September 2021

 Hello All,

We met last Thursday night at Geri Christensen's home and enjoyed a lovely evening of visiting and book sharing.  We missed those who weren't able to join with us and hope you can come next month.  Here is the list of books that were discussed:

NANCY NAY

Saints 2: No Unhallowed Hand

I really enjoyed this book! Its length is daunting (almost 700 pgs), but there were days I honestly couldn’t put it down. I read it close on the heels of (finally) completing Saints 1, which I also really liked, but the church history presented in “2” was less familiar to me than what I read in “1,” and much of it I found absolutely riveting. The formula for the “Saints” series is to present an open, accurate retelling of church history within an engaging, people-focused narrative. Saints 2 covers almost 50 years, from 1846 to 1893—a period of great growth during which the church was established in the Great Basin region, and during which many of the programs and organizations that are integral to our experience as members (Primary, Sunday School, Young Men and Young Women being a few) got their start. A few other topics presented in Saints 2 include the sweeping worldwide missionary efforts of this era, the often heart-wrenching practice of plural marriage and it’s equally heart-wrenching end, and the role of women in the church during the latter half of the 19th century (much more expansive and inclusive than I had previously thought). Human frailty and error among church leaders and members are also acknowledged with transparency in Saints 2, and I greatly appreciated that!

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

This book (which I thoroughly enjoyed) was published in 2019 and is written by the author of “A Man Called Ove” and translated from Swedish. The plot is simple: a failed bank robbery in a small town leads to an unfolding hostage situation at an apartment viewing, which is subsequently investigated by the local police department. The characters and their various backstories are introduced in a “peeling of the onion” fashion, and there is a lot of jumping back and forth from past to present (with surprises along the way) as the story progresses and connections between them are established. Heartwarming, charming and often very, very funny.

BETH HEDENGREN

The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson

Middle grade. Delightful! Armand is a hobo who contentedly lives under a bridge in Paris. One day he comes home to find a family has taken his place—a widowed mother and three children who have been unable to pay their rent. Set at Christmas time in the 1940s or 50s, this is a charmingly written book for middle grade readers (and really anyone!). Though first annoyed by the children, gradually Armand comes to care for them and helps the family find a home.

 

Homeward Bound: The Life of Paul Simon by Peter Ames Carlin

Like all celebrity biographies, this is most interesting before he gets famous. Actually haven't finished it. But the first part was fun, to learn about the beginnings of this influential musician. 

 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

This book has an intriguing premise: when 35-year-old Nora decides her life is going nowhere (and her cat dies) she takes an overdose of pills to end it. But instead of dying, she goes a gigantic library, presided over by her kindly school librarian. There she reads her “Book of Regrets” and learns that she has the chance to try out any number of lives that might have happened if she had made different choices. As she spends time in many versions of what might have been, she comes to a wisdom that she never learned in her philosophy undergrad studies.

 

Memories Before and After the Sound of Music, by Agathe Von Trapp

Charming autobiography by the eldest daughter of the Von Trapp Family, detailing the life of the family before “Maria” (actually named Gustl) entered the story as their step-mother, as well as after. Here we learn about her musically talented, gentle mother Agatha, and her kindly father. Though rich and aristocratic, the family is warm and loving. After the Nazi occupation, they do escape, but legally, with their Italian passports, on the train that stopped at their back garden gate. All the children from the first family were grown by the time they started performing as a group. They tour the United states in a big blue bus, performing every night in a different venue. In the summers they work together to build a Tyrolean lodge in Vermont, where they run a music camp. Everything they do is informed by their deep Catholic faith, mass every morning. This family really sticks together!

  

 

Elusive Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman

 

 

Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled by Dorothy Gilman

  

Mr. Monk is Miserable by Lee Goldberg

 

Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

A lovely YA book about Esperanza, who was raised in a very wealthy family on a large estate in Aguascalientes Mexico. On Esperanza’s 13^th birthday, her world falls apart. Soon she and her mother must travel to the states, almost destitute, and work as field hand in the central valleys of California. This book demonstrates the power of family, friends, hard work, and, yes, esperanza—hope.

 

September

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

Started, but didn’t finish before it needed to be returned to the library. Have it on hold to finish. Dual story: 1) A [fictional] early 20^th century aviatrix Marian Graves, raised with twin brother by benignly neglectful uncle in frontier Montana. 2) the Hollywood actress, also orphaned and also raised by neglectful uncle, who eventually plays Marian in a film. Beautifully written, though I tire of the feminist themes of how hard it is for a woman to achieve.

 

The War with Grandma by Robert Kimmel Smith and Ann Dee Ellis

YA. Such a fun book by my friend Ann Dee. Proud of her for getting to write the sequel to the very popular book The War with Grandpa. In this book, Grandma is a delight. And—bonus—she named one of the characters after me—maybe. The last name of a minor character is Hedengren!

 

 

A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine

YA. First book in the series about the Dragon Sleuth and her kindly ogre friend and her 12-year-old girl assistant (the narrator). Stolen Magic, which I read earlier this year, is in this series. Fun to see the origin story.

 

Ogre Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine

Originally thought this would be in that same series about the dragon, but no. It’s about a girl-healer who is cursed by a fairy to become an ogre. Fun exploration of how appearance influences the way others treat you. 

 

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

Set in a vaguely Mesopotamian world, a love story between the God of the Winds, Olus,  and a girl weaver, Kesha. Explores faith, as Kesha’s people believe completely in an all-powerful god, to whom she is promised to be a sacrificial victim. The love story plays out as the two lovers try to find a way for her to honor the vow and yet live. In an afterward, the author explains she wrote the book after reading the Old Testament for the first time. Interestingly, the pagan Greek-like Gods seem much kinder than the all-powerful God.

 

Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha, by Dorothy Gilman

Another fun Pollifax. Wish we could all be as resourceful, kind, and brave as Mrs. P as we age!

 

Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station by Dorothy Gilman

Mrs. P saves the day again, this time in mainland China. Fun travel info and quirky characters enhance the spy thriller story.

JO ANN ABEGGLEN

1. The Slow March of Light by Heather B Moore. This is a wonderful true story of Robert Inana who grew up in Idaho. He is drafted into the Army in 1960 and serves a special mission to East Germany for the Army. He is arrested and put in a East German pristine. This his story. 

4.5 stars. 

2. The Merchant and the Rogue by Sarah M. Eden. This is a fun story about 1865 London and the Penny Dreadfuls who write stories a chapter at a time and try to help those in need around the city. Fun story. 4 stars

3. Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead. This is the story of a daredevil female aviator determined to chart her own course in life. It is a captivating story of Marian and James Graves who survive a sinking ocean liner in 1914 as infants and grow up with an uncle in Montana. Marian is determined to fly around the world from pole to pole. Fascinating story. 4 Stars.

GERI CHRISTENSEN

AFTER ANNA  by Lisa Scotalini

This was a very difficult book to get through but the story and the writing were good.  The book details a couple in a second marriage for both, the husband with a young son from his first marriage and the wife with an estranged daughter she hasn't seen since infancy.  The couple are happily married and doing well until the estranged daughter, age 17,  contacts the mother and asks to come and live with her. Trouble ensues and the daughter ends up dead with the husband on trial for his life. I'll admit that it became so tedious that I had to skip ahead to the ending to find out what really happened and it was a surprise and quite satisfying ending. It's just too bad that it took 84 chapters to get to it.  3 stars.

THE TIGHTROPE WALKER by Dorothy Gilman

This is one of my absolute favorite books by this author.  I have read almost all of her books, but I keep going back to this one because I love the tory and the characters. It is such a delight to read.  I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a quick read and a fun story just to help pass the time or to act as a good friend on a bad day.  

UNCERTAIN VOYAGE by Dorothy Gilman

This book was rather a disappointment since I have loved almost all of this author's other books.  I would recommend it if you are interested in learning about traveling to Copenhagen or Majorca because the writer always gives fascinating information about each destination in her books, but as far as the story is concerned, it was not what I had hoped, but I stayed with it to the end. 2 stars.