Diamond Head
By Cecily Wong
Harper. $25.99
In Cecily Wong’s striking debut she takes her reader from China’s Boxer Rebellion to Pearl Harbor and the early 1960s. At the center of this multigenerational Chinese-Hawaiian family saga are three generations of women who seem to have a knack for making major romantic missteps that come back to haunt them.
Wong constructs her story around the parable of the red string of fate, which deals with notion of fate versus free will. The red string is a reference to the cord that binds one intended beloved to her perfect match, but it also punishes mistakes in love with a destructive knot that is passed down the family line.
As the reader will quickly discover, there are some interesting and unexpected “knots” that complicate the Leong family. At the turn of the century Frank Leong, who creates a shipping empire in China, relocates his family from his native land to Hawaii.
And with the move the reader discovers that something ancient follows the family to their new home on Oahu. That “something” becomes clear as the daughters and wives of the family share the narrative chores as they reveal the secrets, lies, and sacrifices that are part of this riveting story.
Musing on the shocking events that rock the family toward the end of the novel one of the characters explains, “This was not fate, I told myself; it was the furthest thing from it…The tangles from one generation to the next, the mistakes passed from mother to daughter, the lies from father to son – it wasn’t fate, who could call that fate? These things were within our control, outcomes not linked to our flesh, and all of us, every single one of us, had played a hand in this destiny.”
A poignant story with some totally unexpected surprises that blindside both the novel’s characters and the reader, “Diamond Head” is a book you’ll find difficult to set aside. This is one of those rare reading experiences you’ll want to share with family and friends.
The Swimmer
By Jokim Zander
Harper. $27.99
Suspense, nonstop international action, romance and plenty of intrigue, this thriller has it all. Already a bestseller in Europe, “The Swimmer” opens in Damascus, Syria, with a terrorist attack that leaves a small child an orphan.
Now it is 2013 and that youngster, Klara Walldeen, is working for the EU Parliament in Brussels. She is in possession of a laptop with some very sensitive information that places her in extreme danger.
Unbeknownst to the lovely young women, a seasoned CIA operative and also the father who abandoned her when she was just an infant has been hired to keep an eye on her. As Klara tries to avoid those who would possess the laptop and silence her, she flees from Amsterdam and Stockholm to Paris as her secret ally keeps tabs on her.
Ultimately, the key players in this classic espionage story will converge on a Swedish archipelago where the secrets of the past will be revealed and the ownership of the encrypted laptop will be resolved. A story of this nature is constructed around a series of surprises and twists. Joakim Zander doesn’t disappoint his reader; he includes some memorable ones in this debut novel.
A Wish Your Heart Makes: From The Grimm Brothers’ Aschenputtel to Disney’s Cinderella
By Charles Solomon
Disney. $40
It may well be the most famous of all stories of a young woman who overcomes impossible odds to find her true love and then live happily ever after. The tale of a Cinderella-like character can be traced back in one form or another to the first century B.C.E. Strabo told the intriguing story of Rhodopis, a Greek slave girl who eventually married the Egyptian pharaoh.
By the late nineteenth century a British folklorist, Marian Roalfe Cox, had catalogued 345 versions of this type of “rags to riches” love story. Over the centuries there not only have been numerous narratives but, in later decades, films, stage plays, operatic and ballet renditions of this popular romantic scenario that shows faith, love and kindness overcoming greed, jealously and rage.
In this beautifully illustrated, oversized, Charles Solomon explores the story’s ancient origins, contemporary adaptations, and the making of the classic Disney animated film. Besides interviews with the filmmakers, there are numerous drawings and paintings by artists that range from Mary Blair, Marc Davis and Ollie Johnston to Ward Kimball and Frank Thomas.
Of particular interest to film enthusiasts will be the behind-the-scenes look at both the cartoon and the live-action film “Cinderella” directed by Kenneth Branagh and produced by the Disney Studios.
For those who collect these Disney books that feature set and costume designs as well as the stories behind some of the studio’s iconic movies, this is a must purchase. This collector’s edition won’t last long and you won’t want to miss out. It would also make a very special heirloom gift for a youngster who loves the story of Cinderella.
Hello from 2030: The Science of the Future and You
By Jan Paul Schuttem
Beyond Words/Aladdin. $15.99
Look into the crystal ball with Jan Paul Schutten to see what futurologists predict the world will be like 15 years from now. That’s not a terribly long time so the contents of this book can be revisited in 2030 to see just how accurate the predictions here actually were.
Each chapter of this book begins with a message from the year 2030. In some instances life is just fine, but in other cases the quality of life has deteriorated. For example, in the chapter that visits the home of the future you’ll have a room that can contract and expand by just moving the walls back and forth. Also, one of those walls will be constructed from something called “ePaper”. This is a huge, thin, three-dimensional screen that will allow you to watch movies, play games, or have a background such as a natural setting in your room.
From transportation and housing to food and medicine, the sections of this book that look into the future will surprise and astound the reader. As the author explains, some of these predictions could be “completely wrong” but others will be correct or nearly so. Why read the book? Because it is a good idea to have some idea of what may be “coming down the road”.
We can be reasonably assured of some important facts. The Earth’s population will continue to increase, new technologies and inventions will change our lives, we’ll find more cures or ways to deal with various health issues and, more than likely, global warming will continue to alter climates and cause more weather related problems.
The author also states that “future innovation is like the wild card in a card game: you can pull this card at any time and it will change the whole game”. He’ll address some of these scenarios where such a card (new invention/technology) can do just this.
Conversely, a bad luck card could have serious consequences for mankind and these potential disasters are discussed also.
Although this book is aimed at a younger audience, many adults will find this a captivating read also. Who knows what the future holds? We can’t know for sure but this book presents some fascinating possibilities.