Creatures by Crissy Van Meter

Creatures by Crissy Van Meter

Published by Algonquin Paperbacks ISBN 9781643750835

Trade paperback, $15.95, 241 pages

One of the best reviewed books of early 2020, Crissy Van Meter's Creatures, is out in paperback this week. I missed it earlier this year, so I'm glad it came to my attention this week.

Creatures takes place on Winter Island, a feral island off the coast of Southern California. It is a hot spot with tourists during the summer, and the rest of the year it has small residential population. Evie is getting married tomorrow, and she is worried that the fishing boat her husband-to-be Liam is on hasn't returned to the island yet.

She also has to deal with a dead whale that has beached itself, leaving an overpowering smell. It bothers her mother, who surprisingly turned up for the wedding. Her mother was not really in Evie life, having spent most of her time on the mainland, leaving Evie as a young child to be raised by Evie's father. 

Evie's father never had a real job, other than growing and selling pot. They were frequently homeless, bouncing from staying in someone's garage or boat until he could scrape up enough money to buy his own small boat. He loved Evie, but it wasn't an easy life for a young girl.

The story moves back and forth in time, like the tides that come in and out of the island. We see Evie's life as a young girl who has to grow up too soon, helping her dad sell his pot. She makes one friend, Rook, a girl from a wealthy family who often leave Rook on her own.

We see Evie and Liam's relationship through the years. They are both from dysfunctional families, and while that is part of what draws them together, it also creates problems as they don't know how to communicate with each other. Liam's frequent physical absences crash into Evie's emotional absences.

The writing is emotionally powerful, I frequently had to stop and reread sentences that I found so deeply moving, like this paragraph:

"Sometimes he wants to crack me open. I can tell by the desperation in his eyes during the days that are short and too-soon dark, and he wants me to just say it. Say anything. Say how hurt I am, how I'm not sure if I can move on, how I'm not sure I know how to love, if I'm sure of anything. He tries to bring it up: he tells me he loves me, he hides love notes all over the house, he does house chores, even some of mine. We have mastered this torture."

Evie works at the Sea Institute, studying sea creatures, especially whales. Her observations about whales echo the things going on in her own life. Winter Island is essentially another important character in the story.

Creatures touched me profoundly, especially Evie and Liam's evolving relationship. Even though I'm not from a background like Evie's, I felt a kinship with her, something I attribute to Crissy Van Meter's empathetic writing. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Algonquin Books for putting me on Crissy Van Meter's tour. 

Friday 5ive- October 23, 2020

Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly blog post about five things that caught my eye this week.

1) We made a quick visit to Boston on Sunday and saw this yacht docked outside our hotel room. Below Deck is the rare reality show we watch, about the crews that work on luxury yachts, so we always find this fascinating. 

2)  Rosanne Cash is one of my favorite singer/songwriters and she released a new song this week, Crawl Into the Promised Land, and it's phenomenal. The video for the song is fantastic too, and it features a photo of Harriet Tubman taken in my hometown of Auburn, NY, where she lived for many years. You can find the song here. 

3) Carol Fitzgerald and her team at BookReporter.com hosted Bookaccino, an afternoon program which features Carol discussing books that will be published in the upcoming month. She always adds to my To Be Read pile as I listen to her describe books I know I will want to read. There is a PDF takeaway of all the books discussed, the next one is November 11th and you can sign up here to join.

4) We have been working on a virtual gala for ArchCare, the organization my husband is the CEO/President of, and it was held Thursday night at 7pm. It was a big success, raising nearly $1.2 million to help the frail and vulnerable in the archdiocese of New York. Called A Toast To Our Healthcare Heroes, it highlighted the work of the many people who showed up everyday at ArchCare during the pandemic, in nursing homes, hospitals, PACE centers and individuals' homes, placing themselves in jeopardy to do so. There was entertainment, and special guests like Jeannie and Jim Gaffigan, Tino Martinez, Mike Piazza, and of course Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan made an appearance. Thanks to all who watched and donated, it is so appreciated. It's online at www.ArchCareGala2020.org if you want to check it out.

5)   I did not have much time to read this past week, with travel and gala work. I started Crissy Van Meter's novel, Creatures, which came out in paperback this week. The novel made many Best of 2020 Lists already, and it's a coming-of-age story set on an island off the coast of California. On the eve of her wedding, Evie comes to terms with her relationship with her often-absent mother and pot dealing, neglectful father. It's very atmospheric, and the writing is descriptive and vivid. A full review posts here on October 29th. 

Stay safe and socially distant, wash your hands, wear a mask, and prepare to vote if you haven't already. Early voting starts tomorrow, October 24th in New York.