The Resurrection of Mary Mabel McTavish

by Allan Stratton

It's the Great Depression and Mary Mabel McTavish is suicidal. A drudge at the Bentwhistle Academy for Young Ladies (aka Wealthy Juvenile Delinquents), she is at London General Hospital when little Timmy Beeford is carried into emergency and pronounced dead. He was electrocuted at an evangelical road show when the metal cross on top of the revival tent was struck by lightning. Believing she’s guided by her late mother, Mary Mabel lays on hands. Timmy promptly resurrects.

William Randolph Hearst gets wind of the story and soon the Miracle Maid is rocketing from the Canadian backwoods to '30s Hollywood. Jack Warner, J. Edgar Hoover, and the Rockettes round out a cast of Ponzi promoters, Bolshevik hoboes, and double-dealing social climbers in a fast-paced tale that satirizes the religious right, media manipulation, celebrity, and greed.

Genres: Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

ALLAN STRATTON is the internationally acclaimed author of CHANDA'S SECRETS, winner of the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Honor Book, the Children's Africana Book Award, and ALA Booklist's Editor's Choice among others. His first YA novel was the ALA Best Book LESLIE'S JOURNAL. His latest, CHANDA'S WARS, a Junior Library Guild selection, won the Canadian Library Association's Young Adult Canadian Book Award, 2009, and is on the CCBC Best Books List.

The German/South African film version of CHANDA'S SECRETS has been named an Official Selection of the 2010 Cannes International Film festival. the film title is LIFE ABOVE ALL. You can read about Allan's experiences on set on the December posts of his blog.

Allan's new novel, BORDERLINE, a coming-of-age mystery/thriller, came out in March 2010 from HarperCollins with starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal and raves in Booklist, Kirkus Reviews and Quill and quire..

He loves travel, cats and dogs, ice cream, working out, doing readings and workshops -- and, oh yes, meeting readers!

Allan is published in the USA, France, Germany, Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and Slovenia. You can read more about his books, and visit him online at www.allanstratton.com

Reviews

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly intriguing and wholly frustrating by halves, my reaction to this book was also mixed, although I will give great kudos to Allan Stratton for the clever arguments against hypocrisy that he managed to pull off to great effect.

Unfortunately, the title character, Mary Mabel McTavish was not a character that I could even like: only the fact that throwing electronics under a passing bus is harmful to the electronics kept me from bouncing my eReader all over the place when her peculiar brainless complacency got to be too frustrating. But, she was the one hiccup in an otherwise clever and engaging book, rife with humor, pointed satire and cleverly plotted schemes all unmasked to their agendas by the writing and twists used to move the story forward.

The early chapters of the story are slow and serve to set the background for the fast-paced character laden moments that come later. Mixing slapstick humor without turning it into a panto, adding a tinge of darkness and irony, and keeping a vulgar sense of honesty that imbues a sense of anger to the revelations of various behaviors rooted in hypocrisy that are unearthed, Stratton takes on media, religion, society and government: the perfect setting for an overreach into conspiracy theory. Yet, what emerges is a smartly crafted, with the exception of the title character, the unwitting and often oblivious pawn to the machinations of those who seek control, power and influence.

As a fan of history, the story is set in the 1930’s – heyday of Hollywood and with the popularization of the radio, an era where media and news became available quickly to a large audience. Add in the struggles of the Great Depression, and people were desperate for quick cures, diversion and a possible chance to get away from their own issues. Not unlike the culture of fear created since the advent of 9-11, media and governmental manipulations of the population need a figurehead that is willing or complicit, to aid in spreading the message and achieving the goals of those behind the scenes. Getting to see the agenda behind the stories and manipulations was revealing and gives readers the opportunity to apply answers received in this book to events in current day.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Martyn Coppack · Rating 4 out of 5]

full review available on www.kafkascage.com

A gloriously funny romp!

[Lynnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a rolicking tale tale filled with great characters. There is a tale that would make a wonderful television series. I hope it has been optioned.

[Beth (bibliobeth) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly don't quite know where to start with this review and I've spent some time mulling over the book since finishing it and am still none the wiser on how to get some coherent thoughts down to express the complexity of mixed feelings I have about this novel! The Resurrection Of Mary Mabel McTavish is a book that has been languishing on my Netgalley "to read" list for quite a long time now and as I'm making a concerted effort to improve my Netgalley ratio this year, I thought it was about time I read it. As soon as I reminded myself of the synopsis, I have to say I was excited. The Great Depression, 1930's Hollywood and a normal girl who becomes an overnight sensation after bringing a young boy back to life after just putting her hands on him? Yes please, I'll have some of that.

Excuse me while I'm still formulating my thoughts. Okay, so this novel had so much promise and at times, was executed absolutely wonderfully, then there were other times where I felt the narrative dragged unnecessarily and that was a real shame. It divided me so much that at times I wanted to give it three stars, at times four stars, most of the time somewhere in between at three and a half stars and very occasionally, two stars. I struggle to recall a time in the recent past where a book has twisted my opinion this much and to be frank, I'm still attempting to work out why. There were so many positives - the plot which INSTANTLY made me want to read it, the wry humour and satire which did make me smile on multiple occasions and the way in which the author explored the idea of religion, society and morals, especially after an event as life-changing as The Great Depression.

In fact, this novel got off to a terrific start, following our heroine Mary Mabel McTavish as she leads a humdrum slave-like existence with a distant and occasionally cold father and the reader feels her despair at life and misery over the loss of her mother and the blase attitude of her only other caregiver. Her attempted suicide is prevented at the last minute with a hallucination of her mother's ghost and a feeling of power that she in turn, bestows on a young boy, Timmy Beeford, bringing him back to life and returning a slightly exasperating little human to his weary parents. This was all great and incredibly intriguing to read about. I think things went downhill for me when people start to capitalise on Mary's powers and use her abominably in order to make money of their own. It was humorous at points sure, but there were times when I just wanted to shake Mary and open her eyes as to how she was being manipulated.

I think the two saving graces time and time again in this narrative were the owner of The Bentwhistle Academy For Young Ladies, Ms Bentwhistle who did make me howl with laughter at times, especially when she decides to pull the wool over the Americans' eyes in pretending she's one of the gentry. Obviously, she's intended to be a shady, rather villainous character compared to our heroine but by the end of the novel, I just found her hilarious. Then there was our avid preacher, Brother Percy Brubacher who is incredibly odd (and a little scary!) but hugely fascinating and I would have liked to have seen more scenes with him and explore his back story in greater detail. Sadly, apart from these two, most of the other characters, even our female lead felt decidedly two-dimensional and unbelievable and this did affect my enjoyment of the novel as a whole.

Hope this review made some kind of sense - if I had to sum it up I would say interesting premise, a few brilliant characters and good use of humour but at times the characterisation and plot suffer from peaks and troughs. This unfortunately means that at times the story drags and becomes much less compelling.

For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the description for this book on NetGalley, I was very much intrigued and requested the book for review. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure how I felt about the book until I was a little over halfway through the story. There was a lot to the story, not only in the cast of characters but locations as well. The story began in a small town in Canada but soon spanned the entire continental United States.

Though the story did have a handful of main characters, the supporting cast was quite large. Many of the well-known names of the Depression era appeared in the story as it progressed, including William Randolph Hearst and J. Edgar Hoover. Though they were supporting characters in the book, their depictions were every bit as big as the papers of the day described them. Each of the main characters had their own depth and background as well, making them stand out from the crowds in the book. It was easy to despise those who thought only of themselves (Floyd and Ms.Bentwhistle) or empathize with the ones caught in the trap of fame (Mary Mabel and Doyle).

I thought the author made a good decision in setting the story within the midst of the Great Depression. The overwhelming and crushing despair of many families during these years became a beacon for those with get-rich-quick scams. People were hungry for food, for hope and for some sort of financial stability. Combining all of this, the author had the perfect recipe for Mary Mabel's meteoric rise to fame. Unfortunately, greed never really goes unpunished and the characters soon come to realize exactly what that means by the end of the book.

Because of the large cast and number of locations, the story set a good pace in the beginning but stalled a few times along the way. Though it took a little while to build the momentum, what took place in those slower-paced chapters made me empathize with Mary Mabel's plight more. Because of that, I wanted to see how things turned out for her - whether she was able to rid herself of some weighty problems and find happiness. Of course, I was completely invested by the middle of the book and couldn't wait to turn the next page.

All the trouble and schemes that poor Mary Mabel found herself in made me smile and at the same time, I wondered how she was going to break free. I also enjoyed seeing how life was during the Depression for people on each side of the monetary fence. The author painted a larger-than-life picture of those who were rich during those years and at the same time gave an accurate depiction of the those suffering without money, food and jobs. All in all, the book was enjoyable. Those who enjoy historical fiction or a rambunctious, whirlwind of tale will definitely want to pick up a copy of this book.

[Stephanie Sanders-Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler-free summary:
Mary Mabel McTavish was a small-town girl down on her luck until, quite accidently, she resurrected the dead. Seemingly under the guidance of her dead mother, Mary Mabel laid her hands on a probably-dead boy and brought him back to life. This miracle sweeps her out of the Canadian countryside into the United States and all the way to Hollywood. On her way to stardom, Mary Mabel meets an unsavory cast of characters who, under the pretense of spreading God’s miracle, all want a piece of her growing fame. Set in the 1930s, this novel benefits from the weird, unexpected charms of old Hollywood, yellow journalism, and the Great Depression.

.....

The Resurrection of Mary Mabel McTavish really caught me off guard. It was hilarious, dirty in the best way possible, and satisfyingly critical of the hypocrisies of religion, government, and society in general. Stratton drew weird comparisons between the spheres of religion, media/journalism, and Hollywood, assuring us that everything is just a matter of commerce and advertising. This is dangerous ground, as any argument on these subjects can turn sophomoric and cliché, but, Stratton handles it all with subtle and smart humor coupled with immense writing skill.

I am having a hard time explaining why I appreciated this book so much. I think perhaps it was the perfect balance of vulgarity, slapstick humor, nostalgia, social criticism, and darkness. The only thing I can really compare it to is Catch-22, and that’s not really a good comparison. I guess what I’m trying to say is that this is a damn smart book.

I have to admit that this book did take a while to get going, but the second half of the novel really flies by and makes all of the confusion and tone-building of the first few chapters worth it. I had some trouble differentiating between some of the characters (there were lots and lots of characters). My main issue was that until one of the characters underwent a grotesque physical and mental change, I couldn’t keep Percy and Floyd straight.

However, the wide array of characters ends up being a benefit. The Resurrection of Mary Mabel McTavish is a subversive freakshow that managed to both distress and delight me.

Buy this book April 7th, 2014 in print or ebook format from Dundurn.

http://bookpuke.blogspot.com/

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Resurrection of Mary Mabel McTavish is an odd sort of creature, rather like the result of some mad gene splicing experiment combining DNA from Nathaniel West, Carson, McCullers, and Horatio Alger. It is at once innocent and deeply cynical, a romance that litters the road to true love with all sorts of wreckage.

Mary Mabel, stuck with a drunken, uncaring father, and living at the finishing school at which he serves as handyman, is both unhappy and genuine: dreaming of a different life, while seeing both the best and the worst in the world around her.

The characters in this novel are types most readers will recognize, but they’re painted with enough detail that at their best moments they transcend stereotype. Besides Mabel’s father and the woman who runs the school (and later poses as a titled gentry) we have a half-crazed, going on fully crazed revivalist preacher; a sanctimonious con man; a newspaper man who will do anything for a story, and who hides a a streak of decency beneath his opportunism. There’s also the ghost of Mary Mabel’s mother.

The story opens with a resurrection. Mary Mabel impulsively lays hands on and reanimates a boy struck by lightening during a revival held in a tent that was previously the site of an adultery-inspired double murder. And the story goes on from there: complex, ridiculous, mocking.

At its best moments Mary Mabel is humorous and engaging, but at other times (those most West-like) it feels heavy-handed and deliberately provocative. The characters are never quite fleshed out enough to carry the weight of the narrative. Instead the author gets by keeping readers off balance and throwing one knuckle ball after another their way.

This isn’t a book to read when you’re hungering for a narrative you can get lost in, but when you’d like some narrative pyrotechnics you may find it amusing.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many promising elements here – an insane hellfire preacher and a swindler becoming partners in a revival circuit, William Randolph Hearst and his sensationalist journalism, even some Communist clowns – but together they make for a disappointing muddle of a novel.

The title character, a maid at a London, Ontario girls’ school, becomes an unlikely radio hall heroine after she lays hands on an electrocuted American boy and brings him back to life. Unfortunately, Mary Mabel is an unrealistically soppy and weak character, ludicrously slow to pick up on the ways her story is being manipulated for others’ financial gain. Her romance with tough-guy journalist K.O. Doyle is also thin and unsatisfying.

Some of the supporting characters are quite amusing (Brother Percy Brubacher, who receives messages from radiators and flies; the seemingly harmless innkeeping twins Miss Millie and Miss Tillie; and Miss Bentwhistle, who bounces back after her Canadian academy burns down to pass herself off as a baroness in Los Angeles society), and I rather enjoyed the cameos from real-life figures, including Damon Runyon and Jack Warner, both of whom speak in a great 1920s slang-filled patter. But these pluses aren’t enough to counteract the two-dimensional main character and Stratton’s strangely out-of-place devotion to gory accidents and raunchy innuendo.

(Best line? “Tea and cookies make the world a better place.” That’s true for sure, but I didn’t need a mediocre novel to tell me so.)

[Steven Buechler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stratton has written an excellent book here set in the 1930’s depression. The protagonist, Mary Mabel McTavish is recovering in the town hospital after a suicide attempt. Little Timmy Beeford is brought into emergency after being electrocuted at an evangelical road show. Little Timmy is pronounced dead but Mary Mabel is convinced (she believes by her dead mother) to lay her hands on the boy. Little Timmy comes back to life. Mary is vaulted into the world of stardom and celebrity that she is loathed to deal with.

http://pacifictranquility.wordpress.c...

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story's Gothic trappings grabbed me from the beginning, although nothing is what it seems. Mary Mabel McTavish is a young woman trying to make her way in the world. Surrounded by comic characters, she comes to life in this story. Powerful people try to manipulate her possible gift to their own ends. She interacts with or is affected by the actions of historical figures like J. Edgar Hoover, William Randolph Hearst, Jack Warner, and the Rockettes as she moves through the 1930's, traveling through Canada and the U. S. with a pair of revivalist preachers and a reporter. Read this book. You will laugh, and you will cheer for Mary Mabel McTavish.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've only read Allan Stratton's young adult novels and I was excited to see if I enjoyed his adult books as much. I was not disappointed.

The Resurrection was a wild ride of characters showing the sweet and gritty sides of news hounds, holy rollers and grifters with a young girl stuck in the middle, just trying to find her way in the world without her mama. I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its quirky characters and vivid descriptions of both small town life and Hollywood flimflam. A fun summer read!

[Jennifer Macnab · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mediocre. This book took a really long time to get going. The best parts of the story come from the supporting characters. There are many guffaw moments - if you like more of a slap stick style of comedy. The book could offer a lot in terms of a political commentary if only the story line held your attention more effectively.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good rolicking read. Improbably but not over the top. As they say - you laugh, you cry ...
Allan does a great job of developing his characters and as the story fans out is several directions you drawn in. At the end, the threads are brought nicely together and tied up well.
Sometimes all you want in a book in great entertainment and this book does it very well.

[Corinne Wasilewski · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's the literary equivalent of a melodrama complete with galloping plot, stereotypical characters and a female heroine. Stratton even fits in a "woman on the train tracks" incident close to the end. No question about it -- Stratton is hilarious, but, this book seemed to go on for too long.

[Kate Meyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I WANTED to like it. The dark humor, satire, and innuendo kept me entertained for the first 80 pages, but it wasn't enough to keep me reading once I realized the plot line was going nowhere. I read about half (148 pages of the 352). I might try this one again, but not any time soon.

[Ampersand Inc. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is rollicking good read. Great characters, great story line

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rollicking fun, lots of laughs in this one. Lots of characters surround the central character, conniving and exploiting.

[LC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly entertaining and funny. I love how some indiscretions are described in "alternate" ways.

[Margaret Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever and funny with fabulous atmosphere.