on real life? In this dual timeline book we hear from two voices from the past and one from 2017. Mattie and Lizzie are residents of the Berachah Industrial Home in turn of the century Texas, a place that actually existed to take in “fallen” women and their children, which was unheard of at the time, most homes insisting that girls give up their babies. Mattie and Lizzie become best friends for life, even though their lives go different directions. Alternately we hear from Cate, a university librarian in 2017 who discovers the cemetery that is all that’s left of the home, and begins to research it through the university archives. An engaging novel with strong and likeable female protagonists, you’ll find yourself rooting for all three of the main characters. It is perfect for fans of The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes, The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, and The Oysterville Sewing Circle by Susan Wiggs.
All of these items are available in digital formats and can be reserved County of Lennox & Addington Libraries online at www.CountyLibrary.ca.