4 Great Reads to Check Out This April

State of Wonder by Anne Patchett (2011)                          

Marina is sent to the Amazon by her bio-tech company to find out about her co-worker who dies there and to discover the status of the research being done.  Of course the story is more involved than that. The co-worker leaves behind a family, Marina is physically involved with her boss, the head researcher was Marina’s college professor, and there are mysteries involving the peoples there along with the research itself.  The drug being researched will allow women to be fertile into their old age as in the indigenous population, but also has other uses.  How all this intertwines makes for a good read.  Having always wanted to visit the Amazon region, the wonderful descriptions of the Amazon with the lush vegetation made me sad that I have not had a chance, but those awful bugs and heat makes my lost chance an okay one.  ~ Recommended by Sue

Sky Burial by Xinran (2004)

Wen and her husband, Kejun, are young married doctors in China. Kejun feels he must enlist in the People’s Liberation Army and is sent to Chinese-occupied Tibet in 1958. Within a short time, Wen receives information that her husband has died while in Tibet.  She bravely sets out to discover for herself  how her young, healthy, and beloved husband came to die.  Tibet is an isolated, vast and harsh landscape.  Lost and ill, Wen is taken in by a generous, nomadic Tibetan family.  Her search stretches on for thirty years until she finally returns to China, changed by the timeless grandeur of Tibet, the spiritualty of the Tibetan people and the constant fight for survival.  This is a true-life story told to the author soon after Wen’s return to China.  ~ Recommended by Kathy

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (2011)

Victoria is a foster child who’s been through a difficult string of family situations and group homes since she was given up by her mother at 3 weeks old.  And difficult is sort of an understatement.  Of course, this has shaped her view of herself and where she fits, or doesn’t, in the world.  Her talent for flowers was taught and nurtured by her brief time with Elizabeth, a single woman, who took Victoria in when she was 9 years old. A serious miscommunication and misinterpretation causes drastic changes in what might have been the home Victoria finally could call her own.  This sets off a series of events that allow Victoria to discover the person she turns out to be – a strong, loyal, smart, and resilient woman and mother. ~ Recommended by Sheila

House Rules by Jodi Picoult (2010)

Is this novel a murder mystery or a portrait of a family with Asperger's syndrome?  The author did a good job combining both aspects.  Jacob, a teen, who has the syndrome, is accused of murdering his lovely college tutor.  His inability to read social cues confuses the court system which does not understand Jacob.  His mother, a single parent, is the only person who values his extreme intelligence and quirky behavior.  He is obsessed with criminal forensics and at times is ahead of the local police in solving crimes.  Will he be able to prove his innocence?  Asperger's can be a cross to bear, especially by his younger brother Theo, who gets little attention from his overworked parent and is the butt of jokes from his peers.  The reader will be tempted to finish the book in one sitting! ~ Recommended by Regina