Month: July 2008

Susan Fraser King is a writer of historical fiction who has researched the monastic recordings of Scottish chieftan names and surmised a possible portrait of Macbeth the son of Finlach and Gruoch the daughter of Bodhe who kept the peace with the Norsemen and rival provincial Scottish thanes as King and Queen of Scotland for 17 years until the son of Duncan, fairly defeated in battle, successfully led his forces against them.

Ironically, Queen Gruoch, informally known as Rue here, blames herself for allowing the sons of the defeated Duncan to grow to namhood by persuading her husband’s backers not to murder them. The warrior daughter of Bodhe, himself treacherously slain, She is a far cry from Shakespeare’s bloody character.

In medieval details of warring tribes and the chores of daily life…cooking, cleaning, food and herbal medicines, the roles of chatelaines and servants, this book is a rich tapestry.

This is Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s memoir of her childhood in Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Kenya as well as her adult career as a Dutch emigrant who learns the language, works as a translator and becomes a member of parliament and journalist. After a short sculpture film she produced as a plea for abused Muslim women was produced by Theo Van Gogh, he was murdered and she had to spend months in hiding.

What she tells us about the excision, brutal subjugation and frequent murder of girls and young women by radical Muslim fathers is frightening, particularly as such fanaticism is prevalent in Saudi Arabia, our so-called ally, as well as Somalia and Kenya. Hatred of the Jews and the West is kept at fever pitch by rabble-rousing imams. Her message is that we must recognize and deal with all these realities, not dismiss them as lunatic fringe occurrences.

We went down to the Stillwater postoffice Tuesday to hear an Adirondack writer of mysteries talk about his book.  Michael Virtanen is an AP journalist, formerly with the Times Union.  Somewhat diffident, not unlike the narrator of his book, Michael read two chapters of this well written and plotted insurance fraud mystery set just north of Lake George.  He remarked that it was somewhat “noir” and I asked if he meant “Guy Noir”.  Actually the style has something of that flavor.  Each chapter brings surprises right up to the end.  And the familiar Adirondacksetting is enjoyable.

Another of Alexander McCall Smith’s highly satisfactory reports from the folks at and around the Ladies’ Private Detective Agency, Gabarone, Botswana. It is so reassuring to read that misunderstandings, conflicts and even some mysteries can be resolved with a good dose of feminine common sense like that of Precious Ramotswe, that lady of traditional build and not too concerned about it. Would that the good ladies of AFrica could take charge as she does.

As usual, three subplots are intertwined here: whether Mma Makutsi will tell the truth about the new bed, who is writing threatening letters to the detective agency, and whether an expensive medical re-evaluation of a paralyzed adopted daughter will yield a cure.