Ahead of Her Time

Yoko Ono: Collector of Skies by Nell Beram and Carolyn Boriss-Krimsky
New York : Amulet Books, 2013.
177 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 27 cm.

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did - and additionally, I learned a lot from reading it.

This is the second biography of a woman artist I've read this year, having read - and quite enjoyed - the biography of Georgia O'Keefe back in October.  In Collector of Skies, I really enjoyed discovering what an avant garde artist Yoko Ono was.  She really was a pioneer in the areas of conceptual and performance art.  The book has really nice reproductions of several of her installations, along with great archival photos from her work in the 1960s and 1970s (along with more recent photos).

Beram and Boriss-Krimsky's biography does a great job of detailing the interesting love, artistic and antiwar collaboration between Yoko and the mega-famous John Lennon while keeping the focus squarely on Yoko Ono's life and accomplishments. 

To me, the great strength of this book, is that not only do the authors provide a great deal of information about the life of Ono - her artistic, political and intellectual growth, and her personal life - but they manage to make it a very moving story, too.  I found myself lost in the joy and liberation that Yoko felt on meeting Lennon and realizing that he was someone who truly understood her work.  I also found myself near to tears reading about the murder of John in December of 1980, outside their Central Park apartment.

This book is a great introduction to the life and times of an important artist and pop figure.  I will definitely recommend it to students who might be interested.

Fine Read - Yes! Teen Read - Not So Sure

House of Purple Cedar by Tim Tingle
El Paso, Tex. : Cinco Puntos Press, 2014.
326 p. ; 24 cm. 

I truly enjoyed reading House of Purple Cedar.  Tingle's novel is filled with mystery, surrealism, danger, great characters and rarely told history.  But, I found myself wondering why it is being targeted toward young adults instead of an adult audience.  Publisher's Weekly noted that "much of the dialogue and exposition feels more appropriate for young adult literature" and I would take issue with that assessment.  I believe the book is a fine literary novel that adults would enjoy and appreciate.  

The story centers around events that happened in a young girl's life in the late 1890s in Choctaw territory in the state of Oklahoma.  The novel is an exploration of violence, accountability, redemption, community and family relations, racism, and spirituality. 

Along the way, there are murders, wildlife attacks, a panther that may or may not be a ghost, and humorous and touching romances.  The novel is written in a literary style that at times called to mind, Bless Me Ultima. I will definitely be recommending it to adults that I know and occasionally to the teen reader who wants something serious and challenging.