I just finished reading this book about five minutes ago. So while it is fresh in my mind, I will be able to remember all of the details, but I have not given myself time to really ruminate on it much. I do think that it will be a book that will stay with me for a while though.
Five Quarters of the Orange is written by Joanne Harris, who you may recognize by her other popular book, Chocolat. The book is told by an old French woman who returns to the village of her childhood. She has inherited her mother's old scrapbook that is full of recipes, memories, and secrets. As Framboise rebuilds the old farmhouse and starts a little restaurant, she recounts her past. She lived in the farmhouse during the German occupation of WWII. She was nine at the time, but remembers quite clearly the events that led up to her family having to leave the village in disgrace.
I was easily pulled into this story. The characters were well thought out and the storytelling was marvelous. I loved all of the mention of food, even though I'm not familiar with French cuisine. Beware when reading this book. It merrily floats along, keeping you interested the whole time, but it does turn a bit dark. It is a book about family struggles during war, so some of it is not pretty.
My Rating
Overall: 4.5 stars
Objectionable Content: Adult themes, and a fair amount of swearing.
Book Review: Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
Book Review: Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas
Anyone else a Sandra Dallas fan? I've loved her books since I first read The Persian Pickle Club about 10 years ago. I can't say that I loved Buster Midnight's Cafe, and I haven't read her newest one yet (Prayers for Sale), but I thought that Tallgrass was one of her better novels.
The setting for Tallgrass is very important for the plot of this suspenseful tale. It is set in a small sugar beet farming community in Colorado in the early 1940's. The story opens with Rennie, a smart yet naive, thirteen year old girl at the train station as she is watching a large group of Japanese Americans who have just arrived. They are being hauled off to an internment camp (Tallgrass) that is just down the road from her home. Many of the townspeople are in an uproar over having to live so close to the "enemy." So, befriending some the Japanese Americans during this time of war is very unpopular and creates problems for Rennie and her family.
This book is based on what might have taken place in a small town that was so closely tied to an interment camp. It explores the feelings of the time. To keep the book from being boring, the author injected a little murder mystery into the thick of things. I think this was an excellent addition, since it stirred things up a bit more. The townspeople definitely took sides, and from this a lot of conflict arose. It was a good look into the not too distant past.
My Rating
Overall: 4 stars
Objectionable Content: Adult themes. Really a pretty clean book.
Book Review: The World to Come by Dara Horn
I've got to tell you that I'm a sucker for novels that fictionalize the story of well known artists, writers, musicians, etc. I loved The Girl with the Pearl Earring and The Girl in Hyacinth Blue. So, I was drawn to this book, since it revolves around one of the paintings of Marc Chagall.
The World to Come opens with the main character stealing a Marc Chagall painting from a museum. It continues with this story, but jumps to many other characters' stories and soon you understand that these peoples' lives are all intertwined. They all play an important role in how this painting came to be where it is. The history of this painting is all very interesting, as are the many Yiddish folktales that the author has sprinkled throughout the book. These give some depth to the book, but also are great asides in themselves.
I thought that the book was very imaginative and random. Some may think that it might be better if the author didn't go off on so many tangents, but I really liked this. I thought the last chapter was brilliant, and I would read it again just for the ending. I know it has been compared to The History of Love, but I didn't feel like there was much to compare. I loved both of these books for different reasons.
I think this might make a good read for a book group, if your group is a little bit artsy. It was really very clean and had many subjects that could be discussed (a big one being where we came from and where we go after this life).
My Rating
Overall: 4.5 stars. I loved the stories. I loved the author's imagination. I would give it 5 stars for sure if I had felt a little bit closer to the characters.
Objectionable Content: There were a handful of swear words throughout the book.
A Little Secret
Growing up I can remember coming home from school and vegging in front of the TV. I needed that time to just unwind and relax. This was in the 80's mind you. So think back, what reruns were on everyday that a child would watch? Little House on the Prairie of course. I know I've watched every episode a dozen times each. I got to the point where I could tell by the opening music which episode it was (before the title of the episode appeared). This way I could tell if it was going to be one of those really sad ones that I just couldn't watch again. I remember especially loving the ones with Nellie Olsen, when she was so mean and nasty, but always got what she deserved in the end.
Anyway, my little secret that I'm about to share with you is that up until now I have never read the Little House series. Can you believe that? I hate to admit it, but I never thought I needed to read them since I had seen the show. The truth is that I don't think that I would have appreciated them as much back then as I do now. They are simple, but refreshing in that they are so ordinary. And what was once so ordinary, is not so common now, so they are very educational. If you have never read this series, I have to tell you that you may be surprised. I highly recommend them!
Book Review: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Esperanza is a thirteen year old girl who has been living a very privileged life in Mexico. It is during the 1930's. Her father is a wealthy land owner and she is loved and adored by everyone around her. Then, life suddenly takes a turn when her father dies and her greedy uncles take over the land. She and her mother are forced to flee, leaving everything they know behind.
Esperanza Rising is a very thought provoking book about the plight of those seeking seasonal employment on the big farms in California during the Great Depression. Esperanza learns the value of hard work and after a while overcomes her selfish ways. She learns what things are really important, along with many other valuable life lessons. It really is a book with some substance to it.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone. I was not bored in reading it, even though it was written for children. I think that I will include it on my list of 'read aloud books to my kids' for the summer.
My Rating
Overall: 5 stars. I thought is was a lovely well written book.
Objectionable Content: none
Book Review: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
What a great book. If you are a fan of the gothic romance/mystery type of book (like Rebecca, and The Thirteenth Tale), you will love this novel. It really isn't very dark, or ghost filled, but it is strangely enigmatic.
The basic plot of The Forgotten Garden goes like this: A woman tries to find out her own true identity after learning that she was found as a 4 year old by her "parents." She had been left on the dock of a small port town in Australia, with only a small white suitcase that held a few odd contents. She is in her sixties when she finally tracks down information that leads her to her "home" in England. Circumstances prevent her from uncovering all of the mystery, so it is not until years later when her grandaughter is curious about it all that the details start to fall into place.
The plot summary really doesn't do the book justice. It was very well written. Kate Morton is one of those truly gifted storytellers. She is able to tell the story in such a way that you are hungry to read more. It was suspenseful and fun too. I also enjoyed getting to know all of the characters. They all had very distinct personalities. It is one of those books that seem very familiar (think the Secret Garden). At first this bothered me, but the author creatively remedied this before I ended up thinking that she was just a copycat.
My Rating
Overall: 4.5 stars. I loved the book, I would probably give it 5 stars if I thought that it was all truly original.
Objectionable Content: Well, I don't want to spoil the story, but let's just say that there is some immoral behavior.
Book Review: Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larsen
I recently watched a PBS show that aired in 2001 called Frontier House. It is a reality show that chronicled the lives of three families who volunteered to step back in time to the year 1883. These families wanted to see if they had what it took to live the homesteading life in Montana for five months. I bring this up because I think I chose to read this book because I enjoyed the show so much.
Hattie Big Sky is a young adult book about a sixteen year old girl, during the WWI era, who inherits her uncle's homestead. As an orphan, she jumps at the chance to move West, escaping yet another undesirable situation living with extended family. Once in Montana, she learns that she only has a few months to prove up her homestead if she wants the deed to the land.
I loved that this book was such a nice clean read. I applaud the author for including Christian themes such as, "God works in mysterious ways," and to live honorably and be courageous. In reading the author's notes, I found out that she based this book on her own great-grandmother who came to Montana and homesteaded by herself. I love real history like this!
In critiquing this book, I think that I would have to say that it could have used more detail. I wanted to see it all in my mind, but had a hard time picturing things. I also think that it is a little bit hard to believe that a girl so young would be safe out by herself on the frontier.
My Rating
Overall: probably 3.5 stars.
Objestionable Content: none
A forgotten author: Gwen Bristow
If you only read new releases or never haunt old libraries, then you have most likely overlooked Gwen Bristow. I would classify her as "an oldie, but a goodie." She wrote most of her novels during the 1930's-1970's. Her best known work of fiction is probably Jubilee Trail, which became a best-seller in 1950. It was made into a movie in 1954.
I first became familiar with her books a couple of years ago when I had read These is My Words and was looking for something similar to read. I think it was an Amazon suggestion. Anyway, I enjoyed Jubilee Trail. It is historical fiction, with some romance. I liked it because it was one of those epic tales with adventure and romance and characters that I really got to know. If I remember, it was a little bit cheesy, but just in an old-fashioned way. I plan to read more of her books (the only other one that I have read is Celia Garth). They are nice, clean stories that are easy to pick up and read. Some of them are a bit hard to find, but many have been reprint recently. If you are an historical fiction fan you might try to find some of these:
- Deep Summer (1937), ISBN 0-89966-025-8
- The Handsome Road (1938), ISBN 0-89966-028-2
- This Side of Glory (1940), ISBN 0-89966-026-6
- Tomorrow Is Forever (1943), ISBN 0-89966-027-4
- Jubilee Trail (1950), ISBN 1-55652-601-6
- Celia Garth (1959), ISBN 1-877853-58-5
- Calico Palace (1970), ISBN 0-671-82471-6
Book Review: The Undaunted by Gerald N. Lund
At 800 pages, it may seem a little daunting to read this book, but it is well worth the effort. It is an amazing story of real people and real events that have been woven into a fun to read narrative. The author's fictional characters blend well with those who lived to tell the tale of the Hole in the Rock trek.
David is the main character. He and his father are miners who come to Utah from England as converts of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. After some years, he finds himself in Cedar City, Utah as a mail rider. At this time, many Church members in the area are called to leave their homes and journey to the Four Corners area to found a new settlement that is supposed to help instigate peace in the area. The people that he joins in this little known venture are who we now refer to as the Hole in the Rock pioneers. This is their story.
Even though Gerald Lund takes a long time to get to the "story," I found myself drawn into the book immediately. David and his family are very likable characters and I just couldn't believe what I was reading when he writes about the plight of children who worked from such a young age down in the coal mines. He could have written a whole book on this alone. Once he gets his characters to Utah, I thought the "story" would begin, but then more characters are introduced, and along with them a little romance is thrown in. I enjoyed the romance, it made the story more interesting, and I didn't think that it was too over done.
One thing that I appreciated while reading this book was how the author sited all of his sources. I was able to read little snippets of journal entries and could see that for the most part he followed the actual history of these pioneers pretty closely. These people had great courage and faith. They experienced things that I can only imagine. I feel like I have become a better person just by reading this book.
My Rating
Overall: 4.5 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone. It is very inspirational. Maybe just a bit predictable, but this doesn't detract from the story.
Objectionable Content: None
Book Review: The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
I have mixed feelings about this book. It received the Newberry Award in 1996 for reasons that become obvious while reading it. The writing style was fun. It was descriptive, yet simple. The story was very entertaining and brought to life by the medieval characters that populated the pages of this book. Alyce is smart and compassionate without knowing it. Most of the people that she runs into are rude and unfeeling, they tease her. She is an orphan who has wandered, but finds her place as a midwife's apprentice kind of by chance.
I guess my misgivings about this book stem from the appropriateness of the subject matter for a young audience. It does say "12 and up" on the back, but I know I was not mature enough at 12 to have read this book. It's not graphic or anything, just suggestive. So, while I wouldn't want my ten year old to read this book, I enjoyed it. It was so short that it seemed more like a short story than a novel.
My Rating
Overall: 3.5 stars.
Objectionable Content: It talks about women in labor and giving birth. It may not be appropriate for children to read.
Join Me
My mother and I will be reading The Undaunted by Gerald Lund over the next little while. Please join us if you have a copy, or can beg or borrow a copy. It should be a really good book. (I love anything having to do with the pioneers) I may post my thoughts and feelings on it as I am reading along.
