Half Broke Horses: A True Life Novel, by Jeannette Walls

Really a biography of grandmother Lily Casey Smith, but written in the first person with her grandmother as the narrator, this book is filled with fascinating stories of life in the American West in the first half of the 20th century. Through the book’s short chapters of family stories, I got a real sense of the kind of smart, no-nonsense, hard working woman Lily must have been. Born on a ranch to a delicate mother who was unsuited to frontier life and a father whose handicaps did not stop him from becoming a successful quarter horse breeder and trainer, Lily in these stories shines as a rancher, teacher, horse trainer and darn good poker player who would not have suffered fools gladly. I really enjoyed her story, told by granddaughter Jeannette, also the author of her parents’ story, The Glass Castle.

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RATING: * * * * Very, very good
Reviewed by: kh

The Last Sherlock Holmes Story, by Michael Dibdin

Before Dibdin’s “Aurelio Zen” thrillers, he wrote this 1978 debut novel using Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson characters. The author captures the tone of and uses details from the original stories. However, he also incorporates an actual series of 19th century crimes and 20th century psychology to move the plot forward. I listened to the book on CD and enjoyed narrator Robert Glenister’s interpretation of the individual characters.

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RATING: * * * A good read
Reviewed by: kh

Dreams of Joy, by Lisa See

This is the long awaited sequel to Shanghai Girls. The plot follows Joy, the daughter of May and Pearl, to Mao’s China of 1957. Joy searches for her father and embraces the communist lifestyle. Her mother, Pearl, follows her to China.  Through Joy and Pearl we experience communist China of the 1950′s. This is a story of hardship, reconciliation and redemption. Strong characters, great sense of place, fast-paced plot.

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RATING: * * * * Very, very good
Reviewed by: KLM

 

A Star Called Henry, by Roddy Doyle

This is the first of a trilogy called The Last Roundup by Irish author and Booker Prize winner, Roddy Doyle. It tells the story of the Irish Civil War of the early 20th century against Great Britain through the eyes of eventual IRA member, Henry Smart. Henry is born into extreme poverty, all too common at the time, in 1901 Dublin and on his own in that city’s streets by age five. I learned a great deal about the specifics of Irish history as Doyle mixes in the actual historical figures and events with his fictional characters.

RATING: * * * A good read
Reviewed by: kh

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Shanghai Girls, by Lisa See

Beginning in 1937 and covering thirty years, this is the story of two sisters who were born in Shanghai, “the Paris of Asia”.  We learn about a privileged lifestyle of pre-World War II. When their father loses all his money through gambling, he marries off the sisters to the sons of his debtor. So begins their journey to America. They endure the invasion of the Japanese army, a stay on Angel Island and life in Chinatown/Los Angeles. The story focuses on their relationship and family life in Chinatown. Lisa See is the author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.

I think there will be a sequel to this book given the way it ended.

Rating:  **** Very, very good
Reviewed by:  klm

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Remembering Anne Frank

June 12 is the 80th anniversary of the birth of Anne Frank, whose Jewish family was forced into hiding during World War II. Though she lived only until the age of 15, Anne recorded her girlish hopes and her private fears in a diary that has become one of the most widely read books in the world. First published in 1947, it became an immediate bestseller and has since been translated into 67 languages. You can find Library copies in the Children’s Room, Young Adult, and Adult areas, as well as in Large Print, CD and tape. 

To learn more about Anne and her family, the Library owns many biographies and other books about Anne Frank for both children and adults.  Consider such selections as Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped Hide the Frank Family, by Miep Gies, Roses from the Earth: The Biography of Anne Frank by Carol Ann Lee, or Ellen Feldman’s moving novel, The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank.  Or listen to the recording of Elegy for Anne Frank, by Lukas Foss.

You can also visit the website for the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam, with information on worldwide events to mark the occasion of Anne Frank’s birth.

The Heretic’s Daughter, by Kathleen Kent

Kathleen Kent’s debut novel tells the story of her ancestor Martha Carrier, hanged as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692.  It is told from the point of view of Martha’s nine year old daughter Sarah, who–with her brothers–was also imprisoned.  Sarah and her brothers confessed and were then released; their mother was not so lucky.  Less about the trials than the society in which they occurred (the witch trials don’t make an appearance until halfway through the book), it paints a vivid picture of life  in late-17th century Massachusetts.  As seen through Sarah’s eyes, the harshness, conformity, and cruelty of that life is heartbreaking, but fascinating–I couldn’t put this book down. 

For more on this period, I also recommend In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1892, by Mary Beth Norton, which links the crisis to fears caused by the Indian Wars.  Kathleen Kent recommends this on her website, and it’s clear from reading The Heretic’s Daughter that she is sympathetic to Norton’s thesis.  Another recent book on this topic is Salem Witch Judge: The Life and Repentance of Samuel Sewall, by Eve LaPlante.  LaPlante, a descendant of Samuel Sewall, writes an interesting biography of  the only judge presiding over the Salem witchcraft trials who ever repented for his actions, and later wrote essays supporting gender equality, the abolition of slavery, and humane treatment of Native Americans.

RATING: **** Very, very good
Reviewed by: stc

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Company of Liars, by Karen Maitland

I listened to the book on CD. The narrator was very good, the book not my favorite. One reviewer mentioned “unremitting realism.” It is set during the plague year of 1348, well written and held my interest but with too many characters knocked off for my taste.

RATING: * * OK
Reviewed by:  KH

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Baudolino, by Umberto Eco

A window into the history of 12th century Europe.  Frederick Barbarossa is a main character in this novel as well as some of the fantastic creatures that medieval people believed really existed. Baudolino travels from Italy to Paris to the mythical kingdom of Prester John.

RATING: * * * A good read
Reviewed by: KH

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The Cellist of Sarajevo, by Steven Galloway

During the seige of Sarajevo in 1992, 22 people were killed in a bread line; afterward, cellist Vedran Smailovic played at the spot for 22 days.  Inspired by this event, and told from alternating points of view, Galloway’s novel tells the story of four Sarajevo residents who hear the music, and, in different ways, facing various challenges, try to retain their decency and normalcy in a city that is anything but normal.  A powerful story focusing not on the politics of war but on its randomness, and illustrating how ordinary choices are never ordinary in wartime.

RATING: **** Very, very good
Reviewed by: stc

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