Karen
I really enjoyed this detective story, where Elizabeth II is the detective behind the scenes. The main characters are well fleshed out, so I felt I got to know them as I read the book. One of the characters who was almost universally disliked was humanized by the Queen (for the reader, not for the characters in the book). Each time I thought I knew where the story was going, it went somewhere else instead. As far as mysteries go, it was not formulaic, nor was it too cozy. Apparently this is book #2 in a series, and I am thinking about looking around my library system to see if the first book is available. I would definitely read another book by this author.
I've been keeping my reading light this summer because I have a lot of stressful stuff on my plate. I read this in my back yard over 3 days.
I really enjoyed this detective story, where Elizabeth II is the detective behind the scenes. The main characters are well fleshed out, so I felt I got to know them as I read the book. One of the characters who was almost universally disliked was humanized by the Queen (for the reader, not for the characters in the book). Each time I thought I knew where the story was going, it went somewhere else instead. As far as mysteries go, it was not formulaic, nor was it too cozy. Apparently this is book #2 in a series, and I am thinking about looking around my library system to see if the first book is available. I would definitely read another book by this author.
I've been keeping my reading light this summer because I have a lot of stressful stuff on my plate. I read this in my back yard over 3 days.
I'm not a big romance reader, but sometimes life calls for it. I read this in my back yard over about a day and a half. It isn't demanding, but it is enjoyable. My one major disappointment with it was that there weren't any explicitly non-white characters as there are in the TV show. I didn't mark this as historical fiction because, although it is set in a specific historical period, there is so much about it that is anachronistic. If you read it expecting it to be historically accurate in any way, you'll be disappointed. However, it does deal with some real issues that challenge people's relationships with loved ones, especially shame and unresolved anger. I liked it.
I'm not a big romance reader, but sometimes life calls for it. I read this in my back yard over about a day and a half. It isn't demanding, but it is enjoyable. My one major disappointment with it was that there weren't any explicitly non-white characters as there are in the TV show. I didn't mark this as historical fiction because, although it is set in a specific historical period, there is so much about it that is anachronistic. If you read it expecting it to be historically accurate in any way, you'll be disappointed. However, it does deal with some real issues that challenge people's relationships with loved ones, especially shame and unresolved anger. I liked it.
This emotional novel tells the story of an interracial family from the perspective of Birdie Lee, the light skinned, straight haired daughter of Sandra Lodge Lee, a white woman who comes from an old Boston "blueblood" family, and Deck Lee, a Black man who went to college at Harvard. Birdie's older sister, Cole (Colette), has much darker skin and tightly curled hair, and the two sisters experience different treatment from the people in their lives based on how they look. Early in the book, the girls' parents split up. Sandra is involved in political activism that Deck thinks is too risky. Eventually, Sandra decides she needs to flee Boston and go into hiding because of her political activities, so the girls are separated. Cole goes with Deck and his Black girlfriend Carmen to Brazil, and Birdie goes on the run with Sandra. Along the way she learns that she will present herself as a white Jewish girl as part of her mother's disguise, since the authorities will be looking for a white woman with a Black daughter.
This is an emotional, reflective novel, but it is also a story well told. Sandra and Deck Lee are likeable people with their own complicated histories and motives, but the consequences of their choices for their daughters are profound.
This emotional novel tells the story of an interracial family from the perspective of Birdie Lee, the light skinned, straight haired daughter of Sandra Lodge Lee, a white woman who comes from an old Boston "blueblood" family, and Deck Lee, a Black man who went to college at Harvard. Birdie's older sister, Cole (Colette), has much darker skin and tightly curled hair, and the two sisters experience different treatment from the people in their lives based on how they look. Early in the book, the girls' parents split up. Sandra is involved in political activism that Deck thinks is too risky. Eventually, Sandra decides she needs to flee Boston and go into hiding because of her political activities, so the girls are separated. Cole goes with Deck and his Black girlfriend Carmen to Brazil, and Birdie goes on the run with Sandra. Along the way she learns that she will present herself as a white Jewish girl as part of her mother's disguise, since the authorities will be looking for a white woman with a Black daughter.
This is an emotional, reflective novel, but it is also a story well told. Sandra and Deck Lee are likeable people with their own complicated histories and motives, but the consequences of their choices for their daughters are profound.
** spoiler alert ** This retelling of The Children of Lir is in the voice of Aife, the woman (foster child of Bodhbh, sister of Aebh, wife, after Aebh, of Lir) who turns her stepchildren into swans for 900 years. I picked this book up not knowing the original story, so I was frustrated by the narrator referring to and ruminating on "what I did" for a good 98 pages before the deed was done. After that, I thought the writing and narration was strong. This book has been called a "feminist retelling" of the story, and that makes me want to read other versions to compare.
** spoiler alert ** This retelling of The Children of Lir is in the voice of Aife, the woman (foster child of Bodhbh, sister of Aebh, wife, after Aebh, of Lir) who turns her stepchildren into swans for 900 years. I picked this book up not knowing the original story, so I was frustrated by the narrator referring to and ruminating on "what I did" for a good 98 pages before the deed was done. After that, I thought the writing and narration was strong. This book has been called a "feminist retelling" of the story, and that makes me want to read other versions to compare.
Niamh Power was born in Ireland, immigrated with her parents to New York as a young girl in the 1920's, and then lost her parents and the rest of her family in a fire when she was 9. The Children's Aid Society took her in and then shipped her and other orphaned children out to the Midwest to be "adopted." In Niamh's case, and others', adoption meant being brought to someone's farm, home, or place of business to work.
Niamh's story is told alongside Molly's, a 17 year old modern day foster child who is having conflict with her foster mother. When Molly steals a copy of Jane Eyre from her high school library, she has to do community service. The mother of her boyfriend arranges for her to help the elderly lady she works for clean out her attic, and Molly and the elderly lady strike up a bit of a friendship.
The two stories illustrate the vulnerability of foster children, and how, although the surrounding culture has changed, many things about being a foster child have not. Although this is not specifically marketed as a YA book, it is empathetic about the issues that young adults face, especially in a foster family. It might be a good choice for a teen.
Niamh Power was born in Ireland, immigrated with her parents to New York as a young girl in the 1920's, and then lost her parents and the rest of her family in a fire when she was 9. The Children's Aid Society took her in and then shipped her and other orphaned children out to the Midwest to be "adopted." In Niamh's case, and others', adoption meant being brought to someone's farm, home, or place of business to work.
Niamh's story is told alongside Molly's, a 17 year old modern day foster child who is having conflict with her foster mother. When Molly steals a copy of Jane Eyre from her high school library, she has to do community service. The mother of her boyfriend arranges for her to help the elderly lady she works for clean out her attic, and Molly and the elderly lady strike up a bit of a friendship.
The two stories illustrate the vulnerability of foster children, and how, although the surrounding culture has changed, many things about being a foster child have not. Although this is not specifically marketed as a YA book, it is empathetic about the issues that young adults face, especially in a foster family. It might be a good choice for a teen.
A widowed white Irish American father and his two black adopted sons are at a Jesse Jackson event in Boston when they are involved in an accident. Another person involved in the accident, seemingly an unrelated bystander, turns out to be much more connected to their family than they initially thought. On top of that, the ne'er do well estranged older son (not adopted) chooses that night to reappear at home. Family drama ensues.
This is family drama, but it is very polite, well behaved drama. Characters disagree with each other vehemently, but there is no yelling, banishing/disowning each other, or even cursing. Still, the characters are interesting people and the story is compelling. The title, "Run," refers both to the sport and running for office, with a pleasant bit of ambiguity, since the widowed father is a former Mayor of Boston and would like one or both of his adopted sons to become President of the United States. My one complaint about this book is that it becomes hard to believe the eleven year old girl is really only eleven as the story advances.
A widowed white Irish American father and his two black adopted sons are at a Jesse Jackson event in Boston when they are involved in an accident. Another person involved in the accident, seemingly an unrelated bystander, turns out to be much more connected to their family than they initially thought. On top of that, the ne'er do well estranged older son (not adopted) chooses that night to reappear at home. Family drama ensues.
This is family drama, but it is very polite, well behaved drama. Characters disagree with each other vehemently, but there is no yelling, banishing/disowning each other, or even cursing. Still, the characters are interesting people and the story is compelling. The title, "Run," refers both to the sport and running for office, with a pleasant bit of ambiguity, since the widowed father is a former Mayor of Boston and would like one or both of his adopted sons to become President of the United States. My one complaint about this book is that it becomes hard to believe the eleven year old girl is really only eleven as the story advances.
I read this book because I encountered James Rebanks on Twitter and enjoyed his posts about raising sheep in England's Lake District. Rebanks writes about how his experience of the Lake District as his ancestral home, where his family has been raising sheep for hundreds of years at least, is different from the romantic vision that non-farmers have of the place. As he describes the work he does throughout the seasons, the relationships he has with his parents and neighbors, and a bit of the history of sheep farming in his part of England, you gain some appreciation of what he means. The book is engaging, even for a non-farmer. Well worth reading.
I read this book because I encountered James Rebanks on Twitter and enjoyed his posts about raising sheep in England's Lake District. Rebanks writes about how his experience of the Lake District as his ancestral home, where his family has been raising sheep for hundreds of years at least, is different from the romantic vision that non-farmers have of the place. As he describes the work he does throughout the seasons, the relationships he has with his parents and neighbors, and a bit of the history of sheep farming in his part of England, you gain some appreciation of what he means. The book is engaging, even for a non-farmer. Well worth reading.
Libertie is an African American girl and then young woman growing up in the shadow of her mother's reputation as a respected doctor and her mother's ambition for her to become a doctor too. Libertie has her doubts about whether she's cut out for the medical profession, and questions her mother's choice to treat white women despite their racist attitudes and behavior. However, she doesn't openly oppose her mother's wishes. This book is Libertie's coming of age story, set in Kings County, New York a little before and then after the Civil War. It's an enjoyable novel to read, with complicated yet sympathetic characters, and real personal conflict, in a recognizable historical setting. Highly recommend.
Libertie is an African American girl and then young woman growing up in the shadow of her mother's reputation as a respected doctor and her mother's ambition for her to become a doctor too. Libertie has her doubts about whether she's cut out for the medical profession, and questions her mother's choice to treat white women despite their racist attitudes and behavior. However, she doesn't openly oppose her mother's wishes. This book is Libertie's coming of age story, set in Kings County, New York a little before and then after the Civil War. It's an enjoyable novel to read, with complicated yet sympathetic characters, and real personal conflict, in a recognizable historical setting. Highly recommend.
The author sets out to find "the wild places" in England, Ireland, and Scotland, thinking that they are isolated places that have been left alone, but comes to believe that wildness is bursting out everywhere. In the process, you visit some astonishingly beautiful places with him (and various friends of his, especially a character called Roger) and learn about their geologic and social history. This is a wonderful book.
The author sets out to find "the wild places" in England, Ireland, and Scotland, thinking that they are isolated places that have been left alone, but comes to believe that wildness is bursting out everywhere. In the process, you visit some astonishingly beautiful places with him (and various friends of his, especially a character called Roger) and learn about their geologic and social history. This is a wonderful book.
This book is an epic consideration of parenthood in circumstances where the child profoundly challenges the parents' expectations: cases of deafness, Down Syndrome, dwarfism, schizophrenia, transgender, prodigies, children of rape, and children who become criminals are all examined. While it is a doorstop of a book (702 pages of narrative, 960 pages including notes, bibliography, and index), it is compulsively readable. Andrew Solomon's narrative is precise about difficult or nuanced emotions, but never dense.
One of the most fascinating discussions in this book is about the tension between whether to "cure" conditions like deafness, or celebrate the distinct identity that the condition confers. Solomon examines this dilemma and the nuances it takes on with each case that he considers. Is the condition a disability or an identity? Can a disability be separated from a person's identity? Would it be appropriate to grieve if, for instance, no more children were born with dwarfism, deafness, or autism?
Until the final chapter, Solomon's prose is measured and calm in its description and analysis of people's relationships to the challenges presented by their children. The final chapter, where he describes his own journey to fatherhood in light of all the work he had done for this book, is a shift to a much more emotional tone. It felt like a radical change after 600 pages of his previous tone, but was fitting to his subject matter and allowed him to sum up the wide ranging investigation of his book.
Read if you're looking for stories about people adjusting to parenting situations that are radically different from what they expected. It's mostly uplifting, boosts empathy.
This book is an epic consideration of parenthood in circumstances where the child profoundly challenges the parents' expectations: cases of deafness, Down Syndrome, dwarfism, schizophrenia, transgender, prodigies, children of rape, and children who become criminals are all examined. While it is a doorstop of a book (702 pages of narrative, 960 pages including notes, bibliography, and index), it is compulsively readable. Andrew Solomon's narrative is precise about difficult or nuanced emotions, but never dense.
One of the most fascinating discussions in this book is about the tension between whether to "cure" conditions like deafness, or celebrate the distinct identity that the condition confers. Solomon examines this dilemma and the nuances it takes on with each case that he considers. Is the condition a disability or an identity? Can a disability be separated from a person's identity? Would it be appropriate to grieve if, for instance, no more children were born with dwarfism, deafness, or autism?
Until the final chapter, Solomon's prose is measured and calm in its description and analysis of people's relationships to the challenges presented by their children. The final chapter, where he describes his own journey to fatherhood in light of all the work he had done for this book, is a shift to a much more emotional tone. It felt like a radical change after 600 pages of his previous tone, but was fitting to his subject matter and allowed him to sum up the wide ranging investigation of his book.
Read if you're looking for stories about people adjusting to parenting situations that are radically different from what they expected. It's mostly uplifting, boosts empathy.
This is a Pulitzer Prize nominated novel from 1991 about the killings of Osage people in Oklahoma in the 1920's to take over their land and the oil beneath it. It covers the same events that were covered by David Grann's non-fiction book Killers of the Flower Moon, but it tells the story from the perspective of the extended family of Belle and Moses Greycloud, an aging couple who own valuable land and who repeatedly lose family members in the killing. As a novel, it's a beautiful but wrenching story, with a cast of unique, likeable characters who are caught in a system that is rigged against them. As a reader, you are drawn in to feel a part of the community surrounding Greycloud family so that you can feel the weight of their grief and their helplessness to protect themselves against more loss. It's not an easy read, but the story is so well told that you will want to keep showing up to read it.
This is a Pulitzer Prize nominated novel from 1991 about the killings of Osage people in Oklahoma in the 1920's to take over their land and the oil beneath it. It covers the same events that were covered by David Grann's non-fiction book Killers of the Flower Moon, but it tells the story from the perspective of the extended family of Belle and Moses Greycloud, an aging couple who own valuable land and who repeatedly lose family members in the killing. As a novel, it's a beautiful but wrenching story, with a cast of unique, likeable characters who are caught in a system that is rigged against them. As a reader, you are drawn in to feel a part of the community surrounding Greycloud family so that you can feel the weight of their grief and their helplessness to protect themselves against more loss. It's not an easy read, but the story is so well told that you will want to keep showing up to read it.
