I really enjoyed 13 Little Blue Envelopes and was excited to learn that Maureen Johnson had written a sequel. This was a fast and equally enjoyable read. At the end of the previous novel, Ginny Blackstone's backpack was stolen and with it the last little blue envelope in it. As The Last Little Blue Envelope opens, Ginny is struggling with writing the college admission essay that asks what is the turning point in your life. Of course it was the trip to England to follow her Aunt Peg's instructions. Then everything changes and she is contacted by Oliver, a mysterious young man, who has come into possession of the last little blue envelope. And so another adventure ensues.
Ginny contacts her Uncle Richard, OKs it with her parents, and takes off to find out Peg's last instructions. Although this adventure is not nearly as extensive as the last journey, there is still the excitement, twists, and a satisfying resolution. In addition to Oliver, Ginny's friend Keith and his new girlfriend, Ellis join her on a journey to Paris, Belgium, Amsterdam, and eventually Ireland. The foursome must try to evade the police, while finding themselves in the midst of a very strange hostel overrun by cats. The tension between Keith and Ginny heightens as the book progresses. Ellis is a very likable character who is a real friend to Ginny.
Although the book could stand on its own, the reader will enjoy it much more if she has read Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes. It is a great story and Johnson's attention to details of international travel is spot on. Dublin on New Year's Eve was enough for one to start packing a suitcase and boarding that plane to cross the pond- Guiness at Temple Bar, crossing the River Liffey, and the bells of Christchurch. Maybe that should be put on my bucket list. A good and satisfying read.
Jennifer Donnelly weaves a story with the best of authors. I have been waiting for the third part of the trilogy since June, 2008 when I finished The Winter Rose. Can I just say that it was so worth the wait?
The novel opens in 1914 with England and Europe on the verge of World War II and in the throes of the suffragette movement, economic distress, and espionage. The reader is reacquainted with Fiona and Joe Bristow and their children, Seamus Finnegan, Maud and India Selwyn Jones, Willa Alden, and Max van Brandt and the story ensues. Fiona and Joe have a feisty daughter, Kate, who carries on the family fight for rights and political equity. Seamus has returned from the expedition to the South Pole and Willa is attempting her climb of Mt. Everest. Their paths all cross and are intertwined in complex relationships and twists. It is very hard to relate or summarize such a novel because of the turns that the plot takes from beginning to end. Suffice it to say that the reader remains engaged, enthralled and on the edge of her seat as it progresses.
Donnelly is a master of setting her novels and characters in the midst of historical events. The Wild Rose is not an exception. Not only do we encounter the likes of Henry Asquith, liberal Prime Minister of England, Ernest Shackelton, Winston Churchill, and Lawrence of Arabia, but we are thrust into the dark days of the Spanish Flu epidemic and the bawdy days of Parisian bohemian life. I was glad that a good friend had made me watch Lawrence of Arabia. It made the scenes in the book much easier to comprehend. This volume of the trilogy centers around Seamus Finnegan, the third of the Finnegan children and his true love, Willa. At the end of The Winter Rose we are left with Seamie leaving Willa at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Willa heading for Mt. Everest. Of all the trilogy's characters, these two are the least likeable and one finds oneself wanting to shake them and awake them to the realities of life. Yes, Willa has lost a leg, but her whiny self deprecation and piteousness are way over the top. On the other hand, she has an incredible sense of adventure and, at least for some of the novel, a real desire to live life to its fullest. Seamie needs to understand that love is for life and women are not trophies to collect and count.
Not only does Donnelly craft characters, but she is a master of mood and setting. As the reader follows the action from Westminster to Wapping, from Cairo to Damascus, or from Nepal to Paris, the sounds, sights and even aromas spring to life. You know that the author has experienced the places about which she writes and that she can convey those pictures in an extremely graphic manner.
In the end, which by the way is a stellar shock and has a jaw-dropping effect, the book is the epitome of highly crafted writing and research. I reiterate: I aspire to be Jennifer Donnelly's research assistant. She addresses age-old problems of drug abuse, the mental effects of war, and the political machinations of those who aspire to leadership. I do hope that the characters will reappear, possible in a new series with Kate Bristow as the protagonist. I want to know more about her and her new-found career. But, for the moment, I will basque in the pleasure of having just read another marvelous tome by Jennifer Donnelly.
The move has been completed and most of the boxes have been unpacked and so it was a treat to sit down with a book and forget about the real world for a minute or two. I began reading Revolution during one of the car rides back and forth from Watertown to Mars. Jennifer Donnelly is one of my favorite authors with whom I have been acquainted since she was a guest at Sackets Harbor School. She is a North Country native and garnished awards and praise for her YA book, A Northern Light, an historical novel set in the Adirondack Mountains and based on a true story of murder and cover-up. Revolution is also historical fiction that is a bit edgier and is also grounded in the present.
Andi Alpers is a senior in high school and is on the verge of not graduating. She is suffers from depression and a tremendous guilt over the death of her ten year old brother, Truman. She lives with her mother who has had a nervous breakdown over this event and the divorce from Andi's father. Music has been the constant in Andi's life. She composes, takes lessons and has a most interesting play list on her iPod. She remarks, "…music lives. Forever. …it’s stronger than death. Stronger than time. And its strength holds you together when nothing else can.” And "boys let you down, music never does." Andi's father finds out the academic trouble she is in and intervenes. He has her mother committed to an institution and whisks Andi away to Paris with him where he is working on an genetic project and where, under his scrutiny, Andi will work on her senior thesis - a paper on how the French musician Amade Malherbeau has influenced musicians up to the present day.
Upon her arrival in Paris, Andi discovers the diary of Alexandre, a street performer who lived during the French Revolution. Through the pages of the diary, Andi begins an adventure of self-discovery as she reads of Alex's struggle in helping to protect the young dauphin, Louis-Charles, son of Louis XVI and Marie Antionette. Further adding to this connection is the project on which Andi's father is working - DNA analysis of a heart that is believed to be that of Louis-Charles. Numerous persons have claimed to be the tortured child who actually escaped the prison in which he was held. The novel is multi-layered and circular. It is divided into parts that mirror Dante's Divine Comedy. Andi's guide in Paris is a cab driver/musician whose name is Virgil, just as the guide was through the circles of Hell.
Andi is determined to leave Paris as soon as possible, but she must finish an outline and intro to her thesis before her father will allow her. She works toward a deadline by researching Malherbeau, his works, and his life. He is inextricably tied to Alex and the Revolution. The reader travels with Andi to libraries, historic homes, and the mysterious catacombs. It is there that the truth becomes clearer to her, but where, also, the reader must suspend a grasp on reality. Andi's epiphany - "Life’s all about the revolution, isn’t it? The one inside, I mean. You can’t change history. You can’t change the world. All you can ever change is yourself."
Andi was a tough character to like at first, but she grew on me and I began to empathize with her plight. Alexandre was a feisty young woman who knew what she wanted in life, but rather than pursue that dream, put it on hold to protect the person whom she loved and who depended upon her for his life. I wanted to know more about her and the situation into which she was thrown.
Jennifer Donnelly is an AMAZING writer. Her books are meticulously researched and written. ( I joked with her once that I would gladly be a research assistant for her.) Having just returned from Paris in April, I was immediately transported back there with Andi. I have walked through the catacombs and with Donnelly's descriptions I know readers will also have that same experience vicariously. In Revolution Jennifer Donnelly proves once again that her mastery of storytelling, research, and the writing craft combine to make one fantastic read.
I don't think that I have ever taken so long to read a book in my life. I actually started this book back in October, 2010. It wasn't that Fall of Giants wasn't good, it was life got in the way. Classes, book club books, and the Anglican Adventure trip were bumps in the road to finishing it. In fact, it really was just the opposite. The book was incredibly interesting and enjoyable. Follett has woven a story that just begins in this first installment of The Century Trilogy.
The novel opens in Wales in 1911 when the 13 year-old Billy Williams makes his first trip down into the coal mines. After a near brush with death, he asserts his leadership and becomes a force with which to be reckoned. Billy's sister, Ethel is a maid in the household of the Fitzherberts, a wealthy earl whose home is a mansion compared to the humble abode of the miners. She is a conscientious worker and moves up the ladder to become a head of the household staff. She also becomes the lover of the earl and when becoming pregnant is sent from the estate with hush money.
Intertwined with these characters are Russian peasant brothers, a Russian princess, a son of a U.S. Senator, Woodrow Wilson, Winston Churchill, and diplomats from Germany. It is so very helpful that the author includes six pages of a listing of all the characters. The scene of actions is as diverse moving from Wales to Russia, London, and Buffalo. It is enlivened with descriptions and the actions of World War I and the Russian Revolution. Although Follett may take some liberty with historical accuracy, the book is so very informative and educational. I have never studied the Russian Revolution in such depth.
Concomitant with the war story is the crusade for women's suffrage in the U.K. The political activists present cogent arguments for the expansion of the franchise and the equalization of wages for women workers. In The Fall of Giants the theme of liberal activism and furthering the rights of all people is most evident. One needs to be broadminded and not provincial, forward thinking, and not beholden to the status quo.
To relate completely all the actions and intricacies of the plot would take more time and space than the 850 pages of the novel. With the end of the wars, the peace negotiations and signing of the Versailles treaty, the novel ends in 1924, leaving the reader anxious to have the second part the trilogy at hand. The characters have changed and are at pivotal places in their lives. It doesn't seem fair that we need to wait another year for the continuation of the story. A grand novel with some flaws, yes, but so intriguing and captivating.
Described by some as a noir novel, The Reserve is a relatively short read that takes place on the eve of World War II in the Adirondacks of New York State. It is part romance, part historical, and part murder mystery. Told in present (1936) and flash forwards, Banks relates a tale of intrigue and relationships.The novel opens as Vanessa Cole, a beautiful socialite and daughter of Dr. Carter Cole witnesses a sea plane landing on a lake in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The pilot, Jordan Groves, is also an artist and is escorted to the doctor's home, "The Reserve," where he examines some works of art. The sensual tension between Vanessa and Jordan is felt immediately although the artist is happily married to Alicia Groves and the father of two sons. One of Cole's servants is Hubert St. Germain, an Adirondack guide, who must work for some of the wealthy who live in the area in order to make ends meet.Almost immediately in the course of the story a tragedy occurs at The Reserve that has implications for all four of the major characters. Each is affected differently, but in a way that has implications for each of the other protagonists. Groves, based on the artist Rockwell Kent who lived in Ausable, NY, is the pivotal person. His relationship to Vanessa and his wife turns on the task that he is asked to perform. St. Germain witnesses an event that causes him to reflect on his moral fortitude. The novel is also a study in the contrast of classes. Groves is a very left-thinking artist who must rely on the patronage of that wealthy class for his support. He needs to sell paintings to live and it is the wealthy who can afford to buy them. This dichotomy is also illustrated by the plight of Hubert. Another tragedy throws three of the characters into a climax that is as dark as almost any novel can set forth in its pages.Interspersed between the present day action are chapters printed in italics. In these chapters one gets a glimpse of the Spanish Civil War and a fighter pilot and also a beautiful socialite on a flight of the Hindenburg. For two of the characters, the strife in their life did not end on The Reserve.From a literary standpoint, The Reserve would not be considered award-worthy. However, it was an entertaining read and kept the reader's interest. There were enough twists and surprises that created an entertaining page-turner and would inspire one to read more of Russell Banks.
It was a sad day for me when Tim Russert died in June, 2008. He was a wonderful news person, extremely intelligent and articulate. I never missed a Sunday of Meet the Press when he was the moderator, if I could help it. And what was election night without Tim and his whiteboard? Big Russ and Me is Tim's memoir and tribute to his father and mentor, Big Russ.
Tim Russert was the son of a garbage collector and newspaper courier, Tim Russert Sr., and Betty Russert. The family was a very blue collar, middle class family who lived in Buffalo, New York. The book reads as if Tim is actually talking to the reader. It is down to earth and personal. Big Russ was a wounded vet from World War II and was grounded in hard work and honesty. These two virtues he passed on to his son. Being nearly the same age as young Tim, I recognized many similarities in upbringing, values, interests, and viewpoints. Tim Russert was educated in the Catholic school system of Buffalo and then proceeded to attend Cannisius College, a Jesuit institution. From there he went to John Carroll University Law School in Cleveland. He was a devout man, although not over zealous. His descriptions of meeting the Pope convey his adoration of the man and the position. Through a series of being in the right place at the right time and very hard work, Russert rose through the political offices of the city of Buffalo, Daniel Patrick Moynihan's staff, and NBC news.
The chapter titles of Big Russ and Me resonate with many boomers as major aspects of one's life. - Work, Faith, Food (love the Beef and Weck of Buffalo), Baseball, Fatherhood, Discipline, 1968, Cars, and Loss. In each Russert describes that aspect of his love in almost a reverend way. Reading about him and his father, and uncle traveling to Cleveland each year for an Indians game - usually a doubleheader - brought back so many fond memories of the afternoons I spent at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. So much of the history of the 60s is detailed with his reactions to it. John Glenn orbiting the earth, the assassination of John Kennedy, and the subsequent killings of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy are major turning points in his life as they were in all of our lives. His descriptions are heartfelt and insightful as he reminisces.
As much is this book is a tribute to Russert's father, it is also a love song to the city of Buffalo. This was his home and although he moved to Washington, D.C., he never felt far away from his hometown. How painful for him to endure those 4 Super Bowl losses. Yet the book is also written for his son, Luke as he prepares to leave the nest for college. His words are encouraging and loving and how untimely it was that Tim Russert died right after Luke graduated from college.
This book was a wonderful read. It begged to be savored as much as the Buffalo fish fries, the German food at Broadway market, or baked goods from the Quality Bakery. Yes, I do still miss Tim Russert, but am grateful that he shared a bit of his life for all of us to enjoy in this book.
A collection of 13 short, intertwined stories Olive Kitteridge won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Set in Maine the vignettes center around Olive, a former math teacher, her husband Henry, son Christopher, and the people who come in and out of her life. She is an overweight, gruff, and domineering woman. At times the reader can't stand Olive and her manipulative ways. At other times, we have empathy for her, and sometimes we even like her.
The stories progress chronologically as Olive and Henry age. We see her at her son's wedding, helping a young anorexic, surviving an attack, tending to a sick husband, becoming a grandmother and reflecting on life. Most of the secondary characters in the vignettes are people on whom she has had some influence, her family and students. In some of the stories, Olive makes only a brief appearance. Could this be because the stories had been published as stand alone pieces of literature? Or, is it because we need a break from the intense scrutiny that Strout imposes upon Olive.
One of the most dramatic stories, Incoming Tide, is one in which Olive, during a conversation with a former student, Kevin, who sits and contemplates suicide, witnesses a young girl slip off a steep craggy ledge into the ocean. She screams at him to hurry and save the girl from drowning. He dives into the water and tries to bring her ashore. The abrupt end of the narrative leaves the reader pondering whether she was, indeed, saved and also whether the two would be a couple after the incident. The theme of suicide is a frequent one in the book and it is interesting how each character who tenders those thoughts handles it.
Olive Kitteridge is a book that could be revisited again and could be put under a critical lens. Olive is really multidimensional despite her seeming predictability. As she ages she becomes a more lonely old woman whom the reader feels has missed out on the fun in life. At the book's end she feels gratitude and regret, but also a desire to keep living. In a poignant and insightful thought, she reflects,"What young people didn’t know . . . They did not know that lumpy, aged, and wrinkled bodies were as need as their own young, firm ones, that love was not to be tossed away carelessly, as if it were a tart on a platter with others that got passed around again. No, if love was available, one chose it, or didn’t choose it”
Olive Kitteridge will be a memorable person in the continuum of our literary heritage - a very good read.
From the inside flap of Ship Breaker, "In America’s Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota–and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it’s worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life. . . ."
Winner of the 2011 Michael L. Printz Award for young adult literature, the novel opens as Nailer Lopez is scavenging in the shipwrecks off the coast of a post apocalyptic world characterized by greed and environmental disasters. He is part of the Crew that must meet quota of scrap copper and metal. Nailer hits the jackpot when he discovers a pocket of oil that could be his ticket out of life on Bright Sands Beach where he lives in a shanty with his abusive and drug-addicted father. But the Fates have a different plan and an horrendous hurricane strikes the area. During the course of the storm, a luxurious clipper ship is beached and Nailer and his friend come upon it. The find that it is filled with treasures that will surely provide a means out of their horrible existence. They will have the leverage to scavenge the wealth and store the food. But in the midst of the wreckage, they find a beautiful girl, "Swank Girl," who presents them with a real dilemma. Barely conscious, she convinces them she can lead them to more wealth when she will be rescued by those who will come looking for her. But then, Nailer and Pima won't be able to take the items from the ship. Add to this picture, Nailer's father who also finds the wreckage and is determined to stand in the way of his son's good fortune.
The journey to escape leads to places beyond the shore and to the city of Orleans. Pursued by half men, masters and patrons, Nailer has one thing on his mind to save himself and his friends. It is a dystopian society that is presented. At times it seems futuristic and at other times, very much in the past. There are technological advances and genetic engineering. Political statements are made. There is the tension of a great science fiction novel and the characters are well developed and dynamic. The ending leaves the reader with the notion that there will be at least one sequel and it will be anxiously awaited.
Young adults will love this book, the excitement, and discovering a world that could be. It comes on the heels of The Hunger Games trilogy and will be as exciting to teens as those books were. It was a good book, and if I really liked this genre, a great book. I am not sure if I was disappointed by the book itself or by the fact that the book has been so hyped.
I had heard so much about this book from my friends that I was so excited to finally read it. It was the February selection for the Flower Memorial Library Book Club. As great a read as this was, it was exceptionally painful to remember the time and place in the history of our country that was so deplorable.
The Help takes place in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s. Miss Skeeter has returned home from Ole Miss to begin a career as a writer/journalist and is one of the narrators of the novel. Aibileen Clark is a black woman, about 50 years old, who works for Elizabeth Leefolt, one of Skeeter's friends. Rounding out the trio of narrators is Minny, a young maid who has been fired from more than her share of jobs and who has a tough time with the self-control filter.
Skeeter lands a job with the local paper as an advice columnist for cleaning help - Dear Miss Myrna. Since she knows so little about the subject she enlists the aid of Aibileen for answering the tough questions. She becomes close to her through this collaboration and when it is suggested by a New York publisher that Skeeter write a longer piece she comes up with the idea of a series of interviews/stories of how the black maids are treated in the town. Aibileen agrees to help Skeeter and recruits some of the other "nigra" women who spend their lives waiting on the white families of the town. Through these interviews and the narration by the three, a picture is painted of a society that embraced bigoted and prejudicial beliefs and actions.
The reader is introduced to a plethora of characters -Celia Foote, a young white woman whose station is not much above the black women, white trash, trying so hard to please her husband and break into the "junior league" clique; Miss Hilly Holbrook, the equivalent of the social bully, who in a moment's notice can ruin anyone's life, but who gets her come-uppance when she is "treated" to Minny's chocolate pie; Stuart Worthington, the young man who would be a good match for Skeeter were it not for his superficiality; Charlotte Phelan, Skeeter's mother, overbearing, but wanting nothing but the best for her daughter; adorable Mae Mobley, the daughter of Elizabeth, who is nurtured by Aibileen and virtually ignored by her mother; and Constantine, Skeeter's beloved nanny who never really appears in the novel, but whose presence is felt dramatically.
In writing each of her narrator's chapters, Stockett captured voice and point of view so that the reader has no confusion who is telling the story. Although there are some anachronisms that detract from the narrative, the history portrayed is credible and real. We witness Medgar Evers murder, Martin Luther King's historic Washington speech and the sit-in at Woolworth's. The treatment of blacks in the novel and in the south was deplorable at the least. It is unbelievable that the white society entrusted the children to the black "help yet could not allow them to use a toilet in the house for fear the family might catch a disease.
Each character grows and changes in the book. Skeeter becomes confident and comfortable with whom she is. Minny channels her feisty nature into taking her life into her own hands. Celia realizes what is really important in life, and Aibileen courageously takes a chance on a new path in her life. This book is a page turner, full of poignant moments, tough situations, and a good dose of humor now and again. It ranks as one of my favorite novels and I would encourage anyone who hasn't read it to do so. I anxiously await Stockett's next novel with the hope that it is as good as her first.
Children's literature has given us a few iconoclastic characters: Fern Templeton from Charlotte's Web, Claudia, From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Karana from Island of the Blue Dolphins, and Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke from Bridge to Terabithia. Add to that list Delphine Clark from One Crazy Summer.
One Crazy Summer has garnished numerous awards: Coretta Scott King Award for Author, Scott O'Dell prize for historical fiction, Newbery Honor Book, and a National Book Award finalist. All are well-deserved and speak to the quality of this book. I liked it much better than Moon over Manifest, the Newbery Medalist for this year.
Delphine (11), Vonetta (9), and Fern (7) Clark are put on a plane in Brooklyn in the summer of 1968 to visit their mother, Cecile, in Oakland, California. They have not seen her since right after Fern was born, seven years previous. On the bumpy plane ride they anticipate the warm welcome and hugs that they will get when they see their mother. But that is not to be. Cecile is not welcoming or affectionate. They are just a nuisance and this is evidenced from the way they are gathered at the airport, taken to her home, and virtually made to tend for themselves. Cecile asks Delphine to hand over the money that their father has given them and then sends them to Mean Lady Ming's Chinese Restaurant, down the block and around the corner, if they want anything to eat. The kitchen is off limits. She will not call Fern by name and makes fun of her clinging to her doll. Shown their bedroom, the sisters will share 2 beds among them. The visit has not had an auspicious beginning. The next morning the girls are sent to the Black Panther Community Center/School if they intend to eat breakfast.
And so the novel is set. Delphine, full of care and compassion for her sisters and a whole lot of common sense for a girl of eleven, is determined to make the best of the month that they visit in California. Cecile is a poet for the Black Panther movement and has taken the name Nzila. She is consumed with the movement and her poetry. The girls go to the center every day and learn about the movement that will forever change the complexion of the U.S and what their contribution to that movement can be. Williams-Garcia so carefully weaves history (Huey Newton, Bobby Hutton, the assassinations of King and Bobby Kennedy) and the culture of the time (Mike Douglas Show, The Monkees, Hogan's Heroes, and Mission Impossible) into everyday situations. One of the most touching scenes of the book is the day that Delphine plans and takes her sister on a tour of San Francisco. She is determined that they feel like they have been on a real vacation and she plans a tour of Chinatown, ride on a cable car, and purchasing just the right souvenirs. She is an amazing little girl.
The novel culminates in the arrest of Cecile and the girls' participation in a Black Panther Rally/Protest. This in turn leads to a real heart-to-heart talk between Cecile and Delphine. I dare anyone not to have teary eyes as the novel comes to its end. I love Delphine and I can't say that enough. Here is an eleven year old who acts as a mother to her two younger sisters, yet at the same time yearns for the protectiveness of her own mother. I love her because she is smart - after all she frequents the library for books to read and for information. She planned the San Francisco tour by doing research at the library. I love her because she knows what is right and what she must do in awkward situations. No, she didn't trash her mother's printing press, but it was right for her to clean it all up. Her character will be a part of me for a long time. I have wrestled with the idea of wanting a sequel to this book or have it a part of a new series much like the Dicey series. But then, part of me would like to just have Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern stay the way they are.
This is an important book book in the collection of children's literature because of the time period it covers and the point of view it gives. It should take its place next to The Watsons Go to Birmingham as one that can be taught in elementary grades. When history is taught in school, it often loses the personal side. One Crazy Summer captures this side in a beautifully and poetically written book. Don't miss it.
I really enjoyed 13 Little Blue Envelopes and was excited to learn that Maureen Johnson had written a sequel. This was a fast and equally enjoyable read. At the end of the previous novel, Ginny Blackstone's backpack was stolen and with it the last little blue envelope in it. As The Last Little Blue Envelope opens, Ginny is struggling with writing the college admission essay that asks what is the turning point in your life. Of course it was the trip to England to follow her Aunt Peg's instructions. Then everything changes and she is contacted by Oliver, a mysterious young man, who has come into possession of the last little blue envelope. And so another adventure ensues.
