Silva manages to capture the issues of the times, so I had to figure out when he had written this, as the situation was a bit different than today, plus Gabriel Allon and Chiara don't not have the twins yet. This was published in 2011 and I am not sure how Obamaish the US president is supposed to be. It will be interesting to see what Silva does with the current political climate.
The global story in Portrait of a Spy - Islamic terrorism - where suicide bombers blow up people in large European cities. (Unfortunately there seems to be a wave of this again.) The spy agencies of England, US and Israel work together on this one to find a charismatic Islamic leader that was born in the U.S. and his network. Their plot is to convince a rich Saudi Arabian woman - Nadia - raised mostly in the West, who's father was killed for his terrorist activities, but who is trying to help Islamic women, to donate large sums, so the spies can follow the money and destroy the terrorist network.
The art - a Titian thought originally to be by the studio of another, that Allon restores and it is used to transfer an enormous sum. Plus Nadia and her father were art collectors, and the "portrait of a spy" plays a pivotal role at the very end of the book, helping Allon get back to life.
The setting - Cornwall (Gabriel & Chiara's retirement cottage on the sea), London (Gabriel tries to stop a bombing), to Paris, Washington, Spain, Switzerland and the Saudi dessert. From Silva's website: "this deeply entertaining story is also a breathtaking portrait of courage in the face of unspeakable evil." Agreed.
I don't remember if I ever rated books on how much they made me cry, but that used to be a criteria for movies. This book made me cry more than once, so it got me to empathize. This book brings together something from Barkskins, a novel of the deforestation of America and the last book I listened to - Love and Other Consolation Prizes, about Seattle in the early 20th century.
The main character is Trevor, the bright 14 year old great, great grandson of Elija Riddell, a timber baron. Trevor and his father Jones return to the family home in North Estate outside Seattle, after Jones goes bankrupt and his wife, Trevors mom, goes to spend a summer with her parents in England.
The majestic wood house is haunted, full of tragic lives and secret rooms and stairways. Trevor gets attuned to the house quickly and it starts sharing its secrets with him as he starts piecing together the family history. Elijah is the timber baron who has a son Ben, who convinces Elijah that he has done a lot of harm to nature and people, so he protects the old great forest around the estate from at least the next generation. Ben dies young without heirs, but his brother Abraham comes to live there and squanders away most of the fortune. He has a son Sam, who continues to protect the forest, marries a dancer Isabelle, and has two children - Jones and Serena. Sam's life turns tragic when Isabelle dies when Serena is only 11 and Jones is 16. Sam sends Jones away and Serena is left taking care of her father.
So many years later Jones returns, Serena is still taking care of Sam, now demented, and she hopes that she and Jones can develop the land to get financially stable. But the spirits of the past turn to Trevor to save the forest and their legacy.
I really liked the Trevor character, his brilliance (I was pretty bright at his age too, wonder what happened), curious, brave, but understands his own lack of life experience. Do I believe in spirits? Sorta. I'd like to think that if I encountered powerful spirits like these, I would be open enough to hear them.
A bit of history, but more of a family connections and tragedies through generations. I liked the supposed phrase from Muir - "My peace I give unto you." A brief search did not turn it up, but at least I can go take a look at Muir's book The Mountains of California.
Subtitle: A Fable of Resistance.
First Trump era novel I have read and just loved that radio personality Vern Braclay decides to incite Vermonters to secede from the United States to keep things small, local, environmentally sound and not be overrun by huge corporations and many of the negative trends we see in the US today. As I have good friends living in Vermont and I try to visit them every so often, I totally get the sentiment. When checking lists on how states are doing, I am always proud of Vermonters being at the forefront of those issues that are important to me.
Since all the radio stations have been taken over by corporate interests, there are none that still speak to local news and needs, so Vern has set up Radio Free Vermont - "underground, underpowered and underfoot." He has found a way to broadcast with the help of computer wiz Perry and create disruptions here and there, like taking over a Starbucks sound system and remind people to visit locally owned coffee shops. Another stunt pulled off by Sylvia, they reroute a beer truck, pour out all the out of state beer and replace it with local beer. She runs classes for those moving to Vermont on how to be a Vermonter. I loved the last class we see her run. She has them sit on uncomfortable folding chairs, as that is how town meetings are held every year the first Tuesday in March -where locals gather to discuss the needs and budgets and issues for their community for the upcoming year. She tells them to sit and be quiet in the first few, as they may learn to adapt to the Vermont way of thinking instead of them trying to change Vermonters. Later they are joined by Trance Harper, an Olympic gold medalist in the biathlon. Loved it.
