The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Donna Tartt is an intelligent and engaging writer. Although I didn't like The Goldfinch as much as I thought I would based on it's reviews, I DID love this story. Her characters are always unique individuals. Some I like better than others. Some leave me wondering what the true intent of their action is. This author always does a fantastic job with character development in her books, including someone's decline in character.

This is the story of a small, eclectic group of college students who study Greek under one professor. There are only six students: Henry, Francis, Charles & Camilla (twins), Bunny and Richard. The original five were good friends. They eventually accepted Richard into their group after their professor Julian (truly an enigma himself) was convinced to allow Richard to join his class. Richard was basically "out of his league" with this group. He was poor with no family support. The rest of them were insanely wealthy - or at minimum, their family presented as being wealthy. Richard made up his history in California, which is where he grew up. He made his life more interesting than it really was. The rest of them had genuinely led privileged lives. The college they all attended was called Hampden and it was located in Vermont.

Henry was pretty much the ringleader of the group. He seemed to be the most intelligent and the wealthiest. Francis was also wealthy, but a closeted gay man (at least as far as his parents were concerned). Charles & Camilla lived together and seemed to have a co-dependent relationship. We find out later that their relationship is even closer than they presented to the world. Bunny is the screwball. He's a party animal, fun, wicked, engaging. Richard is definitely "the outsider" for a long time. Which isn't a bad thing, all things said and done!

The original five decide they want to experience an "otherworldly" event of a spiritual nature. Everything they did involved A LOT of alcohol and other assorted drugs, and this "event" was no different. Something awful happened during the event, which ended up only involving Henry, Francis, Charles and Camilla. When Bunny finds out about it, he starts to blackmail Henry, and relentlessly taunts the rest of them, threatening exposure. Even I came to dislike Bunny intensely. At this point, Richard is still a peripheral part of this group. He honestly doesn't know what's going on between the other five. Soon though, Henry informs him of their situation. They decide that they need to "do something" about Bunny before he destroys them all.

This is a story of one thing leading to another; one bad decision leading to another bad decision. The reader experiences the negative results in an impactful way.  I would say that it's difficult to read about their lives falling apart, but the writing is absolutely compelling and convincing. I read the last 250 pages in one sitting. Very well written!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Fences by August Wilson

I saw this play as a movie starring Denzel Washington years ago. Denzel portrays Troy Maxson, who is not a very nice man. But, after reading this in play format, I developed a deeper understanding of who Troy is and why he does what he does. His own father was a troubled and abusive man. Troy's mother left him when he was 8 years old. One thing Troy's father taught him was the value of hard work. Troy does the best he can, only knowing his own childhood trauma, and finding a way to survive it.

Troy has two sons, Lyons (34) and his teenage son, Cory, who he shares with his current wife, Rose. Lyons perceives himself as a musician, but he doesn't seem to work overly hard at it. He is always asking his father for money. When Troy tells him to get a job, Lyons explains that he just wants to live a life that he enjoys. This infuriates Troy, who wants Lyons to make something of himself. Troy also pushes Cory to get a job, even though Cory wants to play football and even has a recruiter interested in him. Troy refuses to even meet with the recruiter, since he believes that the world of athletics caters to white athletes and that even if Cory got recruited to play football in college, he would just sit on the bench because he's black. Troy himself was a talented ball player, but couldn't get anywhere playing baseball because he was black.

Troy loves Rose, but that doesn't stop him from seeing another woman (Alberta) on the side. Even when Troy's best friend, Bono, tells Troy that Rose loves him and doesn't deserve what he is doing to her, Troy explains that he loves both women. Troy and Rose have been married for 18 years when Troy tells Rose that he is going to be a father again. Rose is deeply hurt, as she should be. Rose had allowed Troy to consume her during their marriage, giving him her whole self, to the point that she doesn't even know who she is anymore. When Alberta dies in childbirth, Troy brings the baby girl (Raynell) to Rose and asks Rose to raise her. Since Raynell is an innocent child, Rose agrees to become Raynell's mother, but declares she is no longer Troy's wife.

The other significant person in Troy's life is his brother, Gabriel. Gabriel suffered a traumatic brain injury in the war and received $3,000 for his pain and suffering. Troy takes that money and buys the home he lives in with Rose and Cory. Gabriel lived there too, until he decided he wanted to live more "independently". Troy feels guilt over using Gabriel's money, but also feels he is responsible for Gabriel. Which basically, he is.

Troy is a complex man. An angry man. A hard working man. He would be very difficult to love. With that being said, he manages his life and his family the only way he knows. And at the foundation, he loves his family and feels an undeniable need to take care of them all, in his own way.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray

What a fantastic book to start out the new year! Stephanie Dray has a wonderful, engaging writing style and Frances Perkins is a fascinating and impressive historical figure that I definitely didn't know enough about. It's so motivating to read about strong, intelligent women who are forces of nature. I was also intrigued by a young Franklin D Roosevelt. When I think of FDR, I think of a former president who was in a wheelchair. I never thought of him as a handsome, charismatic, young man who charmed the pants off the people around him. I also loved reading about how much he matured in his thinking as he aged, and certainly after polio left him wheelchair-bound. I loved his undeniable faith in, and support of, Frances Perkins. For FDR to want a woman appointed to his cabinet in the 1930s is truly remarkable. Even when Frances sometimes caused trouble for him, due to her own strong views, his support of her was unshakeable. I'm just not sure we have these kind of role models in today's society, much less in today's political system.

To be totally honest, I had no idea that it was Frances Perkins, and her husband, Paul Wilson, who came up with the idea of Social Security. Like many (most!) Americans, I have never thought about a time before Social Security. It's just always been there. When I think of the drive, ambition, determination and fearlessness it took for her (with the support of FDR) to push this idea through Congress, the House and the Senate, it's hard to fathom. 

On top of her work, Frances had a challenging personal life as well. Paul was a good husband for her because he supported her intelligence and independence at a time when women were supposed to stay home, have babies, and take care of the home. He accepted her for who she was. Paul was deeply intelligent in his own right. Unfortunately, he was also mentally ill, which presented itself years after they were married. They both wanted several children, but after losing one to miscarriage and one to stillbirth, they were only able to have one daughter, Susanna. Susanna took after her father, beautiful and intelligent, but saddled with mental illness. Frances felt guilt her entire marriage as she tried to do right by her family and also the American people.

Frances had an eclectic group of close friends that she was deeply loyal to: repeat presidential candidate Al Smith (although she eventually chose to support FDR over Al Smith), Mary Harriman Rumsey (a millionaire socialite who she lived with once her husband was sent to live in an asylum) and Sinclair Lewis (who seemed deeply in love with her for most of his life).

I highly recommend this book! Definitely impressive!

Wendy's Rating: *****