Weekly Words about New Books in Independent Bookstores September 19, 2021

Reporters Go Behind the Scenes to Chronicle a Nation In Peril, and a New Novel From the Author Of The Overstory

Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. Noted journalist Woodward has written two previous books about the Trump presidency, and I think many of us were hoping a third volume wasn't necessary. Alas, the former president refuses to go gentle into that good night, which has made the past year's transition from Trump to Joe Biden a rather precarious period in American history. Peril describes the last days of Trump's presidency and his refusal to accept a convincing loss, while also tracking Biden's run for office and the new president's responses to myriad challenges. The contrast, not surprisingly, is stark, startling, and revealing of both men. Woodward has always been known for thorough and far-reaching research that provides a wealth of information and insight, from the salient to the mundane. Those efforts continued with Peril and have already led to pre-publication leaks that have given Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at least 15 minutes of fame. There's lots to read in all 72 chapters of the 500+ pages, not all of it totally captivating but with enough nuggets to sate most readers. Woodward and his new writing partner, Washington Post reporter Robert Costa, clearly wanted the transition turmoil and January 6 insurrection to be the focal point of this book, and their attention to those extraordinary machinations produces many fly-on-the-wall moments for readers - including Mike Pence soliciting advice about his ability to nullify election results from another former Vice President - Dan Quayle. Yikes.

Bewilderment by Richard Powers. No, this isn't another Bob Woodward book about Trump; it's the much-anticipated new novel from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Overstory that hits independent bookstore shelves on Tuesday. The story centers on a father's love for his troubled son and his attempts to make a better life for them both. Here's a brief description from the publisher: Astrobiologist Theo Byrne searches for life throughout the cosmos while single-handedly raising his unusual nine-year-old, Robin, following the death of his wife. Robin is a warm, kind boy who spends hours painting elaborate pictures of endangered animals. He’s also about to be expelled from third grade for smashing his friend in the face. As his son grows more troubled, Theo hopes to keep him off psychoactive drugs. He learns of an experimental neurofeedback treatment to bolster Robin’s emotional control, one that involves training the boy on the recorded patterns of his mother’s brain. With that premise, Powers spins a tale spiked with astrobiology, climate breakdown, and neurofeedback therapy. The book has received a number of good reviews, including one below, and made this year's Booker Prize long list. But there have a couple of notable pans, in The New York Times and the UK's Sunday Times, and some may find the trials of a distraught and misunderstood child tough to take. That said, Booklist praised the "soaring descriptions and forthright observations about our planet" and noted that Powers offers "rich commentary on the complex, often mystifying intersections between science, popular culture, and politics. ... As the best-selling The Overstory continues to reverberate, readers will be excited to turn to another deeply involving Powers novel."

A Compassionate Journey with One of Our Great Writers Poet Warrior: A Memoir by Jo Harjo. The first Native American to serve as U.S. poet laureate offers a vivid, lyrical, and inspiring call for love and justice in her second memoir (after Crazy Brave), a contemplation of her trailblazing life. Moving between prose, song, and poetry, Harjo issues a call for love and justice as she looks back on influences of her life. There are stories of her Creek Nation ancestors and family, the poetry and music that she first encountered as a child, as well as messengers from nature — owls heralding grief, resilient desert plants, and a smooth green snake curled up in surprise. She writes of those who shaped her poetry, among them Audre Lorde, N. Scott Momaday, and Walt Whitman. Harjo also grieves at the loss of her mother, reckons with the theft of her ancestral homeland, candidly confronts childhood abuse, and sheds light on the rituals that nourish her as an artist, mother, wife, and community member. In reviewing Poet Warrior, NPR's Gabino Iglesias praised "a wonderful hybrid text that mixes memoir, poetry, songs, and dreams into something unique that opens a window into the most important events of Harjo's life and invites readers to reconnect with themselves — as well as with the land and the knowledge of their people."

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