Origin

Maybe it's the approaching holidays, but reading Origin by Diana Abu-Jaber really made me think of my family. My mom is an avid mystery reader and has sometimes been found reading a good book on the couch in the middle of the night. It's been awhile since I've read a mystery-- I loved the Nancy Drew books growing up, but never got into another series as an adult. So this book club book reminded me of the joys of reading a mystery. I kept turning the pages even though it was getting late, past midnight on a work night.
Lena is a fingerprint technician in a crime lab and is investigating a series of suspicious baby deaths, labeled as SIDS, but quite possibly something more sinister. At some point the investigation leads to questions about her own birth and upbringing. Lena grew up with foster parents who never were able to answer her questions about her biological parents. Interestingly, A Gesture Life concerned the flipside-- the father's perspective on being an adoptive parent and his reasons.
Ms. Abu-Jaber portrays Lena as frequently moving through life in an otherworldly existence. She describes Lena as feeling drowsy, her limbs heavy, her mind elsewhere. It's clear that her desire to uncover the truth about her past is all-encompassing, carrying her from clue to clue. Likewise the other characters, Keller, Charlie, her co-workers, are equally well described and unique, so you can envision how each one acts and behaves.
A good mystery keeps you guessing and if by the end I haven't figured it out, I consider it a successful read. I'l give this 4/5 netflix stars. And now back to the Proust...decidely not mysterious at all, just long descriptions about eating cookies.