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Wednesday, December 01, 2021

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult and The Stills by Jess Montgomery

 

I first read about this one on Diane's First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesday and quickly got myself a copy of Jodi Picoult's latest book.

Although I admit to being curious when I read the First Chapter intro, it didn't begin to reveal how much I would love the book.  I fell in quickly and was engrossed the entire time.  

Wish You Were Here is a book that you want to read without knowing much about it, so it is difficult to review and not give too much information, but it is one of my favorite books of the year and was full of surprises.  

It is a story of Covid and relationships, beautifully written, and revealing.  Picoult did a great deal of research for the book and it shows, making the story almost more realistic than some of what we read in the news...but it is also much more than that.  A remarkable book and highly recommended.

I want to say more about all of the ways Picoult turned this story on its head, but that would not be fair.  I've recommended it to my daughters and friends so I will hopefully have someone to discuss it with.

You can read Diane's review when she finished it--here. Don't miss this one!  5/5

NetGalley/Random House/Ballentine

Literary Fiction. Nov. 30, 2021.  Print length:  336 pages.


I finally got around to reading The Stills, the third book in the Kinship series.  World-building is usually associated with science fiction or fantasy, but Jess Montgomery is so skilled at creating atmosphere and historic details that the term applies to her books set in Bronwen County, Ohio, part of the Appalachian range.

Thanksgiving Day, 1927, begins well with friends and family enjoying a dinner together.  But when a young boy nearly dies from tainted moonshine, Prohibition and revenuers, moonshiners, and a plan to take over bootlegging territory  emerge.  The Prologue deals with what Zachariah saw as he watches over Marlena's still and move on to the Thanksgiving celebration at Sheriff Lily Ross' home.  

The section about dehydrated grape brick turning into wine when Mama, Lily, and Marvena are preparing for dinner was  fun. 

Under the Volstead Act, whose rules regulated Prohibition, grapes could be grown, but only if they were being used for non-alcoholic consumption. Furthermore, if the winemaker sold grapes to someone, aware they were going to use them to make wine, they themselves could be jailed.

It meant that in selling their grape bricks, winemakers had to be able to maintain deniability that their product could be used to produce alcohol. To get around this, winemakers ensured that their grape bricks carried a warning not to leave it in water for too long in case, heaven forbid, it should begin fermenting and turn to wine.

The warning in fact also served as an instruction manual, specifically advising the buyer “not to leave that jug in the cool cupboard for 21 days, or it would turn into wine”.  (source)

One of the strengths of these novels is Montgomery's ability to create a setting in which landscape, culture, historical issues, and characters blend so authentically that the reader is immersed in the story.  In addition, Montgomery has created so many strong female characters--Lily and Marvena and Fiona, such different women, but ultimately made of sterner stuff than they may have ever believed.  

I fell in love with the characters in The Widows, enjoyed them even more in The Hollows, and was glad to join them in The Stills.  The book alternates between Sheriff Lily Ross' pov and that of Fiona Vogel.  

A couple of other interesting facts:  the use of asthma cigarettes to treat asthma and the separation of sexes in many Protestant churches.  Lily speaks of the end  (in 1927) of separation by gender in the Presbyterian Church, and I could only find that many Protestant churches practiced this gender separation.

Purchased.

Historical Mystery.  2021.  Print length: 362 pages.

Osler’s support for smoking was reinforced by other physicians. As Eric K Chu and Jeffrey M Drazen have suggested, smoking stramonium remained a recommended treatment option for asthma in medical textbooks published throughout the early decades of the twentieth century.64  (Source)  




What were some of your November favorites?

22 comments:

  1. This is the second strongly positive review I've read of the new Jodi Picoult book. Thank you!

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    1. It is one of those books that take you by surprise and give plenty to think about. :)

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  2. I'm very intrigued by Jess Montgomery's books! Another series I keep meaning to read. ;D Maybe next year.

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    1. The Kinship series does a great job with characters and setting--I think you'd like it!

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  3. I'm so happy that you LOVED Wish You Were Here as much as I did.

    I've never read Jess Montgomery but it sounds like a good series.

    BTW - thanks for the shout out and link! I appreciate that!

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    1. I did love Wish You Were Here, but if I had not read that first paragraph on your post for First Paragraph Tuesday, I don't think I'd have read it!

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  4. I've now read a number of rave reviews about Picoult's latest book. It must be quite something!

    The Montgomery book does indeed seem like another interesting entry in what must be a fascinating series.

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    1. Wish You Were Here caught my interest and kept it. Picoult kept me from knowing what to expect and that is always a good thing.

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  5. I like the Montogomery book very much indeed. Thank you for the review.

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    1. I've enjoyed all three of the books in this series. I know you like historical mysteries, Mystica, so I hope you get to read the Kinship series. :)

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  6. I'm on the list for the Jodi Picoult book at oou library. Oh my, those cigarette ads!!

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    1. I hope you like Wish You Were Here! The asthma cigarettes were used to inhale Atropine, which opened airways before inhalers. Hard to believe, now.

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  7. Oh my, cigarettes for asthma? So crazy! And that's really interesting about the grape bricks. I had no idea. The Stills sounds really good. :)

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    1. The Atropine in the cigarettes helped open airways...while causing other damage to the lungs. Medicines in the late 1800's and early 1900's contained a lot of questionable ingredients. The Kinship series provides an interesting look at the time period. :)

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  8. I bought Picoult's latest book on a whim when I was at Costco the other day. I'm so glad it's receiving such high praise!

    My favorites in November were The Splendid and the Vile and A Homemade Life. Two 5/5 read in one month!

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    1. Hope you enjoy Wish You Were Here, Les. You had a very good November Nonfiction month!

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  9. I've read a few Picoult's books and I've to say most of her topics revolve around sensitive/sentimental issues which are often thought-provoking. Some of them made me cry too. Will have to check out her latest book.

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    1. I found Wish You Were here to be a unique take on the pandemic. I think you'd like it, Melody!

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  10. I'm glad you liked the Picoult book. I'm curious to read pandemic novels ... so I'll have to add it. It's nice to read fiction about we've been going through for the past almost two years! I think it helps.

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    1. There are so many pandemic stories because it hit the world, not just one area, and everyone of us has thoughts about it. Picoult did an excellent job on this one.

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  11. Wow Picoult is on target with a COVID related novel. Very impressive.

    I got my mother into reading the Jess Montgomery books. My mom is from Ohio and the combination of history and mystery is a good one. We are just waiting for The Stills to come into paperback next year before we get it (I haven't been able to convince her to try ebooks from the library so buying is currently our best option LOL).

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  12. I get completely lost in the world Jess Montgomery has created whenever she has a new Kinship book out. She's one of the authors whom I wish would write faster!

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