Review: Raisins in Milk by David Covin

Synopsis: This is a coming of age novel of a Black girl, Ruth-Ann Weathering, born in Mandarin Florida in 1900. It traces events from 1913 – 1920. (from the online description)

Review: In his introduction, Covin stated that Toni Morrison read this manuscript in 1977. He claimed she loved the story but told him the “characters seem thinner and more conventional then they are”. Covin said he spent the intervening years addressing that issue.

Sadly, I don’t think Covin accomplished this. The story follows Ruth-Ann from her girlhood into motherhood. However, she remains flat. We are told she is intelligent, but she never behaves as such. The other characters, with perhaps the exception of Stephen, are caricatures, stereotypes, of characters – the Mammy, the Dominating Mother, the Black Female Healer, the Nice White Family, the Racist White Drunk, the Lynch Mob, the Loyal Black Servant, etc. Stephen as a bit more depth, but only barely, and he stays mostly in-line with the others.

This might have been overcome if the narrative had sense. But it felt more like vignettes, a patchwork of half-formed prose, as if the author could never decide which direction he wished the story  to go. Characters were introduced and given prominent roles in the narrative for a few chapters only to completely disappear. Other characters were introduced as passing names to later surface as pivotal points. This created a disjointed narrative that failed to hold the interest of the reader. Just as you would get into the plot, it would shift, leaving the reader lost.

Additionally, the story made no use of the setting. Covin failed to capture Florida at the turn-of-the-century, or even, Florida at all. This could have taken place in any town in the Deep South with no noticeable change. Good writing makes the setting as vital to the story as any character or plot. Florida is a unique land, strange and magical, that shapes the people who live under her bright burning sun. While I cannot speak to Covin’s life, it felt as if he had never truly been to Florida. He failed to capture to splendid harshness and vast beauty of that land.

Covin’s work never rises about bland mediocrity, settling to use fancy prose and clichéd stereotypes as plot points. He could have done much with the concept, but sadly, even time could not improve the story read by Ms. Morrison so long ago.

Notes: I received this book free as part LibraryThing's Early Review Program, in exchange for my fair and honest opinion

Bookmarks: 2.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-9844350-7-4
Year Published: 2018
Date Read: 2-10-2018
Pages: 237

Review: Evening by Evening by Charles Spurgeon

Synopsis: Written by Charles Spurgeon, these are one page devotions centering on unusual or overlooked verses, often ones we don't consider worth exploring for truth. Spurgeon takes these verses and expands them into profound truths and admonishments.

Review: With his customary directness, Spurgeon offers 365 devotions, meant to be read in the evening, and meditated on as one falls asleep. His words have a strange mix of compassion and harshness. He doesn't mince words - calling us to repent, to leave our sinful ways, and makes no allowance for the disobedience the rules our lives. At the same time, he also offers hope, in the reminder of the saving Love of God and the forgiveness found there. Worth reading, in every sense. I will most likely read this again in a few years.

Bookmarks: 4.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 0-88368-646-5
Year Published: 1865 (This Edition, updated to modern language, is from 2001)
Date Finished: 2-4-2018
Pages: 375

Review: StarMother by Sydney J. VanScyoc

Synopsis: Centuries had passed since the first Earth colonies were founded. Evolution had played cruel tricks. The backplanet of Nelding was an especially tragic case. There, an eruption of grotesque mutations had divided the colony into two hostile races. Peace Cadet Jahna came to Nelding to care for mutant infants, and soon found herself the center of a strange sacred rite, the object of both deep veneration and fearful, murderous hatred. Hailed as the bearer of new, healing life by some, vilified as a force of devastation by others - was she the long-awaited deity from the skies, the awesome and legendary StarMother? (from the back of the book)

Review: Interesting world-building and a variety of characters make this book intriguing. Set on a dismal world three centuries after the arrival of human colonist, Jahna comes in response to a mysterious demand from the current inhabitants. VanScyoc does an excellent job of creating a miserable culture, split between the pious settlers and the strange mutations born of them. With only a few paragraphs, VanScyoc can tell what other authors take pages to tell. She does an excellent job of creating tension and mystery, keeping you with the story until the end.

My qualm is the ending. Despite finding out what the big mystery is, the story ends with a feeling of incompleteness , as if there ought to be a sequel or at least, an epilogue. Additionally, VanScyoc used the stock aboriginal character – the grass-hunt dance-to-drums native that appears in much of the action-adventure pulp stories of the 60s and 70s – which makes sense as this was published in 1974. Still, this was a tiresome trope then and it hasn’t improved any.

While I enjoyed the world she built and the mystery (and science) used for the plot, it was somewhat spoiled for due to the above. However, this is a classic vintage science fiction novel, with a female author, and worth reading for the story and the history. 

Bookmarks: 3 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 425-03345-7
Year Published: 1974
Date Finished: 1-29-2018
Pages: 216

Review: The Sioux Spaceman by Andre Norton

Synopsis: Kade Whitehawk had two strikes against him in the Space Service. First, he had bungled his assignment on the planet Lodi. Second, he believe all creatures had a right to freedom and dignity – and having that such an opinion was strictly against the rules. But when he was assigned to Klor, he found the Ikkinni there  - tortured yet defiant slaves of a vicious tyrant race. Right then Kade swung at the last pitch. For rules or no rules, The Sioux Spaceman knew that he had to help these strange creatures gain their freedom….and that he alone, because of his Indian blood, had the key to win it for them.  (from the back of the book)

Review: This novel has all the adventure, action, mystery and moral-dilemma feel of a pulp science fiction. Kade discovers a people like his own, subjected to horrid oppression by Styor, the ruling species of the galaxy. With the memory of his own people’s history in his mind, he sets out to subvert the Styor rule. In the process, he learns more about the world of Klor, and the human-Styor relationship. Intriguing world-building and a fast-paced plot create an interesting story, despite the somewhat stock characters. Although, considering this was written in 1960, these weren’t exactly stock characters back then.
The author, Andre Norton, is considered one of the great classic science fiction writers. This is my first book of hers. She writes in descriptive language and has a vivid and diverse imagination. However, her stories have a uniqueness that makes me want to read more of her work. Worth the time to read, particularly if you are partial to moral-tinged action-adventure stories.

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: N/A
Year Published: 1960
Date Finished: 1-21-2018
Pages: 133

Review: Memoirs of a Spacewoman by Naomi Mitchison

Synopsis: Establishing communications with aliens has its extraordinary hazards. Imagine negotiating with intellectual super centipedes who enjoy nothing so much as a feast on warm-blooded mammals! Or mediating between  sentient, innocent caterpillars being bullied telepathetically by butterflies. The heroine, the Spacewoman, is a communications expert who ships out on galactic exploration. Through time-blackout, she stays young, her children aging  ahead of her. But she is okay with that – her true love is the exploration of the universe

Review: Told in vignettes of her adventures on different worlds, linked by her interactions with certain people as they age and the science experiment that defines her life and changes her body, the plot is a bit choppy and some parts seem unconnected with the story as a whole. However, it is not intended to be the story of a single event, but the story of her life as a Spacewoman, so it is told as a Memoir. Intriguing world-building and complex moral dilemmas make up for the choppy plot and create an interesting read. Worth the time if you enjoy vintage science fiction set in strange worlds with complex characters.

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 425-02345-075h
Year Published: 1962
Date Finished: 1-12-2018
Pages: 176

Review: Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas pub. Plough Publishing House

Synopsis: This is a devotional regarding Advent, starting Nov. 24th and ending on Jan. 7th. Mostly comprised of essays or sermons, there is the occasional poem or story.

Review: This is a wide-reaching collection, pulling from many authors (male and female), across continents, countries, eras, and denominations. The entries are poems and essays, and focus on many different aspects of the Christmas story and the Life of Christ.

My favorites were Blumhardt's Action in Waiting (Nov. 24), Britt's Yielding to God (Dec. 9), Yoder's The Original Revolution (Dec. 11), Arnold's Be Not Afraid (Dec. 15), Day's Room for Christ (Dec. 19) and Moltmann's The Disarming Child.

I found this encouraging and thought-provoking. During the Holidays there is often the pressure to Experience God in some deep and meaningful way. But I rarely do. While this book didn't give me some life-altering epiphany,  but I found peace in many of the messages.

Bookmarks: 4 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-87486-917-0
Year Published: 2001
Date Finished: 1-6-2018
Pages: 328

Review: The Halfling and Other Stories by Leigh Brackett

Synopsis: A collection of Science Fiction stories written by Leigh Brackett, collected from popular stories magazine of the late 60s, early 70s. There are Eight Stories total.

Review: Overall, this is an interesting collection of science-fiction tales. Several have a fantasy tone (think, Conan the Barbarian) where the SpaceMan comes to the Primitive Tribes, and most take place on other planets, mostly in our solar system. These stories obviously pre-date the current science which understands there is no life and no way for humans to exist on most of these planets.

My big qualm with the stories is the role of women. All the stories take place from the male viewpoint. Women are either the Villain (Halfling, Venus), the Helper (Citadel, Venus, Gone Forever), or Damsel/Mother (Dancing Girl, Rainbow, Truants). None are the center of the quest or the Doer of Actions. Yes, some are brave and smart, in the case of the Helper, the Hero could not accomplish his Quest without her, but still, the women seem to be always the same - help the hero, sacrifice for the hero, give all for the hero. They are often beautiful and easily available for the hero's pleasure. To my modern mind, this was repugnant. However, in 1973, the active role (rescuing the hero, braving dangers) probably seemed refreshing. Forty-Plus Years makes a huge difference in perception.

Note: In All the Colors of the Rainbow, several characters use the word nigger. This is not used in a positive context, meaning, it is the antagonist who use the phrase, and it is shown to be negative word. In addition, the story centers on racism, which is also shown as a negative ideology. The use of the word is central to the story and not used for shock value.

Bookmarks: Overall: 3 of 5

The Halfling: 2/5
The Dancing Girl of Ganymede: 2.5/5
The Citadel of Lost Ages:  2/5
All the Colors of the Rainbow: 4/5
The Shadows: 3.5/5
Enchantress of Venus: 3/5
The Lake of Gone Forever: 3/5
*The Truants: 2/5

*This story is not included the table of contents or the acknowledgements.

Awards: None

ISBN: N/A
Year Published: 1973
Date Finished: 1-5-2018
Pages: 351