Literary Scene: Three New Novels for the New Year

By Ryan G. Van Cleave | January 2023

The Light Pirate

by Lily Brooks-Dalton
(Grand Central, December 2022)

I almost didn’t review this book because it’s a climate change disaster centered around Florida. Did I really want to read how my home state is going to get pummeled by weather-related issues? Apparently so because I read it.

In this story, a child is named Wanda after Hurricane Wanda. The mother dies in childbirth, which should clue in readers to how emotionally powerful this book will be. Of course, Wanda suffers in school and life thanks to the negative association of her name.

And as expected, changing weather patterns are becoming more dangerous and more frequent. Mother Nature is ready to kick some Florida butt. But Wanda moves in with her older neighbor, Phyllis, a biology professor and survivalist, and the two choose to stay despite the foolishness of that plan.

The book is divided into four sections that link up with four elements—Power, Water, Light and Time. Each adds to the apocalyptic story that runs the length of Wanda’s lifetime. Homes go empty, businesses shut down, and the government has essentially written off Florida because most of it is already underwater. 

While the book could easily teeter into the realm of the didactic, Brooks-Dalton avoids that. She also provides a surprisingly inviting look into the dark-but-beautiful world of climate disaster. I’m not a huge fan of cli-fi/eco fiction, yet the deep attention to place and character really works. 

Ryan’s Rating: 4.25 out of 5

Terra Nova

by Henriette Lazaridis
(Pegasus, December 2022)

I must be feeling nostalgic this month because two of the three books I’m reviewing are historical fiction. The first of them—Lazaridis’ Terra Nova—is set in 1910 and revolves around the exploits of a pair of longtime friends (James and Edward) who are racing to beat a Norwegian team of adventurers to be the first people to reach the South Pole. As you might imagine, it’s a perilous journey that pushes them to the extreme. Along the way, it becomes clear that they both love the same woman—Edward’s wife, Viola. 

James is, in fact, her secret lover.

While her two men are off on their own adventures, Viola stays behind in London where she works as a photographer who takes images of the suffragettes who’ve gone on a hunger strike to expose the terrible inequalities between men and women. It’s a controversial situation, but Viola is committed to making a difference. Like the men who love her, she has her own ambitions for fame and glory, only with a social justice spin.

When James and Edward return victorious, she puts her skills to use by processing the photographic proof…and she realizes something is amiss. They’ve faked the evidence. But will she keep things a secret so she can piggyback on the worldwide fame and celebrity to help her artistic efforts?

The story has two intriguing settings—the urban landscape of early 20th century London and the forbidding polar tundra of Antarctica. Lazaridis does a fine job of making both environments come alive. It’s a smart book that explores love, ambition, self-sacrifice, and what it means to be a hero. Terra Nova is a pleasurable read.

Ryan’s Rating: 4.25 out of 5

A Dangerous Business

by Jane Smiley
(Knopf, December 2022)

It was indeed dangerous business being female in the Old West but leave it to Pulitzer winner Jane Smiley to make this period (1850s) come alive in all the best ways. When Eliza Ripple’s family forces her (at 18) into a marriage with a 38-year-old man, things are bad. It gets worse when he takes her from Kalamazoo across the country and proves to be far less kind than he first seemed. Then he gets shot to death in a saloon, leaving her in Monterrey with little choice but to become a prostitute.

Yet her life is actually getting better. The brothel is clean and safe. And the woman running it is relatively kind. Eliza also makes friends with other women who share her interest in reading—including the stories of a new writer named Edgar Allan Poe. As women start disappearing, no one cares. The police sure don’t. But when the women find a dead body, Eliza and her friends are inspired by Poe’s detective C. Auguste Dupin to sleuth out answers and solve the crime.

While it might seem that this is primarily a mystery novel, it’s more historical fiction that realistically shows the lives and challenges of women during this time. The unapologetic, non-judgmental depictions of Eliza’s life are very compelling. Even though she’s unsophisticated, she’s learning a lot from her clients and from the books she reads. She’s also a keen observer of people—especially men. 

It’s surprising, but a novel with this much sex manages not to be explicit or steamy. Smiley also tackles a range of feminist issues as well as touches on other historical events/issues such as slavery and the Underground Railroad. 

While Smiley’s writing is expectedly strong, it’s a bit slow at times and the ending gave me pause because of its abruptness. Still, A Dangerous Business is an interesting book and fans of Smiley’s writing will surely find it satisfying.

Ryan’s Rating: 4 out of 5