Trust Marie's taste? Here's what she's picked in the past!
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
At first glance this novel appears to be straightforward historical
fiction surrounding the life of Ann Eliza Young, the outcast wife of
Brigham Young, a founding prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Yet,
intertwined is a modern tale of a murder mystery involving a polygamist
family in present-day Utah. The research lengths the author went to
for his novel are impressive. At a recent lunch event he told attendees
stories of interviewing former members of FLDS communities, of visiting
one Utah community himself, and of hours spent poring over historical
documents. While the connection between the historical and fictitious
is especially strong, what is most extraordinary are the “documents”
interspersed within it: a Wikipedia entry, newspaper articles, a college
thesis paper, and more, all penned by the author himself but seemingly
so authentic that I had to flip back to the Author’s Note to check
for citations. A complex, timely and addictive mixture of past and present,
this book will no doubt spark discussion and entice readers to learn
more about this piece of American religious history. Great for
book clubs!
978-1-4000-6397-0 | $26.00/$30.00C | Random House | HC | August 2008
Relentless Pursuit: A Year in the Trenches with Teach for America: by Donna Foote
I admit it. I considered Teach for America. I suppose you could say
it was a “Plan B” for me. But after reading this book I
realize as a “Plan B”er I never would have made it. Never
mind the rigorous admissions process involving rounds of interviews
and calculated formulas, the duties bestowed upon TFA corps members
demand nothing less than amazing tenacity and voracious devotion. Foote’s
book weaves stories of four young teachers at a South Central Los Angeles
high school with historical accounts of the birth and growth of the
organization which, since its 1990 founding, has taken on the monumental
task of closing the U.S. educational achievement gap. These corps members
represent a select few of the many thrown into the most desperate classrooms
after only one summer of intense training. This is a book that informs
as much as it challenges, addressing criticisms and spotlighting the
problems that face so many of America’s young and disadvantaged.
A humbling read not just for this former TFA enthusiast but also for
those interested in learning more about Teach for America and the discrepancies
within our country’s public education system.
978-0-307-26571-5 l $24.95 l Knopf l HC l April 2008
