Shelf Life

Did you ever notice that some authors write a whole lot of books? In the library or bookstore their offerings take up shelf after shelf. When I see that many titles, I tend to ignore them. How can these authors really produce work that is deep, meaningful, and fills the heart and mind? I have, of course, read a book or two by these "best selling" authors. I cannot recommend any of them. I discovered one author because she wrote a book with a snappy, fun title "The Hot Flash Club". The author is Nancy Thayer and her "hot flash" books are now a series. The first one wasn't bad, but the sequels are just terrible. Yet, I went to the library shelves and read all of Thayer's older novels and they are just wonderful, especially her earliest ones. I am glad Thayer is a "best-selling author" now, and I hope somebody makes a "hot flash" movie, but I would much rather see a film of "An Act of Love" or "Morning", two of her books I loved.

There are other authors whose books do not take up a lot of room at the library or bookstore. The three I mention next have only written, between them, eleven novels. However, all eleven books are beautifully written and will stay with you for years. Like me, you will wait and hope for the next offering by these three gifted people.

I don't know which book by the amazing Jane Hamilton I discovered first. I have never been disappointed by any of her novels. "A Map of the World" is one of those heartbreaking stories that starts out with a tragedy and just gets worse for Alice, a school nurse trying to care for her family. A child drowns while in her care, and as she tries to comprehend that loss, her community turns on her. This story of an everywoman who has to deal with unspeakable events resonates because of Hamilton's considerable skill. Hamilton has written only five novels, and each is worth reading more than once.

If you have not read Ken Haruf's books, you have missed some of the best American writing of this century, in my humble opinion. Of course, judging by the many awards he has already won, I am not alone in my opinion. Haruf has written only four novels, but I think he is about due to publish another. I keep searching the library "new book" shelf and hoping. His first was "The Tie That Binds", written in 1984. The life story of Edith Goodnough begins at the end of her life as she is lying in a hospital bed. She has endured loneliness and poverty and has lived her life stoically and with deep strength. All of Haruf's novels paint vivid portraits of people you think you might know. You want to stay in his world long after you finish the last word.

Finally, I urge you not to miss "Fall On Your Knees", by Canadian Ann-Marie MacDonald. This is the story of four amazing women, one of those multi-generational sagas that twists and turns and keeps us breathless. MacDonald has written only one other novel, "As the Crow Flies", which I also could not put down.

So, the next time you need a book, look for the authors who work for years, not months, on each novel. I guarantee you will be rewarded.