Margaret Sanger had a rough childhood; born in 1879, as one of
eleven children. Her miserable mother and drunk father had little to share
amongst their many children. The older girls escaped as quickly as possible and
Margaret tended to many of the younger ones. With a sharp eye and quick wit Margaret
found herself wanting more than the average woman and she refused to believe
this was not possible. As she grew both in age and maturity, Margaret married
and became a mother to her own three children. She had a lifelong love of
learning and thirst for freedom and equality that often could not be quenched. While
rebels and socialists fought for rights and the vote, Margaret’s part time
nursing position brought her to the tenements along New York’s lower east side.
While her political friends held dinners where they discussed world views and downed
champagne, Margaret climbed the stairwells of decrepit buildings where dreams
were crushed and women were dying. These women asked – no, they begged - Margaret
for a way to stop having more babies. There were no alternatives for these
women and no restraints for these men they were married to. Margaret spent her
entire adult life fighting to establish birth control and planned parenthood.
She was an outspoken character that was said to embellish the facts but much of
what she fought for changed the lives of innumerable women. We are still
fighting for these rights. These legal rights that are made by men. Do I have
to tell you this is a must read? Author Ellen Feldman narrates this easy to follow
story, the life of a woman that to this day continues to reach out to us. Read
it and decide for yourself, but please read it.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Glory Over Everything
If you ever wondered in the back of your mind, what happened
to Belle, Jamie, Sukey and Miss Lavinia and wished The Kitchen House by Kathleen
Grissom would continue, you are in luck! After finding out who his true mother
is Jamie Pyke is forced to run north for freedom. Having led a pampered
existence on the plantation, he is ill prepared for the journey and decisions
to be made daily for survival. He is only 13 years old. Jamie is a sweet,
intelligent boy who is not accustomed to the harsh realities of life or those
of the big city. He makes his way to Philadelphia and it is his good fortune to
meet Henry, a free slave that saves his life and pushes him towards his future.
Jamie is adopted by a wealthy silversmith and his wife. The Burtons are the
loving family he always dreamed of but Jamie soon learns it is impossible to
bury the truth forever. As it comes to light that his biological mother was a
slave, Jamie’s reality becomes uncertain. His comfortable lifestyle and those
he has loved for the last twenty years need to accept him for his true self and
Jamie must confront the man he hopes he is. Could not put down this page
turning, amazing novel. If you loved The Kitchen House, you will not be able to
read this fast enough. If you have not - I believe it can stand alone as a
magnificent portrayal of characters you will be thinking about long after you finish
the book.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Where I Lost Her
Tess Waters is not crazy. She saw her. She is real. And she
is going to find her. One night
Tess is driving back to the lake from a store. It’s close to midnight, pitch dark
and they had been drinking at dinner. She sees a small lost girl in the road.
Her hand is bleeding and she runs into the forest. After an intense police and
volunteer search, the authorities in this remote Vermont town decide Tess must
be a crazy attention seeking New Yorker and put an end to this chaos that has
disrupted the entire town. But for Tess it is only the beginning. And while she is putting the clues
together to find this missing child, she is figuring out the puzzle of her own
life. Her fading relationship with Jake, the beauty of her indelible lifelong friendship
with Effie and burning desire to become a mother. I highly recommend this
suspenseful novel filled the emotions of a saga and the page turning chapters
of a thriller. I was immersed in the easy lyrical writing of author T.
Greenwood and felt myself alongside Tess walking through these very woods. #summerread #beachread #summerbooklist
Sunday, May 15, 2016
The Marriage of Opposites
Rachel spends her life dreaming of Paris. She has been
raised on the island of St. Thomas. It is the early 1800’s and her adoring
father and very strict and cold mother leave her little room to believe she
will ever be anything other than a wife and mother, forever on this island, in
this small Jewish community. She is best friends with beautiful Jestine, who is
the daughter of their wise and faithful maid Adele. Rachel is married off young
to a much older widow with three children of his own. But it is her second
marriage that brings scandal and true love into Rachel’s life along with 8 more
children. Life in this community is not easy and following the traditions and
rules often puts Rachel at odds with her neighbors. As interesting and intense
as is the spirit of Rachel, this novel morphs into what I feel is the main
story and that is the life of her youngest son Jacob who changes his name later
in life and is none other than the master of Impressionism, artist Camille
Pissarro. I loved reading about the history of these Caribbean islands, where
slavery, rum, molasses, and pirates kept these displaced European communities
racing towards the future. Highly recommend this insightful, heartfelt novel
filled with incredible history, family, spirit, art and love.
City of Secrets
Jossi (not his real name, they call him Brand) is driving a
taxi (car was stolen, papers faked) in Jerusalem. He is trying to decide who he
is and what he stands for. Sometimes he is just trying to help. After
tragically losing his parents, his sister, his wife and his friends in the war
Jossi made his way to Palestine. It is 1945 and many different factions are
fighting the British, fighting the Arabs and at times each other. Jossi battles his inner demons. What is bravery. What is worthwhile. How can he live
while everyone else died? How can he possibly be happy ever again? He befriends
Eva, who they call The Widow. She leads a secret life keeping company with important
men. Together they are part of cell that is trying to help the cause. Jossi, at
first included for having a car, becomes useful to the group and then more so.
I would not label this story a thriller as some reviews have. We know what
happens during these years to these brave souls that lost everything and
managed to find the strength to keep fighting for independence and freedom.
What is really fantastic about this novel is author Stewart O’Nan. He digs
incredibly deep into a simple mans heart. Jossi is easily imagined and his
thoughts are palpable. It is a story of just one small man doing his part while
figuring out the meaning of it all. The sensitive, poetic writing is easy to
read and the characters will not be forgotten. Highly recommend this novel
about humankind’s despair between good and evil.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Under the Influence
Timing can be everything. One evening Helen, a completely
devoted, doting mother rushes Ollie to the ER. But she had been drinking some
wine. And after getting pulled over for a minor offense, her world and Ollie’s
is turned upside down. The court, with an unforgiving judge takes Ollie away
and gives full custody to her cold, manipulating ex-husband. After completing a
successful program Helen has neither the strength nor the money to fight her
ex-husband and begins to wallow deeper into her sorrow, missing Ollie terribly.
One day she meets a couple who are beautiful, wealthy, philanthropic and kind.
They take her under their wing and give her the confidence and means to begin
changing her life. But their attentions are overwhelming and their needs
manipulate her own. Helen becomes confused as to where the kindness ends and
demands begin. It is as if she gave up one influence (alcohol) to another; Ava
and Swift Havilland. This suspenseful novel kept me turning the pages quickly.
As Joyce Maynard illustrates so easily the true human condition of needing and
wanting love. I highly recommend this incredible summer read which completely
took me away into the lives of these interesting, quirky characters. The
writing is smooth as silk taking your feelings and imagination on a small
rollercoaster ride.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Eligible
Modern day Pride and Prejudice. If Jane Austen was a writer
today “Eligible” would have been her smash success. Five Bennet sisters living in
Cincinnati, Ohio. Sort of had family money but it quietly wasted away. All the sisters
are beautiful, smart and single. As the eldest, sweetest Jane nears forty,
their mother is having a melt down partly because Jane is still single, and
partly because their father has unexpected health issues and she is the chair
at an important luncheon this fall. Everyone moves back into the childhood home
for the summer and chaos naturally ensues. With much humor and in delicious,
perfect, bite sized chapters, this novel was completely unputdownable. Curtis
Sittenfeld’s modern day take on a much loved classic could not have been more
enjoyable. Laugh out loud funny, I was enthralled from the first chapter. This
book is a PERFECT way to start the summer.
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