Ann S. Epstein Writer

My Amazon and Goodreads review of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (Rating 5) – The Story of a Story. Although I bought Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr soon after it was published, I intended to wait before reading it. Having been awed by All the Light We Cannot See, as both a reader and fiction writer (see my Amazon author page and Goodreads author page, I was saving Cloud Cuckoo Land to prolong the anticipation of being wowed again. But when I discovered that Doerr would be speaking in the college town where I live in a couple of weeks, I decided to read it before his talk. I got only halfway through before his lecture, because reading this book cannot be rushed. It is meant to be ingested slowly. The novel alternates between five characters (six if you count the Greek figure from whose tale the book’s title is derived) and three eras, from the distant past to the not-so-distant future. With intricate plotting, atypical characters, and an erudition that reflects his insatiable curiosity, Doerr builds the connections between them. Despite humanity’s tragedies — from ancient wars to present day environmental destruction — Doerr salvages hope, and reminds us of the power of storytelling.

Storytelling at its most captivating

Why writers read: “Why are we reading, if not in hope of beauty laid bare, life heightened and its deepest mystery probed?” – Annie Dillard

My Goodreads and Amazon reviews of The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine by Janice P. Nimura (Rating 4) – A Remarkable Sibling Duo. The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P. Nimura, is the history of the first female physicians in the United States. Elizabeth, the determined older sister, was first. She encouraged — in some ways pressured — her younger sister Emily to follow in her footsteps. Elizabeth’s admission to Geneva Medical College actually began as a student prank. Its absurdity (no spoilers) emphasizes how outlandish the idea of a woman doctor was in 1847. To the surprise of her peers and the faculty, Elizabeth turned out to be a stellar pupil. For men entrenched in the belief that women had no place in the profession, her achievement was the exception that proved the rule. In the words of the Dean, she was that rare woman who “possessed the proper moral, physical, and intellectual qualifications to be admitted to the medical brotherhood.” Actually, that attitude was fine with Elizabeth, who also saw herself as superior. Nimura highlights the differences in personality between the sisters, the elder self-confident and judgmental, the younger self-doubting but compassionate. To her credit, their respective flaws are not sugar-coated. Instead Nimura shows how well they complemented each other. To echo the subtitle, Elizabeth focused on education, bringing women to medicine; Emily applied herself to practice, bringing medicine to women. My one criticism is that the book is too detailed. Nimura’s laudable desire to thoroughly document the untold lives of these remarkable women is sometimes overshadowed by forgettable lists of addresses, people, and occasions. As a writer of historical fiction (see my Amazon author page and Goodreads author page), I know the importance of being selective about how much research one shares with readers. That caveat aside, The Doctors Blackwell reminds us that advanced in women’s professional acceptance and health care owe much to the determined efforts of these two trailblazers.

The untold history of two pioneering women

Why writers read: “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” – Groucho Marx

My Amazon and Goodreads review of The Falcon, the Wolf, and the Hummingbird by Martha Engber (Rating 5) – Suspenseful and Spellbinding. The Falcon, the Wolf, and the Hummingbird by Martha Engber is a breathless adventure about two courageous Native American women warriors on opposite sides of a life-or-death conflict. Readers meet strong-willed Pino, determined to redeem herself and save her threatened tribe, and wily Meesha, eager to avenge her own murdered tribe and escape her subsequent enslavement. With mounting suspense and spellbinding writing, Engber steers the narrative through the young heroines’ journeys as they face hard choices and nearly insurmountable odds. Pino is plagued by guilt over her sister’s death. Meesha is entrapped in a love-hate relationship with her tormentor. When the women form an unlikely alliance, readers wonder whether defeating their common enemy will likewise allow them to vanquish their own inner demons. The novel is enriched by meticulously researched details of daily life among pre-colonial New England Native Americans. As writer of historical fiction myself (see my Amazon author page and Goodreads author page), I admire Engber’s ability to include factual details, yet maintain the fast-moving plot. While set hundreds of years ago, this tale of sisterhood nevertheless speaks to today’s struggle for self-determination and survival among all beleaguered peoples. The Falcon, the Wolf, and the Hummingbird is entertaining, enlightening, and enormously inspiring.

Conflict, connection, revenge, redemption

Why writers read: “Books let you travel without moving your feet.” – Jhumpa Lahiri