Red Glass, by Laura Resau

First of all, I’d like to thank the unknown blogger who posted a review of Red Glass a while back which prompted me to put this on my TBR.  I’m so glad I did.  This is a story about Sophie, who lives in Arizona with her mom and step-father.  Her step father, who is Hispanic, has helped refugees from Mexico to get to the United States, and they end up taking in a little boy, Pablo whose parents did not survive their escape.  The novel is full of rich, colorful characters, who all have experienced great tragedies.  Sophie’s great aunt, Dika, who is a refugee from Serbia, lives with them and falls in love with a local Hispanic man named Mr. Lorenzo.  Mr. Lorenzo has a son, Angel. Angel’s mother was killed by guerillas in Guatemala.

It ends up that Pablo has relatives in Mexico, and he and Sophie, Dika, Mr. Lorenzo, and Angel go on a long road trip so Pablo can visit his relatives, and possible be returned to them.  This is a big step for Sophie, because she is a worrier.  She worries about getting cancer, being killed by a virus, a car accident, losing her mom, earthquakes, floods--so many things that she doesn’t experience life.  Early in the book she describes herself as “a shapeless amoeba, something that didn’t belong.  Not particularly noticed, definitely not appreciated.” But, Sophie decides to take this adventure on, and it becomes much more of a journey (and a danger) than she ever expected.  She learns much from her companions, about loss, tragedy, and fear that allow her to grow in a very special way. I’m not a big one for quotes, but here’s one I thought worth sharing:

I wondered if he and Angel noticed anything different about me, because I did.  I noticed that the layer of heavy, thick stuff that used to separate me from the world was disappearing, like mist rising and floating away.

There is also a romantic interest that slowly and beautifully develops between Sophie and Angel.  There is adventure and tension, but the end of this book left me with such a good feeling.  It was beautifully written.  The descriptions of Mexico and Guatemala – the flowers, the smells, the houses – made it easy to feel like you were there.  Give this one a try.

The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver

I listened to this audiobook, which was read by the author.  At the beginning, I thought Kingsolver’s voice was really annoying, but I got used to it.  I don’t think I would have finished this book if I had been reading it traditionally.  It’s a very long, epic tale – which is exactly the kind of book I like to LISTEN to.  I mostly listen while I’m driving, and the time and the book go fast.

The Lacuna is the life story of a fictional character named Harrison Shepherd.  But, this book is full of fascinating historical events and real characters.  The story is told as entries into Harrison’s diaries.  These diaries were published by his typist and friend Violet Brown, who we meet later in the story.

Shepherd’s parents split up, and since his mother is Mexican, they move to that country when he is twelve.  His mother goes through a string of boyfriends, and therefore Harrison is moved from place to place and to different schools and jobs.  The story gets interesting when he begins to work mixing plaster for Diego Rivera, the famous painter.  His wife is Frida Kahlo, also a famous Mexican painter, and she becomes Harrison’s life-long friend.  These people are communists and end up hiding Lev Trotsky after he is banished from the Soviet Union by Stalin.  Even though there is much danger, Harrison loves working for Lev as a cook and typist.


Harrison is very interested in Mexican history, so the reader learns about Cortez and the conquest of the Aztecs. Harrison ends up returning to the U.S. at the beginning of WWII, and lives in Asheville, North Carolina.  Violet Brown enters the story here.  We learn a lot about the feelings of the people during the war – the rationing and sacrificing that each person made for the good of the war.  Harrison decides to write a novel about Cortez and the Aztecs and it becomes a best-seller.


The last part of the book is during the McCarthy era, when Harrison is  accused of being a communist sympathizer, so we learn a lot about the feelings and activities of that era.   The ending is somewhat of a surprise, but is satisfying.

I liked this book – but I’m a fan of historical fiction.  I love learning about history through the eyes of people who (fictionally) lived through it.  I know this book isn’t for everyone, but if you are a lover of history and great characters, you should give this book a try.