Book #28 & 29: The Last Pirate & Three Days to Never
I heard Tony Dokoupil, the author of The Last Pirate on NPR, and his story intrigued me so much I went out and bought his book. It's a memoir of sorts, but instead of an autobiography, he has written his father's biography as it intertwines with his own story. It's very well written, and he is quite generous in his approach, especially given that his megalomaniac, narcissistic father was brilliant but at best unavailable, and at worst, destructive. He struggles with identity and destiny so gracefully that there is no angst here. In spite of everything, I found myself rooting for the elder Dokoupil at least some of the time as he subverted foolish drug laws and worked to adhere to the "pirate code" of marijuana smugglers.
Three Days to Never took me forever to read. It's an impressively smart novel, and unfortunately, this time of year it was almost too demanding; it's a bit embarrassing. Like most Time Powers's work, it's based on historical events which are elaborated and explained by supernatural powers. Fortunately, I happened to know the history for this one and didn't have to look much up, and that got me through. Einstein had an illegitimate daughter with his first wife, Mileva Maric, before they were married. There is no documentation that shows for certain what happened to the child, but it is widely accepted that she died in infancy or early childhood. In this novel, she not only survived, but she grew up in secret and became a partner in her father's genius endeavors. It begins with her death as an old woman. Her death has caused some kind of cosmic rift or ripple, and her grandson Frank, and English professor, and his daughter, Daphne, slowly unravel what happened and who she really was. It turns out that Einstein was working on a time machine, and his daughter decided to do anything she had to to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. But who are the wrong hands? Frank and Daphne find themselves pursued by Mossad agents as well as a secret society with dark aims. The supernatural elements and the science are incredibly complex, but very tightly woven. It's an impressive work, and I wish I had read it when I could have done it more justice.
Three Days to Never took me forever to read. It's an impressively smart novel, and unfortunately, this time of year it was almost too demanding; it's a bit embarrassing. Like most Time Powers's work, it's based on historical events which are elaborated and explained by supernatural powers. Fortunately, I happened to know the history for this one and didn't have to look much up, and that got me through. Einstein had an illegitimate daughter with his first wife, Mileva Maric, before they were married. There is no documentation that shows for certain what happened to the child, but it is widely accepted that she died in infancy or early childhood. In this novel, she not only survived, but she grew up in secret and became a partner in her father's genius endeavors. It begins with her death as an old woman. Her death has caused some kind of cosmic rift or ripple, and her grandson Frank, and English professor, and his daughter, Daphne, slowly unravel what happened and who she really was. It turns out that Einstein was working on a time machine, and his daughter decided to do anything she had to to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. But who are the wrong hands? Frank and Daphne find themselves pursued by Mossad agents as well as a secret society with dark aims. The supernatural elements and the science are incredibly complex, but very tightly woven. It's an impressive work, and I wish I had read it when I could have done it more justice.