Hardscrabble

By Sandra Dallas

Libby ebook  

Published: 2018

Genre: historical fiction, early 1900s

I really like this author! In this story, a family is heading west to join the father who is homesteading in Colorado. Mom is bringing the oldest daughter Carrie, 12 year old Belle (our protagonist), three younger children, and the baby. They are not quite ready for living in a sod house with neighbors few and far between.

Chapter Two: The Girl Homesteader 

"'So we're not poor?'

'Not poor at all,' Carrie insisted, turning to look at the family. 'How could we be when we have each other? It's just that we don't have money.'"

I love the idea of this! I liked saying to my young children that we were rich! We had a home to live in, we had a loving family, we had enough food to eat . . . that's wealth.

Chapter Two

"It's a hardscrabble life, but I love it."

The speaker is neighbor Lizzie, a young woman who is farming her own homestead. I like to see where a book's title originates. This is it. Lizzie is a fantastic character and a huge blessing to Belle's family.

Chapter Eight: A Homesteader Party

"A man stood beside the car, looking embarrassed. Frank called out, 'Get a horse!' as they passed. That was what people always yelled to a man whose motorcar had broken down."

Heckling isn't the nicest thing to do, but this hit my funny bone anyway.

Chapter Eleven: Staying with Lizzie

". . . she'd had (sic) dug behind her house."

Pet peeve alert: typos in action. "She'd had" is redundant . . . she had had . . . ugh. I should get over this, though. More and more with texting and using finger swipe to spell, I find typos in my own writing and even in my blog entries! I should edit my own work more carefully instead of just hitting "send" or "publish."

Chapter Thirteen: Becky

"'It means difficult,' Lizzie explained. 'You have to work hard to make it out here. Life isn't easy. You've already learned that. The land itself is hardscrabble - tough and dry as a board. And it has no mercy. Sometimes things are so rough that you want to give up, but you don't. You keep going, and you know what, Belle? It's worth it. I've learned that. So has your father. And maybe you have, too."

 

A further explanation of the title. Belle asks Lizzie about the word. Lizzie says more great stuff, but I'm moving on. Read the book! It's good.

Chapter Fifteen: The Rescue

"Bell (sic) studied the bed coverings. They were pretty, with bright designs, and the stitches were as fine as Mama's."

 

Okay, again with the pet peeve. A main character's name is misspelled. How does this happen? I also loved the quilts in this story. They weren't as prominent as in Persian Pickle Club, but the details make me happy!

 

Chapter Nineteen: Hank Comes to Mingo

 "Maybe she could be a cowboy - a cowgirl. Belle laughed to herself. There was no such thing. Girls didn't work cattle."

This whole thought process goes on but raises some great questions about gender roles, skills, etc. I love Belle's observation that Lizzie is "as good a farmer as Papa" and "Mrs. Spenser seemed to know as much about ranching as her husband."

Chapter Nineteen: Hank Comes to Mingo

"'Women out here sure are independent.' He turned to Lizzie. 'I guess we can fix that.' He grinned at Lizzie, and she smiled back."

This made me think, "Oh no! Don't marry him, Lizzie!" I won't put any spoilers here, but I do like this book a lot . . . I'll definitely read more of her books, but I'm playing catch-up right now.

 

Long Lost

By Jacqueline West

Libby audiobook 6 hours

Read by: Jesse Vilinsky

Published: 2021

Genre: YA mystery, paranormal

 

Most of this story was very interesting, but it's definitely written for an older elementary or middle school student. Fiona is our protagonist. The eleven-year-old is incredibly upset that her family has moved to a new town 100 miles from her friends. Her older sister Arden is a figure skater with Olympics aspirations and so Fiona feels as though she is being punished and her sister is being favored.

 

In parts of the book, Fiona's "poor me" attitude was just too much. At other points, I couldn't believe her parents weren't more tuned in to what she was experiencing. (Missing the long-awaited friend's birthday party, for example. They don't have ANY other options than not letting her go? No friends, co-workers, Ubers?)

 

The Library in the new town becomes her refuge. She finds an odd book in the mystery room of the converted mansion and starts reading. The book tells the story of sisters Hazel (13) and Pearl (11). The Searcher is a legendary child stealer in a black cloak.  

My favorites in this book were: the description of the library, the dog Pixie, and the resolution. I didn't care for the ghost story aspect.

Love Without Limits: Jesus' Radical Vision for Love with No Exceptions

By: Jacqueline A. Bussie

Hennepin County Library hardcover 190 pages plus notes

Published: 2018

Genre: non-fiction Christianity

 

My daughter-in-law's church was doing a book club / study with this title (as I learned on Christmas Eve from reading the bulletin). I was curious and requested it from the library, knowing I wouldn't make it to NE Minneapolis for any of the discussion component. This was not a book that spoke deeply to my soul, but it did make me think. A lot. About faith and theology and God's will. I put many post-it notes in this book!

 

Page 24: "Let's just say that after the loss of my mother in my twenties, I became Smokey, but with a major difference. Nothing I did earned me a 'good kitty!' from the people inside my house. Nobody intended me harm, as far as I can tell. Perhaps they were too busy to answer the door, or perhaps, like me when I was younger, they simply didn't understand that that was what I needed."

 

Her analogy of people praising the cat when it did the right thing, but not her when she needed affirmation . . . made me sad. She tells many personal stories in such a way that both emotion and logic are referenced.

Page 24-25: "Though I still wish things were different, at least I've come to see those early years living with my bio-family as something else: a top-notch training ground for love across difference. A gym for strengthening love's hamstrings to the level where they can leap beyond bloodlines or biology."

 

It's interesting that she has a perspective of learning from challenges and that she expresses it this way.

Page 39: "Of course, we are a broken people who like to jigsaw apart this wholeness. This is why God insists that we share the bread and wine not once but over and over again."

 

The idea that we need to continually return to the Lord; to have communion with Him makes a lot of sense. Some people think that baptism or repentance is a "one and done" situation and they can do whatever they want until they die. That's not what God's Word says.

Page 40: "In order to live into the call to radical agape, Christians today need to reimagine and redefine family."

 

This specific language made me uneasy. It was reminiscent of the "Reimagining" conference in 1993. Radical agape love that Jesus preaches doesn't change based on our modern era.

Page 42: "When your biological family hurts you, remember their hunger. When you're ready, open the door. In a world starved for love, forgiveness is food."

 

I love that last line! Yes! In a world starved for love, forgiveness IS food.

Page 46: "My grandma, whose name was Alice, wanted all of her grandchildren to have names that started with A. That was the actual answer my mother gave. Alliteration. Alice preferred alliteration to acknowledgment. Alice adored awkwardness and alienation in place of accuracy and attentiveness. This appalling answer failed to satisfy even my nine-year-old self."

 

Okay, names are important and I completely understood what the author was saying in this section of the book . . . but oh my word! I love how she used alliteration to get her point across in this paragraph. I was supremely entertained by her word choices! 

Page 47: "I regret that I never did this. My grandma was dead by the time I was sixteen, and in that short amount of time, I never mustered up the adolescent courage for such an adult confrontation."

 

The beauty and frustration of maturing is that you can let go of some past hurts. She can intellectually have a conversation with her dead grandma and communicate how hurtful it was to not be called by her name. But she cannot actually have that conversation when it would have been meaningful. Now she has to let go of the regret and move on.

Page 68: "One night, Jim told me that he believed coincidences are not coincidences at all, but God winking at the world."

 

This made me think of the GodWinks books! Corny books, but there's a lot to be said about God moving and interacting in our lives.

Page 70: "When Americans were asked cold turkey to say what words pop into their head when they hear the word Christian, the top three answers were: (1) judgmental, (2) hypocritical, and (3) antigay."

 

Oh, this makes me sad! I don't know what survey this was or how scientifically valid this is, but it sounds about right. Too many people today see Christians in such a negative light and it's often because of their interactions with "Christians" who are not living as Christ followers. We are to be people of love, truth, and kindness.

Chapter 5 Adoption (Elijah) - This whole chapter. So much to discuss here!

Page 73: "Let's get one thing straight: if our sins make us people who aren't 'real Christians,' then no one in this world is a Christian. 'For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:23)."

 

I completely agree with her here.

Page 75: "How ironic, then, that Christians have for centuries used Romans 1 to condemn only LGBTQ people to hell and never envious people, braggarts, gossips, or rebellious teens. Maybe it's because gay people are an easy target, a cheap shot. Most Christians are straight, but all Christians envy, brag, gossip, and rebel."

 

This is also something I've struggled with. Sin is sin. Greed, gossip, etc. are sin. Why don't we rail against those sins the way many Christians are actively concerned about homosexuality? I honestly don't understand this.

Page 77: "I don't deny it. I don't take all of the Bible literally, nor do I follow all of its 600+ commandments. I am a self-confessed selective literalist. There's no pride in this statement, just honesty."

 

This again concerns me. I know that many people "cherry pick" their favorite Scriptures, but it feels as though she's actively selecting what to believe and then twisting some of that. I do not literally follow all of the "commandments" in the Old Testament. I don't cover my hair in church. I do speak out in church. But I feel as though she is pushing her perceptions onto God's Word. I'm not wise enough to give a strong rebuttal, but I'd love to discuss this with another Christian.

Chapter 6 Stop the Single Story (Khadijah, Rasheed, and Jamila) - Another great chapter (and the other one that her initial publisher rejected. Note to self: watch the TED talk "The Danger of the Single Story" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Page 95: "Can those who claim to be followers of Jesus seriously prefer that folks of other religions have no relationship with him, unless it is on our terms? I can't in good conscience prefer this. I want everyone to know Jesus because he is wondrous and his love takes my breath away."

 

It was interesting to read her perspective on friendships with people of other faiths.

Page 105: "But on the third morning, as I lay awake at 5:00 a.m. listening to the adhan, my spirit awakened to a humbling realization. My Muslim brothers and sisters prioritized remembering God over everything, even sleep. Would I be willing to do the same? Suddenly, I felt not irritation but admiration. I structure my prayers around my life, while my Muslim friends do the exact opposite. They structure their entire lives around prayer."

 

How striking to realized that as an American Christian, I am like her - tired and crabby in the morning and praying when it works for me rather than prioritizing it for God.

Page 112: "'Comparison is the thief of joy,' she'd said, quoting Teddy Roosevelt."

 

I love Teddy Roosevelt and I love this quote! Comparing yourself against others is generally unproductive and discouraging.

Page 116: "All I can conclude for now is that nothing as petty and silly as the weather should hold us back from going where we are needed most. When God calls us, we need to go. I mean, imagine if when God invited Abraham and Sarah to the promised land, they'd RSVP'ed, 'Nahhh, God, we're not really into the whole desert thing. . . . '"

 

My favorite line is "when God calls, we need to go." Yes and amen!

Page 122: "The truth is: a positive attitude may annoy and cloy, but it also rubs off. Positivity is like patchouli. It clings to your clothes all day long, whether you want it to or not. You - and everyone around you - can't help but breathe it in."

 

Again, I really like her language choices here and the analogy of patchouli to positivity. Though to be honest, I really dislike the smell of patchouli! I've been thinking about the phrase "toxic positivity" lately. I don't want my positive attitude to be off-putting to people. I want to be prayerfully sensitive to where others are at emotionally and mentally (and spiritually!).

Page 125: "Take, for example, these essential paradoxes, without which our faith freezes. We are all saints and sinners, simultaneously (Martin Luther). We are God's enemies, as well as God's BFFs (Romans 5:10). Jesus is both human and divine. The kingdom of God is both already and not yet. The world is both wrecked and redeemed. People are both beautiful and broken, cruel and compassionate. Life is both hellish and hopeful, sublime and shitty. Our souls are filled with angels and angst, wonder and worry. God loves both the poor and the rich, the Christian and the Muslim, the Democrat and the Republican, the gay and the straight, the member of the NRA and the member of Greenpeace."

 

Some people reject Christianity because of these paradoxes. I love that she embraces them. I think sometimes we need this reminder.

Chapter 7 Can Anything Good Come Out of Nazareth? (Fargo)

Fargo Lessons

1 - Comparison is the root of unhappiness. Love yourself enough to stop already.

2 - Home is where love (not the weather) keeps you warm.

3 - Something good can come out of Nazareth.

4 - Survivors love the small things.

5 - Life is Both / And, Not Either / Or

 

She shares some really heartfelt stories about her journey of faith.

Page 144: "20 Things I've Learned About Self-Love" "Self-love is a reflection of your face in the ocean of God's love for you. . . . "

 

I want to get this blog entry done, but her entire chapter on self-love seems to be intended to counterbalance the idea that selflessness (my word for this year) can be destructive to people who already think little of themselves. I understand what she's saying, but I love the lesson I learned elsewhere. "Humility isn't thinking less of yourself; it's thinking of yourself less." People who don't know the immense love that God has for them NEED to learn that before they can truly die to self and live for Christ.

Page 157: "Church should be less like a palace and more like a dog park: a place where the truth bounds wildly about, off the leash at last."

 

This made me smile! I love dog parks!

Page 159: "Does Jesus misjudge the woman? Does Jesus change his mind? It sure seems like it. In this story, I believe Jesus models for us the moral courage it takes to admit when we've been suckered into buying a stereotype."

Matthew 15:24-28

This is one of those places where I think she's on dangerous ground. It sounds as though she's coming up with a completely different interpretation of this passage; one where Jesus messed up and admits his mistake. I couldn't possibly disagree more. She's putting her own twist on Jesus' words and intentions.

Page 163: "Blue Christmas - yes, it's actually a thing! - is a special service at Christmastime for those who are mourning the loss of a loved one. It acknowledges the sadness, fear, and longing that surrounds the holiday for many people."

 

I love when I learn something new. I'd never heard of this before.

Page 177: "That memory whispers in my ear: Sometimes Love picks the lock to your heart and takes over the space Fear used to rent. Please, please, please don't evict her."

 

Once again, I love her language choices! Don't evict love from your heart.

Page 177: "Only Jesus is a savior; we are merely wannabe Samaritans. As Shane Claiborne once said while speaking on my campus, 'I'm not Jesus; I'm just he ass he rode in on.'" 

This caught my attention. I'm most definitely NOT Jesus. But I do want to emulate Him and live to glorify Him.

Page 182: "One day during my prayers, a revelation struck me: the reason God made love a commandment and not a fun intramural option like flag football was because of the Darren Rodeos in our lives. If love for people-who-make-our-lives-less-than-wonderful was a choice, well, God knew, no one would ever sign up. Love's not extracurricular; it's the curriculum."

 

Darren Rodeo is a student who vexed her. I also love the idea that love is THE curriculum for life.

Page 183: "I don't know if prayers change the world, but I do know they change the person who says them. I know, because that day in the hallway, my heart nearly broke out of love for Darren Rodeo."

 

Yes! Prayer changes your own heart AND God loves when we pour out our praise, thanksgiving, petitions, etc. to Him! I love learning how prayer has changed situations and people's lives! 

I'm glad I read this book even though I didn't love it. I like to push myself in thought and prayer. Ultimately, The Bible is the place to go for answers. I'm glad that God provided us with directions for life!

Premeditated Myrtle

by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Libby audiobook 8 hours

Read by Bethan Rose Young

Published: 2020

Genre: YA historical mystery

 

There was a lot to like about this book! Interesting characters, lots of clues, intelligent vocabulary, . . . but main character Myrtle irritated me. It wasn't the vocal work, which was great! It was the clueless lack of awareness of other people (age-appropriate, but still irritating).

 

My quickly jotted notes in the car include "Myrtle - clueless, irritating, precocious . . . NO BOUNDARIES!"

 

The footnotes throughout the story were fine. I thought this would be an excellent book for advanced readers who are ready for a more intellectual challenge without the more mature content that often comes in middle school books.

 

The "Morbid Myrtle" nickname and the "mean girls" phenomenon were applicable to today's social dynamics. Set in the 1890s, I like Miss Judson's observation that "there are Aunt Helenas and LaRue (last name) everywhere." Yes, there are mean people everywhere and in every time.

 

I liked Miss Judson quite a bit. She's so much more than a governess! I like her sketchbooks, her calm, her curiosity, and her Socratic questions. The book definitely should have had more happen between her and Mr. Hardcastle (Myrtle's father).

 

The actual mystery of how their neighbor Mrs. Wodehouse died is at the heart of the story. I guessed the real culprit early on but enjoyed the development of the story. It just bothered me how often Myrtle was impulsive or rude. It was cool that she was observant, curious, and wanting to be an investigator rather than just a silly Victorian girl. It took me a few chapters to realize that the quotes at the start of each chapter were from her! "The Principles of Detection by H.M. Hardcastle" - SHE was Helen Myrtle (named after the awful aunt Helena) Hardcastle and she aspired to be a Sherlock Holmes.

 

I enjoyed it but don't plan to read others in the series. Myrtle is just not my kind of detective, though she is clever and the clues in this book were delightful. I think the law clerk was my favorite character after Miss Judson. And Cook.

Logan's Run

by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson

Hennepin County Library hardcover 148 pages

Published: 1967

Genre: Science Fiction

I had a vague notion of what this story was about since the movie premiered in 1976 and I remember seeing trailers for it. (I didn't go see it - I was only ten years old!) But my curiosity about it was piqued recently and I don't remember why, but I requested it from the library and read it.

I was not impressed. Some SciFi / dystopian fiction has a point to make and / or raises some deep questions. I remember the impending overpopulation crisis in my childhood, but this book just seemed like cheap thrills - sex and violence. Maybe I'm missing the point, but I watched a few YouTube clips last night and I definitely don't want to watch the movie. It looks worse than the book and most of the actors were over the age of 30!

In the book, you get a crystal implanted in your palm at birth. As it decays, it changes color. When you turn 21, it goes black and you need to "Sleep" (i.e. be put to death). If someone tries to avoid the mandated end of their life, they are called a "runner" and the DS tracks them and kills them. In the movie, the age limit is thirty, which is why I found it interesting that most of the principle actors (and mostly the men at that) were over that age.

The book caught my attention on page 70 with this description of Crazy Horse:

"And, with infinite slowness, the mammoth figure took its place against the Dakota sky: Tashunca-uitco. Crazy Horse. The ruthless Indian genius who directed the annihilation of Custer's Seventh on the Little Big Horn."

If I weren't so underwhelmed by this book, I'd include a picture of the entire page. I like the description of how Crazy Horse became a monument . . . started in 1948, it's still not done. The description of him as a "ruthless" genius who "directed the annihilation" of Custer is a far cry from Custer's Last Stand and what I've learned of Crazy Horse. Words have power . . .

 

This book was written in 1967 projecting the year 2116. From Wikipedia: "In the world of 2116, a person's maximum age is strictly legislated: 21 years, to the day. When people reach this Lastday they report to a Sleepshop in which they are willingly executed via a pleasure-inducing toxic gas."

 

The focus on pleasure and getting whatever you want until the end of your life at 21 just feels so incredibly empty and sad. My 2024 adult self kept saying, "the human brain isn't even fully developed until the mid-20s!" I also think it's interesting that the focus was pretty much just on America. Other cultures revere their elderly. You'd have a tough time trying to mandate killing everyone over the age of 21 across the entire globe.

 

I marked one other spot in the book. On pages 120-1, the authors write about the thirty-ninth amendment to the Constitution (Compulsory Birth Control Act). They also reference the year 2000 "as world population spiraled toward six billion" and "the Little War" which brought about this 21-year-old age restriction. SciFi is predicated upon what the author(s) think the future might bring. I understand that. But these specific pieces of info made me curious.

 

It's currently 2024. The Constitution has 27 amendments with the last being added in 1989. World population in 2000 was estimated at 6.1 billion (surpassing the authors' prediction a bit) and is currently estimated to be over eight billion.  

All in all, I just didn't like this book but now my curiosity is appeased!

Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose (Enola Holmes #10)

by Nancy Springer

Libby audiobook 5 hours

Read by Tamaryn Payne

Published: 2023

Genre: YA historical fiction, detective mystery

 

I really do like these Enola Holmes mysteries. In this one, we encounter Rudyard Kipling, a rabid dog, and learn about rabies and the work Joseph Lister was doing in 1890 to find an inoculation for people who were bitten by rabid animals.  

Enola is lovely, smart, and action-oriented. I love her relationship to Sherlock and their bantering. I also like how Harold the driver is looking out for her. And Maude! What a kick-butt, no nonsense gal. 

 

I may need to figure out which ones I haven't read yet . . . Pink Fan? Cryptic Crinoline? (Below from Wikipedia.)

• Enola Holmes and the Case of the Missing Marquess (2006)
• Enola Holmes and the Case of the Left-Handed Lady (2007)
• Enola Holmes and the Case of the Bizarre Bouquets (2008)
• Enola Holmes and the Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan (2008)
• Enola Holmes and the Case of the Cryptic Crinoline (2009)
• Enola Holmes and the Case of the Gypsy Goodbye (2010) - Also known as Enola Holmes and the Case of the Disappearing Duchess
• Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche (2021)
• Enola Holmes and the Boy in Buttons (2021)
• Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade (2022)
• Enola Holmes and the Mark of The Mongoose (2023)
   
   
  <Above posted 2.27.24. Below added  5.29.25.>
   
  This one was good and worth the time I spent relistening. I'm more curious about Rudyard Kipling's true story and how it fits with this fiction. I just looked him up on Wikipedia and found that he married Caroline Starr Balestier . . . interesting. Springer is a very interesting author. I need to see what else she's written besides the Enola Holmes books.
  

Acting Can Be Murder

Como Lake Players Mystery book 1

by John Gaspard

Libby audiobook 5 hours

Read by Margaret Mikkelsen

Published: 2022

Genre: murder mystery

 

This was quirky and mostly enjoyable. I didn't love the reader's voice; she almost sounded bored. But I loved all the local references! Set in the Twin Cities, Leah Sexton has taken on management of a community theatre housed in an old church. She left NYC and her unfaithful (but gorgeous) boyfriend Dylan. While interviewing directors, an actual dead body is found in the window seat on the set of Arsenic and Old Lace.

 

Well. I played one of the old aunts in a production of Arsenic back in the 1980s! I love that show and my attention was grabbed. I did NOT figure out the murderer, though (until the murderer was actually unveiled). 

 

The dead body belonged to a very critical theatre critic. Then the actresses portraying Aunt Abby was pushed (or fell?) down the stairs, breaking several bones. Then Leah got death threats. 

 

The part that bugged me most was the notion of undercover police officers showing up to protect Leah due to the death threats. I wrote on a scratch pad in my car (where I listen to most of my audiobooks while I'm driving) "not likely."  Police officers are too busy to "cover" everyone who's been threatened and may be in trouble.

Ultimately, I found the story very interesting and plan to recommend it to my daughter-in-law who stage manages and directs local shows. I think she'll like it.

When in French: Love in a Second Language

by Lauren Collins

Libby eBook 

Published: 2016

Genre: nonfiction memoir

I borrowed this when I was contemplating refreshing my acquaintance with French. It has taken me a long time and a lot of renewals to finish, but it's a pretty incredible book for language lovers.

 

The author fell in love with Olivier in her early thirties while in London. The two end up married and living in Switzerland. She chronicles her journey of learning French culture as well as language with honesty, information, and a good sense of humor.

Part One / The Past Perfect: Le Plue-Que-Parfait

Olivier was careful of what he said to the point of parsimony; I spent my words like an oligarch with a terminal disease. My memory was all moods and tones, while he had a transcriptionist's recall for the details of our exchanges. Our household spats degenerated into linguistic warfare.

 

She is such a wonderful writer! I love how she expresses herself.

Part One / The Past Perfect: Le Plue-Que-Parfait

A flank steak, I would have assumed, is a flank steak, no matter how you say it. We think of words as having one-to-one correspondences to objects, as though they were mere labels transposed onto irreducible phenomena.

 

Some of her stories are hilarious but also sad. I can so relate to her frustration in asking for something in French and not being understood. The idea that all things have a single word to describe them is an easy fallacy to believe!

 

Two / The Imperfect: L'Imparfait 

"Sonny LaMatina"

 

When she shared the "words" to Frére Jacques as her five year old self sang them, I laughed! I often mis-hear song lyrics and "Sonnez les matines" (ring the bells) does sound like a guy's name. Funny! I especially loved singing this song when I was little because I had a French uncle named John who was a Catholic priest! Father John . . .

Two / The Imperfect: L'Imparfait

While my bunkmates jotted cheery letters to their families, I whimpered into my pillow, an incipient hodophobe racked by some impossible mix of homesickness and wanderlust.

 

I noted this for two reasons. First of all, I had to look up "hodophobe" (dislike or fear of traveling) and I love books that push me intellectually. Secondly, I empathized with this little girl who wanted to travel and also wanted to be home. Collins is brutally honest about chronicling her weaknesses and mistakes.

 

Two / The Imperfect: L'Imparfait

He directed the ROTC, which was supposed to stand for Result of Torn Condom.

 

I know this is a crude joke, but it's a joke I've never heard before and it made me laugh. I have heard the organization called "rotsy" but forgot that it stood for Reserve Officers Training Corps.

 

Two / The Imperfect: L'Imparfait

In 1979 a presidential commission declared that "Americans' incompetence in foreign languages is nothing short of scandalous, and it is becoming worse." 

 

The history lesson here was so interesting. After Sputnik, the U.S. government wanted to fund more foreign language programs to help us be more globally competitive. The funding was short-lived, though, and we're back to being English only speakers for the most part.

 

Two / The Imperfect: L'Imparfait

" . . . And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is 'Merci beaucoup,' right?" President Obama said on the campaign trail in 2008, confessing his monolingualism as a source of personal shame (even if, for electoral purposes, it was likely an asset).

 

I think this is true of most Americans. It's kind of sad. I wish I had become bilingual and used two languages regularly! At this point, I don't think it's going to happen.

Three / The Past: Le Passé Composé

In college I fell in love with a tall Tennessean who directed his considerable intellectual gifts largely toward gambling on sports. The son of a southern lawyer and a serious-minded northern mother, he was so much like me: a partier and a reader, as introverted as he was sociable, stuck between two parts of himself whose ambitions and desires often seemed to be in direct opposition.

 

I just like her words and the juxtapositions of concepts.

Three / The Past: Le Passé Composé

The problem of translation is perhaps most acute in literature, to which renderings must be true in spirit as well as letter. Even the most diligent and creative translators find themselves hard-pressed to replicate such techniques as rhythm, assonance, alliteration, idiom, onomatopoeia, and double meaning. (Dr. Seuss books, with their oddball rhymes and invented words, are said to be the Nikita Khrushchevs of the written word.)

 

This tickled my funny bone, but also made me think about the challenges inherent in translating a work of literature.

 

Four / The Present: Le Présent

The Académie Française - the world's first national body dedicated to the stewardship of a language - was established in 1635, "to give certain rules to our language and to render it pure, eloquent, and capable of treating the arts and sciences."

 

Wow! I was vaguely aware of this organization, but hearing about it in the other French language audiobook I read and then in "print" in this book made me do some online reading. The French are incredibly serious about their language!

Four / The Present: Le Présent

 Despite its pretensions to clarity, French can be trying. Vert (green), verre (glass), ver (worm) vers (toward), and vair (squirrel fur) constitute a quintuple homonym, not even counting verts, verres, and vers (you don't pronounce the final s in French). 

We often hear about how difficult English is to learn, but this example is one of the reasons that I prefer to read and write French rather than listen and speak it! She goes on to talk about Cinderella's "pantoufle en verre" (glass slipper) which might have been a misheard "pantoufle en vair" (fur shoe).

 

Four / The Present: Le Présent

I often tease Olivier about the way he says "can't remember" - "can tree member," as though he were describing a still life of soup, oak, and penis.

 

This made me think of my mom and dad and language pronunciations! My dad used to say that my mother taught "turd" grade because he couldn't pronounce "third" correctly. Oh, we were not nice about that.

Five / The Conditional: Le Conditionnel

One French newspaper had a column that recapitulated the best tweets of the week in more characters than they took to write. 

 

 

Again, this just tickled my funny bone! All that verbiage to express "turducken." Too funny! (And yes, I was too lazy to type all that AND add in the correct accents.)

Six / The Subjunctive: Le Subjonctif

"They're going to go bananas over you, go berserk," she said, overlooking the fact that her paraphrase would probably have been incomprehensible to anyone under twenty-five, regardless of his native language.

This is Lauren's mom "explaining" what she meant by calling Olivier's brother(?) a "huge ladies' man." His confusion over that expression was NOT clarified by the bananas and berserk explanation. Language can be so tricky without idioms, slang, etc. And then the age differences. I still remember my dad trying to use "hip" phrases in the 70s and we disdained his lack of understanding. I often don't understand youngsters' words nowadays!

Seven / The Future: Le Futur

Besides, I was a fiend for birth announcements, wedding announcements, and obituaries, the "hatch, match, and dispatch" trinity that once comprised the only three times a respectable woman's name should appear in print."

I'd not heard that expression "hatch, match, and dispatch" for those announcements, though I have heard about respectable women not being in the paper other than those occasions. That's pretty antiquated, though! 

Seven / The Future: Le Futur

Our insurance policy provided for five days at the clinic, a standard stay in Switzerland.

 

She did indeed have the right room, she explained, and I did have an appointment - each new mother was entitled to a soin postnatal, just a little pick-me-up to help her feel more like herself. 

 

As she describes her experience of giving birth, with the five day stay, the food options, the offer to have a manicure, pedicure, massage, or having her hair done, . . . I wished I were European. American health care is incredibly expensive and minimalistic. It makes me both sad and mad.

 

This book took me a long time to read and a long time to blog! I finished it at least two weeks ago. I have three others that I've finished and need to blog!

 

 

 

The Persian Pickle Club

by Sandra Dallas

Hennepin County Library paperback 196 pages

Published: 1995

Genre: realistic fiction, historical (1930s)

I don't remember where I heard about this book, but I really enjoyed it. I liked it enough to look up the author - she's written a lot of books! The quilting in this story is probably how it came to my attention.

Queenie Bean is a young farm wife in 1930s Harveyville, Kansas. The Dust Bowl following the Great Depression is making life hard for everyone. But getting together with the other women of the Persian Pickle Club helps her stay positive.

Page 4: "I'd never met a woman who didn't sew. None of us had, and we stared at her again, until Ceres Root said with a nice smile, 'You modern women have so many interesting things to do. In this day and age, there's no good reason to make thirteen quilt tops before you marry, like I had to when I was a girl.'"

I love that it's one of the elderly women who breaks the silence when Rita, Tom's wife, admits that she didn't sew.

Page 4: "There wasn't a quilt top turned out by a member of the Persian Pickle Club that didn't have fabrics from all of us in it. That made us all a part of one another's quilts, just like we were part of one another's lives."

I love that they share fabric scraps the way they share their lives as they sew. Camaraderie!

 

Page 13: "She'd start coming to club after she found a husband. It was marrying that made women appreciate other women."

 

That made me laugh. Not every woman wants to get married or have friendships with other women.

 

Page 31: "I'm the same. I look across the land, and all I see are quilts. I carry my scrap bag in the car so's I can go to patching while Blue drives. If I didn't have my quilting, I'd have gone crazy with all this moving around."

I loved the scene where Queenie and her husband Grover meet with Blue and Zepha and little Sonny. This was one of my favorite aspects of the story!

Page 42: "When he went to town one day, she asked him to bring her back a piece of fabric she'd admired. Instead of a length, he brought her the whole bolt of cloth. It was Persian pickle, what some call paisley."

It's fun to find out where the title of the book originates. In this case, Ceres' husband made a purchase that gave the group their title.

Page 132: "When there's trouble, women just naturally think of food, although there was no need for it this time."

Food is one of my love languages! I love offering nourishment to people. It was wonderful how the women reached out to one another in times of trouble.

Page 141: "You can stay locked up here feeling sorry for yourself like Lizzy Olive would have done, or you can put the bad time behind you like Ella did and thing about all the good things the Lord gave you. And He'll keep on giving them to you if you'll let Him. But how can you take advantage of His opportunities if you're sitting behind the kitchen door with the hook on?"

Mrs. Judd was so bossy, but she made things happen!

Page 150: "'Oh,' I said, wondering why women like Velma and Rita, who didn't want children, got pregnant, while God denied me a baby even though I wanted one more than anything in the world. He even gave five at one time to that Dionne family in Canada. Was that fair?"

Those are the kinds of questions to turn over in prayer! It is painful to see people who do not value children at all having them and neglecting or abusing them, while also being aware of people who struggle with infertility.

Page 168: "I took the bundle from Grover and untied the string, putting it into my apron pocket to save."

This caught my attention because those frugal 1930s habits (like saving a piece of string) is what I grew up with! It's hard to not save every little thing when that's what you've known.

I am definitely interested in reading more of this author's work!

The Hurricane Girls

by Kimberly Willis Holt

Libby audiobook 6 hours

Read by: Aricka Parent

Published: 2023

Genre: YA coming-of-age "historical" fiction

When I initially got this book, it was because I like this author. I put hist fic in quotation marks because that was the designated genre I was searching for in Libby. The book, however, is set in 2017 which is twelve years after the 2005 storm Hurricane Katrina. That doesn't feel very historical to me!

The three girls Greer, Joya Mia (pronounced "hoy-ah mee-ah"), and Kiki (who didn't like the name Katrina) were all born "in the wake" of the hurricane. After doing a report on the hurricane in sixth grade, the three girls became fast friends. Now they are seventh graders and a lot has changed for them.

I thought the book was a little too middle school girl vibe for me. Well, duh. That's the target audience! But as the story went on, I was so impressed by the author's gifts in weaving so many themes without overwhelming the core story of their friendship.

Training for a marathon, being a loving sister, getting your period, not giving up, babysitting, modeling, saving for goals, Old Rusty (bicycle), grief, . . . there is a lot to this story. The audio was well done.

The Divine Proverb of Streusel

by Sara Brunsvold

Dakota County Library paperback 309 pages plus author's note and acknowledgements

Published: 2024

Genre: Christian realistic fiction

I love this author! We read her book The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip and I loved that one, too. 

 

From Amazon:

Shaken by her parents' divorce and discouraged by the growing chasm between herself and her serious boyfriend, Nikki Werner seeks solace at her uncle's farm in a small Missouri hamlet. She'll spend the summer there, picking up the pieces of her shattered present so she can plan a better future. But what awaits her at the ancestral farm is a past she barely knows.

Among her late grandmother's belongings, Nikki finds an old notebook filled with handwritten German recipes and wise sayings pulled from the book of Proverbs. With each recipe she makes, she invites locals to the family table to hear their stories about the town's history, her ancestors--and her estranged father.

What started as a cathartic way to connect to her heritage soon becomes the means through which she learns how the women before her endured--with the help of their cooking prowess. Nikki realizes how delicious streusel with a healthy dollop of faith can serve as a guide to heal wounds of the past.

 

It's surprising to me that a book filled with recipes didn't tempt me even once to think about cooking any of them. Weird, because I love food and many of the dishes sounded yummy. 

Page 10: "Tracy sank into the chair next to Nikki's desk - the same spot she claimed every Thursday morning before students arrived - for a "Gab and Grace session," as she called it. The life-giving thirty minutes of prayer and mentoring . . . "

This made me think of our weekly prayer time at PRMS - Megan, Cina, Bonnie, and me. What sustenance our prayer time gave us for working with middle schoolers! What a blessing to have prayer buddies.

Page 21: "No answer came, as if God trusted him to discern the way. He had faith sharpened by war, by witnessing the brightest good bloom among the sharpest thorns of depravation. But God should have known by then how dense Wes really was."

 

I love her language choices. Discernment is hard . . . I'm with Wes on thinking God knows I'm dense but willing.

Page 42: Rhubarb pie! This made me think of my husband with a smile. He loves rhubarb pie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On page 50, Wes is talking to his Aunt Emma about Nikki showing up on his doorstep. I kind of want to include their whole conversation here because I love it so much! But the part that I flagged was when he says "You have far too much confidence in me." Aunt Emma replies, "And for that I will never apologize."

Throughout the book, I was drawn to Aunt Emma so much! What a fun woman of God! She is a lot like Mrs. Kip. Both characters make a point of building others up. I love that quality! Part of me wants to own both of these Brunsvold books . . . I enjoyed them so much.

Page 73: "All the pieces of her life broke off bit by bit. Slipped through her fingers even as she had her palms to heaven in a plea for mercy. How had it all fallen apart so quickly? How had it gotten so completely out of her control? How would she ever get through it?

Her mom's reply to that very question floated back. It comprised the words from Grandma Ann herself. 'Do the next thing.'

'It's the only thing I can do,' her mom had said."

The phrase "Do the next thing" was repeated frequently throughout this book, but it felt powerful in its repetition, not redundant. Getting "stuck" in life happens, but having a way to move forward is much better than staying stuck! Do the next thing.

Page 82: "Don't tell our pastor. Of course, he'll probably find out anyway. We posted a few of those selfie photos on the social media. Too bad you're not on it. Old women with beers and insufficient knowledge of technology make for interesting results."

Again, Aunt Emma talking with Wes makes the best parts of the book! I love her spunk and the "old women" sentiment at the end. It truly made me laugh out loud.

Page 135: "Shame, that whole situation. But Chris has made his bed. He'll need to sleep in it a while yet. Hard as it is, we need to let him. The good news is God's not afraid of an attitude. That divine whack will come in due course - to all the skulls that need it."

Aunt Emma again. Nikki's dad Chris has left his family and married his affair partner. His choices have torn apart his ex-wife's life as well as impacting his daughters and brother. So very sad. But Aunt Emma knows no one can change his mind or his behavior. So true!

Page 147 - When Nikki and her sister Hannah are taking a last look at their childhood home, Nikki says, "Where are we going to go for Christmas? Or birthdays? Or any holiday?"

I know adults who have mourned the loss of their childhood home and this scene made me think of their sadness. I guess I was so happy to have my own home (plus my childhood home is still in the family) that I haven't dealt with this personally. It's interesting to contemplate the passage of time and the different seasons of life.

Page 172: "Maybe that would help break the ice. Plus, I'm champing at the bit to let my stories out. I'm old. I have to share while I'm lucid enough to remember them."

 

Aunt Emma again! This is part of the reason why I did StoryWorth to tell some of my own stories while I can. I cannot ever again hear my parents talk about their childhoods and younger years. I can't ask them questions to find out their thoughts. Stories can be powerful and meaningful and we all have them.

 

Page 190: "Wes closed his bedroom door and sank onto the edge of his bed. Nikki had no idea how like her father she was. The German language may have faded between their family's generations, but the stubbornness held strong, as woven into the DNA as the brown eyes."

 

I tagged this because my husband and I both have German ancestry. Whenever we argue about stubbornness, I try to convince him that he's MORE stubborn because he's more German than I am. We laugh about it, but this paragraph made me think of it.

 

Page 219: "No doubt she does. Stories are the universal heart language. They bring together what is scattered."

 

Wisdom from Aunt Emma as she talks with Wes. He told her that Nikki appreciates her memories. This is her lovely response.

 

Page  223: "'The empty nest amplifies the gaps in a relationship,' her mom said. 'The gaps had become so much bigger than we realized. We had neglected too many things for too long. I tried to work on them, but it takes two.'"

I'm so very thankful that Louie and I get along well and have not struggled to adapt to our "empty nest." We're friends and partners. I'm so blessed!

Page 243: "The good news is father hurt can be covered by the Father's love, if you accept it. I'm being more direct with you than I have been. I love you too much to not speak the truth. Please hear it for what it is."

As much as I love Aunt Emma, Wes had so many characteristics that I share. He truly wanted to glorify God and make a difference in people's lives for God's kingdom, but he often felt awkward. In the letter he wrote to his brother, he wrote the truth in love. I loved this letter and how he tried so hard to be honest and encouraging. His subject line (must have been an email) was "I should have said it sooner."

Page 265: "'The other thing that needs to be said,' she added, 'is how wildly proud I am of you. You invest so much care and love in those around you, and it shows in how real your grief is for this boy. Never, ever stop doing good. Especially when it gets hard. Teach our niece to do the same. She's watching you more closely than ever. You understand?'"

Yes, Aunt Emma. The "boy" who died was Trennen, a young man who farmed Wes' land. 

Page 277: "I myself am a maligner, an abuser, an insulter, a neglecter, a shunner. Yet I am pure, covered in the love of a scourged and rejected Savior. I love because I am loved. I forgive because I am forgiven. I am a saint because he became my sin. I cannot charge a penny debt to someone else when I have had millions erased.

Okay, that's all the waxing I can do in a single email. I need a cold beverage now.

In all seriousness, darling niece, please consider what Ann taught me. It is my belief she came to this wisdom too late for certain relationships in her life. She wouldn't want that for you."

Aunt Emma's letter to Nikki also brought out my post-it notes. I love this character! I love her faith in the Lord and her exuberance for life.

Page 289-290: I just decided to show the letter from Nikki to her dad (Chris). Good stuff!

 

Page 292: "I'm happier than a dog with two tails!"

Aunt Emma's response to Wes telling her that he and Joyce are getting married. 

Page 296: "The makeshift bookmark turned out to be only the business card of the bookstore, but on the page it denoted, a light touch of a pencil underlined one passage: 'I shall be infinitely prouder of a lovable daughter with a talent for making life beautiful to herself and others.'"

The reconciliation between Nikki and her dad was perhaps the sweetest "love story" in this book. The fact that he chose to find a valuable edition of Little Women, read it, underline this line, and send it to her speaks volumes of love. 

This book was wonderful! I apologize if I've given away too much or spoiled it. It has taken me a long time to write all this!

The Case of the Smuggler's Curse

By Mark Dawson

Libby audiobook 4 hours

Read by Mark Peachey

Published: 2022

(After-school Detective Club, bk. 1)

Genre: children’s mystery

This was a lovely little story. Max, Lucy, Joe, and Charli (Charlotte) becoming friends is the real heart of this story. The mystery and ensuing heroics are in the vein of Scooby-Doo.  (There's even a dog named Sherlock!)

But the development of friendships really shines through.  Max is inventive but a bit lazy.  Lucy is athletic.  Joe is lonely; his dad is often away for work and his mom's a socialite.  Charli and Sherlock tend to be loners. (But together,  because her dog means the world to her. )

The bag guys are smuggling exotic animals.  They are truly awful and the kids are amazing. 

Though written for elementary to middle school aged kids,  I enjoyed listening to it.  I liked the dog best,  then the Captain. Mr. Creech was worse than Mr. De Havilland!

It's Okay to Not Finish . . .

I was listening to Kristin Hannah's The Four Winds and I wasn't enjoying it. Her writing is wonderful, but Elsa (Elsinore) as a spinster in 1921 just wasn't working for me. I felt sorry for her, but also frustrated. My one favorite quote before I quit listening was from her deceased grandfather. "Don't be afraid of dying. Be afraid of not living." The Walcotts and their social standing were off putting. I was curious about The Age of Innocence, but don't think I'll get it and read it. 

I just decided to move on even though I truly think Hannah is a talented author who crafts a strong story. The vocal work was fine; I just didn't like it.

#NoEscape

by Gretchen McNeil

"a #murdertrending novel" #3

Libby audiobook 10 hours

Narrated by: Rebecca Gibel

Published:  2020 (this version 2022)

Genre: YA murder mystery

There WILL be spoilers, so stop now if you plan to read this book. Persey (short for Persephone, but that's her middle name and she's really touchy about being called anything other than Persey) is a 17 year old who is freakishly good at figuring out puzzles. She solves the "unsolvable" library escape and wins a place in the national escape room championship. (First prize is $11 million  . . . )

What I liked:

• the escape room theme (Office, Loft, Collection, Cavethedral, Spike Pool, Classroom, Tea Room, . . . )
  
• interesting characters
  
• the curiosity about who was the killer and how the story would turn out
• the narrator's vocal work
  

 

What I didn't like:

• virtually everything else!
• there was no indication in audio of when we were experiencing a flashback to the protagonist's earlier story, so that was jarring. One moment, you're in an escape room trying frantically to solve a puzzle and the next you're in Persey's dining room having a shouting match with her dad.
• Persey's dad was beyond horrible. To constantly berate her and tear her down while idolizing his awful son . . . it was unimaginable. No wonder mom is a raging alcoholic.
• The scene in the Iron Maiden room . . . I was shouting "narrate what you see!" Because of course the people without the night vision goggles wanted information about what she was seeing and what all of them were facing. So frustrating!
• So many times, they were having stupid teen conversations instead of focusing on the task at hand. That was maddening.
• The deaths - Bryan smashed on the head, Arlo decapitated, Shawn drugged and frozen in place, Wes . . . well that was understandable. He has only himself to blame. Riot crushed to death, McKenzie shot by "Kevin," . . . Nila spared, Persey of course surviving.
• Kevin actually being Lincoln Brown, sadist and brother of Persey was almost the most disappointing part of the story. Persey going along with his plan was the worst!!!
• What an awful story. 

Mentor: The Kid & The CEO

subtitle: A Simple Story of Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Significance

by Tom Pace with Walter Jenkins

paperback 175 pages

Published: 2007

Genre: motivational

This was donated to a middle school I worked at over fifteen years ago. It sat in a pile at my house and so I decided to read it (finally). It isn't really middle school level . . . though I thought about which readers might benefit from it.

The basic premise is that a dumb entitled teen gets in trouble with the law and ends up in prison on a felony conviction. A motivational mentor offers a weekly class and the teen eventually goes just to get out of his cell. Over the weeks and months, his life is transformed.

Overall, this is a fairly cheesy simplistic book but it is definitely a positive and encouraging one. Two big themes from this mentor are to read and to run. It also touches on the reality of how hard life can be for ex-cons who are trying to turn their lives around after leaving prison. And of course, there is a huge emphasis on finding a mentor and / or being a mentor.

One thing I liked were the very faint phrases on the bottom of every page. "Dream big." "Share hope." "Be loyal." "Concentrate." I almost got out my highlighter to make them more prominent, but I knew I wasn't planning to keep this book. I'm trying to decide if I will drop it off at a Little Free Library, a jail, or a high school.

The Duke and I

by Julia Quinn

Libby audiobook 12 hours

Read by: Rosalyn Landor

Published: 2016

Genre: historical romance fiction

I have seen ads for the show Bridgerton, but never watched it. When I saw that this audiobook was available and had "Bridgerton" about the title, I was curious. I listened to the entire thing and here's my reaction.

It's basically just a romance / lust story set in the Regency era. Quinn does a nicer job of storytelling than many other Harlequin-style authors, but the main draw is the sexual attraction between the Duke of Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton.

My favorite aspects:

• Simon's childhood and overcoming his speech problems
• the Bridgerton brothers and that dynamic
• the alpha order of the Bridgerton children
• Violet, the Bridgerton matriarch. What a hoot! Especially her "night before the wedding" talk with poor Daphne

 

Overall, though, I don't feel a need to read any more of the books or watch the show.

Beyond the Bright Sea

by Lauren Wolk

Hennepin County hardcover 283 pages plus author's note and acknowledgements

Published: 2017

Genre: Children's historical fiction

 

I borrowed this for a sixth grade student who wanted to read it (after she enjoyed the author's book Wolf Hollow so much). Of course, I needed to read it myself before returning it to the library. It was enjoyable and unpredictable. Little Crow was set adrift in a small boat as an infant. Osh rescued her and raised her on one of the Elizabeth Islands. 

This book made me interested in Cuttyhunk, Penikese, and other islands. I have already read quite a bit about Hansen's disease (leprosy) and wasn't surprised by people's attitudes (especially in the 1920s). I love books that made me think and wonder. I was surprised that we didn't learn more about Osh's past by the end of the book! 

Page 6: "I wanted to know why there were pearls tucked inside some of the Cuttyhunk oysters but not others. I wanted to know how the moon could drag the ocean in and out from such a distance, when it couldn't stir the milk in Miss Maggie's tea. But I needed to know, among other things, why so many of the Cuttyhunk Islanders stayed away from me, as if they were afraid, when I was smaller than any of them."

Crow is such a lovely protagonist. I love this distinction between wanting to know and needing to know. I also love the language choices.

Page 34: "I read a dozen new books, like The Secret Garden and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - books that rang bells in my heart - and I devoted myself to my lessons with Miss Maggie, who taught me things like why salt water boiled faster than fresh."

First of all, the "books that rang bells in my heart" is simply beautiful! Secondly, why does salt water boil faster than fresh?

Page 82: "the 8th of June, 1925 . . . Carville, Louisiana"

Until the signature on this letter from a doctor, I didn't realize the time period. Interesting, but not enough to make me go back and see if I should have picked up on the time period earlier!

Page 91: "The chickens liked me, as long as I didn't bring Mouse along."

This made me laugh! Mouse is the name of her cat. I'm quite sure the chickens wouldn't like a cat to come along with young Crow. 

Page 113 - I was so surprised when Crow rescued Mr. Sloan, and a bit worried at what he might do to her. The danger element in this book was high enough to make it very captivating, especially later when Mr. Kendall is after them.

Page 137: "'Things are usually better when you don't mess with them too much,' he said."

Osh is wise and he imparts his wisdom to Crow whether she's aware of it or not. Beyond the simple meal they're having, he's referring to her getting involved in what happened to her family before she came to him on the sea.

Page 165: "'I suspect they pay attention to what they know.' As he had told me I should."

Again, Osh is teaching Crow. They're talking about baby birds learning to fly. And about Crow.

Page 166: "The breeze curtsied as it passed by.

A chimney swift sketched a curlicue overhead.

If there had been music, it might have been too much to bear."

Osh, Miss Maggie, and Crow are eating a meal together. This book is filled with lovely language as well as a wonderful mystery and adventure story. I was a bit surprised that the ending didn't tie up all the loose ends, but glad that it wasn't just a pat, predictable story.

Secrets in the Snow

by Michaela MacColl

Libby ebook

Published: 2022

Genre: YA historical fiction

 

This story was enjoyable but didn't blow me away. Jane Austen is the central figure and it's an interesting blend of real history and creative writing. I liked Jane's spunk and the whodunit murder mystery. I liked her disabled brother George and her love interest Tom being pleasant when he met this brother. A lot of other parts were a bit meh.

 

Chapter 3: "Besides," Jane continued, "you must stay here and find out as much as you can. Edward won't suspect you of ulterior motives." 

"Unlike you, I have no hidden depths," Cassandra said. "I seem scrupulous because I am." 

I love that Cassandra is just so WYSIWYG! (What You See Is What You Get) These sisters are such a great pair!

Chapter 18: What possibilities there were in Tom's story! A family desperate for a son. Perhaps the property is entailed and only a male relative can inherit. But daughter after daughter is born. Their only hope is to marry well. But how can five girls all manage to find husbands? The Austens couldn't manage two!

In the author's note, she provides a bit more background information. She really did her research on Jane Austen, but also took a few liberties. It was kind of sweet how info like this popped up. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books, so this made me smile.

Chapter 22: Imagine a gentleman with five daughters and no fortune. The business of his wife is to get her daughters married. The two eldest sisters might resemble us: one who is sweet and kind like you, and another who is too clever for her own good. Of course there will be dances, misunderstandings, heartbreak, and at least one engagement. No murder, however. I am done with that.

In her last letter to her sister Cassandra, Jane lays out the plot for her next story. The murder aspect in this book was interesting, but a bit of a stretch. The cousin Eliza and her story were prominent.

Ladies of the Lake

By Cathy Gohlke

Dakota County Library paperback 352 pages plus author’s note, acknowledgements, and discussion questions

Published: 2023

Genre: Christian historical fiction

 

I hope I remember details when our book club meets in a week and a half! There are things I loved about this book and things that bugged me. I learned about the Halifax explosion of 1917. In fact, I looked it up before I was even halfway through the book. I’d never heard of it before!

 

Young Adelaide Macneill becomes an orphan when her parents don’t return one night, lost in a storm at sea. Her much older brother removes her from PEI and sends her to a girls boarding school in Connecticut. She becomes friends with three other girls and the “Ladies of the Lake” pledge to be eternal friends.

 

There will be spoilers, so stop here if you've not yet read the book!

 

Pg 4: “Not my concern after looking after the both of you all these years? You’ve gotten to be like that Miss Haversham woman in that Dickens book you’ve been reading aloud. You'll keep on till you die like - - "

"Portia, please. And it's Havisham."

 

I love the reference to Dickens and the correction of the character name! Portia and "Rosaline" (Aka Addie) have a unique connection and a long history.

Pg. 13: "Dear God and Father of us all, we come to You tonight heartbroken, grieving the sudden and terrible loss of Adelaide's beloved mother and father. We grieve for the loss of their strong arms about her, for the loss of the home she dearly loved - the home where she was born, felt safe, and had expected to grow to womanhood."

Mrs. Simmons is the woman I want to be - attentive, sensitive, kind, and willing to pray with someone who clearly needs prayer. The prayer goes on and was such a great counterbalance to young Addie's brother's coldness and her grief.

Pg. 57: "The gulp in Bernadette's throat was visible. She looked at the headmistress, set her mouth in a firm line, and looked away. 'I've been better, but it costs more.'"

We've traveled from 1910 and Addie to 1935 and her daughter Bernadette. The headmistress at Lakeside Ladies Academy is now Dorothy Meyer (aka "Dot," one of the Ladies of the Lake). When Bernadette utters those words, Dot is immediately reminded of her dear friend Addie (who theoretically died in 1917 . . . ). There were so many hints and clues . . . and it seemed pretty apparent to this reader where the story was going.

Pg. 63: "I'd never tasted alcohol, but I was certain those racings of brain and pulse signified intoxication."

Ah, young love! Just being near Stephen makes Addie feel intoxicated. Sigh, swoon.

Pg. 185: "Miracles are Your department, aren't they, Lord? Dorothy wondered if that was sacrilege, to beg God when she needed Him and ignore Him when things were fine. But things aren't fine, Lord! They've never been fine, not for a long time."

I love that God's grace is bigger than our sin! But it does frustrate me when people only cry out to God when they want something from Him. Ignoring God when "things are fine" is such a huge mistake.

Pg. 274: "And how can I hope to be forgiven if I don't forgive? Each day I pray the Lord's Prayer - 'Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.' Dear God, forgiveness depends on both of us; I know this. We're in this hole together and together we can climb out. That's where freedom is born, isn't it?"

 

I love how Addie / Rosaline, Dot, Ruth, and Susannah all had such distinct personalities and strengths. I love how Addie grows throughout this story. Her ability to recognize the need for forgiveness is powerful.

 

Pg. 284: "Stephen is no longer that young man any more than I am that young woman. Who is he now? Who am I without the shield of memory I've built to protect myself? Lord, you've built an identity in me while I've stood unaware, grieving a broken monument. The wonder overwhelmed me."

 

Sometimes we forget that others' lives have moved, as ours have moved. Memory can be powerful and positive, but it can also be deceptive.

Pg. 309: "I'd vowed to the Lord yesterday that I wouldn't waste one more moment of my life in fears and regret, but carrying that out was harder than I'd imagined."

Amen, sister. Good intentions, even vows to God, doesn't equal a clear path to follow in words and actions.

Pg. 315: "I don't want to lose another minute of our friendship, girls. The truth is, children grow up and move on with their lives. Husbands become busy with their work and who knows what. But women need friends, read, true friends, and we're the best we've got."

I don't remember which character said this! (I've already returned the book to the library and I'm just using screenshots of pages for the quotations.) It's one of my favorite lines from the book.

Pg. 325: The big reveal - that Dot had married Jonas Meyer and not Stephen Meyer kind of ticked me off. It was so strongly implied that she had betrayed Addie because she was pining for Stephen . . . Ugh. The wasted time and lives . . . All's well that ends well, I suppose. But that part kind of bugged me.

The whole drama about Addie being Bernadette's mom (vs. aunt) and going to the graduation were also mixed with the board treasurer embezzling money and the school's danger of closing. It was a wonderful book to read! Oh, and the Meyer family were of German descent and faced persecution during the war. The girls taunting men with the white feather . . . there were so many details. The author's note was quite good, too.

 

 

 

Just Because

by Matthew McConaughey

Illustrated by Renée Kurilla

Hennepin County Library hardcover children's book

Published: 2023

Genre: children's fiction, encouragement

 

I don't remember where I saw a blurb about this book and got curious, but I've been on the waiting list for a while. It's a beautifully illustrated picture book where the text only carries half the message. 

 

Some might say the author is promoting social relativism, but I think he's showing situations where nuance is required. He writes (and Kurilla illustrates) in such a kid-appropriate way that many good conversations about how to handle life situations could follow.

"Just because you're a bully, doesn't mean that you're strong." The illustration shows a boy angrily snatching a basketball from another child's hands. The bottom half of the page says, "Just because it felt right then, doesn't mean it won't feel wrong." That illustration shows the bully with tears as his back is turned to the other child, who looks forlorn.

The other thing I love about this book is how grays and full color illustrations are mixed to highlight the point of the text.

This is a wonderful picture book, worth having in an elementary school collection or a child's home.

The Awe of God: The Astounding Way a Healthy Fear of God Transforms Your Life

by John Bevere

Hennepin County Library hardcover 279 pages + notes

Published: 2023

Genre: Non-fiction Christian faith

I didn't realize this was just published this year . . . until now. There's a LONG waiting list for it and I'm six days over my return date. (Last week was super busy and then we went to the lake.) I will return it today and request it again because it is so good! I thought about buying a copy, but I'm trying really hard to spend less money and have fewer possessions. 

It is written in such a way that it could be used as a six week (42 day) devotional. He has at the end of each day a "Making it Personal" section with a Scripture passage, a main point, questions to ponder, a prayer, and a statement of profession. (I love the alliteration! Passage, Point, Ponder, Prayer, Profession.)

Page 11: "I realized that morning the pastor had confused the 'spirit of fear' with the 'fear of the Lord.' There is a huge difference, . . . "

Yes! As a child, I heard the refrain, "God will get you for that!" We were taught to be AFRAID of God, and in my child's mind I just wanted to avoid Him. He was scary. The fear of the Lord is so very different from being afraid. I'm so glad that I've learned to have a healthy awe and respect for the Lord!

Page 48 (Your Value): "Once again, we see a differentiation of holy fear and unholy fear. I cannot stress enough that holy fear does not mean being scared of God and consequently withdrawing from Him, but unholy fear does. It's imperative that we know the difference and are established in this truth."

Obviously, I'm not the only person who has struggled with this. As I am revisiting this book, I remember why I thought about buying my own copy. I may have to buy it yet . . . And I concur with his recommendation to use a journal with the daily readings.

Also on page 48, I wonder if I could get a job as a proofreader. "The two will be a significant part our discussion moving forward . . . " I read that sentence at least four times, my brain filling in the word "of" between "part" and "our." Ugh.

I am on week 2 day 4 "Fear and Trembling." Ironic, huh? After I get this book again, I will try to be more diligent in reading it daily and returning it on time!

<Above posted 1.16.24. Below added 2.13.24. More to come later . . . >

The "ironic" above was having had the book for 27 days (21 day checkout and 6 days late) and only getting to entry #11!!! I've been more diligent this time around, but I have finally put it on my Wish List. If no one buys it for me, I'll cycle back to getting it from the library again when it's not so new.

It is worth owning, though. So many Christian books make me think, "I can just read my Bible! That's where the knowledge comes from - the Word of God." But some help guide and direct my thoughts and prayers. This is one of those books. I'm really enjoying the time drawing into God's Word. I love his "Making It Personal" at the end of each section. (And yes, I love the alliteration of Passage / Point / Ponder / Prayer / Profession, but that's only a small part of it!)

Page 105 (Depart from Evil): "I loved Jesus, but I didn't fear God." 

Bevere is talking with a jailed evangelist who repented of his sinfulness. This is in answer to Bevere's question, "You committed adultery seven years before you were prosecuted for the mail fraud that ultimately put you in this penitentiary. How can you tell me you loved Jesus those seven years?"

This reminded me of Pastor Jamie talking about "Mush God" - some people's perception that "God is love" means whatever people want it to mean and there are no limits.

Page 160 (A Good Pain): "Peter instructs us to arm ourselves. Can you imagine a military going to war without any planes, ships, tanks, guns, bullets, knives - unarmed? Just the thought of it seems ludicrous. In the same way, it's just as crazy for a believer to be unprepared to suffer, yet many are. An unarmed believer can easily bypass hardship for the sake of self-preservation. The fear of the Lord is what arms us; it maintains a deep resolve in our will to obey God no matter what suffering it may entail."

I don't love the military / war analogy, but it makes sense. It's too easy in American Christianity to want everything to be pleasant. That's not what God's Word tells us! Following Him is a sacrifice and we WILL have troubles. Trusting Him is what gets us through the hard times.

Page 167 (It Is Finished): "Likewise, most would affirm he did well by completing 99.99 percent of the assignment, but very few would classify his actions as rebellion. If we were in Saul's shoes and received this correction, how many of us would protest, 'Come on, be reasonable! Why are you so focused on the little I didn't do, instead of acknowledging all that I accomplished?' In light of this, it's safe to conclude this truth: almost complete obedience isn't obedience at all."

Ouch. This hit me. I'm pretty quick to rationalize and celebrate what I DID get done, rather than asking God what HE wants me to do. I really need to work on seeking His will, listening, and obeying. 

 

I need to get this back to the library (again). I'm on week 5 day 1. Week 5 is "Intimacy with God." Week 6 is "The Treasure's Benefits." Six weeks x seven days = 42 day devotional. Seriously, I should just buy this!

The Bullet

by Mary Louise Kelly

Libby audiobook 12 hours

Read by Cassandra Campbell

Published: 2015 

Genre: murder mystery

Warning! I WILL include spoilers in this review. Stop after the first paragraph if you're curious to read it yourself.

Initially, I liked this book and was curious to see where it would go. Caroline is a thirty-something year old college professor and has been dealing with wrist pain for a year. Her doctor seems dismissive, but finally has her go in for an MRI. There's a bullet lodged in her neck!

My first thought was that the MRI would have caused the bullet to go toward the powerful magnet . . . but a few chapters later, they explain that the bullet is lead and so not magnetic.

Her parents are cagey when she asks them how it is possible that she has a bullet in her neck. She learns that they are her adoptive parents and she was shot as a three-year-old when her birth parents were murdered. This sets her off on a discovery research trip to Atlanta to find out about her own past.

The things I disliked most about this book:

1. The excessive use of the Lord's name as a swearword. (Ironic that I'm also reading The Awe of God right now . . . God is Holy, His Name is Holy, He is not a casual swearword.) Even more ironic is that the main character actually prays when she is in a place of need! What?!

2. Her physician, Will, seduces her then ghosts her! That whole thing was ick on a deeper level than I was ready for. I thought he had to be in cahoots with her parents' murderer. How else could he possibly make so many awful choices about his relationship with a patient?! (And then they get back together at the end of the story . . . yuk.)

3. When she killed Ethan Sinclair. Of all the ways this could have resolved, her becoming a murderer herself did not seem to be a very fitting way to get justice for her birth parents and her own lost childhood. Then her going on the run, buying burner phones, etc. . . . Jason Bourne she is not.

4. Finding out the identity of the actual killer. It was maddening that it was so apparent well before the lightbulb went on for Caroline. The ending was definitely anticlimatic.

Campbell's vocal work was fantastic. I love that the author translated the French words and phrases. (I knew many of them, but not all.) I liked the main character's brothers. They were probably my favorite characters!