Fluff 'n Grit

The two books I’ve read so far this week could not be more different; one is a fluffy-yet-enjoyable novel by Janet Evanovich, and the other, a forensic anthropologist’s true account of her work unearthing bodies in a number of sites including Rwanda and Kosovo.

Obviously, comparing or contrasting the two would be ridiculous, so I won’t even go there. One book certainly did not lead to the other, and both were selected for diametrically opposite reasons, although they were each recommended by a colleague (albeit, not the same one).

Metro Girl is Evanovich’s romantic suspense about a woman named Alexandra “Barney” Burnaby and her adventures in Miami trying to protect her brother from a Cuban gangster named Salzar. With the help of Texan NASCAR driver Sam Hooker and some friends, she saves not just her sibling, but the day.

I listened to this in audio format, knowing full well that it wouldn’t exactly be my type of book. As a public librarian, I serve all kinds of readers, and so must be familiar with as many genres as possible, which is why I picked it up. That, and no other audio books left on the shelf had any appeal. My colleagues found it fun and fast moving, and it was, although we agree that the actor reading the book didn’t suit the narrator. The audience for this novel is without a doubt the ‘chick lit’ set.

Clea Koff's The Bone Woman: A Forensic Anthropologist’s Search for Truth in Rwanda, Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo is a bit depressing given its subject, but both interesting and humanizing as well. At 23, the author was invited to join a UN scientific team to gather up forensic evidence for the International Crimes Tribunal in Rwanda. Over the course of a few years, she goes on several such missions, uncovering the ‘truth’ and returning victims to their relatives. Koff sets out to serve humanity in her career, and she is clearly fascinated and excited by what she does, which is proving that bones can talk. She offers both an outsider’s viewpoint as a person who did not live through the carnage, and an insider’s perspective as a scientist on how the forensic work is carried out, all the while revealing her personal and professional struggles.

My friend and co-worker S highly recommended this title, although it would have made my to-read list anyway because of the topic. In the last several months I have become very interested in the Rwandan genocide, a result of watching the powerful film Hotel Rwanda (believe me, it can do that to you), and because of my ongoing interest in African history and politics. I also love reading about people who don’t just think but act upon what they believe is right and get out there and do it.

If you can stomach gritty details like maggots and body parts, then please, read this book. What she writes is no more gruesome than a Kathy Reichs novel, but decidedly more potent because it is real and can happen anywhere.