A Black Woman's Civil War Memoir

Subtitled: Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33rd U.S. Colored Troops, Late 1st South Carolina Volunteers

By: Susie King Taylor

Hennepin County Library hardcover 152 pages

Published: 1902 (this version 1988)

Genre: memoir, history

I got this book out of curiosity after reading the Civil War quilts book. What an extraordinary woman! She was taught to read and write when she was young (even though black people could and were punished for learning). She worked as a laundress during the war. Her observations and experiences over 150 years ago are a valuable part of our historical record as a nation.

Page 63: "They drove with him to the rear of our camp, where he was shot. I shall never forget this scene."

A deserter who was later accused of being a spy was killed while everyone was out for dress parade. For her to write this after more than forty years had passed . . . I believe it was a very memorable event for her.

Page 63: "Before we got to camp, where the payrolls could be made out, he sickened and died of small-pox, and was buried at Savannah, never having been paid one cent for nearly three years of service."

She's writing about a man named Robert Defoe who had refused the "reduced pay offered by the government." Many black soldiers were either not paid at all or paid at significantly less than what they had been told upon recruitment. 

Page 67: "When at Camp Shaw, I visited the hospital in Beaufort, where I met Clara Barton. There were a number of sick and wounded soldiers there, and I went often to see the comrades. Miss Barton was always very cordial toward me, and I honored her for her devotion and care for those men."

I love that a historical figure (to me) like Clara Barton was someone Taylor met as she did her own part in the war.

Page 68 (endnotes): "Their commander reported, 'I started from Saint Simon's island with sixty-two colored fighting men and returned to Beaufort with 156 fighting men (all colored). As soon as we took a slave from his claimant, we placed a musket in his hand and he began to fight for the freedom of the others."

There are other notes in this part about the efficacy of these soldiers.

"General Saxton was overjoyed at the success of his troops, and wrote to the Secretary of War that 'the Negroes fought with a coolness and bravery that would have done credit to veteran soldiers. There was no excitement, no flinching, no attempt at cruelty when successful. They seemed like men who were fighting to vindicate their manhood, and they did it well.'"

And yet there are people who continue to claim that people with dark skin are inferior to whites. Sometimes humanity saddens me deeply.

Page 87-88: "It seems strange how our aversion to seeing suffering is overcome in war, - how we are able to see the most sickening sights, such as men with their limbs blown off and mangled by the deadly shells, without a shudder; and instead of turning away, how we hurry to assist in alleviating their pain, bind up their wounds, and press the cool water to their parched lips, with feelings only of sympathy and pity."

I love this woman! She just rocked in so many ways. 

Page 120: "I look around now and see the comforts that our younger generation enjoy, and think of the blood that was shed to make these comforts possible for them, and see how little some of them appreciate the old soldiers. My heart burns within me, at this want of appreciation."

Her sentiment makes me wonder what she would think of people today with their entitlement and selfishness. Her writing is eloquent and poignant. Her chapter XIII is called "Thoughts on Present Conditions" and she writes about the injustices still occurring.

Page 135: "In this 'land of the free' we are burned, tortured, and denied a fair trial, murdered for any imaginary wrong conceived in the brain of the negro-hating white man. There is no redress for us from a government which promised to protect all under its flag. It seems a mystery to me."

She was writing this at the turn of the century. I think of students who have told me that the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s "ended" racism. I think of people I know now who are vehemently opposed to the Black Lives Matter movement. But if you look at racial profiling (by police, in education, in housing, . . . ) much of this injustice lives on. Thankfully, we don't see lynchings any more! But the fight for equal rights isn't really over in 2025.

The Master Craftsman

By: Kelli Stuart

Scott County Library hardcover (large print) 540 pages plus author's note and acknowledgements

Published: 2022

Genre: Historical fiction

 

Alternating between Tsarist Russia (early 1900s) and modern day, we learn about Karl Fabergé and his work on the Imperial Eggs while our current day Ava tries reconciling with her absent father by helping him look for a missing egg while he's on his deathbed. I definitely liked the 1900s era and characters better than the crew looking for the missing egg.

One of my favorite things about this book was learning more about the Fabergé eggs. Here's what Wikipedia has to say:

As many as 69 Czarist Russia Era eggs were created, of which 61 are currently known to have survived. Virtually all of the original first edition eggs were manufactured under the supervision of Peter Carl Fabergé between 1885 and 1917. The most famous of the firm's creations are the 50 delivered Imperial Easter eggs, of which 44 are currently known to be in complete or partial physical existence, leaving the fate of those remaining unknown.

These eggs were commissioned for the Russian tsar Aleksandr III (10 eggs) and tsar Nikolai II (40 eggs) as Easter gifts for Alexander's wife and Nicholas's mother Empress Maria Feodorovna, and Nicholas's wife Tsaritsa Alexandra Feodorovna. Fabergé eggs are worth large sums of money and have become symbols of opulence.

Two more of Fabergé Easter Imperial eggs (bringing the total to 52) were designed but were unable to be delivered. One egg known as the Karelian Birch Egg, has confirmed sketches but is not confirmed to have actually been made, and the other, the Blue Tsesarevich Constellation Egg, only partially completed due to the Russian Revolution of 1917.

 

I've requested some books about the jewelry house and the artisans from the library. I wonder if Peter Karl really was conflicted about creating such expensive items for the elite while he saw such suffering amongst the Russian people.

 

Page  28: "It was one of Zak's calling cards to talk like a ninety-year-old grandmother. What guy said things like 'splendid'?

Even though Zak was an extremely awkward computer nerd, I liked him. I also talk like a ninety-year-old, I guess.

Page 82: "She had a lilt to her voice that indicated she came from a refined background, as refined as one might be, living in America."

That comment made me laugh. Albert is pondering a customer from America.

Page 106: "Her mom had spent half her life reminding Ava to be prepared for the 'just in case.' 'You never know when life might throw you a curveball,' Carol would say every time Ava left the house. 'Do you have what you need just in case there's a change of plans?'

Ava would roll her eyes, but this morning as she made her way into the dark kitchen, she was immensely grateful to her mom for her 'just in case' preparation."

There's something about getting older (and being a mom) that makes a person more interested in preparedness and having contingency plans! I used to jokingly call my husband a boy scout, because he liked to be ready for any situation. There are many times I've been thankful for that propensity!

Page 127 on leadership . . . I need to include this. No commentary right now . . . just contemplation. 

Page 161: "There was, perhaps, nothing more thrilling to a young man than to feel the pleasure of his father."

Karl clearly respected his father's opinion of him and the direction he took the company. Gustav Fabergé was a jeweler who was happy to see his son follow in his footsteps. This comment makes me wonder about men who do NOT have fathers who are present and providing direction in their sons' lives.

Page 210: "Nick nodded 'The value of an object comes from the one who sculpts it - the one who crafts it with care and skill, and who breathes creative life into it. The master craftsman determines the worth.'"

When I read this, I thought about the true Master Craftsman, God, creating us.

Page 279: ". . . Karl found that he still enjoyed the thrill of the season, but he was more tired than usual this year. Perhaps it was his age, though he couldn't possibly admit that out loud because it felt like a concession of the winding down of life."

The "winding down of life" is what makes me want to LIVE life big right now while I can. 

Page 332: "'It's true. I am contractually bound to give you compliments whether they're accurate or not,' Carol replied."

This made me laugh out loud! It sounds like something my sons and I would have bantered about. Complimenting your children (genuinely) can be challenging. "You're saying that because you have to; you're my mom."

Page 346: "'History is one of our greatest assets. Knowing where we've been as a human race helps us navigate where we're going.'"

Although Xander (cool name!) ended up not being who / what we thought he was, I like his take on the importance of history.

Page 539 . . . Augusta "protecting" her husband . . . the final resting place of the egg . . . unsatisfying ending to me.

Out of the Silent Planet

By: C.S. Lewis

Libby audiobook 5 hours

Read by: Geoffrey Howard

Published: 1938 (this version 2005)

Genre: Science Fiction

I never knew Lewis wrote SciFi! This is actually the first book in the "Cosmic Trilogy" series. From Libby's description: 

"A planetary romance with elements of medieval mythology, the trilogy concerns Dr. Elwin Ransom, a professor of philology who, like Christ, is offered as a ransom for mankind. On a walking tour of the English countryside, Ransom falls in with some slightly shady characters from his old university and wakes up to find himself naked in a metal ball in the middle of the light-filled heavens. He learns that he is on his way to a world called Malacandra by its natives, who call our world Thulcandra, the silent planet. The Malacandrans see planets as having tutelary spirits; those of the other planets are good and accessible, but Earth's is fallen and twisted."

 

Malacandra turns out to be Mars and it is populated by at least three distinct sentient species who coexist peacefully. Devine (the former college "friend") only wants to get the "sun's blood" (gold) on the planet and Weston, the evil scientist who built the rocket,wants power and to take over Malacandra for humanity once they can no longer live on Earth. Both are morally bankrupt.

Some of the words and phrases would have made more sense to me if I had been reading the text rather than listening to it. (Though reader Howard does an exceptional job.) The "bent ones" seem to be people with evil intent, whichever planet they're on. I have had to go to the Wikipedia page to read up on the book I just read! The main creatures we meet on Malacandra are sorns, hross, pfifltriggi, and eldils. The Oyarsa is like a god, but in this book, Earth's god is "bent." 

It was fascinating and a bit confusing. I don't think I'll read the other books in the series right now, but I may read all three in print form at some point in the future. I generally really like Lewis' writing and I wonder about the point he was making with this. We know so much more about other planets now than he did in the 1930s, but this is still a very interesting foray into SciFi.

Oh! I had to stop and rewind to get back to a quotation I liked (while parked):

"The love of knowledge is a kind of madness."

When Ransom says this, he is trying to figure out the hross language. He is curious about their words (and wants to communicate his needs). On a strange planet and fighting for his very life, he wonders about their language and syntax!

 

 

A Pirate Looks at Fifty

By: Jimmy Buffett

Hennepin County Library hardcover 458pages

Published: 1998

Genre: Memoir, travelogue

I heard about this book when we were traveling through the Florida Keys in January. I'm not a big Jimmy Buffett fan (a "Parrothead"), but I was curious. I'm not sure I should have spent the time reading this . . . 

This would be perfect for:

• Parrot Heads
• pilots / people who love planes
• people who have wanderlust
• people who know the Caribbean really well
• fishing fanatics
  

 

I don't fit any of those categories and thought several times about just returning it to the library. I soldiered on and just finished it.

 

It didn't really resonate for me. I anticipated some wisdom or insight on aging. Below are the spots I noted, but nothing really stands out for me.

 

Page xvi (preface): "You can't force characters into unnatural stories or situations any more than you can force-feed canned peas and carrots to disinterested children. Unsavory legumes and watery fiction are both offensive to the palate."

 

This is one of those places where his way with words appealed to me.

 

Page 5: "That to me is the way any good romantic would look at his life: Live it first, then write it down before you go."

 

After another 451 pages, I'd say he was still focused on living life . . . and writing everything down. The book dragged.

 

Page  37: "There were also enough car wrecks, fights, carnival-ride accidents, and gypsy trickery to make Mardi Gras the world's biggest excuse for bad behavior."

I have long disliked that the day before Lent begins is seen as a legitimate excuse to be as sinful and selfish as possible. You're missing the point of the Holy Season here!

Page 45: "If you caught a fish every time you put your line in the water, they would call it catching, not fishing."

Buffett is sharing his dad's gem of wisdom about the draw and challenges of going fishing.

 

Page 67: "When you spend a lot of time on the water, you lose touch with what's happening on the land."

I love that sense of drifting away mentally (along with physically) when you go out on a boat!

Page 98: "I pray to God, Buddha, Saint Christopher, Saint Jude, and my loyal guardian angels to watch over my family and me."

This makes me wonder if Buffett ever figured out what he believed about eternal matters. He died in 2023 at age 76 . . . 

Page 111: "We started out being the people our parents warned us about, but we turned into them, or close facsimiles, anyway, because we shared the common burden of rearing children, and children change your entire life."

I can agree with that! Children do change your entire life. I was just talking with a teacher today and we acknowledged that our profession affected our parenting and our parenting affected our teaching.

Page 122: "I have been involved in the fight to preserve the quality of life in the area that I call home, where greed is a worse epidemic than any disease transmitted by Florida's mosquito population."

I wonder what he thought about Donald Trump and Mar-a-lago. I agree that greed is a horrible disease.

Page 164: "'It's getting worse, Jim,' he said flatly. 'It's the scariest thing I have ever been through in my life.' I didn't know what to say. I was in tears but couldn't speak. Saying I was sorry just didn't feel like enough."

When Buffett and his dad are talking about his dad's memory loss, I teared up too. It's so very hard to see someone you love start to lose themselves.

Page 180: "The best way for an American to get around in the world is to not act like you saved it or own it. . . . Hollywood has more clout worldwide than the U.S. State Department. Very few people in the street know who Madeleine Albright or Warren Christopher are, but everybody knows Harrison Ford and Jack Nicholson."

Wow. This is an interesting observation. I've heard stories about how much people in other countries (especially European countries) dislike the "ugly American" behavior. And I'm not shocked that celebrities are better known than policy people.

Page 200: "There's plenty of time for my kids to adapt to whatever school situation they'll eventually find themselves in. But by the time they get there, they will have ridden elephants in Thailand, experienced G-forces in an airplane, learned to bait a hook and release a fish. And they will have swum neckie in a waterfall by the sea."

Instead of finding this an endearing parenting perspective, I was turned off. He could afford to give his kids all those opportunities. Most children don't get to travel to a foreign country, much less jet set all over the world, experiencing life. He had resources at his disposal that most people can't even dream of having.

Page 224: "New Orleans is a whole other book that I'll write one day, but I need to try to get back to the beach in Costa Rica and end this damn chapter."

His digressions and love of telling stories that led to other stories are part of what made this book so long and slow. At times, it felt a bit like Alan Rickman's published journals and at other times, it felt more like a senile old uncle rambling on endlessly.

Page 389: "Life is much more manageable when thought of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party."

His analogy of searching being worth the fun more than the finding made sense but there are easier ways to say that! (The journey is better than the destination.)

Page 420: "Unfortunately, the sportfishing boat in the harbor too often means that marinas and condos are not far behind. V.S. Naipaul once wrote that tourism is the 'slavery of the twentieth century.' On too many islands, a few profit-driven individuals can erode an entire culture.Carriacou has somehow avoided the attack so far, but there is always the threat of the wolf in sheep's clothing, scavengers from the corporate world."

This made me wonder if he considered his own role in this situation. He and his family flew all over the Caribbean, stayed in hotels and houses, rented cars and boats, . . . but other people aren't supposed to do that? All of these beautiful places should be undeveloped except for people like him? I agree that overdevelopment (and greed) are awful and can ruin natural beauty, but he just seems a bit myopic on this issue.

Page 425: "Politicians can make all the speeches they want and governments can do all the public-service ads money can buy, but in the islands the reality is this: If you want people to stop selling dope, they have to be able to make a living doing something else."

That observation is one of the wisest things he says in this book. All the "war on drugs" talk won't have as much impact as helping people find other ways to make a good living. Money talks.

Page 456: He closes with a poem called "The Double Life" by Don Blanding. I like the message of "A Restless Me" and "A Quiet Me." I also like to travel / explore AND stay home!

I'm glad I'm done with this book. I'm ready to return it to the library!

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

By: Rhoda Janzen

Libby audiobook 8 hours

Read by: Hillary Huber

Published: 2009

Genre: Memoir

Janzen is a talented writer, no question. She is intelligent and has an impressive vocabulary (words are her thing!) Parts of this were funny, while other parts were intensely sad. It's her personal story, so who am I to critique?

I strongly disliked how dismissive she was about Jesus and Christianity. Her experiences growing up as a Mennonite are her own experiences, but it was hard to hear her rejection of faith in Jesus.

When she talked about her fifteen year marriage to Nick, I was horrified that she put up with him for so long and in so many ways. Him overspending on frivolities as an undergrad while she worked to support him. His verbal abuse and belittling. She acknowledges that it's different to be on the outside looking in - "Why doesn't she leave him?" - but then she goes on to be critical of others' life choices. 

The "wounding words" that her niece learned about in school came up in subsequent sections. It was wonderful how the author wove certain themes and phrases throughout the book.

When she talks about "what if" in regards to going back into the past, she acknowledges that she probably would still have ended up with Nick. Ugh. She also admits that she can be stupid. Can't we all?

I absolutely loved the relationship she had with her sister Hannah! It made me think of my sisters. 

There is much to like about this book, but if you love Jesus you may be sad about her perspective on religion. The Mennonite-specific content (about food, not being Amish, etc.) was interesting and entertaining. Her dismissal of Christianity was just sad.

While reading this, I wondered what her parents, siblings, and childhood friends thought of it. I'm not curious enough to go digging, but I wonder what their reactions were. Her mom is portrayed alternately as funny, clueless, sweet, and confining. Overall, I enjoyed reading this because the author wrote well and the reader did a great job.

I had originally read about this book in a 2010 Costco review . . . so many books, less and less time. Perhaps I need to be more selective. Right now, I'm forcing myself to finish a 450 page book that (like this one) has things I like and things I just don't care for . . . why do I do this to myself?!

The Surgeon's Daughter

By: Jaima Fixsen and Regina Sirois (united pen name: Audrey Blake)

Libby eBook  45 chapters plus historical note (plus first three chapters of The Woman with No Name)

Published: 2022

Genre: historical fiction

We continue the story of Nora (in Bolgna, Italy to become a doctor) and Daniel (in London, trying to help Horace Croft build his practice. Practicing medicine in the 1840s was not for the feint of heart - male or female. This book was less gory but still had interesting details. I like that one of the things Nora learned about medicine was the non-medical aspects of life and death.

The first half was kind of ho-hum and I thought about not finishing it. I'm glad I stuck with it.

My favorite parts were Nora finally being mentored and befriended by Magdalena, Harry and Julia joining the household, and two things that are spoiler alerts (So STOP now if you want to read it and be surprised).

I was confident that Lady Woodbine and her baby would survive, but the authors left enough couching and hedging room that it was suspenseful and satisfying.

I was so glad that Dr. Vickery was thwarted!

I was sad when Pozzi died. He was such a sweetheart and one of Nora's true friends in Italy.