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Hello and Goodbye October 1, 2007 Reviewed by Alison Andrews
Hello to a Debut Author In Lisa Lutz’s first novel, The Spellman Files, the protagonist, Isabel Spellman, is a 28 year-old private investigator who works for her family’s firm—and she’s good at her job, even when she has to get tough. (As one character describes her, Izzy is part Nancy Drew, part Dirty Harry.) The problem is that Isabel is tired of being entangled in the loving embrace of her family, who show their love by investigating her. After dealing with her misspent youth full of excessive partying and “creative vandalism,” Izzy’s parents don’t trust her one inch, even after she has reinvented herself as the New Isabel. So they keep tabs on her, but since they are P.I.’s, that means they don’t hesitate to do things like bug her bedroom. Izzy knows that the only way she can stop them is to quit. But there’s a hitch: she has to take one last job before they’ll let her go--a 15 year-old cold case that she can’t solve or forget about.
That’s only the beginning. The Spellman Files is a fast, funny read—but it’s not fluff. The characters are memorable and well-rounded instead of being quirky for no reason. It’s easy to fall for the Spellman clan: her parents, Albert and Olivia; her uncle Ray, an alcoholic who disappears on several “Lost Weekends” every year; her perfect older brother David, who escaped the family business by becoming a lawyer, yet still finds himself getting involved in the family’s schemes; and last but not least, her stubborn teenage sister Rae, who began surveillance work at age six and has become addicted to “recreational surveillance,” also known as following people for no reason.
Family Ties The Spellman Files is far more comic novel than detective story. It even has chick-lit elements, as the whole family attempts to help Izzy find love. (She refers to guys she’s interested in as future ex-boyfriends.) She finds a handsome dentist for herself, but their whole relationship begins based on a lie when she tells him she’s a teacher because she doesn’t want to introduce him to her family. Of course, he’s angry when he finds out, and they break up—but the romantic angle of the story doesn’t end like every other chick-lit novel out there, for which the author deserves credit.
On a deeper level, though, The Spellman Files is about the family ties that bind and gag. The novel explores what happens when a family becomes so intertwined that they can’t let go; when love is synonymous with lack of trust. When a frightening disappearance closer to home occurs, Izzy learns that their differences with each other are not nearly as important as they seemed. This is the first in a series, so those who want more of the Spellmans will not be disappointed.
Goodbye to a Favorite Author When I heard the news that Madeleine L’Engle had died this month at age 88, I took a moment to reflect on the influence her work has had on my life. L’Engle wrote more than 60 books, including science fiction, coming-of-age novels, and spiritual reflections. Her most famous novel, A Wrinkle in Time, won the Newbery Award for children’s literature after being rejected by many publishers and has become a classic. L’Engle insisted that she was not a “children’s author.” In a 1993 Associated Press interview, she said she avoided writing for a certain age group. ‘In my dreams, I never have an age,’ she said. ‘I never write for any age group in mind. When people do, they tend to be tolerant and condescending and they don't write as well as they can write. "When you underestimate your audience, you're cutting yourself off from your best work." Amen to that. It’s no accident, then, that much like another Christian writer named C.S. Lewis, L’Engle’s fans include both adults and children. In her honor, I’m rereading a much-highlighted copy of A Circle of Quiet, a book of reflections on relationships, art, and spirituality. Thank you, Madeleine L’Engle, for writing your books.
ninetyandnine.com
© 2007, Alison Andrews
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Alison Andrews lives near Ft. Worth, Texas, with her husband and two young children. Her dream is to own a house with a whole room devoted to books.
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