Meadoe Hora's Blog, page 2

Virtual Book Club: The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms is funny and relatable. It’s about making yourself a priority and rediscovering who you are, which makes it a perfect choice for the January Virtual Book club.

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Amy, an overworked and stressed out single mother of two, is living in survival mode, focusing all of her attention on caring for her children and making ends meet. Her life gets overhauled when her absent ex-husband shows up after three years and wants to spend a week with their kids. So, she dusts off her mom jeans and heads to New York for a conference and to see an old friend.

While she’s there, she gets a makeover, goes shopping, eats in fancy restaurants, and stumbles her way through the dating scene. She rediscovers the person she was before she martyred herself in motherhood. Before she can figure out what to do with this new freedom, a family emergency calls her back home. She has choices to make when her old world collides with her newly discovered one. Although it reads like a predictable rom-com movie, it’s well written, engaging, and really funny. There were several times where I laughed out loud reading it.

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler Discussion



Could you relate to Amy’s inner struggle and constant mom guilt? Would you want to go on a “momspringa”? Where would you want to go? What did you think of her ex-husband? I sympathized with him. Yes, he’s a self-centered, mid-life crisis kind of guy, but he knew he was wrong and wanted to do the right thing. I might be in the minority on this. Did you think he was basically a good guy who made bad choices or did you think that leaving his family for 3 years made him unredeemable? What did you think of their relationship? What did you think of the teenage daughters in this book? Were they believable? I ask out of curiosity because I only have boys. To me, Matt’s daughter and Cori seemed too mature to be teenagers. Amy: “I get now that you can love what you have, love your kids and your life and your friends, and still want more. I get that it’s ok to go out and get more—more love, more friendship, more fulfillment—and still be a wonderful mom.” I think those things are necessary to be a great mom. Discuss.



Random Thoughts



How awesome is Lena? I would be down for a Lena spin-off. This book proved what I’ve always suspected. That being a librarian is the most awesome, exciting job. With the wit and snappy dialog, it kind of had a Gilmore Girls feel to it.

“I only know that in this month, when I have gotten time with friends, time for myself, positive attention from men, and yep, a couple of nice new bras, parts of me that were asleep for far too long are starting to wake up. “

Kelly Harms – The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

Did you read The Overdue Life of Amy Byler? What did you think of it? Drop a comment and let me know.

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Virtual Book Club: Children of Blood and Bone

My plan for December was to find a feel good book about the holidays to share for the virtual book club. Then, I finished Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

So, I traded Christmas magic for a revolution with a little regular magic on the side. There’s so much to love about this book, including beautiful writing and compelling characters. Check it out. You won’t be sorry, I promise.

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The story follows Zelie, a diviner, living in a world where magic has disappeared and those who have magic are feared and persecuted under a brutal king. While trying to earn money to feed her family, Zelie’s path crosses with an unlikely ally and they set off to bring magic back. This pits her against the prince, who not only wants to stop her, but to destroy her. She needs to become who she was meant to be in order to save her people and bring magic back.

Children of Blood and Bone: Discussion

Note: This discussion may contain spoilers. If you haven’t read the book, you might want to check back after you’ve read it.

One of the things I loved about this book was the friendship that grows between Amari and Zelie. They come from entirely different backgrounds, but they learn to overcome their fear of each other. Once they shed the labels of “diviner” and “princess,” they find common ground and respect for each other that grows into friendship. In this world of sadness and anger, for me their friendship became the heart of the story. Another thing that struck me is how fear is the river that runs through everything in this world. Everyone is living in fear. The diviners fear the guards and the king fears the diviners. Zelie and Inan are afraid of their powers, either of the magic itself (Inan) or that they don’t know enough for it to be effective (Zelie). Everyone either fears for their family or fears their family. Fear goes hand in hand with anger, which is also prominent. For example, in the case of the king, fear and hurt morphed into anger, which kick-started his campaign of tyranny and genocide. Think about all of the ways fear is woven through this book and how it ties to anger. Is that relatable to you? How has fear shaped your life? It was interesting to me that the diviners are physically different from the non-diviners. Their white hair is something they’re born with, much like the color of our skin. There’s a lot here that you could apply to race relations. In the author’s note at the end of the book, she said that she was writing this when the police shootings of African Americans were heavily in the news. I want to go back and re-read the book with that in the back of my mind. What parallels can you draw to that? Did it leave you feeling hopeful? Sad?

“Your people, your guards – they’re nothing more than killers, rapists, and thieves. The only difference between them and criminals is the uniforms they wear.”

Tomi Adeyemi – Children of Blood and Bone

Random Thoughts



I would love to know the back story on Saran and why his family was attacked by the diviners. I’d also love to see Zelie’s mom in action. Prequel? Were you sympathetic to Inan? I know he was a victim of his father too and I wanted to cut him some slack, but I really had a hard time feeling sympathy for him. Little prince is a perfect description of him. I love that Zelie fights with a bo staff. In tae kwon do class, I’ve been learning a bo staff routine and it’s so fun. I try to channel my inner-Zelie, but I’m not nearly at her level of badassery… yet. What did you think of the animals? Is a lionaire like a big lion? I had a hard time visualizing the animals. Binta. Sweet Binta. I wish we could have known her. Without her, none of this would have happened. I love that a revolution was kicked off to avenge an injustice done to her. Revolutions should all have their roots in love. Right? I read that this is being turned into a movie. I’m on board for that. I can only hope it will result in a legion of little girls with beautiful white hair and bo staffs tearing up trick or treat and the patriarchy.

I’d love for you to weigh in. Did you
read Children of Blood and Bone? Drop me a comment and let me know
what you thought.

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New Book: Ariadne’s Crown

Behind the Scenes

I’ve always loved classical mythology and the stories that have been passed down through the generations. When my son started reading the Percy Jackson books, he became interested in mythology and started reading the stories voraciously. The thing he wanted most last Christmas was a copy of the Illiad and the Odyssey. I practically bolted to the store to buy them.

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He loved them. I loved revisiting them with him. The heroes slaying the monsters. The gods pulling the strings for their own amusement. They’re adventure and love and good vs evil.

As much as I enjoy those stories, one thing always bothered me about them. The girls. The princesses and the maidens who fall for these gods and heroes are just a means to an end, a prop for the hero. The one about Theseus slaying the Minotaur has always bugged me. In the story, as I’ve always heard it, he shows up to slay the Minotaur and the princess, Ariadne, instantly falls in love with him and ends up discarded on a beach. I thought there had to be more to the story. Why would Ariadne betray her family to help him? Because he was so handsome and she’s a silly girl? No. She has a story too and I started to think about what it might be. I wanted to give her a voice and a say in her future.

So, I started writing. At first, it was just a short story. Then, as I researched more about the world she might have lived in, it grew and changed and became a novel. It’s been a year and half of working and reworking it and it’s been so fun. I’m so excited for you to meet Ariadne and hear her side of the story.

It comes out on October 15th. Pre-order your copy today.

What’s your favorite myth or legend? Drop me a comment and tell me about it.

Check out the Ariadne’s Crown synopsis and sneak peak.

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Virtual Book Club: I am the Messenger

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I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

I think I might be a Markus Zusak fangirl. Every book I’ve read by him guts me with the beautiful writing and characters that fly off the page. Bridge of Clay had me ugly crying in an airport. Because I’m a #boymom? I don’t know. So, for this month’s virtual book club, I picked his book, I Am the Messenger, which is the one he wrote before Bridge of Clay.

It follows underage cab driver, Ed Kennedy, whose life isn’t going exactly as planned. He’s in love with his best friend, Audrey, and his life feels stagnant. Then, he intervenes in a bank robbery and someone starts leaving him cards. The cards send him to different people in the city who need help. We follow him as he decodes the cards, figuring out what each person needs and then helping or hurting people as befits the situation. It’s funny and suspenseful and raw in many places. It’s a great read that will stick with you after you finish the book.

“Sometimes people are beautiful.
Not in looks.
Not in what they say.
Just in what they are.”
― Markus Zusak, I am the Messenger.

Random Thoughts



One of the things I love about this book is that at the beginning, Ed is isolated and stuck. Through the cards, he puts himself out there and into the community. Often, he makes a difference to people through small acts. It’s a great reminder to pay attention and seize those little moments to do something kind. Oh Audrey. I’ve known so many Audreys in my life. There’s so much beautiful, simple writing in this book. “My arms are killing me. I didn’t know words could be so heavy.” Yes.



Questions



Which of the people he helped resonated the most for you?Did this book make you look at people differently? See beauty where you never noticed it before?One thing that stuck with me is that someone’s life can be changed by one moment of human connection. Have you experienced this? What did you think of the end? It wasn’t what I thought, but I liked it.

Drop me a comment and tell me what you thought of this one.

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Screen Time

iPhone Lessons from my Grandma

“I don’t want to make the texts. Show me how to do a
selfie.”  That’s how my grandma started
our first iPhone training session.

My 91 year old Grandma needed a better mobile phone because
she was never home. She thought it would be foolish to keep paying for a
landline when all she needed was a phone she could carry in her purse.  Her old flip phone for emergencies was no
longer cutting it. So, I got my grandma an iPhone with an orange striped case
and added her to my plan. Orange, because it’s her favorite color.  Every month, she mails me a check and when I
don’t cash it, she scolds me.

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We sit side by side on the couch as I go through her new phone, starting with the basics.  She handles the phone like you would a live bomb, unsure how it’s put together and afraid to touch the wrong thing.  As a girl of 16, she learned how to drive on a ‘36 Nash with the stick shift on the floor. Throughout her life, she’s learned everything life’s thrown at her, navigating wars, civil rights, divorce and the loss of her only child.  By comparison, this is minor, but she’s nervous, afraid she’s too old to learn. Still, she loves the orange case.  She’s quietly focused and determined and I know she’ll navigate this too. 

We’ve gone through the screens many times. We practice
calling each other.  Each time, it gets a
little easier.  She touches the screen so
softly that it doesn’t register the movement of her smooth fingertips.  I tell her not to be afraid – she won’t break
it.  I remind her to hit the home button
if she gets stuck because home is where you go when you don’t know what else to
do.  She taught me that.

Soon, she’s mastered making and answering calls. As a kid,
we would only call at certain times because long distance calls were
expensive.  We had a signal. The phone
would ring once and then my mom would call her back.  Now, with unlimited voice and data, she can
call whoever she wants whenever she wants, but she has fewer people to
call.  I enter in all of her numbers and show
her the contact list, which she never uses. 
She doesn’t need to. She has all the phone numbers memorized.  Each year, her contact list gets smaller, but
she holds on tight to the ones who are left.

When I show her the photo gallery, she lights up.  She can’t believe that she can look at all her
pictures anytime she wants and more importantly, whip them out at a moment’s
notice to show her friends.  With the
exception of the photos in frames on her walls, most of her printed pictures
are in boxes in the storage locker or passed on to family or friends. She figures
out the camera right away and we take selfie after selfie before settling on a
good one to send to her friend – the only other one in her group who has a
smartphone.  For a brief moment, I think
about showing her how to edit the photo to add filters and funny hats but
decide to save that for another day. I know she would love that.

During the next lesson, we introduce a few apps.  I thought she would be excited about Candy
Crush, but she’s more amazed that she can get a weather report whenever she
wants one.  We Uber to a restaurant for
lunch – an exercise to keep her freedom since she gave up her car.  Instead of being buried in her phone during
the ride, she collects the driver’s story, offering advice and encouragement.  Next to her, I put my phone away and join in
the conversation.  The three of us arrive
at the restaurant as friends and she can’t stop talking about what a nice young
man he was and how he hopes he asks that girl to marry him.  For her, the phone lives in her purse, not her
hand. It’s not a tether.

When she was born, transatlantic calls weren’t a thing.  It took effort to see and talk to the people
you loved. Now, my son Facetimes with her. Each time, it thrills her –  the surprise of having her boy suddenly appear
in her living room.  He’s tried to show
her how to do it, but it hasn’t stuck.  He
doesn’t realize that she enjoys the time spent with him, heads bent over a
common goal, more than she cares about the lesson in video conferencing.  

Sometimes, I get calls from strange numbers and when I answer,
it’s one of my grandma’s friends telling her phone is broken. So, after work, I
drive over to her apartment and flick the silencing switch back to its original
setting and like magic, the phone starts making noise again. They are amazed at
my technical skills.  I am happy to have
solved a problem so easily. These impromptu tech support visits always end with
a shared meal around her kitchen table, the one we’ve moved from her house to
apartment after apartment over the years.

I’ve tried multiple times to show her how to text, but she always refuses. The letters are too small and in the wrong order.  After a lifetime of working in bakeries and butcher shops, she doesn’t know the QWERTY keyboard. She has no use for it now.  Her patient fingers, the ones that once taught me how to thread a sewing machine and build a house of cards, aren’t steady anymore.  It’s ok. As she repeatedly tells me, she doesn’t want to make the texts.  She needs to hear your voice to know you’re all right.  So, when my phone rings, I know who it is. She’s the only person who calls me.

[image error]My grandma’s first selfie

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5 Ways to Keep Your Kids Reading Over the Summer

Just like that, school’s out for summer. In my house, that means a looser schedule, camps, swimming, biking and hiking. It also means an almost daily fight over screen time, or lack there of.

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Last year, I bought this cool chair hammock, which I thought would be perfect for summer reading. In my mind, the kids would curl up in the hammock for hours, gently swaying in the breeze, totally absorbed in a book. In reality, they spin each other around in it as fast as they can, screaming in delight. Sometimes, they kick it up a notch and throw balls at the person in the swing, pretending they’re in a spaceship dodging meteors. My point is, there’s not a lot of reading that happens in this chair.

It’s so important to keep kids reading over the summer. Aside from improving or maintaining their reading skills, I believe it’s important because reading without a school assignment is where they learn to read for fun. Reading is a passion they develop now that they will carry into adulthood. Also, when they’re reading, they’re quiet and they’re not on a screen. It’s a win win.

Want to keep your kids reading over the summer? I have some ideas.

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5 Ways to Keep Your Kids Reading This Summer



Check out your local library for fun summer events geared toward reading. Many of them have contests where kids can win prizes for reading books. Barnes and Noble also does a summer reading program for kids. They can earn a free book through the program. See the details here. Your local bookstore might have one too. Give them fun places to read. Make a fort inside or a special reading nook outside.If your child likes dolls or stuffed animals, make a book club where your child can serve tea and read them a book. Cheers to you if you join the book club party too.Book Bingo. See below for a free Book Bingo printable. Print it out. Have a scavenger hunt at the library for new titles. Either have your child fill up rows or the whole card and give them little prizes for each milestone.



Summer Book-Bingo Free PrintableDownload

The most important thing is to give them access to books. Take them to the library and let them pick out books that catch their eye. Make reading part of your daily routine. In summer, I have a checklist that the kids need to complete to earn screen time. Reading is at the top, right by the daily chore. Also, if reading is a part of your life, it will be a part of theirs. So, I highly recommend sitting on the patio with a beverage and a good book. It’s for the kids, after all.

How do you keep your kids reading over the summer. Drop me a comment and let me know.

Got a kid who likes to write? Check out some ideas to keep them writing as well.

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Lessons Learned

What I learned on a visit to a local elementary school.

Last Friday, Bennet and I visited a local school to talk with several second and third grade classrooms about the Superhero Kick Team books and writing. We even helped them create their own superheroes and encouraged them to write their own stories. Talking with kids is always fun and their unique perspective always reminds me what’s important.

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Kids always think it’s cool that Bennet, who is not much older than them, helped write a book. So, they were excited for Bennet to come to their class and he was excited to talk with them. However, he was not excited to prepare for our visit. I am a planner. I plan everything. My day job is project management. So, I make lists and schedules and spreadsheets for everything. Also, speaking to groups of people gives me anxiety. So, when I have to do it, I prepare like I’m going into battle. This is not Bennet. Bennet starts thinking of his school presentations the night before he has to give them and they usually turn out just fine.

We had to find a balance between those two extremes. To get ready, we made a PowerPoint presentation and a worksheet to help the kids create their own superheroes. When it came time to practice, it started to get a little tense. Basically, I wanted to practice and Bennet didn’t. In my head, I imagined him standing in front of the class frozen and tongue tied and anxiety started to creep in. He wasn’t nervous at all. His main concern was whether or not he should wear a cape and if so, which one.
He was just excited to talk to the kids.

So, I backed off. Since I didn’t want to transfer my anxiety onto him, I dialed it back. I trusted him the way he trusted himself. After all, that’s how we wrote the books in the first place. So, we compromised and just walked through his presentation a couple of times. He helped me not overthink it. I helped him organize his thoughts.

When the time came, he did great. The teachers were so encouraging and helped him fill the gaps. By the third classroom, kids were calling out superpowers while Bennet wrote on the smartboard and took questions from the audience like a pro. I’m always amazed at what he is capable of.

My favorite part of doing events is talking with the kids. I love the way their minds work and I love hearing about how they write their own stories. When adults ask me about books or writing, they usually ask how many I’ve sold or if I will make enough money to quit my job. The kids weren’t concerned about that. They wanted to know how Bennet came up with the characters and if they were based on real people. They asked where he gets story ideas. Some kids told him about their own adventures with martial arts. One little girl told us how she likes to write stories about her pets. Their questions were about the fun of writing. Leave it to kids to focus on what’s important.

The last insight is something I already knew, but had forgotten since it’s been a while since I’ve visited a classroom. Teachers are amazing. Every day, they stand in front of a room of 25+ wiggly, silly humans and somehow get them to focus on what they are supposed to be doing. They make learning fun and they do it with kindness and without raising their voices. They are true superheroes.

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Happiness Project – Playtime

I’ve been reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin off and on since January. It’s an account of her year long project to be happier. Although she wasn’t battling depression and wasn’t necessarily unhappy, she wanted to appreciate her life more. So, she tackled happiness like a project. The Project Manager in me smiles at all her research and the monthly tasks. If I was going to start a happiness project, I would probably go about it the same way as Gretchen.

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Happiness Project: Finding time for Fun

Each chapter tackles a different facet of happiness: marriage, having more energy, friends, etc. The chapter I’m reading now deals with making more time for play. It got me thinking about how much time I fit into my schedule for fun. Like most working moms, it’s probably not enough.

Gretchen writes “research shows that having fun is key factor in having a happy life; people who have fun are twenty times more likely to feel happy.” (chapter 5 p.113) So, what does that mean? Her definition of a “fun” activity is one she looks forward to doing, that leaves her feeling energized not drained and doesn’t make her feel guilty. Play is something you do for your own enjoyment, not for any monetary gain or expectation of recognition or praise. Seems easy enough.

Observation 1: What do I do for fun?

That got me wondering what I do for fun. It sounds ridiculous. Of course, I do things for fun. Right? Like most working moms, when I’m not working, I’m either driving kids around or checking items off my to-do list. Not that making dinner and doing laundry isn’t a knee slapping good time, but surely there must be something else that I do for fun…

I honestly had a hard time coming up with a list of things that fit her criteria. What came to mind instantly was reading. My fun, the thing I do for my own enjoyment alone, is curling up with a book. When I sneak away to have time to myself, I’m usually reading or doing yoga. However, when I do these things, I often feel guilty because I’m not doing something more productive. It’s really easy to re-prioritize our own happiness below that of the people we love, which is silly because happiness is contagious. The happier we are, the happier the people around us are. It’s not selfish to make time for things we enjoy. It’s necessary.

Observation 2: What’s fun for other people isn’t necessarily fun for me.

One of Gretchen’s observations was that what’s fun for other people doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s fun for her. There was a list of things that she felt she should enjoy, but didn’t and she needed to let those things go. This is so true. I think we all have things we feel we should enjoy, but don’t. Here’s my list of things that I feel like I should enjoy, but don’t:

Fancy trendy restaurants. I love to think of myself as a foodie and I do love food, but I’m not a foodie. Although I want to be able to tell people that my favorite type of food is something like Mediterranean Fusion or something similar that sounds cool, it’s not. I don’t think I even know what that is. I’m a jeans and t-shirt girl. If I’m being honest, my favorite food is bar food. In a restaurant, there is really nothing that makes me happier than something gooey and completely unhealthy. Trendy restaurants often just stress me out, but I always feel like I need to go. FOMO maybe? Watching the Wizard of Oz. People love this movie. I do not. When I was a kid, I was terrified of the flying monkeys. As an adult, I still don’t like it. I do, however, like the Wicked book series. Odd, right?Swimming. I really wish I liked swimming, but I don’t. The day my kids were old enough to go into a pool by themselves was a happy one. Swimming with kids is basically standing in cold water getting splashed in the face. Now that they are older, I love sitting next to the pool watching them swim, but I don’t ever feel the need to get in the water. Ditto for hot tubs.

What’s on your list of things you don’t enjoy but feel like you should? Drop me a comment and let me know.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin has gotten me thinking about happiness and how I can consciously try to build happiness in my daily life. This chapter in particular made me realize that I need to step away from my to-do list and have a little more fun. I need to look for those little moments during the day to be a little silly and laugh and just be present.

Have you read this book? I’d love to know what you thought about it. Drop me a comment and tell me about it.

Want to incorporate some gratitude into your daily life? Try my Beauty and Gratitude photo challenge.

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Lady Lima Bean’s Beet Chips

In the Superhero Kick Team series, one of the notorious supervillains is Lady Lima Bean, whose goal is to turn all kid food into vegetables. Her alter ego is sweet Miss Thelma, the lunch lady, which gives her the perfect cover to sneak vegetables into food. In the first book, her villainy took over Pizza Day when she turned all the crust into cauliflower crust. In book #2, she offers up beet chips for a snack during play rehearsal.

I have a soft spot for Lady Lima bean because she’s basically me. Since my kids were little, I’ve slipped vegetables into all kinds of things and I have tried to feed them cauliflower pizza crust. Gasp! My kids react much the same way the SKT kids react – with cries of villainy. Sometimes, though, it works and then I start my plans to take over the world. These beet chips are one of my favorite Farmer’s Market recipes. I tell the kids they’re “Red Chips” and they sometimes eat them.

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Give them a try and let me know if they made it past your little superheroes.

Lady Lima Bean’s Beet Chip Recipe



1 bunch of beets. There were 4 beets in the bunch I made. Peeled and sliced thin with a mandolin.Olive oil tsp fresh Rosemary (or ½ tsp dried) tsp fresh Thyme (or ½ tsp dried)Garlic salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375.Toss the beets with olive oil and the rosemary and thyme.Lay them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with garlic salt.Bake for 20 minutes or until crispy. Note: Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your slices. So, check them after about 10 minutes to see how far along they are.I let them sit for about 10 minutes to cool off and crisp up.



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Virtual Book Club: Dec 2018: I Was Anastasia

Welcome to the virtual book club! December’s selection is I Was Anastasia, by Ariel Lawhon. It’s historical fiction about one of the great historical mysteries. During the Russian Revolution in 1918, the Bolshevik police put the entire royal Romanov family in front of a firing squad in Siberia. In 1920, authorities pull a young woman with an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov out of a canal in Berlin.  Her body is covered in terrible scars and at first, she’s not speaking. When she finally speaks, she says she’s Anastasia, Grand Duchess of Russia. Is she?

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That’s the question posed by the book, I was Anastasia, by Ariel Lawhon. It’s told in two alternate story lines;  Anna’s story, starting from present day and moving backwards to when she was pulled from the canal and Anastasia’s story, going from her family’s imprisonment to their execution.

I Was Anastasia: Discussion

I love historical novels and I tore through this one. Up until the last few chapters, it kept me guessing. What I loved about this book was the asynchronous timeline. I would expect a story about Anastasia to start at her perfect, princess childhood and work it’s way up to when her family was imprisoned. However, this book starts with an old, cranky woman who used to live with 62 cats. From there, it goes back and forth between Anna’s story and Anastasia’s. Both stories are fascinating. When Anna comes on to the scene, there was no DNA testing. She had no way to prove her identity and her detractors had no way to disprove it. That back and forth makes for a great story.

“Am I truly Anastasia Romanov? A beloved daughter. A revered icon.  A Russian Grand Duchess.

Or Am I an impostor? A fraud. A liar. The thief of another woman’s legacy.”

(from the prologue)

There was so much great writing in this book. This is an excerpt I wish I would have written:

“I’ve never realized before how clearly men need leaders. How adrift we are without them and how the mere sight of one can breathe courage into a room.”

Truth.

Questions:

What did you think of the timeline of the story? I read some reviews where people hated the time hopping and found it confusing. Did you?

Did you want Anna to be Anastasia? The author’s note at the end says that she wanted the reader to see the evidence on both sides and make up his/her own mind because that’s what Anna’s contemporaries felt. What happened to Anastasia’s family is so horrific and when you think of children in front of a firing squad, I think it’s natural to want a happy ending. Anastasia’s character is so bright, I definitely wanted her vindicated somehow. However, Anna’s a fighter. Regardless of whether or not she is a Russian princess, her story is just as valid and her scars need to be vindicated too. I was torn here. How did you want it to end?

When did you figure out whether or not Anna was Anastasia? What were your clues?

What did Maria Rasputin think? Did she know? What was her deal? Did she just want her book written? It seems like her name would have been enough to bring her fame.

Some Random Thoughts:

The guard hates them so much that he kicks their dogs? I really wanted that guard to get his face bitten off…
I hope Anastasia really had a Thomas.
Definitely read the author’s note at the end. The story of how she blended fact and fiction is fascinating.

What did you think of this book? Drop me a comment and let me know.

Want more virtual book club? Check out November’s selection, Firefly Lane. 

 

The post Virtual Book Club: Dec 2018: I Was Anastasia appeared first on Meadoe Hora.