Anthem Recommends Seven Summer Books for Women!
Every summer, magazines,
websites, publishers, friends and family recommend a slew of new summer books
to read. Maybe you take those recommendations, maybe you don’t. Maybe you
choose your own picks and devour them over the blistering summertime heat.
According to the New
York Times’ summer read recommendations, it calls for “no hard” literature, no “deep
and twisted meaning”. The Times explains they wanted, romance, fun, light summer
reads and that is what it recommends to its readers. I disagree; I want hard,
complex characters. Complexity is fine by me. I keep a minimum of 3 books
with me, a fun read, a “my choice deep read”, and a book I am usually reading for a review. Don’t limit yourself to only romance novels during the
summer months, nor limit to only newly released books, but if you so choose to,
great, JUST READ, something, anything!
If romance summer reads
is what you are looking for, my recommendations will do you little good.
Although love is a factor, deep, complex relationships between- mother and
child, men and women are at the core of the books I am recommending. All of the “Seven
Books of Summer Recommendations” I have read and adored. Whatever your
literary preference, I offer my own suggestions for women, you lovers of the
written word. Enjoy. Here it goes….
"Seven Books of Summer"
Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain: Set during the Great Depression; Mildred Pierce is
the story of a woman doing her best to help maintain the financial status of
her family. She leaves her lazy husband and starts working in a restaurant.
Mildred is an amazing female character. She does everything for her children.
Yet, her oldest daughter, Veda is the most ungrateful thing imaginable. This
book tells the truth of what it is like to be a mother, the struggle, the
constant sacrifice by mothers and the sometimes painful treatment a mother
suffers at the relentlessness of their children.
The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton: Poor, Poor
Ruth. She is such an awkward girl with low self-esteem. She has a mother that treats
her brutally. Ruth has a brother that is a math whiz and is favored and loved
by her mother. Ruth has no friends. Ruth’s only friend is found in her aunt and
the aunt becomes a saving grace for poor Ruth. She encourages Ruth to write and
read. Throughout the novel the aunt and Ruth maintain the most decent
relationship throughout the entire book. They become pen pals. These letters
prove a lifesaver for poor Ruth throughout the novel. Hamilton develops the
character of Ruth from childhood to adulthood. The reader gets to watch Ruth
grow into a woman, a wife, and a mother. But the poor, insecure and awkward Ruth
is never given a chance to grow into her full potential. Her mother is
relentless as ever with each passing day. This book has one of my favorite
passages in all of literature. After coming home from church, Ruth sees 3 burnt
crows upside down on a telephone pole. She immediately shivers with a feeling
of fear. After the horrible incident between her husband and mother, Ruth is adamant
that the crows were a prelude to this. She states “Sometimes God gives you a
warning sign.” This book will not let you put it down.
In the Context of Love by Linda K. Sienkiewicz: A beautiful and interesting look at love and the
loves that shape one’s life. Angelica falls in love with the high school bad
boy. The relationship forever changes the relationship between mother and
daughter. This makes the reader want more. Sienkiewicz does a marvelous job of
creating tension and then when the reality of why Angelica’s mother feels
so harshly against bad boy Joe it eases the reader with pure understanding. But
it doesn’t stop there. The book covers decades of Angelica’s life. We see her
love, grow, make mistakes, learn, and become a mother and a positive force when
given a second chance. But the past has a way of creeping back into your life
and it is not always a bad thing to have your past become your present. This is
a great read. So full of the complex relationships between mother and daughter,
boyfriend and girlfriends, husbands and wives. You will get lost in the
beautiful tale of love.
Snow in May by Kseniya Melnik: The most
wonderful collection of short stories by Russian writer Melnik. This book will transport
you to a different time, a different place and shower you with delight at each
beautiful tale. “Love Italian Style, or in Line for Bananas” is a wonderful
story of a mother and wife and the temptation of a fling and how love
overpowers it all. Melnik is such a fresh voice and is bound to keep you cool
and interested from first page to last. I love these short stories. Take it in
story by story and enjoy!
God Help the Child by Toni Morrison: After reading
Beloved, you will have no clue Morrison wrote God Help the Child. Morrison’s
voice is completely different, her work contrary to the mother in Beloved. This
is a cool, modern take on a strong woman Bride and her even stronger mother,
Sweetness, whose name is in no way suggestive to her character. Sweetness is a
tough-love mother that punishes Bride for being dark. This constant treatment
of Bride makes Bride tough and eventually successful as an adult. As the book
continues it is clear that Sweetness had her reasons for treating Bride as she
did and everything comes full circle by the end of the book. God Help the Child
is an interesting look at what a mother feels necessary to do to in order to
protect and prepare her child for the world, however questionable. Morrison
writes a short, interesting read at how love comes in different forms, shapes
and colors. I’d like to see this book made into a movie and Lupe N’yongo play
Bride. It would be such a good film.
Happy Reading!
By Francine @
Anthem Book Review