Six Degrees of Separation - from Knife to The Witch of Blackbird Pond

It’s time for #6degrees, inspired by Kate at Books Are My Favourite and Best. We all start at the same place as other readers, add six books, and see where it ends up. This month’s starting point is Salman Rushdie’s memoir, Knife.

First Degree

The attack on Rushdie in 2022 was horrific but I am not planning to read about it. Absorbing the newspapers every day is scary enough and I prefer my reading to be escapist. In that vein, I just read Knife Skills for Beginners by Orlando Murrin (2004), which is set in a cooking school in a London mansion.  Protagonist Paul is recovering from the loss of his partner when recruited to replace his friend Christian as instructor and welcomes the change of pace.  However, he does not anticipate becoming a suspect in a murder case, so has to undertake some investigation to protect himself. Paul’s chatter about food and cooking will amuse cooks and foodies.

Second Degree

In Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center (2015), Helen is getting over a divorce and is goaded by her brother into signing up for a wilderness trek in Wyoming, although this is way out of her comfort zone. Even worse, there is an audience for her inadequacy, her brother’s annoying best friend is on the same survival course. Center is an author I always enjoy and I sympathized with Helen's sufferings.

Third Degree

I persuaded my book group to read Happiness Falls by Angie Kim (2023) in March, and we wound up having a good discussion about a Korean American family whose father goes missing. I found the characters unappealing but the plot was interesting, if far-fetched. Most importantly, no one in my group voiced the dreaded, “Who chose this book?” which almost always means someone loathed the book!

Fourth Degree

In this lesser known novel by Jodi Picoult, Salem Falls (2001), a former history teacher accused of sexual assault is trying to restart his life in a small town. Just as things start improving for him, a group of spoiled teenage girls expose his past, which threatens Jack and everyone who has been kind to him in Salem Falls.

This is what I said eight years ago:

Parts of this book are extremely improbable while others are as inevitable as Greek tragedy.

Fifth Degree

Picoult’s take on the Salem Witch Trials is fiction but Stacy Schiff’s recent book, The Witches: Salem, 1692 (2015) provides a well-researched look at the 14 women, five men and two dogs who were executed for witchcraft in 17th century Salem, Massachusetts (I gave it to my niece Alexa when it was new). I live about an hour from Salem, which is a lovely place to visit except during October when the city’s tragic history is a source of light-hearted tourism I find offensive. Some residents appreciate the money this brings to their community and some just hate the traffic.

Sixth Degree

Men traditionally accused women of witchcraft due to various of factors, including religious beliefs (women are the daughters of Eve!), misogyny (this hasn’t changed), and the perceived threat of women's power (same), often resulting in the persecution and killing of these women. One of my favorite books about witches is The Witch of Blackbird Pond, a classic by Elizabeth George Speare (1958). The heroine is an impetuous young orphan, Kit, forced to live with rigid relatives in Connecticut.  Kit’s friendship with the wise woman of Blackbird Pond brings her pleasure, until the community accuses them both of witchcraft!  Who will defend her?  

See how I connected Knife by Salman Rushdie to a Newbery Winner set in Colonial Connecticut, with stops in London, Wyoming, Virginia, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Next month (May 3), Kate has chosen Rapture by Emily Maguire.