No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister
narrated by a full cast
Macmillan Audio, 2023
8 hours and 54 minutes
"No two persons ever read the same book” is a familiar quote, and now Erica Bauermeister has written a novel which shows how one book impacts many lives in very different ways. The novel is comprised of connected stories and begins, naturally, with an author... one writing a novel called Theo. It continues with a story about a young, overworked and underpaid publishing assistant who pulls Theo from the slush pile. We're later introduced to an actor turned audiobook narrator, a homeless teenager, an artist, a bookseller, and more. Each story highlights the subject's relationship with Theo and, by the end, I kind of wished I could read Theo for myself!
I loved nearly all of the stories and was delighted any time a familiar character reappeared in a later chapter. This is truly a book for book lovers! Listening added to my overall enjoyment - each story has a different narrator and they were all great. My only complaint, which is true for many short story collections, is that I was frequently left wanting more when a story ended.
I chose this book after seeing Tina's glowing review, and it later became a Modern Mrs. Darcy July selection. The live author chat enhanced my appreciation of this book, and made me want to reread it in print.
by Jake Bittle
Simon & Schuster, 2023
368 pages
It's impossible to deny climate change these days and The Great Displacement explains how climate migration is already underway. I found this to be an absolutely riveting read, especially in light of our experience with Hurricane Ian in Sanibel, FL last September.
Bittle structures the book to cover both weather/climate disasters and long-term growing problems. Each gets a separate chapter where the author digs into possible causes, government response, construction/ insurance/housing ramifications, and stories of individual families and homeowners in each danger zone.
The Great Displacement begins with Hurricane Irma in Big Pine Key, FL in 2017, then moves back to 1999 and the first attempt at government buyouts. This occurred in Kinston, NC following flooding along the Neuse River after Hurricane Floyd. Bittle explore the situation following California wildfires, coastal erosion in the Louisiana bayous, flood control in Houston, water scarcity in Arizona, and rising sea levels in Norfolk, VA. This is a comprehensive look at the many manifestations of climate change and various attempts to deal with them. I learned even more about the national flood insurance program, the insurance industry in general, FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, changing flood zones, and the effects on the housing market.
This is the most comprehensive look at the many climate change scenarios facing the United States that I have seen. I could not put this book down and even added the audio version so I could continue to listen when I could no longer sit and read. This will be one of my favorite nonfiction reads of 2023.
You liked No Two Persons a little bit more than I did. Maybe I should have listened to the audio instead of reading the print edition. Like you, I was left wanting more, which is always true for me with short stories.
ReplyDeleteThe Great Displacement sounds like a must-read for everyone. Adding it to my list. Thanks, JoAnn!
Les - Seems like I'm rarely ready to leave a short story when it's over, but the audio helped to lessen the blow this time and increased my enjoyment, too.
DeleteThe Great Displacement was an eye-opener, for sure. Our personal experience with friends and neighbors in Sanibel confirms that climate migration has begun... it will be a very different place by the time a resilient rebuild is complete.
This year climate change really seems to have entered the every day. Disasters and bigger picture issues were already happening, but the flooding, heat, and just plain "odd" weather everywhere seems to have arrived.
ReplyDeleteHelen - It seems like there is a daily climate or weather headline between the heat, wind, and floods. Scary.
DeleteThank you for the shoutout and I am pleased you liked No Two Persons as much as I did :-) It flowed so well and I would love to know what happened with the widower who found the postcard in the ghost town.
ReplyDeleteI have a hold on The Great Displacement at the library.
Tina - I still wonder about several of those characters in No Two Persons. Will be curious to hear what you think of The Great Displacement.
DeleteNo Two Persons sounds very cleverly constructed, and as you say, it sounds like a perfect book for book lovers.
ReplyDeleteSam - Structure seems to be something that's making an impression on my this year and No Two Persons is a great example. Definitely a book that book lovers can appreciate!
DeleteNo Two Persons sounds good and I will look for it. I think I will find it hard to move on to the next character! For the climate book is the author seeing a migration away from climate disaster areas such as flood zones and Calif wildfire areas? Alberta has had a tough fire season from May thru August -- it's been like no other on record. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteSusan - That's my problem with most short stories, too, but at least a few of the characters here make a second appearance. The author is seeing people move away from climate disaster areas, and uses the California wildfire areas as an example, especially the small, rural communities that were completely destroyed. I was particularly interested in his discussion of the housing crisis around Santa Rosa.
DeleteFrom personal observation, many friends and neighbors have, for a variety of reasons, decided to leave Sanibel... some move back "home", others move farther inland, some have moved on to senior living communities for the next phase. The school, too, has seen many families leave. Ground level homes have been sold and are in the process of being re-developed, but the cost is very high and insurance is a problem for those seeking mortgages. I'm afraid it will be a very different place when the process is complete.
Oh my. I didn't realize so many are leaving Sanibel. That's unreal and sad. The Light Pirate is a bit about that -- people leaving parts of the state. Maybe you should wait still before reading that novel. It'd just be painful. Sanibel and Naples are too dear of places .... I'm sorry friends are moving on.
DeleteSusan - We have friends who moved to inland Naples after their ground-level home on Sanibel was destroyed, and are aware of several others, too. Old friends in Naples had their ground level condo across the street from the beach flooded out, but they're repairing and staying put. So many different scenarios playing out all over Florida! I'm still circling around The Light Pirate, but may wait on it until next year.
DeleteI started No Two Persons but for some reason I couldn't concentrate on it so I started another short book. When I'm finished with it I'll try again.
ReplyDeleteVicki - Sometimes it's hard with short stories, because once you feel like you're in the groove, the author has moved on to the next story. Are you reading or listening?
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