The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

This book was recommended by another woman in our book club. She claimed I would love it. She was right.

I'll be honest and admit my own bias. I had heard of this book, since it was made into a movie. And although I recollect the movie being English and bucolic, the Japanese name of the author threw me. I thought I had to be mistaken. And I was, frankly, not super interested in a novel about Japanese culture. That's me being biased and close-minded. 

I was wrong on every count. 

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro does reflect what I vaguely recollected of the movie. It is a British-themed book, seeped in British history and culture. 

It is the story of Stevens, a butler of the first order, reflecting on a life of service to a great lord. If I didn't know any better, I would say Ishiguro had either served as a butler himself or had somehow made himself intimately acquainted with the position. In my mind, he perfectly captures a man being passed over by time who is questioning his place and role. 

Stevens has set out on a journey across the country to contact a woman who used to work for him to see if she is interested in returning to the position. The estate has switched hands after the death of Lord Darlington to an American owner and although it requires far fewer staff, Stevens finds his team of four too small. Too many errors that would have been unacceptable in the prior era are surfacing. 

During the journey, Stevens has time to reflect on his life's work. He is particularly interested in what makes a "great" butler. Although he never implies that he, himself, should be counted among that small group, he clearly hopes he has approached greatness. 

His own definition includes "dignity," which he defines as the "ability to inhabit their professional role and inhabit it to the utmost; they will not be shaken out by external events, however surprising, alarming or vexing." (p. 43) This definition is very convicting to me. I think it should apply to the profession of teacher as well as butler. I'm not sure I'm always able to "inhabit [my] professional role...to the utmost." I'm often thrown "out of character" at the slightest provocation. 

In the end, however, Stevens is reflective. Perhaps his extreme loyalty to a man he may be coming to believe was wrong should have caused him to step outside that professional role on occasion, at least to think and develop his own opinion. It's an interesting conundrum. It definitely gave me something to think about personally. 
 

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton is a sweet and captivating novel chosen by our book club this month.

The protagonist is Edie Burchill, a young editor, who uncovers her mother's secret wartime past when a 50-year-old letter arrives from Milderhurst Castle, home to the eccentric Blythe sisters.

Edie, a self-declared romantic, finds herself at Milderhurst one day and decides to take a tour, neglecting to mention her mother's connection to the home. Over the course of the novel, Edie comes to understand, not only her mother, from whom she has long felt estranged, but the mysterious Blythe sisters as well. 

The story weaves back and forth through time and perspective. This can make it a bit hard to follow at times. Each narrator is not omniscient, so it can be confusing to remember who knows what. But that shift keeps the reader engaged in a way that a much more straightforward tale would probably not. 

Edie is front and center. Yet we also experience the world through the eyes of the eldest Blythe, Persephone. Although the other two sisters have their own interesting stories to tell, the "lesser" twin Seraphina, and the dazzling, eccentric youngest, Juniper, by the end, it is Percy whose story is the richest. All are unreliable narrators for one reason or another, and the author almost leaves us without absolute knowledge of what actually happened. Thankfully, she introduces one last vignette, making the reader the only truly omniscient participant. 

Much of the mystery of the novel surrounds Juniper and the fiancée who abandoned her fifty years earlier. Edie's mom had been living at Milderhurst Castle during the war and so knew the central figures. Yet she had kept the entire episode to herself her whole life. Bit by bit, Edie uncovers the "real" story.

So many relationships are showcased in the novel. There is much love and sacrifice, even in the secrets. Bouncing about in time, as we do, we see characters literally grow up before our eyes. Edie, however, is stuck in her own time and can have trouble seeing each person for their totality. It helps that she is "romantic" and can imagine what she never experienced. 

This sweet book makes me want to read more of Morton's books. She has real insight into the human character and relationships. 

1356: A Novel by Bernard Cornwell

I love historical fiction, and Bernard Cornwell is one of my favorites. This is one of his rare stand-alone novels. Since I was not looking to read a whole series, I picked up 1356: A Novel from the library, having no idea what it referenced. I simply trusted Cornwell to make it interesting.

He did.

In the epilogue, he states his reason for this book is because he feels that the Battle of Poitiers has been largely forgotten compared to the Battle of Crécy or the Battle of Agincourt, which bookended the Hundred Years War between France and England. He's right. I hadn't heard of it, and it deserves more attention. 

Because the battle and time period is unfamiliar, I had a hard time in the beginning. He introduces a lot of characters from all over Britain and France. That can be confusing. People from Gascony (France) could very well be fighting on the side of the Brits, while people from Scotland (Britain) are fighting on the side of the French. Not to mention the traitors. 

We begin with Thomas, le Batard. He is the bastard son of an English nobleman. But he has disavowed that heritage and roams France as the leader of a mercenary army-for-hire. At the same time, a "black friar" has set about to retrieve a long-lost relic, le malice, the sword used by Saint Peter to defend Christ in the garden on the night of his betrayal. It is said that the sword contains the power of God but can only be used for good by the legitimate ruler. After finishing his latest gig, defeating Count Villon and "rescuing" the wife of the Count of Labrouillade, Thomas is tasked with finding le malice. 

At the same time, the king of France, Jean, is under enormous pressure to take on the English, led by the Prince of Whales, Edward, who are ravaging the French countryside. 

Twists and turns and adventures ensue as Thomas seeks to find le malice, evade capture by Labrouillade for taking the rescued wife to protect her from Labrouillade's abuse, and avoid the evil clergy also searching for le malice. Along the way he adds some colorful characters to his horde of merry men. 

Eventually they catch up to le malice, but it slips through their grasp and into the hands of the French. Unfortunately Thomas and his men are ordered to report to the camp of Prince Edward to fight in the long-rumored battle with the French forces. Le malice will have to wait.

The battle is remarkably lop-sided. According to what little records we have, the French lose over 2,500 men to the English' 40. Cornwell does a great job taking the scraps of history and weaving them into a believable story of how that could have happened. 

The "good guys" win, love triumphs, and le malice threatens no more. Win, win, win. 

Fun book. Fast-paced and great storytelling.