The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott
This book caught my attention at the library because it is historical fiction (love!) set in Paris (love!) so I knew it was worth a read. The story follows Daniel Conner, a medical student from Edinburgh who has traveled to Paris to study at the Jardin des Plantes. I had to remind myself of when Darwin published his seminal work (1859) as many of the scholars in this book are praising Lamarck (appointed as Chair of Botany at the Jardin des Plantes in 1788 – thirty years prior to the start of this novel). It was interesting to read about a time when the scientific society was accepting that species changed over time but weren’t sure of the actual mechanics involved.
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson
One of the most interesting thoughts in this book – one that stayed with me through my reading – came in the prologue where Larson reminds us that
“There are no heroes here, at least not of the Schindler’s List variety, … Always, there is nuance, sometimes of a disturbing nature. That’s the trouble with nonfiction. One has to put aside what we all know – now – to be true, and try instead to accompany my two innocents through the world as they experienced it. These were complicated people moving through a complicated time, before the monsters declared their true nature.”
I think WWII is a popular subject for Americans because there’s such a seemingly clear delineation between “right” and “wrong.” This colors any reading of the time period (why are you dining with Hitler?! He’s terrible!) but it’s important to keep in mind what we know now versus what we knew in the mid to late thirties.
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
After reading and loving Gone Girl, I wanted to try out other titles in the Flynn ouevre. I’m so glad I did. I read this in 2 evenings and gasped aloud at the ending. Gillian Flynn, you are masterful.
Coming Clean by Kimberly Rae Miller
Miller documents the impact of her father’s hoarding with a compassion almost always missing from the reality shows that sensationalize the disease. I was so broken-hearted for her at many times in her childhood as she struggled to hide her father’s disease from her schoolmates and remain impressed with her ability to separate herself and move on accepting her parents as people outside of their compulsions.
Mommy IQ: The Complete Guide to Pregnancy by Rosie Pope
I’m of the general opinion when it comes to these books-geared-to-pregnant-women that, at this stage, I’ll glean whatever knowledge I can from whatever source. I grabbed this book from the library chiefly because I used to watch Pregnant in Heels, Pope’s show on Bravo, with the kind of fascination I imagine Jane Goodall felt when first glimpsing chimpanzees. Without that background, I would have found Pope’s word choice a touch too cutesy. It may be an affectation, but I could hear Pope’s voice throughout the book. I appreciated that Pope addressed “controversial” topics (chiefly pain management during labor and breastfeeding) by presenting both sides factually without judgement.
The Glassblower by Petra Durst-Benning
This book follows the story of three sisters in Lauscha, Germany, home of renowned glassblowers and, allegedly, the first glass Christmas tree ornaments. While the story wasn’t deep in historical detail and was written at more of a middle school level (though not middle school content!) it was interesting to read about how glass blowing works and life in a small German village.
Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer
This book was hard to read at points due to the subject matter, but I’ve always loved Krakauer so I knew I’d be putting it on hold as soon as it came to the library. I knew I’d be frustrated with certain characters from the outset and those individuals did not disappoint.
The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard
This story opens with the Battle of Bunker Hill and resultant death of the titular Midwife, Lizzie’s, husband. From there we watch her make the best of life during war – shortages, hard work, and never knowing when the situation would improve. Abigail Adams plays a significant part as one of Lizzie’s close friends and it was eye-opening to get a view of John Adams from her perspective. I hadn’t realized how much John was gone – either to Philadelphia or Paris – in the name of pursuing independence for our country. While the absences were necessary and likely hard for him as well, I have new respect for our second First Lady.
Daynard set the ending of this book up such that a sequel/related book is almost promised. I hope she follows through on that promise.
The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch
This story is more about the Hangman than his daughter and prior to my reading it, I had no idea of the role of hangmen in medieval society. Responsible for all torture and dispensing of justice (without any real role in determining to whom said justice was meted out), hangmen were viewed as untouchables. Hangmen’s children thus married hangmen from other cities creating dynasties (of which Pötzsch is a descendant). The underlying story is a mystery involving the death of local children, but the subplots and characters were most interesting to me.
Interestingly, this book also featured a midwife so I got another view of historical misogyny. Similarly to The Glassblowers, it was originally written in German. So many themes this month!
The Bishop’s Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison
The bishop in this case is a Mormon bishop, so this book has a certain draw for people (like me) who are drawn to promised personal glimpses into another religion. That said, this story could take place in a tight-knit Baptist community in Georgia – while religious conviction and community was important to the protagonist, the story wasn’t specifically “Mormon” in any discernible way. Linda, the wife in question, is digging into some curious goings-on in her ward and uncovers more than she ever intended. Bonus points for (spoiler!) the two murdered ladies baring the names Helena and Carrie (a homophone of my sister’s name). I rarely see the names Helena and “Carrie” together. Too bad we were killed in our first literary jaunt.