Disappearing Earth - What happened?

Follow the tail of Alaska and it leads you to Kamchatka, the beautiful and isolated spit of Russia, perched above Japan overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is remote, inaccessible with poor roads and icy mountains barring entry or exit. It is almost a character in this first novel by Julia Phillips, a setting that provides both context and conflict. 

The first chapter of this impressive, captivating first novel is wrenching, a beautifully written set-up for a mystery that should lead to a standard police procedural - clues, a brilliant detective, a clear resolution. But that would be a different book. 

Instead, in the words of the author, Julia Phillips, the unimaginable crime provides a structure, like ribs coming off of a spine, detailing the range of harms in the lives of girls and women both large and small. The kidnapping of these young girls, swept away by something they couldn't anticipate or control is an extreme form of loss and violence. Yet every women whose story is told here is struggling with the the realization that at any moment, the life one has built can disappear. One's home, loved ones, family, even a country is not permanent, it is fragile and can be swept away on a whim. 

And while this story is uniquely possible in Kamchatka, it doesn't take long to see that the issues are the same for women everywhere. The struggles of toxic relationships, mistreatment from authorities, loss of a spouse, ethnic tensions. These are their struggles and ours as well, universal in many societies. 

The book covers every month following the crime, takes us to another woman impacted, coming back to a chance, perhaps, that there will be a resolution that does not further squeeze your heart. It is ambiguous, difficult to interpret but it gives some hope. There were different interpretations, and any could be the right one. I for one wanted those poor girls to be found and saved. Others thought they were lost, and the author won't say. She does say that she likes stories to have definitive ends but that she has been surprised by the number of interpretations she has heard. 

There is a lot to like and an awful lot to discuss in this book. It more or less naturally led to our own struggles with racial tensions. Julie had amazing insight from work she has been doing with her company, along with suggested reading. The Color of Law is a good start, detailing how US law denied black citizens access to home ownership and created housing discrimination with its centers of poverty. Julie mentioned White Fragility by Robin DeAngelo and a film called "White Like Me".

That of course led to everything else there is to read. Barbara mentioned The Battle of the Villa Fiorita by Rumer Godden (I adore Rumer Godden, her memoirs are incredible), Jean suggest The Nightwatchman by Louise Erdrich (another favorite of mine), I just ordered This is Shakespeare by Emma Smith (described as electrifying, not an adjective much associated with Shakespeare). I know I missed a lot of great suggestions, anyone want to chime in?

I admit to being pretty debilitated with the onslaught of the Cornavirus, our chaotic government and the despair of the recent protests. With that in mind, our next book is The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. If we are going to read about problems, I want them to be someone else's. Hopefully we can do Nightwatchman later as it is really wonderful. 

We are scheduled to meet on Aug. 18 at 6:30, at Mary Millhiser's. Thanks Mary!  Many, many thanks to Karin Walker who opened up her home to us since it was an oven outside. Our seating was distanced, but our friendships were not. Thank you! 

I will send out the Peach Pound Cake and Miso Fish Stew recipes via email, see you all in August! Let me know what I missed.