tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43646905952123973232024-03-13T13:45:04.902-07:00My Historical Book ReviewsJodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-82301595841834342372018-07-10T12:01:00.004-07:002018-07-10T12:01:56.511-07:00I'M MOVINGHello!<br />
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I've started posting my book reviews on my website at <a href="http://jodietoohey.com/book-reviews/">http://jodietoohey.com/book-reviews/</a> and am in the process of migrating these reviews to that site.<br />
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See you there!<br />
-JodieJodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-44827366225094103522018-05-12T00:00:00.000-07:002018-05-12T00:00:12.025-07:00THE SECRETS OF HEAVENLY by Teresa Robison<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>The Secrets of Heavenly</i> tells the story of main character, Willa, as a slave until almost a decade prior to the civil war, through hers and other characters' points of view. The story takes place from 1842 to 1852 and hints to the impending end of slavery as newer generations blur the lines between master and friend and slowly turn against it. I imagine this is how abolitionism in the south might have evolved.<br />
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The story is good and seems to realistically depict slavery, as much as I can imagine of course. There were several typos and punctuation errors in the book, but since the story was so good, I wasn't distracted to the point of annoyance. The book starts out with a present-day woman reading Marianne's journal, one of the character's in the main story. The inclusion of Marianne's diary was interesting, but I don't think that layer was necessary (of the beginning character receiving and reading the diary), but maybe the author felt she needed a way to introduce the diary.<br />
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The story built to a good climax and became faster paced as the end approached. There were several "Oh, no!" moments where I felt truly bad for Willa, but it wasn't unexpected given the subject matter. Plus, you know that when you're only halfway through a book and it looks like something wonderful is going to happen that something is probably going to go awry. The point is that I cared about Willa and hated to see bad things happen to her. There are themes of true love, accepting or not accepting the circumstances dictating life, finding positivity in the direst circumstances, and the human will to live no matter what.<br />
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Overall, this was a good story with an acceptable ending, all things considered. It's a nice historical depiction of life leading up to the civil war. I read this book in just short of two weeks, so on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it an eight.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Heavenly-Teresa-Robison/dp/0615765262/" target="_blank">Robison, Teresa. (2013.) <i>The Secrets of Heavenly</i>. Writing Out Loud Publishing</a>.Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-16525460873773572672018-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:002018-04-12T00:00:52.698-07:00BEFORE WE WERE YOURS by Lisa Wingate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Before-We-Were-Yours-Novel/dp/0425284689/" target="_blank">Before We Were Yours</a></i> is another title that came to me via my fellow-historical-fiction-loving aunt. It's a multi-period novel involving main characters Avery Stafford in the present and May/Rill around 1939. The mystery of the story is how they (and other characters) are related.<br />
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This book started off strong and pulled me right in. The Rill/May character seemed to me to have a more unique voice, but since hers was a child viewpoint, this might be expected. Avery's sections seemed a bit too Nicolas Sparksesque, romance novely for my taste, and that part of the story was predictable.<br />
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For a two-character point-of-view story to keep me reading each one, they both need to be compelling, and they were. I was a bit disappointed when one character's chapter ended, but it was okay because I was left on such a cliffhanger at the end of the other character's chapter, so I was glad to know what happened. In this case, having the two characters did add some mystery to the story and allowed the author to weave in more subplots, but I did find Rill/May's story more compelling.<br />
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Instead of saying, "present day," I think it would've been better for the author to name a year, such as 2002 or whenever she wrote it because the cell phone and communication descriptions seem archaic for 2017 (the year it was published).<br />
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The story in this novel is fiction based on real stories of survivors and victims of the Memphis Tennessee Children's Home Society that stole children or obtained them via other illegal or unethical methods, passed them off as orphans, and essentially sold them to the wealthy.<br />
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The theme covered how where we come from and where we grow up affects our lives and something that happens in one person's life can forever alter ensuring generations. It is also about truth and how it should come out no matter what (at least the author seems to think so) as well as being your true self and not just what others expect of you.<br />
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I read this book in six days, so on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it </u>to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it a nine.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Before-We-Were-Yours-Novel/dp/0425284689/" target="_blank">Wingate, Lisa. (2017.) <i>Before We Were Yours</i>. Ballantine Books.</a>Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-490502347447255782018-03-12T09:21:00.000-07:002018-03-12T09:21:05.090-07:00QUEEN OF AMERICA by Luis Alberto Urrea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When Luis Alberto Urrea was appearing as a keynote speaker at a conference for an organization I volunteer with (mwcqc.org) in June of 2017, I read his <i>The Humminbird's Daughter</i>. I enjoyed it so read the sequel, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Queen-America-Luis-Alberto-Urrea/dp/0316154873/" target="_blank">Queen of America</a></i>.<br />
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Since it had been several months since I read the first book in the series, I greatly appreciated the Prologue which reminded me of what happened in the first book and brought me up-to-date in a natural way.<br />
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The story starts in 1900, picking up where the previous book left off and following the rest of Teresita's life in America. It's one answer to the question, what if a person could perform miracles but they were still a human being with faults, desires, and tendencies impacted by the culture in the place where she lives? How might that person's life evolve?<br />
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My favorite parts of this book were the detailed, poetic descriptions. The story is presented from an omniscient point of view of those closest to Teresita. It shows the joys and sorrows of aging from many different characters' perspectives.<br />
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It took me a while to get into the story, starting off slow much in the same way that <i>The Hummingbird's Daugther</i> did for me. I read it in just under two months, so on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it a four.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Queen-America-Luis-Alberto-Urrea/dp/0316154873/" target="_blank">Urrea, Luis Alberto. (2012). <i>Queen of America</i>. Back Bay Books.</a>Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-6972628349569927612018-01-12T00:00:00.000-08:002018-01-12T00:00:17.551-08:00SOME LUCK by Jane Smiley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jane Smiley is a fellow Iowan and I'd always meant to read her books but hadn't had the chance. While browsing cheap books at the online book outlet store, I stumbled across <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Some-Luck-Hundred-Years-Trilogy/dp/0307744809/" target="_blank">Some Luck</a></i> and ordered it.<br />
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Right away I could tell <i>Some Luck</i> was going to be different from other books I'd read as early in the book, Smiley includes a chapter told from an infant's point of view. The book is also different in that each chapter is one year; I wondered if this may have signified there would be more telling than showing, but it didn't. The book still tells an engaging story, even if it is in one-year chunks.<br />
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<i>Some Luck</i> is about a family and their lives from 1920 through 1953; it is told through several characters' points of view, including those that span the whole book and some who just show up for one or two scenes (mimicking life). The main character, however, seems to be the patriarch (or who eventually becomes the patriarch), Walter Langdon. The book gives a good picture of how farming evolved during the second quarter of the twentieth century, taking the reader through the Great Depression and World War II, among other historic events, along with life in Iowa and the Midwest. I recognized most of the places mentioned, which always adds a little enjoyment to my reading. As it does in living life, the historical events occurred as a backdrop and didn't take center stage, which I believe is how most people experience these events.<br />
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To me, the book's theme was life and going through its different stages - infanthood, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and being grandparents; the whole circle of life. Smiley does a good job of letting the reader into the characters' heads, witnessing their innermost thoughts and intimate moments. There is not really a plot in this book that I could discern, per se - there's nothing that the main character overtly "wants" and is prevented from getting - there's just the ebbs and flows and ups and downs of life in rural Iowa from 1920 to 1953.<br />
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<i>Some Luck</i> is classic historical fiction written in an original and literary way. I read it in one month and three weeks, so on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it a six and a half.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Some-Luck-Hundred-Years-Trilogy/dp/0307744809/" target="_blank">Smiley, Jane. (2015 Reprint). <i>Some Luck</i>. Anchor.</a>Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-19521818489500130962017-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:002017-12-07T00:00:20.032-08:00ORPHAN TRAIN by Christina Baker Kline<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is another book that came to me courtesy of my fellow historical-fiction-loving aunt. She read it, and thinking I would enjoy it, loaned it to me. She was correct.<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Orphan-Train-Christina-Baker-Kline/dp/0061950726/" target="_blank">Orphan Train</a></i> is one of several books written about the practice of transporting orphaned children from New York City to the Midwest for adoption. Though the book was characterized as literary fiction, it read more like a young adult book to me. That isn't saying anything against the story, however.<br />
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There is a strong element of mystery throughout the story as I wondered how Niamh went from being an orphan to owning a store to being a rich, old lady. The story is told in two different time periods - the late 1920s and the early 2000s - and it's about two orphans in similar, but not exactly the same, situation who find each other and weave their lives together. One theme seems to be that things aren't always what they seem, with the "moral" being to not assume that someone has always had it easy. Also, things that seem random will make sense one day and feel like they were meant to be.<br />
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<i>Orphan Train</i> is also very much a story of survival - how two different people in two different, but similar situations, in two different time periods survived. Other than the obvious differences because of the time periods, the way Niamh and Molly became orphans are different. The similarities are mostly in how they both bounced from family to family until they found one that fits.<br />
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This book gave me a good insight into a world about which I know very little. The way orphans were handled in 1929 and today is not so different; kids get placed with people who may not treat them right and can be turned out on a whim. They can't strive for more because they feel like they're lucky just to have a roof, so they grow up feeling undervalued. Unfortunately, based on what I've seen and heard, the foster care system of today doesn't seem much different in this respect than the orphan trains.<br />
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Another theme that runs throughout the story is baggage; what people bring with them and what they leave behind as they journey throughout their lives. Most of the time, baggage consists of more than physical things, or it can be just a few things, but it's always there.<br />
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Historical fiction readers and readers who like the melding of two time periods will enjoy this book. It was a good story, well written, that made me think. I read this book in four days, so on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it </u>to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it a nine.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Orphan-Train-Christina-Baker-Kline/dp/0061950726/" target="_blank">Kline, Christina Baker. (2013).<i> Orphan Train</i>. William Morrow.</a>Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-75428043071881784562017-11-12T00:00:00.000-08:002017-11-12T00:00:16.047-08:00THE SHELL SEEKERS by Rosamunde Pilcher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I usually don't purchase fiction books at mass retailers, but since I'm researching the Mississippi River mussel shell button industry in the early 1900s, the word, "shell," caught my eye. Of course, the story has little to do with shells themselves, but the back of the book description intrigued me, so I bought it.<br />
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<u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shell-Seekers-Rosamunde-Pilcher/dp/1250063787/" target="_blank">The Shell Seekers</a></u> is about three generations of one family, but it is mostly told from Penelope Kelling's point-of-view and tells the story of her relationship with the other generations. It is essentially Penelope's life story, flipping back and forth between the present (1984) and her childhood, growing up. It shows how she was shaped by her famous artist father and relatively progressive mother and how that impacted her relationships with her three children.<br />
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The story reminded me that parents can have lives children don't know about and that children can be selfish. It is a story about friendship, love, lost chances, and choices. The historical facts were subtly woven through the book, giving a good sense of what life was like in World War II London (as far as I know, anyway). It showed the strange dynamics present in all families, how they have different values, attitudes, and ways of doing things.<br />
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Readers who enjoy stories involving art, generations, and families will enjoy this book. It was a good story, well written, that made me think. I read this book in two days less than a month, so on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it a seven and a half.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shell-Seekers-Rosamunde-Pilcher/dp/1250063787/" target="_blank">Pilcher, Rosamunde. (2015). <i>The Shell Seekers</i>. St. Martin's Griffin; Reissue edition</a>.Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-11841052369802366072017-09-12T08:39:00.000-07:002017-09-12T08:39:21.437-07:00THE WIDOW OF THE SOUTH by Robert Hicks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My aunt, who shares my love of historical fiction, loaned me <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Widow-South-Robert-Hicks/dp/0446697435/" target="_blank">The Widow of the South</a></i> because she thought I would enjoy it. I did.<br />
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To me, this novel is essentially a clean romance with a twist. It basically tells the story of Carrie McGavock's emotional love affair with Zachariah Cashwell, a soldier recovering from injuries he sustained in Carrie's house, which was turned into a hospital, during a civil war battle. Carrie, married and suffering from the losses of her children, finds solace in Cashwell. They essentially find themselves soul mates who teach each other how to live again. It's also about how Carrie, who has lost so much, finds her purpose in life and becomes a comfort for others.<br />
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The story is based on real events during the civil war and the battle at Franklin, Tennessee. It is told from the point-of-view of multiple characters, including a sort of omniscient narrator, but mostly Carrie and Zachariah. All the characters had distinct voices.<br />
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On the issue of slavery, the story addresses what is not normally taught in history classes (or at least I don't recall it during my history classes). The issue of slavery was not so black and white (pun not intended) with slaves choosing to stay with their master families out of loyalty and a feeling of being a part of the family but also because they had nowhere else to go after being freed. Some of them felt trapped and it was simply what they were used to. The story showed how some slave owners failed to see their slaves as human beings, not just in the way you'd expect (as property), but sometimes when they made a mistake and fell from some sort of pedestal.<br />
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This book was different from the other civil war era books I read, which is one of the main reasons why I liked it. It took me a little less than three weeks to read it, so on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for<u> I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hou</u>rs, I give it a seven.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Widow-South-Robert-Hicks/dp/0446697435/" target="_blank">Hicks, Robert. (2006). <i>The Widow of the South</i>. Grand Central Publishing</a>.Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-92186749298817555752017-08-12T00:00:00.000-07:002017-08-12T00:00:12.231-07:00GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I never saw the<i> </i>movie other than the "don't give a damn" moment, so this is not so much a review as it is some musings I encountered while reading Margaret Mitchell's <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gone-Wind-Margaret-Mitchell/dp/1416548947/" target="_blank">Gone with the Wind</a></i>. After all, we know it's "good" considering it won a Pulitzer Prize. If you don't know the premise of the book, it's widely available so I won't rehash it here.<br />
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I found the language relatively more modern and easier to read than I expected for a book written in the 1930s. I bought the book to read on vacation since I'd never read it before, always wanted to, and I knew it would last me the whole time, so I only had to carry one book. I read the first few sentences of the book at the book store because I wondered if it would be archaic, but immediately thought, "I can read this." So I bought it.<br />
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I thought it was a bit odd that a large chunk of the book's beginning didn't mention Scarlett's son. There were servants to care for him, for sure, but I wondered about nursing and why he wasn't mentioned. But then I thought this might have been intentional - make the reader forget him like Scarlett seemed to do.<br />
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There are incidents of omniscience and head-hopping, but the vast majority is from Scarlett's point of view and it becomes obvious immediately that she is the main character. Scarlett is not an especially likable character, so I was trying to determine her "save the cat" moment per <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Save-Last-Book-Screenwriting-Youll/dp/1932907009/" target="_blank">Blake Snyder's screenwriting book of the same name</a>. The only thing I could come up with was that modern women (at the time) might've related to or admired her spirit and independence, which makes sense to me since it was written not too long after women got the right to vote.<br />
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The theme of the book seems to be how it's human nature to want something you don't or can't have. It explores several purposes for marriage: love, lust, convenience, security, and loyalty. The character arc for Scarlett is subtle. She didn't change much. She'd thought she had changed and had a big revelation toward the end, but then she reverts back to her old ways, digging in her heels and willfully pursuing what she thinks she wants. She does this despite realizing that when she got what she wanted in the past, it wasn't really what she'd wanted.<br />
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I hope these observations didn't contain too many spoilers. I now want to watch the movie so I can see how they adapted this massive story to the screen. Despite its nearly 1,500 pages, it only took me a month to read it, so on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it an eight and a quarter.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gone-Wind-Margaret-Mitchell/dp/1416548947/" target="_blank">Mitchell, Margaret. (1936). <i>Gone with the Wind</i>. Macmillan Publishing Company</a>.Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-2814221102668909222017-06-13T08:45:00.001-07:002017-06-13T08:45:51.293-07:00THE HUMMINGBIRD'S DAUGHTER by Luis Alberto Urrea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Luis Alberto Urrea is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the <a href="http://www.mwcqc.org/events/words-are-the-only-bread-we-can-really-share-luis-alberto-urrea-to-give-keynote-address-at-the-mwc-writers-conference/" target="_blank">Midwest Writing Center's David R. Collins Writer's Conference</a> on June 22, 2017, so I decided I should read at least one of his books. I was happy to discover he wrote historical fiction, so I chose <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hummingbirds-Daughter-Luis-Alberto-Urrea/dp/0316154520/" target="_blank">The Hummingbird's Daughter</a></i>.<br />
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The story takes place in the late 1880s in Mexico and essentially presents the life story of Teresita from before birth through death. It is beautifully written with vivid imagery and Spanish words sprinkled in to give it Mexican flavor. It is full of the supernatural and spiritual, intertwining them beautifully.<br />
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If there was one different choice I may have made as an author, it would've been to begin the story later. Showing Teresita's mother and fate before Teresita was a little girl reminded me a little of backstory dumping or the author forcing in facts. The extra material at the beginning delayed my getting engaged with the story.<br />
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Once I did, though, when Teresita hit her pre-teen years, I was hooked. There are a lot of characters in the story and the author trades point-of-view among them, but there is a "family" tree at the beginning of the book and it didn't take me long to get a handle on who was who. The writing seemed authentic and painted a vivid picture of life in pre-civil-war Mexico. And I loved that it was based on family lore substantiated by discovered articles. Though I don't know for sure, of course, there doesn't seem to be a lot of historical fiction based in Mexico, so this provided a refreshing new period and place to explore.<br />
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I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Mexican history, the supernatural, spirituality, and coming-of-age stories. I enjoyed it, so much his other historical fiction book is on its way to me. Just because of the slow start, on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it </u>to ten for<u> I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it a six and a half.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hummingbirds-Daughter-Luis-Alberto-Urrea/dp/0316154520/" target="_blank">Urrea, Luis Alberto. (2005). <i>The Hummingbird's Daughter</i>. Back Bay Books</a>.Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-34192129161651848562017-05-30T08:39:00.000-07:002017-05-30T08:39:10.280-07:00THE SELECTED LETTERS OF LAURA INGALLS WILDER edited by William Anderson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Selected-Letters-Laura-Ingalls-Wilder/dp/0062419684/" target="_blank">The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder</a></i> was another title I picked up while visiting the Rocky Ridge Farm Laura Ingalls Wilder site. I debated whether I should even write this review since I've read and reviewed so many LIW-related titles lately, so I thought I'd make it a sort of "bonus review."<br />
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The letters themselves aren't of any particular literary quality or great writing in-and-of themselves. I skipped reading the larger-fonted headlines between a lot of the letters, but I did very much appreciate the editor's transitional sections and background/contextual information.<br />
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I found that the value in this book, like in many of the about-LIW books, is the insight it provides into this human being's life. Even if you're not a LIW/Little House fan or a writer, it's interesting to be able to study someone's life so intimately. And when you add what's written about Rose into the mix, you get insight into a mother-daughter relationship carried out in a particular time period. I find that fascinating. There have been few people (if any) who have been written about more than the Ingalls/Wilders, so the information just isn't available about most people.<br />
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So...I would recommend this book to all the bonnet-heads, of course, but also anyone interested in psychology and sociology-type topics as well.<br />
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Thanks for reading. Now back to your regularly scheduled historical book review blog post.Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-13362343266997600512017-05-12T00:00:00.000-07:002017-05-12T00:00:05.136-07:00GRAND CENTRAL: ORIGINAL STORIES OF POSTWAR LOVE AND REUNION by Various Authors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I purchased <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Central-Original-Stories-Postwar/dp/0425272028/" target="_blank">Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion</a></i> after reading <i>Diy MFA</i> by Gabriela Pereira because she suggests reading short stories in your genre. Though the subtitle states the stories are about postwar love and reunion, don't expect all mushy, happy-ending stories. In many cases, the stories are heart breaking and don't involve the typical reunion of separated lovers as you might expect. Sometimes the reunion is with something or someone entirely different. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The stories in <i>Grand Central</i> take place after World War II. As you might expect, Grand Central Terminal in New York is the setting for at least part of each story. All of the stories are connected as the characters encounter each other unknowingly in their own stories. It took me a few to catch on, but when I did, it was fun to look for the connections, and I just thought it was really cool.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The stories include characters related to WWII in numerous ways, so in that way, the idea of the war affecting real lives and real human beings is enforced. And sometimes the character's mate returning from the war wasn't a happy occasion. Lives went on as the war did, and people were changed,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's hard to find the words to adequately describe these stories. I was moved by them all. The stories are made more special in that their authors are all women, bringing the female perspective (if imagined) to a war from which mainly male perspectives have been told.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a writer, I should go back and read the stories again as more of the study tool for which I originally purchased the book, because I got so engrossed as I read them. </span>Obviously they are good stories then and should be studied, right?<br />
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Each of the stories can be read within about a half an hour, so for each story individually, on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give them a nine. For the book as a whole, I give it a seven and three-quarters.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Central-Original-Stories-Postwar/dp/0425272028/" target="_blank">Benjamin, Melanie, et al. (2014). <i>Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion</i>. Berkley Books: New York.</a>Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-6924729011034073582017-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:002017-05-08T08:26:22.202-07:00LINES by Geralyn Hesslau Macgrady<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Geralyn Heslau Macgrady, winner of the Soon to Be Famous (TM) Illinois Author Project, was a co-panelist with me and some other authors/publishers at the Galena (IL) Lit Fest in January 2016. Due to my love of historical fiction and Chicago, I purchased Geralyn's novel, <i>Lines</i>, set in 1871 prior, during, and after the great fire.<br />
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<i>Lines</i> is a story of love, loss, and how humans often are required to surrender to unforeseen circumstances, particularly in the last quarter of the 19th century, where family obligations were different, especially the tradition of marrying your brother's widow. The main character, Livia Haa, whose family works in the tobacco business, tries to find her own way and place in the world but is forced to choose a path she hadn't foreseen because of the great fire tragedy. A sinister con man with misplaced vengeful urges, suspense, and diverging loyalties also play a part in the plot.<br />
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I enjoyed the story and was able to feel for Livia and those for whom she cared. It was an easy read and put me in Chicago in 1871. I read this book quickly, so on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it </u>to ten for <i>I was up until the wee morning hours</i>, I give it an eight.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lines-Geralyn-Hesslau-Magrady/dp/1515141276/" target="_blank">Magrady, Geralyn Hesslu. (2015). <i>Lines</i>.</a>Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-1319073151546483142017-03-12T00:00:00.000-08:002017-03-12T00:00:05.033-08:00THE GHOST IN THE LITTLE HOUSE by William Holtz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I purchased <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Little-House-MISSOURI-BIOGRAPHY/dp/0826210155/" target="_blank">The Ghost in the Little House: A Life of Rose Wilder Lane </a></i>by William Holtz during my visit to Laura Ingalls Wilder's Rocky Ridge Farm homesite in Mansfield, Missouri. Of course, I knew that Rose was Laura's only surviving child, was an author on her own, and more well-known at the time her mother started writing, but most of what I've read about her was through the lens of her mother's eyes, so I was interested in a book that focused on her as her own person.<br />
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<i>The Ghost in the Little House </i>is a detailed chronical of Rose Wilder Lane's life from essentially her birth until past her death, created from the author's obvious extensive study of her papers, travels, and everything she left behind as well as her mother. I was fascinated by this book. Being a fan of psychology and getting into people's heads to a degree, I loved the light the book shed on this mother-daughter relationship. Each, mother and daughter, was her own person who outshined her husband and father, respectively, to the point that there is less in the world about him than almost anyone in the family, besides what Laura herself provided to the world, of course.<br />
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In addition to giving me a different perspective on one of my favorite and most influential authors, Laura Ingalls Wilder, this book also provided an interesting theory of the travel-writing industry. In Rose's day, an author could make money by traveling the world and sending her thoughts and observations back for publication in the states, even make a living. People couldn't travel as easily as they can today, and today, if you want to see what a location looks like, you simply log on to Google Earth or search a vast collection of images on the web. Another thing I learned was about the evolution of freelance writing - it was a much more lucrative endeavor to write as a freelancer for magazines then compared to now.<br />
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This book won't be loved by everyone (skimming the Amazon reviews will tell you that), but if you are interested in an in-depth analysis of relationships or people, you will definitely like it. You might also enjoy it if you are a big Laura fan and/or if you enjoy history. It did take me a while to read this one, just due to its length and other obligations, so on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it a six and a half.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Little-House-MISSOURI-BIOGRAPHY/dp/0826210155/" target="_blank">Holtz, William. (1993). <i>The Ghost in the Little House: A Life of Rose Wilder Lane</i>. University of Missouri Press.</a>Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-72086502404580013932017-02-12T00:02:00.000-08:002017-05-08T08:28:17.773-07:00HAMMON FAlls by Dave Hoing and Roger Hileman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dave and Roger were co-presenters at an author event I attended in early November 2016, at the West Liberty, Iowa, public library. I traded my book, <i>Taming the Twisted,</i> for their title, <i>Hammon Falls</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hammon-Falls-Dave-Hoing/dp/098442198X/" target="_blank"><i>Hammon Falls</i> </a>follows three generations through the years 1893 through 2008. The characters include Will; his grandmother, Margaret; his grandfather, Orville/Luka; his father, George; and his mother, Cora. Though there was a learning curve to get the characters straight in my head, it was short. I loved how these characters' stories were intertwined, going between them and back and forth in time. Generally, I don't like stories that switch points-of-view but it worked well for me in <i>Hammon Falls</i>. The story shows how our families' lives are tangled, for better for worse, and sheds a light on how family members relate to each other and how choices affect one another. There are no "good" or "bad" guys/gals; they all have different perspectives and experiences that give them redemption and faults. In other words, they are human.<br />
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By the end of the book, I was satisfied that all of the questions and loose ends were tied up, except for one. I never learned how Will met his wife or what happened to her. Perhaps there's a sequel coming? I also enjoyed the local connection of the story's setting; though Hammon Falls and Waterton are fictional towns, they are similar to two real towns in Iowa.<br />
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Though fiction, I think <i>Hammon Falls</i> depicts how a family could have evolved through history. I read this one quickly, so on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it an eight and a half.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hammon-Falls-Dave-Hoing/dp/098442198X/" target="_blank">Hileman, Roger & Hoing, Dave. (2010). <i>Hammon Falls</i>. All Thins That Matter Press</a>.<br />
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UPDATE: Apparently how Will met his wife and what happened to her is mentioned the book and I obviously missed it. I still wonder if there might be a story there, though, that could be sequel fodder... :)Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-73325481972141118072017-01-12T00:02:00.000-08:002017-01-12T00:02:02.934-08:00CLOUDS OVER BISHOP HILL by Mary Davidsaver<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Full disclosure: This book was published by MWC Press, with which I'm affiliated as president of the board of directors of Midwest Writing Center. This is, however, an honest review (i.e. I really did like it.)<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Clouds-Over-Bishop-Hill-Davidsaver/dp/0990619036/">Clouds Over Bishop Hill</a></i> is not historical fiction in the strictest sense (it takes place in 2008); however, the story revolves around a historical item, specifically a 1915 painting by Bishop Hill, Illinois, artist Olaf Krans. Bishop Hill is a former Swedish communal society in approximately north central Illinois. It is a real place with museums and interesting spots anyone can visit. Olaf Krans was a real artist who lived there and painted portraits of Bishop Hill's early residents. <i>Clouds Over Bishop Hill</i> centers on one such fictional painting (or rather, the apparent absence of it).<br />
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The story starts with feet running with a murder college graduate, Shelley Anderson, stumbles upon on her way home to Bishop Hill for the summer. In addition to the murder mystery, there's also a mystery around where and how a particular Olaf Krans painting came to be based on the foggy dreams of one of the town's elders. It is a fast-paced story with the characters encountering greed, deception, murder, and some romance, too. The main character, Shelley Anderson, embarks on a character arc that leaves her changed and more grateful for her hometown.<br />
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<i>Clouds Over Bishop Hill </i>will appeal especially to those familiar with Olaf Krans paintings and/or Bishop Hill, Illinois, but it is also a good cozy mystery read in general. There are murder and suspense, but nothing gory or gross. The ending is satisfying but leaves room for a sequel. I read this book relatively quickly, so on the can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for<u> I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it an eight.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Clouds-Over-Bishop-Hill-Davidsaver/dp/0990619036/" target="_blank">Davidsaver, Mary. (2016) <i>Clouds Over Bishop Hill</i>. MWC Press: Davenport, Iowa</a>.Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-26806967548247158562016-11-12T00:00:00.000-08:002016-11-12T00:00:22.039-08:00LAURA WILDER OF MANSFIELD by William Anderson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I purchased several books in the Laura Ingalls Wilder Family Series while visiting the Laura Ingalls Wilder Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, Missouri, in early June, 2016. <i>Laura Wilder of Mansfield</i> is the third in the series and the third one I read.<br />
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The book chronicles Laura Ingalls Wilder's life after she came to Manfield, Missouri. It talked about their arrival, time living in town, and years building the Rocky Ridge Farm as well as Laura's writing career and her relationship with her daughter, Rose, as well as her writing career. Also included are brief stories about Laura's travels outside of Mansfield and visits she and Almanzo enjoyed from others. To the average reader, <i>Laura Wilder of Mansfield</i> may be a bit boring, reading like a textbook. To huge LIW fans like me and self-proclaimed "bonnet heads," it will be fascinating.<br />
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The book definitely has a specific target reader, of which I belong. It is a short book, so due to that and my interest, on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hour</u>s, I give it a nine.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Laura-Wilder-Mansfield-William-Anderson/dp/0961008814/" target="_blank">Anderson, William. (1974). <i>Laura Wilder of Mansfield</i></a>.Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-53920973899283793762016-10-12T00:00:00.000-07:002016-10-12T00:00:02.087-07:00THE STORY OF THE INGALLS FAMILY by William Anderson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I purchased several books in the Laura Ingalls Wilder Family Series while visiting the Laura Ingalls Wilder Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, Missouri, in early June, 2016. <i>The Story of the Ingalls Family</i> is the first in the series and the second one I read.<br />
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The book essentially discusses Laura's ancestors, parents, and siblings, including her immediate family's travels, the subject of most of her <i>Little House</i> books. It was particularly interesting to read about how May, Pa, Carrie, Mary, and Grace lived subsequent to the time period covered in the books. It also talks about Laura's life as an author and includes several interesting appendices, including Grace Ingalls' diary, family tree information, and family letters. To the average reader, <i>The Story of the Ingalls Family</i> may be a bit boring, reading like a textbook. To huge LIW fans like me and self-proclaimed "bonnet heads," it will be fascinating.<br />
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The book definitely has a specific target reader, of which I belong. It is a short book, so due to that and my interest, on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hour</u>s, I give it a nine.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Story-Ingalls-Laura-Wilder-Family/dp/0961008806/" target="_blank">Anderson, William. (1973). The Story of the Ingalls Family</a>.Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-59122341672295269462016-09-12T00:00:00.000-07:002016-09-12T00:00:31.315-07:00THE STORY OF THE WILDERS by William Anderson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I purchased several books in the Laura Ingalls Wilder Family Series while visiting the Laura Ingalls Wilder Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, Missouri, in early June, 2016.<i>The Story of the Wilders</i>, the second in the series, was the first one I read.<br />
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Almanzo Wilder was the subject of Laura Ingalls Wilder's novel <i>Farmer Boy</i> and also her husband. The book describes the lives of the actual Wilders from when they lived in Malone, New York, through their travels west. In addition to containing information about Almanzo, it also talks about his life outside of <i>Farmer Boy</i>, his siblings, and his parents. To the average reader, <i>The Story of the Wilders</i> may be a bit boring, reading like a textbook. To huge LIW fans like me and self-proclaimed "bonnet heads," it will be fascinating.<br />
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The book definitely has a specific target reader, of which I belong. It is a short book, so due to that and my interest, on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hour</u>s, I give it a nine.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Story-Wilders-about-Almanzo-family/dp/0961008822/" target="_blank">Anderson, William. (1973). The Story of the Wilders</a>.Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-80501768666005474502016-06-12T00:00:00.000-07:002016-06-12T00:00:14.751-07:00THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH by Ken Follett<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I purchased <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pillars-Earth-Ken-Follett/dp/045123281X/" target="_blank">The Pillars of the Earth </a></i>by Ken Follett as recommended by two men in the Veteran's writing workshop I led. It is not the usual type of historical fiction I read, but they said it was good and they recommended it as instructive for setting up a detailed scenes as well as working in historical facts.<br />
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Compared to other novels I usually read, I consider <i>The Pillars of the Earth</i> an epic, taking place from 1123 through 1174 in England over 983 pages. I did think it was very well written; it drew me in and was full of romance, suspense, and action as well as historical detail. As the group members indicated, the author did an excellent job of creating twelfth century England; I easily imagined the landscape, towns, and different places. I also enjoyed learning about the evolution of church and cathedral architecture.<br />
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The story is told from the point of view of several characters and it's not clear until well into the book that the main characters are Aliena and Jack. The length of the book allowed me to get to know all of the characters intimately as well as care for them and want to find out what happened to them. However, it also took me a long time to really get into the story, though obviously it was interesting enough and grabbed me enough to motivate me to keep reading. I generally enjoy stories told from just one character's point of view and I've been known to skip sections told from a character's point-of-view about which I don't care, but I found myself caring about all of the characters enough in this book to read all of the sections.<br />
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Though this isn't the type of book I normally read, I am glad I did. It was a fascinating tale about characters I came to know and care about. And I did learn one way to weave historical facts through a story. It took me over two months to read this book, partly because of the length and partly because it took me some time to get hooked enough to keep going back to it, so, on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it </u>to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give the first half to two-thirds a six and the last half to one-third a seven and a half.<br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pillars-Earth-Ken-Follett/dp/045123281X/" target="_blank">Follett, Ken. (1989). <i>The Pillars of the Earth</i>. Signet: New York City.</a>Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-82878117871915841402016-03-12T00:00:00.000-08:002016-03-12T00:00:01.620-08:00THREADS OF THE WAR by Jeremy Strozer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I obtained Volume I of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Threads-War-Personal-Inspired-Flash-Fiction-ebook/dp/B015HP20Q4/" target="_blank">Threads of the War: Personal Truth Inspired Flash-Fiction of The 20th Century's War</a></i> from the author after he contacted me via the contact form on my website asking about opportunities to promote his work. I told him I didn't do that at this time, but that I did maintain a historical book review blog, so he sent me the electronic copy of his book. I also interviewed him for the Author Spotlight section of my author services website, <a href="http://wordsywomanforauthors.com/author-spotlight-jeremy-strozer-flash-fiction/" target="_blank">which you can read here</a>.<br />
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Jeremy Strozer's <i>Threads of the War Volume I</i> contains numerous entertaining, easily digestible, and quick-to-read short stories based on real war-related historical events. Some of them are suspenseful and some are humorous, but all are engaging and interesting. I also enjoyed the parts that told the "real" stories behind his stories as well as the factual information and photographs included.<br />
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<i>Threads of the War Volume I</i> put me into these moments in history, and I greatly appreciated that they were moments, because they provided so much detail and intimacy that gets glossed over in public school history classes. These stories also reminded me that war involves people, and they allowed me to step into history as a breathing, feeling human being.<br />
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Volume II of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Threads-War-Personal-Truth-Inspired-Flash-Fiction-ebook/dp/B01BW9TYCC/" target="_blank">Threads of the War</a> </i>was released in March, 2016. I have no reason to doubt that it, like Volume I, would appeal to all history buffs as well as anyone who enjoys stories based on fact. I read these stories quickly, so, on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it an eight.<br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Threads-War-Personal-Inspired-Flash-Fiction-ebook/dp/B015HP20Q4/" target="_blank">Strozer, Jeremy. (2015). <i>Threads of the War: Personal Truth Inspired Flash-Fiction of The 20th Century's War</i>. The Good Enough Empire, LLC.</a>Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-29890375325075695362016-02-12T00:00:00.000-08:002016-02-12T00:00:00.146-08:00THE WAR CAME HOME WITH HIM: A DAUGHTER'S MEMOIR by Catherine Madison<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I came across <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/War-Came-Home-Him-Daughter-s/dp/0816698775/" target="_blank">The War Came Home with Him</a></i> while shopping on Amazon. Other than being a historical account and involving Veterans, who I find have fascinating stories to tell, I also have something in common with the author. Technically, it's actually my father who has it in common with her. My grandfather, my father's father, was also a POW in Korea. It also changed him and he didn't talk about it. My father has been researching my grandfather's captivity, so I thought it might be instructive.<br />
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<i>The War Came Home with Him</i> has alternating chapters starting with Alexander Boyson prior to his capture and trading places back and forth with his daughter, Catherine's, story starting when she was a little girl. It beautifully tells the story of both of their lives, his before and after the time he was a prisoner, and hers of her life with him. It's heartbreaking how being a POW negatively impacted the author's life, but it's also hopeful in that it's clear the author has forgiven him, understands him to some degree, and has made peace. This memoir doesn't glorify war or gloss it over; it is what it is, through the author's eyes and the father's. The author's perspective is based on her memories and her father's based on her research and writings her father left behind, making it believable and, as far as I know, highly accurate. I also liked how the author arranged the chapters, subtly tying what her father went through as a Korean War POW to her own memories of how he was as a father, and how he brought that part of the war home with him.<br />
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<i>The War Came Home with Him</i> is interesting, tells a good story, and provides deep insight into the author's and her father's life. And I also believe it's an important book. I read it pretty quickly even with the holidays, so, on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it an eight and a half.<br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/War-Came-Home-Him-Daughter-s/dp/0816698775/" target="_blank">Madison, Catherine. (2015). <i>The War Came Home with Him</i>. University of Minnesota Press.</a>Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-59367983818051623742016-01-12T00:00:00.000-08:002016-01-12T00:00:33.219-08:00OUT OF THIS WORLD by Mary Swander<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I also bought <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Out-This-World-Womans-Among/dp/0670858080/" target="_blank">Out of this World </a></i>at the first annual (I hope) Clinton Book Festival on August 29, 2015 while I was there promoting my book, <i>Taming the Twisted</i>. I've met Mary Swander before, enjoyed her poetry, and like books telling the history of where I live in Iowa.<br />
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<i>Out of This World</i> is a memoir broken into four parts about Mary Swander's adult life living in the middle of an Amish community in east central Iowa. Living in an Amish community, however, is just one of the "out of this world" themes in the book. It's also about learning to live in her own body, which doesn't tolerate food and chemicals the same as most other people in the world, sort of like her body rejecting our modern way of life. Mary had the unique opportunity of finding the detailed story of the previous owner of one of the homes in which she lived, thereby living essentially in someone else's world. She also lived in a converted schoolhouse, also unusual. Though lots of people live in pastoral settings, including Iowa, in a sense, that's also a way of living "out of this world."<br />
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The picture Mary creates of the Amish part of Iowa was interesting; though I live near there, I've never had the chance to be immersed in the community as she has. For the setting, Mary also creates a beautiful and accurate picture of Iowa. I'm here and am familiar with the landscape, but if I wasn't, I think I'd know what it looks, sounds, smells, and feels like. She also weaves in interesting bits of history, facts, and philosophy. Reading <i>Out of This World</i> made me wonder about my own attraction to solitude and about how a lot of people say they would or want to choose clean, simple living and eating, but we don't. In Mary's case, she was essentially forced to live clean if she wanted to live at all.<br />
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<i>Out of This World</i> interestingly portrays one person's experience in one setting during a particular time in her life, which is I suppose what makes it a memoir. If you've never been to Iowa and want one perspective about how it is to live here (contrary to some beliefs, we are NOT all the same, just as nobody nowhere is the same), you'll enjoy Mary Swander's book. It did take me a bit of time to read it with the holidays and other commitments, so, on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it a six and a half.<br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Out-This-World-Womans-Among/dp/0670858080/" target="_blank">Swander, Mary. (1995). <i>Out of This World</i>. Penguin Books.</a>Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-66856202960335853252015-11-12T00:02:00.000-08:002015-11-12T08:10:10.307-08:00SEEKING SIGNS by Staci Angelina Mercado<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I bought <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Signs-Staci-Angelina-Mercado/dp/0615830811/" target="_blank">Seeking Signs</a></i> at the first annual (I hope) Clinton Book Festival on August 29, 2015. I was there promoting my book, <i><a href="http://jodietoohey.com/my-books/novels/taming-the-twisted/" target="_blank">Taming the Twisted</a></i>, so was drawn to this book that has a similar idea - a novel based on a local historical event. <i>Seeking Signs</i> tells the story from Elsie Seamer's point of view. After Elsie's sister, Minnie, is found hanging in the barn on June 20, 1913, Elsie becomes amateur investigator seeking to debunk the coroner's ruling of her sister's death as a suicide.<br />
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The story builds as Elsie delves deeper into solving the mystery until a terrible event beyond her control brings the final understanding of truth. As Elsie's story is told, so is her sister's weaved through passages from newspaper articles appearing at the time and Minnie's diary, and her family's, dealing with a grave illness.<br />
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The story follows the "formula" of a mystery novel, with the amateur detective being "called" to solve the crime, reaching a point of no return, and enlisting the aid of a partner. But, perhaps because the mystery is based on an actual historical event in a real place at a real time, it didn't feel like it was following any sort of formula or recipe. It's simply a face-paced, suspenseful story. The fact that it's based on a real event makes it all that much more fascinating.<br />
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I got so engrossed in this book that won the Midwest Book Gold Award for historical fiction in 2013 from the Midwest Independent Publishers' Association, that I didn't even take notes as I read. The book was easy-to-follow, pleasant to read, and pulled me through to the end. So, on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it a nine.<br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Signs-Staci-Angelina-Mercado/dp/0615830811/" target="_blank">Mercado, Staci Angelina. (2013). <i>Seeking Signs</i>. Four Feathers Press.</a>Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4364690595212397323.post-34637801432923858982015-10-12T00:00:00.000-07:002015-10-12T00:00:02.683-07:00SHELL GAMES by Jeffrey S. Copeland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Shell Games </i>is non-fiction, classified as true crime/biography/history, but it reads like a novel with well-developed characters, action, drama, and suspense.<br />
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The book tells the story of Pearl McGill who was involved in the initial establishment of a union and protection of workers' rights in the button industry in Muscatine, Iowa, around 1910. I bought the book because my next novel will take place around the same time period and will involve the clamming part of the button industry. The working of the clammers and button makers was well-researched and weaved well throughout the story. I felt like I got to learn about every aspect of the life of a button, from the mussels being plucked out of the Mississippi River to the buttons being sewn on cards and packed for shipping. The book also gave me a good sense of what Muscatine looked, felt, and smelled like in that time period.<br />
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I noticed some typos and confusing moments, but they didn't detract terribly from my reading. For example, when Pearl was kidnapped, I was surprised that she wasn't more afraid for her roommate when she gave her kidnappers her address. At one point, the book mentions how Pearl stopped by to get a library book she'd put on hold; I found it odd that she would've been spending much time reading leisurely with so much turmoil in her life (it didn't mention that the book was related to strikes or workers' rights). I was also surprised that Pearl wasn't concerned about her boss finding out about her involvement with the union when she agreed to such a high-profile role; she didn't seem to consider it until she saw her boss at a meeting. Finally, I was confused about the timeline. The story starts with Pearl's arrival in Muscatine on July 9, 1910, and the story seems to take place all during the summer months, with no mention of winter, but the epilogue states that the agreement Pearl helped to work out occurred in May, 1911.<br />
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<i>Shell Games</i> is overall a good book, appropriate for those who enjoy historical novels or biographies. It would also appeal to those who like to read about by-gone industries or are interested in union formation history. It did take me a little longer than normal to read it so, on a can't-put-it-down-scale of one for <u>I couldn't even finish it</u> to ten for <u>I was up until the wee morning hours</u>, I give it a seven and a half.<br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shell-Games-Industrial-Pioneer-Activist/dp/1557788995/" target="_blank">Copeland, J. 2012. <i>Shell Games: The Life and Times of Pearl McGill, Industrial Spy and Pioneer Labor Activist</i>. Paragon House: St. Paul, Minnesota.</a>Jodie Tooheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03636072689350991413noreply@blogger.com0