Sepetys transports her readers to New Orleans during the 1950s. Our hero is an earnest young woman trying to rise above her humble roots. No, her low-...moreSepetys transports her readers to New Orleans during the 1950s. Our hero is an earnest young woman trying to rise above her humble roots. No, her low-life roots. She mingles with madams, prostitutes and gangsters as well as booksellers, debutants and businessmen. How does she manage when these worlds collide?
It's an interesting read, but I'm not sure of the target audience. It's written in a style that would appeal to someone 12 to 25, but it's filled with descriptions of the sex trade and criminal activity. But it's too sweet to be an adult fiction book. (Adult as in "grown up," not as in "pornographic.") I won't recommend it to my tween, my teen or the women from my polite church ladies book club. But it's not complex enough for my academic friends. My best to Sepetys' marketing team. (less)
Udall chronicles the life of one odd little boy, Edgar Mint. He is subjective to a number of hardships starting with an absent father and an alcoholic...moreUdall chronicles the life of one odd little boy, Edgar Mint. He is subjective to a number of hardships starting with an absent father and an alcoholic mother, but things go downhill fast for him from there. Most painful are the chapters about his years at a boarding school for troubled Native American kids. He is brutally bullied and either ostracized or coerced into criminal behavior by a couple of hoodlums who are older, bigger and more brutal than he. Year after year people close to him disappear or betray him, but someone he soldiers on.
The book toys with ideas of fate, divine purpose, belonging, loyalty, betrayal and the quest for home. It's oddly sweet and optimistic--even when the characters are swimming around in the sewage of inhumanity. Somehow Udall manages to convey what makes even the mean and the dysfunctional tick. Everyone has a story, and Udall is adept at weaving these stories together to tell Edgar's story as well as those of his wide-ranging supportive cast. (less)
Kesey takes a counter culture view on the mental health system and in so doing creates an allegory for the total of modern institutional behavior. Mic...moreKesey takes a counter culture view on the mental health system and in so doing creates an allegory for the total of modern institutional behavior. Michel Foucault would probably agree with the critique given what he's written in Madness and Civilization as well as in Discipline and Punish.
Kesey employs a long-time asylym resident as his narrator. Chief Bromden watches a new patient come in and buck the system established by the tight-fisted Nurse Rachet. Through his view, colored by hallucinations, Bromden conducts a more poetic cultural critique than McMurphy's confronting statements that "the emperor has no clothes on." Through the pages of the novel, we are invited to examine how modern institutions strip individuals of their self-expression, individuality and dignity.
I had not seen the very famous movie based on this film, but I had seen a couple of scenes. It was great to finally read this modern classic. (less)
Wecker draws on her own heritage as a Jewish American and her husband's heritage as a Syrian American to write a story about immigrants from these cul...moreWecker draws on her own heritage as a Jewish American and her husband's heritage as a Syrian American to write a story about immigrants from these cultures as set in lower Manhatten in 1899. But this isn't a mere historical novel. It contains a fantastical twist because the immigrants are legendary creatures--a golem and a jinni. As such, they serve as allegories for the immigrant experience. But the novel shimmmers between the realms of social commentary and the whimsy of fantasy. Not every element has a real-world analog.
The story alternates between these two characters, but then it branches one more time into flashbacks to the old countries. So in total, there are four narratives: the golem's story, her maker's, the jinni, and his maker's.
I enjoyed the novel a great deal excepting some aspects of the ending and the fate of many of the characters. But I highly recommend it, especially for anyone with an interest in the immigrant experience of Eastern European Jews or Syrians.
Wacky. Semple uses a series of documents such as letters, legal documents, email messages and text messages to describe Bernadette, a slightly unhinge...moreWacky. Semple uses a series of documents such as letters, legal documents, email messages and text messages to describe Bernadette, a slightly unhinged artist and mother living in Seattle and trying to survive the local soccer moms (who are a slightly different breed there). Along the way, we get to know her daughter Bee and her husband Elgin. But more than anything else, we see the absurdity of our hyperconnected world that someone clutters things to the point that we're actually not connecting meaningfully at all. Satire. Comedy. Social commentary. Good clean-ish fun. And a side trip to Antartica. Because, why not?(less)
I used to read more LDS fiction over a decade ago, but with full-time work and two small kids, I drifted away from it for a while. I was delighted to...moreI used to read more LDS fiction over a decade ago, but with full-time work and two small kids, I drifted away from it for a while. I was delighted to see Hallstrom make make many choices away from cookie-cutter characters and plot.
First, she fragments the narrative by shifting time frames multiple times. This is actually more "natural" than a straight chronology. We learn about other people in the present as they unfold stories about their past to us. Also, she doesn't use an omniscient narrator or a single narrator. Multiple characters take turns telling the story of intersecting lives from their own point of view. Also, Hallstrom does a fairly good job of "showing" and not "telling." The midlife parents Nathan and Alicia do get a little preachy some times, but that's the nature of their character more than the novel's own attempt at moralizing.
The novel works the best for me when I read about tensions in marriages and heartbreak over fertility and parenting. It's a little strained when Hallstrom takes on the voices of inactive or nonmember characters and when she adopts the voice of the matron of the clan -- an octogenarian widow. And the ending is a little too sentimental and dramatic for me, especially after the novel did so well to embrace understatement and subtlety otherwise.
Nevertheless, I was glad to see a novel where things are much more muddled for LDS characters. These characters know that they love each other, but how to enact that love is a very unsure proposition. And the real power of this novel are the scenes where they struggle to find a way to embody that love. (less)
If you want to reach back to the origins of the gothic novel, you must read Walpole's "Castle of Otranto." The novel is set in England during the crus...moreIf you want to reach back to the origins of the gothic novel, you must read Walpole's "Castle of Otranto." The novel is set in England during the crusades. It centers on how a handful of characters contend with each other over the period of two days over two questions: 1) who will be heir to the property/title and 2) who will marry the two fair maidens--Isabella and Matilda.
As the conflict unfolds, we witness libidinous regents, swooning women, virtuous knights, long-lost sons and undeclared heirs. These characters operate in a setting filled with dark passages, trap doors, menacing woods, and rocky crevices. We also get a recitation of events in Italy and in the Holy Land as one of the characters, a Crusader, recounts his adventures. And if that isn't enough, we have a few supernatural events to deepen the mood further.
I found the language to be simultaneously elevated and melodramatic. The novel lends itself easily to interpretations within the framework of Marx (claims for inheriting land and property), Freud (machinating to possess the bodies of young women) and Jung (symbolism in the swords, armor, chambers, and archetypes portrayed by the characters).
It's short for the tradition of gothic novels, so pick up a copy and keep the lights on and the doors locked. (less)
While not a memoir, Ratner draws heavily on her own experience being displaced from her home during the Khmer Rouge revolution in Cambodia to write th...moreWhile not a memoir, Ratner draws heavily on her own experience being displaced from her home during the Khmer Rouge revolution in Cambodia to write this novel. She didn't have a clear enough memory, enough mementos or enough surviving relatives to tell the story as a non-fiction tale. Also, the most salient theme of the novel is the power of storytelling, so it's fitting that she allow the power of the human imagination reign in her book.
The protagonist of the novel is a seven-year-old girl with polio who is a member of a royal household. She's very attached to her father, a poet and a scholar. Soon her world is shattered as soldiers thrust her and her extended family from their home. They move from place to place over the period of a few years, suffering hardships and loss with each removal. Nevertheless, her father's poetry, his manner and his advice fortify her through each ordeal.
Both beautiful and horrifying, this novel brought a richer understanding of the horrors faced by the Cambodian people as communist revolutionaries ravaged the country for several years. It's a strong testament both to the evils people can perform and the triumph of the human will. (less)
On paper, I should love this book. It's historical fiction. It features strong female characters. It's peppered with many literary allusions. It's got...moreOn paper, I should love this book. It's historical fiction. It features strong female characters. It's peppered with many literary allusions. It's got some great plot twists. But I struggled to connect with it. After reading for 100 pages (based on the strength of glowing reviews), I finally just flipped to the last chapter and read it backwards for another 50 pages.
Why was it so hard for me to connect with this book?
I was constantly confused as to what was going on. Was this because 1) it was epistolary? 2 it was filled with technical language about planes (the author herself is a pilot and did tons of research that she wanted to show off, 2) the sentence style was "off" from my own thought processes? I felt lost in Night and Fog the entire time. What the heck is going on?! And I've read some complex books in my day.
Anyway, maybe it's just me. The reviews here are largely "love it!" with a few of us moaning "I couldn't finish it." Just call me Moan-a.
Knowing what I do about Oscar Wilde from his pithy quotes, I am absolutely shocked at this novel. It's very moral! Yes, the character Henry Wotton spe...moreKnowing what I do about Oscar Wilde from his pithy quotes, I am absolutely shocked at this novel. It's very moral! Yes, the character Henry Wotton spews cynical and satirical quotes throughout the length of the novel. However, the plot reveals a theme that cautions the readers against these vices: the worship of art, beauty, appearances, hedonism and youth.
I regret not having read this novel when I was in my early 20s. At 50, I am hardly tempted to worship youth. But the novel still has value to me. I identify less with Dorian at this point and more with Henry--the corrupter of youth. Another theme is the power of influence over others. Henry is full of regrets, and he fills Dorian with all kinds of desires that he, Henry, cannot or dares not pursue. Henry plays puppet master to Dorian to ill effect.
Another theme is the use of art as a place to deposit morality--on a pedestal--far away from personal choice and accountability. In the end, the work of art (the portrait) cannot really function as a substitute. By the last page, the true character of Dorian is revealed.
I find it so interesting that Wilde wrote such a work when he was a man consumed with so many trivial aspects of life. It reads like a confessional to me. I see the author wrestling with the vanities of the world (including his own wit) and seeing how hollow they can be. It's a great meditation on the role of art in society and the dangers of hedonism. It's better than any sermon I've heard on the topic. Bravo, Mr. Wilde. (less)
Every marriage has its own unique economy: its system of checks and balances, the way each partner values and devalues each other, the constantly runn...moreEvery marriage has its own unique economy: its system of checks and balances, the way each partner values and devalues each other, the constantly running balance sheets with the columns "You owe me" and "I owe you." Quality control. Surprise inspections. Micromanaging. Downsizing. Hostile takeovers. Bankruptcy.
Gillian Flynn flays open these dynamics in a marriage and lays them bare for all to see. You might think this is a thriller, a horror story, a crime story. But it's a novel of manners. Watch Nick and Amy's relationship in order to better see the potential for malice brewing within every marriage. And sleep with one eye open. (less)
The book is a collection of tips, testimonies and narratives about the mid-week meetings sponsored by the Latter-day Saints woman's organization, Reli...moreThe book is a collection of tips, testimonies and narratives about the mid-week meetings sponsored by the Latter-day Saints woman's organization, Relief Society. The book contains a variety of voices, viewpoints and activities for making these meetings more effective. Interspersed are quotes from members of the General RS presidencies regarding these meetings, giving the book an anchor.
I should probably award the book a 4 star rating. I am not familiar with the genre of the book. It's a sampler of sorts. And it took me a while to grasp the nature of the contents and the overall organization.
It's challenging to find 90 minutes of activity that will enrich the lives of each woman in attendance. Each individual woman has her own distinct talents, needs, resources and time constraints. Even as these women report muddling through at times, there is virtue in coming together and making a good-faith effort.
The book has a list of contributors in the front, but the contents don't indicate who wrote what. My sister-in-law was listed (and I had no idea until after I bought the book). I will have to ask her if the mangled Christmas bow story is hers. (less)
Authors Dr. Joanne Lynn, Dr. Joan Harrold and Janice Lynch Schuster (MFA) present an information-rich guide to managing life with serious illness. Our...moreAuthors Dr. Joanne Lynn, Dr. Joan Harrold and Janice Lynch Schuster (MFA) present an information-rich guide to managing life with serious illness. Our youth-obsessed culture pays very little attention to the realities of late life. This book seeks to address a gross lack of understanding of how to manage very serious health concerns and how to function while active in the dying process.
Even though much of the book focuses on slowly progressing health issues of older adults, it does also contain information and narratives for sudden deaths. The book also describes illness and death of younger adults and children.
The book provides information, advice and comfort for those who are living with an illness and later dying from it. But it's also a guide to caregivers--whether they be family members or formal caregivers such as home health aides, certified nurse assistants, registered nurses or other health care professionals. The topics cover concerns that are physical as well as emotional. The book covers a broad scope of information but it's presented in a clear way with plenty of subheadings, pictures, bulluted lists and quote boxes.
The book is organized into the following chapters:
Foreward by Rosalynn Carter Introduction 1. Living with Serious Illness 2. Enduring and Changing 3. Finding Meaning 4. Helping Family Make Decisions and Give Care 5. Getting the Help You Need 6. Talking with Your Doctor 7. Controlling Pain 8. Managing Other Symptoms 9. Living with Specific Illnesses 10. Planning Ahead 11. Deciding about Medical Interventions 12. Hastening Death 13. Coping with Event Near Death 14. The Dying of Children 15. Dying Suddenly 16. Enduring Loss 17. Resources Acknowledgements Index
All people will need to learn how to manage bodies that are grinding to a halt. It's a reality of the life cycle. We can put up blinders and pretend not to see, or we can equip ourselves with good information so that we can more expertly manage these late-life challenges. I want to recommend this book to anyone turning 50, but I also recognize that illness, disease and death affects people in every decade, so it's an appropriate book for adults of all ages. (less)
I thought that I've heard all the stock arguments on gun control. However, Austin brings a little historical context to the debates--a context that ca...moreI thought that I've heard all the stock arguments on gun control. However, Austin brings a little historical context to the debates--a context that can be employed by left, right or center. This bonus book chapter presents a moderate view on gun control, forged primarily by digging into the archives and looking at statements from the Founding Era. Austin unpacks key language such as "militia" and "right to bear arms" and even "well regulated" by examining language from states' constitutions of the colonial era. He also looks at contemporary cases judged by the Supreme Court. This bonus book chapter does have some intepretation, opinion and situated analsis. However, the bulk of it is a straightforward recitation of historical / legal documents. (less)
This was a fun romp through zombie legends as imagined in a contemporary, suburban context. I can see kids ages 8 to 11 loving this book (especially t...moreThis was a fun romp through zombie legends as imagined in a contemporary, suburban context. I can see kids ages 8 to 11 loving this book (especially those who love gross and gorey things). (less)
**spoiler alert** I gravitated towards reading this book for several reasons: 1) I enjoyed "Study in Pink," from the BBC Sherlock TV series starring B...more**spoiler alert** I gravitated towards reading this book for several reasons: 1) I enjoyed "Study in Pink," from the BBC Sherlock TV series starring Benedict Cumberbatch. 2) I was a college English teacher for 30 years who should have read at least one Holmes mystery so far 3)In reference to the previous point, I should start at the beginning and 4) I am Mormon, and I have long heard that Doyle paints a negative and fantastic portrayal of Mormons in this book (supposedly by ripping off elements from a 1885 short story "The Dynamiter" by Robert Louis Stevenson).
Well, now I've read it.
I did enjoy watching Doyle establish the characters Holmes and Watson. It was also fun to wander around Victorian England. However, the story does not follow the "fair play mystery" convention of allowing the careful reader to deduce the identity of the murderer. Also, I love novels with well-crafted plots. This story takes a jarring shift from London to Utah 20 years earlier. However, the first half of the novel contains absolutely no foreshadowing that this will happen. It also doesn't establish the importance of the Mormon faith to the lives of either murderer or victims. And the use of German is never justified. For these reasons, it was a very unsatisfactory read. I can only recommend it for its importance to the canon as a whole. It doesn't have merit as an independent work.
If I were to ever reread this, I would only examine how Holmes and Watson meet. The rest can slip into obscurity--unless I were documenting stereotypes of Mormons in 19th C. fiction, then it's a must for such a project.(less)
I taught this as part of a world literature class. It was a challenging book but very interesting. It reminds me of Peer Gynt in its scope. Memorable...moreI taught this as part of a world literature class. It was a challenging book but very interesting. It reminds me of Peer Gynt in its scope. Memorable characters and a lovely ending. (less)
Author/illustrator Hale brings his namesake to life on the platform of a gallows. The frame tale includes three characters: Hale (the sympathetic narr...moreAuthor/illustrator Hale brings his namesake to life on the platform of a gallows. The frame tale includes three characters: Hale (the sympathetic narrator), a hangman (a buffoon loaning comic relief) and a British soldier (arrogant and angry). Hale has the added foresight of knowing the outcome of the Revolutionary War, having been consumed by a giant history book in the first few pages.
There, the historical figure Nathan Hale recounts events of the American Revolution that involved him directly or indirectly. The book is presented in cartoon panels (graphic novel? manga? you choose the genre name). This could help younger people find history more accessible, but the details get pretty intense, so I don't think younger readers can follow every aspect completely. Depending on the child's reading level and interest in history, I can see those age 11 and up following along for the more part. (less)
Rabins has been counseling older adults for decades, and he offers a very clear book that outlines a variety of psychological issues that older adults...moreRabins has been counseling older adults for decades, and he offers a very clear book that outlines a variety of psychological issues that older adults might face: anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and phobias. These are often not recognized in older adults for the following reasons: 1) Some physical ailments include some of the symptoms of psychological troubles. 2) Some medications have side effects that mask or mimic symptoms. 3) Ageist attitudes encourage adult children and even some general physicians to just accept depression, anxiety or phobias as a normal part of aging. 4) Older adults themselves are afraid of reporting symptoms for fear of being declared mentally incompetent or fear of being judged.
The book explains that often treatment can help older adults dramatically improve their quality of life. Treatments discussed include talking therapies, medications, relaxation techniques and lifestyle habits (diet, exercise, socialization, etc.)
Often, older adults have been managing a psychological disorder for decades, but they successfully deal with it until age-related losses make it harder for them to cope. Then their troubles run away from them. After losing a spouse, relocating, retiring or suffering a change in health status, an older adult who could manage OCD or depression or anxiety or PTSD might go through a dramatic personality change.
Just telling them to "snap out of it" will not return them to their former personality. They need professional counseling. Sometimes they think the trouble is physical (tightness in the chest, heart palpitations can look like heart trouble when they are stress related). A professional can help exclude physical problems so that psychological troubles can come into clearer focus.
A good book for adult children to read in order to broaden their understanding of the challenges that face their parents as they age. (less)
A collection of aphorisms--wise sayings--from the Buddhist tradition. The introductions name drops a lot of British authors, which I found distracting...moreA collection of aphorisms--wise sayings--from the Buddhist tradition. The introductions name drops a lot of British authors, which I found distracting rather than illuminating. But the primary text itself come from 3rd century BCE, and they reveal core teachings imbedded in mundane details of life of that era. A good daily devotional text that encourages self-control, detachment and awareness as some of the devices for achieving enlightenment. (less)
Brunt takes the readers back to the mid 1980s when people were struggling with how to respond to the AIDS epidemic, and they were doing so primarily t...moreBrunt takes the readers back to the mid 1980s when people were struggling with how to respond to the AIDS epidemic, and they were doing so primarily through fear, bigotry and urban myth. It is within this environment that 14-year-old June must learn how to embrace her uncle as he dies from AIDS and then mourn him actively when many around her either want to forget him or malign him. And then everything is complicated when she forms an uneasy friendship with her uncle's lover. And adolescence is a difficult challenge for anyone without all these extra complications.
Oh, this was a weirdly timed book for me. My beloved uncle passed away on Saturday, February 2nd, and on Sunday February 3rd I plucked this book off the "new releases" shelf at my local library because I'd seen it on several "best fiction of 2012" lists. It didn't really hit me that this was about a girl trying to process her uncle's death until I was 75 pages in--even though this is stated clearly on the book jacket, which I read. I chose it because it was well received.
From the cover art and the book jacket, I thought this novel would be edgey, hip, dark and twisted. But it's not. It reveals the heart of a young woman doing the best she can to forge a path for herself. June is sweet, earnest, complex, intelligent, awkward, solitary, quirky, and idealistic. I found myself cheering for her and aching for her as she does her best to negotiate through thorny family dynamics in her attempts to mourn her uncle. But the book doesn't paint June's family members as fiends. As the novel progresses, everyone's layers get peeled back until you see from all characters' points of view, making everyone a lot more sympathetic than at first blush.
Oh, why are relationships so difficult?! But there are moments of real intimacy and joy along the way, too--giving us all a little hope that we can rise above our mortal flaws and work together to transcend our limits.
And I am shocked that NONE of my friends have read this novel. C'mon people. What's the matter with us? Let's give this debut novelist a bit of our time. I read it over 2.5 days. I even dreamed about it the night before I finished. I tried staying up, but my heavy eyelids betrayed me. But it was so engaging, that I dreamed of several possible denouements before dawn came and I grabbed the book off my nightstand and finished it before putting my feet on the floor. (less)
Marsden writes a story based on the childhood experiences of Vietnames immigrant Thay Phap Niem (co-author). They present a sweet little tale about a...moreMarsden writes a story based on the childhood experiences of Vietnames immigrant Thay Phap Niem (co-author). They present a sweet little tale about a boy named Tinh who is caught between childhood interests and pleasures and the adult responsibilities of helping his father fish as a source of income. One day a storm comes of greater strength than he's ever seen, and he repeatedly is faced with choices: do I respond as a child or do I respond as a man? Less than 100 pages in a book that's sized like a devotional daily reader, I see this more as a short story than even a novella (and part of the reason for 3 stars only; it doesn't have the heft even of a novella, and I felt deceived by the format), but it's worth an hour of your time. (less)
This was reminded me of a Wilkie Collin's book (Woman in White) but with younger protagonists and a fantasy dimension. I enjoyed getting to know the t...moreThis was reminded me of a Wilkie Collin's book (Woman in White) but with younger protagonists and a fantasy dimension. I enjoyed getting to know the two orphaned children who are trying to overcome personal tragedy and impossible circumstances. The poor little rich girl who befriends them is also sypathetic. While the book employs a number of stock charcters, the dialogue and the descriptions made it all seem fresh. A friend strongly recommended this, and I was only going to read 50 pages and then claim that it didn't engage me (because my "To Read" stack was getting too high). However, after 50 pages of Splendors and Glooms, I decided the other books can wait. (less)
Chris Cowley is getting old. But he's fighting back with the help of his internist and co-author Dr. Henry S. Lodge. Together they write a book aimed...moreChris Cowley is getting old. But he's fighting back with the help of his internist and co-author Dr. Henry S. Lodge. Together they write a book aimed at men 50 plus about how to achieve a level of fitness that will keep you active, vibrant and fit well into your 80s and beyond. I found the book so persuasive that it took me longer than usual to complete it: I kept putting it down so that I could go to the gym and work hard for an hour at a time.
The two authors take turns discussing a variety of topics. Dr. Lodge (aka "Harry") gives technical information explained in layman's terms about how our bodies are wired for hunting life on the savannah and how we have to work them (physically and socially) so that they will stay strong. Chris writes chapters that are more chatty and often humorous about how to make life changes to improve fitness. He tells stories about his own age-related challenges. He's an social fellow, so he also recounts stories of other men 50 plus choosing to be fit and overcoming obstacles to that aim.
The book expands on these 7 rules:
1) Exericise six days a week for the rest of your life. 2) Do serious aerobic exercise four days a week for the rest of your life. 3) Do serious strength training, with weights, two days a week for the rest of your life.
These first three take up the bulk of the book. The last four are discussed with less detail but are still vital for wellness / quality of life for older adults.
4) Spend less than you make. 5) Quit eating crap! 6) Care. 7) Connect and commit.
Even though the book is aimed at a male audience, I found myself interested, entertained and informed. The authors do have a follow-up book for mature women, but I didn't know that when someone recommended this title to me. I am getting a master's in gerontology (aging studies), and I'm 51. So I was interested to hear one man's perspective about fitnesses challenges for mature adults as he observes them in himself, his friends and in research literature. I see that some reviews by younger women here on Goodreads find this "old dude" approach alienating. I can see why, but I loved getting inside the mind of a maturing man who is trying to balance fear, limits, ego and ambition.
Also, Chris warns you that he's an avid skier and that the book will have numerous sections discussing the virtues of skiing. True, this is a rich man's sport, and one I can't pursue here in Kansas. However, it was interesting to read about how engaged he is with physical activity. I loved the section he wrote about participating in a downhill racing event with mature skiers who have been engaged in that sport for decades. It was very inspiring to read about men and women in their 60s, 70s, and 80s barreling down the slopes, pushing past flag gates, and whooping with pure joy of their sport--gracefully and expertfully performed. It helped me image myself as a mature athlete in my 60s, 70s, and 80s. I just need to become similarly focused and log the time.
After seeing the 2012 film Lincoln, I picked up this book because I wanted to know more about Mary Todd Lincoln and her seamstress / confidante Elizab...moreAfter seeing the 2012 film Lincoln, I picked up this book because I wanted to know more about Mary Todd Lincoln and her seamstress / confidante Elizabeth Keckley. Also, there is novel about Keckley being released this month (January 2013), and I wanted to read this key document prior to reading the novel. Keckley's life story, with an emphasis on her interactions with Mrs. Lincoln, did not dissapoint.
Keckley starts with an explanation that her book is not an attack on Mrs. Lincoln but an explanation of what hidden information might better inform others' opinions of the First Lady. The next few chapters describe Keckley's childhood, her life as a slave, her brief and unhappy marriage to another slave (who professed he was free when he was not), her struggles to buy her freedom, and her ultimate triumph in securing her freedom.
Keckley's mother did sewing for the slaves and the slave owners where they lived, and Keckley learned that skill. She excelled to the point that she created beautiful gowns for the finest ladies wherever she lived. This skill led her to Mrs. Lincoln, who had a great fondness for clothes. Anyone studying textiles and dressmaking of the era must read this book. Much of the book describes Mary Todd's dresses, which is important, because they were the cause of her great poverty due to debt. At the time of her husband's assassination, Mrs. Lincoln had accrued $70,000 worth of debt. Later chapters show Mrs. Lincoln struggling with her loss of status and her mouting debt--and her attempt to get a return on her investment by selling her clothes, which unfortunately does not gain her the price she thought they were worth. An interesting find is a series of letters from Frederick Douglass to Keckley concerning fundraising for widow Lincoln's behalf. Keckley herself had a leadership position in an organization dedicated to relieving the suffering of blacks of her era, an organization that helped fund the home where she lived out her last days.
But this book is not just about clothes. Keckley describes several domestic scenes in the White House that give an intimate portrait of Abraham Lincoln, his wife Mary and their three sons. During much of the film Lincoln, I desparaged that the women were pushed into corners in favor of close deatail of the political process. This book does describe some of the political figures of the era, but it describes the domestic sphere and Mrs. Lincoln's emotions and attitudes in ways that help contemporary women better empathize with this woman's world (and Keckley's) at the White House during Lincoln's era.(less)
I have read a handful of Erdrich's novels years ago and haven't returned to her work until now. I saw that she won an award for Round House, so I pick...moreI have read a handful of Erdrich's novels years ago and haven't returned to her work until now. I saw that she won an award for Round House, so I picked it up. I wasn't sure that I wanted to read a novel that focused on the dark act of a violent rape. However, from the start, Erdrich presents characters, dialogue and themes so rich and complex that the novel was clearly about so much more than the brutal crime.
Erdrich tells the story through the eyes of a young teen, Joe, who is trying to sort out his place in the world. His mother manages tribal registry; his father is a judge. They live on the rez where life can be hard scrabble. He runs around with three other young men who are trying to forge a place in the world.
But then his mother is violently raped and becomes nearly catatonic as a result. His father is consumed with the mother's care. That leaves Joe to try to figure out the meaning of crime and punishment, to find allies to support him on a quest for truth and justice, to find the meaning of love, trust, loyalty and kinship.
Although Erdrich's prose reads easily and looks like it's describing practical concerns, she has an undercurrent that transcends the day to day and evokes the world of ideas, the world of spirits. A few characters actually break through the mundane and address the powers of the spirit world. Erdrich does a great job weaving this all together to show that our tiny, pedestrian lives actually are part of a grander drama. You don't have to be a native American to appreciate the role of the numenous in a world that pretends to be fueled by logic and science. (less)
The Prince & The Pauper story gets a sci-fi girl twist in this graphic novel by Hatke. With rich visuals and a jaunty tone, Hatke takes the reader...moreThe Prince & The Pauper story gets a sci-fi girl twist in this graphic novel by Hatke. With rich visuals and a jaunty tone, Hatke takes the reader on interstellar adventures that resonate with earth-bound challenges of identity, trust, friendship, courage and more. (less)
Davis presents a book that has a perfect balance of intellect and emotion. Davis is an accomplished scholar produced numerous books and articles prior...moreDavis presents a book that has a perfect balance of intellect and emotion. Davis is an accomplished scholar produced numerous books and articles prior to her husband's heart problems. She brings her strengths as an academic to the problem of caregiving and presents a lot of research and clear, logical thinking on the topic. However, she doesn't stop there. She also presents insights gleaned from interviewing 61 women caregivers, which humanizes the subject of caregiving. And she, herself, is one of these caregivers, having helped her husband after he grew more and more frail after not one, but two, heart attacks. Her book weaves together general observations about the challenges and opportunities of caregiving with the specific narratives of a pretty large data sample for interviews conducted by one scholar. Caregiving is immensely personal, individual, and holistic, so gathering so many testimonials is vital when researching the subject.
By reading the book over one weekend, I felt as though I was attending a retreat for women caregivers, one hosted by an intelligent and compassional leader (Davis). The stories give the women a chance to validate their experience through language. And because they articulate the hardships as well as their strategies for meeting these hardships, these women serve as guides for others who will follow. And almost all women (and many men) end up serving as caregivers to others at some point whether they provide care for a parent, sibling, spouse or another loved one.
The book is organized into 11 chapters, but the themes are recursive: crisis, surveying the resources, creating a plan, working the plan, and then seeing that the plan needs revision. I am very drawn to books with strict organizational structure, so I was a bit uncomfortable with some of the repetition and reviewing of narratives and themes. But I probably need to recognize that this is the nature of the caregiving beast. In fact, Gail Sheehy's book Passages in Caregiving uses the labrynth as her controlling image of caregiving. No, no, no! I want to believe caregiving is linear, has clear stages, and can be described and contained in tidy, separate topics.
But the reality (so well expressed by Davis' book) is that caregiving is dynamic, demanding and at times damaging and depressing. However, it also presents opportunities to love, serve, care, minister, share, and bond with a loved one. It's not all negative, but it is always engaging.
I suggest that all women read this book by midlife, so that they can get a preview of the roles and responsibilities they will undertake as caregivers. However, my experience tells me that most people don't plan on serving as caregivers, and when they need this information, they are almost always too distracted and overwhelmed to study, ponder and plan. They are usually just managing the crisis du jour. But it doesn't have to be that way. Davis encourages caregivers to be thoughtul, to draw on resources, to build a support system, to find respite care, and to develop a means of spiritual renewal.
Read this book! Read this book! And honor the 61 testimonials presented by the caregivers who share from the deepest wells of their being. Honor their sacrifices and let them help you avoid some of the unnecessary suffering that can happen by learning on-the-job.
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