“The Flight Attendant” and more short reviews from readers

THE BOOK CLUB

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Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. Sure, you could read advertising blurbs on Amazon, but wouldn’t you be more likely to believe a neighbor with no skin in the game over a corporation being fed words by publishers? So in this series, we are sharing these mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email bellis@denverpost.com.

“Banyan Moon,” by Thao Thai (Mariner Books, 2023)

This debut novel follows three generations of women, the first of whom fled Vietnam in the 1970s and ended up with her children in Florida, living in a ramshackle house they call the Banyan House. As the story unfolds, we see family patterns repeated, consciously or not, as each succeeding generation of women tries to make the best lives for their own children. The youngest woman struggles throughout the book to make the right choices between what appears to be a successful life and a meaningful life. And what defines a meaningful life for Eastern cultures might not be the same definition in a Western culture. (This one is a Read With Jenna book club pick.)

— 2 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver

“Once Upon a River,” by Diane Setterfield (Atria, 2018)

Rivers flow beside all great cities (and not-so-great ones), as they attract people as flowers attract bees. Of course, water is vital to our survival, but rivers nourish us in other ways. Diane Setterfield gently illustrates how rivers inspire our imaginations. From the opening sentence, this book pulled me into its current and nudged me along. How I wish I could punt along the Thames and dock at the jetty next to a pub like The Swan, where the locals gather to share their stories. I want to argue with them until we agree on just the right word. And I want to muse on the multiple endings to favorite old stories. I loved this novel, with its conundrums, eclectic characters, sprinkling of magical realism — and, oh, the writing! If you can, listen to this book narrated by the great British character actor, Juliet Stevenson.

— 4 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker

“The Flight Attendant,” by Chris Bohjalian (Doubleday, 2018)

Suspense builds in heaps when a flight attendant wakes in a hotel room after she blacks out, to find her one-night stand is the corpse beside her. Yes, she’s hungover, but this has never happened before. Because she’s in Dubai and afraid she might be the guilty party, she doesn’t call the police. Caught in a web of suspicions, she questions her profession, her friends and herself, even facing murder and death. Lie after lie builds until she’s forced to face the truth about herself and her life, replete with fascinating insights. Solid grounding in themes of principles and morals round out the cautionary tale.

— 3 stars (out of 4); Bonnie McCune, Denver (bonniemccune.com)

“Be Mine,” by Richard Ford (Ecco, 2023)

This is the fourth of a quartet of novels following the character Frank Bascombe, a man clearly not successful with relationships, as evidenced by his two failed marriages and two hyper-critical children. “Be Min” zeroes in on Frank’s relationship with his son, who has recently been diagnosed with ALS. The two relate through verbal sparring, not really looking for a knock-out punch, but rather for momentary one-upmanship, and it is all as hollow as it sounds. The characters constantly skim over the surface of issues with witty barbs, keeping one another at arm’s length and never plumbing the depths of any issue in any meaningful way. This one is a disappointment.

— 1 star (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver