Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Books During The Move To Westview

The summer of 2015 was dominated by the move to 940 Westview Dr. and managed to severely cut down on my reading.  I began looking at homes during early June, I closed on the house on July 9th, my official move day with 2 MEN AND A TRUCK was August 10th, and it was another two weeks before the room addition was completed.

During this time I spent time with PAPA JOHN, John Philips autobiography of his time with the Mamas and the Papas.  However, the real focus of this book was his examination of his almost inhuman addiction to drugs. Because of the 'light' nature of his music, I don't think that many in the audience were ever aware of the darker side to this musician. He made Keith Richards look like a weekend dabbler. I had read this book many years before, but it was well worth a second look.

Then I read CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'- THE REAL STORY OF THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS which was Michelle Philips autobiography. Not nearly as lurid or comprehensive as John's book, and it focused on the tangled and crazy relationships between the band members. I was surprised to learn that this most important band of the sixties was really only together for two and a half years, and for six months of that time, Michelle was fired from the band. Part of the reason she was let go was that John learned of her affair with Byrds guitarist, Gene Clark. For as much influence as the band had in that era, I would have thought that they were still together and playing 'oldies' shows to this day.

I also finished about half of another autobiography- WILL THERE REALLY BE A MORNING? by Frances Farmer. This I had also read before and it documented the life of this amazing American actress of the 1930's. She suffered from mental illness and a diabolical mother and spent most of her adult life in various mental institutions in the Northwest. The book demonstrates that care for the severely mentally ill, even into the mid 20th century, was not much better than what was practiced in medieval times.

And, I read the August selection for The Contemporary Book Club- DRY BONES IN THE VALLEY by Tom Bouman. This was a first novel about a small town municipal officer who becomes tangled in three possible murder investigations. The novel is set in Northeast Pennsylvania and the action unfolds against the backdrop of fragging and land grabs by the coal interests. The protagonist, Henry Farrell, is a depressed individual who is mourning the loss of his wife and is forced to deal with a community of people who are so far below the poverty level that they are off the grid.  The Law and contemporary morality mean little to these people and not much has changed since the Whiskey Rebellion of the early 19th century. Two murders are of a young man and another cop who is investigating the murder. A father learns that his son is gay and kills his son's lover, and he also murders the cop when the policeman stumbles upon him attempting to conceal the body. Both killings are not part of the primary storyline, and the reader learns the details second hand. I thought this was a novel way to present the narrative, but most of the book club members felt it made the story too confused and hard to follow. Another body is central to the story and this is the lover of an old man who is suffering from dementia. This old woman was discovered in a grave and she had been interred for decades, and initially, this old man was thought to be a killer.  This novel is the first in a series, and I was about the only member of the group who expressed interest in reading anything else by Mr. Bouman, and, I guess I would only read it if the library bought it. DRY BONES IN THE VALLEY was the first book to be sent to the new house on Westview Dr.


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