Tag: 2014

Prepared for a Purpose

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Tuff, Antoinette. Prepared for a Purpose: the Inspiring True Story of How One Woman Saved an Atlanta School Under Siege. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2014.

I have to say right off the bat that I could not put this book down. Once I started, I stayed glued to it for the entire day and read it cover to cover in one sitting. Antoinette Tuff’s story, even before the events of August 20, 2013, is gripping. Thanks to her faith in God and the Bible she has always had an abundance of gumption and spunk. No matter what hardship was throw in her way (and there were a lot of them), she handled every single one the best way she knew how – through prayer and strength. The fact that Ms. Tuff is a now motivational speaker is an example of a divine calling.
Just a note about how the book was written. I enjoyed the back and forth between “present” day (August 20, 2013) and Tuff’s past. I like the cliff hangers. For example, right before Tuff covered the receptionist’s lunch on that fateful day she got a devastating phone call. The reader doesn’t know what the phone call was about until much later in the story.

Reason read: As part of the Early Review program for LibraryThing I was chosen to review this book (February 2014).

Author fact: Antoinette Yuff was honored at the CNN All-Star Tribute. When she walked on stage, I didn’t recognize her. She looked amazing.

Book trivia: My early review copy came complete with color photographs. How cool is that?

Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead

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Lindbergh, Anne Morrow. Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead: Diaries and Letters 1929 – 1932.New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1973.

If, in the letters and journals of Bring Me a Unicorn Anne Morrow Lindbergh was a fresh-faced college girl, she is now a daring pilot and adventurer in Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead. The year 1929 begins with Anne and Charles’ engagement. At this stage in her life she is quickly learning about the down side of being a celebrity (thanks to Charles and his airplane adventures). The couple can’t go anywhere without a throng of reporters following their every move. Anne has to be careful of what she writes to friends and family for fear of it getting out to the press and misconstrued. Charles and Anne even wear disguises to the opera. But, Anne still carries her enthusiasm with her. She continues to miss her siblings and mother madly (she never addresses her letters to her father) while she travels about the world. All this enthusiasm comes crashing to the ground at the end of 1931 when she loses her father and then again, in early 1932, when her son, Charles Jr., is kidnapped and found months later murdered. It is heartbreaking the way she refers to her son as, “the stolen child” as if she cannot bear to call him by name or even claim to be his mother. Throughout the rest of the book, Anne’s grief is heartbreaking. She tried to end on a happy note with the birth of her second son, Jon and the wedding of her sister, Elisabeth.

Quotes to take away: “I leaned on another’s strength until I discovered my own” (p 2). Speaking of Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, “It took me by the teeth and shook me as a dog a rabbit, and I could not get over it” (p 56).  A line I can relate to, “I am wild, wild, wild to get home” (p 100). A line I cannot relate to, “After ten weeks of negotiation and contact with the kidnapper and the handing over of the demanded ransom, the dead body of the child was found in the woods a few miles from our home” (p 209).

Reason read: I read Bring Me A Unicorn in honor of January being Journal month. Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead continues the series.

Author fact: There is one degree of separation between Anne Morrow Lindbergh and myself! I had a small thrill on my second day of reading Hour of Gold when surprise, surprise! Anne mentions Monhegan Island! She is recounting all of the stops on her honeymoon with Charles and says, “Monhegan Island in here somewhere” (p 45). Judging by the dates of letters, she was there sometime between June 1 and June 7th, 1929.

Book trivia: Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead picks up where Bring Me a Unicorn left off. The next book in the sequence is Locked Rooms and Open Doors which I will not be reading. This period, from 1933 – 1935 will be skipped. Sad.

BookLust Twist: from More Book Lust in the chapter called “Journals and Letters: We Are All Voyeurs At Heart” (p 131).

PS ~ Even though Locked Rooms and Open Doors is not on my list I have decided to borrow it, just so I can look at the pictures and feel “caught up” for when I read Flower and the Nettle.

My Father’s Moon

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Jolley, Elizabeth. My Father’s Moon. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1989.

Veronica Wright (Vera) is trying to find her way. As a mother to young Helena. As a daughter to an overbearing mother. As a nurse in war-torn England. As an unpopular student at a stuffy boarding school. She find solace in the little things, like the promise of a moon she and her father can both see, no matter how far apart they may be. We start at the end, when Vera is a single mother, but then weave our way back through Vera’s beginnings. At times, the story is disjointed and meandering; I think of it as chronologically schizophrenic. I didn’t care for all the jumping around. And. I didn’t care for Vera and her miserable personality. There. I said it. There is something so hopeless and lost about Vera’s spirit.  She isn’t in touch with her feelings, doesn’t know when to laugh, is awkward around her peers, has been told she has no sex appeal, is ignored in most situations…Her relationships with fellow students, nurses and family are suspicious. Jolley drops hints about the true nature of them, but nothing is clear.

Quotes I liked, “That day she asked me what time it was, saying that she must hurry and get her wrists slashed before Frederick comes back from his holiday” (p 9), “There is something hopeless in being hopeful that one person can actually match and replace another” (p 53), “there are times when an unutterable loneliness is the only company in the cold morning” (p 69), and, last one, “The feeling I have of being able to reach out to take the sky in both hands is one of the most restful things I have ever known” (p 108).

Reason read: Jolley died in the month of February (2007). Read to honor her passing.

Author fact: Even though this was in the Australian section of Book Lust To Go, Jolley isn’t Australian. She was born in England and moved to Australia.

Book trivia: This is the first book in the Vera Wright Trilogy.

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust in the chapter called “Australia, the Land of Oz (fiction)” (p 30). I’m not sure why My Father’s Moon is in this chapter.  Technically, Jolley wasn’t Australian and the book doesn’t take place in Australia. Yes, she lived in Australia, began her writing career in Australia and made herself a name as a writer there…

Palladian Days

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Gable, Sally and Carl I. Gable. Palladian Days: Finding a New Life in a Venetian Country House. Read by Kathe Mazur. Westminster, MD: Books On Tape, 2005.

How does a person thinking about buying a vacation home in New Hampshire wind up intent on home ownership in Italy? Better yet, how does a Hot-lanta couple decide they need to live in a 16th century villa in the Vento region? We’re talking about a house built in 1552! Sally and Carl Gable’s story of buying Villa Cornaro is fascinating and, by the way Sally tells it, very funny. Palladian Days is a great combination of historical facts about the region, the architect, the owners of the house as well as modern day Italian ways. Everything from fixing the villa to opening it for tours, recitals and concerts is covered. Gable includes Italian recipes, hilarious stories of the many, many visitors, the 15 minutes of fame when Villa Cornaro was featured on a Bob Vila show.
As an aside, I borrowed both the audio version and the print version. I recommend doing both because you will miss out on something if you do only one. Kathe Mazur’s reading of Palladian Days is brilliant. I loved her accent. But, the book version includes great photographs that really bring the entire villa into perspective (it really is massive!). And don’t forget about those recipes!

Reason read: So. There is this food fight festival called the Battle of Oranges that takes place in Italy every February. Something I would love to see one of these days.

Author fact: Both Sally and her husband, Carl, have musical backgrounds.

Book trivia: Even though this was delightful as an audio book, it is better read in print. Gable includes a bunch of recipes in the appendix that are not to be missed!

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the odd chapter called “So We/I Bought (Or Built) a House In…” (p 211).

Benjamin Franklin

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Isaacson, Walter. Benjamin Franklin: an American Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003.

“Benjamin Franklin is the founding father who winked at us” (p 2). What a great way to start a biography about a man whose life is such common knowledge you don’t feel like you could read yet another one and get anything new out of it. It is Isaacson’s writing style that sets him apart from all the other biographies. From the very beginning, Isaacson draws you into Franklin’s world with such ease and humor. His style of writing is charming and winsome in a myriad of ways, but I liked that he used such words as “sassy” and “spunky” to describe people. A lot of Isaacson’s information is drawn from Franklin’s own words, either from his autobiography (even correcting Mr. Franklin from time to time) or from Franklin’s personal letters. I particularly enjoyed Franklin’s tongue in cheek research about the smell of farts correlating to the type of food one eats. But, Isaacson’s playful account doesn’t mean he refrains from personal critical opinion about our founding father’s actions, especially concerning Franklin’s treatment of his immediate family. He defends Franklin as much as he can concerning the relationships Franklin has with women other than his wife, claiming they were mostly nonsexual. However, Isaacson has sympathy for Franklin’s family who spend nearly two decades without him. In addition to Franklin’s personal life, Isaacson also is extremely thorough in detailing Franklin’s civic contributions, political dealings and public life.

As an aside, Benjamin Franklin has always been one of my favorite historical figures. Why? Because in his early years he was a vegetarian in order to save money for books. Sounds like something I would do. He was also thought to be an insomniac.

Reason read: Benjamin Franklin was born in the month of January. Plain and simple.

Book trivia: Benjamin Franklin: an American Life includes a smattering of illustrations, including an unfinished painting by Benjamin West.

Author fact: Isaacson is also the co-author of The Wise Men. Another book on my list I can’t wait to read.

BookLust Twist: from More Book Lust in the chapter called “Founding Fathers” (p 91). Duh.

Artist of the Floating World

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Ishiguro, Kazuo. An Artist of the Floating World. New York: Vintage International, 1986.

This is story about a change in cultural attitudes. After World War II many things are different for artist Masuji Ono. At the very simplest, his grandson idolizes the Lone Ranger and Godzilla instead of ancient emperors. At the most complicated, Masuji’s art is not received as it once was. His war efforts are not as admirable and are now making it difficult for his youngest daughter, nearly a spinster at twenty-six, to get married. Ono does what he can to eliminate “bad interviews” when the detectives investigate the family. But, as one former acquaintance remarks, “I realize there are not those who would condemn the likes of you and me for the very things we were once proud to have achieved” (p 94). Ono’s past is a heavy threat to the happiness of his daughter’s future. Throughout the story there is the theme of bondage. The conversations are retrained. The delicate relationships are bound by decorum.

As an aside: is it customary in the Japanese culture for people to repeat themselves so often? Complete sentences are uttered time and time again.

Reason read: On the second Monday in January there is a Japanese holiday to honor the tradition of coming of age. Since An Artist of the Floating World takes place in Japan….

Author fact: Ishiguro is better known for his book Remains of the Day which is also on my list to read.

Book trivia: An Artist of the Floating World won the Whitbread book of the Year Award in 1986.

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the chapter called “Japanese Journeys” (p 116). Simple enough.

Bring Me a Unicorn

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Lindbergh, Anne Morrow. Bring Me a Unicorn: Diaries and Letters of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 1922 – 1928. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1972.

Bring Me a Unicorn is the first in a series of autobiographies by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. It covers her life from 1922 to 1928. I have to say Anne’s writing is delightful. I admire how brutally honest she is with herself. Her letters home are typical of any college kid, “sorry this is so rushed…I have been frightfully busy!” She is also typical in her growing interest in Colonel Lindbergh. She feels she is not in his league but mentions him more and more in her diary entries. You could see her attraction grow until she finally admits that she loves him. The photographs are great. They represent (visually) what was happening in Anne’s world at that present time.

Quotes from Anne I liked (letters): “You’re popular, clever, pretty, attractive, capable, and will be a big bug!” (p 5) Sent to her sister. I have no idea what “big bug” means. Here’s one from her diary: “A heavenly day: no deck tennis, no unnecessary people, no bores” (p 31).
The quote I could relate to the most: “Why is it that you can sometimes feel the reality of people more keenly through a letter than face to face?” Exactly. I feel that way, too.

Reason read: January is Journal month. Maybe it’s the New Year’s Resolution thing, but people start more journals in January than any other month.

Author fact: Anne was fearless. Although it wasn’t very ladylike she had an interest in aviation even before marrying Lindbergh.

Book trivia: Bring Me a Unicorn is the first part of Lindbergh’s autobiography. Hour of Gold, hour of Lead is the second.

BookLust Twist: from More Book Lust in the chapter called “Journals and Letters: We Are All Voyeurs At Heart” (p 131).

Feast of Love

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Baxter, Charles. Feast of Love. New York: Vintage Books, 2000.

This is a really clever story. Charlie Baxter (the character…or the author?) wakes from a bad dream and, like any real insomniac, chooses to walk it off. His 1am stroll leads him to a bench where he finds his neighbor, also wide awake. The two start a conversation about relationships and Charlie’s neighbor urges him to write about “real” people in “real” relationships, starting with his own twice-divorced life. From there, we are introduced to a myriad of characters. The theme throughout is love, love, love. Love of all shapes, sizes, complexities, and intricacies are on display. It is though a curtain has been drawn back and we are allowed to view the more intimate ups and downs of a relationship, for better or for worse.
As an aside, I was talking to a friend about this book and he didn’t like it because he felt the details of the relationships were too personal to be put on display like that. In some respect I agree with him. But, I think we were both drawn into the mystery of exactly who was telling the story, because I think that makes a difference. If it purely fiction it is not too personal, but. But! But, something changes when it is someone telling their story outright.

Lines I liked: “The moon, it seems, is not singing at all” (p 5), “Every relationship has at least one really good day” (p 17), “I kept reaching for his heart and finding nothing there to hold on to” (p 31),

Reason read: Michigan became a state in January and Feast of Love takes place in Michigan.

Author fact: Charles Baxter has his own website here. The schedule for readings hasn’t been updated since 2012 and I was tempted to ask why on the Q & A page…but I didn’t.

Book trivia: Feast of Love was a National Book Award Finalist. It was also a New York Times Notable Book.

BookLust Twist: from More Book Lust in the chapter called “Big Ten Country: The Literary Midwest (Michigan)” (p 26).

After the Dance

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Danticat, Edwidge. After the Dance: a Walk Through Carnival in Jacmel, Haiti. New York: Crown Publishers, 2002.

The premise for After the Dance is really quite simple. Danticat, despite growing up in Haiti, has never been to Carnival. Being one of the largest cultural events that defines the island, this seems impossible to imagine. But, the explanation is just as simple. While growing up, Danticat’s uncle convinced her Satan was at work during Carnival. To avoid the voodoo and zombies every year this uncle made his family leave town for the week to work on a relative’s farm. As an obvious result Danitcat grew up afraid of Carnival. After the Dance is her response to that fear, faced head on. She researches the symbolism and history behind it, but curiously enough, she doesn’t describe the actual event until the last 20 or so pages of the book. It isn’t until the very end (page 147) that she gives in to the emotion and describes what she feels. I have to admit, the result is anticlimactic. She eventually loses herself in the joy of Carnival but that joy is understated like a passing flicker of interest.

Quotes I liked, “There is a saying here: houses don’t have owners, only cemeteries do” (p 27).

Reasons I like Edwidge Danticat: “I have always enjoyed cemeteries” (p 25).

Reason read: January is Journal Month. It is also the anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010. It is also when Carnival traditionally takes place (the first Sunday in January).

Author fact: Danticat moved to Brooklyn, New York when she was twelve but never forgot her roots.

Book trivia:  This is a short read – only 158 pages. It would have been great to have photographs to supplement the text.

BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the chapter called “Cavorting Through the Caribbean: Haiti” (p 55).