The Light on Horn Island

By: Valerie Fraser Luesse

Hennepin County Library paperback 286 pages plus extras

Published: 2025

Genre: Christian historical fiction

We're discussing this tonight, so I'm glad I finished it! It was enjoyable, but not one I adored. Protagonist Edie Gardner has returned to Bayou du Chêne, Mississippi, from NYC to spend time with her grandmother Adele "Punk" Cheramie. Punk's friends Coco, Cookie, and Sugar (really) become part of Edie's circle as she recovers from the shock and pain of losing her best friend Leni (to some unspecified awful sickness).

Set in 2002, Hurricane Camille (1969) and the allure of the coast and the ocean showcase the beauty and power of their environment. Horn Island seems to hold a mystical quality for these women.

For a book I didn't fall in love with, I sure have a lot of post-it notes sticking out! I may cull some as I type . . . 

Page 47: Honestly, Punk and her friends were more fun than most women my age. I think at a certain point - and the Ten Spots had reached it - women throw decorum to the four winds and do exactly as they please. They aren't the least bit self-conscious about anything.''

I love that about getting older! It's nice to be less self-conscious!

 

Page 50-1: The official state line between Mississippi and Louisiana extends into the gulf. You can see it on maps, but I have no idea how watermen keep up with which side they're on. . . . Sometimes I feel like I'm navigating invisible lines myself, like the one between how things were and how they are now, the line between Leni up there and me down here.

 

 This made me think of our trip to Gunflint Lake at the end of August! Canada is right across the lake . . . but I didn't have my passport and stayed on what I thought was the US side. That invisible line (on a map and in life) is a wonderful analogy.

When Edie asked the mysterious Jason about the Hebrew words written in the sand, he replied, "Help one, save one, lead one home." (Page 54) I had to mark this because it was referenced again later and I didn't hold it in my brain.

The Mudpie - "Punk's signature dessert" - sounds yummy. I may try making it. "Two layers, one of chocolate pudding, the other a blend of cream cheese and Cool Whip, were spread over a nutty, buttery crust. Punk topped the whole thing with more Cool Whip, chopped pecans, and chocolate curls."

A lot of the food in this book sounded amazing! Some of it didn't appeal to me, but I love how the author described the love of these women for one another and for the delicacies they enjoyed.

Page 64: "She was the only friend I ever had who could make sense of all my pieces. She was always in my corner, one hundred percent, but wouldn't hesitate to tell me when I'd gone off the rails."

Edie is telling her mom's best friend Charlotte - aka "Charly" - about why she misses Leni so much. It's good to have a dear friend who truly understands and accepts you but who also helps you stay on track! I have both Jenifer and Louie. I am blessed!

Page 77: I could have predicted that Cole was about to reach for the saltshaker. He never saw a French fry he didn't want to drown in Morton's. He was doing it right now.

Yes! I feel the same way, Cole. French fries need a healthy dose of salt to truly taste good. I laughed when I read this line and then read it aloud to Louie. He claimed I'd salt my ketchup and dip the fries in that . . .

Page 88: "Say you want to spend the day at the beach, but you feel like you need to clean out the garage instead. If you found out you had just six months to live, would you be saying to yourself, 'I sure wish I'd kept a cleaner garage'? No.You'd be saying, 'I sure wish I'd spent more afternoons on that beautiful beach.'"

Cookie is sharing her "six months to live" wisdom with the others. I'm not sure I agree with her 100%. Why would anything dull but productive get done? But sometimes the "long view" makes for a richer life.

Page 107-8: Can you imagine how humiliated and terrified she must've been? Not all bruises are physical. Matter of fact, some of the worst ones aren't."

Punk is sharing part of Miss Sugar's personal story to Edie and Charly. Punk was easily my favorite character. I agree that some of the worst wounds are in our hearts, minds, and souls.

Page 128: "At our age, there's not much that doesn't look better covered up."

This made me giggle. They're talking about a fellow senior citizen who was out on a boat in a red bikini.

Page 132: I'd have to say I'm the happiest right now. Good food. Good company. Exceptional cat. No more hard decisions to make. No more wondering how it's all gonna turn out. I'm telling you what, youth is overrated. It's nothing but a fishbowl full of question marks. You dive in and start pitchin' 'em over the side one by one as you find the answers, till one day you realize you've finally tossed enough of 'em to see out. I like the clear view from here."

Coco is answering a question from the "Confessions" parlor game book from the 1800s. I like her perspective on now being her happiest time.

Page 162: "I've not been given all the answers, Edie. I would never claim otherwise. But I do know that people can create some impossible choices for themselves because their knowledge is based on what they see or have seen - even what they feel and what they want to believe - but they don't realize how limited their vision is."

Jason was a fairly creepy character to me initially. The way he just showed up, gazed into people's eyes as though he could see their souls, etc. But by the end of the book, his identity is pretty much laid out clearly. I'm not sure about the author's choices with this character . . . I kept picturing the actor from Lucifer, which is probably why I was creeped out.

Page 182-3 . . . there's a lot about the light on the island, the large white pelican, not understanding everything, etc. I thought about putting an image of the pages here, but nah.

Page 193: "Still, I did what I could. Put a hatchet in the attic so we could cut a hole in the roof in case the floods stayed low enough for us to climb up on the roof and stay out of it. Filled up the bathtub with water. Put bat'ries in all the flashlights. Drug Cecil's bass boat around by the front porch and tied it to a post there. Used a long rope so it could rise with the water. Fried some fish for supper."

Never having experienced a hurricane personally, I'm always baffled by people who ignore evacuation warnings. But I suppose if you've weathered one and don't have a safe place to evacuate to (or the money for a hotel room), it's easy to think you can just hunker down. It sounds pretty awful to me. In this scene, Edie is interviewing Camille survivor Nora Gilliam.

Page 222: "Bringing joy and beauty into the world should be enough if that's where your gifts lie. Whatever anybody's gifts are - that's enough. We're enough."

More of Punk's wisdom.

I decided not to blog any more of my post-its. I loved the talk about Grace. God is good!

Home Away from Home

By: Cynthia Lord

Libby ebook 24 chapters plus "about the author"

Published: 2023

Genre: YA realistic fiction

I really like this author, but this title didn't do it for me. There were big themes - change, home, birds, belonging, technology use. For some reason, it felt a little too formulaic to me. It's definitely written for an older elementary school child or a young middle schooler. Mia, the protagonist, is spending time in Maine with her grandma. Mia's mom and boyfriend are finding a new house and selling the one Mia has grown up in. But grandma has a new neighbor and Cayman comes over to spend time with her. Mia is definitely put out.

Chapter 1: Grandma didn't like to plan ahead, so I didn't have a schedule at her house.

Sounds perfect! It's great to do what the day brings for you instead of being heavily scheduled.

Chapter 1: While I was in Maine, vanilla was still my favorite.

 

Mia actually likes chocolate chip ice cream better now, but agrees to vanilla because that was her favorite in kindergarten and she's never told grandma that her tastes have changed. This theme of familiarity and not being truthful come up throughout the story.

Chapter 2: Grandma was the only person I didn't have to share with anyone else. 

I'm not sure why I highlighted this. Joshua is fairly good about "sharing me" with Benjamin, but he definitely prefers full attention.

Chapter 4: I loved them both, and I hated being in the middle. Even though there was nowhere else for me to be.

It saddens me that so many kids have to spend emotional energy making sure their parents are okay in a divorce. Ugh! Mia is aware that she needs to text news to both parents so that one doesn't feel left out or less important. I know that there are kids who are most definitely caught in the middle.

Chapter 6: I turned my phone completely off so it wouldn't distract me anymore.

There are lots and lots of technology "lessons" in this book. Phones are distracting, that's for sure!

Chapter 8: At home, we didn't go to church. But when we visited Grandma, we did. I'd, been to Sunday services, bean suppers, and I'd even been baptized there, though I didn't remember it.

Oh! I'm so glad Grandma took them to church, but sad that it was such a small part of Mia's life (and her parents' lives). How many kids don't have church and faith as part of their lives?

Chapter 9: "It takes a lot to surprise a librarian," Grandma said. "They hear it all."

I love that the librarian was a wonderful resource! And yes, it's wild how much one hears in an information based career.

Chapter 13: I felt awful that I'd caused all this. I wanted to fix things, but I didn't know how to even start. I hadn't meant to, but I'd set something in motion that was gaining speed all on its own now.

Poor Mia! She had posted on the bird website to gain understanding but inadvertently set things in motion that got out of control.

Chapter 14: And just because you've moved in doesn't mean you belong.

Again, this theme is repeated. It refers to Cayman living in the little town in Maine, the gyrfalcon in the cove, Miss Agatha the cat in Grandma's garden, and Mia.

Chapter 16: "But here's something I've learned in life, Mia. You can't always undo that hurt. And not everything can be fixed. But there are always two things you can do."

"What are they?" I asked.

"The first is that you can try to make it right," he said. "You're already doing that by helping her."

"What's the second thing?"

"You can learn from it," he said. "Would you do things differently if it happened again?"

Mia is talking with Warden Cooper, who has come to help rescue the injured bird. Their conversation is another of those big lessons in the book.

Chapter 17: As Grandma always said, the last step of any job is cleaning up.

And that's true, even for mistakes.

I love that Grandma's catch phrase is ingrained in both Mia and Cayman! Cleaning up - definitely an important step in any job.

Chapter 22: Change is always hard in the middle, but you can't skip that part. You have to go through it to come out the other side.

Mia finally gets to the part where she tells Grandma all the things she's been holding in. Besides finally "coming clean," she feels an immense amount of relief in not holding on to this any more.

Chapter 23: Wondering ate away at you. It kept you stuck, spinning like a leaf in a whirlpool, unable to move on.

 

Yes! Resolution is liberating. Sometimes I don't care what the answer is; I just want an answer and to move on. This leaf in a whirlpool image is a good one.

Elantris

By: Brandon Sanderson

Hennepin County Library hardcover 555 pages with lots of extra content

Published: 2005 (this version 2015)

Genre: fantasy

Brandon Sanderson is one of my husband's all-time favorite authors. (I find it ironic that Orson Scott Card is one of mine and both men are Mormons . . . ) He recommended this book as a good "intro" to Sanderson. 

I found it challenging to get into. He uses so many words unique to the setting - sule, Kolo, Dula, rulo, kayana, seon, dorven, odib, gyorn, hroden . . . (I started a list because it was bugging me. Yes, I could figure them out with context clues but it was still irritating. I'd almost rather have been reading German phrases because I could look that up! There was no glossary . . . )

The story focuses on Raoden (Prince of Arelon), Sarene (princess of Teod, Raoden's intended), and Hrathen (Derethi religious leader). I strongly disliked the religious overtones of the story and Hrathen was my least favorite of these three characters.

Page 53: "Your sin was complacency, Arteth. Contentment has destroyed more nations than any army, and it has claimed the souls of more men than even Elantris's heresies."

I'm grinning. After saying I didn't care for the religious overtones, this is my first quotation. Hrathen's comments are true for Christians as well. There are many Scriptures about this topic!

Page 179: "When I first came to Elantris, I saw the children huddled in the shadows, frightened of everything that passed, and I thought of my own little Opais. Something within my heart healed when I began to help them - I gathered them, showed them a little bit of love, and they clung to me. Every one of the men and women you see here left a little child back on the outside."

Karate and Raoden are getting to know one another within the walls of Elantris where disease, suffering, and gangs prosper. I love her comment about helping others bringing healing to her heart. There's a lot of redemption in this story.

Page 277: "We can be strong in the face of kings and priests, my lady," Ashe replied, "but to live is to have worries and uncertainties. Keep them inside, and they will destroy you for certain - leaving behind a person so callused that emotion can find no root in your heart."

Ashe is Sarene's "seon," a magical advisor pulsing light thing. I like the wisdom of this - we all have troubles, but to hold them inside is unhealthy.

Page 286: "Physically inevitable or not, truth stands above all things. It is independent of who has the best army, who can deliver the longest sermons, or even who has the most priests. It can be pushed down, but it will always surface. Truth is the one thing you can never intimidate."

This is what Omin, the head of the Korathi religion in Kae. He is talking with Hrathen. The best part of their conversation is when he asks Hrathen, "What happened to your faith?" This question leads the powerful, determined Derethi to ask some questions of his own. Truth is indeed powerful.

Page 323: The Dula grew increasingly uncomfortable as Raoden spoke. Finally he muttered, "Can a man keep nothing to himself, Raoden? Must you drag everything out of me?"

Ooh! I can be like Raoden in this regard. I want to know answers and I'm not always gracious about boundaries. (I'm pretty sure "Dula" is his nationality?His name is Galladon and he was Raoden's first friend in Elantris.)

Page 324: Galladon smiled slightly. "Definitely not - you optimists just can't understand that a depressed person doesn't want you to try and cheer them up. It makes us sick."

Again, I feel called out. When I first heard the term "toxic positivity," I was horrified. How can being positive be toxic? But I think it comes down to being sensitive to where other people are at emotionally. Sometimes I have to tell myself to be quiet and just listen. Or go away and let people have their time to work through things instead of listening to me chatterbox away . . . 

Page 522: The worst of it was that he still hoped. The light that Raoden had kindled still flickered inside Galladon's chest, no matter how hard he tried to stomp it out.

Hope is so powerful! 

The last twenty pages of the book really brought things together. It was an enjoyable read once I got into it. The epilogue was a good way to wrap it up except the last line, delivered by Sarene. I was going to quote it, but it would definitely be a spoiler, so I'll leave this review here.

The book included a foreword, an introduction, "ars arcanum" ("secret" or "mysterious art"), a list of aons, deleted scenes, and a postscript. This is a book for true fans.

The Artist's Way

By: Julia Cameron

Libby audiobook 10 hours

Read by: Eliza Foss

Published: 1992 (this version 2021?)

Genre: non-fiction, sort of self-help

 

I confess that I did not finish this book . . . partly because of life events, partly because it didn't "speak" to me, and partly because I requested it quite a few months ago and I don't want to wait to get it again (long waiting list!) I enjoyed it but didn't really want to commit to it. Here are the notes I made on the first few chapters.

 

 The Morning Pages

• daily
• 3 pages long hand
• stream of consciousness
• "brain drain"
• nothing too silly, petty, etc.
• just write
• silence your inner censor
• don't skip or skimp
• feed your inner creative child
• fill three pages right away in the morning

 

The Artist's Date

• a time for receiving
• be open to insight or inspiration
• two hour chunks once a week
• preplanned "play date"
• just you and your inner child

She was starting to talk about writing a contract when I stopped listening. I love the morning pages, because I like to write. I liked some of what she was saying about how helpful these things can be, whether you see yourself as an artist or not. The book is really set up to be like an eight (?) week class. I just don't have this as a priority right now.

 

I had to dig through my pile of "recommendations" that I have kept. Lynne Heuton, a quilter friend, recommended this book to me. I used to get rid of the scrap of paper as soon as I requested a book but it bugged me to think "who wanted me to read this?" so now I hang on to them! One day, I'll just get rid of all the scraps of paper, but not today. So many books, so little time . . .  I don't really see Lynne any more, so I can't talk with her about this but that's okay. Perhaps I'll pick this book up in my sixties or seventies and do some introspection.

From the Valley We Rise

By: Elizabeth Musser

Dakota County Library paperback 371 pages plus author's note, acknowledgements, discussion questions, and an excerpt from By Way of the Moonlight

Published: 2025

Genre: Christian historical fiction

Our book club discussed this Monday 9/29 but I've had a very busy week! This book is set in WWII France and focuses on the résistance. Chapters alternate between Isabelle, Réne (her teenage cousin), and Peter (an American chaplain who was in love with Isabelle as a teenager). The book is wonderful and filled with so many messages about forgiveness, doing the right thing, bravery in faith, etc.

Page 38: Yes, God had been a very present help. But it hadn't erased the fear. Or the nightmare. The memory of that incident at once cursed and blessed Peter as he closed his eyes and fought his way back to sleep.

Sometimes we think that having a saving faith in Jesus Christ means we won't struggle, but that just isn't true. The Bible tells us that ". . . In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b). Peter was tortured by a few memories but kept drawing on his faith.

Page 42: "I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's actually nice for the boys to know that we clergy are human. Makes it easier to relate."

Peter feels bad that he lost his temper on the soccer pitch. This conversation with Rabbi Horowitz goes on and is full of good stuff. The Rabbi asks Peter point blank, "What is so terrible in your past that you cannot forgive yourself, Ginger?" This was a good scene and sets up for the "reveal" later in the book.

Page 59: When she looked unconvinced, he had added, "Remember what Saint Augustine said: 'Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.'"

Isabelle's dad is giving wise advice to his daughter before they embarked upon the task of hiding Jewish children and she has expressed her fear and lack of courage. This is one of my favorite quotes from the book.

Page 64: She fell to her knees and admitted, "I am so mad and heartbroken and afraid, God. And alone. I don't have anyone else to love." You are not alone.

Isabelle has a huge crisis of faith due to the war and the deaths she is experiencing. I love that when she tells God this, she "hears" Him answer. Prayer is powerful!

Page 75 has Delphine and Isabelle talking about the Penitent cliffs, God, the Jewish people, faith, Christians, . . .  I can't just pick out a quote or two. The whole conversation is beautiful and raw. Delphine was my favorite character in the book. Her youthful innocence and yet wise observations were the best parts of the book.

Page 76: "My papa told me, 'Izzie, courage is not the lack of fear; courage is fear that has said its prayers.'"

Again, Isabelle and Delphine are talking. I love this quote and its sentiment!

Page 232 is where we finally find out what horrible thing happened in Kentucky that affected Peter so deeply. I had wondered about it with all the references to it but was glad to be able to read about it. We get more info on it on page 328, but it helps make Peter's character that much more understandable and compassionate. He's telling Isabelle about what happened in that part of the story. Her horror and compassion help bring healing to Peter. Horrible people can destroy others too easily . . . 

Page 248: "Don't cough, don't sneeze, and for heaven's sake, don't laugh," the nurse had warned.

That last command she would obey forever. Isabelle could not imagine ever smiling again, let alone laughing.

The nurse's advice has to do with Isabelle's broken ribs, but the admonishment to not laugh was so sad because she honestly felt that she could never be happy again. The war and the atrocities really wore her spirit down.

Page 264 is where Isabelle is pouring out her heart to Peter as he lay in a coma, only she doesn't realize who he truly is yet. Her honesty about questioning God and even being angry with him is so raw and real.

Page 320: "What is the book of Psalms but one long, groaning, grief-filled complaint. One after another, one long lament. Of course, there are praise psalms too. Thank the Lord, often the lament and praise are in the same psalm."

I just really liked this. Peter is telling Isabelle that "God can take it" when she confesses her anger and blame toward Him for the war and suffering.

Page 321 had the word "imprecatory" in reference to a Psalm and I had to look it up! "Imprecatory" basically means "cursing." The AI that irritates me so much refers to "Imprecatory" describes a prayer that invokes evil or a curse upon one's enemies, often calling for diving judgment and vengeance. The term is most commonly associated with imprecatory psalms in the Bible, such as Psalms 58 and 109, where the psalmist asks God to bring destruction and punishment upon the wicked." I do like learning new words.

 

Page 329: "God will forgive me. It's much easier for me to accept God's forgiveness than to forgive myself. Sometimes . . . sometimes I just try to ignore and forget it."

"I do that too." She gave a timid smile. " I have a hard time forgiving myself also."

 

Peter and Isabelle are having a heart to heart conversation. This resonates with me. Sometimes forgiving oneself is the hardest thing to do.

 

Page  332: "There's good and bad in all of us, Pete. Always remember that. Ain't one of us off the hook. All of us need God's grace."

 

These words of wisdom were from Peter's dad. He's remembering his father's words as he's headed back to the battlefield after recovering from his coma.

 

Page  369: "And then he tells the story of the camp, of building it back, of building back Sisteron, and of a God who will help us build back our lives, no matter what we've been through. He'll hold us fast."

 

The theme of building back was worked throughout this story beautifully. It's referencing Isaiah 61:4

 "They will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations."

Musser did a fantastic job with weaving this theme through the story and her characters' lives 

Part I was pages 15-170. Part II was 173-209. Part III was 213-341. Part IV was pages 344-371. The Prologue was before Part I . . . only the separations didn't really make sense to me. I had other post-it notes and thoughts about Rene and his anger, but I was supposed to return this book a week ago so I'm done!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

By: Barbara Robinson

Libby audiobook 2 hours

Read by: C.J. Critt

Published: 1972 (this version 2018)

Genre: children's humor

I have read this book at least twice before, but have no blog or Excel entry for it! I checked it out for when my six-year-old grandson would be in the car with me. He really seemed to enjoy it. We had some good conversations about how naughty the Herdmans were, what it is like to know Bible stories, and other topics. 

It's a delightful story with a punch behind it! When the narrator describes seeing the Herdmans dressed up as the Holy family and them looking like lost, scared refugees, I started tearing up. The Herdmans playing the wise men bringing a ham to baby Jesus is both funny and hits home a little. (What newborn baby needs myrrh and frankincense?)

All in all, Robinson has created a gem of a story and Critt's vocal work is superb.

A Map to Paradise

By: Susan Meissner

Dakota County Library hardcover 336 pages plus author's note

Published: 2025

Genre: historical fiction

This was an interesting book to read, but I missed the discussion. I've really enjoyed Meissner's writing in the past but she seems to have moved away from Christian fiction and barely acknowledged the Lord. Her author's notes were interesting. She researches well. Despite me not loving this book, I have a lot of post-it notes hanging out of it! I may cull some.

Page 35: "Maybe it was time to gauge her resilience. How did a person know how strong they were if their strength was never tested?"

It's interesting that this is in reference to Eva, but the sentiment could definitely apply to the other main characters Melanie (a blacklisted actress) and June (neighbor caring for reclusive b-i-l). This is an interesting question for me. How strong am I? I've been tested in the past and want to believe I rely on God for strength.

Page 70 has so many interesting clues about Elwood that Eva picks up on . . . I love that she doesn't tell Melanie her suspicions and instead befriends June. An experienced cleaner picks up on details that others would easily miss.

Page 79: "Perhaps because she understood better than anyone that life doesn't always hand a person good options at the same time it is handing them terrible circumstances."

This makes me think of something I often say, "There are always choices." True, but sometimes life gives us various hard choices with no pleasant, easy one.

Page 98 talks about blacklisting and how this went down in the 1950s. I knew this info, but was reminded how awful fear, suspicion, accusations, government strong-arming, etc. can be. Lives were destroyed by McCarthyism. It's hard to believe our current president is trying so hard to be buddies with Communist leaders and yet enacting some of the same strong-arm tactics in our country today.

Page 108: "What they are asking people on that stand is a violation of basic civil rights. Read the First Amendment. We have the right to assemble, the right to discuss political ideas, even if they aren't popular. The right to dissent if we so choose. You want to talk about who is being un-American, it's that committee. They have no legal right to ask what they are asking."

Carson was one of my least favorite characters in the book, but he was the typical wealthy, handsome, self-centered, use-other-people actor. This rant is good, though. He says it in a phone call with Melanie and it obviously doesn't make her feel any better!

Page 256: "A surprise could be both hard and wonderful." 

In general, I only love delightful surprises. When Melanie's brother Alex shows up with his son Nicky, the shock is a bit much. Then Melanie decides to take her nephew to visit her own parents. I can't imagine not hearing from a child in over a decade and then finding out we had a grandchild! That's beyond a surprise.

Page 258: "Because there is no map to paradise."

 

I love seeing where the title comes from within the book. This can be taken literally or figuratively. The fires have made it hard to navigate back to Paradise (Avenue, Street, Road, whatever) but there's no easy way to find the paradise our hearts crave. This is one of the places I think Meissner missed the opportunity to glorify God.

Page 264: "If I've learned anything from these months on the blacklist, it's that it does no good to wish you could change the past. Or the future. It's impossible."

 

 Oh my, regretting or wishing the past were different . . . what a waste of energy! (Been there, done that.)

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

By: Charles Dickens

Libby audiobook

Read by: David Thorn

Published: 1870 (this version 2006)

Genre: mystery, romance, adventure

I had not heard of this title before and I really like Dickens! As I was listening, I saw why this was not on a par with Great Expectations, Nicholas Nickleby, etc. Then I got to the end and was confused. 

Wikipedia informed me that this book was not finished during Dickens' lifetime! No wonder it was not a well-known book! 

Half of the book was just introducing characters and scenarios . . . then the mystery happens just past the halfway point (of this book . . . knowing Dickens, it was going to go on for far longer). Edwin Drood disappears. Of course Neville Landless is suspected, but why did the guys on the road attack him and bloody him . . . who hired them?

I confess that I didn't listen as closely as usual because it was more jumpy and convoluted than usual. But getting to find out that Dickens didn't finish writing his story just leads to speculation. Was it the creepy John Jasper? Why would such a devoted uncle murder his beloved nephew? Did he do it just to fulfill his obsession with Rosa? What happened to the ring? Who else had a motive to get rid of Edwin Drood? 

My notes are messy . . .

• Rosa / Rosebud / Pussy . . . (Did Edwin call her Pussy as a form of endearment or to tease her? I know that word has different connotations now than 150 years ago, but it clearly irked her.)
• "love-making" - again . . . in the book's context this would be flirting, not sex.
• "hideous small boy" / this kid was a psychopath in training . . . 
• "I'm an angular man" - Mr. Grewgious says this over and over. What the heck does he mean?

 

Basically, I didn't like it and may or may not read it in print some day. It may be more interesting to read scholars' points of view on what Dickens was going for in this story. The vocal work was quite good.

Desmond Doss: Conscientious Objector (The Story of an Unlikely Hero)

By: Frances Doss

Hennepin County Library paperback 151 pages plus photos

Published: 2005

Genre: non-fiction, biography

I have seen clips of Hacksaw Ridge but haven't yet watched the full movie. I was curious about the truth behind the story so I got this book. Written by his second wife, it wasn't as enjoyable to read as I had anticipated.

Page 18: ""Will Jesus make Harold well?' asked Desmond.

'We don't know for sure, honey. We always want to ask that God's will be done. But we can always ask.' So mother and son knelt beside the sick boy's bed, and Mother prayed . . . "

I love that the mom prayed for God's will and didn't give her son false hope about praying for what they wanted. This is hard to do! We want our own will, which is definitely not as good as what God wills.

Page 25: "People who pay tithe have found that nine-tenths goes further than ten-tenths."

Tithing is not "logical" in the world's way of doing things, but God's way is so much better! It's amazing how faithfulness to God can open doors and windows for you.

Page 111: "The bronchoscope was to stretch his bronchial tubes so that he could breath (sic) better."

I read this sentence at least three times. "Breath" should be "breathe," but typos happen. They still bug me, though.

Page 121: "'Honey, I'm your hearing ear dog,' Dorothy told him."

This made me laugh. Dorothy was his first wife.

Page 131: "With a chuckle, the pastor's wife said, 'Desmond, you don't shop for a wife like you shop for a car.'"

The end of the previous chapter has Desmond vowing to wait for two years after Dorothy's death to get remarried (out of respect), but then he's looking for someone to cook for him and be his hearing person a year after. Yuk.

Page  138: "But for their honeymoon, they went to North Carolina for the weekend with their son Mike, his wife Tracy, and their two boys, Christopher and Jonathon."

I read that and thought, "What the heck?" He and Dorothy had a son named Thomas. This was the first mention of "Mike" and I wondered where he had happened along. Later on page 143, ". . . they lived near their son and his wife, Michael and Tracy Duman." Frances' married name as a widow was Frances Duman. It's nice that her son Michael accepted Desmond as his "dad," but this is a strange way to introduce him to the readers.

This reads like an amateur's work, which it is. She devoted as many pages to their courtship and marriage as to Desmond's experiences in WWII. Actually, my main takeaway from the book was that he was insistent about going to church on the Sabbath (Saturday), being a vegetarian, and not using a weapon. The Seventh Day Adventist focus was a little off-putting, but his faith in the Lord and focus on prayer was inspirational. I will still watch the movie, but this book didn't do much for me. I did like seeing the photos included at the end.