Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: recluses

The Phantom of Fifth Avenue by Meryl Gordon

"Gordon (Mrs. Astor Regrets, 2008) attempts to unlock the secret life of heiress Huguette Clark. When the fabulously wealthy Clark, the daughter of copper magnate William Andrews Clark, died in 2011 at the age of 104, she had not been seen in public for years. Owning and staffing luxury homes and properties on both coasts, she chose to live out her final 20 years in hospitals, despite the fact that she was in relatively good health. Intrigued by what turned a former socialite into a publicity-shy recluse, Gordon digs through journals, correspondence, and memorabilia, peeling away the "poor little rich girl" persona that captured the collective imagination of the public. While it is difficult to fully understand Clark's unusual lifestyle choices, a well-rounded portrait of an eccentric and talented woman who chose to go her own way eventually emerges. A perfect choice for the Grey Gardens set." (Booklist Reviews)

An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine is a rich tale of an aging woman who is battling many internal struggles as she goes through a late-life crisis. Aaliya Saleh (who describes herself as "my family's appendix, its unnecessary appendage") is an obsessive recluse and the novel paints a stunning portrait of her lonely life in Beirut through her memories and observations of her chaotic past, including living through the Lebanese Civil War. Aaliya has a strong passion for literature and fills her time by translating her favorite novels into Arabic. Like Aaliya, the translated books are tucked away in her apartment, away from all. They have never been read by another person.

An Unnecessary Woman received a starred review from Booklist: "the richness here is in Aaliya's first-person narration, which veers from moments in her life to literature to the wars that have wracked her beloved native city during her lifetime. Studded with quotations and succinct observations, this remarkable novel by Alameddine (The Hakawati, 2008) is a paean to fiction, poetry, and female friendship. Dip into it, make a reading list from it, or simply bask in its sharp, smart prose."

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Genre: Adult Non-Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

"Being Mortal is about the limitations of what modern medicine can provide for people as their lives draw to a close. Gawande argues that the objective of medicine should not merely be treatment and survival; medical care should also ensure dignity in death and having control over one's final moments. He argues that instead of aggressively fighting the inescapable realities of aging, we should ask the hard questions of ourselves and our loved ones -- What makes life worth living? When should we try to extend our lives, and when should we choose a better quality of our remaining days over extending their quantity?

This book is difficult to read. Not because of the way Gawande writes -- his style is highly engaging, and he never lapses into excessively scientific jargon or overly simplistic explanations -- but because of the tough subject matter. Gawande draws on his own experiences as a doctor and peppers his book with honest and humane stories of his patients, friends, and family; the stories he tells make the book more accessible, and also more heartbreaking. (And that's not a bad thing.)

No one likes to think about their loved ones', or their own, impending mortality. But it's important to have these hard conversations, because as Gawande says, "endings matter." - Amanda

Fascinating New Bio: The Phantom of Fifth Avenue

An Unnecessary Woman