Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: The Elephant Whisperer

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The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild, a memoir written by Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence, left me spellbound. I have always loved elephants. I lived in Africa for two years when my husband Bruce and I served with the Peace Corps in The Gambia, but there were no elephants in that region. In fact, where this book takes place in Zululand, South Africa, the people there had not seen elephants for more than 100 years.

In order to save a rogue herd of seven elephants, Lawrence Anthony agreed to take them in on Thula Thula, his 5,000 acre game reserve in Zululand. He was the herd’s last chance of survival: otherwise, they would be killed. Anthony had devoted his life to animal conservation, protecting the world’s endangered species. Adopting this herd of three adult females, three youngsters (one male, 2 females) and an adolescent bull, was a challenge that changed his life.

Taking in this herd required heavy-duty shoring up of the reserve boundaries. Elephants can do a lot of damage and the authorities, to say nothing of the village people, had no patience for rogue elephants, the world’s largest land animal, and the damage they can wreak.

Anthony and his French wife, Françoise, devoted their lives to the reserve. The bond they formed worked both ways: the elephants learned they could trust Anthony, and he learned about life, loyalty, and the meaning of freedom from them. But it wasn’t without struggle, not only with the elephants, but with the village people, and the constant worry of poachers.

This memoir is rich in Africa’s wildness and its culture. Anthony also earned trust and loyalty among his staff. They eventually built a lodge where guests could view the wildlife as they rode through the reserve in Land Rovers. There were moments, however, where the guests got more excitement than they bargained for. To have a successful wild game reserve also required cooperation from local authorities and Anthony’s many encounters with tribal chiefs showed their reverence and respect toward him. At times the reserve’s existence was held in the balance of centuries-old tribal wars and boundary disputes.

The Elephant Whisperer has its funny moments and its sad, wrenching moments, but most of all it is a heartwarming story of an unrelenting effort to protect our world’s wildlife. I highly recommend this memoir.

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Book Review: And This Is How I Lived

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Carolyn Wing Greenlee has compiled an intriguing collection of stories in And This Is How I Lived: Stories from overlanders, immigrants, settlers, and pioneers who made new lives in difficult places.

Among the stories runs a thread of what it took to make America great. Although injustices abounded, especially among hard-working Chinese, their dedication shone through. I especially loved the stories about the author’s family and her Chinese heritage.

Many of these previously printed stories are precious glimpses of history, particularly of early California. I loved Greenlee’s quote: “What seems insignificant today becomes treasured memories later.” The author has captured the spirit of dedication to family and what it means to be a part of a shared humanity.

One of the lessons I came away with in reading this collection is how tasks at the time may seem minor, but upon reflection we realize the difference we have made in a productive future.

And This Is How I Lived is a treasure to be remembered.

 

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Book Review: The Final Frontiersman

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When Heimo Korth set out from Wisconsin to Alaska in 1974, he knew life in the Arctic would be hard, but he was tough. In his twenties, he loved the wilderness and didn’t mind being alone.

James Campbell captures the heart and soul of Alaska’s twentieth century mountainmen in The Final Frontiersman. Spending his early years alone, Heimo Korth carves out a life as a trapper, hunter and fisherman, sometimes barely eking out a living. As the seasons change, Heimo moves from one hard-scrabble place to another, building a rough cabin for mere survival, then adapting to his surroundings in whatever way the land allows. Vast distances are hard to imagine, but there are years when Heimo’s nearest neighbor is 100 miles downriver with no road between them.

The Final Frontiersman begins with the author’s visit with Heimo Korth’s family–his wife, Edna, an Alaska native, and their two daughters, Rhonda, fifteen, and Krin, twelve. The book goes back in time occasionally to capture Heimo’s early years in the Arctic, but steadily traverses the nearly three decades of the family’s existence in this harsh wilderness. Over the years, the author visits the family from time to time, blending in with the Korth’s activities. Heimo is a good story teller and his stories are substantiated by others: natives, wilderness men like him, or even government men who have known him.

I was taken by the graphic details of mere survival in Alaska’s harsh wilderness. The toughness and survival skills of these people are impressive—whether it be sledding at 44 degrees below zero, navigating breaking ice, or constantly being on the lookout for grizzlies. Not only did Heimo manage traplines, his fifteen year-old daughter worked her own traplines! Even children carry knives and matches when they travel, and in one scene, Heimo’s youngest child saves his life by her ability to start a fire in the wilderness to warm her father after their canoe overturns and he’s rescued its contents.

This book is a classic story of survival and human endurance in a vanishing way of life. It redefines the idea of wilderness itself. I highly recommend The Final Frontiersman.

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Book Review: In the Unlikely Event

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Judy Blume, prolific award-winning young adult and adult author, brings to life the 1950s in Elizabeth, New Jersey with her novel, In the Unlikely Event.

Miri Ammerman, 15, is the only child of a single mother. They share a house with her widowed grandmother. A typical teen, Miri is totally absorbed in her best girlfriend, and has a crush on a boy she met at a house party. Miri’s life changes when she witnesses a commercial plane crash right in her hometown of Elizabeth. It’s a devastating sight with no survivors.

Eventually, there are three horrific plane crashes in 58 days, which is historically true. The author grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and can speak with authority on the people’s reaction, the horror, and the rumors generated as the result of the repeated tragedies.

The story is told through several characters in different sections of the novel. In front of the book, Blume has furnished a helpful list of principal characters.

I enjoyed this novel and could relate to the complexities and attitudes of the time period. Knowing that the plane crashes were true events made the story believable; otherwise, I would have thought the incidents far-fetched. I found it captivating to revisit the 1950’s through Judy Blume’s heartfelt and compassionate writing.

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Book Review: East of the Mountains

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David Guterson has brought us another splendid novel, East of the Mountains. As in Snow Falling on Cedars, this book also takes place in Washington State.

When Ben Givens, retired heart surgeon, learns he is terminally ill with colon cancer, he decides against a slow, painful death. His decision is based not only for his own benefit, but he also wants to spare his daughter and grandson the agony of his prolonged death. Ben is tired, tired of putting up with the pain, and tired of life without his beloved wife who recently passed away.

Ben takes his two dogs on what would be his final hunting trip with the plan to end his life on his own terms. He leaves Seattle and drives to Eastern Washington, where he grew up as the son of an orchardist. His final journey is side-tracked when he’s involved in a car accident on the mountain pass. A young couple come to his aid, and he continues on to his destination.

Guterson takes his time describing scenes. I’ve spent much time in Eastern Washington and his eloquence brought back memories of acres of irrigated orchards woven into the countryside’s sagebrush sparseness. Through Guterson’s writing I again experienced autumn’s crisp fallen leaves, the sunny days and chilly nights. The author describes characters in such detail I felt I’d recognize them walking down the street.

The novel has two major flashbacks, one of his youth growing up in Eastern Washington, and the other describing his miserable life as a soldier in World War II. Both sections serve to describe who Ben is today: a tough but compassionate man, a man who sees life clearly and who fulfils what he perceives as his duty.

Along journey’s way, Ben encounters various people, some of who serve him; some whom he serves. The situations and characters are believable and well drawn.

East of the Mountains is a remarkable read, a novel I’ll remember. One thing for sure, the next time I go to Eastern Washington, I’ll look at the familiar countryside with renewed passion.

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Book Review: My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me

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Jennifer Teege and Nikola Sellmair collaborated to write a riveting account of a black woman who discovers her grandfather’s chilling past. Part memoir and part interwoven narrative, My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me is a haunting, painful story of self-discovery, reconciliation and love.

Jennifer Teege, 38, made a horrifying discovery when she happened to select a book off a library shelf. While leafing through the book, she saw a familiar face, a photograph of her mother, Monika Goeth. Much to Jennifer’s shock, she learned that her mother was the daughter of infamous Amon Goeth, the commandant of a concentration camp responsible for the death of thousands of Jews.

As Jennifer digs into her ancestral past, she pieces together what she remembers of her mother and grandmother, Goeth’s mistress. The more she delves, the more depressed she becomes. Why was she never told about this? Why did her mother place her in an orphanage? Why was Jennifer dark-skinned, unlike other children she knew? The more Jennifer learned about her history, the more despondent she became.

Despite her depressing ancestral history, Jennifer was driven to face the past, to learn how generations of both holocaust victims and perpetrators have dealt with history’s truth, and to learn how to identify ourselves as individuals.

My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me: A Black Woman Discovers Her Family’s Nazi Past is a well-written account of a dark period of history, and of a woman’s determination to deal with the truth, and to be liberated from the past.

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Book Review: Pain Free

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Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain, written by Pete Egoscue with Roger Gittines, offers a realistic and common-sense explanation of human physiology and reasons why we experience pain. By using gentle, specific exercises and stretches, chronic pain often can be treated without the use of drugs, surgery or extensive physical therapy.

Pete Egoscue, a physiologist and sports injury consultant, outlines practical, powerful “E-cises” aimed at specific problem areas: feet, ankles, knees, hips, backs, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, neck and head. Each chapter contains specific exercises with illustrations. The exercises are not aimed at gaining strength, but rather putting unused muscles back to work.

Before doing the exercises, it is important to know why certain parts of the body cause pain. Pain tells us something is not happening that should be happening, and often what is not happening is adequate motion. Modern living makes it possible to function without going through the physical motions to accomplish daily tasks. It is true: the less we move, the less we are capable of moving. The body’s design, its foundation and framework, the musculoskeletal system, comprises of muscles, joints, bones, and nerves. For a properly functioning body, we must employ all the body.

Readers are encouraged to thoroughly read at least the first three chapters, then zero in on the particular body part that causes pain. The final chapter outlines ways we can stay pain free, to customize our daily routine to include the type of motion that will keep our entire body pain free.

I found Pain Free a valuable resource. Egoscue’s straight-forward approach to healthy living makes sense. Whether in pain, or just interested in maintaining a healthy body, Pain Free offers an understanding of the human body and its intended functions.

 

 

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Book Review: The Electrifying Fall of Rainbow City

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Margaret Creighton effectively weaves together narratives of both notorious and forgotten figures in the non-fiction historical, The Electrifying Fall of Rainbow City: Spectacle and Assassination at the 1901 World’s Fair.

Buffalo, New York, the eighth largest city in America at the turn of the century, launched the Pan American Exposition. With electricity drawn from nearby Niagara Falls, the 350 acres was resplendent with colorful lights, buildings painted with every color in the rainbow, paved streets and exhibits from all over the world. After the usual struggles and hassles over funding and coordinating, the fair opened May 1 and ended November 2, 1901.

Creighton follows much of the fair’s progress through a school teacher’s account, the true-life character of Mabel Barnes, who visited the fair 34 times and kept meticulous detailed journals of her visits.

Niagara Falls was a big drawing card with people riding over the falls in barrels, some with disastrous results, some who lived to tell about it.

President William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States was a highlight of the fair. He gave a speech and in part said: “Expositions are the timekeepers of progress. They record the world’s advancement. They stimulate the energy, enterprise, and intellect of the people; and quicken human genius. They go into the home. They broaden and brighten the daily life of the people. They open mighty storehouses of information to the student.”

President McKinley’s role in the Exposition took a tragic turn when he was shot by an anarchist, Leon Czolgosz on September 6, 1901 at the Temple of Music. The President died eight days later on September 14 from gangrene caused by the bullet wounds. The author goes into some detail about the deranged assassin.

Two other astonishing acts are featured with some detail: a little person known as the Doll Lady, and a huge elephant, Jumbo II, the largest animal in captivity, both of whom turned the tables on their cruel managers.

In reading this bit of history, I again realized how far we have come in our treatment of animals. Animals shows, with their wild animals tamed by whips, starvation, even electrical current, was hard to read. Putting African Americans and Native Americans “on display” also went against the grain. The comparison between yesteryear and today gives hope toward future equality and fair treatment.

The Electrifying Fall of Rainbow City: Spectacle and Assassination at the 1901 World’s Fair is a satisfying read. I had known only tidbits about this Exposition and found Creighton’s account fascinating. The book is well documented with footnotes.

 

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Book Review: Lions of Kandahar

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Although books about battle aren’t usually on my “to be read” list, Lions of Kandahar, a memoir by Major Rusty Bradley and Kevin Maurer came highly recommended to me by my husband.

In 2006, Major Bradley, on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan, was part of a NATO coalition called Operation Medusa. His Special Forces A-team, also known as Green Berets, fought to take possession of Sperwan Ghar, an essential patch of high ground. When their small detachment assaulted the hill, they soon faced nearly a thousand seasoned Taliban fighters in a dramantic life or death battle.

This war memoir offers an inside look at the day-to-day operations of a Special Forces team and shows what a well-trained unit can do toward defeating insurgents determined to take control. The book describes in graphic detail the discomforts of desert fighting, the constant worry of running out of vital supplies, of managing to simply stay alive.

Lions of Kandahar is a gripping account of war and what it takes to ensure freedom. I appreciated the glossary of the often-used military acronyms, and also found interesting a list of key Afghan words. Many of the Green Berets spoke the local language, Pashto, essential in working with the Afghan National Army. Also included are photographs and maps which help readers understand situations and tactics. I would have been interested to see a page or two of graphics of the common weapons used in this fight.

This is a well-written account of an important battle, allowing the reader to better appreciate the emotions and assessments of professional military personnel, and to understand the bond between American forces and their Afghan compatriots.

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Book Review: The Cat’s Table

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Michael Ondaatje’s delightful coming-of-age novel, The Cat’s Table, takes place in the 1950s aboard an ocean liner, the Oronsay, cruising for twenty-one days from Sri Lanka to England. The main character, eleven year-old Michael, is traveling alone on his way to England to live with his mother. On the ship, Michael’s assigned eating place is “the cat’s table,” seated farthest away from the Captain’s table. His table mates are considered “insignificant” adults, along with two other boys also traveling alone, Cassius and Ramadhin.

As the ship crosses the Indian Ocean, the boys fling themselves from one adventure to another, causing upsets, and relishing in the forbidden. As the story unfolds, the boys are exposed to situations that will make life-long impressions. Lurking in places where they don’t belong, they learn about adult secrets, generosity, and evils.

The different exposures to adult pastimes in some cases impress the boys, and opens their eyes to dark discoveries in others. Among their cherished moments is watching a dangerous, shackled prisoner being allowed fresh air in the dead of night.

At times the story is flash-forwarded twenty years where Michael looks back on the voyage and recognizes the many lessons learned, as he views his fellow travelers with more experienced eyes.

The Cat’s Table is a memorable nel that reads more like a memoir though the author claims it is pure fiction. The author, Michael Ondaatje, took such a journey when he was a boy, so much of the ship-board story rings of authenticity. The descriptions of fellow travelers, the authority of the ship’s crew, and the endless inquisitiveness of the boys as they view an unknown world make this story an elegant, magical journey.

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