Upon reading the prologue to University of Akron professor Julie Drew’s terrific debut novel, the reader might think Daughter of Providence is a Depression-era detective story, with the narrator, Anne Dodge, beginning with reminiscences about a dead girl and continuing with the discovery of a body in a Rhode Island marsh.
Who killed the young fisherman, one of many Portuguese-Americans in Milford, occupies less of Anne’s attention than her newfound half-sister, Maria Cristina, who has arrived to live with Anne and her rich, important father, Samuel.
Anne and her father have had a tacit agreement to refrain from talking about Anne’s mother, Inez, whose “infamous actions” in abandoning them years before have left them alone in their huge house, not knowing that Inez later had another daughter. Now Inez is dead, as are her Portuguese parents, and Maria Cristina has come to live with the Dodges.
Anne is charmed by her new sister, but Samuel sees the girl as a reminder of his adulterous wife, or could it be that her appearance reminds him of the immigrants who labored in the mill he hopes to reopen? Anne finds layers of family secrets during this hot summer of 1934.
The salty tang of the ocean is everywhere as Anne works on her project, building a boat in the yard of crusty Ezra Johnson, who definitely knows more than he’s telling about Inez and her history. There are references to the Depression, and sheltered Anne is proud of her father’s efforts to find odd jobs for unemployed workers after he was forced to close his mill, but she is amazed to learn that her best friend’s family has gone hungry. The themes of class relations and, especially, troubled economic times are relevant.
Daughter of Providence (320 pages, hardcover) is a great summer read. It costs $25.95 from Overlook Press. Drew teaches writing, film and cultural studies.
Bike streets of Cleveland
Stan Purdum’s first book, Pedaling to Lunch, guided cyclists on 20 bicycle tours through Ohio, providing descriptions of scenery, information about historic points of interest and suggestions for places to stop for a bite to eat. His follow-up (written with Murray Fishel), Pedaling on the North Coast: Biking the Streets of Greater Cleveland, brings some urban routes to the theme.
Most of the 18 rides aren’t urban, and some aren’t on actual streets. Cleveland’s Metroparks system and other rural areas, like the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, are assets not to be overlooked, and Purdum and Fishel make good use of them. But they also have a trip beginning at Rockefeller Park that takes the rider onto busy St. Clair, Superior and Euclid avenues, and one from Beachwood through Shaker Heights involves dismounting because police are known to issue tickets for riding on the sidewalks.
A lot of practical information is included, including safety tips, plus the restaurant suggestions that were included in the first book.
Pedaling on the North Coast (211 pages, softcover) costs $19.95 from Ringtaw Books, an imprint of the University of Akron Press. Purdum lives in North Canton and holds a doctor of divinity degree; Fishel is professor emeritus of political science at Kent State University.
Events
Beachwood Community Center (25325 Fairmount Boulevard) — The main room is full, but there may still be an opportunity to hear best-selling author Daniel Silva (Portrait of a Spy, The Rembrandt Affair) in an overflow room; failing that, standing room only will be available in the building. Call 216-831-6868 for reservations. Doors open at 6 p.m.; the program and book signing are from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday.
Cuyahoga County Public Library (Parma Heights branch, 6206 Pearl Road) — Stow author Les Roberts signs The Cleveland Creep, latest in his Milan Jacovich mystery series, 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Old Whedon Grille (200 N. Main St., Hudson) — Roberts discusses his Cleveland-based series as part of the Book Club in a Bar; the current club selection is Indian Sign, and the Learned Owl Book Shop will have copies of all Roberts’ books for sale, 7 p.m. Thursday.
Learned Owl Book Shop (204 N. Main St., Hudson) — Dick Goddard signs Six Inches of Partly Cloudy: Cleveland’s Legendary TV Meteorologist Takes on Everything, and More, 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Send information about books of local interest to Lynne Sherwin, Features Department, Akron Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron, OH 44309 or lsherwin@thebeaconjournal.com.
