Somebody’s Business, book three in the “Nickel Hill Series” by Irene Bennett Brown continues to follow energetic Jocelyn Pladson as she buys a livery stable in Skiddy, Kansas. Although some say motorcars will soon take the place of horses and mules, Jocelyn, her husband Pete, and most of the townspeople and local farmers know better. It’s 1906 and they are years away from replacing horses and mules for transportation and heavy farm work.
The Pladsons, their little son Andy, 3, and two older children they’ve taken in over the years, run a farm in addition to the livery in town. It takes a lot of energy to handle both, but they are an ambitious family, people who have known hard times and have persevered.
But not all are happy about the livery changing hands. The lady across the street complains of its smell. A newcomer in town, blustery, vain J. L. Cochran wants the building site to sell motorcars. He tries every dirty trick possible to convince the townspeople that the livery should be torn down and replaced with a new building, his building.
Author Irene Bennett Brown does a superb job of placing the reader in the time, place, and mind-set of the early 1900s. We hear J.L. Cochran’s shiny new Oldsmobile chugging and lurching down the street, the hee-haw of mules, see the clothing of the period, the hairstyles, farm scenes and the handling of horses and mules.
I’ve had the pleasure of reading the first two books of the “Nickel Hill Series,” Miss Royal’s Mules and Tangled Times.Somebody’s Business is the perfect sequel. Although it’s nice to read books of a series in order, each book stands alone. It’s always fun to catch up with a lively, heartwarming character like Jocelyn Pladson. I recommend this book for teens and adults who enjoy reading about the struggles and triumphs of the early 1900s.
Mary Norris, copy editor for the New Yorker, has written a wonderfully informative book, Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen. The author makes grammar fun, yet each chapter holds a wealth of memorable tips.
Norris talks about her early days at the New Yorker and the painful lessons she’s learned through her years at America’s premier literary magazine. She has mastered the art of fixing something without draining the sentence of its character.
Chapter by chapter Norris talks about the difference between this and that, which and that, dangling participles, often giving hints about how to figure out the correct word. She goes into some detail about the predicament of having no common-sex singular for he, she, or it. She suggests that we might adopt s/he, he/she or even heesh. She suggests that when wondering which pronouns to use when saying something like between you and me, reverse the pronouns. Between I and you just wouldn’t sound right. Then there’s that pesky who and whom. She covers it all.
I laughed right out loud when the author discusses the serial comma, the comma before “and” in a series. She believes in retaining the comma for fear a sentence will come out as it did in this example: “And there was the country-and-western singer who ‘was joined by his two ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings.’”
Many of Norris’ comments are based on the “New Yorker style.” The magazine, of course, has many dictionaries and reference books. But, as the author says, “The dictionary is a wonderful thing, but you can’t let it push you around.” Use common sense.
The book covers almost any question of punctuation imaginable: the comma, dash, semicolon, colon, exclamation point (which she calls a screamer), and the en and em dashes (which have no spaces before and after).
Between You and Me is a rather short book, with the last thirty percent of it taken with Acknowledgments, Notes (from each chapter), Appendix, and Index.
I loved Between You and Me. It’s charming and witty, and I learned a lot along the way.
An Unfinished Story: A Novel by Boo Walker, takes place in modern-day Florida. It’s a story of renewal, of overcoming grief and guilt, and turning misunderstanding to acceptance.
Claire Kite lost her husband, David, three years ago in a tragic car accident. Although she continues to manage her up-scale restaurant in Coquina Key, Florida, she’s just putting in time. Life isn’t worth living without David. But she knows life goes on and she’s determined to start anew. The first step is to sell their house—it’s not a home without David.
David, a successful architect, was also an aspiring writer and was about half way through his first novel, Saving Orlando. While cleaning out David’s office, Claire finds the manuscript and reads it for the first time. She’s impressed with the story and feels if she can find a writer to finish it, she will have kept David’s memory alive with something that had been dear to him.
Whitaker Grant is in a slump. Once famous for his first and only bestselling novel, a masterpiece that became a successful film, he has run out of steam. It’s been ten years and he hasn’t written anything worthy of print, his wife has left him, and he’s wallowing in mid-life crises.
When Claire approaches Whitaker to take on the task of finishing David’s book, the has-been writer turns her down. She persists and what follows is a story of redemption, though not easily won.
I loved this novel. The author tells the story with a strong sense of place—I could smell Florida’s salty air, could almost savor its unique cuisine. I appreciated his sharing a writer’s life, of what it means to lose yourself in a story, to bare your soul, and to have the tenacity to stick with the project long enough to bring it to a proper conclusion.
The House on Blackberry Hill, Book 1 of 5 of the “Jewell Cove Book” series by Donna Alward is an enchanting romantic mystery with a sizzle.
Abigal (Abby) Foster has inherited a mansion and a hefty sum of money from a relative she never knew existed. But then, she’s never really known family, never felt she belonged to anyone or any place. She’d been shuffled from relative to relative, finally living with a grandmother who was loving but closed-mouthed about the family’s past. Abby is an elementary school teacher now and has learned to never let herself get close to people or places. She’s better off without attachments. But now she somehow must deal with this mansion. She takes a leave of absence from her teaching job and drives from Halifax, Nova Scotia to the charming little harbor town of Jewell Cove, Maine.
Upon examination of the mansion, Abby sees that at one time it had charm, but it is in desperate need of repair. The boxes and trunks in the attic, though, obviously hold secrets. She’ll have to sort through all that stuff, too. Will those secrets bring more unhappiness, unearth truths she’s better off not knowing about? As it stands, this house is a symbol of the family who’d cast her off.
But the mansion certainly can’t be put on the market in its present state.
Tom Arseneault, contractor, comes well recommended. Well, okay, he happens to be a hunk, but one that comes with a troubled past. A local fellow, Tom has always loved this mansion and he puts his considerable skills into the mansion’s restoration.
As they work together, Abby learns about the close-knit townspeople, many of whom are Tom’s relatives. She observes how family members relate to one another, even in strife. She sees strong family bonds, strong enough to overlook faults and love one another despite differences. And against her better judgement, she finds herself attracted to Tom. But will his painful past allow him to pursue happiness with Abby?
I enjoyed The House on Blackberry Hill and found the relationship between Abby and Tom engaging. The mansion takes on a life of its own as its restoration progresses. I was intrigued by the mysterious element throughout the story. Finally, I enjoyed the small town atmosphere, its quaint shops, and the sustained loyalty shown to family and friends.
One of Washington’s most spectacular attractions is the wintering population of Bald Eagles along the Skagit River. Bald Eagles, migrating from British Columbia, Alaska and the interior Northwest, come to the Skagit to feed on spawned chum salmon. Their harsh, creaking cackle splits the air as they go about the business of hunting for their food of prey.
Opportunities abound to view or photograph our majestic national symbol as they congregate along the banks of the Skagit River, typically between December through February. Eastern Skagit County offers one of the largest wintering Bald Eagle populations in the lower 48 states. Peak counts have been estimated at more than 500 birds.
The North American colonists originally gave the Bald Eagle its name when “bald” or “balled” meant white. Bald Eagles feed mostly on fish or seabirds, though they may scavenge larger animals such as deer and even whale carrion.
For its size, the eagle is surprisingly light, yet it is very strong, strong enough to swoop down on prey with incredible speed and carry it away. Eagles’ powerful wings allow them to carry prey that weighs more than they do.
Bald Eagle nests, which can weigh hundreds of pounds, are typically six feet wide and two to four feet tall. Nests are often located very high in a tall tree with a broken or deformed top, within view of the water.
The nesting period in Washington begins around the last week of March to the first or second week of April. Although some eagles stay in the Upper Skagit River area, most find nesting sites around the shores of Puget Sound, San Juan Islands or other coastal areas in Canada or Alaska.
The average adult Bald Eagle weighs nine pounds, with a height of three feet and a wing span of five-and-a-half to seven-and-a-half feet. It is presumed that eagles mate for life. They are generally ready to mate at the age of five. Females lay two to four eggs and the 35-day incubation duties are shared by both female and male.
Eaglets are fed by their parents for the first six to seven weeks and then sporadically while they learn to feed themselves. By the time young eagles emerge from the nest they are almost as large as their parents. The familiar coloring of white head and tail, however, does not occur until the birds are four or five years of age. Juvenile birds are mostly brown and gray with mottling on the underside of their wings and a black tail with some gray.
The average life span of an eagle is up to 20 years in the wild and 40 years in captivity. The Bald Eagle was almost driven to extinction as the result of eggshell thinning caused by the pesticide DDT. DDT was banned in the 1970s and the eagles, as well as other birds of prey, have made an amazing comeback.
Someone who can see great distances is said to have “eagle eyes.” Few animals can match the eagles’ ability to see distant objects; in fact, the eagle can see tiny detail three to four times farther than humans.
Eagles can normally be observed feeding on the gravel bars of the Skagit River during the morning hours between 7 and 11 a.m. Or, later in the afternoon, you can watch the birds catch updrafts and soar overhead. At other times the birds are seen sitting on mossy tree branches along the river. This “quiet time” is an important period when the birds conserve energy. Our favorite viewing site is on State Route 20, which runs along the Skagit River, near Rockport.
The American Bald Eagle is protected by Federal law. Follow these tips for your eagle viewing pleasure and for the protection of these magnificent birds.
Maintain a 1,000 foot distance from eagles
Your car makes a great viewing blind
Keep pets in your vehicle
Move slowly, talk softly
Never throw objects to make the eagles fly
Use telescope, spotting scope, binoculars or a telephoto lens to see eagles “up close.”
Montana 1948 by Larry Watson starts out with a bang. And it doesn’t let up. It’s a gripping story of family loyalty being shattered by lust, abused power, and betrayal.
Twelve year old David Hayden sees his family ripped apart by a scandal. David, his straight-laced mother Gail, and father Wesley, live in town. His father is serving his second term as sheriff of Mercer County, in the small northeast Montana town of Bentrock.
Wesley’s overbearing father, David’s grandfather, is a wealthy cattle rancher. It was he who insisted Wesley run for sheriff, despite the fact that Wesley had worked hard for his law degree. It had been Wesley’s dream to practice law, but gave in to his father’s demand that he become sheriff.
David’s uncle Frank, Wesley’s brother, is a respected doctor, a war hero, whom their father obviously favors. The two brothers are opposite in nature: Wesley is quiet, reserved; Frank is gregarious, always ready with a joke.
Since David’s mother works, they have a housekeeper, Marie Little Soldier, a Sioux from the Fort Warren Indian Reservation. David and Marie are very close so the boy is upset when he discovers Marie is quite ill.
After David’s mother sees no improvement in Marie’s condition with home remedies, they call Frank. Marie is upset, hysterical, that he is called, preferring to be treated by a Reservation doctor. She finally confides to David’s mother that Frank has been sexually assaulting his female Indian patients for years. What follows—the scandal and resulting violence—alters David’s tranquil family life.
Montana 1948 is written in first person from David’s point of view. He learns that sometimes one has to choose between loyalty and justice. I highly recommend this gripping novel. It is a story of family dynamics at its best.
It’s Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life by Tom Rath, is a gem of a little book with a powerful message. The author, best known for his studies on strength-based leadership, shares meaningful ways in which life becomes richer when we contribute to others’ well-being.
Scattered throughout the book are little nuggets of inspiration and wisdom:
Life is about what you put back into the world, not what you take out of it.
Once we develop a mind set to make purposeful contributions to others, ways to do this will present themselves, ways that will utilize your personal talents for the benefit of others. In return, you’ll find that even small acts of generosity trigger changes in your brain that make you happier.
For a period of time, I read several “self-help books,” books that promote how to fulfil dreams, develop a positive attitude and attain a peaceful mind. I strongly believe there is great value in these goals and aspirations. It’s Not About You is a perfect segue, sharing with others ways to believe in themselves.
I loved this little book and highly recommend it to anyone looking for ways to enrich their life. “When you move past self, life is simpler and less stressful.” Wise words, and only a tiny sample of the messages imparted in It’s Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life.
In the end, you are what you contributed to the world.
March, a novel by Geraldine Brooks, published in 2006, has as its main character the absent husband and father from the beloved classic novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott that was first published 138 years earlier, in 1868.
Written in first person in the voice of Robert March, the story begins by recalling when he was a single young man from the North peddling assorted goods to people in the South. He stops at a plantation and is given lodging as a guest. He meets Grace, an extraordinary young black woman who is educated, unusual at a time when it is illegal to teach a slave to read.
Years later March, now forty years old, a scholar and minister, returns to the South as an Army chaplain to aid the Union cause in the Civil War, leaving his wife and four daughters behind. He stays at a plantation that has been ravaged by Union soldiers, the once lovely home trashed, crops burned, livestock and tools confiscated, leaving owners and the now freed slaves without adequate resources to make their livelihood.
Although it is now legal to teach Negroes to read, March finds resistance among many in the South. Nevertheless, he endeavors to educate those on the plantation where he stays, carving out letters in the dirt, sharing with the former slaves his meager supplies and food. During this time he writes letters to his beloved family, which is consistent with the previous novel, Little Women. March again comes into contact with Grace under very different circumstances.
March is a remarkable novel, steeped in the details of another time. War is always ugly, but even though the concept of emancipation was honorable, the means of obtaining it often caused hardship to those it was meant to save. The novel is beautifully written with descriptive passages: “The heat of late afternoon closed in around us like an animate thing; you could feel it on your skin, warm and moist, like a great beast panting.” I loved this story and am impressed with the concept of a story continuing from another, a classic, written so long ago.
“To all the girls who have faced injustice and been silenced. Together we will be heard.” —-Malala Yousafzai
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb is an extraordinary memoir of a young Muslim girl who was shot at close range, by a Pakistani Taliban as she sat on a school bus surrounded by her classmates.
Malala, her father, mother and two brothers lived in Swat, a mountainous village in Pakistan. Her father was a strong advocate for education and worked hard to open his own co-educational school, believing the government schools were inadequate. Further, he felt the lack of education was the root of Pakistan’s problems.
Malala was born in 1997 within a society that highly valued the birth of boys. When a son was born it was cause for celebration, but the birth of a girl was met with quiet disappointment. It was believed her role in life would be simply to prepare food, give birth to children, and be obedient to her husband. Malala’s father, however, did not share the beliefs of his countrymen concerning women. Although they were strict Muslim, the family did not believe in the growing influence of the Taliban, who forbid education for girls, threatened those who attended school, and even burned school buildings. Malala’s father did not insist that she cover her face, praised her efforts in excelling in her school work, and encouraged her to speak out about her God-given rights and talents.
The memoir goes into detail about Malala’s life as a young child, their customs and beliefs. She loved her country and its rugged mountains. Her greatest joy was attending school with her friends and competing with them in examinations.
When Malala was fifteen years old, as she sat on a school bus with her friends, a Pakistani Taliban shot her in the face. The bullet grazed her left eye, skull and brain, lacerated a facial nerve, shattered her eardrum and broke her jaw joints. She was rushed to Birmingham, England and against all odds and with the aid of British doctors, Malala survived her wounds.
When Malala was 17, she was awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, the world’s youngest Nobel Prize laureate. At the time of the book’s writing, she and her family live in England. She likes her new country because “people follow rules, they respect policemen and everything happens on time.” There is no fear about harm on the way to school, women have jobs unimaginable in Pakistan. Nevertheless, Malala misses her homeland and longs to return.
Malala does not want to be remembered as the “girl who was shot by the Taliban” but rather the “girl who fought for education.”
Refuge, a novel by Dot Jackson (1932 – 2016) is a gripping story of discovery and love that takes place in the late 1920s and early 30s. Mary Seneca Steele’s privileged Charleston background is of little value when she faces her abusive, unemployed though money-grabbing husband. Although she would have liked to divorce him, North Carolina is a “no divorce” state. When Mary Seneca (called Sen) finally has enough of his emotional and physical abuse, she packs up her young daughter and son, and in her husband’s expensive Auburn Phaeton automobile steals away in search of her late father’s roots in North Carolina’s Appalachian Blue Ridge Mountains.
Nearing her destination, Sen follows what she remembers of her father’s description of his homeland, but takes a wrong turn on a rutted winding road and sinks the car into a shallow part of a river. She and the children are able to climb out, soaking wet, and salvage most of their clothes. They discover an abandoned house and take refuge there. Although off to a rough start, it doesn’t take long for Sen to become acquainted with relatives and neighbors, people with whom she finds happiness and fulfillment.
Years pass, the children thrive, and Sen becomes an integral member of the community. She becomes especially close to her cousin, Ben Aaron Steele and it is from Ben that she learns about her family’s roots and the true meaning of life, love and loyalty.
Author Dot Jackson spun a story rich in details, and told in an authentic, captivating Southern voice. I especially recommend this novel to those who love Appalachia-based stories. The author beautifully describes the hilly landscape, the floral and fauna particular to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the attitudes of the people who live there.
