Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a 70+ year old is an itinerant newspaper reader traveling the country charging a dime to read what latest news he has fouCaptain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a 70+ year old is an itinerant newspaper reader traveling the country charging a dime to read what latest news he has found from the country and London. During one of his stops he agrees to transport a 10 year old girl who has been rescued from Kiowa Indians who captured her several years before. Johanna, the young girl, lucked out as Capt Kidd is a gentle, thoughtful, honorable and caring man who protects her and teaches her during their long travels from Wichita Falls to San Antonio through the lawless territory of Texas to her kin. Little by little he gains her trust, teaches her English and the ways of the white man which she seemed to have forgotten (such as using a fork to eat or wearing shoes).
Beyond getting the girl back to her aunt and uncle - as her parents and siblings were killed by the Kiowa - the book delves into the history of children captured by Indians and the difficulty of re-assimilation when rescued. It explores the basics of humanity and of what white folk call "civilization" in contrast to what a child raised by Native Americans considers civilized.
My 10th great grandmother and her children were captured and taken to Canada. My 8th great uncle and his wife killed, and their children taken to Canada as well. Most, but not all, were re captured within 2-4 years and returned to Maine. Much is written about their ordeal, but nothing about their re-assimilation to life in Maine. This book filled in a bit of that gap.
I rarely read world war II based fiction. There are too many true stories out there, and this is one of them. I noticed that many people based their rI rarely read world war II based fiction. There are too many true stories out there, and this is one of them. I noticed that many people based their review on the quality of the writing, of the lack of "thrills" in the so-called thriller. I didn't care. I listened to the book, so that makes it harder to recognize the writing style. So be it. The story of Pino Lillo is fascinating. Learning about the plight of Italians during WWII, also fascinating. Germans, fascists, Mussolini, resistance fighters, black shirts, the Catholic church - all played a part in the narrative.
The book is based on the experience of Pino, a 17 year old who finds himself shuttling Jews across a mountain pass to the safety of Switzerland, a mission which was organized by a Catholic priest. He soon finds himself in danger and his parents make him join the Nazi party to protect him from German retaliation. He drives for the General, 2nd in command in Italy and winds up spying for the resistance. As the driver of a Nazi, he sees much, meets Mussolini and learns the inner machinations of the Nazis. He was not a General, did not change the course of history; he was just a kid who lived through the occupation and was thrown into a situation which took guts and courage to live through.
Pino's story is at once incredible and credible. He witnessed the outrageous cruelty of the Nazis, saw both friends and enemies killed without mercy. This is his story, what he remembers of the war, not a spy thriller. The author interviewed Pino extensively, and corroborated his story with as many witnesses as he could find. The result is unputdownable-book, full of heart, misery and ultimately, hope. ...more
This book was originally published in 1904 by a Warren descendant. The Kindle version is very difficult to follow as many of the roman numerals have nThis book was originally published in 1904 by a Warren descendant. The Kindle version is very difficult to follow as many of the roman numerals have not transferred well. In addition, the author did not consider females to be worthy of genealogical research and therefore did not follow their lines. He does have a good index in the back, both by Warren given names as well as other Surnames. However, in the Kindle edition these names are followed by page numbers which are virtually useless as the book only shows location numbers. The way to look for names is to use the search function identified by the magnifying glass in the upper left corner.
My kids were privileged. They went to an excellent school in the right zip code. They had new computers every year, new books, and their classrooms weMy kids were privileged. They went to an excellent school in the right zip code. They had new computers every year, new books, and their classrooms were beautifully decorated. There was money for field trips, sports programs, new playground equipment and teachers didn't often have to dip into their own pockets to provide materials for their kids or classrooms.
Five miles away there was a community that was...what's the opposite of privileged? Right. Their books were published in the 1950s, their sports teams were bedraggled and their graduation rate stunningly low. And this school looked like a Swiss finishing school compared to PS 212 in the Bronx.
I doubt most people who live comfortably in the suburbs understand the difficulty of going to a sub-standard school, or the difficulty of being an immigrant kid expected to perform in an English classroom -- or the burn out of those teachers who have to cope with this sort of environment and try to teach without the necessary tools.
This book (more like a long article than a book) highlights the trials and tribulations of a Teach for America teacher. It's not comprehensive, it's just one guy's experience with a classroom of 6th and 7th graders in the Bronx. I wish it had gone into detail and analysis and offered any glimmer of hope for the situation - but it didn't. Free for Kindle Prime holders, well worth it. ...more
Ultimately, it didn’t matter that the words leaving Milošević’s mouth were a fabrication. It only mattered that they were designed to inflame.
To help Ultimately, it didn’t matter that the words leaving Milošević’s mouth were a fabrication. It only mattered that they were designed to inflame.
To help them achieve their goal, Serbian television broadcast a constant stream of propaganda alleging that the Serbs were under threat from the Albanians, that their lives were in danger,...
My knowledge of the conflict in Yugoslavia in the 1980s and 90s was fuzzy at best. This book set me straight, with a little help from wikipedia. But I do remember the 1984 winter Olympics. Joan Lunden, a reporter walked through Sarajevo marveling at the fact that so many different ethnicities and religions got along as one country. It was great reporting that didn't uncover the hidden sentiment hiding just below the surface.
My 2nd great grandmother was a sea captain's wife and I read the book to see how this researcher plotted her story. I think there is a great danger inMy 2nd great grandmother was a sea captain's wife and I read the book to see how this researcher plotted her story. I think there is a great danger in falling in love with your own research to the point of turning the story into something that is too long and overly detailed. There were certain writing elements that were very well done, however the actual story of this woman at times got lost in the surrounding details. ...more
You were not merely a person unjustly accused of espionage, but someone who dared to challenge certain customs. And for that you could not be forgivenYou were not merely a person unjustly accused of espionage, but someone who dared to challenge certain customs. And for that you could not be forgiven.
Interesting book about the life of Mata Hari, well researched and documented - although it left me with more answers than questions.
Born in Holland, she married young and had a daughter - and then decided to discard her old life as a snake discards his unwanted skin, and begin anew sans child nor husband. How a young lady, well brought up, fluent in many languages, educated became what today we would call a stripper and a very high end prostitute is really not looked into in depth. The consequences of her life, and her entry into the world of espionage, or not, is well documented as is the betrayal of the many men she served.
The book is written almost as a letter to her daughter, but at no time do we learn whether she ever saw her daughter again, after she initially left Holland for the dance halls of France. ...more
Actually, I usually enjoy Louise Penny, but this one had its drawbacks.
I took umbrage with a few of Penny's descriptions of one of her main characterActually, I usually enjoy Louise Penny, but this one had its drawbacks.
I took umbrage with a few of Penny's descriptions of one of her main characters, a little girl named Crie, and others in the book: "...her bulk almost catapulting the other two off the sofa..." "He looked up and a huge black woman was looking at him." "He had a slim brain and a very generous body." "Crie, plump and plucked, as though bred for the pot." "Madame Latour stared at the huge girl and felt a bit of her lunch in her throat. Those rolls of fat, those dreadful dimples, the underwear disappearing into the flesh." And the icing on the cake: "And beside him an enormous child was wearing a sleeveless sundress of the brightest pink. Her underarms bulged and flopped and the rolls of her waist made the skin-tight dress look like a melting strawberry ice cream. It was grotesque."
These are the words of the author - not put into the mouth of one of the characters. And there was more.
The plot was OK although the ending was less than satisfying and a bit unbelievable. I have a few more unread Louise Penny books - but if I encounter more of this sort of characterization, I'll opt for a different series. ...more
Not my favorite Louise Penny book. I got a bit bored 3/4 of the way through and read the ending. From there I read it backwards. Others have given a gNot my favorite Louise Penny book. I got a bit bored 3/4 of the way through and read the ending. From there I read it backwards. Others have given a good description of the book, so I won't, however, this is my second Penny book that I have read lately that I haven't loved. I found the ending contrived, and her references to Gamache's possible grandson sharing his father's sullied name, less than credible, given the grandfather's redemption during the war. ...more
I lived in Cincinnati and Columbus in the 80's. We had trailer park losers, white trash and hillbillies - those are what J. D. Vance called his friendI lived in Cincinnati and Columbus in the 80's. We had trailer park losers, white trash and hillbillies - those are what J. D. Vance called his friends and family. People. People with a past, a history and a shared DNA in their genes. Yes, vastly uneducated, poor, loyal - but also with some very valuable traits. Vance's book enlightened me to stop and look at these folks in a different light. His writing is honest, his thoughts insightful. It's a powerful look at a group of people who are often only seen as fringe nuisance....more
This was OK. Not bad, it kept me entertained, but I expected more historical background and less fiction. Some of the dialog was clearly 20th century.This was OK. Not bad, it kept me entertained, but I expected more historical background and less fiction. Some of the dialog was clearly 20th century. It did, however, make me want to watch the movie Wyatt Earp with Kevin Costner, and that's not all bad :-)...more
"Conductor, composer, pianist, writer, educator, lecturer, television host, human rights and peace activist, Leonard Bernstein was his own one-person "Conductor, composer, pianist, writer, educator, lecturer, television host, human rights and peace activist, Leonard Bernstein was his own one-person Gesamtkunstwerk�"
Genius. Sheer genius. Over a 12 hour dinner at Bernstein's home in Connecticut, in 1989, the author speaks to the lively, passionate, chain-smoking man, in his late seventies revealing the inner workings of this remarkable man. Reading this book allowed me to "hear" Lenny's voice, to understand what made him tick. A complex, thoughtful, emotional, energetic man who talked about life, life after life, death, women, men, musicians, children and education and his wife, Felicia.
"Life without music is unthinkable. Music without life is academic. That is why my contact with music is a total embrace."
Lenny, as his friends called him, was a friend of the family. His wife, Felicia, went to school with my mother. His daughters and I shared the same piano teacher. In the 60s, when we lived in Manhattan, he showered us with free tickets to his concerts, rehearsals and my beloved Young People's Concerts. When I was 10, I was invited to play the piano at his house. As I started playing Bernstein had not arrived. He walked into the room as I was in the middle of a Bartok piece; I got flustered, stumbled and missed a note - thankfully recovering and going on to play without another mistake. Lenny stood up, clapped and said bravo - even though I had made a mistake. He was the mentor that every student should have. A giver of every ounce of himself - to strangers, kids, fellow musicians and his lovers - of which apparently there were many.
I gave this book 3 stars to be generous. It was OK. I finished it and it kept me amused without any real violence or gore. Also, not a whole lot of suI gave this book 3 stars to be generous. It was OK. I finished it and it kept me amused without any real violence or gore. Also, not a whole lot of suspense. It was free as well as a quick and easy read. ...more
I got this as a deal on amazon, either free or very cheap and it was OK. Not bad, I didn't dislike it, but not great. It did describe Alaska well and I got this as a deal on amazon, either free or very cheap and it was OK. Not bad, I didn't dislike it, but not great. It did describe Alaska well and the characters were not too stereotypical....more
Having no preconceived idea of what the book was about, nor a burning desire to read a thriller, I downloaded this book because it was on sale and wouHaving no preconceived idea of what the book was about, nor a burning desire to read a thriller, I downloaded this book because it was on sale and wound up loving it. It's not a thriller, not much of a mystery - but it is a great read.
Samantha is a 4th year lawyer working in a huge NYC firm and going nowhere when due to the recession she is laid off. The lay off deal offers her the possibility of working for a non-profit for no pay, keeping her medical insurance and hiring her back in a year if things pick up. She winds up in hick town in a coal mining village in Virginia, definitely a fish out of water. From proofing contracts in NY one day to being thrown into a courtroom defending the disenfranchised the next, she experiences a rude awakening. Gone are the "Sex in the City" moments. Her reality includes the consequences of coal mining, a poor population and legal aid.
I have a son who works as a lawyer in NYC; in fact his first job was so much like Samantha's that I thought maybe Grisham modeled her workplace on my son's workplace. 80 hour weeks, somebody else taking credit for her work, and no personal satisfaction were par for the course.
I also met a guy who had black lung disease. He was my neighbor's father, from West Virginia. He got screwed by the system and died.
This book brings it all together. Not a lot of cloak and dagger stuff, some, but not enough for those who expect a real thriller - but plenty of substance....more
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