Eleanor Brown: Recommended Reads of 2011
Eleanor Brown is the author of the New York Times bestseller, “The Weird Sisters,” which tackles the complicated terrain of sisters. Brown’s novel has been called “Genuinely funny … buoyant” by The New York Times, “delightful,” by People magazine, and “a page-turner from the start” by Ladies Home Journal. When we asked Brown to recommended books from this year, she said the following: “Because narrowing down a list of favorites is impossible for me, I decide to focus on books published in 2011 that changed me somehow, by exposing me to an unfamiliar subject, opening my mind to a different perspective, or teaching me something about writing opening my mind to a different perspective.”
“Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind: A Bestseller’s Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood” by Ellen F. Brown and John Wiley, Jr. Who would have thought that the story of a book’s publication would be as page-turning as a thriller? From the pre-publication process (Mitchell thought it would take her six weeks to edit that behemoth of a manuscript for publication) to the juggernaut of book sales and licensing (“Gone with the Wind” fabric – put Scarlett and Rhett on your curtains!) to international piracy (a loophole in early copyright law meant Mitchell spent much of the rest of her life tracking unauthorized international editions) and, of course, the unforgettable movie version, Ellen Brown and John Wiley write the book’s biography in such a way that you will be interrupting conversations with anecdotes about “Gone with the Wind” for months to come.
“The Mistress’s Revenge” by Tamar Cohen. A completely “unputdownable” read, “The Mistress’s Revenge” is narrated in uncomfortably close first person by Sally, who is coping very poorly with the end of a long affair she has had with a married man. I would never have guessed that watching someone fall completely to pieces would be so funny or so delightfully horrifying, but Cohen is such a good writer that I found myself simultaneously cheering for and gasping at Sally’s behavior. As a writer, I wanted to study the book to see how she did it, but as a reader, I couldn’t keep from devouring the story. Even better – it’s topped off with one of the most delicious and surprising endings I’ve ever encountered.
“The Paris Wife” by Paula McLain. I’d heard of “The Paris Wife,” but the fact that I thought it was about Hemingway made me lukewarm on reading it until I saw Paula McLain speak at the Gaithersburg Book Festival. “The Paris Wife” is the story of Hadley Richardson, Ernest Hemingway’s first wife, following her through their courtship and their move to Paris, and then the unraveling of their relationship. McLain, a poet, is a gorgeous writer, and her protective devotion to Hadley was evident when I heard her speak. She brings the characters to life as real people – infuriating, sad, and loveable, and though I finished the book months ago, I find myself thinking about it frequently.
“The Kingdom of Childhood” by Rebecca Coleman. Marylander Rebecca Coleman’s debut novel is rich and daring, the story of a teacher-student affair from the teacher’s perspective. I downloaded a sample onto my e-reader on a whim, bought it, and read the entire thing in one night. For anyone who’s ever seen a news story about a relationship like this and wondered, “How could anyone do that?”, this book will give you some very unsettling answers about the way secrets can affect our lives. It’s beautifully written and plotted, and I found myself amazed watching my feelings about the narrator change as the story developed.
“This Burns My Heart” by Samuel Park. I’d wager that I’m like many Americans in knowing very little about Korea. I loved “This Burns My Heart” not only for the sad, beautiful story of broken hearts and missed chances, but because of the beautiful insight into postwar Korea and the way tradition and modern life are in constant conflict. The main character, Soo-Ja, is trapped by her feelings of duty into marrying a man she does not love, which leaves her in an impossible situation: endure the pain of the life she has chosen, or fight traditional expectations in hopes of of something happier? Park’s writing is vivid and beautiful, and I absolutely fell in love with Soo-Ja and her Korea.