ELLA MINNOW PEA by Mark Dunn

BIBLIOGRAPHY   Dunn, Mark. 2002. ELLA MINNOW PEA: A PROGRESSIVELY LIPOGRAMMATIC EPISTOLARY FABLE .  Ill. By Tim Brennan.  San Francisco, CA: MacAdam/Cage. ISBN 978-159692990.

PLOT SUMMARY
Ella lives on the fictional island of Nollop, home of Nevin Nollop the man who coined the pangram “the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.”  The statue of Nollop, which sports his well known phrase is slowly dropping the letters.  The islanders can only communicate using the letters remaining on the statue, which makes for an interesting story, as letters continue to fall.  Told in epistles, the residents communicate in their isolated world, set apart from modern technology.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Laugh out loud funny at times, Dunn is uniquely creative.  As one who enjoys wordplay, this novel had me thinking, sorting words in my head, being creative in my spelling and communicating.  Underlying all the fun of the book, Mr. Dunn addresses authoritarianism and abuse of power.
  

A relatively short book, this can be devoured in a couple hours, but will leave lovers of wordplay, language and linguistics thinking and playing with the English language for days.  I found that towards the end of the book, it was a bit easier to read if done so aloud, due to fantastical use of letters and creative spelling.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
"A treasure of a novel. Dunn has an incredibly fascinating and clever way of using the English language, with or without all the letters of the alphabet. This witty satire and moving fable is a must-read for everyone who loves words... and free speech!" Susan Wasson, Bookworks, Albuquerque, NM

"There's the whiff of a classic about Ella Minnow Pea." The Christian Science Monitor

"A love letter to alphabetarians and logomaniacs everywhere." Myla Goldberg

"A curiously compelling...satire of human foibles, and a light-stepping commentary on censorship and totalitarianism." The Philadelphia Inquirer

"This exceptional, zany book will quickly make you laugh." Dallas Morning Herald

"Ella Minnow Pea is a witty fable, but it's also a satire about censorship among other things....[T]he book should give us plenty to think about." Detroit Free Press

“While this is one of the most intriguing books I have read, Ella Minnow Pea is above all very funny.  I’ve read it several times now and it never ceases to amuse.  I’m pleased to be writing about it and I think this book should be on the shelves of anyone interested in language.  I am certain that they will find it an unusual and fascinating read."  Tom Cunliffe, A Common Reader blog

CONNECTIONS
IBID by Mark Dunn.  Told entirely in endnotes, I’ve not read this yet but have heard that is outdoes Dunns prior works in literary audacity.  Sounds like a winner to me.

SING YOU HOME by Jodi Picoult

BIBLIOGRAPHY Picoult, Jodi. 2011. SING YOU HOME.  New York, NY: Atria Books. ISBN 978-1439102725.

PLOT SUMMARY

When music therapist Zoe Baxter’s latest pregnancy ends in a stillbirth, her husband Max decides he can’t handle any more heartbreak and leaves her. As she picks up the pieces of her life, Zoe is surprised to find herself falling for a school counselor who happens to be a woman. While Zoe is finding happiness with Vanessa, Max falls off the wagon and is helped by a pastor from his brother’s evangelical church. Vanessa and Zoe wed in Massachusetts, and Vanessa offers to carry one of the fertilized embryos Zoe and Max stored. Excited by the prospect of being a mother, Zoe goes to Max to get him to release the embryos to her and is shocked when he instead sues her for custody of them, backed by his church.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Picoult is known for her books that deal with moral and ethical dilemmas and this one is no exception.  What I found interesting in this book is that a number of difficult topics were addressed:  infertility, homosexuality, "the church".  Picoult does well portraying the infertility issue from the male standpoint as well as the female, evoking understanding and empathy for the men and what they deal with, something women often have hard times relating to. 

I almost think that too much is covered in this book, too many issues addressed, however life does come at us rather fast and full of punches at times. 

Being as new as this book is, I'm going to leave the review short and let you know that it's worth a read.  Be prepared, I like controversial books or things that leave people a bit uncomfortable.  This is one book I can see that will do that for some, particularly with the character of lovable Zoe, who is first married to a man then a woman.  Not saying that because it makes me uncomfortable, I can just already hear the comments coming back to me, living in this strong Southern Baptist area of the US.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Booklist: "Told from the perspectives of all three major characters, Picoult’s gripping novel explores all sides of the hot-button issue and offers a CD of folk songs that reflect Zoe’s feelings throughout the novel."

about.com: "Few books are so engaging, so enraging, so sympathetic as to arrest one's attention and demand to be read in one sitting. Jodi Picoult's Sing You Home is such a novel."

CONNECTIONS

What can you say after reading a Jodi Picoult book, but read more.  If you like this one, I'd next recommend: Vanishing Acts, Salem Falls and My Sister's Keeper.  Three of my fav Jodi books.  If you've only seen the movie of the last one, read the book....they are NOTHING alike.