labfs39 wanders the world of words pt. 5

Currently Reading


The Cultural Revolution by Frank Dikötter


The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

AUDIO

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Books Read in 2024

January
1. Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein (F, 3.5*)
2. The Old Capital by Yasunari Kawabata, translated from the Japanese by J. Martin Holman (TF, 3*)
3. The Seventh Cross by Anna Seghers, translated from the German by Margot Bettauer Dembo (TF, 3.5*)
4. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (SF, 4*)
5. Chekhov by Henri Troyat, translated from the French by Michael Henry Heim (TNF, 4.5*)
6. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (F, 5*)
7. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (SF, 3*)
8. Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker (NF, 4*)
9. Minor Detail by Shibli Adania, translated from the Arabic by Elisabeth Jaquette (TF, 3.5*)

February
10. Peter Duck by Arthur Ransome (F, 3*)
11. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated from the Japanese by Eric Ozawa (TF, 3*)
12. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (SF, 3.5*)
13. Mãn by Kim Thúy, translated from the French by Sheila Fischman (TF, 3.5*)
14. River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard (NF, 3*)
15. The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years by Chingiz Aitmatov, translated from the Russian by John French (TF, 4*)
16. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (SF, 3.5*)

March
17. My Vietnam, Your Vietnam: A Dual Memoir by Christina Vo & Nghia M. Vo (NF, 3*)
18. Grass Soup by Zhang Xianliang, translated from the Chinese by Martha Avery (TNF, 4*)
19. Tinkers by Paul Harding (F, 3.5*)
20. Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang (YANF, 3.5*)
21. Feather in the Storm: A Childhood Lost in China by Emily Wu and Larry Engelmann (NF, 4*)
22. Network Effect by Martha Wells (SF, 4.5*)
23. Hungry Ghosts: Mao's Secret Famine by Jasper Becker (NF, 3.5*)

April
24. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells (SF, 3.5*)
25. Mao's Great Famine by Frank Dikötter (NF, 4*)
26. Apeirogon by Colum McCann (F, 4.5*)
27. System Collapse by Martha Wells (SF, 4*)
28. A Faraway Island by Annika Thor, translated from the Swedish by Linda Schenck (TYA, 4*)

May
29. Half of Man is Woman by Zhang Xianliang, translated from the Chinese by Martha Avery (TF, 3.5*)
30. When We Were Colored by Clifton L. Taulbert (NF, 3*)
31. The Lily Pond by Annika Thor, translated from the Swedish by Linda Schenck (TF, 3*)
32. Eastbound by Maylis De Kerangal, translated from the French by Jessica Moore (TF, 4*)
33. Bitter Herbs by Marga Minco, translated from the Dutch by Jeannette K. Ringold (TYA, 4*)
34. Village School by Miss Read (F, 2.5*)
35. The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa, translated from the Arabic by Ranya Abdelrahman and Sawad Hussain (TF, 4.5*)
36. The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison (F, 1.5*)
37. Deep Sea by Annika Thor, translated from the Swedish by Linda Schenck (TF, 3.5*)

June
38. Mooncop by Tom Gauld (GN, 3*)
39. Open Sea by Annika Thor, translated from the Swedish by Linda Schenck (TF, 3*)
40. The Door by Magda Szabó, translated from the Hungarian by Len Rix (TF, 4*)
41. The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede (NF, 4.5*)
42. The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear (F, 4*)
43. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang (NF, 4.5*)
44. Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid (F, 3.5*)
45. The Assault by Harry Mulisch, translated from the Dutch by Claire Nicholas White (TF, 4.5*)

July
46. Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourne (F, 3.5*)
47. The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear (F, 3*)
48. A Death in Vienna by Daniel Silva (F, 3.5*)
49. Prince of Fire by Daniel Silva (F, 3*)
50. Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin (F, 2.5*)
51. They Were Good Germans Once by Evelyn Toynton (F, 3*)
52. Salt to the Sea by Ruth Sepetys (YA, 4*)
53. Letting it Go by Miriam Katin (GN, 3*)

August
54. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (F, 4*)
55. 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows by Ai Weiwei (TNF, 4*)
56. God on the Rocks by Jane Gardam (F, 4*)
57. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (YA, )

Short Stories

See the previous thread for list of Chekhov stories read in January.

1. The Victim by Junichirō Tanizaki, translated by Ivan Morris
2. Rome 16 October 1943 a visual adaptation by Sarah Laing of a short story by Giacomo Debenedetti
3. Li Fan by Alexandra Chang

Anton Chekhov, translated by Constance Garnett
3. The Trousseau
4. An Inquiry
5. Fat and Thin
6. A Tragic Actor
7. A Slander
8. The Bird Market
9. Choristers
10. The Album

Book Club
✔January: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
✔February: This Other Eden by Paul Harding
March: The Lone Winter by Anne Bosworth Greene
✔April: Apeirogon by Colum McCann
✔May: The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison
June: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
✔July: The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin
August: The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
September: Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

Holocaust Literature
1. Rome 16 October 1943 adaptation by Sarah Laing, original story by Giacomo Debenedetti
2. A Faraway Island, The Lily Pond, and Deep Sea by Annika Thor
3. Bitter Herbs by Marga Minco
4. They Were Good Germans Once by Evelyn Toynton
5. Letting it Go by Miriam Katin

Nobel Laureates
1. The Old Capital by Yasunari Kawabata

Graphic Stories
1. Rome 16 October 1943 adaptation by Sarah Laing, original story by Giacomo Debenedetti
2. Mooncop by Tom Gauld
3. Letting it Go by Miriam Katin

In French

Reading Globally

Books I've read in 2024 by nationality of author (a tricky business):

American: 23 (7 in Murderbot series, 2 in Gabriel Allon series)
Antiguan: 1
Canadian: 1
Chinese: 6
Dutch: 3
English: 5
French: 1
German: 1
Hungarian: 2
Irish: 1
Japanese: 2
Kuwaiti: 1
Kyrgyz: 1
Palestinian: 1
Russian French: 1
Scottish: 1
Swedish: 4
Vietnamese American: 1
Vietnamese Canadian: 1

Check out my Global Challenge thread, labfs39 reads around the world, for a look at a cumulative list since around 2010. And I've broken out the US by state in my labfs39 tackles the states thread.

Book stats for 2024
I am trying to promote diversity in my reading and, for the lack of a more refined method, am tracking the following:

books:
total: 57 (13 in 3 series)
countries: 18
translations: 19 (34%)
in French:
nonfiction: 15 (27%)

Authors:
women: 34 (61%)
men: 21 (39%)
both: 2
nonbinary:

nonwhite and/or non-European/US/British Commonwealth: 15 (27%)
new to me authors: 27 (48%)

Genres:
literary fiction: 29
contemporary fiction: 2
science fiction: 7
biography/memoir: 10
history: 4
medical history: 1
suspense: 2

graphic story: 2

children's fiction: 1
young adult: 8

TIOLI Challenges

July
Challenge #1: Read a biography or autobiography about a person of multi-racial identity
They were Good Germans Once
Challenge #3: Read a book that has a present European capital city in its main title
A Death in Vienna
Challenge #6: Read a book by an author any of whose names begin or end with either J, U, L, or Y
The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear
Challenge #10: The first word of the book's title is longer than the second word
Killers of a Certain Age
Prince of Fire
Challenge #11: Read a book whose title could be the name of a pub
Lioness of Boston
Salt to the Sea

August
Challenge #4: Read a book whose author has the same first name initial or last name initial as you do
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
Challenge #11: Read a book with the letters "au" or the words "August" or "Gold" in the title or author's name
Lincoln in the Bardo - Saunders

Unread E-Books

2022
North to Paradise: A Memoir by Ousman Umar
Where the Desert Meets the Sea by Werner Sonne
American Seoul: A Memoir by Helena Rho
Light to the Hills by Bonnie Blaylock
Local: A Memoir by Jessica Machado
This Time Next Year We'll Be Laughing by Jacqueline Winspear
The Singing Trees by Boo Walker (accidental purchase)

2023
Bird of Paradise by Ada Leverson (public domain)
The Limit by Ada Leverson (public domain)
The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Kamusari Tales Told at Night (Forest Book 2) by Shion Miura
Where Waters Meet by Zhang Ling (First Reads)
The Wren and the Swordfish Pilot by Stella Hutchinson (First Reads)
Elizabeth's Star by Rhonda Forrest (First Reads)
The Lost Girl from Belzec: A WW2 Historical Novel, Based on a True Story of a Jewish Holocaust Survivor by Ravit Raufman
Ester and Ruzya: How My Grandmothers Survived Hitler's War and Stalin's Peace by Masha Gessen
The Quiet American by Graham Greene
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré (First Reads)
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Guernsey Saga: The moving story of one English family under Nazi occupation by Diana Bachmann (First Reads)
Journey To The Heartland by Xiaolong Huang (First Reads)
Don't Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino (First Reads)
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
Scorpio by Marko Kloos (First Reads)
Freydis by Gunhild Haugnes (First Reads)

2024
Intimacies by Katie Kitamura
Mr. Britling Sees It Through by H. G. Wells
The Lone Winter by Anne Bosworth Greene (book club selection, public domain)
The Great Escape: Nine Jews Who Fled Hitler and Changed the World by Kati Marton
Operation Columba—The Secret Pigeon Service: The Untold Story of World War II Resistance in Europe by Gordon Corera
The Tiger in the Attic by Edith Milton
Lovers at the Museum (short story) by Isabel Allende (First Reads)
Cut and Thirst: A Short Story by Margaret Atwood (First Reads)
A Light through the Cracks: A Climber's Story by Beth Rodden (First Reads)
The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear
To Keep the Sun Alive by Rabeah Ghaffari (First Reads)
The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield
North Woods by Daniel Mason
The Curious Secrets of Yesterday by Namrata Patel (First Reads)
Thirteenth Child by Mark DeMeza
Open Sea by Annika Thor
Songdogs by Colum McCann
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourne
North of Normal: A Memoir by Cea Sunrise Person
How to Say Babylon: A Memoir by Safiya Sinclair
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien

July has been a crazy month, between the heat and a bit of travel. My reading has slumped off and gotten a little lighter, as it usually does in summer.

I have been thinking about my reading pre-LT and how it compares to now, a question that came up on Mark/msf59's thread. Before joining LT I didn't track my reading, so I don't have any qualitative data, but my guess is I read less and certainly less broadly than I do now. I used to rely heavily on classics of the Western canon, and now I rarely read those, but spend much more time on literature from all over the world. Then and now, I lean toward longer works and eschew a lot of American literature. Being able to discuss what I'm reading has improved the quality of my reading experience. I can't imagine not having LT in my life now.

How about you? How has LibraryThing changed your reading life, or not?

A Death in Vienna by Daniel Silva
Published 2004, 403 p.

This is the fourth in the series about Gabriel Allon, former Mossad operative and current art restorer. I liked this one by far the best because it contained more history and less Israeli Bond girls caricatures.

When a friend is severely injured in a bomb blast, Gabriel defies authorities and returns to Vienna, a city that haunts his past. An informant points him toward Herr Vogel, an Austrian businessman who may have been a Nazi war criminal. As Gabriel gets closer to the truth, he also learns more about events in his mother's life during the Holocaust. Is hunting down former Nazis still relevant today? What does justice look like for these elderly war criminals?

This book references heavily Aktion 1005, the Nazis' attempt to destroy the millions of bodies that would serve as evidence of their crimes. Although I had read about this in books on Treblinka and Sobibor, I hadn't realized that it began in the Ukraine. It also touches on Bishop Alois Hudal's Ratlines for helping Nazis escape after the war, and Reinhard Gehlen, who went from being an intelligence agent for the Nazis to running intelligence operations for the American CIA and West Germany against the Russians. Lots of controversial topics that are not well-known provide the backdrop to the action. I had nearly given up on this series, but this book has definitely hooked me again.

>11 labfs39: I'm with you on nearly giving up on Daniel Silva. I will add this to my TBR also.

>10 labfs39: I have had a similar experience as I moved from British mysteries to literary mysteries, and on to literary fiction broadly speaking. I still prefer an element of suspense in my reading, however. An indicator of my changes comes from the fact that I don't even read CrimeHub, instead going to Lithub.

Sweet Thursday, Lisa. Happy New Thread. The heat and humidity have moved out. It will be gorgeous here through the weekend. Yah!

I started tracking my reading well before LT, because I kept checking the same PG Wodehouse and Agatha Christie books out of the library by accident. I had to stop working when I was 20 due to my disability, and the amount I read went up more every year which I sort of treated as a job-replacement.

Once it got to a certain high amount I was having trouble finding fiction that I really liked, getting recommendations from people with very different taste to mine, and feeling burnt out because of it. Joining LT definitely made it easier to find newer fiction that I'd enjoy more and improved that side of my reading no end. Reading everyone's thoughtful reviews and then trying to write my own has also made me think a lot more about what I'm reading while I'm reading it as well, which is no bad thing.

>12 JoeB1934: How many of the Gabriel Allon books have you read, Joe?

>13 JoeB1934: In college and grad school I studied almost exclusively European literature, and it was only with the influence of early Club Readers like rebeccanyc, SassyLassy, and others that I discovered broader world literature.

>14 msf59: Today was the first day of moderate heat and humidity, the next couple of days should be nice here as well. I'm so ready for some normal summer temps.

>15 mabith: That's a good point about reviews, Meredith. Reading reviews and writing my own does make me more focused. I often process a book while writing about it, and the result is more introspective reading. No bad thing indeed.

---

My older niece is loving Lego camp this week. Today I took the younger one to the aquarium and tomorrow we'll go see a play at the children's museum. It's nice to have some one on one time, as opposed to both. The dynamic is very different.

>16 labfs39: I have read 5 of those books and, generally speaking enjoyed them all at the 4-star level. My favorite was Portrait of an Unknown Woman

>17 JoeB1934: Ah, so you skipped around. I started at the beginning and the first couple were rough. I started the fifth today, and so far it's okay but without the historical draw that the last one had.

>18 labfs39: Have you read Portrait of an Unknown Woman ?

>19 JoeB1934: No, it's number 22 in the series and I'm only up to number 5.

>20 labfs39: I'm not into series that much, I guess. Only a few as I just finished the latest Donna Leon and that is number 33. I would think you would really like that series, which is set in Venice, and it is so good. Have you read any of them?

I would start that series before reading another 25 of the Gabriel Allon books, for sure. They are not thrillers, but plenty of suspense and goes deep into what it means to be a Venetian. Lots of references to classical literature.

>11 labfs39: There were times when I literally devoured this series. I haven't read an Allon for a few years now. Now you've reminded me that I should borrow one again.

>21 JoeB1934: I too read few series, Maisie Dobbs and Murderbot being the two I most closely followed in recent years. Outlander is another that I follow but am not caught up on. I used to read a fair amount of sci-fi and fantasy, a lot of which was series. I do have a bunch of Alan Furst books in the Night Soldiers series, but have only read a few and those out of order. I'll keep an eye out for the first Donna Leon book. I see her books around a lot.

>22 Ameise1: I find series a good choice when I'm in a reading funk or indecisive. They propel me along with little effort on my part. I especially like series that combine history and action.

I follow the Daniel Silva books about Gabriel Allon. The last one I read was good. I like it when the subject is on art and art theft.

>23 labfs39: It has finally dawned on my feeble brain that a very major difference between you and me is your continual objective to read books from an author, like Donna Leon in order and that you don't regularly use a library to get your books.

Whenever I discover an author I like, I definitely look for new books by them and go back and evaluate their earlier books. If I like them, I'm off to the library. I discovered Donna Leon in 2000 and have been on top of her series ever since.

So, a person's reading pattern is not only defined by the genres they like, but acquisition of books style. This includes preferences for audio over print as is true for me.

>24 torontoc: Me too!

>24 torontoc: I'm 140 pages into Prince of Fire but it hasn't grabbed me the way the last one did. I'm also a bit uneasy with the depictions of Palestine-Israeli relations given the state of the world at the moment. The book was written in 2005. Which was the last you read?

>25 JoeB1934: I do tend to read series in order, as I figure that is what the author intended, and I don't want to miss out on any character development. It's true that I don't routinely seek out an author's previous books. I'm not sure why. You would think that if I like an author I would want to read more by them. And I do, I'm just not organized about it.

As for using the library. I live in a rural area with a small local library, so I usually rely heavily on interlibrary loan. Unfortunately the state of Maine had to shut down its ILL services for the summer due to a lawsuit, so I am very limited in what I can check out at the moment. I was able to get my book club book, the Daniel Silva books, and Fight Night from the library on my last visit, which was a good haul. I have a robust number of books on my shelves that I am trying to get to, so I have no excuse for not finding something to read. Summers are when all the local libraries hold their sales, so I've been picking up a good number of books that way too.

As for audio, I have tried numerous times, most recently with Apeirogon, to listen to audiobooks, but I really struggle with the format. I have a slight auditory processing disorder which hinders my ability to understand spoken media and auditory learning (not helpful for someone who loves languages). I have started using an e-reader a bit in the last couple of years, but the majority of my books are still print.

>24 torontoc: Which was the last you read?

Nevermind. I just read your review. That one does sound good. Someday I'll get to number 24!

>27 labfs39: Silva's most recent book A Death in Cornwall doesn't reference the Middle East at all-there are some pretty pointed criticisms of Britain's conservative party ( fictional or not)

I've only read the first Daniel Silva and was not that taken with it. Currently most of my crime reads are set either in Aussie or New Zealand.

Your comments on The Tenement Museum NYC reminded me of the hour or so we spent in their bookshop due to a rainstorm. The selection of books was outstanding, I didn't buy any as we had to fly with luggage restrictions but I photographed many book covers so I could research at leisure when I came home.

>29 torontoc: Although Prince of Fire begins with a stereotypical portrayal of Palestine, it gets more nuanced by the book's end, and I would hazard a guess that Silva is going to introduce more complexity as the series continues, but we'll see.

>30 avatiakh: I did not care for the first Gabriel Allon book either. I nearly didn't continue, but several people have recommended the series so I did. After the third, I gave up, and only this past week took up four and five. These were much better, IMO, and I will continue to read them from time to time. The sexism has all but disappeared, and the historical aspects have gotten richer. His writing is improving.

For such a small bookshop, the selection at the Tenement Museum was very good. I wonder who curates the collection?

Prince of Fire by Daniel Silva
Published 2005, 369 p.

When Gabriel Allon, art restorer and covert Israeli intelligence assassin, has his cover blown, he is forced to leave Venice and return to Israel. His first order of business to to track down the Palestinian terrorist who unmasked him and bombed the Israeli intelligence center in Rome. While still firmly committed to protecting Israel against terrorist threats, Gabriel begins to question, seemingly for the first time, Israeli actions during the Nakba.

Silva seems to have turned a corner with the series and is focusing more on historical events and philosophical questions of justice. Although not as strong as the fourth book in the series, this, the fifth, continues in this vein. I find it hard to believe that Gabriel is only now questioning whether the Palestinians might have some legitimate arguments, but I'm glad to see a slightly more nuanced approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

>32 labfs39: I read this book seven years ago and loved it.

>10 labfs39: my reading ramped up in 2004 and I joined LT in 2006, CR in 2009. So limited pre-LT history. Before CR, I put a lot of weight into the NY Times book review section. Before 2004, I was reading about a book a month, and slower than currently. A lot of nonfiction.

In essence, I associate my reading more with my being a part of LT. I think when i started reading more, i was looking for something to do with all this information. And LT offered a free catalog

>33 Ameise1: I liked #4, A Death in Vienna, more, because of the WWII angle, but the last couple have definitely piqued my interest in the series again.

>34 dchaikin: I joined LT when I heard an NPR story about the new "social media for bibliophiles" in 2008. The catalog was a lure, but I was truly snared when I found Club Read.

---

Well, Biden has dropped out of the race. What's next for the Democratic Party and the country??

>35 labfs39: I feel a great sadness though he had no choice.

>35 labfs39: I think it was less "dropping out" than it was "being forcibly tied to the sacrificial altar," and I worry about future elections now that the donors/party elders/New York Times know that if they complain loud and long enough, the results of a primary election can be thrown out on their say-so.

>35 labfs39: What's next is that we all work hard to get Kamala Harris elected and prevent the felon rapist from seizing control.

Im assuming all of Bidens war chest is somehow transferred to her

well, Trump didnt take too long "at a rally Saturday evening in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Trump attacked both Biden and Harris, repeatedly calling Biden “stupid” and insulting his IQ. But Harris, Trump said, was “crazy.”"

takes one to know one

I never liked Biden before he became president. But I’ve really liked him as president and I truly admire him for stepping down and handing this desperate chance off to someone else who might be able to do better. I think it was the right thing to do, the best chance. I really hope it works.

>39 cindydavid4: Im assuming all of Bidens war chest is somehow transferred to her

Yes, if Harris is the nominee, that happens. But it happens ONLY if Harris is the nominee; anyone else would have to start a fundraising apparatus from scratch.

>38 RidgewayGirl: I tend to think you are right, but she’s not popular or articulate. I hope the decision is quick and that the Party is at least publicly united. I don’t think America could afford another four years of Trump. If I were well-enough I’d be moving back to Australia.

I don’t think we should be blaming the press or the donors. Biden is a good person but he was clearly not up to another four years in the job. As soon as I saw the debate last month, I knew we were in trouble.

>37 KeithChaffee: Are you saying that the press and donors had no reason to push Biden to drop out? The primary was a farce. There were no viable alternatives.

The presidential system as it is set up in the US and the way the Supreme Court is set up is a big problem. With the Westminster system at least elected representatives all have a chance to shine. Here there is no plan B

>42 kjuliff: Harris is perfectly "articulate" and it's interesting how such an obvious racist trope has entered the public discourse. We have to fight hard against it because there will be a lot of dog-whistles like questioning how articulate she is and also a lot of openly racist and sexist shouting.

>44 RidgewayGirl: I haven’t found Harris to be articulate, but that could well be because of the biased clips I’ve seen. I do hope that is the case.

>45 kjuliff: May I suggest listening to an entire speech instead of deceptively edited clips? The amount of racism that is already endemic in American society will amp up considerably and it's important not to fall prey to dog-whistles. She was a successful attorney general of the biggest state and a good senator and it's weird that anyone can push the idea that she's unable to speak clearly. For the record, I have been at three events where she gave speeches and in no way did she struggle to speak or make her message clear. And calling a Black person "articulate" is a backhanded racist compliment here.

>37 KeithChaffee: worry about future elections now that the donors/party elders/New York Times know that if they complain loud and long enough, the results of a primary election can be thrown out on their say-so

I think there always were. This time around the media made an issue of his age and everyone jumped on the band wagon. Im really miffed at whoever suggested that Biden debate, it was too early for that and they had to have known how he'd perform.

Its funny to think that the primaries were only since 1968, the rest of the time everything was decided behind closed doors. wonder if we are going back there also ironic that the convention was also in Chicago

I worry that Biden is sicker with Covid than we know. Four days ago he was still staunchly fighting on, but since being confined with Covid he withdrew from the race.

>39 cindydavid4:

Any time a woman seems like she's about to get some power, she gets called crazy. Or "nasty" - see Hillary Clinton.

>50 dukedom_enough: yup

>37 KeithChaffee: I worry about future elections now that the donors/party elders/New York Times...
I think it was the other way around. Voters have been saying "too old" for years, but what we got was a faux primary, fixed in advance. I would've much preferred a real primary, completely agree that the way this played out is not an ideal model for democracy. The pressure has not been from donors and party elders in a vacuum; it has been their response to voices conveyed indirectly via polls and constituent conversations and on-the-ground canvassers and such, as voters had no direct recourse when "too old" became undeniable. The infusion of small donor $ yesterday suggests a positive reception though it's certainly not universal. And also not guaranteed to succeed.

>39 cindydavid4: assuming all of Bidens war chest is somehow transferred to her
In theory, but the Rs are apparently preparing a legal challenge. Sigh.

>47 cindydavid4: really miffed at whoever suggested that Biden debate, it was too early for that and they had to have known how he'd perform.
So am I, but for different reasons. The debate was arranged by the campaign, whose plan was to compare a coherent Biden to an unhinged Trump and change the trajectory. I agree they had to have known the risk, and then they tried gaslighting when the plan backfired; THAT super pissed me off. Now that Biden has dropped out, I'm glad the debate was early and forced the issue. What could've been done after the convention?

>47 cindydavid4: Its funny to think that the primaries were only since 1968, the rest of the time everything was decided behind closed doors. wonder if we are going back there also ironic that the convention was also in Chicago

Primaries and/or caucuses have been held much longer than that, having in many cases a profound effect on the race for the two parties' respective nominations.

Do you mean the change to a binding winner take all primary, in which all pledged delegates vote for the same candidate, as opposed to the older more exciting method of proportional vote allocation? This binding system leaves little doubt before the convention as to who will be the candidate, whereas there was room for debate and choice in the older way, especially if delegates were released to vote as they chose after a certain number of rounds of balloting if no clear winner had been established by then.

>38 RidgewayGirl: If people up here had a vote, I'm sure most would be with you.

>46 RidgewayGirl: I took your advice and was won over. I just made a very small donation. I made it as I read small donations are beginning to pour in, so it was really just a token of support to add to the number of donations. So thank you!

>54 kjuliff: Kate, I'm so glad. The sheer number of people donating is a hopeful sign.

As many of you know, I homeschool my two nieces who will be going into Pre-K and 3rd grade. For the last two years we have been studying geography, covering North and South America, the Arctic and Antarctica, and Africa in some depth. Next year I'm switching things up and we are going to start studying history, beginning with Paleolithic. I like to be as interdisciplinary as possible, so literature, art, music, and science will tie into whatever era we are studying. For those of you interested in children's books, here's a partial list of books we'll be using:

Curiosity Chronicles: Ancient Times
History Quest: Early Times
Usborne Encyclopedia of World History
A Child through Time (DK)
Tales of Ancient Worlds: Adventures in Archaeology
Usborne Encyclopedia of World Religions
Illustrated Book of Myths
D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths
Ramayana: Divine Loophole
Maroo of the Winter Caves
The Golden Bull
Gilgamesh the King
Ancient Science

I can't wait to get started!

>56 labfs39: Ramayana: Divine Loophole sounds fun. I’ve been wanting to read the Ramayana, the original version (or I guess one of the original versions?).

I'm ordering Ramayana: Divine Loophole from my library, and also taking a look at The Rama epic: hero, heroine, ally, foe by Robert P. Goldman and others. Publisher's blurb below.

Exhibition catalogue for The Rama Epic--recounting the struggle of Prince Rama to defeat a powerful demonic king, rescue his abducted wife and reestablish virtuous order in the world. The catalogue tells the story in a new light using more than 130 artworks, ranging from paintings to puppets to decorative arts to contemporary works to ephemera, inviting readers to find echoes of their own experiences in the stories and dilemmas of each of the characters.

>56 labfs39: Lucky kids, plus it's so important to know those founding myths.

What an inspiring list! Are you still updating your homeschooling thread?

>58 FlorenceArt: The artwork in Ramayana: Divine Loophole is gorgeous. I'm looking forward to studying it with my nieces.

>59 markon: I've never read the Rama epic, only excerpts. Perhaps I should in preparation for our studies. I'm learning so much through homeschooling.

>60 SassyLassy: The girls are certainly getting a different education than they would in the local (horrible) public schools. I felt a bit of validation recently when my eldest niece took an end-of-year standardized test for the first time (one of the two ways in which we can meet the State of Maine requirements for homeschooling).

>61 Dilara86: I stopped updating my thread in the Homeschool Group as no other homeschoolers were participating. I am keeping up my account for kids books though (labfs39kids).

>62 labfs39: I love what you are doing, but wondering how relevant this all would be for the youngest when she finding her way in her present world? How does she react to it all?

>56 labfs39: Your nieces are very lucky. You're giving them a great base to build on.

>63 cindydavid4: Good question, Cindy. I differentiate so that the little one has lots of opportunity for age-appropriate sensory play, etc. Some things they both do, for instance art projects, music, picture books, and projects such as the archaeological "dig" we'll do this fall. Then when the little one is napping, her sister and I do more complex work. It took me a while to find my groove, but it's working pretty well now. So for instance last year during astronomy, the little one yarn wrapped circles of cardboard for each planet, while her sister built a robotic land rover. I read many picture books about space to both girls, but the more detailed bio of Neil Armstrong and the novel Pi in the Sky I did with the older one only. It helps that they are only three years apart and the little one is very bright and wants to do what big sister is doing. Finally, while I have expectations for the older one as to specific assignments, the little one is free to pop in and out as her attention span allows, and then plays in the classroom with puzzles, dough, blocks, etc.

>64 RidgewayGirl: Thanks, Kay. It's a lot of fun, although sometimes I do miss interaction with adults in the workplace, lol. I was very tempted by the recent job ad for a position at LibraryThing, but my sister would be left in a bind, and I do think the girls are getting a lot out of it.

>65 labfs39: that sounds like a good plan! you mentioned that home schooling group, too bad its not being used. Do you have another way of getting togeter with HS parents, and do the girls have other ways to interact with other kids?

>66 cindydavid4: Dilara was referring to a LibraryThing group that I joined, but seems to be defunct.

We meet with the local homeschool group six times a month for outings, plus the girls have summer camps, various sports lessons, and until this summer, the oldest went to an outdoor learning center for all day outdoor play on Thursdays. She's also in Cub Scouts. We also coordinate with another homeschool family for joint lessons.

I realize that many people fear that homeschool kids don't have a social life, but I think that quality activities with friends rather than enforced seat-time next to random classmates makes for healthier relationships overall. I have no worries about either of them socially, beyond their own idiosyncrasies.

I taught in public schools and worked for a private school in Seattle. If my sister had a viable alternative, either public or private, I would encourage her to take it, but unfortunately, the local options are few and the quality of the local public school system is abysmal. Kids who don't fit the cookie-cutter mold are especially vulnerable in schools like that, as I'm sure you know given your work.

I read this for my book club, although I did not finish it until after the meeting.



The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin
Published 2023, 376 p.

Isabella Stewart Gardener was a New Yorker who lived in Boston after her marriage to a local Brahmin. Ostracized by the society matrons for her brash ways, Isabella sought to find and make her own path. Slowly she began a life of collecting—plants, books, art, and always men&mdashculminating in the creation of the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum.

The epigraph to this novel is a quote by ISG herself: "Don't spoil a good story by telling the truth", and in the author's notes, Franklin admits to having followed that maxim much more faithfully than history itself. The author fabricated all of the many letters included in the novel, as well as attendance at events, meetings with famed literati, etc. in the spirit of telling a good story. Perhaps she succeeded, but I was too busy trying to suss out fact from fiction to care. I prefer my historical fiction to embellish history but not fabricate it. Others love the "spirit" of the book and are willing to overlook historical errors that I am not. Your mileage may vary.

>67 labfs39: you are doing home schooling the way it should be done. your sis and nieces are lucky to have you. Ive taught kids who came from home schooled families and it wasnt pretty. And Ive taught some that worked out. hard when there isnt an alternative, so if it works itworks

Love that museum; would have loved to read the book but after 'the author fabricated all of the many letters included in the novel, as well as attendance at events, meetings with famed literati, etc. in the spirit of telling a good story' I think Ill pass. 'I prefer my historical fiction to embellish history but not fabricate it' Yup, and at least have the honesty to indicate where the truth was played with in an authors note.

>69 cindydavid4: Thanks, Cindy. I try to give them quality experiences and so far I think it's working for everyone.

>70 cindydavid4: As I mentioned in my review, the author does lay out her philosophy in the author's notes. For me, that didn't change my opinion of the book, however. If you are interested in ISG, there are a couple of well-reputed biographies of her. One is Mrs. Jack, and there is a new one Isabella Stewart Gardner: A Life. If I had my druthers, I would have picked a bio over this novel, but it was a book club selection.

>71 labfs39: oh I saw the review for that last one; Ill definitly read it!

>69 cindydavid4: & >70 cindydavid4: I read Landscape of a Marriage about Mary Olmsted and the author did the same kind of thing - made up friends, changed name of the one friend who was documented, invented suffrage connections...bah. It wasn't very interesting to start with and I couldn't trust anything she said.

>72 cindydavid4: I hope it's a good one, Cindy.

>73 jjmcgaffey: I couldn't trust anything she said

Exactly. Yet the majority of folks in my book club felt that because it was labelled a novel, that sort of license was fine. A lot was said about the book conveying the spirit of a woman of the times. But then why base it on a real person? Why not create your own character and do what you want, rather than distort a real historical person? I guess it's a good thing ISG doesn't have descendants, or the author might find herself in trouble.

Perhaps it boils down to my expectations for historical fiction vs fiction. Good historical fiction, IMO, enlivens and expands on history based on solid research. I like more history in my historical fiction. I see it as a continuum from primary sources to history to narrative history to historical fiction to fiction. Do others expect more from historical fiction? Or am I being too picky?

Nope Im totally with you. nora lofts, hillary mantel and sharon kay penman spoiled me

I'm having such a hard time deciding what to read next. I have an Early Reviewer book (They Were Good Germans Once), two books started (Dictionary of Maqiao and Narrow Road), an e-book (How to Say Babylon that I just purchased, and some books that I acquired in NYC that I want to read (East West Street and Fountains of Silence). I'm paralyzed by choices.

>76 labfs39: Re getting history wrong:
Emerence was wearing a brightly-colored dress in this photo
From The Door when MC comes upon an old photo of a now elderly woman, taken in the elderly woman’s youth pre-WWII.
Even the best writers slip up.

>77 kjuliff: True, Kate. Mistakes are different from a deliberate rewrite of history, however.

>76 labfs39: paralyzed by choices Great way to phrase it, especially when you're not on a tear on a particular subject.

I started Dictionary of Maqiao some time ago, moved, haven't found it again, but was only reading it in fits and starts. It was one of those kinds of books. I know when I find it again I will eventually finish it, but I'm sure it will still be an off and on read.

Going back to home schooling; all the children I have met as adults who were home schooled have a wonderful lack of guile and backbiting, not having learned that in school. They are just so open to ideas too.

>78 labfs39: Apologies, I must have misread the thread. I just thought it was about historical accuracy

>79 SassyLassy: It is a book that lends itself well to dipping in and out of, although keeping track of some of the itinerant characters is difficult for me.

I think it's so easy for kids' natural curiosity and love of learning to be drilled out of them in school too. I attended the same school the girls would go to, and I quickly learned that not asking questions and being invisibly quiet was the way to stay on the teacher's good side and to avoid being teased by other students. I was shunted off to the library, or the hallway, and told to learn to knit if I was bored. All by the time I was 9. My youngest sister had a similar experience until she went to a private school in the 5th grade, where she encountered a separate set of problems. My middle sister, on the other hand, rebelled and fought the system every step of the way. Needless to say we all hated school.

I've met a lot of homeschooling families along the way, and the quality (and quantity) of education has varied enormously. From unschoolers to workbook pushers and everything in-between. Every student learns differently and homeschooling can accommodate atypical learners very well, but it's a common misperception that homeschooling families are all about control. While that is true for some families, to be honest, the families I've met have all wanted the best for the children, whatever that looks like, and most have tried traditional school at some point. I think there is also the perception that homeschool kids don't learn as much. Again, while that may be true in some cases, many of the families I know who have homeschooled have been very successful, often taking college classes in "high school" and doing some pretty interesting things. I will say that it takes a lot of time and a fair amount of money to homeschool and for single parents or families with both adults holding outside jobs, it can be difficult and stressful.

>80 kjuliff: True, in a way. The author I read was not historically accurate, but that was by choice. She set out to write a book that rewrote history in her own vision. Szabo's error was a mistake in a novel about fictitious characters. Not that I enjoy mistakes of that sort either :-)

>77 kjuliff: It is possible that Emerence had had a colour photograph taken pre WWII. That didn't stand out for me as an inaccuracy.
There was a complex colour process involving plates available in the early part of the twentieth century, and then Agfa introduced colour film in 1936. Kodak also did, but in Hungary it would have been more likely that Agfa was used.

>82 labfs39: Yes, in the case of The Door the editor should have picked it up.

On a related topic, I started Three Fires about the life of Savonarola - the Dominican preacher who drew crowds in16C Italy, and it seemed pretty accurate in the events it described but it also had a lot of descriptions of his inner feelings. I kept thinking of your criticism off Flanagan’s description off the thoughts of the Japanese general in The Narrow Road to the Deep North😊

Happy Saturday, Lisa. Just checking in. I am meeting my birding buddies today. Since, I have been hooked on playing pickleball, I have been neglecting the birdies. Nothing much at my feeders but the sparrows are pounding through the birdseed and suet. Hard to keep up.

>83 SassyLassy: Thanks for this, Sassy. I am ignorant of the history of photography, so appreciate the clarification.

>84 kjuliff: I am not adverse to reading about the inner lives of historical figures in historical fiction, when it's done well, it can add that enrichment to history that historical fiction provides. For me, Flanagan's attempt to explain Japanese spirit or ethos didn't sound authentic and in such a highly charged topic as Japanese brutality to POWs, I thought it didn't work well. But clearly this is only my opinion, and one I don't wish to belabor as I know you enjoyed the book very much.

>85 msf59: I have a steady stream of birds at my feeders, but they are not consuming huge amounts. I get to enjoy them without the expense of constantly filling the feeders. The bird bath was a good addition to my setup, as the birds (and squirrels) frequent it often, especially in this hot weather.

Coming in late on the Harris conversation. I'm quite enthusiastic about her now. Consider the fact that none of the other potential Democratic candidates chose to challenge her. Of course there were the political/party considerations, but let us remember that almost of all of the people in question were people who actually knew Harris. If any of them were sure, or even pretty sure, that Harris couldn't beat Trump, I think we wouldn't have seen that quick coalescing behind her. Not that we're certain she will. (though I do think she will) but that she has the chops at this point to pull it off.

There is a very interesting column about Harris in The NY Times today by Lydia Polgreen, one of their opinion columnists, called "I Was a Kamala Harris Skeptic. Here’s How I Got Coconut-Pilled." Polgreen describes what she's seen, as a journalist, of Harris' growth as a speaker and as a candidate. One good excerpt:

To believe that Harris is without political talent, you would have to accept that she somehow won statewide elected office as attorney general and then senator in the most populous state of the nation, California, through some mechanism detached from achievement. Yes, it is a reliably blue state. But that only makes the competition among its very talented and ambitious Democrats to reach the top all the more fierce. It is a state that has produced some of the most legendary political figures of my lifetime, from Ronald Reagan to Nancy Pelosi. If California were a country, it would be the fifth-largest economy in the world. Winning statewide elections there, something Harris has done three times, is no small thing."

Here's another:

Building excitement among Black women and other solid-blue voters is table stakes for any Democrat. But Harris will need more than that to win. I was curious to see how she would fare before a more varied audience in a swing state, so I flew to Kalamazoo, Mich., where she was scheduled to appear at a campaign event to talk about abortion rights. On one level, it was a predictable piece of political theater: a Democrat getting softball questions about a key issue she knew well, in front of an audience of about 450 people. The twist was that she would appear onstage with two women who had been Republicans with a history of opposing abortion but began speaking out in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade and the onslaught of cruel laws it unleashed. The three women sat up on a dais in comfortable armchairs, the setup for an Oprah-style kaffeeklatsch.

“We grew up in a conservative Catholic household in Texas, very Republican family,” Olivia Troye, a former Trump administration official, told Harris. “But we’ve evolved.”

Harris jumped in: “Most people believe that one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government should not be telling her what to do with her body, right? If she chooses, she will talk with her priest or her pastor or her rabbi or her imam. But it shouldn’t be the government telling her what to do,” she said. “If we, in this year of our Lord 2024, have a state of being where the government can tell you what to do with your body — I mean, the most basic of things you should have control over — everybody better watch out about what other freedoms you’re taking for granted.”

The room exploded into applause. Yes, it was a Biden-Harris campaign event with an audience generally behind the ticket. But Harris spoke with a passion and specificity about abortion, bodily autonomy, control and freedom in ways that Biden never did, that Trump never would and that a lot of women in this country never could count on a president doing. It was the right message, at the right time, delivered as a deft, common-sense homily. She did not pander to conservatives with the kind of obfuscating language that pro-choice activists despise — “safe, legal and rare.” But she also didn’t feel the need to make a maximalist case for abortion, either, instead embracing a moderate stance built on the core theme of her campaign: freedom.

Sorry for the length of the quotes, but I learned a lot from them. Polgreen also discusses Harris' shortcomings and challenges. For those who can access the Times despite the paywall, the whole column is here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/27/opinion/kamala-harris-campaign-skeptic.html

>87 rocketjk: I read the article. I had missed it, so thanks for pointing it out. I’ve too been won over into the coconut camp.

Re the paywall, I wonder if you use one of your ten NY Times membership “gift” share options in constructing the URL, if it will work in a group post link?

>87 rocketjk: Thanks for posting the quotes, Jerry. I'm glad the Democrats are rallying quickly around a candidate. I was afraid the situation was going to get more chaotic with multiple contenders this late in the game.

This was an Early Reviewer book, and I'm happy to say a good one. The quality of ER books has been spotty the last few years as a lot of self-published books have made their appearance, some of which were not well-written or edited.



They Were Good Germans Once: My Jewish Émigré Family by Evelyn Toynton
Published 2024, 161 p., Delphinium Books

Evelyn Toynton's family were well-assimilated non-practicing Jews, who considered themselves Germans first and Jewish a distant second. Her grandfather and other relatives were decorated for valor in the first world war, and the family was well-established in Nuremberg. This is the story of how various family members adapted to exile from their homeland in the 1930s and their conflicting feelings about Germany after Hitler.

Each chapter focuses on a different family member, their story, and the author's relationship with them. For instance, her father came to New York, rose through the ranks of the American Pencil Company, and volunteered with Jewish refugees. His older brother fled first to Czechoslovakia, then to the US via London. He never stopped yearning for the Germany of his youth. The youngest brother escaped to Palestine and worked tireless for his new country, even becoming Minister of Labor. Because their experiences are so varied and their responses to Nazi aggression different, through the microcosm of a single family, we get a pastiche of the Jewish émigré experience.

I read an Advance Reader copy of this memoir, and so some of my quibbles may be sorted out through the final editing process. I hope the published version contains photographs, as well as the full names of each family member. Overall, I found the story compelling and the writing assured. The author has also published three novels.

>90 labfs39: Looks like an interesting writer in the making.

>88 kjuliff: " I wonder if you use one of your ten NY Times membership “gift” share options in constructing the URL, if it will work in a group post link?"

Yes, I think that will work. I had just forgotten about that option, so thanks for the reminder. I will post the link again in that manner if anyone would like me to.

>87 rocketjk: I read those this morning too and while I have been supporting her already, these clinched it for me. Esp being reminded that people who knew her, who easily could have run agains her, did not, instead backed her. I was dreading november, now I wish it would just come on and get it over with so we can breathe a sigh of relief and move on.

>92 rocketjk: ETA did not realize you can do that. lemme kno w if it works

>89 labfs39: I notice RFK Jr is staying out of it, thank goodness

>90 labfs39: been wanting to read that

>87 rocketjk: Thank you so much for this post. Like many other members I have been absolutely terrified that my few remaining years will be spent under a tyranny, or whatever derogatory description you want.

I can survive at my age, but my children and grandchildren, what would happen to them.

Just yesterday the despot said: "vote for me this year and you won't have to vote ever again" How can any individual with any intelligence at all not realize what that means?

>96 JoeB1934: Just yesterday the despot said: "vote for me this year and you won't have to vote ever again" How can any individual with any intelligence at all not realize what that means?
Yes, I’m surprised the press didn’t make more of this frightening statement.

Here is the Lydia Polgreen column I quoted from again, linked as one of my ten monthly "shared articles." Somebody let us know if this works. Cheers!

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/27/opinion/kamala-harris-campaign-skeptic.html?u...

>96 JoeB1934: I thought the same thing, WTH?I just dont get what people see in him, how they can be so blind. What also got me was at the rally after he was shot, that everyone thought Id be nice now, I dont want to be nice so I wont be (not accurate quote but same meaning)

>98 rocketjk: It does work, for me, atleast! Thanks.

>91 kjuliff: It's made me curious to check out her other books (novels).

>95 cindydavid4: How did you hear about They Were Good Germans Once, Cindy? I don't think it's been published yet.

>96 JoeB1934: Yikes. I agree, how can people not see that type of statement for what it is?

>98 rocketjk: Thanks, Jerry!

I started reading Salt to the Sea, and although probably billed as young adult because the protagonists are teens, so far I would recommend it for anyone. I recently purchased another Sepetys' novel, Fountains of Silence, set during the Spanish Civil War, that I hope to read soon as well.

Do you read young adult literature? Why or why not? I started reading more when my daughter was reading it, and discovered the richness to be found there. I still dabble in YA, such as earlier this year with the Swedish Faraway Islands series and the memoir, Red Scarf Girl, by Ji-li Jiang.

>87 rocketjk: Thank you very much that, Jerry. Very encouraging.

I hope you enjoy Salt to the Sea as much as I did, Lisa. I don't get the YA tag at all.

>87 rocketjk: I, too, am heartened by Harris's nomination. I think the Democrats needed a stronger candidate to challenge Trump, and hopefully she will inherit all the good effected by his policies and rally a lot of voters who may have been apathetic, undecided (WHO ON EARTH?? but there must be some), or dissatisfied with Biden for any number of reasons. Just seeing the news cycle, which I realized is biased and as operationalized as any other messaging, gives me the first even slightly positive feelings I've had yet around this election.

>102 labfs39: I read a ton of YA back when I was a teenager, but it's not a genre I generally enjoy now. I still read a book here and there, when they get a lot of attention, but in YA there is a necessary simplification going on that doesn't suit what I am looking for in my reading. Just as I support people reading whatever they like to read, I support me not reading YA. I did read Sepetys's Between Shades of Grey and I like that she's writing about lesser known events in history.

>104 lisapeet: Yes, it is an odd moment of positivity. And now Biden can do things he couldn't when he was running, like his push for ethics and accountability for the Supreme Court.

>102 labfs39: I read some YA, either when something catches my eye at work, or when something gets a lot of press and looks interesting. I recently read Firekeeper's daughter, which I haven't reviewed, but I enjoyed it and it tackled some tough issues with compassion and some *!(#% realistic outcomes.

>102 labfs39: Salt to the Sea is no longer available. Now I’ve had to put it on hold due to my card expiring. So a need another as I’ll run out of Isaac B Singer’s eventually. I’m currently on to his NYC stories which are remarkable . A must for every true New Yorker.

>101 labfs39: Im thinking maybe Marc, or a NYT book review or somewhere. cant remember actually. Just know Id like to read it ETA from the book early review up page

>103 msf59: I guess anything written with teenage protagonists gets the YA label. One YA book that really didn't deserve it, IMO, was House in the Cerulean Sea. The protagonist was a middle-aged man who worked with teens. I'm loving Salt to the Sea, but not rushing through as I don't want to reach the end. I know what is going to happen (historically), and I love the characters too much!

>104 lisapeet: From your lips to God's ear, Lisa.

>105 RidgewayGirl: Lol, be free to be whatever type of reader you wish. Many people don't read juvenile lit in any of its manifestations, starting when they are ten years old! Others don't care for graphic works, translations, or other things. It's all good. Personally I don't care for true crime, horror, police procedurals, and American domestic fiction. There are so many excellent books I want to read, I don't see forcing myself to read books in which I have little interest.

>106 markon: YA lit seemed overwhelmed by fantasy when I was growing up (or at least what I had access to). It's nice that YA has become more nuanced.

>107 kjuliff: I'm sorry you can't get Salt to the Sea. It has the simplified feel that Kay mentioned in >105 RidgewayGirl:, but it covers a lesser-known aspect of history and the characters are well-drawn. I care about what is coming to happen to them.

>108 cindydavid4: It's worth a read, Cindy. It made my Top Ten Books of the Century Translated into English (so far).

>105 RidgewayGirl: You know he was itching to push out those Supreme Court reform items... and now he can. Even just having them on the table is a win, or the beginnings of one.

>109 labfs39: Ah, if only I had such a good readership. But really, the fact that I'm even thinking about this positively is such a good sea change. What is it they say, hope is a muscle? I think for a lot of us it's been feeling pretty atrophied lately.

Just referring back to post 220 in pt 4 (only a few days ago, but then there's been a lot of discussion here!): my OH gave me East-West Street for my birthday a couple of years ago - rather out of the blue as I'd not heard of it at that stage, but confirmed she knows EXACTLY the sort of book I like - an absolutely riveting read, a book of the year for me. Needs time and space to reflect.

The discussion around Kamala Harris's nomination has been fascinating to this Brit. It seems that every country has its self-destructive madness on occasions - ours IMO has been Brexit (and Truss, Johnson et al), for America it does appear to be Trump (and, dare I say, the NRA??).

>110 lisapeet: What is it they say, hope is a muscle? I think for a lot of us it's been feeling pretty atrophied lately.

You've got that right. I'm encouraged but still worried. Need to work that muscle more.

>111 Willoyd: Nice to hear about East West Street, that makes two glowing recommendations. I had heard about it from Rachel/Rachbxl. It's on my ever growing read-next pile.

For the past week, I have been dealing with a toothache, and the dentist confirmed today that I need a root canal. Oh, joy. Not.

The good news is that there was a Goodwill next to the dentist's office, so I popped in to look at the books. I hadn't been in a Goodwill since leaving Seattle, and this one had a nice book selection. To cheer myself up from the dental news, I purchased four books, and between the blue-stickered books being half-off and my Senior Discount!! the total came to $8. I've never had a senior discount before—it's been a red letter day.

>113 labfs39: Oh, a senior discount is quite the pyrrhic victory! My husband got me an AARP card when he got his and using it to book a discounted hotel reservation was a moment for me.

>114 RidgewayGirl: I often take the girls on outings with a fellow homeschooler with two girls of similar age to my nieces. We have gotten friendly. Imagine my shock when I found out I am older than her parents! When did I get old? I must have missed the memo due to failing eyesight, or forgotten because of dementia.

Today I started listening to The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, who also narrates the audiobook. I seem to be faring better than I did with Apeirogon despite the similarly unfamiliar accents and names. I often have to see a word in order to make sense of it, but I am persevering. The writing is so good.

>116 labfs39: This book was a favorite of mine and on my Memorable Books of 2023 list. It matches up very well with 10 other books I read in 2023.

>109 labfs39: thanks I will!

>106 markon: Yeah there was nothing YA except sci/fi fantasy, which I didn't mind at all but it is nice to have a much more veried chose of reads as a teen now. and there are many YA books I quite like as an adult

Hi Lisa - Sorry to hear about your root canal. Congrats on finding some good books in consolation. Isn't The Covenant of Water a long one? How many hours is it on audio? That seems like a huge commitment.

>110 lisapeet: What is it they say, hope is a muscle?

never heard that before Like it will have to practice more

>117 JoeB1934: Covenant of Water certainly started off strong, Joe, from the first sentence: She is twelve years old, and she will be married in the morning.

>118 cindydavid4: The variety and quality of YA has improved greatly, IMO. Kerry/avatiakh is one LTer who often brings YA titles to my attention.

>119 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. CoW is 31 hrs 16 min. My thinking was that such a long book would take up a lot of reading time, and I have lots of books I want to read, so if I listen to the long one, it won't impact my reading time. I don't listen to audiobooks often, so it will take me forever, but the book is so good that I may be inspired to start listening more often while doing other things.

>120 cindydavid4: Me too, Cindy.

Thanks to Kerry/avatiakh, Mark/msf50, and others for recommending this excellent novel.



Salt to the Sea by Ruth Sepetys
Published 2016, 391 p.

In January 1945, tens of thousands of refugees from the Baltics, Eastern Europe, and Prussia flooded the port cities on the Baltic Sea hoping for boat passage to escape the Red Army, whose soldiers were leaving a swath of destruction behind them. Germany organized Operation Hannibal in an attempt to evacuate military personnel, Nazi officials and their families, wounded soldiers, and civilians to Germany. On January 30, the vastly overloaded Wilhelm Gustloff, a former cruise ship, left Gotenhafen with an estimated 10,500 people on board. She was struck by three torpedoes fired from a Soviet submarine and sank within an hour. An estimated 9,500 people died, making it by far the largest loss of life in maritime history from the sinking of a single vessel.

Ruth Sepetys did an amazing amount of research for her novel, including travelling the world to speak to survivors and their families. She decided to write the novel from the perspective of four teenagers in order to give voice to the child victims both of the war and the tragedy of the Wilhelm Gustloff. In alternating chapters, the Lithuanian nurse Joana, the Polish girl Emilia, the wounded Prussian Florian, and the German sailor Alfred tell their stories. The result is an amazing piece of historical fiction that I found incredibly gripping and moving. Although billed as young adult, due to the age of the protagonists, I would recommend this for anyone interested in WWII historical fiction.

>123 labfs39: Seems like Sepetys books get labeled YA a lot because of the age of her protagonist. She really writes historical fiction of topics that just aren't usually covered often. Even she writes about WW2 it's something like this that is off beat and overlooked. I look forward to reading this one now after looking into the history of the tragedy.

>124 stretch: I agree, Kevin. I haven't read her novel Between Shades of Grey, only the graphic adaptation, but it too was riveting. I have Fountains of Silence, set during the Spanish Civil War, which I'm looking forward to reading. Which of her books have you read?

>124 stretch: It's not the age of the protagonists, but the simplicity of the telling. Which is great, most kids are not giant nerds happy to read The Winds of War because it was sitting around the house. It's intentionally written for young teenage readers, which is a very specific skill and Sepetys does it very well. I think she could write an excellent YA novel about a 74 year old man, but of course that would be of limited interest to her intended audience.

>126 RidgewayGirl: I'm not sure I agree that simplicity of the telling is a defining characteristic of young adult literature without knowing more about what you mean by it. I think age of protagonist and themes such as coming of age, first love or whatever, are. While some young adult literature is written simply, so is some adult literature, and vice versa.

>127 labfs39: I'm not sure there's one defining characteristic, but there are many adult books with teenage protagonists -- Catcher in the Rye, Salvage the Bones and The Kite Runner, for example, aren't YA. And, yes, some adult literature is written with deliberate simplicity. But it is literature intended for teenagers, not adults (although it is absolutely very popular with adults and rightly so) so it is a bridge between middle grade chapter books and adult novels.

>125 labfs39: I read I Must Betray You last year, about the fall of the communist regime in Romanian that I quite enjoyed. And I got half way though Between Shades of Gray before my library loan expired (and they seem to have let the licenses expire too), it was also really good and totally a rabbit hole of a book since i know nothing about the history she is covering with that book. I am going to have to break down and buy it, I do have Salt to the Sea on my Kobo so I will get to that sooner or later.

>126 RidgewayGirl: I think that's right, but I've lost all perspective on the definition of YA. I guess it more a feeling then a set of qualifiers. Sepetys books don't feel like YA even if they are written for that audience which to me is great both for a adults and young people, it being just good story telling that is simplistic but not dumb. I've certainly run across too much of the latter in books geared firmly for adults. Now you have me interested in the Winds of War though.

>128 RidgewayGirl: Lol, well, I guess it's a bit in the eye of the beholder for I consider Catcher in the Rye quintessential young adult literature. I haven't read Salvage the Bones. Whatever the label, I like good writing and storytelling, and I would recommend Salt to the Sea to anyone interested in good historical fiction.

The book that had my book club discussing the definition of YA lit was House in the Cerulean Sea.

>129 stretch: I hadn't heard of I Must Betray You. As you say, Sepetys does shed light on some interesting corners of less familiar history. This interview in Huffington Post was interesting. Sepetys talks about her own family history and what she discovered while researching Between Shades of Grey.

>130 labfs39:
Lol, well, I guess it's a bit in the eye of the beholder for I consider Catcher in the Rye quintessential young adult literature.
It certainly seems to be a book that many 'grow out of', loving it when younger, but rather more dubious if and when revisiting. Personally, I never got on with it at all.

>130 labfs39: Oh, it is absolutely in the eye of the beholder, like all categorizations. It didn't even exist as a category until the late 1960s.

Letting It Go by Miriam Katin
Published 2013

Miriam Katin was born in Hungary, and her first graphic memoir was about how she and her mother traveled the countryside ahead of the Nazis in World War II. She later immigrated to Israel then the US where she worked in the animation studies at MTV and Disney. This second graphic memoir is about how her adult son wanted her help in getting his Hungarian citizenship and his decision to move to Berlin. Katin still had very strong feelings about Germany and Berlin, but acquiesces and even visits twice, the second time for the opening of an exhibit featuring her art among others. It's a book about coming to terms with the past, both personally and for Germany.

I read Katin's first book several years ago and was impressed with both the artwork and the story. Her art is still impressive in this more recent work, but I did not find the story as compelling or cohesive. Nonetheless, it is an interesting work about holding on and letting go, about Holocaust survivors and their families, and about confronting your own biases.

>123 labfs39: I have never heard of this; how horrible, tragic and relentlessly cruel. You guys have made the case for me reading it, tho I was trying to avoid WWII books this year. but never say never

as far as genre, everything is in the eye and mind of the beholder. so many older books that now look YA (anne frank etc) were considered adult back then. so flip coin

MSF50? You just added 9 years to my age. LOL.

Hooray for Salt to the Sea. I LOVED Let the Great World Spin and Lincoln in the Bardo.

I was deeply amused when Mercedes Lackey's books (fantasy) moved from the YA shelves to the adult ones after she wrote a trilogy with a gay hero. Eye of the beholder, indeed.

>134 cindydavid4: Horrible and tragic for sure; cruel as war can be. To be fair to the Soviets, the ship had anti-aircraft weaponry, was not a hospital ship, and was carrying military personnel. Unfortunately it was carrying far more civilians.

>135 msf59: Whoops! Typo. Although to be honest, I thought it was your age, so I made you younger. ;-)

Some great books in that haul: two Nobel-winning authors, a Booker winner, and a National Book Award.

>136 jjmcgaffey: Oh, that's interesting. Although these days, both bookstores and libraries have to be so careful. From the library in Idaho that has gone 18+ to teachers being prosecuted, everyone is on tenterhooks.

I'm currently reading Lincoln in the Bardo, my first book by George Saunders. I'm finding the construction of the book quite interesting. I hope to sit with it in a longer session today and get immersed. I hear the audio version is very well done too.

>138 labfs39: Lincoln in the Bardo is such an unusual book and different from his short stories. I look forward to finding out what you think about it.

I have heard wildly varying opinions about Lincoln in the Bardo from reader friends. Some love it, while others think it's so so and that his stories are better. I will watch for your opinion, Lisa.

>139 RidgewayGirl: I love George Saunders short stories, but I just didn’t understand Lincoln in the Bardo. I had the same problem as with James . I didn’t have an American education and so both books were strange for me.

>139 RidgewayGirl: This was my first work by Saunders, so I have nothing with which to compare it. I liked it though, very creative.

>140 BLBera: I can see this being a hard book for some to get into, especially if they don't care for experimental literature. I also might not have liked it if I hadn't been in the right mood.

>141 kjuliff: That's an interesting observation, Kate. While I didn't think of it as particularly historical, beyond the basics, it was atmospheric and his use of historical quotations lent it an air of veracity. I can see how I might have been frustrated with it if I had been in a different reading mood.

I picked this up at a store last week in part because I have been wanting to try something by Saunders and because I remembered that Mark/msf59 had loved it.



Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

In February 1862, President Abraham Lincoln's eleven-year-old son, Willie, caught a cold. Assured by his doctor that it wasn't serious, Lincoln tried to carry on with his normal routine. It quickly turned to typhus, however, and Willie died. Heart-stricken, the President had him interred in a borrowed crypt, until such time as he could be moved to a cemetery in Illinois next to his brother. Newspapers of the times reported that Lincoln then went back to the crypt and held his dead son. From this snippet of alleged history, George Saunders created an extremely inventive and moving novel exploring the nature and limits of grief.

In Buddhism, a bardo is a transitional state between life and rebirth. According to Wikipedia, "the Tibetan Book of the Dead is a text intended to both guide the recently deceased person through the death bardo to gain a better rebirth and also to help their loved ones with the grieving process." Saunders choses to set his novel in this liminal space and people it with a wide variety of characters, each of whom is clinging to something in their past life, whether a wrong or a person or something else, and thus fail to move beyond. A key commonality between these characters is that they have not accepted that they are dead, but think of themselves as sick and somewhere "else" only until they are better and return to the world of "before". When they do accept both their past and their demise, they vanish. Into this bardo, Willie appears and is befriended by Roger Bevins, Hans Vollman, and Reverend Thomas. They try to help him pass quickly to the place beyond, as the bardo is particularly dangerous for children. In order to help Willie, they must also help Lincoln deal with his grief.

Although this plot is in itself quite creative, it is the structure of the book that is most inventive. It is composed entirely of quotes, from both characters in the book, but also historical sources, both primary and secondary. All quotes are attributed, but it is never clarified which are historical and which invented. This deliberate blurring of fact and fiction and the inclusion of quotes which contradict one another (were Lincoln's eyes blue-gray or brown? were the Lincolns negligent in holding a state dinner the night during which Willie would die, or was it commendable of them to continue with governing while a child was sick upstairs?) leads the reader to think of historical sources as only somewhat true and fiction possibly true. While it might sound as though the novel would be terribly disjointed and hard to follow, it is so well-constructed that it reads almost like a regular novel. It is a tribute to Saunders abilities as a writer that he was able to pull off such a literary experiment.

Overall, the novel is both brilliantly constructed and written, and incredibly moving. Each character in the bardo has a story, a reason for wanting to remain in this world, and a unique voice. Given that there are 166 characters (each represented by a different person on the audio edition), that is a feat. In addition, the grief of a parent who loses a child (never mind two in the case of Lincoln) is beautifully rendered and even tied to the losses being incurred in the ongoing Civil War. Well-deserving of the Man Booker Prize, Lincoln in the Bardo is a stunning piece of literature.

>143 labfs39: Very interesting review (and thank you for explaining what a bardo is, as I didn't know). I'm really torn on this one - your review really sells it, but sometimes I struggle with blurring of fact and fiction, and I wonder if this strays a little into the fantasy genre, which isn't my thing? But.... your review definitely intrigues me. Maybe. Just maybe!

>144 AlisonY: I feel somewhat the same Alison. Perhaps more so - as not knowing anything much about Lincoln, I had no idea of what was fact and what was faction. So I was totally confused.

>145 kjuliff: I would be in the same boat, Kate.

>144 AlisonY: >145 kjuliff: Just wondering based on >143 labfs39:'s thoughtleads the reader to think of historical sources as only somewhat true and fiction possibly true, whether it really matters which quotes are fact and which fiction. I suspect it doesn't.

>143 labfs39: Enjoyed this review.

>144 AlisonY: >145 kjuliff: I hear you. I spent some time at first trying to discern which parts were fact, but then just settled in and read. The blurring is intentional by the author and part of the point of the book, I think. When it comes to death and grief and regret, what is fact and what is fiction? Does it matter? I would not call this historical fiction, although some do, because it is not embellishing history, but playing with it. Taking inspiration from an historical event to try something completely new. To appreciate the novel all I think you really need know is that President Lincoln had a son who died during the Civil War years. Perhaps true aficionados will get more from it, but Saunders' point is not to relate anything true about history, but instead to explore the grief of a parent who loses a child. I think most of us can imagine that, even if we are not parents. There is a bit about Lincoln realizing that his pain of the death of his son is being played out across the nation, as it is a time of war. A war for which he is in part responsible. But his ruminations could almost be those of any leader in any war who is also suffering personal loss.

All that said, and I apologize if I'm being verbose, this book will not appeal to everyone, and might not have appealed to me on a different day. It is experimental and requires a willingness to embrace a nontraditional style and an element of fantasy. Personally I like some experimental literature like the matryoshka-like construction of Cloud Atlas or the item format of A Dictionary of Maqiao, but am turned off when it seems to be novel for novelties sake or overwritten. This was neither, IMO.

Edited to add: Daniel Stein, Interpreter is perhaps the closest experimental novel to Lincoln in the Bardo that I've read.

>147 SassyLassy: After trying to sort out which quotes were real or not, like you say, I realized that it didn't matter. That wasn't the point. Once I accepted that, I became engrossed and the pages flew by. Have you read it, Sassy?

>147 SassyLassy: >144 AlisonY: It mattered to me. Not just because I didn’t know what was fiction, but not knowing anything about Lincoln mattered. It could have been pure fiction. But if so, why bring Lincoln into it. The bit about the son was confusing. Did he have a son? It’s like if someone told me that Alice in Alice in Wonderland was based on a true story or a little girl who was murdered in real life. I do think Saunders wrote it assuming the reader knew about Lincoln.

I have had the same problem with other American writers. Percival Everett in James for example. I don’t know anything about Huck except he was white and had a black friend, I tried reading the book but despite loving Everett‘s other work, didn’t appreciate it.

If I wrote a book based on the Gumnut Babies and Banksia men, I would not expect readers in America or India to get it.

——Edited for small typo

I loved Lincoln in the Bardo. The blurring of fact and fiction didn't bother me at all. What stood out to me was that even though Saunders used a completely inventive and progressive form to create his book, he still kept the deep emotion of losing a child front and center. I find that often when novelists try something new in terms of the actual crafting of a novel, they sacrifice heart and connection, and Saunders brilliantly achieves both. I read this when it came out and it's a book I'd like to reread some day.

>149 labfs39: I haven't read it; yours is the first review which has tempted me. Oh dear, decisions, decisions.

>150 kjuliff: This is a fair point. I didn't know what specific quotes were fact or fiction, but I've been immersed in Lincoln biography/history my whole life, having grown up in Illinois (where he lived most of his life) and having a mother who took me to every Lincoln historical site and museum there is! I'm sure that background helped me appreciate the book.

I loved Lincoln in the Bardo too, owing a lot to what you said in >148 labfs39:—just letting go and allowing the whole thing to wash over me and carry me along with the story. I don't know whether I would have liked an audio version, with that multiplicity of voices... though I'm not an audio reader anyway, so it's kind of a moot point. There's been an opera based on it that's going to premiere in 2026, but in his Story Club newsletter Saunders reports being moved by and pleased with it. I'd go hear that!

Ooh, you're all tipping me towards reading it now!

>150 kjuliff: Not a book for everyone, but then few books are. Someday we should try and make a list of literature with universal appeal. Could such a thing be done? I have a hard enough time deciding what exactly will appeal to myself alone. I watch with awe efforts like Joe's to quantify what they are looking for in a book. I almost didn't pick up this book because I'm not overly interested in the Civil War, and ended up loving it. Same with the Wolf Hall trilogy. Seems I'm not a very good judge of even my own tastes!

>151 japaul22: The blurring bothered me at first, I had to decide not to think about it anymore, lol. Once that was accomplished, it swept me away. I was quite moved as well.

>152 SassyLassy: That's why I try not to worry if someone has a different opinion of a book than me, there are so many books out there, everyone can find their own stream. If you do decide to dabble in this one, I'll be curious as to your impressions.

>154 lisapeet: Would you have liked it if it was about Benjamin Disraeli or a leader of another country you know nothing about it. I’m curious now, why was the word “Lincoln” in the title? Or was it written for American readers? All I know about Lincoln is that he supposedly feed the slaves and some guy shot him. Was he good at public speaking? Why would anyone quote him?

>153 japaul22: You probably picked up on more of the "historical" bits than me, Jennifer. I'm not all that familiar with that era. I googled Abraham Lincoln's children, read a quick summary, and felt good to go!

>154 lisapeet: It's interesting: some listeners have loved the audio and said they couldn't imagine getting the same effect from a print version, while others said it was hard to identify the few key characters. An opera, wow! That would be something, and with Saunders' stamp of approval nonetheless.

>155 AlisonY: Lol, it's a book that seems to elicit strong feelings one way or the other.

>156 labfs39: The blurring bothered me at first. I don’t feel like I expressing my thoughts. I didn’t even know there was blurring. I know nothing of Lincoln apart that he was a president, his side freed American slaves, and he was assassinated. I’m not interested in him.

Would the book have still been worth it if the title was “Gandhi in the Bardo”? I don’t get the Lincoln part of it.

As to individual tastes leading one to like or dislike books, to me this Lincoln book and how much sense it makes depends. not just on the individual, but on one’s nationality.

>158 labfs39: Lol, it's a book that seems to elicit strong feelings one way or the other.

I don’t think it’s the book eliciting the strong feelings. I think it’s non-Americans getting annoyed with the assumptions that it’s a good book. It shouldn’t matter where you were born for a book to be effective. To me the positive reviews strike a note of American-privilege. Same with James.

As to the opera, l didn’t care much about Hamilton either.

It’s not individual American’s fault, but non-Americans react when Americans assume their culture is universal. So many times I’ve been asked questions like, “Do you celebrate. Thanksgiving/Fouth of July etc in Australia.

>143 labfs39: Saunders is an extraordinarily imaginative writer and with Lincoln in the Bardo he's doing something so different and strange and moving. I still think about it and I read it way back when it first came out. I did get an audio copy right after reading the book, but never listened to it and now I'm glad you reminded me about that.

>160 kjuliff: I think it's entirely fine to choose to only read authors from countries you are familiar with or live in, although I like the feeling of being at sea with a novel not written for a person of my specific interests, just to stretch my reading, but I'm interested in history, even when it's the history of somewhere I've never been and know very little about. Surely, there are many Australian novels not written for non-Australians? I remember doing a fair amount of supplemental reading when I read True History of the Kelly Gang and The Narrow Road to the Deep North. Both didn't feel the need to hold my hand. But this is a personal preference -- I hate novels that treat the reader like they need everything carefully explained. I'd rather look things up on my own than feel condescended to. But I do get that others feel strongly the opposite and want books to be understandable to all.

Certainly I read books written by writers from all over the world. There are many universal themes. I probably would t bother with a NF book about a country I have no interest in. But Lincoln in the Bardo is a book of fiction. I haven’t read the Kelly Gang as I’m not a fan of Peter Carey. But Narrow Road has a universal theme - the horrors of war.

I don’t read a lot of Aussie fiction as I reside in America and a lot of it is not readily available in audio.

I feel I must have made my case very poorly so will drop it as I’ve obviously been misunderstood4.

>162 kjuliff: I do agree that American culture has an "in your face" attitude that, coupled with its xenophobia, can be hard to stomach

>159 kjuliff:
As to individual tastes leading one to like or dislike books, to me this Lincoln book and how much sense it makes depends. not just on the individual, but on one’s nationality.

'Nationality' is just one factor that can influence an individual's perspective on the world but I disagree that 'how much sense' depends on it. For instance, on this narrow example, there will be Australians or Brits who know far more about Lincoln than some Americans. 'Nationality' is a very broad brush!

I don’t think it’s the book eliciting the strong feelings. I think it’s non-Americans getting annoyed with the assumptions that it’s a good book. It shouldn’t matter where you were born for a book to be effective. To me the positive reviews strike a note of American-privilege. Same with James.

I find this hard to understand. Assumptions that it is a good book? I'm intrigued - who is assuming, and on what basis? AFAIA people who have read it simply offer their opinion, and they have certainly been wide ranging. I've read plenty of British reviews where the book has been praised, and American reviews where it hasn't. Lincoln in the Bardo won the Booker - with a panel of mostly British judges. James has been longlisted in similar circumstances, both books having been read by all the judges - but that's because they read it.

As to a book being effective. Some will have a degree of universality, appealing very broadly, others to a more specific audience, whether that's culturally based, knowledge based or whatever. Books can be effective in different ways - it depends on what one is trying to achieve. Maybe Saunders was aiming his book at an American audience (or to an audience familiar with Lincoln)? I don't know, but if so, and it speaks wider (as it obviously does), then that's a good bonus. Personally, I don't think there's any book that's universal.

I have found a new time-suck that is diverting my attention to books: logic grid puzzles. Anyone else a fan?

>164 Willoyd: I agree that using the word “nationality” was incorrect in the context in which I used it. I suppose I really meant people with knowledge of Lincoln” and of course you are correct. You don’t have to be American in order to know about the life of Lincoln and many non-Americans know more about Lincoln than do many Americans.

My sentence about assuming the book to be “good” is also incorrect and was ill-thought. I was trying to say that it wasn’t the actual book I disliked, but the way some people praised the book as it the details of Lincoln’s life were widely known, and that the book was understandable by book-lovers like myself, who know nothing about Lincoln.

In a recent discussion by Rasdhar of Tomb of Sand - here - she explains the historical and cultural background for people unfamiliar with the partition of India, an event of equal historical importance as the death of Lincoln’s son. Rasdhar does not assume we all know about Indian history.

If we want to enjoy Tomb of Sand, Rasdhar’s points would help. The same with James - a knowledge of Huckleberry Finn is probably essential for a full appreciation.

My problem is not the books themselves, but with some reviews. These are the reviews that assume a knowledge of American history and/or literature.

One person said to me, when I said I couldn’t understand “Jame’s” that I should read Twain. Why not explain a little of what lies behind the book? Why assume a universal knowledge.

Some books such as Homeland are about conflicts I know nothing about, but the reader does not need to know. What is necessary to know all comes out in the book itself.

But with Lincoln in the Bardo it’s not going to make sense, as apparently it uses fiction and fantasy so will in many cases produce confusion in the reader. James can probably be read without knowing Huckleberry Finn, but a knowledge of the story it plays on would certainly help.

Of course not all books need have universal appeal to be appreciated. But surely the reviewer can be considerate of the reader when claiming a book is prize-worthy in an international competition.

Maybe no book is universal, but books making the international stage are expected to have more universal appeal than others. And please note I am talking about the reviews and prizes, and not the intrinsic value books themselves

For example I would not expect the True History of the Kelly Gang to make as much sense to an Icelander than to an Australian.. A reviewer would need to put some context in the review. I’m surprised that book achieved the success it did.

I hope I’ve made position clearer. I am not anti-American. I would not have taken citizenship here if I were. But surely most would agree that there are some educated Americans that assume that America is the greatest country in the world, and all nations should accept this. I get that vibe with some reviews of American-specific novels. Not all. Just some. And I hasten to add that American-specific novels do exist and that these are often excellent novels. However they may not necessary be worthy of international prizes, even though they fulfill the technical rules.

—- edited to fix html and an incorrect pronoun.

>165 labfs39: Yep, I've been hooked for years. Started in the UK with the Penny Puzzle magazines, now I have a phone app (and a lot of old Penny Puzzle books still unfinished!). How are you playing?

>167 jjmcgaffey: Currently I'm playing on my phone, an app by Egghead Games. It's small, and I wish there were a way to mark different levels of certainty. Currently if I get messed up on the grids, I have to complete start over. Also because the grid is so small, it's easy to tap the wrong square and then easy to mess yourself up trying to untap it. My daughter has a book of them, and I might get one too.

Fabulous review of Lincoln in the Bardo, Lisa! Your comments reminded me of what I enjoyed about it.

I look forward to your review of The Covenant of Water.

>169 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. Today I finished part 1 out of 10 in The Covenant of Water. I loved the story of Mariamma in Parambil (India), and was both surprised and a bit disappointed when lo and behold part 2 opens in Glasgow! Can't wait to see how this plays out.

>168 labfs39: Quick Logic Puzzles? That one works ok for me - it does have an undo function at the top (which is much better than trying to untap). I also play Einstein Riddles - very different structure (it doesn't actually do a grid, or the whole thing is the grid) but it's still logic puzzles. I mostly play the daily puzzles in that one.

>166 kjuliff: "In a recent discussion by Rasdhar of Tomb of Sand - a href= https://www.librarything.com/topic/362165#8592342>here he explains the historical and cultural background for people unfamiliar with the partition of India, an event of equal historical importance as the death of Lincoln’s son. Rasdhar does not assume we all know about Indian history."

She, not he :) It's an ambiguous sort of name, so don't worry.

>172 rv1988: Oh thanks for letting me know. I do feel a little foolish now.i haven’t com across that name before. I’ve known a few Rasheeds 6and they were all male and I guess that’s why I assumed you were male. I’ll edit and fix the href as well.

Hooray for Lincoln in the Bardo! I am so glad you loved it. It did not work for several of my other LT pals. I NEED to get to The Covenant of Water. Maybe, you will give me the nudge that I need.

>165 labfs39: logic grid puzzles
I was obsessed with these in high school, back in the paper days. I've never tried an app.

>171 jjmcgaffey: it does have an undo function at the top If I remember to use it, ha. I usually immediately tap to erase, which of course makes it positive. Slowly I'm learning.

>174 msf59: I did enjoy it, and appreciate it, which is different. It's definitely not a book that will work for everyone. As for Covenant of Water, the first part was very good. I'm listening to the audio, and it's read by the author. Since Verghese was educated in India (born in Ethiopia), his accent works well for that part.

>175 qebo: Hi qebo! I hope your garden is doing well. We had scorching weather in early summer and now it rains every day. My poor tomatoes and peppers (all that I planted this year) don't know what's happening. Most of the perennials I planted this year are hanging in there, and the hummingbirds have been frequent visitors.

I might photocopy some of the grid puzzles out of my daughter's book and see how I like paper. I think I might do better as I could mark definite x=y ones in pen, and then when I start fussing with the grid, I could use pencil. That's where I seem to make the most mistakes. Sometimes I lose track of where I am in the app and have to start over again. When I get lost, the "erase all mistakes" function is helpful though when learning.

---

In other news I started reading 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows by Ai Weiwei. I'm enjoying the story of his father's life, and it's making me want to return to Dikötter's histories, specifically The Cultural Revolution. Ai Weiwei's writing is a bit more academic and dry sounding than Jung Chang's Wild Swans, and it doesn't include the same historical context. I'm glad I read Wild Swans first.

>176 labfs39: The big gap in my reading is Chinese literature. I need to fix this. I don’t know why I’ve never read any Chinese literature, as I am very interested in the culture, tried to learn Cantonese at Chinese school as a teenager, and love authentic Chinese food. Lisa, is there any work of fiction you could recommend for me? I’d like something short. Even short stories could be good.

>177 kjuliff: I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask, Kate, as I am new to Chinese literature as well. You can see what I have read here. The only book of short stories I've read was by Nobel Laureate Gao Xingjian and I wasn't overly impressed. I have read several novels by Ha Jin, and I own but have not read a short story collection of his called The Bridegroom: Stories. Raise the red lantern : three novellas by Su Tong has been recommended to me, but I have not read it myself yet.

When you are ready for something longer, I cannot recommend the memoir Wild Swans enough. An excellent introduction to the history of twentieth century China.

For suggestions that I have been collecting from other Club Read members, see this post.

Hope this helps, and I look forward to seeing what you end up reading!

>166 kjuliff:
Thank you for such a comprehensive and considered response to my post. I certainly feel a lot clearer, and, if I do understand properly, the issue you really have is with the reviewers rather than the books. Having not read the reviews themselves, I can't really comment, but as a general point, I would myself expect that, when reading fiction based on real people or events, knowing something about those will enhance my experience/understanding, and maybe even be necessary! I often find myself doing some background reading sometimes beforehand but more usually afterwards to help my understanding of a book that I don't fully understand. That's actually just happened to me: I've just read Penelope Fitzgerald's The Blue Flower, based on the life of the German writer Novalis. Knowing nothing initially, some background reading after the event definitely helped (although I can recommend the book even without that)!

On that front, I don't think it unreasonable for a reviewer to assume knowledge of the subject, and write on that basis, although it's definitely a bonus when, as in the case of Tomb of Sand, they don't (and, in world terms, the partition of India has to be pretty important!). A reviewer's approach will often depend of course on who their target audience is (if they've thought about it - for instance, my reviews are probably rather more Anglo-centric than most others here, simply because I'm a Brit - a small minority group on these boards - and instinctively write that way!).

James is a good example. It's been promoted as an alternative version of Huckleberry Finn. So, I'm afraid, I'd say the same as your reviewer: if you don't understand the former, then I'd suggest first of all reading the latter. By its very nature, Everett is aiming at people who have read Huck Finn. So, I don't think it unreasonable for reviewers to write on the basis that readers know Huck Finn. Personally, I read the Twain novel some years ago, and do remember much of it, but am going to reread it before taking my copy of James down off the shelves, to ensure I get the full experience!

I have Tomb of Sand on my TBR shortlist (I plan to read it as the book for India in my Round World project), so will be interested now to see if my basic knowledge of that period of Indian independence is sufficient, but maybe I'll land up doing some follow-up reading!

>143 labfs39: I read Lincoln in the Bardo back in 2018 and loved it. Reading your review was a treat - it brought back for me the story but also the creative genius Saunders demonstrated in the construction of the novel. I remember "hearing" the voices in my head as I read. Hmm, it might be worth a reread.

>179 Willoyd: I think we are not so far apart after all. Thanks for your comprehensive reply.

Like you, I also do “background reading” after rather than before, when a book is about a point in history about which I know little. It spoils a book to interrupt the reading by researching facts. And after all, until we get well into a book, we don’t really know how much background information is necessary. If any.

Homeland was a case in point for me. I knew very little of the Basque independence movement which was the background to the novel, but it turned out not to be necessary at all.

I feel I’ve taken too much of Lisa’s page on this topic. Please feel free to reply on my thread Kate Keeps on Part 2

Your comments on Lincoln in the Bardo have sold me, Lisa. I will add it to my WL. I think you are right that my feelings about it may be very mood dependent although generally I do like experimental lit.

>143 labfs39: Great review and discussion on Lincoln in the Bardo. I don’t think I’m ready to read it right now, but will add it to my wishlist.

>180 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, thanks for stopping by my thread. I was never drawn to pick up Lincoln in the Bardo, but I remembered Mark/msf59 talking about it, so when I saw it on sale last week, I snagged a copy and actually read it right away.

>182 BLBera: >183 FlorenceArt: I hope I didn't mislead you and that you do like it when you get to it. It's a different sort of beast, but one which I appreciated. I'm glad I read it when I did. I was in the right mood for that sort of book.

Yesterday was a wild day. My mom had surgery which turned out to be more complicated than expected, the dog had to have ultrasound-guided aspiration of his hock joint, and my daughter had to see the orthodontist for a sudden problem! Everyone is doing better today, but, phew, I'm glad it's Friday and the weekend is almost here.

I'm 100 pages into 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows, which is continuing to be interesting in a quiet way. With all my driving yesterday, I managed to make some progress in Covenant of Water as well: I'm on Chapter 18 out of 87. So a ways to go yet, lol. 26 more hours :-) Verghese's characters are wonderfully written. Still waiting to see how they are going to intersect.

>185 labfs39: Glad all went well and I hope your weekend is relaxing and has plenty of time to read in it.

>185 labfs39: Wow! Those are a lot of traumas to deal with in one day. Good time to sit back and relax a bit. Hope you can do so soon.

The vet called today with the results of yesterday's aspiration. Ace has a soft tissue sarcoma (cancer) on his Achilles tendon. We are being referred to a surgeon/oncologist. My daughter depends on Ace (he's a service dog), so there are lots of issues that will need to be sorted out moving forward. I'm stunned as Ace is young (7) and has always been very healthy.

>188 labfs39: Lisa, I will keep Ace in my thoughts and hope that there's a solution that isn't too hard on Ace.

>188 labfs39: Oh, wow. All good thoughts for Ace.

>188 labfs39: Oh no, what a week! I hope things will work out for Ace and your daughter.

Sending good karma Ace's way. I hope there is a good therapy.

>188 labfs39: Oh no! I'm sorry and hope the vet specialist can help. I'd expect especially difficult for your daughter.

Thanks everyone. I'm trying to remain positive.

I'm copying this from the Just Lists thread for my own reference. It's a list of Booker books that I own but haven't read.

Winners
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
The inheritance of loss by Kiran Desai
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
The Famished Road by Ben Okri
Possession by A. S. Byatt

Shortlist
An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien
The Long Song by Andrea Levy
The Children's Book by A. S. Byatt
The Secret River by Kate Grenville
Arthur and George by Julian Barnes
Number9Dream by David Mitchell
England, England by Julian Barnes
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
The Riders by Tim Winton
Time's Arrow by Martin Amis
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
Anthills of the Savannah by Chinua Achebe
The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan
God on the Rocks by Jane Gardam

Longlist
Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
The Schooldays of Jesus by J. M. Coetzee
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
TransAtlantic by Colum McCann
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
Spies by Michael Frayn

Thanks to Jerry/rocketj for recommending this one as part of my reading about Chinese history.



1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows by Ai Weiwei, translated from the Chinese by Allan H. Barr
Published 2021, 380 p.

In 1958, when Ai Weiwei was only one year old, his father, acclaimed poet Ai Qing, was denounced as a "rightist" and the family was sent to a labor camp in the far northeastern corner of China. A few years later they were sent to northwestern China where they were exiled throughout the Cultural Revolution until Mao's death in 1976. Living in the shadow of both his father's acclaim and mistreatment, Ai Weiwei spent twelve years in the US studying art and finding himself. He returned to China in 1993 and became a leading artist and political activist. He spent 81 days in detention in 2011, followed by years of house arrest. Once his passport was returned in 2015, he emigrated to Berlin, then London, then Portugal, where he now resides. This is the story of his father and himself.

I found the first third of the book, when Ai Weiwei recounts his father's life, work, and relationship with communism as first a supporter and then victim, interesting. It's told in a series of flashforwards and back, that work well to keep the story moving. The second half of the book, when Ai Weiwei is wandering, trying to find himself and define his art, less so. But the last third, when he describes how his art and politics intersect and his life as a dissident, it picks up again. Because I am unfamiliar with modern art, I struggled at times to understand his philosophy, but I admire his passion and dedication. I was most interested in the historical components, and in this respect, it was helpful to have a background understanding of the times. Recommended for those interested in modern art and dissident movements in China.

Quotes from 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows:

The Latest Directive meetings served a function similar to Donald Trump's late-night tweets while in office. They were the direct communication of a leader's thoughts to his devoted followers, enhancing the sanctity of authority. In the Chinese case, these pronouncements went even further, requiring total compliance. p. 11

The May Fourth Movement had seen intellectuals as the core of society: they were to shoulder the responsibility for enlightenment and social critique. Mao, on the other hand, believed that intellectuals, rather than seeking to make the people more like them, should make themselves more like the people; they should abandon social critique and devote more time to self-criticism. p. 82-83

Ideological cleansing, I would note, exists not only under totalitarian regimes—it is present also, in a different form, in liberal Western democracies. Under the influence of politically correct extremism, individual thought and expression are too often curbed and too often replaced by empty political slogans. p. 84-85

Well, I'm happy that you liked 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows, especially having been the one who recommended it to you! I had more or less the same reactions you did to the three thirds of the book.

I am so sorry to hear about Ace. How sad. Hoping for a positive outcome. My daughter also loves shepards.

Good luck with that wasp situation too. Ugh!

Thinking of you and yours and fingers crossed that Ace's outcome will be good.

>198 rocketjk: I read your review after I wrote mine, Jerry, and I think I found him less irritating than you. I'm glad I read it, even if the middle was a little slow.

>199 msf59: I took my hummingbird feeder in for now, and used wasp spray to eradicate the nests. I'll try putting the feeder up again in a few weeks. The hummers are having protest fly-bys.

>200 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara.

Today was exhausting. A root canal in the morning, and a first meeting with Ace's oncologist this afternoon. Unfortunately, they will not be able to do surgery and remove the sarcoma as it is around and imbedded in his Achilles tendon. We have opted for electrochemotherapy. He had clean chest x-rays today, so we will bring him for a biopsy and his first session of chemo on Tuesday. The goal is to reduce the size of the tumor and maintain his quality of life as long as we can. Eventually he may need to lose his leg, which is difficult in low slung German Shepherds, so obviously we are hoping the chemo is successful in controlling the tumor. Pain management will continue to be key. Thank you to everyone for your kind thoughts. It's a difficult situation.

I had planned to start The Cultural Revolution today, but I need to opt for something a little easier. Maybe a Jane Gardam book. I have six of her books and have only read two.

>202 labfs39: Oh I love Jane Gardham. I loved Old Filth and the companion novels in the trilogy. I highly recommend any of her books. I’m pretty sure sh’s a writer you would like.

Just wanted to stop in to say that although I haven't commented yet on your thread, I have read every post and have very much enjoyed all the discussion. Always looking forward to your future comments on your current Chinese reading journey.

Also, I hope things work out with Ace.

>203 kjuliff: I read Old Filth too and have since acquired the other two books in the trilogy. I read it a long time ago, however, and would reread it before reading the others (especially since I didn't write a review of it). The other one I read is Crusoe's Daughter. Last night I ended up just going to sleep, so I will start God on the Rocks today.

>204 lilisin: Thanks for popping up to say hi, Lilisin. I definitely want to read The Cultural Revolution soon, and I may start it this weekend, but today I need something a little lighter.

A little treat for myself today:

I bought this book in 2012 at Serendipity Books in Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. We had flown over to the island one afternoon, and I had to crutch down to the town from the airport (it was before my hip replacements). The store was lovely, and it was the only time I visited it. A pleasant memory.



God on the Rocks by Jane Gardam
Published 1978, Europa Editions 2010, 193 p.
Cover designed by Emanuele Ragnisco

First line: Because the baby had come, special attention had to be given to Margaret, who was eight.

Precocious, wise, and innocent, Margaret is allowed to go out on Wednesday afternoons with the maid, Lydia. Her forays into the wider world, away from her severely religious father and acquiescent mother, mark the beginning of the end of her childhood. Over the course of the summer, Margaret sees things she doesn't understand, but which she knows are not right. As she struggles to make sense of this baffling adult world, she impacts those around her in unintended ways.

Like Gardam's novel Crusoe's Daughter, God on the Rocks deals with themes of loss, lonely children, women chaffing at narrow, prescribed lives, the role of religion in controlling women, and the sea as both solace and danger. Gardam's writing is honest and unflinching with as little frivolity as the world she depicts. Although rarely happy, her characters feel fully formed and real. Meticulous in her descriptions, each detail adds to the larger image, as a brushstroke in a painting. Nothing is superfluous. I love opening a Gardam book and knowing exactly the sort of reading experience I have ahead of me.

>207 labfs39: Oh, I have never read Gardam, but I did pick up a copy of this book at a book sale a few years ago, mainly because of the publisher, and you have made me want to read it right away, which I can't because I am currently in the middle of five other books, but on to the bedside pile it goes!

>207 labfs39: I think you've captured it exactly.

>208 RidgewayGirl: I am currently in the middle of five other books
I know how that works! Fun though.

>208 RidgewayGirl: In the author's introduction to the Europa Edition of Crusoe's Daughter, she wrote:

When I had finished I felt I needn't write any more books. Take it or leave it, Crusoe's Daughter says everything I have to say.

I did go on, and the later books were considered better. Became best sellers. Never mind.

It's been twelve years since I read CD, so I don't remember details, but I thought God on the Rocks, her second novel, was pretty darn good. CD was her next novel, written seven years later.

I hope you like it when you get to it. You have steered me to so many good books, I hope I don't steer you wrong!

>209 SassyLassy: Thanks, Sassy. I'm tempted to read more of her books right away, but I think I'll let this one sit a bit first. I have the Old Filth trilogy (I will need to reread the first one as it has been many years) and Queen of the Tambourine on my shelves.

>208 RidgewayGirl: I think you will enjoy Gardam - she is one of my favorites though I haven’t read any for a decade. So don’t know how she’ll hold up.

This leads me to think how our favorite authors change over time. I was recently asked for a list of my favorite books, the context being my favorite books now. But if I go back to my favorites in LT I find myself having to update them. Some newish writers have squeezed out older ones. I just checked and Gardam is still there. But the list isn’t really current, as I try to limit it’s size.

It would be interesting to be able to go back in time to see what I liked back then. I know if it were 1974 John Le Carré would be there for example, and he’s long gone. Same with André Brink. It’s not that I no longer like them, but that I like others more.

>207 labfs39: perfect review

I am so thrilled that so many took the bait and are enjoying Gardam as much as I do! was a little worried....

>207 labfs39: Sounds interesting. I put it on my library list.

Happy Friday, Lisa. Boo to the root canal. Hooray for Old Filth. I loved all 3 books. Have a good weekend.

>207 labfs39: Great comments, Lisa. I love Gardam. All three of the Old Filth books were great. I still have a couple of hers on my shelf. So I have something to look forward to.

I've never heard of Gardam before. Onto the list she goes! Sounds great.

Sorry for all your trouble with your lovely dog. It's horrible seeing anything wrong with your pets, and I gather Ace is much more important than your regular dog in terms of her role. Hope it all works out.

>211 kjuliff: You've started me thinking of what my top ten would be, both top ten books and top ten authors, because they don't always overlap, IMO. I might really like a book, but if it is the only book by the author or that I've read, can I call that author a favorite? When Darryl/kidzdoc did this some years ago, he decided that he would only call an author a favorite if he had read ~4 books by that author. Since I don't routinely seek out an author's entire oeuvre, that wouldn't work for me, but it's something I take into consideration. Then there is the whole question you pose of how our favorites change over time. Perhaps I'll work on lists this weekend. Stay tuned!

>212 cindydavid4: I'm glad to see the Gardam love too, Cindy.

>213 Ameise1: One of the things I like about Gardam's writing that I didn't mention is that she often sets her books in the interwar period and writes with such historical detail that it feels like the books were written much earlier than they actually were.

>214 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Amazingly (to me) the root canal was completely painless and the next day I had the crown replaced. Hopefully it will last me another 18 years! Thanks too for the weekend wishes. Tonight I'm going to see a musical production of Little Women. Can't quite picture it, but I'll report back.

>215 BLBera: I'm looking forward to rereading Old Filth and then finally getting to the other two volumes in the trilogy. I purchase Gardam books whenever I see them (in the Europa Editions), so I have them on hand.

>216 AlisonY: I'll be curious to your take, you being in much greater proximity to northern England than I am. Her settings are an important part of the books and seem beautiful but austere and brooding.

Because he is a working service dog, Ace is intense and driven. But take his vest off, and he is a lovable pup. His entire demeanor changes. I guess it's not unlike our work persona vs home self.

>210 labfs39: Since I already own the book, there is no way you can be held responsible if I don't like it. But I very much doubt that will be the case.

>211 kjuliff: Yes, there are authors I loved years ago that I am wary of revisiting their work. It's impossible to say how I will feel about them decades later. I certainly ran into that problem in reading some of my childhood favorites to my children.

>217 labfs39: My niece fosters dogs intended to become service animals and it's amazing the difference that vest makes. She brought her to a big extended family event and without the vest, she was a very silly pup and with the vest, she remained utterly focused on my niece through a long and chaotic family celebration.

>217 labfs39: >218 RidgewayGirl: Lisa, Kay, there’s another problem I have with favorites - they can change over time, but more especially over distinct period of one’s life. The books I loved during my early university and extensive traveling years were heavily influenced by my cohorts. We were all into the books of the generation that preceded ours - the Beats. Then as a young - stay-at-home mother I was all into Greer and feminism and SciFi. Then the later periods. There have been few constants in the type of authors let alone individual ones that I can favorite. Bainbridge is one of the few authors.. Others that were favorites such as Lessing didn’t stand the test of (her) time. I’m sure Asimov was on my list once but I’ve forgotten about him.

Then in the last 20 years I’ve been introduced to American writers, some who I’d never heard of. Two examples are Percival Everett and George Saunders.

So I have a hard time coming up with 10 favorite authors, let alone 10 favorite books.

Then again there are the books that’s most influenced me compared with books I enjoyed reading.

I look forward to your list but I don’t think I could provide one covering my reading experience - either of author or title.

>218 RidgewayGirl: Since I already own the book, there is no way you can be held responsible if I don't like it. True... I take it back!

Although service animals don't legally need to wear a vest, it certainly helps signal both to the dog and to humans that he is working. Ace loves vesting up and going to work with my daughter. He could retire now, but it would break his heart. Similar to some humans when forced to stop working.

That's such wonderful work your niece is doing. I've thought about raising pups destined for service work, as a way of giving back, but I know I would bond too much and have a hard time giving the pups up.

>219 kjuliff: I'm going to ignore all the subtleties and come up with a list of favorites as of now and not worry overly about what I liked in the past. If I were to do this exercise every five years, it might be interesting to see how it changes, but I have to start somewhere.

Yikes! Edited to fix bolding error

I’m sorry to hear about Ace, Lisa. How is he doing? And your daughter - how is she taking it?

Ok, here's my list of the books and authors that come to mind when I think of favorites. For authors I tried to think of those whose books I purchase without even needing to read the jacket.

Favorite books:

Bloodlands : Europe between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder (because it changed so much of what I thought I knew about Eastern Europe)

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes (because it is so intricately constructed, intelligent, and well-written)

Too loud a solitude by Bohumil Hrabal (because I fell in love with it the first time I read it and it remains such a strong pleasant memory)

Tisha: The Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaska Wilderness by Anne Purdy as told to Robert Specht (because I found it so inspiring as a youngster)

Maus II : a survivor's tale : and here my troubles began by Art Spiegelman (because it was my first graphic novel and I was mesmerized)

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (because despite its flaws, for me it is the epitome of the heroic quest)

The Issa Valley by Czeslaw Milosz (because it is one of the most lyrical books I've ever read)

Translation is a Love Affair by Jacques Poulin (because it is perfection in a tiny package)

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (because it is spellbinding historical fiction)

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (because it is a perfect novel)

Favorite living authors (in alpha order):

Fredrik Backman
Philippe Claudel
Diana Gabaldon
Eowyn Ivey
Ben Macintyre
Jacques Poulin
Mary Doria Russell
Kim Thúy
Andy Weir
Jacqueline Winspear

>222 labfs39: That is SO valuable a list, and I will be reviewing the list when I put together reading plans for 2025. Very few of the authors are on my list, but miraculously a couple are.

>222 labfs39: An interesting genre mix!

>221 rachbxl: Sorry I missed your post, Rachel. It took me a while to compose my list.

Ace seems himself, as long as we don't miss any of his pain meds (two different meds for a total of four times a day). In some ways I think my daughter is doing better than I am with it. She only has to worry about Ace, I worry about both her and Ace. First oncology appointment is Tuesday.

>222 labfs39: As our reading tastes seem to converge and diverge regularly, Joe, I would not take my list as a must-read for you. As we discussed on Dan's thread, every reader brings a unique perspective and individual tastes to their reading journey. I don't think there is any one set of books that "literate" people or "good readers" should have read or enjoyed. Part of my enjoyment of LT and Club Read is the variety of books, opinions, and discussion among the members. All that said, I love reading people's lists, so I hope others will share their favorites as well.

>223 JoeB1934: Although I tend to gravitate to a certain type of book, I do like to try other genres, media, and styles. I credit Club Read and my other LT friends with broadening my reading horizons.

Last night, I saw a local summer theatre musical production of Private Lives which I saw a few weeks ago. Whereas Noel Coward's play arrives on the stage fully formed by the author, Little Women had to be rewritten for the stage, and perhaps therein lies some of the issues.

Wikipedia contains the following from a review by Ben Brantley, reviewing for The New York Times, who wrote "Watching this shorthand account of four sisters growing up poor but honest during the Civil War is like speed reading Alcott's evergreen novel of 1868. You glean the most salient traits of the principal characters, events and moral lessons, but without the shading and detail that made these elements feel true to life in the book...Since the characters do not acquire full personalities, you don't feel emotionally invested in them."

Besides the structural differences in the play, last night's performance was by amateurs, whereas Private Lives was performed by professional actors. Still, after several years of avoiding plays and concerts due to Covid, etc. it's nice to get out to see some shows.

>222 labfs39: Were I to make a list, it would end up being entirely fiction, but Bloodlands is definitely an important work. My copy is full of notes, underlining and post-it notes sticking out.

Tisha is a great favorite of mine and it's so fun to hear that someone else loves it, too. There's another similar book called Mrs. Mike by Benedict Freedman, if you're ever in the mood for a similar kind of thing.

>227 RidgewayGirl: I started reading Bloodlands, then started over taking notes, and filled a small notebook. I had studied Eastern Europe in grad school, and then when the archives opened (after I graduated) so much more came to light. Snyder upturned so many things previously believed true. Anne Appelbaum's book, Gulag: A History, was also revelatory, based on new archival records. Which leads me to my top ten history books:

Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder
Gulag: A History by Anne Appelbaum
Rogue Heroes: The History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War by Ben Macintyre
A Train in Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance in Occupied France by Caroline Moorehead
The whisperers : private life in Stalin's Russia by Orlando Figes
Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A Life of Christopher Columbus by Samuel Eliot Morison
Mao's great famine : the history of China's most devastating catastrophe, 1958-1962 by Frank Dikötter
Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt by David McCullough
Madame Fourcade's Secret War: The Daring Young Woman Who Led France's Largest Spy Network Against Hitler by Lynne Olson
Fallout : the Hiroshima cover-up and the reporter who revealed it to the world by Lesley M.M. Blume

I've read Tisha many times, including with my daughter. I'm looking forward to reading it with my nieces in a few years. Never grows old. I will look for Mrs. Mike.

Edited to replace the memoir Between silk and cyanide : a codemaker's war, 1941-1945 by Leo Marks with Rogue Heroes.

I started reading Little Women last night to complement my viewing of the musical on Friday and was surprised at how young the girls were when the book opens. Meg is 16, Jo 15, Beth 13, and Amy only 12. I think my mind's eye view of Jo was heavily influenced by the 1933 adaptation with the inestimable Kate Hepburn playing Jo. If you haven't seen it, the trailer is available on IMDB.

Update: In Covenant of Water I'm on chapter 26 and loving the writing. Still wondering how our main characters are going to intersect. Only 22 hours and 12 minutes to go!

>222 labfs39: I love lists! I haven't read all of the ones on your list, but Matterhorn has been on my shelf for a long time. I need to think about my favorites. I think Pride and Prejudice might be on it.

>228 labfs39: Have you thought of doing a quilt display ala dchaikin of your list. Or, easier just a screenshot of all the covers?

>222 labfs39:
I'm another one who loves lists, and found yours fascinating. Not least because we obviously share some tastes, and yet I not only haven't read most of your top 10 books or the authors, but (unusually) haven't even heard of some! I admire you doing one list - I think I'd have to do 2 separately for fiction and non-fiction, partly because I find it so hard to compare. Very tempted to compose my own (but will post on my thread so not to occupy space here).

Of your list, LOTR would be a serious candidate for my top 10 too, even though I don't normally 'do' fantasy - a vestige of youthful reading that confirmed its place in my 'likes' when I reread it a few years ago. Haven't read Bring Up the Bodies yet, but Wolf Hall another top-10 contender. Jane Austen possibly top of my top-10 authors, but whilst I adore P&P, Emma and/or S&S would edge it out - discuss! Amongst the authors, I've only read Ivey, and only one of hers, To The Bright Edge of the World which is on my favourites list (currently c140 book list scoring 6+ stars!). Plenty to investigate!
Love history books too, but again have read none of yours; I feel a list coming on their too! (BTW, I use 'have read at least 3 books' for an author to be eligible for favourite author list).

>231 BLBera: I love making and reading lists too. Any excuse and I'm there :-)

I loved Matterhorn, and after I realized it's relationship to the Percival myth, I had to start over again so as not to miss anything.

>232 JoeB1934: I find LT so clunky and old school when it comes to photos. I guess I'm lazy when it comes to the tedious process. I'll see what I can do though.

>233 Willoyd: I would love to see your lists, Will. Eowyn Ivey is my only favorite author of whom I've read fewer than three books, and that's only because one of her works is not available in the US (according to Amazon) and the last is not yet published. Soon!

As for favorite history books, I definitely show a bias toward WWII. I need to switch one book out though, because I forgot Rogue Heroes. I think I'll replace Leo Mark's book, which though fantastically interesting, is a memoir.

For Joe:

My Top Ten Favorite Books

>222 labfs39: I am having trouble with favorite authors, and will have to adopt the 4 book rule, but after whitling down my 5 star books I’ve come up with a list. It’s on my thread - here. It surprised even me!

>235 labfs39: Thank you so much for that! I find pictures to be so much more intriguing than words.

>236 kjuliff: I took a look at your list, thank for sharing! What did you find surprising about it?

>237 JoeB1934: Covers are fun, just clunky to do.

>238 labfs39: If I didn’t have LT and hadn’t given 5 stars, I probably would not have picked these exact books. I had trouble pruning 35 books to ten. Some meant a lot to me, but would not have come immediately to mind.

For example I would have expected to include an Ian McEwan but there was no room. I had to include Plague and so I chopped the McEwan. What remains is those books I just couldn’t chop. And then there are some recent “favorites” - The Trees and Estuary and any of the Isaac B Singer I’ve read for example. But I’m not sure that they’ll stay the test of time - they will remain 5 starred but are they good enough to replace existing choices? I was also sad not to include Malgudi Days but couldn’t knock out other titles for this Narayan who is a favorite author.

>239 kjuliff: It's always a juggling act for me to pare a list down to 10 books. When picking favorites, it's hard because of reasons we talked about, such as books that made a huge impression that has lasted for decades, but would I feel as strongly if I read them now? For instance, I had always considered Middlemarch a favorite, even though I had read it thirty years ago. Then I reread it (or rather listened to the audiobook) and, while I still enjoyed it, did not consider it top ten any longer.

>240 labfs39: Yes, I spent ages whittling it down to ten. I was happy with most I ended up and hesitated on the Naipaul. I was happy with the Plath and the Mann ones as I’ve read them more than once, both in the last ten years.

>240 labfs39:
I had always considered Middlemarch a favorite, even though I had read it thirty years ago. Then I reread it (or rather listened to the audiobook) and, while I still enjoyed it, did not consider it top ten any longer.
I was the opposite! I read Middlemarch as a teenager, it being one of my A-Level books, and whilst that process had endeared me to others i studied (that's where my Austen passion started), I was left respecting rather than loving Eliot. And then I reread the book a few years ago, and was blown away. Never mind top 10, it's one of my top 5 (easier to pick than 10!).

>222 labfs39: Thanks for sharing the Favorites List, Lisa. I love that Matterhorn is on there. What happened to Marlantes? I hope he writes something else. His NF Vietnam book was excellent too. You caught my interest with Tisha. Sounds like my cuppa.

>243 msf59: Marlantes followed up Matterhorn with Deep River, set in the Pacific Northwest among loggers and he has a new book set in WWII Finland called Cold Victory.

>241 kjuliff: I still haven't read Magic Mountain, being completely intimidated. Which translation did you read?

>242 Willoyd: I wonder if part of my problem was that I listened to it rather than read it? I am not an adept listener, and I often run into problems.

>222 labfs39: I have What It's Like to Go to War (unread) and have not yet read Deep River, having read mixed reviews. I'm very interested in Cold Victory, which is set post-WWII.

>223 JoeB1934: Thanks for alerting me to Cold Victory, I will look for it. (P.S. Your touchstones go to different works.)

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters is on sale today as an e-book for $2.99 so I picked up a copy. It's set in my home state of Maine and is written by a Mi’kmaw author. I am going to hold off on starting it because I think my book club is going to read it later this year.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Originally published in two parts in 1868 and 1869, e-book

Enamored of this coming-of-age novel as a child, I reread this American classic after seeing the musical. Loosely based on Alcott's own family and sisters, the novel presents an idealized and highly moralistic version of a family in the last years of the Civil War. It's the story of four sisters—pretty, domestic Meg; impetuous, tomboy Jo; quiet, homebody Beth; and artistic, self-centered Amy— who are living at home with their mother while their father is a chaplain in the Civil War. When the book opens, Meg is 16 and Amy 12, and it ends with the marriages of three of the girls. Alcott was asked to write a book for young girls by her publisher. She resisted at first, but acquiesced and wrote Little Women in ten weeks. It was an instant best seller and has remained beloved by generations of American girls.

Revisiting childhood classics as an adult is always a dangerous move. Will the cherished books hold up under adult scrutiny? In addition, in this case, I had seen many movie and now musical adaptations. The verdict is mixed. The work is clearly dated, having been written more than 150 years ago, and I was surprised by the heavy moral overtones, which I didn't remember from my youthful readings. Gender roles and responsibilities are very traditional, and yet Jo rebels against those expectations in ways I found interesting now, even if she succumbs in the end. I have always found her attraction to Professor Bhaer much more understandable than to Laurie. So while I found the Pilgrim's Progress references and moral lessons heavy-handed, I appreciated Alcott's attempt to push the boundaries. I would love to do a more in-depth comparison of the book and her own life.

>245 labfs39: I can’t remember which editions I read, but they were most likely different editions. I read both in print before my vision loss and gave away most of my physical library in 2019. I only kept illustrated and art books. It was a really sad experience and I hated it. After I did it, I felt really strange, living for the first time in my life, in a house virtually bookless.

The first MM I read was way back in university days, and the second time was 2015-ish. A long gap in between!

I didn’t find MM intimidating at all. In fact I’ve thought of reading it again quite recently, in audio.

I read John E. Woods's translation of Magic Mountain and it worked well for me. It didn't feel "translated" when I was reading. I really enjoyed that book. I took a peek at my review of it and remembered that I knew as I was reading that a second reading of it would reveal more depth, but that I was perfectly entertained and found plenty to think about in my initial reading. I'll have to get back to that one.

Thanks for the Little Women review! It's fun to relive childhood favorites.

>249 japaul22: I was unaware there were significant differences in the different versions of MM. What were they? I had such a long gap between my two readings - and I know they were different physical books, - they were most likely different translations, that I didn’t notice. Now I’m intrigued.

>250 kjuliff: I think it's just "translator style" that I'm referring too. Most of the time when I read a translated classic, I do a little research into the available translations and sometimes read the same passage from different translators. It's been a while since I read Magic Mountain and looked at the translations, but I think John E. Woods was a more modern version than the original English translation (I think by Lowe-Porter) and a lot of people felt it was both smoother and closer to the original German. I'm sure there weren't any significant differences that would change the book, but a translator can definitely influence the reading experience, I've found. I was happy with John E. Woods's style.

>247 labfs39: Revisiting childhood favourites is a dangerous move indeed! Good to see this one held up for you on some levels, especially as you say with Jo, whom Alcott allowed to protest, writing against what mothers of her time would have preferred in a book for their young daughters.

You sent me back to my review from way back in 2014, noting along the way that there are 198 reviews of this book! The comparison you mention with Alcott's own life would be interesting indeed, but there is also the further comparison with the uprooted lives of so many women in New England at that time, with men away first at the war, and then the aftermath.

>251 japaul22: Oh I do understand. I know that there can be important differences between different translations. The classic in The Stranger where Camus’s Maman is translated in the first translation as “Mother”. This had a huge difference in the understanding of the main character Meursault, and even to the novel as a whole.
“Aujourd'hui Maman est morte. Ou peut-être hier, je ne sais pas” - the first line.

I wondered was there anything really obvious that stood out between translations of The Magic Mountain. Looking at the dates I probably read the first-translated version first and probably the Woods one next, but the gap in reading would have prevented me feeling the difference in translations.

Thanks for pointing this out to me as I’ll try to read the Woods version next.

>245 labfs39:
I wonder if part of my problem was that I listened to it rather than read it? I am not an adept listener, and I often run into problems.
Could very well be - it's an enormous book to have to listen to. I only occasionally listen to an audiobook, but I prefer middle to shorter books when I do. And, of course, the reader is critical. I've listened to several reading of Austen that would have certainly put me off her books. But then I discovered Juliet Stevenson! There are parallels to my mind between discussions on translations and audiobook readers; in both cases you're experiencing the book through the interpretation of another (even if the latter is a bit more subtle).

>250 kjuliff: >251 japaul22: Re: translations of Magic Mountain, my edition is the old 1927 translation by H.T. Lowe-Porter. The 1996 translation by John E. Woods won the Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize. If I ever finally take the plunge, I might look for the newer translation.

>252 SassyLassy: I had remembered, of course, that Jo was a tomboy with her shorn hair and abbreviated name, but I was surprised at the number of times the book talked about her "manly" or "gentlemanly" ways of moving and acting, her preference for all things male, and forceful distain for feminine ways (much to the consternation of her relatives). Jo wanted to be male, and if the book were written today it would probably be banned from schools for portraying gender fluidity. Or maybe not since she conforms in the end.

I thought I had a biography of Alcott, but all I have is American Bloomsbury by Susan Cheever, which a reviewer on HistoryNet called "gossipy fun."

>254 Willoyd: Exactly, Will. Both translators and narrators are a filter through which we experience the original. Even knowing that I may feel differently about Middlemarch if I read it again (as opposed to listen), I'm unlikely to anytime soon. On to new things!

---

But first a digression. When I was little, maybe 7?, I loved the sequel to Little Women, called Little Men, which is about the school/orphanage that Jo and Professor Bhaer run at Plumfield. It takes place about five years after LW ends. I used to pretend to play that I was Jo taking in new boys (i.e. stuffed animals) and would clean them up, feed and educate them. It's the only pretend game I remember playing to such an extent, so clearly the book made an impression. After finishing LW yesterday, I started LM. Imagine my horror when Professor Bhaer recounts how his grandmother clipped off the tip of his tongue with shears when he told a lie! Egads and little fishes! My childhood self must have been made of strong stuff, as the adult me shut the book and was done!

>255 labfs39: Oh my! I remember Little Men fondly as well, but certainly don't remember that!

>244 RidgewayGirl: DUH!! I completely forgot about Deep River and I loved it too. Can I take my comments back? LOL.

I liked The Berry Pickers but did not love it. Sweet Thursday, Lisa.

Finally catching up on your thread (again), Lisa—so sorry to hear about Ace's health issues, and the root canal, and your mom's surgery, though I'm hoping those last two have resolved somewhat by now. And this is a great discussion on favorites. I'm also a Gardam fan, but I haven't read God on the Rocks—may have to rectify that. She's got such a great ear for human nature.

More later, since it's mid-morning and I technically have my vest on.

>255 labfs39: absolutely loved Little Men. the care of the boys (and a few girls) living at the school was so progressive in those days. Still remember images of Nan getting her own mini kitchen, two children getting lost in the woods, how they took care of the boy whose father had died. I tried to reread it for a challenge here but found it too dated. but that doesnt change the love I had for it.

If you havent already, pls watch the newest edition of Little Women Same story but so modern!

Has any of you read Alcott's Eight Cousins? I loved it as a child (read in French as Rose et ses sept cousins), and liked it enough when reread as an adult (though maybe a little less, since I only gave it 3.5 stars). I remember some rather unwelcome moralistic comments, but I think it was in the sequel, Rose in Bloom.

About Jo, my personal take is that she wanted to be a boy because boys were more free to do what she wished to do, not because she had gender issues. I suppose the very idea of transgenderism would have been unthinkable to someone like Alcott.

>260 FlorenceArt: "I suppose the very idea of transgenderism would have been unthinkable to someone like Alcott."

Perhaps, but I think we forget too easily that trans and gender nonconforming people have always been with us, even if society didn't slap labels on them. There are known cases of Civil War soldiers who we would today identify as trans men, for instance. And it was probably truer then that it is today that most people simply accepted those people as neighbors, part of their community. Eccentric neighbors, maybe, but what community doesn't have one or two beloved eccentrics?

>261 KeithChaffee: Oh, I don’t doubt that! But this wouldn’t have been something that existed socially I think.

>260 FlorenceArt: Yes, I love(d) Eight Cousins. I still like it. There's some racism and classism, and certainly sexism - but on its own merits, it's a great story. Rose in Bloom is less interesting and much more moralistic, though I've reread that a couple times (recently-ish) too. I love watching her learn to deal with all her boy cousins, when she's been so isolated - rather like the heroine of The Secret Garden, though that's less rowdy. Mary and Rose would definitely understand one another (like...maybe not, but understand yes).

>255 labfs39: So my mother remembers the time period when I played Little Men. She thinks I was younger, 5 or 6. Anywho, she got a laugh out of remembering something she hadn't thought of in years.

>256 japaul22: Maybe some editions edited it out? Or else our tender ears were inured to such details.

>257 msf59: I remember your review, Mark. Since my book club plans to read it, I guess I'll find out for myself. That's funny about Deep River. I thought you had read it, as I think I learned about it from you. :-)

>258 lisapeet: Yes, all the human medical issues in the family have been resolved, it's Ace that, well the news gets worse by the day. They were unable to do chemo. I'm not up to writing about it now, but thanks for the good wishes.

I'm glad to see all the Gardam love. Which is your favorite?

>259 cindydavid4: I wonder what it is that kept Alcott's juvenile literature popular with kids 100 years after writing them (not sure if kids are still reading them now, 150 after). Obviously the books struck a chord with many.

I haven't seen the latest adaptation (with Meryl Streep as Aunt March!). I'll have to watch it. PBS has a great list of adaptations, I had no idea there were two Japanese anime versions, for instance, or that William Shatner played Professor Bhaer in one version. Now that might have cured my of my P Bhaer crush, lol.

>260 FlorenceArt: Yes! Eight Cousins was my favorite Alcott book.

I was struck in this reading of Little Women by certain things Jo said that seemed to go beyond wanting the freedoms of a boy, and that made me question it more. She seemed to hate being a girl to the point of assuming the dress and mannerism of a boy, but she never says she is a boy, although she comes close, IMO. But it's also possible I am seeing more in the text than is meant due to my 21st century filter. Unfortunately, I didn't mark any passages as I was reading, which would have been super easy because I was on my e-reader.

>261 KeithChaffee: Your comments led me to read about Albert Cashier who lived as a man throughout his adult life, including while serving in the Civil War. According to Wikipedia, twice he was in accidents that led to his sex being discovered, but doctors declined to make the information public. It was only when he had dementia and was sent to an asylum that they forced him to dress as a woman. Once it became public, he was investigated for fraud by the pension board, but they decided to continue his pension until he died. So some evidence that his being transgender was accepted by those in the know (including fellow soldiers he served with who testified on his behalf).

>263 jjmcgaffey: Alcott writes rowdy boys well; like her literary persona Jo, I think she preferred them, telling her publisher she didn't want to write girls. Interesting comparison between Eight Cousins and Secret Garden.

>264 labfs39: Oh jeez, I'm sorry.

>262 FlorenceArt:
I'm not sure what you mean by not existing socially, but there's plenty of evidence of women living as men, the two that immediately jump to my mind being Kit Cavanagh/Christian Davies and Margaret Buckley/Dr James Barry, but many others. Less the other way round, but again the ones that jumps to mind are 'Fanny and Stella', the Park and Bolton case, in Victorian England - and male to female cross-dressing at this time is well documented. See Fanny and Stella by Neil McKenna. Sebastian Barry's Days Without End, set in the American Civil War, includes cross-dressing, but I've no idea if there's any historical basis for this.

>264 labfs39: they decided to continue his pension until he died. So some evidence that his being transgender was accepted by those in the know (including fellow soldiers he served with who testified on his behalf).
This cheers me up!

>268 Willoyd: What I meant is that transgenderism wasn't a socially recognized fact, as in, most people just didn't know it existed, which doesn't preclude individual cases. But I suppose that's not the right way to look at it, it's too binary. There were undeniably people who lived as transgender, as you mentioned, and probably subsets of society where that fact was recognized and accepted.

>263 jjmcgaffey: It may sound odd, but when I was a little kid in suburban India, my mother would choose books to read to us every night. We read a lot of Indian fiction, certainly, but among the books she read to us were Eight Cousins which we loved, and also Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter, because of which I had visceral dreams about Indiana swamps, which I have never seen in person.

>270 FlorenceArt:
Ah, I see. Yes, that makes sense, and I think, in my very uninformed opinion, you sum the position up well. Certainly, society as a whole didn't recognise it!

Hi Lisa - Little Women was a childhood favorite of mine. In fact, I still have my original copy that I received for my tenth birthday. I've reread it several times and have noted the very issues that you have mentioned.

Having read some criticism and biography of Alcott, I know that she did feel constrained by the limitations women faced, and I think we do see that in Jo. Originally, Alcott didn't want Jo to get married, but the publisher pressured her for the traditional ending, and since she was so often the wage earner for her family, she needed to be published.

So sorry to hear about Ace. Hugs.

>271 rv1988: Your mother had good taste in books - I love Freckles, too.