Take the Cannoli

April 3, 2000
A good storyteller can engage, provoke and intrigue in a few pages or a matter of moments. A great storyteller can accomplish all that while reflecting on something as mundane as an Italian dessert or a Midwestern bridge. A regular on Public Radio International's This American Life, Vowell (Radio On: A Listener's Diary) proves to be the latter in this quirky collection of thoughts, ramblings and memories that charmingly cohere into a full picture of American life. While she occasionally attempts to tackle larger political and historical issues, her talent lies in making small details bright and engaging. Especially sharp are her explorations of topics that might at first seem tired and overplayed, such as the Godfather movies (from which she draws the book's title), road trips, Disney and Sinatra. She displays her knack for insight during both her journalistic quests, as when she writes histories of New York's Chelsea Hotel and Chicago's Michigan Avenue Bridge, and her personal journeys, as when she describes a courtship conducted by exchanging cassette tapes. The essays, which rarely reference each other, stand on their own as snippets from the mind of a pop culture maven Taken together, however, they form a vivid autobiographical portrait: Vowell's description of growing up a gunsmith's daughter in Oklahoma complements another essay about road tripping with her sister down the Trail of Tears, and makes an ensuing piece on a visit to Disney's planned town, Celebration, even funnier. Vowell's writing--a blend of serious observations and bouncy remarks--makes for rich commentary on America, and for great stories. Agent, Wendy Weil.

March 1, 2000
In this eclectic addition to the autobiographical literary genre, Vowell (Radio On: A Listener's Diary) explains her journey from natural-born liberal to understanding the differences between herself and her conservative family. Her father is a gunsmith and partial to the Second Amendment. The best anecdotes in this book have been pilfered from her family, and she graciously acknowledges the debt. Her liberal use of pop culture serves as a touchstone throughout the collection. The most memorable essay, "What I See When I Look at the Face on the $20 Bill," recounts a cross-country trip with her fraternal twin sister. They followed the Trail of Tears searching for their heritage and discovered their own constantly conflicting emotions. Many of these pieces were written for radio and lack depth, but Take the Cannoli is still a satisfying read. Recommended for larger public libraries.--Pam Kingsbury, Alabama Humanities Fdn., Florence

Copyright 2000 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2000
Vowell takes her cranky but always entertaining take on life to the airwaves of public radio and the e-pages of "Salon." This collection of essays, drawn mainly from those sources, is marked by wit and a certain degree of disingenuousness. From its opening salvo, where she describes her relationship with her father the gunmaker, to her hilarious set piece on touring Disneyworld with an extremely urban gay friend, we are in for a lot of good conversation. The title, a quote from "The Godfather," comes from her essay on her obsession with that movie. Most intriguing--and emotionally complicated--is "What I See When I Look at the Face on the $20 Bill," which recounts the trip she and her twin sister took along the infamous Trail of Tears, seeking their one-eighth Cherokee heritage and finding that there are "only so many hours a human being can stomach unfocused dread." Sharp and engaging. ((Reviewed March 1, 2000))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)