Reading for Me

I just finished reading The House Girl this morning and absolutely loved it! I am anxious to read another of Conklin’s novels housed on My Library Shelf to see if the credit goes to the story line or Conklin’s writing. I have a feeling Conklin is going to ultimately get the credit.

In last week’s update, I explained my initial understanding of the novel. Shortly after posting the update, things turned around and I found myself enthralled in a gripping tale set in the Antebellum South and modern day New York City. The story centers around Josephine, a slave girl on a tobacco plantation in Virginia. She has been treated well for the most part by her mistress, Lu Ann Bell. As part of their relationship, Lu Ann and Josephine have both dabbled in painting together. Both women are tormented. Both find comfort in expressing their feelings in the visual arts. Only one of them is a master artist.

In the 20th century, Lu Ann Bell is regarded as an important figure in the art world. Credit for the outstanding paintings found on the plantation have been attributed to Lu Ann. Enter Lina, a NYC lawyer who has found herself involved in a slave retribution case when she first hears the story of Josephine. She begins a journey to find out if Josephine or Lu Ann should be recognized as the gifted artist. If she believes it if Josephine, then she must figure out a way to track down the slave’s descendants in order to have a plaintiff for her case.

The House Girl is an insightful look into the life of the slave in the American south while also exploring our continuing pursuit of freedom from those things that hold us captive – whether it be the past, our job, or our beliefs. Conklin’s novel is not to be missed and has quickly found itself ranked among the best books I have read in 2020.

Some books catch your eye because of their cover and you immediately think, “I don’t think I want to read that one.” That was the case with At the Wolf’s Table from the very beginning. It was on My Library Shelf at Unger Library though. Now I had a choice. I decided to put aside my initial impressions and follow through with my challenge and began to read the novel.

What was it about the cover? Really, the problem was on the spine. A small, but prominent swastika — the symbol of the Nazi party. I have always had a fascination with World War II and enjoy reading historical fiction from that era. At the Wolf’s Table was going to be different. It was going to take place deep within the Third Reich. Did I really want to read something that portrayed evil? I wasn’t sure.

Postorino’ s novel tells the story of a small group of women who find themselves as a gog in the wheel that was Hitler’s Wolfsschanze — the Wolf’s Lair. The central character is Rosa, a young Berliner who returns to the remote area of eastern Germany while her husband serves in the war. She moves in with her in-laws, but is quickly selected to work as a food taster for the dictator. Rosa is given a seat At the Wolf’s Table to make sure that food prepared for Hitler has not been poisoned.

Throughout the novel, Rosa shows the danger and challenges wrought on the Germany people under Hitler’s regime. She watches helplessly as those she loves struggle with hunger. Loved ones lose their lives in bombing campaigns. One of her favorite collegiate teachers is dragged away before her eyes because he is a Jew. While acknowledging her on hatred of the Third Reich, Rosa also deals with her growing love (or is it just lust?) for a young SS Officer who supervises her activity in the dining hall.

At the Wolf’s Table was a powerful read that I am very glad I picked up despite my initial hesitation. The final part of the novel seemed poorly written in contrast to the earlier sections. While I appreciate Postorino’s desire to bring Rosa’s story to a close, I found the ending to be pedantic and unsatisfying. Truthfully, if the story had simply ended with Rosa’s train ride back to the Berlin after Hitler’s demise, I would have been a very satisfied reader.