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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2017)
APRIL 6, 2017 // 19 GLIMPSE // Q&A BOOKMONGER What happens after child prodigies grow up? Although she was born in Eugene, New York Times bestselling author Marie Bostwick has spent much of her life living elsewhere — in places like Colorado, Mexico and Connecticut, to name a few — and the settings for her stories have refl ected diverse geographies, too. But Bostwick recently settled back in Oregon, and her latest book, “The Promise Girls” is situated just up I-5 in Seattle. It’s great to have her spotlight the Pacifi c North- west. In this story, sisters Joanie, Meg and Avery Promise all were conceived as test tube ba- bies. Their single mom, Min- erva, reportedly had selected sperm donors with exceptional talents and high IQs. She then went on to raise her daughters combining enrichment with rigorously scientifi c methods in an attempt realize their utmost potential. Sure enough, by the time she is 17, Joanie is a virtuoso pianist and Meg and Avery show precocious talent in painting and storytelling, respectively. To raise money to pay for her daughters’ various private lessons — and to keep food on the table — Minerva writes a book about her endeavor to raise geniuses. When it comes out, mother and daughters embark on an intensive three- week publicity tour. It is an exhausting experience, but at the end of three weeks the ballyhoo hasn’t yet died down, so Minerva agrees to the publi- cist’s plan to continue booking events three months out. Joanie sees what her mother refuses to acknowledge — that this frenetic pace is ex- tremely detrimental, especially “The Promise Girls” Marie Bostwick Kensington 346 pp - $15 to her younger sisters. So she sabotages the continuation of the tour on a nationally tele- vised talk show by deliberately fl ubbing the piano piece she has performed impeccably at every previous event. Understanding that this was intentional, Minerva lashes out — and the unsavory moment is caught on camera. There is immediate fallout. The public recoils, the pub- lisher pulls the book out of bookstores and Minerva loses custody of her daughters. “The Promise Girls” picks up 20 years later. The sisters — still estranged from their mom — have come together to live near one another in Seattle. They’ve been leading modest lives far from the limelight until a documentary fi lmmaker comes sniffi ng around, wanting to do a fol- low-up on the sputtering life trajectories of these women who once were touted to be child prodigies. In “The Promise Girls,” Bostwick has pieced together an ambitious and complex plot that involves secrets and unanticipated ties. As with much women’s fi ction, the romances feel a mite contrived, and while the author certainly raises the no- tion of nature versus nurture and other issues of childrear- ing, she might have plumbed that subject more deeply. On the plus side, Bost- wick’s character development is nuanced and the scenes are judiciously detailed. Her depiction of what it’s like to participate in the 21st century creative economy captures the promise and the uncertainty of that way of life. There’s an important mes- sage here about developing the will to forge one’s own uniquely suitable path — and we can be glad that Bost- wick’s path has brought her back to the Pacifi c Northwest. The Bookmonger is Barbara Lloyd McMichael, who writes this weekly column focusing on the books, authors and publishers of the Pacifi c Northwest. Contact her at bkmonger@nwlink.com Tokeland Art Studio Tour April 15 & 16 30+ artists along a 7-mile tour EASTER BRUNCH Sunday, April 16 th • 11 AM - 3 PM Lemon Pepper Salmon with Poached Prawns Roasted Pork Loin with Mushroom Gravy Honey Glazed Ham Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Glazed Baby Carrots Scrambled Eggs & Fried Potatoes Bacon & Sausage Links Waffl es Biscuits & Gravy Assorted Salads & Rolls Homemade Desserts Adults $ 25 95 • Seniors $ 23 95 Children $ 12 95 (Five & under: Free) Sponsored by: Tokeland-North Cove Chamber of Commerce, Shoalwater Bay Tribe, Tokeland Hotel, Pacific County LTAC grant, Nelson Crab Company, Bayshore RV Milepost 18, Hwy 26, Elsie RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED 503-755-1818 • 800-874-1810 www.camp18restaurant.com Find us on Facebook
