Sugar

Rating:
Summary: The view from other side of the fence
Review: First, the disclaimers. I am not a professional book reviewer, nor do I play one on TV. Secondly, I am hopelessly prejudiced toward Karin Kallmaker as she has displaced all previous authors in my long, long, (sometimes I think way too long), almost 40 years of reading, to reign as "my number one." And yet, I am a reluctant reviewer of her latest offering, "Sugar." My reluctance is due to the fact that as an avid hetero fan, I can't help but feel embarrassingly out of place and intrusive reviewing literary works not aimed at me. And I cannot escape the sense that those readers to whom it is aimed, would say, "who cares what he thinks anyway." However, as an unabashed admirer of all her works, in my mind that this alone is more than sufficient to persuade me to overcome my reluctance in singing her praises.

I hate labels. And yet its is just the sort of shorthand we humans seem to require in order to make sense of the chaos that is our reality. So I suppose labels are a necessary evil. I say this because I've never agreed with the idea that her works are strictly "romance" novels. Her authorial abilities and insight are so far and away from such limited pigeonholing, that only those who have read and appreciated the quality of her works, could possibly understand what I mean. While romance is clearly one of the central aspect of her works, it is by no means limited to that. I prefer to see it as human interaction from the lesbian POV. She writes of love that's sometimes lust, and lust that sometimes transforms into love. Sexy lips and curvy hips, sometimes pleasingly plump, sometimes with morning mouth, hate your boss, love your neighbor. Those with envy and spite, life with the dull and bright. All with equally generous portions of despair, humor, wit and introspection. All this and more can be found in her works. Heterosexual writers should be so gifted.

Her fantasy writings, as Laura Adams are imbued with a quality that allows one to envision olden times in what I can only describe as a truly magical reality. You know it can't be true. Can it? Yet you fall into those fantasy worlds she creates without hesitation, nor looking back. Not a bad feat. And I have coined my own phrases to describe her abilities, by referring to them as "KK's." Particularly whenever I read some of her prose that I feel is actually closer to poetry. An example of this from Sugar: "The kisses seemed endless but always new," is only one of so many that constantly causes me to hesitate to catch my breath, to muse, or to laugh uproariously, or simply think and sometimes wonder in awe at the beauty of her words. Now that's poetry. Her writings reflect a uniqueness, a earthiness and honesty rarely found among most of the publisher's offerings today. There is nothing trite, banal or pedestrian in her writing, and yet her characters are talking about and living in the same workaday reality as all of us. Life as "we" know it. She's simply better at describing that world, and the characters she's created who live in it.

"Sugar" is a case in point. Sugar Sorenson is most definitely a "Kallmaker" character. Funny, believable, self-effacing, filled with personal anomie, and yet lusty, sexually intriguing, honest and original. How she is able to time and time again create such characters is worthy of its own analysis. "Sugar" is both a comical and insightful story that illustrates the life of an almost middle-aged lesbian filled with the uncertainties and fears of having to start life over after a fire devastates her attempts to make her own way in the world. As a result of this calamity, she then suddenly finds herself surrounded by people so supportive and interested in her, that she can't seem to make the leap of faith to believe in its truth. Let alone their raving assessments of her beauty and other attributes. In this case, there are three particular admirers, Charlie, Tree and Emily, that come to her rescue after the fire and one immediately finds oneself weighing their various qualities to "help" pick the right one for Sugar. It took all my will power not to turn to the last pages to see in advance who it was she finally chose. (I picked the wrong one. But then I always root for the underdog).

If there were ever to be an examination required in order to become an official lesbian, there is no doubt in my mind that Karin Kallmaker would be required reading prior to testing. As it is, I think it should be included among the subjects that any serious university English Department would include on it's fiction book lists. Much of literature written today is forgettable in my opinion. With Kallmaker, you find yourself reading, re-reading and re-reading them again, both for the simple pleasure of it, and as a way to see you through until the next one is published.

I have little doubt that when I am pushing up the proverbial daisies, Kallmaker's works will still be available through reprints. And although in a perfect world I would love to see her writings spread far and wide to be enjoyed by others of my ilk (I found her by accident), there is also a part of me that wants to keep her secret with "just us." So where can I apply for my honorary lesbian membership card? Kallmaker has totally won me over. Once you read her, she'll get you too. Because this "Sugar" is just too sweet.

Rating:
Summary: Sweet from Start to Finish
Review: Like jam on toast done golden and crisp, this latest romantic tale from Karin Kallmaker was just right for me. I'd recommend it to any fan and certainly to anyone (if there *is* anyone who hasn't yet experienced her light, pleasing romantic touch) who likes a good read.

Like all of her novels, she avoids the formula even though in the purest dilution of the plot it reads like a classic formula. The reason it's not is that lesbian romances (unlike het ones) most often open with the presentation of two characters we know will get together before the last page. The pleasure is in reading how. Kallmaker )like Radclyffe, another favorite of mine) can take that simple outline and do wonderfully different things with it. In Substitute for Love, for example, Holly and Reyna don't actually meet until at least 3/4s of the way into the book, yet their collision course is clear from page 1. In Embrace in Motion, Sarah chooses Ms. Wrong for the first part of the book, then comes to realize Ms. Right has been under her nose all along.

In "Sugar," Kallmaker twists the usual lesbian romance beginning of two primary characters by giving us Sugar and three potential suitors for her affections. All three are charming, sexy, persuasive and very interested in Sugar. But only one will earn her love. Along the way Sugar -- like you and me and all the women we know -- has crud to cope with, a business to run, life to handle.

I loved the journey with Sugar, all the way. I loved her confusion when she felt real lust for a woman she wasn't yet sure she could like as a friend. The puzzlement of feeling affinity with someone but the lack of that spark that would create that first kiss. And finding herself feeling lust *and* affinity and then being completely tongue-tied and scared to make the first move -- and so is the woman who is trying awfully hard to say I love you but doesn't quite know how. These are women still forming, strong in their own sense of self but not yet deft at dealing with their own emotions. It made me full of wonder that at any point any of us ever figure out how love works. The romantic sentiments in this book are charming, all the way through.

If that story weren't enough, the plotline with Sugar and her grandmother is vintage Kallmmker and yet brand new. She set up Sugar's dread of living with the raving bible-thumping homophobe so I was dreading it just as much and then pulled the carpet out from under my expectations and own presumptions as she so often does. I scraped my jaw up off the floor at about the same time Sugar did. Sugar's three older (and bossy) sisters are delightfully drawn, as is her fascinating ex and still friend, Noor. I'd love to see a short story about Noor and her gf in a "Frosting on the Cake 2."

Which is the whole reason I'm writing this review -- how about it, Miz K? Can we have some more Frosting? I really want to know so many things! Did Shea and Anthea have their baby? Is Sydney President yet? And c'mon, Holly and Reyna need more story! More Frosting? Please???

I'll quit begging and end by saying that while Sugar herself is indecisive and founders a bit in trying to decide what love is and isn't, when it comes to what's right for her family, doing the right thing, she doesn't hesitate. She's a complicated young woman, getting by the best she knows how and I would be *proud* to be her big sister.

Thank you once again, Miz K, for a great read, worth every penny and every minute. Like all the others, I know I'll read it more than once.