Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See ****

 Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See is a historical novel. It follows Tan Yunxian, a female doctor in 15^th-century China, through the four stages of her life from age 8 (milk days) to age 15 (hair pinning days-awaiting marriage) to rice-and-salt days (“the most important years in a woman’s life. They are when I will be busy with wife and mother duties”) and finally sitting quietly days. 15^th century China was not a good time for women, even high-ranking women like Tan Yunxian. This was a time of foot binding for high-ranking women and domination by husbands whether she was a wife, concubine, or servant. Lady Tan’s circle of women does their best to support each other in the strange misogynistic world.

Every historical novel is a balance between the historical research and the storytelling. This book is dominated by the historical. At times, it feels like non-fiction as the author packs in so many fascinating details. Much of the novel is based on Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor written by Tan Yunxian, “in a standard catalog of the twelve thousand known Chinese medical works to be found in Chinese libraries, only three were written by women, with Tan Yunxian’s text being the earliest.”

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Hallowe'en Party (Hercule Poirot 1969) by Agatha Christie *****

 In Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie, Judith Butler has organized an Eleven Plus party. During the party, Joyce Reynolds is murdered. It appears that she was murdered to prevent her from revealing an earlier murder that she witnessed, but which one? And who was the murderer? And why was she, a compulsive liar, even believed? And what about the au pair girl who forged a will but ran off before she could be prosecuted? At 79, Agatha Christie still has it- so many suspects and such a straightforward crime once it is revealed.

The party entertainment includes bobbing for apples, a game where the girls see their future husbands in hand mirrors, and a Snapdragon. The Snapdragon is a bowl of raisins, doused in brandy and set alight in a darkened room. During the Snapdragon, Joyce is drowned in the tub of water used for apple bobbing.

Hercule Poirot is accompanied by the mystery novelist, Mrs. Ariadne Oliver. The book references Narcissus, Lady Macbeth, and strangely, the double axe of the short-lived Minoans.

This is book 35, 36, or 41 in the series- published in 1969. The first book was published in 1920 and the last by Agatha Christie in 1975. 

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Moon Over Manifest (Newbery Medal Winner) by Clare Vanderpool ****

The protagonist of Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool is Abilene Tucker. In May 1936, Abilene’s father, Gideon, had sent her to live in Manifest because she was “becoming a young lady,” and following the railroad construction wasn’t a place for her. Once in Manifest, she befriends two girls (Ruthanne and Lettie). They search for the identity of the spy, Rattler, and have other adventures—many associated with learning the identity of Abilene’s father. The second thread of the novel is about Manifest in 1918 (World War I and Spanish influenza). A delightful story of small-town Kansas during World War I and the Depression.

When twelve-year-old Abilene arrived in Manifest, she abandoned the train before it reached the station. “…as anyone worth his salt knows, it’s best to get a look at a place before it gets a look at you. I’d worn my overalls just for the occasion.” She is a confident and competent young lady. “At the last car, I waited, listening the way I’d been taught—wait till the clack of the train wheels slows to the rhythm of your heartbeat. The trouble is my heart speeds up when I’m looking at the ground rushing by. Finally, I saw a grassy spot and jumped.”

Other important characters are Miss Sadie, a diviner, and Sister Redempta, a schoolteacher and midwife. These two women recount 1918 stories where Abilene learns Manifest's history and her father's origins. Another important source is Hattie Mae Macke, a reporter for the Manifest Herald who wrote a column of “all the whos, whats, whys, whens, and wheres, look at the backside of “Hogs and Cattle” every Sunday.”

In addition to the war and the flu, life in 1918 Manifest revolved around the mine which had a stranglehold on economic life, immigrants, and prohibition with the associated bootlegging. Despite the hardships, people in Manifest had a good life. I was reminded of the Little House books.

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Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly *****

 Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly is Lincoln Lawyer novel #7. The Lincoln Lawyer is Michael "Mickey" Haller. His office is his Lincoln Navigator. He is assisted by his half-brother, ex-LAPD detective, Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. Their case is Lucinda Sanz, 33, in prison for shooting her ex-husband. She says she is innocent. The resurrection walk is when someone like Lucinda has their conviction vacated and they walk free. This excellent legal thriller is a mix of legal procedure and science, such as AI, DNA testing, and cell phone tracking. The book is a page-turner after a slow start (do not lose faith).

The historical background for this book is the FBI investigation of LAPD gangs (reference Ramparts scandal, late 1990s).

Some of the subplots include: Harry’s cancer treatment, Lucinda’s 13-year-old son being at risk for joining a gang, the incompetence of Lucinda’s original lawyer, Frank “second place” Silver, Haller’s conflict with his ex-wife prosecuting attorney Maggie McPherson, and the brilliance of forensic scientist Shami Arslanian (MIT, MS Chem E; John Jay College, PhD Criminology; Harvard, BS Engineering; and Berklee College, BA Music).

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