Infidel

by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

This is a stunning memoir. Ayaan Hirsi Ali describes her early childhood in Somali. Displaced from her home at an early age because of her father's activism, she grew up in various countries: Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Kenya. With each move she describes the differences in culture, the prejudices she ran into, the struggles thrown into school with a new, unfamiliar language. I was surprised at how the children were raised, at the level of domestic violence and instability in her home, at the brutal description of female circumcision- although I had a general idea of that (recently watched the film Desert Flower- wasn't expecting that to be about genital mutilation, but it was, very upsetting- now the book is on my reading list).There was a lot in this book that shook me up. I learned so much about other cultures different from mine. A lot of the early portion of the book is about her upbringing, her family's dynamics, her curiosity about sexuality (she read a lot of Western books), her observations of women being oppressed, her exploration into different aspects of Islam and the beginning of her questioning.

She left Kenya to avoid an arranged marriage, moved to Holland and managed to get asylum as a refugee. With a fabricated story and a changed name. She admitted many times to having lied to get into the country, and talks about the problems that caused her later on. As a new immigrant she worked hard to learn about Dutch culture, to learn the language, to study and find jobs- starting with factory work and eventually as a translator. Even when discouraged by others, she insisted on taking classes and exams until she got into a renowned University and pursued a political science degree. She really wanted to know why Holland was so clean, peaceful and well-run when her home country was in turmoil and full of violence. (Just as I was surprised to read how children were raised in Somalia, she was astonished to see how differently they were treated in Holland). She was fascinated by how government functions, became a research assistant for a political party and then was voted into the Parliament herself, after only having lived in the country for a decade. I was impressed.

Working as a translator with Somalis who found themselves in all kinds of unpleasant and dire circumstances, she had learned how prevalent violence towards women was among the immigrant community. When she became involved in politics she was very outspoken against Islamic practices and for the rights of women. Also about how children were educated, how the Islamic community isolated itself and more. Her remarks were often inflammatory and very controversial, and her direct criticism of the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad caused an uproar. A filmmaker collaborated with her on a short film to make a statement about the mistreatment of Muslim women, using quotes from the Quran.  It caused the death of the filmmaker and she had to go into hiding. There was a scandal about her status as a Dutch citizen and she left the country to live in the United States.

It is an awesome book. I was worried the politics and litany of names would make for difficult reading but in fact I found it pretty compelling all the way through. I was fascinated to read about another culture, another way of thinking, and particularly to see her intellectual awakening as she began to question her own religion and upbringing, eventually arriving at atheism. I greatly admire her ethics and drive to help others, even if her delivery method and statements often seemed deliberately offensive. She obviously admired and loved Holland, but when I read a few of her statements about Dutch culture and history to my boyfriend he flinched and said she was being inflammatory again. I got the impression that she sometimes generalized a lot, a mild example being when she described the other girls in her university classes, lumping them into three groups based on dress and behavior. But who among us does not generalize to some degree, comparing what we encounter to what we already know?

Rating: 4/5     353 pages, 2007

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xyquarx

The Enchanted Places

by Christopher Milne

If you grew up loving Winnie the Pooh like I did (not the Disney character but the real Pooh books) then you're bound to find this book delightful and intriguing. It's written by Christopher Milne, the boy who inspired the stories by A.A. Milne. Except, as he points out, they didn't really all happen to him. Some were purely invented by the writer, others were stories from his father's childhood. It interested me to see which poems and stories he took particular pains to explain were not the way things happened. If you haven't read the originals some references will be obscure, but for me they were quite familiar as those literary works are among the few that don't pall with time; I can read and enjoy them just as much today as twenty-five years ago.

But it's not only about the Pooh stories and how they did or didn't exist in Christopher's actual playtime. A lot of the book describes what his life was like growing up, being free to play and explore in the woodlands, ruled by and devoted to his Nanny, growing into a close and respectful relationship with his father as he was older. I am glad that this went both ways; his father trusted Christopher the boy implicitly, which gave me alarm when I started to read about his acquisition of -and experimentation with- a pistol at the age of nine- thankfully that ended well and not in some tragedy. He also mentions some regrets when he got older at the attention fame brought him as a young child, including how other boys in boarding school teased him. I admit I got quite bored with the descriptions of all the rooms in the house and how things were laid out or who arranged different household matters- his mother, his father or someone else altogether. Maybe those things are interesting because the lifestyle was so different back then, but I wanted to read more about the people and their doings, about the outdoor adventures and of course, the background of the stories.

It saddens me that Christopher apparently did not think much of himself as a writer; I like his voice on the page. In fact, the tone reminded me of his father's (hopefully he wouldn't mind the comparison). So I am glad to discover there are two other books of memoirs following this one: The Path Through the Trees and The Hollow on the Hill. I would love to read them, but they're out of print, so it will be serendipitous if I do find them. Luckily I came across this one at a secondhand sale and picked it up, not yet knowing what I held.

Rating: 4/5        169 pages, 1974

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Nim

by Herbert S. Terrace

In the 1970's, scientist Herbert Terrace attempted to teach a chimpanzee called Nim to communicate via sign language. It's been years since I read the book, and I can't find a library copy to refresh my memory, but this is what I can recall.

Nim the chimp was at first raised in a human household, to see if he could assimilate language like a child. But if I recall correctly, his later years were spent mostly at a research facility, being taught and tested. He learned to use over 100 words in sign language. It's fascinating to read about Nim, the methods and details of the research project, the chimpanzee's behavior. Overall the burning question addressed in the book was: did the chimp know what he was saying? or was he just cleverly mimicking the hand gestures, following subconscious human cues? In this regard Terrace seems to be really critical of the project, scrutinizing his own scientific methods and finding fault with Nim's performance. Nim wasn't the only chimpanzee being taught language at the time; if I remember rightly quite a bit of the book included the author's criticism of other language experiments among his colleagues. But then again, I read several books about similar efforts around the same time frame, so I could be getting them confused in my memory.

You can read more about Nim here. There are a few more books written about Nim from other viewpoints, including one which details the end of his life and discusses abuse which occurred at the facility. I wasn't aware of this aspect of Nim's story before, just discovered it while poking around online today, and it made me very sad to think of.

I cannot find a single other review of this book online. If anyone out there has read it and can correct my memory, or give more insight, please comment!

Rating: 3/5      322 pages, 1987

The Squirrel Wife

by Philippa Pearce

Once there were two brothers who herded pigs for a living. The elder was unkind to his younger brother Jack and made him do all the work. One day after a storm Jack heard sounds in the nearby forest and investigated. He found a green man - one of the magical, feared forest people- trapped under a fallen tree and rescued him. In return for his kind deed, Jack was given a gold ring and told to put it over the forearm of an infant squirrel in the forest during springtime, then come away. Jack did as he was told and later in the autumn, he found a woman in the forest who had brown hair, wild eyes and a golden bracelet on her arm. She was the squirrel he had chosen, grown now into his promised wife.

So Jack left his brother's house (with half the pigs) and moved to the other side of the forest, where he lived happily for a while with his squirrel wife. She showed him the secrets of the forest, from which they both benefitted (I enjoyed this bit of nature lore). But then Jack's older brother, jealous and angry (at loosing the pigs, and probably his brother's forced labor as well) found them and incited local villagers against Jack and his forest wife. They feared her strangeness, and willing to believe the lies told, imprisoned Jack. His wife, with the help of her green people, turns back into a squirrel to rescue Jack, but then he must make a choice. Will he have his wife, or the squirrel on his shoulder? For the green people say "fairy gifts cannot be given twice". I really like how the story ended. I keep thinking about it.

The illustrations by Wayne Anderson have a gentle, antique quality to them and remind me something of Tomie dePaola. My favorite page is the one that shows Jack exploring the forest in springtime, discovering many different nests and creatures living in trees before he finds a squirrel's nest, delightfully growing with leafy tendrils.

Rating: 4/5        32 pages, 1971

The Herring Gull's World

Niko Tinbergen

This is one of those scientific books written by a naturalist that I remember loving vividly, although I haven't been able to find a copy to read again. It's about a study done on coastal seagulls. Similar to other books of its type, it describes how the scientists approached the animals, using care to get close enough to observe and photograph the wild birds without frightening them away or altering their behavior. Details what they learned about how the gulls live: finding food, courtship, raising their chicks and so on. I remember an experiment where they fashioned a fake bird's head with a red dot on the bill, and presented it to newly-hatched chicks to see if they would instinctively beg for food by pecking the spot- or something like that. Not sure why that incident stood out to me. Like the best of animal behavior studies, the book is written in a conversational narrative fashion. It details not only the animals' behavior in both anecdotal and scientific fashion (those two might sound conflicting, but I remember they dovetailed nicely here), but also muses on the nature of the animal mind, the naturalists' methods and their own experiences while conducting the study. I do want to find this book again, and add it to my permanent shelf. It is strongly paired with A Beast the Color of Winter in my mind; probably because I read them during the same period in my life and they are of similar quality (although the animal subjects could not be more different!).

There's an entire article about the red-spot aspect of the study here. I guess there's a reason that part of the book stood out to me! Also an interesting tidbit here from a current worker in the field who reflects on Tinbergen's words.

Rating: 4/5    255 pages, 1953

The Wildest Brother

by Cornelia Funke

Ben is one wild little boy. All day long he pretends to be a wolf or a monster. He battles dragons, goblins, foxes and other ferocious beasts. Engaging his sister in these exuberant adventures (sometimes a giggling willing participant, other times protesting!) he's brave and strong and fearless- at least until darkness falls. When nighttime brings strange noises in the house, suddenly Ben needs his big sister to feel safe. I know a crazy little boy like this, and it's nice to remember there's a tender side under all the wild activity.

Rating: 3/5     24 pages, 2004

more opinions:
Jessica's Children's Literature
anyone else?

The Zookeeper's Wife

by Diane Ackerman

This is the story of a zoo in wartime. Warsaw, Poland was bombarded by German attacks, occupied by the enemy, involved in devastating battle with the Uprising, and finally subdued under Soviet rule. Through it all Jan Zabinski and his wife Antonina remained in the zoo grounds, although at times they were forced to abandoned the villa that was their home they always managed to come back to it, trying to save what they could. In the early months of the war many buildings were destroyed by bombs, animals released (intentionally and by accident- this part of the story reminded me of Pride of Baghdad). Dangerous animals were purposefully shot because of fear they would escape, more were removed to zoos in other cities far from the war. The zoo grounds were ripped apart by soldiers as different orders came down from the occupying enemy: turned into a pig farm, established with garden plots to feed civilians and soldiers, stocked with raccoon dogs as a fur farm.

Before long, it seems there weren't many animals left and mention goes to how people in the city survived the war, the many underground activities, the horrors of the ghetto, incredible stress and risk people suffered from, and most of all- how the zoo director and his wife saved some three hundred people, hiding them in the villa and outlying buildings of the zoo. I admit I wished for a bit more about the animals, but the detailed picture the book painted of civilian life and all the efforts Jews and other threatened people went through to avoid attracting attention (and thus death) was compelling reading. I learned quite a lot of detail I wasn't aware of before. Ackerman is a good writer who knows how to tell a story, and seems to have done very thorough research. It all makes me wish I could read Antonina's original diaries and memoirs, or her husband Jan's books about the animals, but I don't know if any have even been translated. I was full of admiration for everything this couple did to help other people, most of them complete strangers.

One thing that stood out to me was the frequent mention of a sculptor, Magdalena Gross, who visited the zoo to use the animals as subjects for her art. The author often remarked how famous she was, how meticulous with details to accurately capture the poise of the animals. I really wanted to view some of her work but had trouble finding it online- I did come across a site that shows many animal statues from the Warsaw Zoo grounds, but I'm not sure if those are hers. Does anyone know?

I recently saw the film version of The Book Thief (excellent!) which vividly depicted wartime Germany for me, so it was interesting to read a completely different viewpoint of the same historical timeframe.

Rating: 3/5        368 pages, 2007

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Living2Read

Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen

by Carl Best

A girl and her bike. Sally Jean starts out riding behind her mom, then gets a tricycle, and finally her very own real bike. She learns to ride solo (no training wheels) and do some tricks. She loves her bike so much she gives it a name. As she gets bigger, her parents show her how to adjust the seat and handlebars. But eventually Sally Jean outgrows the bike, and her parents can't afford to buy a new one for a while. What will Sally Jean do? Other kids offer her rides, but as the Bicycle Queen, she needs her own bike. She tries to earn money, but it's not enough. Her final solution really tickled me: Sally Jean finds some used parts and makes her own bike. Then she kindly hands her old bike down to another kid who's outgrown his tricycle. Great story, even though I don't really care for the illustrations (very loose, sketchy style).

Rating: 3/5        32 pages, 2006

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long-term goals

I have, for many years now, been slowly working through several goals in relation to my reading. The foremost of course are to read all the books that I own, read most of the books on my written TBR list, and to write about all the books I can remember having read. This last I've been slowly making progress on- I have a few compiled lists from the years before I began blogging, and whenever I write a past reads posts, it catches up some on that.

But I've been thinking lately about yet another goal.

I would like to take one year, and only read books off my permanent shelf. I wonder if I could make it through them all- it would be about seven hundred books, far beyond the usual amount I read in a year- but then, they would all be re-reads, so maybe I'd go through them faster. I think much of it would be enjoyable, delightful in fact, as I've kept these books because I loved them. But I'm also afraid at meeting some serious disappointments- many I have not read in a decade or more, they might not stand up to a re-read. Especially those I haven't read since my childhood, or teen years.

So... am I crazy? I'm wondering if I'll ever do this at all. But definitely feel the need to meet one of my other goals first. Getting through all the books on the TBR shelves, at the very least.

Miss Bridie Chose a Shovel

by Leslie Connor

Miss Bridie's story begins as she steps off a ship into a new land, carrying a shovel. She doesn't bring with her a chiming clock or pretty porcelain figure into the new world, but a useful, utilitarian object. And throughout her life, the shovel serves her well. She uses it to plant gardens, dig fence posts, clear snow for ice skating. The shovel digs wheels out of the mud and puts fuel into her kitchen stove. When a fire levels her barn, she finds the shovel blade and makes a new handle, continuing on. I did not expect to find this quiet, unassuming story so moving, but suppressed a tear when she used to shovel to bury her beloved husband, and plant a tree on his grave. The book closes with the shovel still in use, clearing snow for her grandchildren to skate now. Illustrated with a lovely woodcut style.

Rating: 4/5     30 pages, 2004

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A 3 Acre Farm

the booknosher

Where Do Camels Belong?

by Ken Thompson

This is one of those books that kind of hurt my brain to read, but I appreciate because it revealed so much to me. It's about invasive species. It addresses such topics as: what makes some species invasive (successful) in new environments and others not? are introduced species actually harmful? what should we do about them- or are they better left alone? Most of the answers that Thompson arrived at actually surprised me. It seems that the furor about invasive species is either based on very little science, or none at all. Turns out it is quite natural for species to move around the planet and end up in different places than the originated in- if you go back not that far in time, anywhere on earth would be unrecognizable to us. So what gives humans the right to decide that a certain collection of plants and animals in one place is the ideal one, to be protected at all costs? In most cases, invasive species are not to blame for the decline of "natives"; looked at more closely it is often the fault of human changes to environments, or other factors altogether. And the cost of attempts to remove or eradicate alien species (almost always unsuccessful in the end) usually outweighs by far the cost of original "damage". While it still disturbs and alarms me to see news of a certain species disappearing, especially when it is the victim of human alterations to the Earth, I feel like I should in some degree accept that this is just the way of things. The world changes. Some things will die, others will arise. Yes, we are making this happen faster than before- but it would still happen regardless... I still like the idea of having a garden comprised of all native plants, but Thompson has overturned my thinking: I will no longer feel so guilty about planting Dutch flowers in my garden.

Rating: 4/5      262 pages, 2014

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chemfreegarden
Now Appearing

Owen and Mzee

the Language of Friendship
by Isabella and Craig Hatkoff with Dr. Paula Kahumbu

In 2004, a young hippo was found in trouble after a tsunami struck Southeast Asia with widespread aftermath. The hippo was rescued and taken to a wildlife park in Kenya. To everyone's surprise, the hippo named Owen befriended a 130-year-old male tortoise, Mzee. The animals became inseparable, with Owen following the Mzee around and copying what the tortoise ate. The two became protective of each other. Even more remarkable, they seemed to develop some basic communication, using sounds that tortoises and hippos normally don't make. But eventually the park managers faced a difficult decision: would Owen and Mzee need to be separated? Owen was adopting habits and a diet not usual for hippos, and when he grew larger could probably injure Mzee. He needed to learn that he was a hippo. The book closes with change looming at hand: with another young hippo elsewhere needing a companion, plans were in the works to move Owen.

I wish I could give this book a higher rating, it certainly is an incredible story. But for some reason it all falls a bit short with me. The writing style is aimed at younger readers and rather simple. (I am sure having three authors doesn't help, I'm always a bit standoffish to books with more than one author for some reason). The part about their interspecies communication, which I was most intrigued by, was actually very brief. There is not much meat here; I am actually wondering what this book includes that the first one didn't. I am sure there will be a third installment, but I'd really rather wait until someone writes a book ten years down the road that tells the entire story in more detail. The part I actually liked most was reading in the end about how Dr. Haller (who established the wildlife park the two animals lived in) works to rehabilitate old abandoned limestone quarries, restoring the forest at those sites so wildlife can live there again. I'd like to read more about that.

The story of Owen and Mzee has definitely caught the attention of many. There are already three books illustrated with photographs by Isabella and her father, plus two picture books by different authors.

Rating: 3/5      36 pages, 2007

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Extra Yarn

by Mac Barnett

While I was away, my mother took the children to the library several times, as evidenced by piles of unfamiliar picture books in my apartment. I've been enjoying reading them with my three-year-old. My favorite has to be Extra Yarn. The sparse, expressive illustrations by Jon Klassen are delightful, and the story even more so.

It starts like this: a girl named Annabel who lives in a cold, gray town, finds a box filled with colorful yarn. She knits a sweater for herself and her dog. Then for her friends, her classmates, teacher, eventually all the pets and people in town (even a guy who doesn't want a sweater- he wears shorts in the snow- gets something: she makes him a hat). Every time she finishes knitting, there is still yarn left in the box. So she knits sweaters for things that don't usually need them- trees, houses, etc. The town becomes very colorful! Now Annabel becomes famous, people come to see the knitting and the marvelous box and a rich duke who loves clothes wants to buy it. Annabel won't sell, for any ridiculous price. He steals the box of yarn, but of course it all turns out well in the end. I love the way the pictures tell the story, and the final message. Lovely.

Rating: 4/5        40 pages, 2012

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TBR from Africa

I've been away; just updated my blog with the books read on plane flights and in occasional quiet moments during the trip. Had an unexpected stop in an airport bookstore, stopover in Johannesburg. I don't usually expect much of interest in airport bookstores, but when I hesitated outside my boyfriend pointed out a copy of The Elephant Whisperer on the display table. There was an entire section on nature inside; it didn't take long for a stack to pile up in my arms. I only brought home two: Where Do Camels Belong? by Ken Thompson and Nest: The Art of Birds by Janine Burke. But I stole a few moments in front of the shelf to scribble down on the back of a receipt all the others I wanted to read, so I can perhaps find them later (at the library, hopefully).

Fifty Plants That Changed the Course of History by Bill Laws
The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony
The Last Rhinos by Lawrence Anthony
Whatever You Do, Don't Run by Peter Allison

The Lion and the Lamb by Mike Hardwich
The Rhino and the Rat by Mike Hardwich
A Hippo Love Story by Karen Paolillo
Bush Vet by Clay Wilson
Back to the Bush by James Hendry

Lobo, Rag and Vixen

by Ernest Thompson Seton

I thought this book was awfully familiar when I started reading it on my kindle on the plane; it wasn't until halfway through that I realized I had read it before in a different collection. It contains four stories selected from Wild Animals I Have Known. So it was an unexpected re-read; and I think I actually enjoyed it more the second time around.

The first story is about the wolf leader of a pack that preys on cattle, and all the ranchers' attempts to shoot or poison him. The wolf is finally brought down when they manage to kill a female from the pack and Lobo comes looking for his dead mate. The second story is about the lives of a grouse family, how the mother raises her young and the adventures of one grouse cock when it grows up. I was piqued by an apparent error: the story recounts how one by one young partridges are lost, only a few of the original twelve survive into adulthood. But after telling how the first three are lost, the number of chicks is suddenly seven. I kept thinking- wait, did I miss something? what happened to the other two? O well. A similar survival story is presented in Rags, about a young rabbit and how its mother teaches survival skills, the many ways to evade enemies. The final story is about a fox family, how the parents raise the young foxes until the male fox is shot for killing chickens. Then the den is discovered and most of the cubs killed; the last cub is chained in the farmyard where the mother brings it food and tries in vain to free it. The final, sad scene shows the mother fox killing her cub when she cannot release it from the chain- better it die than live a prisoner.

Reading the kindle edition I missed out on the illustrations, but found a sampling online. Here is one from each of the stories: the wolf Lobo and his mate Blanca, the baby grouse all in a row learning to drink, the rabbit Rags with its mother, the fox (delighted in watching a dog trying to unravel its trail I think).

Rating: 3/5    pages, 1899

Monarch, the Big Bear of Tallac

by Ernest Thompson Seton

A hunter kills a sow grizzly bear and captures her two cubs. Passing fellow buys them and takes them to a ranch where they live in dull captivity, tormented from time to time by dogs urged to fight. For a show when the bear is larger he is put to fight against a bull but breaks loose and runs off. Learns to survive in the wild by preying upon sheep. One shepherd sees the bear's shadow thrown large in the firelight and is convinced it is a monstrous beast, a giant of all bears. His tall tales and the bear's predation on flocks bring various men to track him down, those efforts are all related. Finally the bear is hunted down by the very man who once kept him as a cub. The man doesn't recognize the bear, but something vaguely familiar in the man's scent causes the bear to turn away from the moment of conflict and do no harm. By now stories of the bear have spread far and wind, inciting interest and furor; through it all the bear just wants to be left alone. Men come out hunting him again and finally after many attempts they trap him. Caged in heavy iron, the book closes on a dull, hopeless scene of his misery. Better he had never encountered men at all, was my final impression.

It seems this bear actually existed (although Seton probably made up the events of his early life) and lived his final days caged in Golden Gate Park; this blog post has some drawings by Seton and a photo of the bear. I found more photos and information about the bear on this site as well. I read this book on my kindle.

Rating: 3/5      214 pages, 1904

Elizabeth and her German Garden

by Elizabeth von Arnim

I had always wanted to read more von Arnim since loving her Enchanted April, and held off for a while after being disappointed with her dog memoirs. Similarly, I did not find Her German Garden quite as good as Enchanted April, but it was still very enjoyable. It was just not quite what I expected.

It starts out well enough, her lovely words about the beauties of the garden and musing on why no one else seems to appreciate it so much. Others pity her for being left alone in the very place she loves -they just don't understand. How she thrives on solitude and books and dearly loves her plants, would rather not even have visitors. She loves lilacs (so do I) and once filled the house with armloads of the flowers, so that the household staff were convinced she must be planning a party or at the very least expecting some guests. They were put out to find nothing of the sort! I enjoy all this very much. There is an oddly amusing passage where she sneaks into her cousins' garden to see what they have done with it since she was last there- it is apparent she doesn't like these cousins much, and is afraid of being found there, while reminiscing about gardens from her childhood. And of course there are all her efforts to compose a beautiful landscape with the plants, full of learning errors- although she doesn't actually get her hands dirty, merely directing the staff where to put plants she has selected.

There's another longer section about an English girl who comes to visit, a houseguest somehow forced upon Elizabeth; it becomes an extended stay lasting several weeks, even though no one in the household seems to like this girl much. She purports to be studying German culture in order to write a book, but her inquiries are either ignorant or insulting by degrees. Amusing all that, but not much about the garden. There there's some odd attitudes towards her own children expressed, and about women- her own gender! which reminded me that I was reading a book from a very different time. It was oddly disconcerting and uncomfortable for me, as I admired von Arnim so much before. I guess I don't know her very well at all. She also refers to her husband as The Man of Wrath- I was never sure whether this was in jest, or if they really had a bad relationship.

So- I liked most of it, but other parts confused me some, even though I did enjoy them for other reasons. I learned this was her first published work; maybe that's why it feels a bit disjointed to me, the writing voice always lovely regardless. I'm determined to read it again in the future, and see if a bit of perspective will improve my reading experience.

I read this one on my kindle.

Rating: 3/5      207 pages, 1899

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The Captive Reader
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

by William Kamkwamba

A remarkable story about a boy from Malawi, a poor village in rurual Africa, who built a windmill out of junkyard scrap- producing enough power to put lights and a radio in his family's home. But it starts out telling the story of his circumstance, which really opened my eyes. The daily struggle of poor farmers tied to the land, suffering incredibly when rain and crops failed them. He lived through famine and disease, his family surviving but left with no money for school. Burning with desire to learn, to know how things worked, Willima devoured books from the small local library, and experimented with things, taking apart and repairing radios. When he learned that windmills could generate power, he was fired with the idea to make one, to bring electricity and irrigation to his family and their village. At first his efforts were ridiculed; then people realized what he had done and the community came to stare in amazement at his achievement. They lined up to charge cell phones at his rigged outlets and draw water from his new well, pumped with wind power. He got the attention of journalists, became funded, travelled to New York (having never left his village at all before!), attended and participated in TED talks, gained his education, and returned home to continue building and inspiring people.

I was amazed at William's ingenuity, how he not only built the windmill, but wired it to his house, made wall switches and a circuit breaker from scrap materials, and tried many other inventions- some of course didn't work. But he didn't give up trying. Also opened my eyes to see how primitively the people live in many parts of the world, very hand-to-mouth, belief in things like witches and magic still strong- when things went badly in his village, some people actually blamed the windmill for causing it! As far as the writing goes, it is not particularly polished, but the substance of the story was what made this book great for me. I've seen other readers complain that it took too long to get to the windmill part- the first half of the book being about William's life and his family's struggles; but the context that gave for his achievement made the story all that more powerful.

I picked up this book from a free stack at the public library. I finished reading it on the airplane, then swapped with a friend I met on my trip, for a book that sounds most intriguing: The Golden Spruce.

Rating: 4/5        290 pages, 2009

more opinions:
Bermudaonion's Weblog
SMS Nonfiction Book Reviews

Bedtime for Frances

by Russell Hoban

Like many kids, Frances the badger doesn't want to go to bed. She finds endless reasons to delay- needs a song, needs a drink, needs a special doll or toy to hold. Then of course keeps getting out of bed when she hears strange noises, and her parents patiently deal with all these interruptions to their evening. When even later in the night Frances wakes her sleeping father he finally looses his patience and reminds her that everyone in the family has a job to do- he has to go to work in the morning, she has to go to sleep now, and if she doesn't, she'll get in trouble. This time Frances finally stays in bed, finds a way to distract herself with little songs, and succumbs to sleep. Darling as always.

Rating: 4/5     48 pages, 1960

more opinions:
Saved by the Nap

A Baby Sister for Frances

by Russell Hoban

Frances understandably feels confused when her parents bring home her new baby sister. She is frustrated that the household doesn't run as smoothly as it used to, and of course feels left out when the baby gets more attention. She decides to run away- announcing this to her family- and after packing a bag retires to a cozy spot under the dining room table (not too far away from the kitchen, in case she runs out of cookies!) There of course she can overhear her parents talking in the living room where they discuss Frances' good qualities, how important big sisters are, how much they miss her, that it's just not a family without Frances around. So she runs home to a hug and agrees how nice it is to be the big sister. Very cute story, including the little songs that Frances makes up about her situation.

Rating: 4/5    48 pages, 1964

The Lady's Not for Burning

by Christopher Fry

I read this one because it was mentioned by a character in Tam Lin and sparked my curiosity. I don't often read plays, it's quite a different format for me. This one was both fun and thoughtful. It's set during the witch-trial era of New England. The two main characters are a disillusioned ex-solider who wants to die - he claims to have killed two men and thus deserves to be hanged, but no one believes him. At the same time, there is a woman named Jennet accused of being a witch; the crimes stated against her are ridiculous but the townsfolk insist she is guilty. So the story is mostly a lot of talk and it all takes place in one room but in spite of that is quite interesting. The background characters never really change their stance of believing that Jennet is a witch and basically ignoring Thomas' desire for assistance to meet death. But through the conversations that occur the soldier realizes that he really does want to live and moreover he is now in love with Jennet, so together they flee the town. I liked the irony of the play, even though I had to read it rather slowly as the old-fashioned phrasing sometimes took me a moment to figure out. It's one I want to read again someday, or better yet, see performed in the theater.

Rating: 3/5     95 pages, 1948

more opinions:
Reading the End
anyone else?

Queen of Shaba

by Joy Adamson

Joy Adamson is famous for the lioness she raised and then released into the wild, recounted in Born Free (I can't believe I haven't written about that book yet). She also raised and rehabilitated into the wild a female cheetah. Then determined to do the same with a leopard. It took her some time to find an orphaned leopard cub, but she did and named it Penny. The leopard was a bit different from the lions and cheetah; it wasn't quite as affectionate. This combined with Adamson's very matter-of-fact writing style makes it a bit of dry reading but I was intrigued regardless, if just for the novelty of what she was trying to do. The book is a very straightforward account of how Adamson raised the leopard, along with some glimpses into the difficulties of living in the bush and dealing with various problems- shortage of supplies, accidents, the local wildlife and dishonest (or disgruntled?) employees. I found most interesting reading about how she taught the leopard to hunt. With all the wild cats Adamson considered it a success when the female could live on its own, mated with wild males and raised her own cubs. In each instance the grown female brought her cubs back to Adamson's camp, showing trust and affection even after living in a wild state. This still amazes me.

Rating: 3/5    180 pages, 1980

Bear Goes Shopping

by Harriet Ziefert

Cute picture book my kid found at the library. Each day Bear goes to a different store- what will he buy? One page shows four different items, the child can guess which one is found at that particular store. Then lift a full-page flap to see Bear in the store choosing his item and making a comment about why he likes it or what he will do with it.  Kids can learn about days of the week, plus associate certain items with the stores- grocery store, pet store, bakery, etc. At the end of the book, Bear has a relaxing weekend using his new stuff. My kid likes this book a lot, she's even been "reading" it to herself!

Rating: 3/5    16 pages, 2005

The Sea-Wolf

by Jack London

A seafaring adventure that at first glance would be something like Captain's Courageous (which I actually liked) but similarities are only on the surface, as I surprisingly found this book very forgettable. Not sure why, as I've like other books of adventures at sea before, and also London's books about intrepid canines in the North (Call of the Wild and White Fang) are among my favorites, very memorable. Maybe this one waxed too philosophical. Or got me lost in nautical terminology and descriptions I couldn't quite follow.

Anyway, it's about a well-to-do young man named Humphrey (unfortunately his nickname is Hump) who survives when the ferry he's on capsizes, and gets picked up by a sealing vessel. The captain, Wolf Larsen, is a cruel taskmaster and forces Humphrey to work as part of the crew. So a lot of the story is about how life at sea hardens this young man, and friction among the crew. The main points I remember are an attempted mutiny, and that somehow a young woman ended up on board. Of course Humphrey falls in love with her, then has to protect her from the attentions of all the other men on board. I think at the end Humphrey and the woman end up shipwrecked on an island, surviving off seals, but that somehow the captain ended up there with them as well and there is some final confrontation. But I forgot most of it, and don't really feel inclined to read it again.

Rating: 2/5     244 pages, 1904

more opinions:
James Reads Books
Come With Me If You Want to Read

Bread and Jam for Frances

by Russell Hoban

Some of my favorite childhood books are the series about a little badger family. Frances is the main character, a little girl who struggles with things like a new baby in the family, friends who don't want to share, managing her money when she gets an allowance and so on. This book is about being a picky eater (how many parents can relate!)

Frances likes bread and jam. She doesn't like the way her eggs are cooked, or her dinner either so her mom patiently just keeps serving her bread and jam. And then gives it to her for every meal- snacks as well, until Frances realizes she would actually like to eat something else. Your favorite food quickly becomes less appetizing when it's the only thing you eat all day! I thought it very clever how Frances' mom gave the kid exactly what she thought she wanted so that she changed her mind on her own. It's a cute story with lots of funny little rhymes that Frances makes up along the way (my kids do that too, so I find this charming).

Rating: 4/5      48 pages, 1964

The Appalachian Trail

by Ronald M. Fisher

After reading A Walk in the Woods I though it would be nice to see a different view of what hiking the AT is like. Had this one on my shelf from a library discard sale. It's written decades ago, which is interesting because you see how the trail has changed over the years. The author hiked through small farming communities, sheep fields, even people's backyards. By the time Bryson came along, most people had been moved out of the area, or the trail re-routed so it was pretty much all through wilderness.

So this book is more a look at the culture and livelihoods of people who live near the trail, than the hiking experience itself. The author and his two photographer friends took frequent side trips to see local festivals or visit farmsteads. It's a sampling of small-town American life in the Appalachians. I did enjoy the photographs- dated as they are- and got through the book much quicker than I expected because they really are a main feature, but near the end found myself simply bored. There was never enough. The nature writing and descriptions of scenery not really satisfying. Never much explanation about where they were or why. It took me twenty pages in to realize they weren't thru-hikers at all but just doing segments. So it wasn't really what I expected. I learned some history, looked at some nice photos, now it's done.

By the way, did you ever heard of grass-skiing? I hadn't!

Rating: 2/5      200 pages, 1972

A Walk in the Woods

by Bill Bryson

He walked the Appalachian Trail. Georgia to Maine. Or at least, some of it. Enough to feel proud. Started out rather ineptly, with some experience under his belt but honestly not well-prepared. Took along a friend who was alarmingly out-of-shape, to say the least. Both of them cracked me up. The book is a wandering, laugh-out-loud funny account of their trek on the trail and the people they meet plus a smattering of history about the AT and its environs. I didn't find the history parts dull at all. The exploits of Bryson and his friend kept me chuckling. He has a way of describing things that is witty and acute. And in case you're wondering- he was constantly worried about meeting bears- quotes a lot of statistics and stories about other people meeting them- but pretty much the worst incident is his friend getting lost. They hiked 500 miles (almost a third) of the trail before realizing they weren't going to make it all the way and decided to sample portions of the rest; driving in and doing day hikes, other segments for a week or so at a time.

I really enjoyed reading about their experiences, plus all the lore about how the trail was made, how it has changed over the decades, management of the parks and so on. Meeting up with other hikers- some quite interesting characters!- struggling with the distance, planning, weather, occasionally running into wildlife, visits into small towns, etc. I have a sister hiking the Pacific Crest Trail right now, so I liked to think I was learning a wee bit of what her experience is like. Also appreciated that at one point Bryson explored parts of the trail that go through abandoned towns in the coal country of Pennsylvania, precise locations I have visited myself. (I wasn't expecting this at all, and the few pages describing what he saw, relating history of the area as well, satisfied me more than a certain book I finished recently). Lovely passages on the beauty of the wilderness, with many mishaps and amusements along the way. Fun read. Now I want to read more of Bryson's books- turns out there's quite a few. (Add to the list!)

Note: his friend is fond of women, working on overcoming a drinking problem and often uses the f-word. Usually this word makes me cringe, but here I just found myself chuckling. It fit the situation. But if that makes you uncomfortable, you might want to pass on this one.

Rating: 4/5     284 pages, 1998

More opinions:
Compulsive Overreader
Books n Tea
Pages of Julia's Blog
the Fire in our Heads
the Broke and the Bookish

The Hollow Ground

by Natalie S. Harnett

In 1962 the coal in Pennsylvania mines caught fire beneath the ground. This story is about a family that lived there during the fires. It's told from the viewpoint of a young girl, Brigid, who struggles to understand why her family always suffers so much. There is no mention of how the fire started, it is just always an ominous presence in the background. I was appalled to read of how the families lived; not only poor working conditions and low wages that often could not support a family (that subject could make another book all by itself I imagine) but the unsafe conditions caused by the fire, and reluctance of the company to do much about it. The underground heat caused snow to melt and flowers bloom midwinter, in many places the ground was too hot to walk on- playgrounds and schools were closed, streets blocked off, houses condemned. The earth caved in, swallowing buildings and many lives as well. Poisonous gas released by the fire took other lives. "Inspectors" would go around the homes at night testing the air for carbon monoxide; people regularly spent nights with all the windows open and drains plugged up so they wouldn't die in their sleep from the gas. And when their neighborhoods fell into decay, their houses torn down, they often had nowhere to go.

All this fascinated me, but it felt like merely background to a story that was really about the decay of Brigid's family. The bitterness they all held inside, the slow reveal of dark memories and past deeds that haunted people's lives. Brigid's mother was constantly full of anger and hurt from what seemed to her a childhood betrayal- having been put in an orphanage by her stepmother. Her father is nearly always out of work, brought down by a mining accident which took his brother's life and left him with a disabling injury. They drift from place to place, living with relatives and trying to get their own place but always struggling. Eventually the father gets a decent job and the mother finds some long-lost relatives, but neither of them really find the healing or security they are looking for. Things are hard for Brigid as well, who nearly looses her best friend and end up living alone with her grandmother who has a sharp tongue and constant criticism.

Honestly I found it hard to care for all these characters even though they suffered so much. They were insulting each other so continually it was hard to read, especially when I didn't understand at first why they all despised each other so. The first part of the story was more interesting to me, as I read about Brigid's friendships, struggles with her family, explorations into abandoned mine shafts dared by other kids. There's also an element of mysticism, stories of a family curse and healing powers. But the storyline seemed to shift into being all about her mother's pain, this bitter woman trying to overcome a lifetime of feeling rejected. The ending has some closure and a bright outlook for Brigid, but it was sad that her family had dissolved so much, even though she repaired some friendships and became close to her grandmother after all.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher. I was very interested to read it because I have visited parts of coal country in PA, looked for anthracite fossils near abandoned mine sites, drove through the ghost town of Centralia. There's more information about the mine fire at Centralia here. Reading about the experience of a family living through those events was something I looked forward to. There's more about the coal mine fires on the author's website as well.

Rating: 2/5       320 pages, 2014

more opinions:
The Book Stop
Jenn's Bookshelves
Bermudaonion's Weblog

Getting Stoned with Savages

by J. Maarten Troost

This one caught my eye because the author's prior book has been lingering on my TBR list. It's a kind of travel memoir, about the time the author and his wife spent in the South Pacific, visiting many islands but living mainly on Vanuatu and Fiji. Mostly humorous stories about often baffling circumstances, with a lot of asides into the history of the islands and their curious culture. Medley of cultures, really. Colonialism still a thing in some areas. How they became accepted by the locals, partaking of narcotic drinks made from potent roots (the author at least; his wife didn't like the stuff and I seriously doubt I would either!) but still occasionally (in spite of previous experience living on the islands) making an unforgivable faux-paus. Lack of amenities, large insects, frightful diseases all duly noted. Quite a number of sought-out adventures: visits to a live volcano, searching for someone who remembers experiencing cannibalism first hand (to answer pressing questions). They survived cyclones and mudslides, but still remained to have their first child on a remote island. In the end decided to return to America.

I found most interesting the slight but significant differences between all the islands in what was permissible or frowned upon. In some places women were allowed to join in certain ceremonies with the men, in other places they never could. In one village, women didn't even share housing with their men- the village had a side for each gender, strictly divided. Some descriptions of island life reminded me acutely of Fatu-Hiva. The largest impression I came away with was how life in the tropics had just as many difficulties and hardships as beauty and blissful moments. It was also sad to read about how in many villages the people would perform their traditional dances or display their lack of attire for tourist money. The parts about the history and political issues, especially the frequent coups, got a bit dull, but could also be amusing. As when he quoted Cook's disparaging description of natives he encountered on Malekula in 1774, followed by the author's own idea of how a native might have described Cook and his crew in turn- not at all flattering (and made me laugh out loud).

I enjoyed this read, but it's not one that's going to stay on my shelf. However, his references to The Sex Lives of Cannibals plus a few reviews of it, make me think I'll like the other book even more. Must look for it at the library sometime.

Rating: 3/5      239 pages, 2006

a few more opinions:
Biblioglobal
If It Has Words
I Read, I Knit, I Am
The Estella Collective

Ride the Right Horse

by Yvonne Barteau

The author of this book that caught my eye on a library shelf is a horse trainer. She has during her career taught and ridden horses in equine theatrical performances, schooled horses brought to her with training and behavioral issues and trained her own horses to ride in various competitions. This book is all about learning how to recognize the basic personality types among horses and how to work with them- each needing a different approach. She defines the personalities as being generally social, fearful, aloof or challenging, with intensity ranging from passive to aggressive and of course many variations- a horse can show characteristics of different types at the same time.The main part of the book is about learning what these types are, how to recognize them, and how to deal with issues each type may have. In the final chapters are instructions on how to work with each type of horse during weaning or starting them for the first time (introducing tack and rider). Also there is a chapter about recognizing your own personality type, with suggestions on which kind of horse (and trainer) you would be most compatible with- taking into consideration your experience and confidence level as well. All around it is a very solid book with excellent information and guidance, at least it seems so to me.

But I'm not the target audience for this book. So I found all the lists of points and instructions uninteresting after a while, and started just skipping through the book to read the case studies; samples from the author's own experience with many various horses are given for each point. I liked reading about the different animals and how she worked with them. Appreciated that not all were success stories- some animals (or their owners) were ultimately not curable of their bad habits, and with a few the author herself was not experienced enough at the time she encountered them, but they all made good examples. I also gleaned a little bit about things in the horse world never imagined existed before: there is a competition with a "champagne class" where a rider has to hold a full glass of champagne in one hand- whoever ends up spilling the least amount of champagne wins. There is a type of endurance race which is a 100-mile all-day ride. The author also worked a lot with standardbred horses, which compete at a trot in harness- a discipline I hadn't read about before so that was interesting. Amusing was the story of one horse named Shorty who won several races in a row, and seemed to enjoy the fuss made over him afterwards. At the end of subsequent races he would automatically turn to go into the winner's circle. When he then lost a race, it "was so close that even the tired and sweaty youngster thought he had won" and he sulked at not being allowed into the winner's circle!

So it feels rather unfair of me to give this book an "abandoned" rating. I did enjoy the parts of it that I read, I just skipped around to what interested me. I'm sure people who ride or work with horses would find this book very useful; I'd be interested to hear someone's opinion who really knows the subject matter and doesn't just read about it from the sidelines like me. I only found one (see below).

Abandoned        298 pages, 2007

more opinions:
Thoughts on Dressage

more TBR

of course. It never ends, does it? (I love that)

Saddled by Susan Richards- read about online, glad she's written another horsey memoir!
The Bear by Claire Cameron from Indextrious Reader and Bermudaonion
The Martian by Andy Weir - Indextrious Reader
The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida - Stuff as Dreams are Made On
The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara - Reading the End
A Sting in the Tale by Dave Goulson - Farm Lane Books Blog

The Winter Horses by Philip Kerr - Diary of an Eccentric
Still Life with Breadcrumbs by Anna Quindlen
Drawn from Life by E.H. Shepard- The Captive Reader
Drawn From Memory by E.H. Shepard- The Captive Reader
Shy Boy by Monty Roberts- from reading The Horses in My Life
Born Wild by Joe Camp- from reading The Soul of a Horse

The Horses in My Life

by Monty Roberts

Monty Roberts is known in the horse world for developing training methods that open trust and communication with a horse from the very beginning, instead of brutally forcing them into submission. I read his earlier book, The Man Who Listens to Horses a number of years ago, longer than I had thought because I can't find a post about it. Must have read it before I started blogging! His first book is about his methods and I remember being surprised at what it revealed about horse training. This book spotlights numerous horses he has worked with throughout his lifetime, including lessons he learned from each horse. Such as to give the animal a chance, to judge a horse by its conformation and ability not just breeding, to find another discipline a horse can excel at when it doesn't work out (for racing). He talks about the first few horses he rode as a child, how he got involved in work with racehorses, how he met the Queen of England and trained some horses for her, and how he kept his methods secret for decades because when he told other horsemen about it early on they mocked and disbelieved him. I remember the first book being mainly about horses used in cattle work and solving problems with horses owners brought to his training and remedial clinics; this book has a lot about his work with horses in the racing world. I admit I was a bit disappointed with the book. It was interesting at first but the more I read the briefer the stories got, with more about names and numbers (how much this racehorse cost, how much it earned or sold for, how much it won and so on) than the horses and their behavior. At least, that was my impression. The photos also left something to be desired. They are good quality for their time, but some were blown up into a double-page spread when obviously the original didn't have high enough resolution, and the result is all a blur. I don't see the point in that.

Found this one browsing at the public library. I was quite discouraged to find this article when I was looking for other blog posts about the book to link to. It's always disheartening to come across this kind of thing- I'd like to believe the author and take a book to heart, but don't know what to believe when it's one written word against another.

Rating: 3/5        248 pages, 2004

Give a Man a Horse

by Charles J. Finger

I've been slogging through this book lately, finally decided to just close it. It's an older juvenile fiction, one I must have once found at a library sale or free table. An adventure story about a young man named Bob, bored and restless working in an office, who gets sent by his company to oversee the delivery of two valuable horses to a prosperous South American ranch. Of course thing go wrong, starting with horse thieves. He sets off after the thieves with some local volunteers and borrowed horses. Many adventures follow, including a shipwreck, and Bob gets stranded in an area he thinks is uninhabited. He meets up with some natives, goes off travelling with them, finds gold, catches and tames wild horses and so on. Runs into other white men who have made settlements. I did like how the integrity of the characters was shown, but unfortunately never felt invested in any of them as a reader.There was an interesting part where Bob learns how to live among the natives, acquiring skills and realizing that he has much to learn from them. Later (I flipped ahead) one of his native companions ends up in New York City with just as much culture shock on his part - but even that did not interest me enough to finish reading the book. Transitions were abrupt throughout the storyline, and it often switched between character viewpoints as well. I also found the illustrations rather disturbing, although tried to ignore this. Nice linework, but the people and animals sometimes had odd proportions with necks and waists too long. It reminded me of Mannerism.

Oh, and SPOILER both the original horses intended for shipment die early on in the book. I was surprised and disappointed at this, although I guess it was realistic for the circumstances.

Abandoned      340 pages, 1938