Monthly Archives: July 2014

How to Tell Toledo from the Night Sky by Lydia Netzer

 

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Do you believe in fate? Do the stars predict our destinies? In Lydia Netzer’s second novel, How to Tell Toledo from The Night Sky, we are introduced to this subject when we meet Irene and George. Irene has just been offered a position at the Toledo Institute of Astronomy to continue her study of black holes and George is already studying the stars and the presence of God at the same institute. The two meet and immediately feel connected to each other and that was the plan all along but this was unknown to them. Their  mothers, childhood friends, planned their conception as cosmological soul mates. They were made for each other. This novel has a little astrology, astronomy, cosmology,and quirky characters all combined to make a strange love story.There were some directions that the plot took that felt over done and unnecessary by the author but the novel is a good read.

There are gems of insight in this novel. Whether it is an observation about sleep and  death, “Sleep is a shallow death we practice every night” or the implied interconnectedness of astrology and astronomy, like colliding stars and people, Netzer’s story is about “making love from science”. The author challenged my thinking. Her discussion of physics and astronomy is not too complex that you feel left out, but it is there as the back drop for this kooky love story.

There is interesting exploration of science and faith and when juxtaposed you realize that they are not mutually exclusive. Astronomy is based on facts and evidence. Astrology is based on a theory, a leap of faith, that the stars and forces in the universe collide to influence the fate of individuals on earth. Yet, at some point even in science there is a theory, a thought that fuels the search for proof. Think about the science of black holes and atomic material, didn’t it all begin with someone thinking beyond the facts they had? Maybe astrology will be science one day, but in the meantime we will have to believe in Netzer’s premise that a mother’s love and astrology can dictate their child’s life and loves. My 2 cents.

The Book of You by Claire Kendal

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An intense thriller, The Book of You by Claire Kendal delivers! I found the writing and subject matter very powerful. The story is about stalking. Clarissa is being harassed by a colleague and she tells  her predator:

” I don’t want you near me. I don’t want to see you, I don’t want   anything to do with you. No form of contact. No letters. No calls.  No gifts. No visits. Don’t come to my house again.” (p.29).

The tension is created as Rafe’s ( the stalker) relentless fixation on her escalates. Clarissa gets little support from a dispatcher at a hot line for abused women. She is instructed to collect more evidence of the harassment and stalking. She follows the instructions from a pamphlet on ways to deter a stalker. Thus, we witness Clarissa as she documents one cruel incident of stalking after another. It is painful to have to save and record all of the horrible things he does that she desperately wants to get away from and forget. But she carefully compiles the “Book of  You” as evidence to stop him.

The only respite Clarissa receives from this psychopath is when she serves on a jury. The federal building offers her protection from his intrusions and so do fellow jurors. One juror in particular, Robert, a fire fighter, has the potential for Clarissa to find comfort and a healthy relationship. Meanwhile the trial, is about a woman drug abuser who is raped, beaten and not believed due her prostitution and drug history, which allows for some parallels between the victim and Clarissa. Clarissa’s accusations are dismissed because of the manipulation by her stalker.

As Clarissa uncovers more information about Rafe, the more frightened she becomes as to his true intentions for her. Even when she follows all her rules to avoid Rafe, he refuses to comply! He sends her fairy tales with hidden threats, goes through her garbage, ambushes her in the park, and enters her apartment without permission. The fairy tales are actually a clever tool in this story as most tales in the past were written for adults and children to remind them of the dangers in the world. Down right scary. Set in England, it was hard to believe that she did not do more to get help and instead becomes more isolated, even from those who could have supported and protected her. I am haunted by the story and think how I would have employed other methods to stop the stalker. She was more naive and intimidated than I would be, and that is my 2 cents.