Barb's Book Reviews

This novel is set on the Great Plain of England in the Neolithic period, around 2500 BCE. The story focuses on three tribes: herders - who raise cattle, sheep, goats; etc; farmers - who grow crops; and woodlanders - who hunt deer and eat nuts and berries.

Other inhabitants of the Great Plain, like flint miners, carpenters, and craftsmen, travel around to trade their goods and services for food, baskets, animal skins, shoes, and other necessities.



The story leads up to the building of Stonehenge, but is really about the tribes and their interactions.

Though the tale, necessarily, springs from author Ken Follett's imagination, it would appear Follett believes greed, self-interest, male entitlement, thirst for power, dishonesty, and other bad behavior was firmly entrenched by this time, at least in some groups.

The novel comes in at 700+ pages, so I'll just give a brief overview of the story.

The tribes of the Great Plain are generally insular, but meet four times a year, at the Spring Rite, Midsummer Rite, Autumn Rite, and Winter Rite. The Rite celebrations take place in Riverbend, at a sacred circle made of a ring of bluestones surrounding a ring of tree trunks.



During the Rites, priestesses sing and dance, and traders set up outside to barter for goods.



A major attraction of every Rite is the evening revel, when celebrants - single or married, from teenagers on up - go off to have sex with people from other tribes and places. This is done to avoid inbreeding, which is dangerous for both humans and animals.



The book contains a wealth of characters, but for brevity I'll focus on a few important members of each tribe.

❖❖ Herders - In the herder tribe, widow Ani is an elder with two daughters named Neen and Joia, and a son called Han.





Ani tans hides to barter for other goods, and she's a peacemaker who tries to avoid conflict with neighboring tribes. Ani's chief adversary amongst the herder elders is Scagga, a loudmouth who's always spoiling for a fight. Scagga would like to arm every male herder with a bow and arrow, to be ready for battle.



❖❖ Farmers - Troon, the dictatorial leader of the farmers, relishes and flaunts his power. In farmer society, women are the property of men, and may not leave the tribe for marriage or any other reason. In addition, Troon can force women to marry, even if the men are VERY unsuitable.



Troon's wife Katch fears him and his bullyboy son Stam adores him.



Troon's right hand man is Shen, a skinny creep who spies on everyone and reports back to Troon.



Troon is constantly scheming to enlarge the farmers' domain, and hopes to become the 'Big Man' of the entire Great Plain.

❖❖ Woodlanders - Bez, the leader of the woodlanders, has a woman named Gida and a daughter named Lali. The woodlanders are generally peaceable, and Bez likes to walk in the woods with Lali and teach her about nature.



Bez doesn't usually seek clashes but has a strong sense of justice. In woodlander society, when a wrong is committed the gods demand a balance: what's stolen must be replaced; a lie demands a truth; and a murder requires a death. This differs from other tribes, who use shunning and expulsion to deal with crimes.

The three tribes are compelled to interact with each other, as well as outsiders, who come to the Rites to barter their goods and services. Communication can be sketchy since each tribe has its own language, but some inhabitants of the Great Plain are (at least somewhat) multilingual, which is necessary for commerce and negotiations.



To get on with the story:

Some of the most valuable possessions in the Neolithic period are flints, because everything that has a cutting edge is made of flint - from axes, to arrowheads, to knives. Everybody needs flints.



Seft is a teenager in a family of flint miners. Seft's mother is dead, his father is cruel and abusive, and his two brothers are mean, stupid oafs. Flint mining is hard, dirty, exhausting work, but worth the effort because flints can be traded for food, clothing, livestock, etc.

During a Midsummer Rite, Seft meets Ani's herder daughter Neen. Seft and Neen fall in love and want to marry and live with the herders.



However Seft's horrible father would kill the boy before letting him go. There are beatings, an escape, and a lot of clashes, but in the end Seft and Neen wed and have a family.

In the meantime, Neen's younger sister Joia becomes an apprentice priestess. Most Neolithic people can't count above twenty, but the priestesses have songs and rituals that allow them to count all the days of the year, and to pass on the knowledge acquired by their forebears.



Thus priestesses are invaluable, because they know when the seasons will change, when the deer will migrate, when the crops should be planted, and so on. In exchange for their knowledge, the priestesses are provided with food and supplies.

A major conflict arises between farmers and herders when farm leader Troon plows up the Break, a swatch of land between the herder and farmer communities. The herders used the Break for grazing, as well as a pathway to the river, so their cattle could drink.



Troon's land grab, to grow more crops, could lead to war. But herder elder Ani advises against violence, despite the hardship of taking the cattle 'the long way round' to get water.



In the long run, the herders' forbearance just encourages Troon to become more and more grasping and avaricious. Unwisely, Troon even has designs on a piece of the woodlander's environment, and the woodlanders are a vengeful tribe.

The rivalry for space and resources on the Great Plain is always tense, but it becomes overwhelming during a years-long drought, when the cattle die, the crops don't grow, and food in the forest becomes scarce. All the inhabitants of the Great Plain are starving, and even the priestesses fear they'll be cast aside.



The dire situation leads to selfish deeds and a GIGANTIC disaster. The subsequent act of revenge destroys the sacred circle in Riverbend, which is so important for the Rites. Joia, who's become Second High Priestess by now, wants to rebuild the circle with large indestructible stones, which are far away in Stony Valley.



An old craftsman points out, 'We're talking about moving a giant stone a distance that takes all day to walk, up and down hills and over uneven fields. How many days, or weeks, or perhaps even years would that take?' Even more daunting, the sacred circle requires 80 stones.

Regardless, once the drought ends, Joia is determined to rebuild the sacred circle with stones. Luckily, Joia's brother-in-law Seft (the former flint miner) is a brilliant carpenter and craftsman. Seft devises a plan to relocate the stones, which requires sophisticated engineering and the assistance of hundreds of people.



Many herders oppose the plan to rebuild the sacred circle with stones, and there are endless arguments and setbacks. Moreover, farm leader Troon is determined to stop the project, which would make Joia the 'Big Woman' of the Great Plain and derail his plan to be the 'Big Man.' Thus Troon plans for disruption, sabotage, and eventually an all-out war.



Still, as we know, Stonehenge got built (but probably not as described in this book.) 😊

My brief synopsis is the bare bones of this very long novel, which follows the lives of many characters as they work, attend Rites, fall in love, marry (or are forced to marry), have children, lose loved ones, experience grief, make friends, sow dissension, devise schemes, cook meals, build weapons, hunt food, and so on. There are slice-of-life scenes for each tribe, which demonstrates the diversity of their lives and ambitions.





There's plenty of action and adventure in the novel as well. For example, when a farm woman runs off to be with her lover, she's hunted down by Troon's 'Young Dogs', who commit murder to get her back. Revenge for the heinous killing results in a perpetrator being tortured, then burned alive. The book has plenty more violence, as well as other misbehavior, and it's a lot to take in.



To me, this book feels a lot like a Young Adult novel, though I don't think author Ken Follett aimed for this audience with the orgy scenes. Overall, the novel presents an interesting picture of Neolithic times, and the descriptions of transporting the stones to Riverbend, and putting them in place, are enlightening.

Readers curious about prehistoric days and Stonehenge would probably enjoy this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Ken Follett, and Grand Central Publishing for a copy of the book.

 Yeongju was married and had a good corporate position when 'burnout' led her to throw in the towel.



Yeongju quit her job, got divorced, and - since she's loved books since childhood - opened the Hyunam-dong Bookshop in a residential neighborhood of Seoul.



At first, Yeongju just left the bookshop's front door open and sat on a chair all day, with an ashen, tear-stained face.



Then a fashionable woman in the neighborhood, known as Mincheol's mother, ordered an iced Americano and gave Yeongju a heads up, saying 'people weren't going to shop in a bookstore with a lady nailed to a chair looking like she has a screw loose.'



Soon enough, Yeongju's tears dried up and she made the shop a welcoming place with a good selection of books.



Perky Instagram posts attracted readers from surrounding neighborhoods, and Yeongju hired a barista, Minjun, to oversee the popular coffee bar.



To boost visitors, Yeonqju organized events and activities, such as author readings, live bands, book talks, author interviews, book clubs, seminars, movie nights, etc.



Yeongju's book reviews and blog posts became popular as well, and readers would come to the shop to browse and ask for book recommendations.



It's now been more than a year since Yeongui transformed the Hyunam-dong Bookshop into a successful enterprise, and it's become the regular haunt for a handful of people who find advice, comfort and friendship there.

These include:

➤ Minjun - Minjun was a fine student with excellent grades who expected to get a good job after college. When interview after interview didn't pan out, Minjun 'took a break', then applied for the barista position at the bookshop. Minjun's mother feels he should set his sights higher.



➤ Jimi - Jimi is the manager of Goat Beans, where the bookshop buys coffee beans for its coffee bar. The barista Minjun loves to experiment with new flavors, and Jimi visits the bookstore as a friend as well as a coffee sampler and quality control expert. Jimi constantly rants about her husband, who's sloppy, does nothing useful, and stays out late.



➤ Mincheol - Mincheol is a teenager who worries his mother because he has no interests. Mincheol is indifferent to studying, playing games, and hanging out with friends. Mincheol's mother compels him to visit the bookshop regularly, so he'll be exposed to books and interesting people.



Mincheol's mother drops into the bookshop as well, and eventually becomes leader of a book club.



➤ Jungsuh - Jungsuh is a refugee from the corporate world, where she felt used and unappreciated. Jungsuh sits at a table in the bookstore for hours - drinking coffee, meditating, crocheting, and knitting.

 

➤ Seungwoo - Seungwoo is a corporate quality control expert whose interest in the use of language led him to critique novels, then to write a book about the subject. Seungwoo becomes attracted to Yeonqju, and agrees to give an eight-week seminar at the bookstore.



➤ Sungchul - Sungchul is a college friend of the barista Minjun. Sungchul is an enthusiastic movie fan who scolds Minjun for watching 'hit movies' rather than 'fine films.' After Sungchul hosts a movie night at the bookstore, he becomes a part-time employee.



Over the course of time, the bookstore denizens talk about their lives; their jobs; the value of work; their hopes and dreams; their spouses or ex-spouses; their children; and so on. We may also learn about their parents and how they arrived at their current situations. Best of all, we see how they learn to move on.



The titles of real books are scattered through the story, especially 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J.D. Salinger. This is Yeongju's favorite book which she recommends to people, explaining it's a novel about the experiences and observations of a teenage boy.



This novel has been ascribed the the sub-genre of 'healing literature', and all the protagonists get a lift during the story. We see people coming to terms with parental disapproval; quitting exploitative bosses; shedding bad husbands; and coming to term with unfulfilled ambitions.

Recommended to fans of bookstore novels and readers who like uplifting books.

Rating: 4 stars

In this space adventure, the American military faces off against some of the most gruesome creatures in the galaxy.

The year is 2130 and a division of the United States Marine Galactic Force, led by Captain Toussaint Barack Williams, is on its way to quell an uprising in the maximum security Terradome Galactic Prison.



The penitentiary, which houses the most dangerous creatures in the galaxy, is in the vicinity of Proxima Centauri, far from any civilizations.



Elijah Comen - described as 6’3”; 210 lbs; brown eyes; dreadlocks; dark brown complexion; knife cut on left cheek - is one of the most ruthless killers incarcerated in Terradome. Elijah has taken over the prison, seized the facility's weapons, and made the convicts into his personal army.



Elijah's goal is to escape from the penitentiary and make his way to BECCA-3, a planet in the Centauri Rim that's rich in sargorium - an essential fuel for intergalactic travel. Elijah plans to mine the sargorium using slave labor, especially Glavs, who are among the strongest slaves in the galaxy.



Glavs are especially suited to working on BECCA-3 because they can breathe carbon dioxide through gills in their necks; are protected from extreme heat by their scaly black/viridian skin; and can convert anaerobic soil bacteria into food.



Elijah wasn't always a ruthless criminal. At one time, Elijah believed in the vision of a peaceful world promulgated by people like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. Elijah was even an activist for global rights who could stir up crowds.



Space travel, however, proved that Darwinian selection rules the universe, and strong planets use underdog planets for slave labor. So Elijah lost his idealism, and decided to pursue wealth by pushing drugs and excavating valuable minerals he can sell.

In this regard, Elijah couldn't be more different than Captain Toussaint Barack Williams, who condemns the love of profit and the exploitation of slaves.



Williams is of African-American, Irish, Chinese, and Cherokee ancestry, and because of the XAIDS Plague, was largely raised by his grandmother. Grandma Malone was a religious woman who took young Toussaint to church, taught him right from wrong, and talked about the legacy of slavery.



Williams thinks of the time, long ago, when Native Americans, Africans, Mestizos and Mulattoes, like him, were slaves, and it disturbs him to think that, in 2130, aliens are slaves. Williams is familiar with profiteers like Elijah Comen, who bring slaves to mining planets and work them to death.



As a schoolboy, Toussaint had to contend with racist classmates who called him names like mixolot.



However Williams was well-built, intelligent, and naturally gifted, and he showed up the name-callers by getting good grades and being accepted to the Space Academy of the United States right after high school.

Later, Williams was promoted to captain in the United States Marine Galactic Force when he stopped a pirate invasion of Jupiter's moon Callisto.



Now, Captain Williams is commander of the starship USS OBAMA, and he believes his brave crew can quash Elijah Comen's insurrection and quell the criminal's heinous plans.



When the USS OBAMA nears Proxima Centauri, and the female and male crew members come out of torpor-induced hibernation.....



.....Williams bonds with the soldiers, empathizes with their personal concerns, and readies them for battle.



Williams himself misses his wife Laura, and children, Jacqueline, Brittany, and Barack, who are left behind when he goes on space missions.

For general well-being, Williams arranges recreation time for the crew, to keep their spirits up. The crew could exercise with holo-videos, play war games, visit sexbots, and enjoy an alcoholic beverage called quaseng, provided by the kitchen.



The USS OBAMA has a space farm for meals, but an accidental mishap compels the cook to serve things like barbecued funkroids, made from ugly, slimy, octopus-like creatures that exude thick noxious green fluids.



When Captain Williams has free time, he sometimes talks about social issues and music with Mula, his beautiful, half-human, half-Glav celestial astrogator. Mula likes jazz musician John Coltrane, while Captain Williams enjoys the Parliament Funkadelic.



Interestingly enough, an alien musician called Watar Muddy is incarcerated at the Terradome Galactic Prison, for selling drugs. Muddy is known throughout the galaxy for his music, which he adapted from an old blues song. Muddy has gnarled, three-fingered hands, but when he plays his disacoudistar, the sound is almost magical. Muddy - who's a strong ally of Elijah's - is also a telepath, and he can get into the minds of Elijah's enemies, distract them, and kill them.



As the USS OBAMA nears the Terradome Galactic Prison, it encounters dangerous situations before finally arriving at the penitentiary.



Once the United States Marine Galactic Force enters the prison, vicious battles ensue between the soldiers - including the robot military dogs Ying and Yang - and Elijah's minions.



Elijah's army includes shape shifters; 500-pound carnivorous fanged bipeds; gelatinous creatures with poisonous spikes; five-foot-long tarantulas with snapping pincers; and many more.





Captain Williams describes his battle with a legion of Elijah's mind-controlled Glavs as follows: "I aimed for the neck and head, and the laser bullets burst their heads like pumpkins; green-yellow blood burst from their heads, splattering the ground like a Jackson Pollock painting. Suddenly, I felt behind me the hot rotten egg breath of a Glav as he put me in a choke hold. I grew faint until Ying [a robot dog] jumped on him from behind and bit into his neck."



There's plenty of fighting, bloodshed, and death before the book's finale, all of which makes for an exciting page-turner.

USS OBAMA 2130 is an interesting amalgam of science fiction mixed with social commentary. The adventure part of the story revolves around battles in space, which require training; cutting edge weaponry; camouflage suits; advanced communication devices; battle plans; tactics; state-of-the-art ramjets; and so on.



We follow Captain Williams as leads his marines into combat, and sympathize with the soldiers as they mourn lost comrades.

In addition to preparing for and engaging in battle, the characters reflect on cultural, historical, social, and environmental issues such as: the effects of global warming; Marx's views about property rights; the atrocities King Leopold perpetrated on slaves in the Congo; religion and spirituality; the use of CRISPR for genetic manipulation; gospel music and the blues; famous Black jazz musicians; and more. So the novel is kind of a twofer.



I enjoyed the book, my major critique being that many of the secondary characters, especially the females, are two-dimensional and not fleshed out. That said, I think the story would appeal to young adult and adult science fiction fans (though the novel does contain some language and sexual innuendoes). It would be fun to see more USS OBAMA adventures.

Thanks to Netgalley, John H. Sibley, and Merlinus Publishers for a copy of the book.

Rating: 4 stars