Josh AterovisReviews
The Book
of Salt
by Monique Truong
by Monique Truong
| Josh
Aterovis, a
twenty-something artist-author, was born and bred on the Eastern Shore
of Maryland and lives there with his husband, Jon. Aterovis is a Latin
pseudonym meaning "black sheep." Visit his website, Black Sheep Productions. Whenever anyone asked Josh what he wanted to be when he grew up, he always said an author. It got him plenty of strange looks, but he never really expected it to come true; it was just one of those things a kid says. In 1999, Josh's wishful dream became reality when he began to write a story and post it on the Internet. Bleeding Hearts resonated deeply with readers, who encouraged him to seek publication. In 2001, the story was published by Renaissance Alliance Publishing, Inc. Named the Best Whodunit of 2002 by the Stonewall Society, Bleeding Hearts became the first book in the Killian Kendall mystery series. Reap the Whirlwind, his second book featuring amateur sleuth Killian Kendall, was published in May of 2003 and the Stonewall Society promptly awarded it the Best Whodunit of the year. Josh has completed four books in the series and is currently working on the fifth. He has won numerous awards for his writing and for his web site, which also features his well-received art gallery. |
The Book of Salt by Monique Truong Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003 Hardback: 261 Pages ISBN: 0-618-30400-2 Rating: ***** of 5 - Queer Quotient: ***** of 5 With The Book of Salt, author Monique Truong has created a beautiful and fascinating glimpse into the lives of two of the most iconic lesbians to have ever lived: Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. Yet, their story is not told through either of these amazing women, but instead through their Vietnamese cook, Bình—a young man struggling with many secrets and inner demons. Having fled from Vietnam in disgrace, Bình finds himself in Paris. The year is 1929 and he has been through a succession of brief, miserable positions as a household cook. While perusing the help-wanted section, he spots an intriguing ad: “Two American ladies wish to retain a cook...” He decides to apply, and his life will never be the same. The book begins and ends at the Gare du Nord as Bình looks back over his life, especially the last five years he’s spent with his Mesdames at 27 rue de Fleurus, and tries to decide where to go from here. As he remembers, we travel with him to French Colonial Vietnam, his time spent as galley-hand at sea, and, finally, to Paris. Along the way we meet a memorable cast of characters, some fictional and some quite real. Each is so wonderfully three-dimensional that it’s hard to tell the difference. By the book’s end, you feel as if you know them all—from Bình’s abusive father to Sweet Sunday Man, Bình’s secret lover in Paris, and especially Stein and Toklas. Truong tells the story of Bình’s life in a mosaic of scenes, moving back and forth chronologically, revealing a little at a time until the puzzle is complete. Through the telling, we are treated to an intimate glance into the private lives of Stein and Toklas. It’s hard to believe that Bình is a fictional character, inspired by a brief mention in The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook. His voice rings with such truth and depth that it is easy to fall under his spell. Truong’s writing is gorgeous, almost poetic at times. You almost feel a sense of loss when you reach the final page. I highly recommend this book. |