Monday's Reviews Today: Smartt Bell’s Civil War General & a Disabled Athlete’s Memoir
-- Publishers Weekly, 9/3/2009 2:17:00 PM
Madison Smartt Bell offers a “captivating” take on Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest in his new novel, Devil’s Dream. In the book, Bell “effortlessly [plays] with time and structure” and ultimately offers “an engaging examination of what it means to be free.” And in Double Take, Kevin Michael Connolly’s stirring memoir—he’s a 23-year-old champion skier/skateboarder who happens to have no legs—we find a narrative that’s “beautiful, revealing and stimulating.”
Devil’s Dream
Madison Smartt Bell. Pantheon, $26 (352p) ISBN 978-0-375-42488-5
After tackling the Haitian slave rebellion in a three-book series, Bell uses a smaller stage to create a captivating portrait of Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest. The novel plays effortlessly with time and structure, shuttling between 1845 and 1865 as Forrest marries Mary Ann Montgomery, becomes a guilt-stricken slave trader and, during the Civil War, is targeted for destruction by General Sherman. Despite his aggressive actions on the battlefield, Forrest struggles with the demands of a complicated family: tensions between Mary Ann and Forrest’s black mistress take a personal toll, while the rivalry between his sons Willy and Matthew (the illegitimate child of a long-ago affair with a slave) creates distraction. Meanwhile, his addiction to gambling and his attraction to his mistress send Forrest into a contemplation of the forces that control him. Many of the war sequences are delivered via Henri, a Haitian wanderer who joins Forrest’s troops and possesses the ability to communicate with the ghosts of those killed in battle. The unconventional structure and supernatural twist expand the narrative into an engaging examination of what it means to be free, a question that haunts Forrest through his life. (Nov.)
Double Take: A Memoir
Kevin Michael Connolly. Harper Studio, $24.99 (224p) ISBN 978-0-06-179153-6
Photographer, champion skier and skateboarder Connolly has been stared at his entire 23-year life. Not because he’s handsome, talented and athletic (all true), but because he has no legs. He was born without them, but born into a family that he describes as loving, loyal and matter-of-fact. Connolly writes that his father and grandfather—inspired by several seasons of MacGyver—engineered numerous devices to help the growing boy manage everyday tasks, from using light switches to pitching in on chores, and he was well prepared for his first day of school because his mother led countless “What would you do if...?” conversations. Connolly appears to be an intelligent, fairly unflappable adult with a healthy sense of humility and humor. He’s a good storyteller, too, whether describing his first high school wrestling match, the path from novice to champion skier or what it’s like to travel around the world on a skateboard. Connolly also shares his memories of an important, defining moment: when he decided to use photography to gaze back at the people who stared at him. “Each photo was a miniature catharsis,” he writes, adding, “Finally, I was able to find my own use for that stare, and it felt good.” His photos, 19 of which serve as chapter dividers, became part of The Rolling Exhibition, which was shown worldwide, including at the Smithsonian. The images are beautiful, revealing and stimulating—just like his narrative. (Nov.)
