Kathy Scantle - Stone Mountain, GA (198 books)

Kathy Scantle marked as to-read:

The Language of Flowers
by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (Goodreads Author)

My rating:

Kathy Scantle marked as to-read:

Andersonville Journey by Edward F. Roberts

Andersonville Journey: The Civil War's Greatest Tragedy
by Edward F. Roberts

My rating:

Kathy Scantle marked as to-read:

Rodin's Debutante
by Ward Just

My rating:

Kathy Scantle marked as to-read:

To the End of the Land
by David Grossman

My rating:

Kathy Scantle gave

to:

Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference
by Warren St. John

read in February, 2011

My rating:

I loved this book, especially since I am familiar with the story. I met the main character, Luma, once and could tell right away she has a profound impact on the refugees she works with. Luma is from an aristocratic family in Jordan. She came to t...moreI loved this book, especially since I am familiar with the story. I met the main character, Luma, once and could tell right away she has a profound impact on the refugees she works with. Luma is from an aristocratic family in Jordan. She came to the USA for college. After she graduated from Smith college, she decided she wanted to stay. Her parents were very upset (her father disowned her) but later those wounds were healed. Fate brought Luma to Clarkston, Georgia, a small southern town outside of Atlanta which is home to many refugees. I taught at Clarkston High School so I know the character of the refugee children. They were always so polite, so studious, and so much more respectful of teachers than the American children. The kids were flown to Atlanta from war torn countries such as the Congo, Irag, Afghanistan, Somalia, the Sudan. etc. One young boy from Sudan who I knew came here when he was 10 years old and had never had formal education. (That was typical.) One of the teachers at Clarkston High School offered night classes to the refugee families where he taught things like -- how to use a refrigerator and what goes into a refrigator.
Luma was very taken by the refugee families and started a soccer team. This wasn't an ordinary soccer team -- Luma helped her team members adjust to their new country, taught them discipline, provided tutoring for their school work, and became involved with the families. This was her passion. She started a small school for the refugees and is currently involved in fundraising to expand the school.
I thought the author, (a reporter for the New York Times, who came to Clarkston to write an article and instead stayed a year and wrote this book), did a good job of explaining the past and present culture of the refugees . I thought he was particulary adeptin explaining the motives behind so many people in the book, including Luma herself, Tracy, Clarkson's mayor, sheriff, and even the local grocer. A good read.(less)

Kathy Scantle gave

to:

Bloodmoney: A Novel of Espionage
by David Ignatius

read in July, 2011

My rating:

I enjoyed this novel of intrique and espionage, but it was not the kind of thriller that I enjoy the most. It was good, but not a page turner, can't-put-the-book-down thriller that will keep me up at night.

Kathy Scantle gave

to:

Andersonville
by MacKinlay Kantor

read in August, 2011

My rating:

This summer marked the 75th anniversary of the publication of Gone with the Wind and I suspect that's what got me interested in all things Civil War. Andersonville, the Pultizer Prize winning work of historical fiction written by MacKinlay Kantor, s...moreThis summer marked the 75th anniversary of the publication of Gone with the Wind and I suspect that's what got me interested in all things Civil War. Andersonville, the Pultizer Prize winning work of historical fiction written by MacKinlay Kantor, seemed a natural choice for my new interest in that period of American History. Having visited the Andersonville Prisoner of War Camp in South Georgia years ago, I already knoew a little about the horrors the Union soldiers suffered there.

Open for only 18 months, 52,000 Yankees were "housed" (although not my idea of housing) at this notorious POW camp known as Ft. Sumter and 13,000 of the soldiers died there. The 27 acre camp was surrounded by a stockade made of pine logs with a small creek that ran through the center. The residents had no shelter, except for makeshift tents for those who had the resources. This meant the prisoners had to suffer through intense heat in the Georgia summer, rain, and the cold of Georgia winter's with no defense. The creek became a combination of bathing, toileting, drinking, and disease. The men were given little or no fresh meat or vegetables and scant food in general. They suffered scurvy, gangrene, diarrhea, dysentery and various other life threating/ending diseases.

The author begins the book describing the account (fictitious) of the residents who live in this sleepy Southern town. Soon follows the building of the POW camp. After that, the author devotes each chapter to describing the residents of the POW camp. He begins the chapter with a background of the residents and brings each to their current condition in the camp. Some of his characters are based on fact as some soldiers left behind diaries. At the end of the book, as a reference, the author writes about some of the true characters, which I referred to as I was reading the book. He writes with such imagination and description of the characters and I found this stunning.

After reading this book, I'm sure to take another visit to the Andersonville POW camp.(less)

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Kathy Scantle marked as to-read:

A Visit from the Goon Squad
by Jennifer Egan (Goodreads Author)

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Kathy Scantle marked as to-read: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
Sep 16, 2011 12:57pm
Kathy Scantle marked as to-read: Andersonville Journey: The Civil War's Greatest Tragedy by Edward F. Roberts	My rating:
Sep 16, 2011 09:59am
Kathy Scantle marked as to-read: Rodin's Debutante by Ward Just	My rating:
Sep 16, 2011 09:58am
Kathy Scantle marked as to-read: To the End of the Land by David Grossman	My rating:
Sep 16, 2011 09:57am
Kathy Scantle gave to: Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference by Warren St. John read in February, 2011	My rating:
I loved this book, especially since I am familiar with the story. I met the main character, Luma, once and could tell right away she has a profound impact on the refugees she works with. Luma is from an aristocratic family in Jordan. She came to t...more
Aug 28, 2011 04:51pm · see review
Kathy Scantle gave to: Bloodmoney: A Novel of Espionage by David Ignatius read in July, 2011	My rating:
I enjoyed this novel of intrique and espionage, but it was not the kind of thriller that I enjoy the most. It was good, but not a page turner, can't-put-the-book-down thriller that will keep me up at night.
Aug 28, 2011 04:25pm · see review
Kathy Scantle gave to: Andersonville by MacKinlay Kantor read in August, 2011	My rating:
This summer marked the 75th anniversary of the publication of Gone with the Wind and I suspect that's what got me interested in all things Civil War. Andersonville, the Pultizer Prize winning work of historical fiction written by MacKinlay Kantor, s...more
Aug 27, 2011 10:36am · see review
Kathy Scantle has joined the The Goodreads Book Club Challenge We've created a total book immersion for readers worldwide—The Goodreads Book Challenge! This June and July, take the challenge, ask the author questions via live chat, join chapter by chapter discuss... Join this challenge »
Jul 11, 2011 04:38pm
Kathy Scantle marked as to-read: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
Jul 11, 2011 04:34pm
Kathy Scantle added the Goodreads iPhone app
Apr 09, 2011 04:02pm

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