Love, Fiercely: A Gilded Age Romance, by Jean Zimmerman

A dual biography of Edith Minturn Stokes and her husband Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes, Manhattanites of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Wealthy, but aware that fortune also has responsibilities to society, their story is fascinating. Edith was the model for the giant statue of the Republic by Daniel Chester French which was exhibited at the World’s Columbian Exhibition in Chicago, 1891-1893. Newton, as he was known, was the author of the monumental six volume “The Iconography of Manhattan Island” which you may see in the Rare book collection of the Boston Public Library or online at: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_5800727_002/
We also learn about their dual portrait painted during their honeymoon in London by John Singer Sargent which you may view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Check our catalog

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

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.

Check our catalog

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

Below Stairs, by Margaret Powell

Originally published in 1968, this title was one of the inspirations for the  ”Upstairs Downstairs” and “Downton Abbey” TV series. The author was a kitchen maid and cook beginning in the 1920′s when she was 15. She had to leave school at that age as her family could not afford to support her any longer. There are lots of stories about how kitchen work was done 80-plus years ago in homes with domestic servants as well as her take on the class system in Britain; the poor looked down on as less worthy people by the upper classes with little chance of rising “above their station in life.” Definitely not the “good old days.”

Check our catalog

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

The Company We Keep: A Husband and Wife True-Life Spy Story, by Robert Baer and Dayna Baer

Told in alternating voices, this memoir opens a window on life as a CIA spy. Bob worked in such locales as Croatia, Tajikistan and Lebanon and met Dayna in Sarajevo while on a mission. He and Dayna both found that a CIA career was fatal to personal relationships with the required secrecy and long absences. Bob realized if he wanted to pay more attention to the personal side of his life he would have to retire from the CIA. He is also the author of “See No Evil” which was the basis for the film “Syriana.”

Check our catalog

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

The dressmaker of Khair Khana : five sisters, one remarkable family, and the woman who risked everything to keep them safe, by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

This is a powerful account of survival under the Taliban in Afghanistan, the story of a small business woman who supports her family and community through the worst days of the oppressive Taliban rule. It has themes of resilience, hope and creativity. This book will keep you reading well into the night!

Check our catalog

RATING: * * * * Very, very good

Reviewed by: KLM

365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life, by John Kralik

At 53, beset with problems, the author felt like a failure both personally and in his legal career. On a New Year’s Day hike in the mountains above Pasadena, he is struck with the idea that he has to learn to appreciate and be grateful for the things that he does have. To help him feel more grateful he decides to write a thank you note a day for a year. I enjoyed this book and I think it contains a good lesson to take to heart.

Check our catalog

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

Last Dog on the Hill, by Steve Duno

Lou and Steve first met in the hills of California.  Lou was an ailing, tick-infested feral pup.  It was love at first sight.  Steve adopted Lou and everyone’s life changed for the better.   Lou happened to be the smartest and most compassionate dog ever born.   This is an entertaining story filled with hope.  A perfect read for this long winter.

Check our catalog

RATING: * * * * Very, very good
Reviewed by: Nancy J.

Let’s Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship, by Gail Caldwell

Two reviews!  You can meet Gail Caldwell at the Library’s upcoming Spring Fling, Saturday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m.  See our homepage for details!

A telling story of two women who become friends later on in life and support each other fiercely and lovingly along the way. When Carolyn is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer the friendship ramps up and the care that is given to the relationship is truly inspiring.

RATING: * * * * * One of the best
Reviewed by: Katheryn
—————————————————————–

Touching memoir of friendship, alcoholism and the love of dogs and rowing set in and around Cambridge. A wonderful read especially for admirers of the late writer, Caroline Knapp.

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

Check our catalog

A Secret Gift: How One Man’s Kindness–and a Trove of Letters–Revealed the Hidden History of the Great Depression, by Ted Gup

The author is currently the chair of the journalism department at Emerson College. He has also worked as an investigative reporter with Bob Woodward at the Washington Post. He put his reporting skills to good use in this book as he dug into the lives of the recipients of his Grandfather’s gifts, $5 checks given to 150 Canton, Ohio families in December 1933. The hard times described are stark: evictions, not enough to eat, lack of clothing, no jobs to be had. Gup also weaves in the details of his immigrant grandfather’s life, many of which he had hidden from his family. I found this book to be a poignant picture of the Great Depression as well as having elements of the story of many of our European immigrant forebears.

You can meet Ted Gup at the Library’s upcoming Spring Fling, Saturday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m.  See our homepage for details!

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

Check our catalog

Heart in the Right Place, by Carolyn Jourdan

What does a Senate lawyer do when she learns her mother has had a heart attack and her father needs help in his rural medical practice while mother recuperates?   The Senate lawyer takes a leave of absence and becomes the receptionist.   A great reminder of what matters most in life.  Heartwarming and funny.

RATING: * * * * Very, very good
Reviewed by: Nancy J.

Check our catalog