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!