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Witness

Witness

January 23, 2011 1 Comment

This week I read Witness a novel by Newberry Award winner (for Out of the Dust) Karen Hesse. I acquired this book for $2.00 during a holiday flea market spree with my children.  This author has written many acclaimed children’s books and Witness might be leveled as Young Adult, but the style and subject matter makes it interesting for older readers, also.

This is the story of the people in a small Vermont town in 1924. When the Ku Klux Klan moves in, no one is safe from their hatred — even the white protestants who find that “those who are not with us are against us.” No one is allowed to remain neutral.  This tale of a town on the brink of disaster is told in blank verse, in the individual voices of its residents.  Very intriguing writing technique and a very worthwhile read.

Book Reviews

Book Reviews

January 16, 2011 1 Comment

During 2010 I read 23 books. That isn’t really very many, less than two a month. But I also wrote a book, so give me a break. Following is a two sentence review on each book. All these reviews are favorable because if I don’t like a book I don’t finish it.

The Quilter’s Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini  A couple moves to a small Pennsylvania town where the young wife becomes involved in the local quilting group.  A pleasant story that explains a lot about the art of quilting.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett  Set in the Sixties, this tells of the changes that come to a group of young socialites and their black servants. Even though the writer went over the top at one point with the bathroom humor, the book deserves the accolades it received.

Wishin’ and Hopin’ by Wally Lamb  A Christmas story about young Felix Funicello who deals with life as cousin of the famous Annette and look alike of the adorable cartoon boy, Dondi.  A wise and witty story.

The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve  An acclaimed poet and his wife spend time in New Hampshire while she researches a century old murder mystery. Dark prequel to The Last Time They Met. I like Anita Shreve’s literary style but her technique of telling two stories back and forth (the protagonist’s story and one being uncovered/written – used also in her novel A Wedding in December) doesn’t work well for me. I find myself skimming through the side story to get back to the main characters. Still I will read her again.

The Copper Beech by Maeve Binchy  The beautiful beech tree in a small schoolyard is the backdrop for stories about various members of the village. Binchy has a delightful way of showing the landscape and feel of Ireland.

The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks  Volunteer fireman rescues special needs child and becomes closer than friends with his mother. I found this to be a satisfactory story and I enjoyed the read – though I did notice his misuse of the prologue but that’s what writers do to each other.

My Lucky Stars by Shirley MacLaine  Autobiography by famous film star. Not exactly a page turner, in fact a rather wordy account of a portion of her varied career and her open marriage.

A Positive Plan for Creating More Calm, Less Stress by Karol Ladd  Self-help book with scriptural references. Through geared for moms with stress, I found several helpful chapters to use in a Bible study for working women.

Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult  This writer does her usually excellent job in the telling of a child (named Faith) who seems to have healing powers and the media circus that surrounds this discovery. Gripping from the first sentence.

Have  a Little Faith by Mitch Albom  The chronicle of Albom’s relationship with an elderly rabbi. Very similar to Tuesdays with Morrie, but still a worthwhile read about a young man’s relationship with a mentor.

Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts  A man adopted as a toddler returns to his birthplace to learn about his birth parents. By the author of Where the Heart Is.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd  Runaway girl follows a clue from her dead mother and meets a family of bee keepers. A charming story of how people can care for each other regardless of race or other differences.

Hear Our Cry: Boys in Crisis by Paul D. Slocumb  Study of social tendencies in boys of different cultures. A little scary to read predictions that we seem to have no power to change.

Staggerford by John Hassler  Happenings in a small town from the perspective of an English teacher. Hassler breaks a cardinal ‘rule’ of writing by killing off the protagonist, but until then, I found it humorous and well written.

Follow Me by Arkansas writer, Elizabeth Carroll Foster  Story of military family and their travels and adventures.  This was an enjoyable read, though I would have liked for Elizabeth to dig deeper and tell us how it felt for military families during the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK’s assassination or other times of stress for our country.

That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo  Couple going through the motions of family vacation travel back to Cape Cod. A serious and humorous story of two people taking a look at their relationship.

In His Steps by Charles Sheldon  Congregation takes on the challenge of ‘What Would Jesus Do?” Written in 1897 and dated in many ways, this is still relevant in the most important issue of choosing to follow Christ.  I reviewed this book on November 8.

When the Mississippi Ran Backwards by Jay Feldman  Historical telling of stories around the occurrence of the New Madrid earthquakes. Interesting and well-written.

Ordinary People by Judith Guest  Gripping story of a young man dealing with depression. I reviewed the movie on February 28. The screen adaptation is as close to the book as I have ever seen, often using the exact dialog.

25 Days, 26 Ways by Ace Collins  Thoughts and inspirations about celebrating Advent and Christmas.

White Roses by Arkansas Writer Shannon Taylor Vannatter  Christian romance set in Romance, Arkansas and surrounding White County. This is Shannon’s first book under a contract with Heartsongs Publishers.

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado  Daily devotional readings. I appreciate Lucado’s insights that often lead to deeper thought/study.

A Journey of Choice by Benton, AR writer Pat Laster  The story of a young girl’s coming of age journey, choices she consciously makes and those forced on her by circumstances. Though I had read many of these chapters in our critique group, I enjoyed reading the finished book front to back. Pat is able to bring characters to life in such a way as to leave the reader wanting to know more about them.  I know this is more than two sentences, but after all, the author is my BFF.

My goal for 2011 is to read more.  To turn off the television if I’ve already seen everything offered or if it simply isn’t worthy of my time, and READ.

In His Steps

November 8, 2010 Leave a Comment

A book I neglected to list on my “15 books that stick with me” (see July 2009 post) and that I have read at least three times, is In His Steps by Charles Sheldon.  In 1896, this Congregationalist pastor wrote the novel that spawned the question: What Would Jesus Do?

The story centers around Rev. Henry Maxwell, a pastor of a large church. One Sunday morning, at the end of the 11:00 service, a homeless man asks to speak to the congregation. He relates a commonly heard story of the day and asks some probing questions – then falls on the floor and dies. The last years of the nineteenth century was a time of depression in the United States, the beginning of the industrial age when many men lost their jobs. During this time, if you had no job, you had no income. Zero. Zilch. There was no welfare, no rehab, no stimulus package, nor any of the other programs that people today love to hate. When you were evicted for non-payment of rent, you moved in with family or you were homeless. Not living in a shelter. Homeless.

Churches had their mission projects but the worship services in the large affluent churches were for the rich. As the destitute man stood before the congregation that morning, he related how he was a Christian, knew he should follow Jesus, but he was puzzled as to how Jesus would have him live. What would Jesus do? Would he starve rather than beg? Would he watch his child go hungry rather than steal a loaf of bread? When employment opportunities came, were there certain jobs Jesus would have turned down regardless of his family’s need?

After this incident, Henry Maxwell was led to challenge his congregation to take a pledge to live one year asking themselves the question “What Would Jesus Do?” Many volunteered to take the vow and the book tells the story of what happened to those who undertook to live as a true disciple, following Jesus’ steps as closely as they could.  As I said, this was written in 1896, contemporary to the times. Some who pledged could not stick it out, found such a lifestyle impossible. Some suffered, all were changed.

In the early 1990’s a youth director in Holland, Michigan was taken with Charles Sheldon’s In His Steps. After sharing the story with the youth, she had bracelets with the words “What Would Jesus Do?” or “WWJD” printed on them, as a reminder to the youth to live as Jesus would. The idea caught on and you probably remember seeing displays of bracelets, key chains and magnets with this message.

Charles Sheldon had never copyrighted his work, and it has been reprinted numerous times without any compensation for the author or his heirs. Since the slogan WWJD was in public domain, the youth director was able to use it without cost. Though the opportunity was there, the youth director also did not seek to copyright the slogan. It’s not clear why, except that perhaps she, as well as Charles Sheldon, thought the message was more important that any profits they might see.  The youth director was later able to gain control of the WWJD Trademark in order to protect it from being misused or defamed.

Charles Sheldon’s book, In His Steps, has had 20 million copies published in 20 languages.

One Sentence Reviews

February 23, 2010 2 Comments

Writers are told . . . well, writers are actually given lots of rules. But one thing we are told is that, when asked what our book is about we should be able to answer with one sentence that gives a clear idea of plot and character. I thought it might be interesting to see if I can do that with the books I read in 2009.

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott. The author shares stories from her faith walk as she gropes her way to Christianity.

Love From Your Friend Hannah by Mindy Warshaw Skolsky. In this elementary level novel, Hannah’s story is told in letters to her grandmother, her pen pal and to President Franklin Roosevelt.

Church of the Dog by Kaya McLaren. A mysterious young girl enters the lives of an elderly farm couple to show them forgotten pleasures in their everyday existence.

The Shack, by William Paul Young. This is the story of a man who, after suffering a great loss, meets the Trinity personified in a way drastically uncharacteristic of the usual image of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

If You Can Talk You Can Write by Joel Saltzman. Techniques in free writing to help get the creative juices flowing.

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen. In this middle school novel a young man inadvertently becomes an entrepreneur when his lawn mowing business takes off.

Heidi by Johanna Spyri. The adventures of a young orphan girl who goes to live with her grandfather in the Alps.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. The author’s story of her recovery from the grief of a failed marriage as she travels to Italy, India and Bali.

Twisted Creek by Jodi Thomas. A mystery about a young woman who inherits a bed and breakfast in Texas and moves there to start over.

Grace (Eventually) Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott. Stories from the author’s spiritual walk and the insights she gained from the joys and sorrows she encountered along the way.

The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble. A group of English women who read a book each month and gather for discussion are surprised to realize how their choice of literature mirrors their lives.

Without a Map by Meredith Hall. The author’s story of her life of shame and shunning following her pregnancy at age seventeen.

To Dance With the White Dog by Terry Kay. A mysterious white dog comes to keep company with an old man suffering from grief after the loss of his wife.

Worth by A. LaFaye. A family takes in a child from the orphan train.

Summer Sisters by Judy Blume. This book follows the life and loves of two young girls who, though from very different backgrounds, are best friends.

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult. Ghost hunter comes in contact and falls in love with a woman who died in 1933.

The Widows of Wichita County by Jodi Thomas. Four men are in an oilfield explosion and only one survives in this story of their wives’ reaction to the event.

delicious fatigue by Pat Laster. Chap book of delightful verse by Benton, AR poet and my BFF.

The Herring-Seller’s Apprentice by L.C.Tyler. A suspense story around the disappearance of a mystery writer’s wife.

The Last Time They Met by Anita Shreve. Story of two writers with plenty of history between them who meet again after twenty-six years.

Ghost in the Machine by Patrick Carman. Teen interactive mystery with clues sent every few chapters via logging into website.

No Bell Will Ring by Ruth Couch. Elementary school teacher meets the challenges of caring for an elderly parent while trying to have a life of her own.

Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow. A re-telling of the Collyer brothers story from the point of view of the younger Homer.

Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life by Charles Swindol. Moving through the year with devotional thoughts and exercises.

The Last Time They Met

October 24, 2009 1 Comment

A friend recently loaned me this novel (written by Anita Shreve in 2001) saying, “I thought you’d like to read this – it’s different.”

The Last Time They Met is the story of Linda Fallon an Thomas Janes, writers who meet at a literary retreat after not having seen each other for 26 years. It’s obvious from the tension (well done by Ms. Shreve) that they have a history together.

Usually a flashback is used in a book to bring the reader up to date on the backstory before moving the events forward again. In this ambitious (and accomplished) effort, Anita Shreve moves the story, via flashbacks, from the end to the beginning of a love affair.

When their time together at the retreat is over, the tale of Linda and Thomas moves backward to when they were 26 years old, meeting again for the first time since they were teens. The last leap is back nine years, to when they were seventeen and fell in love.  Each glimpse into their lives gives us a deeper understanding of the characters and why they felt eternally connected.

While I found the ending disappointing and hard to believe, Anita Shreve’s technique of crafting a story and constructing a novel is brilliant.  This book is a worthwhile read.

A Flag Full of Stars

October 9, 2009 1 Comment

This novel, written in 1964 by Don Robertson, is one of the 15 books that will always stick with me. (Noted in an earlier blog.)

The story takes place on November 1-3, 1948, election day and immediately before and after. Thomas Dewey, Republican, was challenging Harry Truman, Democrat incumbent, for the Presidency of the United States. Making fun of Harry Truman had become the nations’ favorite passtime and everyone assumed Dewey would win by a large majority.

But Truman and Dewey are not the main characters of this book. Instead this is a tale of common and not so common folk who each had something to gain or lose depending on which way the election went.  The small town politician planning to ride to victory on Dewey’s coat tails … the down-on-his-luck gambler playing a hunch and betting everything against the odds … the newspaper editor uncertain of which wire service prediction to follow as he writes his morning headline.  Don Robertson artfully weaves several sub plots together to keep the reader engaged, even though we know who won.

I received A Flag Full of Stars from the Book of the Month Club the year of its publication and then in 1968, an election year, I decided to read it again. I followed that practice until I don’t know how many times I brought the book out to re-read during an election year. I love the story of the pundits and predictors being wrong. I love an upset and wish that today there were still the excitement and mystery and surprise in our presidential election process as there was when Truman beat Dewey.

Homer and Langley

September 29, 2009 1 Comment

There are three reasons I am excited about buying and reading E.L. Doctorow’s latest book Homer and Langley.

The first is that of course, he is a famous writer and the book is already a best seller. I say he is a great writer, yet the only work of his I have read is Ragtime, the classic written in 1975.  The book was later made into a movie (well done) and a Broadway musical (fabulous). Therefore it’s easy for me to say that everything I ever read by E.L. Doctorow was good.

The second reason is that the Homer and Langley he writes about are the Collyer brothers. In 1947, these siblings were found in their Manhattan home surrounded (literally buried) by tons of rubbish they had collected and hoarded. These famous recluses became the poster boys for obsessive compulsive disorder and paranoia.  I was a child when their bizarre life style was discovered, but in 1955 I read My Brother’s Keeper, a novel by Marcia Davenport, based on the Collyer brothers’  lives. The story is fascinating and I can’t wait to read another take on it.

The last reason is E. L. Doctorow is 78 years old!  Go Edgar! At the time when lots of folks are kicking back and watching Game Show Network, he’s turning out a best seller.  So, I will applaud that in a way that every writer will understand. I’m going to buy and read his book.

Disciplines of a Beautiful Woman

August 18, 2009 2 Comments

This is on the list of 15 books that have made a lasting impression on me. Since I discovered Disciplines of a Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortlund about 25 years ago, I have read it several times. My copy is stained with some sort of a spill –  water or coffee.  The title is taken from Proverbs 31, where Solomon describes the ideal woman. Busy, organized, spiritual – a person in her own right, but supportive and caring for her husband and family. “Her husband calls her blessed, and her children also.”

This book was just what I needed in 1984 as I struggled to be wife, mother, stepmom, grandma, working woman, church woman, spiritual woman (there’s a difference), and trying so so hard to find out what God had planned for me. I was a mess of fragmented pieces. It may sound cliched to say a book changed my life, but this one did.

Anne Ortlund wrote this little book in 1977. It’s about the disciplines of getting to Christian maturity. She says, “Our sensuous age forgets that feelings come and feelings leave you but the disciplines of life are what get you to where you want to go.”  And it’s about organization. She devotes one chapter to describing her notebook/calendar  …  ten years before day planners went on the market.

She gives practical suggestions on everything from managing a schedule (to avoid being overwhelmed with activities) to maintaining a wardrobe (to avoid spending hours deciding what to wear).  But most importantly, she writes about choosing priorities.  Solomon says a beautiful woman gives her life to God, family (including church family) and the needy people of the world.

I Googled Anne Ortlund to see what she’s doing nowadays. She is still a part of Renewal Ministries, begun by her husband Ray, who died in 2007.  She continues to host spiritual retreats for women at her home in Newport Beach, California, and to disciple women one-on-one.

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