Books I Read in July (But Did Not Enjoy)

 When I look at my reading stack for July, I feel like I was more of a mechanical reader who was reading books simply because they are "supposed" to be read and not so much because I was enjoying them. I read them on the recommendation of others and my dislike of them is in no way meant to disparage the other readers. Everyone likes what they like in literature and I just didn't like these books for one reason or another. Are we all clear on that point? If you love these books, don't take unnecessary offense. :)

*****

First up, I read The Enchanted April. I wanted to like this because people I really like, really liked this book! Apparently Lucy Maud Montgomery read and enjoyed this read which was originally published in 1922. That bit of info was the tipping point in my deciding to read it for myself because anything that Montgomery read . . . ! 

This book follows the trails of four women: Lottie Wilkins, Rose Arbuthnot, Mrs. Fisher and Lady Caroline Dester. Each woman is looking for some sort of escape from her life in England and when a castle is offered up for rent during the month of April on the Italian coast, the women pitch in and spring for it. Their hope is for a break from the monotony of duty, essentially. They each have ways in which they are simply tired of "being good" and want a vacation from life's constant demands upon them. A vacation in a castle in Italy seems just the ticket. (Honestly? It's hard to blame them, eh?) They go to Italy and stay in the castle, and the overriding theme is that the castle atmosphere is full of the magic necessary to bring all things in life to rights, mending broken hearts and opening closed ones.

On the one hand, I liked the idea of a month long vacation in a castle. That idea is enormously tempting. To be able to travel to unfamiliar places and escape the norm can be a truly beautiful and blessed thing which I cannot deny! I found Elizabeth Von Arnim's writing style to be quite pleasant and engaging. I thought she had a few really clever lines and a way with words which I cannot complain about in the slightest. Then too, the way the story was written rubbed me a bit wrong in that here you had four discontented female (two of whom were married) who were sneaking away from husbands and family strictly because they were "tired of being good all of the time." In that way, this book reads as a precursor to Eat, Pray, Love -- a book I think has had disastrous effects on married women everywhere.

Interesting to note, if you'll circle with me back to Montgomery for a moment, is that The Blue Castle was published in 1926. I think the character of Valancy would have gotten along rather famously with the women at the Italian castle. I would venture a guess that this book had its influence not only in Montgomery's book writings but also in her personal thought life and journals as she battled with her own demons of discontent.

All in all, I can't say that I wholly disliked The Enchanted April. However, I can see things about it that I definitely do not like and that rub me the wrong way. I see where the message of escaping "doing good" leads and that makes me ever so cautious about The Enchanted April on the whole. 

My two-cents!

*****

Secondly I read Summer, by Edith Wharton. This is my second Wharton to read, the first being Ethan Frome. I didn't care for Frome but I know plenty of people who 'love a good Wharton' so I had no qualms about giving her another go. Summer seemed appropriately themed (it being July and all) and I thought I would choose this selection for my next in-town book club selection. It's my turn to choose the book and lead the discussion and so I dutifully pulled out my copy well in advance, read it, felt desperately depressed, and changed my reading selection for the month. (No problem because one other lady in the group also read it in advance was equally depressed by it. Kindred Spirits are we!)

This book tells the story of Charity Royall who was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Royall in name only, but not legally. Mrs. Royall passes away and Charity is the lone woman in the house in this coming-of-age story where she has to deal with both the inappropriate attentions of Mr. Royall and also with the inappropriate attentions of one Lucias Harney. (Anyone with a name like Lucias Harney . . . . ) 

I believe the intelligent response to this read is to say: "Charity learns what true love and sacrifice really look like." But all I can say is: "Charity was immature and unlikeable from start to finish and there wasn't a man in the book to admire. Read it and weep." It felt bitter from beginning to end and I was infinitely relieved to be done with it.

I had a few other Wharton's on my shelf yet to be read (The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence) but I came to the conclusion that I've had about as much fun with Wharton as I think I can bear. Her writing style was similar enough in the two stories that I did read, that I doubt I'll find much enjoyment in the others. Being a good reader though, I did research The Age of Innocence online before deciding too hastily against it. I read a synopsis or two and watched movie trailers on YouTube (heh....) and decided that, no, I really don't want to read anymore Wharton! 

My four cents!

*****

Lastly, I read The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by Martin Sixsmith. (It has since been renamed, simply, Philomena but I am including the original title and cover art for purposes of this review.)  I have even less nice things to say about this book. I picked it up because I had watched the movie Philomena starting Judi Dench and was intrigued by it. I wanted to learn more about Philomena herself and a good thick book on the subject looked just the ticket. However, I am afraid to say that the movie is better than the book! (And most Goodreads reviewers would agree with me! Look it up!)

Philomena Lee was born and raised in Ireland. In 1952, when she was an unwed teenager, she gave birth to a baby boy who, through a series of events, was adopted by a couple in America. The baby boy was renamed Michael Hess and if you Google his name you'll find out why this book became important. 

I am an adoptive mother myself and I was very interested in reading Philomena to know and understand the mother better. What would a birth mother feel like, having her child taken from her? How would she live her life, knowing she had a son who was living on the other side of the world from her? Somewhat understandably, author Martin Sixsmith focused his attentions on the life of Michael Hess. Philomena was more of an after thought in the writing. That was disappointing, but it was made infuriating because Sixsmith spent 90% of the book discussing Hess's sexual orientation, preferences and encounters, burying any other topic available to him. 

I skated and skimmed my way through the book trying to avoid the salaciousness and get back to Philomena who, sadly, only re-entered the scene at the end of the book! Furthermore, if you check out any article about this read online, and make a study of the Goodreads reviews, you'll see that the people who interviewed for this book decry the absurdity of Sixsmith's writing. Sixsmith downright fabricated parts of Hess's life, making up conversations and scenarios, and seemed to want to dive more into the topic of Hess's homosexuality than his status as, oh, say, a basic human being with an interesting backstory. 

There is an incredibly interesting history of adoption between Ireland and American that absolutely can and should be explored. It was absolutely not researched or dealt with by Sixsmith in any productive or educational way. This book is an exploitive, explosive, fabricated obsession with sex, rather than dutifully told fact. 

If you would like to explore the topic of International adoptions - as specifically relates between Ireland and the U.S. - please do not read this book. If you want to get to know Philomena and her story, watch the movie and then watch Youtube clips of interviews she personally gave. Get to know her as a person. Get to know Michael as a person! But as the people who knew him suggest he is not really to be found within  the pages of this book -- don't bother with it!

My six cents! 

Gerald and Elizabeth, by D.E. Stevenson

I now have a long term bookish relationship with D.E. Stevenson. I hunt for her books when traveling in the UK, I scout them down online, and I browse for them in antique shops and thrift stores everywhere. I pick up each one that I find - not a single one has been left behind! I love D.E. Stevenson and so I was delighted when traveling to find this copy at a thrift store. What a find!

If you've not yet read a D.E. Stevenson, I would recommend that you get to it! When people ask me what her books are most like, I commonly compare them to the Mitford or Miss Read series. They are very calm, usually have a happy ending, they contain solid characters and provide a good chuckle or two. These are very pleasant, light and engaging reads and I love them.

I dove into Gerald and Elizabeth immediately upon purchase. This book tells the story of a brother and sister duo. Gerald has hit rock bottom and as a trail or two going on in his life, whereas his sister Elizabeth has met with great success. The two aren't a perfect match but they love each other dearly and this book tells the story of how they help each other along, navigating heartbreak and clearing up mysteries. It is a fun, distracting read just as I expected that it would be. 

Gerald and Elizabeth, I noted when reading, felt different than some of Stevenson's other books. As usual, when I'm reading a book I don't stop to research anything about it until I am done so that I can focus on the story exclusively. An impression that I had when reading was that the times in which Stevenson were writing had changed to some extent. Her characters spoke of looser morals than in previous books (nothing torrid happens in the story at all, but characters are referenced). Airplane travel had entered into the picture and the gap between Scotland and England didn't seem quite so far as it had before - when her characters had to travel by train. There were just little notables which told me something was different about this particular book.

Sure enough, upon the conclusion of my reading, I went to research it. D.E. Stevenson wrote prolifically from 1932 to 1970. From the years 1952 to 1969 she wrote one novel a year! Gerald and Elizabeth was published in 1969 and is largely touted to be her final work which explains why her characters are a bit more lax and travel more accessible. Having read much of what she wrote in the earlier half of her career, it was fascinating to read a book that came towards the end of it. 

One thing that remains extremely unclear to me is how D.E. Stevenson concluded her life. In 1970 a sequel to Gerald and Elizabeth was published called The House of the Deer. While many websites list Gerald and Elizabeth as her last work, it would be more accurate to say that this was her last mini series. Apparently a collection of works were also published posthumously which I am now eager to get my hands on!

D.E. Stevenson passed away in 1973 at the age of 81 years of age. I'd like to think she spent her final years just relaxing and enjoying life. She certainly had produced an epic amount of work in her lifetime and fun work at that! I love this picture of her, taken when she was older. She looks like a friendly soul that I would like to have had the chance to talk to. Since I can't do that, I will go on enjoying her works, appreciating more now how she evolved as a writer over time.

Who is an author that you just love to read over and over again? Is there an author that you just cannot get enough of? Care to share? If you're looking for a new writer to love and you haven't read Stevenson yet, well, I'll push her forward as an option. Again.

 

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple is not my normal cup of tea. Seriously, if you are familiar with me and with this blog at all, you know I'm really picky and choosey about what pieces of modern fiction I will agree to read. I think as I age, I'm actually becoming (just slightly) less picky and more agreeable to the idea of just sitting down with a book which might not be All That, but which is a bit of fun. That's what I hoped this book would be and that is what it was.

I'm going to give you my regular Conservative Reader Alert straight up so that you know and understand that I didn't miss things. There are curse words scattered throughout the book, definitely more in the second half than the first. (That's to reel you in, see? Turn down those defenses.) There is also the issue of infidelity which I thought was handled in a very flippant manner and which completely and totally ignored the fact that such actions have significant consequences. Not to mention, these actions cause ridiculous amounts of pain. Semple wrote about the topic in a manner which suggested it was not only excusable and understandable, but also no big deal. I took huge issue with her handling of this topic. However, I will say she doesn't become explicit in her writing of the story and for that I remain grateful. Then, too, her writing style for this book is very unique and not altogether to my liking. 

After all of the above, are you asking yourself why I read it? I read it for fun. Just that.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? was published in 2012, is a "National Bestseller", has loads of people and publications supporting it, and was made into a movie starring Cate Blanchett which I am now very curious to see. The book was written as if it would one day be made into a movie, and discerning readers will know exactly what I mean when I say that. Semple's writing style is very casual and goes above and beyond in describing any individual character's emotions and reactions in such a way that suggested to me that it was set up to be a screen play. Sometimes you can read a book and just know what the author was hoping would happen. Perhaps that is an unfair characterization of Semple, but there it is. The book reads like a movie and, for me, that's actually what ended up making it fun. I didn't read this book to think, so much as I read it to be entertained. And it was very, very entertaining.

The story is told through the eyes of Bernadette's fifteen-year-old daughter, Bee. We get to know their family and quirks through a series of e-mails, letters and second-hand accounts that Bee shares.T his is ultimately Bee's book about what happened to her mother. You could think of this story as a bit of a redemption to the likes of Eat, Pray, Love. Mom gets fed up with life. Mom hits some snags she doesn't know how to properly deal with. Mom disappears. But, in this case, mom comes back. (I don't feel like that spoils the book. It's obvious that's what's going to happen. If it didn't, this book was likely to read off as a murder mystery and the cutesy cover is your clue that story does not involve a murder.) The story is set in Seattle and Semple writes amusing descriptions of the city and its occupants. She has a very tongue-in-cheek style of humor and you will find yourself smirking as you read from time to time, especially if you are a reader with Idaho plates on your car.

Would I recommend this book liberally? No. It's not a perennial classic. Certain personalities will love it; others will flat out hate it. Both reactions are valid, I feel, in this case. There are things to be enjoyed and things to raise your eyebrows at.  If you are looking for a fun read and you want to know whether this book is worth your time, well, I don't feel altogether helpful except to tell you that Semple is a playful writer who seems as if she wants to have fun with a fun story. It isn't masterful by any stretch, but if you like a good comedy/drama on the screen, then you are probably of the inclination to like this story on the page as well. 

Along the Shore, by Lucy Maud Montgomery

How are y'all fairing on the Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge? I set my expectations low for the month, selecting one book of short stories. All you need to do to participate is read just ONE book! That's all!

I personally had not read any of Montgomery's short story collections in awhile and so I glanced through my books and settled on Along the Shore. This book features stories which are set along - wait for it! - the Prince Edward Island shoreline. There. I knew you'd be surprised by that! I have the Bantam Starfire edition of this book which you see pictured here.

I've now been to Prince Edward Island three times: once with my best friend in law school, once with my husband, and once with our whole family. Each time was magical in its own way and I do not think I will ever, ever grow tired of visiting. (My family might get tired of repetitious trips when there is a whole world to be explored but I would be content with constant repeats.) There is just something altogether magical about the Island. I don't know what it is, but it is.

In my case, I might particularly enjoy the ocean views a bit more than anyone else in my family because I grew up in South Texas along the Gulf Coast. The waves were always just a few blocks away from where we lived and the sound of the ocean is a familiar comfort to me. There is something calm about hearing the waves crash loudly on the shore. Being at the beach, (or, when we lived in Oregon, along the rocky coastline), reminds me of just how small I am and how big God is. This thought soothes. In light of the crashing of the waves, everything else seems to feel the need to be still and quiet and I just love it.

Re-reading Along the Shore was fun for me because I can very easily visualize the scenery which Montgomery describes. Each of the characters in this set of stories is drawn to the water in some form or fashion; it is in their blood and they cannot escape it. This book contains love stories, sob stories, and children's stories and in each one I found a person to identify with. Of note in this collection is one story in particular. For every critic of Montgomery who says her writing is too syrupy sweet, I give you The Waking of Helen. It is bold, honest and, quite frankly, depressing. It is definitely an example of the dark side of Montgomery which only comes out in bits and flashes and this one tale alone makes this collection stand out, in my opinion. There are a few short stories here that will also be familiar to fans of Anne. Montgomery clearly harvested ideas from some of her shorts when writing the Anne series. Still, I had a very good time and enjoyed myself thoroughly. I always do.

I'm glad I pulled Along the Shore off the shelf. It gave me a good breath of salty air which I was rather badly in need of. The wondrous thing about books is that they can transport you to places in your imagination which you cannot easily get to on your own. An imagination is a gift and I'm glad Montgomery had one because it has allowed me peaceful moments in the storms of life over and over again! I love L.M. Montgomery for this gift. It truly is a gift!

List of 52 Books I'd like to Read in 2019

I'm going to try something I've never tried before. I am going to set my reading goal for 2019 at 52 books. (You can track with me on Goodreads HERE.) Usually I like to go with the flow of things and pick books randomly as the year trots along and who knows but that I'll do that yet. However, I'd like to conduct a little experiment and see how much I could read from a planned list of books. Let us see.

Out of 52 books I'd like to leave room for 12 random reads because something tells me this experiment doesn't stand a chance unless there's room for some amount of flexibility!

That leaves 40 books to select and put on a Prepared Reading List for 2019.  In no particular order, these are the titles I'd really like to get to in 2019. Many are from my own bookshelves and there are some I'm probably going to be forced to collect. (Wink)

Starting with the most important read of the year and moving on from there -

1. I'll be using the One Year Chronological Study Bible this year again. I've used it for the past 5(ish?) years and I find it the easiest, most consistent way to make sure I read through the Bible every year. It's laid out by date which is ever so helpful as I'm not trying to keep track of a separate piece of paper and keep track of readings. Why that's a challenge for me, I don't know, but I do know that this particular One Year Bible has been tremendously handy and feel I ought to stick with it!

Account for Flexible Reads -

2 - 13. Open slots for flexibility.

BOOKS FOR ME

Fiction - 

14. The Clockmakers Daughter, by Kate Morton. This title was just released this fall. LOVE Kate Morton. My son gave me this book for Christmas and I can't wait to dive in.

15. The Story Peddler, by Lindsay Franklin. Another gift from another son for Christmas. (It was a very good, bookish sort of Christmas!)

16. Carrie's War, by Nina Bawden. I picked this one up in Scotland because, I mean, how could I not?

17. Daddy Long Legs, by Jean Webster. I picked up the Puffins Classic version because a.) it's pretty and b.) I haven't read this book yet.

18. A Rogue's Life, by Wilkie Collins

19. Golden Lads, by Daphnie Du Maurier

20. Crossing to Safety, by Wallace Stegner

21. Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, by Brian Jacques

22. Along the Shore, by L.M. Montgomery

23. The Gown, by Jennifer Robson (I have a review copy for this one!)


Non-Fiction - 

24. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, by Nabeel Quireshi

25. Victoria and Abdul, by Shrabani Basu (I'm terribly iffy on this one and if there was a book I might change my mind about, this would be the one. I picked it up at the library book sale after hearing about the movie. Reading the back of the book makes me rethink things. We'll see.)

26. The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence, by Gavin de Becker (Came highly recommended by a friend of mine.)

27. It's Not Supposed to Be This Way, by Lysa Terkuerst

Books I'd like to Re-Read - 

28. Stepping Heavenward, by Elizabeth Prentiss

29. Hinds' Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard

30 - 41. The Mitford Series, by Jan Karon

To Read With the Kids

42. The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart (a re-read, but the younger kids don't remember it)

43. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

44 - 49. The First Five Great Mouse Detective Books, by Eve Titus

50. The Magic Faraway Tree, by Enid Blyton

51. Mr. Popper's Penguins, by Richard Atwater

52. Ramona the Pest, by Beverly Cleary

That's a wrap.

Even just writing down those titles made me realize how little reading time I've carved out for myself of late and how small a stack 52 books really is when all is said and done. Clearly I shall die with a TBR list that's 14,000 miles long. I'm sure you can appreciate the feeling, yes? Writing this down motivates me to read, read, read and see if I can best myself. But. If all I read are 52 books it will be good and I need to be satisfied with that! Here's to books, the places they take us, and how much that they teach us!

Happy 2019 everyone!

Favorite Reads of 2018

I still have reviews in my head which I'd like to write out but somehow the month of December just flew right by! So I've spent the past few days trying to wrap up reads and make sure I marked all of the books that I managed to read down.

This year was the first in which I utilized Goodreads' Reading Challenge program. If memory serves, I originally set my goal at 35 books, wanting to err on the conservative side of things. But then a good friend of mine suggested that I could do better than that so I upped it to 50 which made her happier. Ha! (Everyone needs a friend who will gently push them in the right direction!) Turns out 50 was just about right. I managed 52 books - that's including books read aloud with my kidlets - giving me a 104% success rate on Goodreads! My little over achieving self is made happy.

Now, let's get to the point of all of this. What were my favorite reads of 2018? Here they are, in no particular order:

FAVORITE WORK OF FICTION

Hands down, no contest, it was A Gentleman in Moscow. The title is linked to my review of the book, which is remarkable because I didn't write very many reviews at all this year. I read A Gentleman in Moscow back in March which honestly feels like a lifetime ago. This is a beautiful piece of work and I highly recommend it.

FAVORITE PIECE OF NON-FICTION

This one is always harder because each piece of non-fiction that I ended up reading was read for a different reason and was impacting in different ways. However, I will do my best to narrow it down and go with The Pursuit of Holiness (which, when I re-read my review again, makes sense). I definitely recommend this read if you've never picked it up.

FAVORITE BOOK READ ALOUD W/ THE KIDS

TOUGH QUESTION! I'll go with The Adventures of Hamish and Mirren which we read ahead of our family trip to Scotland. This was such a rich, delicious and entertaining read! Highly, highly, highly recommended!

LEAST FAVORITE BOOK

Well, there are four that I didn't quite care for for one reason or another but if I were to issue a warning, I guess I'd place The Royal Rabbits of London at the top of the list. I don't really have anything much to say about it except that it's stupid. Cute idea in theory but it is slap-stick in the worst possible way appealing to the worst in the reader instead of to the best. I hoped to read it with my kids. Instead I skimmed it by myself and then tossed it.

Runners up:

- Raven, Seek Thy Brother by Gavin Maxwell. This was the third book in a series of memoirs penned by Maxwell, a Scottish author who raised and cared for wild otters up on the Northern Coast. The first book (Ring of Bright Water) was brilliant. The second was disappointing. The third was just depressing as Maxwell showcased his inability to love people over animals and how to take relationships for granted.
- When People are Big and God is Small. This book I found imbalanced in its approach to God and humanity. It pre-supposes that the most holy approach to life is to set aside every God-given emotion that you possess, and the wisdom gained in life to apply wisdom to life's circumstances, and suggests that we must all behave like Lt. Commander Data from Star Trek instead. As we just weren't made that way (on purpose!), I couldn't take the author very seriously. I wouldn't recommend this read as a result.
- Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry, by David C. Robertson. MAJOR SNOOZE ALERT! I like non-fiction reads and I enjoy learning about how business have grown and expanded themselves but this book was boring. Absolutely boring. Save yourselves a read and find a different title about the Lego Company to enjoy.

FAVORITE NEW-TO-ME-AUTHOR

Enid Blyton. The kids and I read her Christmas Stories over the month of December and I honestly cannot ever remember reading a better book of short stories, aside from E. Nesbit's The Book of Dragons (linked to review). If you know me and know my love of The Book of Dragons, you will recognize this as high praise. When we were traveling in Scotland I picked up Blyton books wherever we went and we are now in the process of devouring them! I bought some of her Famous Five books for my 9 year old who started reading them and specifically requested that he be given more titles from the series for Christmas. Ye who know how to give good gifts to your children . . . 

Read a Blyton and change your reading world! (Possible Reading Slogan for 2019.)

I'll stop there. If you're curious to see my entire 2018 Reading List just click on that link there and it'll take you to it. Meanwhile, if there's a book you think I ought to consider reading in 2019 I am happy to hear of it! Leave me a comment or shoot me a note if you please.

HAPPY NEW READING YEAR to everyone!!!

Anne of Windy Poplars & Other Reviews (Snippets!)

This past month has been a busy blur! Mostly I've been occupied with a head cold which has led to this. However, the Christmas season is now upon us and more than anything I just want to sit down and blaze through a bunch of books and Christmas stories. So the paintbrush has been set down and I'm back to the books, many of which I have finished. My normal practice is to write up a review on each individual title but I fear if I tried to do that, I'd never catch up. So here's a snapshot of the books I've been reading of late.

I've lost count of the number of times I've read Anne of Windy Poplars but this was my choice for a November read. When I was younger, this was my least favorite of the Anne books. After all, there's no Gilbert and without Gilbert there's no tension. However, this is probably one of my favorite Anne books to read as an adult chiefly because, as it turns out, life is not all romance. There are jobs to do and circumstances to grow through and that's what Anne spends her time doing in Windy Poplars.

In this particular story we find Anne enduring a teaching job and learning to thrive in a small community which consists largely of the Pringle family. The Pringles didn't want her to be hired at the local all-girls high school as they had favored one of their own relatives for the job instead. Despite initially persecuting poor, dear Miss Shirley, she wins them over in her Anne-ish way and we make new friends alongside her in the journey.

My favorite quote from the read this time 'round comes out of a letter which Anne is writing to Gilbert in which she is describing her young neighbor, Elizabeth:

"I'm glad I don't live in Yesterday . . .  that Tomorrow is still a friend."

Yes and amen.

My yesterdays are full of beauty and joy and good times. They are also filled with real struggles, challenges and hardships. Some struggles were more difficult than others but God has been faithful and has seen us through. I wouldn't trade or change a single experience, friendship or joy. All the same, I'm glad that there is always Tomorrow ahead, full of new dreams and new hopes. Why the hope? Romans 15:13. I'll bank on that.

****

All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr came to me highly recommended by multiple friends and through #Bookstagram. As a result of the hype it was almost - but not quite - doomed to failure. Readers know how it goes when everyone around you begins to rave about a certain book and exclaims that you absolutely must make time to read it. The book is set upon a pedestal and the fear in reading it becomes that when you finally get around to it, you won't like it as much as you are "supposed" to. I'm afraid that's what happened to me with this one.

I enjoyed this book for two reasons in particular:

1. It is a work of historic fiction based on one of my favorite time periods in history: World War II.

2. The book travels through time, taking you to a period before the German occupation of France, through the occupation, and straight through to the end. I like books that move you all around the place. The only downside of that is that you really ought to read the book in just a few sittings so that you do not become confused by the characters or point in history.

The writing style is very short and choppy. Chapters are just a few pages long which has the benefit of allowing the reader to read it in snippets if they prefer (just note the danger of forgetfulness). The characters are very memorable and easy to empathize with. Doerr paints a picture of life in an occupied country in such a way that I am not likely to soon forget the atrocities of war. It really is quite the memorable book and I would recommend it without fanfare in hopes that other readers will enjoy it more than I did.

That's not really a stunning recommendation is it?  Hmm.

*****

Lastly, I read The Gospel Comes With a House Key and this book really deserves a lot more than a snippet of a review. I have thoughts. I have words. They'll have to wait.

Review coming soon . . .

The Fairy Caravan, by Beatrix Potter

I had never heard of The Fairy Caravan before just a few months ago. I feel like I ought to have heard about it, but I hadn't. I've always associated Beatrix Potter with England but when our family was in Scotland, driving between locations, we passed by Birnam. We spotted a sign advertising the Beatrix Potter Exhibit which resulted in a quick exit into Birman and to the Birnman Arts Center where we learned all kinds of things about Potter than we never knew before! As it would seem, the Potter family spent summers in the Birman/Perthshire area. Two of her books were penned in this region, specifically The Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher. The museum in Birman is small but cute and the kids enjoyed the stop. Mostly the exhibit featured posters sharing information about the Potter family but then they had a lovely play area for kids to dress up as Potter characters, color, and play at being old fashioned grocers. I wouldn't say that this is a Must See Attraction but we certainly didn't mind the pit stop! (UK pit stops are incredibly enjoyable, in our opinion! Ha!)

At any rate, inside the gift shop I came across one last copy of The Fairy Caravan. It's a Puffin Classic Edition - (which #bookstagramers will note as being supremely cute!) - and I feel in love with it immediately. Books are my souvenirs of choice when traveling and this seemed a fine thing to bring home. I had intentions of reading it while we traveled but that didn't happen. We read it at home instead, finishing it up this week.

The Fairy Caravan tells the story of Tuppeny the guinea pig who decides to leave town, home, and nagging wife to start a new life. He comes across a miniature traveling circus made up of a variety of different animals. These animals travel about unseen by human eyes because they have magic hayseeds which keep them hidden from view. They travel about the countryside, unawares, and put on performances for various other animals. They have all sorts of adventures in very Potter-y fine form.

We fell in love with the book instantly upon reading. The character of Paddy Pig, a jovial but somewhat crazy sound pig, quickly captured our hearts and we laughed at his antics and speeches. You know a book is going to be great when it induces laughter. However, I would say that although the book stayed cute and enjoyable for me, my younger kids were somewhat lost as the book continued on. The circus caravan stop to visit a herd of sheep and the sheep engage in some story telling of their own which, between the vocabulary and descriptions of Scottish landscapes and general practices of sheep herding, I sort of lost my readers. We pressed on through these passages, but they are frequent enough that I'd say this is a book worth saving until your kids are old enough to track with the descriptions of animal husbandry.

Do I regret reading A Fairy Caravan? Not at all. We found much to enjoy, despite a few chapters to slog through. It was fun and I'm glad to have become acquainted with this read. If you haven't heard of it, well, here's your introduction! If you are a Beatrix Potter fan, I've no doubt you'll want to find a copy of this story!

Links to other books we've read aloud together:

• The Long Winter, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Trumpet of the Swan, by E.B. White

What Katy Did, by Susan Coolidge (The Katy Chronicles)

Have you all heard of #Bookstagram? It's Instagram, sure, but all about books, so it's awesome. A friend of mine introduced me to the Bookstagram community earlier this year and it has been a joy and a delight. (If you want to find me on Instagram, look for me at @1000lives_and_severalcupsoftea.) Bookstagram has opened up a whole new world of reading possibilities to me, mostly through beautiful pictures of beautiful books!

A few months ago several Bookstagramers posted their pictures of the The Katy Carr trilogy of books by Susan Coolidge. Specifically, they featured the editions published by Virago Modern Classics. I had never read the Katy books before but these editions looked so attractive to me that I felt compelled to read them. I picked up my own copies on Amazon and dove into them recently.

The first book in the series, What Katy Did, was first published in 1872 by Sarah Chauncey Woolsey who wrote under her pen name, Susan Coolidge. The character of Katy and her siblings are all based on Woolsey's family growing up. The story is set in Ohio in the mid 1860's and is a charming tale of small town America. Katy's father is a busy doctor and her mother passed away so the family is cared for by her father's sister, Izzy. When the book opens we find a mischievous young Katy who is full of life and vivacity. Aunt Izzy has her hands full trying to keep up with all of the shenanigans of her young nieces and nephews, particularly Katy!

Admittedly, this book got off to a slow start for me. The introduction to the family and characters was not exactly riveting. However, by the middle of the book it was clear that Coolidge was setting the stage for what was to come. Katy, like many young children, believes herself to be far wiser than her elders. In her prideful condition, she ends up disobeying a directive of her aunt which in turn leads to a significant injury to herself. The second half of the book really took flight as Katy learns patience, respect, and love for others while taking lessons in "the School of Pain." The great message of this book is that pain in life is God's tool to mold and make us more like Him. Told in a very gentle manner, Coolidge uses this story to inspire her readers to endure hardship, knowing that each struggle and trial we encounter in life serves a higher purpose. Even if we can't quite see or understand the importance or significance of our trials in the moment, we must trust and believe that God is good and has good things in mind for us. Pain certainly isn't easy and it isn't any fun; gratefully Coolidge doesn't pretend otherwise. Instead she shows how Katy grows and matures through the hard times which is exactly what happens to people when they put their faith in Christ.

Readers of the Katy books will quickly realize that Coolidge enjoys writing poetry. She wrote a piece on pain which is included in the story. I noted these few lines, in particular:

There are two Teachers in the school,
One has a gentle voice and low,
And smiles upon her scholars, as
She softly passes to and fro.
Her name is Love; tis very plain
She shuns the sharper teacher, Pain.
Or so I sometimes think; and then,
At other times, they meet and kiss,
And look so strangely like, that I
Am puzzled to tell how it is,
Or whence the change which makes it vain
To guess if it be Love or Pain.
~ Susan Coolidge

When in the midst of pain it's hard to appreciate it as being a lesson designed to better one's self. It is easy when in pain to feel angry and confused. I loved how Coolidge handled the subject in this "simple" story which kindly encourages the reader to stay grounded in their faith, to be patient, and to trust that there is a good, good plan at work. I think everyone needs this reminder in their lives from time to time. I certainly do. It's tempting to crumple up when one is being wounded in some way but it's a beautiful thing to bear the pain quietly, submitting to it as a great teacher. That's a hard challenge but a brilliant one.

I simply loved What Katy Did so much that I immediately picked up What Katy Did at School because I wanted to find out what happened to Katy next!

Katy has recovered from her injury in this second story and her father has been persuaded that Katy and her younger sister, Clover, would do well to attend a girl's boarding school. Off the two sisters go on a new adventure to a fairly strictly run boarding school on the East Coast. While at school they make many friends and endure new challenges. Much of the book is playful and enjoyable but there is a main point and lesson to be learned in this sequel as well as in the first story of Katy. In the middle of the girls' school year, Katy and her sister are unjustly accused of doing something which they had not done. Their attempts at being believed are snubbed and they are ultimately thought the worse of by those in authority over them. The girls must grapple with how to handle this and they do so in a manner that modern day audiences would do well to learn. They take their unjust punishment quietly and peacefully and submit to it in so much as they can and then they determine to live it down. "Live it down!" becomes something of a battle cry to Katy as she determines to respond and act to these accusations in a right way. She doesn't accept the judgment but she has to live with it. Anyone who has ever been unjustly accused of something can appreciate this read. The way that Coolidge inspires and instructs her readers is, again, something quite brilliant! This book flew by for me and I read it in two sittings.

Yet again, I loved the story so much that I jumped straight into What Katy Did Next. I felt like I was cheating by jumping straight into this one. While What Katy Did was published in 1872, What Katy Did Next wasn't published until 1886. Coolidge mentions in the beginning of the story that this particular book was written in response to the request of Katy's many fans who begged to know what happened to Katy after she finished school. If What Katy Did Next was meant to appease, it certainly did so for me and I loved it every bit as much as I enjoyed the first.

I didn't find that What Katy Did Next had any particular moral standard or lesson to pass along. A friend mentioned to me that she thought this title dragged a bit. For my part, I enjoyed it because Katy spends the book traveling. She kicks off her European tour in England with talks of Scotland and since I've been to both places I was thrilled to visit them again with Katy as my companion. Clearly Coolidge had visited Europe before writing this book and I think she described things accurate and well. By the sounds of things, I'm not so sure she enjoyed England as much as she could have though; I think I enjoyed it more. (Ha!) This last title in the series was definitely written to appease the curiosity of readers of Katy. It scratched an itch and I appreciated it.

I did mark one passage, in particular, as standing out to me:

In my observation, grief can look like different things to different people and it would really behoove the lot of us humans if we'd come to recognize this. For some people, grief is a slow process of coming to grips. For others, they grapple with change more quickly and then pick up and move along. Pain and grief are tricky things and I don't think people use enough caution when encountering either. I'm not saying that there is a perfect way to approach someone who is suffering because there isn't. Sometimes you just have to be willing to try, fail, and/or compromise to stick together in the midst of hardship. That can be a scary thing! The comfort in the trying and the failing and the compromising is in knowing that God is perfect and able to perfectly meet each grief and bear it. We fail where He continually succeeds. There is grace in that belief - grace for each of us as we process life alongside one another in community.

To summarize my thoughts here, I'd say that if you haven't yet read the Katy books, I heartily recommend them. I'm not entirely sure how I missed them growing up, but I'm glad to have rectified the situation. I'll be pleased to introduce Katy to my daughters earlier on in their young lives so that they can enjoy knowing her longer.

The Adventures of Hamish and Mirren, by Moira Miller

One of this blog's readers picked up on the fact that our family recently took a little vacation. For the past few years we've been blessed to make a trip out of the country. Last year we visited Prince Edward Island and this fall we went on holiday to Scotland. As always, before we travel I like to scrounge for books about the country we plan to visit and read up on it. I'm always looking for picture and chapter books to share with our kids and one of the ones I found this year was The Adventures of Hamish and Mirren: Magical Scottish Stories for Children, by Moira Miller. Whether or not you or your family is traveling to Scotland in actuality or not, I recommend this read. At the very least, you can transport yourself there via imagination!

The book opens with Hamish residing with his "old mother" on a farm by a loch on the west coast of Scotland. A Big Wind comes along and destroys Hamish's hay stacks and he heads off to chase it. His journeys take him to the home of Mirren and her father and sisters. The two fall in love and marry, after which he brings her back to live with his mother on the farm. The remainder of the book talks about their various adventures on the farm with an old and troublesome witch, some mischief loving wee folk, some noble seal people, and Hamish and Mirren's own growing family. It is a delicious book of magic and hilarity and it delighted us thoroughly.

This is a chapter book with easy-to-breeze-through chapters. Amazon.com ear-marks this book as being best suited for readers for grades 1-2 which is silly. This book is tremendous fun for a person at any age and I wouldn't get stuck on their labeling system. We read through a handful of Scottish fairy tale chapter books in preparation for travels and this one was our absolute favorite. It is good, clean innocent fun; it is not remotely dark or scary. This book was published by a Scottish book publisher called Kelpies which is worth looking into as they have a slew of titles worth checking out!  The Adventures of Hamish and Mirren makes for a terrific read-aloud and bonus points to anyone who can read it with a Scottish accent. (I stumbled and fell but it was still great fun to try in the privacy of my own home.)

In conclusion I'll share a few random pictures that we took on our visit to the Isle of Skye which lies off the coast of the mainland. We stayed a week in a thatched cottage next to the Fairy Glen.  (Yes, it was just as magical as it sounds.) The beauty of Fairy Glen defied imagination and the photos do not remotely do the place justice. It was my favorite spot in all of Scotland and I bet you can guess why when you see these images.

Again, whether or not you ever manage a trip to Scotland, you can escape there with the help of Hamish and Mirren and we highly recommend that you do! This book is sure to engage the reader and provide a lovely time.

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

I've read Frankenstein before but I can't find the proof of it on my blog (which is weird). This is a book I avoided during my growing up years because I believed it to be spooky, scary, and therefore most likely evil. It wasn't until I was an adult and heard my friend talking about how much she loved this book that I thought perhaps I was being too harsh. After all, it's a classic and classics are terrifically good for you as we all know. What was I missing? I decided to find out.

I read Frankenstein and ended up loving it. It was not a scary read at all! Perhaps for its time it was terrifying but in today's day and age it really isn't. There are scarier things out in this world than a strange looking, overgrown persons. I found this read to be thought-provoking and full of great discussion about morality and ethics in science and medicine in particular. Reading it removed my prejudices towards "classic horror stories" and I mentally re-labeled it into my "most surprising books" category. Fast-forward to this past September wherein my family and I were traveling in Scotland. We visited a place which was planning to host an event in celebration of the 200th Anniversary of Frankenstein and I decided that I really needed to squeeze this story into my October reads in honor of its birthday and so I have done.

Frankenstein is a fast read at a mere 200(ish) pages. If you read 50 pages a day it'll be done in short order. I liked the story all over again and was very grateful for my faulty memory which caused me to forget the end. (Yes, I forget books easily. Hence I am a proponent of blogging or else I'll forget the details of a story and why I liked or disliked it.) The positive benefits to having forgotten how the story concluded, exactly, was that I was on the edge of my seat begging my children to please let me finish the final 20 pages before we ate lunch. (My family is very obliging at times. It also helps if one reads fast.) The story was thrilling, thoughtful, well-told and thoroughly engaging all over again. Hail to my bad memory! It can be a real treat sometimes!

There's very little I could add to a discussion about this classic work so I won't really delve into the particulars here. (It's more fun for me to have long discussion over books that are new and have less things said about them.) I'll merely take a moment to exhort anyone who has felt scared off of this book due to Hollywood or any other reason to re-consider it. My oldest turns 12 tomorrow and I think he's completely ready to tackle this book in all of its particulars. He is a discerning reader and can engage with the arguments. The questions raised in this book are chiefly over who has the power and authority to give life and who can (or should) take it away. What gives someone the right to create at all, let alone create life? And what duties do we have as creator beings to rip life away? Is there a moral law or standard by which we should hold ourselves to when answering these questions? Or do we simply rely on emotions to determine what types of beings should be permitted to exist on this planet Earth? All of these questions and more are explored within the pages of Frankenstein and they are questions that have the world's attention right at this moment in time.

I would highly recommend this read for a book club discussion. I think it would be grand fun (although perhaps testy at times!) to sift and sort through these questions. If you're feeling skittish about the book because you do not see yourself as a "horror" lover, I'd strongly suggest you put that label aside. If you scare easily, read it in daylight just to be safe. Also, search for a copy with decent cover art to help you get past your worries. I took the picture in this post of my copy at night (because I wanted to play around with candles) and I think it makes the book look spookier than it actually is. This artwork lends itself well to the story, but look at it in daylight if you're unnerved at all.

I'm really glad to have taken the time to read Frankentstein again and would encourage the more conservative parent not to dismiss this book outright. It's spot on for discussing current events and the value of human life in general. Don't be quick to steer kids away from the read. It's a valuable story and entertaining to boot!

A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles

I was introduced to the existence of this book by my blogging buddy, Lisa. I believe she introduced A Gentleman in Moscow by saying that anyone who reads this book and discovers that they do not like it ought not to tell her. That's fairly high praise coming from her and so, with that endorsement, I went ahead and purchased a copy.

If you are unfamiliar with this story please allow me the introduction. Chiefly you should know that it is exceptionally well-written. Truly, not much happens between the pages of this book that could be considered wildly exciting (by some people's standards). It is not a thriller or a mystery but a marvelously written account of one fictionalized Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov who is placed under house arrest inside the Metropol Hotel in Moscow in 1922. The reason for this sentence is due to a poem which was published in his name in 1912. The Bolsheviks weren't altogether fond of the poem and wished to punish Rostov. Instead of sentencing Rostov to Siberia - or to death - they place him under house arrest. He is warned that if he is ever to set foot outside of the Metropol he will be shot. The entirety of the book recounts the thirty plus years of his captivity, or, life inside the hotel.

I realize that the story might sound a bit dull on its face but it is most definitely not. The Count is forced to adapt with the changes in the political winds over the years and he has to find his own joys and contentment in being part of the small but glamorous world of the hotel. His likes and loves can still be explored and enjoyed although his freedom is limited. He makes friends, establishes connections, and takes comfort in relationships and a well-ordered life. To a large extent, I feel incredibly unqualified to be writing a review of this book because Towles is a master of the written word. What could I possibly write to describe his skills as a storyteller?! You are far better off finding a copy of the book and reading it for yourself.

One thing I particularly appreciated about A Gentleman in Moscow was that it somehow contains the magical ability to pace the reader. Trust me, I can fly through books when I am enjoying them but this one wouldn't let me! For reasons inexplicable, this book wants to be read in tiny bites and not in chunks. Curiously, as you are learning about Rostov over the course of thirty years of his life, you want to take your time to get to know both him and his world. I can't claim that I devoured this book in the way that I have any number of other stories. I wasn't "in control" of the read insomuch as it was in control of me in that it set the pace and I followed. I read a chapter here and a chapter there up until the final three chapters where I found myself unable to put it down. The end is exceptionally satisfying. I'll warn you that when you arrive at the end of the book, prepare to be fully engaged with the story such that you will feel an overwhelming desire not to be bothered with anyone or anything until you have completed the read. Warn the people around you not to take offense with your preoccupation.

Would I also recommend A Gentleman in Moscow alongside Lisa? Absolutely. It is charming, insightful, interesting and informative, and the characters are people you will want to know. I loved it from beginning to end. Don't be surprised if I mention this as one of my top favorite reads of 2018. It's really quite spectacular. Grab a copy. If you read it and you find that you don't like it quite as well as I did . . . well . . . just don't tell me!

The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit

Once upon a time our family traveled to England for a month. While we were there we took in the stage production of The Railway Children which is performed in a specially designed theater connected to King's Cross Station. I meant to read the book before we saw the play but that didn't happen but it really was alright. Our kids were younger then and if I had read the story to them any earlier, I fear they wouldn't remember it. The play they remember in part and the book they now stand a better chance of remember in full.  (That's what we call a "win/win" right?)

As noted, we finally corrected our gaffe and read the book and it was a charming delight from beginning to end. In case you are unfamiliar with the plot line, I shall briefly fill you in:

Three children - Roberta ("Bobbie"), Peter and Phyillis - have their life turned upside a bit when their father is very suddenly and abruptly "called away" and their mother must move with them to the countryside. The children aren't sure as to why their father isn't around, but, being children, they quickly adapt to their new circumstances. Mother, who has always had time for play before, must now spend her time writing stories to make a little money. The children are largely left to their own devices and make a few choice friends down at the local railway station. Most of the story surrounds various incidents which occur around the railway line but we also get to know them through the eyes of other locals from the village. Running throughout the story are questions about where their father might have gone and when he might return. The book concludes happily alright but the family does undergo a fair amount of challenge and suffering before we're done getting to know them. Told in Nesbit's lovely style, this is a story our family is sure to remember for a long while.

I found The Railway Children well-suited for a read aloud. The chapters are a bit long so we only read one a day (we usually aim for two). Our kids are ages three to eleven and it was certainly our oldest three that got the most out of the story, laughing at all the right parts, etc. I would say if you only want to read this book once, then wait until your kids are at least six or seven before taking time out for this. However, I hardly think this is a "one and done" sort of read. I could easily see us devouring this book several times over. But that's Nesbit for you; her works are generally re-readable.

The Railway Children held a few surprises for me, in particular, at the end. Nesbit's theology shines through during a particular conversation between her characters. Peter and his mother are having a little heart-to-heart on account of the fact that Peter is missing his father's presence. He doesn't know the reasons why his father isn't at home with the family and proposes that sometimes books are better than real-life. He suggests to his mother that if their life were a story, Mother could just write it out so that Father would come home. The following interaction takes place:

Peter's mother put her arm round him suddenly, and hugged him in silence for a minute.

Then she said:

'Don't you think it's rather nice to think that we're in a book that God's writing? If I were writing a book, I might make mistakes. But God knows how to make the story end just right - in the way that's best for us.'

'Do you really believe that, Mother?' Peter asked quietly.

'Yes,' she said, 'I do believe it - almost always - except when I'm so sad that I can't believe anything. But even when I can't believe it, I know it is true - and I try to believe it. You don't know how I try, Peter.'

What a gem of a passage! There are many times over the course of my life that I've wished the story was going a little differently. It's tremendously easy to believe that I know best and that I'd write the story of my life out much better. In my Chronological Study Bible I've reached the story of Job where he too questions God's plan. I absolutely love the passage in Job 38 - 41 where God thunders out His reply in a manner which causes Job to stand still and believe.

Then Job answered the Lord and said: “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.” Job 40:3-5

There is so much that we can't know about our own lives so long as we're here on earth. There is so much that we will dream of having happen to us or through us on their earth that will never be. We will always live with questions. We will always be surrounded by mystery. This will never change. Our sole duty and responsibility is to believe. Believe that the Lord is Who He says that He is. Believe that His ways are higher, more perfect, and more holy than our imagination can comprehend. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for that is how we will be saved. (Acts 16:31; Hebrews 11:6)

Nesbit, through her character of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis's mother, got it right. If we were in charge of writing our own stories and proclaiming our own destinies, we'd be at a risk getting things wrong and making mistakes. But God knows how to make each of our stories end just right - in the way that is best for us.

It's worth reading the entirety of The Railway Children for this one passage if for no other reason. I loved it in every particular and I'm so glad that we took the time to get to know this book.

Of course, now that we've read the book we are permitted to watch the Masterpiece Theater version which we will do so as promptly as is humanely possible. My own children are already at me to see it. I must confess I'm just as impatient to get to it as they are!

A Tangled Web, by Lucy Maud Montgomery

I mentioned that I wouldn't be delving into too many Montgomery books this month due to reading a good bit of her work last year. I did, however, want to re-read A Tangled Web, especially as I had apparently not read it since 2009! Suffice it to say, I had thoroughly forgotten the majority of the plot line, making this a delightful read all over again. (Sometimes it's good to have such a poor memory.)

If you haven't read A Tangled Web before, you should know that Montgomery wrote this book for adult readers. It's not really a children's book at all, but deals with adults, adult themes and adult trials of life. Originally published in 1931 the affairs of the day were tame by comparison with 2018 but, nevertheless, you experience some messes!

The plot of this book revolves around an old family heirloom. Aunt Becky is the owner and possessor of a cracked brown jug which has been passed down through a few generations and which everyone in the Dark and Penhallow clan wants to own upon Aunt Becky's death. The Darks and Penhallows have been intermarrying for 60 years and every single member of the clan feels that they have some claim to this brown jug. Aunt Bekcy however, known for being an obstinate and rather mean woman, doesn't seem in any hurry to name an inheritor. At the opening of the story, Aunt Becky calls a family conclave to announce who will receive the jug and the terms by which they will do so. The rest of the book is a mystery with the reader guessing at who might eventually own the jug. As it is a mystery, I won't spoil anything by telling you. You'll have to read it for yourself.

A Tangled Web is aptly titled as it investigates the lives, romances, deaths, and dramas of a variety of characters. Romances blossom and also die in these pages. Characters find both happy endings and mildly unsatisfying ones. It's a very different style and format from Montgomery's other stories which makes this book an intriguing read. She rather breaks away from her typical formulaic style of story telling, choosing to weave in and out of a family clan instead of focusing on one particular character. As a curious fact, there are 225 characters mentioned in this book! But don't let that fact stress you out or keep you away from it. It's a very interesting read and keeps you on your toes as you follow along. Further interesting to note, this book was not very well-received by the public when it was released. I would say that this title shows a bit of the darker side of Montgomery and perhaps that played a part in low sales. It was also published after the stock market crash and that could account for poor sales as well. Whatever the reason, I'm happy to say that it is once again in print and able to purchase. (Although seriously with the cover art - ! Ack!)

Some people consider this one of Montgomery's best works. You can definitely see how she challenged herself to write differently than her norm. Challenges are always fun (sometimes only in retrospect though) so I can't help but wonder if she didn't enjoy writing this one out. I highly recommend the read if you can land a copy. It's worth the time and energy!

Interesting facts:

• A Tangled Web was published in between Magic for Marigold (1929) and Pat of Silver Bush (1933).
• As mentioned, it was published after the stock market crash and Montgomery's finances were affected by this event.
• She lived in Norval, Ontario at the time she wrote this book.

I also found this rather, ahem, interesting video on Youtube about Montgomery which touches on her life in Norval. Enjoy it or not, as you choose.