Book Review - Interred with their Bones

Jennifer Lee Carrell’s new novel Interred with their Bones is masterfully done. How’s that for an intro? Can you guess that I really enjoyed the book?

Kate Stanley is a former academic who trades in her Harvard career for a chance to direct Shakespeare at the famed Globe Theatre of London. Our story opens with the arrival of Kate’s former academic mentor, Roz, and a mysterious gift which leads our heroine down the shaky paths of history and across the world only steps ahead of a killer... or is she steps behind?

For the Shakespeare lover, this novel is amply seasoned with the bard’s greatest works. To Ms. Carrell’s credit, she’s followed the true path of Shakespeare; making the novel accessible to both the highly literate Shakespeare aficionados and those who are not so well versed in his work. You don’t need a Master’s Degree to understand her reference or enjoy the fast moving plot.

The very best compliment I may be able to offer here is that the work employs both creative play and a true reverence for history. While building a remarkably believable work of fiction, enough of the true history of Shakespeare and his literary peers are present to lead this novel to become synonymous with the very real intellectual arguments of Shakespeare’s life and works. The fiction she builds around reality fits seamlessly together, creating a thought provoking parallel to what the orthodox scholars hold true. There is enough reference to hold our attention and the work of fiction makes for a great springboard to serious research, for those who are so inclined. But even for those who are uninterested in this little side debate of literature, the suspense and lifelike characters provide ample enjoyment.

Ms. Carrell’s writing style is fluid and descriptive. In periods of intense action, her prose holds the reader back with intricate illustration, offering a sort of tease to heighten the suspense. Occasionally a reader is tempted to skim such description to get to the meat, but not so here. In skipping any of the carefully chosen words, you may miss a golden nugget of information which will aid in piecing together the puzzle of this novel.

This is a fantastic story for both the mainstream reader and the high brow literary consumer. Just like Shakespeare, the work was wrought for the enjoyment of all rather than the few.

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Book Review - February Flowers

February Flowers is Fan Wu’s first novel, which makes it an even bigger triumph. If writers truly grow better with experience, I expect amazing things from this one. Normally, I don’t look into the author’s life very much while reading their work, but the fact that English is Ms. Wu’s second language really astounded me. Then again, it may be that the flavor of her native Chinese is the very thing that makes this work so enchanting. To find out more about her writing, you can visit her website at FanWuWrites Now, on with the review.

February Flowers is, in essence, a coming of age story. But there is so much more here than that simple explanation could encompass. The story centers on two girls in the same college in China and their friendship during a time when a strict, traditional environment is just opening up to a new and more modern mindset, especially for young women. The story is told through the eyes of Ming, the sedate bookworm who basks in the music of her violin and daydreams while Yan is outgoing and carefree, embracing her own sensuality without seeming to pay heed to any of society’s rigid sensibilities.

Perhaps Yan sums up their friendship best when she says, “I live inside and you live outside. Or the other way around. We can never live on the same side.” But the truth here seems to lie deep within the subtleties of the story; underneath the difference in disposition and background the two seem to share some commonalities of the heart.

Fan Wu’s writing style is delicate, bringing to mind the beautiful flowers which dot the balconies of Ming’s building. The phrasing and pace seem simple and forthright, yet there’s a poetry to the prose which can’t help but transport the reader into Ming’s world. I found the novel even more delightful than I expected at first glance and I’m more than a little happy that I chose to review it. For those who love Chinese culture, or simply enjoy a resonating voice in their reading fare, I highly recommend this one.

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