The Train of Small Mercies by David Rowell

I readily admit that I am a child of the Kennedy’s! By that I mean that I was drawn by John Kennedy’s challenge to do more when I joined the Peace Corps in 1976 and was hooked on politics with the campaign of Robert Kennedy in 1968.  Remind me one day to share with you all my memorabilia from that time period.  This being said, how could I not pick up a book about that sad day in June when the funeral train left New York and travelled to Washington? The fact that it is written by an area (Silver Spring, MD) author only added to its draw.

The Train of Small Mercies tells the story of one day in the lives of multiple people from all walks of life.  Each person was going to watch the train as it passed them and while waiting, divulged a bit of their own story along the way.  Black, white, male, female, rich, poor, young and old—everyone had a story and felt within themselves a bit of the pain the nation was feeling when RFK was killed.  From the Irish immigrant who was in DC to apply as a nanny for the Kennedy family awaiting the birth of their eleventh child to the wounded Viet Nam veteran struggling to find a place in the returned society, to the black Pullman worker on the first day on the job, to the young child recovering from a parental kidnapping, the stories grab your attention because they are very real.  Any one of those stories could have been one of ours.

I watched this story progress and remembered watching the train’s progression myself. I was not near any of its stops so my viewing was from a TV inside my home in West Virginia.  I had been glued to media from the time RFK was shot in LA. I was actually listening to the returns via transistor radio at the time. I should have been asleep and in those days the TV actually signed off at midnight.  I listened all night long and sunk into a deep despair when his death was announced.  Like many I imagine, I wondered if we would survive as a nation with all that was happening.

I am not going into greater detail regarding the individual stories included in Mr. Rowell’s book as I look forward to hearing which ones spoke to you during our discussions.

World Made By Hand by James Howard Kunstler

Rebuilding the world in the 21^st century sounds depressing.  Rebuilding it as a result of war, terrorism and influenza is even more so. I should have been in a deep funk while reading this but I was not.  It made me feel hopeful for the future even if it is not bright.  I do not like reading about the US after such catastrophes. When, in the 80s I read The Third World War, I had to flip to the end to make sure we survived before I could finish it. I did not even jump ahead here. I somehow knew it would be ok even if ok was never the same as before.

Doing without AC, electricity, running water, etc. reminded me of Peace Corps. I survived but I was younger then. I wonder how I would react today.  In all honesty, I am a survivor so I think I would be one of those taking charge and getting it done. Robert Earle became that person.  He was not ready for that role in the beginning. Like I imagine so many people are after a catastrophe, he seemed to exist in a vacuum, going about his day doing what was necessary to live to the next day.  He stated he tried to avoid nostalgia because it would destroy you.  Still, he thought of cold beer and air conditioning and the lack of communication from the outside world. He missed his son, took comfort with the preacher’s wife and stepped up to responsibility when needed.

Several things interested me in this book. Sociology and politics have taught us that we must interact with others in order to survive.  Aristotle said “Man is by nature a political animal.”  We have to have a system of enforceable laws or the lawless take over the world.  Stephen Bullock gave up on the law and started his own community where he provided for those who worked for him in a more benevolent manner than most. Still he was in control and no one really challenged him.  The bullies of the world rose to the top reminding me that S… floats.  Wayne Karp, Dan Curry, both are despicable people whose deaths did not bother me in the least. I did think it appropriate that Wayne Karp was the reason Robert Earle became the mayor since his lawlessness led him to want to do something about it.

The New Faith Brotherhood adds a delightful twist to the story.  Here is a group of survivors who are looking for a great place to settle having left several other good places.  John Brown came to mind in this one!  A religious group, its leaders have no problem handing down God’s vengeance on the low lifes in the area.  They had the ability to take care of most every situation and served almost as the conscious of Union Grove. 

Britney and Sarah added some stability to Robert’s life when they moved in with him.  He now had a family. I presume they went on to create a more solid family, possibly even having more children.  I enjoyed the ending of the book as it left the impression that even without electricity things were returning to the new normal—trade was being restored, Union Grove was developing a plan of moving forward. As I sit here using my laptop to write this, comfortable in my climate controlled home with plenty of life's conveniences, I wonder how I would fare without electricity?  Hopefully, that is one thing I will not have to know. It is bad enough when the power goes out for just a few hours!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Manipulation, what is possibly impossible is possible, transportation and transfigurations—all these make for a great story and Erin Morgenstern has written a great story.  I tried to get a grasp on the story line as I was reading the book, to find a meaning in its words, a deeper sense of purpose but am not sure I did.  I was never the child who wanted to run away and join the circus.  In fact, I have only seen one circus in my life. 

I looked deeper into these stories to find something to which I could relate.  First I settled on the name of the circus—Le Cirque des Rêves—the circus of dreams.  We all dream. Dreaming is used to make sense of the world, to enable us to accomplish things we cannot in our awake life.  Was this book about unresolved dreams?  I could argue yes.  Many parents live out their life’s dreams through their children and that might be the source of the challenge between Mr. A H and Prospero as to whose student would win the challenge.  Celia and Marco were pawns in this challenge but like many children strove to do what they could to make the adult happy.  Once they were old enough to realize what was going on they began to work to protect others as well. As in life everything is connected.

What I liked about the book is that it moved smoothly without boring me.  It had enough characters with varied backgrounds to keep me interested.  There was enough intrigue to make me want to finish the book. I liked the connectedness of the characters.  Bailey represented the outside world and the role it played in the night circus.  The twins represent the opportunity for a boy and girl to continue in life as Celia and Marco are not permitted—maybe an alter ego?  Hector became invisible but always present. Did he actually die and was there in the memory more than reality?

What I am not sure I liked is the love story.  Yes it was great that they got together in the end, I think!  They worked at creating the alternate universes to get to know one another and this eventually creates a problem for them.  Could they pass the challenge and live in peace together?  I think that is what happened once they were able to ensure that Bailey would manage the circus, Widget and Poppet would continue their work, etc.  Some decided to step out of the game. Did this mean they died? At what age? 

The confusion between reality and dreams is what drives the story line of the book. I guess that is also what makes it a good book.   It is then up to the reader to determine if they would prefer to stay in the circus, ageing very slowly, being able to adapt to any situation, to manipulate the environs and to put things back together when it falls apart or step away from the game and follow a life with one’s true love even if it is not the life you were trained to live.

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Once I got by the fact that I was reading a Children’s Book selection, I fell in love with Abilene and Manifest!  I was misled by the idea of a children’s book and should have remembered the many books I read written for high school students and other young people—books like those by Judy Blume and S E Hinton--well written, great stories and a good lesson to be learned in the time spent with the book.

Having grown up in a small town I found myself relating to the stories being told. No, not that I related to the time of the Great Depression but to the folks who take care of one another, tell a story instead of just the facts, keep secrets from outsiders that all the town folk know intimately.  Miss Sadie could have been my neighbor—she was the one everyone went to to get potions or herbs for natural healing because the doctor was too far away to be bothered with for minor ailments. Shady would have been the post master in our little town. He knew everyone and helped everyone all the while running the post office and the general store.  We had it all—the know it all, the busybody, the self proclaimed director of all lives, and even a group of young girls who went looking for trouble just to keep from being bored during the summer breaks from school. I even attended the last one-room school house in West Virginia for first grade.

When I first heard of Jinx I did think he must have been Gideon. Why would Gideon send his daughter to Manifest to live with strangers (to her) if he lacked a good sense of their character?  How else could he have known it aside from having lived there.  When the town’s people didn’t talk about him I knew it must be that he was being talked about, only under another name.  Jinx had the same creativity that would have served him well on the trains.  I am still curious though as to Abilene’s mother.  Why was there no curiosity about her? But, I digress!

This book gives the reader an interesting look into small town living during the depression. They had little but each other and even the sheriff proved a worthy citizen.  Outsiders were taken in or cast aside suspiciously.  Like the time and even today there are those who own and those who are owned-- not slaves literally but figuratively to a job or in the town of Manifest, the mines and the company store.  Despite the best efforts of the mine owner and foreman, the groups banded together and with the town’s people took control of their lives through unionization, cooperation and humanity.  The mines of Manifest could easily have been the mines of Matewan WV. Germans, Italians, Eastern Europeans and African Americans, all traveled far to work deep in the hills under dangerous conditions.  Underground there was no ethnic difference, just hard working men and the women who supported them on the outside.  These were the same type of folks who made up Manifest.  The ads for elixir and other remedies remind me of stories I heard from my father and my grandparents. 

I imagine Abilene did continue to write for the paper in the fashion of Hattie Mae. I see her settling into this town for her life, helping others and keeping track of the comings and goings of those who stop by, spend a few hours or a few days in Manifest. 

On a side note, I read the notes for this book as well. It always interests me to see where authors get their ideas.  Wall Drug, real historic acts and an assortment of real people made up the background for this book.  I was surprised to see it was set in Kansas though. Guess I never considered coal mining in the relatively flat Midwest!

11.22.63 by Stephen King

If you are over the age of 50 and live in the United States you probably recall exactly where you were and what was happening on this date just as we remember those horrific scenes of September 11, 2001. I remember being sent home from school and the adults talking in stunned tones about the president being shot.  We did not have TV (religious reasons and a whole different story) so my dad and I listened to the news on the car radio.  I wrote Mrs. Kennedy a letter of sympathy and in return received a copy of the Easter picture they had taken prior to the assassination. I still have it. So, when I saw an interview with Stephen King about this book I was intrigued even though I do not normally read his books. In fact, while I have seen many movies and a few miniseries made from his books this remains the only one I have read. I am glad I did.

I began thinking the premise was a good one. What if we could go back in time and change bad events. What would we change? How far back would we go?  Kill Hitler, save Jesus, stop the 1929 Crash? The list could go on forever.  So I suppose parameters must be set. No one could go back farther than they had lived. Every time one traveled back things changed. And of course, change is a reactor.  All these things came into play within this book.  Jake has to determine why he is going back, what truly needs to be changed and how that change will impact the world in a much larger sense than just stopping  the death of the president. 

I thought the book would be just about how he would keep the president from being shot or maybe how he would determine whether or not Lee Harvey Oswald did indeed fire the shots that killed John Kennedy. Instead I found a well written story about a man finding what was important to him.  If he kept the janitor’s family from being killed by killing the father did that truly safe the janitor?  If one person was kept from going hunting and was not involved in an accident did that mean the person lived a good life?  Could he find happiness in 1963 or could he convince the love of his life then to come forward with him to the present?  What if the president lived?  Jake had to learn how to live in the past in order to affect the future. Like the prime directive of Star trek about leaving no interference in the development of alien civilizations, Jake wrestled with what to do and not to do.  If he stopped students from drinking at a school event did that stop them from dying in an alcohol related accident?  Does he use the information he has about the future and its events to help himself or to help others? 

All the many characters enhance the book. The green card man, the owner of the diner, the principal, even the bookies all help make this seem more real than fictional. One is the connection between good and evil, one the means to achieve an end, one the connection to what Jake finds important and the bookies, a reminder that even in another dimension, bad is bad and you are better off leaving it alone.  My favorite character though is time itself. It doesn’t like being changed. It fought Jake the entire way to Dealey Plaza. It created chaos where he was seeking peace.  It gave him room to breathe and then began to choke hope out of him. 

While I may not read another of King’s books I thoroughly enjoyed this one! Maybe it is the history geek in me or just one who would like to see what could be done if only time turned a different way.

The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry

My review!

I did not read anything about this book before starting it so I had no preconception about its content. I did not even really pick up on the fact that the main character Ginny, had Aspergers until Jennifer and I spoke outside one morning.  She had posted a comment about the book and a related article in the Post.  At that point I was only three chapters into the book and realized Ginny has issues but had not determined what those were.  I will admit that I learned about the syndrome along with Ginny.  I have a former colleague/friend whose daughter was diagnosed with Aspergers at age seven. He talked about how she was shy, didn’t like to have change, etc. but he and his wife were taken aback by the diagnosis. I imagine Amanda was feeling the same thing when she thought her daughter might also have the disorder. 

Coping mechanisms are something we all rely on to get through life. Imagine not being able to determine why you felt this way. Why did you memorize the dictionary but were unable to hold regular, flowing conversations with people? Why did you like to touch things but not be touched? (I will admit that I first thought she might be an abused child or even a mentally challenged one until I got a bit farther into the book.) I found it interesting that she loved cooking and think I know why—regiment, preciseness and a feeling of control over something must have been a welcome reward. 

I was surprised that I found the ghost thing working, even believable for this story.  The recipes made sense to her and she needed to make sense of the world she was now facing.  What better way than to cook up the deceased to help her make sense of the present and look toward the future.  With each new recipe she found answers to questions, or questions to answer.  Once that task was accomplished the recipe no longer brought forth the ancestor.  I thought it was unique that each ghost dissipated as the aroma of the recipe waned.  Don’t our memories of loved ones disappear as time goes on?  Their place in our hearts is constant but we begin to forget their looks, their voices, their scent just as we forget a recipe after the prep work is done, the food eaten and the clean up completed. The aroma may stay in the house for a while like a fresh baked pie or even bacon but until the next encounter we may not be able to adequately describe the feeling we get from eating that item.

I am not surprised that her father also had the syndrome. It seems to run in families much like other neurological disorders including MS. While the doctors are quick to point out these are not hereditary they do say they are genetic. I fail to note a significant difference between the two.  I wonder if Ginny failed to notice the same traits in her father that she exhibited since she could not look him in the eye any more than he could her. 

Mostly, I enjoyed the use of the word normal.  Normal is as normal does according to another famous character (paraphrased, of course).  When asked what she had I loved the response of personality!  She did indeed. I was thrilled she and her sister came to an understanding and that a year later she was indeed maintaining normal!  She was creating recipes, not relying on them to bring back ghosts.  She was also reaching out—sometimes symbolically as to Gert and other times in reality as for her family.  I may even recommend this book to my friends whose daughter has this diagnosis.  A very positive book and a great reminder that normal takes on many roles, one just has to find which one fits.

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

As an English minor and a lover of Shakespeare, I should have immediately warmed to this book. Alas, that was not the case.  It seemed to begin with like another story of women born into the same family but never able to get along or realize the importance of each.  Fortunately the story changed.  While I could have done without most of the literary references which held the book to its title, I ended up enjoying the book. The characters are both modern and classical.  Each of us with more than one sibling might be able to recognize a character, a sister even in the confines of Ms. Brown’s book.

Rose, first born, becomes the fixer. She controls everything except the one thing she wanted—to be her own person, an only child who mattered before and after others.  She was afraid to venture out, try new things and let herself enjoy life. I am the first born. This was never a problem for me. Opposite of the character Rose, I always did what I wanted, much more Cordy than Rose.  I believed that I could do anything, be anybody.  Staying home did not even cross my mind.  My second sister is much more like Rose. She lives nearby my mother, takes care of everything and is the one who is responsible.  My sister next to me moved away but continues to care about what goes on.  I don’t think any of us were like Bean except that we moved and tried to make a go if it.  Impressing others has never been nor probably ever will be a part of our DNA!

Bean is a strange one. She is bright, has much to offer but gets caught in the role of conspicuous consumer.  This does not fit the role I would have envisioned for any of the sisters in this family.  Her family had not been one that was caught up in the fads of society.  Her parents seem well grounded in community, happy together and happy with their family. Maybe my lack of understanding of the second child comes into play here. I was pleased that she did not lose her sense of justice in the end albeit the morality aspect took her a bit longer!

Cordy is the baby. Ironically she also seems the most grounded even though I think she spent very little time away from Barnwell grounded—at least not emotionally.  Like so many youngest children I know she spent her youth trying to find her place in the world. She states that the baby is the only thing that is truly hers, not handed down from one sister to another. I am sure my sisters loved the fact that there were five years between each of us so that hand-me downs typically went to cousins and not to the next sister.  Cordy is genuine, a bit on the wild side and the one person who is in touch with herself emotionally.

I enjoyed the parts of the book where each sister arrives at the realization that she has something to offer and something to live for. I love that Rose once she climbed those steps, never looked back.  She found herself.  I envision Cordy becoming not only a coffee shop worker but expanding into her own bake shop that supplies the baked goods that go with the coffee. I approve that Bean (Bianca) has found someone with whom she can enjoy life.  A man with a child is infinitely better than a man with a wife!  I think each sister has found her own happiness, not necessarily where they imagined, but found it nonetheless.

Do I think that author had to give their mother cancer in order to bring them together? No, but sickness has been known to bind families in ways normal situations cannot.  I like to think the mother recovers and goes on to live a long life, watching each of her daughters grow old.  The father offers such an example of love that I know they want to find that in their own lives and I believe they have/will.  My favorite part of the mother/father relationship is that they have never spent a night apart.  A friend of mine is going through a similar situation now. Her husband is her rock and I saw a bit of their relationship in this story.  They have three sons and one daughter but the ideas resonate.

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

I was intrigued by the jacket cover of this book asking how you could know what you want with your life and who you are if you don’t know your own mother.  The hint that the mother’s story was related to Russia also interested me.  I was curious enough to buy the book and am happy I did.  I found not only a well written book about three women but also a book that drew the reader into the fairy tale along with the daughters.

As is often the case in families, one sibling is the reliable one always putting responsibility before self while another is the free spirit, flying off to all parts of the world leaving everyone else to hold life together.  Meredith is the older, responsible daughter who almost loses all she loves trying to keep it together. Nina is the free spirit, going into war zones and natural disasters looking for the perfect photo.  One hides behind family, work and duty while the other hides behind a camera lens and a search for the thrill.  Both are trying to capture the same thing—meaning in life.  Their mother, Anya (Vera) has never shown them love and they have developed accordingly.  They loved their father and upon his death, finally begin to learn what makes Anya tick.

Using the fairy tale as a basis for the story of her life, Vera finally lets her life story be told.  She can only tell it in the dark at first and only in pieces.  Nina is determined to get the whole story and keep a promise to her father. Meredith is equally determined not to listen to the story any longer.  Her husband tells her that words matter and that she is just like her mother.  To her this is cold and unfeeling. While she realizes he is right, she does nothing to stop the breakup of their marriage. Nina loves Danny but freezes when he proposes marriage.  Despite both women loving their men they can not commit.  It is through the fairy tale and its completion that they learn to love their mother, that she loves them and to find what makes each of them happy.

Surprises—that again I am drawn into a book about strong women.  Vera starved, watched her children die, left her dead mother in a graveyard, unburied because she lacked the strength to bury her, walked miles to save her children and herself only to find everyone she loved was dead and she was in a German work camp.  Surprise #2—the trip to Alaska is cathartic for all three women. Vera finishes her story and her daughters learn that she was afraid to love them—afraid they would be taken from her. Meredith learns that she indeed still loves Jeff and is finally willing and able to make changes that will make her happy. Nina does love Danny and they agree to live the life of nomads, following a story until they can no longer get around. Marriage is not necessary as long as they have love. Surprise #3—not everyone in Vera’s life died.  The trip to Alaska helps her find her daughter, Anya. It also lets her know that Sasha had not died as she had been told. He did live, moved the family to Alaska as they had planned and lived out his life waiting for her to come to him. 

The ending is beautiful and a perfect blend of love and faithfulness.

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

A friend of mine was reading this last fall and liked it but I would never have even looked at it had it not been the selection for our group because I don’t “do” ancient history.  I am very happy it was selected because I enjoyed the book—sped right through it like it was a magazine!  I learned a lot from it as well as I would check facts that came up for authenticity even though it is clear that this is a novel.  By checking facts, I asked Bruce!  After all that is his time period, being a classicist!

We have read about many strong women in our months together. Nefertiti is another example of a woman who saw what she wanted and went after it even to her own demise.  The first woman to serve as Pharaoh of Egypt!  I think the novel is more than the story of a strong woman or even the first Pharaoh.  The story is one of greed, murder, blind faith along with familial loyalty, love, shrewdness and survival.  Nefertiti exhibited all of those traits with the possible exception of murder, at least by her own hand.  Mutny on the other hand became the ying to Nefertiti’s yang. As they were only half sisters, that would make sense. While they are both intelligent, powerful women, Nefertiti used subterfuge to exert her power while Mutny used science and reason along with love and kindness. 

My first take on Nefertiti was here is a spoiled brat who will risk and empire to have immortality.  Parts of the book proved my assessment correct but others showed the error of my thinking. While outwardly she followed her husband in all he did, she worked behind the scenes to counter much of his vanity and overzealous rule of Egypt.  I found it interesting that even he was afraid of her!  Still, when he would not listen to her and ran out of the palace to kill those hiding the idols of Amun, she did what she had to to hold it together—forced him into a sealed room to protect all from him and issued decrees to get Egypt moving in the right direction. Her fault came in not seeing that as beloved as she was the Egyptian people could not overcome the hatred of the mess that had become their lives. Plague, starvation and harsh treatment of others comes back to bite you most times and Nefertiti was not different than other mortals.

Mutny on the other hand, married for love, protected her family with the use of the herbs during the plaque and helped others when asked.  She treated everyone as they should have been treated even when she was skeptical of the outcome. I enjoyed her rebellion against her sister. I remember when John Kennedy chose Robert as his Attorney General. He was asked why and responded that he wanted at least one person around who would always tell him the truth.  Mutny was Nefertiti’s Robert.  I also liked that she agreed to take the infant Tut and raise him as her own when she knew this would not go over well with Nefertiti.  From the early pages of the book it is often discussed that she should have been made the Queen and not Nefertiti.  This is almost the fulfillment of that as she is now the “mother” of the King. 

Just as the women in the novel play varied roles so do the men.  Akhenaten was the power driven, egotistical person who would stop at nothing, including murder, to achieve what he thought was his destiny. He gave no thought to quality, rationality of thought or even to the people he claimed to rule.  His actions resulted in thousands of deaths, almost collapsed the Egyptian Empire and the building of a great city that wasn’t. Amarna might have been a great city had he paid more attention to quality of work as opposed to the quickness with which the work was completed.  The author let you know early the city would fall when it was noted that the building was occurring with cheap sandstone and other materials, not granite.

Akhenaten’s counter character is the Vizier Ay, the father of both Nefertiti and Mutny. Here was a wise man that set about saving Egypt even when he had to watch things going wrong. For every mistake Akhenaten and Nefertiti made, he was in the background making amends. He ruled Egypt as its true governing person. He communicated with rulers and leaders of other states. He advised his daughter and was probably behind the good things she did behind the scenes—things like pay the soldiers from the gold of Aten’s temples without letting her husband know.  These seemingly small measures may have kept them alive longer than without. Mutny’s husband, Nakhtmin, is another good character who showed great patience and intelligence in keeping Egypt together.  

Michelle Moran does a good job of weaving a tale based on history.  She talks in her notes about research and accuracies. For example, Mutny was actually married to Horemheb and not to Nakhtmin. Also her name was probably Mutbenret and not Mutnedjemet, but I prefer Mutny! Would I have preferred a storybook ending where the queen and her daughter survive, not being murdered and desecrated, sure!  While little is known of her actual death (possibly of plague)and her mummy has not yet been found, this is as good a death as she could be given; possibly more theatrical than the real one. Like a good writer she is able to unite reality and fiction in a novel that is believable and entertaining.

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

Time travel--something Star Trek gave us a long time ago but never in the way Susanna Kearsley does! In The Winter Sea she took us to the coast of Scotland and brought us back and forth between centuries in the name of love. In this book she takes us to Cornwall and stirs is up a bit. Instead of finding connections between the past and the present, she uses the present to connect with the past. Or, does she? While I thought I had a handle on the time shift elements in the book, I was surprised to realize that the present was actually the past and the future is--well I'm not certain!

As I read the discussion questions at the end I thought about the type of conversations we might have when we meet. Eve went to Cornwall to disperse her sister's ashes because that is where she thought she was happiest. Where have we been our happiest? Did Eva choose wisely? Did she return to Cornwall because fate drew her there or because her happiness was tied to the house?

Having read The Winter Sea, I was not surprised by the connection between past and present. I liked the way she faded her heroine in and out between centuries. I found the acceptance of time travel by Fergal and Daniel interesting since learning anything from a woman was not something readily accepted in their time. The chivalry, protection and affection for Eva were charming. It did not surprise me to find her falling in love with Daniel--that was expected. Constable Creed is a good villain who gets his just desserts in the end. This brings us to another of the discussion questions: would you change history if given the opportunity? Did Eva change things when she went back in time and married Daniel? I will save my thoughts on this for our discussions!

The one thing I find interesting about Ms Kearsley's book is the way all of the characters are intertwined. Oliver, Susan, Mark, Felicity, Paul, George and Claire all have a very important role to play in the multiple century connectedness of the book--none in the way I thought until I reached the last chapters of the book. Guide or fellow traveler makes little difference. Each is interesting with a vital role in the novel.

 I wish she had gone one chapter more and told me what happened between Eva and Daniel.  Did they live a long and happy life together? If so, why the Grey Lady? Did they move to Spain? I find this doubtful since the story is so tied to Trelowarth.  Why was there no gravestone for either?  

I look forward to our discussions and do hope someone will comment on here someday! 

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

The third novel in Philippa Gregory's series on the Cousins War should probably have been read first. However, Ms. Gregory did not write it first so we are left to backtrack to learn the source of Jacquetta's gifts, how she influenced her life, her many children and the lives of others during the time prior to the beginning of War of the Roses and during the end of the Hundred Years War. We learn of Mesulina and the reason for the connection to the river that was such a part of The White Queen. I found that I liked this book as much as the other two and have adjusted much of my thinking about Elizabeth as well.

Jacquetta was a strong, royal woman who was restricted by the position women held in society during the 15th century. She was intelligent, personable, strong of character and loyal, almost to a fault. Married to an older Duke when she was still quite young, she set about being a good wife, even after he told her she was his wife for her special gifts, not for love, sex or anything related to the typical marriage of that or any time. She was loyal to Duke Bedford even though she had probably fallen for Richard Woodville long before the Duke died and they became lovers. The fairytale aspect of meeting her one true "prince" adds to the story and the love affair of Jacquetta and Richard is enduring and I believe one not readily found in that time period. I think she is somewhat more favorably dealt with in this book than in The White Queen where she was seen to be just a tad manipulative! Here I found her resourceful, using all her abilities to survive and to carve out a place for herself and her children in society.

Much of this book deals with the varied role of women in the 15th century. Our two main characters are Jacquetta and Margaret. Jacquetta has been taught by her great-aunt to be careful how one uses the gifts you have and to be very careful when cursing as it might have unintended consequences. Margaret on the other hand, is married to the King, thinks of no one but herself most of the time and uses whatever means she can to carry out revenge, murder, mayhem and all around spitefulness. Yet, Jacquetta is there for her. My own thought was to give Margaret the proverbial kick in the pants and be done with her but that did not happen. Then I wished that she would get her comeuppance.

Once I get beyond my feelings about each character I try to look at the book from a perspective I think Ms. Gregory is trying to convey. Women had to do what they had to do--to survive in a man's world where they were often nothing more than chattel. When Margaret took control of the realm while Henry "slept" she was considered harsh, cruel, and I am sure a few other words not so kind. She is accused of having become pregnant by Edmund Beaufort (probably) and that the heir to the throne was not the king's son. She still played that very close to the vest and would have done well to not be so public with the fondness she had for Beaufort. She most definitely should not have waged a war of revenge against the people who were responsible for his death at the expense of losing the country. Margaret had too been well trained but she was the opposite of Jacquetta--brash, vindictive, manipulative and responsible for the deaths of many English as a result of her action. If I wanted to be equally harsh I would say she almost single handedly caused the War of the Roses.

I enjoyed the book. I love the characters, their humanness and their greatness as well as their weaknesses. I cannot imagine giving birth to a dozen children and having all but one live.  As much as Jacquetta loved Richard, she did not challenge him on anything. He was the ruler of the house.  He did love her and respect her but there was no discussion about much that impacted her life.  He was away too much.  But then I can't imagine being away from my family while I was a lady-in-waiting for a self-centered, conniving queen either!  Thankfully, times have changed and I don't have to!

The Shack by William P Young

When I read the jacket information about this book I first thought, ”Oh, Right!”  It was not a book I would have picked up on my own but like with so many of the books we have read together it was one I was willing to try. I am so glad I did.  This book is spiritual without being preachy, religious without being denominational, and inspiring beyond what I thought was possible in a book.  Reading this book makes me want to be a better person.  The only other book that has inspired me to want to be better is Freedom Writers.  I wanted to be an even better teacher after reading that one!

But, back to The Shack!  I cannot imagine the horror of losing a small child to a serial killer, knowing that she was brutalized and murdered.  The helplessness that Mack called The Great Sadness seemed so real.  It was like he could not catch a break—horrible father, leaving home so early, finally having a great family that he had missed as a child—then losing his youngest daughter to murder nearly losing his second daughter to grief is more than enough to make a person yell and scream at God for not doing something.  Mack did not yell but he did not deal with his own grief as well as he thought he was doing.  SOOOO, when he receives a typed note from Papa asking him to meet at the very shack where his life had fallen apart was a stretch for him.  I am amazed he went but then I think he went hoping it was the killer and he could possibly get some revenge.

How do you imagine your relationship with God?  We are all involved in our own relationships and our own religions.  Do we actually visualize the Trinity? Is Jesus the Jewish man Mack meets or the rather buff man hanging from the crucifix? Do we ever think of God as a robust African woman who loves to cook and laugh?  Is the Holy Spirit a lady from the Asian continent who never sits still and shows beauty in everything?  I do not.  I am not sure I ever put a face to the Trinity.  So, the question is how would I react meeting them as Mack did? I think I would be a lot more skeptical than he was and he had plenty of skepticism to go around! 

While I will not go into a long listing of my relationship with God, I will tell you what I liked about the book!  I liked the way Mack was led gently into his relationship with God. I liked that there was no judgment but unconditional love. I liked that Mack was able to forgive his father and to know that Missy was truly ok.  I liked the concept that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit liked one another and worked in unison—truly a Trinity.  I loved when Mack was informed that religion as an institution was how others seemed to control those who follow its version of what is a relationship with God.  I loved that God points out that all humanity is part of his love—Muslim, Buddhists, Jews and Christians among those he holds dear.  I also liked that he was able to take the police back to the cave and gathered the remains of his daughter. Even more I liked that evidence collected led to the arrest and apparent conviction of the Ladybug Killer.  God had promised him that the killer would be punished if only Mack could forgive him. I liked that God said forgiveness did not mean forgetting or even a lack of anger.  I wish the leaders of our country would read this book and take it to heart.  Heck, I wish everyone would read it and then the world might actually become a better place!

What did I dislike?  Can’t really think of anything! Thanks for the suggestion and for sharing the book among ourselves.  I must admit that I try to look at the world with different eyes having read this.  It is difficult to look around and always see the good in life where those I love are dealing with health problems, lack of employment, the inability to care for themselves and their loved ones, cancer, depression and so much else.  I have to remind myself that God is there assisting each to deal with what they must regardless of how I think it should be handled.  It is not the easiest thing to do. I am one of God’s people who fight to maintain in relationship, opting for the nouns instead of the verbs!  This book makes me want to let go of the control and enjoy what there is to be enjoyed in living in a relationship with God and with my fellow humans!!!