Angelica: For Love and Country in a Time of Revolution
by Molly Beer
More than Hamilton's sister-in-law (6/6/2025)
Angelica: For Love and Country in a Time of Revolution by Molly Beer is an interesting biography of one of our country's earliest celebrities. Born in 1756 to wealthy parents of Dutch heritage in colonial New York, we get a window onto what privileges and obstacles a girl (and later a woman) of her class, culture and times would have experienced.
As she matured during the American Revolution, though women's opportunities were limited, Angelica Schuyler Church, as the daughter of a general, was exposed to many of the iconic personages and scenes from our history textbooks, from George Washington to Marie Antoinette. (Angelica's husband, John Church negotiated supplies for the French army when they came to the colonist's aid and the Church's later lived in Paris as well as England). She was far more than the flirtatious sister-in-law of Alexander Hamilton as depicted in the musical Hamilton.
Her thoughtful correspondence to not only her family but to other influential friends like Thomas Jefferson, for example, has been preserved and well-used by our author, who, by the way, claims Angelica, New York as her home town, a town developed by Angelica's son, and where she later lived at the end of her life. I, not a historian, came away with a better understanding of much of our past, including not only the Revolution but the circumstances involved with Britain's later recognition of the United States as a nation and even the Louisiana Purchase. Angelica's interests and influences were widespread.
I think a book group who enjoys history and women's issues would find a lot to discuss. It is not a long tome, less than 300 pages but well-researched. My only real criticism is that we were too-often reminded of the irony that the fight for liberty was not enjoyed by women nor blacks.
A House for Miss Pauline: A Novel
by Diana McCaulay
A Good Book (5/31/2025)
I enjoyed this book. It’s not perfect, but it is a good read, not quite a ghost story. I stepped into the mindset of a 99-year old feisty woman in rural Jamaica. To do this, one has to become familiar with the local dialect; I found it helpful to both read and listen to the book, plus have a device available on which to look up word definitions, surprisingly easy to find. After I finished the book I wanted to learn more about the author, known locally not only as a writer — this is her sixth novel — but also as an environmental activist. I reflected then that in her repertoire of pretty well developed characters, the land is definitely a character too, with its own surprises afoot for Miss Pauline and her community.
Tell Me Everything: A Novel
by Elizabeth Strout
Elizabeth Strout doesn't disappoint (9/6/2024)
As one might imagine from the title, this book feels like you’re having a conversation with a friend, sharing the latest stories of the “unrecorded” people in your community. Strout tells you early on that this is a book about Bob Burgess, and it is, but it is also about those other characters in the greater Crosby, Maine area that we have come to love over the years: Olive Kittredge, Lucy Barton, the Burgess family, and many of the minor characters in her books. We see them, but more interestingly, they interact with each other. (People will ask, does one need to have read all the preceding books? No, you will get properly introduced, but you get an extra level of warmth from again seeing these old friends.)
One of the things I do appreciate about this book is that there are two major story arcs as well as several other minor ones. Sometimes Strout’s story lines have been more subtle, with the effect of feeling like you’re reading inter-related short stories. This is definitely a novel, a novel with a bit of mystery (murder mystery no less), romance, commentary on our world, and her trademark strong character development. It’s probably my favorite book she has written so far.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.
Scatterlings: A Novel
by Resoketswe Martha Manenzhe
A beautiful book from Africa (10/21/2022)
This is a beautifully written book with both universal themes (such as tribalism, finding home, marital issues etc), as well as a strong sense of time and place. The place is South Africa, and the time is 1927 (with some memory of events prior in the lives of our characters), when the Immorality Act is passed, making sexual relations between the races a crime. The law is not an abstract idea for our main characters, a family comprising a white father, his wife (black, but not native to Africa, being descended from Jamaican slaves and raised in England) and their two children. Staying on their farm near Cape Town becomes impossible, but leaving is fraught with very risky problems also. The book encompasses African legends and poetic phrasings that make the book a delight to read. One section is the diary of the mother, which includes describing how she comes to meet and marry her husband. This section is both awkward and compelling. However, Scatterlings is still a very good read, and should do well on the book club circuit.
Mercury Pictures Presents: A Novel
by Anthony Marra
Wild Ride (8/21/2022)
Mercury Pictures Presents is a wild ride through 1930’s and 1940’s Hollywood and Italy. I was privileged to read an advance copy through Net Gallery, and it was a fun read for someone who enjoys historical fiction. I learned a lot about that era of which thought I had a fair understanding. Marra packs a lot of information in his rapid fire descriptions of life at that time. The characters are quirky, not without their faults, but draw our sympathy and empathy. He highlights issues, such as discrimination and fake news, that may have been swept under the rug at the time, but are topical today. The story is largely about an ambitious young Italian-American woman, who immigrated to the US as a young girl with her mother when her father had fallen into political disfavor. They make their way to Los Angeles, where our heroine grows up and becomes a talented, though under-recognized, movie producer with a small film company that lands some big contracts from the War Department for propaganda movies. We see her dealing with issues at work, at home and with her memories of her father in Italy, all while history marches on. A witty and entertaining book.
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A Wild Ride (7/21/2022)
Mercury Pictures Presents is a wild ride through 1930’s and 1940’s Hollywood and Italy. I was privileged to read an advance copy through Net Gallery, and it was a fun read for someone who enjoys historical fiction. I learned a lot about that era of which thought I had a fair understanding. Marra packs a lot of information in his rapid fire descriptions of life at that time. The characters are quirky, not without their faults, but draw our sympathy and empathy. He highlights issues, such as discrimination and fake news, that may have been swept under the rug at the time, but are topical today. The story is largely about an ambitious young Italian-American woman, who immigrated to the US as a young girl with her mother when her father had fallen into political disfavor. They make their way to Los Angeles, where our heroine grows up and becomes a talented, though under-recognized, movie producer with a small film company that lands some big contracts from the War Department for propaganda movies. We see her dealing with issues at work, at home and with her memories of her father in Italy, all while history marches on. A witty and entertaining book.
Beasts of a Little Land: A Novel
by Juhea Kim
Love and War in Korea (9/3/2021)
This was a book that pulled me in to some complex, albeit imperfect, characters, and to a better understanding of the culture and history of Korea, a land exotic to me. Our main character, Jade, is sent as a child to become the servant of a woman who is a courtesan, and as one might guess, she becomes one also, and a well-known actress also. Her tale encompasses a bit more than the first half of the 20th century, which means she experiences Korea's subjugation by Korea prior to World War II, and Korea's independence and civil strife following the war. The book does a good job of bringing to light characters who depict many of the historical themes of the era. We see Jade's loves, her insights at times and blindness at other times. I recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction, especially that which transports one not only to a different time, but also a different place. It should generate a good discussion for book groups.
The Narrowboat Summer
by Anne Youngson
Navigating the forks in the stream (11/5/2020)
I knew nothing about narrowboats before I started reading The Narrowboat Summer by Anne Youngson. I never knew it was an option for an English holiday, much less a way of life for the denizens who live on them full- or part-time. And there are tunnels and bridges and locks (!) to navigate with at least a modicum of skill, though apparently one can pick up the necessary skills relatively quickly.
I was enchanted with the book, not just because of the pastoral setting (not always!), but also because of the strong development of main characters and some assorted family members and friends. For the three main characters, two middle-aged women and one who is elderly, the narrowboat journey serves as a subtle metaphor for a re-evaluation of their lives, a "time-out" for them to make some decisions for which fork in the stream they will take. I think of this book as a bit of a "coming-of-age" novel, though in this case our heroines aren't bridging to adulthood but to a new chapter in their lives.
The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls: A Novel
by Ursula Hegi
Not Quite Fantasy (5/7/2020)
I found The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls unique in its approach to telling the story of loss, love and healing in a time and place of which I was not familiar: German Friesland of the late 19th century. I was a bit leery when some of the characters entered a fantasy world as a means of coping, but the book as a whole did not dwell in fantasy. Instead, one got into the heads of some very realistic characters going through some extraordinary situations. I found it beautifully written and compelling. It is a challenging book, not for everyone. Some of the local dialect was translated or made apparent by context, but I did go down some "rabbit holes" looking up some other phrases and references. I would recommend it to those who are open to challenges and learning something new. It should be a good meaty read for book groups to discuss. Personally, I look forward to reading other books by Ursula Hegi.
Actress
by Anne Enright
A Complicated Mother-Daughter Relationship (12/4/2019)
In Actress, Anne Enright does a masterful job of developing characters, setting scenes, and creating opportunity to reflect on current issues through the lens of history. All while exploring a complicated mother-daughter relationship. I have to admit that I am not a fan of gossipy name-dropping sorts of books, which this one wears as our main character might don a silky robe, even if the names are fictional. The reader, however, needs to take time to enjoy the writing and figure out what is going on. Enright doesn't spell everything out for us, but allows us to see things in the shadows, as she explores how memory works over time.
Women Rowing North: Navigating Life's Currents and Flourishing As We Age
by Mary Pipher
Overcoming Challenges and Finding the Gifts as We Age (5/22/2019)
I had never read anything by Mary Pipher, though I know she is well-respected. WOMEN ROWING NORTH called to me, perhaps because I am starting to notice the aging process and wondering how I will survive myself. Pipher shares a lot of wisdom and encouragement, interspersed with the stories of women she has interviewed who have faced many different challenges. It is a very readable book. I finished the book thinking that although my challenges may be different from the ones she illustrates, I, too, should be able recover from whatever comes my way and "flourish" as I age. She doesn't try to make it sound easy, but she points out that with the right attitude, we can overcome these challenges, and make use of the gifts that age has given us (perspective, patience, and joy, for example).
Clock Dance: A Novel
by Anne Tyler
A Woman on Her Way (8/3/2018)
Keeping in mind that truth is often far stranger than fiction, one has to put aside the main premise of the story, take that leap of faith, and dig into the wonderfully human characters and details that make up Clock Dance. Our main character, Willa, might be perceived by those who don't know her well (including her family) as a weak person, but she is actually very generous and comes to know her strength through the novel. I found her an easy character with which to identify. I think book clubs will find several themes that can be discussed, including the ways in which women's ways are often different from men's.
The Story of Arthur Truluv: A Novel
by Elizabeth Berg
Still Hungry (6/10/2017)
How can you not be charmed by an elderly widower who visits his wife's grave every day for a lunch date? The Story of Arthur Truluv is one such delightful book, which quickly pulled me in, but left me wanting more. Arthur and Maddy, the troubled teenager he "rescues", are easy to visualize (could a movie be in the offing?) I wish that I had a better sense of some of the details in their lives. Little details, like how long would Arthur have to wait for the bus home from the graveyard, and is there a covered shelter available. And big details, like how Maddy's relationship with her father and her classmates deteriorated so badly. I found the neighbor, Lucille, a bit irritating and more comic relief than a character I really wanted to get to know better. This could be a good book club selection, with discussions going into aging and bullying, for example. However I prefer my books a bit "meatier"; this was more like Lucille's orange blossom cookies; delicious but not nutritious enough for the making of a meal.
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