Book Review - Enchantments

Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison

Random House, March 6, 2012

Format? Ebook on my Kindle

Source? Net Galley - The publisher sent me a complimentary copy of Enchantments for review but the opinions expressed below are completely my own without bias.

Why?  I've been enthralled with the Anastasia legend for as long as I can remember...honestly, that's really all I knew about this portion of history, the Russian revolution, and the Romanov family.  I'm embarrassed to admit that...but it's true.  It's not like me to be satisfied with the "Santa Claus" version of any history, so when I saw Enchantments on other blogs and realized what it was about, I knew it was past time to fill in my gaps.  

What now?  Even while I was finishing the book, I started googling...Rasputin, Maria Rasputin, the Romanov family, Alexai Romanov, the Russian revolution, etc.  You name it; I wanted to see it...mostly I was trying to piece together which parts of the novel were factual and which were fiction.   I was surprised to find out how much was fact...the Romanovs are one of the most documented royal families because of their love of photography and journaling.  I've already ordered Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K Massie to build my foundation even more.  I can see myself having a shelf full of Romanov literature right next to my Tudor literature very soon :) 

Golden Lines

For the rest of that terrible winter, the last of the Romanovs' rule, St. Petersburg shuddered under one riot after another, and her citizens' blood remained on the ice under the Petrovsky Bridge.

It wasn't fair to blame Alyosha, and I didn't.  Still, I had to push the thought away: if it weren't for his everlasting illness, my father would never have been murdered.

Tsar Nikolay didn't talk politics.  He had four uncles filled with opinions and would have been, by everyone's account, happy to hand them the empire.

Only those who lived at Tsarskoe Selo, within the walls of the Romanovs' carefully guarded privacy, could understand how suffocating was the pall of dread that descended in the wake of one of Alyosha's injuries.

I knew I couldn't help him as my father had done, couldn't whisper to the clamoring blood and stop its flow.  Couldn't lay a hand on an injury and make it disappear.  But I could tell stories, and they were, most of them, true.

The tsarevich understood the destiny he meant to fulfill, but the official history of Russia didn't include the lives of the tsar's subjects, and Alyosha had never been told the real story of his birthplace.

Within a year they'd all be dead, all except one of the dogs, the one named Joy, of all things.  

Here in the "House of Special Purpose," no one escapes humiliation.

Summary

Told from the perspective of Grigory Yefimovich Rasputin's daughter Masha (Maria in real life), Enchantments is the story of her father Rasputin, his murder and the undoing of the Romanov family, including Masha's close relationship with the tsar's only son Aloysha (Alexai in real life).
After Rasputin's murder, Masha and her sister go to live at Tsarskoe Selo with the Romanovs in hopes that Masha has inherited at least some semblance of her father's healing powers.  Aloysha is a hemophiliac and has grown to depend on Rasputin to overcome his many illnesses, including tremendous pain and suffering throughout his young life.  Masha takes her father's place, telling Aloysha stories that she heard from her father, about his life, the life of Aloysha and his parents and the history of their families, spun creatively into cultural stories with fantastic elements and details as well as fact.  

What I Liked

The details - while the details were sometimes hard to read (the assassination, Rasputin's murder, burial, and unburial, Aloysha's bleeding, etc.) they made the story real.  I think that's important for a story like this one where a lot of people think they know the story...when they really don't.

Another side to Rasputin - I always believed that he was an evil charlatan who was in some way responsible for the deaths of the Romanovs.  In short, I accepted the "legend" of Rasputin without question, something I teach my students not to do :( Through Harrison's story I now see that there is another side (as there always is)...to this tragedy.  We may never know the exact truth behind Rasputin's relationship with the Romanovs, but it certainly wasn't the clear cut version we've grown to believe.  The facts lead me to believe that he was certainly a man who suffered from some kind of mental illness (maybe schizophrenia?) but he was incredibly intelligent at the same time...there usually is a fine line.  I will definitely be reading more about this character.

A new vision of "monarchy" - we tend to put the monarchy up above the rest of the world...when they are just families...unfortunately, though they are families with greater expectations than the rest of us will ever know...with a country as their child.
I realized this when the tsar's supporters reached out to his other family members across the world for political asylum and no one came to their aid for fear of consequences within their own realms.  Very sad indeed.

The facts - there is enough mixture of fact and fantasy to stir my curiosity to the point of literary/historical obsession as usual...I "need" to find out more.  I "need" to tease out what we know from speculation.   I also am intrigued by what we don't know and how as time goes on, we are still learning and putting the pieces of the historical puzzle together.

What I Didn't Like

The treatment of the Romanovs while under arrest - I realize this was a revolution, and I realize that the Romanovs were considered prisoners of war...BUT they were a FAMILY...4 young women and a young boy, their mother and father, including some of their most trusted aids.  The soldiers who murdered the Romanovs kept detailed records of how they killed the Romanovs...how does a human being walk up to an injured 13 year old boy, put his pistol on the side of his face and shoot twice to finish him off.
I know this sounds naive of me, but I just don't understand.

The more I learn about the monarchy...no matter which country...the Cinderella story is a lie.  The Romanovs looked for places to go...for political asylum...but even their relatives in England, Germany, and other European countries wouldn't/couldn't take them in, probably more for political reasons than anything...as a monarch, the fate of your country and the safety of your subjects is always on your shoulders.  If one family must be sacrificed for the whole country, then so be it. 
Nope, no thanks, not me.

The yarns and legends woven into the stories - I think if I had more of a background in Russian literature/history/storytelling, I might have appreciated and understood these more.  As the story moved on, I sometimes found myself skimming through some of the more colorful stories Masha told Aloysha (flying carpets and such).

The Romanovs were doomed from the beginning...every choice they made seemed to be misconstrued...For example, after their son, the heir to the Russian monarchy (the savior of Russia) was born a hemophiliac, they moved away from the public eye to protect him and keep his sickness as much a secret as possible.  A move made to protect their son was falsely interpreted as conceited, and after living away from the city so long, they missed many of the early warning signs of turmoil that might have saved them.  As much as I liked this novel, by halfway through I found myself wanting it to be over.  I almost think I felt the symbolic cloud (which must have been some form of depression?) that followed Alexandra around.  I was trying to explain this to my oldest daughter and she said, "It's sounds like how you feel when you're reading Anne Frank."  Yep, exactly.

The "romance" between Alyosha and Masha.  I don't know if I'd call this a romance or Alyosha trying to lose his virginity.  I'm anxious to find out where this part of the story came from.

Overall Recommendation

As one who only knew the fairy tale version of this story up to this point, I'm assuming that this is a story for those, like me, who aren't already steeped in Russian history. You certainly need to be a lover of historical fiction for this one as well.

Book Review - Dead Connection

Dead Connection by Alafair Burke

St. Martin's Press 2007

Format?  Nook book

Source?  I ordered this one from Barnes and Noble online bc I had a leftover giftcard...I so love the way I can own a book in a couple of seconds with one click.

Why?  I'm reviewing Angel's Tip, the 2nd Ellie Hatcher novel, on Tuesday, and I'm really weird about needing to read things in order.

What Now?  I'm ready for Angel's Tip!! I'm excited about Ellie Hatcher reading and may even check out Alafair Burke's other heroine, Samantha Kincaid :)  I've also recommended this to my middle daughter, who by choice is not a reader.  She's very into the computer end of things and is addicted to the tv show CSI.  I hope she'll give Dead Connection a chance.

Golden Lines

The man wondered if Caroline Hunter had any regrets as those two bullets tore through her body.  Maybe for some women it took dying in the street like a dog to reflect upon one's decisions and the effects they have on others.

The one and only time she'd received a surprise call from the police about a dead body, she had been fourteen years old, and the body had been her father's.

Witchita, Kansas, Roberta Hatcher was doing exactly what she did every night.  She was watching her shows on a console television set and pouring herself a vodka on the rocks from a bottle of Smirnoff that rested on the tray table next to her reclining chair.

Ellie let the whiskey warm her chest and stomach, untangling the knots she'd felt since Evelyn and Hampton Davis arrived at the precinct.  They were good people, but like a lot of parents, they knew nothing about their adult child.  They still saw her as a precocious little girl, an ingenue just out of college - not as a woman who was already lying about her age on an Internet dating site.  They were naive enough to believe their daughter would be safe forever.

Ellie was a woman who expected men to value the same things she did.  She expected men to want not just a lover, but a friend, a challenge, and an equal.  The problem, Jess always told her, wasn't in her expectations.  Plenty of men out there met them.  The problem was that Ellie, despite all her intuitive strengths, had absolutely no ability to distinguish the poseurs from the real thing.

So, that whole thing I just said about not being able to see you again?

"I think I remember that," Peter said, nodding.

"There's no reason our one night has to be over yet.  I've got a bit of a soft spot for Lifetime myself."

"A nice girl never goes to a man's house without her Kevlar."

Summary

Detective Ellie Hatcher's father Jerry was on the trail of a serial killer in Witchita, Kansas when he allegedly committed suicide. Ellie's mother was left with no pension, no safety net, and no hope, except for Ellie.  After moving to New York and falling in love with the city, Ellie decides to follow in her father's footsteps and try to rid the world of its injustices while fighting for her mother and brother Jess by proving that her father was actually murdered.

In the midst of this fight, Ellie is noticed by Homicide Detective Flann McIlroy who asks specifically for her help on a new case involving murdered women who have a connection with an online dating service called First Date.com.

Ellie dives into the world of Internet dating and finds a killer who holds grudges and likes to play games, not just with his victims, and the Russian mob, but with her as well...all safely hidden away, untouchable it seems, behind his computer screen.

What I Liked

Ellie Hatcher - no whiner here, not perfect, but very responsible and a little OCD...when she gets going on something, she just can't put it down. 

Peter  - one of the most likeable romantic interests of a tough heroine in a long time...his humor, his honesty, his standoffishness and his maturity are all refreshing.

James Lee Burke connection - I've only read one other book by James Lee Burke, The Tin Roof Blowdown, but I'm such a doofus I didn't realize Alafair Burke was his daughter.  Now that in itself wouldn't have been "a Like" in my review, but at one point in the story Ellie makes a connection with James Lee Burke's male protagonist Dave Robicheaux...It's never fully mentioned, and if you don't know anything about James Lee Burkes' books, you won't catch it.  But, if you do, it's really a cool little strategy :) 

Speed - this was a fast read for me...I read it in just a few hours...but it was as enjoyable as watching a fast paced murder mystery on tv or in the movie theatre...I didn't feel like I was sitting there for a few hours...I just couldn't take my eyes off.  I never knew who the murderer was until Ellie realized it, and I almost dropped my Nook when she dropped her phone.  To say I was involved in this story would be an understatement. :)

What I Didn't Like

Fear factor - this one gave me the chills from time to time...and my teenagers keep asking me why all of a sudden I'm so worried about their Internet activities :/

Techie talk - there's a little bit of talk about cookies, IP addresses, etc. as you would certainly expect there to be in a case like this one.  I don't think it's over the top at all, but it's difficult for me to wrap my mind around just how easy it is for someone to hack into your computer...the technology is so beyond my comprehension...but is enough to scare the bejeebies out of me :(

Overall Recommendation

If you like a fast paced mystery/detective series with a gutsy heroine in the lead role, you'll like Ellie.  This one's about Internet hacking and the Russian mob too so put on your thinking caps :)

Book Review - Lost and Found

Lost and Found by Jacqueline Sheehan
Harper-Collins 2007
Format? Kindle download

Why?  For one of the June TLC Book Tour choices, I requested the book Picture This because I loved the sound of it...a middle aged woman, a trained counselor, a dog she loves, building her own life again after the death of her husband, etc.  I chose it with full knowledge that there was a prequel for the book called Lost & Found.  My plan was to buy it, but thankfully I discovered that I'd already purchased it on my Kindle during a .99 cent sale! I was obviously meant to read these books :)

What Now? I'm anxious to find out what happens next to Rocky and the dog Cooper-Lloyd :)

**My review for Picture This is scheduled for tomorrow, I've been saving the review for Lost and Found for the day before (today)...with the pesky virus running around our house, I almost forgot! **

Golden Lines 

Deep howls emptied out of her and jerked her body as if her tendons had sprung loose.  Each blast of sound battered her until she wondered if her neck would snap.  In the end, Rocky lay on the floor with the urn and saw the boundary land of madness open up before her and felt a seductive pull.

She was on a four on a ten-point scale of anxiety and she could ride this out.  She hadn't had another panic attack after the first one, two months after Bob died.  And although the sound of another person breathing in her house was now reaching tolerable levels, the thought of Sam and Michelle seeing inside her house made her want to throw up.  Her blood noticed the threat and picked up the pace and her heart rate quickened...

...Her ancient brain came forward like a crocodile, eyes bulging, peeking over the surface of the water.

By the time Michelle pulled up, Rocky had put the cap back on her adrenaline, but her armpits were drenched from the experience.  She had not had a panic attack, but the effort of averting one had drained her.  When the couple left, she was exhausted.

This black dog is Cooper and I eat four kibbles from his dog dish and he is teaching me to eat again and when I am ready to scream in terror at the food sliding down my throat into my stomach, this dog presses his head into my palm.

She felt the pain again in her lower abdomen, saw the hard edges.  She was driving to Orono with Rocky and she could smell the panic coming off the younger woman's skin, a scent like cider vinegar and mangoes that had gone too far past ripe. 

When she slept, her attempt at alpha nature evaporated and her terror began.  He smelled it the first night, even groggy from his own surgery, his own disaster.  He sensed the alarm, the hunt.  Her body restless in sleep, carried traces of an ancient hunter, tracking senselessly, flailing about, sending off waves of scented pain to him.

Summary

Rocky's veterinarian husband Bob dies from a massive heart attack suddenly one morning in their upstairs bathroom.  After CPR fails to revive Bob, Rocky stumbles through the next few days of Bob's funeral arrangements and decision making about her future.  She ends up taking a year long leave from her job as a psychologist at a university counseling center and renting a house on Peak's Island, a ferry trip away from Portland, Oregon.

On the island, Rocky falls into an Animal Control Warden job and a recently vacated rental cottage that belongs to former minister Isaiah and his wife Charlotte.
Among her first rescues are a tabby cat who's been left behind by negligent renters and a big black lab injured by an arrow shot.
Rocky makes friends with year round resident Tess, an older divorced woman/physical therapist and a teenager with a secret eating disorder named Melissa.  Both Tess and Melissa have their own psychological handicaps, which makes them perfect for Rocky who suffers from an anxiety disorder.  Topping off their friendship is the black Lab whom they call Lloyd...Lloyd has something each of the women needs.  

Upon investigation, Rocky finds out that the arrow that almost killed Lloyd belonged to his former owner, competitive archer, Elizabeth Townsend who is found dead in her home under suspicious circumstances.  According to her vet and everyone who knew Elizabeth, even though she struggled with her own psychological issues, she would have never hurt Lloyd...who's real name is Cooper. 
In order to keep Cooper-Lloyd, Rocky has to solve the mystery of Elizabeth's death and essentially save her own in the process.

What I Liked

Animal facts - Rocky's husband Bob was a vet so there were many times that Rocky would fall back on things she knew about certain animals bc of things Bob had told her from time to time.  Many of the animals Rocky is called on to help are not in the best shape...mentally or physically and Rocky falls back on her knowledge very naturally but also in a way that's interesting to the reader.  I think it's a given that to read and enjoy this book, you need to be an animal lover or at least interested in them.  If you're not, I'm not sure you'll appreciate this tale for all its characteristics.

Synesthesia - a psychological syndrome where a person responds from two places in their brain to an action...when Tess stubs her toe, she sees orange but also yells orange bc she sees and feels orange at the same time.

Panic attacks - Rocky has them.  She has learned through her own experiences and her training as a counselor to work against them...learning the early warning signs and keep them from controlling her.  As a fellow panic attack sufferer, I appreciated this part of the story more than you know.  It's nice to have a character, strong but flawed, who is not crippled by her anxiety.  The story is also written from the perspective of someone who understands the science and medicine behind psychological disorders...this is obviously Rocky's perspective as a psychologist, but it's also apparant that Sheehan has some experience in the mental health field as well.

Melissa - at first I couldn't figure out the connection here...and Melissa sortof felt thrown in at times...Getting Cooper-Lloyd's perspective felt more natural to me than Melissa's.  I eventually saw the need for Rocky's life to mean something to someone else, no matter how fractured she felt; Rocky's existence and the turn of events in her life were for a purpose of some kind.  Her life still meant something to someone.  But, I still felt like this connection could have been done better...it was just not as seamless of a connection as Rocky's with the other characters.

What I Didn't Like

The point of view switches were a little confusing at times bc there didn't seem to be a pattern for them.  More than half way through all of a sudden Sheehan brings in the dog's point of view. 

 Yes, I said the dog's point of view.  

At first I found this weird...but it grew on me bc Sheehan doesn't try to bring in illogical thoughts or human thoughts to the dog.  She simply imagines what the dog would be thinking based upon, again, what scientists know (or think they know) about how dogs respond to their environments and the events in their lives.

While I could understand Rocky needing some space and not wanting to tell everyone her story, I found it a little strange that she chose to re-invent herself literally...technically lying about who she was.  Again, I realize the she was making decisions while still in shock from the sudden death of her husband, but those decisions could have impeded her ability to go on with her life eventually.

TMI - there were a few places where Rocky would remember specifics about her life with Bob that were TMI for me and one place where Rocky and Tess share a tub that was a little unbelievable for me.  They made me uncomfortable more than anything, but I also didn't think they were necessary for the storyline.  I don't even begin to know what life is like for a woman who's lost her husband (nor do I want to), so Rocky's flashbacks about Bob may be more than perfectly realistic in her situation...they were just hard for me to wrap my mind around from my own personal perspective.

Overall Recommendation
Psychology and animals are huge themes here so I'm pretty sure it's imperative for a reader to be interested in both of these areas to appreciate this novel. 

Book Review - Breaking Silence

Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo
Macmillan, 2011
Format? downloaded on my Nook

Why?  I've always been fascinated by the Amish, and I love a good detective novel...SCORE 2!

What Now? this one's a keeper...but that brings me to a dilemma I've been having with both my ebooks and audiobooks.  What do I do with keepers that can't go on the shelf?  If I buy the book, I've essentially bought the book twice.  That seems silly and of course, not very cost efficient.  I haven't figured this conundrum out yet.

Golden Lines

A few feet away, the four Amish children huddle, their eyes filled with hope that the Englischers and all of their high tech rescue equipment will save their mamm and datt.  I see faith on their young faces, and my heart breaks, because I know faith often goes unrewarded.

By the time I leave the barn, the Amish have begun to arrive in force.  Men wearing work clothes and insulated coats congregate near the barn.  I know they're here to feed the livestock, clean the pens, and keep the farm up and running.  The women will busy themselves with household chores - laundry, cooking, and caring for the children.  In the coming days, the Slabaugh house will be overflowing with the help of a community that is as generous as it is selfless.

"Maybe this is God's way of bringing those children back to me.  Maybe it's His way of punishing those with small minds."

The statement takes me aback.  It seems odd at a time like this - when he's just been informed of his brothers' deaths.  Anyone who's ever lived any length of time knows God doesn't even the score and that sometimes that bitch Fate gets her way, right and wrong be damned.

I swore long ago the one thing I would never be is the clinging-vine female.

Summary

Amish don't press charges - "God will take care of us" makes Amish "easy pickins" according to Sheriff Rasmussen since everyone knows the Amish won't involve outsiders at all costs.  In this, the 3rd installment of  Linda Castillo's mystery series about former Amish community member, now Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, what looks like a tragic accident involving a large Amish family's Mam and Datt, becomes a murder investigation when evidence shows one of the parents was bashed in the head before falling into the grain vat.   This time the evil seems to be coming from inside the community somehow, and it's Kate's professional as well as personal responsibility to her former and current communities to figure out what's happening, no matter how much it costs. 

What I Liked

Both Tomasetti and Kate's point of view - since Tomasetti has become a huge part of Kate's life by now...and, possibly more importantly, an integral part of this series, it makes sense for the reader to begin to see inside the man...not just the man he is within his relationship with Kate...but the man himself, what makes him who he is, his history, his demons, etc. 

Separation of emotion from logic - whether it's their relationship, their jobs, the investigation, or Kate's ties to the Amish, both Kate and Tomasetti are able to fight (sometimes) through their emotions and look at the big picture.  

The title - the Amish have to communicate with the outsiders solve this crime and Kate and John finally talk about the way they feel about each other...I don't think this title was an accident :)

The scene where Kate and John finally have their first "relationship" talk - I giggled a little here...they're both like little kids almost...neither really would like to admit that they need each other...but they do.  Both are also wary of giving too much of themselves away before they know how the other person feels.  

Compatability - after Kate's nightmare - because of their demons...Tomasetti is able to really understand Kate's psyche.  Whether they like it or not, these two are made for each other.

Police procedure when someone is killed - Castillo goes into a lot of detail here...even more detail, I think, than what you see on crime show tv.  I find the addition of these kind of details adds a lot of meat to the bones of a story...especially a mystery/detective/thriller type.

What I Didn't Like

2 months with no communication - ok, 'scuse me, what? This I can't imagine...of course I've never been in a relationship like this one either...?

A couple of extraneous characters - when the case was finally closed, I wondered why Castillo included them...unless she was trying to take us as far off track as Kate got...due to emotions, false perceptions etc. when the murderer was really right under her nose.

I wasn't ready for Kate to go all maternal on me - until I realized that her feelings were related to her past, not a yearning for a child.  I honestly get tired of folks assuming all women are "baby crazy"...even though I think I'm a good mom, I don't look at other people's babies and go all gooshey bc I want another one....every now and then I like to read about other women who don't go around "yearning" for babies.

Overall Recommendations

Obviously, if you've read any of the books in this series, you'll want to tackle this one...I do think it's necessary to start from the beginning of this series in order to appreciate the evolution of both Kate and Tomasetti's relationship as well as Kate's coming to terms with her present and past lives.

Book Review - Pray for Silence

Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo

Format - On my Nook

Why?  Pray for Silence is the 2nd book in the Kate Burkholder series...I couldn't wait to start it :)

What Now?  Diving into the 3rd in the series...the last one so far

Golden Lines

The thought makes me sick.   The terribleness of it frightens me on a level so deep that for a moment I can't catch my breath.  I've never been a crier, but I feel the burn of tears at the backs of my eyes.

"Chief?  You okay?"

I choke back a sound I don't recognize.  A sound that echoes the barrage of emotions banging around inside of me.  For a full minute, I don't respond.  When I'm finally able to speak, my voice is level.  "Call Glock and Pickles again.  Tell them we need those lights and generator yesterday."

Relinquishing control of your emotions is the ultimate bad form for a female cop.  Especially a female in a position of command.  I need to get a grip.  Suck it up and get the hell back in there.  Start the paperwork that will close this godforsaken case once and for all.

But I'm in no condition to go back inside.  I can't face my team.  I'm too raw.  Too far gone.  Already over that precipice and tumbling down the mountain.

I end the call and sigh.  In the kitchen, I find another lantern on the counter, light it, turn up the wick.  I want it light in here.  Crossing to the sink, I open the curtains.  Lightning flickers above the trees to the north.  A cool breeze wafts in, and I smell rain.  The storm would be perfect cover for a home invasion.  I go to the living room and pull open the curtains.  I want him to see me.  An Amish woman staying up late to mend trousers and socks or maybe work on a quilt.  Her family is already in bed for the night.  The doors are unlocked.  They are the perfect victims.

"Come on, you son of a bitch," I whisper.  "I'm waiting.  Come on in and get me."

Summary

10 months after solving The Slaughterhouse Killer murders, Kate Burkholder is faced again with a violent crime targeted this time on one Amish family...The autopsy reports focus specifically on the 15 year old teenage daughter as most likely the target of the violence.  The case becomes more than just a horrific case for Kate; it becomes a revisit to the violence in her past as a young Amish girl.  

What I Liked

The relationship between Kate and Tomasetti - while "together," their relationship doesn't consume either of them...they lead their own lives, deal with individual issues from the past without each other and then come together...both grasping for a chance at a happy future...but slowly.  They each have their vices and their nightmares, but they know that they have to deal with their own issues before they can help each other deal with being a couple.  

Amish culture - I love the inside information Castillo shares just at the right moments...the clash and conflict the Amish feel with the English, the positive aspects of their culture reinforced by Kate's warm feelings from her childhood, as well as Kate's realistic look at their differences, many of which are reasons she chose to leave the church.

I also appreciate Castillo's portrayal of the Amish as imperfect...the Amish are a community of people within which live many different personalities.  Those who are examples of the stereotypical Amish people and those who aren't.  Who'da thought the Amish liked to gossip?

Mary Plank - we only get to know Mary posthumously, but she is the epitome of young girls her age, Amish or not, who get in over their heads before they realize what's really happening.  As a mother of two teenage daughters, it is one of my biggest fears.  I sometimes think teenage girls are little rabbits we send out into a world of wolves.  And, no matter how much we prepare them, they are easily duped by slick talking fellas who know all too well how to schmooze and take advantage of their naivety.

What I Didn't Like

Lots of Suspects - the list was almost too long...By the time the killer is unveiled, I had to look back to see exactly which person he was...his connection and where he entered the story.  

I wanted to see Aaron Plank once more after Kate completely closed the case...it seemed there should be more to his story after Kate finding him and his lover at the house after the murders.  This was a loose end for me.

This crime takes place 10 months after The Slaughterhouse Murders.  I couldn't help but think that's actually a pretty short amount of time between murders in a small town.  I'd be pretty nervous if I lived in Painters Mill.  I realize there has to be more murder for there to be more books...but is it realistic for only that short amount of time to have lapsed? 

Overall Recommendation

If you like strong female characters, Amish culture, and a no holds barred murder mystery that turns your stomach and grabs your emotions, this is your book.

Book Review - Gentleman's Agreement

Gentleman's Agreement by Laura Z. Hobson
Originally published 1947
Kindle release by Open Road, 2011

Why? A Net Galley choice that looked familiar to me...I'd seen it reviewed on another blog and actually added it to my Amazon Wishlist. 

What Now? research, research, research...there's so much about Jewish history that I don't know...

Golden Lines
There was a rationale behind his idea, hesitant, unprovable, but there.  Just as the embryo in the womb reproduced in nine months the whole evolutionary process of the race, maybe he could reproduce in himself in a short time the whole history of persecution.


He'd been watching her face every minute, greedy for the quick approval that would show there.  This had been quick, but different.  She wanted him not to be Jewish.  She knew he was not, knew that if he were, he'd never have concealed it.  But she wanted to hear him say so right out.


This heavy strange thing in him was what you felt when you'd been insulted.  He felt insulted.  If he were really a Jew, this is what he'd feel.  He was having his first lesson.  With Kathy, he'd stumbled into his first lesson at feeling bruised and unwilling to say the placating thing, the reassuring thing.  She had reminded him that there was something important about knowing that you were not a Jew or were a Jew, no matter what your face or voice or manners or whole being.  A slow soreness had been spreading through him.  He'd be damned if he'd let her see it.   But at last he knew what it was.

In a world where only yesterday human bones powdered to ash in blazing furnaces, the barred register of a chic hotel could scarcely be called disaster.
But this maddening arrogance, this automatic decision that you were not quite equal - 


...that's the way it is up there.  New Canaan's worse - nobody can sell or rent to a Jew there.  But even Darien is - well, it's sort of a gentleman's agreement when you buy...

Summary

Well known journalist Phil Green moves to New York City with his young son Tom and elderly mother.  For his first assignment, he's asked by his editor to begin an in depth series of articles on Anti-Semitism, an idea suggested by his wealthy editor's niece, Kathy.  New to the city, Phil is in a perfect position to pull off pretending that he is Jewish as he begins to settle into his new home.  His series of articles follows that experience for 8 weeks and uncovers racism at its worst...some expected and some not so unexpected...and even heartbreaking at times.

What I Liked

**This book's content makes it hard for me to "like"...but that opinion has nothing to do with the book itself.  I think it's good for us to read things that make us uncomfortable sometimes.

Phil - what a bold fella this Phil...especially when things get tough...and they do.  It almost seems the more difficult the task becomes, the stronger Phil digs in to prove his point.  And, even when he feels as if he's coming apart, he doesn't sway from his mission.  He's realistic enough to know that his responses will affect his family for generations...so he chooses the most difficult road in order to try and stop the continued growth of Anti-Semitism in his own family.

Phil's writing - I've always liked reading about writers and the processes they go through as they decide on what to write, the angle to use, the complications, the time it takes, and the brain processes especially.

Alternating point of views - the author alternates between Kathy and Phil...and even though I didn't care for Kathy, I did feel it was incredibly effective to get her mind's workings on realizing her own prejudice, trying to deny it, defend it, accept it, make choices about how it will affect her life, and possibly even change it.  

What I Didn't Like

The complications - I'm still thinking about this novel...there's no easy fix...and writing this review was actually scary.  I was so afraid that something I said would insult someone.  And, I mean that from the bottom of my heart.  Racism is so ingrained in us that even those of us who don't wish to be prejudice and/or who speak out for marginalized groups, sometimes even find ourselves laughing at the jokes or falling back on the stereotypes when we find someone who fits them.  

The fear - hidden racism is scary.  And, it's real.  And, as Phil's Jewish friend Dave so perfectly said, "there are always consequences."

The lack of answers - I may have written about it before, but I once had a student who wrote on a quiz..."If the Jews can get over the Holocaust, then why can't blacks get over segregation?"
Of course, right now you're thinking of the typical Mississippi stereotype...front teeth missing, gun-toting, thug wearing cowboy boots and spitting tobacco.  Not so this kid.  I happened to know this student's parents AND grandparents; I taught his older brother and his younger sister, and his younger sister is a friend of my oldest daughter.  He was raised in a very nice home with money.  His grandmother especially is the epitome of the Southern lady.  This family actually attends the same church I do, and I had never heard or seen anything similar to this line of thought from any of the other members of his family.
Where the hell did this train of thought come from?
This kid really didn't see anything wrong with what he said.   And, when I questioned him about it (I did), he defended his question as an intelligent one...and denied that his thoughts were racist in any way.
He really believed that.

The questions - Growing up in the South, most of the racism I've dealt with on a daily basis is black and white....literally.  So, my knowledge of the kind of racism against Jews is limited strictly to the Holocaust.  As a fairly intelligent middle aged woman, I'm ashamed to admit that here's one more area of our country's history that I really didn't (and still don't) know much about.  I even asked a colleague of mine where the hatred of the Jews comes from.
He asked me where I'd been for the last 2000 years :/
He also said that he thought the hate was a "Christian" response to the Jews' rejection of  Jesus Christ (who was Himself a Jew).
That's very Christian, don't you think?
See what I mean by complicated.  Roll all that around in your head for a while.

Kathy - I couldn't make myself like Kathy...and I promise, I tried. The worst part is that I think I didn't like her because she fit the stereotype of wealthy divorced woman in the 40's, cigarette in hand, pretending she she's a modern woman who likes her independence while all the while looking for a husband, flitting back and forth between her home, her parents home, her cottage, here and there...and especially her "white knight" syndrome.  Kathy wanted to expose anti-semitism...as long as it didn't inconvenience or change her life in any way.  

Overall Recommendations

I finished this book with many more questions than I started with...don't read this one expecting to find a neatly knit story.
Those interested in a historical look at journalism in old New York City and grappling with the very complicated facets of Anti-Semitism after WWII will appreciate this book.

**I received an ecopy of Gentlemen's Agreement from the publisher via Net Galley.  All opinions are my own.

Sworn to Silence - Book Review

Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo

June 23, 2009
Minotaur Books

Why?  This was one of those specially priced downloads that I took advantage of a while back and just now got around to reading.

What now?  I've already downloaded the 2nd book in this series...Praying for Silence...I can't wait for more of Kate Burkholder!!  

Golden Lines

Murder is rare in the Amish community.  Most often, death is from natural causes.  It's viewed as a final surrender to God and is received gracefully.  Grief is a quiet and private event.  The sound that erupts from Ezra Augspurger's mouth reminds me that not all Amish are stoic.  They are human beings, and the loss of a child begets unbearable pain.  His cry of outrage and grief goes through me like cold steel.  Bowing his head, he presses the photo to his cheek.

The alcohol burns all the way down, but I drain the glass and pour again.  The things I saw today hover in the forefront of my mind.  Amanda Horner's savaged body.  The agony in her mother's eyes.  Jacob and I digging for the remains of a man I spent half of my life believing I'd killed.  I know alcohol won't solve my problems, but if I'm lucky, it will get me through the night.

Summary

Kate Burkholder grew up Amish in Painter's Mill, OH but decided to leave the church at 18 after never recovering from a violent crime when she was 14.  Not only did Kate leave her family, but she also left secrets, secrets that involve her father, brother, and sister and the events of the fateful night so long ago, secrets long buried, secrets that need desperately to stay buried.  Unfortunately, a killer has returned to Kate's hometown, the town for which she is now Chief of Police.  Kate knows more than she's supposed to know about this killer's identity...how can she do her job investigating the horrible, evil crimes, keep anyone else from being killed in the meantime, and protect her family and the Amish community at the same time?  Kate must battle inner demons, politics, invading officials from other law enforcement groups and her own family members in the process of stopping The Slaughterhouse Killer.

What I Liked

Amish life - I've always been interested in the Amish culture so these tidbits, the setting, the Pennsylvania Dutch phrases, and the conflict between the Amish and the rest of the world kept my attention throughout the novel.  Castillo explains through Kate's investigative mind the logic behind some of the Amish actions and clues that are found...Kate chose to leave the church but doesn't hate it.  She doesn't understand some of the beliefs and does question them when Amish beliefs keep her from getting to the bottom of a crime.  

Detective facts - "most serial murderers are sociopaths from birth.  As children, many begin their dark journey with animals.  Few are made later in life."  Again, as Kate investigates this killer, Castillo walks the reader through Kate's process as she makes sense of things, including her quick, analytical mind as it works through book knowledge and how it applies to the crime at hand.

John Tomasetti - brought in from Cleveland, OH to help with Kate's case.  Tomasetti is a damaged man; like Kate he suffered a great trauma, his just in the last few years while on the job.  He struggles to get past the murder of his wife and two daughters every. single. day.  Tomasetti is at a self-destructive stage in his life when he's sent to Painter's Mill and meets Kate; it's his last chance to prove he's still worthy of his job and very possibly his last chance to find some semblance of happiness. 

The Plot - I never had any idea who the killer was...I suspected the wrong person a couple of times and even hit the kitchen counter once bc I thought Castillo was preparing me for one of my favorite characters to be the killer. I followed the logic of the profile made by Tomasetti and found myself even thinking at times like a detective...leaving out the emotion and seeing flaws in certain movements of the investigation based on logic...pretty cool stuff!

Kate Burkholder - she reminds me a little of Kyra Sedgewick's character Brenda Johnson in The Closer.  Kate is not Southern, but her family and cultural values run deep...even if she doesn't agree 100% with them anymore.  She is nervous about relationships and flawed...Absolut gets Kate through the tough times though instead of Brenda Johnson's sugar;)

While Kate does battle external politics, for once we have a protagonist, a female in a traditionally male job, who is supported and respected by those around her, men and women alike.  

What I Didn't Like

When Castillo writes about violent crime, she means violent crime.  This book is not for the squeamish.  The descriptions of the bodies and the bit by bit unveiling of what actually happened to the young women from putting together the evidence will convince you (if you need convincing) that evil does exist in this world.  There is nothing supernatural here, just a psychopath who needs to be destroyed.  Even the most lenient, criminal rights advocates would want this killer removed from the world.

The victims are young women, and Castillo includes us not only in the investigation but in the human side of Kate's job such as notifying the family members...these were some of the most difficult scenes to read...as a parent, I couldn't help but thinking about the real-life events on which Castillo must have modeled these scenes.  I don't wish anything like this on even those I dislike the most..on anyone, as a matter of fact.

Overall Recommendation

Though I've not read all of her books, I think readers of Patricia Cornwell would like Linda Castillo's foray into forensics, police work, murder, etc.  There's just enough crossover here to keep science fans guessing and putting the puzzles together as there are mystery elements.  

Wolf Hall Book Review

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Oct. 2009

Why?  Coffee and a Book Chick ReadAlong and to feed my Tudor addiction

What Now?  Onto the glass shelves this one goes...after I actually order a copy that is conducive to sitting on shelves, that is.

Golden Lines

"May I speak?'
"Oh, for God's sake," Henry cries.  "I wish someone would."
He is startled.  Then he understands.  Henry wants a conversation, on any topic.  One that's nothing to do with love, or hunting, or war.  Now that Wolsey's gone, there's not much scope for it; unless you want to talk to a priest of some stripe.  And if you send for a priest, what does it come back to?  To love; to Anne; to what you want and can't have.


He has never told anyone this story.  He doesn't mind talking to Richard, to Rafe about his past - within reason - but he doesn't mean to give away pieces of himself.

There were days, not too long past, days since Lizzie died, when he'd woken in the morning and had to decide, before he could speak to anybody, who he was and why.


But it is no use to justify yourself.  It is no good to explain.  It is weak to be anecdotal.  It is wise to conceal the past even if there's nothing to conceal.   A man's power is in the half-light, in the half-seen movements of his hand and the unguessed-at expression of his face.  It is the absence of facts that frightens people; the gap you open, into which they pour their fears, fantasies, desires.

Anne says, "I am Jezebel.  You, Thomas Cromwell, are the priests of Baal."  Her eyes are alight.  "As I am a woman, I am the means by which sin enters this world.  I am the devil's gateway, the cursed ingress.  I am the means by which Satan attacks the man, whom he was not bold enough to attack, except through me.  Well, that is their view of the situation.  My view is that there are too many priests with scant learning and smaller occupation.  And I wish the Pope and the  Emperor and all  Spaniards were in the sea and drowned.  And if anyone is to be thrown out of a palace window...alors, Thomas, I know who I would like to throw.  Except the child Mary, the wild dogs would not find a scrap of flesh to gnaw, and Katherine, she is so fat she would bounce."

One of those afternoons when I told my king a little, and he told me a lot: how he shakes with desire when he thinks of Anne, how he has tried other women, tried them as an expedient to take the edge off lust, so that he can think and talk and act as a reasoning man, but how he has failed with them...A strange admission, but he thinks it justifies him, he thinks it verifies the rightness of his pursuit, for I chase but one hind, he says, one strange deer timid and wild, and she leads me off the paths that other men have trod, and by myself into the depths of the wood.


"Is she to have new jewels?"
"She is to have Katherine's.  He has not lost all sense."

In the doorway he pauses and turns back to the earl.  "And I will tell you this, for the avoidance of doubt.  If you think Lady Anne loves you, you could not be more mistaken.  She hates you.  The only service you can do her now, short of dying, is to unsay what you said to your poor wife, and take any oath that is required of you, to clear her path to become Queen of England."


Bishop Gardiner reads out Anne's new title.  She is vivid in red velvet and ermine, and her black hair falls, virgin-style, in snaky locks to her waste.  He, Cromwell, has organized the income from fifteen manors to support her dignity.


The child in Anne's womb is the guarantee of no more civil war.  He is the beginning, the start of something, the promise of another country.

When a woman withdraws to give birth the sun may be shining but the shutters of her room  are closed so she can make her own weather.  She is kept in the dark so she can dream.  Her dreams drift her far away, from terra firma to a marshy tract of land, to a landing stage, to a river where a mist closes over the farther bank, and the earth and sky are inseparate; there she must embark toward life and death, a muffled figure in the stern directing the oars.  In this vessel prayers are said that men never hear.  Bargains are struck between a woman and her God.  The river is tidal, and between one featherstroke and the next, her tide may turn.
On August 26, 1533, a procession escorts the queen to her sealed rooms at Greenwich.  Her husband kisses her, adieu and bon voyage, and she neither smiles nor speaks.  She is very pale, very grand, a tiny jeweled head balanced on the swaying tent of her body, her steps small and circumspect, a prayer book in her hands.  On the quay she turns her head:  one lingering glance.  She sees him; she sees the archbishop.  One last look and then, her women steadying her elbows, she puts her foot into the boat.

The brief respite is over; the princess sets up a screech that would bring out the dead.  Anne's glance slides away sideways, and a sideways grin of infatuation takes over her whole face, and she leans down toward her daughter, but at once women swoop, flapping and bustling; the screaming creature is plucked up, wrapped up, swept away, and the queen's eyes follow pitifully as the fruit of her womb exits, in procession.


He had advised the king, leave Mary in possession of her style as princess, do not diminish anything.  Do not give her cousin the Emperor a reason to make war.
Henry had shouted, "Will you go to the queen, and suggest to her that Mary keep her title?  For I tell you, Master Cromwell, I am not going to do it.  And if you put her in a great passion, as you will, and she falls ill and miscarries her child, you will be responsible!  And I shall not incline to mercy!"

You've given Mary good advice, she says, I hope she heeds it, I fear there are hard times ahead for her.  She talks about her brother Thomas Boleyn, the most selfish man I ever knew, it is no wonder Anne is so grasping, all she has ever heard from him is talk of money, and how to gain a mean advantage over people, he would have sold those girls naked at a Barbary slave market if he had thought he would get a good price.


Mary, breathless, reaches into the mill of her possessions and throws Jane Seymour a pair of sleeves.  "Take these, sweetheart, with my blessing.  You have the only kind heart at court."


You know him, Cromwell, you have seen him on her arm.  She takes him everywhere.  Sometimes," and now he nods judiciously, "I think she loves him better than me.  Yes, I am second to the dog."

If they think that they will maintain to the end the equanimity of their prayer-lives, they are wrong, because the law demands the full traitor's penalty, the short spin in the wind and the conscious public disemboweling, a brazier alight for human entrails.  It is the most horrible of all deaths, pain and rage and humiliation swallowed to the dregs, the fear so great that the strongest rebel is unmanned before the executioner with his knife can do the job; before each one dies he watches his fellows and, cut down from the rope, he crawls like an animal round and round on the bloody boards.


Early September.  Five days.  Wolf Hall.

Summary

Thomas Cromwell rises to become the most powerful man in King Henry VIII's court, the man who has Henry's ear and his chief adviser for a while...born as a commoner, Cromwell's success was unheard of and bitterly envied by those higher born around him.  Cromwell's dysfunctional childhood, early life abroad to escape his violent father, and return home as a self-made man shaped the person Cromwell and he finds himself  under the tutelege of Cardinal Wolsey during his own term of office for King Henry.
His life as a business man and family man then gives the reader a glimpse of true success for any man, especially that of a common born man during this time period.  Happiness is fleeting though and life for anyone could change in a heartbeat...lives were erased each season by a beloved wife's death during childbirth, the loss of many children before they reached their teens, and diseases such as The Sweat, which could and did wipe out entire families within just a few days.  Cromwell is not immune.  As his family life changes, his life in business becomes more and more prioritized...the business side of Cromwell becomes easier to bear as compared to the personal losses.  Cromwell's rise to power coincides with the beginning of the Reformation.  King Henry wants to break with the Catholic Church and become Supreme Head of the Church of England so that he can leave first wife, Katherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn.  Henry's decisions, how they affect the church and the people of England, his marriage to Anne Boleyn and the failure of that union to produce a living male heir to the throne take place as Cromwell is at the top of his game.  He speaks privately to Anne as well as Henry, balances the power struggles at court, and acts as intercessory between Henry and foreign dignitaries on the brink of war.  All in all, Cromwell's life becomes a high stakes balancing act...one in which the reader knows eventually that a ball will have to drop.  

What I Liked

Getting to know Thomas Cromwell - in all honesty, the only things I knew about Cromwell came from watching The Tudors where he seems snaky and slimy most of the time (it didn't help matters that the actor who played Thomas Cromwell in The Tudors also played one of the most evil vampires on True Blood).  What's left out of The Tudors is all of the years preceding Cromwell's arrival at court.  Life was hard then, and life could change completely with the snap of a finger.  A person might find himself/herself starting over even more than once or twice in a lifetime due to circumstances beyond his/her control.  And, while those kinds of events still happen sometimes today, during Cromwell's life, it was normal and even expected.  In Wolf Hall, I found Cromwell to be an honest, realistic man.  He loved the King and wanted him to have what he wanted.  But, he also knew the consequences.  He questioned the status quo...carefully, but kept his eyes and ears open within as many circles as possible.  Cromwell was ready for progress and hoped that he would be able to lead the King into a life without the Roman Catholic Church.

Anne Boleyn - probably one of the most infamous women in world history, Anne Boleyn is known as the devil, a witch, a harlot, etc.  What she was, I am more and more convinced as I keep reading, is just like any other woman of her time, bought and sold between fathers and suitors.   A daughter was nothing more than a bargaining chip...one which was only truly valuable if somehow unspoiled by the time she reached marriageable age.   Anne was a pawn of her father, just like her sister Mary but got lucky.  Anne was married to the King of England while Mary only got used.   I can't even imagine.
All that said, I think Anne was definitely a handful...she became bolder and bolder within her marriage...and Henry probably treated her more equally than he did any of his other wives.  I think that's because their relationship was as close to normal as he would ever have.   I actually believe they loved each other.  When Anne didn't produce him sons, Henry began to question whether or not the union was right in God's eyes...and he let scheming advisers around him perpetuate the propaganda they'd all been raised on...born a Catholic, always a Catholic.

King Henry VIII - known as the fat king with 6 wives, a turkey leg in one hand, and an ax in the other (for chopping off everybody's heads).  Like Anne, Henry was a product of his upbringing and the duties of his royalty.  Imagine being taught from an early age that you are chosen by God to lead your people...first of all, that's a hell of a lot of pressure.  2nd of all, you've got this job to do, but all these other people keep getting in your way, clouding your mind with their own agendas.  3rd of all, you'd really like to have some semblance of a normal life, but no matter how much you want it, protocol won't allow it.  You are the King of England...you are your country and your country depends on you, just you.  Henry was probably one of the loneliest people in the world.  He was a man and he was King; he should be able to withstand anything and no one should be able to get the best of him.  Everybody's watching...and waiting for that moment, no matter how short, where they might sneak in and usurp your throne.  The people must love you, but they also must fear you.  It's for their own good.
Imagine if they'd had Xanax back then??

What I Didn't Like

Cromwell is called he all the way through the almost 600 pages.  There were more than several times that I had to back up and figure out who the pronoun "he" was referring to since there were so very many "he's" in power in Tudor England.  Conversation dialogue was also difficult at times when distinguishing what was actually being said and the short narratives in between.  In a lesser book these would have been deal breakers for me...I'm an English teacher, for heaven sake.  There are only so many ambiguous pronouns and left out punctuation I can be expected to overlook.  However,  as tasking as it was at times, I never considered putting this book down.  The puzzle was worth figuring out.  There was also never the feeling that these grammar omissions were done accidentally; Mantel obviously uses these slips in conventional writing for a purpose.  What purpose, I'm not exactly sure yet.  Was it to make us feel more like we were traveling back in time, standing by as the action unfolds, wanting and needing perhaps to ask questions but without that ability...we have only been granted access to these events as silent watchers?   Was it to make us pay a little closer attention?  I honestly don't know, but I felt there was a plan in place and I just had to be sharp enough to keep up. 

Overall Recommendation

Tudor fans, British history buffs, chunkster savorers, language fiends

The House of Seven Gables - Book Review

The House of the Seven Gables/Nathaniel Hawthorne

How? Kindle

Why?  I was supposed to finish this one by Oct. 14 for a R.I.P. group ReadALong...

Ahem. :p

What Now? to the glass case this one goes...it's a keeper

Golden Lines: 

 "It will never be allowed," said he.  "The custody of this secret, that would so enrich his heirs, makes part of your grandfather's retribution.  He must choke with it until it is no longer of any value.  And keep you the House of Seven Gables!  It is too dear bought an inheritance, and too heavy with the curse upon it, to be shifted yet awhile from the Colonel's posterity."

With what fairer and nobler emblem could any man desire to shadow forth his character?  Ah! but in some low and obscure nook, - some narrow closet on the ground-floor, shut, locked and belted, and the key flung away, - or beneath the marble pavement, in a stagnant water - puddle, with the richest pattern of mosaic-work above, - may lie a corpse, half decayed, and still decaying, and diffusing its death-scent all through the palace!  The inhabitant will not be conscious of it, for it has long been his daily breath!

Summary: 

Spinster Hepzibah Pyncheon lives alone with a scowl on her face in her family home until the day Cousin Phoebe with her bright sunshine shows up to lighten every aspect of Hepzibah's dreary existence. Together they try and hold the Pyncheon legacy together in the old house and seem to be doing well until Hepzibah's brother Clifford returns and brings back to the surface a generations old curse on the Pyncheon family.  A hidden deed, stolen property, mysterious relatives and a house that has seen it all weave a story that takes the reader back to the very beginning, providing clues along the way.  What really happened between the Pyncheons and Maules; why was one family set for life and the other destined to live in poverty?  What really happened that night so many years ago to plunge brother Clifford into a lifetime of despair?  And, most importantly, who is the real villain of this story??

My Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book...I enjoyed the language and the descriptions and didn't get caught up in them as I've read some people do.  Of course American Lit is my favorite, so I'm sure I'm biased.  I think what I needed from this book was a truly enjoyable slow paced, but not too slow paced, journey through a narrative.  I definitely got that.

I felt like I knew Hepzibah, Phoebe and even Clifford.  I hated Judge Pyncheon because he just reeked of meanness, and the way he treated Clifford was unforgiveable...as if he was just trying to push Clifford over the edge.  Holgrave, who lived in one of the gables, gave me the creeps a little because he was such a mysterious character the entire time...I was never sure of his intentions, nor was I sure Hepzibah or Phoebe was safe with him.  I loved Phoebe and Hepzibah...Hepzibah for her acceptance of her life (to a certain extent) and for welcoming Phoebe into her home and not even being jealous when her beloved brother wanted to spend more time with Phoebe than her...and Phoebe's simple acceptance of Hepzibah, just the way she was.  I also loved Phoebe's simple love of life.  She opened her eyes each morning to see the sun, to see Clifford, to see their garden, to spend time in the shop...she is a true pure hear, and I think her presence was a blessing for Hepzibah.

I kept waiting for a ghost.  Twice I thought I had the story figured out...and twice I was wrong.   When Clifford and Hepzibah left, I didn't see that coming at all and was so disappointed but frightened at the same time.  I decided then that Clifford was a psychopath...

See.  I was all over the place...and I really didn't know what was going to happen.  

I didn't figure this out until the very end of the story, and that was cool bc it doesn't happen very often for me anymore.  

Are you confused?

Good.

:)

Final Recommendation:

I would read this one again just for the sheer enjoyment of reading Hawthorne's prose-like narrative.  If you enjoy words, language, Hawthorne, "typical" American Lit, dark, spooky old timey stories, you'll like this one.

Don't try to fly through it though; take your time and enjoy it :)

Yes, I'm an English teacher; why do you ask?

;)

Little Men - Book Review

Little Men focuses on Jo and Professor's Baehr's adult life with small children and a boarding school  filled with young boys (and Nan and Daisey).  In actuality the focus of the sequel to Little Women is more on the children raised by Jo and Fritz than Jo and Fritz (or any of the other family members for that matter).  Aunt March left Plumfield to Jo, so Jo and Fritz open Plumfield as a boarding school for children whose families cannot afford to send them to the more expensive schools.  The students are chosen carefully and many times come with emotional needs as well as educational. 

All of the children have their own character/pesonality and more times than not a character flaw.  These flaws are usually brought to the surface and mended by Jo and Fritz with the help of the other children. The children's antics are described in detail...fighting the squirrels to harvest nuts for the winter, gardening in their own little plots, their daily routines and chores and the evolution of their thriving personalities nurtured by a loving environment.

Not only are the children provided with everything they need, but they are also expected to pull their own weight, taking responsibility for the family, making it in a sense a true family, something many of the children have never known.

Jo and Fritz have two children of their own, Rob and little Teddy; Demi and Daisey are Meg and John Brooke's twins and Laurie and Amy have one little girl, "The Princess," who only visits Plumfield from time to time.  Laurie is a major benefactor of the school and is still in awe of his "sister" Jo.

While Little Men follows Little Women naturally and is written with the same Louisa May Alcott style of writing, language etc. I didn't feel as if I was as absorbed by this story as I was with Little Women.  While I enjoyed seeing into the lives of the children, I longed for more of an in depth look into the adult lives of Fritz and Jo, Laurie and Amy, and Meg and John Brooke.  There are a few places in the novel where LMA gives a "peek" at best...for example, the children witness Jo and Fritz's warm and tender hugs, conversations with one another on a regular basis; but while Laurie visits with his and Amy's little girl a couple of times during the novel, Amy is practically left out of this story altogether? 

Meg and John Brooke's children have more of a direct role in Little Men...with Demi moving into the school first and Daisey following somewhat later.  I was a little taken aback by Meg and John Brooke letting their young children leave their home and live with their aunt at school...but then I remembered that I was looking at this particular part of the novel through my contemporary eyes and from my own personal mother's perspective.   I'm no colonial American literature scholar so I don't know if this was a common practice of the time?

I did sometimes feel that Little Men was a little sugary sweet at times...Jo especially seemed a little "too good to be true" at first...until little Teddy gets lost in the woods.  All sense of rational thought leaves her then and the old Jo, fueled by emotion and reaction, takes over for a brief but welcome time.

The novel reads more like a journal or set of short stories about life at Plumfield than one sweeping connected story, some segments I definitely liked better than others. 

Jo's Boys is up next...and is already uploaded to my Kindle :)