The Books I'm Reading Now
I'm listening to Michelle Moran's novel Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp; I'm listening to James, Percival Everett's retelling of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of the enslaved character Jim; and I'm reading Rufi Thorpe's unexpected and unorthodox contemporary novel, Margo's Got Money Troubles.
What are you reading these days, bookworms?
01 Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran
In Michelle Moran's novel Maria, she uses two timelines to shape the story of the real woman behind Julie Andrews's legendary depiction in The Sound of Music.
In the past, richer period, we track Maria's path from the nunnery to her position at the heart of the von Trapp family. In the 1950s timeline, Oscar Hammerstein is striving to bring Maria's story to life on the stage--but is tempted to rework some of the facts to heighten its impact.
This is compelling reading, and for all who consider The Sound of Music sacred holiday viewing (and an essential singalong opportunity) like I do, learning more about Maria and the "behind the scenes" feeling of the book is irresistible.
I'm listening to Maria as an audiobook.
Michelle Moran is also the author of Cleopatra's Daughter.
02 James by Percival Everett
In James, Percival Everett's retelling of the Mark Twain novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, we hear a version of that novel's story told from enslaved Jim's point of view.
James is secretly teaching other enslaved people to read; sneaking to delve into the library of books in the big house, including works of philosophy by John Locke; and is an expert code-switcher who tailors his language to follow white people's expectations of a submissive Black person.
The James-Huck Finn connection built by Everett is unexpected and intriguing, but the real heart of the book is James: the crushing limitations put upon him due to the color of his skin; his growing inability to abide by the constricting, frequently deadly stakes; and his sometimes violent, scrabbling struggle to wrest control of his life.
I'm listening to James as an audiobook.
Percival Everett is also the author of Erasure, Assumption, Wounded, The Trees, and other books.
03 Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
Margo is a 19-year-old community college student having an affair with her married professor. When she finds that she's pregnant, she begins a winding path to figuring out her life that mainly entails defying most of the stereotypes of a young single mother.
She is told she will receive zero support from the baby's father; she loses two roommates due to the baby's crying; she receives little practical help from her mother; and she loses her job.
Yet she finds a true friend in her last remaining roommate, who until then seemed primarily a source of rent; she finds a strange and fulfilling new relationship with her estranged father, a former professional wrestler; and she dives into an unorthodox new profession in order to secure a financial future for her family.
This feels unexpected and fascinating; Margo's Got Money Troubles is an edgy contemporary novel with a wonderfully oddball premise and a captivating amount of depth.
I received a prepublication edition of this novel (which was published in June, oops!) courtesy of NetGalley and William Morrow.
Rufi Thorpe is also the author of The Knockout Queen.
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