Memoir📚📖 and More Kingfisher!🗡️🌳

 

    This is a powerful, eye-opening book. How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair is a memoir that reminded me of Educated by Tara Westover and Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance. All are stories of grinding poverty and oppression told by the adult children who survived but not without scars. I listened to the audiobook read by the author. Safiya Sinclair is a poet, which shows up in her powerful use of words and rhythm. She grew up in Jamaica and was the child of Rastafarian parents. Her dreadlocks made her the target of discrimination and bullying, but her intellect, drive, and her mother's fierce love her lifted her into hopefulness. 

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    Another week, another book--or two--by T. Kingfisher (AKA Ursula Vernon). Swordheart is in the same world as the Saint of Steel series, but not in the same series. A middle-aged widow who works as a housekeeper for her recently deceased uncle-in-law. He has left her his entire estate and his side of the family is not pleased but hopes to rectify the situation by having her marry her clammy-handed cousin. She is locked in her room for days and decides to kill herself using a decorative sword that has always hung on the wall above her bed. The magical sword contains an enchanted swordsman who, like a genie, must serve whoever holds the sword. From there, it only gets more interesting. The story and characters are unique, but the book cover--meh.

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    When it comes to the horror genre, I'm usually a hard no. T. Kingfisher is slowly changing my mind, one scary, twisty book at a time. The Hollow Places will make you think twice before going into a museum of collected oddities ever again. I know I will. The story opens with recently divorced Kara moving into her uncle's Wonder Museum to help out while she regroups. After reading many books by Kingfisher, I'm starting to recognize her plot patterns. There is a disruption--divorce, death, economic threat--and the protagonist finds themselves on a different path with new characters. They make a magical or alien discovery, usually evil or dangerous, and spend the rest of the book fighting the evil while becoming a better person. Works for me. The Hollow Places is spooky but captivating. If you don't mind being a bit petrified, I recommend it.

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