S-Day - James Thayer

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Category: Novel Acquired: Christmas 2008, gift from Brenda Read: April 2009 Briefly: An imaginative look at the German invasion of England during WWII, had things gone just a bit differently.

Comments: This is a different story than the one you learned in school. That much becomes evident quickly, as the plot unfolds in late 1942. The Luftwaffe owns the skies over Britain, having destroyed most of the RAF. The German navy dominates the Atlantic Ocean, sinking the Queen Mary with 10,000 American reinforcements on board. And all of England waits as the German army masses along the French and Belgian coasts for the inevitable invasion. Not so good.

The story follows the general in charge of the American forces in England during the time leading up to the German invasion, and the days immediately following it. The narrative is provided by the general's aide, who is supposedly documenting the story for posterity, drawing from his own notes and his interviews with survivors from both sides. Ultimately, it's a character study of the general, and that's what makes it interesting.

The general's job is more than just to motivate and direct his troops. He also needs to figure out and respond to the German invasion plan, which is artfully hidden behind layers of ruse and deception. And, he must work in constant cooperation with the British military, some of whom still seem cranky about the American revolution.

The only other thing I'll say is that the invasion eventually does come, and the Germans take the beaches quickly and begin advancing towards London. But you're also aware that something's going to change, otherwise the narrator wouldn't be writing as a free man, and from a British/American point of view. Also, why does he keep referring to the general in past tense?

I'm not usually big on war stories, but Thayer is my favorite fiction author, and this well-crafted yarn is a good example of the reason why.

Jayber Crow - Wendell Berry

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Category: Novel Acquired: Christmas 2008, gift from Todd and Betsy Read: February-March 2009 Briefly: Boy lives out his life on the banks of a majestic river, which rolls on unchangeably while his small farming village gradually withers and dies.

Comments: The setting is the small fictional town of Port William, on an unnamed river somewhere in Kentucky. The story begins with the birth of Jonah Crow, soon orphaned, who is raised by an aunt and uncle at their farm along the river. Small town life works its way into his soul, you could say, because after years at boarding school and living in the big city, he is eventually drawn back to the only place that has ever felt like home to him. Upon his return, he finds that many of the names and faces have changed, and in just those few years the town has become a little more modern, while a few of the farms have become vacant.

And so the story goes. It's low key all the way, as Crow becomes established in town, to the point where he earns his own nickname (Jayber is the combination of his first initial and his occupation as the town barber, and Cray turns into Crow because... well, just because). There are dozens of interesting characters, plus many episodes and subplots, but the main plot is about change - Jayber's change from an adolescent to a young adult to middle age and eventually old age, and the town's change from a vibrant farming village to a nothing little town that time forgot and the interstate bypassed.

If you've read Wendell Berry before, you know the plot well. The American shift from a rural, agricultural economy to an urban, industrial economy during the 20th century is the theme that he's spent much of his life writing about. He decries how we've traded something that was fundamentally good for a lifestyle and societal structure that's ultimately doing us great harm (OK, my gross oversimplification). His fictional writings make it all very real - you feel the tide of change, the emotions, the sense of loss.

I agree with a lot of his message, but perhaps not all - my copy of his earlier non-fiction book Life Is a Miracle: An Essay Against Modern Superstition is full of notes I've added to the margins, arguing points that I wasn't quite ready to take at face value. But even so, his is an important voice that will give you a perspective on 20th century progress that may be new to you. It's well worth reading and pondering.

Amos - Francine Rivers

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Category: Novella (what's that?) Acquired: SPCC librarian Read: March 2009 Briefly: Creative imaginings on the life of the prophet Amos.

Comments: Ever wonder what life might have been like for an Old Testament prophet? How would it feel to have God speak literally and directly to you? What would you think if He gave you a message of judgment to deliver, and you knew it would make you the target of hatred and abuse?

In this book, the author starts with the basic outline of the O.T. book of Amos, adds a historical setting, invents a few additional characters and dialog, and ends up with a pretty creative and readable story. Amos comes across as a rather ordinary shepherd, whom God just happens to select to carry His message. The implication is that he had no special prophetic qualifications (i.e. he wasn't an Elijah or Isaiah), but was simply available. Rivers does, however, describe his shepherding skills in great detail, and that's helpful for understanding the portions of the message that are expressed via shepherding concepts and jargon.

Ultimately, Amos delivers his prophecies of judgment and ruin, with predictable results - he's kicked out of town, alienated from friends and family, and becomes a generally unwelcome person in both Israel and Judah. LIke the O.T. book, this is not a story where the good guys win in the end. You gotta read Isaiah for that part.

An interesting book overall. One thing I did find distracting was the author's tendency to use Bible-sounding phrases when plain English would have done just fine. You know, saying things like "then the scales fell from his eyes...", rather than "then he realized..." Guess I just associate this with people trying too hard to sound spiritual - you know the types.

Rivers has written five short novels around Biblical characters. If you enjoy this one, you might enjoy the others as well.