Michael Upchurch reviews Seattle-based author Jonathan Evison's "Lawn Boy," a novel about a good-hearted young man with two passions: books and garden care. It's a swift, engaging read with a wry sense of humor that faces a pertinent issue head-on: the inescapable trap of inequality in America.
TheMystery.doc is not an easy book. At 1,660 pages, even hauling it around is a challenge. The fragmented narrative jumps between September 11 transcripts, phone conversations with AI bots, and page after page of a code that is never explained. But for the patient and adventurous reader it is worth the effort.
Michael Upchurch reviews David Buerge's book "Chief Seattle and the Town the Took His Name," a history that rejects simple mythologies and draws a complicated portrait of the man the city of Seattle was named for-- as well offering a rich account of Duwamish and Suquamish tribal culture.
