Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather

I haven't read finished anything new lately, so I thought I would revisit an old favorite. Shadows on the Rock is not one of Cather's better-known novels, but it is still good. Set in Quebec in the late 1600s, it captures the unique flavor of the young, isolated French colony. Catholiscm plays a large role, as you might expect. Characters include a young girl, Cecile, her apothecary father, a little boy Jacques, trapper Pierre, and an arrogant Bishop. The story line is meandering and slow; in fact much of the "action" is quickly covered in the epilogue. But the charm of this book is in its descriptions of Quebec, and for such alone is worth reading. Nonetheless, the growth (or lack thereof) that many of the characters undergo is well-portrayed.

The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz

The True Story of a Trek to Freedom

This is definitely one of the most fascinating books I ever read.  Do not start to read it unless you have a lot of free time ahead, as it is difficult to put down. The author was a Polish prisoner of war in Siberia at the start of World War II.  His suffering at the hands of the Soviets is mind-boggling.  I wouldn’t believe that humans could be so cruel, except that there are unfortunately many, many other documented cases of similar cruelty.  

His narrative accounts his time in prisons, mockery of a trial, and tortuous journey to Siberia.  Part of the latter was an over forty day march in bitter winter conditions with only inadequate clothing.  The prisoners were all chained in rows behind the soldiers’ trucks.  Each night they camped in the open.  Finally arriving at the destination, he was not long in deciding that he could not bear to spend twenty-five years there, and must escape.  After much planning, he and a small band of fellow-prisoners escaped, and the “long walk” began.  Without giving too much away, they went south through Siberia, Mongolia, the Gobi Desert, Tibet, and over the Himalayas.  In contrast to the cruelty of the Soviets, they met kind and generous people on their way.  Unfortunately, they often went days with food, though, as villages were few.  Their endurance and suffering is incredible to read.  I highly recommend this book.  If you are feeling the slightest bit as though your life is too tough, this book will change your perspective!  It certainly will give you new definitions of the limits of human endurance.

Woman First, Family Always by Kathryn Sansone

Real-life wisdom from a mother of ten

I was intrigued by this subtitle, as I am the oldest of ten children, but was disappointed by the content.  I had hoped for more details on what it is actually like to have a large family, something that most of America knows nothing about.  Instead Kathryn Sansone (an Oprah protégée) gives general advice on how to be a happy person and mother in a general, fluffy, Oprahesque-style.  This is something that most of America knows plenty about, even if they don’t actually put it into practice.  So rather than spend much time on the book, I just gave it a thorough skimming.  Sansone insists that she is not a supermom, but comes off that way, nevertheless.  A few interesting tidbits I managed to glean:  She manages with lots of organization, and from what I can deduce, a lot of money.  She has not breastfed any of her kids, which is a big time-saver, for those of you who don’t know.  She had six c-sections, which is pretty impressive, but irritatingly told nothing about the sequence (like did she have any v-bacs after those c-sections, or did all the sections come last?).  She also said she recovered quickly.  She loves being pregnant.

To sum up, I admire the lady for having ten kids, and being happy about it.  I also am pleased for there to be enough acceptance of large families for the book to be published (I guess we can thank Oprah for that).  She’s gotta be a tough woman.  But writing a book is not her forte.  The same book could have been written (and has been) by a mother of three.  With such rich material and experience at her disposal, it is a shame that she did not draw upon it, instead settling back on a time-worn advice and platitude format.  Maybe I’ll get my mother to write a book!

The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne

There’s nothing like sinking your teeth into a good classic.  The only other Hawthorne I’ve read is The Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables.  This one is not likely to be on a high school English required reading list, but is still worth some time.  The setting is a utopian community, but that played a lesser role in the story than I had expected.  Woman’s place in the world was the theme that really jumped out at me.  I was also reminded of Thomas Hardy’s Return of the Native, particularly in the character of Zenobia.  Perhaps Hardy borrowed some ideas from Hawthorne . . . no, not possible!  My husband is a huge devote of Hardy, and would be horror-stricken that I could even insinuate such a thing.  I was impressed with the narrator Coverdale, who is always observing, sometimes a catalyst, but never participating fully in life.  He is well-portrayed.  The novel is rich in themes and symbolism, but a little lacking in clarity of plot and structure, I thought.  For example, how did these characters find their way to the Blithedale community?  What exactly is supposed to make this farm community different from any other farm?  How is it “an experiment”?  Other than that they all sit down to eat dinner together at the same table, regardless of social stature, I could detect no other utopian details.  Obviously Hawthorne was not concerned with such details, preferring to focus on his themes, but a little explanation would have been enjoyable.

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

This is technically middle-school literature, but I think some of the best books out there are written for this age. It is a Newberry Honor book, and a true delight to read. It is the year 1290 in the diary of thirteen year old Catherine. The daughter of a poor knight, her life in a castle is gritty, dirty, and real; this is no fairy-tale. Her main dilemna is her father's attempts to marry her off to various distasteful suitors. Can she succeed? Catherine's lively character, as well as the realistic historical setting, make this a must-read.

How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas by Jeff Guinn

This was a very fun, ingenious tale based on actual historical events. Mrs. Claus tells how she came to be Mrs. Claus, and a part she played in saving Christmas in 17th century England. Guinn does a marvelous job of blending the Santa Claus element of Christmas with religion (ie. the Clauses are deeply religious, and believe that Christmas is for celebrating Christ's birth). He also has a good explanation for many other elements of the Santa Claus legend, such as how they deliver all of those gifts in such a short amount of time.

However, the book does get a little repetitious at times, with Mrs. Claus constantly explaining that she believes in religious freedom, or how she and her hubby are equal partners. Otherwise, it's a great read, and I believe I will try to find the first book The Autobiography of Santa Claus.

Stand As a Witness by Anita Thompson

This is a biography of Ardeth G. Kapp (a prominent member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). She was the Young Women's General President back when I was a teenager, so it was interesting to read more about her. She has had a remarkable life (not dead yet - if anyone writes a bio on me, I had better be dead first). I was intrigued by her and her husband's struggle with infertility, and how they dealt with it. Thompson writes a very kind biography - almost too kind. Surely Kapp had some faults! Thompson also seems to belong to those who hesitate to mention "delicate" matters. When explaining that Kapp was having major surgery, she cannot bring herself to say what kind, although the reader can deduce it was a hysterectomy! Gasp!