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THE SPIRIT WOMAN
Margaret Coel, Berkley, 2000, $21.95/C$30.99 (£13.19), 272pp, hb, ISBN 0425175979
Historical records imply that Sacajawea, the Indian guide on Lewis and Clark's westward expedition, died young in 1812 of 'putrid fever'.  The oral tradition of the Shoshone tribe, however, says that she lived out a long life in the company of her people.  Laura Simmons, a college teacher fleeing her brutal ex-boyfriend, arrives at the Wind River Reservation in central Wyoming with the goal of locating Sacajawea's recorded memoirs. Not only do many tribal members to keep Sacajawea's history to themselves, though, but a previous researcher may have met an unfortunate end.
            The Spirit Woman introduces us to a culture where oral history is paramount, and to a people to whom age and wisdom are highly respected.  Despite this, modern life continues to rear its ugly head, with Coel's honest portrayals of social problems such as alcoholism, academic dishonesty, and spousal abuse (particularly the latter).  The mystery of the location -- and even existence -- of Sacajawea's memoirs takes numerous turns, keeping the reader guessing throughout, with more than one surprising plot twist in the interim.  The novel concludes with a suitably powerful finale, leaving readers impatient to seek out past and future volumes in this growing series.  Though not truly a historical mystery, The Spirit Woman should prove of great interest to anyone interested in exploring America’s Native American past and Sacajawea’s story in particular.

JESTER LEAPS IN: A Medieval Mystery
Alan Gordon, St Martin’s Minotaur, 2000, $23.95/C$36.99 (£14.40), 276pp, hb, ISBN 0-312-24117-8
The jester of the title is Theophilos (aka Feste), a member of the Fool’s Guild -- an organization secretly dedicated to keeping a balance of power among the thrones of Europe.  He and his fellow fool (and new wife) Viola are asked to venture south from Italy to Constantinople, where other agents of the Guild have disappeared without trace.  Arriving in the Byzantine Empire, the pair, with Viola disguised as Feste’s male servant, soon find themselves caught up in a political web larger than they imagined.  The Byzantine throne is never secure, and the opposing factions never fear to stoop to murder if it would further their cause…
            Thirteenth-century Constantinople as seen here is a vibrant yet dangerous city, described with skillful detail, and the action inside its borders is nonstop.  The author’s dry sense of humor, presented through Feste and Viola, enlivens this mystery even further.  In a genre nearly overflowing with ecclesiastical sleuths, this colorful medieval mystery is a breath of fresh air.  Readers should be sure to check out Thirteenth Night, the first in the series.

THE WHOLENESS OF A BROKEN HEART
Katie Singer, Riverhead (Penguin Putnam), 2000 (c1999), $14/C$20 (£8.42), 435pp, tpb, ISBN 1-47322-831-1
Hannah Felber has always enjoyed a close relationship with her adoring mother, Celia. All comes crashing to a halt, however, when in the late 1970s college-age Hannah begins to assert her independence.  Stunned by her mother's complete abandonment of her after a single argument, Hannah looks to her female ancestors for clues to Celia’s unusual behavior. 
            Family ties among this close-knit group of Eastern European Jews run deep.  Hannah’s two great-grandmothers, Channa (Hannah’s namesake) and Leah, are both strong-minded, straight-talking women.  Through them, we learn of the American immigrant experience both from the point of view of those newly arrived in a strange land (Channa) and those left behind in the old country (Leah).  In stories narrated by other female relatives, both living and dead, we learn of conflicts between personal happiness and the overall good of a family, from the end of the nineteenth century through Nazi-era Europe and after.  Their tales, emotionally resonant without being sentimental, are interspersed with those of Hannah herself. Only Celia’s own stories are somewhat of a letdown, as they’re all too brief.
            Singer’s characterization and language are impeccable, as all of the narrators have distinct voices, and the Yiddish accents of the elder family members come across even on paper.  In all, a highly recommended, thoroughly enjoyable exploration of the Jewish American family experience, and one of women’s survival in changing times.

LADY LESSONS
Sarah Starr, Regency Press, 2000, $19.95, 211pp, hb, ISBN 1-929085-17-6
A Regency romance, this novel details the unusual courtship between Julian, Earl of Ashley, and his grandmother’s god-daughter Virginia Traynor, called Ginger.  She and her brother, Thomas, are invited to pay their godmother a visit, but little does she know that the Dowager Countess of Ashley has matchmaking in mind. To her godmother’s surprise, Ginger is a young girl whose tomboyish behavior and unpolished manners make her unfit for society.  The Earl finds Ginger attractive and refreshing, but he’s determined at first to marry a more suitable bride – even though it may not be for love.
            Despite the title, the “lady lessons” which Ginger undertakes for the Earl’s benefit don’t begin until the novel’s nearly finished.  There are some other flaws, notably the lack of development for secondary characters such as Thomas, described more like an early adolescent than a man of twenty.  Also, Ginger herself seems at times too youthful to be interested in romance and marriage.  Still, the characters’ actions and the language used are perfectly appropriate to the period, and if you can put aside these inconsistencies, this novel would be a charming addition to any reader’s Regency collection.

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Questions or comments?  E-mail me at cfsln@eiu.edu.

Last updated: March 17, 2002