Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty

This is a raw and unflinching look at what it is to be an American Indian living on the Penobscot Indian Nation reservation in Maine in the 21st century. These 12 short stories have a common character in David, a Penobscot boy living on the rez, and it’s his voice, youthful, brash, angry and loving, that links all of the stories. Intergenerational trauma is the in-your-face thread that runs through the stories, binding David to his mother, his sister Paige, his father and his mother’s boyfriend Frick. Shared trauma closes in tightly on David through poverty, death and addiction--and what that looks like on every level of individual, family, and community life is what is both powerful and painful about this collection. The inevitability of poverty and its consequences holds everyone in place, and acts as a reminder of what cannot be outrun. His words are unsparing, giving a cleareyed testimonial, through David, of what it is to be in perpetual service to the inevitability of loss. On the up side, the collection is also teeming with the undeniable physicality and beauty of the natural world, from a rotting snapping turtle whose mysterious stench fills an entire home to a roiling, writhing carpet of caterpillars that takes over a stretch of road leading in and out of the reservation. There are glimpses of what is different about this culture and this brand of poverty that will also stick with you when you finish this.

New Zealand Te Papa Museum, Wellington, New Zealand

The museum name, 'Te Papa Tongarewa', translates literally to 'container of treasures'. A fuller interpretation is 'our container of treasured things and people that spring from mother earth here in New Zealand'. This replica of a waka taua (war canoe) called Teremoe once belonged to Te Reimana Te Kaporere and Matene Rangitauira, leaders from the upper Whanganui River. They had become involved in Pai Marire, a Māori religious movement committed to the defence of Māori territorial and political independence. Its followers were popularly known as Hauhau. Teremoe had a crew of up to thirty. As well as being used for warfare, it was also used as river transport and as a fishing canoe.

In 1864 and 1865 Teremoe took part in battles on the Whanganui River between Pai Marire and their lower river relatives who were loyal to the government. The first was at Moutoa Island, when Pai Marire used Teremoe to carry their dead and wounded from the battlefield. The second was at Ohautahi, where the prominent Whanganui chief Hoani Wiremu Hipango was killed. The waka did another tour of duty later in 1865 when Pai Marire besieged the garrison stationed at Pipiriki. By 1869 the breach within the Whanganui iwi had been mended, and the Pai Marire and kawanatanga (government) sides, led by Major Kemp, worked together to chase guerrilla leader Te Kooti from the upper reaches of the river.

Code Name Blue Wren by Jim Popkin

The subtitle is The True Story of America's Most Dangerous Spy And The Sister She Betrayed. I wish I could remember who told me to read this book, but I did not come upon this of my own accord. I found this to be largely a disappointing book, both in its writing style as well as the conclusions that it draws about Ana Montes, a spy for Cuba. After nearly 17 years at the Defense Intelligence Agency, she was arrested by U.S. authorities in 2001 on charges of spying for Cuba. The self-confessed traitor, who has now been released, served 21 years in a high-security federal prison. Unable to reach the imprisoned, unrepentant spy, Popkin relied on interviews with Montes’s family and friends and on government psychological assessments to explain Montes’s high-risk decision to supply her Cuban handlers with inside information, acts of betrayal for which she received no monetary compensation. Yet in Code Name Blue Wren (the label given by U.S. officials to Montes’s case), the author dismisses Montes’s avowed reason for spying—her deeply felt opposition to U.S. policies in Central America and Cuba—but fails to offer a compelling alternative theory. Instead, he echoes counterintelligence hawks in sensationalizing the damage Montes caused. He does not present credible evidence that Montes compromised agents nor did she change or significantly distort the intelligence community’s characteristically tough-minded assessments of Cuba.

Salsa de Piña Tatemada

We are loving cooking from Bricia Lopez' new cookbook called Asada: The Art Of Mexican Grilling--although we are taking the heat down several notches. This was a bif hit at a multiple protein grilled dinner we cooked. 3 garlic cloves, peeled 1 medium-size red onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 medium (about 3-pound) pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices 2 fresh serrano chiles, stemmed 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley Preheat grill to high (450°F to 500°F). Place garlic cloves and onion on 2 separate pieces of aluminum foil; fold each to create sealed packets. Place packets directly on grill grate; cook, uncovered, turning occasionally, until garlic and onion have softened, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place pineapple slices and chiles on oiled grates. Grill, uncovered, until pineapple is well marked, flipping once, 3 to 5 minutes per side, and skin on chiles is evenly charred, flipping often, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, and let cool 5 minutes. Chop pineapple into 1/4-inch pieces and garlic and chiles to a mince, and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in grilled onion and lime juice. Set aside. Add chile paste to bowl with pineapple mixture. Stir in parsley, and season with additional salt to taste.

In Love by Amy Bloom

Amy Bloom is a well known fiction writer who here pens a story from her own life, which is that of helping her husband to kill himself legally after a devastating diagnosis. This is a very tough read, no matter your age, and for me, almost exactly the age of the author's husband when his early onset dementia has progressed to the point that if he is going to be able to do an assisted suicide legally anywhere, he has to act then and there. There is a lot of anguish here, which is understandable, and it is not the very best writing that the author has produced, which is understandable given the subject. There is a surprising amount of humor, as well as some nuts and bolts information for the reader to follow if they should find themselves in this situation. I did not fully grasp this, but the right to die in the United States, which is only an option in a handful of states, only applies if you have six months or less to die and (this is an important and) can administer the fatal dose yourself. Unfortunately dementia, especially in a relatively young and healthy body, is characterized by the mind (and therefore free will) leaving the building long before the house lights are ready to go down, so to speak, and is therefore was not an option for them. So it is a tale of seeking out the available options, getting in the queue to be evaluated, and being able to afford the expense, all to help someone you care deeply for to end their life. There is a lot of dignity on display here that I am not sure I could mirror in similar circumstances, but it is well worth reading and thinking about.

WBC, Wellington, New Zealand

We chose this restaurant for several reasons. We were flying in from Christchurch that evening, and so wanted a place that was near the hotel--that wasn't too much of a challenge, as we were staying in a busy downtown location that offered quite a few dining options. The other was the presence of seafood on the menu, and the third was that we were able to get a reservation, which allowed us to not have to think too much, nor to worry when we were already obligated to eat later than is our norm.

We both very much enjoyed this small and bustling restaurant--our table wasn't free when we arrived, and so we sat at the bar initially, which was very pleasant and the bartender gave us a few insights into both the wine and the menu. My husband took the plunge on New Zealand oysters and we ordered a number of small plates rather than a main course, and each and every dish was delicious. He thought it was the second best place we ate the whole trip (a high bar indeed) and I thought it was in the top half. Highly recommended.

Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein

When I finished the last page and closed the book, my first thought was that I am pretty sure I didn't catch everything going on in this book. It is not long in length, but there there is a depth to it, and sometimes I felt like I didn't see to the bottom of it. I am not alone--one review I read noted that the author's style is one of sensory maximalism, in which unexpected shifts and juxtapositions repeatedly wrongfoot the reader. This is set in the 1940s, as American destroyers arrive in Trinidad’s harbors and naval bases forcibly displace village communities. It reaches into the country’s past as a much-trafficked and undervalued colonial possession, and it hints at the complications that might accompany its journey towards a still-distant independence. High on the list of these complications is the treatment of the people of color in general, and the island’s marginalized Hindu population, whose rights are curtailed in law, in particular. There is a hint of magical realism with a whisper of superstition that is intriguing but not fully absorbed by me. There are also a myriad of cast members whose lives we see only partially. All of them are held between past and future, their lives about to change as their country does, but with little indication that they can see the cost of transition.

Guajillo Grilled Chicken

The cookbook for Food 52's cookbook club this July is Bricia Lopez' Asada: THe Art of Mexican Grilling, and this is one of the first recipes we tried. I really loved the fruity flavor that the guajillo chiles added to the meat. We served sliced up as tacos alongside an excellent Arroz Rojo from the same cookbook. 12 guajillo chillies (50g/1¾oz), stems and seeds removed ½ large white onion (150g/5¼oz), roughly chopped 8 cloves garlic, peeled ¼ tsp black peppercorns (about 12 peppercorns) 1 whole clove 1 tbsp dried Mexican oregano 2 tbsp grapeseed oil ¼ cup (60ml) orange juice 2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar 2 tbsp fresh lime juice ¼ tsp ground cinnamon 1½ tbsp sea salt 910g (2lb) bone-in chicken thighs In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, lightly toast the chillies, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet and set aside. In the same skillet, add the onion and garlic, turning once or twice until they are lightly charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the peppercorns, clove, and dried oregano to the pan and lightly toast until they are aromatic, about 2 minutes. Transfer the toasted spices and oregano to a molcajete or spice grinder and grind until finely ground. In a high-performance blender or food processor, add the toasted chillies, onion, garlic, ground spices and oregano, oil, orange juice, rice vinegar, lime juice, cinnamon, and salt. Blend until most of the chillies have come apart. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Using a gallon-size resealable bag, add the marinade and the chicken. Seal and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Remove the chicken thighs in their marinade from the fridge to allow them to reach room temperature before grilling.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

OMG I loved this. So much. I read it in a day (which is not saying a ton, because since the pandemic I have been reading at an astounding rate, more than is really sustainable, but I couldn't put it down). I think that it is not the best thing that I have read this year, or maybe not even this month, but I liked it the most. This is openly spoken of as a homage to Louise May Alcott's Little Women, but it is more about the relationship of four sisters than a retelling of that story. In fact it starts without them in it. William Waters grows up in a home where he is unloved. His elder sister died and his parents never recovered from the grief of it. He was ignored, and grew up much like an orphan, without intimacy or much of a capacity for it. He did have basketball, which sustained him on several levels, but he lacked a lot. So when he meets the spirited and ambitious Julia Padavano in his freshman year of college, it's as if the world has lit up around him. With Julia comes her family, Her Whitman quoting father, her warm and generous mother, and her three sisters: Sylvie, the family's dreamer, is happiest with her nose in a book; Cecelia is a free-spirited artist; and Emeline patiently takes care of them all. With the Padavanos, William experiences a newfound contentment; every moment in their house is filled with loving chaos. But Julia has a future planned for them that doesn't quite suit William, and so the darkness from his past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia's carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters' relationship to one another. The characters are richly drawn, believable and recognizable, and altogether wonderful. I wish there was more attention to why William is the way he ends up, but that might be asking too much.

King of Snake, Christchurch, New Zealand

My main criteria for picking a restaurant in New Zealand was that it had to have seafood. It is, after all, an island surrounded by the sea, and should therefore have plenty of that. It turns out that it is also an island nation with enough sheep to outnumber every resident several times over, and therefore there is a lot of everything on offer. All that is to explain how even though my spouse is not a huge fan of Asian fusion, we ended up at such a place. The King of Snake was both an easy walk from our hotel and open on Monday night. It is on the second floor at it's address and newly locaed there, so no signage, and so we had to circle the building a couple times and ask for help before we actually arrived. The menu had quite a lot of seafood options, as well as something I haven't seen much of but saw often in New Zealand, which is the ability to chose how many of an appetizer you wanted. We got just two of a few things, a taste really, but it allowed us to try a few more things, and of course, if we had found something we had to have more of it was so amazing, we could do that as well. Everything we ordered was delicious, and I would definitely go back if I was to be back in Christchurch again--the atmosphere was not to my taste, but I can overlook a lot when the food is good.