Mary Kay Zuravleff

The best barometer of a good book for me? Realizing my reading pace is gradually slowing, because I’m getting closer to the end and want to stretch the experience as long as I can. American Ending immediately sank me into 10-year old Yelena’s world. Her voice is like none other—astute, wistful, petulant and generous. This is one of those books that stays perfectly true to its first-person narrator; the reader has to rely on dialogue and other clues for context, there’s never any show more “explaining” and I thought this was done masterfully. The effect is that the author obliterates herself entirely and all that is left is Yelena—and her story and the way she tells it are unforgettable. This is one of those books that revels in “mundane” details, but I love such things—food, the feel of fabric and haberdashery during a rare department store trip, the details on a wedding dress or a painted icon or a handmade rabbit toy. As I was reading I was strongly reminded of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, or even Radio Days—works where you follow the escapades of a family through a child’s eyes, and while the family might brush up against history at moments, the magic lies in the domestic and the so-called mundane. Add to that a steady echo of Russian folk and fairy tales and it becomes clear this is a book I will read again and again. show less

"The Bowl is Already Broken: A Novel" takes readers behind the scenes at a fictionalized version of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museums of Asian Art for a giddy romp through institutional politics and intrigue.

Author Mary Kay Zuravleff worked at the Smithsonian editing exhibition text, and her insider's insights and editor's ear for language make her novel an insightful pleasure.

Museums may seem demure palaces of scholarly contemplation, but from the first line of this novel, when show more a priceless Chinese bowl is accidentally shattered, it's clear there is much more going on than disinterested research.

"The Bowl is Already Broken" is filled with hilarious flourishes and Buddhist philosophy ("What did the Dalai Lama say to the hot dog vendor? .... Make me one with everything"), life and death drama in China's Taklamakan desert, and a vivid cast of characters wrangling problems both mundane and momentous. It provokes both guffaws and serious thought.

"The Bowl is Already Broken" is well worth the read for anyone who likes philosophy larded with wit and everyday life mixed with high drama, or simply enjoys a great tale. show less

On one hand I struggled to finish this book as I found the storyline about Will difficult to read at this time in my life. On the other hand I've read Mary Kay Zuravleff's other two books and was willing to trust her. I'm so glad I persevered. Zuravleff perfectly captures a family falling apart but also trying desperately to stay together. Each voice is spot-on and individual. Some passages took my breath away with their beauty or insight. Looking forward to other works by Zuravleff.

Okay, so this time around, I started off thinking that I wasn't going to like it again. This is just one of those books that, at least for me, took a while to get into. But...once I got into it, I was so intrigued and so anxious to know what was going to happen next. I never pictured the book ending the way it did, which I really enjoyed for a change. Although, the ending seemed a little out of nowhere, I think that it fit in perfectly with the way George's life went crazy for a week when show more Niagara first came into it. Overall, I really enjoyed this book...but I will confess, I am curious to see how Niagara's endeavours turned out. show less