Chief Inspector Gamache Series by Louise Penny

Everyone once and a while I run across a new-to-me author who has a substantial body of work.  That means I start at the beginning and read!  (And why I can be quiet for so long on this blog.)  I picked up Louise Penny's books because of coverage on NPR.  I'm delighted I did.

Penny's detective novels are richly written.  In each she brings in themes connecting to art, history, literature, and nature.  The solutions to the mysteries typically are nuanced and subtle portraits of communities, families, and minor psychological problems.  She does not typically include "mass-murderer" psychopaths as the antagonist.  Instead, they are the flawed human beings we run across in our lives who have just gone a step further than do most.

Gamache himself is a fascinating character.  He is physically imposing, loving toward his wife and family, but with some weaknesses and flaws that make him believable and admirable.  The approaches he uses to solving the murders are patient, methodical, and thoughtful.  Penny also uses a device in which the characters discover something, but she does not reveal the discovery until later in the book.

I have not visited Quebec, the settings of her novels, but will as soon as life permits.  In fact, I believe my first retirement trip will be to Quebec with books in hand.  Of course I will plan the trip for fall so that I may continue southward through the fall colors in New England and to Boston to visit Reverend, Doctor Nancy Taylor at Boston's Old South Church.

Surviving the Aplewhites, by Stephanie S. Tolan

This is a laugh-out-loud comedy. Although it would be classified by librarians as realistic fiction, I think it also is semi-autobiographical. The basic premise is that Jake Semple, juvenile delinquent, is going to be "saved" by a writer who brings him into their family's "home school." The Applewhites live in a compound of creativity and genius. (This is where I am put-off a bit by the semi-autobiographical nature of the book. But reality is always a good beginning point for fiction.

The book gives lots of opportunities for discussion of artistic temperament, education and family interactions. I enjoyed the book and will recommend it to others. However, I doubt that I would suggest it as a whole class reading. It is not quite strong enough in the area of universal themes to justify such a lofty place in the curriculum. I would recommend it to students who enjoy humor (including slapstick) and those with aspirations of a career in the arts.

Having worked with friends who were or are directors of high school drama productions and summer theater productions, I have to say that the book portrays the work that goes into such productions quite clearly. For students who want to be involved with the theater this would be a great book to recommend. It is also very useful to discuss inquiry projects.