The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

Brilliant writing and wonderfully educational....

I really enjoyed learning about this never-before-told Holocaust story of two zookeepers in Warsaw who helped more than three hundred people escape and hide during WW2. However, I have a really hard time recommending it to others since its extremely historical and fact-driven, and reads more like a text book than a novel.

That being said, I found Ms. Ackerman's writing superb, as was her attention to detail and research on her subjects, both animal and human. The omnipresent comparison/contrast between human and animal subjects and how they are treated in this book was poignant, as was the essence of the story she tried to capture. At times I found it slightly monotonous/boring and found myself skimming, but as a whole I enjoyed reading it and learning about their lives and the sacrifices they made to help others.

I wish this novel had been written more as a work of fiction from the zookeeper's wife's perspective instead of from an outsider's perspective. I think it would have greatly enhanced the story and made it more enjoyable to read as a work of historical fiction/ novel.

Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell

Did the editor vanish too? ...

The reviews and recommendations of this book really intrigued and appealed to me. A story of a woman committed to an institution for more than sixty years, whose release upon the closing of the institution to a relative who never know of her existence is truly a unique and creative plot. So too was the writer's desire to tell the story from three perspectives and add multiple sub-plots which certainly enhanced the story. However, the stream-of-consciousness writing and lack of good editing did me in and I was left skimming the last seventy-five pages. Had this book been formatted differently, it would have been a much better read.

I can't recommend this book, although I would love to have read a copy of it in a different format where it didn't jump all over the place.

The Nineteenth Wife by David Ebershoff

An enjoyable read, especially for lovers of historical fiction...

The 19th Wife is an intriguing, insightful, captivating and educational example of historical fiction at its finest. The novel weaves together the stories of two women, both of whom are their husband's 19th wife in differing examples of pleural/celestial/polygamous marrages and cultures.

Perhaps just as interesting as the storylines themselves is the manner in which the stories are told from varying viewpoints/perspectives: the gay narrator Jordan who was excommunicated from the Firsts of Mesadale, Utah and whose mother is awaiting trial for allegedly killing her husband; Ann Eliza, Mormon Prophet Brigham Young's 19th wife (although her real "number" is debatable) who led the crusade to rid the Mormon church of its polygamous ways; a research student's Masters thesis on the evolution of the Mormon Church and its connection to celestial marriage; varying news articles and wikipedia entries, court documents, secret jail diaries, etc. While some may not prefer this method of storytelling, I found it greatly enhanced my understanding, appreciation and love of this book as a whole. It felt like I had personal access to historical documents and research, as opposed to just learning about their lives from the traditional narrational perspective.

Without going into too much detail, I would HIGHLY recommend this book for those who enjoy historical fiction, those interested in different religions/cultures, those with little or no knowledge about the Mormons or Firsts (like myself- it was really insightful!), bookclubs, and anyone taking religious studies, womens studies or history courses.