The Wings of Poppy Pendleton

by Melanie Dobson

Scott County Library paperback 326 pages plus author's note, discussion questions, and acknowledgements

Published: 2023

Genre: Christian historical fiction

With chapters focusing on Chloe in 1992 and Amelia Pendleton in 1907, this book has a lot of mysteries for the reader to figure out. I ended up grabbing scrap paper to make notes about the timeline as I tried to connect the dots. I thought about taking a picture and including it here, but I'm too lazy! (Plus, it has spoilers on it . . . ) Reader hint: you may want to make your own timeline with major events and characters' ages.

I missed book club discussion last week because I wasn't finished reading and didn't want the mysteries solved for me! I didn't fall in love with this book and I'm not sure why. My favorite character was Logan. I liked the islands, the boats, the castle, the candy store, and the ending. 

Page 186: "No one knew what went on sometimes in families. The good and the bad. No one could possibly understand except those who had lived through it."

 

This struck me! Some people act as though everything is fine when it's not; others overdramatize their experience and create trauma that didn't happen. ALL of us have experienced unique things in our family history that can't necessarily be explained. Life is meant to be lived. 

Page 204: "While Chloe's earthly father might have failed, Nana liked to say, her heavenly Father would never fail her. Instead of scattering the pieces of her life, God would help her mold them into something good."

 

For people who DO have disappointing fathers, I think it's so wonderful to know that God is our perfect heavenly father who loves us unconditionally.

Page 212: "Chloe glanced down at Joe's colorful tackle box, still partially filled with candy. She wanted to bring joy to people, but too much of anything could hurt. How did one enjoy the simple pleasures without being consumed?"

 

I'm not sure if the author was comparing candy to opium . . . but it is an interesting conversation to talk about pleasures and what our role is in being faithful to God. Seeking holiness is not about making sure you get your own needs and wants met!

Page 238: "'We have that in common then. I like words and stories and uncovering the mysteries in this life, whether made by man or God Himself."

 

It took Chloe way too long to actually like Logan! I'm also a person who likes words and stories.

Page 268: "The lie of Poppy Pendleton had been erased, and a new reality had been born. She'd never tell Birdie what happened back in England or on Koster Isle. Instead, Birdie would live free from any worry of becoming like her mother and grandmother or Sarah, for that matter. And neither of them would have to worry if Ellie defied the registrar after the accident, like Sarah had done, and was searching for them both."

I'm honestly not sure why I tagged this. I guess because I don't like secrets. I'm a firm believer in telling the truth! I mean, it worked out well for Birdie . . . but I still think truth is best.

I didn't write about all the bird imagery or the human trafficking or the high society stuff . . . there's a lot in this book!

Page 286: "'God is good,' he said, his eyes on the rain-soaked window. 'I'm just trying to partner with Him.'"

The Winter Rose

by Melanie Dobson

Friend's copy paperback 346 pages plus author's note (and preview of Curator's Daughter)

Published: 2022

Genre: Christian historical fiction

 

Grace and Roland are Quakers helping to rescue Jewish children from France during WWII. Several decades later, Abby is trying to find a bone marrow match for Charlie, her "adoptive" father / grandfather figure. These two story lines are clearly going to merge, but the reader needs to patiently follow each story until the pieces click into place. Book club is discussing this tonight!

 

Page 19 - "She closed her eyes, praying for Elias and Suzel and each child by name. Praying that someone would rescue them like God had rescued her. That they would each experience His boundless love."

 

It's hard for me to think about the many adults who either turned a blind eye to what the Nazis were doing or even actually helped turn in Jewish children. I get that fear is powerful, but I love the people who did what they could to serve and save.

Page 58 - ". . . her mother never allowed her to step into a church to find out. Her mother was one of the most devout believers in God she'd ever known. Except God, she'd decided, was the enemy."

The wording really caught my attention! It made me think about the Scripture that says that even devils believe in God (James 2:19). It also made me think about people who grow up not going to church, not hearing or reading Scripture, and not knowing that God loves them. Addie was able to get a chance to change that experience by going to the home Charlie and Emma had started for troubled girls.

Page 75 - "It would take months, years even, for these children to recover body, mind, and soul." 

Even though this is referring to the effects of the war horrors, it makes me think of children experiencing other kinds of trauma. And some people seem to be more deeply affected by experiences while others seem to be more naturally resilient.

Page 83 - "Addie understood well why the family wouldn't want to speak with a reporter about the loss of a loved one. Today it was difficult to suppress such news, but then, it seemed, people were more respectful of privacy. Audiences didn't lay claim to knowing all the details about their favorite celebrities."

Yes! Even before Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars recently, I would skip over headlines with his name. I like his acting, but I do NOT need or want to know about his sex life, marital details, etc. It's hard to ignore things that are splashed across the news. And Princess Diana's death - so unnecessary and so awful. Paparazzi horrify me.

Page 132 - "'A winter rose,' Grace said. Like the ones her grandmother had cultivated at home. Hearty, that's what Grams called them. Simple and strong and radiating beauty long after the other flowers had succumbed to the winter months."

 

I enjoy seeing where the book's title comes from. I think the winter rose refers to both Grace and Addie. The children see the rose as they're crossing the mountains from France to Spain.

 

Page 189-190 - Charlie brings Addie a gift. It's a bag of stones. She wonders if he's mocking her. He calls it a "bag of wrongs." / "We can collect them . . . and carry them around for the rest of our lives. With the weight of this, we wouldn't be able to go far in life, but whenever we'd like, we can take out a wrong and mull over it until we're ready for a fight."

This whole scene is referenced a few times throughout the book. After heaving a bunch of rocks into the river, Addie feels lighter, freer. I love this scene!

Page 293 - "The shapes and swirls in Marguerite's head, all the emotion stored inside her, spilled out in her rivers and gardens and the children who reminded her of all those who'd been lost during the war."

The descriptions of Marguerite's painting made me wish I could actually see them! Her synesthesia made it seem even more incredible.

Page 301 - "'Living, I think, defies the loss. Loving well defies it too.'"

Addie asks elderly Marguerite how she manages to live with the loss. I wish we knew even more of Addie's back story before she ever met Charlie and Emma.

Page 302 - "The Camino de Santiago?"

Yay! Another reference to the Way of St. James! One day, maybe I'll walk that trail . . . 

Page 310 - ". . . while Charlie may have saved your life, he can't save your soul."

Caleb and Addie are having a deep heart to heart conversation. I love this whole scene. None of us are in the position of needing / being able to save another's soul. That's God's job.

Page 315 - "Freedom was what he'd always wanted. Freedom, now, from this failing body. Freedom to be with Christ. Freedom to live forever without guilt or shame."

Charlie in a hospital bed, failing . . . learning that his sister is still alive. This was another powerful scene and made me think of people on their death bed, wanting to be free on many levels.

Page 359 (Author's note) - "This story stirred inside me as I rode the tumultuous wave of 2020. Then it poured out near the end of the year as a prayer of sorts, a deep desire for the balm of God's redemption in our broken world."

The story read almost like a poured out prayer. I loved how Grace had Scriptures on her tongue and how encouragements and repeated phrases impacted characters.

This was a lovely book and I'm glad I got the chance to read it before discussion tonight!

The Curator's Daughter

by Melanie Dobson

Libby ebook & Scott County Library paperback 399 pages

Published: 2021

Genre: Christian historical fiction

I didn't finish reading this before book club discussion, but it was definitely worth finishing! This book travels between 1999 Idaho, WWII France and Germany, and modern day Washington DC. The main story travels between Sarah / Ember, Hanna, and Lilli . . . but they are very intertwined. The male characters have a lot of connections, too. I almost made a character map! The main themes are racial purity, archaeology, secret-keeping, and second chances.

Chapter 2 - "She had to keep her eyes on preserving the past, not trying to control the future." (Hanna)

Chapter 2 - "The female curse of tears, a swift current of them, threatened to flood across the banks, and she blinked back the surge before it ruined her." (Hanna)

Chapter 3 - "Parents often brought their kids to remember alongside them, and that, to Ember, was the greatest tribute of all. These children would learn, she prayed, and not repeat the horror, this knowledge defeating any hatred in their hearts." (Ember at the Holocaust Museum)

Chapter 4 - "Perhaps she wouldn't have been afraid of this lion if she'd realized it was offering her life." (Hanna getting a drink of water from the scary lion fountain. Made me think of C.S. Lewis' Aslan!)

Chapter 21 - "'. . . the more we can work together to expose and end this cycle of hatred.'  'I'm afraid it will never end, Ember. Not if people continue to turn their backs on the love of God for all of His creation.' . . . . 'Words will never penetrate a hardened heart,' she said. ' The persecution won't end until people are willing to humble themselves and love their neighbors.'" (Conversation between Ember and Mrs. Kiehl - aka Lilli.)

 

Chapter 36 - "'Hitler knew the power of art and entertainment.'" (Dr. Graf explaining the collection of stolen art to Ember.)

Chapter 38 - "If, by a miracle, Elsie was still alive, she prayed that her daughter had chosen to love instead of hate. That she had stood up against evil." (Ember)

Chapter 42 - "Courage like that, Ember thought, could change the world." (Ember)

Chapter 45 - "There were good and bad members of every people group." (Lilly)

Chapter 46 - "And she prayed for Elsie, if she was still alive, that she would know the true love of a father and it would wash away any hatred from her heart, capturing her soul." (Ember)

Chapter 46 - "Love, overwhelming, swallowed her as she sank back into the leaves, the center stump steady beneath her hands. Beloved." (Ember in the labyrinth.)

Chapter 49 - "The Nazi officers ultimately hung themselves with their own pride." (Nuremberg trials - video footage)

Chapter 49 - "How could anyone do these things to another person? Nothing could justify this evil." (Nuremberg trials - video footage)

Chapter 53 - "But in her weariness, in the depths of exhaustion and despair, God stepped into her sorrow. No matter what happened tonight, she was in His care." (Hanna)

Chapter 53 - "As she looked up at him, an unexpected peace settled in the cool air like snowflakes on her meadow back home." (Hanna)

Chapter 54 - "Ember's dissertation had been focused on the past, but her gaze was on the future now. On the importance, the simplicity, of looking someone of a different nationality, a different background, in the eye. Talking with instead of at them, hearing their story. Replacing an identity of hatred with one steeped in God's love." (Ember)

Author's Note - "History is circling back around one more time, and I can't ignore the revival of hatred around our world. Nor do I want to forget the hope of God's redemption and love for all. That a spirit of fear does not come from Him (2 Timothy 1:7)."

Typically, I write my thoughts on each of my "notes" from the text. But right now, I don't want to. My main takeaway is to love God and love others. I want to seek to understand and listen, especially when it's easier to argue or ignore.

One niggling irritation - would Ember's advisor actually let her work on a thesis when she doesn't even know the focus of it? She's "looking for" a heroic German who made a difference during WWII. What did she spend her time on researching and writing before she stumbled on Mrs. Kiehl's story?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was super curious about the cave with the potential "Holy Grail" from the start of the book. This one was well-written and thought-provoking.

Memories of Glass

by Melanie Dobson
Carver County Library hardcover 397 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

Set in Amsterdam during WWII and also in modern day times, this story followed the Kingston family and their connections through the Holocaust and beyond. There were things I really liked about the story (mostly Ava's modern-day journey to help the Kingston Foundation and find out her family history) and things I disliked.

I'll start with disliked: my confusion over all the characters and how they were connected! I understand why the author didn't provide a "who's who" type of list, as that would have spoiled some plotlines. I ought to have made my own, since this proved a challenge for me to follow some aspects of the story line (and judging by our book club discussion, a barrier for others, too).

Landon and Ava/ coffee and compassion / Uganda and Seattle - definitely my favorite aspect of the book. Here are some other spots I noted:

Page 52 - "God, she suspected, would want the theology she'd spent a lifetime learning to siphon down into her hands and feet. Share His love with those who needed a glimpse of it during this dark season." (Josie, May 1942)

Page 85 - "Books, she once said, are the best legacy. They outlast one's life and shed light on the past when truth is hard to find." (Ava, in Uganda)

Page 115 - "Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for a future that only He can see." (Quotation from Corrie Ten Boom's The Hiding Place.)

Page 242 - "I sit on a bench and retrieve her Bible out of my handbag to find the verses where Jesus speaks about the truth of His teaching, truth that could set people free. The father of lies wants to conceal the truth, He said, enslave people in their sin. Their shame. God sent His Son to set them - to set me - free." (Ava, in Seattle, after meeting Mrs. West)

Page 308 - "A glimpse of heaven, that is the terroir I need right now, a place where evil can no longer hide, the supreme light of Christ blasting away the shadows." (Ava, in Amsterdam)

Page 313 - Yes! I suspected this but was pumped when Paul answered what his father's name was!

Page 347 - "He started buying antique bottles in their memory, and for years we would watch the light pour into each one, filling what had been broken, their legacy living on in both of us." (Mrs. West, talking to Ava, Landon, and Kendall) This scene is so gorgeous in my mind that it makes me want to start collecting colorful glass containers to put in a sunny window!

We had a good discussion, but I was only halfway done reading it so I couldn't fully participate. I need to get the book club book more quickly and hunker down to read it!

Hidden Among the Stars

by Melanie Dobson
Dakota County Library hardcover 391 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

This was our October book club title, but I didn't get it in time to read it before the discussion. It is pretty new and I spent a month on four different counties' waiting lists! Ah well, it's a very good book and I enjoyed reading it despite the fact that I had already heard the conversation about it.

I made a cheat sheet for the characters (based on other readers' recommendations), but I didn't think it was too confusing . . . Part of the book is set in 1930s Austria and part in modern day Mount Vernon, Ohio. The main characters in pre-WWII Austria are Max (wealthy German boy) and his parents, Annika and her dad (caretaker for their castle), Luzi (beautiful violinist, Jewish) and her family (mom, Dr. Weiss, Marta), Hermann (helper to Annika's drunken dad), Ernst (nasty piece of work . . . Hitler admirer), and various others . . . I guess that is kind of a lot! In the modern part of the story, Calisandra Randall (Callie) and her sister Brianna (Brie) run the book store given to them by Charlotte Trent. Callie was dumped the day before her wedding to Scott a few years earlier, and she's still in "hiding" from the emotional pain. She's happy for her younger sister's happy marriage to Ethan and she dotes on their twin sons Owen and Oscar. There are various shop customers who come to hear "Story Girl" (aka Callie) on Saturdays.

Without having any spoilers here, "StoryGirl" stumbles on a mystery when she sees handwriting between the lines of text in an old edition of Bambi. (Wow! Never realized that the book Disney turned into the movie was originally written by a Jewish man as a kind of allegory of Nazi Germany! Must find and read a copy.)

Page 81 - "My sister and Charlotte are the only adults who don't wear me out after an hour. And they are the only ones who understand that I still adore them, even when I need my space. Family, I guess, is supposed to be like that." I love the idea that family just knows and loves us, even with all our idiosyncrasies. It's so good to have people like that in your life!

Page 84 is where she explains to some visitors to the book store her philosophy of books for kids - "Books are a lot like food . . . First is the healthy stuff that most parents want their kids to read. Some of it tastes great, others perhaps not so much, but it's good for the body and mind. . . . Next there's brain candy, the sugary sweet stuff that tastes good going down, but turns into a bellyache if you binge. . . . And then there's the poison. . . . Kids need to eat real food for their bodies to grow, not the pieces of poison left out for, say, rodents." She goes on from there. People in book club really liked this analogy, but I'm not sure I agree. Different readers like different genres. And their are Christian authors who write horror stories (Peretti) and fantasy (C.S. Lewis). It's an interesting idea to discuss, that's for sure!

Page 126 - "I should be thrilled to see everyone. I suspect I'll be feeling guilty a lot tonight." Ugh. This resonated with me because I do a LOT of "shoulds" and feeling guilty . . . it's not a pleasant way to live.

Page 160 - on a section break, the author has a page with a quotation. This one is from the Talmud - "Anyone who saves a life is as if he saved an entire world." - Mishnah Sanhedrin, The Talmud. I'm curious why the author chose this. I wish we could have discussed it, but that's what happens when you don't read the book before book club!

Page 225 - "The evil that raged during that time . . . it still rages all over the world today. How can people be so cruel to others? This is one thing I don't want to ever understand." I worry sometimes that we're in danger of forgetting how awful Hitler's Germany was. I hope and pray that we do not return to a place of turning a blind eye to evil.

Page 269 - I should include the entire page here! (I added it later, below.) As Josh and Callie are talking about God, suffering, compassion, etc. there is so much wisdom and truth. "This purity, I think, often stings deep inside, but what freedom to know that God never forces anyone to love or serve Him. Even if it breaks His heart, He allows people to walk away."

Page 354 - "Whe'd prayed for his entire life that the only evil he and his siblings would ever have to fight was that which tried to infiltrate from the inside. And she'd prayed that each of them would fight with all their might." Praying moms make a difference!

Page 362 - "I think we can cling to the goodness we see in the world. To the beauty in these lakes and the laughter of those kids who come every Saturday to hear your stories." Yes! Cling to goodness! It's so important in the dark world to focus on the light!

Catching the Wind

by Melanie Dobson
Dakota County Library paperback 387 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

I read this in an afternoon and evening! So glad to have a book club book that I enjoyed so much. And this is the first I've read from this author, which bodes well for other titles!

The 1940s story is about Dietmar and Brigitte, 13- and 10- year old neighbors and friends. The 2017 story is about Dietmar (now Daniel Knight) hiring journalist Quenby Vaughn to find Brigitte, or what happened to her. Quenby's own life story becomes tangled up in Daniel's quest. She also gets involved with his lawyer, Lucas Hough.

Page 74 - I love when they're firing Bible verses at one another. It's a good scene, and very natural - not preachy at all. Ending with "We each choose between good and bad in our hearts, and our actions follow."

Page 96 - "Here in the storm, tears could fall freely down his cheeks, mixing with the torrent of God's grief falling from the sky. On days like this, he thought God must surely be crying over the destruction mankind unleashed on one another. At the sight of His children entrenched in violent bitterness and jealousy, their barbaric quest for power detached from Him." Yes, that seems pretty accurate whether you're looking at what the Nazis did, or at what people are capable of doing today.

Page 96 - "Youth today didn't understand a world before social media and mobile phones, before one could search the Internet for a missing person or post their picture on screens around the world. And many people - today and from years past - didn't understand or honor faithfulness. A deep commitment to those you loved, to persevere no matter what. One didn't just forget a lost friend." This is so true! On so many levels!

Page 327 - The descriptions of Disney and the magic of the place made me think of Kim Enfield! I hope she's at book club!

Page 348 - Ugh. I kind of saw this coming, but as soon as I read the name "Jocelyn" in Hannah's narrative . . . I exclaimed out loud. (Sorry if this spoils it for other readers, but it is kind of pathetic.)

Page 370 - "There's power in story . . . We may be powerless at times in this life, but on paper, we can chase our demons away." I love this observation by Bridget (Brigitte) and the fact that they had refugee children write their own stories.

Page 391 (in the author's note) - "Catching the Wind was written with a grateful heart to all those who've helped abandoned, orphaned, and refugee children begin a new story." She goes on to list some organizations that help care for kids:
remembernhu.org
hearthecry.org
worldorphans.org
runministries.org
worldrelief.org
prayforthem.com

I'm so looking forward to book club in just over a week!

Fatherless

by James Dobson and Kurt Bruner
Hennepin County Library hardcover 431 pages
genre: Christian fiction, dystopian future

I am not a huge fan of Dr. Dobson (gasp! What kind of Christian doesn't *adore* him?) so I wasn't really eager to read this book club title. But when I heard a couple of people talking about it and got the gist of the idea (oh? Dystopian fiction? That seems to be all I read these days.), I was ready to tackle this. So much to dig into here!

From the front flap: "The year is 2042, and the long-predicted tipping point has arrived. For the first time in human history, the economic pyramid has flipped: The feeble old now outnumber the vigorous young, and this untenable situation is intensifying a battle between competing cultural agendas. Reporter Julia Davidson - a formerly award-wining journalist seeking to revive a flagging career - is investigating the growing crisis, unaware that her activity makes her a pawn in an ominous conspiracy. Plagued by nightmares about her absent father, Julia finds herself drawn to the quiet strength of a man she meets at a friend's church. . . . Julia faces choices that pit professional success against personal survival in an increasingly uncertain and dangerous world."

One interesting thread of our book club conversation dealt with how likely it is that this future could happen. What parts of it are already happening? Certainly, we have already read reports about the falling birth rate in America and Europe (except among immigrant and hispanic populations). And the aging baby boomers and crisis in the cost of medical care are already issues. It will be very interesting to see what the future brings and how our politicians deal with it.

Chapter 29 and its discussion of changes in worship interested me. What is "normal" to us now that will seem passe' in the future? Are we changing for the sake of change? Would the new testament church even recognize what we do as worship?

On page 155, how interesting that Julia observes that "1. Angie embodied everything Julia scorned. 2. Angie had everything Julia wanted." Isn't it true that the grass is always greener . . . 

On page 205, I found it interesting that Matthew thought "He should not have sought the advice of Father Richard Tomberlin." It's so true that we only "seek advice" from people we are confident will tell us what we want to hear. In his case, Matthew wanted confirmation that it was okay to encourage his mother to "volunteer" to "transition" so that he could have any remaining money to go to college.

On page 237, Julia is reciting the feminist perspective that she has so thoroughly recited. "The days of patriarchal dominance are dead. Our generation of women can see an endless horizon because we stand on the shoulders of our courageous grandmothers. Show me a home with more than two kids and I'll show you an oppressed woman." It never seems to end well when people adopt an extremist perspective, no matter which end of the spectrum (of any issue) they're on.

I love it (next page) when Troy says "Imagine a world of people trying to out-serve, out-love, out-sacrifice, and out-honor one another. Sure beats a world of people trying to outdo and outsmart one another."

And a little later when Julia is trying to challenge Kevin on his perspective (in regard to Angie squandering her potential by raising children), he replies, "A lot of people consider bearing and rearing children a noble and highly meaningful calling." I love that! A noble calling. I wish more parents felt that way.

I didn't like page 314 when Matthew was so deceptive in talking to his mom about "transitioning" (aka volunteering to suicide) not being a sin and having talked to Father Tomberline about it.

I was so glad that Julia quit her job! After that nasty stunt her boss did, publishing her story with the other reporter's edits and hatchet job (and sleezy photos) . . . that was the only good choice for her.

I enjoyed this book enough to want to read the second one, Childless. I just have so many books piled up already! I need to kick through more of them more quickly.