Beach Reading

Most of you know that Beach Reading is not a list of “summertime” romances or light novels, but rather my usual mix of fiction and nonfiction books that I think rise to the level of being worthy of your attention. And since we should all be spending more time at the beach, here are six new recommendations for you, three fiction and three nonfiction. With sand in your toes, I hope you enjoy them.

Fiction

The Women Behind the Door, Roddy Doyle

Another gem from Irish writer Roddy Doyle (Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha). Paula lives alone in a small village, still haunted by her abusive husband who was killed decades earlier. Her eldest, “perfect,” daughter suddenly moves back in with her after a mental breakdown. Paula’s life is bleak and hard, but she meets each day with wit and a determination to keep going. Wry and devastating, but funny and, in the end, hopeful, this is a beautiful novel.

The Night Watchman, Louise Erdrich

This is a funny, haunting, scary, but ultimately moving story of Thomas, a night watchman in a factory on an Indian reservation in Minnesota, who is trying to save his native tribe from official termination. He composes hundreds of letters to officials in Washington protesting a bill to remove recognition of his tribe and eventually organizes a trip to meet with politicians in DC. Separately, his daughter Pixie, who works in that factory, has a harrowing adventure when she looks for her missing sister in Minneapolis. Erdrich brings her characters to life, they are very real, as is the emotions she tugs at with her sensuous writing. She brings the multiple plot lines together in the end, with a few surprises. Thomas watches over the factory, his tribe, his family, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. This is writing by a master at the top of her game.

Question 7, Richard Flanagan

His brilliant book, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, followed POWs, including the author’s father, from the Japanese internment camp to their death march in Burma. This book picks up on the theme by speculating that if the atomic bomb had not been used, the war would have been extended and those POWs, including his father, would likely have died. Flanagan moves from there to portraits of his parents to the concerns of nuclear physicist Leo Szilard and the love life of H.G. Wells. Flanagan weaves multiple themes together brilliantly: a beautiful, thoughtful, insightful book.

Nonfiction

Land Between the Rivers, Bartle Bull

Mesopotamia literally means “land between the rivers,” the ancient name for what is today Iraq. Its 5,000 year history, from the Sumerians to the present, is told with a journalistic flair that provides fascinating details but also the perspective of a broad sweep of history. Even if you have little interest in the region, you will appreciate this excellent work of history.

The Right Call, Sally Jenkins

Most attempts to draw lessons from sports to the business world or even life fall far short of the mark. But Sally Jenkins shares numerous anecdotes of famous athletes, their successes and their failures, that bring to light a few common traits that we can all use. Two stood out: commitment, or dedication, to a task. Michael Phelps had many physical gifts, but what set him apart was his extraordinary commitment to improving every day. Secondly was collaboration: leaders don’t lead by edict, they build consensus. The examples of coaching legends Mike Krzyzewski and Pat Summit highlight this. Sports fans will appreciate the stories, but this has broader appeal as well.

John & Paul, Ian Leslie

Lennon and McCartney are the greatest songwriting team in history, and this superb book tells the story of their relationship and how it informed their extraordinary collaboration. We gain a deeper appreciation for the genius of both musicians. Particularly for those of a certain generation, each song mentioned instantly brings its words and tunes to mind, proof of the indelible imprint their music had on so many. The decade following the breakup of The Beatles saw a number of missed opportunities for reconciliation, but they were coming closer together just as John Lennon was shot, and we are left with what might have been.

• 2 Jun, 2017

  Job Growth is Falling. The Sky is Not.

  Today's jobs report was disappointing: only 138,000 net new jobs created in May (the consensus had it pegged at ...

• 11 Aug, 2020

  Beach Reading

  One of the upsides to confinement over the past few months is that Ive been able to raise my reading capacity. Here are ...

• 27 Jul, 2015

  Hot Bidding

  The housing recovery, from its worst downturn since at least the 1930s, has been steady, but much less robust than most ...