The Great Mrs. Elias by Barbara Chase-Riboud

March 19, 2024

The Great Mrs. Elias by Barbara Chase-Riboud

Hannah Elias was one of the richest Black women in America in the early 20th century. She started her life as Bessie Elias, a domestic servant wrongly accused of theft. She was sent to prison, and when she was released, she was unable to find a job as a domestic, so she became a courtesan at a high-level brothel. There she met a number of wealthy men, mostly bankers and real estate barons, who taught her how to invest her money and accumulate wealth. She enjoyed her affluent lifestyle, until one of her long-time lovers decides Hannah duped him into giving her money and accuses her of criminal activities.

This is a portrayal of a strong Black woman, born in the 19th century, who rose to wealth, power and fame (or infamy), based on her real life. Hannah was a light-skinned Black woman, and for much of her life, passed for white, claiming to be Cuban. Women do what they need to do to survive, to feed themselves and their children. While I don't think it's as good as the author's previous book Sally Hemmings, it will appeal to readers of historical fiction and is a good choice for Women's History Month.

Hannah Elias

A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley

March 9, 2023

A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley

In 1851 Monterey, California, there is one woman for every ten men. Two young women from the Midwest, Eliza and Jean, find work at the local brothels, serving a varied clientele, some odd, some kind, some female. It's a dangerous business to be in, but then, it's a dangerous business just being a woman. When a prostitute is found murdered, the two girls are astounded that no one is particularly interested in finding the killer. Both Eliza and Jean are fans of Edgar Allan Poe, so when the body of another murdered girl is found, they decide to do some amateur investigating.

I've read most of Jane Smiley's books, and this is a departure from her usual literary fiction. More historical fiction than mystery, there are wonderful historical details about life in what is basically a Wild West town in the mid-19th century, as well as prostitution at that time. For a pair of prostitutes, Eliza and Jean are quite respectable. The mystery is sort of secondary to the history. Disappointing overall.

Monterey, California in the mid-19th century

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

November 3, 2019

10 Minutes, 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

Tequila Leila, a sex worker in Istanbul, has been murdered and her body thrown into a dumpster near the waterfront.  Although her heart has stopped, her brain continues to work for 10 minutes and 38 seconds.  During that time, she recalls her life, mostly through memories of taste and smell.  She remembers her dysfunctional family and the uncle who molested her repeatedly as a child, and how her family disowned her when she ran away to Istanbul.  But mostly, she recalls her five close friends who would do anything for her.  When they learn of her death, the five friends resolve to give Leila a decent burial.

Shafak’s descriptions of the sights, sounds, and smells of Istanbul make the city just as much a character as Leila and her friends.  I quickly became absorbed in Leila’s story in the first section of the novel.  The second part focuses on Leila’s friends, with a much-needed injection of dark humor.  The last section winds in the final threads and lets the reader know that Leila will never be forgotten by her friends.

Highly atmospheric with wonderfully drawn characters and expressive writing, this novel was shortlisted for the 2019 Man-Booker Prize, and rightly so.  Elif Shafak is a Turkish novelist who is an advocate of freedom, equality and free speech for women.  I highly recommend this for readers of literary fiction.