The Sharing Knife: Passage by Lois McMaster Bujold. A Review.. Eventually.
I haven't posted in a while, but I'm required to by the author, so I must oblige.
This is the first draft of a review I will be posting wherever humanly possible to promote this wonderful edition to the Sharing Knife series. I was fortunate enough to have a coffee (chai latte or something, actually) with Ms. Bujold in Minneapolis several weeks ago after her panel at the Public Library Association conference. I caught the tale end of the session, having gotten up late that morning due to some heavy partying the night before.. but I digress. I was so excited to see Ms. Bujold, mainly due to the fact that my dear friend Andrea adored her work and had set me to reading some of it back in College. In fact, because I am a teen librarian, I rarely if ever get to indulge myself in adult genre fiction at all these days (who ever thought reading would become a guilty pleasure in this job?).
Ms. Bujold was in fact speaking in the panel of other distinguished Minnesotan authors about writing novels that for whatever reason appeal to teens and then cause problems because for some reason there are objections to "adult material" in books that a teen might actually want to read (horrors!). I can't really say more because I got there REAALLY LATE. The only this I heard actually discussed was letters threatening authors with the loss of a reader if such and such isn't removed from their next book (typical author response: and I care because...?) and why authors don't write more older heroes and heroines into their novels. One author replied to the question by saying that elderly actually enjoy and sometimes prefer to read about young people, because old people find their lives boring, and don't want to read about themselves. I found that thought rather depressing, but I read mostly teen and youth novels, so I can't really object to ageism in fiction. I think Ms. Bujold held her tongue on that question, because as readers of her fiction know, her characters tend to be all over the map.
I was very disappointed to find out that NO ONE was giving out Bujold ARCs, or even selling her books at PLA (they announced it to save us the trouble of chasing around the vendors asking) so I went up to her with some random bit of paper to sign so Andrea could get something for all the trouble I went through rolling out of bed that morning. Ms. Bujold was already surrounded by adoring fans.. sadly the other authors slightly less so. While I was standing there trying to figure out what to say to an author I hadn't read in years while wheedling signatures and photos out of her, she hesitantly pulled out of her bag one, ONE ARC for her new book in the Sharing Knife series and asked who wanted to review it before April 22nd. A lot of arms were raised.. but I squealed and jumped up and down. And of course, you already know the outcome of that little contest.
I stuck around with my new treasure, glowing with victory and chatting with other fans of the author.. plus I wanted more photos I think.. its all a little blurry at this point. Then somehow I was talking with Ms. Bujold and Ginger, another librarian, who asked her if she wanted to get a drink. I was a little shocked, and so was Ginger actually, asking an author to go hang out who you'd only just met, but she tacked on a little "I know I'm being really pushy here and you have every right to say no" or something like that, and Ms. Bujold very obligingly said yes. Ginger paid for the three of us, which made it especially tasty ;).
I won't go into any detail about the discussion here because I'm tired and sick at the moment and frankly don't remember half of it, other than that it was very enjoyable, and that Science Fiction award people give away tie pins when you get nominated, so Ms. Bujold had a jeweler friend of hers make a necklace for her.. I've got to get a photo of it on the web at some point, its very cool.
In any event, I took home the book, started to read it, and realized I really needed to read the first two books first in order to really ENJOY it. I mean I could get into the story just fine, but I knew that I would appreciate the story a lot more if I got to know the characters better. I work at a library so this was easy.. then I got really sick with a post conference cold, so I managed to read all three novels in about three days. Lucky me.
Here is what I knew and remembered about Bujold's writing: warmth. She really gives warmth to her stories and characters, which I really appreciate, because I have to read a lot of authors. A LOT oF THEM. And many seem to think that good writing shouldn't be remotely soft, sweet, or fun. There is nothing more unappealing to me than characters I couldn't care less about in circumstances that are usually dark, dire, and realistic (or at least trying for realism). Lots of "teen" authors are so spare with their characterizations their books tend to settle in my gut like Interlochen camp food used to. I hate being taught helpful lessons like "don't get into drugs" or "try not to have drunk parents." I don't dismiss teen fiction entirely because there are many great authors and awesome books that involve drugs and drunk parents, but when you read as much as I do, you hit quite a few duds before you snag something tasty.
Back to "Passage". I read the first two novels gleefully, like a puppy chews through a new plush toy. The story of Lakewalker Dag and his farmer bride is adventurous, romantic, and sexy (count on Bujold to make a 56 year old man with one hand sexy). First we meet her family, then his, and meanwhile the two characters are growing and changing progressively with a sound steadiness of characterization that is just plain pleasurable to read.
Bujold herself said to me, "this is a romance novel. I have fans who came up and asked me where the rest of the plot was. I told them, "the relationship between Dag and Fawn is the plot." I happen to like romance novels, but I can't read too many at a time because they get, well, boring. I mean really dull, and its not just the boring writing either. I don't mind the story line being a non-deviating arc from meeting to marriage, but I can't stand how two-dimensional that characters can be-- total yawners who have very little to say about the world aside from things like, "I'm soooo rich, and I always drink mixed alcoholic beverages and brood!" or "I wish my brother hadn't bet on the farm, now I'm in dire straights!" But Bujold lets her characters really grow and change slowly and progressively over time.
Bujold takes a basic romantic tale and really spins it out, takes it past the usual "marriage as final chapter" into an interesting love story that takes place in a landscape full of political and social issues which support, but never overwhelm the main characters and their relationship.
I love the characters, of course, but aside from the romantic dynamics between Fawn and Dag, the spectacular fantasy world they inhabit is deeply thought out with touches of American History interwoven with fantasy. The Lakewalkers are undeniably psuedo-Indian with their long dark hair and preternaturally tan skin, and the farmers are a sturdy lot that greet each other with "How 'de" but I never felt like I was being trotted through some obvious didactic history lesson, because in this world, the Lakewalkers "planted" the farmers on land that they are now overrunning. And then there's the issue of those nasty blight bogles, but you'll have to read the books to find out about them. I nearly choked on my honeyed tea when I read the name "Aunt Nattie". I kept adding "Bumppo" in my head. I was gratified to read in the Author's notes about the third book that she had in fact read Crockett's autobiography among other things in order to prepare her for the third book, which features hand driven flat boats on a wide, shallow river, new fangled iron stoves, and other interesting touches which keep the books so deliciously truthful in a fantastical context.
Passage takes Dag and Fawn in a new direction than the past two books which dealt with the families of both. Now that the two strike out on their own to find a new life together, they encounter a fresh new set of challenges, mainly having to do with Dag's search for his new calling. The books always set Dag and Fawn against the world's social conventions, but this time Dag is REALLY messing with the status quo, and feeling the consequences of his actions. In this book Fawn and Dag's relationship is still strong and present, but there is a lot of encroachment into the limelight by several supporting characters which in my opinion were welcome additions, and I look forward to seeing some of them in the next book.
I look forward to a next book, in general. I'm wondering when the next book is coming out.
There's going to be another one of these, right Ms. Bujold?
This is the first draft of a review I will be posting wherever humanly possible to promote this wonderful edition to the Sharing Knife series. I was fortunate enough to have a coffee (chai latte or something, actually) with Ms. Bujold in Minneapolis several weeks ago after her panel at the Public Library Association conference. I caught the tale end of the session, having gotten up late that morning due to some heavy partying the night before.. but I digress. I was so excited to see Ms. Bujold, mainly due to the fact that my dear friend Andrea adored her work and had set me to reading some of it back in College. In fact, because I am a teen librarian, I rarely if ever get to indulge myself in adult genre fiction at all these days (who ever thought reading would become a guilty pleasure in this job?).
Ms. Bujold was in fact speaking in the panel of other distinguished Minnesotan authors about writing novels that for whatever reason appeal to teens and then cause problems because for some reason there are objections to "adult material" in books that a teen might actually want to read (horrors!). I can't really say more because I got there REAALLY LATE. The only this I heard actually discussed was letters threatening authors with the loss of a reader if such and such isn't removed from their next book (typical author response: and I care because...?) and why authors don't write more older heroes and heroines into their novels. One author replied to the question by saying that elderly actually enjoy and sometimes prefer to read about young people, because old people find their lives boring, and don't want to read about themselves. I found that thought rather depressing, but I read mostly teen and youth novels, so I can't really object to ageism in fiction. I think Ms. Bujold held her tongue on that question, because as readers of her fiction know, her characters tend to be all over the map.
I was very disappointed to find out that NO ONE was giving out Bujold ARCs, or even selling her books at PLA (they announced it to save us the trouble of chasing around the vendors asking) so I went up to her with some random bit of paper to sign so Andrea could get something for all the trouble I went through rolling out of bed that morning. Ms. Bujold was already surrounded by adoring fans.. sadly the other authors slightly less so. While I was standing there trying to figure out what to say to an author I hadn't read in years while wheedling signatures and photos out of her, she hesitantly pulled out of her bag one, ONE ARC for her new book in the Sharing Knife series and asked who wanted to review it before April 22nd. A lot of arms were raised.. but I squealed and jumped up and down. And of course, you already know the outcome of that little contest.
I stuck around with my new treasure, glowing with victory and chatting with other fans of the author.. plus I wanted more photos I think.. its all a little blurry at this point. Then somehow I was talking with Ms. Bujold and Ginger, another librarian, who asked her if she wanted to get a drink. I was a little shocked, and so was Ginger actually, asking an author to go hang out who you'd only just met, but she tacked on a little "I know I'm being really pushy here and you have every right to say no" or something like that, and Ms. Bujold very obligingly said yes. Ginger paid for the three of us, which made it especially tasty ;).
I won't go into any detail about the discussion here because I'm tired and sick at the moment and frankly don't remember half of it, other than that it was very enjoyable, and that Science Fiction award people give away tie pins when you get nominated, so Ms. Bujold had a jeweler friend of hers make a necklace for her.. I've got to get a photo of it on the web at some point, its very cool.
In any event, I took home the book, started to read it, and realized I really needed to read the first two books first in order to really ENJOY it. I mean I could get into the story just fine, but I knew that I would appreciate the story a lot more if I got to know the characters better. I work at a library so this was easy.. then I got really sick with a post conference cold, so I managed to read all three novels in about three days. Lucky me.
Here is what I knew and remembered about Bujold's writing: warmth. She really gives warmth to her stories and characters, which I really appreciate, because I have to read a lot of authors. A LOT oF THEM. And many seem to think that good writing shouldn't be remotely soft, sweet, or fun. There is nothing more unappealing to me than characters I couldn't care less about in circumstances that are usually dark, dire, and realistic (or at least trying for realism). Lots of "teen" authors are so spare with their characterizations their books tend to settle in my gut like Interlochen camp food used to. I hate being taught helpful lessons like "don't get into drugs" or "try not to have drunk parents." I don't dismiss teen fiction entirely because there are many great authors and awesome books that involve drugs and drunk parents, but when you read as much as I do, you hit quite a few duds before you snag something tasty.
Back to "Passage". I read the first two novels gleefully, like a puppy chews through a new plush toy. The story of Lakewalker Dag and his farmer bride is adventurous, romantic, and sexy (count on Bujold to make a 56 year old man with one hand sexy). First we meet her family, then his, and meanwhile the two characters are growing and changing progressively with a sound steadiness of characterization that is just plain pleasurable to read.
Bujold herself said to me, "this is a romance novel. I have fans who came up and asked me where the rest of the plot was. I told them, "the relationship between Dag and Fawn is the plot." I happen to like romance novels, but I can't read too many at a time because they get, well, boring. I mean really dull, and its not just the boring writing either. I don't mind the story line being a non-deviating arc from meeting to marriage, but I can't stand how two-dimensional that characters can be-- total yawners who have very little to say about the world aside from things like, "I'm soooo rich, and I always drink mixed alcoholic beverages and brood!" or "I wish my brother hadn't bet on the farm, now I'm in dire straights!" But Bujold lets her characters really grow and change slowly and progressively over time.
Bujold takes a basic romantic tale and really spins it out, takes it past the usual "marriage as final chapter" into an interesting love story that takes place in a landscape full of political and social issues which support, but never overwhelm the main characters and their relationship.
I love the characters, of course, but aside from the romantic dynamics between Fawn and Dag, the spectacular fantasy world they inhabit is deeply thought out with touches of American History interwoven with fantasy. The Lakewalkers are undeniably psuedo-Indian with their long dark hair and preternaturally tan skin, and the farmers are a sturdy lot that greet each other with "How 'de" but I never felt like I was being trotted through some obvious didactic history lesson, because in this world, the Lakewalkers "planted" the farmers on land that they are now overrunning. And then there's the issue of those nasty blight bogles, but you'll have to read the books to find out about them. I nearly choked on my honeyed tea when I read the name "Aunt Nattie". I kept adding "Bumppo" in my head. I was gratified to read in the Author's notes about the third book that she had in fact read Crockett's autobiography among other things in order to prepare her for the third book, which features hand driven flat boats on a wide, shallow river, new fangled iron stoves, and other interesting touches which keep the books so deliciously truthful in a fantastical context.
Passage takes Dag and Fawn in a new direction than the past two books which dealt with the families of both. Now that the two strike out on their own to find a new life together, they encounter a fresh new set of challenges, mainly having to do with Dag's search for his new calling. The books always set Dag and Fawn against the world's social conventions, but this time Dag is REALLY messing with the status quo, and feeling the consequences of his actions. In this book Fawn and Dag's relationship is still strong and present, but there is a lot of encroachment into the limelight by several supporting characters which in my opinion were welcome additions, and I look forward to seeing some of them in the next book.
I look forward to a next book, in general. I'm wondering when the next book is coming out.
There's going to be another one of these, right Ms. Bujold?