“All that glitters is not gold” is a familiar saying. In Gold Diggers, Sanjena Sathian sorts out imitation from the real and lasting. What exactly is real gold as opposed to the other glittering things?
For the immigrant enclave of Indian Americans living in Georgia, gold symbolizes success. It is what they have left India to find – wealth and status. They expect their children to fulfill this ambition and there is no doubt they will. Constant study, AP classes, extra tutoring, summer internships, charitable volunteering; their resumes will be outstanding, and they WILL go to Harvard or Duke.
A few teenagers thrive in this competitive environment; they are naturally ambitious. But the two main characters, Neil and Anita, do not, until help arrives in an unexpected way from Anita’s mother. She knows a secret formula passed down from grandmother, to mother, to daughter and has the alchemical ability to melt gold into a drinkable liquid. The resulting potion helps the drinker fulfill ambitions; it is a very special “lemonade.” Both teenagers use the drink.
Magic realism mixes well with reality. Gold Diggers tells us a lot about Indian history in the US (they participated in both the California and Georgia gold rushes for example). We learn about the culture of food and dress. We see the extremely high-pressured method of child rearing and demand for success. This exploration of identity and ambition is done in an imaginative way as we watch the liquid gold seep into the futures of our characters and those they love.
I am getting used to the dual roles of Anthony Horowitz. His book Close to Death is another mystery where he makes himself a character in his own book. He writes in first person and pretends to confide in the reader about working with ex-detective Hawthorne to solve murders.
But this is not like Watson telling a story about Sherlock. (Watson after all, was not a real person.) Character Horowitz is just like real writer Horowitz with many details that are true. This is the fun of it. Truth blends so seamlessly into fiction it is a bit jolting to realize you’ve been reading along and have been taken in.
That twist adds interest, but it is the mystery itself, with its satisfying plot and pacing that keeps the pages turning. In this book, writer Horowitz who is the character, is on deadline and can’t wait for another murder so he asks Hawthorne to tell him about an old case.
The murdered man had just moved into the luxurious gated community. None of the neighbors, who got along well with each other, liked him. He and his family blasted loud music, the children were unruly, there were too many cars and an ugly camper. And now, he wants to dig up a beautiful garden and install a swimming pool and jacuzzi.
When he is found dead, the neighbors are under suspicion. Since they all have the same motive, it is a tough case to untangle so Hawthorne and Horowitz are called to consult. Fairly soon, the police say the mystery is solved, but is it? Hawthorne proposes a different solution; is it the truth? Or… is there still something else? And maybe just one last surprise?
Second in his Secret Lives series is Dangerous Women by Mark de Castrique. Seventy-five-year-old Ethel and her sidekick, college age cousin Jesse, tackle a crime involving the chief justice of the Supreme Court who must decide a case involving clean energy.
It is not clear cut. Switching from fossil to electric cars may be necessary in this time of global warming, but getting the lithium for the batteries is a challenge. Currently, the US produces only 2% of the world’s supply leaving us at the mercy of foreign governments. Mining it here (in the book) trespasses on Native American land and private ranches; it is a polluting business with the consequences of poisoned ground water for centuries to come.
The niceties of clean energy production are the background with a bit of tutorial on the Supreme Court. But the forefront is an excellent mystery involving a murdered Supreme Court clerk, a pompous crooked senator, a lobbyist with connections to special ops, a mining company, and a coalition of ranchers and Native Americans. The cowboys and Indians are on the same side in this one. Riding to the rescue is more-than-spry Ethel with her wily intelligence and many contacts in the FBI and CIA.
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Somehow, I don’t think Hillbilly Elulogy had that “subtitle” about cat ladies. How did you do that” 😏
Hillbilly Elegy is the book Vance wrote. Hillbilly Eulogy is a joke currently going around the internet skewering him for his cat lady remarks. I copied it!