"La Belle Sauvage," Book 1 in The Book of Dust Trilogy by Philip Pullman

I was not a fan of Pullman's His Dark Materials. For whatever reason, I had trouble getting into each of the three books, and even though I did like the story and the characters reasonably well, it was not a good reading experience for me. So I was not overly optimistic about La Belle Sauvage, which is the first book in a new trilogy set in the same world. But boy, was I wrong. I really enjoyed this book.

La Belle Sauvage is set in the same world as The Golden Compass. Lyra is just a baby (six or eight months old), and is put in a priory to be cared for and raised by the nuns. The main character in this book is a boy named Malcolm. His parents are innkeepers and he lives across the river from the priory. Malcolm is precocious, friendly and curious about the world around him. He helps out at the inn and enjoys chatting with Oxford scholars who frequent the establishment. He also knows the nuns and helps the carpenter who is making shutters for the priory windows. I really enjoyed spending time with him,

La Belle Sauvage is the name of the canoe, which Malcolm takes out on the river when he goes into town. The canoe ends up playing a major role in the book as Malcolm sets out to save baby Lyra when a big flood hits the area, demolishing the priory. Malcolm and Lyra are joined on the quest by Alice, a serving girl who works at the inn owned by Malcolm's parents. She and Malcolm generally do not get along. But thrown together by the turn of events, they make a great team and both grow tremendously as characters.

The book is suspenseful, fast-paced, unexpected, but also filled with deep philosophical questions such as: is matter conscious, what are the dangers of theocracy, how can a truly evil person be attractive, etc. I loved the characters, the world and the plot. 5 out of 5 stars.

Philip K. Dick "The Man in the High Castle"

The book club I belong to chose this book, otherwise I would have probably never picked it up. I had read Ubik by PDK, and I was not a fan of his writing. After reading The Man in the High Castle, I am firmly of the mind that he is not my author.

The Man in the High Castle is based on the premise that the Nazis have won WWII. The United States is divided into the Japanese territory (West of the Rockies) and the German territory - to the East. There is an area in between that is neutral. Most of the events in the book take place on the West coast.

Even though the premise is interesting, the alternate reality painted by PDK was not convincing. It is supposedly 1962, less than 20 years since the war was won, yet the American population is completely assimilated into the Japanese culture. There is not even a trace of resistance to the Nazi/Japanese occupation, and the overall complacency of the characters given continued atrocities committed by the Nazis around the world is utterly revolting. I also found the ending strange and wholly unsatisfying. No matter how many  positive reviews I read, I remain unconvinced. This book was disappointing and I do not think I will be reading any more PDK's books. 2 out of 5 stars.

"Red Clocks" by Leni Zumas

Red Clocks is set in a near future America where abortion and invitro fertilization are no longer legal. The book really resonated with me in that it gives us a glimpse into what could potentially become a reality for all of us. The book is written from the perspective of four different women.

Even though perspectives alternate throughout the book. I personally felt that Ro, or the Biographer, was the main voice in the novel. Ro is a single high school teacher, who has been working on a biography of a little known female arctic explorer. She is in her early forties and is desperately trying to get pregnant. At her age and with invitro fertilization no longer available, getting pregnant is next to impossible. In addition, we learn that in a few months time a new law will come into effect, which will make adoption impossible for her. Only married couples will be able to adopt from that point on. As Ro struggles to accept the fact that the dream of motherhood will never come true for her, she also realizes that she, along with millions of others, passively stood by as lawmakers made decisions which now intimately affect her and preclude her from becoming a mother.

In addition, we meet one of Ro's students, a girl named Mattie, who at sixteen wound up pregnant. She is scared, frustrated, and seemingly without options in regards to this pregnancy. By law, she cannot have an abortion. She has to either keep the baby or give it up for adoption. Mattie herself was adopted when she was a baby, and is left to forever wonder who her biological mother was and why she made the decision to give her up. Thus, the possibility of giving her unborn baby up for adoption is painfully personal for Mattie.

Next, we meet Susan, a mother of two, who is trapped in an unhappy marriage and is borderline suicidal. By law, she is supposed to be the one worthy of being a parent. However, as we see from her example, married couples are not always the best parents.

Finally, there is Gin, the Mender, an odd healer (a "witch") living in the woods, who provides poultices and potions to those who cannot afford medical care or require a service that is no longer legal in the United States. When Gin gets arrested for allegedly injuring the High School Principal's wife, all the various characters are brought together to play a part in this modern day witch trial.

I really enjoyed this book. I understand that some readers struggled with Zumas' experimental style of writing. But it did not bother me. I enjoy reading books that are written in a non-conventional way and make me look for unexpected connections between characters. I found the subject matter of this book poignant and relevant, and characters realistic and relatable. 4 out 5 stars.